InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Freedom ❯ Feudal: A Promise and Magic ( Chapter 3 )

Disclaimer:

 

Kathryne-San: Ohayou gozaimasu! Almost everyone's up…except for Rikku-San. I guess all that screaming made her tired…

 

Ruby-san: Need…caffeine…

 

Kathryne-San: I have Coke and Dr. Pepper. In the kitchen.

 

blueangel326: Kathryne, I thought of a great idea!

 

Kathryne-San: What?

 

blueangel326: Remember when Shippou first came in?

 

Kathryne-San: Yeah…and?

 

blueangel326: He used a Jizou statue to trap Inuyasha. What if Inuyasha found Shippou, and when Sesshoumaru comes, we could use a Jizou statue to hold Starrilight-Hotaru and Rikku-San down? Then they couldn't get away and molest Sesshoumaru!

 

Kathryne-San: Good idea! I forgot about that. I thought more about the monkey sprites…heeheh…

 

Inuyasha: (grumbles)

 

Kathryne-San: Inuyasha?

 

Inuyasha: What?

 

Kathryne-San: I have to ask you a favour.

 

Inuyasha: Again?

 

Kathryne-San: Could you please find Shippou?

 

Inuyasha: Why the hell do you want Shippou?

 

Kathryne-San: I want him to pin Starrilight-Hotaru and Rikku-San down when Sesshoumaru comes.

 

Inuyasha: How would he do that?

 

Kathryne-San: Don't tell me you forgot the statue of Jizou?

 

Inuyasha: Oh…that.

 

Kathryne-San: Exactly.

 

Inuyasha: Fine…anyone else?

 

Kathryne-San: Good question. Who else would you suggest?

 

Inuyasha: (smirk) Miroku.

 

Kathryne-San: (horrified) No way in this life! He'll try to touch everybody! Definitely not! How about Kagome and Sango and Kirara? Pretty please, Inu-sama? And if you bring Miroku, I will sit you into the next decade!

 

Inuyasha: All right…but you and your scary friends won't bother me. And you don't sit me, and you DO NOT TOUCH MY EARS!

 

Kathryne-San: Agreed.

 

Dana-Sama: (walks into room) Rikku-San's awake.

 

Kathryne-San: Uh-oh.

 

Rikku-San: (from other room) WHERE'S FLUFFY?

 

Kathryne-San: Not here! It will be a while before he comes!

 

Rikku-San: Damn it!

 

Ruby-san: Where's Inuyasha?

 

Kathryne-San: Going to find Shippou.

 

Ruby-san: Why?

 

Kathryne-San: Shippou uses Jizou statues to trap people…if we trap Rikku-San and Starrilight-Hotaru…

 

Ruby-san: …Then they can't harass Sesshoumaru. I see.

 

Kathryne-San: Yep. So…while Inuyasha's doing that, I guess I can go ahead and start with the fanfic. I don't own InuYasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. So…here's the fanfic.

 

:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0 :0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:

 

Chapter Three: Feudal: A Promise and Magic

 

Inuyasha didn't sleep. He couldn't. Not when his heart was beating ardently for Kagome, for her, and he became lovesick all at once. She was almost dead…she had been selfless…she saught the Shikon no Kakera because she was a miko and thus had a duty to protect the jewel, and wanted to fix what she had caused. And all he, the baka hanyou, thought about was using the shards, and, eventually, the jewel to become full youkai!

 

How could I have been so selfish? Inuyasha thought. She helped me and that was how I repayed her? Inuyasha, you are more than a baka. You're an asshole!

 

The moon was vanishing, the sun beginning to rise. He leaped from the tree he was sitting in to the ground.

 

I'll make it up to you, Kagome, Inuyasha thought. I promise.

 

In that one night, Inuyasha changed.

 

:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0 :0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:

 

Kanaye had taught himself to never sleep. Sleep meant vulnerability. There was an odd amount of aura, and he had to investigate. He filled a bowl with water, and prodded it with his staff. The water swirled by itself. Something appeared in the bowl. Kanaye studied the image for a minute, then shook his head.

 

“Ah…an old enemy has a new ally…Naraku, you will not leave anyone to rest even when you are dead…”

 

The water swirled around again and again. The water turned into blood-red water, swirling ominously still. Kanaye bit his lip as his own reflection appeared in the bowl.

 

“Of course I knew that,” he said. “But in race…?”

 

Kanaye's reflection showed in the blood-red of the water. Human, the water implied. His reflection then transformed…red eyes, fangs, longer hair…

 

Youkai, it replied then.

