InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Feel Like Makin' Love ❯ A Favor ( Chapter 5 )

Chapter 4

 

A Favor

 

~*~

And if I had those golden dreams of my yesterday
I would wrap you in the heaven, really dying all the way

Feel like makin'...
Feel like makin' love, feel like makin' love
Feel like makin' love, feel like makin' love to you - Bad Company

 

~*~

 

It was a late summer day, and InuYasha was traveling alone. Although he itched to be at his destination, he had learned to take his time, pace himself and give himself time to think - especially in this case. He was on his way to visit Miroku and Sango and their family, and tell them of his plans. Supposedly, Shippo was going to be there as well.

 

A youkai who knew how to do the spell necessary to put InuYasha in a deep, ageless sleep had been found, and they were to meet up with him in a few weeks. It would be deep in the Kiso Mountains, and hopefully would stay remote enough through time to let him stay undisturbed. But InuYasha needed to ask his friends to do a big favor for him while he slept, to ensure he made it through the centuries intact.

 

`I've seen them so little these past few years,' InuYasha thought. `Will they hold it against me - are they just being polite or are they still my friends? It doesn't matter, if it's only their loyalty and respect that remains, it may still be good enough for my purposes…even if I have lost their friendship.'

 

But in his heart, InuYasha still hoped they still cared about him.

 

Walking through the forest that bore his name, InuYasha tried not to be haunted by the memories it invoked. But everywhere he looked, the very trees seemed to whisper her name as the breeze blew through their branches. As he passed Goshinboku, his heart constricted - he should have just avoided it like he had since that day years ago, two months after she was gone. It was too late now, and he let his long claws graze its bark in passing, pulling off a swath of bark in its wake.

 

The well was definitely a place InuYasha avoided - he had almost destroyed it in a fit of rage years before. Only the cries of Miroku, Sango, Shippo and Kaede combined with the cool look of disgust from his brother made him stop.

 

The forest ended and InuYasha was in the fields surrounding Kaede's village, where Miroku and Sango lived with their children. Shippo had lived with Kaede for a while after everyone knew for certain that Kagome would not return. Then he had gone to get more kitsune training before being with humans alienated him completely from his own kind. When InuYasha made plans to come to Kaede's village, he had had word sent to Shippo, asking him to meet him there as well.

 

When InuYasha came to the fields surrounding the small village, he stopped before he was noticed. It had been five years since he had last been here, but little had changed. The villagers worked in their fields, stooped over and bent. The huts of the village lay below, surrounded by dirt roads and paths. He looked for Miroku and Sango's home, hoping they were waiting outside for him. It would be a sign that they were still loyal friends to him, despite how little they had seen each other these past few years.

 

“Look, a youkai!” said a boy working in the fields suddenly in fright, and pointed at InuYasha.

 

“Quickly!” A young woman said to the boy in panic. “We must flee!”

 

“No need to worry,” said an older man nearby, turning and looking at InuYasha solemnly. “This is Lord InuYasha, the youkai who defeated Naraku and protected our village.”

 

“But…” said the young woman in confusion, “the tales say that InuYasha was a hanyou.”

 

“He used to be…” said the man, and gave InuYasha a respectful bow.

 

Slowly, the other field workers followed suit. InuYasha stared at them a moment, a mixture of feeling playing below his carefully guarded exterior. They gave him respect, but was it because of the hanyou he used to be or the youkai Lord he was now? No answer would probably satisfy him, and he gave a low growl of frustration. But something caught the corner of his eye, and he looked up to see that Miroku was standing outside his house and waving at him. This made InuYasha feel relieved, and he strode down the path between fields towards the house. The villagers kept their heads bowed respectfully as he passed.

 

“Good to see you,” said Miroku with a smile. “It's been too long.”

 

“Yeah, I know,” said InuYasha, not comfortable at being reminded about how remiss he had become in seeing his friends.

 

“Come inside,” said Miroku. “I'll send Daitaro to fetch Shippo - he's visiting an old girlfriend nearby.”

 

Miroku's son popped his head out the door at the mention of his name, and looked up at InuYasha in awe. Trying to muster up some of his former self, InuYasha gave him a quick smirk and the child ducked his head shyly.

 

“Daitaro, go tell Shippo that Lord InuYasha has arrived and tell him to come at once,” Miroku said.

 

“Okay, Papa,” replied the boy, and skipped out of the house, looking over his shoulder for one last quick glance at InuYasha.

 

Inside the house, Sango sat on the floor feeding her fifteen-month-old daughter. Sleeping nearby was her second oldest, a three-year-old boy.

 

“Hello, InuYasha,” said Sango with a smile. “It's about time you came around here again.”

 

InuYasha listened for reproach in her voice, but detected none there or in her manner.

 

“I'm almost finished feeding Keiko, and then I will move her and Koharu to their beds,” Sango continued.

 

“It's okay, Sango,” said Miroku stooping down. “I'll take Koharu and you take Keiko.”

 

No wonder InuYasha did not visit them more often - it made him uncomfortable to watch their happy domesticity. He watched them lovingly carry their children to bed, and could not help but think that he and Kagome should have had children by now. But then again, they would be hanyous, with the same curse as he had, no doubt….

