InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ His Past, Her Present, Their Future ❯ Reminiscence ( Chapter 40 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimer: No own InuYasha.

To answer about 10 reviewers: Well DUH it’s Shippou. XD Cliché, cliché, cliché. I can’t help it. I like him finding her…besides, if I bring Sesshou right now, it’s the end!!! *gasp*!!! So, yes. ;) Now we all get some more -WHAAA- connections between times. Hoobah.

APOLOGY AND EXTENDED RANT AT END OF CHAPTER! Along with future writing endeavors!


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His Past, Her Present, Their Future
Chapter 40 - Reminiscence

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He had the girl’s full attention now, Ayumi forgotten. She turned to look at him, her face stained with tears as the man approached her. Something in her screamed familiarity, but she couldn’t place it. She was afraid to.

His chin quivered, and Kagome quickly found herself tackled to the ground, but neither heard Ayumi’s protests. Kagome was stunned but stared up as dark sunglasses were thrown off to reveal brilliant green eyes and a wide smile split the man’s face, “Momma!”

Kagome blinked rapidly up at the seemingly innocuous man that had her in a vice grip on the ground, her mind trying to put all the pieces together. His appearance was rather every-day, but his eyes…looking into his eyes there was only one explanation, “Shi-Shippou-chan?”

“Kami, Kagome!” he screamed, and buried his face in her neck.

Kagome’s sobs began anew, but this time it was not in sadness or pain. This was pure love, happiness radiating off of her in waves, Ayumi still standing dumbstruck on the sidelines. Thank goodness this part of the village was so out of the way, because it would surely be thought strange to see a fully grown man holding a woman on the dirt ground as she wept.

“My baby, oh sweetheart,” she cried, “You’re so big! Oh, I missed you!”

“How are you here? It hasn’t been long enough!”

“I know, I never knew for sure how long it was in between, I just assumed. I guess I was wrong.”

“Oh Momma, there’s so much I have to tell you! You’re a several times over great grandmother…you have to meet my pups! Oh god, this is going to be one hell of a party…”

Kagome laughed, only slightly hysterical now, “Gods, I’m a grandma! I’ve missed so much, tell me it all!”

“Iie, I can’t Momma, as much as I want to. Can I come to your place tonight? I’ll be happy to tell you everything. Its such a huge story…”

“That many years will do that.”

“Hai….oh gods, you’re back! Wait until I tell everyone! Oh Kami-sama…Sesshoumaru-papa…”

“He’s alive, right?!” Kagome said, finally pushing the kitsune off her and bolting upright, trying not to let her mind wander to the insane giggles threatening her to hear him call Sesshoumaru ‘Papa’.

“Hai, hai Momma. Of course. But…I’m not sure how to get a hold of him…”

Kagome shook, but was deliriously happy at the confirmation of her loves life. Her grin split her face and she dug into her nearly forgotten purse, pulling out a pen and paper, “Here’s my address, come tonight anytime. I doubt I’ll be sleeping.”

“Of course,” the kitsune grabbed her and swooped her into his arms, crushing her against him, “I missed you so much.”

“I missed you too, sweetheart,” she said, a few more tears escaping her eyes.

“Gotta go for now, but I’ll be there this evening.”

Without another word, the fox took off running and just for a moment Kagome swore she saw a glimpse of auburn hair and a fluffy tail. Kagome brushed herself off and tried to scrub the tears from her face, but found they wouldn’t stop. She laughed, the tears falling freely and danced in a little circle.

Ayumi didn’t know what was going n, but she intended to get answers. For years she hadn’t pushed, but this was just too much. She had been reeling so hard from hearing the man call her young friend ‘Momma’ that she had only absorbed part of their conversation. Like the part about the man going to Kagome’s house that evening. In her friend’s current state of mind, she didn’t think it was such a good idea.

“K…Kagome?” Ayumi broke through.

Kagome stopped frozen in her tracks, gaping at the ground. Ayumi had been there the entire time. ‘Kuso!’ her mind supplied, frantically running around itself for an explanation. Maybe playing it off? “Yes, Ayumi-chan?” she said brightly, turning to face her friend.

