InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Sword of Time ❯ Sword of Time ( Chapter 1 )

 

Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.

 

 

Sword of Time

 

 

Kazuki was four when they discovered he could wield the power of Tetsusaiga.

 

Inuyasha rarely let the sword out of his sight; he carried it with him, unseen, wherever he went. However, at night, he leaned it against the wall by their bed. He was relatively certain he wouldn't need it there. Besides, Kagome would probably have something to say about it if he brought the sword to bed with them. Inuyasha grinned at the thought.

 

Inuyasha thought nothing of it when Kazuki knocked the sword over that morning in his usual zeal to join his parents in bed at the crack of dawn. The child had grown up with Tetsusaiga and had often brushed against it with no ill results, as was to be expected considering his human blood.

 

“Watch it,” he grumbled sleepily, more worried about scratches to the floor than any damage to Tetsusaiga.

 

Kazuki hesitated, then turned to the fallen sword. He lifted it with both hands and tried to prop it back up against the wall, but it kept sliding back down with a clash. After a few times, Inuyasha growled warningly, and Kazuki decided to drag the sword a little farther away, out of Daddy's earshot, before he stood it back up again.

 

He managed to drag it into the hallway where he laid it down while he sorted out the problem. It was in its little house. Maybe if it were bigger, it would stand up better. What was that thing Daddy did when he wanted it to come out and turn all big and shiny? Kazuki squatted down and inspected it gravely. He poked and prodded and finally tugged, and some combination of those actions allowed him to loosen the sword from its sheath. He pulled it out still lying on the floor. It still didn't look very big—or shiny.

 

Carefully he picked Tetsusaiga up by its grip. He was strong for a four-year-old, strong even by hanyou standards due to his father's heritage. He held it in the air in front of him and pretended he was Daddy. “Kaze no kizu!” he shouted, forgetting he was trying to be quiet.

 

The sword pulsed once, but nothing happened. Why not? When Daddy said those words, wonderful things happened! Just then, something happened, but not exactly what he had expected. Daddy yelled.

 

“What the hell was that?” came his father's voice from the bedroom. Kazuki was sure Daddy's self would follow almost immediately. Uh oh.

 

Kazuki, still holding Tetsusaiga in a two-handed grip over his head in the middle of the hallway, wished he was was somewhere else instead of here, about to get in trouble. Suddenly Tetsusaiga's blade expanded and turned blue. Kazuki was faintly disappointed that it wasn't shiny instead.

 

Inuyasha, shirtless, tore out of the bedroom, drawn by the sword's power. Kagome, in her nightgown, followed right behind him, drawn by the same sense of power. They both halted, shocked by the blue glow of Tetsusaiga and stunned to see their son holding it.

 

It was a familiar blue, thought Kagome, as Inuyasha leaped forward. He had one hand on her waist and dragged her along beside him as his other hand reached to cover Kazuki's hand on Tetsusaiga's hilt. Inuyasha recognized that glow, too. There was no way his family was going to be separated ever again.

 

They landed in the same spot where the well used to be. That answered that question, at least. A quick glance around the area confirmed that this definitely wasn't Kagome's time anymore. They were back in the Sengoku Jidai, and if things worked how they normally did, the time line should follow their own, only five hundred years in the past. They were back. Miroku was going to be surprised!

 

Inuyasha would have to remind Miroku to build a new shrine over this spot. If they were going to be visiting, it would probably be best if their arrivals and departures were hidden from view. After all, none of the surviving youkai or their descendants, human, youkai or hanyou, knew that Inuyasha and Kagome were still alive in the future. To keep things from getting messy, they should probably keep it that way.

 

But he was getting ahead of himself. First he needed to see if they could use the sword to get back—and hopefully, not back to Kagome's mother's house in Tokyo! “Here, son,” he said, as he gently took Tetsusaiga from Kazuki. “It's ok,” he said, as he took in Kazuki's wide eyes. He let go of Kagome long enough to pick Kazuki up. “You're getting' heavy, kid,” he grunted, before he circled his free arm back around Kagome and then held the sword in front of them all with both hands and willed it to turn blue again.

 

The time wash surrounded them and when it dissipated, they were standing in the hallway outside their bedroom again. Inuyasha heaved a sigh of relief.

 

Kagome sat down shakily right on the floor. “Was that—did we just—were we?” she didn't finish any of her sentences.

 

“Yeah,” confirmed Inuyasha.

 

 

“Why didn't you tell me?” asked Kagome later, when Kazuki had had his breakfast and been sent outside to play with the youkai. Valynne would keep an eye on him.

 

“I did,” protested Inuyasha. “When I came back, remember?”

 

Vaguely, Kagome remembered something Inuyasha had said about making his own time slip, but she hadn't paid much attention at the time, being far more relieved to have him safe in her arms again. The subject had never come up since. “Why didn't you ever use it after that?” she asked next.

