InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Different Always Means The Same Thing ❯ An Interesting History Lesson (Part 1) ( Chapter 4 )

MM.org note: Here's the next chapter for my crossover fic. If anyone has any questions or comments feel free to leave a review with your e-mail. I'll be sure to give a personal response. Enjoy.

 

PLEASE READ BEFORE STORY: This chapter will discuss aspects of Japanese history and culture. Kana is the collective term for hiragana and katakana, the two main alphabets in Japan. Kanji is an alphabet based on Chinese characters. Names and political documents are the only things commonly written in kanji. In the past, women were not allowed to learn it and many Japanese civilians don't know most of them today. In most public media, kanji characters are accompanied by minuet hiragana characters on the side to help with pronunciation. I don't know if this is the case with textbooks, but let's just assume it is for my story. Christianity was introduced to Japan by Jesuit missionaries in the late 16th century. Nobunaga himself was baptized in hopes of gaining favor with foreign trade. It was outlawed by Tokugawa Ieyasu in the early 17th century, and his son led a campaign after he died to rid Japan of the foreign god, resulting in a huge battle at Shimabara in 1637. Today, Japan's constitution ensures freedom of religion. And, because I know people will ask, the Heian jidai lasted from 794-1192, and the Minamoto family won the feud I mention.

 

Disclaimer: I own nothing expect the plot idea and the haiku at the end. This IS fanfiction folks!

 

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Chapter 4: An Interesting History Lesson (Part 1)

 

By Kenkaya

 

 

Kagome peered over her shoulder in what she believed to be a casual manner. She turned the corner, looked both ways, and darted into the bookstore.

 

Bells chimed in their clumsy metal cages as the glass door shut behind her. She ducked between the tall, metal bookshelves, the smell of carpet and new paper clogging her nostrils. She scanned the glossy vertebrae, searching for the right title and cursing her luck that her year happened to be studying World History. Oh, well, she was lucky enough (depending on the viewpoint) that last nights little romp was too much of a strain on Jiichan, leaving the house conveniently empty for her plan.

 

“Ah ha!” Kagome plucked a forest green volume off the shelf with “Japanese History, The Land of the Rising Sun,” emblazoned in white characters across the cover. Beneath the lettering was an old Japanese painting of some random politician. She patted herself on the back for her cleverness and rushed to purchase the book.

 

As her sneakers slapped the sidewalk, she hummed a random tune. Voices reached her ear and she barely had time to notice they sounded familiar before Sango and Miroku rounded the corner.

 

“Oh, crap,” Kagome whispered. She spun around and felt the familiar tingle as her body slipped through a solid brick wall. Deep red and darkness swept across her vision before she reached open air again and let in a deep breath. She glanced around at the piles of random junk around her, realizing she was in an outdoor storage space.

 

“Damnit! I know he didn't mean it, but still,” Sango cursed.

 

“Sango-chan,” Miroku interjected. “Kohaku's just a kid. He didn't know what he was doing.”

 

“I know, but I get enough crap from them already. If only he didn't spill--- especially with Mariko-basan in the room. Oh!”

 

“What is it?”

 

“Mariko-basan is a nurse at the hospital. Poor Kagome---“

 

And on that note, their voices faded beyond Kagome's hearing. The curious girl had to restrain herself from running after the couple. What did Kohaku slip to their aunt? How did it involve her? Kagome had a sudden foreboding feeling.

 

She sighed and set her mind on more pressing matters, like what she was about to do. She phased back through the wall and continued home with new resolve. A gentle breeze blew, stirred by memories of that morning.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

The rays of early morning sun shone softly through the eastern window. Kagome stirred in her light pink sheets, blinking sleep drearily from her lids. She seemed to remember something important she had to do today, but she couldn't imagine for the life of her what could possibly be more important than a few more hours of sleep.

