InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Pack Law ❯ One Week – 500 Years ( Chapter 8 )

Pack Law

 

Chapter 8: One Week - 500 Years

 

Tuesday - Present Time

 

“I'm telling you, she hasn't been anywhere near the well!”

 

Golden eyes narrowed. “And I'm saying you've got to be wrong!”

 

“She arrived Sunday mid-morning.” A mew punctuated that statement with agreement. “Since then, she hasn't been anywhere near the well house. When I left, there was still magic in the well. I could feel it.”

 

The woman wasn't lying. `What the hell does this mean?'

 

“It's only Tuesday. She has three and a half more days to pull her stupid stunt.”

 

Another voice, not entirely unexpected, rang out from outside the door. “She didn't do anything! She wouldn't!”

 

`Damn it, bitch. Your little “trick” tore us apart in too many ways.' This time, unlike most others, ignoring the voice didn't make it go away.

 

The door creaked open; angry emerald eyes peered at him from across the room. “You think you know so much, but you don't. You're so damn busy feeling sorry for yourself that you never guessed there could be an alternative. Hasn't your time on this planet taught you anything?”

 

A low growl echoed menacingly in the room. “If you were anybody else…”

 

“Yeah, yeah, I know. `If I were anybody else, you'd have my head.' You're a liar. You're all talk and no action. Have the years made you soft inside?” The new voice turned taunting, escalating in volume. “There are three days left. On Saturday, I'll prove it to you. You've never believed in her, just like you've never believed in yourself. You find it easier to hide in pain and misery than to accept that maybe something happened that you and nobody else could control. She never sealed the well. I'll prove it to you!”

 

The growl didn't subside as the door slammed shut.

 

The woman spoke again, “I'm headed back. The shine keeper's grandson is a riot to watch, imitating you when he thinks nobody is watching.”

 

**********

 

`I'm sure InuYasha won't mind. I'm pretty sure InuYasha won't mind.' Kagome's determined thoughts had been becoming less and less sure throughout the day. `What InuYasha doesn't know won't hurt him. And he won't be upset and say hurtful things to me.' Knowing her luck, her hanyou would choose that moment to make an appearance, even if she had put her foot down about him coming to visit her.

 

Kagome gazed at the clock on the wall. `Could it move any slower?' Math was her absolutely worst subject; she hated ending the day with it. The only consolation was that Tsukiyoshi was in this class with her. She had taken the time today to slip on her ring covertly and study him while he was working. Apparently he had felt her reiki flare, because he twisted in his seat to pin her with a scrutinizing look. She had gasped. His eyes were amber (`he's inu-youkai!' her brain screamed as she registered this fact); his hair was a platinum blue and hung to the middle of his back. Most striking was the crescent moon on his forehead, the same color as his hair. `Those eyes… that moon.'

 

The young woman hadn't realized she was staring until a low voice broke into her thoughts from just above her head. “Higurashi! You can fawn over Nishitaisho on your own time. You appear to be having trouble concentrating; go to the board and solve the problem.”

 

Red-faced, the miko walked up to the board. Tsukiyoshi, that jerk, was sporting a very smug smile. The look she sent him promised retribution. He must have remembered she was a strong miko; his grin turned into a stoic look rather reminiscent of yet another inu-youkai she was rather familiar with. Of course, neither would outwardly show signs of concern… the jerks…

 

**********

 

The bell couldn't have rung soon enough. After the embarrassing encounter in math class, she had kept her ring tucked under her shirt so she wouldn't be tempted to stare. There was just something regal about Tsukiyoshi.

 

Sarah waved at Kagome near the front doors. “Over here!”

 

A strong hand grasped her elbow; she looked up to see Hitomu leading her unerringly through the crowd. He smirked, “Daydreaming about somebody we know?”

 

Kagome wondered if her face could ever turn red enough to never go back to normal. She swallowed, thinking Hito's eyes peered into her soul. “I don't know what you're talking about!” She tried to act prim, but it was hard when Sarah, too, was sporting a kitsune-that-ate-the-pocky look.

