InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ It Must Be Destiny ❯ Chapter 19

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

Chapter 19

Amber yawned as she locked her apartment door. She set her groceries on the kitchen counter and tiredly put the meager contents away.

What a day… I can't believe he sat there for my whole shift!

He's hooked on you. Can't you see that?

I… I guess…

She glanced over at the patio, remembering the night before. Silently she opened the sliding door, stepping outside again into the cool air.

(“This is becoming a habit. At least you are adequately dressed this time.”)

Somewhat unsurprised, Amber turned and gave Inusouta a bored look. (“Do you have to follow me around like this?”)

(“I am not leaving here until I am convinced you are coming to the shrine tomorrow.”)

She sighed. (“Have it your way. Sleep on my balcony. I'm going to bed. And no, you can't come with me.”)

Damn.

She disappeared, closing the balcony door behind her and locking it. Not that that would stop a hanyou on a mission, but he was determined to prove to her that he had willpower.

He settled himself comfortably in the corner of her balcony, sitting much like his father used to when he'd sleep propped against the wall, only without a sword in his arms.

He slept, dreaming of a golden-haired angel.

.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.

He was still there in the morning, watching her as she got ready to leave for work.

She wondered how he would get down from her balcony now that he was human, so she politely offered him an exit through her apartment. He silently agreed.

He followed her downstairs, where they spoke one last time. She promised to go to the shrine that afternoon, when her shift was over. He told her he'd come get her if she didn't.

With that, they parted ways- she on the bus, he on his motorcycle.

This was going to be a long day.

.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.

Steeling her courage, Amber nodded to herself slightly and walked the last few steps up the shrine steps to the courtyard, dressed comfortably in jean shorts and a pink shirt, with white socks and tennis shoes on her feet. Her long golden hair was pulled back in a high ponytail with a pink ribbon.

Inusouta met her at the top and walked with her across the courtyard towards where his parents were waiting for her. Indeed, Kagome and Inuyasha stood silently in front of the old well-house, looking quite pleased.

Swallowing hard, she smiled weakly at them, Inusouta walking right beside her. She gave him a look that clearly stated she wasn't too thrilled with him. He shrugged, giving her a mysterious grin.

Kagome stepped forward, enveloping Amber in a warm hug. (“Amber-chan… we have some wonderful news for you. It's going to be a very long story, so perhaps we should go in the house.”)

Mutely she nodded, then followed the older couple into the house, with that blasted inu right behind her.

Kagome busied herself making a pot of tea as Amber and the two hanyous sat at the table. The American girl set her purse on the table and looked at Inuyasha expectantly.

Surprised, he raised an eyebrow. (“You expect me to start?”)

She nodded. (“Aren't you the lead dog around here?”) she asked with a grin.

Pride swelled his chest. (“Keh! Of course!”)

Inusouta rolled his eyes.

Kagome returned, bearing the teapot and four glasses on a tray. (“Amber-chan, the tale we have to tell you may seem rather… unbelievable. But every word of it is true, I promise you.”) Carefully she sat, pouring the tea as she spoke.

(“Twenty years ago, when I was fifteen, my old cat, Buyo, snuck into the well-house and my brother, Souta, pleaded with me to get him out. I was nervous, but I descended the steps inside anyway, searching for the wayward cat.

(“I found Buyo, but just as I tried to turn and leave, arms burst out of the well and pulled me down into it. It was a centipede youkai, looking for the Shikon no Tama.”)

(“Shikon no Tama,”) Amber whispered. She knew that phrase very well.

(“I managed to fight off the centipede youkai, but it was too late. I emerged from the well to find myself 500 years in the past- Sengoku Jidai, although at that moment, I didn't know that. I was confused and scared, but off in the distance I saw Goshinboku- the great god tree that we have here in our courtyard. I thought if I could just get to Goshinboku, I could get home.

(“When I reached the tree, I was shocked to see a silver-haired boy pinned to the tree with a single arrow through his heart.”) Kagome looked over at Inuyasha, who winked at her. (“He wasn't dead- instead, he seemed to be asleep. But there was something odd about this boy- he had two white dog ears on top of his head. Of course, I couldn't help myself- I had to rub them.”)

