InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Birth Marks ❯ dream ( Chapter 11 )

Dang! 11 chapters and going. I would have laughed at myself if I had known how many chapters it would take to convince myself that people actually like my stuff. =Sigh= yet another week of no phone or net service, so I'm listening to whiskey lullaby on my local country station and counting down the days until school starts (Wednesday! Nooo!!! And its Monday now). And I'm singing alone with Krauss! What has the world come to! And I'm really bored and I need a friend's inspiration! And I bet by now you just want me to shut up and get along with the chapter.

 

Readers: YES!

 

Me: fine!

 

Btw: inu no mine, you no sue!

 

And next time you try to cuss me out for not updating sooner, repeat this line out loud and forget why your mad: HOLY LECHEROUS MONK NAMED MIROKU!

 

Chapter 11: Dream

 

Last time: <Kagome's right, she's my new mamma. I guess Inuyasha is my daddy. And Miroku and Sango are my aunt and uncle. Myoga is like my granddaddy and Kilala… Kilala is kinda like a pet or sister. I mean she can't really talk to the rest of us, but we can still understand her. I have a good family and they are good to me… most of the time (Cough. Inuyasha. Cough.) > Shippou thought as he sat in Kagome's lap and started on his sweet rice.

 

This time: “good bye and thanks for coming! Stop by next time you are in the area!” the hostess yelled after the journeying party.

 

“We will!” Kagome yelled back, waving enthusiastically. She had the headband back on until they were out of sight of the village.

 

“Lady Kagome, are you going to take that off anytime soon?” Miroku asked, gesturing to the makeshift hat.

 

She shrugged, “maybe. There's a boy from the village coming around the bend in the road and I don't want to scare him.” Kagome grinned lopsided.

 

Shippou tugged at the knot holding it in place, “you won't scare him Kagome-okaa-san, he probably won't even notice us walking. And you don't have to be scared, we're here for you!” Shippou gave her a hug around her neck, mindful of his claws after what he accidentally did yesterday.

 

#I am scared of being treated different # “I'm not scared Shippou, just cautious.” Kagome lowered her voice to a whisper, “Besides, we all look human at first glance. If he stops and actually looks, he'll see that we're different. But that's highly unlikely.” Kagome plucked him off her shoulder and gave him a hug back.

 

Sango slipped up behind Kagome and plucked off her hat. “Why be cautious? Live a little! And if he decides to do anything, we can cut through the forest. It would take a couple of days off the trip back anyway. And Inuyasha should be there by now waiting for us,” she tried reasoning with her friend.

 

Inuyasha (been a couple of chapters since I checked back with him!)

 

Inuyasha stepped out of the back room of Rumiko's cave yawning. “Did you sleep well last night, dear? There's some sweet rice by the fire for you. And I put some jasmine in it just like you liked it.” Rumiko said, working on the detailing of something small.

 

# I haven't slept this well since Rumiko acted as my nanny for the month that… that my mother died # Inuyasha's shoulders slumped at the thought. “Did you put a sleeping spell on me Rumiko?”

 

She looked up in fake shock, “me? Put a spell on you! Why, I'm ashamed of you thinking that!”

 

“I take that as a yes,” Inuyasha said dryly.

 

“Fine! You got me! Now eat your rice before it gets cold,” Rumiko joked and they both laughed. He had missed Rumiko's presence.

 

They sat in a comfortable silence until Inuyasha's curiosity got the best of him, “what are you making Rumiko?”

 

She smiled and held up a curved dagger saya (scabbard). It had the fine detailing of embroidery that only Rumiko could do. “It's my present to Kagome-hime for when she takes throne. Don't tell her because I want to surprise her with it. Don't worry, I have something for you also. But what would you want anyway? You have a mate-to-be, a pack- I was surprised to hear you acquire a pack by now. You are very young to have one; even your brother is young for having a pack. - A sward, a pup as far as I've heard, a sense of home and belonging. You have all to make you happy. I'll surprise you also with the present, and its something that you will find useful,” Rumiko gave him a secretive grin and continued the pattern on the saya that was not yet discernable.

