InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Tale of Ever After ❯ Chapter 292

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


Chapter 292


It was still quite early in the morning, and not a lot of people were out and about yet, especially with the events of the previous night keeping so many of them up late.  But Choujiro preferred to start his day early, and he walked to the hill at the east side of town so he could get to work at InuYasha’s house.  After passing through the mostly empty village street, he was surprised when he saw people out in front of Daitaro’s house.

“The one place I really expected people to be late getting a start, he said as he stopped at the house at the bottom of the hill.  

A rather tired-looking Daitaro and a somewhat less tired looking Chime were putting a number of brightly wrapped bundles onto the the depths of a large pack basket.

“Mariko was so good about wrapping things up last night,” Chime said. “Be sure to get all the pickle jars at the bottom.”

Daitaro grunted a reply.

She handed a heavy bundle wrapped in blue to Daitaro.  “We’ll give this one to Sora-chan.  Her little ones don’t get treats very often.”

“Eh, her husband Denjiro doesn’t think that much of us,” Daitaro says.  

“More the reason to share with her,” Chime said.  “And I have this bundle for poor Momoe.”  She handed him a red-bound bundle.  

He put it in the pack and then picked up a bundle wrapped in a bright blue and red print cloth.  It rattled a little as he lifted it.  

“That one’s for InuYasha-sama,” Chime said.  “I’ll think we’ll leave it here for right now, and take it up later.  They usually get an early start going to Kaede-sama’s.”

“Good idea,” Daitaro said.  “That way I won’t have to lug it all over the village.”

“But he’ll like what’s in it.  Pickles and -’

“Eh, I could have guessed.” Daitaro shook his head. “You’re going to pickle him out one day, woman.”

“And some more of those mushrooms,” she said, chuckling.  “I bet he won’t get tired of them yet.”

“Still young enough to really appreciate them.”  Daitaro sighed a little.  “Ah, I remember those days”

“You were quite the bull,” she said nodding.   She reached out and took his hand, and gave it a little squeeze. “Good days.  We still have them sometimes, you know.”

“Ah, but...” Daitaro got a faraway look.  His thoughts were interrupted by a soft cough.

“Up and working already?” Choujiro asked, walking up the path.  “After last night, I thought you’d be sleeping late.”

“Good morning, Choujiro-sama,” Chime said, giving the woodworker a smile.  “Maybe we can tomorrow.”  

The old farmer looked up at his visitor. “Oy, you don’t know the half of it.  Helped get Kaede and that piece of crap Yoshimi to her place after all the fireworks were over,” the old farmer said. He made sure it was snug in the pack, then turned to his company. “Where’s your helper this morning?”

“Ah, I want to talk to you about him,” Choujiro said.

“Good thing you got an early start,” Chime said, lifting a lighter bundle into the pack.  This one was wrapped in a green and  blue cloth.  “This one’s for Kohoru, and that mob she feeds every day.”

“With something special for Furume?” Daitaro asked.

“Well, she was a hero of yesterday’s drama,” Chime replied. She gave Choujiro a smile. “We were just getting ready to pass around the second day food around.  Even with big eaters like my son and InuYasha-sama, we have plenty of leftover food to share.  Once that’s done, I can really rest.”

“Until something else comes up, maybe,” Daitaro said.

Chime laughed, a light, happy sound. “You know me too well.”

“I can see we’re going from one end of the village to the other.” Daitaro stuffed the last of the bundles in the pack basket. “So, Choujiro, what’s this about Aki-kun?”

“Kinjiro told me he was bringing him over to your place after the village guard meets.” Choujiro took a breath and scratched the back of his head. “I was hoping that I could borrow him from you for the afternoon.”

“His first day here? Hmm...He does seem to like working with you,” Daitaro said.

“He seems to have a natural feel for wood. Not every boy does,” Choujiro said. “Certainly keeps him out of trouble when he’s splitting out boards. I’m at a point where an extra pair of hands would be really handy.”

Daitaro laughed. “That’s going to be true until the shed’s finished. More than one extra hand before you’re done.”