The look on the girl’s face told Kagome she would not be playing this off, “Kagome, what in the hell is going on? I’m sorry to push, but I have to know or I am going to take you to the doctor! That man looked at least our age, but he was calling you mother and you didn’t scream bloody murder?! What the hell is going on?”

Kagome sighed and shook her head, closing her eyes tightly, “Ayumi…this is a long story.”

“I’m not going anywhere. I haven’t in this long, have I?”

A small smile surfaced, though her eyes stayed tightly shut, “For the rest of today, promise me you will try to believe everything I tell you. I have proof at home, and when Shippou-chan comes tonight, he will be able to prove more than a photo album every could. But please, promise me you are not going to freak out and call the police or a mental institution, ne?”

Ayumi was hesitant to enter into any agreement, but she trusted Kagome, no matter how off-kilter she was at the moment, “All right. Just tonight though, okay? I’m really worried.”

Kagome breathed a sigh of relief and opened her eyes, the usual dark blue almost cerulean in her joy, “I’ll explain everything when we get home, but for now…” she laughed, “Kami, I’ve always wanted to tell you.”

“Tell me what?!”

“You know my books, Ayumi?”

“Of course! I read them long before anyone else!”

“Hai. Well…they aren’t fiction.”

The slightly older girl laughed, grinning, “That’s funny, Kagome-chan. Of course they are!”

A loud sigh, “Ayumi, remember about trying to believe me? My books, down to nearly every detail…was my life. When I was missing all that school? Those were my adventures. Please, the busses are going to leave us, can we talk about this at home?”

Ayumi was pale as a sheet now, but nodded somewhat mechanically. Her mind didn’t want to believe it…but Kagome said she had proof? And she had promised to not freak out and call anyone until the night was over…

So instead, she waited for her friend to mutter a few words to the ancient graves and followed dazedly after her, mind whirling endlessly.

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Finally back in Kagome’s apartment, Ayumi seemed to remember her voice, “Okay, you’re going to have to start at the beginning…”

“Why? You know everything! Sure, not every single day, but you know every huge event of my life in those years, what is there to explain? The books are real, Ayumi.”

“But, how?!”

“At my mother’s shrine, there is a well. That well was the portal between here and the Sengoku Jidai. Just like in the story. InuYasha was real, Sango and Miroku were real, and Shippou…well, you saw him today.”

“That man?!”

“My baby grew up,” she said softly, her eyes bright with repressed tears.

“This is a lot to try to understand, Kagome…”

“Hai, I know it is. But please, give me a chance, ne?”

The next hours were spent in photo albums, with Kagome showing her friend all of the characters she had read about. Her friend seemed to be slowly understanding, coming to terms with the idea of such a fantastic tale. Kagome passionately spoke about her friends, her family in its own way, and her love. Sesshoumaru. She spent many tears telling her how hard it had been to miss him, to not know if he had survived.

It was nearly sunset when the doorbell, and Kagome dashed across the living room to answer, grinning at the tousled dark head in front of her, two large and tempting-smelling pizzas in his arms, “I brought grub, hope you’re hungry!”

Kagome blinked several times, “You brought two pizzas for only us?”

“I grew up around InuYasha, remember?”

This startled a laugh, her eyes sparkling like they hadn’t in months. She hugged the youkai around the pizzas and led him in, motioning to her friend, “This is Ayumi, Shippou-chan.”

He looked only mildly disconcerted, “Hi!” he said jovially.

Kagome looked at him pensively, circling him like she was appraising him, “You’re too skinny.”

“Mo…err…Kagome…” he recovered sheepishly.

“She knows, don’t correct yourself.”

This made him choke, “Eh?”

Kagome smiled and trotted to her bookshelf, pulling out the four published books in her series and plopping them into his dumbstruck arms, “You know most of this, but you might have fun, ne? I’ve been writing these for three years, several top-sellers, you know.”

Her adopted son looked down at the books in his grasp incredulously, “YOU wrote these? I remember laughing with Kagura about how silly the idea sounded…”

Kagome scowled, “Hey, damnit! You know it’s all true!”

A roguish grin split his still-boyish features, “How should I know? I’ll have to read and see how close to the truth you made it. I better be the most amazing and powerful fighter…one look at me and Naraku went poof!”

“Oh, of course! My brilliant protector!”

