InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Light in Dark Places ❯ Chapter 10: Doufuku ( Chapter 11 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

(A/N): Light in Dark Places has been nominated for “Best Crossover” at the Quill to Parchment Awards site, so if you have time, please stop by (quilltoparchment dot com slash vote dot html) and vote for me!

Also, thank you very much for all of the wonderful reviews! They really help to keep me going!

Light in Dark Places

By: Eilan-san

ooo

Chapter 10: Doufuku

All began in love; all seeks to return to love. Love is the law, the teacher of wisdom, and the great revealer of mysteries.

--from the oral Faery tradition

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Kagome wandered downstairs sleepily, still clad in her pajamas, to find her mother already awake and making breakfast.

The pungent smell of the fresh miso and rice hit her nose and she breathed in deeply. This was much better than the instant stuff she had back in London. She made a mental note to ask her mother to send her home with some when they left again.

“Is your friend still asleep, Kagome?” her mother asked, attempting to be nonchalant.

“Yes, Harry's still asleep. I imagine he'll sleep for a little while longer,” she replied, pouring herself a cup of coffee. “Out of curiosity, Mama, why didn't you recommend that Harry use Souta's room? It's not like Souta's been using it.”

Higurashi-san shrugged. “I thought he'd be more comfortable with you there,” she said, taking a sip of her tea. “Besides, you remember how Souta is about people sleeping in his room.”

Kagome nodded knowingly. Souta had nearly had a fit when one of her grandfather's friends from Kyoto had come to visit in September and they'd let him use Souta's room. He didn't speak to them for weeks.

“Where is Jii-chan, anyway?” Kagome asked. “I've hardly seen him since we got here.”

“He's out cleaning the grounds as usual. He figured you would sleep in, but he'll be back in for breakfast,” Higurashi-san answered, giving the miso another stir. “I do hope Potter-san likes tamagoyaki.”

“I'm sure he'll like it. He's eaten everything else I've put in front of him thus far,” Kagome said casually, but blushed when she caught her mother looking at her.

“So this is not strictly a professional relationship then?”

Kagome's cheeks burned. “I, um… well, I'm not sure,” she said sheepishly.

Higurashi-san smiled gently at her daughter, “He seems like a very nice boy. Would it be so bad to have it not be strictly professional?”

“No, I mean… of course not. He's just… it's complicated,” Kagome said quickly.

“Clearly it's not that complicated. It would appear that you already told him about the well.”

Kagome gasped. “How did you know?”

“I'm a mother, dear, I just know these things,” she smiled again and patted Kagome on the shoulder. “Your grandfather was surprised you'd told him, though. I don't think either of us expected you'd tell anyone. But there is something about this one… something special. I do hope you hang onto him.”

Kagome rubbed her temples. Harry was definitely special and she knew that she was already in deeper than she'd anticipated. She could barely contain the butterflies in her stomach when he'd smile at her, or how her heart would leap when his hand would brush hers.

Harry was… unlike anyone she'd ever met. She'd finally met someone with whom she could finally be herself. No lies about why she'd been so sick during her high school years, no nothing. But still, she couldn't shake the nagging feeling that after all this time there was a part of her that hadn't really let Inuyasha go yet.

Her thoughts were interrupted as the person in question meandered down the stairs and her heart fluttered and she couldn't help but smile like a fool.

Normalcy is overrated anyway.

Higurashi-san leaned over Kagome's shoulder just long enough to whisper in her ear, “You know, if I were younger I might try and steal him from you.”

“Mama!” Kagome exclaimed, blushing madly.

“Morning,” Harry said drowsily as he arrived at the bottom of the stairs, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and his hair adorably askew.

“Ah, Potter-san,” Higurashi-san said cheerfully. “You're just in time. Breakfast is almost ready.” She laid out the bowls of rice and miso and a small plate with the rolled omelet and a few pickles and Harry's nose turned up slightly.

“What?” Kagome asked, smirking.

“Uh, this is breakfast?” Harry asked, eyebrow quirked.

“Yes,” Kagome said, trying to keep a straight face with Harry's face contorting in all sorts of strange ways as he bit into a piece of pickled radish.

He swallowed painfully, “I think I'll stick to the rice.” Kagome dissolved into a fit of giggles and Higurashi-san just clicked her tongue and shook her head with a smile.

“Really, Potter-san,” Higurashi-san admonished as she took a bite of her pickles. “I'm beginning to wonder how you learned Japanese so well without having eaten any of our food. Did your teacher never take you out for sushi?”

Kagome choked on her omelet.

