InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Mayumi's Story ❯ Chapter 15 ( Chapter 15 )

Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi

 

 

Mayumi's Story, Chapter 15:

 

 

For a sentient youkai, Totosai wasn't very aesthetically pleasing either. He had big bulbous eyes that stared right through you, and he was old. I didn't know youkai could get old, and it crossed my mind that maybe he had chosen that particular form on purpose. But if so, why? Which goes to show you that I shouldn't be so judgmental based on appearance—but maybe that's the human in me.

 

“Ah, you've come back for your sword,” he said to Kazuki, nodding at the sword which hung from Kazuki's belt, the same sword that had hung there as long as I could remember.

 

“And I suppose you want a sword, too,” he said, turning to look at me with those buggy, slightly unfocused eyes.

 

He didn't wait for either of us to reply. Instead, he shuffled back into the darker recesses of his cave, which was also his workshop. We were supposed to follow him, I think. I held my breath and walked gingerly over the hot rocks to Totosai's forge. He already had something on the fire.

 

“Well,” he snapped, holding out one hand towards Kazuki. “Give it to me.”

 

Surprised, Kazuki took off his sword and handed it over, saying, “That's not why we are here.”

 

Totosai snorted, and began banging on Kazuki's sword, ignoring the other one already lying in the forge. “Come back in three days,” he said.

 

“But--?” I spluttered. “What about me?”

 

“Oh, are you still here? Well, bring me something of your father's and I'll make you a sword too.”

 

I locked glances with Kazuki. This old youkai apparently knew who I was even though I was sure I'd never met him before. Did he know we needed something to seal my youkai blood, or was he just offering to make me a weapon like Kazuki's?

 

“Too many hanyou,” the old youkai was muttering to himself. He reached over and swiped a lock of hair from Kazuki's scalp, making Kazuki yelp in surprise. He threw it onto the heated metal and banged it a few more times while the hair sizzled and sparked. “I'm gonna run out of sealing pieces to put in the weapons. Wish they'd hurry up and change already.”

 

Ok, so maybe he did know.

 

“Go get me the beads of subjugation,” Totosai said abruptly. “Inuyasha isn't wearing them anymore. I'll use those.”

 

Oh, no. I did not want to be subjugated! What did that have to do with sealing my blood, anyway?

 

But Kazuki nodded, and before I could stop him, he popped out, right in front of Totosai! My mouth dropped open, but Totosai wasn't paying any attention, first banging on one sword, then the other, and muttering the whole time. “Darn time-hopping kids!”

 

Kazuki popped back in, tossing the beads from hand to hand as if they stung him. They probably did. No way did I want those around my neck.

 

“Wait—these don't belong to Papa,” I objected quickly. “They didn't even belong to Mama, although she held the power over them. Kaede had them, but even she didn't make them, originally. That was Kikyou. So they don't really have anything to do with me.”

 

Kikyou. My mother was her reincarnation. They shared a soul and they shared another connection too—my father. Inuyasha loved them both.

 

“Of course they're your father's,” Totosai said as if speaking to a really small child—or an incredibly dense young hanyou. “These will do.”

 

He took one claw and sliced the string holding the beads together, catching them all in his other palm. If he felt their sting, he ignored it. “One is enough. I'll keep the others for your children. Not yours.” He looked at me. “Yours.” He looked at Kazuki, whose children were more human than hanyou, but that hanyou blood was strong in them. My kids were more youkai than hanyou, and hopefully could handle the small amount of human blood in their veins without losing themselves like I did.

 

“Koji will probably need one too,” I said, resigned to getting a bead for my seal.

 

Totosai tossed the lone bead high into the air, caught it, and threw it into the fire where the other sword was cooking. I guess I was getting a sword after all. I wonder if he always had some sword or other on the fire, or if he'd somehow known I was coming. I suspected he knew. A few bangs later, then he said, “Give me your hands.”

 

Kazuki and I each held out one hand and, quick as a wink, Totosai pulled the two swords out of the fire and rested them on his giant anvil, then he grabbed our wrists and held them over the swords, poked a dirty-looking claw into our palms, and made us bleed all over our swords. “There,” he said, satisfied. “Now they have something of yours to anchor them.” He turned his big eyes to me. “You shouldn't have to worry about transforming now. The sword will hold you until you figure out how to do it yourself. Now, go away and come back in three days.”