Both burst into giggles, and Shippou set down the books and pulled her once more into his arms, “I missed you so much, Momma. I can’t count how many times I’ve just droned on to one of my kids or grandkids about you, our adventures…”

“Where is your tail?” Kagome fairly burst out, unable to wait anymore.

Shippou stopped and blinked, then giggled at her, “That is the most important thing to you?”

“Yes! Where is your tail, and are you dying your hair?!”

Another giggle, “No Momma, illusion spell. Kitsune, remember?”

He stepped back, and Ayumi watched with baited breath. Kagome was really telling the truth unless this man was an insane as she was. His lips moved without sound and in a barely seen flash of light, stood the same man, but different. Pupils now slits, dark hair a bright auburn, a long twitching appendage protruding from his rear, and when he grinned towards her with a conspiratorial wink, fangs were obvious.

“Now that’s better! Gods, do you know how good it feels to see a youkai after all this time?! Until last night, I thought you were all gone!”

“Last night? Don’t you mean this afternoon?” Shippou asked, his head canting to the side just a little.

“Iie, last night. I had InuYasha pop into dreamtime for the first time since…well…you know.”

“How is he?”

“Good,” she grinned, “Bored and a little pissy that no one informed him about Sesshoumaru and me.”

“You mean he didn’t know?!”

She giggled, “Nope, his father thought it would be funny to not tell him until he heard it from me…and osuwari him for his reaction.”

“You can still ‘sit’ him in death?”

“You bet!”

Another round of laughter later, all three were on the couch munching pizza. Ayumi remained a silent observer; this wasn’t her conversation but damned if she would leave now. Kagome sighed and turned to the illusion-less fox youkai, her eyes smiling, “So, you have children? Who is your mate? When can I meet her? How many children and grandchildren?”

She would have kept going, but she saw the flash of pain that crossed his eyes, and he set down his slice of food silently, looking over her head at the ceiling. The look on his face was calm and straight, and reminded her a hell of a lot of Sesshoumaru. She shivered, but only at the difference in personality, “Shippou?”

“I have to start from the beginning, Ma. You’re not going to like some of this…”

“It’s alright,” she cut in, “I don’t care, I want to know.”

“Hai, hai. Well, you know I went to live with Sango and Miroku after you left the last time, right? I knew they wouldn’t live forever, so I thought I should spend as much time as I could with them…you were gone for years, InuYasha was dead, and I liked the castle but I needed familiarity. So, I went to them, and learned a lot. I was a lot closer to my first century than any of us thought, and it only took about seven years before I looked like I was in my late teens. I had gone out for a job, my first one by myself…and when I came back…

“I couldn’t save them. The youkai were overrunning the walls, to this day we don’t know why. I helped fight them off, but by the time the battle was over, Miroku was gone and Sango was close to it.”

Kagome bit her lower lip hard enough to draw blood, her eyes stuck on the emerald ones of her son as he continued, “She said…she told me to tell you she missed you, and that we’d all be together again someday. She told me to be strong to reach you, so that I could keep you safe. She went peacefully, to be with Miroku.”

Tears fall down all three people’s cheeks now, though Ayumi didn’t know why it affected her so deeply. She silently cried and watched the pair embrace. Kagome finally steadied herself and nodded, signaling him to go on with his story. He breathed deeply, “Well, after that I went back to Sesshoumaru. He was doing pretty shitty without you, but he didn’t let it show. But, Rin and I could read it in his eyes. Gods know why, but he started telling us we could call him otou-san. Rin did, but I just used Sesshoumaru-papa. It was the most hilarious thing when one of us would slip and say it in front of a servant or visiting noble…

“Well, by the time I got there, we were both grown up, and I can’t tell you how it happened, but within a year Rin and I ended up mated.”

Kagome choked on the soda she was drinking, setting the cup on the coffee table, “You and Rin-chan?!”

He grinned, “Hai. Sesshoumaru was wary to give her away, but we were in love and he’s just a softie at heart.”

Kagome snickered before sobering, “Go on, hun. I know there’s more.”

“Of course. Well, Sesshoumaru and I ended up going on a journey together. He had heard about an herb that supposedly extended life, and went out to find it. Sesshoumaru, of course, was thinking of you as well as Rin, and I was thinking of extending my mate’s and mother’s lives. It took us two years, but we found where it grew…it was a bitch to find.”

