Come Together
Chiwaii wanted nothing more than to go home. Idly focusing on the wooden slats, he tried to avoid the stolid gaze of the old woman who introduced herself as Kaede. The two other occupants have left the hut and he was wondering what to do in this strange place, all he wanted was to go back to where he came from but he could not will himself to move as he was held under observation of the old priestess.
"What did you say your age was?"
" I am fifteen."
Fifteen years…
Kaede sighed. For them it was only four months, for Kagome's it had been years. The old priestess wondered what made the well distort time. Looking at the boy, she was sure that it was truly Inuyasha and Kagome's child. The moment she first set eyes on him, she was startled to find the hanyou having been turned into human and having his hair cut off. But the person at the door was not Inuyasha, she noted the unmarred gentleness on his face and the confident yet unaggressive way this boy carried himself.
The air was still heavy from the emotions left by the two previous occupants. They had left to mourn on the passing of Kagome, but before Kaede could give herself to the misery, she had to learn first the truth.
" How did she die?"
" It was an accident," Chiwaii spoke in a distant manner," The bus that she rode collided with a truck. Only a few people lived, she was not one of them."
" And where were you?"
" I was in her arms."
" You must forgive me," Chiwaii bowed respectfully towards the priestess." if I say these things that would surely hurt you. I was but a newborn then. I do not know much about my mother only things that my father has told me."
Kaede dismissively waved the apology. Feeling older by the minute, she heavily sighed as she took all these things within her.
Then a loud crash turned their attention to the door as it flew open, tearing it out of its hinges.
Inuyasha stepped into the hut with a crazed look on his face. They had no time to react when the hanyou grabbed Chiwaii by the collar and pinned him against the wall.
" WHERE IS KAGOME?!" Inuyasha screamed at the boy, pounding him forcefully to the wall. His eyes narrowed in maddened fury at this person who dared tell them of Kagome's death. " WHERE HAVE YOU TAKEN HER?!
" ANSWER ME YOU FUCKING PAWN OF NARAKU!!!"
&nbs p; The furious hanyou ignored Kaede's pleas as he tightened his hands around the boy's neck. "ANSWER ME OR I'LL KILL YOU?!"
Chiwaii choked, his mind reeling from the previous impact of his head on the wall. Wincing from the deafening curses and loud accusations from the hanyou's sharp-toothed mouth, he dazedly stared at his attacker.
He could see those golden eyes boring deeply unto him become tinged with red.
Those golden eyes…they seem familiar.
His attacker was shouting over and over again and Chiwaii could feel the sharp claws biting into his skin, thinly drawing blood. He tried to speak but he could not make a sound as the hands that held him tightened around him like a vise. When he tried to pry them, he was again bashed to the wall and his eyes had shut in reflexive pain.
As he opened his eyes he saw red. Bloody red.
Chiwaii screamed.
"GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU MONSTER!!"
From those brown eyes it flickered with fiery gold and Inuyasha, momentarily caught off guard, was lifted and flung against the wall with such great impact that the wooden boards shattered into several pieces.
The hanyou tumbled down on the ground together with bits of wood that had come apart from the impact.
" Monster…" Chiwaii knelt down, coughing and trying to breathe from his bruised and constricted windpipe. Touching his neck, he numbly stared at his bloodstained palm.
" SHE'S NOT DEAD!! SHE CAN'T BE DEAD! I ONLY LEFT HER FOR A MOMENT…."
Chiwaii closed his eyes as the meaning of the hanyou's last words dawned upon him.
The old priestess was alarmed when she saw the boy bleeding down from his neck. Kaede immediately got hold of some medicine and in the while hoping that Sango and the others would come before things would actually get worse.
" I am fine." The boy softly spoke as Kaede rushed to his side. He slowly got up as if he nothing had happened and stared at the lying figure outside the hut.
Inuyasha got up from where he had fallen. He could feel the tears coursing down his cheeks and hastily wiped them off with his sleeve. Looking up he could see the boy staring down on him.
Both father and son glared contemptuously at each other. Kaede called out in hopes to allay the tension between them.
"Inuyasha, Do not go against him. He is your son!!"
" Feh" The hanyou spat in the ground and disdainfully replied," Any sorcery of Naraku could produce a creature to look like me. Look at him, see how his fucking lies have caused misery to us all!!"
