InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Finding My Family ❯ Restoration Of The Shikon No Tama ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter Three - Restoration Of The Shikon No Tama

 

Birds chirp obsessively outside the bedroom window, stirring Kioko from her deep sleep. She groaned and rolled over to face the wall, shoving a pillow over her face in attempts to chase away the morning. The day before seemed like it had been nothing more than a strange dream she'd had. She finally let out a long drawn sigh, the sun unabated from its descent in the sky by her shrewd attempts to halt the day. She tossed the pillow away from her face and dully rolling out of bed. She stretched wide and let out a yawn, her muscles stiff from not having moved in her sleep the entire night before.

 

She made her bed and went to her dresser to get some clean clothes: a pair of dark green khaki capri's, a plain white fitted t-shirt, and a denim jacket. She carried them downstairs and set them in the bathroom before dragging herself into the kitchen for some breakfast, hoping it might wake her up and energize her for the day. Her grandmother was already sitting at the table waiting for her and sipping a cup of warm coffee. The older woman looked up at her granddaughter and smiled pleasantly.

 

“Ohayo Kioko-chan, good morning.” the woman said brightly, setting her coffee down and serving up breakfast: white rice, miso soup, and an omelet, for the two of them. “You look like you slept like a rock.”

 

“It sure feels like I did.” Kioko told her, yawning again before taking in the smell of the breakfast set before her. She ate it happily, feeling ready to take on the day. She cleared her dishes and washed them up, and then went to take a bath. Once she was done with that she got dressed and dried her long silver hair. She tied it back into a long braid and tied a green bandana in her hair, hoping that it wouldn't get so many leaves and twigs stuck in it like it had the day before.

 

She looked herself over in the mirror and nodded with satisfaction. With that she made her way to the front door and slid on a pair of tennis shoes, deciding that they would be a better choice of footwear than the sandals she'd worn before. She was just about to leave, when she heard her grandmother calling for her from the living room. She pulled off her shoes and went to see what she wanted.

 

“Kioko, are you going somewhere?” the woman asked, flipping off the television she'd been watching.

 

“Hai.” Kioko replied, walking over to the woman. “I'm going to see my friends from yesterday.”

 

“Ah, I see.” the older woman said, turning her head away from the girl a moment.

 

“Is that all right, Baachan?” she asked, sitting next to her grandmother.

 

“It's fine, just be careful.” she replied, a look of knowing in her eyes. “I couldn't bear losing you.”

 

With that, the old woman stood and left the room, leaving Kioko there in silence. She could hear her grandmothers footsteps going up the stairs. With a sigh, the girls stood and went to the door again, slipping her shoes back on and went out the door. As she made her way across the grounds, it felt like there were eyes watching her. Kioko stopped and glanced back at the house, examining the windows, but found nothing out of place. She turned back and started walking again until she made it to the well house and then slipped inside.

 

---Feudal Era---

 

When Kioko made it to the other side of the well, she found a ladder waiting for her. She climbed out and was greeted by Mina's smiling face. The young priestess extended a hand to her and helped her climb over the edge. Kioko returned the smile and bowed to the girl before they started to make their way to the village.

 

“I came to make sure you made it back to the village without another incident like yesterday.” Mina said as they walked.

 

“I really appreciate it.” Kioko told her. “I doubt I'd have another daring rescue. By the way, how is he?”

 

“Shippo-san is already up and walking, thanks be to his demon heritage.” the girl replied.

 

“That's good, I'm glad he's better.” Kioko remarked as they approached the village and passed through the barrier that kept out unfriendly demons. “Do you have any idea how he got into such poor condition?”

 

“My parents asked him, but he gave no response. Perhaps it's just something he'd rather not dwell on.” Mina replied.

 

“I suppose so, but at least he's well and I can thank him for saving me.” she said with a smile as they made their way through the village. As they approached the families hut, Kioko could see Shippo sitting with Miroku and Sango, chatting pleasantly. At almost the same moment, she could see Shippo's look up at her and give a wide boyish smile that almost made her blush.

 

“Konnichiwa Kioko-chan.” he said with a bow as he stood and approached her.

 

“Konnichiwa Shippo-san.” she said in return, bowing back and smiling lightly. “I'm glad to see that you are better.”

 

“Arigato.” he said, embracing her in a friendly hug. “I was feeling trapped in that stuffy hut. I'm not used to such, uh, small accommodations. I much rather enjoy being out in the fresh air. Besides, Miroku-san and Sango-san told me you'd be returning and I wanted to be here to greet you. Kioko-chan, would you mind taking a walk with me around the village? It's been ages since I've seen you last.”

 

“Hai, I'd like that very much.” Kioko replied. He smiled at her with his charming smile and extended an arm to her, which she took up in her own arm. The two walked on for a while, talking about the things from his youth, when the two and her parents had all lived together. Eventually, they made their way back to the hut for lunch. They all ate quietly, but a question had been plaguing Kioko's mind for some time, and it seemed that Shippo might be the only one with the answer.

 

“Shippo-san, I've been wondering something.” she said, her voice cracking at first.

