InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Tale of Ever After ❯ Chapter 213

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

I do not own InuYasha or any of the characters created by Rumiko Takahashi


Chapter 212


Back at Seiji’s house, Nakao’s question surprised the adults. Kagome and InuYasha exchanged glances, not knowing what to say.

For a moment, everything was quiet. The only sound came from the chickens strutting in the yard in front of the house.

Nakao looked at the others and then back at Kaede. “Can anybody tell me why my otousan is like this?” The boy’s voice still quite soft, as if he were afraid someone was going to overhear him, but there was a rising tone to it that required an answer. “Sometimes, he’s almost nice. Once, last fall, he even took me fishing. But then other times...” He shook his head. “Like yesterday. I wasn’t doing anything bad. I was just pulling a weed I found in the garden. My okaasan does so much of the work herself. I just wanted to help. Why should I let it grow? Why did he think that was a bad thing? Is he possessed? Does he have a fox spirit?”

The old miko sighed, and rubbed her lips with a knuckle as she thought about how to answer him.  

“Who told you about fox spirits?” InuYasha asked. “And why do you think he might have one?”

“My obasan. She thinks he got a fox spirit when he was a boy,” Nakao said, looking up at the hanyou. He sucked on his lip. It was evidently a nervous habit. His bottom lip was chapped from doing it a lot. “Moriko-obasan said when she was about ten, he fell out of a tree, and she says that’s when the fox spirit got him. She says before that, he was a nice person. But he never was after it.”

Kaede shook her head, and twisted the corner of her mouth into a doubtful expression. “I don’t know, child. Your obasan is not the first person who’s suggested that. If it’s a fox spirit, it’s one that’s too strong for everyday magic to chase away, or even discover.”

“Too strong?” the boy asked. “I didn’t think...”

“I know I’ve tried. Even Houshi-sama can’t feel any magic on him. People like to blame the foxes or other youkai, or ghosts, but sometimes, it’s not magic at all,” Kaede said. “And sometimes, we just don’t know why these things happen.”

“He fell out of a tree when he was a boy?” Kagome asked. Nakao nodded.  

“Aye, he did,” Kaede said, also nodding. “I remember. I think he was about seven at the time. He hit his head pretty hard. We were worried that he might not make it because of it, but he did.”

The young miko rubbed her chin, thinking. InuYasha looked at her, curious about where she was going with this.

“I’m afraid I didn’t feel any magic on him, either, Nakao-kun. But where...where I come from, they tell us that people who hurt their heads sometimes have problems.” Kagome briefly looked up at InuYasha, who nodded for her to continue. She turned back to the boy. “Sometimes, when a person hits their head too hard, it changes their whole personality. A sweet person might become demanding. A person who never cared about food might become a famous cook. Usually it was for the worst, though. A lot of the time people injured like that would get angry and have trouble controlling their feelings.”

“Do they know how to fix it?” Nakao asked. “Do you know how to do it?” There was a flicker of hope in his eyes.

Kagome shook her head sadly, and watched the little flame go out, which made her feel more sad than she expected. “I’m afraid not. If our healers got to it early enough, they sometimes could make a difference, but not always. And never after so many years from the injury.” She sighed, and reached out, leaning forward and resting her hand lightly on the boy’s shoulder. “But if you need help because of your otousan, and you see me or InuYasha, tell us. We’ll try to do something.”

He looked up at the hanyou, questioning. InuYasha looked back at him with a steady, amber gaze. “Keh,” he said, nodding. “You know we will.”

“I...I better go inside,” Nakao said, not exactly sure of what to say next. “I promised Haha-ue I would rest.”

“A wise thing,” Kaede said. “Come see me tomorrow if you can. I want to check that cut on your cheek. But before you go, here,” she said.  She took a small bottle out of her basket and opened it, then handed it to him. “Drink this. It’ll help your hurts. It might make you sleepy though.”

Nakao nodded and drank it down. He made a face and wiped his mouth, then handed her back the bottle. “That tasted awful.”

“Alas,” Kaede said. “So many of the things that help us get better do. Drink some water when you go inside. It’ll help.”

With a nod, the boy turned and walked away, lifting the mat door and disappearing into the house.

They stood there a minute, and watched for a moment.  

InuYasha shook his head. “It’s always foxes,” he said. “When anything goes wrong, they blame foxes. I’m surprised they don’t chase Shippou away.”

Kaede looked up at him and nodded. “Some would like to,” she said. “Not many, but some. People like to have a reason for why things go wrong, and the kitsune people are a convenient excuse. It’s not helped by their tendency to trick people, either.”

“Feh,” the hanyou said. “Anybody who complains should be glad he’s here, even if he does like to pull pranks sometimes. I bet his uncle helps keep the black kitsune away. They’re the ones who do the most trouble. If someone gets fox possessed, it’s almost always one of them. Shippou’s uncle - that one’s a smart old fox. He wouldn’t want anything to happen to his nephew’s village.”

