InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Leiko ❯ The Past in the Present ( Chapter 23 )

Chapter Twenty-Three

The Past in the Present

 

"What do you mean you have to go home?!" Shadow demanded.

Leiko lifted Yakeima off of the ground and tied it to her side. She glared at the black wolf angrily as she slung her bow and quiver of arrows over her shoulder. Kari gave her a small smile of apology. The dog hanyou ignored the wolf. Garou, now in his wolf form again, glared at Shadow angrily. Kari, now back to her normal form, waited for Leiko to finish getting ready.

"I'll be back in a few days." Leiko said with a frustrated sigh. "I...have a few things I have to take care of first."

"Phfft. What could be more important than getting all the Souls back?" Shadow demanded.

Leiko whirled on the wolf. Her eyes snapped with anger as she glared down at him. "Don't you ever ask what could be more important to me?! I have other things in my life that I have to take care of! Do you understand me?!"

Shadow took a step back. He'd never seen the hanyou so angry. She turned to Yamainu and smiled. He bent down and kissed her lightly on her cheek. Leiko pressed her cheek to his lips and closed her eyes. Keiyo was grinning happily. Satzuka sat on the ground, mopping about the insident with Sasuke the other night. Sasuke sat against a tree and polished his katana. Leiko pulled away from the wolf youkai and turned to Kari.

"Ready?" she asked the angel hanyou.

Kari nodded.

Leiko mounted on Shadow behind Kari and the wolf set out at a break-neck pace. He'd complained all night about having to bring Leiko all the way to the Bone Eater's Well. The rest of the group had decided to follow later and stay in a village a few miles from Inuyasha's Forest. Around sunset, Shadow skidded to a stop in front of the Bone Eater's Well. He'd deliberatly gone slow to piss Leiko off. Leiko dismounted and climbed onto the lip of the well. As she stood there, she smiled remembering the kiss that she and Yamainu had shared there so long ago.

She stood there for a moment on the lip of the well, then let herself fall foward. As she fell, the bright lights that brought her from one time to another surrounded her. Leiko opened her eyes once more to find herself in the old well house. The dank smell washed over her as she stood inside the well. Leiko leapt out of the well quickly. She ran out of the well house and into her house.

Her mother was in the kitchen cooking and her father was laying on the couch napping. Leiko looked around the rooms for Akira. Where was her little sister? Leiko's heart began to pound as she looked around the house.

"Mom!" Leiko said, urgently.

Kagome looked up from the Ramen she was cooking. "Oh, Leiko. You're home." she said. Her eyes widened as she took her daughter's scant bearskin clothes and the bear claw necklace around her neck. "Leiko..."

"Mom, where's Akira?!" Leiko demanded, ignoring her mother's stares.

"Up in her room." Kagome said in a low voice. "Why?"

Leiko whirled around and took the stairs three at a time. She tore Akira's door open and stood on the threshold of the dark room. A cough tore through the silence that hung in the room. Leiko hit her knees there in the doorway.

"It's my fault." she whispered to the darkness.

Forcing herself to her feet, Leiko moved towards Akira's bed. She stood over the little girl, listening to her rattled breathing. Leiko felt as if she were being stabbed in the heart everytime Akira drew a raspy breath. She could see Akira's pale skin even in the darkness. The little girl moaned in her sleep. Leiko backed away out of the room. She turned and ran to the door. Leiko tore the door open again and ran outside.

In the fading light of day, Leiko dropped to her knees in front of the ancient oak tree in the middle of their yard. Her silver eyes filled with tears as she stared at the scarred wood. The hanyou lifted her head to the swaying boughs.

"Why is she suffering for me?!" she demanded of the red sky.

The answer she got was not the answer she wanted. Leiko felt her heartbeat change. She whirled to face the ancient well house. It wasn't possible! The doors of the well house burst off of their old hinges like a twig. Leiko stared in horror as the dust cleared. In the doorway of the well house stood a massive fox youkai. Leiko stared at it in disbelief. This wasn't happening!

"Hmmm." the fox youkai said, licking his lips. "I'm hungry for a little dog flesh."

Leiko heard the door to the house swing open. "Leiko!" Kagome screamed.

"Stay inside, Mom!" Leiko said, drawing Yakeima from it sheath.

The hanyou swung the blade around and on the back sweep, Yakeima became brighter. More blue and silver sparks gathered around the blade. Leiko smiled at her advasary. He was as good as dead now. The fox youkai opened his mouth and sent a blue flame spiraling at Leiko. She rolled aside and climbed back onto her feet in one swift motion. The youkai growled and launched itself at her.His fangs were dripping saliva as they neared Leiko. She swung Yakeima to the right and the glittering blade slammed into the dripping fangs. "Moonlightflame!" she cried and a blue and silver blade erupted from the blade as the two moons became one.

The blade sliced through the canine fang of the youkai like a knife through butter. The youkai countered by bringing his massive paw up and swatting her aside. Leiko slammed to ground and didn't stop until her body had hit the well house. She tried to rise but she couldn't. The youkai advanced on her, fangs bared, eyes flashing with rage.

"Die!" the fox youkai growled.

"You first!" a voice cried from behind.

When the fox youkai turned to face his new opponet, he was met with a slash to the face. Yamainu landed in front of Leiko as the fox youkai swatted at the wound with his paw. The hanyou looked up at the wolf youkai. His eyes danced with malicious delight.

"Why are you here?" Leiko asked.

"Tenma lead the Soul to the Bone Eater's Well. As we were going to the village I caught a whiff of her foul stench. I followed it to the well and saw that bastard slipping in." Yamainu said. "When that bitch left, I followed the Soul here."

Leiko forced herself to climb to all four and glared up at the fox youkai. She climbed to her feet, withdrawing an arrow from her quiver and notched the arrow. As the arrow flew through the air, Leiko chanted softly.

 

Return to your jeweled prison

Great Soul be at peace once more

Let your hate for me die

As I claim you as mine again

 

Never be swayed

By an evil one's words again

Trust me and guide me

So I may save this world

As I once did before

 

Return to your jeweled prison

Great Soul be at peace once more

Fight no more

And let me claim you

As mine once more

 

The arrow, glowing brightly, pierced the fur-covered hide of the youkai. The arrow and the beast burst into thousands of sparkles. Leiko held the Shikon no Tama out to accept the glittering lights into the Jewel. As the sun set, Leiko saw the light in the Jewel become brighter. She looked at her mother and let the Jewel fall back between her breasts. Kagome stared after her daughter as she turned on her heel and ran into the well house. The wolf youkai waved slightly at the puzzled woman and followed the hanyou.

One more, Leiko thought to herself as she and Yamainu crossed the barrier of time.