InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Birth Marks ❯ Story Time ( Chapter 51 )

Chapter 51: Story Time (1000 review special)

 

Disclaimer: Ya'll know it's not mine, so don't ask if it is.

 

Dedicated to Yumi Stern, my 1,000th reviewer! Your gift is at the bottom of the chapter in the form of a short story explaining YYH, per your request.

 

Last time: “Kazumaru may be my first boy, but I had three girls and Shippou to look after first… and Kohaku. All it takes is practice and a little diplomacy.” Looking after the boys, Sango turned and clapped her hands together. “Now, let's get some proper clothes on you and a good meal in your belly, and then we can have story time.” And with that, Sango dragged Kagome off to the bedrooms to try on clothes.

 

“Okay, so am I going to get what I missed any time soon?” Kagome's patience was at its end, especially with spending the past two and a half weeks (it felt like more since she was in the Shadow Realm) believing that everyone was dead. Lying on the couch, she was propped up on Inuyasha how they used to sit on the tree branches together. Kurama sat by her head, within easy reach of her claws, gently scraping through his hair. Miroku and Sango sat, comfortably intertwined on the loveseat across the coffee table. Keiko had quickly claimed the chair, leaving the two boys (one holding an ice pack) to sit on either side of the table.

 

The adults exchanged looks before Sango huffed and leaned forward, brushing hair out of her eyes. “I guess I get to tell the story this time then. After you dis—were pulled through the well the last time, we decided to put off the wedding until we found out what happened. Going back to Mushishi, Inuyasha tried to use the well, only to find it blocked and useless.”

 

”Inuyasha, stop this, you're just hurting yourself.” Sango stood beside the well, holding an umbrella with a yellow duckie and `Piyo-piyo' printed on one panel. Mud was splashed up one side of her kimono from refusing to move as Inuyasha continued to destroy himself by jumping in and out of the bone-eater's well. Demon bones continued to disappear into the flow of time, but it had yet to react to his desperate acts. It had been a solid month since the unintentional wish and even if there had been a break in the rain clouds to see the night, there was no moon in the sky.

 

“It actually took a few months before we noticed, but when we did, it was somewhat of a bittersweet blessing in disguise.” Sango nodded to Inuyasha to continue.

 

Putting his hand in hers, Inuyasha gave a small squeeze. “The jewel gave me control over my demonic blood, as long as I became human one day every lunar cycle, or equivalent time, the same with full demon.” His hand softened, claws retracting into fragile human nails, then, with a small growl, transformed from soft nails to dainty points of a hanyou, to inch-long talons of a demon in a matter of moments. A single indigo stripe circled his wrist, as jagged as the matching ones on his cheeks.

 

Out of curiosity, Kagome turned to see his face when it was demonic, wondering if she would find red eyes with glowing teal slitted pupils. She couldn't help but sigh in relief seeing familiar amber. Smiling, Inuyasha revealed elongated canines, purring when Kagome's dainty claws traced his jagged marks. “Your ears…” she traced humanoid ears with their distinctive supernatural point.

 

“What?” he asked, taking her hand in both of his, “Don't tell me you miss the hanyou ears?” her expression was all he needed as he released the power needed to maintain that form. Immediately she latched on, not ashamed to be sprawled all over her mate. Eyes closed in pleasure, Inuyasha stole a kiss, hands sneaking up the back of her blouse.

 

“Ahem,” Miroku coughed, hiding a grin in his fist. “I believe we still have story time. You two can play show-and-tell later. And in private, if it's not too much to ask.” Embarrassed, the couple stopped. “Better. Let's just wonder how long it'll last now.”

