InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Purity 3: Forever ❯ Ghosts of the Past ( Chapter 42 )

~~Chapter 42~~

~Ghosts of the Past~

 

Nezumi stumbled toward the foyer to answer the door as she rubbed the lingering traces of sleep from her eyes. She'd fallen asleep on the sofa, and when she woke up, it was to find a note from Ryomaru on the coffee table. He'd been called into work, and while she was worried, she knew in her heart that he was safe. As though she could feel him even though he wasn't there, it was reassuring just the same.

 

Yukitora mewed as she padded along behind Nezumi. The kitten was irritated at the disruption of her nap, and Nezumi commiserated. In the four days since the incident with the youkai, Nezumi had healed quite a bit, and while her ribs were still sore from being squished and her side and arm were still bruised and scabbed from being clawed, she wasn't in nearly as much discomfort as she had been. Ryomaru had been beside himself when he'd finally managed to convince her to let him see the injuries. She smiled to herself. Who'd have thought that brash, loud, borderline obnoxious Ryomaru could have been leveled by what amounted to inconsequential injuries?

 

Ears flattening as a plaintive sort of whine slipped out of him, Ryomaru reached out to touch the wounds but hesitated, wincing instead as the whine shifted into what could only be described as a whimper. “Nez . . . I'm sorry . . . I . . . kami . . .”

 

Grimacing as she pushed herself up on her elbow since he'd laid her on his bed and refused to let her get up, Nezumi peeked at the torn flesh that was already bruising and sighed. “It's not as bad as it looks, Ryo. Honest, it isn't.”

 

“You wouldn't tell me if it was, would you? Aw, Nez . . . damn it.”

 

“Your shoulder,” Nezumi said quietly, frowning at the bloody shirt as she swallowed hard and forced herself to stay calm. He had refused to let Kichiro look at his shoulder until after he had made sure that Nezumi was fine. She forced her eyes away and sighed. “Ryo . . . will you let Kich look at that?”

 

“In a minute,” he grumbled, waving aside her concern as his ears smashed down even more. “Tell me . . . Nez? Can I ask you something?”

 

“What?” she asked, prying one of his ears away from his skull. She let go, and it snapped back down. Gently lifting it again, she rubbed the appendage as he leaned in closer.

 

“You don't hate me, right? For the things you saw? I . . . I never wanted you to see that. I didn't really want you to know . . .”

 

“Maybe I needed to see it,” she mused quietly. “I think I understand now, why you fought . . . why I think you should do it again.”

 

He stared at her for a long moment, eyes searching her face, trying to find any traces of a lie. “You're sure.”

 

“I'm sure. I can't promise I won't worry, but . . . I know why you need to do it. I understand that now. If you get yourself hurt, I'll kill you,” she warned in a grumble. “I swear I will. Don't you dare be reckless, Ryo, because . . . Promise me you'll be careful; that's all.”

 

“I promise, Deirdre. I'll be careful, and . . . I'll come home, I swear.”

 

“Good. Now will you let your brother look at that? I think I might be sick . . .”

 

Ryomaru's eyes flared at the implied threat, and he hopped to his feet with the admonition that she'd better stay in that bed or else before he darted out the door to find his brother. She smiled at the simple manipulation. She wouldn't be sick, even if she didn't like the sight of blood, but Ryomaru . . . Well, he didn't need to know that, did he?

 

The doorbell rang for the third time, and Nezumi made a face. “Hold on, I'm coming,” she muttered as she reached for the handle and opened the door.

 

She stopped abruptly, staring at her visitor with blank surprise. “Papa? What's wrong?” she asked, frowning at the sight of her father's darkened expression.

 

Mitako Yoshi stepped into the house, hands jammed deep in the pockets of his immaculate dress pants. His shoulders were slumped, and he seemed almost sad. Nezumi couldn't remember having ever seen him that way, and she didn't like it, not at all. “Papa?”

