InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Miko for Youkai ❯ Part 3 ( Chapter 3 )

Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi

 

 

A Miko for Youkai, Part 3

 

 

“There she is!” Kagome, all smiles, reached to take a sniffling Mayumi back from Shippo. “Did you miss me?”

 

Shippo rolled his eyes. “Did she ever,” he answered. “Don't leave us like that again. I was about to start crying myself.”

 

“What did I tell you?” said Inuyasha. “You don't need to be running off doing miko stuff for Fenn. Mayumi needs you.”

 

Kagome knew that wasn't the issue. She and Inuyasha didn't quite see eye to eye on the issue of Fenn's youkai. “Fine,” she said stubbornly. “Then I'll just take Mayumi with me next time.” She jostled the baby up and down on her hip and eyed Inuyasha. “Or you could stay here and watch her.”

 

Inuyasha frowned at Kagome, but he knew when he was beat. “Come to Daddy,” he said, and held out his arms to Mayumi. Now that her parents were home again, Mayumi had no problem going to Daddy. She didn't even have a problem going to Uncle Shippo now, although she did keep glancing around to make sure her mother was in sight.

 

“I tried everything,” said Shippo. “Even my fox tricks didn't cheer her up after she woke up from her nap and you two still weren't home.”

 

“Don't worry about it, Shippo. It's normal for a child her age. I should have thought of it,” said Kagome. “Next time she'll be more used to it.”

 

“Next time! So you are going back?” asked Shippo.

 

Inuyasha just humphed, and settled himself heavily in an armchair. He knew better than to try to change Kagome's mind. He might not like it, and he was damn well going to make sure he was around to protect her in case she was wrong, but he'd go along with it for the time being.

 

“Daddy, can Robert come over our house to play?” asked Kazuki, looking up from where he was coloring on the floor.

 

“Who's Robert?” asked Inuyasha.

 

“He's the other boy in the Principal's office,” called Kagome from the kitchen.

 

“Then no,” said Inuyasha.

 

“But he's my friend!” Kazuki whined.

 

Inuyasha shook his head. He didn't get it. Kagome popped her head back out of the kitchen. “Dinner's ready,” she said. Friends and enemies were forgotten as everyone sat down to eat.

 

Later, after the children had been put to bed, Inuyasha asked Shippo how he had managed this human school thing with all his children. Forget the fact that Robert had been fighting with Kazuki and even bitten him, but how were they supposed to invite a human child into their home? Up here, they didn't have to hide what they were, and Inuyasha really didn't want to have to start doing that in his own home.

 

“Well, for one thing, we youkai and hanyou mainly stayed in our own villages,” Shippo said. “We didn't just stick our kids in human schools without some sort of protection. We followed the human laws, but we did our own teaching. At least until the children were old enough to know how to handle themselves among humans.”

 

“You mean that will happen some day?” asked Kagome facetiously.

 

“In Kazuki's case? It's hard to tell. He takes after his father,” replied Shippo in the same vein. They both chuckled at Inuyasha's dark look.

 

“But I think we ought to allow Kazuki to invite his friends over,” Kagome said. “We want him to feel just like the other children, right? At least if we start by having one of his little school friends at our house, we can control what happens. Sooner or later Kazuki is going to want to play over a friend's house, and we can't keep an eye on him there. Don't you agree?”

 

She was right, damn it. “Fine, set it up, then. But I'm only agreeing to the human friend, got it? I don't want any of Fenn's youkai coming over for a playdate, all right?”

 

Kagome smiled. “All right,” she agreed.

 

 

 

Inuyasha took Kazuki out for a run the following morning before school. The kid had a lot on his plate, with human kindergarten and Shippo's youkai school. He needed time to just be. Everyone said the kid was like him because he was impulsive and quick and strong. But he was also happy all the time, and Inuyasha was very glad of that. He never wanted Kazuki to have to go through the things that he had gone through growing up. It bothered him, though, that Kazuki had let that kid bite him and hadn't retaliated. He didn't want him to be a pushover, either. It bothered him even more that Kazuki seemed to have forgotten the whole incident and now considered that Robert kid his friend. Even Kagome's `psychology' explanation didn't sit well with him.