 

“Miroku!” Sango backhand whapped him across the arm, “Play nice! Now, where was I? Oh, yes, well, after a year of waiting for you to come back and watching Inuyasha try to kill himself, we finally decided that we weren't getting any younger and decided to marry. Of course, it didn't help that I was well on my way toward the birth of our first girl.” Sango stuttered to a stop, having to wipe her eyes several times. Rubbing her arms, Miroku offered to continue, but Sango shook her head and plowed on. “Shippou was a wonderful older brother when Izumi was younger. When we had to go out on a job he watched over her until we got back. It was when Yuzuru started looking older than us that we started suspecting something was the matter.”

 

“It was hard,” Miroku stepped in, ”but after the girls were safe in their own lives and didn't need us anymore, we `died.' Kohaku-kun kept an eye on them while he was still able to before he moved on to the next world.”

 

“We started traveling around the world then, beginning in India and moving around every ten yours or so when people started getting suspicious.”

 

“Spirit World was just getting off the ground as well, remember Sango?” Miroku spoke up. “They asked for us to work for them quite a few times.”

 

“Yes,” Sango sighed and closed her eyes. “How many times did we say no, just for them to pounce once our only son showed an ounce of talent?”

 

“Umm… Mom,” Kuwabara raised his hand, embarrassed. “I volunteered after they brought Yusuke back the first time.”

 

“No, before that, but I wasn't happy about that either. You were three when they came to offer to train you. Having the ghost of a knight as a babysitter didn't help keep you away from their radar either, I guess.” Sango shrugged.

 

“So by sticking him with Rin and Shizuru-chan would keep him off radar?” Inuyasha scoffed.

 

“It worked long enough. He's just a detective instead of one of Sesshoumaru's drones.”

 

“Uhh… Tall, blonde and creepy? When did he come into this story?” Yusuke spoke up. A grin was all the warning Keiko had before she was lifted up and her seat on the chair taken, and then pulled back into Yusuke's lap.

 

Inuyasha snorted, “Nee-san goes my Enma-Diou these days, especially since he took over the separation of the demon and human worlds.”

 

“Separation?”

 

“I told you about that, Kags—“

 

“It was another effect of your wish, or the Shikon at least. The world started splitting after you… the wish with demons getting their own world. It's still not perfect, but that's where Sesshoumaru's drones come in, and sometimes his son's monkeys when there's an easy job to do.” Yusuke bristled at being called a monkey.

 

“So its cousin Koenma..” Kurama couldn't help but chuckle. “I heard that he had a short political mating, but I didn't know that anything came of it.”

 

Keiko started whistling, shaking her head. “What?” Yusuke asked, confused.

 

“There is just one moon and one golden sun…” Blank looks greeted her spontaneous lyrics. “It's a small world? Disney? Jeez, if I'm listening to this right, you're all related or at least practically treat each other like it!” Silence met her statement, the others looking at each other with varying expressions.

 

In the end, Miroku shrugged. “That's what happens after five hundred years of networking, everyone starts to be related in one way or another.”

 

“At the very least by now, if you don't know anyone, you know someone who does.” Sango added to her husband's comment.

 

“Why are you here anyway, Keiko-chan?” Kagome asked, turning to face the human girl. “Last time I checked, you didn't want to even be in the same school as me, let alone talk to me.”

 

Keiko snorted, “Trust me, I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for the birds.”

 

“Birds? ... Oh….” Kagome paled, sitting up straight, “What happened?” Digging it out f his pocket, Kuwabara handed Kagome a packet of black ribbon, just like the ones around Keiko's neck, Yusuke's arm and his head.

 

“Ah--” Keiko spoke up, but was quickly hushed.

 

“Its cool, if they didn't know before, they should have figured it out, what with having wings and all for the past four days.” Even if he wasn't rolling his eyes, the sarcasm was heavy in his voice. “Kuwabara, you're the one that talked to the contact, stop keeping us all in suspense already.” Sliding Keiko off his lap, Yusuke took Kagome's ribbon and quickly weaved it into her hair, golden threads glinting in the light as it was tightened into a complicated knot with loose ends splaying against her neck.