 

Inuyasha shrugged. “You were pregnant. I didn't know exactly what would happen. I didn't want to take the chance. I figured we had plenty of time to deal with it later.”

 

“You mean, when Kazuki. . . that was the first time?” Kagome paled as she realized what might have happened. He might have ended up anywhere, in any time, or worse, nowhere at all, trapped like Inuyasha had been. He was just a child. Thank goodness Inuyasha had reached him before the time slip took him all by himself!

 

“Keh, I was pretty sure it would take us back to my time,” said Inuyasha. “Tetsusaiga absorbed the well's power, and that's what the well did.”

 

Kagome nodded, still thinking. “I'm worried about Kazuki,” she said. “What if he accidentally gets hold of Tetsusaiga again? What if he taps into another one of its powers? He already tried the Kaze no Kizu. I'm just glad it didn't work. It would have destroyed the house! Why didn't it work, anyway?”

 

Inuyasha just looked at her. “And how long did it take me to master the Kaze no Kizu?” he reminded her. “Not to mention the other attacks.”

 

“I guess you're right,” she agreed. “Still, we should probably be more careful. Don't leave Tetsusaiga where Kazuki can get to it.”

 

Inuyasha disagreed. “I have a better idea. How about I tell Kazuki he's not allowed to play with Tetsusaiga unless I say so? He's old enough to know better. I don't think we should treat him like a baby.”

 

“I don't treat him like a baby!” said Kagome. “Well, maybe a little.” She patted her still flat belly. “He won't be the baby for too much longer. So, are we going to try it again?”

 

“What?”

 

“The time slip. Are we going to go back? I think we owe Sango and Miroku the whole explanation about what happened. They'll keep our secret.”

Inuyasha had been thinking the same thing. He wasn't sure if this was a good time, considering. But when would be a good time, really? Stuff happened. Life went on. He had a place here, now. A life, a purpose. He wouldn't change the way it had all turned out. But it really would be nice if they could see Miroku and Sango a few more times. “Are you sure?” he asked quietly.

 

“Let's do it!” Kagome smiled, suddenly excited. It was the perfect time. Inuyasha had recently graduated and would be attending graduate school in the fall. He had decided to combine engineering with architecture and luckily their school offered both graduate courses. Kagome was still taking a few classes at a time, in no hurry to get her degree. Now she'd probably have to put it off for a few more years. So the summer was theirs.

 

First, they had to take care of a few things.

 

The last time Inuyasha had used beer to disguise his natural scent, mostly because he couldn't afford to let Sesshomaru, Kouga or Shippo realize that he was now full youkai. This time, he couldn't let their past selves know that he had survived the disaster at the well at all. For all intents and purposes, they believed Inuyasha to be dead and that's how it had to remain. Inuyasha wasn't sure how changing what had happened in the past would affect the future, but he didn't want to chance it. Not when he had so much to live for in the future. But did they have to use beer again?

 

Kagome didn't think so. She would have to disguise her scent, too, and Kazuki's, since his was an amalgam of both of their scents. It wouldn't be apparent to the humans, but it should serve to throw off any youkai who might remember their scent. “What about perfume?” she asked, holding up a bottle.

 

“Ungh,” replied Inuyasha. It had to smell acceptable to him and Kazuki, too.

 

“Air freshener?”

 

“What about curry?”

 

Inuyasha grimaced. Curry would work. But did he want to put his taste buds through that? “Do we have to eat it? Can we rub it on ourselves?” he asked. Maybe beer would be the better alternative.

 

“Yes. I can get a small jar of curry powder and we can sprinkle some on. It shouldn't take much.”

 

Yeah, to your dull human senses, Inuyasha thought to himself. “Fine, let's give it a try first,” he agreed.

 

Kazuki hated it. The smell messed up his senses so that he couldn't smell anything else and he howled like it was his human night. “Oh, it's not that bad,” his mother said, as he sniffed back tears. Inuyasha sympathized with the boy. It was that bad. He didn't like it much, either, but he was able to tolerate it at least as much as the beer smell. They tried rubbing less amounts near their faces, which seemed to help. Now, for the final test.

 

“Up for a trip to New York?” he asked Kagome. “Sesshomaru's in town”

 

“You're going to tell him?” asked Kagome.

 

“Are you kidding? The less he knows, the better off I am. I just want to see if the curry works.”

 

“Oh.”

 

They drove down to New York. Inuyasha deliberately didn't call first to see if Sesshomaru would sense them. He went right to Sesshomaru's offices with Kagome and Kazuki in tow, only to find his brother waiting for them on the other side of the elevator.

 

“How did you know it was me?” asked Inuyasha, disappointed that the curry wasn't going to work after all.

