InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Leiko ❯ Yamainu's Gift ( Chapter 6 )

Chapter Six

Yamainu's Gift

 

Leiko opened her eys and ran her claws over the soft soil inside the well. The dank smell of the old well house filled her nostrils. She was finally home. With a groan, Leiko rose to her feet and leapt out of the well. She'd getten used to her youkai abilities over teh past four days with the helpful training of a few members fo Kouga's pack. It had come as second nature to he once she'd gotten used to the increased speed, heightened scense of smell, and the intensified hearing.

Her keen nose caught the scent of food being cooked and her mouth watered. She hadn't lacked food wiht the wolf pack, but she'd missed her mother's cooking. Leiko moved to the door and moved out into the yard. She was at the door to her house within seconds. With a heavy sigh, Leiko entered her house.

She moved into the living room where her father and little sister were watching t.v. Inuyasha glanced over at her and did a double take of the person standing on the threshold. His mouth fell open as he stared at his daughter. Akira looked at what her father was staring at and her eyes widened.

"KAGOME!" Inuyasha yelled.

"What is it?" she called from the kitchen.

"Your daughter's home." he said simply.

Kagome strolled into the living room and dropped the plate she'd been drying. She grasped the door frame for support as she stared at her daughter. They'd takedn it better than Leiko had expected.

"Before anyone says anything, let me explain." she said and lauched into the explanation of everything that had happened in the past four days.

Of course, she left out the part about Yamainu kissing her. When she finished, Kagome sank into a chair and stared at the floor. They all knew it as true and there was no way to change it. Inuyasha rose to his feet and glared at his oldest daughter.

"Kagome," he said in a low tone. "Take Akira upstairs adn pt her to bed."

Kagome looked at her husband and then at her daughter. With a quick gestured to little Akira she left the living room and headed up the stairs. Once the door to Akira's room closed, Inuyasha exploded.

"You stayed wiht a pack of mangy wolves! Haven'lt I taught you better than that? I still don't understand how you managed to get the Shikon no Tama, but like you mother, you screed up once you got it!" he shouted.

"It was an accident! I didn't know htat Tenma was gonna show up! " Leiko shouted back. "And why are you so against me staying wiht Yamainu and te wolf pack?! They've taken care of me."

Inuyasha glared at his daughter. It was then that he noticed a strand of long brown hair, hidden among her silver tresses. Ge closed the gap between the mand plucked the hair off of her shirt. Leiko's eyes widened. Now she waas in for it. Inuyasha's glare intensified.

"What's this?!" he demanded.

"Looks like a hair to me." Leiko replied flatly.

Inuyasha ground his teeth. "I can see that. Who's it for?"

"Yamainu."

"You're just like your mother. Hanging around wht those damned wolves!" he yelled and his eyes caught sight of the claw marks on her arm. "Are those clw marks?!"

Leiko looked down at her arm where Yamainu's claws had dug into her flesh during their kiss.

"Yep." she replied.

"Now I'm gonna have go check you fro rabies!"

That was the last straw. He didn't even know Yamainu. What gave him the right to say such things about her friend? She returned her father's icy glare.

"The only rabid person here is you!" she screamed and stormed to her room.

She slammed her door and fell onto her bed. If this was how it as going to be then she was only going to stay for a day or two. As she fell into a fitfull sleep, her last conscious tought was of Yamainu's claws digging into her skin and his lips pressed hard on hers. With a small sigh, she fell asleep.

 

***

 

Yamainu had lettle trouble sleeping that night. When he wok, Keiyo and Garou were awake and eating like half-starved pups. He sat up and ran his hand down his face. A kindly old woman had allowed them to sleep in her barn for the night and she said thay could use it whenever they liked. Yamainu took a fish from over teh fireadn began to eat.

"Keiyo," he said through a mouthful of fish.

"Don't talk with your mouth full." the cougar demaon ordered.

The wolf youkai ignored her and continued. "I need to go and see and old friend of miy father's for a few days. Can you and Garou wait here for Leiko?"

"Yes." Keiyo said.

"Good." Yamainu shoved the rest of the fish into his mouth and rose to his feet.

He left hurriedly and ran at top speed. Yamainu knew he would have to hurry if he wanted to be ready for when Leiko returned. At noon he arrived at his destination. Yamanu entered the home of Totosai, the man who had forged Tetsusaiga fro Inuyasha and a sword for his own father.

"Totsai!" Yamainu called.

Yamainu stood before the old sword maker and smiled. "I need a favor."

"Just like your father." Totosai said flatly. "You only come to me when you ned something."

Yamainu's smile broadened. "C'mon Totosai." he said. "This is really improtant."

"I need you to make a sword from my fang." the wolf youkai said.

Totosai looked at him in confusion. "Why so suddenly? I remember you telling me taht you didn't need any weapons to protect yourself."

"It's no for me!" Yamainu growled. "It's for a friend of mine."

Totosai shrugged. "If you say so." he said.

