InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Lost in the Past ❯ Chapter 11 ( Chapter 11 )

Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi

 

 

Lost in the Past, Chapter 11

 

 

Shippo got the call just as he was getting ready for bed. Inuyasha and Kagome were gone. It seemed that the old well had worked after all. Sesshomaru traced their scent from the house, where all their clothing still remained, to the well where it ended abruptly at the bottom. With any luck, they were reunited with their kids by now.

 

Shippo sat up straight. That meant they would be coming home soon. He got up and opened the nearest window. Junko stirred. “Shippo, what are you doing?” she asked sleepily.

 

“Inuyasha's coming home.”

 

Enough said. Junko joined him in opening all the windows so they could air out the house before the inuyoukai returned. Shippo had prudently moved out of Inuyasha's bedroom after the first night, realizing that Inuyasha wouldn't be pleased at having kitsune scent all over his bed once the crisis was over and things were back to normal. However, they'd been living in his house for nearly a week now, and their scent was bound to have permeated the rest of the house. A few hours of fresh air would help. Shippo was more than ready to move into his own home just as soon as Inuyasha got back.

 

“Have Fenn call me,” Sesshomaru had ordered. Great. Why couldn't Sesshomaru just call Fenn himself?

 

“Valynne!” he called, and the girl popped up at his elbow. Yusuke came out of her bedroom, quietly closing the door behind him. Shippo's eyes narrowed. “Valynne, I need to get in touch with Fenn,” he told her. “Do you know how I can reach him?”

 

Valynne shuffled into the kitchen and pulled open a drawer. She took out a paper which had a list of contact numbers on it. “Here's his number,” she said, handing the paper to a startled Shippo. She had certainly taken to human culture easily. It wasn't all that long ago that she wouldn't have known what a cell phone was. Shippo realized he might be judging her too harshly. It wasn't all that long ago that Inuyasha hadn't known what a cell phone was, either.

 

“Oh, right,” he said. Might as well get this over with. He was just going to give Fenn Sesshomaru's number and let them talk to each other. Why should he be the middle man?

 

“Never mind, he's here,” said Valynne, her eyes clouding over.

 

An ominous chuckle resounded through the house and the lights flickered. Shippo felt the presence even though he couldn't see anything. But he knew an illusion when he sensed it.

 

“Knock it off, Fenn,” he growled. Since Kagome had been gone there was no longer a barrier around the house. Fenn had snuck up on Shippo much more easily than the kitsune youkai would have thought possible. He didn't trust that youkai.

 

“I'm crushed, Shippo,” remarked Fenn, belying his remark with a grin. He leaned against the kitchen sink right in the middle of them. “I thought we were friends.”

 

“Don't do that!” Shippo protested. Fenn only laughed.

 

They sat out on the deck as it was a nice night, and Shippo filled Fenn in on the situation, then handed him the phone. “I'll let you talk to Sesshomaru alone,” he said, shepherding his wife and the two young ones back indoors. “I trust you can find your own way out when you're done.” Shippo paused long enough to make sure Yusuke went back to his own bedroom before retiring once more with Junko. He'd have a talk with both of the youngsters in the morning.

 

 

“Yes, he asked me about it,” Fenn spoke into the phone a few minutes into the conversation. “Yes, I told him I can. . . no, it's not something one can learn, you can either do it or you can't. It wasn't anything I could help him with. . . . I agree. It sounds like they were able to utilize the well again. . . . sorry I couldn't be much more help. What? Oh, of course. Just say the word.” Fenn snapped the phone closed and leaned his head back. Inuyasha continued to surprise him. So he had figured out a way to return to the past after all. Sesshomaru had asked him to stay available in case he was needed. What could he say? He really didn't want his own abilities to become commonly known, but Inuyasha and his family were important. For the first time in his long existence, Fenn had friends, and he liked the feeling.

 

 

Sesshomaru closed his phone. Halfway around the world, he unconsciously mirrored Fenn as he threw his head back and contemplated the ceiling. So Fenn had not been responsible for Inuyasha's return to the past. He had wanted to clarify that and also grill the foreign youkai to find out what he knew about time manipulation. He was rather shocked that Fenn had readily answered yes when he asked him directly if he could move through time. “Does a blue glow surround you when you do?” he had asked. Fenn said there wasn't any blue glow, much to Sesshomaru's disappointment.

 

It was up to Inuyasha and Kagome now. If they had indeed returned to the past, they would find their children and Tetsusaiga, and then they should be able to use the sword to get back to their starting point. If they had not, then they, too, were lost, and he was again without any heirs. He sighed heavily. He had gotten used to having them in his life; it would not be easy to go back to the way things were.

 

 

 

Miroku hoped Sango would hurry up and get back. Kazuki spent his time perched on the top of the stockade wall, watching the forest intently for signs of her return, whenever he wasn't practicing with the other slayer youths out in the back field. Miroku couldn't re-establish the barrier with Kazuki sitting up there, although the hanyou probably wouldn't even flinch if he did. Inuyasha's kids were stronger than most full youkai in that respect.

 

It was Mayumi who really gave Miroku problems. She was a sweet little girl—strong, but sweet. She trusted him implicitly. The first time she had tugged on his leg asking to go potty, he hadn't known how to respond. Luckily, Kazuki was there, and he brought her behind a bush to do her business. When they returned to the slayer village, Miroku enlisted the neighbor woman's help in caring for the child, but Mayumi insisted on following him around, instead. It seemed that she had adopted him as her surrogate papa, and no matter how many times he pried her off his leg and returned her to the neighbor, she ended up right back at his side again. He supposed it couldn't be helped; he had a way with children. His own children had gravitated to him the same way when they were younger.

 

“Mama.” Mayumi tugged at Miroku's leg again and looked up at him with clear amber eyes.

