InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Sight Unseen ❯ Mommy Says This, Daddy Says That ( Chapter 15 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: SylverAngel 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Adventure / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 07.28.2003 | Pages: 3 | Words: 2.4K | Visits: 1.5K | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Adventure / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 07.28.2003 | Pages: 3 | Words: 2.4K | Visits: 1.5K | Status: Completed
Sight Unseen
Chapter 15: Mommy Says This, Daddy Says That
"I am Sakujirou, ruler of all windwalkers! All must bow before me! No one can defeat me!"
"Don't be so sure about that, Sakujirou! I, Raitarou, will end your reign of terror over my people!"
Kagome could hear grunting and what sounded like wood pieces slamming together after the young youkai declared what parts they were playing in the current skit. She was resting against a tree trunk on the edge of the crowd of winged demons who watched the performances. There was no point in her sitting with Sango and Miroku, who had managed to acquire spots fairly close to the front, according to Shippo. The kitsune had remained with her for a few of the acting groups, but had complained he could not see over all the heads in front of him. Kagome encouraged him to go to the other two humans, promising she would not be offended if he left her. With a small hug, the little fox demon had bounded off, somewhat to the girl's relief. He'd been dutifully describing the scenes to her, but she'd stopped him after the first two. Needing someone else to tell her what was going on ruined the illusion she was trying to maintain while sitting against the tree-- that everything was normal for the moment. This was just another shard-hunting trip, just another stop for the night in a nearby village.
From what she'd heard so far, the performances currently going on were the second part of the festival. The first had been a parade of all the young ones participating. Maruku's mate, Nadira, had told the group what the festivities consisted of when they were shown to the hut beside hers.
Sango had described the parade, though without going into minute detail on the costumes, as Shippo had been doing. The young windwalkers led the way down the path through the village, starting from the huts furthest away, and moving towards Lady Tamaeri's dwelling. Once there, the demon leader had given a signal for the children to shift into bird-form, and they led the way down into the clearing where the rest of the events were to take place.
The adults soon followed, Maruku, Marieko, and Nadira leading their guests. Kagome, Sango, and Miroku rode astride Kirara, Shippo in the monk's arms, while Inuyasha leapt from branch to branch among the trees.
Food was ready and waiting once everyone had arrived, a couple of large fire pits roaring to keep whatever was roasting fresh and hot.
The smells were unfamiliar to Kagome, though not unpleasant. Sango had led her through the line for some sort of stew, then helped her find a place to sit. Miroku and Shippo joined them shortly after, the monk setting his bowl down and walking away, only to return with three crude mugs of tea. Inuyasha, having been left to his own devices, had forced his way into the lines, grabbing whatever was closest before making his way to the edge of the crowds so he could find the other members of his party.
Instead of joining them on the ground, however, he leapt into the tree Kagome was leaning against, intent on wolfing down his food in relative solitude.
"Inuyasha, why are you not joining us down here?" Miroku had asked, but the hanyou gave no answer.
"Inuyasha?" Kagome called, leaning her head back even though she could not see him.
"I can see better from up here," he finally grumbled down at her.
"Oh," was all the girl said in response. Was he still worried for their safety? It appeared he was, though without being able to read his mind, she could not be sure. Even if she had been able to look at the expression on his face, she probably still would not be able to make out what he was thinking.
Once everyone had been fed, the play-acting began. The windwalkers had settled in a half-circle, facing the far side of the clearing. Torches had been set up around the perimeter, and here and there among the demons, to make up for the weakening daylight. The group had been invited to join Maruku and his family, but only Sango and Miroku took him up on the offer.
Now that the skits were underway and all but Inuyasha had abandoned her, Kagome was left to her own thoughts. She let her mind drift through the events of the past few days, only half-listening to the mock fight.
"H'lo, lady," a childishly high voice broke through her stream of thought, causing the girl to nearly jump in surprise.