 

Inuyasha took his time eating the treat that he hadn't had since he was living with his mother. He was even thankful enough to wash out the empty bowl and chopsticks. “Thank you for doing this for me, and I hope that Kagome will like the clothes also. Is there anything that I can do to repay you? (I know “Inuyasha doesn't ask anyone anything or be nice,” but he has his guard down and he's known Rumiko for years.)” He offered, grabbing the satchel containing the clothes.

 

Rumiko shook her head no and looked up from her work with a smile, “all you have to do is invite me to the mating ceremony and I will be happy. Maybe I can be a stand-in for Iyazoi (his human mom) if you permit it. You said that Kagome-hime was waiting at the village you both stay in? Shouldn't you start traveling to it? It was Musashi village wasn't it?”

 

Inuyasha nodded and shouldered the pack that was surprisingly light for how big it was. “I'd like you to be a stand-in, and yeah, Musashi village,” with that he left at a full run, hoping to beat her to the village. Even if he was further away. #How fast is she? I hope that Kagome likes these clothes after Rumiko worked all night on them. #

 

=Flash = Inuyasha heard the laughter of Kagome as she ran ahead of the group in the forest. He recognized the trees; they were already in his forest! Then Kagome stopped suddenly, like she had felt a jewel shard. =Flash =

 

Inuyasha came out of the vision just in time to barely swerve and miss a tree.

 

Kagome, in Inuyasha's forest.

 

“We're almost there! I'm running ahead, see you later!” Kagome took off at a sprint, laughing. Shippou had enough of holding on to Kagome and jumped off and onto Sango's shoulder in time to avoid the running girl.

 

“What's your hurry?” Sango called ahead, looking at the retreating girl's back.

 

Kagome started laughing, “I just want to beat Inuyasha to the village!” Sango rolled her eyes, she could see a new competition forming between the two since Kagome had turned hanyou: who is top hanyou. Of coarse it was friendly; they were, after all, lovers. Now if Sango could verbalize her relationship with Miroku like he did.

 

Kagome enjoyed the thrill of the trees blurring on either side of her. That was why she never argued when Inuyasha insisted on her riding his back. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a pale red shape running alongside her. She turned her head slightly and saw that it was a ghost-like form of Inuyasha. Skidding to a stop, she stared at the form until it disappeared.

 

“Lady Kagome! Why did you stop?” Miroku asked, running to catch up with her. She looked like she had sensed a jewel shard.

 

Kagome shook her head to clear her thoughts and turned to an out-of-breath monk. “I… I thought I saw something, that's all.” Kagome turned her head to the village that was just out of sight, “go on ahead, I'm going to wait for Inuyasha by the Goshinboku.” With that, she ran the other direction.

 

# Inuyasha, are you okay? I hope that wasn't your ghost # Kagome thought as she reached the destined tree. Both of them felt comforted by the giant tree whenever they were worried. Kagome would snuggle in around the roots and Inuyasha picked a branch directly above her. The tree resolved many an internal conflict and it felt like a connection between the two. Kagome sniffed lightly and picked up Inuyasha's old scent on the branches. She jumped.

 

She settled down, letting herself get absorbed by Inuyasha's scent. His aura had always comforted her, and his scent did the same. She didn't know when she fell asleep, but she did.

 

“Kagome!” came a male voice from outside her bedroom door. An angry voice that she hadn't heard in years. “Kagome, get your worthless ass down here and clean up this mess!”

 

Kagome's worse nightmare: a memory of her stepfather and how he treated her. Her younger self looked around her room and locked on a mirror. She had bruises running up and down her arms and a black eye. She was shaking still and tears ran down her cheeks from just that morning's abuse.

 

She took a deep breath and sent a quick prayer up to the Kamis. Opening the door, she slunk down to the kitchen and picked up a broom. He had most likely did this on purpose like usual.

 

The broken plates, the ones that she was suppose to wash later, lay scattered on the floor. Kagome sighed internally and began sweeping the floor, bowing lowly as she passed her stepfather. He sneered and left to take care of a year-old Souta.

 

A younger Gin walked in and saw Kagome sweeping up the broken platters, “what happened sweetie?” she asked innocently, kneeling down to Kagome's height.

