InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Chained ❯ Reunite ( Chapter 51 )

A\N: Hm. I’m not sure I’m happy with this chapter.

I think I might have screwed it up somehow...

Well, too late now I guess...

-inuyasha cute doggie ears - Oh that’s fine. Like I’ve said before-- I don’t mind if people don’t review every chapter, just every once in a while to let me know you’re still there. ^_^ -- Oh that’s fine. I like cats and chocolate too! ^_^ And if that’s the simile you wanted to use, then by all means use it. ^_^

-elencala - Lol, so you didn’t forget about that huh? Lol, well don’t worry, neither did I. It’s just taken me a bit longer to get back to it then I first thought it would... Which I suppose is kinda lucky since I haven’t entirely made up my mind as to what it should be as of yet. Should come soon though! ^_^ And yep, it was an orb. Oh no, finals?! Yeesh! Well, as much as I hate sanity, it’s much better than the insanity that finals can cause, so of course I’ll update if it’ll help! ^_^   ~*~   Reunite

When the two horse youkai and the two-headed lizard Ah-Un were nearly landed, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru began approaching them, reaching maybe to about five feet away before Inuyasha was hit with something furry and auburn-ish in colour and that seemed to be trying to strangle the life out of him.

This was, of course, Shippo, but Inuyasha had no idea of that, and immediately grabbed whatever it was and yanked it violently away from him, fear filling his eyes as he dropped the small kitsune on the ground and backed slowly away.

Shippo appeared slightly confused, but was too happy to see his friend to care much, and he immediately tried again to attack himself to Inuyasha, this time aiming for somewhere closer to the half-demon’s chest, clutching to his haori in a small hug, his tail lifting happily behind him.

Inuyasha, who had now seen that this... whatever it was was not trying to hurt him, was unsure how to react.

At first he had barely been able to recognise the small kitsune child, and now that he knew who it was... he didn’t know what to do.

He looked over at Sesshomaru for help, but Sesshomar didn’t say anything, just seemed to tilt his head slightly in what Inuyasha supposed was supposed to be an encouraging gesture.

So he slowly brought his hand up to rest on the child’s back, not moving, just waiting to see what the kitsune would do next.

He didn’t have long to contemplate this as the next second he felt a weight on his shoulder and he looked over to see the small neko-youkai, Kirara, resting there.

She stared at him with her large red eyes a moment, before letting out a small mewling sound and rubbing affectionately against his cheek in the same way he had seen her do so often with Sango.

Inuyasha frowned slightly at the unexpected memory, and then froze as more began to flood through him.

Shippo first “attacking” him and Kagome to get the jewel shards, Kirara carrying the huge demon head in her mouth before Myouga told her to transform... Memories like that, and more fond one’s filled him, and he slowly let a small smile spread across his features.

Shippo was young and not all that experienced in fighting, but, because he had bound himself to Kagome in his own way, Inuyasha had taken it on as his responsibility to give Shippo the demon side of his demon life back. Demon society was harsher than human society, but Kagome and Miroku and sometimes even Sango didn’t seem to understand that. Inuyasha knew though that, if someone hadn’t been rough on him and treated him the way any demon male of their little pack might have, it would only make things far more difficult for the child later on. Demon’s had more expected of them when they grew up, and, if Shippo went into the world with a human’s lessons of life flowing through him and nothing but his demon instincts to rely on, he would likely end up killed during his first battle. In that way, Inuyasha had taken the kitsune “under his wing” in a sense and had unexpectedly begun to play the role of adoptive father.

Not that he minded.

And he knew that it was something that only Shippo knew about, since the human members of their group didn’t understand the complexity of his actions toward the kitsune.

And then, of course, there was Kirara.

The only one of the group who could even really begin to relate to him in a mature sense and she couldn’t talk.

Still, if he wanted to get away from everybody’s harsh antics toward him, she was always the first one he’d turn to.

None of the other’s knew it, but Kirara probably knew more about Inuyasha’s past and feelings than even he himself did.

It was almost like talking to a pet-- telling them all your secrets and feelings because you know they won’t tell, only this was better because he knew that Kirara actually understood what he was saying and could sometimes relate to him as well.

And now that this knowledge was beginning to come back to him, so was the comfortableness of being around his companions.

Leastways, the two smallest and most demonic of them.

Which lead him toward the third figure still mounted on the fire-youkai but slowly being helped off by a struggling Amaya.

