InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Strange Duet ❯ Nushimaru and Chouko ( Chapter 10 )

Everyone, I welcome you to the mile stone of the 10thchapter to Fallen (Strange Duet to the people on Media Miner). I'm very happy with the way that the story is progressing and I hope you all are as well. I would like to take the time to say that this is probably one of the most dramatic stories I've written/will write to date and there isn't an end in sight where the angst and such comes in. Please continue to read and enjoy this!

 

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha/co are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, not me, I do own Chimokoumaru and his family, along with any other OCs that may pop in here.

 

Tracklist (C10): Listen to Your Heart- D.H.T.

 

 

 

Four more weeks had passed by since her fight with Inuyasha, making the total up to around two months and three weeks that she had last gone back to the past.

 

Not that she was keeping track or anything like that.

 

It was still painful to think about, even though Kagome was eventually attempting to move her life along as if nothing had happened and trying to ignore the ache that continued to build in her heart. So many loose ends weren't tied up and things were left unfinished. But what could she do? The decision had already been decided and her shards returned to where they had come from. A strong breeze blew several blossoms and petals from the trees around the shrine. It was almost past the time to view the sakura in the parks. The weather was still a bit nippy in the mornings and evenings but, it didn't seem to deter people from coming to the Higurashi Shrine.

 

In spite of all the heartaches and the occasional tears that silently streamed down her cheeks, Kagome was doing as well as could be expected for a young woman who changed her life.

 

Okay, so she still wasn't used to waking up in the mornings and going outside in a thick well loved bathrobe to wake herself up and find anywhere from five to twenty people of varying youkai and human blood waiting to greet her. But then again, was anyone really prepared to face that each morning as soon as they woke up?

 

At the moment, she was enjoying one of the rarely unusually warm spells outside helping her grandfather tidy up the shrine. Her family was better off than some families but, they weren't wealthy enough to hire a few people to help her aging grandfather tend to the shrine as it deserved to be. Considering that Souta had been only interested in learning if he had any spiritual power at all, Kagome took it upon herself to attend to her shrine.

 

After all, when the time came and her grandfather passed on, she would be the caretaker and the head of the shrine.

 

She smiled slightly as she remembered the tearful and proud face of her grandfather when she had come down four days ago in the traditional priestess' attire and asked him if she could help out around the shrine.

 

`Jii-chan isn't getting any younger and besides, I should learn how to tend to my shrine anyways.'

 

No less than three youkai photographers had come by during the past few days and casually snapped some photos of her doing random duties around the shrine. Sweeping the leaves and cherry blossoms from the steps of the shrine, offering her little ritual prayer of health and well being for both of her families and even a few well timed photographs of a brief moment at the Goshinboku with her mother had been taken of the occupied girl. Most people would have been rather embarrassed or even a little disturbed with the strange kind of attention.

 

Kagome didn't really mind all that much, especially considering that the people who took the pictures of her doing daily chores around the shrine either came by themselves with copies of the pictures for her to decide which they could use or, they were sent in the mail for her to mark off what ones she didn't want published or whatnot.

 

It was also kind of them to send an, admittedly, small portion of their profits as a thank you but, it was the thought that counted, not the amount of money that was sent back as compensation.

 

Some of them she had even dipped into a small bit of savings to buy for herself, just because they captured a side of her she didn't really think she had.

 

The one she had come to favor was the one with her and her mother at the Goshinboku. They had been standing beneath the great tree facing each other, her mother holding her hands as they bowed their heads slightly to recite a prayer. The photographer had caught the both of them in a rather pretty moment. Her mother had just started looking up at her with a soft affectionate smile while Kagome had been giving her mother a small smile of her own. The wind had picked up back then and whipped some of the more fragile leaves from the trees and the cherry blossoms as well to sweep lazily past them and caught on camera.

 

As a matter of fact, she had had doubles made of that one and had placed one in a frame for her mother while she kept the other close to her heart in a locket. She had managed to convince one of them to do a family shot of everyone, well, her modern day family at least. Souta, Jii-chan and Mama all stood around as they tried to look like this was a natural thing to do before they had burst out laughing.

 

It was days like that Kagome wished to keep forever inside her heart.

 

Her broom scratched across the top of the stairs as she continued to finish her sweeping. At the moment, Kagome had let her hair down from the hair ribbon, tying the thick white fabric around her wrist for the moment as she allowed herself to pause for a moment and look over the shrine.

 

`It's hard to believe that I'm going to inherit the shrine one of these days. Everything looks the same as it did three years ago and even before then.'

 

“It's like time has stopped somehow…”

 

She said softly as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled slightly at the soft sunlit shrine.

 

No matter where she was, there was always a peaceful feeling that came with thinking about her shrine. Even though she had wanted to make her own destiny, to try and stray as far away as she could from the road that Kikyou had taken, in the end, it seemed like she was just supposed to accept the fact that she had been born to protect the people who couldn't protect themselves.

 

`No, that's not right.'

 

Kagome thought with a slight frown as she felt her brow furrow a little. Inuyasha, Miroku and Sango were certainly able to protect themselves from anything that threatened them. So, if she wasn't protecting people, what was she doing?

 

The bristles on the broom slowly stopped the repetitive scratching against the stone as she became lost in trying to figure out exactly why she had been needed over there.

 

Sure as hell wasn't for her archery; that was for sure.

 

A small humor filled smile crossed her lips as she shook her head and glanced over at the barely visible wooden target her mother had gotten for her to practice with. So she still wasn't anywhere near Kikyou's mastery but, she was working on it and doing a pretty good job as well.

 

`As long as something just kind of sits there like a bump on a log anyways.'

 

A long sigh escaped her as her thoughts seemed to wind back to the one person she really didn't want to think about in the first place.

 

Sesshoumaru.

 

If she hadn't have made that stupid little deal with him, none of this would ever have happened and everything would still be normal between Inuyasha and herself.

 

Or would it?

 

Kagome thought to herself as she gingerly sat down on the edge of the wall that held some of her mother's flowers. Her broom rested against her shoulder as her hands absently touched the rounded shaft. Blue-grey eyes darkened as she considered the question in her mind.

 

Would nothing have changed between herself and Inuyasha if she hadn't trained under Sesshoumaru?

 

No, she decided suddenly with a sinking of her heart, if it wouldn't have been that stupid thing with Sesshoumaru, it would have been over something else either as trivial or more serious.

 

The end result may have been the same or worse, there really was no way to know now.

 

`All my current problems seem to have started with Sesshoumaru somehow. Ever since that one battle, he would suddenly keep showing up more often than not.'

 

There was an entirely new puzzle that would keep her awake for days on end if she let her mind keep turning it over.

 

But still, why Sesshoumaru?

 

Out of anyone and everyone she had ever known in the past, how was it that Sesshoumaru was the one who approached her and made her that offer she couldn't refuse?

 

Well, he kind of made it impossible to refuse, considering the arrogant jerk had been holding her only clothes and towel at that moment. And there had been no way she'd have let him see her naked willingly.

 

`Why did he suddenly want to have something to do with me? I mean, the last encounter besides that Naraku one haven't been pleasant. He's always either tried to kill Inuyasha or me, who ever irritated him first.'

 

Kagome closed her eyes for a moment, resting them as her head nodded forward for a moment; chin resting on her chest as she felt herself begin to doze off in the early afternoon sunlight. Boys were so hard to figure out, fully grown men were going to be impossible to even try and rationalize.

 

Before she had fallen too deeply into her little cat nap, something tugged at the edge of her still expanding and maturing senses.

 

`I've been slacking off in the sleep department, shame on me…! Youkai?!'

 

Blue-grey eyes snapped open as she stood up as fast as she could, hands going for the absent bow and quiver even as the broom dropped to the ground with a hollow sound that echoed across the suddenly silent grounds. She froze in place at the sight of six short sword-like weapons wielded by three rather battle ready youkai men in black business suits. Kagome lowered her arms slowly back down to her sides, hands clenching into fists as she eyed each of the men carefully.

 

`Oh no, Mama and Souta are still in the house…'

 

They had similar facial structures and dark red-violet eyes, Kagome guessed that they were either triplets or a close aged trio of brothers. The tallest of them had glossy black hair worn back in a low ponytail at the nape of his neck. Unadorned she estimated it to reach just above his waist if not a little lower. The second was about three inches shorter than the first man, his raven hair just barely touched below his shoulders and was also pulled back into a low ponytail. The last of the three youkai was only about three inches taller than she was and probably put him around six or so inches shorter than his brothers.

 

All in all, she was in serious trouble unless she could somehow surprise the three of them with one huge burst of energy without getting hurt.

 

She drew in a shaky breath as she shifted her weight to one foot and tensed up, ready to try and knock one or all of them away from her so that she could get to the house and warn her family lock the doors and stay inside. Immediately the blades were turned to present their sharper edges, as if daring her to try and attack them.

 

`This isn't good, what now?'

 

One of the black clad men suddenly stepped aside as a yellow clad blur suddenly sped over to where Kagome was in a stand off of sorts with the armed youkai and flung herself into Kagome's body, grabbing hold of her around the waist in a hug as Kagome managed to register the feeling of a very familiar youki in the air.

 

“Kagome!”

 

A familiar yet indefinitely more cheerful voice rang out over the shrine grounds as the small girl looked up and beamed into the surprised face of the older one. There was no mistaking those ears or eyes; it was that grade school girl she had helped out almost a month ago. Dressed in a cute checkered yellow and white dress, the little girl's silvery hair was braided back despite the few strands that rebelled and puffed out on each side in a cute cowlick.

 

“Do you remember me Kagome?”

 

“Stupid, of course she's gonna remember you. How many other hanyou is she gonna save from snakes?”

 

Kagome looked up to see a boy about the same age as the girl giving her a hug with his arms folded across his chest. Long black hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, just like the armed youkai still standing close by as scowling amber eyes landed on the younger girl. He was wearing a pair of black dress pants and a thick rather frayed light purple sweater that looked about four sizes too big for him. Two magenta stripes arched over each cheek as he stopped in front of the two girls and tried to look stern.

 

The boy looked at the men behind Kagome and nodded to them once before speaking to them.

 

“Kitamaru, Higamaru, Minamaru, you can put your swords away.”

 

The silver haired child glared back at the boy and stuck her tongue out at him before she reluctantly let go of Kagome and stormed over to glare into her brother's face.

 

“I'm not stupid you jerk, I just wanted to know if she remembered me!”

 

Amber eyes narrowed as he glared right back into the girl's face.

 

“I'm not a jerk, and I bet you never even told her your name, did you stupid?”

 

The girl opened her mouth to shoot back a retort and suddenly stopped, her face turning red as she looked away and refused to answer him. He looked smug as he tried to toss his ponytail over his shoulder like the three guards had when they had turned to stand guard by the stairway and failed. Amber eyes met Kagome's surprised blue-grey ones as he seemed to stare at her for a long moment before he spoke.

 

“I'm Seio Nushimaru. That stupid girl over there is my sister, Chouko.”

 

“I'm not stupid you big jerk! And you forgot to say that I'm older by sixteen and a half minutes!”

 

“Who cares if you're older!? You're a stupid girl!”

 

“You're a stupid boy! Girls are smarter than boys anyways!”

 

“Are not!”

 

“Are so!”

 

“Are not!”

 

“Are so!”

 

Kagome could tell the two were related now, not just by their physical features but by the way they acted towards one another, almost like how she and Souta used to fight when they were younger. A small smile came over her face as she began to open her mouth to speak and was suddenly assaulted by an almost overpowering youki that stopped the words in her throat and by an all too familiar voice that sent a chill down her spine.

 

`It…it can't be!'

 

“Nushimaru, do not call your sister stupid. Chouko, do not call your brother names either.”

 

The three, Kagome guessed that they were bodyguards of some sort, bowed deeply as a well distinguished man stepped up and on to the main grounds of the shrine. Long black hair was carefully pulled tightly into a high ponytail that nearly reached the small of his back. Dressed in a white dress shirt and black business slacks, the man in front of her held the exact same markings as Sesshoumaru. Right down to the crescent moon in the center of his forehead. Pointed ears completed the entire resemblance as Kagome felt her legs begin to give out from beneath her from the shock.

 

`Oh gods…'

 

“S-Sesshoumaru?!”

 

Strong, warm hands caught her beneath her arms and easily picked her back up as the man who looked so identical to Sesshoumaru guided her gently over to one of the benches and eased her into the wooden frame before taking a seat next to her. He gave her a brief yet warm and teasing smile as he replied easily to her shell shocked question.

 

“Hm? I do not believe I have met this `Sesshoumaru'. My name is Seio Reikan, I'm afraid I must apologize for my children's behavior.”

 

`Seio…Reikan? But, he's Sesshoumaru, he's got to be!'

 

Kagome's thoughts shouted wildly as her eyes began to take in his facial features. There were laugh lines around his mouth and eyes, signaling that the man had led a very joy filled and light hearted life and still lives that lifestyle despite the formality he spoke with.

 

And where she had never been able to tell what was going on with Sesshoumaru's emotions, this man seemed to be almost like an open book. Kagome continued to study him for a long moment before she swallowed hard and spoke softly.

 

“I-I'm sorry, you just look so much like someone I once knew that I thought you were him. He had the same facial markings as you do.”

 

He only smiled at her again and shook his head as if to wave off her apology. Amber eyes sparkled with mischief as he gave her a rather sly wink before speaking.

 

“Ah, these are tattoos.”

 

Reikan gave her a matching smile to the wink as he rolled his eyes and gave a rather embarrassed yet pleased chuckle.

 

“I was a little wild in my college days and as a result, well, you can see that this is what happens when someone has too much the drink and some rather nasty friends who enjoy pranks a little too much.”

 

Kagome's face turned red as she laughed in embarrassment right along with him, silently kicking herself for mistaking this light hearted and rather flirtatious man for the polar opposite that was Sesshoumaru. Blue-grey eyes seemed to lose their shock as she gradually became more comfortable in his presence.

 

They chatted about nothing in particular for a good amount of time while Chouko and Nushimaru chased each other around the shrine playing tag. Kagome had never met a youkai besides Shippou that she had been able to really completely relax around. Even Kouga had kept her a little on her guard, mostly because he'd try and steal a kiss or give her a peck on the cheek. She found that for the first time in a while that she was enjoying herself immensely.

 

Nushimaru and Chouko had begged them to come and play tag with them, after a moment of initial resistance, Kagome had joined in, Reikan and even the three bodyguards, who seemed to have dropped their stern demeanor and joined in the fray of chasing around the people who weren't “it”.

 

And for crying out loud did those three youkai have the most wicked senses of humor and ways to tag Kagome when ever they could! Kagome couldn't remember the last time she had been foiled from getting away or picked up and suddenly being carried piggyback by someone before being “it” so many times.

 

Later on, while the guards took Chouko and Nushimaru to get something to eat and drink, Kagome settled down and tried to cool herself off beneath the Goshinboku, a contented smile on her face as she stared up at the sunset scarlet sky.

 

`A red sunset is an omen of change. I wonder, what kind of change awaits me now?'

 

“100 yen for your thoughts Kagome.”

 

She looked over and jumped as her hands reached out and caught the silver coin. Blue-grey eyes looked surprised as she noticed Reikan smiling beside her as he sat down, one arm resting on his knee as the other rested just beside her own. A faint blush came over her cheeks as she looked down and fiddled with the coin.

 

“Well, I was thinking about what the red sunsets mean…”

 

That was pathetic beyond even words.

 

Kagome fumed mentally and tried again, trying to sound nonchalant but sounding a little curious as well.

 

“Well, that and, where is your wife?”

 

She dared to steal a glance over at Reikan and noticed that there was an almost melancholy expression in his eyes as he stared up at the darkening sky. For a long moment he didn't say anything as he turned his eyes to hers, staring into her eyes as if trying to see inside her soul before he spoke.

 

“My wife, my mate has not been with us for a few months now.”

 

Kagome's hand came up and pressed against her mouth as she cursed herself for her stupidity and carelessness. After a moment, her eyes starting to prickle with tears, Kagome tried to speak, hand leaving her mouth as she swallowed hard.

 

`Kagome you idiot!'

 

“I-I'm so sorry. I didn't know and I shouldn't have asked.”

 

Reikan's hand covered her own as he turned her face to his and looked into her eyes, a kind smile on his face even as the longing and wistfulness on his face tore at Kagome's heart. His voice was gentle but firm as he spoke to her.

 

“Do not apologize for something you had no knowledge of. The children and I miss her everyday but we know that she is always with us.”

 

She nodded silently as she stared back up at the darkening sky, the sounds of two sets of running feet caused her and Reikan to look over at the twin hanyou who were trying to catch their breath. Kagome smiled at them, feeling a little sympathy due to the fact that she had lost a significant parent early in her own life.

 

`I bet that they're lonely without their mother. I know I would be and that I was without my father.'

 

“Hey, how was dinner you two?”

 

Chouko looked briefly over at Nushimaru, the tell tale sign that she had been eating some kind of sweet was on the collar of her dress, smudged from the attempts at washing at it with a napkin, and finally looked back at her father and Kagome.

 

“If it's okay, can Kagome play with us while you're at work Papa?”

 

Reikan raised an eyebrow as he began to tell his children to mind their manners when Kagome quickly piped up, looking from Chouko to Nushimaru and back to their father.

 

“I don't mind, I can do it a few days a week if it's alright with you.”

 

Reikan looked at his children, the large blue-grey and amber eyes pleading with him even as he glanced over at the hopeful and even anxious gaze of the older woman before he just chuckled and threw his hands into the air in defeat.

 

“I don't believe I will be winning this battle, seeing as how three against one isn't the fairest of odds.”

 

He smiled over at Kagome, kind amber eyes twinkling as he helped her stand up and brush the dirt and such off of her outfit.

 

“Do Monday, Wednesday and Saturday work for you? If not, let me know and I will change it around.”

 

Kagome shook her head and smiled down at the tired yet happy children, blue-grey eyes affectionate and even a little happier than she had been as she responded.

 

“It works out just fine actually.”

 

She knelt down next to the two hanyou children and smiled softly at them as she rested her hands on her knees, reminding herself of how Inuyasha had done nearly the same thing when he knelt down to look at something interesting. Shaking her head to clear the images and memories from her mind, Kagome tilted her head slightly and watched as Chouko stifled a large yawn that revealed her fangs, a gap in the upper right showed that she had lost one sometime earlier in the day.

 

`It isn't like I have anything else to do, and besides, I like kids.'

 

“I guess I'll be seeing you two in a couple days, hm?”

 

Chouko, as usual, was the affectionate one who gave her a big hug and rested against her as if she wanted to fall asleep on her shoulder. Kagome was more than surprised when she felt the little girl give her a peck on the cheek and whisper softly into her ear.

 

“It'll be okay, you'll be able to finds the answer soon.”

 

Nushimaru quickly replaced his sister, making a face as if it were a drag to have to hug another girl, especially an older one before he too said something in her ear. He seemed more reluctant to let her go than Chouko had.

 

“Just be safe, okay? We wanna play more with you.”

 

Kitamaru had picked up Chouko and began to head down the steps even as Higamaru picked Nushimaru up and started down as well. The last of the bodyguards left as well with a nod from Reikan. When the footsteps had vanished and the youki out of Kagome's range, she felt her hand being picked up and gently held in Reikan's. Her heart picked up speed as she looked up at him in surprise.

 

`Wh-what's going on? I thought…I thought that he had just lost his wife…'

 

“Um…”

 

Reikan placed a finger to her lips, the point of contact starting to tingle slightly as he looked into Kagome's eyes and spoke softly to her.

 

“You are doing my children and I a great favor by keeping us from hanging on to a past we need to let go of. I cannot thank you enough.”

 

A kind smile crossed his eyes as he removed the finger from her lips and lifted her hand up to his mouth, kissing her hand as if she were of noble blood before he released it and turned away to head down the stairs. For some reason, the hair tie snapped, releasing the raven hair that was bound back to be caught by the sudden burst of wind. He stopped after the third step and looked back at Kagome, watching her hold her hand up to her chest in surprise before he spoke to her again.

 

“Kagome, in order to put the future in sight, one must make sure that the past is in order. The heart can lead us to painful decisions and even physical torment, but, remember, only certain people can use their hearts to shape the future as appropriate.”

 

He bowed slightly before he spoke again, this time beginning to walk down the stairs as he did so, foot steps fading into the silent evening air.

 

“Words kept locked away and things left unsaid can kill a person or cause them to regret what might have been. Listen to what your heart wants you to do, often times it is telling us the correct path in life.”

 

Kagome looked surprised as her mother came out, a shawl around her shoulders as she stood near her daughter and watched the strange man leave.

 

“Who was that Kagome?”

 

“Seio Reikan, a man who just lost his wife not too long ago.”

 

The young woman said softly as she watched the mysterious and wise man catch up to his men and leave the area, vanishing as they reached the street corner. She shook her head and sighed to herself, turning slightly before something caught the corner of her eye.

 

`Huh?'

 

Kagome felt a sudden chill sweep through her body, as if her blood were turning to ice water by the second as she met the gaze of a white clad woman looking up at her mother and herself from the street in front of the shrine. Her eyes were the same color as Kagome's as the breeze blew the sleeves and legs of her hakama and haori to the side. For a split second, Kagome knew who that woman was, her eyes widening as the woman suddenly seemed to glow and a rush of dizziness overtook her, sending her sinking slowly to her knees as she gasped for breath.

 

`She…that was…'

 

“Kagome?! Are you alright? You froze and suddenly went white as a sheet. What happened?”

 

Kagome's mother asked as she knelt beside her daughter, she hadn't seen anything out of the ordinary. But then again, sight wasn't always what mattered most when it came to the supernatural. She wrapped the shawl around Kagome's shoulders and held her daughter comfortingly as her child shivered for a long time before she was able to speak.

 

“I'm alright Mama, I thought I saw someone I knew…that's all.”

 

Kagome's eyes stared off into space as she allowed her mother to lead her into the house to warm her up.

 

There had been no mistake, she knew that face and those eyes all too well, as well as the expression on it.

 

How had she known who that woman was?

 

How could Kagome not know? When that woman was the same person she saw each and every time she looked into a mirror?

 

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