 

“I…” Kashisu looked over Gin's shoulder and gave her a warning glare, “I accidentally dropped the dishes mommy. When I was doing the dishes!” Kagome gave a grin, showing the gaps where her baby teeth had fallen out. If she wouldn't have lied to her mother, she would have had to deal with her stepfather (Kashisu) later. She could heal relatively fast, but the beatings would just renew the wounds.

 

The dishes' breaking was a constant in the house. To the point that Gin had a whole box of the cheap china in the garage. And for some reason, it was always Kashisu that was in the kitchen while it happened, but little Kagome always took the blame.

 

Kagome finished sweeping and put the broom away. Kashisu followed her up the stairs and into her room, leaving the innocent act downstairs with Gin and Souta. He was so silent following her that she didn't even know that he was there until she heard the soft click of her door closing. “Kagome, my sweet, why did you break the dishes again? You know how expensive they are after all of you butterfingers excuses.” He stalked her into a corner with his honey-dripping venom. The dishes were just another excuse to beat up the poor hanyou girl. “Now, why don't you come here and I'll give you a hug.”

 

Young Kagome shook her head and turned it to the side, hopefully saving her uninjured eye. Kashisu's mask cracked slightly, “why you!” he raised his hand and cuffed her in the ear, making her temporarily deaf. Kagome whimpered and fell to her knees, hands over her abused ears. “That was nothing, half breed, just wait until your mama and Souta leave. Then the real fun will begin.” He laughed like he had told a joke and left, closing the door behind him.

 

Kagome was left in the middle of the room and cried. Buyo came out from under the bed and rubbed his face against her leg, betting for attention. Kagome looked up from her lap and scratched the kitten behind the ears. “Why does he have to treat me like this? And why does he say so many mean things to me `just because'? This is the second time today and its not even lunch,” she whispered to Buyo. Its funny, the cat Buyo had been around since Kagome could remember and seemed not to age a day.

 

“Myuun (meow)” Buyo said, gesturing to the window. Kagome didn't seem to notice with her inner thoughts plaguing her senses. He got up and was walked the way to the window and back several times. No response. Finally, Buyo growled internally and bit Kagome just enough to get her attention, but not enough to expel blood.

 

Kagome withdrew her hand and looked at it, seeing the two red marks from his canines. “What was that for Buyo?” she scolded, showing him the bite.

 

“Myuun,” Buyo said again, grabbing her sleeve and tried to pull her to the window. Kagome stood up and followed him to the window, looking to the tree that Buyo was looking at.

 

“The Goshinboku, what's so special about it this time?” Kagome asked with a hint of anger in her voice. Buyo just looked at the hanyou girl and back to the tree.

 

“You want me to go to the tree Buyo?” she asked with some apprehension.

 

“…”

 

“But he won't let me out of my room. And it's the second story, how am I suppose to get out?” Kagome looked straight down and backed away from the window like it would eat her.

 

#Jump, its never stopped you before # Buyo thought, hoping that Kagome would come to the same conclusion.

 

“I should jump, I've done it before. It's a piece of cake,” Kagome laughed nervously as she opened the window. “Besides, he won't be able to get me when I'm up in the tree.”

 

# If only your real father was still here. He wouldn't let this imposter abuse you the way he does my charge, he would run him out of town. Go up the tree and heal. Don't worry, gin will know where you went, I'll tell her # and with a nudge from Buyo, Kagome jumped down to the ground.

 

“Perfect landing” Kagome mumbled to herself, sprinting to the tree and jumping into its lower branches. From there, she climbed up to a place that seemed worn smooth. She settled down and looked at the city view. Yeah she had a small wooded area around the shrine, but the rest of the city was the urban jungle.

 

“Beautiful view, isn't it” a voice came from above her head.

 

“Ahh!” Kagome was so startled that she started to fall out of the tree. A clawed hand belonging to the voice grabbed the back of her shirt and put her back on the branch. As soon as she was placed back, her arms went mostly around the large branch and she dug her claws into the bark.

 

“ I don't want to explain to your mother later how you managed to kill yourself falling out of a tree later, so try to stay put,” the man said, kneeling on the branch in front of the young girl. Kagome nodded and squeezed her eyes shut.

