InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Future Past ❯ Ch 1: Back in the Past Again ( Chapter 1 )

Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi

 

BACK IN THE PAST AGAIN (a sequel to “Future Beginnings”)

 

 

Inuyasha helped Kagome climb out of the well and they both stood in the clean crisp air of the feudal age, gazing around them at the familiar forest.

 

“I've missed this,” Kagome sighed.

 

Inuyasha gathered her up in his arms and hugged her, much to Kagome's surprise. “What was that for?” she asked, as she snuggled further into his embrace.

 

“I always wanted to do that,” Inuyasha admitted. “Here, I mean.”

 

Kagome smiled. “Me, too.”

 

Inuyasha took a deep breath and sorted through all the familiar smells. He'd missed the smells of his time most of all in Kagome's world. It felt good to be home. “Let's go.” He grabbed the heavy backpack and squatted down so that Kagome could climb on his back, then he made his way through his forest to Kaede's village. He took his time.

 

Before they got to the village, Inuyasha set Kagome down and took her hand. She glanced at him, wondering if he was sure about so openly displaying his feelings, but he nodded confidently and continued walking towards the village.

 

“Kagome!” A tiny ball of red fur bowled into Kagome, knocking her grasp from Inuyasha's.

 

“Shippo!” she exclaimed happily, scooping him up in her arms. She could see the others hurrying towards them too. “So you all did stay in the village,” she commented.

 

Even Inuyasha, who tried to keep a stern face at Shippo's predictable usurpation of Kagome's affection, couldn't help smiling at the sight of all his old friends.

 

“Kagome! Inuyasha!” called Miroku as he approached. “Welcome back.” He turned to face Inuyasha. “So that's where you disappeared to. I thought so!” His eyes sparkled with unsaid innuendos.

 

“Kagome!” Sango hugged Kagome, having learned the custom from her years earlier. She then turned towards Inuyasha, who was still smiling stupidly. She smiled too, then hesitated. This was Inuyasha, after all. He solved the problem by awkwardly giving Sango a hug first. He, too, had become used to hugs as a form of greeting in Kagome's time.

 

“So, you followed Kagome to her new school,” commented Miroku once they were all settled down in Kaede's house. “I'm surprised you stayed so long.”

 

“Well, I was kind of stuck,” Inuyasha admitted. Kagome frowned. Stuck?

 

“The school is very far away,” she added. “And I didn't even know he had followed me there until it was too late.”

 

This time Inuyasha frowned. Too late?

 

“It's a long story,” Kagome hastily explained. “But we're back now for a month. I brought presents!”

 

Everybody missed the implication that Inuyasha, too, would only be back for a month. They assumed he would stay here while Kagome returned to her school. Inuyasha took a breath, ready to clarify the situation, when Shippo squealed in excitement and nearly trampled him to get first peek into Kagome's bag. The others leaned forward, too, and the moment for talking was lost.

 

Kagome first showed everyone the picture they had taken at Toys R Us in New York City. It took her and Inuyasha a while to explain about Peter and Jen, and why they looked so different. “No, they're not youkai,” growled Inuyasha.

 

Kagome pulled out a box of instant hot chocolate packets for Kaede, and they took a few moments out to boil some water to try some. “These are good!” declared Shippo, as the rest nodded their agreement with chocolate moustaches. Kagome then handed Shippo an assortment of sweets, and more chocolate from America to share. For Sango, Kagome had brought a set of lightweight long sleeved undergarments that she could wear underneath her slayer clothing. It would keep her warm in the winter months. Miroku wanted her to try them on right then and there, but Sango just glared at him. Inuyasha brought Miroku some fuzzy dice.

 

“What are these for?” asked Miroku, turning them over in his hands.

 

“They're just a decoration,” said Inuyasha. “You hang them in your—“ he glanced at Kagome, “—you hang them up and look at them,” he finished, wondering if perhaps it had been a stupid gift after all.

 

“Kind of like a good luck charm,” said Kagome.

 

“Aah,” Miroku nodded his head sagely, holding the fuzzy dice above his head. “I'll put these to good use, then.” He tucked them away inside his shirt.

 

Kagome and Inuyasha exchanged glances. Hopefully he wouldn't try subduing any demons with the dice. Oh, well. Inuyasha figured that later on he would show Miroku how to hang them around Kirara's neck in her transformed form. It was the closest thing they had to a car. It probably wouldn't work, though. Once Kirara transformed back into her kitten form, the dice would simply fall off.

