InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Finding You Again ❯ Meeting You ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Note: I dunno. Perhaps I made her seem a little too OOC. Well, actually considering she had a really small role in the Inuyasha series (not counting when Sesshoumaru placed a fake for Inuyasha), and the third movie, perhaps it's hard to make her seem OOC. But the few glimpses we get of her don't really match how I am portraying her. I dunno. You judge and comment please. If it seems strange and not how you imagine Inuyasha's mother acting, tell me and I'll try my best to faze her more IC ok? Thank you and please Read N Review!

Also, updates may be a tad slow. Just warning you know. I'm barely getting my muse back, plus I work, and soon I shall start a new semester at school (trying to study for once too), and very soon I shall also be working on the school paper. So I'll see how well I can keep this up. Reviews and even flames are much appreciated (flames shall be used to help me try and prove you wrong !smile!)

Finding You Again

By Inuyasha-loves-Kagome

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Belongs to Rumiko Takahashi-sensei. Lucky her.

Grumbling to himself about late wenches and absurd, unnecessary noise, Inuyasha walked down the noisy streets of Tokyo, clad in some clothes Kagome's mother had bought for him for whenever he decided to go out onto the streets. He had been a little sheepish to learn that she had spent money on him but she had giggled and replied that she saw him like her own son; a pat of the family and that he didn't need to worry. That had earned a blush and a warm feeling in the pit of his stomach that he not wanted to further investigate so he had simply “Keh”ed and gone to change. Further was he embarrassed to learn that knowing he hated shoes (after learning about modern footwear), she had bough simple, comfortable sandals that hadn't felt too bad. They were closer to what humans in his time wore so he agreed to them.

Upon reaching the school where Kagome was, his ears began to twitch from beneath the red and blue hat he wore. No one was outside in the yard, but with his sensitive ears he could hear so many conversations going on inside the building and it was beginning to give him a headache.

“Thank you very much Mrs. Takahashi!” he heard a student shout amongst all the noise he was already hearing. The girl was very loud that it instinctively caused Inuyasha to turn his head in their direction and give a start.

The noisy girl was obviously from Kagome's school as she was wearing the same uniform but it wasn't the reason he would probably need to check to make sure his heart was working. It was the woman on the steps she was waving at, wearing a long white coat and smiling happily.

The winds picked up then, billowing Inuyasha's hair as he gazed longingly at a face he hadn't seen for so many years.

Mother…

Somehow sensing his presence at the school gates, the woman looked in his direction, causing Inuyasha to blush, heart pumping now, and avert his face, but keeping his eyes on her. The woman looked at him passively for a few moments before breaking out into an even bigger smile and waving at him. Inuyasha was sure his heart was going to burst out of his caged chest.

When he made no move to even acknowledge her, she gave one last smile before disappearing inside the school's main building, causing a great pain to pass through his being.

That woman…who looked so much like his mother it was like no time had passed since he had last seen her as a child. Sure her hair wasn't as long for he had yet to see a woman with hair that reached the floor and without being tied, but those were her eyes, her smile, and her face shape. He dreamed of her almost every night since she had died that there was no way he would ever forget what she looked like.

Thinking back on how Kikyou had been reincarnated to become Kagome, he was sure that although they looked very similar, their attitudes were probably very different. Not memory wise but mannerisms. His mother had been brought up to be a lady, so he had suspected with the regal way she held herself, and she had been very kind and understanding, otherwise she would never had met and married his father. She didn't hold prejudices and instead looked inside someone for who they were.

This woman may have looked like his mother…but it wasn't her. He felt like his heart was breaking all over again.

“Inuyasha?” a soft voice called, causing him to blink and turn his head to look down at the raven head of hair framing a soft face with worried eyes.

He hadn't even heard the bell ring or the students file out.

Placing a scowl back on his face, he crossed his arms over his chest and regarded the interruption with an annoyed stare. “You're late like always wench. I came to make sure you weren't going to waste anymore time coming back.”

Frowning a little at his coarse attitude, Kagome walked on ahead towards home, leaving him behind. “I wanted to make sure I was all caught up with my classes. There's no need to get all bent out of shape about it!”

“There is a need when you say you're going to come home at a certain time and then don't show up! There's jewel shards to be found or have you forgotten that right this moment there are demon's with them in their possession possibly ending the lives of more humans!”

