InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Present Perfect ❯ Chapter 25 ( Chapter 25 )

Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi

 

 

Chapter 25:

 

 

Inuyasha smelled Kouga before he saw him, and so had time to prepare. He was holding the baby when they came sailing over the stockade. What did they think the gates were for? Ayame had her kid, several months old now, strapped to her back. The kid smelled like a wolf, but other than that, it was pretty cute. Alert, too. Inuyasha smiled at the baby, then opened his mouth to say something when Kouga beat him to it.

 

“Hey, dogbreath, where's Kagome?” Kouga stopped several yards from Inuyasha, crinkling his nose. “What's with the stupid look? And why do you stink?”

 

“You should talk, stinkin' wolf,” Inuyasha retorted. “Hey, Ayame. Is this the little wolf cub? Kouga, you should be thankful the kid takes after Ayame, and doesn't smell like you!”

 

Ayame smiled and, ignoring Inuyasha's rank scent, strolled over to him and placed her child in his free arm. “Hello to you too, Inuyasha,” she said mildly. “It's good to see you. Kagome didn't come with you?”

 

Kouga snorted. “She probably came to her senses,” he said.

 

Inuyasha glared at the wolf, but he didn't growl so that he wouldn't upset the kids. Now he was cradling two babies in his arms. It felt good. Soon he would hold his own kid like this. He hefted Ayame's kid, then Sango's, jiggling them up and down a little. Ayame's kid seemed to like that—he smiled and made gurgling noises.

 

“Hey, little one,” he said softly, looking down at the wolf cub. “Meet your brother.” He jiggled Sango's kid a little more. Ayame's baby looked with interest at the little human in Inuyasha's other arm. The baby's scent was masked somewhat by Inuyasha's more powerful beer scent, so Inuyasha held him closer so that the wolf cub could scent him properly. He looked at Sango's baby and repeated, “Meet your brother.” Of course, Sango's kid couldn't remember scent like a youkai, but the thought was there. He handed Ayame back her kid and motioned for them to follow him to their hosts, so he could give Sango back her baby, too. He wasn't too crazy about the pitying looks Kouga kept throwing his way.

 

“Sango!”

 

“Ayame!”

 

It didn't matter that one was human and one was youkai. The two women hugged and exchanged babies and stories until the sun set. Inuyasha was glad that he had been instrumental in bringing these two friends together. If only Kagome could share in this, too. He hoped he had done the right thing in forcing her to stay behind.

 

Kohaku greeted Kouga gravely, and the two of them went off together to discuss whatever it is they discussed together. Inuyasha was gratified to note that Kouga had taken his advice and let Kohaku into his confidences. Thanks to him, Sesshomaru now had a connection to the wolf tribe which would last through the generations. He trailed after the two of them, hoping to get some idea of Sesshomaru's current whereabouts, but they fell silent as he approached.

 

“Something we can do for you, dogbreath?” asked Kouga.

 

“Where's Sesshomaru?” Never one to beat around the bush, Inuyasha got right to the point.

 

“You may have noticed we have a youkai problem,” Kouga replied sarcastically. “While you're here relaxing, Sesshomaru is out there making the land safe.”

 

What? Relaxing! Kouga had no idea what Inuyasha had been up to. As much as he wanted to set the wolf straight, he let it go. “Yeah? You're here, too,” he said instead.

 

Kouga grinned, and Inuyasha realized the wolf youkai had been teasing him. If he hadn't come to know him a little better in the future, he probably wouldn't have realized it, and would have started a fight. Inuyasha turned towards Kohaku. “Is that true? Is Sesshomaru clearing out some of these pesky youkai?”

 

“Pesky!” Kouga was outraged.

 

“You know what I mean.”

 

Kohaku nodded. “We all have,” he affirmed. “We are going to meet Lord Sesshomaru back at Kaede's village after the naming ceremony.”

 

Inuyasha nodded, remembering the story of what had happened. Rin needed to return to the village to resume her lessons with Kaede. He knew he wouldn't have much luck in preventing them from returning at this point, so he said, “I want to go with you when you leave.”

 

Kohaku assumed Inuyasha wanted to meet with Sesshomaru, but Kouga was insulted. “I'll go back with the kid,” he said. “You can go on home or stay here, for all I care. We don't need you.”

 

“Yeah, you do,” said Inuyasha, knowing it was true. “I have to go back that way anyway.”

 

“Suit yourself,” answered Kouga, walking off. Kohaku glanced from one to the other, then apologized and followed Kouga. Inuyasha went to find Miroku. Hopefully he could at least convince him to stay in the village.

 

Since Sango, Ayame and Rin had taken over his house, Miroku sat outside, drowsing in the sun and the blissful silence.

 

“Got a minute?” asked Inuyasha, squatting down next to Miroku.

 

“Yes, isn't it wonderful?” replied Miroku, not bothering to open his eyes.

 

“Then come on.” Inuyasha gripped Miroku's collar and hauled him to his feet, dragging him off to the corner where Sango's relatives were buried. “I need to tell you something.”

 

Miroku raised his eyebrows and waited for Inuyasha to begin.