 

“Ryomaru stopped by my office a few weeks ago,” Yoshi said. “The things he said made me realize . . . Deirdre, did I . . . Did I fail you?”

 

Nezumi slumped against the hallway table, pondering her father's question as she slowly shook her head. “Fail me?” she repeated. “No . . . You did the best you could, right?”

 

Yoshi's head lowered a little more, and he shuffled his feet uncomfortably. “I thought I did,” he admitted quietly. “I thought I did what was best for you.”

 

“Papa . . .”

 

With a shake of his head meant to silence her, Yoshi licked his lips and grimaced. “When your mother died, I thought you'd seen enough. I thought that seeing her like that would be worse for you. I thought I was protecting you, but perhaps I was simply putting off what I didn't want to have to face. I'm sorry for that, Deirdre. I'm sorry for . . . a number of things.”

 

She didn't know what to say. She'd never seen her father show this much emotion. It unsettled her, made her feel as if something inside her was broken. “Papa, don't apologize. Please, don't . . .”

 

Yoshi lifted his chin to gaze at his daughter. His eyes were overly bright. Nezumi winced and reached toward him, but something stayed her hand. “I want you to go see your mother's grave,” he rasped out. “You should tell her the things I didn't let you say. You should . . . you should ask Ryomaru to take you there.”

 

Nezumi couldn't remember ever hugging her father. She didn't remember him even holding her hand. The feeling of being that lonely little girl welled in her chest, and without a second thought, she stepped over to him, wrapped her arms around him, closing her eyes as his arms closed around her. She winced as his arm pressed against the still sore arm. The twinge of pain was insignificant in comparison to the absolute safety of her father's embrace. “You're really beautiful, Deirdre. You're just like your mother. I never told you that.”

 

Sighing as the feeling of being alone ebbed away, she wondered how it could be. The lonely little girl she used to be seemed so far away. In her mind, she could see the little girl wave. Was she saying goodbye to the past; saying goodbye to the painful memories? Nezumi smiled sadly. “Won't you come, too? To visit Mama's grave?”

 

Yoshi dropped his arms and stepped back. “No, Deirdre. This is your time, and . . . and I don't need to go there. She's still alive in my memories.”

 

Nezumi wiped a single tear from her cheek and nodded. “All right.”

 

“Izayoi Ryomaru . . . He is a good man,” Yoshi finally said, managing a wistful smile.

 

“Yeah, he is.”

 

“He will honor you. He's done a better job protecting you than I ever could.”

 

Hating to see him being so hard on himself, Nezumi squeezed her father's hand. “Don't be hard on yourself, Papa. I'm fine.”

 

Yoshi's smile widened and he nodded in approval. “You are. You're strong.”

 

“I try to be. Sometimes . . .” Nezumi trailed off with a quick shake of her head and a soft sigh. “That doesn't matter. I'm glad you stopped by.”

 

Yoshi gave her another awkward hug, adding a little squeeze before he finally let go and stepped back. He looked more at ease than he had when he'd arrived, and Nezumi smiled. “I must go. I have a meeting in Kyoto in the morning. I just wanted to see you before I left.”

 

Nezumi watched as her father let himself out of the house.

 

“Ryomaru stopped by my office a few weeks ago. The things he said made me realize . . .”

 

Wandering over, she peeked out the narrow window flanking the door. The driveway was empty; the forest silent in the gathering darkness. She could still feel Ryomaru near. He'd be home soon enough. Reaching over without looking, she flicked on the porch light and turned, shuffling back to the living room with Yukitora in tow.

 

Curling up on the sofa with the kitten to keep her company, Nezumi broke into a wan little smile as she rubbed Yukitora's ears. The kitten rumbled a contented purr as she squeezed her eyes closed and pushed her head against Nezumi's fingertips. Nezumi's smile widened.

 

Ryomaru . . . How had he always known what she needed, even if she didn't know, herself?

 

 

-=-0-=-0-=-0-=-0-=-0-=-

 

 

“So the hunter is on the prowl once more?”