 

Then she noticed two white, pointed dog ears at the head of her bed. Realization of last night's events hit her head on like a loaded pick-up truck. Her Jiichan was going to have a fit when he saw Inuyasha was gone.

 

The ears twitched unexpectedly and the youkai awoke in his sitting position just as the door knob to her room turned slowly. Kagome cursed herself for not having the foresight to lock it. The black mop and childish eyes of Souta popped out stealthily from the crack, already fully dressed. His eyes immediately found Inuyasha and widened in excitement.

 

“Neechan!” the boy squealed as he ran up to the silver haired youkai. “Wow! He's so COOL! Is he a mutant too? I thought Mama said you can't have boys' sleepover,” an idea struck him at that statement. “Kagome's got a boyfriend! Kagome's got a boyfriend!” he chanted in a singsong voice.

 

“Souta! Shut UP!” the irate girl hissed as a flung pillow intercepted her brother's mouth. “Do you want Mama or JIICHAN hearing you?!”

 

Souta clammed up. He may have been young, but he was observant enough to realize his Jiichan was sick and that shock wasn't good for the old man. Instead, he opted to stick out his tongue.

 

“Good,” the stressed teenager sighed, pulling herself reluctantly out of bed. Inuyasha blinked.

 

“What was the runt talking about?”

 

“Huh?” Kagome's eyes widened in understanding, followed by a light blush. “Oh the not having boys sleepover and you being my boyfriend bit?” she mumbled.

 

Put into that context, Inuyasha finally grasped the meaning. He `fehed' and turned to face Souta, adoration shining in the innocent brown eyes.

 

“Anyway,” Kagome began, “I need to go help Jiichan and get to school. Souta, can you hide Inuyasha in your room while I get ready?”

 

“Why do I have to `hide,' anyway?” Inuyasha spat.

 

“Because I said so!” Kagome snapped in frustration. “Not to mention my family would freak. Souta doesn't count.”

 

“Hey!” the childish voice piped.

 

“You better not tell Mama either!”

 

“Jeez, what do you think I am, Kagome? Stupid?” Souta drawled, complete with rolling eyes. Kagome grabbed her remaining pillow and whacked her brother. “Hey! I just came to tell you Mama said Jiichan wasn't feeling so good this morning so she had to drive him to the hospital! You have to walk me to school!”

 

“Fine! Just go!”

 

The boy stuck out his tongue again and darted to the door.

 

“Come on, Inu-no-niichan. I think neechan is PMSing or something,” and he whipped his head through the door. Inuyasha took one look at Kagome's livid face and sprinted after him.

 

“SOUTA! You better hope I don't find out where you learned THAT!” Kagome screeched through the door. Shaking her head at the little boy's antics, she glanced at the alarm clock she forgot to set last night.

 

Souta snickered and Inuyasha followed him, padding stealthily across the hall. When they reached the safe haven of the boy's room, Souta slammed the door shut.

 

“OH, MY GOD! IT'S SOOOO LATE!”

 

Souta fell on the floor laughing while the youkai blinked inquisitively and flattened his pointed ears against the sound.

 

“Oi, runt.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“What's `PMSing'?”

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

The shrine steps loomed in her view. Kagome inhaled and began her trudge up the polished white. She passed under the crimson arc at the top, marking the end of her ascent. Fishing in her bag, she pulled out the key and the lock clicked open. Kagome entered the house.

 

When she opened the door to her room, Kagome found Inuyasha sitting Indian style on her bed, hands tucked in his sleeve and head bowed in a slightly wistful manner.

 

 

“Wow!” Kagome exclaimed. “I wasn't sure if I should expect the house to be in half ruins, but you behaved yourself,” then, glancing at his dog ears, she stifled a giggle. She couldn't resist. “Good boy!”

 

“What?!” Inuyasha snapped out of his revere and finally took in her words. Kagome was clutching her sides and wheezing in an attempt not to laugh out loud. The youkai narrowed his eyes. He had been taunted enough about his dog-like appearance in his youth to know what that meant!