 

“Sure, right.” Sliding up to the table, Kuwabara propped his chin in one hand, trying to figure where to start. “By now you guys have regained your memories from Dream Time, especially the last mission before we were retired.” Yusuke and Kagome shared a twitch and Keiko looked about ready to faint. “Well, he's back.”

 

Four angel children hovered, holding celestial weapons, facing a dark figure that seemed as bit as the world. Eyes glowed red as a chuckle shook the universe. It raised one black hand, fire formed claws that could cut time “Move!”

 

Keiko!”

 

Aah!”

 

A scream that had woken the four up from many nightmares, despite all memories of being Dream Angels were erased after that last time. “He's back and the kids have disappeared after a simple Soul Piper mission. They assumed that he ate their souls.” Kuwabara's face was green, despite knowing about this for the better part of a month.

 

“So, they're playing the `once and always' card on us, huh?” Yusuke sat around the table, one leg pulled up to his chin.

 

“Yeah,” Kuwabara looked at his teammates, eyes lingering on Keiko for a moment longer. “They figured that with our abilities and experience, we were the best to send in.”

 

Seeing the unasked question in Kuwabara's eyes, Keiko took a shuddering breath, arms wrapped around her knees. “Yeah, I'll be fine, I-I'll be careful.” Nodding, he turned to Kagome.

 

“I have to do this.”

 

“Kagome—“ Inuyasha stiffened, gearing up for an argument.

 

“No, Inuyasha, I have to do this. Especially a time like now when he's weak and I'm powerful.” She wrapped her harms around her flat stomach and closed her eyes in determination. “I have to do this for my babies, for others' babies, that would never wake up if he's not killed.”

 

“Inuyasha-sama, I'm going to put up a spell also,” Kuwabara bowed as best as he could sitting down. “It'll displace any injury in the unlikely case your mate does get hurt in spirit form, to the three of us.” Kagome was about to object, but it really was for the best as the most vulnerable member of the group.

 

“So, who is this person you're speaking about, anyway?” Kurama asked, trying to follow along with the secretive conversation.

 

“You remember that teammate of yours, the one that ate souls?” Yusuke finally answered. “Same type of demon.”

 

“But it's like saying Tigers and Persians are the same exact thing.” Kuwabara snorted, only to get blank looks. “Eh-he-he, meow? Shutting up now.” Ekiji wandered in then, plopping down next to his ward and exposing his stomach to get scratched.

 

“Only he ate kids' souls because he called them a delicacy, this guys eats souls that have the taste of power to increase his own. If he could, he would put the world to sleep, permanently.” Yusuke picked up where he left. “Without the soul, the body goes into a coma, eventually rotting alive where it lies.”

 

“Those children,” Sango gasped, hands flying to her mouth as she realized something. “Miroku, those children that have fallen ill and haven't woken up, remember reading those articles in the paper?” Miroku nodded, looking grim.

 

“Unfortunately,” Keiko had her face buried in her knees, “Most of those kids were probably Angel Squad and their souls are gone by now. They'll never wake up, no matter how hard their parents pray.” She looked up, her eyes haunted as they looked at the far wall. “Its almost cruel, not letting the body die. It just rots, connected to those machines that give the illusion of life.” Yusuke slid behind her, gently rubbing the invisible scars of sheared-off wings. Nothing was said, all remembering Keiko's near-death at the hands of the monster, her body virtually dead as her soul suffered, trying to heal the impossible.

 

“Keiko-chan…”

 

“I'll be fine,” Keiko scoffed, shrugging off Yusuke's careful ministrations. “Let's just get this guy already.” She stood, fists clenched at her sides.

 

“Not yet.” Yusuke was uncharacteristically soft-spoken. “This weekend, since we've waited this long already. We need to gather strength and supplies… And Kags has to tell Auntie that she's alive and well. For some reason, she thinks I'm covering by saying she's at the Dog's House.” Kagome bit off her retort and smack upside the head, since Keiko got there first.

