InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ It Must Be Destiny ❯ Chapter 5

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

Chapter 5

He froze. “A… hanyou?”

She chuckled a little. “Yeah. A hanyou is the result of a youkai and a human mating… I'm sure you've never heard of it. After all, youkai and hanyou are only legends.”

“R-right.”

“But… just for a moment… I thought you were a hanyou.” She chuckled again. “Just wishful thinking, I guess.”

He raised an eyebrow at her in confusion. “Wishful thinking?”

She nodded. “I've always been interested in youkai and hanyou folklore. Tales of the great Inu no Taishou and his sons, the battle with the great Ryukotsusei that killed him… it's all so fascinating.”

“F-fascinating,” he choked out.

“Yes. That's why I've decided to draw a picture of that painting of the Inu no Taishou that I showed you. I could tell you stories about his hanyou son that would make your hair curl.” She grinned.

Inusouta struggled to breathe. “The… Inu no Taishou… he had… a hanyou son?”

Nodding again, she put her finger on her chin and tapped it, pondering. “I can't remember his name… He had an older brother, I think, that was a full youkai. He inherited the Western Lands when the Inu no Taishou died… but then his fate fades into history.” Scowling, she concentrated harder, unaware of the internal reactions of the man next to her. “Now what the bloody hell was his name?”

Thinking quickly, Inusouta changed the subject. “Bloody hell? What kind of phrase is that for an American to say? Does that not originate from England?”

She grinned sheepishly. “I can't help it. I don't like to swear, so I just use bloody hell when I need to curse.” She leaned closer to him and whispered loudly. “I also have been known to add an eh at the end of sentences… somehow I picked that up from the Canadians.”

“Any other odd phrases I should be aware of?” he asked, his features somber although an amused glint was in his eyes.

“Um… oy vey,” she replied in all seriousness. “That's one of my favorites.”

He groaned. “Very appropriate.”

She glanced at him. “So why did you come in here? Surely it wasn't to hear tales from my Obaasan.”

“Actually, my okaasan wanted to know if you were awake and desired some breakfast.”

Standing, she smiled. “Sure. I'm starving!”

He stood as well and followed her out of the room and into the kitchen, where only Kagome remained. Inusouta looked around warily. (“Where is Otousan?”)

(“Outside,”) his mother replied, sliding a finished omelet onto a plate for Amber. “Eat up, dear. You must be famished.”

(“Arigatou,”) Amber replied, pronouncing the word quite well. Kagome beamed at her.

(“What have you planned for today, Inusouta?") Kagome asked him, pulling him aside. (“Your otousan said he'd go to her apartment and get her belongings to bring them here, but he needs to you ask her to stay.”)

Inusouta nodded. (“I will ask her now, then. The sooner she is settled in here, the sooner we can begin the task of teaching her Japanese.”)

The handsome young man turned to Amber, who was picking at her food daintily. “My otousan and I thought that, perhaps, it might be beneficial to us both if you were to take up residence here for the remainder of your holiday.”

She blinked. The cultured words rolled off his tongue like honey. “Live here? Y-you mean… with your family?”

“Hai,” he said with a nod to convey his agreement. “You may take up occupancy in my hiijiji's old room- it has long been unoccupied.”

“B-but… how can I afford to pay you for such a nice room? Surely it will cost more than the rent I'm paying now.”

Kagome turned around, smiling. “Don't worry about the cost, Ryoushi-chan. You can help around the shrine- that will be enough.”

Amber looked bewildered. “A-are you sure? I mean, I don't want to be a bother…”

Inusouta stood up and looked at her with an expressionless face. “You will be more of a bother if I am required to escort you to that appalling neighborhood every evening.”

“Inusouta! Stop that! You're scaring the poor girl!” Kagome scolded him, thwapping him on the arm with her spatula.

“Ow!” he muttered, glancing at his mother. (“Gomen… I just wanted to convince her to stay.”)

(“Apologize to her, not to me!”)

He turned back to Amber, who was staring at him as if afraid he might eat her up. “I apologize, Amber-san. My intentions were not to frighten you, but to make you see reason and convince you to move your belongings to our shrine.”

Amber sat in silence for a moment. Her reverie was broken as a pretty young girl bounced into the room. She wore a pair of red track shorts and a white tank top covering a matching red sports bra, and her long silver hair was pulled back into a ponytail with a red scrunchie.

The American girl blinked at the new arrival. Silver hair? It was true. The young girl couldn't have been more than thirteen years of age, yet she had silver-white hair, the same shade that her obaasan had.

There was no way that the girl's hair was bleached. Even bleached hair never turned silver, or even white. It had to be natural.