“True, true. There’ll be days where I’ll be like Houshi-sama, going around the village looking for volunteers.” Choujiro shrugged. “But right now, a boy who’s got a sense for wood will do me.”

“I’ve heard how well he’s been working out with you up at InuYasha-sama’s house,” Chime said.  “Didn’t know if anybody or anything could bring that out in him.”

Daitaro turned and looked at her. “When have you had time to hear anything this last week, with all the wedding work?” Daitaro asked, amused.

“You’d be amazed what I hear, husband,” she said sweetly.  She put another bundle in the pack.

“These women, they can work circles around us,  Choujiro. You see that? Come by and talk with me after lunch,” Daitaro said. “Still want to get some work out of the boy. Some of this is punishment, and reparation. Still, maybe if he thinks working with you is a reward, it’ll help keep him behaving.” He turned to Chime. “So where do we go first, woman?” He slipped his arms into the pack.   

“Why don’t we head up to see Sango-sama? With the extra people at their place, I’m sure some extra food might be handy.”

“You sure you just don’t want to play with her daughters?” Daitaro chuckled.

“Well, they are lovely,” Chime said. “And I do love to play with them. But not today.  I’m more interested in checking up on Maeme. Plus, we have too many stops to make. Playing with sweet girls takes more time.”

“I’ll walk with you,” Choujiro said. “I’m headed up the hill anyway. With all the craziness of yesterday, I left all my gear there.  Kind of antsy to make sure everything handled being out all night.”

“At least it didn’t rain,” Daitaro said.

They started down the path, but before they could get more than a few steps away, Genjo hurried  out of the house. Surprisingly, after all the food and drink from the night before, he didn’t look particularly hung over or tired. “Chi-chi, you sure you don’t want me to carry that for you?  My back’s younger than yours.”

“That’s why I’m leaving you here to work,” Daitaro said. “Kinjiro may bring Aki around before I’m out and about. You can put him to work shoveling cow patties. And when your brother comes up for air, get him to help you in the fields. Weeds wait for no man, newly married or not.”

And with a determined air, he headed for the road.




Breakfast eaten, InuYasha headed down to the stream to fetch water.  Already, the sky was showing a promise of rain before day’s end, but otherwise it was a calm and lovely morning, with small trails of cloud. He put the first bucket in the water to fill, then stood up and stretched for a moment and let his surroundings sink in. There was wind stirring in the trees and the sounds of morning birds declaring their ownership of their place in the trees. He could scent the last traces of the people who had come by last night, and newer traces of a deer that had crossed across the yard and  moved toward the the forest behind the house after they had gone to bed.  Chika had come this way, too, pretty recently.

“She might not be a bakeneko any more,” he said, “but she still has hunter’s ways. Keh.  I can understand that one.” Smiling at the thought, he looked up. “Smells like it might rain before the day is out. Kagome’s gonna need a rain cape before the summer’s over.  Better talk to Kaede or someone about that.”   

The first bucket was full. “Sure not the same crazy place it was last night,” he muttered as he lifted it up.  But just as he was getting ready to fill up the second, the sounds of water and wind in the trees were joined by the faint jingling of metal. “So much for the peace.” He put the bucket in the water.  Just about that time, Miroku walked up.

“This is becoming a habit,” the hanyou said, crossing him arms.  “Come for some quiet after all the noise at your place?”

Miroku gave the hanyou a small smile that barely touched his eyes. “This time, my friend, I’m not here to steal your quiet with you this morning, but to consult with your lovely wife.”

InuYasha gave him a careful look as he squatted down to get the bucket. The monk was tired but focused, and evidently not in much mood for bantering. “Consult?” InuYasha lifted the water bucket out of the stream and stood up.

The monk nodded. “Or at least ask her opinion. I told Maeme that we would purify her house.  That it needed to be purified before she went home.  It was the only way I could get her to agree to spend another day with us.  But it’s not a lie.  Seiji loaded everything down with so many wards and charms, that I’m sure it’s keeping out all of the good influences as well as negative...and it might just pull Seiji’s ghost back to haunt the family.”