 

“You don't have to go back to the human school if you don't want to,” said Inuyasha, after they had been running for a while.

 

Kazuki stopped abruptly, causing Inuyasha to skid to a stop in response. “But I like human school,” he said, dismay showing in his eyes.

 

Inuyasha pulled him over and jumped with him high into the branches of a tall tree. They swayed until the branch steadied, as Inuyasha tried to pull his thoughts together. From here they could see the red ball of the sun as it rose. “Are you sure?” he asked in concern. “The other kids don't give you trouble?”

 

Kazuki merely blinked. “No, it's fun,” he said. “We get to color, and learn numbers, and have recess and stuff like that.”

 

“Your mother could do all that with you,” said Inuyasha. “And you can go outside and play with our youkai any time you want. Isn't that enough?”

 

Kazuki was confused. “But why?” he asked. “I promise, I won't fight again.”

 

He obviously thought he was being punished. Inuyasha let the subject drop. “Never mind, let's go,” he said. They both took off running through the treetops this time, and made it home in time for breakfast before Inuyasha dropped Kazuki off at school.

 

Inuyasha had blown off his classes the day before, so he headed to the University after he brought Kazuki to school. He had his own workspace and could more or less make his own hours, but for a few projects he had to work in conjunction with other graduate students, and he needed to touch base with them this morning. He already had a job lined up with an architectural firm for after graduation, so he really couldn't afford to slack off now. Kagome had promised him she would wait for him to get back. He grimaced. Maybe he could learn a thing or two from his son about how to juggle youkai business with human business.

 

He made it back by lunchtime, only to see that Kagome was as good as her word and had little Mayumi strapped to her back. “What do you thing you're doing?” he asked her. “Shippo can watch her. You said yourself she would be better the next time.”

 

“I know that,” Kagome replied. “But you were right. Mayumi does need me, and I'll feel better knowing she is with me.”

 

“But I won't,” mumbled Inuyasha under his breath. Aloud, he said, “Then let me carry her, at least. That way you can have your hands free to do miko stuff.”

 

Kagome listened, for once, and began unstrapping Mayumi. She would have fastened the baby to Inuyasha's back instead, but he stopped her. “I can carry her without that,” he said. For another miracle, she didn't argue.

 

Fenn met them at the edge of the swamp, his eyes widening slightly at the sight of Inuyasha holding Mayumi. Inuyasha silently dared him to make a comment, but he didn't.

 

The youkai gathered as they had the day before, only this time Kagome felt their anticipatory thoughts brush her own. She wondered what they were waiting for, and hoped it wasn't lunch. Fenn glanced at her, startled, and she realized that he had picked up on that last thought, too. He and his youkai were more connected than she had realized.

 

Mayumi cooed and reached out towards the writhing cluster of youkai. Inuyasha yanked her back. “Don't touch,” he told her. Was it his imagination, or did the youkai look more formed today?

 

Kagome noticed it, too. Her little snakelike youkai with the pretty eyes extracted itself from the group and flew closer to her. Today it had definite appendages, and its body had thickened and shortened to more resemble a mammalian form. Was that because it saw a preference for that form in her mind? “Little youkai,” she called to it. “It's all right, come to me.” She held out her hand and the small youkai alighted on it, a featherweight despite its appearance. It radiated curiosity. In her other hand, Kagome held a cookie. She let the youkai take it from her with its newly-developed hands. Over by Inuyasha, Mayumi squawked. Those were her cookies!

 

A few others broke away from the group and approached Kagome. She gave them cookies, too. She had to go back and give one to Mayumi also, because the little girl's cries were disturbing the youkai. It was a start. After an hour or so, the youkai lost interest and started to disperse, and Kagome knew their session was over.