“Er, no, ma'am,” Harry said sheepishly.

“Harry, um, Harry is…” Kagome said hastily, searching for an appropriate answer but finding none.

Unfortunately, the situation was not helped when Buyo came proudly tottering down the stairs with his newest prize in his jaws.

“Gah! Buyo!” Kagome screeched and ran for the cat, who in turn ran from her and hid under the couch in the living room.

“Kagome, was that what I think it was?” Harry asked incredulously.

“Yes, he has it wedged up under the couch now,” Kagome said, lying down on the floor and desperately trying to reach Harry's wand. “He must have gone through your pack.”

“What does he have, dear?” Higurashi-san asked. “Buyo, come here,” she called, and surprisingly, the cat came, dragging the wand along behind him.

Kagome and Harry just stared at each other, completely unsure of what to do as Higurashi-san picked up the wand and studied it.

“Potter-san, what is this?” she asked curiously. “It looks like a wand or something, like from a Western fairy tale.”

“Uh…” Harry stuttered and glanced at Kagome, who was looking ashen.

“We might as well tell her,” she sighed as she closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. Her mother had certainly heard stranger things. “Harry's a wizard, Mama. That's his wand.”

“Oh, is that all?” Higurashi-san asked, a smile lurking about her lips. “Considering that the last boy you brought home was a hanyou, I didn't think you'd settle for a normal boy. I'm honored to have a wizard in my home.”

Kagome's face burned, but Harry just laughed.

“Higurashi-san, you are too kind,” he replied.

“So they have a wizard teaching at the University of London?” Higurashi-san asked, one eyebrow quirked. “Or is that just part of the cover-story?”

“I'm sorry, Mama,” Kagome said sheepishly. “Harry is kind of like a magical police detective.” Higurashi-san nodded. “We met because there is a dark wizard looking for the shikon no tama and he thought I could help.”

“A dark wizard looking for the Jewel?” Kagome's grandfather chimed in as he walked through the door, causing everyone in the room, including the cat, to jump. “Doesn't surprise me. Would be pretty useless for a wizard, though. Are you sure he isn't possessed?”

Kagome looked at Harry triumphantly. “See, I told you so.”

“I never doubted you,” Harry said, holding his hands up in mock defense.

“So this fellow is possessed, eh?” Jii-chan asked. “You wouldn't know by what, would you?”

Kagome shook her head. “No, we have no idea.” She paused, “Wait, why aren't you surprised there's a wizard looking for the Jewel? How do you even know about wizards?”

Her grandfather smiled. “Kagome, you don't get to be as old as I am without learning a few things about the world!” he said as he patted his chest. “There was a fifth cousin three-times removed about eight generations back who was the wizard advisor to the daimyo in Hokkaido, but I'll just assume that was another one of my history lessons you never paid attention to.”

Kagome frowned petulantly while Harry and Higurashi-san shared a grin. “You still didn't answer my question,” she insisted.

“The Jewel has always fascinated all sorts of people; it wouldn't be the first time a power-hungry wizard has come after it,” Jii-chan shrugged. “Still doesn't change the fact that it's useless to them. Wrong kind of magic.”

“What do you mean the `wrong kind of magic'?” Harry asked as he leaned forward, the legs of his chair scraping against the linoleum.

Jii-chan looked sharply at Harry and regarded him for a long moment. “You mean to tell me that they never explained the difference between Elemental magic and Spirit magic in those hoity-toity wizard schools of yours?”

Harry shook his head while Kagome just gaped at her grandfather.

“What's the matter with schools these days?” Jii-chan grumbled. “And stop gaping at me with your mouth hanging open like that, Kagome, you'll draw flies.”

Kagome's jaw snapped shut. You know, I think should have given the old man a little more credit…

Jii-chan cleared his throat, “The basic difference between Elemental magic and Spirit magic is the matter of source. Spirit magic is derived from the earth, and the people's belief in the sacredness of the earth. Elemental magic is constant… sort of like a magnetic field around the earth. It doesn't have the peaks and valleys inherent in Spirit magic.”

“So Spirit magic isn't specific to Shinto then?” Kagome asked.

“No, there were certainly others, but I would say that Shinto is the last domain of Spirit magic, as we are the last large population with a true belief in earth-derived spirits. Although, our spiritual practices are slowly becoming simply ritual habit now.” Jii-chan paused. “I didn't use to be so powerless, you know. Back before the war… I may not have been as powerful as you, Kagome, but I wasn't worthless either.”

Kagome grimaced. “You knew, then? About the powers I had while I was in the Sengoku Jidai?” She turned to her mother, “You too, Mama?”