Kagome stopped at that, turning to regard him with curiosity. That was the first time he had mentioned anyone's life in danger at the possibility of the shard's still in pieces out in his time. Usually he just mentioned the need to find the shard's, causing everyone to think that he wanted them for his own selfish reason of wanting to become full demon. Especially when he had made it so very clear before that that was all he wanted. “Inuyasha, is there something wrong? You seem a little angrier than usual.”

The fight went out of him then, and he “humph”ed and pointedly looked away from her. “Let's just get going. We need to head back already.”

Sighing, Kagome continued walking with Inuyasha following behind her, keeping so quiet that she was beginning to become concerned with his lack of insults and jabs.

“Ne…Kagome…?”

“Hai?”

“…”

“Inuyasha?” she peered over her shoulder at him when he decided not to continue, noticing the way his face went from one expression to the other.

“What do people who wear long white coats do at schools?”

The question was so off from whatever it was she might have been expecting that she blinked a few times and gapped like a fish out of water for a few minutes. “Long white coats? Why?”

Sighing softly, Inuyasha lowered his face and tucked his arms into his sleeves, no longer noticing the people around him as they ignored the young pair walking and stopping at random moments. “I just…there was this woman at the entrance with a long white coat who went back into the school. She—” Pausing and mulling over in his head, he decided he could trust Kagome with this information, seeing as how she was his best friend and all. “She looked exactly like my mother…”

Kagome peered over at him, eyes shining with emotions simmering below. He didn't notice however, with his face tucked down, his bangs hiding his eyes. She stopped walking and instead turned to look at him fully. He had stopped a little ways away it seemed and was waiting for her answer.

“Well…the only person in the school I can think of that goes around wearing a white coat is out school nurse, Mrs. Takahashi.” Then Kagome proceeded to describe her, forgetting for a moment that Inuyasha mentioned having already seen her.

“That's her…” he breathed, lifting his head up and unable to hide the emotions in his eyes this time. “That's the woman who looks like my mother…”

“Are you sure Inuyasha?” Kagome whispered, feeling a great pain for her friend/love. The way he couldn't seem to contain his emotions and how easily readable he was when it came to his mother…it was even worse than when he dealt with his feelings for Kikyou.

Inuyasha nodded, feeling like a child all over again when thinking back on his mother's kindness. “There isn't a moment when I don't think about my mother. I always make sure to so I never forget her face.”

It was a little unnerving to see Inuyasha so…bare…and out in the open with his feelings. When before he was always so introverted, now he was wearing his heart out on his sleeve, it almost didn't seem like him.

Smiling gently at him, she went forward and grabbed his hand swiftly, locking eyes with his weary ones. “Why don't I introduce you to her then? She's really nice. I've been around her a few times when I needed a little help with math. She loves to help people out.” She saw an emotion pass through his eyes and continued. “You can meet her and decide.”

“Decide what?” he questioned, frowning a bit and bringing the old Inuyasha back, the one that would lock away all his emotions except anger inside a box, only bringing them out for a select few or when he tripped up.

Kagome began to pull him along, despite his protests for her to stop and turn around. “Decide if maybe she's the reincarnation of your mother of course. I know you were probably thinking of that possibility when you saw her. And actually now that you mention you think Takahashi-sensei looks like your mother, I've been thinking about that too.”

Inuyasha allowed himself to get pulled along, but remembering something Kagome told him about school once, he stopped and pulled his hand from hers, missing the hurt expression that crossed her eyes. “But what if she's already left?”

Kagome shook her head and went behind him to push at his back to get him moving. “She's still here. I know. She stays for a while in order to tutor those who need help with something or to clean up and do reports in the office. I'm sure she'll be happy to wanna chat with us.” She didn't mention that she was excited to see what could possibly come out of this meeting. Granted she didn't expect for Nurse Takahashi to take one look at him and suddenly remember her past life and glomp him, calling him “my little baby”. She had apparently been watching nothing but Japanese television drama's lately.

Inuyasha said no more as he and Kagome headed back the same way they came, his heart thumping wildly in his chest at the prospect of see that woman again and being reminded of his kind mother. Never mind that Kagome had taken to pulling him along by his hand again, causing him to blush at her forwardness. He wasn't used to how girls in this time era acted. So familiar with people of the opposite sex who weren't their intended and even “sucking face” in public as Kagome had called it once.

