InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Tale of Ever After ❯ Chapter 275

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


Chapter 275

A light bobbed on the path to Seiji’s house, and a young man’s voice seemed to move in time with it.

“The farmer, he came courting -
he brought some pickled plum,
he brought a rush hat,
he brought an eggplant.
When the moon rises over the mountain,
it’s something to see.”

“He’s here already?” Kazuo asked, rubbing his hat over his head. “Must have lost track of the time.”

“Time is a tricky thing, sometimes,” Daikoku said, nodding agreeably. He pulled a small vial out of his sleeve. “Time to work on our friend here.”

“What’s that?” Kazuo asked.

“The solution to some of our friend’s problems,” the luck kami said. “At least, it’ll clear his head some. Poor boy needs some luck to stop tripping over things.”

Sadayori looked at his son, and at the kami bending over Yoshimi. Daikoku unstoppered the vial and carefully poured it into the drunken man’s mouth. At first Yoshimi swallowed, then sputtered, and then sat up, looking surprised at where he was sitting. “What the hells? My mouth tastes like a manure pile.”

Unseen and unheard by the young man, Daikoku chuckled. “Clearing the mind of the stupid things we use to cloud our sight leaves a nasty taste behind, young man. It’s not just sake we use to deceive ourselves. But I wish you luck.” He turned to his companions. “For a while, it will help him to see reality a little more the way he ought to. Alas, for humans, they are so good at twisting their sight, I fear it won’t last.”

“Maybe it’ll be enough. He isn’t a stupid boy,” Sadayori said. “Foolish and lazy, maybe, but not stupid.”

“Tonight will be good enough for what I need,” Kazuo said, nodding. “And then...well, there’s that woman who wants to marry him. She’ll do the rest.”

As Yoshimi shook his thoughts cleared, the young man approaching them drew closer, still singing.

“The mother served him pickled radish,
and poured the sake.
The father looked at the rush hat,
then drank until he cried.
When the moon rises over the mountain,
it’s something to see.”

Sadayori looked at the man walking up the road. “Is this your doing, Kazuo-sama? Bringing that farmhand of Tsuneo’s here - is it part of your plan? What were you going to do if I said no?”

“Eh, I’d have thought of something,” the kami replied. “But it took days to get this all set up. I had to have everything in motion. And don’t forget, we’re not making anybody do anything. Just setting up a situation.”

“And easing the way.” Daikoku nodded, and tapped his mallet in his hands. Little sparks flew off it, some landing on Yoshimi, who, although he couldn’t see them, flinched slightly as they touched.

The singer drew close enough for Yoshimi to actually notice.

“The daughter took a glance
at the farmer who came courting
and her father who was crying
and ran outside.
When the moon rises over the mountain,
it’s something to see.”

“Tadaki, what the hells are you singing about?” Yoshimi said, rolling to his feet. “That’s song’s a piece of crap.” He stood up a little shakily, and shook his head. “Today’s been bad enough without having to listen to your stupid songs.”

The young man lifted his lantern high, so he could get a good look at Yoshimi.

“Talk about hell,” Tadaki said. “What’s happened to you today?”

“Too much,” Yoshimi replied. “Why are you even here?”

“Ah.” Tadaki lowered his lamp and lifted up his other hand, which held a basket. “For some reason, Kohoru-obasan decided nobody would remember to feed you. I was surprised at that, because we know how she feels about your brother.”

Yoshimi scratched his head. “You’re sure she didn’t poison it? She doesn’t like me much better than him.”

“If she did, she poisoned everybody tonight. It came out of the same pots that everybody else ate out of.” Tadaki lowered his arm. “Even me. Maybe, she’s just trying to get back at Seiji-sama, trying to make him feel small.”

“Fat chance for that to work,” Yoshimi said. He spit. “Damn my mouth tastes bad. Stupid rotgut sake my brother makes.”

Tadaki chuckled. “You have to watch that cheap stuff. Or maybe, it’s because she feels sorry for Maeme-obasan after what happened today. After all, it was Furume-chan who was there when they discovered her.”

Yoshimi frowned, and took a step, slightly shaky, towards his house. “One stupid woman doing something for another. I don’t want to hear any more about Maeme.”

Sadayori, unseen by the humans, turned to Kazuo. “And this is supposed to be the next step in your plan?”

“It is,” the family kami said, nodding solemnly. “Let’s go check on your grandchildren.”

The ghost shrugged, but nodded. With a silent clap, the three disappeared into the night.

Tadaki hefted the basket down his arm and grabbed the other man’s sleeve. “But it may have been she just felt sorry for you, too.”

“Bah,” Yoshimi said. “Nobody feels sorry for me. The whole damn village would be happier if I just disappeared. Did you hear what happened this afternoon? Her man was right there when they tried to jump me today. I thought old Hisako-babaa was going to do me in with that walking stick of hers, and that the village guard was going to let them. Damn that Susumu.”

Tadaki tried not to smile at that image, but didn’t quite make it, although he did manage to swallow a chuckle back down. He took a deep breath.“You’ll have to tell me all about it from your point of view. I just know what Masu-sama and Furume said.”

“I’m sure they made me look like a big hero,” Yoshimi said. He spit again. “I really need to get this taste out of my mouth.”

There was a sudden burst of light that neither of them could see, although Yoshimi suddenly shivered. “Where’d that cold breeze come from?”