 

“Damn wench! Can't think of something more creative than that?!” and that said, he turned away from her, moping. Kagome immediately stopped. She sat on the bed and inched her face closer to his.

 

“I--- didn't hurt your feelings? Did I?”

 

“Feh!”

 

The young girl bowed her head, “I'm sorry. I was just teasing, I didn't mean it. Sango teases me and Miroku sometimes, but we don't mind too much because we know she doesn't mean it. There's no spite in her words. I'm sorry.”

 

Inuyasha lifted amber eyes to her somber face, “there a lot of you?”

 

“Eh?”

 

“People like you and your brother,” the youkai shrugged. Kagome's eyes widened.

 

“What do you mean like me--- and my brother?”

 

“Well,” he scratched behind one ear thoughtfully. “When the old man disturbed us last night, he smelled human enough. You and those bastards that attacked me smell human but it's kinda different. The brat smelled the same but the other smell next to the human one ain't as strong as it is on you or them.”

 

“Oh, God--- mutant abilities manifest at the onset of puberty. Souta, if he had them, wouldn't know until then. Are you sure?”

 

“Did you hear a Goddamn thing I just said, woman?! My nose ain't wrong,” Inuyasha growled, pointing at the organ on his face in irritation.

 

“Then,” Kagome paused. “Whatever you do, don't tell Souta. He's just a kid, he doesn't understand, and he gets enough trouble because of me as it is.”

 

“Yeah, fine. You didn't answer my question, wench!”

 

“Okay--- before I answer anymore questions, we need to get one thing straight. My name is not bitch, wench, or woman. It's Kagome. Ka. Go. Me. Think you can handle three syllables, all-mighty-powerful youkai?”

 

“Feh!”

 

“For your own good, I'll assume that's a yes,” Kagome reached over to her bag and pulled out the book she purchased earlier. “Now, for your question, nobody's sure just how many mutants there really are. I'd say there's a decent amount of us, but normal humans still out number us by a lot. According to what I hear in the news, more and more are appearing. I try not to pay too much attention to that though, since they blow the bad side out of proportion. Crime, mutant terrorists, there's supposedly a big violent activist in America that controls metal. People are just too quick to judge all the rest of us based on them.”

 

Inuyasha nodded in understanding and glanced at the thick, forest green volume now on Kagome's lap. He watched her briefly pull open the flimsy cover and flip through page after page of writing. He followed the movement with rapt fascination. Such a large written manuscript must be a treasure to the Shrine!

 

“What's that for?”

 

Kagome followed his line of vision to the book in her lap and giggled.

 

“Oh, this?” she lifted the open book up, cover facing Inuyasha for emphasize. “It's a book on Japanese history. I figured--- if you're going to live in this time now, you should know what happened between the time you were sealed and the time you woke up. I went to go buy it this morning after I dropped Souta off because my class doesn't study this subject until next year.”

 

Inuyasha blinked in confusion, “So you study these weird written scrolls at “school'?” Inuyasha stared out the window at the sun, still low in the morning sky. “That was fast.”

 

Kagome cough nervously, “um--- actually--- I'm sort of ditching school today.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Skipping out, not going today. I mean, this is your first day free and all--- I just didn't think you should be alone in the house all day. Besides, this is a good chance for me to take up on that teaching offer I gave you,” the girl nodded resolutely.

 

Inuyasha cocked his head, “so you don't have to go to this school? Why did you act like you were going, then?!”

 

“No, I do,” Kagome sighed. “So does Souta. I needed to put up an act so I didn't get in trouble. I'll need to forge a sick note for tomorrow otherwise I'll get caught.”

 

Inuyasha shrugged and peered at the large text with growing anticipation.

 

“So,” he began, “all--- that happened while I was sealed?”

