InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Mika- the Inu Ookami Hanyou ❯ Memories ( Chapter 25 )

Memories

 

As the group followed Mika toward the new tunnel, Inuyasha glared at his remote brother. “What is he doing here?” he thought, as he moved closer to Mika to be near his niece. Koga and Kagome had taken a flanking position with Mika in the lead. As they traveled the short tunnel, they came out near a mountain side, overlooking a wide expanse of land with more mountains miles off in the distance. Slight gasps of shock and amazement escaped the lips of some of the onlookers.

 

A slight tinge of blue sneaked across the western horizon as the night gave way to day. The lights of the surrounding towns and cities twinkled in the distance, marking the flow of the rivers in the distance. The group flanked Mika as she explained, “This is the Magic Valley, where I've lived most of my life. As you can see this is a pretty huge place. However this is only a part of the country I come from, a land bigger than all of Japan,” She turned down the mountain path, straight into another tunnel as the others followed her, slowly peeling their eyes from the scene before them, too shocked to speak.

 

After a few more minutes, the group exited the tunnel onto a deserted country lane. The breeze carried the scent of early summer, alfalfa and a hint of cow manure and sage brush to the noses of all present. Koga's eyes widen at the sight of the large number of black, white, and brown cows, grazing contently in a nearby field. As he headed toward the easy meal, Mika placed a hand on his shoulder as she warned, “Don't even think it, Koga. Despite their calm demeanor, that bull…” pointing toward a fifteen hundred pound Black Angus bull, “…will run you down faster than you think. There are other, safer ways to get a meal.” He smiled at Mika, patting her gently on the back as they turned back toward the road.

 

A few minutes later as the light behind them intensified, bathing the surrounding pastures in predawn light, Mika pointed to a lone tree near the road and a low roofed home a ways back from the tree. “That is my home. I've been packing for the return trip to Japan, but I wanted to show you the memories that this place, as well as a few others, holds for me.” Once they were closer to the ranch style single story home, Mika closed her eyes, digging deep into the memory locker of her brain. To the amazement of the others, images played before their eyes as they slowly moved closer to the home, as if they were watching a movie. As the memories slowly began to play, they revealed a girl of about three or four, moving into the home they saw before them. From there, they increased in speed; ticking threw the years of her life at not only the dwelling before them, but also of various other areas of the country, local buildings, and impressive locations.

 

Kagome moved closer to her concentrating cousin, noticing that she was quite pale and her breathing was becoming ragged. She saw the strain that the memories were putting on Mika's already depleted powers. Quickly, she took hold of her cousin's uninjured shoulder, offering her what miko powers she could to assist in the memory home video until she noticed a glimpse of the lake they had just come from, except that this was a memory. “Oh, No, this is getting close to the time of the death of her parents! I've got to try and stop her,” Kagome thought when suddenly Mika collapsed into her chest, dragging both women to the ground. Despite her unconscious state, the memories continued to play as if on autopilot. Kagome tried to awaken Mika, gently shaking her limp form. Once she'd been able to ease Mika's body from on top of her own pinned body, Kagome noticed that she'd finally eased into a fitful slumber brought on by the exertions of the evening.

 

With everyone engrossed in the memory home videos, and Kagome focusing her attention on Mika's unconscious body, no one noticed the addition to the group. He moved quietly from the back of the group, suppressing his overwhelming powers as he moved toward the unconscious girl. Placing a gentle hand on her forehead, he quietly spoke into Kagome's ear, “She'll be fine. Nothing a little sleep won't be able to cure.”

 

Kagome squawked slightly at the foreign voice, as she turned toward the intruder. When her eyes met his amber eyes, she quickly realized that it was Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's father. “Why are you here, my lord?” Kagome asked in a barely audible whisper as she took in his appearance.

 

“I'll explain in a minute for everyone. Please be patient,” he stood next to his granddaughter as the final memories played out. Mika's vivid memories of the accident were as clear as if they had just happened that day instead of a month ago. Every detail was as sharp and clear as the finest crystal vase with microscopic attention to detail from the smells of the burning rubber, the sound of shattering glass and the screams of the behemoth vehicles colliding and twisting to the shrieks of the passengers. The sounds of the sirens faded into the distance as the scene before them changed to the flight aboard the airplane to Japan and her final images of the daunting task of going up the stairs of the Higurashi shrine. For the final seconds before the earthquake that dragged Mika into the feudal era the image stopped as if paused by an invisible remote.

 

Gentle sobs resounded through the area as Miroku tried to comfort Sango who was greatly affected by the violent death of Mika's parents. Koga and Inuyasha looked at each other as they sought their niece, realizing how heartless they had been when she had been through so much already before they had even met her. Sesshomaru, although his stoic mask remained unchanged, was also affected by his unknown daughter's past. The years that should have been his to see her grow from a young pup to a beautiful woman were taken from him, now all he had were these memories of hers. Anger rose in his usually calm body at the thoughts of all that he had missed out on all those years ago, “If only…if only…if only Akane had been a full demon, none of this would have ever happened,” he thought to himself.