 

Ryomaru cracked his knuckles and rolled his shoulders as he glowered at Tanak Akinoka. “Yeah . . . I had to thank my uncle for saving your miserable hide for me. If you think you're walking away from here, you're wrong---dead wrong.”

 

“So you found me? How nice.”

 

“Sesshoumaru found you. He just couldn't be bothered to deal with the likes of you.”

 

Akinoka stood up, arrogantly running his fingers through his yellow and black hair. The spots of the leopard-youkai were unconcealed. “You really think that you're powerful enough to defeat me, Izayoi? You're not. You never have been. You should have taken me out when your father and your uncle were there. Kami knows you'd need them. You cannot defeat the likes of me!”

 

“Shut up and put up, bastard,” Ryomaru snarled. “I don't need anyone to get rid of you. Your first mistake was believing that you're above the law. Your second mistake---and this one'll cost you---was putting your filthy hands on my mate and thinking that I'd ever allow you to live.”

 

“And you think I'll cower in fear, son of the half-dog? You think I shall quake and tremble? Not likely. I have plans, you see, and my plans do not include you or any of your ilk. Humans are arbitrary, disgusting beings. Pitiful and weak, the only reason we hide in the shadows is because of your all-powerful uncle and worthless vermin like you who dare claim to be proud of your heritage while hiding behind your civilized ways.”

 

Ryomaru whipped his sword out of the scabbard as the polished blade gleamed in the false light of the city's illumination. “Spout your poetic crap about how you and your kin have been wronged all you want. Sesshoumaru may choose to hide his true face, but you're worse, aren't you? Hiding behind your petty youkai allies? Then again, they're all fucking dead, ain't they?”

 

“You insolent little---”

 

“Save the pleasantries, will you? I've had enough of the likes of you!”

 

Springing forward as he raised Ryoteishuseishu over his head, Ryomaru barely missed Akinoka. With a hiss of rage, he rolled to the side, pushing off the ground to launch a counter-attack. Ryomaru snorted as the leopard-youkai grazed his arm. “That all you got?”

 

“Not even close!” Akinoka growled, drawing his sword and barreling toward Ryomaru. The sword dragged over the ground, sparks flying as the steel scraped against the stones under his feet. Ryomaru met the youkai in a crash of metal meeting metal. Fingers of lightning shot out of the fissure where the blades met. Grimacing as he held his own and slowly pushed the youkai back, Ryomaru twisted his body, leaned in with his shoulder, and heaved with all his might.

 

Akinoka flew through the air, landing flat on his back. The sword slipped from his grasp to clatter on the ground well out of reach, and Ryomaru sprang into the air, bringing Ryoteishuseishu over his head. Akinoka's face registered his shock, his disbelief, seconds before Ryomaru brought the sword down. Akinoka's last shriek echoed in Ryomaru's ears as he twisted the embedded blade, wrenching it deep in the leopard-youkai's chest. An explosion of wind, a vortex of anger erupted from Akinoka's dying body. Sparkles of light in a glittering cloud of dust hung in the air as the youkai disintegrated. Rubbing his hand over his face as he dropped Ryoteishuseishu into the scabbard, Ryomaru stepped back, breathing hard, staring at the spot where Akinoka had fallen, and feeling nothing but a sad sense of pity.

 

There was no satisfaction in the kill. There was no sense of closure. The other youkai had been decimated when the building collapsed. Only Akinoka had escaped. Sesshoumaru had located him just this morning, and while he had wanted to go after the leopard himself, he had known that it was Ryomaru's right to issue the challenge. Sesshoumaru had said as much, in his own way.

 

“Why ain't you going after him? He was threatening you,” Ryomaru remarked. “Thinking he could take over and all that bullshit.”

 

Sesshoumaru leaned back in his chair, shrugged indifferently as he pushed up his glasses, staring at Ryomaru with a veiled expression in his eyes. “True enough, however, don't I pay you to take care of the rabble?”

