InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ A Matter of the Soul ❯ Chapter 3

Warnings: Possible OOC, lemon and or lime in future, language, violence, alcohol, and who knows what else. But I thought I'd warn ya just to be safe.

 

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Inu Yasha or Yu Yu Hakusho.

 

 

A Matter of the Soul

 

Chapter 3

 

Everything was packed. No one was taking any chances. Even weapons were in their designated places on their owners. Sango had Hiraikotsu strapped to her back, her katana at her side, daggers and throwing stars hidden… well, Kagome wasn't entirely sure where they were hidden. She surveyed the rest of the group. Rin was telling Sesshomaru goodbye, Kanna was hugging Kagura, Miroku was meditating with his staff leaning against his shoulder, Kikyo was checking her arrows and bow, Inuyasha was sitting in a lower branch of a nearby tree holding Tetsusaiga tightly, and Kouga was checking his sword.

 

Sesshomaru had left the night before and returned early that morning with packages. They were still loaded on Ah-Un. Finally Sesshomaru called for their attention. “I have brought things to aid you. I understand that Kagome is taking on a lot of responsibility, as none of you will know enough about her era at first to help her much. I respect that, and have brought things to slightly lighten the miko's burden.” He held up a brown cloth wrapped parcel. “Sango, for you.”

 

She took it gratefully and smiled slightly. She opened the wrapping to find three changes of clothes. First she pulled out, a very fine dark green silk kimono with silver lining around the sleeves and at the bottom. On the back was a silver crescent moon and the obi was silver as well. Folding it back carefully and setting it aside, she next took out a non-formal kimono. This one was a grass green with decorative patches of black. The next outfit consisted of loose black pants and a tight sleeveless haori, black in color. Sango bowed respectfully and gave her thanks.

 

Next, he handed Kikyo a parcel. Upon opening it she found a beautiful dagger. The hilt was gold with a medium sized ruby imbedded in the pommel. Under the dagger was a silk kimono identical to Sango's except it was dark red and the lining on the bottom and the sleeves and the crescent moon on the back was black. The obi was also black. Beneath that lay a set of miko garbs, identical to the ones she was currently wearing. Upon further inspection, she realized they were made out of silk. Silk was a luxury that she had never been allowed. She bowed slightly at the waist, a slight smile playing at her lips.

 

Sesshomaru motioned Kagome over and took out a third brown wrapped present. Her smile lit up her eyes, making them sparkle like sapphires. Carefully unwrapping it, she held up a silk kimono identical to Kikyo and Sango's. Except that hers was pitch black with the lining, obi, and crescent moon being navy blue. She examined the blue color closely. It was identical to the color of Sesshomaru's family marking on his forehead. Kagome immediately recognized the importance of these three kimonos. He was marking them as his family. She stroked it tenderly before setting it aside and taking out the next article of cloth. Just like Sango, she had a pair of loose black pants, held tight by a drawstring, with a sleeveless haori. The haori was navy blue, once again reminding her of Sesshomaru's marking. She glanced back up to thank him, but he had suddenly disappeared. Looking around, she spotted him taking a sword from Ah-Un's side. She figured it was for Inuyasha and began to neatly fold and pack the clothes. Her gaze strayed upward at the sound of a throat clearing.

 

Sesshomaru stood in front of her with the sword. She stood and looked between him and the sword with confusion. Sesshomaru placed the sword in her hands.

 

“I understand that the taijiya has taught you many things, including how to use a sword. This sword is yours. This gift is from all of us, with the desire to protect you. I would hope that your era is more peaceful, but there is no reason to forego caution.”

 

They all crowded around. Sango's arm rested around Kagome's shoulder as she looked at the sword, turning it over in her hands tenderly. “While you had been unconscious, we had talked about ways in which we could repay you.”

 

Kagome looked at them with a fond smile as she cut Sango off. “You guys… you didn't need to repay me. I have you all back, that's payment enough.”

 

Kikyo stopped her while putting her arm around Kagome's other should. “No, Kagome. Not many have as pure a heart as you. Few would allow such an evil being into their body. You've trapped him and now he can't even be reincarnated. His evil is truly gone. But you've also sacrificed the peace of your mind. Surely the bastard never shuts up.”

