InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Mayumi's Story ❯ Chapter 10 ( Chapter 10 )

Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi

 

 

Mayumi's Story, Chapter 10:

 

 

Uncle Miroku headed off Papa at the well, and he came back sober and unsmiling, which was quite unlike Uncle Miroku. “It's time,” he said cryptically to my Auntie Sango. His eyes glanced over me and away.

 

“How's Mama?” I whispered, afraid to meet the gaze of my usually genial uncle.

 

“She's hurting, as you might expect,” he said shortly, and he made to walk out. My eyes welled over with tears. Auntie Sango followed him out and I heard their voices, whispered and urgent, as they argued.

 

“You didn't need to say that to her,” Auntie Sango said. “She feels bad enough.”

 

“You didn't see Inuyasha,” Miroku countered. “Mayumi broke Kagome's heart.”

 

“Then why--?”

 

“Because this was bound to happen sooner or later. Inuyasha knew it. Kagome knew it. Inuyasha was the one who convinced Kagome to let her go.”

 

“That must have been hard for him. . . .”

 

I let their voices fade out of my consciousness. So my parents had known I would leave. I felt marginally better. I didn't know what I had thought—that I could continue as I had been, going back and forth through time, having the best of both worlds? No, this was better. A clean break, as much as it hurts, heals better.

 

Auntie Sango had helped me dye my hair and apply my scent-masking treatment. She gave me clothes from our own village house, which I had been afraid to enter in case Papa was there. I wiped the last traces of tears from my eyes and sniffed. I was done wallowing in self-pity.

 

I pushed my way past my aunt and uncle and headed towards our house. I gave Auntie Sango a wavery smile to let her know I was ok, and I caught the tail end of their conversation as I passed.

 

“She's of marriageable age,” Auntie Sango said.

 

“According to Inuyasha, not in their time. That's why Kagome was so upset. In their time, she's considered too young.”

 

“But—?” There was confusion in Auntie Sango's voice, and I wasn't surprised, knowing my mother's story. Mama had waited, however. I'm not Mama—that's my whole point. I was me. My situation was different. Auntie Sango's voice firmed, and I perked up my ears to listen. “Mayumi isn't in their time—she's in ours now.”

 

I continued on my way, my heart just a little bit lighter. Marriage? Dai had told me we were married. It just never dawned on me that it would happen so soon. I smiled to myself just thinking about it.

 

Kazuki was sitting in our house, waiting for me. “What's wrong with you?” he asked me angrily. “Mom is crying her eyes out and Dad is snapping everybody's head off.”

 

“You don't know the whole story. I didn't mean to hurt them.”

 

“Well, you did,” Kazuki said. “And I know enough. You chose Daichi over Dai.”

 

My chin came up. “Look who's talking,” I replied, and we both turned to face the door, having caught the scent at the same moment.

 

Sachi, one of my `sisters' in the feudal age and Kazuki's current flame, slipped inside and closed the door behind her. She hesitated as she noticed me sitting there. “Mayumi! I thought you'd still be at my mother's house,” she said.

 

“Obviously,” I replied drily. If only Auntie Sango knew her own daughter was sneaking off to meet a boy, no, a hanyou, behind her back, she might not be so tolerant. Or maybe I'm being too cynical.

 

“So are you going to go home?” Kazuki asked, as he pulled Sachi, who was obviously embarrassed, to sit beside him. He was a product of the 21st century even if Sachi wasn't.

 

“No, I'm not.” I spoke quietly, but with determination. “I need to see Daichi before I do anything else.”

 

Kazuki didn't bother trying to talk me out of it. “Do you want me to go find him for you?”

 

“I can do it myself,” I said, but Sachi was shaking her head. “What?”

 

She shrugged. “You'd better not. Mama already sent Hiroshi to the wolf youkai clan. That's what I was coming to tell Kazuki.”

 

“Hiroshi? Why? Is he going to bring Daichi here?” I asked, confused. In my sorrow, I had told Auntie Sango the entire story of my and Daichi's love, including our `indiscretion,' as the reason I needed to come back to this Daichi. But I didn't think she would invite him here, under her roof, so to speak, knowing we had been lovers.

 

“He's acting as go-between,” Sachi explained, as if I would have any idea what she was talking about.

 

“Go between what?”

 

“You know, to approach Daichi's father about the marriage.”

 

I paled. “About the marriage? But Daichi and I—he hasn't even asked me yet.” I said weakly. I was a 21st century girl myself. This wasn't at all how I had envisioned it. Daichi didn't even know about it yet! What would his father say? What would he do?

 

Kazuki looked as puzzled as I felt, which made three of us. Two of us really weren't from around here, much as we preferred this time period to our own. And the third, Sachi, obviously didn't understand our confusion. I wonder who she thought would be her go-between between Kazuki's parents and hers. That was going to be interesting.

 

Sure enough, Auntie Sango wouldn't hear of my going off alone to find Daichi, and I felt just guilty enough to obey her. Hiroshi returned two days later, without Daichi, but with some news. I was going to get to meet the parents. Goody.

 

Uncle Kouga—of course, at the time he didn't know he was Uncle Kouga to me—and Auntie Ayame, along with a veritable entourage of wolf youkai, but conspicuously without Daichi, arrived at the slayer village to initiate talks regarding the betrothal of their son Daichi to Miroku and Sango's adopted daughter Mayumi. Me.