 

“Yusuke! (”Oww! Can you call spousal abuse bore you're mated?” “I did! Ow!”) Well, either way, I'll get candles. I'm assuming that we're using that place then?”

 

“Yeah.” Kagome allowed herself to be pulled into Inuyasha's embrace once again. “Tomorrow when I visit Mama, I'll order the incense from Hojo's family's shop and get started on cleansing the grounds. I bet it's most likely grown over by now.”

 

“So that leaves me with… What, again? Kuwabara's going to spend all of Friday drawing circles, so I have nothing to do.”

 

“You can help Mama with packing like what you've likely been doing already.” Kagome shrugged. “Knowing her, nearly everything in my room is boxed up and ready to move here, and she dragged you to help.” Her nose crinkled, “and you smell like brown packing tape.”

 

“Ha, really? Blame your brother tor that one. He attacked me with an old roll that the glue was coming off the backing.” Bringing his am up, he sniffed it. “Thought I got it all off. Oh, well.”

 

“Sorry to interrupt,” Miroku looked out the darkened window, “but it's late. Do you kids want a ride home?”

 

“No thanks, old man,” Yusuke shrugged. “its dark enough out, I was planning on taking the express route home while I still have `em. Keiko?”

 

Arms crossed, the girl blew bangs out of her face. “Fine, but we have to be careful. The forecast said that it would be nice, so there'll be star watchers out.”

 

“And you, young men,” Sango grabbed her taller son's collar before he could join his classmates, “are staying here. Shizuru said that she's staying at a friend's tonight and I don't want you in that house by yourself, okay.”

 

“Yes Mama.”

 

“I guess its just you and me then, Shippou, or are you staying too?”

 

Kurama looked outside and winced. “I told mother that I'd be back before dark, so yes, a ride would be nice.”

 

“See you all tomorrow then,” Keiko said from the door, waiting for Yusuke to retrieve their bags. “Maybe we can finish that story we started earlier?”

 

Kagome blinked, “That's true, we did kind of get distracted, didn't we?”

 

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Inuyasha muttered darkly into Kagome's hair, sending a chill down her spine. “I just want o get to `show and tell' already.” No wonder there was something poking her in the back that was most definitely not a remote control.

 

Passing the sitting room door, Yusuke handed Keiko her bag before giving Inuyasha a knowing look. “Don't hurt her. See ya tomorrow, Kags-chan!” Waving, the two left to take wing.

 

“Take care Mama,” Kurama pecked Kagome on the cheek. “Papa's been frustrated since the 80's, so have fun!” Laughing, he avoided a swipe of claws and walked out behind Miroku.

 

Hearing the door close, Inuyasha let out a sigh of relief and picked Kagome up bridal style. “About damn time they all left.” He growled out. Conveniently Sango and Kazuma had disappeared, supposedly to choose his bedroom. “Your room or mine?” he shook his head, stupid question. “Never mind.”

 

(O) Special short (and horribly planned-out) story for my 1,000th reviewer: Yumi Stern!!! (O)

 

“Oi, Urameshi, I've been thinking…” Taking a break from `training' (AKA beating the snot out of each other), the two teens sat on Genkai's porch, casually watching the surrounding forests and monitoring the local demons' auras.

 

“Did it hurt?” Yusuke grinned, only half-dodging the hit Kuwabara landed his shoulder.

 

“Har-har.” Rolling his eyes at his best friend, he turned back to the trees, his face falling into a melancholy tilt of the mouth. “I was thinking back about how this all started.”

 

“What, you thinking about how you've been my personal punching dummy since we were fourteen?”

 

“No… yes.” Kuwabara sighed, scooting back to lean on the wall, one leg propped up. “More like the first time that you died, and how that started everything.”