 

“What's that?” he asked.

 

“What happened to my parents? And how did I end up with my grandmother?” she asked him, looking from once face in the group to the next, and it seemed that she wasn't the only one pondering those questions.

 

“I was wondering when I'd be asked this.” he said, setting his bowl and chopsticks down in front of him. “It was many years ago, you were still a toddler. Kagome, you, and I had just visited the village and had then gone home. You and I were playing in the clearing by our hut; InuYasha never was very comfortable with living around a lot of people. All of a sudden, the sky was darkened by an evil miasma that tried to capture you. Kagome managed to get you out of the way, but was captured herself. InuYasha came to save her, but was caught up as well and both disappeared within the miasma that shot back from where it came from. I didn't know what to do, so I took the Shikon no Tama from where Kagome had left it and took you through the well to your family. I thought you'd be safer there, because that miasma had wanted you.”

 

“Aye Kami-sama.” Kioko gasped, bringing a hand up to her mouth. Miroku and Sango exchanged sidelong glances as he place his hand on her hand. The girls stared at the ground, trying not to meet the eyes of the others. “Does this mean that my parents are dead?”

 

“No.” Shippo said, causing everyone to stare at him in surprise. He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “It could mean a lot of things. However, speculating on things is a waste of time. If you'll excuse me, I'd like to take a walk, alone.”

 

With that, he stood and bowed to the group before slipping out of the door. Kioko looked from one face to another, seeing that none of them were going to say anything further. She was still in shock herself. Shippo had said that her parents might still be alive, and because of that, she couldn't just leave him be. She wasn't one-hundred percent sure, but it felt like Shippo was keeping something from them and she had to know what it was.

 

Without saying a word, she stood, bowed and followed after him. She looked around the village, but could not find where he had gone. She was ready to give up, when she saw a path through the tall grass, and if she remembered correctly, that was where Miroku had said her old home was. She made her way down the path a ways and watched as it opened up into a clearing with a small hut, like the ones in the village, nestled in the corner. There stood Shippo, staring at it with awe.

 

She went off the path and knelt in a small patch of bushes, watching him as he slowly approached the hut and ran a clawed hand across the smooth wood. A small breeze rustled his long red hair and blew it off of his shoulder. My goodness, he's so handsome. Kioko blushed. He was handsome indeed; no longer a child, but he still held an air of youth. He was tall and thin, but with muscles she could see flexing beneath his blue kimono. Hanging out of his hakama was a long bushy brown tail that looked as soft as silk, and for a moment she wanted to reach out and stroke it.

 

Shippo sighed deeply and, for a brief moment, he looked as if he'd aged years. He turned his head towards her and smiled slightly, extending a hand out to her. “You don't have to hide, Kioko-chan.”

 

“You knew I was here?” she said, standing slowly and walking over to him, her eyes focused on the ground in front of her.

 

“I could smell you. I am a demon, remember?” he said with a chuckle, placing a finger by the side of his nose and winking. “Besides, this is your home to and you have a right to be here.”

 

“So, this was home?” she asked, moving closer to his side so she could peer into the darkened doorway.

 

“Hai.” he replied. “Although it used to be much better kept and much more inviting, not some barren ramshackle in the middle of the forest. However, time does that to things, people too.”

 

“You seem wise for your age, you know that?” Kioko told him as she passed in front of him and went inside the dark hut. He followed after a brief pause, unsure of whether he should go inside.

 

“I've been told as much. Many times before, in fact.” he told her as he brushed a cobweb from a corner with his hand. “If I learned anything from your father, it's to never go into things headfirst without assessing the situation. Knowledge is key and I set out to learn as much as I could so I didn't knucklehead my way through life.”

 

“I see.” she said, picking up a table that had gotten knocked over and putting back the old pictures that sat there. She picked one up and wiped the thick layer of dust off the glass and walked over to the open doorway where she could see better. It was a picture of her parents and herself right after she'd been born. Her mother stood with a bright smile, absolutely glowing with happiness. She was surprised by her father at first. He was nothing as she'd imagined him. He was tall and well built, with long, pale silver-white hair and beaming gold eyes, not to mention a forced smile. “So these are my parents?”

 

Shippo turned at her words and walked over to where she stood. He looked at the photo and laughed lightly. “Yea, that's them. I remember this. Kagome had been adamant about having a `family photo' and brought a cam-era back with her. He absolutely didn't like being forced to smile.”

 

“You're lucky.” she said with a long-drawn sigh, setting the picture onto the table with the rest of the pictures. “You have all those wonderful memories of them, and I have none at all. You know, up until this moment, I never really knew what my own father had looked like.”

 

“You're grandmother never told you?” he asked, setting a hand on her shoulder.

 

“No. She never talks about either of my parents.” she replied, looking at him with eyes on the verge of tears. “I only ever saw a few pictures of my mother and that was when she was about my age. After that there were no pictures. There wasn't even a single picture of my parents together. I suppose she had to know about this world and didn't want me to find out, so she either hid or destroyed the photos that were around. It's not fair.”