 

InuYasha closed his eyes, a scowl forming between his brows as his mind warred with all these conflicting desires and fears. A vice was clenching at his heart and he longed for the blessed sleep of centuries that would ease his current torment with its welcome oblivion. A sound broke him out of his mood, and his eyes snapped open. Someone was approaching the house.

 

“Mama, Papa, I brought Shippo back,” said Daitaro, coming through the door.

 

Behind him came a slender kitsune teenager, who looked at InuYasha and smiled. Shippo was almost as tall as InuYasha, and although he had lost the childish roundness in his face and body, he otherwise looked the same. But all of a sudden the kitsune's face changed - he lost the smile and bowed to InuYasha in respect to his age and rank, something new which was unexpected. This action made InuYasha withdraw back into the colder youkai shell he had developed for social situations in the past years.

 

“Good to see you, Lord InuYasha,” said Shippo. “I came as you requested.”

 

“Those kitsune are teaching you some manners at least,” said InuYasha.

 

“And Sesshomaru has been teaching you some restraint, I see,” said Miroku, returning with Sango.

 

“Papa, Mama, can I go next door and play?” asked Daitaro, looking at his parents with wide, hopeful eyes.

 

“Yes, just keep out of Aneko's way,” said Sango, smiling at her son encouragingly.

 

“Thank you!” said the child, giving the adults a quick, awkward bow and skipped towards the door.

 

“Woah!” said Shippo, as he dodged the boy darting out the door. “Careful there, squirt!”

 

“Still doesn't seem very long ago that you were around that age,” said Miroku teasingly.

 

“Shall we all sit down?” said Sango, gesturing at the mats on the floor.

 

Shippo nodded, followed by InuYasha, and they sat in a circle facing each other. InuYasha sat up straight and crossed his arms while waiting for the others to settle and focus their attention on him. Soon, they were all looking at him expectantly, and InuYasha noticed the slight guardedness in their eyes as they were probably wondering what brought him out of his self-imposed exile after the last few years. But he did not let this disconcert him - what he had to say and had to ask was too important.

 

“I came to tell you that I have decided to be sealed again,” said InuYasha, and continued despite the looks of consternation that came to their faces. “It will be by a powerful youkai named Shimazu.”

 

“Have things really become that hard for you?” said Sango, her brows drawn together in concern. “I did not realize it had come to this.”

 

“It will not be forever,” said InuYasha gruffly. “Just until Kagome's time - I will give a specific day and time, and instructions about when I will awaken.”

 

“I have heard of this Shimazu,” said Miroku musingly, his fingers to his chin. “He is reputed to be old and powerful indeed.”

 

“Yes, Sesshomaru assured me he can do it,” replied InuYasha. “I will be sealed in a cave deep within the Kiso Mountains. That is why I asked to speak to you all.”

 

“Just what can we do for you, InuYasha?” asked Shippo curiously.

 

InuYasha grew quiet a moment, thinking before he answered them. They waited expectantly, and he bowed his head so he would not have to see their faces while he found the will to ask this enormous favor of them. Would their loyalty to him still hold true after all these years?

 

“I would like to ask you, Shippo,” said InuYasha regarding the kitsune, “and Miroku and Sango and their descendants if they would keep an eye on my resting place and make sure that I am undisturbed until the day I awaken.”

 

Miroku looked thoughtful and surprised, Sango was slightly taken aback, and Shippo tilted his head curiously at him.

 

“I'll do it, InuYasha,” said Shippo. “Or else, if I have children of my own someday, I will be sure to have them look after you.”

 

Glancing at Sango a moment and getting a quick smile and nod of her head, Miroku answered as well.

 

“We will do it too,” said Miroku. “But how will we know your exact location?”

 

“Sesshomaru has said I may ask you to accompany us,” said InuYasha. “We can meet you here in five days, and it will take another three to get to our destination.”

 

“Then it's settled,” said Sango. “We will leave the children with Aneko - I'm sure she won't mind since we have watched her children on occasion.”

 

“Yes, we will be ready and waiting for you,” said Miroku, looking at InuYasha with a slightly sad, but sympathetic look, that made InuYasha squirm inside.

 

“I'll be ready too,” said Shippo, trying to look solemn. “I'm doing it for you - and for Kagome. I don't want her to be upset when she finds out she can't get back through the well, so you better go to her at once!”

 

“Don't worry runt, I will,” said InuYasha, and rose to leave.

 

“Do you have to go?” Sango said, rising as well. “Won't you stay and have a meal with us?”

 

“Can't,” replied InuYasha rather roughly, and then tried to lessen the sharpness of his reaction. “I promised Sesshomaru I would be back as soon as possible.”

 

Everyone now rose, and they said their farewells. As InuYasha left, he tried to quell his guilt at not telling them the whole truth about why he had to leave. It was not his brother's demands - he flaunted them whenever he felt like it. But being together as a group like that was bittersweet to him. He was haunted by the fact that Kagome was not there, and despite the years, in his friends' presence part of him still hoped and expected that Kagome would reappear….