 

Kagome laughed a bit. Miroku spoke and for once there was no perverted innuendo. “You did this for our lives and we are all very grateful. Please accept our eternal thanks in the form of this sword.”

 

Kagome was nearly teary eyed as she nodded and hugged the sword to her. Wiping her eyes with the back of her hand she again examined the sword. The blade was a pure silver color, curved and polished to perfection. The shape was like nothing she'd seen in Japan. It reminded her of pictures in her history books of Arabian knights wielding smooth scimitars. The hilt was purple, like the color of Miroku's robes, yet when the light hit it just right, it was a startling crimson. The grip was made of silken threads, individually wrapped. Black and silver were predominant, but there were also a few red threads. As realization dawned on her, Kagome eyed each thread critically. Some of the black strands had a blue sheen, while others had a brown sheen. It was hair. They had put a piece of themselves into her gift.

 

“Thank you, all of you. I have to wonder though… Whose hair…”

 

Miroku smiled his usual playful smile. “All of us, Lady Kagome. Though, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's hair even out with those of us with black hair. What with the length and all.”

 

Sesshomaru nodded. “We all had a hand in its creation. The nekomata and kitsune provided the flame. The slayer's knowledge proved to be exceptionally useful when it came time to decide the shape of the blade. Those of us with youkai blood each provided a fang for the blade to be forged from. Totosai was the sword smith, so you can guarantee its reliability. The miko's magic went into both the blade and the hilt. The hilt was made from the monk's payer beads. During the melting process, a drop of blood from everyone, ningen and youkai, was added. The result is as you see. Totosai was most impressed with the power of the sword. He said it was fitting.”

 

“Thank you, everyone, for everything you've done for me. Not just the sword, but everything. Being here for me, saving my life numerous times, and now, leaving everything you know to come with me.” She hugged Sango and Kikyo and then approached Sesshomaru. She slipped her arms cautiously around his waist. She hugged him tightly when his arms returned the affection.

 

Lastly, Rin, Kanna, and Shippo had received gifts as well. For Rin, an orange and black checkered kimono with a black obi and a silver necklace with a sapphire pendant in the shape of a crescent moon. Kanna received a pure silver kimono with a darker silver obi and a silver necklace with a smooth, silver crescent moon pendant. Shippo now held a dagger identical to Kikyo's. But instead of a ruby, the pommel held an emerald.

 

After the show of gratitude between the group, Kagome sat them all down to explain her era.

 

“There aren't any youkai that I know of in my era. So, you'll have to try to blend in as much as possible. I may be able to find a charm or spell, but I'm not sure yet. Also, don't attack anything or anyone. There are bullies and gangs, but I doubt they'd be a challenge to any of you, so try to avoid fighting. If all else fails, run away.” After glancing at Kouga, Kagome added, “but don't leave a whirlwind trailing after you.” Thinking over all the possibilities, she began listing off as many laws as she could think of. “Don't steal anything. Don't harass any women, meaning don't touch them AT ALL, don't ask them perverse and or inappropriate questions. Don't cause each other bodily harm, in public. Red light means stop. Green means go. But I'll explain the technology later. Act civilized. Don't threaten anyone, unless they've threatened you first. At first, it might be best if you try to avoid people and speak as little to them as possible. There is a lot of slang that you won't get at first. I think the rest is going to be `learn as we go'.”

 

They all sat taking in as much as they could. Kagura held up a hand to hide her smile. Sesshomaru shook his head slightly. “Good luck to you all. Kagura and this Sesshomaru must take our leave. Come.”

 

He rose, followed by Kagura. It was mid noon and if they left now, they would be in his territory by nightfall. Soon after they departed, the group was ready to leave for good. Kaede was there to see them off and had come with the charms Kagome had requested. They weren't finished, but she and Kikyo could take care of it later. They hadn't decided how exactly they would go through yet. It was obvious they couldn't all go at once, but once Kagome went, the well would seal. But the theory was that they would have to be in contact with her or the jewel to go through. A thought hit her. “Let me try something. Inuyasha, you go through first. I'll wait 10 seconds to send each person through. Make sure everyone is out of the well when I send the next one through.”