Inuyasha stared at the seemingly unconscious monk for all of a second, watching him wince slightly as Amaya fought with gravity to pull him off without hurting him, before striding forward to help, pushing aside all his uncertainties in the situation as he quickly grabbed the monk in his arms, Shippo jumping up onto his other shoulder to get out of the way, and lifted him out of Amaya’s grasp.

He frowned at the bandage covering the monks hand under his rosary.

Amaya had told him that Miroku had been having serious trouble with his wind tunnel, but she had refused to go into details with him. Now, judging by the way his friend was shaking and sweating in his grip, he could only imagine how bad the damage had really been.

‘He’s not as bad as you think.’ Amaya said, as though reading his thoughts, which, Inuyasha reasoned a moment later, she probably was. He put his ears back and frowned in confusion, and she gestured at the fire-youkai. ‘The ride has simply worn him out. With a little rest and proper attention, he should be fine. I am actually thinking of retrieving that monk and bringing him here again to help look after him. That is, if it is alright with the Lord of the castle.’ She said, glancing at Sesshomaru, who seemed to be blatantly ignoring the witch, watching as his little brother cradled the monk in his arms as though he were something precious and fragile that might break at any second.

Inuyasha nodded his head toward the witch, before beginning to turn toward the castle, freezing when he heard a weak voice from somewhere near his chest.

‘Inu-yasha?’

Inuyasha glanced down at the monk to see him staring up at him with barely open indigo orbs, full of disorientation and familiarity and... understanding? Happiness?

Inuyasha was unsure what to make of the look the monk was giving him, and so just offered him a weak smile.

‘Hey.’ He said softly, not certain how he was supposed to react to seeing his friend again. A sarcastic remark seemed to be trying to form in his mind, but it disintegrated the closer it got to his mouth, until, whatever snide thing he had been going to say, came out as nothing more than a weak, half-hearted ‘I told you not to overexert yourself like this.’ Which some part in the back of his mind was quickly jumping up to say that, no, actually, he hadn’t said that. Ever. And it was quickly moving to make his wish that he had.

Miroku stared at him a moment before smiling weakly, his eyes drifting closed again.

‘It’s good to see you too, Inu.’ He said, not being able to draw enough strength to finish his friend’s momentarily rather difficult name.

Inuyasha stared at his friend a moment, smiling despite himself, before he felt Miroku go limp in his arms, and he quickly felt worry rush through him.

He began to walk again, but paused when he heard Amaya speaking to him.

‘Inuyasha.’ She said softly, causing him to turn half-way toward her. ’The slayer and Kagome are still in Naraku’s grip. I may be able to bring the slayer within the next day or two, but I do not know how easy Kagome will be. I think Naraku may be watching her. Nevertheless, I will try. Do you think you can look after the monk until I can find the opportunity to return? I fear the slayer may very well try and kill me if she doesn’t think he is being properly cared for.’

Inuyasha glanced down at Miroku lying in his arms again before nodding slowly.

Amaya returned the action. ’Good.’ She said, before turning to look at the two horse-youkai. ‘I will be need of your assistance again soon I think.’ She said, and Kazkaen shook her mane in assent.

‘We’ll wait for your call.’ The horse replied, before turning toward her son, giving him a rough nip on the flank (earning her an angry snort) before they both took off into the sky, leaving blazing streaks of orange and red behind them.

Amaya, after transforming to her bird form, followed moments later, and the two brother’s were again standing in the darkened area, though now they were accompanied by three more youkai and a human monk.

Inuyasha stood there silent for several moments, before quickly turning and continuing his journey back to the castle, Sesshomaru waiting a minute before moving to follow, Ah-Un close behind.

‘Well,’ Inuyasha thought as he shifted slightly to better accommodate the barely awake kitsune on his shoulder ‘if nothing else, Rin will be happy to have some new companions to play with. And Kohaku will finally get to see someone from his village.’

As if sensing his thoughts, Kirara jumped down off his shoulder, landing lightly on Miroku’s stomach and curling up on his chest, her tail moving to hide her face, and a light rumbling that Inuyasha knew to be the fire-cat’s purr filling the air around her. ~*~  

Glossary

Youkai - Demon

Kitsune - Fox

Haori - A sort of Japanese half-jacket

Neko - Cat (Neko-youkai - Cat-Demon)

Inu - Dog

Kazkaen - Wind Blaze OC