 

Ryomaru nodded. “Yeah, I guess you do,” he agreed.

 

“Then what are you waiting for? By the way, there should be a woman waiting outside. Send her in. She and I have a few things to discuss.”

 

“Oh? Like what?”

 

Sesshoumaru shrugged, flicking a bit of fuzz off his otherwise immaculate Armani suit. “Like her penchant for repeating things she overhears at work.”

 

“So . . . she's the one who told them about the ritual.”

 

Sesshoumaru glanced up from his grooming. “So it would seem. Now go earn your pay, Ryomaru.”

 

Ryomaru had gotten to his feet and stalked out of Sesshoumaru's office, passing a young youkai woman who looked like she was on her way to the gallows. “Go on in,” he said without pausing in his stride.

 

Just as Sesshoumaru had told him, Ryomaru had found Tanak Akinoka lurking in the rabble of the decimated building.

 

For a moment, he wondered just what Sesshoumaru said to the girl. He shook his head. All of Sesshoumaru and Toga's employees signed privacy waivers that stipulated what would happen should someone bleed information. She had to have signed one, too. In the end, it was her own mistake, and Ryomaru was too weary of the situation to worry about that.

 

Rotating his still-sore shoulder, he heaved a sigh and turned away from the landscape of the broken building. It had been written up in the papers as simply a building collapse. The city officials didn't think it was worth looking into. Being on the bad side of Tokyo had its advantages, Ryomaru supposed.

 

`Accidents happen . . . humans really don't want to think about the idea of there being other creatures living among them. It's easier to say that it was faulty construction than it would be to face the idea that maybe---just maybe---some irate hanyou got ticked off enough to level a building, instead.'

 

Breaking into a sprint as the savage need to see Nezumi's face hit him, Ryomaru bounded to the top of the nearest building, heading south; heading home.

 

 

-=-0-=-0-=-0-=-0-=-0-=-

 

 

InuYasha sat on the porch railing, gazing around at the evening sky. He could sense it in the air: the contentment of those he called family. He'd felt the same thing many times since following Kagome through the well. He hadn't realized back then, just how much he had to be thankful for. He had been given glimpses of dreams he wasn't sure he deserved. To this day, he wasn't positive that those he held dear were really meant to be his. He'd made a vow that he would sit outside every night: he would stare at the stars or the clouds that obscured them, and that he would take a moment to appreciate what he had been given. `Kagome . . . the twins . . . Gin . . . Toga and Aiko and the rest of `em . . . Even that bastard, Sesshoumaru . . . like I'll ever tell him anything of the sort . . .'

 

“I'm thankful, too, you know.”

 

Smiling, he glanced over, reached a hand out for Kagome. She pulled the fire rat haori tighter around her shoulders and wandered toward her mate. “Oh yeah? What are you thankful for, wench?”

 

“For dog-boys and children, for laughter and safety . . .”

 

InuYasha snorted as he pulled Kagome into his lap. “Yeah . . . those are all nice, I guess.”

 

“You guess,” Kagome scoffed, tugging on one of InuYasha's ears. “Ryomaru and Deirdre . . . they'll really be okay, I think.”

 

“Yeah, they will.”

 

“Good. I thought he'd made the right choice, even if he did go about it completely backward.”

 

InuYasha snorted. “Pup's never been good at thinking things through, has he?”

 

Kagome giggled and rested her forehead against InuYasha's heart. “Not really . . . he's just as smart as Kichiro but in a completely different way.”

 

InuYasha kissed the top of Kagome's head and held her close. “They ain't so bad.”

 

The patio door opened, and Gin poked her head outside. Grinning impishly, she slipped outside and pushed herself up on the railing across from her parents, kicking her legs---crossed at the ankles---as she gazed up at the sky and breathed deep. “It's a beautiful night,” she commented.

 

Breaking into a lazy smile, InuYasha followed the direction of his daughter's stare. “It'll do.”