He was never one to ask questions. If Yamainu wanted a sword made then he would do it. Totosai pulled out one of the wolf youkai's fangs and set to work.

"It'll take two days to complete this." he said.

"Take your time." Yamainu said and sat in front of the fire with his arms and legs crossed.

Leiko would be shocked when she got back and he gave her this sword.

"So Yamainu, whose this sword for anyway?"

Yamainu sighed. "It's a long story." he said.

"Tell it." Totosai ordered. "We're going to be here for a while so you may as well entertain me."

So Yamainu regaled the old man with the tale of the past four days.

 

***

 

Two days past slowly for Leiko. On the morning of the third day, she decided itwas tiem to go back adn take care of business. When she entered hte kitchen dressed in bluejean shorts and a blue tank top with the Shikon no Tama around her neck, her father stared at her. A dim light came from it, but Leiko knew that it had once been much brighter. Inuyasha looked his daughter over and was about to tell her to change her clothes, but Kagome spoke before him.

"Sweet heart, don't you think you should wear some better clothers if your'e going to be traveling so much?"

Inuyasha smiled slightly to himself.

"Nah. I'll get something later if I need to." Leiko said.

Akira giggled as she looked at Leiko. "Yamainu will like that much better." she said.

The older girl smiled but gave no reply. Kagome rose from the table and brought Leiko her old bow and a quiver of arrows. Leiko could shot an arrow with great skill and wield a sword with even greater skill. Her mother and father had felt it necessary for her to learn such skills in case she needed them one day. Leiko figured that now was the perfect time to put them to the ultimate test.

Kagome hugged her oldest daughter good-bye. She knew it would be a very long time before she saw Leiko again. Inuyasha waited until Kagome had gotten enough sobbing over their oldest daughter in, to hug her. Leiko flung her arms around her father's neck and he kissed her cheek.

"Be careful with those mangy wolves." he said.

"I will." Leiko replied.

She turned to her little sister and lifted her into the air. Akira let out a littl shriek of joy. Leiko embraced her baby sister.She didn't want to leave her now but she knew that she had no choice. Tokyo was much to noisy a place for her now and there was a chance that someone might see Leiko as a hanyo. So with a heavy heart, she left her family once more and prepared to return to the Feudal Era.

When she entered the well house the smells of aged wood and dirt filled her nose. Leiko leapt from the top of the stairs and onto the lip of the well. She had to go back to Yamainu. Leaning forward, Leiko fell into the well once more. The lights embraced her and she moved from her time and into the Feudal Era.

 

***

 

Leiko leapt out of the well as soon as she caught the familiar scent of trees and the fresh crisp air. When she stood on the lip of the well, she saw that the only ones waiting for her were Garou and Keiyo. Garou jumped on her as soon as she was on the ground. The black wolf licked her face and sniffed her. She laughed and ran her claws through his coarse hair. Picking up her bow and quiver and hoisting them onther her shoulder once more, she turned to Keiyo.

"Where's Yamianu?" Leiko asked Keiyo when Garou had gotten over his joy of seeing her once more.

"He should be back soon." the cougar youkai replied.

Leiko was a little disappointed that her first friend in the Feudal Era wasn't there to reet her. She felt someone tap her shoulder and turned to see the wolf youkai standing behind her. He wore a broad grin on his face. It was like he knew something she didn't. Yamainu moved his hands from behind his back and held out the newly finished sword. Leiko stared at it with wide-eyed fasination.

"I had Totosai make it while you were gone." he said. "My fang's in there so even if I'm not around to protect you, some part of me is."

Leiko took the sword into her hands and stared at the blade. It was flawless. There was something carved into the middle of the blade. On closer inspection, Leiko realized that it was a picture of a new moon moving to cover the face of a full moon.

"Thank you." she said. "It's beautiful."

"It's also very deadly. Totosai made it a double-edged sword so you shouldn't have any trouble hacking our enemies to pieces." Yamainu said. "I named it for you. Is that okay?"

Leiko nodded. "What's it called?" she asked.

"Yakeima." he replied.

"Yakeima." Leiko repeated as she caressed the blade.

"Hey!" Keiyo said. "In case you have forgetten, there are four really pissed Souls floating around here that need to be taken care of."

Leiko nodded. "Let's go get 'em! Eh, Garou?" she said, sheathing the sword and tying it around her waist.

The wolf howled and the four of them set off towards the north. Leiko didn't know why, but they began to travel once more she felt as if the one of the Souls was calling to her. They wold meet one of tehm soon enough and they'd be ready. She kept her hand on the hilt of the sword Yamainu had given her.

"Enen if I can't be there to protect you, at least some part of me will." those words resounded in her head as they walked on.

It was the best gift anyone could ever given her. She looked over at Yamainu and smiled. They walked side by side as Keiyo rode on Garou's back some ways ahead of them. Leiko took his hand in hers and gave it a little squeeze. Yamainu looked down at their hands and smiled. She was warming up to him. His gift had been a good idea then.