"Hello...?" she replied, making the greeting almost a question, wondering if her visitor had merely called to her in passing, or if they stood next to her still.
"You're dressed funny," the voice came again.
Kagome chuckled at the comment, realizing the speaker must indeed be a child. One of the windwalker young, no doubt, as Shippo was the only child traveling with their group. "Yes, I am. I'm from another country."
"Oh. So why are you not there?"
The girl wasn't exactly sure how to answer the question. "Um... well... I'm helping my friends look for something."
"Oh."
Kagome wondered if the child was going to leave the statement and wander off, or if they would question her once more. She did not have to wait long for her answer.
"What are you looking for?"
"A... Um, pieces of a jewel." How much could she tell a child? Would it really matter? Mentally shaking her head, Kagome knew that she really should only give as simple a version of their story as she could. The young demon would never really know the difference.
"Why's it in pieces?"
"Well, because I broke it." The girl ducked her head to hide the blush she could feel rising in her cheeks.
"Why'd you do that?"
The child was persistent, if nothing else, she thought, lifting her face towards the voice again. "It was an accident."
That apparently satisfied her visitor. At least temporarily, since they did not respond for a moment or two. "Well, did you say you were sorry? Mommy always says that makes things better, so I have to make sure and 'pologize when I do something wrong, even if it's an ac-ci-dent." The last word was emphasized syllable by syllable, as if the word were something he or she was still trying to master.
Kagome grinned. "Yes, I did say I was sorry. But I still have to help find the pieces, so we can put it all back together again."
"Oh. I helped Daddy put the pieces of a bowl back together one time. It was broken, 'cause Mommy threw it at him."
The girl chuckled, shaking her head at the innocent things children could say that managed to embarrass their parents.
A slight rustling came from her side, though it didn't sound like the young youkai was leaving her. "You don't have wings," came the newest comment, once the rustling had stopped.
"That's right, I don't. I'm a human. We don't have wings." At least the subject of the Shikon no Tama had been dropped.
"How come?"
How on earth was she supposed to answer that? Kagome pursed her lips, trying to think of some way to explain the difference between herself and the windwalkers. "Well, we just don't have them," she finally came up with. 'Wonderful reason,' she added to herself sarcastically. "We don't need to fly," she lied, hoping the child would buy what she'd said.
"Then how do you get up to your home?"
"We don't live in the trees like you do," she replied, thankful that was an easy question to respond to. "Our villages are made on the ground, so we don't have to climb or fly up to them."
"Oh." Another pause. "Well I have wings. Mommy says they're different, 'cause they're darker gray, instead of black or white. See?"
More rustling came from her right. The child must've turned around and stretched out the wings that sprouted from his or her back, to allow her to get a better view.
Kagome sighed, leaning her head back against the rough bark behind her. "I'm sorry. I can't see them," she told the young windwalker quietly. "I'm sure they're very beautiful."
"You can't see? How come?"
Taking a deep breath, Kagome tilted her head slightly to the right against the tree. "Well, I was... hurt... by a youkai."
"Oh. It must've been a mean one, if it hurt you."
One corner of the girl's mouth tilted up in a wry smile. "Yes, it was. It was after my friends and I."
"Was it going to eat you? Daddy says I have to stay with him or Mommy or Uncle Maruku or Marieko, well, with somebody big, so that nothing will eat me."
The mention of familiar names snagged Kagome's curiosity. "Maruku's your uncle?"
"Yup. Isn't he the best? He gets to go out and make sure everybody's safe, and fight other demons and... stuff."
"He is pretty cool," Kagome agreed, but before she could ask if her suspicions about the child's parents, well at least their mother, were correct, her visitor chimed in once more.
"'Cool?' You mean he's cold?"
The girl laughed, shaking her head. "No. It's a word we use in my country to mean something or someone that is really... well, like your uncle." She waved her hand around, trying to come up with some other way to describe what the word meant. "Um... someone you really like, that you'd like to be like when you're older."
