InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Tale of Ever After ❯ Chapter 252

[ 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 251


Kaede, when she went back into the sleeping room at Miroku’s house, gave Maeme the cup of medicine she had been preparing. It quickly made the troubled woman fall asleep, a deep solid rest, and the old miko ushered the boys outside, with directions not to come back until after dinner.

Reluctantly, Nakao and Sukeo left Miroku’s house with Koume and Fumio.

“Can’t I stay?” Nakao asked. “I haven’t been here long.”

“You heard Kaede. She gave her some medicine that should make her sleep awhile,” Koume said. “She needs some rest.”

“But what if she wakes up and she’s all alone?” Sukeo asked.

“You can come back later,” Sango said. She was working outside, folding the clothes she hung up to dry earlier. “It’s all right.”

“You’re sure you don’t mind?” Sukeo asked, hopeful. Can I...can I stay here tonight to sit with her? One person shouldn’t be too many.”

Nakao looked crushed, and nudged his brother. “What about me?”

Sango picked up a towel and frowned. “I...let me talk to my husband and Kaede, first.” She folded it in half, and folded it again.

Koume looked at her husband, who looked thoughtful, but shrugged, and then at Sango as she worked. “I’m not sure if that’s a good idea,” the older woman said. “Houshi-sama’s house is getting crowded and they’ve already given up one room...”

Sango looked at the boys who reminded her of Kohaku, trying to act strong, but whose troubles leaked through his eyes. “We will see what Kaede-sama says,” Sango said. This time she picked up a sheet, and stood, to fold it properly. “If she thinks it’s too much for her, well, we want to do the best for Maeme-chan, don’t we?”

“And what if she wakes up and we’re not here?” Nakao said. The bruises on his face heightened the worried look that filled his eyes and the set of his mouth. “She’ll be scared.”

“That’s why we’ll let Kaede-obaasan decide,” Sango said. She folded the sheet in half.

Fumio nodded, resting a hand on the shoulder of each boy. “Miko-sama has a lot more experience than any of us about how to treat someone like you okaasan. We’ll come back in a little while. But first, let’s go get your bedding and whatever you’ll need to spend the night, all right? After than, and after you get something to eat...”

“But I’m not hungry,” Nakao said. “When Sango-sama tried to get me to eat, it made me feel sick.”

“Well,” Koume said, strong-willed as usual, but at the same time, wanting to keep the boys as content as possible, “We’ll just see how everything goes. But let’s get ready, all right? That’s what we can do while your okaasan is resting. Then we’ll come back and see what Kaede-sama says.”

With a bit more feet-dragging, the couple managed to get the boys moving down the hill.

At InuYasha’s house, Kagome stepped back outside, shaking her head. “Floor’s still too wet to move the things back in yet.”

“Well,” InuYasha said, shrugging. “If you still want to do something, we could go on a run.”

She looked down at the clothes she was wearing. “I don’t think so. I don’t really like to ride on your back in these clothes.”

“We could take a walk. You don’t seem to mind walking in those clothes,” he said. They began moving towards the front of the house.

“I’m not sure I want to do that either,” Kagome said. “Where would we go?”

“I don’t know,” the hanyou said. “We can head that way,” he said, pointing east, “and walk as far as you want to and then turn around and come back when you think it’s been long enough.”

She made a face, twisting her lips as she though about it. “Maybe. I don’t know...”

Before he could make a comment, his ear flicked, hearing something too faint for Kagome’s ears, and he turned around. “We’re about to have company.”

“Oh?” she said, breathing out as she looked down at herself. The knee area of her wrap skirt was a little dirty from her cleaning, and her sleeves were still tied back. “Of course, when I’m wearing the clothes I just cleaned the fire pit out in,” she said, a bit unhappy. Both of them turned to look at the road.

Fumio and Koume walked up with the two sons of Maeme in tow.

“Ah, Kagome-chan,” Koume said, spotting the two. She did not look surprised or upset to see the miko dressed the way she was. “You look like you’re putting the afternoon to good use.”

Kagome smiled, bowing back. “Maybe.”

“After a morning like today’s, it’s those little things that help us get back to normal,” the older woman said. “At least it does for me.” Looking at the furniture in front of the house, she nodded approvingly. “Floor scrubbing, I take it. My favorite for the really irritating times.”

The young miko nodded. “That’s what my okaasan always said, too.”

“A wise woman,” Koume said.

Fumio stepped up, a hand on each of Maeme’s sons, who looked at the young couple in front of them with a little uncertainty. Sukeo sucked on his bottom lip, like he was trying to think of something to say. The blacksmith, noticing, took the lead. “We won’t bother you long. Our two young friends asked if they could stop by before we take them home.”  

“Oh?” Kagome asked. InuYasha stood next to her, his hands clasped in his sleeves, but his posture was easy and his look curious. She looked at the boys with what she hoped was an encouraging smile.

“Yes,” Koume said, nodding. She looked at the older of the two boys kindly. “This was Sukeo’s idea. He asked us to stop.”

Sukeo took a deep breath, and swallowed hard, but stepped firmly forward, and bowed to the hanyou and miko. “My...I...” he swallowed. “My okaasan put you both through some troubles today.”