 

“No,” Kagome shook her head, loose raven locks falling across her shoulders. “This is an overview of Japanese history in general,” she peeked to see him relax as she bypassed a good chuck of the beginning. “Now, if I remember correctly, when Jiichan still gave tours of the place, he said the Shrine dated back to the Sengoku Jidai. Since the Shrine was built because of you, I think it's pretty logical to guess that you come from the same time period. Now, what do you remember of the world before you got shot in the chest? Was the Ashikaga family still in the seat of the Shogun?”

 

“Do I look like I follow politics?!” the silver-haired youkai practically spat.

 

“True,” Kagome rubbed her chin. “People weren't that well informed back then. Do you even know how to read?”

 

“Wha--- I--- that's none of your business!”

 

“Guess not. Education wasn't as prominent either.”

 

“Fine! Yes, I can read! Some---“

 

“Oh! Can you read this?” Kagome literally smashed the binding of the open book against his sensitive nose. The overwhelming scent of new paper and dry ink almost made him cough before he backed up. Her slender finger tapped against a section separated by a name marked in bold. Above the writing was a painting depicting some sort of battle; a black pony-tailed individual usurped the center, curved sword raised in triumph. He squinted at the name, trying to decipher the precise strokes. He spotted the familiar hiragana shapes beside the kanji and began to recite somewhat slowly.

 

“Oda Nobunaga; a damiyo of Taira descent. The Taira family was well known in the Heian jidai for their numerous succession battles with the Minamoto family for the Shogunate. Nobunaga sought to unify Japan. A ferocious military strategist, in 1568,” Inuyasha peered at Kagome as he read the numbers, his gaze asking for an explanation to their meaning. The girl merely nodded encouragingly and he continued his slightly sloppy recitation, “he seized the capital city of Kyoto. Within five years, he drove out the Ashikaga shoguns. Nobunaga spent the next nine years of his life unifying central Japan with some success. However, in 1582, his dream was ended before he could realize it. He never desired the title of Shogun; instead he wished to assassinate the emperor and take the mantle himself. This idea was too radical for its time, as many considered the emperor to be of divine descent. He was assassinated at Honjoji temple by Akechi Mitsuhide, one of his own generals.”

 

Kagome pulled the book away and skimmed the paragraph with disbelief.

 

“I--- but--- but if you could read--- WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST SAY SO?!”

 

Inuyasha winced at the decibel of her voice, “I can read kana alright,” and here the youkai shrugged his shoulders and drooped his ears slightly as if revealing information he rather not. “I just can't read the other stuff too good.”

 

“Oh, you mean like kanji?” Kagome blinked. “That's understandable. I'm actually surprised you could read at all. Who taught you?”

 

“Feh! Hiragana is woman's writing! And why should I tell you anything, wen---?”

 

“WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT THE NAME CALLING?!”

 

“Feh!”

 

“I'd show I little more respect than that if I were you,” she waved the book like a victory banner. “Your future depends on it.”

 

“Like I need some weak human!”

 

“Oh, fine then,” Kagome violently slid the textbook across the bed. “Figure it out yourself, smartass.”

 

“Fine! I will then!”

 

“Fine!”

 

“Fine!”

 

Kagome huffed and made a beeline for her desk. She yanked her backpack off the ground and slammed it on the wooden surface. The teenager pulled out books and paper, figuring that if she was forced to ditch school for no real reason, she could at least study. Not to mention she still had to write those haikus for class. What better way to vent her anger against an amber-eyed boy, who was currently lying across her bed book in hand? She glanced at him across her shoulder. He lay on his side, legs crossed and head propped up on an elbow. His lips mouthed each syllable silently as he scanned the page.

 

“Oi.”

 

Kagome looked up from her paper, annoyed.

 

“What?”

 

“What do all these numbers mean?” Inuyasha gestured vaguely at the page.

 

Kagome leaned over to see the book and promptly fell out of her chair.