"Oh. Cool!" the child giggled, excited over the new addition to their vocabulary.
Kagome wondered just what sort of effect her teaching the young windwalker a word from the future would have on his race. If they were like most children, the others of the same age would quickly pick it up as well...
"I can't wait to tell Uncle Maruku--" the child babbled on, bringing the girl's attention back to the question she'd had a few moments earlier.
"Who are your mother and father?"
"My mommy's name is Tamaeri and my daddy's name is Morihiko. He's not here right now, though. He went to visit a friend, Mommy said."
So the windwalker leader's mate was possibly not dead, as Kagome had guessed he might be earlier, from what Marieko had said. But where was he, then? Could have been killed and Tamaeri just did not have the heart to tell her own child that their father would never return? Surely that would raise too many questions later?
"What's your name?"
"I'm Kagome," the girl replied, her mind still mulling over the new information.
"I'm Tamiko," he replied proudly. "I was named after my daddy's uncle. 'Cause he was really cool." He giggled again at the use of the foreign word.
A boy, then, Kagome thought absently. Was he an only child?
"Would you... would.... can..."
From what she could hear, Tamiko was moving around a bit, his voice sounding somewhat strained, as if he was reaching for something. "What is it?"
"Could... Would you please scratch my back for me? I can't reach."
Kagome giggled at the request, beckoning the boy closer. "Of course. One of those hard-to-reach spots, huh?"
"Uh-huh."
Tamiko moved closer to her side and knelt down, waiting for her to reach up and ease the itch.
Tentatively, the girl lifted her hand, her fingertips brushing against something soft before she felt bare skin. "Where?" she asked, shifting slightly to the side.
"A little higher... no, too high... right there." The young windwalker sighed happily as she found the spot he couldn't scratch himself.
'Must be harder with his wings in the way,' Kagome thought, marveling at the texture of the feathers her fingers were brushing against.
When the boy shifted his shoulders, she stopped scratching, wishing she could feel more of his wings but not wanting to be rude in asking. "Your wings are so soft...," she said instead, drawing her hand away slowly.
"Yup. They are. Mommy says they're going to get more like hers and Daddy's later. But I don't want them to change. Here, you want to feel some more?"
Before she could reply, Tamiko had taken her hand and placed it against a large patch of his wing.
Kagome kept her hand still for a moment before gently sliding her fingers along the downy feathers.
"See, I bet you wish you had wings now, huh."
The girl nodded, smiling as she pulled her hand away. "Yes, I do."
"Maybe Daddy could give you some," the boy enthused. "He's good at fixing things."
Kagome shook her head. "No, I don't think he could give me any. I wasn't born with them, like you were, and I'm not supposed to have them."
"Well... I could still ask him when he comes back."
She smiled, knowing Tamiko would probably forget by the time his father returned, whenever that might be.
"Of course you can, but I don't think--"
"Uh oh. Mommy's mad," the boy cut her off. "I guess I better go, before she starts yelling really loud." He ran a couple of steps away before coming back and patting her on the shoulder. "I'll come talk to you later, 'Gome. Bye!"
Seconds later, Kagome was alone once again. She sat where Tamiko had left her, brow furrowed in puzzlement. The boy had heard his mother? She hadn't, though. Not even a high-pitched bird-like trilling. Had she spoken to him telepathically? That had to be the only way. If that was the case, then it wasn't just something some of the older demons had learned to do, but was part of their genetic heritage.
Her attention was finally drawn towards the crowds of winged youkai still watching the performances going on. One of the children on stage apparently said or did something funny, for the quiet chatter was soon interrupted by loud laughter.
If the windwalkers were telepathic, could they talk to others who weren't of their race? The next thought caused her a bit of distress. Could they read minds?