 

“Well, what do you think?” asked Fenn. He led them away from the swamp to a dry spot a few yards away. There was no structure, but Kagome hadn't expected one. She wondered where Fenn slept at night, if he slept at all. Fenn gave her an enigmatic smile.

 

“I honestly don't know,” Kagome said. “I think we owe it to them to wait and see. They're obviously changing quite a bit. Their group consciousness is beginning to separate into individual consciousnesses with separate personalities. You can see that in how they are developing physically.”

 

Fenn nodded. “I think contact with you is helping. They are learning how to interact with other beings instead of just feeding. Time will tell.”

 

Inuyasha looked at Fenn. “I'm holding you responsible, then. If they mess up, I'm coming after you.”

 

 

 

Robert came over on Saturday morning. His mother dropped him off and shared a quick cup of coffee with Kagome before she left. Kagome was a little embarrassed at the state of their road, but Robert's mother, who had a 4-wheel drive, didn't comment on it. “I'll be back around noon,” she said as she left.

 

Kazuki grabbed Robert's arm and excitedly led him up to his room to play cars. A grumbling Inuyasha had stayed in their bedroom with Mayumi because he wasn't about to cover his ears, or hers, on his day off in his own house.

 

Shippo was out in the woods with the lesser youkai, keeping them occupied with his youkai kindergarten even though Kazuki had an excused absence today because of his playdate. The last thing they needed would be for the little human kid to see wild youkai in the front yard! Valynne was human-looking enough so she was allowed to stay.

 

Ten minutes after they went up to Kazuki's room, the two boys came back down looking for a snack. Kazuki, without thinking, hopped down from the railing on the upper level to the middle of the living room floor below. Robert, racing down the stairs, didn't notice. “Hey, how'd you get ahead of me?” he asked.

 

“Mom, can we have something to eat?” asked Kazuki, not wanting to call her `mama' in front of his friend.

 

“Sure, what would you. . .” Kagome's voice died away as she saw Kazuki, without his cap, his little dog ears pointed forward. She glanced quickly towards Robert, but the little boy appeared to be unfazed. “Kazuki, your cap,” she said.

 

“But, mom, I'm at home. I don't have to wear it at home.”

 

Out of the mouths of babes. He had no idea why they made him wear that stupid cap whenever they left their mountain. She would have to have a long talk with him after this. If she survived this. “Oh, Inuyasha!” she called.

 

“What?” Inuyasha yelled down from their bedroom.

 

“Will you please come down here?”

 

She heard a lot of grumbling that sounded suspiciously like growling, and a few bangs and slams. Then Inuyasha came into the kitchen with a bath towel wrapped around his head, and one around Mayumi's too, which she was currently trying to pull off. He stopped cold when he saw Kazuki, ears twitching, sitting calmly at the kitchen table eating a snack with his friend.

 

“What should we do?” Kagome whispered to him. Mayumi, with a satisfied crow, finally succeeded in pulling the towel off her head.

 

Robert looked up in interest. “Oh, she's got one too,” he commented. “I wish my mother would get me one.”

 

“One what?” asked Inuyasha.

 

“Halloween costume. It's really cool. I like the ears, but I think it would be better if it had a tail to go with it.”

 

“A tail!” Inuyasha was offended.

 

“Uncle Shippo has a tail,” Kazuki offered.

 

Kagome was relieved. She sent the boys outside with strict instructions that they were to stay in the front yard. For insurance, she sent Valynne out with them. On the way out, she pulled Kazuki aside. “No jumping, no fast running, absolutely no youkai tricks. Robert is human; just because he's at our house doesn't mean you can forget all the things you aren't supposed to do in front of humans.”

 

Kazuki's face fell. He hadn't thought of that. “Ok,” he agreed.

 

They played until Robert's mother came back to get him. Just as Robert was getting ready to leave, Shippo returned from his `walk' in the woods, in human form for the benefit of their guest. “Uncle Shippo!” yelled Kazuki in greeting.