“Rin-chan is still alive, then?” Kagome rushed out excitedly, before seeing the pain once again in Shippou’s eyes.

“I lost her about a century and a quarter ago. The herb worked…but after a while her body just failed her. There wasn’t time to find the herb again, within a couple of months she had aged twenty years externally and even more inside. We had seven pups by then, two which look just like her. They all know all about you, Kagome. Don’t be sad for Rin, she lived a good, long life. A lot longer than she thought she would, and she was happy to spend it with Sesshoumaru and me.”

Kagome sighed heavily and nodded, “I just got my hopes up that she would still be here. But I get to meet your children, right?”

“Of course! Actually, I have kinda ironic news on that note…”

“Yeah?”

“Its actually hilarious if you ask me…I can’t wait to tell Sesshoumaru. He’ll laugh…yeah, he does laugh sometimes. Rarely, but he does. But this…it’s rich. Totally priceless.”

“Spit it out!!”

A crooked smirk appeared and he looked her up and down, making her blink rapidly, “You’re actually one of my descendants.”

Kagome choked, “‘Scuze me?”

“My second son, Ryoku, took a human mate, making their children quarter youkai. His oldest daughter was impregnated by a human, making their child an eighth. It went on like that, until your dad. Funny how this fate stuff works, huh?”

Kagome couldn’t answer, just blinked stupidly at him. So…Rin and Shippou were her great-great-greatgreatgreat grandparents. Small world? She thought not. Shippou was right, fate was funny. Her laughter was immediate and boisterous, falling over into her ancestor/son. Her voice was hiccupping, “Ne, we should go on an American talk show. ‘My mother is my great-great-granddaughter!’”

Ayumi coughed a little, calling the other two to finally blink in surprise and remember she was there. She blushed and smiled, “I’m sorry to interrupt you guys…but I think I need to go home and get some sleep. This is a lot to ingest…”

“Hai, it is,” Kagome said, “Imagine living it. Call me tomorrow?”

“Of course, goodnight, Kagome-chan. Nice to meet you, Shippou-san.”

The fox grinned, “Just Shippou is fine. It’s good to meet you too. Hope to talk again sometime.”

As the girl left, Kagome collapsed against Shippou’s shoulder, “I hope she realizes I’m not crazy now.”

“Hmm, I wouldn’t go that far, Momma,” he giggled, pulling the younger woman close to him, sighing in content, “But I am so glad to have you here again. It’s been so long…I’ve had so many adventures. Nothing compares to going against Naraku though. It may have been ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday.”

Kagome laughed wryly, “For me it practically was. I can still close my eyes and see it…I walk through this city and want to laugh at the things people find exciting or wonderful. I wish everyday I could have just lived out my life there.”

“You’ll love Iwaku Isle then…”

“Iwaku? I’ve never heard of it.”

“Sesshoumaru bought an smallish southern island about a century ago, right before he left…it’s a haven for youkai. You’d be one of the only humans ever to be allowed there…other than Rin. It has a large city there of youkai, free to roam in their natural forms, or their humanoid ones without illusions. It’s very natural and an escape for all of us. I know you’d be allowed, since you are the Lady of the West.”

Kagome smiled and sighed quietly, “I can’t wait. Where is Sesshoumaru, Shippou? Why isn’t he here? I know I am not yet expected, but…”

“He had to, Kagome. Though the government is fully aware of us all, and provide us with new birth certificates every fifty or so years, but if your life was eventful then you have to leave for a while. Sesshoumaru has never really had a problem with that, because he’s so low-profile…but the last twenty years were good enough to him that he gained notice, so he had to get out for a bit.”

“What did he do to get noticed?”

Shippou snickered, “Were you fully aware of that that book you have him contained?”

“Umm, history?”

“Did you read it?”

“No…” Kagome said slowly.

“Well, it highlighted an awful lot on stock-trading…let’s just say it gave us good hints on what to buy in on. We’ve all made quite a savings because of that book, but Sesshoumaru especially. We never really needed jobs anyway, but that gave us an extra boost.”

“Wow…well, I’m glad it worked out well for you guys. So you don’t work?”