 

Kanaye repeated the results. “Youkai and human…ah…such bloodshed…”

 

The water returned to normal and disappeared. “This does not bode well...not at all…”

 

:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0 :0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:

 

“We have to help her,” Inuyasha said frantically early the next morning. He looked at though he hadn't slept in ages.

 

Sango, Miroku, and Shippou didn't quite know what to make of Inuyasha's tone of voice. He almost seemed panicked. It was definitely not like Inuyasha.

 

“This isn't like you, Inuyasha,” Sango said, once again speaking the opinion of everyone else.

 

“That's not my fucking point!” Inuyasha yelled. “Kagome! She's almost dead! We have to help her get her memory back!”

 

“What, do you feel for the Lady Kagome?” Miroku cut in.

 

Inuyasha hated questions like that. But, he thought, it would be told eventually. Why not now?

 

“Yes,” Inuyasha boldly proclaimed. “I do.”

 

“Wait…” Shippou said. “That means…you love Kagome!”

 

Inuyasha punched Shippou very hard on the head, so hard that he slid from underneath Inuyasha's fist and hit the adjacent wall. “YOU GOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT, RUNT!?”

 

Shippou sat up and rubbed his head where Inuyasha had hit him. “No…”

 

“Not at all,” Miroku said. “So…you want to go through with this plan Kanaye has?”

 

“Yes!”

 

“Someone spoke my name.”

 

Kanaye stood outside the doorframe. A woman's voice leaked through behind him. “Kanaye, I can't believe you, bringing in guests again, this is my house too, you know!”

 

Kanaye let her pass. She looked only a few years younger than Kanaye. She had green eyes the colour of a grassy plain. Her inky black hair trailed behind her. She was wearing something that looked reminiscent of a taijiya's outfit, but instead it was made of fabric and did not have the shoulder, knee, or elbow pads.

 

“Who the hell are you?” Inuyasha demanded. He couldn't take much more irritation.

 

“How dare you talk that way to the lady of the household, you insolent hanyou!” she spat.

 

“Mika, you do not own this house, you are staying here since no other villager would take you,” Kanaye said. He turned to the group. “Allow me to introduce my sister.”

 

“Sister?” Shippou looked up.

 

“My younger sister, Fukazawa Mika,” he said.

 

Admittedly, Mika did look like Kanaye from the shape of the eyes and the hair colour.

 

“We didn't see her yesterday,” Miroku pointed out.

 

“She, ah, goes out wherever she pleases, and she gets back during the nights,” Kanaye said in a strange tone, sitting down. It seemed obvious that he was embarrassed by his sister. “She lives with me.”

 

“Must be a pain in the ass,” Inuyasha muttered.

 

“Well, she's been cast out of every village within a good-sized radius, so where else does she have? Besides, she cleans and cooks and does everything else—”

 

“—And you sit there and do nothing!” Mika finished.

 

“And she disapproves of my job as a shaman,” Kanaye corrected.

 

“What's that she's wearing?” Sango asked. “Looks like a taijiya outfit.”

 

“Well…what she does is…” He waited until Mika left the room. “…Rather disgraceful…I'll give you a hint. You should check your belongings to see if anything's missing.”

 

That made Inuyasha think of the Shikon no Tama. He put a hand in his haori and probed for it. Sure enough, the jewel was safely tucked away, though it had begun to grow hot.

 

“Kanaye, I have to save Kagome. I'll do it.”

 

“So you have come with a decision? Hm…good.”

 

Kanaye raised his remaining eye to Miroku, Sango, and Shippou. “All agreed?”

 

The remaining three nodded.

 

“Kanaye, one question,” Inuyasha asked. He pulled out the Shikon no Tama. It glittered in Inuyasha's hand, and the jewel's warm aura spread.

 

“You completed the jewel?” Kanaye said, his remaining eye staring at the jewel.

 

“Don't get interested,” he snarled.

 

“I'm not. Remember, the Shikon no Tama doesn't interest me.”

 

“I was wondering…we've traveled for a while, because we completed the Shikon no Tama first before defeating Naraku. But since then, no youkai have come after it.”

 

“Only a very, very powerful barrier could do that,” Kanaye said, his remaining eye traveling very fast. “May I…?”

 

Inuyasha never for a second let go of the jewel's chain, even though it was growing warm in his hand. (He was cautious; the last time he tried to touch the round jewel itself it gave him a shock so powerful his hair nearly stood on end.) Kanaye gently put his finger on the jewel. Or tried, for it repelled the shaman's finger. As Kanaye inspected his finger, a small burn had appeared, raw red.