She probably should not mention her discovery to Inuyasha just yet-- the hanyou would most likely become even more suspicious of the demons, and force her and the others to leave without finding out what the windwalkers wanted. That or confront the winged youkai's leader with his sword... No, telling Inuyasha at this point was definitely a bad idea.
Chapter 15: Mommy Says This, Daddy Says That
"I am Sakujirou, ruler of all windwalkers! All must bow before me! No one can defeat me!"
"Don't be so sure about that, Sakujirou! I, Raitarou, will end your reign of terror over my people!"
Kagome could hear grunting and what sounded like wood pieces slamming together after the young youkai declared what parts they were playing in the current skit. She was resting against a tree trunk on the edge of the crowd of winged demons who watched the performances. There was no point in her sitting with Sango and Miroku, who had managed to acquire spots fairly close to the front, according to Shippo. The kitsune had remained with her for a few of the acting groups, but had complained he could not see over all the heads in front of him. Kagome encouraged him to go to the other two humans, promising she would not be offended if he left her. With a small hug, the little fox demon had bounded off, somewhat to the girl's relief. He'd been dutifully describing the scenes to her, but she'd stopped him after the first two. Needing someone else to tell her what was going on ruined the illusion she was trying to maintain while sitting against the tree-- that everything was normal for the moment. This was just another shard-hunting trip, just another stop for the night in a nearby village.
From what she'd heard so far, the performances currently going on were the second part of the festival. The first had been a parade of all the young ones participating. Maruku's mate, Nadira, had told the group what the festivities consisted of when they were shown to the hut beside hers.
Sango had described the parade, though without going into minute detail on the costumes, as Shippo had been doing. The young windwalkers led the way down the path through the village, starting from the huts furthest away, and moving towards Lady Tamaeri's dwelling. Once there, the demon leader had given a signal for the children to shift into bird-form, and they led the way down into the clearing where the rest of the events were to take place.
The adults soon followed, Maruku, Marieko, and Nadira leading their guests. Kagome, Sango, and Miroku rode astride Kirara, Shippo in the monk's arms, while Inuyasha leapt from branch to branch among the trees.
Food was ready and waiting once everyone had arrived, a couple of large fire pits roaring to keep whatever was roasting fresh and hot.
The smells were unfamiliar to Kagome, though not unpleasant. Sango had led her through the line for some sort of stew, then helped her find a place to sit. Miroku and Shippo joined them shortly after, the monk setting his bowl down and walking away, only to return with three crude mugs of tea. Inuyasha, having been left to his own devices, had forced his way into the lines, grabbing whatever was closest before making his way to the edge of the crowds so he could find the other members of his party.
Instead of joining them on the ground, however, he leapt into the tree Kagome was leaning against, intent on wolfing down his food in relative solitude.
"Inuyasha, why are you not joining us down here?" Miroku had asked, but the hanyou gave no answer.
"Inuyasha?" Kagome called, leaning her head back even though she could not see him.
"I can see better from up here," he finally grumbled down at her.
"Oh," was all the girl said in response. Was he still worried for their safety? It appeared he was, though without being able to read his mind, she could not be sure. Even if she had been able to look at the expression on his face, she probably still would not be able to make out what he was thinking.
Once everyone had been fed, the play-acting began. The windwalkers had settled in a half-circle, facing the far side of the clearing. Torches had been set up around the perimeter, and here and there among the demons, to make up for the weakening daylight. The group had been invited to join Maruku and his family, but only Sango and Miroku took him up on the offer.
Now that the skits were underway and all but Inuyasha had abandoned her, Kagome was left to her own thoughts. She let her mind drift through the events of the past few days, only half-listening to the mock fight.
"H'lo, lady," a childishly high voice broke through her stream of thought, causing the girl to nearly jump in surprise.
"Hello...?" she replied, making the greeting almost a question, wondering if her visitor had merely called to her in passing, or if they stood next to her still.
"You're dressed funny," the voice came again.