 

“Wh…who are you?” Kagome asked, clinging tighter to the branch.

 

The man straddled the branch and grabbed Kagome's chin gently, making her look up at him. “Just call me Inu, okay,” he smiled and rubbed Kagome's cheek as if remembering someone (you all should know whom I'm talking about!).

 

“Dog? Why?” Kagome asked, trying to gain her balance against the light wind. Inu kept a hand on her arm as she sat back against the tree again.

 

Inu made a show of fumbling with his necklace that had fangs on it before he answered. “`Cause that's my name. What's yours?”

 

“Ka-Kagome. My name's Kagome and this is my tree. Why are you up here?” the little hanyou puffed her chest up at the older looking human (she thought it was a human, but she's 6 what do you expect).

 

He laughed. Hard. “Umm… mister? Why are you laughing at me?” she asked meekly.

 

“Sorry little Kagome, it's just that I have rested in this tree long before you were even born. And I mean a long time before,” Inu looked into her eyes as they became more dilated. “So I should really be asking you why you're in my tree.” Kagome sputtered, having no idea how to answer the strange white-haired man. Inu laughed, lifting her up to put himself between Kagome and the tree trunk. “There, I can make sure that you don't fall better this way.”

 

Kagome blushed, “thank you Inu.” They sat and watched the city for a long time in comfortable silence. Occasionally, Inu would point out a passing plane or a cop car going by and he would mutter something about modern things being good and bad, depending on how you looked at it.

 

Kagome was about to fall asleep against the red polo shirt when a voice called from underneath them. “Kagome! I know you're up there! Your lunch is under the bench when you want it and the window is open when you want to come back in.” Gin sighed and looked up into the tree from the bench. She knew that Kagome could hear her perfectly fine. “I know what he did to you and I'm sorry. But you need a father in your life. And we have Souta to take care of also. When you feel like talking, I'll be inside.” Gin stood up and walked back to the house, inside fighting her urge to call the police on child abuse. But she knew that by the time they came, all the signs would have healed and there would be more questions about Kagome's natural appearance than they could handle. And then Kagome would get beaten more that night.

 

Inu looked at Kagome's bruises and then down to the bench that hid her lunch. “Let's get your lunch before it gets cold,” with that, he scooped up the small child and leapt from the tree.

 

Quickly grabbing Kagome's lunch, he jumped back up to the branch they previously inhabited. Handing Kagome an apple inu sat her against the trunk and held the rest of brown-bag to himself, making Kagome finish the apple before she got any of her onigirii (rice balls).

 

Kagome ate slowly because of a bruise on her jawbone. Inu studied her face and all the marks on it from that morning and the previous day. One particularly nasty one was her eye. “When did that happen?” he asked, brushing the tender flesh.

 

“Step-daddy did that yesterday because he said that I was so ugly that no one would notice,” Kagome said innocently, shrugging it off as the norm. That caused a growl to come from the older hanyou.

 

“It's not good to let him hit you like that. I'm going to send someone to make sure that doesn't happen to you again, okay?” Inu said gruffly, trying not to kill the man then and there.

 

Kagome's eyes got wide; “you can't do that! He's my daddy and daddies have to be with mommies and little brothers!”

 

Inu nodded slowly, letting his anger out in a heavy breath. “Kagome, don't worry. I won't send any mean people after your daddy.” #not right now at least # he thought, setting the girl back onto his lap to watch the rest of the day go by.

 

They watched the rest of the world went by and the sun was making Tokyo a silhouette to the blue sky. “Kagome,” inu finally spoke up, startling her, “you should go in now before you get too cold. You mommy said that she was waiting for you and you don't want to keep her waiting more than you should, do you?” he asked, tweaking her dog ear lightly.

 

Kagome turned around to face the white-haired man, “thank you for keeping me company today. Will I see you again?”

 

Inu laughed secretly, “I don't know, you might see me around.” And with that, he jumped her down to the ground and placed her on the ground. Kagome gave him a smile and hugged his waist. Inu smiled back and gave her a slight push to her home.

 

Kagome jumped into the tree that led to her window and crawled into her room. There was Gin on her bed, working on many of her scrapbooks. “Mommy!” Kagome called as she threw herself on her mother.