“Are you asking if we knew why you were called to do what you did?” Mama replied. “Of course we knew, Kagome, it was karma,” she said gently. “You were the only one who could complete the task you were given.”

“You'd be surprised as to what we know about what you did, Kagome,” her grandfather harrumphed. “It's all in the records that you never bothered to look at.”

Kagome frowned again, “You mean to tell me that all the information about my trips back and forth are in the Shrine archives? And that you didn't tell me about them during any of those trips, nor when I was working on my thesis?”

Jii-chan hesitated and then nodded. “You weren't supposed to see them while everything was going on back then… you could have changed something you weren't supposed to change. We couldn't risk it. And while you were doing your thesis, because everything we have was written by your friend the monk, it would have tainted your research anyway.”

“I could have made it work!” Kagome exclaimed, her eyes blazing.

“Not for your thesis it wouldn't have. He mentioned you by name,” Higurashi-san interjected. “And as for the other part… well, the greater story required you to be unaware of your destiny.”

“Greater story?” Harry asked as he put a hand on Kagome's shoulder, since she looked like she was about to either burst into tears or scream bloody murder at her family members.

“Kagome,” Jii-chan started as he sat down on the floor, smiling kindly. “I'm afraid that the shikon no tama is not the main legend of our shrine.”

“What?” Kagome asked miserably. “What do you mean? That's what we've always said, that's what we're on the maps for…”

“Jii-chan, let me tell her,” Higurashi-san said gently. “Yes, the shrine for all outward appearances is dedicated to the Jewel, however, over many years it acquired a second purpose, connected to but still separate from the first. The second purpose would be to keep watch for the return of the great Priestess Midoriko, who would defeat the demon inside the Jewel and purify it out of existence.”

“Okay,” Kagome said, furrowing her brow. “That makes some sense at least. Although I'm not sure why you couldn't have just told me.”

“Because we thought that the reincarnation of Midoriko might be you,” Jii-chan supplied with a sigh.

Both Harry and Kagome's jaws dropped.

“But…” Kagome said, bewildered. “I don't understand. I'm fairly sure that I am Kikyou's reincarnation, yes. But not Midoriko!”

“It's highly likely that Kikyou was also her reincarnation,” Higurashi-san said quietly. “It would only make sense, after all.”

She looked at her grandfather and mother, who were both smiling tightly at her, and then met Harry's eyes and saw… compassion, and it was suddenly too much to bear. She stood up quickly. “Excuse me, I need to think about this some more,” she said as she turned quickly on her heel and headed up to her room.

Harry got up to follow her, but was stopped by Higurashi-san. “Just give her some time, Potter-san. She's been through a lot.”

Harry nodded, “Yes, she has. And it seems like it's not over yet.”

“Likely not,” Higurashi-san assented.

“She'll come around eventually though,” Jii-chan said. “Alright, Mama, I'm going to go searching through the archives to see if I can find anything of use for Kagome and Potter-san.”

“Okay, lunch will be ready at the normal time,” she said as he walked back outside and disappeared into one of the buildings on the far side of the yard.

“Kagome, when she was younger, liked very much to do things on her own.” Higurashi-san said as she walked back to the sink and poured herself another mug of tea. “She told us virtually nothing of her trips to the Sengoku Jidai, but it's not like I didn't notice the new scars she had every time she came home, or the hollow look in her eyes, the look of someone who has seen far too much death for someone as young as she was.”

Harry closed his eyes. He certainly knew about seeing death at a young age.

“And although I do know some of it from the literature and such, I cannot even begin to imagine what it would have been like to live through such things,” she finished. “Tea?”

“Yes, please.” Harry took the offered cup gratefully. “She's very lucky to have such an understanding family,” Harry said wistfully.

“Are your parents still with you, Potter-san?” she asked, sipping the warm liquid slowly.

“No,” Harry said, consciously avoiding clenching his teeth out of habit. “My parents died when I was very young. I was raised by my aunt and uncle, but we did not get along very well.”

She nodded. “May I ask what happened?”

“They were murdered by a very dark wizard because he thought I would grow up to be a threat to him. He tried to kill me too, but the curse rebounded and I lived,” Harry said, staring intently into his teacup. “I finally defeated him just after I was out of school.”

“You must be a great wizard then,” she said affectionately. “I'm very glad that my daughter has found a kindred spirit. It always makes it easier going through life's trials with someone else at your side, and I seriously doubt either of you will find anyone else who understands the ordeals you have been through.” She paused, “There is also the fact that I am a bit selfish.” He looked at her quizzically.