 

“You were checking out Yoshi, weren't ya?” The hanyou had a sly grin on her face. “Hito told me.”

 

The young man's hands went up in a protective movement at the shift in Kagome's aura, along with the glower she sent at him. “I was merely passing by in the hallway and heard your sensei berating you to keep your mind on your work!”

 

Sarah winked. “If it makes you feel any better, we all gaze at him and his sisters. They just have this thing about them, you know?”

 

Kagome did know. While she had never felt that way about InuYasha's older brother, she had to admit Lord Sesshomaru had a certain quality that would have most women falling to their knees around him. Tsukiyoshi shared that undeniable draw. She just had to confirm; “Is Yoshi related to an inu-youkai named Sesshomaru?” Kagome had come to realize her new friends knew a lot about her. She wasn't sure how far the knowledge went, but at this point, it was futile to question it.

 

“Didn't you hear sensei say my last name?”

 

Kagome jumped. `That's another thing all inu youkai and hanyou have in common,' she thought wryly, `they always manage to sneak out of nowhere.' Tsukiyoshi was smiling with the success of making her jump. `InuYasha would be really angry if he found out a youkai had snuck up on me while I was just standing around. Then again, maybe that's how Ken got so close to me… It's those darn concealments; I can't see or feel through them without my ring on!'

 

She was getting a bad habit of getting lost in her thoughts. Sarah waved her hand in front of the miko's face to bring her back to the here-and-now. “Your last name? Nishitaisho?” The meaning of the name hit her like a ton of bricks. “Wait… Sesshomaru's father was the Lord of the Western lands-”

 

Tsukiyoshi nodded. “Sesshomaru is my father.”

 

Kagome gaped. “Your father? That would make him-”

 

The youkai interrupted with a laugh. “Ancient, I know. Believe me; we all enjoy giving him a hard time on his birthday. Mother insists we celebrate it every year, although Father says he lost count at least a century ago.”

 

The hallways were all fairly empty by this point; Kagome was starting to wonder why they hadn't left yet. Sarah must have guessed what she was thinking, because her voice became very soft and very serious.

 

“Kagome… before we go anywhere, we really need to ask you something.”

 

Kagome looked at the hanyou curiously. They seemed to know just about everything. `What could they need from me?'

 

Hitomu drew closer, kneeling to look Kagome in the eye. “When was the last time you went through the well?”

 

It was the last thing she had expected to hear her new friends ask.

 

**********

 

Feudal Era

 

“I'm not going! You can't make me!”

 

“Shippou!” Sango was shocked at the anger and sadness in the kitsune's eyes as he glared at InuYasha.

 

“I won't!”

 

InuYasha growled, so low only Shippou and Kirara could hear. The growl was an order. “Obey your alpha male.” Shippou's eyes widened as he was forced to look away. He had only ever heard his father order him in the language of canines. It pushed him, as a kit, on a purely instinctive level, to do what InuYasha commanded. For the first time since he'd taken up with a loving human, Shippou completely disregarded his instincts and pinned his green eyes back on InuYasha's face, refusing to look away.

 

The inu-hanyou's ears flattened angrily at the insubordination. “Pup,” he growled again, “Obey. We leave.”

 

Miroku and Sango stared, dumbfounded, as the two had their own little pissing match in a completely animalistic language. Neither knew what was going on, but both knew it was nothing good.

 

“Kits listen to alpha female. She is not here.”

 

“You have no alpha female!” InuYasha's pained growl was accented with a short bark. Miroku thought seeing his friend act on his most basic instincts would be amusing; right now, it was anything but.

 

Shippou's growl became a low whine. “Alpha female not abandon kit. Not abandon alpha male, pack. Kit waits.”

 

InuYasha was incensed. He was having a hard enough time dealing with Kagome's apparent defection. Now the kit was testing his authority? `I don't have time to deal with this bullshit!' His mental snarl was more of a pained whimper.

 

“Fine!” He snapped, switching to a verbal language. “Stay with the old woman, then!”