 

“Ah, yes.” Closing his eyes, Yusuke still saw that kid as he chased his ball across the street, his mindless thought as he jumped in the way, trying to save the infant from the front grill of the speeding car, leading to his death. “You know what, one of the first things that Botan told me when I came to was that if I hadn't pushed the kid out of the way, he would have come out of it with half the scrapes, because his ball would cushion him from the car. Instead, I had to be an idiot and get myself killed pointlessly.”

 

Looking at his friend, Kuwabara couldn't help a small chuckle. “That sucks. If I died saving a kid like that, that's the last thing I'd want to hear. Though…” His eyes grew distant, “I'm glad that Koenma gave you a second chance… Though I could have done without that spirit dream you sent me.” Both shuddering, Yusuke took a swig from his water bottle and spit it on the ground. The condition of coming back to life was for his body to receive a life-giving kiss. At that time, he didn't have many friends at all, so the only people he could ask were his Mother, who was gone on yet another drinking binge since his `death,' Kuwabara and Keiko. It was pure luck that Keiko was his `life saver' after both Atsuko and Kuwabara ignored his summons and his body was not yet prepared to receive his soul back that morning.

 

“Bah, thinking about it, it only got worse from there.” Swirling the water in his bottle, Yusuke thought back on his first mission. “Its sad, my lady luck ended up being unlucky for herself the first couple of missions. First there was retrieving the artifacts from Kurama, Hiei and that strange Soul-Eater guy. Hiei kidnapped Keiko and nearly turned her into a demon.” Setting down the bottle, Yusuke turned to lean back on one of the poles for the porch railing. “Then Kurama asked to have a few more days so he could use the mirror to save his human mother.”

 

“Yeah, didn't he want to sacrifice his life for hers, and you ended up both giving half your lives to grant the wish.”

 

“Huh… Yeah. I kinda forgot about that.” Taking one hand from behind his head, Yusuke made a show of counting on his fingers. “Though, between me being part demon and Kurama being a demon's soul in a human's body; that was a pretty stupid move. That thing couldn't have killed either of us, though Yoko Kurama would have had to find a new human host.” Shrugging, He put his hand back with the other, cushioning his head against the pole. “Then there was the Saint Beasts thing, wasn't there?” Grinning, he turned to Kuwabara, “It wasn't like you really had to, but you came anyway to help. Those beast-kabobs were hilarious… and you gave, what's his name? Byakko gas!”

 

Giving a weary grin, he remembered that mission. It was the first mission that He, Hiei, Kurama and Yusuke teamed up on a mission. “Then it was off to Genkai's contest. I have no clue why you were there, but Shizuru-nee sent me to ask for help after my psychic powers started going out of whack… Though, now that I think about it, I never did get any help from baa-san.”

 

“Get any help for what, gaki?” Aforementioned old woman slid open the paper door, carrying a cup of tea and eyeing the two teens like insects under glass. The woman was old, very old, with pale gray-pink hair to her shoulder blades and standing, at best, three feet high. She wore a red fighting cheongsam, per habit. Though she was no spring chicken, she held her own, and then some.

 

“Nothing, we were just thinking about if we miss the `good old days' before demons and demonic hags, Oban.” Yusuke smirked at his mentor. After winning the contest (unintentionally) to become her next student, he spent the next year under her tortu- tutelage, learning how to control his own powers and learn at least some of her techniques.

 

Genkai gave her student a dry look and kicked him in the thigh, “Well, this bitchy old hag says to get back to work.” By words alone, it seemed that the two hated each other with a passion, but that was the least true statement between them. They were family, seeming like the first real family Yusuke had, despite not being blood related. They would die for each other, which is exactly what Genkai did for her student.

 

After the year of training, Yusuke, Kuwabara and the others were invited to the Dark Tournament, where they proceeded to be one of the only `human' teams to make it to the finals. Knowing that her time was at an end, Genkai gave the last of her powers to Yusuke and left to die fighting. During this time, the egg of power that Koenma created during Yusuke's `death' hatched, revealing his spirit beast, a reflection of his inner soul.