 

“Itai!” Kagome groaned as she rubbed her sore rear. A snort was heard in the background and Kagome glared at Inuyasha from the floor. The boy was chuckling; a good-natured gleam briefly flickered in his eyes. “Oh, you think that's funny do you?”

 

“Heh! Of course! I never saw a clumsier human in my life! Forgot to stand up--- hehe---“

 

“Oh, reeeeeeeally,” Kagome purred in a dangerous tone. While her supernatural companion laughed, Kagome grabbed the pink sheet tucked neatly around her mattress and jerked. Hard. The surprised youkai didn't have time to react before he tumbled down with the bedclothes. Unfortunately, both contents landed right on top of Kagome. Said girl moaned in defeat as Inuyasha desperately fought to untangle himself from the mess.

 

“Murphy's Law can be a real bitch sometimes.”

 

“Huh?” Inuyasha blinked inquisitively at the prostrate girl below him. Kagome battled to control a blush as she realized their noses were mere inches apart. His long silver hair pillowed around her, mingling with her own black.

 

“Nevermind,” she mumbled embarrassed. “Just get off me.”

 

“What the Hell does it look like I'm trying to do?!”

 

Inuyasha finally managed to free himself after much wriggling and resulting discomfort on Kagome's part. He climbed back on the bed and grabbed the book from the floor, staring at Kagome expectedly. The girl sighed and clamored up, taking the book and turning to the page where she left him.

 

“Okay, what seems to be the problem?”

 

“They keep repeating numbers like that,” he pointed to the date of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's (Nobunaga's successor) death. “What do they mean?”

 

“Oh, well, looks like I'm going to have to explain the dating system to you. I keep forgetting this kind of stuff.”

 

“What stuff?” Inuyasha inquired, with a look that plainly said he was expecting her to make him look like an idiot again.

 

“Oh, it's not your fault or anything. I forgot that we didn't use the Western dating system back then. Hell, I don't even think Christianity was introduced yet.”

 

“Chiritan--- what?”

 

“Guess not. It's the main religion in the Western world. In our case, it was Europeans who brought it over. It focuses on one main God that created the entire universe and controls everything from what I learned in World History. He sent his only son down to earth as a human named Jesus and his son died a brutal death to absolve all human sins so that everyone had a chance to enter Heaven. It was outlawed here for a long time and a lot of the believers were persecuted back then. We have freedom of religion, so they can worship in peace now. I don't know too many more specifics since we haven't studied it in much detail yet.”

 

Inuyasha merely nodded his head and leaned over slightly as Kagome pulled out yet another blank sheet of paper from her bag. It took forever for him to grasp the advancement of years and the concept of twelve months with inconsistent days. Explaining February was a nightmare. She wasn't even going to go into leap years. After listing the days of the week and yelling at him in frustration to figure the rest out if he was so smart, she returned to her desk and the unfinished homework resting on it.

 

Blood boiled as her pen moved across the lined paper; scritch, scratch. Kagome had always considered herself a patient girl, but this boy just knew how to push all her buttons. She couldn't remember the last time she was so irritated. Her brother was the only other person who could come close to doing that, but at least the brat had known her more than one day. What was it about the youkai youth that worked her up like that?

 

Kagome suddenly noticed she had stopped writing. Examining the page, she blushed lightly and let out a very loud, “What the Hell was I writing?!”

 

“Huh?” Inuyasha jumped at the sudden outburst. “You sure something's not wrong with you? Your face is all red.”

 

“Uh--- no, everything's fine! It's nothing,” Kagome giggled, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly and stuffing the paper none too discreetly in her bag with the other. The youkai narrowed amber eyes at her suspiciously.

 

“Whatever,” he grumbled stiffly when she didn't respond and turned his attention back to the history text. Kagome's shoulders slumped in relief and she began to fish around for her math book, knowing full well she didn't study enough for the Hell-spawned subject as is. As pointless equations swept her vision, three lines still burned in her mind.