(“Good morning, minna!”) the silver-haired girl chirped cheerfully as she plucked an apple from the fruit basket hanging by the sink. (“I've got track practice today, so I'll probably be home around dinnertime.”) Her chocolate brown eyes fell on the blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl staring at her in mute surprise.

(“Hey, Oniisan,”) the girl said with a pleasant smile. (“Who's your pretty friend?”)

“Suki, this is Ryoushi Amber,” Inusouta explained in English. “It appears that she will be staying here at the shrine for the time being.”

Suki scratched her head, translating what he said. (“Her name is Amber-chan? And she's staying here?”)

“Very good,” her brother said proudly. He had been teaching his baby sister English, claiming that it would be a good investment for her future, since the language was spoken almost all over the world. She had progressed wonderfully, proving that she had more of their mother in her than their father.

The silver-haired girl stepped up next to Amber and offered her right hand. “Hello… Amber-chan. My name… is Suki. I am 'Souta's… youngest sister.”

Kagome beamed. Inusouta nodded his approval. Amber blinked as she shook the proffered hand. (“Konnichi…wa, Suki-san.”) she said, faltering over the word slightly. “I'm afraid I don't know too much more Japanese than that.”

The younger girl smiled. “Do not… worry about it. You will know soon.”

She turned to her mother and brother, blowing kisses as she ran out the door with her apple. (“Bye! I'll catch you guys tonight at dinner.) Nice to meet you, Amber-chan!”

In the silence that followed Suki's departure, Amber glanced up at Inusouta, a question in her sapphire eyes. He raised an eyebrow. “What?”

Amber took a deep breath. “She… she has… silver…hair.”

“Hai, she does. She received that from our otousan.”

At that moment, the door opened again and a man entered, clad in grey sweatpants and a red t-shirt. An old katana was held tightly in one hand. A red bandana adorned the top of his head and he, too, had long silver hair- nearly to his waist. He looked like he had just finished working out. With an old sword?

His back was turned as he closed the sliding door. The man snorted, making Amber jump. He turned, bright gold eyes staring into the matching ones of his son. Amber held back a gasp as she saw faint, jagged lavender markings on the man's cheeks. Makeup? On someone's father? (“Well, pup? What did she say?”)

Inusouta clenched a fist. (“In case you have failed to notice, sir, I ceased to be a `pup' a long time ago.”)

(“Keh! I don't care if you're as old as my bastard aniki. You're still a pup.”)

Kagome placed a hand on the man's arm. (“Itoshii, onegai. You're being rude. Introduce yourself to Inusouta's new friend.”)

Crossing his arms and heaving a sigh, he turned to Amber, who was staring at him in mute fascination. He bowed, albeit grudgingly. (“Konnichiwa. I'm Inusouta's otousan, Inuyasha.”)

Amber blinked. She only understood a few of the words, but she was certain she misunderstood a couple. She turned to Inusouta. “Did… did he just say… his name is Dog Demon?”

Inusouta suppressed a wince. “Hai. Is… there a problem?”

Amber turned thoughtful eyes back to his father. “Well… no… but that name… it sounds so familiar…”

(“Oi, pup! What the hell is she saying? I can't understand her!”) Inuyasha grumped.

(“Ryoushi-chan only speaks English,”) Kagome whispered. (“Inusouta has offered to teach her Japanese while she's here.”)

Suddenly Amber's sapphire eyes went wide as she snapped her fingers. “Now I remember! Inuyasha was the name of the Inu no Taishou's hanyou son! I knew it sounded familiar!”

Kagome and Inusouta both froze. Inuyasha just looked ticked. (“Oi! What is she saying about my old man and me being a hanyou? How in all the hells does she know that?!”)

Inusouta growled at his father, making Amber jump and stare at him in shock. (“Damn it, Otousan! She does not know that we are hanyou!”) He faced off against the older man, his gold eyes shooting sparks. (“She was given a painting of the Inu no Taishou by her deceased obaasan, and one of the `stories' she is acquainted with is about the Inu no Taishou taking a ningen mate and siring a hanyou son!”)

Inuyasha's golden eyes went wide in surprise. (“No shit…”) he murmured as he sat down abruptly. He stared at the confused American girl. (“She's… she's got a picture of my old man?”)

(“She is not aware that the Inu no Taishou is your sire!”) his son hissed. (“To her thinking, youkai and hanyous are simply legends.”)

Amber cleared her throat. “Um… I'm sorry… but did I… say something wrong?”

Inusouta turned back to the worried-looking girl. “No. My otousan was just making stupid comments that irritate me.”

She let out a relieved breath. “Thank goodness. I was rather worried that I had caused you two trouble with my idiotic statements.”

“We are always at odds,” he replied dryly. “Do not concern yourself.”

She brightened slightly. “Do… do you think you could tell your otousan… that I think it's really neat that he's named after the Inu no Taishou's legendary hanyou son?”