 

Inuyasha nodded and without argument disappeared down the well. Kagome grabbed Miroku's hand and tugged him over to the edge of the well. With one hand holding the Shikon in a loose grip and the other on Miroku, she sent a bit of her miko energy into his hand and pushed him into the well. He cursed as he fell, disappearing into the blue light.

 

Kagome smiled happily. “Success!”

 

She waited 10 seconds before sending Sango. She was thankful that the well was as wide as it was, otherwise the Hiraikotsu never would have fit. Next she sent Rin and Kikyo together, no problems there. But now she had to channel her miko energy, which is meant to purify youkai, into her youkai friends. Anything seem off about that? Very carefully, she sent a small jolt into Kouga, not enough to cause pain just a little tingle, and sent him through the well. That worked. Next was Shippo, who jumped a little at the jolt. Then Kanna and Kirara. Finally, giving the Sengoku Jidai one last look, she jumped into the well. Blue lights and then blackness.

 

Kagome climbed out of the well and took roll of her friends, finding everyone there and accounted for, she welcomed them to her era. She opened the door and led them around the outside. She showed them the God Tree, which had survived through time. Luckily, there were no visitors. It was the middle of the day and probably a school day at that. Squaring her shoulders, Kagome set off to find her mother. It's not like she can send them back now anyway, but hopefully her mother wouldn't be upset. They followed behind her as she walked to the house.

 

“Kagome, I never knew you lived in a temple. It's beautiful. Is your family so renowned?” Sango asked.

 

Kagome laughed slightly. “No, this is a house. It's what a lot of people live in today. Many live in apartments too though. This is a shrine, but not anything spectacular, there are a lot in Tokyo these days.”

 

With the mood significantly lighter, they walked through the front door onto beige carpet. Soft yellow walls caught the sunlight that filtered through the windows. The living room was quiet. `Definitely a school day.' To the right <AN: They just walked in. Their backs are to the door. Their right, not yours> were stairs that went to the upstairs. To the left was the TV with a three-seater couch in front of it. There was a love seat on one wall and three doors. The loveseat, couch, and woodwork were all white. Kagome led them into one door.

 

The room was painted a cool blue grey and had the same beige carpet that ran through the majority of the house. It had a full sized bed and a waist high dresser. Both were made of ash, giving it that pale wood color. “This is our guest bedroom. You can leave your stuff in here until we can get all the sleeping arrangements settled. There's a closet back there. It's pretty big.” After they had unpacked their gear and weapons, she brought them to the other door, but didn't open it. “This is my grandfather's room. When he's in there, don't disturb him. He likes his privacy.” Then she pushed open the last door. It was the bathroom. It had a large white bathtub shower, a white toilet, a grey counter with a white sink in it, and a fuzzy green rug in front of the sink. The floor was white linoleum and the walls were an off sea green color. “This is the bathroom. Does anyone know what this room is for?”

 

Besides Inuyasha, Kagome doubted anyone had the slightest idea. She walked to the bathtub and turned on the water. “Okay, this knob,” she turned on the cold water, “is for cold water. And this one,” she turned on the hot, “is for hot water. You have to use both of them to get the right temperature. This knob,” She turned the shower knob and water started to spray from the shower head, “turns on the actual shower. A shower is a lot faster than a bath if you're in a hurry.”

 

She watched them look at it as if a leprechaun was about to pop out of the drain and rob them. “It's called plumbing. It's an underground system of metal pipes that pump water through the house. The water can be heated or cooled, depending on the set temperature. See, feel the water in the shower.” They each reached a hand out, some eagerly, others like the shower would bite it off. They nodded and she turned off the shower. Well, at least they're getting the concepts of how things work. Next, Kagome brought the group to the sink. She felt like she was giving a museum tour, explaining things from the past to people of this era. It was similar, but backwards.

 

She turned to knobs again. “This works basically the same way as the shower. This is called a sink. You wash your hands in here after you… use the… toilet.” She was dreading explaining how to use that one. “You wash your hands with water and soap. Most people have liquid soap now. You pump it from here like this.” She demonstrated. “You wash your hands to kill bacteria. Bacteria are germs that make people sick. You can't see them because they're so small. But we'll talk about that stuff later.”

