InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ HeartSong ❯ Father's Reflection ( Chapter 10 )

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, its characters or any quotes I may use.

BUT AKARI IS ALL MINE!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

CHAPTER TEN: FATHER'S REFLECTION

 

The group had been traveling for three days, visiting various villages asking about Akari. And the whole time Miroku seemed distant and troubled. Sango and Kagome both asked him what was wrong but he just waved them off or tried to grope them. Finally the girls gave up. Even InuYasha couldn't get anything of the monk.

On the fourth night they all stopped at a village and took shelter at the village leader's home. After dinner Kagome sat out on the porch looking at the stars and was surprised when Miroku slowly approached her.

“May I sit with you Kagome?”

Kagome smiled and patted the floor beside her, “Yeah.” Her smile turned to a frown when she saw his troubled face, “What's going on?”

Miroku sighed as he sat next to her. Kagome kept one eye on his hand but he seemed too deep in thought to try his usual habits.

Kagome stared at Miroku and Miroku stared at the sky. Moments past and neither moved nor spoke.

Finally Miroku sighed again, heavier this time and reached inside of his ropes. Without saying a word he pulled his hand out and held it in front of Kagome face. She gasped as the moonlight danced on the silver.

“You recognize it then?”

“Yes” Kagome whispered and took it from the monk's hand.

“This was Akari's.”

She looked up at Miroku, “How did you get this?”

Miroku looked back up to the sky, “She gave it to me” he whispered.

Kagome's eyes widened in surprise, “What? But, I thought you didn't know anything about her!”

“I didn't think I did. But then…when we were at Sango's old village and I saw that charm…”

“You figured it was from this bracelet” Kagome finished.

“Yes. See Kagome, I never got her name, nor did I even see her face.”

 

Akari trudged through the forest; frustrated and annoyed. “What an arrogant prat! Geez, I didn't even ask for him to save me in the first place and he acts like I begged him!”

“You can't survive out here on your own. You are too weak” Akari growled as she tried to mimic Sesshomaru's voice. “And you expect me to say I me to say I'm helpless and I need your help?” Akari responded in her normal voice.

“Of course.”

“HA!”

Her voice echoed through the forest and some birds fluttered away at the sudden noise. Akari stopped and a smile lit her face. The reality of how stupid she must look and sound made her crack up with laughter. It felt good to laugh. When she had been in the demon slayer's village she laughed almost everyday, more then she ever remembered doing her whole life. But when she started traveling with Sesshomaru, the demon could make a person fill like humor was a punishable by death offence. It was frustrating. Of course walking off during the nighttime wasn't her best plan, but it was either that or her fist in his smug face.

Akari frowned as she continued walking; then there was his arrogance. It was annoying. It was nerve fraying. It was the reason she had stormed off. It was-

“Who's there?”

Akari immediately sobered and looked to her left. She started walking to where she had heard the voice and stopped when she saw a small figure sitting on a rock.

“Hello?”

It was too dark to see a face but she could make out a head moving, “Are you a demon?”

Akari chuckled, “No. Are you?”

“No.”

Akari smiled and came closer, “Good. Then I guess we're okay.”

She sat next to the figure and was slightly surprised to see it was just a little boy, no more then 5 or 6. He was curled up as tightly as he could without falling off the rock, holding his right hand closely to his chest. The moon gave enough light she could make out his face and his eyes.

“Hey, what's your name?”

The body looked at her a moment, his blue eyes studying her a moment before softly answering, “Miroku.”

Akari half smiled, “Why are you out here Miroku? It's kinda late.”

Tears swelled up in the boy's eyes, “M-my father” he whimpered. “He died.”

Then without warning Miroku threw his little arms around Akari and started sobbing into her shoulder. Akari was, to say the least, surprised and wasn't quite sure what to do. Finally she slowly wrapped her own arms around the boy and held him close. After a few minutes Miroku stopped crying and Akari pulled back, “I uh…I'm sorry about that Miroku. Do you….would you tell me what happened?”

Miroku nodded and sniffed as he wiped his face. He told her the curse of his family from an evil demon; a void in his hand that would one day grow larger and consume him. The curse was past form father to son till the demon was killed.

“And now your father…” Akari murmured.

Miroku nodded and held his chin high, trying to keep the tears from falling.

“Sho was right.”

Akari sighed, “I just…” she stopped suddenly and turned to Sho, “What would you say if I told you I came from another time. One where there are no demons, there ishardly any war. And people can work out a problem without taking swords to each other.”

Sho placed a hand on her shoulder and looked deeply into her eyes, “I would say. You are a very lucky girl.”

“This world is brutal.”

She turned her attention back to Miroku, “You know” she said softly, “I understand what it is like to loose a father.”

She looked up to the sky, “As we sit here my father is in a far away land, dying. Or he may even be dead already. I don't know, nor can I see him to say goodbye.”

Miroku's eyes widened, “Why?”

Akari sighed, “Oh…..a demon took him away. And I can never see him again.”

Akari smiled and touched Miroku's nose, “You have very beautiful eyes. Did you get those from your father?”

Miroku grinned and nodded, “Yes. He told me he gave them to me special.”

“That's good. Remember that. So when ever you see your reflection, you will always be able to see your father's eyes.”