 

The beast, Kuwabara snickered, the creature that even Koenma feared would be evil and destroy the earth, turned out to be a… blue penguin… with bunny ears and a tuft of unruly black hair. The most lethal this little fluff ball was, was to Yusuke's ego. To top it all off, it was named Puu, and had a tendency to snuggle Keiko relentlessly, despite how much Yusuke protested.

 

“Yeah, yeah, I know.” Yusuke sighed, peeling himself from the porch and grabbing the broom that Genkai had provided him with that morning. It looked like a normal bamboo broom, but that thing weighed at least a hundred pounds, just to prove even the most mundane tasks were a form of training. It was funny, seeing a demon lord doing household chores.

 

“What's so funny, Kazuma-kun?” Genkai asked, leaning against the door frame, her arms crossed, listening to the red-head's quiet snicker.

 

“Nothing, I'm just thinking about Yusuke, the mighty demon lord, doing household chores.” After getting back from the Dark Tournament was the Sensui Incident, as he liked to call it, though most people called it Chapter Black because of that stupid tape that supposedly showed all the horrors that the human world was to blame for. In a temporary lapse in spiritual power, Kuwabara cringed, he was kidnapped by the split-personality psychopath. Though he gained the power to split dimensions with his spirit sword, it also led to Yusuke's second death.

 

“What, do you want to help him? I'm sure the slacker would appreciate the help.”

 

“No, I'm good.” Holding up his hand, he manipulated a small amount of energy into his hand, forming it into a… well, it was supposed to be a sphere. “See, doing my own training.”

 

“Ah,” Genkai nodded, eyeing the orange blob hovering above his hand, “trying for a more realistic sword then. Good luck with that.” Nodding, Kuwabara let the energy disperse, watching Yusuke as he lost concentration and the broom slipped from his fingers, only to be caught not even a second later.

 

With his second death, Yusuke's blood changed, reanimating his body and activating his dormant demonic powers. At the same time, it changed Puu into a blue Phoenix, large enough for three people to sit comfortably side-by-side between the massive wings. It was only child's play then to defeat Sensui, though they later found out that he was dying in the first place, and that this was his last big bang before kicking the bucket.

 

One thing led to another and Yusuke ended up spending the next three years in the demon realm, training to take over his ancestral father's title of lord, including a tournament in a demonic version of democracy, in which the winner would become the top dog of the demon world for the next three years or so.

 

“Do you regret Yusuke wishing for you to come back to life after the Dark Tournament?” Kuwabara asked quietly, watching Puu swoop down into the courtyard in full phoenix form and knock Yusuke over, snuggling the teen affectionately.

 

Looking down at the sitting boy, Genkai gave a small shrug. “It was my time to go, but apparently Yusuke still needed someone to be with him.” Assured that Yusuke was thoroughly distracted, Genkai let her harsh voice soften with affection for the boy. “I will leave when Yusuke doesn't need me anymore.”

 

“Will you still be here when the next Demon Tournament comes around?” He asked, curious and concerned.

 

Scoffing, Genkai shook her head. “No, I'm too old for that shit. Something like that's for the young.” Eyeing the youth, she smirked, “You planning on winning a demon's contest then?”

 

“No, I just want to be there to see it and participate. Hell, Urameshi couldn't even get past the first round last time, what chance does a human have?”

 

Genkai shrugged. “What chance does a human have? If I recall correctly, humans have been on the winning teams of the past Dark Tournaments, who knows what will happen with the Demon Tournaments?”

 

Nodding, Kuwabara stood up and stretched, towering over the shorter senior. “I guess I'll help Urameshi, since I'll be staying the weekend. It'd only be polite to help with the chores, right?” Genkai nodded, staying on the porch as the gentle giant ambled off, casually picking up the broom that Yusuke left forgotten as he played with his inner beast.

 

“Who knows, maybe you'll become the strongest one of all.” Genkai smiled, slipping back inside.