With every step they took, and the closer they got until Inuyasha could smell the familiar smells associated with the school and the looming building ahead, his heart and stomach were both doing flip flops and clenching. They both couldn't seem to decide which. It may be his mother reincarnated, it may not. There was no real way to prove it anyways…unless she acted like his mother did. But then where did that leave all the theories about Kagome and Kikyou? They were two different people despite sharing the same soul. It had to have been the same if that woman was indeed his mother's reincarnation. His mother was dead. He just had to accept that.

He stopped just before they reached the entrance of the building, causing Kagome to stop and almost trip in his haste. She had been holding onto his hand rather tightly.

“Inuyasha?” she questioned, seeing his face once again tucked down. She was barely realizing how trying this must be for him. Placing herself in his shoes, she tried to imagine what it would be like if the only kind person she had was her father and suddenly she saw someone who was the spitting image of him. She would be scared too.

“I don't think…this is a good idea…” he whispered, fists clenched.

Kagome didn't respond, simply stared at his form and what was possibly a battle going on in his head.

“Kagome-san?” a gentle voice whispered from the entrance, causing both teens to turn and look. While one smiled sadly, the other simply stared, rooted to the spot and the battle in his head to get uglier with indecision and perhaps denial.

Standing at the entrance, looking a little more casual than when Inuyasha had seen her when school let out, was Nurse Takahashi, kind demeanor and young, youthful face staring at them both inquisitively.

Kagome walked forward slightly, bowing respectively at the bottom of the steps. “Hello Takahashi-sensei. I'm glad we caught you.”

She smiled so kindly it was a wonder the sun didn't get jealous of how bright her light was. Heart pounding, Inuyasha looked down at the floor and scuffed his shoes around softly.

Blinking at the shy boy before her, she turned to look at Kagome, smile still in place. “Was there something you needed?”

Even her voice was almost the same as he remembered, if not a little different considering she had been brought up in a different era where there were no demons or prejudices between the love of a human and demon. No half-demon son to take care of and take the brunt of the cruel words whispered about him.

Kagome smiled and brought forward a reluctant Inuyasha who still continued to look everywhere but at the woman standing at the top of the steps. “I just wanted to introduce you to my friend, Inuyasha. He's new in town and is thinking of maybe enrolling into our school. I knew you would be the best person for him to meet instead of one of the teachers or principal.”

“Inuyasha?” she tested the name, thinking it a little strange, but giving her a slight jolt inside her soul nonetheless.

Which in turn caused said boy to blush and memories to flash before his eyes. Hearing her voice say his name again was almost bringing tears to his eyes. Tears he refused to accept.

Nurse Takahashi bowed before the boy, keeping her gaze locked on his form. She had yet to see his eyes but his hair was a rather interesting shade. She was sure there wasn't a person in the world with such a color. Considering he dressed a little rebellious she figured it wasn't his natural color. Though it did seem like it could have been. “Well I am pleased to meet you Inuyasha-san. Is that your first name?”

He gave a gruff “aa”, and continued to ignore looking at her, though at certain angles she could make out a very light brown, almost gold color to his eyes. Did he perhaps wear colored contacts as well? “May I inquire about your last name?”

Kagome gave an embarrassed giggle, eyes solemn however. “He's an orphan who's been living on his own since before he can remember. So he doesn't know his last name.”

Nurse Takahashi gasped slightly, covering her mouth. “Gomen'nasai. I didn't know…”

“Don't worry about it Takahashi-sensei,” Kagome replied, causing Inuyasha to look at her ever since she had made that “orphan” comment. Getting a good look at his eyes this time, Nurse Takahashi could now tell they were gold. How unusual…

“Well if the both of you would like, we can have a little chat inside my office for a few minutes and I can make some tea while you tell me a little bit about Inuyasha-san.” The boy before here was causing funny feelings in her, motherly instincts that she felt around all her students, except stronger. She was curious to be around him and find out why.

Kagome had to push Inuyasha again, considering he was being so stubborn. Once this meeting was over she was going to gently prod him about her. With the way he was acting perhaps things were working out positively. She could only hope so.

Upon entering the office of the school nurse, right next to the infirmary, the first thing Inuyasha noted was the name plate on her desk, white kanji fitted against black, causing it to stand out right away, never mind that there were little butterfly and rainbow stickers on the border all around. But the name…Inuyasha stared at it for a long minute, not believing his eyes.

Takahashi Izayoi.