Kagome chuckled at the comment, realizing the speaker must indeed be a child. One of the windwalker young, no doubt, as Shippo was the only child traveling with their group. "Yes, I am. I'm from another country."
"Oh. So why are you not there?"
The girl wasn't exactly sure how to answer the question. "Um... well... I'm helping my friends look for something."
"Oh."
Kagome wondered if the child was going to leave the statement and wander off, or if they would question her once more. She did not have to wait long for her answer.
"What are you looking for?"
"A... Um, pieces of a jewel." How much could she tell a child? Would it really matter? Mentally shaking her head, Kagome knew that she really should only give as simple a version of their story as she could. The young demon would never really know the difference.
"Why's it in pieces?"
"Well, because I broke it." The girl ducked her head to hide the blush she could feel rising in her cheeks.
"Why'd you do that?"
The child was persistent, if nothing else, she thought, lifting her face towards the voice again. "It was an accident."
That apparently satisfied her visitor. At least temporarily, since they did not respond for a moment or two. "Well, did you say you were sorry? Mommy always says that makes things better, so I have to make sure and 'pologize when I do something wrong, even if it's an ac-ci-dent." The last word was emphasized syllable by syllable, as if the word were something he or she was still trying to master.
Kagome grinned. "Yes, I did say I was sorry. But I still have to help find the pieces, so we can put it all back together again."
"Oh. I helped Daddy put the pieces of a bowl back together one time. It was broken, 'cause Mommy threw it at him."
The girl chuckled, shaking her head at the innocent things children could say that managed to embarrass their parents.
A slight rustling came from her side, though it didn't sound like the young youkai was leaving her. "You don't have wings," came the newest comment, once the rustling had stopped.
"That's right, I don't. I'm a human. We don't have wings." At least the subject of the Shikon no Tama had been dropped.
"How come?"
How on earth was she supposed to answer that? Kagome pursed her lips, trying to think of some way to explain the difference between herself and the windwalkers. "Well, we just don't have them," she finally came up with. 'Wonderful reason,' she added to herself sarcastically. "We don't need to fly," she lied, hoping the child would buy what she'd said.
"Then how do you get up to your home?"
"We don't live in the trees like you do," she replied, thankful that was an easy question to respond to. "Our villages are made on the ground, so we don't have to climb or fly up to them."
"Oh." Another pause. "Well I have wings. Mommy says they're different, 'cause they're darker gray, instead of black or white. See?"
More rustling came from her right. The child must've turned around and stretched out the wings that sprouted from his or her back, to allow her to get a better view.
Kagome sighed, leaning her head back against the rough bark behind her. "I'm sorry. I can't see them," she told the young windwalker quietly. "I'm sure they're very beautiful."
"You can't see? How come?"
Taking a deep breath, Kagome tilted her head slightly to the right against the tree. "Well, I was... hurt... by a youkai."
"Oh. It must've been a mean one, if it hurt you."
One corner of the girl's mouth tilted up in a wry smile. "Yes, it was. It was after my friends and I."
"Was it going to eat you? Daddy says I have to stay with him or Mommy or Uncle Maruku or Marieko, well, with somebody big, so that nothing will eat me."
The mention of familiar names snagged Kagome's curiosity. "Maruku's your uncle?"
"Yup. Isn't he the best? He gets to go out and make sure everybody's safe, and fight other demons and... stuff."
"He is pretty cool," Kagome agreed, but before she could ask if her suspicions about the child's parents, well at least their mother, were correct, her visitor chimed in once more.
"'Cool?' You mean he's cold?"
The girl laughed, shaking her head. "No. It's a word we use in my country to mean something or someone that is really... well, like your uncle." She waved her hand around, trying to come up with some other way to describe what the word meant. "Um... someone you really like, that you'd like to be like when you're older."
"Oh. Cool!" the child giggled, excited over the new addition to their vocabulary.