 

They pulled out a few other things from Kagome's bottomless bag, including scarves and mittens that Kagome had bought on the streets in New York, and of course the special food from her time that they all had missed. Inuyasha magnanimously waved away the offer of chips and soda, much to the others' surprise. He could get that stuff any time he wanted on the other side now, so he could afford to be gracious.

 

He stood up, stretching his arms above his head, and yawned, exposing his fangs. “I'm going for a run,” he announced to the room in general, but his eyes sought out Kagome's. She nodded her head slightly, knowing he wanted to go out and inspect his old stomping grounds. Inuyasha grinned, and was out of the hut in a flash.

 

“He hasn't changed much,” remarked Sango, who had missed the byplay between Inuyasha and Kagome. Miroku, who hadn't missed it, didn't say anything.

 

Inuyasha sprang from branch to branch, and occasionally alighted on the ground where it was clear enough and ran for the sheer joy of running. He sifted through the various odors as he ran, and he realized now that it was as if his nose had been stuffed up in Kagome's time. Smells here were so much sharper. He wondered how much of a chance there was of actually staying here for good. He knew Kagome loved it here, too, even though she kept saying she wanted to go back to finish college. But Sesshomaru's words from the future still bothered him. According to Sesshomaru, Inuyasha and Kagome had both disappeared from the past at some point.

 

Much as he didn't want to, he figured he had better seek out Sesshomaru before they went back to the future. He knew Sesshomaru wouldn't understand what he was talking about, but maybe he could give the taiyoukai a heads up on the future of all youkai. The Sesshomaru of the future had seemed a lot more tolerant and he had to have learned it from somewhere. What if Inuyasha was supposed to tell him about the gradual disappearance of youkai from Japan? Inuyasha shook his head. He didn't want to have to be responsible for stuff like that. He ran faster.

 

It was dusk when he got back to the village. Kagome had visited with many of the families, and was waiting for him back at Kaede's. He threw down a couple of rabbits for the pot and sat down beside her. Nobody was particularly hungry since they had all been eating junk food for most of the day, so they sat in a circle around the cooking pot and reminisced about old times until the food was ready.

 

After dinner, Miroku and Sango stood up. “Kagome, you can come sleep in our house,” Sango invited.

 

“No, if it's all right with Kaede, we'll just stay here,” answered Kagome.

 

“Me, too!” said Shippo.

 

Inuyasha, who hadn't moved from Kagome's side, put his arm around Kagome and growled softly at Shippo. “Go home,” he said. “We'll stay here.” He looked at Kaede for confirmation.

 

The old woman nodded her head. “It will be like old times,” she said.

 

Sango's eyes had widened when Inuyasha put his arm around Kagome. She looked to her friend to make sure she was OK with it. “Are you sure, Kagome? I can ask Miroku to stay here with the boys so we can have our privacy.”

 

“No, it's fine, really,” replied Kagome, as Inuyasha continued to growl almost inaudibly. She patted his arm. “I can't sleep without him next to me.”

 

Inuyasha reddened even though he was glad she'd said it out loud. She was braver in many ways than he was. He tightened his grip around her. “Yeah.”

 

“Oh. Oh!” Sango reddened in her turn, while Miroku smiled widely.

 

“Good night, then,” said Miroku, dragging his wife along with him. Shippo hesitated in the doorway, looking back at Kagome in confusion before scurrying to follow Sango and Miroku to their house.

 

Kaede put up a screen to give Inuyasha and Kagome some privacy, although Inuyasha didn't see the point of it. It wasn't like they were going to do anything in Kaede's house, after all. What did they all think? He reddened again, imagining what they might be thinking. He would have to see about building Kagome a house in this time, too. He really wasn't very good at sharing.

 

Inuyasha was glad for the screen later. Not that they did anything, but they nestled together, touching as much of each other as possible. It had been a long few days at Kagome's mother's house.

 

The next morning, villagers stopped in their tracks and stared when Kagome and Inuyasha came outside together.

 

“What are they looking at?” Inuyasha whispered.

 

“Us.”

 

Inuyasha walked stiffly past them, arms folded in his sleeves and eyes straight ahead. Kagome followed, smiling and nodding as she went. The villagers, who were familiar with both Inuyasha and Kagome from before, smiled back a little nervously before resuming their morning chores.