“Not really…I go back to school in every life to understand more that has been discovered…I specialize in biology and chemistry. I don’t do much other than collecting ‘relics’ and work with museums…I am the main backer for the Taijiya no Sato, that’s why I was there today.”

“Wow, I’m proud of you,” Kagome said, trying to hide her wide yawn. It was nearly midnight by now, and leaning against the boy was very comforting on several levels.

“If you’re tired, you should sleep, Kagome,” he said softly, toying with her hair, “Now that I’m here, you won’t get any peace from me. And don’t worry, I’ll set about the chain of contact to get word to Sesshoumaru first thing tomorrow. Just sleep.”

Kagome nodded blearily and vaguely felt herself being lifted before falling deeply in the darkness of sleep…except this time, the darkness wasn’t dark at all…it was amber.


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A/N: EXTRA LONG APOLOGY CHAPTER! GOMEN NASAI, MINNA!

Arg, I’m very sorry for the delay, this chapter has been sitting mostly done in my story folder since my past post…but life got hectic. My best friend (Raine Ishida, check out her work on FF! -shameless plug, ne?-) got time off work to come visit, so I’ve been gallivanting around with her and being shameless fan girls…I’m very sorry for the delay.

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Raine Ishida here: Thank you for your patience, fellow reviewers. I myself have been eagerly waiting for this chapter, and I’ll have you know I yelled at Katie quite a bit after proofreading this chapter for her. Heh. Anyway, my two weeks vacation are almost up, so…you can have her back when I’m done, ok? Thanks again for your patience. ^_^

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Also, I’ve started (in my outer, not yet posted) several stories. For those of you who have asked: My next story will not be a Sess/Kag! I’m sorry, guys. I WILL though, after a bit, have another one started….but I have a lot of other story ideas first. For those curious…I’ll outline them quickly. Give me feedback. ;)

1. InuYasha - Mattaki/Kagome
My first idea (though its been backburner-ed due to fangirlism) was made back when I had barely began this fic. I kept putting off beginning it, to make sure I focused on this story. Its an InuPapa/Kags story set in Feudal times, non-AU and post-Naraku. A spirit befriends Kagome, and slowly he’s beginning to take a more solid form…who is it? :P Will he find a reason to become more than just a shadow? Three chapters written.

2. Saiyuki - Sanzo/Goku
Okay, I recently became utterly obsessed with this pairing. OMG. I have never been much of a yaoi fan (not a homophobe or anything, I am TOTALLY Prideful, being bi myself and having gay guys around me constantly, hehe…just never liked any yaoi pairings) but I became obsessed with them. What is it with me and cold-seeming characters and innocent/sweet/happy characters to melt them?!?!?!?!? AHH It will be a Gunlock romance, with a little Hakkai/Gojyo thrown in for fun. Kanzeon gets bored and orders a spell put on a couple members of the Sanzo-ikkou…and Sanzo wakes up in Goku’s bed?! Six chapters written.

3. Kingdom Hearts - Riku/Sora
Okay, after my obsession with Sanzo/Goku came into the light, I was discussing with my Raine about how they are the only yaoi pairing I liked. THIS IS HER FAULT. All she had to say was “What about Riku and Sora?” and I opened my mouth to deny…then thought about it,…then read fics….AHH. Another darker char with a sweet innocent one. Tis a fetish, perhaps? XD Not to mention my KH2 Riku obsession. Gods, he’s only 16! AHH! I’m a pedophile! Co-write with Raine Ishida, Post KH2, the boys find a portal to an AU dimension in which their alter-egos live together and other Riku has rather obvious affections for his friend. How will this affect the relationship of the observing duo? -wink- Storyline laid out, not yet written.

4. InuYasha - Sesshou/Kags
Finally, my other Sess/Kags idea. This will not be until I write all those other stories, but it will be a more action-y romance. An interesting trick of Naraku ends up with Sesshoumaru and InuYasha bound to one another, making them unable to be out of the other’s immediate area. How will they keep from murdering one another? Kagome gets in the middle, of course. -grin- Interesting idea I thought…since there are similar ideas with Sess/Kags being bound…but never seen a Inu/Sess binding. Will be great, and humorous. XD Nothing written for it yet.

If you’re still reading this…I love you. Eternallllllyyyyyyy. -glomp-