 

Robert remembered Kazuki's remark. He marched right up to Shippo and asked, “Can I see your tail?”

 

 

 

Kagome was awakened by a pounding on their front door. Inuyasha, already awake, groaned and rolled out of bed. “I really wish you could fix the barrier to keep humans out,” he complained.

 

“It's not an alarm system, you know,” she returned. She threw on a robe and followed him down the stairs.

 

Yes, it is, thought Inuyasha to himself. For everything except humans. All he was saying was, if she extended the barrier to include humans, then they wouldn't have to get up in the middle of the night like this. But no, she didn't want humans to get zapped. He glanced at the sun outside the window. Ok, so it wasn't the middle of the night.

 

“What do you want?” he asked, as he opened the front door. “Peter.”

 

“Fenn asked me to come,” Peter replied. “Something about Kagome's youkai? I left him at the edge of the driveway. He wouldn't come any closer until I came and got you.”

 

“Why didn't he just call?” asked Kagome, as she closed her eyes briefly. “He usually just calls.”

 

“I don't know. He doesn't look too good. He showed up at my house last night and he seemed, I don't know, out of it. He kept talking about Kagome and youkai so I drove him up here.”

 

Fenn walked up the driveway, now that Kagome's barrier was removed, looking more serious than Kagome had ever seen him. Inuyasha sniffed suspiciously in his direction and narrowed his eyes. Kagome was too damn trusting with that barrier. Fenn was not alone. “I told you not to bring those things up here,” he said in a low voice.

 

Fenn sighed, and suddenly several small youkai, including Kagome's pretty-eyed one, appeared hovering close to his body. Peter's eyes widened. He had never suspected they were there. “Kagome,” Fenn said, and his voice came out in a croak, “please, take care of them.”

 

“Fenn!” With a gasp of horror, Kagome rushed to support Fenn, who had fallen to his knees as his youkai fluttered wildly above his head. Inuyasha got there first, and supported the fallen youkai with one arm. Between Inuyasha and Peter, they brought Fenn into the house. Inuyasha refused to let the other youkai inside.

 

They hovered just outside the entrance. Kagome reset her barrier so that now Fenn and the youkai he had brought with him were, for all practical purposes, trapped inside. “Thanks,” croaked Fenn. He closed his eyes, then smiled bitterly. “Inuyasha, you were right and I was wrong, I'm sorry.”

 

“What happened?” Kagome handed Fenn a glass of water, which he waved away.

 

“Water won't help me,” he said. “I'll be all right in a while; I drained most of my own power trying to save them,” he continued, pointing with one arm to his swarm of youkai hovering just outside the window. “That was after I tried to destroy them all.”

 

“What? What the hell happened?” asked Inuyasha.

 

“I should have listened. They weren't ready. When it came to feeding, the group mind took over and I lost control of them. I probably shouldn't have let them come with me away from the swamp, but I thought if no one could see them, it wouldn't be a problem.”

 

“Wait a minute. You brought them to a human village?” Inuyasha couldn't believe it.

 

“To a town, yes,” said Fenn. “I thought it would help them, but they were overwhelmed. I could hear them and the individual thoughts slowly were drowned out until there was just the one pulsing thought—to feed, to take. I felt it, too. I almost lost it, who I was, what I was. It was so very tempting to go along with them. So very tempting.” Fenn sneaked a look at Kagome but she remained calm, if concerned. Peter, on the other hand, had paled and he looked as if he were about to be sick.

 

“It took all my remaining strength to stop them,” Fenn continued. “I almost couldn't do it—they were a part of me. It felt like I was destroying myself. But I knew I'd lose myself if I let them continue, so I did what I had to do.”

 

“And what was that?” Kagome laid a hand on Fenn's shoulder, and Fenn immediately felt an ease in his pain.

 

He gave a short laugh. “You know what I am—I took it back, their energy, my energy that formed them. I took it all back. And they ceased to exist.”

 

Kagome felt his sorrow. “That must have been so hard,” she murmured. “But you didn't destroy them all. What about them?” She pointed to the youkai waiting outside.