 

“You know, Papa, I was wondering . . .”

 

“I'll go start some tea,” Kagome cut in quietly as she wiggled off InuYasha's lap.

 

InuYasha watched her disappear into the house before turning his attention back to his daughter. “You were wondering?”

 

Scrunching up her shoulders as she slowly shook her head, Gin cleared her throat nervously. InuYasha had a sneaking suspicion he wasn't going to like what was coming, but he waited for her to speak, anyway. “There's this guy I met today . . . He asked me to go to dinner with him, and----”

 

“And you better have told him fuck no,” InuYasha growled.

 

“He's really nice, Papa, and I think---”

 

“I think I said no, baby girl. You're not going to dinner with some idiot pup, and I mean it. No.”

 

His tone left no room for discussion on the subject. Gin sighed and hopped off the railing. “That's so unfair, you know,” she huffed. “Ryomaru mated Nezumi because he was drunk, and Kichiro---I don't even want to think about all the things he's done . . .”

 

“Oi! This ain't about your brothers! It's about you, damn it, and I said no!”

 

“You're so stubborn!” Gin objected, stomping her foot for added emphasis. “You'd think I said I wanted to move to the United States or something! It's just a date! What would that hurt?”

 

“I'm not discussing this anymore,” InuYasha growled. “Drop it, Gin, `cause it just ain't happening.”

 

“So when can I date, Papa?”

 

“When you find someone who can kick my ass.”

 

“You're just impossible!” she fumed. Heaving a frustrated sigh, Gin rolled her eyes and stomped back inside.

 

InuYasha snorted. Gin was still a pup after all, his baby girl. `She's too young to date, damn it,' he assured himself, conveniently forgetting that Gin was older than Kagome was when he'd married her years ago. Unfortunately, she did have a point. The twins, especially Ryomaru, had been in more trouble than Gin could ever dream of causing. Ryomaru had changed a lot in the last few months. Taking Nezumi as his mate was probably the best thing the pup had ever done, despite the way it had happened.

 

Now the only problem was Kagome. Bound and determined to `help' Nezumi plan a wedding that even InuYasha knew was unwanted, Kagome was too much of a dreamer, too much of a meddler, that he doubted that anyone could make her see the obvious truth that neither Nezumi nor Ryomaru wanted such a thing, at all.

 

Making a face as he slid off the railing, InuYasha stretched and shook his head. `If the pup's smart, he'll elope with that girl. At least if he did, there wouldn't be a damn thing the wench could do about it . . .'

 

Too bad Ryomaru never thought that far ahead. With another glance at the night sky, InuYasha lingered on the porch another minute before heading back into the house to find his mate and try to convince her that she was meddling---again.

 

 

-=-0-=-0-=-0-=-0-=-0-=-

 

 

Ryomaru rubbed an exhausted hand over his face as he trudged up to the door. It was late---almost ten---and though he expected that Nezumi was already asleep, he smiled. She left the light on for him.

 

Nezumi's presence enveloped him as soon as he stepped through the door. It didn't matter that he couldn't see her. The encompassing warmth was soothing, welcome, and after dealing with Akinoka, Ryomaru needed the solace she afforded him.

 

Closing the door as quietly as he could, Ryomaru broke into a small smile and started to turn around.

 

“Welcome home.”

 

Whipping around, startled at the sound of her soft greeting, he stared at her as she leaned casually in the doorway. “What are you doing up? Don't you have to work tomorrow?”

 

Nezumi shrugged and pushed herself away from the door frame as Ryomaru slipped his arm around her shoulders, propelling her into the living room. “Yeah, I do,” she replied as she slowly shook her head. “Ryo . . . thanks.”

 

Frowning in confusion at her softly uttered words, Ryomaru followed along behind her. “Thanks for what?”

 

She stopped and peeked over her shoulder, casting him a sad little smile, eyes dark as midnight in the wan light of the table lamp. “For talking to my father. He came by today. He . . . he said you should take me to see Mama's grave.”