 

“A barrier,” he concluded. “A barrier preventing youkai from sensing it or touching it and humans and hanyous from touching it. That takes…a very, very powerful person to put that on. And one who has a lot of spiritual power. Not even I could do this.”

 

Kagome, Inuyasha thought. Kagome did this…she put the barrier on it…so we wouldn't have to constantly deal with youkai…

 

Inuyasha put the Shikon no Tama back into his haori.

 

“Well, then,” he said. “Before I actually do anything, I will make sure that you know what I plan on doing. It can be complicated…

 

“As you know, Kagome is from `modern' times. Not only is the Bone-Eater's Well a portal from `modern' and this time, but there are multiple portals set by many other people. They can look like anything. This spell takes advantage of one…in the forest behind this house.”

 

“There's a portal there?” Sango asked.

 

“Very deep within, yes. This one can transport anyone and anything into `modern' time. However, the time it takes varies on how many people are going there.

 

“This spell is unique. When I put the spell on, you will be taken to `modern' times, but it will have given you information. Information you need to live in `present' times. Basically, this spell will give you everything you need to know to live and fit into `modern' times to the best of your ability.”

 

“Have you tried it before?” Miroku asked.

 

“I have tried it on artifacts, and on people. The people usually do not stay there, but in this case, I could try to make it permanent.”

 

“We'll see,” Inuyasha said dubiously.

 

“And I will be giving you something that will help you communicate with me between `modern' and this time. I've jinxed it so it changes appearance regularly to avoid suspicion. It becomes an artifact from `modern' times.”

 

“Are there hanyous in `modern' times?” Inuyasha asked. Normally, he wouldn't say anything about being a hanyou, but this was different.

 

“Well, when people come back they said they recognized youkai, so if there are youkai, there must be hanyous. They are well disguised, though, so that they aren't identifiable.

 

“There is a problem, though.”

 

“What?” Inuyasha demanded again.

 

“Due to the number of people—as I assume all of you are coming—it might take a bit longer than I'm used to.”

 

“How longer?” Miroku said.

 

“Three years.”

 

“WHAT?!” Inuyasha shouted rather loudly. “THAT long?!”

 

“I'm afraid so,” Kanaye said. “This setback would be enough for me to not make it permanent. But if you are so adamant to do so, Inuyasha, then I must say…I will do it.”

 

Inuyasha thought of Kagome, and how much of a baka he had been to her. If it meant that amount of time…so be it. He had to make it up to her, no matter what happened.

 

“I'll do it.”

 

“Count me in,” Shippou piped up.

 

“I will go,” Miroku said.

 

“I'm going, too,” Sango finished.

 

Kanaye closed his eyes. “Very well.”

 

:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0 :0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:

 

The thick forest behind Kanaye's house glowed with fall colors. The leaves fell to the ground, causing a crunching sound when stepped on. Some leaves were as red as Inuyasha's fire-rat haorihakama and some as golden as his eyes. Kanaye led the way, not speaking. The fact that Kanaye walked with a limp was much more pronounced here.

 

“How'd you hurt your leg?” Inuyasha inquired.

 

“I have Naraku to blame for that,” He said. “When he attacked the village where I lived and possessed my son, he struck me, and my leg has never healed since then.”

 

He stopped suddenly. “Here. The portal is here.”

 

Kanaye began to mark circles using anything he could find: charcoal, sticks, small rocks. As he did, Inuyasha cracked his knuckles loudly. “If you do one malicious thing, I swear…”

 

“Be rest assured, Inuyasha,” Kanaye said as he started on the fourth and final circle. “I will not. My purpose is to help those in need.” He paused. “Ah, that should do it.”

 

He walked to a large rock and sat down on it, rummaging through a burlap bag. It was obvious that he was in some magnitude of pain in his leg. “Each of you, step into one of the circles.”

 

Inuyasha and Shippou stepped in their circles, while Inuyasha watched the lame shaman with a good eye to make sure he held up his end of the deal.

 

“Uh-oh,” Shippou said. “Inuyasha…”

 

He turned.

 

“Oi! That's not a good idea!” Inuyasha barked loudly as Miroku stepped into the circle next to Sango's. Kirara stepped into her circle as well. “The lecher has a wandering hand.”

 

“Inuyasha, you underestimate me,” Miroku defended, but sure enough, he reached out and rubbed the smooth surface that was Sango's behind.

 

“Hentai!” She screamed, slapping him very hard.