(“Ha! You finally admit it!”) Inuyasha smirked. Kagome blushed.

(“Suddenly I was surrounded by an old miko and several hunters from a nearby village. They were dressed in kimonos and haori and they found my clothing very strange to say the least. Given that I was dressed in my green and white school uniform, I can't say I was too surprised.

(“The centipede returned, obviously convinced that I was hiding the Shikon no Tama from it. It attacked me, and when I looked up, the dog-eared boy was staring down at me with these incredible gold eyes.”)

Inuyasha flushed, embarrassed. (“Stick to the story, wench. We ain't got all day.”)

Kagome gave him a sweet smile, meant as a reminder for only for him. (“He asked me why I didn't kill the youkai the way I killed him. Of course, at the time, I had no idea what he was talking about, as I had never seen him before. How could I have killed someone I've never seen, much less someone who's obviously standing there talking to me?”)

Amber knew. She knew that story very well. It was one of the stories her grandmother told her, over and over again. She remained silent though, believing this to only be a retelling of the same story. This couldn't possibly have happened.

(“The centipede attacked me again, ripping a hole in my side. Out of that hole, the Shikon no Tama appeared. It had been inside me all along. The centipede youkai swallowed the Shikon, intent on absorbing its incredible power.

(“The pinned boy asked me to release him from the seal the arrow had bound him with. I had no idea what he was talking about, but I pulled on that arrow with all my strength. It disappeared and he was released. He destroyed the evil centipede youkai, and then tried to kill me to get the jewel.”)

Inuyasha grew extremely uncomfortable. (“That was a long time ago. No need to get into that.”)

(“Regardless, I learned that I had fallen into a time warp of some sort and that I was the old miko's dead oneesan's reincarnation. That disturbed me, to say the least, especially when I learned that the boy I had released had been in love with the old miko's oneesan fifty years before.”)

The poor hanyou stood up, distinctly looking like he wanted to run. (“I need some air.”) With those strangled words, he left the house.

Inusouta shook his head. (“Cannot handle the truth, can he?”)

(“So… you say the story isn't just a legend,”) Amber murmured.

Kagome and Inusouta both looked at her, surprised. (“You… you know this story?”)

(“Hai. A young miko releases the hanyou of legend from the great god tree and together they travel all over Japan with a monk, a taijiya, and a young kitsune, defeating youkai while looking for the jewel shards. An evil creature known as Naraku ended up with the completed jewel but the miko managed to purify Naraku's evil heart. As a final act of vengeance, Naraku shattered the Shikon no Tama once again, forcing them to start their journey all over again.”)

Kagome blinked. (“That's the gist of it, yeah.”)

(“It's just a story. It isn't real. It's a legend- a fairy tale passed down through generations to entertain children. There's no way you could have been there.”)

Inuyasha opened the door and walked back in. (“Is all the stupid stuff over?”)

(“Itoshii… she already knows the story. She thinks that's all it is- a fairy tale. That it's impossible to travel to the past through a well.”)

He grinned. (“How do you explain me?”)

Amber shrugged. (“Youkai are practically immortal- hanyous must live much longer than humans, so it's possible that you are several hundred years old and you and Kagome-san concocted this tale to entertain the tourists.”)

The silver-haired hanyou smacked his forehead with his palm. (“Of all the baka ideas…”)

Inusouta exchanged a glance with his mother. “Maybe… we should just tell her about who you found and then show her.”)

She nodded. Turning back to the skeptical girl, she took a deep breath. (“Amber-chan, the reason we told you this is because we are still able to go through the well to visit the past. The monk and the taijiya, Miroku and Sango-chan, have gotten married and now have thirteen children.”)

Inuyasha coughed. (“Almost fourteen.”)

Inusouta's eyes widened. (“Obasan Sango's pregnant again?”)

His father nodded wryly. (“Due to whelp any day now.”)

(“Kami, Ojisan Miroku…”)

The older hanyou sniffed. (“I already bitched at him for it. He doesn't care.”)

Amber looked at them as if bored. (“What does this little tale have to do with me?”)

(“The other member of our little group,”) Kagome said.