 

Ryomaru sighed and scratched his head thoughtfully. “Do you want to go?”

 

“No . . . yes . . . maybe . . .”

 

“Listen, Nez . . . We don't have to go if you're not ready. If you want to go, then just say the word.”

 

Sinking down on the sofa and burying her face in her trembling hands, Nezumi heaved a sigh. “The idea of going---of seeing her grave---it seems really final, you know? But I . . . I think . . . I think I need to. I think I need to say goodbye.”

 

Ryomaru nodded and held out his hand. “All right,” he agreed. “I'll call in the morning. I'm sure Sesshoumaru won't mind arranging it.”

 

Nezumi slowly reached out, slipped her hand into his, letting him pull her to her feet. “You'll go with me?”

 

He smiled tenderly, pushing her bangs out of her eyes with his free hand. “Don't be stupid, Nez. You think I'd let you go alone? What do you take me for?”

 

“I didn't mean it that way. I just . . . I want you there, that's all.”

 

Ryomaru let go of her hand to pull her into his arms. “Don't worry about that. I've always been with you, right? You really think I'd let you down now?”

 

She sighed again, but this time it was a contented sound as she cuddled closer. “No, I don't. Thanks.”

 

He kissed her forehead and closed his eyes. “Not a problem.”

 

 

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A/N:

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Reviewers

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hikaru1617((not signed in)) (MMorg):
I don't know if you know this, but you have this real gift for putting in suspense that just makes it interesting. As aside question, however, I was wondering how you got your betas? lol I need to find some good ones. *sighs* And need advice on how to do it.

 

My betas started out as my friends. From there, I developed a good rapport with them and since they were all fans of fanfiction, they agreed to beta for me. The best way to find one is to check among your friends, especially if any of them have a great deal of skill with Grammar and/or other specialized talents. Other than that, the Media Miner forums also have a forum just for beta readers and people looking for betas. Try that, I'd say, and good luck!

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MMorg

Inuyashas_wishing_star ------ psyco_chick32 ------ Kurisu no Ryuujin ------ cjflutterbye ------ notzathros ------ thefaeryofpurejoy ------ Inuyoukaimama ------ foamyfan15010 ------ ColShaLin ------ Lisa C ------ fallenangel7583 ------ Zirra Nova ------ OROsan0677 ------ kagome_higurashi_dono ------ NyteAngelOfDarkness7 ------ nerwenfaelvirin ------ yasha 101 ------ trinigirl524 ------ Cynbad146 ------ Descendant of Darkness ------ EAP ------ DarklessVasion ------ Shadow_Within ------ IKMS ------ various_artist

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FFneteave

kestral-tudorica (considering he has talked much more in the other Purity stories, that was a rather strange statement.) ------ Drake Clawfang ------ BakaYasha (It is a Freewebs template) ------ Little Baldwin ------ Blackness-Reigns ------ FFchick ------ Flames101 ------ shinasumi ------ InuyashasChic612 ------ ShadowPhoenix1 ------ Ijustluvtoread ------ Starr Stealer ------ Dogiegurl26 ------ kogaswolfgrl ------ Aishiteru148 (Check my website www(dot)suericfanfictions(dot)com for all the fanarts) ------ S A K U R A22 ------ Jasmine Fields ------ FyodorD ------ LunaticChic88 ------ ILOVEINUS589 ------ lynnie1-23 ------ Captain applesauce ------ katie janeway ------ agent-doo ------ pheonix-tabuutz ------ zorioko ------ Ryguy5387

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Final Thought fromRyomaru:

Home …

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Blanket disclaimer for this fanfic (will apply to this and all other chapters in Forever): I do not claim any rights to InuYasha or the characters associated with the anime/manga. Those rights belong to Rumiko Takahashi, et al. I do offer my thanks to her for creating such vivid characters for me to terrorize.

 

~Sue~