Kagome wondered just what sort of effect her teaching the young windwalker a word from the future would have on his race. If they were like most children, the others of the same age would quickly pick it up as well...
"I can't wait to tell Uncle Maruku--" the child babbled on, bringing the girl's attention back to the question she'd had a few moments earlier.
"Who are your mother and father?"
"My mommy's name is Tamaeri and my daddy's name is Morihiko. He's not here right now, though. He went to visit a friend, Mommy said."
So the windwalker leader's mate was possibly not dead, as Kagome had guessed he might be earlier, from what Marieko had said. But where was he, then? Could have been killed and Tamaeri just did not have the heart to tell her own child that their father would never return? Surely that would raise too many questions later?
"What's your name?"
"I'm Kagome," the girl replied, her mind still mulling over the new information.
"I'm Tamiko," he replied proudly. "I was named after my daddy's uncle. 'Cause he was really cool." He giggled again at the use of the foreign word.
A boy, then, Kagome thought absently. Was he an only child?
"Would you... would.... can..."
From what she could hear, Tamiko was moving around a bit, his voice sounding somewhat strained, as if he was reaching for something. "What is it?"
"Could... Would you please scratch my back for me? I can't reach."
Kagome giggled at the request, beckoning the boy closer. "Of course. One of those hard-to-reach spots, huh?"
"Uh-huh."
Tamiko moved closer to her side and knelt down, waiting for her to reach up and ease the itch.
Tentatively, the girl lifted her hand, her fingertips brushing against something soft before she felt bare skin. "Where?" she asked, shifting slightly to the side.
"A little higher... no, too high... right there." The young windwalker sighed happily as she found the spot he couldn't scratch himself.
'Must be harder with his wings in the way,' Kagome thought, marveling at the texture of the feathers her fingers were brushing against.
When the boy shifted his shoulders, she stopped scratching, wishing she could feel more of his wings but not wanting to be rude in asking. "Your wings are so soft...," she said instead, drawing her hand away slowly.
"Yup. They are. Mommy says they're going to get more like hers and Daddy's later. But I don't want them to change. Here, you want to feel some more?"
Before she could reply, Tamiko had taken her hand and placed it against a large patch of his wing.
Kagome kept her hand still for a moment before gently sliding her fingers along the downy feathers.
"See, I bet you wish you had wings now, huh."
The girl nodded, smiling as she pulled her hand away. "Yes, I do."
"Maybe Daddy could give you some," the boy enthused. "He's good at fixing things."
Kagome shook her head. "No, I don't think he could give me any. I wasn't born with them, like you were, and I'm not supposed to have them."
"Well... I could still ask him when he comes back."
She smiled, knowing Tamiko would probably forget by the time his father returned, whenever that might be.
"Of course you can, but I don't think--"
"Uh oh. Mommy's mad," the boy cut her off. "I guess I better go, before she starts yelling really loud." He ran a couple of steps away before coming back and patting her on the shoulder. "I'll come talk to you later, 'Gome. Bye!"
Seconds later, Kagome was alone once again. She sat where Tamiko had left her, brow furrowed in puzzlement. The boy had heard his mother? She hadn't, though. Not even a high-pitched bird-like trilling. Had she spoken to him telepathically? That had to be the only way. If that was the case, then it wasn't just something some of the older demons had learned to do, but was part of their genetic heritage.
Her attention was finally drawn towards the crowds of winged youkai still watching the performances going on. One of the children on stage apparently said or did something funny, for the quiet chatter was soon interrupted by loud laughter.
If the windwalkers were telepathic, could they talk to others who weren't of their race? The next thought caused her a bit of distress. Could they read minds?
She probably should not mention her discovery to Inuyasha just yet-- the hanyou would most likely become even more suspicious of the demons, and force her and the others to leave without finding out what the windwalkers wanted. That or confront the winged youkai's leader with his sword... No, telling Inuyasha at this point was definitely a bad idea.