Miroku moved closer to the hanyou, his staff jingling as he moved. InuYasha could smell the worry and fatigue rolling off of him.  “Keh,” InuYasha said.  “I can believe that.  We went over there yesterday.  I couldn’t get near the place.  It didn’t feel holy, just stunk of bad human magic.  And pain. And anger. And fear.”

“Since Kagome-sama has so much purification power, I thought I might be able to persuade her and perhaps Kaede-obaasan to help make it better,”  Miroku said.  “It needs more than me slapping yet another ofuda on it.”

InuYasha picked up the buckets.  “That sounds like a good idea.  Hard enough for Maeme to go back there without all that rot messing with her head.  Best would be to tear that place down and build a new place.”

“If it wouldn’t take too much time and work, I’d recommend it,” Miroku said.  “But it does, so I figured that the best way would be to clean out as much as the darkness as possible.”

 InuYasha nodded. “How is she this morning?”

 They began walking towards the house.

“Frightened.  She knows that he’s gone, but...” The monk sighed. “Her mind...it is so well trained to expect harm, that she’s still cringing, expecting the next blow.  I’ve seen this before in released prisoners.  With time and support, she will start to let the fear go.  With Kwannon’s blessing.”

“Might take all of that,” InuYasha said with a nod of his head.  His thoughts went briefly to his own childhood. “It takes a long time to unlearn what pain and experience teach you to expect.” His ear twitched as he remembered his conversation before breakfast.  

Miroku gave him a thoughtful look and nodded. “Still, at least she is surrounded by people who want her to succeed.  That’s got to count for something,” Miroku said.  “I hope.”

“Hope helps,” the hanyou said. “Let’s get this water in, and see what Kagome thinks.”

Kagome stepped out of the door as the two men neared.

“I thought I heard you out here.  Good morning, Miroku.  I hope things are going all right at your house.” she asked, dropping door mat behind her.

“Better than yesterday,” the monk said.  He gave her a small, if a touch sad, smile.

“He wants to talk with you about Maeme’s house,” InuYasha said, pushing through the door to put the water buckets up.

“Talk with me?” Kagome asked, looking carefully at the monk, noting his concern and fatigue.  

He gave her a small smile. “Indeed.”

“How is she this morning?” Kagome asked.

“Still with us.  Still very frail,” Miroku said, trying to get his thoughts in order.  “She wants to go home.  I don’t know how much longer we can keep her at my house.”

Kagome nodded.  “I don’t think your house is designed to hold two families.”

“Ah, we could cope a few more days,” Miroku said.  “But I am not sure her house is fit for her to live in yet.  You were there yesterday.  What do you think?”

A light dawned in the young miko’s eyes.  “Ah, I see what you mean.  It had a dark feel, oppressive.  I’m not sure if it was just Seiji, either.  There were so many wards and ofudas hanging everywhere.  Too many.  That can cause it’s own problem, can’t it?” She sucked on her bottom lip.  “I wouldn’t want to send her back to that.  It wouldn’t help her heal.  It might make her worse.”

“This is what I was thinking myself.” The monk sighed.  “Perhaps we could discuss what to do with Kaede-sama this morning?”

“That is a good idea. We’re getting ready to go.  Do you think I should stop by your place and check on Maeme before we head down to Kaede’s?”

“She woke up very early, but Sango got her to take one more dose of the medicine, and she fell back to sleep,” Miroku said.  “Let us talk with Kaede first.”

Kagome nodded.  “I’d like to check Nakao first, though, to let Kaede know.”

InuYasha stepped back out of the house.  “You ready, Kagome?  Haven’t seen Choujiro coming up the road yet, have you?”

“Today’s the day Kinjiro is supposed to turn Aki over to Daitaro,” the monk said.  “I wouldn’t be surprised if our friend and he are discussing who gets to use Aki and for how long.”  

“You might be onto something there.”  InuYasha walked up to his wife.   “Ready?”

She nodded.  All three  started walking down the path.