 

I was nervous. I was a hanyou, and I knew how the wolf youkai regarded hanyou in this era. My father had made this very clear to me. In my time, hanyou were accepted among youkai. Humans, as a rule, still had no idea hanyou or youkai even existed. But back in the Sengoku Jidai it wasn't always so easy. My father and Uncle Kouga had never gotten along back then.

 

“My, you are a beauty.” Uncle Kouga appraised me frankly, as I demurely bowed to him from my place behind my aunt and uncle. He had a bundle in his arms, which he presented to me. “It's a wedding kimono,” he said, knowing I wouldn't open it until I was out of sight behind closed doors, as was proper. I blushed, and offered my thanks.

 

Finally, I was allowed to leave so the grown-ups could iron out the details of the wedding. I heard Uncle Kouga comment as I left, “I like her.”

 

I don't know what my father had been talking about. Uncle Kouga didn't seem to have a grudge against me for being hanyou. Maybe he just didn't like my father for some other reason. I'd have to ask him, once I got to know him better. I giggled excitedly as realization set in. I was getting married! I tore through the wrappings and shook out the layers of my wedding kimono. Oh Mama, I wish you could be here to share this with me!

 

The wedding would take place in early spring. Until then, I wasn't supposed to see Daichi, nor him me. Winter hadn't sunk its jaws into our region yet, but up north, where the wolves were from, there was already deep snow. Humans might be superstitious and refuse to venture out for fear of Yuki Onna, the Snow Woman. But she was only a youkai, like me. I wasn't afraid of her.

 

I snuck out so I wouldn't hurt Auntie Sango's feelings, but truthfully, I would have snuck out whether she knew it or not. I'd left my family and my home to come to this time, this place, to be with Daichi. Why would I let a little thing like propriety—or weather-- stop me now?

 

Daichi wasn't afraid of Yuki Onna either. We met at our usual place, as often as we could, that whole winter. We were both wild things then, reveling in our animal natures, oblivious to the cold and the elements. But every time we found a likely spot to be—together, for lack of a nicer word—something would happen to prevent it.

 

At first, I thought it was just coincidence. Random feral youkai attacking out of the blue, a tree crashing down to obliterate our makeshift retreat. But once or twice Daichi would growl, sensing a powerful presence which never materialized. And once or twice I glimpsed, out of the corner of my eye, something or someone all in white, outlined against the stark sky. By this time I had my suspicions of who it might be, so all Daichi and I did, that winter, was steal kisses. We would have to wait until we were married to do more.

 

We traveled to the wolf youkai enclave for the wedding ceremony. Kazuki and my brother Koji accompanied us, which made me eternally happy. At least I had some representation from my real family. How I wished Mama and Papa could be here, even though I knew it was impossible for reasons that had nothing to do with me.

 

“Kazuki!” I hissed, pulling him aside as we traveled at a very human pace towards the wolf youkai village. “Has Dad been following me?”

 

He reddened, which was as good as a `yes.' So, I had been right!

 

“What's with the outfit?” I asked, referring to the figure in white I'd spotted occasionally over the winter. I knew it hadn't been Yuki Onna.

 

Kazuki raised his eyebrows. “Give him some credit. He's trying to blend it. He couldn't very well wear his fire rat clothes, now could he?”

 

 

I supposed not.

 

Daichi met us at the border of their lands. The wolf youkai lived high on a craggy outcropping overlooking some very untamed territory. I was going to love it here! I wasn't sure what to expect at a youkai wedding ceremony, but they were very aware of the sensibilities of our human companions, my adopted family, and tailored their ceremony around human expectations.

 

Kazuki hovered around Sachi, bristling like the dog he was whenever any stray wolf youkai came near her. It was only a matter of time before the two of them would be formally dating, if you could call it that here. I was glad. It meant Kazuki, at least, would be around fairly often. I wouldn't be totally cut off from my futuristic family. I wondered if he had told Sachi our secret. Probaby not. We didn't know what the future held for him and Sachi yet. She was only human, and he would outlive her by a good many lifetimes. I felt a pang of regret as I realized that, and I shivered in relief that at least Daichi and I would not have to suffer that fate. Even though I knew I was fated to lose him, I didn't know why and how, and I didn't want to know. I wanted to live in the now, and savor each moment of this exact moment in time.

 

Daichi and I were married under the clear blue mountain sky with my slayer kin by my side and the brothers of my blood as witnesses. We couldn't have pretended any different, not in front of the wolves, whose sense of smell was nearly as keen as our own. We were related, Kazuki and Koji and I, though our hair was dyed dark and our natural scents were somewhat muddled with the masking solution. Daichi knew we were inuyoukai; I doubt any other of his relatives had figured it out. And even if they had, so what? Papa was not the only inuyoukai in the world. No, he was just the best, he and Uncle Sesshomaru. I wouldn't cry, not today, on my wedding day.

 

High on the hills I sensed a familiar presence and I glanced up in time to see a white figure, with a smaller, equally pale figure by his side. He saw me looking and gave a slight wave before they both disappeared over the ridge. Nobody else, except maybe my brothers, had seen them.

 

I reached out and twined my fingers through Daichi's. The future was looking brighter already.