“Not trouble,” Kagome said. “It’s what we do, you know. Don’t blame her for this.”

The boy stood up, and shook his head, surprised at her comment. “Blame my okaasan? No, no, I wouldn’t do that. But still, you took the time.”

“We did,” the hanyou said. “We would do it again if she needed it.”

“I...” the boy took another deep breath. “My otousan told me many things about you, InuYasha-sama. Most of them were not good. Some people have told me they weren’t true. And I know you knew what he thought about you, especially after the raid last winter...” He paused a moment and met InuYasha’s eyes. The amber eyes looked back at him, patient, alert, unthreatening. “I was told bad things, and repeated them sometimes. I know you heard me the day that Kaede-sama’s ward was talking to my brother. And with all of this you saved my okaasan’s life, even when you know my father hates you.”

“Keh,” InuYasha said, flicking his ear. “It was the right thing to do.”

Sukeo took that information in, and gave a nod, then bowed again. “Thank you.”

InuYasha shifted his weight, from one side to another and glanced at Kagome. Sukeo’s display made him uncomfortable, and he really wasn’t sure how to react, so he nodded in return.

Nakao moved forward, stepping in front of his brother so he could ask Kagome a question. “My okaasan. She’s so sad. Do you think this will help? Everything that Houshi-sama and Kaede-sama are doing? The medicine Miko-sama gives her puts her right to sleep.”

Kagome squatted forward a little, bringing herself closer to Nakao’s line of sight, and rested a hand on his shoulder. “I think so. I trust Kaede-obaasan’s thinking on this. Sometimes people do...what your okaasan did because it’s the only way they have to let people know they need help. Kaede-obaasan, Houshi-sama and InuYasha and I will do all we can to help her.”

“Yeah,” the hanyou said.

After a few more words of small talk, Koume and Fumio made their farewells, and ushered the boys down the hill.


Untouched by the unrest that was going on in the rest of the village, Erime, Shinjiro’s bride, was also finding the time hanging heavy on her hands. She and her sister Tama were sitting in the main room of their house, playing Go to make the time pass. Tama had made a move that was going to be hard for Erime to counter, and she stared fretfully at the board when the door to the room slid open. Ushimi, the girls’ mother walked in, several robes in her hands, and a large square box. She knelt down near the two girls, opened the box, and began folding the robes.

“What are you doing, Okaasan?” Erime asked, surprised. “I didn’t think there was anything left to do.”

Her sister, who must have been in the know about what was going on, giggled. Erime gave her a sharp look.

“Just watch,” the girl said. “You’ll like this better than go.”

“You’re right,” Ushimi said, glancing up at her daughter and smiling. “There’s not much really left to do. But I saved this. I’m packing a few things for your bridal box.” .

“But I thought we had sent most of my things over already,” the young woman said. “I could put everything I have left here in a head scarf.”

“We had. But a bride shouldn’t go to her mother-in-law’s house empty handed. It’s bad luck.” She began to skillfully fold the first robe - a kosode in soft shades of blue and peach.

“Where did you get that, Ha-ha?” Erime said, reaching out to touch the fabric. “I haven’t seen it before. It’s beautiful.”

“Oh, I’ve been doing a little sewing when you were out working in the fields, girl.” Ushimi looked up at her daughter, smiling. She slipped the robe into the box. “You don’t know everything I do.”

“You are sneaky, Ha-ha,” Tama said. “I only found out by accident, and she made me swear not to mention it.”

“And you were good at distracting your sister when I needed you to. Sneakiness must run in the family,” Ushimi said. Tama sucked on her lip, not sure if she should be amused or was being chided, but Erime laughed. Next was a wrap skirt of the same fabric, which quickly followed into the box.

Erime turned and looked at her sister. “Maybe too sneaky. You didn’t even give me a hint.”

Tama hugged her. “Sometimes, it’s worth it, you know.”

“But who’s going to do it for you, when it’s Tama’s turn?” Erime said.  

“Oh, I’m sure we’ll think of something. Maybe I’ll just spend extra time visiting you and Chime-chan.” Ushimi picked up the next piece, in brown and cream and red, a plaid pattern. “A good dress for housework days.”

The young bride nodded. She reached out and touched the fabric. “I like it.”

Last in the stack was something unexpected. It was made of red with white embroidered birds scattered across its surface. Erime looked up at it, surprised. “Where...where did you get this, Haha-ue?”

“It’s a special thing. I wore it at my wedding, and my mother wore it at hers. It was a gift to her mother. A noblewoman that she helped through a bad illness gave it to her. It’s far too good to wear very often, but I would like you to wear it over your kosode when we walk to Shinjiro’s house.”

“You’ll look like a hime,” Tama said. Her eyes were wide and appreciative. “It’s so beautiful.”

“It is indeed.” Erime reached out and gently touched the fabric. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“I suspect Shinjiro hasn’t either,” Ushimi said. “But it will tell him what a wonderful woman he’s getting to come to his house.”  

Suddenly, the woman’s eyes glistened. Carefully taking it to the screen where Erime’s wedding kosode was already draped, she rested it reverently across the top. Then quickly, overcome with emotion, Ushimi stepped out of the room.