 

Kanaye watched from afar with a slightly amused face. “You should refrain from that. I don't think she quite appreciates that.”

 

He placed a cobalt-blue rock in each of the circles. “This is used if you need to contact me, and vice-versa. I will warn you of any imminent danger. The `modern' world has its own dangers too.”

 

Kanaye limped back to his rock and sat down. “Inuyasha.”

 

“What?”

 

“Could you please come here?”

 

Kanaye received a sharp glare from Inuyasha, but he stepped up to the shaman.

 

“You need to wear this,” he said, holding up a talisman. Unfortunately, this talisman also looked like the kotodama rosary, except it was black. Before Inuyasha could blurt out “Hell no”, Kanaye added, “It is not a rosary, I promise you.”

 

“What the hell is it?”

 

“You will not be able to carry your Fang around all the time in `modern' times,” the shaman said. “I have been in your mind with my clairvoyance, Inuyasha, both as hanyou and youkai. When I was in your mind when your youkai has come loose, it was so painful that it nearly shattered my own mind. Your Fang is your barrier from the youkai within you…so I have infused this with a spell. As long as you wear this, your youkai blood will not consume you, even without the Fang. But do not take it off if you do not have your Fang with you…the results may be catastrophic.”

 

The first thing on Inuyasha's mind was How the hell does he know all this? However, he knew Kanaye was right, and he accepted the talisman.

 

“Thanks,” Inuyasha mumbled. “And the three of them know about the Tetsusaiga.”

 

Kanaye nodded to show his understanding.

 

Kanaye then spoke loudly as Inuyasha put on the talisman and stepped into his circle. “When I put the spell on, it will dull your senses into a state of sleep while it transports you. When you wake, you will be in `modern' times, and you will have all knowledge needed to live in that era. And, a warning to all of you, but especially to you, Inuyasha.”

 

“What?”

 

“When you enter modern times, you may meet Kagome. Keep in mind that if she is awake, she will not recognize any of you. Telling her about things that happened in the feudal era will not make her memory come back any faster than it will naturally. Her memory must be restored in time.”

 

“And the Shikon no Tama?”

 

“Remember that barrier,” Kanaye said. “It should be safe. Youkai cannot touch it because of the spirit barrier.”

 

Kagome's barrier, Inuyasha thought.

 

“Ready?”

 

Inuyasha turned his head to his comrades, and he nodded.

 

“Good luck to all of you,” Kanaye said.

 

Pure white light engulfed them. The light gave them a sense of light-headedness, of pure serenity. Inuyasha let himself succumb to the light's tranquility, and his senses dulled rapidly, which was amazing considering he was a hanyou. As he faded into the light, Inuyasha thought, I'm coming, Kagome. I'll save you.

 

I promise.

 

:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0 :0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:

 

Kathryne-San: Well, that's chapter three for you! Here's the one translation in this chapter:

 

Mika: Japanese girl name meaning “New Moon”

 

Yep…and evidently everyone is awake.

 

Inuyasha: Hmph!

 

Kathryne-San: Well?

 

Shippou: (Is being held by the tail by Inuyasha) Ow, Inuyasha!

 

Kathryne-San: Shippou! (Takes Shippou from Inuyasha) How'd you get him?

 

Inuyasha: I had to bribe him with Pocky.

 

Dana-Sama: (spots Shippou) Aww! He's so cute!

 

Kathryne-San: What about the rest of the group?

 

Inuyasha: Don't get your hopes up. I dunno.

 

Kathryne-San: Well, I really did need Shippou. Thank you, Inu-sama!

 

Inuyasha: Keh! (leaves room)

 

Shippou: What do you mean by that you need me?

 

Ruby-san: Well, you see…

 

blueangel326: Rikku-San and Starrilight-Hotaru are rabid Sesshoumaru fangirls. Mental.

 

Dana-Sama: If you can pin them with Jizou statues, it will be so much easier.

 

Shippou: (is smugly enjoying the attention) Well…

 

Kathryne-San: Shippou, please! They're nuts!

 

Shippou: If you give me Pocky, then I'll trap them.

 

Kathryne-San: (sigh) I hate this…but if it keeps Rikku-San and Starrilight-Hotaru away from Sesshoumaru…okay, Shippou.

 

Shippou: Yay!

 

Kathryne-San: (hands Shippou a box of Pocky) You'd better keep your promise, Shippou! I'm holding you to it!

 

Shippou: (through a mouthful of Pocky) Okay!

 

Kathryne-San: Ah, well. I should get more Pocky for Shippou, he's about to go through another box of it, so…Sayonara!