Chiwaii narrowed his eyes in slightly restrained anger. He wanted to lash out on this person who was his biological father.
Lies was it?
I will not say a word. Let him find out for himself then I will have the satisfaction of seeing the truth crush him...
" Miroku and Shippou had said that Kagome had gone for four months," Inuyasha continued on his rantings," No human could have grown up at that time."
Inuyasha could not wait. He had to look for Kagome as soon as possible. Instantly he turned around and ran to the direction of the well.
Chiwaii knew what the hanyou was up to the moment he turned his back on them. He immediately jumped down from the hut and followed Inuyasha. Dread filled him as he chased his father. Chiwaii was not going allow him to harm any of the people on the other side----- to Uncle Sota,to Grandmother and most of all to otou-san.
He would do anything to protect them even if it means he would have to kill his father.
Father?
He snorted derisively at the name...the man, creature or whatever it was he was chasing had only sired him. Chiwaii had no other relation toward him whatsoever and he was not looking forward to any.
Two figures streaked through the plains and the forest, both fast and light-footed and eager to settle the scores on the other side of the well.
Two miles further from their intended course, the monk was carrying the young cub in his arms and was walking towards the village. After a long absence he had finally come home but he doubted that things would ever stay the same. Shippou stirred in his arms, and he hugged the child tighter as he could hear the young one start to sob again.
" I don't want to live any more."
The kitsune's voice was soft, almost like a whisper but Miroku felt impact of the words burying deep into his heart.
"Hush, you should not say that" he tried to sound cheerful but his voice was still hoarse from his previous crying." You are still young and you still have so much to go through and live for."
"What for? Everyone around me dies, my mother and brother, my father and Kagome...and soon enough you."
The monk affirmed in silence. It was true not even he was sure how much time he had left in this world.
" Ah, yes I know but that is why I want you to go on. You don't know how precious life is until you find yourself dying. " Miroku held Shippou upright so the kitsune could get a glimpse of his surroundings.
" Does it not look beautiful?" Miroku pointed the afternoon sky, the sight of fiery light glowing on the lazy landscapes.
"Everyday whenever I wake up, I look at everything with the wonderment and thank Buddha that he has given me another day to see the beauty of the world."
" Were I not dying, I would not have given much attention to it. So as for you now that I have said this, I hope you would reconsider."
Miroku sincerely looked at Shippou with the child's eyes still wet with tears.He smiled as he wiped them away." Life and the world is beautiful, and even more so in the eyes of a dying man."
" Waaaaah, " Shippou wailed as he tightly embraced Miroku," Don't say things like that! We would find the shards and defeat Naraku then your curse would be lifted."
The monk chuckled and patted Shippou's head, quite happy that he had snapped the fox kit out of depression." Yes but you would have to get well first, we can't drag someone in the group who would probably faint anytime."
"Tsch!"Shippou was about to retort to Miroku but he realized that the monk was not paying attention but instead was looking far ahead.
Shippou catching Miroku's gaze turned around and saw Inuyasha running towards them at a very fast rate.
He was about to say something but dust had muddled his vision and Shippou soon realized that Inuyasha had passed over them and the boy has also followed at the same speed.
Soon after the dust had settled, both the monk and fox kit could only glare at the two departing figures.
Inuyasha momentarily glanced at the boy who was gaining on him and snapped back his attention to the direction thar he was heading. They were getting nearer to the well and as soon as he caught sight of it, he began to increase his pace.
Chiwaii saw the well and moved more quickly, launching himself first on top of the well and then attempted to hold off the hanyou. But Inuyasha could not be stopped, the hanyou assaulted the boy but Chiwaii expertly maneuvered it with his training in kata.
" Stay out of my way, boy, if you don't want to die early!!" Inuyasha growled as he used his Sankon Tetsu against Chiwaii.
The boy evaded Inuyasha's attack.," Like hell I would allow some beast like you to hurt my family!" Chiwaii suddenly lunged at Inuyasha and they fought and kicked, wanting very much the other's demise.
" This ends now!!" screaming Inuyasha pounced at Chiwaii who had his back on the well. The force of the attack pushed both of them into the mouth of the well and as they went down, they continued their brawl until they were filled with light and vanished.