 

“I didn't,” replied Sesshomaru. “I sensed a powerful youki so I came out to see who was here.” He wrinkled his nose. “What have you been eating?” he asked. “You smell—funny. All of you.” He picked up Kazuki and swung him around. “Would you like to see my office?” With that, he disappeared back inside his office, leaving Kagome and Inuyasha to follow.

 

In the end, they did tell Sesshomaru about Tetsusaiga's new power. It would have been irresponsible not to, which Inuyasha realized as he watched his brother bounce Kazuki up and down on his knee. Sesshomaru agreed that they should hide themselves from the Sesshomaru of five hundred years ago. No sense in taking a risk with what had already happened at this point. But Sesshomaru also saw the advantages in their ability to return to the past. It might ease the way for youkai and hanyou in the future if Inuyasha was still in communication with the monk and the slayer. It also would explain some things that they had all been wondering about—like why Miroku had re-built the shrine over the well-house. Inuyasha was going to tell him to do it.

 

“Do you want me to keep Kazuki here?” asked Sesshomaru.

 

Inuyasha and Kagome considered it, but finally decided that they all would go back together. Kagome trusted Inuyasha to keep them safe, and neither one of them wanted to be separated in case the worst happened and they were unable to come back.

 

“We have to dress appropriately,” remarked Kagome when they got home.

 

“Why? That never stopped you before,” said Inuyasha. But he didn't complain when Kagome dressed Kazuki in a little traditional outfit she had bought for him in Japan. Inuyasha wore his usual clothes. “Ready?”

 

This time, they stood out in the front yard where there was more space, in part so that Inuyasha could test his theory that Tetsusaiga could invoke the time slip from anywhere. In a flash of blue, they found themselves transported to the site of the old well again. Inuyasha's senses confirmed that they were still alone. They would have to be careful to avoid old Kaede's village.

 

“Hop on,” he bade them. It was a fair distance to the slayer's village.

 

Kazuki's ears swiveled constantly and Kagome kept a firm grasp on him. He wanted very badly to go by himself instead of being carried by Daddy. This place had so many interesting sights and smells that he wanted to experience for himself. “Later,” his Daddy told him. Right now speed and stealth were more important than a little hanyou's curiosity.

 

Inuyasha felt the barrier as he approached the gate. That must mean Shippo wasn't present. Good. As much as he would have loved to see the little kitsune, he knew he couldn't. Shippo had not seen them again until the twenty-first century, and it had to stay that way.

 

“Kagome, you'll have to go in first,” he said. “Kazuki and I will wait out here.”

 

Kagome nodded, and approached the gate by herself. She had on her miko clothes and hoped that would be enough to gain her entrance until she had a chance to reveal herself to Miroku and Sango. Apparently it was, as the gate slowly swung open.

 

Miroku himself waited in the courtyard, curious as to why a wandering miko should suddenly appear in his small village.

 

“Kind sir,” called Kagome, partly for fun and partly in case there were new villagers that she didn't know about, “will you please open your door and your hearts to some weary wanderers?” As she spoke, she came closer and closer to Miroku, keeping her head respectfully bowed. Her eyes twinkled. “I have cola.”

 

“Cola?” Miroku's breath caught. He stared at the miko as she raised her eyes to meet his. “Kagome-sama? Kagome!” With a laugh and a shout, he rushed forward to hug her. “Where's Inuyasha?”

 

Kagome returned his hug, and indicated the woods beyond the village. “You'll have to lower your barrier,” she told him. Otherwise, she knew, her headstrong husband and equally headstrong son would burst through it in a shower of sparks.

 

Miroku did so gladly, and Inuyasha strolled into the slayer's village hand in hand with his son, who was gazing all around him in fascination. Sango came running, no doubt alerted by Kirara as the cat ran neatly beside her. “Kagome! Inuyasha!” she cried out, grabbing them both for another round of hugs. “And who's this?”

 

Kazuki stood shyly, for a change, behind his mother, watching the interaction between the adults until he noticed Kirara. “Kitty!”

 

Kagome laughed. “This is our son, Kazuki,” she said, bringing him around in front of her. “Say hello,” she bade him. Just then a little boy only slightly older than Kazuki appeared from behind his mother, and that was all it took for Kazuki's shyness to disappear.

 

“I'm Kazuki, wanna play?” he asked the other little boy, who nodded. Kagome was content to let them go off together.

 

“Be careful,” cautioned Inuyasha, who knew his son was stronger than a human child.

 

“They'll be fine,” Sango assured him. “He plays with Daichi so he's used to youkai playmates.”

 

That's right. Kouga's kid sometimes came to visit. Kazuki probably smelled the wolf cub on Miroku's kid. “There's some things we need to talk about,” he said, getting right to the point. “First of all, nobody can find out we came to see you—ever. