InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Replacement ❯ The Son ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter 2: The Son

 

All stared at the exchange between the two, as neither Miroku nor the mysterious woman broke eye contact. This woman was unusual even by their standards; with curious reddish hair and dark blue eyes. And yet she somehow knew Miroku?

 

“Miroku-sama…” she repeated, softer, coming closer to him. “I can't believe you're here…it's been three years…”

 

By the nervous look in the monk's indigo eyes, everyone else got the idea. “Here we go again…” Inuyasha muttered, seeing the fires begin to spark around Sango once again.

 

“A-Atame…?” the monk asked again after a long pause, scrutinizing her up and down. She had changed since the last time he saw her—her threadbare yukata had been replaced with a beautiful blue cotton kimono, covered by a white apron. Her red hair that he could never forget was longer, her blue eyes darker…There was something else, something prominent he remembered, but what was it? Something else was missing…

 

But while he took a good look at her, he felt the instant chill from behind him, and turned to see both Kagome and Sango glaring. “Another one of your `friends', Houshi-sama?” Sango accused.

 

Rubbing his neck nervously, Mirkou mumbled, “Well…it was a long time ago…wasn't it?”

 

Atame nodded, her eyes deep and longing. “Three years…midwinter…” Almost like waking from a dream, she walked closer to Miroku, who didn't look a bit more comfortable. Smiling slightly, Atame spoke softly, “It seems like it's been forever, but time really flies, doesn't it?”

 

Miroku laughed nervously, “Yeah…you could say that…” taking a glance back at Sango, who still held a fierce glare. When he turned back to his `friend', he didn't notice the fist that the exterminator clenched, or the look in her eyes that plainly said she was sick of meeting more of his female acquaintances.

 

A small voice broke the silence. “Mama!” Taro, separated the group, running as fast as he could on his tiny legs towards his mother. Smiling warmly at her son, Atame bent down to pick him up as he said, “Mama, I told them about how you could help them, and they said yes!”

 

“Thank you, Taro,” she told him, standing back up with him in her arms, eyes all around on the pair with stunned looks directed towards them.

 

Kagome spoke first, “Taro, this is your mother?”

 

The small boy nodded, his violet eyes shining. “Yep. She takes care of me, and is the best Mama ever!” Atame couldn't help but chuckle at the cute words of her son.

 

“I'm sure she is,” Kagome smiled back, before turning away towards Inuyasha, who had sniffed the air and looked positively dumbstruck by something. “Inuyasha, what is it? Is something the matter?”

 

Amber eyes flickered back to Sango with a look of…fear? But after a second, he rolled his eyes, with an exasperated look that replaced the dread. “Inuyasha? What's wrong?”

 

“Oh, er…nothing!” he said quickly, but Kagome knew instantly when his eyes went back to the still grouchy Sango, that he was lying. However, she knew he wouldn't tell her yet, so she decided to give up on the subject for the time being. Though she thought she heard her hanyou mutter, “She's gonna kill him…”

 

Miroku, who hadn't said a word since Taro had run up to his mother, looked only worse for wear. There was a fear creeping in the back of his mind, a fear that wouldn't let go now…If only the Buddha was so kind as to let his fears be wrong this once… Thinking of something, anything to say that might provide a hint to it, he said quickly to Atame, “You have a beautiful son.”

 

When her dark blue eyes flickered back to him, something in them changed. When they had first seen her, it was shock, and motherly warmth when she looked at Taro, but as she looked at Miroku, her eyes sparkled with something…something that was very easy to recognize for four particular members of the group. That something also made Sango's glare deeper and made Kagome glance back at her friend in worry. “Of course he is beautiful,” Atame replied smoothly, her eyes never leaving his. “He is as beautiful as his father.”

 

A sickening feeling seemed to pass over the five members of the group with her last words. Everyone seemed to notice the odd purplish color of Taro's eyes…and the short, dark hair on his head…Shippou now looked towards the boy and sniffed the scent on the wind, only to squeak and hide behind Kagome from Sango when he discovered what the scent was.

 

Visibly sweating, Miroku spoke nervously, “D-does he?”

 

Her smile never wavering, Atame told him, “You know, Miroku-sama, he was three years old last month…” Kagome gasped at that statement, stepping back a moment, and leaving the monk to face Atame's next dreaded words. “Taro, look, there's someone I want you to meet.”

 

“Who, Mama?”

 

“This man,” she held out her son towards the monk, looking like he was afraid the whole world would end at any moment. “Taro, this man is your father.”

 

There was a loud gasp and a thud as Sango's boomerang dropped to the ground in shock.

 

No one spoke for a moment. All eyes were on the monk who had frozen in spot, out of fear, and on the exterminator behind him. Like most scenes where an acquaintance of Miroku's , all expected Sango to get angry and release due punishment on him. But this time, she merely stood in her spot, unmoving, clutching Kirara to her chest. Her bangs fell over her face and lowered her eyes, not giving away her next move.

 

Half expecting a furious Sango to come flying at the monk with her boomerang any second, Inuyasha was quite surprised when he smelled tears coming from the exterminator's direction. “Sango…?”

 

Kagome seemed to notice something was amiss as well. “Sango-chan…”

 

But after a moment of silence, Sango lifted her head up, her eyes pretending nothing was wrong, but small, visible tears could be seen at the corner of her eyes. With a fake, small smile plastered on her face, Sango walked towards Miroku, making him flinch as she walked past and induced no harm. Instead, she came right up to Atame, and looked down at Taro in her arms.

 

Her voice was watery and devoid of all feeling as she spoke, “Isn't he beautiful, Houshi-sama?” She turned back to face him. “He looks just like you…”

 

Wishing more than anything that he could just take her in his arms right then and there, Miroku stepped closer to the exterminator. “Sango…”

 

She turned away sharply, and looked straight back at Atame, who had observed the scene with watchful eyes. For a moment, Sango said nothing, but bit her lip in attempt to keep herself calm, before Kirara mewed in her arms. Looking down at her cat, she spoke rather fast, “I'm sorry, I…I have to go…I have to get some water for Kirara…she's injured…and…”

 

Fighting back her emotions with all her might, Sango finally couldn't handle it anymore with all the shock and newfound fear ringing around inside her. She spun around and took off, towards the stream in the forest they had passed before, so much out of it that she even left Hiraikotsu behind.

 

“Sango-chan!” Kagome called after her.

 

“Sango!” she heard Miroku also yell, but she blocked his voice out. She couldn't hear him be concerned about her now. She didn't want him to be concerned about her now.

 

Running without stopping until she reached the stream, she collapsed on all fours, dropping Kirara as she looked down into the flowing water reflecting her face on the edge of tears.

 

“I won't cry…” she whispered to herself, but that did nothing but only make the droplets hovering in her eyes deeper. “It's nothing to be worried about…in the past…never thought of again…a mistake from the past…I won't cry!”

 

But despite trying to stop herself, a single tear fell, falling into the stream. “But…even if it is a mistake…why do I feel...” A sob escaped her as her brown hair feel forward, shielding her face. “Why does it seem like this will change everything!”

 

With that, Sango lost all control, covering her face with her hands as tears continued to pour down, never stopping.

 

 

* * * * * * * *

 

 

Miroku felt the glares of the remaining three of his companions as they walked towards Atame's hut, with the sun sinking on the horizon. Inuyasha, who was carrying Sango's discarded boomerang, said, “You know, I don't think it was good of us to leave Sango behind.”

 

“Let her have some time alone, Inuyasha,” Kagome spoke harshly, glaring daggers at the monk. “When a girl finds out something like this, she wants to have some time alone.” She accented the last two words, directing them at the hanyou beside her as she spoke from experience.

 

“She's probably pretty upset too,” Shippou added. “After all, she just found out Miroku has a son, she's not going to want to come back too quickly.”

 

The monk, who had heard everything, felt his blood boil at the accusations, and turned around to face his companions. “Look, before today, I didn't even know I had a son!”

 

“That doesn't matter!” Kagome snapped, jabbing an accusing finger in his direction as she rounded on him. “The point is that you have a son, by another woman. Sango-chan's put up with a lot from you and several women you knew before, but she never had to deal with anything like this!”

 

Since Atame was too far ahead of them to hear, Miroku shot back, “Look, it's not like I intended for this to happen when I met Atame—”

 

“Oh?” the hanyou cut in, narrowing his amber eyes. “Don't you ask every girl you meet to bear your child? Wouldn't you have thought that at least one of them would have said yes?”

 

Sighing with the truth of the hanyou's statement, Miroku admitted softly, “I didn't know…and I never intended to hurt Sango with something like this…”

“The point is, you did, and Sango-chan's suffering for it!” Kagome ranted, making everyone a bit worried about her. “Now she's going to start wondering where she stands between you and Atame-san, and the worry's going to drive her nuts! If you didn't want to hurt her, you could have just kept your hands to yourself!”

 

Everyone there thought they saw Kagome's eyes glowing a little bit red. Inuyasha, deciding he was the brave on of the group, tried to calm her down. “Kagome…I think he gets it now…”

 

“You stay out of this!” she roared, turning around and marching off in the direction Atame went, leaving a dumbstruck monk and hanyou behind.

 

“What was that about?” Inuyasha wondered…also wondering why Kagome's tirade made him feel a little guilty as well.

 

Shippou, watching both of them, only rolled his eyes and sighed. They were both such idiots sometimes.

 

 

* * * * * * * * *

 

 

“I'm sorry, Miroku-sama, but we don't have much,” Atame spoke, serving up a small dinner of rice and fish. “It's only been Taro and me, so we never really had the need for—”

 

“No, no, it's fine,” the monk grinned, taking a bite. “It's delicious, too!”

 

Atame positively beamed, her dark blue eyes lighting up slightly, while Sango, who had returned later, after “taking care of her cat”, merely clenched her jaw but said nothing. “I try, Miroku-sama.”

 

“It must be hard for you,” Sango cut in, her voice slightly hard as she spoke, “Living alone with a child like this.”

 

All turned towards the exterminator, with expressions of slight surprise at her last comment. “Sango-chan…” Kagome whispered, wondering what this would bring.

 

But not one hint of anger or annoyance passed through Atame's eyes. She merely blinked slightly at the question, and then shook her head. “Not at all. I am happy living like this, with Taro.” At that moment, she turned towards her son, who, instead of using chopsticks, was eating the rice with his hands. Atame smiled for a moment, before telling him, “Here Taro, use these,” and placing the chopsticks in his tiny fists.

 

“But…the other villagers…” Kagome began, looking away in embarrassment.

 

Once again Atame merely smiled, though this time it was filled with a sense of irony. “Called me a whore just like my mother was, did they? I thought they would have come up with something else by now…perhaps a witch or a youkai in disguise.”

 

“But why would they hold such a grudge against you, Atame-san?” asked Kagome, drawing the attention of the others. “Is it because of your mother? Because you aren't the only woman in the world to…” she trailed off, but everyone got the meaning quite well. Miroku pretended he wasn't hearing the conversation.

 

Atame paused for a moment, before sighing, and tucking a lock of her auburn hair behind her left ear, revealing a dangling pearl earring. “You could say my mother was the cause.”

 

“It was a long time ago,” she began, looking back into years of memory. “This area hates foreigners because back when my mother was the same age as me, a group of sailors from Europe came through this way. There was a war between daimyo at the time, so all the men were away. These men, sailors from the west, came into the village, and began raping women for sport, without a care to the women or the families.”

 

Kagome gasped, “How awful…But…your mother?”

 

Atame shook her head. “My mother wasn't like the other pleading women of the village. She had no husband at the time, and even fell in love with one foreigner when he came to call. Because she thought she was in love, she gave into his advances willingly, angering the other village women who had been used against their will. Eventually, the sailors left, and the one my mother loved left her, pregnant too, but in the end, he gave her a single pearl earring as thanks.”

 

The earring on Atame's left ear sparkled in the light as she continued, “And so I came along, looking different as proof of my parentage, and the villagers continued to hate me and my mother for it. I think they never understood how she could fall in love with a man while his fellows had harmed so many of her former friends…how she could be willing to trade in her dignity for a single earring…”

 

With that, everyone but Atame gave a sharp glare to Miroku once again, who now had backed into a corner as if to disappear entirely. “But that is all in the past now,” Atame continued. “My mother eventually died, by some disease left from the foreigners. The old healer of the village took pity on me, and trained me to carry on the task. Once the old healer died I was alone, but I never felt sorry for myself because of it.” With that, Atame held her chin high and proud, and proclaimed, “I wear my mother's earring with pride, because she was able to accept and love someone that no one else could. I never hated her and scorned her for what she did, but I think it incredible. That is why they hate me. Not because of her mistake, but because I admire her for it.”

 

“You said you were alone, Atame-san,” Kagome asked, “Even if you never felt sorry for yourself, did you ever feel lonely?”

 

Atame looked away, glancing back at her son licking the bottom of the rice bowl, with a big smile on his face. That was enough of an answer anyone needed.

 

Inuyasha, now cut in and said, rather bluntly, “So where does the monk fit in?”

 

“Inuyasha!” yelled Kagome back at the untactful hanyou. But, despite this, Atame answered all the same.

 

“It was three years ago…in the middle of winter,” she spoke softly, and everyone noticed how she seemed drawn to the memories, losing herself in the thoughts. “He was the first man that had really spoken to me, whom didn't care what the villagers said or thought…”

 

Kagome understood the feeling. “And you just wanted some comfort…”

 

Atame glanced at her for a moment, as if curious about her statement, and then nodded silently.

 

Sango, what at first had listened to Atame's past with almost pity in her eyes, now felt only anger when reminded once again of what Atame had and she didn't. “And so Houshi-sama asked you to bear his child, and you said yes, didn't you?” Glancing back at the ashen-faced monk, the exterminator continued, “I bet he departed the next day, too.”

 

“So what?” Atame snapped, such a different gesture than her usual soft smiles. Now a challenge was in her deep blue eyes. Her arms tightened slightly around the little boy that had crawled into her lap as she continued, “I had been alone all my life because of what my mother had done, so was it so wrong of me to seek the touch of a man when I knew I'd never get another chance? Am I really just a whore and the daughter of a whore, or am I a woman that had one chance for a moment of happiness, and took it?”

 

The anger lowered in Atame's blue eyes, yet her voice didn't waver in its sharp tone as she looked down at her son. “But now, I have Taro, someone to take care of, someone to smile with and someone to love.” She glanced back at all, but her gaze was fixed on Sango as she spoke, “This was all I wanted, and now I am content.”

 

 

* * * * * * * *

 

 

That night, as the stars shone brightly in the sky, Miroku sat outside the hut that they were staying in, staring at the stars. After their dinner at Atame's, Sango had been snappy and cranky around everyone, particularly him. If he tried to say one word to her, she would cut him off and walk away, clenching her fists in inner anger. Though he desperately wished it otherwise, the monk knew he had brought it upon himself.

 

There was a noise as someone came out of the hut, and Miroku turned to see a glaring Inuyasha beside him. “You can't get out of this one so easily and just leave.” The hanyou commented. “After all, that woman has your son.”

 

“I know,” Miroku muttered, twitching slightly at the word `son'. “I know, and I wouldn't dream of it now. Atame's been left alone with him for three years…I can't just leave them alone again.”

 

Folding his arms, Inuyasha asked, “So, what are you going to do?”

 

“I don't know,” the monk sighed. “But whatever it is, I hope it's the right decision.”

 

The hanyou rolled his eyes and walked back inside, only knowing one thing for sure—they were going to be staying in this village for a while.