 

“I've never been called Mama before,” Miroku said. At the same time, Kazuki let out a loud shout from the top of the stockade and vaulted out and over. “Kazuki!” Miroku called after him, although he had little hope that the young hanyou would listen. Just then three figures strode in through the open village gate, and Mayumi ran towards them, faster on her little hanyou legs than Miroku was on his longer human ones. She reached them first.

 

“Mama! Papa!”

 

Kagome scrunched down and swept the little girl off her feet. “My baby! Oh, how I've missed you!”

 

“Inuyasha! Kagome! I'm so glad to see you!” Miroku clasped Inuyasha's arm before his eyes registered his friend's appearance. “What do you have on?” he asked, tilting his head to get a better view.

 

Inuyasha reddened, as Kagome also turned to look at him again. “I—uh—we were in a hurry,” he said. “Can we go somewhere else to talk?” People had begun to gather in the center of the village and were gawking at him. He was pretty sure it wasn't because he was youkai, either.

 

Kazuki followed them into Miroku's house and would have sat near his Mom except that Inuyasha grabbed him and pulled him down next to him. His father looked him over carefully, then sniffed him just as carefully, before releasing him. “Stay,” he commanded, as he reached over to take Mayumi from Kagome's lap. He repeated the same procedure with his daughter, taking in the dark hair, the kerchief, and the scent of soybean paste.

 

Kazuki gulped. He had been so happy to see his mother and father that he had forgotten about Tetsusaiga for a moment. Now he was going to get it for coming here without permission, and for losing Tetsusaiga. He hadn't even told them that part yet. He blinked. At Daddy's side hung a sword. It felt familiar. Kazuki sniffed, trying not to be conspicuous.

 

“It's Tetsusaiga.” Daddy spoke without looking at him.

 

Kazuki felt a wave of relief pour over him. Tetsusaiga was found. Daddy had his sword back. All was not lost.

 

“We'll talk about this later.”

 

Kazuki nodded, eyes worried. He felt his father's arm come across his shoulders and pull him in closer.

 

“Do you have any more of the bean paste?” Inuyasha asked Miroku. “Smells better than curry. I need some clothes, too.” He eyed Kazuki. “Hey, kid, what do you have on—slayer clothes?” His eyes traveled back to Miroku. “You dressed my kid as a slayer?”

 

“His choice,” replied Miroku. “He's been practicing with Hiroshi. He's taken to it quite well, actually.”

 

Inuyasha frowned. He wasn't thrilled with the idea of his son becoming a slayer. “He's youkai,” he objected.

 

“Hanyou,” Miroku and Kagome automatically corrected.

 

“Same thing,” Inuyasha and Kazuki replied in unison.

 

“Why don't you watch tomorrow's practice?” Miroku suggested. “You might be surprised.”

 

“Mama, potty!” Mayumi tapped Kagome's leg impatiently.

 

“Good girl!” Kagome praised as she rose to take Mayumi outside. Miroku wiped imaginary sweat off his brow. A few minutes later, Kagome returned with Mayumi. “She really went!” she said in amazement. “Has she been doing that the whole time?”

 

Miroku nodded. “Don't look at me, Sango took care of all that,” he said.

 

That decided Kagome. They would remain in the slayer village until Sango returned. Inuyasha wanted to hear the entire story about Tetsusaiga anyway, and Kagome was dying to know about Rin's twins, her ancestors. It was hard to believe little Rin was old enough to have children already. How time flies. . . .

 

They spent the rest of the day swabbing themselves with the bean paste mixture, and reapplying some to the two kids, also. Inuyasha borrowed clothing from Miroku, and Kagome used some of Sango's old clothes. He handed the white robe to Miroku. “For your wife,” he said. Miroku gingerly took the silky white cloth, rubbing it between his fingers, amazed at its soft texture.

 

“It's not real silk,” Kagome said, not knowing how to explain about polyester. “She can wash it and wear it. It will never wrinkle.” Miroku's eyes widened. Another marvel from the future. No wonder Inuyasha wanted this next to his skin.

 

Inuyasha was itching to get out into the woods and find something to use Tetsusaiga on. He had missed his sword almost as much as he had missed the kids. Which reminded him. . .

 

“Kazuki, come here.” He pulled the young hanyou outside and jumped with him to the rooftop. They balanced on the ridge of the roof and faced each other. “What happened?” Inuyasha asked gently.

 

Kazuki took a deep breath. He had to be a man and face up to his mistakes. “I hid Tetsusaiga in a hole because I couldn't carry it and Mayumi,” he began. “I was going to bring her to Auntie Sango and then come right back and get it, but it was too late and I had to wait and then I couldn't find it and I'm sorry!” Kazuki took another breath. “I'm sorry, Daddy. I never should have left Tetsusaiga. I know how important it is to you.”

 

Inuyasha looked like he was going to say something, but he changed his mind and waited for Kazuki to continue.

 

“We had to come back to the village without Tetsusaiga. I didn't want to, but Uncle Miroku said we needed to get supplies. Then we went out again, and this time I picked up the trail right away, and we followed it to that other village, but then Auntie Sango said we had to stop, and she would get Tetsusaiga instead.” Kazuki blinked a few times and hoped his father didn't think he was crying. He wasn't crying. “Then we came back again. Daddy, I'm so sorry. I didn't know what else to do.” He sniffled and wiped his arm across his nose. “I'm glad you got Tetsusaiga back. Did Auntie Sango give it to you?”

 

Inuyasha keh'd. “Nah, I took Tetsusaiga back myself. I know you would have gotten it back if you could. What I don't get is, why did you use Tetsusaiga in the first place? You know you're not allowed to touch it.”

 

Kazuki looked up in surprise. “I didn't do it. Mayumi did.”