 

“You see Kagome, the window will always be unlocked. Both to your room and to me,” Gin said, a white mist started to surround them as they hugged.

 

“Kagome!” a yell came through the mist as the bed started to shake violently.

 

“Kagome!” the yell came again, and she cracked her eyes open to see the face from her dream.

 

“Inu?” she asked, a sigh of relief came from the hanyou as he sat down in front of her. “Inuyasha! I was so worried that you were gone!” she said, remembering the ghost form of Inuyasha.

 

“You were only sleeping…wench,” #Smooth one there, you almost let it slip that you were worried. # Inuyasha smirked.

 

# You almost let that one slip, Inuyasha, you were worried about me # “what's that?” Kagome asked, noticing a package slung over his shoulder.

 

“Nothing!” Inuyasha said, a bit too quickly to not bring up any suspicion.

 

Kagome cast him a side-glance and let it slide. “Are we going back to my time? I need to get my pack that someone made me leave behind this time. And I know that the same person gets cranky when they don't have their ramen.” She smirked and decided to play a bit and jumped down, heading to the village in the opposite direction of the well.

 

Inuyasha caught the playful bait and followed, knowing that he was to leave the mysterious package at Kayede's hut. “Oh, and who would that be?”

 

“Someone with a bit of a short fuse and will never let me rest in peace,” Kagome grinned and continued to the village.

 

#Short fuse? # “And would I know this person, or are they some other mysterious suitor?” he knew who it was, but this was just too fun. And he barely had enough time for fun. And besides, they would change to arguing once they were within earshot of the village.

 

# Oh yeah, he knows already. Now to spark that fuse… # “I don't know if you know him or not. He's from here and can be a bit… interesting at times with his habits.” She thought of the small piece of Miroku that was starting to rub off onto Inuyasha.

 

# MIROKU! No, Miroku doesn't like ramen… nor have a short fuse. He has to have the longest fuse that I've ever seen for a human. # “Interesting. What do you mean interesting?” they were cresting the hill, thus within the human's hearing range. They started arguing.

 

“I mean that he won't even come down out of the clouds for others. That's interesting. And you know what, the color that he wears is the same every day, even when I took him to the mall to get some clothes so he wouldn't stand out like a sore thumb in my country!” Kagome was hoping that Inuyasha would take the hint to notice her clothes.

 

“Like you usually do! And by the way, nice kimono,” Inuyasha whispered the last part.

 

“Thanks, I'll tell you how I got it later,” Kagome whispered back, “what's wrong about the way I look. My fuku is required and you pull me here before I can change into any proper clothes!” Kagome was back to yelling.

 

“Well then, what would you consider proper for this time?” they entered the hut and Inuyasha threw the package into the far corner. “Don't touch! I'll smell it if you do!” Inuyasha warned as he left, seeing the curiosity in his pack's eyes.

 

Kagome waited until they were both out of the hut before continuing, “a pair of jeans. They last longer and would protect me better than a mini-skirt!

 

# Not to mention no more leg. The same thing with her new clothes either way. Oh well. # “Oi!” he had to admit, she had backed him into a corner with that one. That was the same idea of the inhabitants of the hut that were still listening.

 

Kagome started laughing after the angry face cracked with Inuyasha's confused expression. He liked the mini skirt. Kagome started running for the well laughing while he was distracted. Her plan of making all the way to the well without him noticing failed because of the ground-length kimono kept tripping her.

 

“Oi!” Inuyasha repeated, chasing after her and soon catching her. He scooped her up and jumped into the well. “You're still as slow as ever Kagome.”

 

“It's because of the stupid kimono!” was the last thing that the feudal era heard before the time stream swallowed them.

 

You all should be proud of me! This is my longest chapter yet (12 pages). You were introduced to Kagome's step-dad and Souta's biological dad: Kashisu. He's abusive and Gin eventually divorced him when some private police came and witnessed the beating on young Kagome. My dream sequence was only suppose to be like one page, but it ran away with my keyboard.

 

A story called Run Kagome influenced me with Kagome's dad. The story is really good, but sad. I would like to thank you all for reading this story and with about 150 reviews, I know to continue this story.

 

Dark Inu Fan