InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Lost in the Past ❯ Chapter 12 ( Chapter 12 )

Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi

 

 

Lost in the Past, Chapter 12

 

 

Inuyasha stood in the shadow of the trees and watched as Kazuki swung his practice sword around to block the strike whistling down at him from above. His opponent then stopped, and adjusted Kazuki's grip slightly, before nodding at the boy to try it again. Around them the other slayer children danced through weapons training, each with his or her own chosen weapon.

 

“He wants to be like you,” Miroku murmured to Inuyasha.

 

Inuyasha turned to stare at Miroku. He was so glad Kazuki was not like him. Kazuki was more like his mother, compassionate, rational, good. Sure, at times he could be exuberant, maybe even a handful, but that's just because he was a happy kid. “Why?” he asked. Then, because expressing his feelings never sat well with him, Inuyasha added, “I'm not a youkai slayer.”

 

“You know that's not exactly true, Inuyasha,” Miroku remonstrated. “Youkai can be slayers. You were, once.”

 

A gleam lit Inuyasha's eyes. “Yeah,” he said. Maybe he and Kazuki could teach these slayer kids a thing or two about slaying—and youkai. “Kazuki!” he yelled. “Up for a little game of chase?” He bounded into the midst of the group of slayer children and took the sword gently from Kazuki's hands. “You won't be needing this right now,” he said with a grin. “Ok, listen up,” he addressed the group. “Weapons are fine, when you get a chance to use them, but that won't always be possible in the real world. Sometimes the safest thing to do when a big, bad youkai is chasing you is to run!” He lunged at the kids, and they scattered, screaming in excitement. It wasn't long before Inuyasha caught one of them, and had the boy upside down and disarmed in seconds.

 

“Youkai come in all shapes and sizes,” he expounded, as he caught another child. “And appearances can be deceiving.” He threw the kid's weapon over his shoulder into the center of the clearing, then dumped the kid down next to the first one. “Stay there,” he instructed, before turning to Kazuki. “Come on,” he said, “for now, you're a youkai. Catch the slayers!”

 

Kazuki grinned, then ran after Hiroshi who fled into the nearby trees to avoid capture. A second later Hiroshi's boomerang sailed out of the woods and into the center pile, and Kazuki followed, hefting a very embarrassed Hiroshi over his shoulders.

 

“Choose your battleground,” Inuyasha called out. “Remember, we are creatures of nature. Do not think to use nature against us!”

 

In less than five minutes, Inuyasha and Kazuki had `captured' all eight of the slayer youths, as their adult instructors looked on. The weapons pile had grown to about waist-high. The children sat quietly, stunned to find themselves so easily overpowered by the two `youkai.'

 

“That was fun!” said Kazuki. A few of the slayer children looked like they might want to disagree. It had been a sobering lesson for them.

 

Miroku smiled to himself. In one afternoon, Inuyasha had managed to show this next generation of slayers the truth about the creatures they would one day be facing, as well as prove to his son that he didn't need a sword to be just like his father. Miroku shook his head. Was Inuyasha that blind, that he didn't see himself in Kazuki? They were both stubborn, impulsive, loyal, caring, and completely unaware of their own strength.

 

“Come on, son,” Inuyasha said, stooping to pick up Kazuki's short sword. “Do you want me to show you some of my moves?” He hefted the smaller sword. “Looks like you're ready for your own sword now. Are you sure you don't want something bigger?”

 

Miroku watched them walk away. Inuyasha could have been an ordinary villager dressed in his borrowed brown shirt and shortened pants. His light hair was caught back in a tie, and if one overlooked the ears, he seemed human enough. Kazuki, with his hair dyed dark and ears hidden beneath a cloth band, appeared completely human. It was hard to reconcile these two with the lightning fast youkai who had taken out the entire slayer training group.

 

 

 

 

Before she left, Sango managed to take Rin aside. “You took Tetsusaiga, didn't you?” she whispered, glancing around to make sure Sesshomaru wasn't within hearing distance.

 

Rin nodded. “I found it in the woods,” she admitted. “It called me, I think.” She clutched Sango's hands. “Do you think I did the right thing? I buried the sword to mark Lord Inuyasha's grave, but now it's gone.” Her eyes widened as a thought occurred to her. “Could Tetsusaiga have returned to rest with Lord Inuyasha?”

 

Sango's lips quirked. “I certainly hope so,” she replied. “Rin, if you are still determined to build a shrine to Inuyasha's memory, I will send Miroku to help. He can serve as the spiritual adviser until your village has its own. You will have your hands full with the babies.”

 

“That would be wonderful. Thank you, Sango.”

 

Sango smiled and hugged her younger sister-in-law. She had just given Miroku an excuse to visit the old well site indefinitely. Now, when their friends from the future came to visit, they would be safe from prying eyes. “Let's keep the part about Tetsusaiga to ourselves,” she suggested. “Now that it's back where it belongs.”