(“The kitsune child. What about him?”)

The miko exchanged a glance with her mate. He nodded. (“Well… he's all grown up now. His name is Shippou. Do you know that name?”)

Amber furrowed her brow. (“Doesn't ring any bells.”)

(“He's about 26 now, mated with a son. His mate's name is Kohaku.”)

The American girl blinked. (“Kohaku?”)

(“She was named after her father, who died before he even knew she existed. Their son is also named Kohaku.”)

Her breath froze. She couldn't breathe. Impossible… there's no way…

(“You're making this up,”) she managed to say. (“You're just making all this up to make fun of me.”)

Kagome tried to protest but Inuyasha shrugged as if her angry words didn't affect him at all. (“Think what you want. Shippou believes that you're his descendant. He and his mate want to meet you.”)

She actually snorted. (“I have no intention of dying anytime soon, which would be the only way to get to the afterlife where they would be, so that's highly improbable.”)

Inusouta sighed. (“It looks like we'll just have to take her there and prove it to her.”)

Kagome nodded. (“Even if she can't go through, she'll see that we can, and that our story is true.”)

Amber looked at everyone with a slight trace of disgust. (“I can't believe how far you're going with this. Why would you do something so cruel?”)

Inuyasha stood up. (“Pup, grab your wench and let's go. I've had enough of this.”)

The “wench” in question nearly growled at him. (“I am not his wench. There's nothing between us.”)

Inusouta ignored her. (“What about Izayoi and Suki? Are they coming?”)

Kagome was already headed for the stairs. (“I'll get them now. We'll meet you at the village.”)

Amber looked around frantically. (“Wait! You're not seriously going to toss me in an old well, are you?”)

Inusouta grinned mischievously. (“You will just have to wait and see. If you are a good little girl…”)

(“You are such a bad dog!”)

Inuyasha actually chuckled. (“That's a good name for you, pup.”)

His son glowered. (“Knock that off, old dog…”)

(“Keh! This old dog could still whip a little puppy like you.”)

(“Bring it on!”)

His father smirked. (“Once we get to the village.”) With that, he was out the door in a flash.

Inusouta growled. (“I'll get that old teme sooner or later. He's just scared that I'll beat him.”)

Amber blinked in surprise. (“Inusouta, that's your otousan. Shouldn't you show some respect?”)

Gold eyes gleamed. (“Do you respect yours?”)

(“Of course not. But he didn't want me. Why should I respect someone like that?”)

(“Then you should know as well as I that just because he's my otousan doesn't mean that respect comes automatically.”)

Pieces clicked as he led her outside into the soft afternoon sunlight. (“Does this have anything to do with the fact that he still calls you a pup?”)

A nod was her only reply.

(“Come on, pups! Let's get this over with!”) Inuyasha's voice yelled across the courtyard, where he waited just inside the well-house.

Amber gave Inusouta her strictest stare. (“I've had enough of this foolishness. Just quit the joke already- it's not funny in the least.”)

The handsome man gave her a breathtaking smile. Oy vey… I wish he wouldn't do that. Then I can't remember what I'm protesting.

Perhaps… you should just go with them and see. Maybe they're telling you the truth.

Are you nuts? There's no way that a dried-up old well can transport us to the Feudal Era.

You never know. Remember what Obaasan always said.

Melancholy filled her briefly. How she missed her grandmother. Her gentle, patient voice reminding her that she was special, that there was something very wonderful about her, just waiting to be revealed. The most innocuous things, she said, sometimes held the greatest miracles.

Taking a deep breath, she gave him a weak smile in return. (“Very well, my friend. Let's try this and see what happens,”) she said with more confidence than she was feeling as she descended the steps to the old dry well. She peered over the edge, seeing only darkness.

Inuyasha nodded in approval as he grabbed hold of her arm. Inusouta gently grasped her hand, holding it tightly. (“That's the spirit,") the older hanyou said gruffly.

Inusouta gave her hand an encouraging squeeze. “Here we go,” he murmured in English, hoping that she'd appreciate the sentiment.

Indeed, surprise and gratefulness filled her eyes as Inuyasha leapt into the well, pulling her and his son with him.