 

Suddenly a great wave of demonic energy washed over the group as a tsunami on a tiny island, throwing them violently back to reality as the great dog demon lord made his presence known. All eyes turned toward him as he continued his silent vigil over Mika and Kagome. Inuyasha looked at the man whom he had been told was his father as Sesshomaru stepped forward and addressed the old general.

 

“Father, what do we owe this pleasure to?” Sesshomaru calmly asked as he continued the inner conflict with his anger.

 

Inu no Taisho looked at his eldest son as he replied, “You've grown, Son. I'm glad to see that you have set aside your differences this night to accompany Mika here. She's such a good person, full of compassion, youthful energy and love. I hope that you don't waste the opportunity presented to you with this child.”

 

Sesshomaru stared at his father, the anger subsiding as the words eased his heart. “I see what you mean. Maybe this will give me a chance to get to know her a bit better. Considering that I never knew of her existence,” he replied as he glared at Koga, who stood in awe at the presence of the great deceased demon lord.

 

“Father, why are you here?” Inuyasha sheepishly asked as the others eagerly awaited the answer.

 

“Inuyasha, you have grown as well I see. Thank you for taking Mika under your wing when you could. As to your question, she is one of only a few links between the worlds of the living and the dead. I've been with her since birth, thanks to Totosai's thoughtfulness, as well as her mother.” He turned toward Koga and bowed slightly, “Thanks to you, Koga, leader of the Eastern wolf demon tribe. Akane expresses her thanks as well.” He returned to look at the group as he continued, “With her inexperienced powers, demons that she had killed were trying to return to this world through her death. I intervened when necessary when her life was in danger, although the fight appears to be an indication of the future.”

 

“So what do we do now?” Miroku asked, “She was the path into this strange and yet wonderful place. How are we to return to our respective dreams and thus back home?”

 

Quietly Inu no Taisho knelt beside his granddaughter, gathering her limp frame into his arms as he replied, “Behind you is a tunnel that will return you to your respective dreams. Now if you will excuse me, I have to return her to her dream so that she may rest peacefully. As you all have seen, Mika is a very stubborn individual, but she is also very resilient. Once she has regained her strength, she will return to you.”

 

Koga moved toward Mika's unconscious body to say farewell as the others slowly followed suit. He gently placed a kiss on her cheek, before he moved aside for the others to say their goodbyes. Once everyone who was present, save for Sesshomaru, made their way past the unconscious girl, they entered the tunnel, traveling in different directions back toward their dreams, deep in thought of what she had shown them with not only her memories but her pure determination and will power.

 

Inu no Taisho turned toward the final member of the group. “Would you like to say something to her, or will you just keep it to yourself, like you always do?” he asked of Sesshomaru, noticing the inner conflict of the younger demon.

 

Sesshomaru moved toward his father, carefully thinking of what he would say. Once he was near the older demon lord, Sesshomaru gazed into the serene face of his daughter in her human form as he replied, “I've been thinking about what you asked all those years ago, father. At the time you asked if I had any one to protect, I had said, `No.' As time passed, I find that I do have some one to protect, and now that has been increased by the knowledge that I have a daughter. When the time is right, I will ask her for the opportunity to get to know me. I've seen her injuries this night and the ineptitude of the wolf and my brother in keeping her safe.”

 

The elder demon lord smiled gently as he replied, “Be careful, Sesshomaru, for she is not like the young ward, Rin. You will be dealing with an older teenager who has already been through a lot. Are you sure that you know how to deal with the likes of her?”

 

Sesshomaru looked his father in the eye as he replied, “She will conform to my ways, one way or another.”

 

Inu no Taisho shook his head as the smile got a little wider, knowing the difficulties that his eldest son faced. “You'd best get going, son. I can only keep the tunnel in place long enough for you to return to your dream. Please hurry, for this dream is coming to an end in a matter of seconds.”

 

Without another word, Sesshomaru placed a gentle hand on his daughter's uninjured shoulder for a moment and then as if a bolt of lightning, he was gone through the tree covered tunnel to return to his dream of the great magnolia tree in the beginning throws of bloom, his young ward and annoying servant, deep in thought as to what his father had implied.

 

Looking down at his granddaughter, the aged demon lord smiled as he said, “You've had one hell of a night, young lady. Now it's time for you to sleep well, to let your body heal. Don't worry; your mother will be with you when you awaken from your slumber.” He turned toward the tree shrouded passageway for the final trip of the evening. Within a few minutes he had returned to the glacier fed Opal Lake and moved toward the inviting campfire. Once he placed his sleeping granddaughter into the waiting sleeping bag, he covered her with an additional wool blanket and took a set on one of the waiting wooden stumps, keeping watch as he had done all night.