That's mother's first name…he thought, once again clenching his hands into fists. The last name was obviously different as this was just an ordinary woman while his mother had been a royal. Lady Izayoi of the Western Lands, her married title. But it was just a coincidence. It had to be.

“There you are,” Nurse Takahashi said softly, laying a cup of steaming cup of lemon tea in front of him, the smell causing more memories to resurface. Mother's favorite tea…He remembered, though many drank green tea in order to cleanse themselves (in many tea ceremonies), his mother had enjoyed lemon tea, sensing no need to cleanse herself as she felt there was nothing she needed to clean her system of. Not once had she ever felt guilty for loving his father or her son.

“Now then,” she whispered, taking her seat behind the desk while Kagome sipped her tea carefully and Inuyasha mere stared at it as if expecting it to become a demon. “So Kagome tells me you wish to enroll into this school, Inuyasha-san…where did you go to school before?”

“He taught himself,” Kagome answered for him, getting a rather sharp look from Inuyasha. “He's never gone to school. He wants to know what it's like.”

“Taught himself?” Nurse Takahashi questioned, eyebrows rising. “Certainly the orphanage you went to didn't allow that…?”

“I was never in an orphanage…” Inuyasha replied curtly, then said no more, looking instead of pictures on the wall of her with what he believed was her new family. His heart clenched at the thought, despite his denial that this woman was the reincarnation of his mother.

“Oh my.” She looked pityingly at the boy before her, wondering what kind of wonderful friendship the two before her must have that he grew up on the streets and without a foster family (otherwise he would have had a last name at least), but still seemed to care for the girl beside him. “So then do you stay with Kagome-san?”

Even though it was simply an observation and innocent question, it still caused Kagome's cheeks to flame, as well as Inuyasha's. Explaining his place in this time was proving to be rather difficult. “I live where I want,” Inuyasha replied, finally fixating his gaze on her, as if challenging her to disapprove.

And disapprove she did, though so unlike Kagome did and more like his mother used to. Smiling despite the scrunch of her eyes, she replied to his gaze and his tone. “Young man, that is simply unacceptable. No wonder Kagome-san brought you to me. She obviously also understands that you shouldn't be without a home or a family.”

Inuyasha became defensive at this, standing up rather abruptly from his chair, causing it to knock over. “I've been that way since my mother died! I've done okay on my own!”

“While I do not doubt that, otherwise you would be behind bars or possibly dead somewhere…” she paused and imagining such a fate for the handsome young man before her caused her soul to clench, “…I still think it would be better if from now on at least until you are a little older, you need somewhere to call home. Also the reason I'm sure Kagome has not invited you to her own home, being the kind soul she is but still having reservations about the fact that you are still a young man.”

Growling at the assumptions, he fixed the woman with a withering glare that she did not cower under. “I would never disrespect Kagome like that!”

Kagome simply blushed at the exchanges, especially the last two. Clearing her throat, Kagome laid a calming hand on Inuyasha's tense forearm, feeling his muscles relax slightly. “Takahashi-sensei, Inuyasha has done well on his own. He doesn't like to be cooped up.”

“Kagome-san,” came her kind, soft, yet firm voice. “What about sleeping outside in the cold? Certainly while you may allow it, you must not approve. Luck must have been on his side so far that he hasn't been hurt or killed. The streets of Tokyo may be safe, but they aren't full proof against those wanting to hurt whoever wanders around at night.”

Kagome could simply not win an argument against this woman. Everything you thought up of, any excuse and she threw it right back with a retort of her own. Was Inuyasha's mother like this before? Perhaps that was one of the reason's Inuyasha's father had fallen in love with her.

Shaking her head, Nurse Takahashi stood up to her full height, which was still a head or so shorter than Inuyasha. “I guess in this situation, there is nothing else to be done but to offer my own home for you to stay until you graduate from school. Just until you move out and go off for college.”

“What?” Inuyasha roared, gazing at the woman with his mother's face, feeling himself crack the longer he looked at her. Despite having yelled at her before, it was still his mother's face he was looking at and having loved her so much, he was still the obedient son.

Fixing him with her brightest smile, one that Kagome wondered if for future reference she would need sunglasses for in the event she was on the receiving end, she promptly stated, “I shall go ahead and adopt you legally myself so there is no improperness to this situation.”

Both Inuyasha and Kagome stared at her, transfixed, wondering if perhaps they heard her right. This would probably be a problem.

To be continued…