 

“Are they married?” Kagome heard someone whisper behind her.

 

“It looks that way,” was the reply.

 

She smiled, and hurried after Inuyasha. “Inuyasha, they weren't—“

 

“I know,” he cut in. “I heard them. Still…”

 

“Still.” Kagome agreed. It was kind of embarrassing. Not enough to keep them apart, though. “Maybe we should find our own place to stay while we're here. Could we?”

 

Inuyasha considered. There were several places nearby where he'd stayed in the past, none of them warm enough for Kagome at this time of year. He supposed he could build them a temporary lean-to like he had done near Kagome's school—his school too now. But this was the Sengoku Jidai, and there was safety for Kagome in the village. Even with his heightened senses, Inuyasha knew that if they stayed in the forest, he would have to be on his guard constantly for human soldiers and brigands as well as for the ever-present youkai. Kagome wasn't going to like his reasoning, however. “Sango really wanted to spend some time with you,” he temporized.

 

Kagome sighed and hooked her arm through Inuyasha's. “You're right. Let's go back.” They walked slowly arm in arm back towards Kaede's place.

 

The second night was a little better, once people got used to the idea of Inuyasha and Kagome being together as a couple. Shippo asked what they all were wondering. “Well, are you?”

 

“Are we what?”

 

“Married!”

 

“Not exactly,” Kagome replied. “You see, in my time—“

 

“What do you care?” Inuyasha asked belligerently. “You can say we're married if you want,” he added. Kagome looked up at him in pleased surprise. “It doesn't matter anyway. We're together now, and that's not gonna change. Ever.” It was quite a speech for Inuyasha.

 

“No, no, no, you've got it all wrong,” Miroku was quick to explain. “We all think it's about time you two admitted your feelings for each other. Past time, really. So…when can we expect some little Inuyashas and Kagomes to start running around?”

 

Sango slapped Miroku, who took it with good grace, smiling widely. Inuyasha and Kagome both looked horrified. “I have to finish school!” exclaimed Kagome.

 

“Why?” Shippo wanted to know.

 

“Because…because….”

 

Inuyasha really wanted to know the answer to that one as well. Why did Kagome have to finish school? Not that he was easy about the thought of having children right now either. Although he remembered Kagome saying something about that. “Hey, Kagome, didn't you tell Sesshomaru that you did something so you won't have any kids if we…” his voice trailed off, as he realized what he was implying.

 

Kaede, Sango, Shippo and even Miroku stared in shock at Inuyasha. Kagome had spoken with Sesshomaru on matters of contraception?

 

“When did you see Sesshomaru?” asked Miroku. “Did you see Kohaku?”

 

Inuyasha was confused. At least his slip about himself and Kagome being intimate seemed to have gone unnoticed. But what did Kohaku have to do with anything?

 

Kagome didn't think she could turn any redder. “I-ah-in my time we have a medicine we can take to-ah-prevent—you know.”

 

Kaede spoke up. “I know about such medicines, although I am loath to make such concoctions for my patients.”

 

“Yes, well, they got safer by my time,” Kagome said, wishing she could sink through the floor and stop talking about this subject.

 

“What's this about Kohaku?”

 

“I thought you might have seen him since you went to see Sesshomaru,” said Miroku. “Kohaku decided to stay with Sesshomaru and Rin.”

 

“But I didn't—oh, you thought I saw Sesshomaru here!” said Inuyasha, as he connected the dots. “No, I was talking about Kagome's time. Kohaku wasn't there,” he added unnecessarily.

 

They talked long into the night about Inuyasha's adventures in the future. It wasn't that surprising that Sesshomaru, a taiyoukai, had survived to Kagome's time, but they were stunned to hear that he was one of very few youkai who had survived. Inuyasha explained a little bit about the connection between youkai and humans and the earth itself, while Miroku and Kaede nodded their understanding.

 

“I will go to find Sesshomaru,” he told them. “He needs to know some things in order to prepare for the future. I'll look in on Kohaku too, and knock his head a few times for not visiting.” Inuyasha grinned at Sango, and she smiled back, knowing he was only half-serious. He continued, “It's good that Kohaku and Rin are with Sesshomaru. He told me in the future that youkai survived because they kept connected with a few humans who knew their secret. I think Rin and Kohaku are some of those humans. So are you.”

 

…to be continued…