 

“You can't leave this village,” said Inuyasha. “Not for a week at least after we're gone. It's going to be dangerous for you, Sango and the baby if you do.”

 

“Do you have some specific reason, or are you just concerned because of the recent youkai troubles we've been having? Believe me, I wouldn't endanger Sango or the baby unnecessarily.”

 

Inuyasha took a deep breath. “Specific.” He said. “I met Kouga in Kagome's time, and he said some pretty specific things about what happened to all of us after the baby's naming ceremony. We left you and Sango to go back to Kaede's village, and for some stupid reason, you followed us. You got hurt, and the baby nearly got killed. You can't go. I don't think things will change that much if you stay.”

 

Miroku pondered Inuyasha's words. He saw the dilemma. Inuyasha already knew what had happened. Would it really be all right to change it? On the other hand, he had a suspicion that his survival was extremely important to Lady Kagome's existence. It made more sense to stay here and not jeopardize that in any way.

 

“Inuyasha, can you please show me your small pictures again?”

 

Puzzled at the turn the conversation was taking, Inuyasha nevertheless pulled out his cell phone and switched it on. “Half? How come I only have half power left?” he muttered, as he pushed a few buttons to access the saved pictures. “Here they are,” he said to Miroku. “Why?”

 

Miroku took the phone from Inuyasha's hands and expertly scrolled through the pictures until he came to the one he wanted. “Look closely,” he bade Inuyasha. “Do you see the prayer beads Kagome's grandfather is holding? Do they look familiar to you?”

 

Inuyasha immediately guessed what Miroku was leading up to. “Are you telling me that they're yours?” His eyes automatically were drawn to Miroku's now bead-less hand.

 

“I believe so,” replied Miroku. “That means that I, Sango and I, could very well be Kagome's ancestors. Why else would the beads be in Kagome's shrine?”

 

 

 

Ayame took over from Shippo the next morning. Kagome noticed him sneaking down the main steps at daybreak, as if she hadn't been aware of his presence all night long. She felt bad, because she never did get around to bringing him something to eat after her grandfather's inadvertent revelation.

 

Could she really be distantly related to Miroku and Sango? Her grandfather was always going on about traditions that had been handed down from generation to generation. Why hadn't she put it together until now? Her soul might be a reincarnation of Kikyou, but she hadn't thought her physical body could be a result of that time period too. Connections on top of connections. Just how far did it go?

 

“Ayame?” she asked, as the two of them enjoyed a late morning stroll around the shrine grounds. “Do you know if any of Sango and Miroku's descendants settled in this area?”

 

“It's possible,” Ayame replied. “We were all close in those early years, Sango, Miroku, me and Kouga, and later Kohaku and his miko, Rin. After Sango died, we lost touch with some of the purely human branches of the family, so it's entirely possible that some of their descendants may have settled here.”

 

“But you don't know for sure?”

 

Ayame shrugged apologetically. “Humans come and go so quickly compared to us. Even the miko's human descendants followed Rin's path and chose to live out a human lifespan. The only miko to have a youkai's lifespan is Mariko, and that's more due to her youkai blood than to Rin's.”

 

There it was again. `Choose to live a mortal lifespan.' “What do you mean?” asked Kagome. “How could they choose something like that?”

 

“Some miko have true power,” Ayame explained. “They have a calling that extends beyond a single human lifetime, and they have a choice: to accept the limitations of their human birth, or to continue on as long as they are needed.”

 

“And if they choose a normal human lifespan, like Rin?”

 

“Then another miko is born to take her place,” said Ayame.

 

“How do they do it? Could I do it—choose a longer lifespan?”

 

Ayame shrugged again. “I'm youkai, Kagome. I only know what I've heard over the years from Rin and the other miko who ministered to youkai. From what I've heard, you should be able to do it, but I'm no expert. Maybe you should talk to Mariko. She might know more.”

 

Kagome nodded. If she had the power, then she might be able to extend her lifespan to match Inuyasha's, as well as her unborn child's. She felt excited, until she remembered that Inuyasha was right this minute facing unspeakable dangers on the other side of the well. What if he was unable to return to her? Would she want to live an extended lifespan without him by her side, even for the sake of her child?

 

Ayame sensed her change in mood and steered her to the sacred tree. This was a good spot for what she had in mind. She pulled a small box out of her pocket. “Kagome, I thought you should have one of these, too. It's been a long time in coming, but this is from both me and Sango.” Ayame smiled. “I'm sure Sango would have agreed. I bought it yesterday.”

 

Kagome opened the box to find another bracelet, shining silver, identical to the ones she had given to Sango and Ayame so long ago. She turned it around and read the inscription which she knew would be there: Friends Forever. Tears filled her eyes, and she hugged Ayame. “Thank you, Ayame. Now we have a third bracelet to pass down from generation to generation.” She giggled, then hiccoughed. Connections, indeed. “I see you figured out where I got them.”

 

Ayame laughed, too. “It wasn't that hard, once I found out you were originally from this time. I just brought one of the original bracelets from store to store until I matched it!”