 

“InuYasha…” Sango wasn't sure what to say. True, Kagome looked after the kit the most. But to leave Shippou behind? He'd been a part of the group even before she and Miroku had joined up. To not have him with them would seem strange.

 

Sango didn't share any of this aloud; the look InuYasha sent her dared her to speak her mind. Subconsciously she averted her gaze to the ground. While on one level, InuYasha knew she wasn't aware of what she was doing, he allowed the submissive act to soothe his wounded pride.

 

Shippou darted to give the humans and Kirara a hug before they left. The well had been sealed for a full day. InuYasha had tested it throughout the day, growing more and more agitated. The next morning, to the astonishment of the group, InuYasha had insisted they head to the west as originally planned. “I'll stay by the well. I'll protect it and wait for Kagome,” Shippou whispered in Sango's ear as he hugged her good-bye. He then turned up the volume and twisted to face InuYasha, who was talking quietly with Miroku.

 

“I'll stay and wait for Kagome if I have to wait 500 years!”

 

InuYasha ignored him, turning to face the west. “C'mon, we ain't got all week. We're walking. You need some lessons in Pack Law so you guys don't do anything stupid near Sesshomaru.”

 

The humans exchanged a look as their leader - no, their alpha, strode away.

 

**********

 

Tuesday - Present Time

 

Kagome worried her bottom lip between her teeth. “The well?” Her mind was racing a million kilometers a minute. `How do they know?! What do they know? Why do they need to know when I last went back?'

 

Hitomu caught the worry in her eyes and grabbed one of her hands. “Kagome. I know this is a shock but…” He trailed off, not knowing how to articulate his concerns without frightening in the girl further. He sighed. “I know you've had a lot of surprises in your life already.” He held up his other hand as she opened her mouth to interrupt. “Don't ask me how I know. It'll all make sense later. Just - just know this. We're taking you to our house today not just to work on projects. There are a lot of people who really want to see you. But you have to be prepared. You're about to learn some really surprising things… things you should have been told about long ago.”

 

Kagome nodded, dumbfounded. “Okay... but wait, `our house'? You all live together?”

 

Sarah nodded. “Well, right now, at least. It'll be easier to show you.”

 

Hitomu looked at Kagome again. “Help us be ready to help you. When was the last time you went through the well?”

 

Kagome swallowed, looking around before answering. “I just returned on Sunday. I promised to go back Saturday.” The young man's eyes narrowed, daring her to lie.

 

“Are you still planning on going?”

 

“Are you nuts? Of course I am! I have friends waiting for me! I have a job to do, I can't just abandon them. Wait - how do you know all this?”

 

Tsukiyoshi spoke up from near the door. “Your father's here, Hito. Kagome, maybe he can explain it a little better.”

 

The miko's face was a concerned counterpoint to her cheery tone. “Okay! What are we waiting for?” She straightened her shoulders, steeling herself for… `What did Hitomu say? “Really surprising things.” Whatever that means. Well, whatever it is, I don't think it can compare to being dragged down an ancient well by a centipede youkai, and I didn't panic too much then. What could be more surprising than that?'

 

Stepping outside, she got her answer.

 

“Lady Kagome! It's been a long time, you're looking well!”

 

Kagome blinked, doing a double-take, and then turned to Hitomu. “Surprising!?” she shrieked. “You call running into friends from five hundred years ago surprising!?”

 

A very much modernized Miroku grinned, offering her a hand into the SUV waiting for them. “Lady Kagome, you have no idea. This is just the beginning.” He sobered, thinking about what awaited them at the den. “I don't think you'll be too pleased with what awaits you. We should hurry, though. Our esteemed alpha doesn't know you're on your way, and he's been baring his fangs at everyone and everything today.”

 

A/N:

 

Tsukiyoshi - “Righteous Moon”

Nishitaisho - Nishi: West, Taisho: General/Leader

 

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha or any other characters from the anime/manga. They all belong to Rumiko Takahashi.