Higurashi-san smiled, slightly ashamed. “You aren't trying to take my daughter away from me, to a place where I cannot visit like Inuyasha. I did like the boy, he was a good protector for her, and he clearly loved her, but…” she sighed. “I was just terribly afraid that one day she would leave and just simply never return.”

“I could never take her away from her family,” Harry said quietly as he watched the tealeaves float aimlessly in his cup. “I grew up without one, and I would never begrudge someone else theirs.”

Harry was startled by the sudden feeling of Higurashi-san's hand on his shoulder.

“Potter-san, I hope you know you are always welcome as a part of our family,” she said warmly.

He smiled, happily taken aback at the intensity in those words. “Thank you, Higurashi-san, that means a lot to me.”

“Now if you'll excuse me, I should really tend to the dishes,” she said.

“And I should really take a shower,” Harry replied as he wandered up the stairs, stopping by Kagome's bedroom to grab his clothes for the day and to give a quick hug to Kagome, who was looking a little pale but mostly okay, before heading to the bathroom.

Standing in the warm water and surveying the shower littered with shampoo bottles, he realized that he felt very comfortable here. Maybe even more so than he had ever been at the Weasley house. He certainly enjoyed the loudness from time to time, but sometimes he really just liked the quiet.

`I could really be happy here,' he thought, which both amazed and excited him. He was comfortable, and he wasn't used to being comfortable, especially not with a woman.

I'm very glad she's found a kindred spirit, Higurashi-san had said. Kindred spirits. He liked the sound of it. They understood each other, and that was more than he could say for anyone else he'd ever met.

When Harry returned downstairs from his shower, Kagome had returned from her room and was discussing something with her mother and grandfather at the low dining room table, which was peppered with ancient-looking scrolls. Kagome motioned for him to sit beside her and he plopped down onto the tatami mat.

“Do you remember my friend in Kyoto? The one who came to visit and slept in Souta's room and he had a fit?” Jii-chan asked.

Kagome laughed. “Yes, of course I remember.”

“Well, I just called him and he said that he has several books in his own archives that would be of use to you, but you'll have to go out there to his temple in order to see them. He's much more well versed in modern demon lore than I am,” Jii-chan said, gesturing to the scrolls in front of them. “These just concern the old legends, and the legend about Midoriko's soul.”

Harry leaned over to Kagome. “How are you doing?” Harry asked softly.

She gave him a small smile, “I'm doing okay. It's not the strangest thing that's ever happened to me. Getting dragged into the well by a giant centipede, now that was the strangest thing that's ever happened to me.”

“I still would like to know where she came from,” Jii-chan said loudly. “As far as I'd known she'd been dead for centuries in there.”

Kagome shrugged, “Maybe she got stuck in the time warp between the two centuries.”

“That would be my guess,” Higurashi-san said. “The well has lost its magic since you came back, however, so I wouldn't worry about it anymore.”

“It has?” Harry asked, somewhat incredulously. “What happened to it?”

Kagome piped up with the answer this time, “Well, if what my grandfather says is true, then it's likely that once that part of my task was done, it wasn't needed anymore, so it simply switched itself off.”

“Ah,” Harry said. “It's a good thing you didn't try it again then.”

Kagome nodded. “Not that I wanted to anyway… I needed that part of my life to be over and since Inuyasha never came for me, I always assumed that it was because he either didn't want me, or he couldn't come for me. Either way, I didn't want to go back.”

She glanced fondly at her mother, “Besides, I would have missed this place too much.” Higurashi-san beamed.

“And the lack of electricity certainly wouldn't have helped,” Higurashi-san replied.

“Agreed,” Kagome said.

“So what is our plan, then?” Harry asked.

“We'll head out to Kurama-dera after lunch and go visit Fushikenwa-sensei and see if he has anything interesting to add to our research,” Kagome supplied. “If we're lucky we can figure out what kind of demon is possessing Malfoy and how to defeat it.”

“If we're lucky,” Harry repeated.

“We'll have to keep our fingers crossed,” Kagome said grimly. “Because if Fushikenwa-sensei doesn't know, all we can do is wait for the demon to come to us and pray that whatever we come up with on the spot works.”

“Eh, that's about par for the course for me,” Harry said, shrugging his shoulders.

“Really?” Kagome said, surprised, “That is my usual plan of attack, too.”

They both regarded each other for a long moment before dissolving into giggles.

Jii-chan turned to Higurashi-san, hands on his hips. “Kami preserve us if these two are going to save us from anything!” he said indignantly.

Higurashi-san just smiled. Kindred spirits indeed.