 

“Lots of things in life are not fair, Kioko-chan.” he told her, frowning for a moment and then turning back to the door. “Come on, we should probably return to the village before we are missed.”

 

“I just want to look around for a few more minutes.” she whispered quietly as she walked away from him. In the far corner was a small box that looked like it had been tossed across the room into the wall. One of the hinges was broken and it lay partially open and propped up on its side. She knelt down and picked it up carefully. It was an ordinary wooden box, but to her it was the treasure of a past she'd never known. She heard something drop out and she set the box aside to see what it was. Rolling across the floor was a dull pink orb that vaguely glittered in the sunlight that streamed in through the door. She was mesmerized by it. It wasn't very beautiful and the average person would have thought it nothing more than an ordinary glass bead, but she knew what it was. The Shikon no Tama.

 

She reached out and put her hands around it, cradling it in her palms as she stared in wonder. This is what brought my parents together. It hardly seems like the great and powerful jewel that I've been told about. It's dull, not bright and pretty at all like I thought. The hut began to grow warmer and warmer, until she found herself starting to sweat. The jewel in her hand began to glow and pulse, slow and weak at first, then faster and with growing intensity. It began to grow hot in her hands, like she had just grabbed a hot pot with her bare hands, and she dropped it when it started to burn. It clattered against the floor boards.

 

“Kioko!” Shippo yelled as he turned towards the noise, seeing the object roll across the floor, and grabbed her by the arm before pulling her to her feet. Both backed away as the light it emitted grew brighter and the heat grew more intense. Both shaded their eyes from the light and Kioko could feel Shippo tugging at her as the two were pushed out of the hut by a powerful, invisible force. They went tumbling head over heels into the grass as the home was engulfed in the light. An intense wind began to blow that whipped at the branches of the trees, chasing off any nearby creatures. A deafening sound came impeding from a distance, the sounds of screeches and growls, the sounds of a terrible struggle. Kioko covered her ears and looked up at the sky as dark ghostly apparitions burst through the clear sky into the intense light of the jewel.

 

And then, as quickly as it began, it had ended. The light subsided and the winds calmed. If she had not been there to witness the event, she wouldn't have believed that it had happened. She breathed heavily and she could feel her body shaking with fright. As she regained her senses, she realized that Shippo had his arms wrapped around her protectively and he himself was breathing just as heavy as she. He let go a moment later and stood up, taking her hand and pulling her up.

 

“What in the world was that!?” she asked, turning to him and wiping away the tears that streamed from her eyes.

 

“I don't know.” he told her as he took her by the hand and cautiously approached the hut. “Come on.”

 

The entered through the doorway again and stepped carefully. Kioko could feel her skin prickling with unseen energy as she looked around. Nothing seemed to have been misplaced or ruined, except that everything that had been covered by layers of dust only minutes before was now clean and clear as if it the home hadn't sat barren for fifteen years. She felt Shippo take her had and give it a squeeze to get her attention. She turned to look at him as he held out an upturned hand. In it he held the Shikon no Tama, which seemed to have been brought back to full vitality from something as simple as her touch.

 

“Now, I think it's imperative that we return to the village and remain inside it's protective demon barriers.” he said, moving again, this time at a faster pace and pulling a little to hard on her arm. Yet, they had barely made it out of the hut when a small demon leapt from the woods and went for them. It was ugly and vaguely shaped like a toadstool. Yet it was far more dangerous than a simple toadstool. The demon puffed itself up and suddenly popped like a balloon, releasing a cloud of deadly spores into the air, which stuck to their clothes and faces.

 

“What is this stuff? Shippo-san, are you okay?” she asked, watching as the man fell to his knees, coughing erratically.

 

“Jewel be mine.” garbled the toadstool demon. “Power be mine.”

 

“Kioko-chan, take this and run as fast as you can back to the village.” Shippo said in pained gasps as he shoved the jewel in her hand. Kioko froze, she was afraid of what might happen to her if she ran. Shippo looked up at her with an intense gaze, his emerald eyes capturing her mind. “You are the only one who can do this. NOW GO!”

 

His abrupt outburst made her jump and back away from him, finally turning and dashing back down the path she had come. Behind her, she could hear the toadstool demon growl ferociously as he tried to chase her. She could hear fighting as well, not a monstrous fight, but one she knew she'd rather not witness. Finally, the village was in sight. She pushed a little more and ran a little faster, feeling the faint tingle of the demon barrier as she passed through it, jewel in hand.

 

“Miroku-san! Sango-san!” she called, her voice cracking as she fell to her knees just inside the barrier. The monk, his wife, and two daughters came rushing over to her immediately, all at the ready to fight.

 

“Kioko-chan, are you alright?” Sango asked, kneeling down next to her. Kioko nodded and thrust the object in her had into the palms of the woman. Kioko wanted absolutely nothing to do with that object at the moment.

 

“Take this.” Kioko told her.

 

“Miroku!” Sango gasped when she looked to see what she had been given.

 

Miroku gasped, snatching the object up and looking at it in wonderment. “It can't be! That's…”