 

“No, I didn't destroy them all. At the last minute, as I was absorbing their power, I felt their cries, their individual cries, and I recognized them. Six of them broke away. They were no longer part of the group mentality, and they were scared. I stopped. I couldn't kill them. As it was, they were nearly gone. I poured the energy I had taken back into those six.” Fenn turned his eyes toward Inuyasha, who had been listening, hands folded, without saying a word. “Sorry, Inuyasha. I couldn't do it. So I'll be grateful if you could do it for me. Just do it quick—and somewhere where I can't see, or hear, or feel it.” Fenn turned his head away.

 

“Keh! As if I'd kill them now! You proved that they are different from the others. I can live with that, if you can. Besides, didn't you just ask Kagome to take care of them?”

 

Fenn turned back to face the others. He shifted his body so that he was sitting up. “Seriously?” he asked.

 

“Yeah. You did the right thing, even though it wasn't easy. I get that,” said Inuyasha. “We'll just have to keep an eye on these other ones,” he said. “Shippo!” he bellowed. “Come down here!”

 

Shippo, who had been surreptitiously listening from the top of the stairs where he'd been entertaining both Kazuki and Mayumi while their parents were busy, hopped over the railing to land beside a startled Peter. “Hi,” he said, grinning.

 

“You kids stay up there!” Inuyasha yelled, as Kazuki peeked out from between the railings. “Watch your sister.” Kazuki promptly pushed the crawling baby back into one of the bedrooms and closed the door. Wails erupted from the other side, followed by Kazuki's muffled voice telling his sister to stop it. Whatever he did, it worked, and suddenly there was silence.

 

“Shippo,” said Inuyasha, knowing he had to settle this quickly. Those kids wouldn't be quiet for too much longer. “You've got some new students for your class, starting today. Fenn, you bring `em around every Saturday and Sunday morning, and Shippo will whip `em into shape. That way Kagome can keep an eye on `em, too.” So could he.

 

 

 

 

Kagome stood in front of Kazuki's kindergarten class dressed in her red and white miko clothes. She had spoken to the children about Japan and brought in some Japanese treats for the children to try. She told the children that she was a miko, and explained what that meant. “I help people when their hearts are hurt,” she told them, trying to keep it simple. It was now question and answer time.

 

One little girl raised her hand. “Is that your Halloween costume?” she asked.

 

Kagome smiled. “No, this is what miko wore long ago in Japan.”

 

“Did you wear it?”

 

Children. They saw so clearly sometimes, even when it was impossible. “Yes,” she answered truthfully. “Now we only wear these clothes for special occasions.”

 

She had promised Fenn that she would work with his surviving youkai. In a way, they were like his children. He had been grateful. So grateful, apparently, that he had let it be known throughout the youkai network that Kagome was willing to heal youkai in need. Since then, youkai had been trickling to their door, or as close as the barrier would allow. She had set their own youkai, who could come and go at will through her barrier, to act as messengers, so the youkai who came to her for help wouldn't be purified by accident. Inuyasha wasn't pleased, but he accepted it. Kagome was glad. She finally had a purpose besides motherhood and loving Inuyasha, wonderful as both those things were.

 

Kazuki now understood why he had to wear his cap around humans, no matter where he was. He understood why he had to be careful of his greater strength and speed. Kagome was saddened to have to expose him to such necessities this early in life, but it was necessary if he was to be a youkai in a human world. Sometimes his insights amazed her.

 

Like now, when he came to stand next to her in front of all his classmates. He reached out and took her hand, a big smile on his face. He turned to face his classmates. “My mama doesn't need to wear special clothes to be a miko. She's always a miko, even when she's wearing her bathing suit.”

 

Well, he could have said it better, but she knew what he meant. Kagome hugged Kazuki and whispered into the top of his head, “I love you.”

 

Kazuki smiled back at her. “I know,” he replied.

 

 

T H E E N D