 

I gaped at him. What did he think—that I was going to eventually evolve into a full youkai like my father did? Maybe he knew something we didn't. Cool.

 

“Why three days?” questioned Kazuki. The swords were still glowing, and Totosai was already busy banging away at them again. They certainly weren't ready right this minute.

 

“I don't know,” replied Totosai. “It always takes three days.”

 

I was ready to get out of there. I needed to wash my hand before it healed over, for one, and the stench and the heat were both getting to me. Baby wasn't too happy, either. “Kazuki, find Daichi. I'll wait at the bottom of the mountain.”

 

Kazuki managed to find Daichi almost immediately, although it took him a little longer to come back since he couldn't travel in-between. Even so, the two of them made it back before nightfall. Kazuki had explained why I had needed to find Totosai to make a seal for my youkai blood. Daichi listened without comment and followed my brother back to the small camp I had made at the foot of the smoking mountain. Kazuki left us there, to go back to the slayer village and Sachi. He would return in three days for his sword.

 

Daichi faced me but waited for me to make the first move. I didn't blame him. I had said some awful things. My face crumpled. “I didn't mean it,” I said, and I threw myself at him. “Forgive me,” I sobbed.

 

Daichi stood stiffly, arms at his sides, not returning my hug, and I thought I had pushed him too far. Then his shoulders sagged, and his arms came up around me. “I was so scared,” he confessed, speaking so softly I could barely hear him. “I thought you had left me.”

 

“Never!” I sobbed, knowing it was a lie and hating myself for saying it. If I could change time, I would never leave him. In my heart I would never leave him. That had to count for something. “I was trying to protect you, you and the children,” I said. “That's why—“

 

“I know, Kazuki explained it to me,” Daichi replied. “I don't like it. You should have trusted me.”

 

“I do trust you!” I protested, wrapping my arms around his waist, glad to have him here beside me.

 

He smiled down at me, his sad smile, the one I recognized from Dai. “I know you do,” he agreed, “as much as you can.”

 

I spent the three days we waited thinking about Grandma who had died, and Sachi who hadn't yet, and wouldn't for a long time, but someday she would. Why did people have to die? I finally let the tears fall for Grandma, and Daichi gathered me close, worried that he had caused my tears, and I let his presence heal the ache in my heart that her passing had left.

 

Three days later, Kazuki and I both had new swords. His was a re-working of his original sword which had been forged using filings from Tetsusaiga. This new one contained bits of Kazuki's own essence in it as well. My sword held the bead from Papa's subjugation necklace, and a drop of my own blood to bind my essence into it, too.

 

Daichi was amused by old Totosai, and quickly caught on that his ramblings made little sense. The old youkai talked about my mother and father as if he knew them well, and Daichi just laughed, knowing that Kazuki and I were orphans. I breathed a sigh of relief, and for once I was glad that time was so very hard to mess up. I'd deal with the future when it arrived. For now, I had Daichi, I had my sealing sword, Baby was growing steadily, and all was well with the world.

 

“You know how to use that thing?” Daichi asked me on our way home.

 

I hefted my new sword over my shoulder as I'd seen my father do countless times. I grinned. “I can figure it out.”

 

“Sure you can,” he teased. “When you're ready, I'll teach you. All right?”

 

“All right,” I said. I could really use some help. “How about tomorrow?”

 

Daichi laughed, and I knew things would be ok between us.

 

 

Months later, when Megumi was born and I was somewhat capable with my sword, I felt Papa's aura approaching. He was way too confident in his ability to remain undetected, in my opinion. I took the two youngest, Choko and Megumi, and went out to gather firewood. The bite of winter was in the air already.

 

Papa was glad to meet the new baby, and Mama reached out for little Choko. Choko wasn't quite sure what to make of the strange-smelling big people, but she must have had some residual scent-memory from when she was a baby, because she went to Mama without a fuss.

 

I showed Papa my sword, and he frowned, which was not what I had been expecting. “Papa?” I asked. Something was obviously bothering him.

 

“Do it, Kagome,” he said mysteriously, and my mother just shook her head.

 

“Do it. She can take it.”

 

I wasn't sure I liked where this was going. I tensed.

 

Mama sighed. “Fine.” She and Choko both looked at me. “Sit.”

 

Nothing at all happened.

 

“Mama! Did you just try to subdue me?”

 

“It was your father's idea.”

 

“Papa! Are you still upset about the beads?”

 

“They were my beads.”