 

She turned them to the toilet and grimaced. “This is where you… do your business.” God, she was talking to them like dogs. “I mean, you know, go to the bathroom.” They still looked at her blankly. Except for Inuyasha. He was just managing to hold in his laughter. He had been here enough to know how almost everything worked. Maybe she could use that to her advantage. She looked at him sharply, “Well, why don't you give it a whirl?”

 

Inuyasha stopped for a second and shrugged saying, “It's were you relieve yourself.”

 

Looks of understanding dawned on their faces. It was Sango who spoke first. “Isn't it a bit small to be a bed pan?”

 

Kagome shook her head. “It's called a toilet. You, as Inu said, `relieve' yourself, and then press down the lever. Watch.” She wadded up some toilet paper and threw it in the toilet, then flushed it. They were amazed. She was already bored. But you gotta do what you gotta do. “That was toilet paper, you wipe with it. Then flush it down the toilet. Oh, and it's indecent to relieve yourself anywhere but in a designated bathroom. In public, men and women have separate bathrooms. A sign on the door should say which is which.” A though hit her. “Who can read? Raise your hands.”

 

Kikyo's hand went up. Of course she was a trained miko, so it had been expected. Next was Miroku. A monk has to be able to read sutras, so it made sense. Kouga came to her as a surprise, but then again he was a prince.

 

Sango slowly brought her hand up. “I can read some, not well though.”

 

Kanna's small pale hand was halfway up as well. “Kagura use to read to me. She taught me a little.”

 

So that left Inuyasha, Shippo, and Rin. Sango and Kanna could stand to be taught a bit as well. Miroku and Kikyo would probably be great help. “We'll start teaching as soon as possible. I want to be able to get you all into school. You can't do much with a future unless you've got a high school diploma.” The last was mostly mumbled to herself.

 

Going back into the living room, she glanced at the TV. She didn't even want to try to explain that. Grabbing the remote from the couch she pressed the on button and flipped through a few channels. Finally on MTV she turned up the volume. “This is the TV. It isn't alive. There aren't any people trapped inside. And it isn't going to steal your soul.” She held up the remote. “This is called a remote. It controls the TV settings. This button changes the channel. This one changes the volume. And this button turns it on or off.” She demonstrated each before returning it to MTV. Currently playing was `This Love' by Maroon 5. “You'll get the hang of it.”

 

She dragged them all away from the TV into the hallway beside the stairs. There was one door in the hallway before it opened into the kitchen. “That door leads to my mother's room. She has her own bathroom. So you don't have to worry about getting in her way in the morning.” They walked into the kitchen. The beige carpet stopped and switched to white linoleum. The walls were blue on the bottom half, then white on the top half. The cabinets and large square table were polished cherry wood. The countertop was a speckled dark grey and the appliances were silver. She explained that dishes were washed in the sink, the stove cooks food and gets very hot, don't touch, that the refrigerator keep food cold, and ice comes out of the freezer. She ignored their questions on the microwave, deciding to save it for later. There was a door that led outside from the kitchen. They went back into the living room. Kagome pointed out the two sets of stairs, explaining that down was the basement. It was a pretty large room, but all that was down there was the washer and dryer.

 

They went upstairs. It was a simple hallway with a door to the right, left, and one at the end. Going in the right door, she showed them her little brother's room. The walls were dark blue. They hadn't been that color when she'd left last. His bed, dresser, desk, and chair were all black, and stood out against the beige carpet. Then she showed them the bathroom she and Souta shared. It was light blue with white floor tiles and white shower, sink, and toilet. A fuzzy blue rug was in front of the tub. Lastly, they went into Kagome's room.

 

The walls were a soft violet with pink curtains and bedspread. There was a nightstand next to the bed, with an alarm clock sitting on it. On the opposite wall as the bed, was a desk with a pink computer chair. There was also a bookshelf. With several years worth of old schoolbooks on it that Kagome was suddenly glad she had saved. She sat on her bed with Sango, Kikyo, Shippo, Rin, and Kanna. Miroku was looking at her books, Inuyasha was sitting in the computer chair, and Kouga was sitting on her desk. The grand tour of the house had taken at least two and a half hours. Some one had to be home soon. Maybe if she just closed her eyes for a minute…

 

 

~*~*~*~

Rewritten. Minor changes.