 

Kirara waited in the woods just beyond the village. Sango threw her leg over the big cat's back, heedless of her skirt, and urged Kirara towards home. She needed to make sure Tetsusaiga was truly back where it belonged, as she had told Rin. Otherwise, they were all in trouble.

 

“Miroku!” she called as she slid off Kirara just inside the gate. “Did Kazuki--?” She paused. In the distance stood a village woman holding Mayumi. “Is that--?”

 

Kagome waved. “Sango!”

 

So Kazuki had managed to get Tetsusaiga after all. “Kagome!” she exclaimed, hugging her friend. “You must have been so worried!”

 

Kagome laughed. “Yeah, a little. I'm so glad they knew enough to come to you and Miroku. This was the first place we looked when we came back.”

 

“You mean Kazuki didn't use Tetsusaiga to bring you here?” asked Sango, puzzled. “How else could you get back?”

 

“Somehow, Tetsusaiga was buried in the earth that used to contain the old well, and that activated the time slip even though Inuyasha wasn't actually touching the sword. We thought maybe Kazuki had done it, but he told us it wasn't him. We were hoping you might know what happened.”

 

“I do,” Sango affirmed. “Rin found the sword where Kazuki had hidden it, and felt compelled to bring it to the site of the old well. She buried it as a tribute to Inuyasha, and to keep it hidden from Sesshomaru as well.”

 

The two women walked arm in arm back towards the village center, passing Mayumi on to Miroku's capable hands so that they could talk. “And how are you today, Mayumi dumpling?” Miroku asked the little girl, tossing her high into the air and catching her. Mayumi squealed delightedly.

 

“She's thrived here,” Kagome commented. “You even managed to toilet train her. I was having a hard time with her at home.”

 

“You just need to be firm,” Sango said. They entered the house, and Miroku set Mayumi down to play so he could show Sango the present Inuyasha had brought her.

 

“Oh, it's beautiful!” she said. “I'll treasure it always.”

 

Kagome smiled inwardly. In another five hundred years, her mother's cheap wash and wear bathrobe would probably end up in a shrine somewhere, as another `sacred object' like that jar Inuyasha had dug up.

 

“Where is Inuyasha?”

 

“He went with Kazuki to find Totosai.”

 

“WHAT? Oh, no!” exclaimed Sango, rounding on her husband. “How could you let them go?”

 

Miroku shrugged his shoulders. “I didn't see the harm,” he replied. “That old coot doesn't remember what year it is, never mind who he may or may not have seen. If he mentions Inuyasha no one will believe him anyway.”

 

“That's not the problem!” Sango hissed urgently. “Sesshomaru is coming here in a few days for the babies' Naming Ceremony!”

 

Kagome paled. She had tried to dissuade Inuyasha from looking for Totosai in this era, suggesting he try to find the old swordsmith in their own time instead, but Inuyasha insisted on doing it here, now. `We've got time,' he had said. Now, it turns out that they really didn't have much time at all.

 

“What should we do?” Kagome asked. “Should we go after them?”

 

Miroku shook his head. “None of us would be able to get near Totosai's home,” he reasoned. “Inuyasha said he would be back in a few days. I say we just wait and see. If he and Kazuki make it back before the others get here, you can all go home as planned. If he doesn't, well, we'll just have to trust in his judgement not to jeopardize the future by barging in on the Ceremony. He'll be able to smell Sesshomaru and the other youkai.”

 

Trust Inuyasha's judgement? Sango wasn't so sure, but Kagome was nodding her head. Maybe Inuyasha had changed. He was a father now, with responsibilities. Sango glanced over at Miroku, who was also a father with responsibilities, and she sighed. She doubted it.

 

“Other youkai?” Kagome asked. “What other youkai?”

 

“Oh, you know, the usual. Shippo, Kouga and his family. By now they've heard the news about the twins, I'm sure. They may already be on their way. Sango, my love, we should start preparing guest lodgings at once. Kagome, you and Mayumi will have to remain with us if Inuyasha doesn't return in time. The bean paste seemed to work; we'll keep with that, and make sure you're out of the way when our youkai guests arrive. With a few of Sango's stink pellets to discourage unwanted curiousity, I think you will both go undetected.”

 

“Miroku, have you forgotten my daughter is hanyou? She won't be able to tolerate the stink pellets either!”

 

Miroku dismissed her concerns with a wave of his hand. “Then we'll think of something else. Maybe I can seal her in one of the huts—you can stay with her, of course, Kagome.”

 

“Miroku!” Sango and Kagome both yelled.

 

 

 

 

“Daddy, my feet hurt!” Kazuki complained.

 

Inuyasha glanced down. His son, the slayer. “Take off those damned boots then,” he said. He had left the sandals Miroku lent him behind without a backward glance. The rocks underneath their feet hissed with steam. They were getting close.

 

Kazuki hopped on one foot and pulled off one soft boot and then the other. His face lit up in surprise. “It is better,” he said.

 

“Told you,” replied Inuyasha. He looked up to see a gaping hole near the top of the hill. “We're here.”