 

~ Glowing amber red

Tempt me with passion and anger

Why are his eyes sad? ~

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

The doorbell rang, reverberating through the walls, surprising Kagome in the comfortable silence that had followed the last spat. Inuyasha cursed and laid his ears against his skull.

 

“Why is everything in this time so DAMN loud?!”

 

Kagome ignored him and rushed down the stairs, wondering who could possibly be at the door at twelve noon. She tiptoed quietly to the door and leveled her eye to the peephole. Her mouth dropped and she flung the door open in surprise.

 

“Sango-chan!”

 

Sango stood on the open porch, face crestfallen. Her long black hair, usually held up in a ponytail, fell loose down her back, almost reaching her waist. She wore combat boots with a black, leather mini-skirt, her ever present worn, oversized denim jacket completing the look. The only make-up she wore was liberally applied red eye shadow, accenting her maroon eyes. Kagome marveled at how the outfit perfectly flaunted Sango's femininity while betraying her tomboyish tendencies.

 

“I'm--- I'm sorry,” the human girl stammered, obviously struggling to control her voice. “I had some--- family problems last night and--- well, I thought I could handle school, but it was just too hard. I saw you weren't there today in math class, and--- here,” Sango held out a paper clipped bundle of papers. “I know it's your worse subject.”

 

“Thanks,” Kagome took the small stack and eyed her friend warily. “What happened?”

 

“Just tension. I skipped out when lunch started.”

 

“Does Miroku know?”

 

“Kinda, he doesn't know I ditched. I--- I just really need to be alone right now,” Sango sighed wearily and ran a hand habitually through her hair. “I'm just so sick and tired of their hypocritical bullshit.”

 

Kagome nodded in acceptance when no further elaboration was offered. Her mind raged. Couldn't Sango's family realize they were tearing the girl apart with their petty prejudices?

 

“I understand. I'm here for you when you're ready, Sango-chan.”

 

“Appreciate it,” the girl grimaced and turned away, walking to suffer her grief alone.

 

Kagome watched her friend's departing figure before gently clicking the door shut. She looked up to see Inuyasha crouching at the top of the stairs, his defiant gaze demanding an explanation.

 

“That was my friend, Sango,” Kagome began hesitantly, unsure how to reveal her friend's personal situation. She quickly found herself just explaining. “She's in love with Miroku, another mutant like me. Because of her associations with us, a lot of people shun her and her family is especially hard on her. The only one who still defends her in that house is her little brother. I think her mother has gotten past it somewhat, but she hasn't truly accepted it. I feel sorry for her, she isn't like us. She had a choice.” Kagome looked up to see Inuyasha staring into space, pupils glazed over.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

“Haha-ue!”

 

“Inuyasha! Where did you run off to?! Don't do that again!”

 

“Alright--- Haha-ue, that lady selling rice back there said I was the son of a whore. Are you a whore, Haha-ue?”

 

“Inuyasha--- I never want to hear you say that word again.”

 

“So you're not?”

 

“Inuyasha, I loved your father with all I had. I could never give that away so cheaply. That woman used that word because she can't understand the logic of love. I never want you to call another woman that, as long as I live and after. Understand?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Good, come on, Inuyasha. We should be getting home. It's late.”

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

“Inuyasha?”

 

Inuyasha blinked and focused his eyes on the raven-haired girl standing in front of him. She sat balanced on the balls of her feet, elbows propped up on her knees. He stared at the unusual position for a moment before shaking his head slightly to clear it. Her unlady-like manners didn't surprise him as much as they did before. In a strange way, he found it a little refreshing.

 

“What?”

 

“What were you thinking? I was talking about Sango and you just zoned out.”

 

“Feh! It was nothing,” Inuyasha snapped, grasping the meaning of the unfamiliar phrase from her tone. “My thoughts are mine,” and he rose from the floor, trekking down the hall back to her room. Kagome sighed and followed, the last line of her poem echoing through her skull.

 

Why are his eyes so sad?