“I hadn’t thought of that,” the old miko said. She tilted her head, considering. “There really hasn’t been much talk of real kitsune problems around here for the last few years. Maybe he has been.”

InuYasha took a deep breath, looked around the place, and scowled. “If they want to chase someone away, it ought to be that bastard Seiji,” the hanyou said. He stuck his hands in his sleeves. “Let’s go. The air here stinks.”

“I think we’ll all feel better going elsewhere,” Kagome said, nodding.

“You may be right,” the old miko said. She began leading them towards Tsuneo’s house.

For some reason, the sunshine seemed brighter as they walked to the western side of the village. InuYasha visibly relaxed as they headed toward the elder’s house.

“You know, InuYasha,” Kagome said, “you don’t really have to make this last stop with us. There’s no way Tsuneo-ojisan would let anything happen to either Kaede or me.”

“And this should be the last stop we do today, I believe,” Kaede said. “Just in time for lunch.”

“Come this far,” the hanyou said, giving his wife a look that let her know what he thought of her trying to shoo him off. “After putting up with Sora’s brats and old man Daisuke, I’m not stopping now.”

Kaede shrugged. “But tomorrow, we might not need to make rounds at all. I suspect we will need to find some other way to pass your morning.”

Akemi and Jiro, two of the village boys who were fans of InuYasha’s fishing skills walked by, heading for the river. A small brown dog trailed after them. They waved as they passed.

“Going fishing,” Akemi said. “Wish me luck!”

“Catch a big one,” InuYasha said as they passed. He looked at them with a touch of envy.

Kagome, catching his look, rested her hand on his arm. “I can think of one or two ways you might pass the time then.”

He nodded.

Kagome turned to Kaede. “So, you think everybody is doing well enough to not do your rounds?”

“Maybe,” the old miko said. “Sora’s son is getting back on his feet. I doubt if she’ll be able to keep him inside.”

“He did seem a bit restless today,” Kagome said, nodding. “And all the rest of Sora’s children seem to be doing all right.”

“Oh, I have no doubt that he’ll be driving his mother to distraction by the end of the day.” The old miko chuckled. “I knew he was getting better when he asked me to tell his mother to let him play on the verandah.”

“Did he?” Kagome asked. “I missed that.”

“It was when you were giving the medicines to the other children,” Kaede said.

“They really like those,” the young miko said. “I’m glad it kept the sickness away.”

“I’m afraid Sora’s children don’t get sweets very often,” Kaede said, nodding. “Sweet medicine tastes as good to them as any other special treat.”

As they walked, they passed a number of people going about their business. One of them was Toshiro’s farmhand Shigeru, who was heading towards the dryland fields pushing a handcart. He did not look very happy. Seeing the small group, he stopped his cart, waved, and then took the moment to wipe his face.   

InuYasha snorted, looking at the workman. “Wonder how many stops he’ll make before he gets where he’s going.” A small boy, seeing Shigeru’s cart, threw a mud clot at it. It splatted and made a big circle. Shigeru shook his fist at the boy, started to chase him, thought better of it, and began heading to where he was supposed to go. “Wonder what that was all about?”

“Shigeru’s tongue doesn’t always know it’s place,” Kaede said.

The hanyou shrugged. “He’s not the only one around here like that. Look at old man Daisuke.”

Kaede stepped over a small pothole in the street. “That one definitely has a sharp tongue in his head, true.”

“But the old man is looking pretty good,” InuYasha said. “There was a time there I wasn’t sure he was going to make it through the winter.”

“He is indeed. I believe he’s finally getting over his winter cough,” Kaede said. “Now if he can keep his back in shape...”

“He gives old Hisako a run for his money,” the hanyou said, chuckling. “He’s probably the only person in the village that can get the better of her.”

“Perhaps you are right, InuYasha. But where did you think she learned it from?” Kaede asked.

InuYasha nodded. “You have a point.”

“I think,” Kaede said, “Unless Hisako sends word, we’ll skip visiting him tomorrow.” She rubbed her chin. “And Sayo won’t need to be checked on for a few days. She’s doing quite well, just as I suspected.”

“As long as they can keep her from chasing after Daiki-kun,” Kagome said. “He seems to be a real handful.”

Kaede nodded. “She needs to just stay away from the rest of her household for a few more days. It’s important that she gets her rest. If I know her, though, she’ll try to get back to work in a week, instead of taking her month off. The men in her family get overwhelmed trying to keep up, even with Nanami and the girls helping. And I doubt if it’s going to get any better. Daiki-kun’s little brother seems to be about to take after him.”

“They need to get some more help,” InuYasha said, stuffing his hands in his sleeves.

“You could always volunteer, InuYasha,” Kagome said. “You did such a good job with him this morning. Toshiro might offer you the job.”

The look he gave her in return made her laugh.

“I take it, then, that’s a no,” Kaede said. A corner of her mouth turned up, watching the two of them.  

“More than a no,” InuYasha said.

Kagome laughed some more.