Shimame the land kami standing not far from the two young men also was looking. “I was sure that this is where they were. They had to have been here. Can’t you feel the luck swirling around?”

Yoshio looked around, his eyes taking in the compound. “What have they done here? There’s so much dark mixed into the light.”

“You didn’t know?” Shimame asked.

“I...I knew Seiji was...troubled. But what has he done?” Yoshio looked at the two young men. “There’s a lot here I didn’t realize...”

“Sometimes,” Shimame said, “this is what can happen when you let destiny take its own course. Let’s go check out the monk’s house. Seiji’s sons are there, I believe.” She concentrated a moment. “Yes, and I think Kazuo’s headed that way. Perhaps, it’s time for you to take...a more active role. Or not. “ The two winked out.

As they left, Yoshimi shivered again. Unaware of anything out of the ordinary, Tadaki looked at him, surprised. “I didn’t feel anything. Are you sure you’re not getting sick?”

“Getting sick of this life I’m living.” Yoshimi looked around and shrugged.

“Fire and food make even a bad day better. Let’s go inside. That too may be why Kohoru-sama sent the basket, knowing what type of day you’ve hand and that her husband was involved. She’s nice that way. It smells too good, and she sent extra for me, too.” He clapped the troubled man on the back. “Let’s go eat. I’m hungry.”

“I thought you already ate?” Yoshimi said.

“I did. But singing and talking to hardheads like you gives me an appetite.” He tugged on the other man’s sleeve, and together the two of them headed into Yoshimi’s little house.


Up the hill, at the monk’s house, Sukeo’s voice rang out. “No, Okaasan, you need to stay here and rest!”

Sango and Miroku exchanged glances.

“I do believe our house guest is stirring,” the monk said.

“Please, Maeme-chan,” Kaede’s voice was soothing, but firm. “It’s time to take more medicine. And lay back down. It’s what your body needs.”

“I...I...I...” a soft voice said. “Please, Miko-sama. Let me go.”

“Now what?” Fumio asked.

“I think,” Miroku said, standing up, “we need to see what’s happening.”

The group headed into the monk’s house just as Kazuo popped up on the rafters along with Sadayori and Daikoku.

The kami sighed at the sight in front of him. A shaky Maeme was grasping the doorframe to the sleeping room, swaying as she stood there. Her lean face was touched with shadow, except where the fire pit highlighted her cheeks and forehead, and catching in her eyes. Although her face was almost a mask, revealing little, her eyes were frightened, almost panicked, something the lighting intensified.

“Everything seemed to be going well when I left,” Sadayori said. “What happened?”

“Time,” Kazuo replied.

Nakao, standing behind her, and still in the sleeping room, pulled on her sleeve. “Come back to bed, Okaasan.”

Maeme looked around the room, at Kaede, at the monk and Sango who had entered the house and stepped up on the wooden platform, but paused, not sure of what to do. For a brief moment, her eyes locked with Miroku’s, took in their concern, but then she dropped her eyes towards the bed where the twins were asleep.

“Maeme-sama?” Miroku said. “May I help you? Is there something you need?”

“Need? Need?” the trouble woman said, at first merely a whisper, but she repeated the word over and over, getting louder.

Sukeo pushed past her. “Okaasan, lay back down. You don’t need to go anywhere.”

For some reason, Maeme started laughing. “I don’t. He’ll come for me, anyway. Nothing I can do, no place to go. I just have to wait.”

Koume, from where she stood in the beaten earth entryway, frowned at that. She stepped up, went past the monk, and grabbed the troubled woman’s arm. “You think we’ll let that man come and get you?”

Maeme met Koume’s eyes. Her face unfroze, and as the emotionless mask dropped, the terror that she had been concealing was revealed. “Nobody stops Seiji. Nobody keeps him from doing what he wants to do. He hurts people, but nobody ever fights back. Seiji always gets to do what he wants.” Her voice was laced with despair.

Koume, taken back with what she saw in the troubled woman’s eyes, took a step back, and Nakao pushed in to take her place.

“Okaa,” Nakao said, wrapping his arms around her. “Okaa, don’t talk like that.”

Maeme looked down on him, and rested a hand on his head. “My poor baby. He’ll come here and kill me. He’ll kill you, too, and maybe Sukeo, just for being here. He’s always hated us the most.” She looked up at Miroku. “He’ll come for you, too, Houshi-sama. Let me go. Maybe if I go to him, I can save you.”

“Nobody’s going to hurt you, Maeme-sama. I give you my word,” Miroku said, pulling himself up and giving her his best serious-monk look. “I promised you that when I pulled you out of the river, didn’t I? I meant it.”

“And I will be next to him,” Sango said.

“And I will be, also,” Fumio said, hefting his hammer.

It was too much for the troubled woman, and she sank to her knees, sobbing. “The gods forgive me. All I asked for was to die. What will I do with all this blood on my hands?”

“She’s in a bad way,” Daikoku said, pulling on his beard.

“If you had lived her life, you would be, too,” Kazuo said, nodding.

“Well, she’s lucky we’re here,” Daikoku replied.

“It would have been better about five years ago,” Sadayori said. As he watched, the women gathered around Maeme and helped her into bed. “But better late than never.”

“You’ll find your rest yet, old man,” Kazuo said.

“But will poor Maeme-chan?” Sadayori said. “I think she needs it more than I do.”