“What about you? Do you look like your father?”

Akari shook her head, “No, I don't. But I do have something to remember him by.”

She pulled out her silver bracelet, “This was is the last thing he gave me.”

“It's beautiful.”

Akari looked at the bracelet then up at Miroku, “You know what?” she unclasped two charms from the silver then handed the bracelet to Miroku, “You can have this.”

The boy's eyes widened, “Really?” he breathed.

“Yes. This charm here” she held up a small heart shaped charm, “This was from a sweet friend of mine back home. A little girl. And this one” she held up a square locket, “This was the charm from my father.”

Akari clasped the bracelet around Miroku's arm, the one he had bee holding protectively against his body.

“This will bring you good luck.”

“Master Miroku!”

Miroku looked over his shoulder, “Oh, that's Hachi!”

Akari got to her feet, “Then you better go find your friend.”

Miroku stood and held the bracelet tightly, “Thank you very much!”

Akari shrugged, “Whatever. Just one more thing.”

“Yes?”

“Everyday, do one crazy thing. No matter what people may say or think about it.”

Miroku shrugged his shoulders, “What should I do?”

Akari rolled her eyes, “You can ask every beautiful woman you see to bear your child for all I care. Just do something!”

Miroku giggled, “Really?”

Akari shook her head, a smirked on her lips, “Whatever. Just something, don't let your life waste away.”

Miroku nodded and brought his fists up in front of his chest, “I will!”

“Master Miroku where are you?!”

Akari laughed softly as Miroku turned and ran the opposite direction, “Goodbye!”

“See ya” Akari called softly and turned around.

Miroku suddenly stopped and spun around, “Hey, what's your-”

The girl was gone.

“Name” Miroku whispered.

“Master Miroku! I finally found you!”

A raccoon looking creature, hardly bigger then Miroku, came tumbling out of the trees, “Where you are! Mushin sent me to find you, he's very worried.”

Miroku smiled, “I'm okay Hachi. I just….” he sighed as his thoughts drifted back to his father. “Hey, come with me.”

He took Hachi's arm and dragged him through the trees. He finally stopped at the bank of a lake and knelt down in the soft dirt.

“What are you going?”

Miroku smiled when he saw his reflection, “Looking at my father” he whispered.

He got to his feet, and smiled; “Now I'm ready. Let's go and find Mushin.”

“Uh…o-okay.”

The two walked in silence till Hachi noticed the bracelet handing off of Miroku's hand, “What is that Master Miroku? Where did you get it?”

Miroku grinned and held his arm up, “And angel gave it to me,”

 

“There you are.”

Akari gasped and spun around, “Damn it Sesshomaru. Don't scare me like that!”

Sesshomaru stepped out of the trees, his face blank, “Why did you run off?”

“Because you're driving me crazy!”

Sesshomaru smirked, “Yes it was you that wanted me to accompany you!”

Akari put her hands on her head and glared at him “Yeah, I just didn't know you're but such a royal pain in the ass!”

Sesshomaru frowned, “Watch your mouth” he growled.

Akari growled right back then turned and started to walk away, “You don't have to stay you know. I can do just fine without you.”

Sesshomaru scoffed and Akari whirled back on him, “What?”

“The only reason you are still alive is because this Sesshomaru has saved you.”

“Whatever. Can we go?”

Sesshomaru turned and started walking deeper into the forest. Akari sighed then ran to catch up, “Why are you protecting me?”

Sesshomaru didn't glace down as he opened his mouth, “Because you-”

“I know, I know. I `intrigue' you” she grumbled.

But as they walked Akari softly admitted to herself; Sesshomaru really wasn't that bad.

 

Kagome stared up at the sky, her back against one of the beams that held the roof. It was almost comical. Here she was tramping across the country looking for clues about Akari and here were two people who knew her, right in front of her. Kagome shook her head, a small smile, “Figures.”

“Kagome?”

Kagome looked over to see InuYasha walking towards her, his hands stuck inside his sleeves, “What's going on?”

“Hmm?”

InuYasha leaned against the beam, “I saw you talking to Miroku. What's up?”

Kagome sighed again and quickly retold InuYasha what Miroku had told her. InuYasha frowned, “Why didn't he tell all of us?”

Kagome pointed to the father part of the courtyard, where Miroku was now sitting; next to a small pond.

“I think, even though he didn't know who she really was, Akari became special to Miroku; she gave him a way to see his father.”

InuYasha huffed and sat next to her, “So? Still doesn't mean he couldn't have told all of us.”

Kagome eyed him, “You're jealous.”

“Am not!”

Kagome started to smile, “Yes you are. You got jealous that Miroku was talking to me all alone.”

“Feh.”

Kagome shook her head then leaned against InuYasha, “I'm glad” she murmured.

InuYasha's ears twitched, “You are?”

“Yes.”

InuYasha turned and looked down at her, “Why?”

Kagome covered her mouth as she yawned then smiled up at InuYasha, “Because it means you care.”

InuYasha turned his head away, “Whatever.”

Kagome snuggled in closer and as she closed her eyes she felt InuYasha wrap his arms around her and hold her tight.

 

A/N: PLEASE REVIEW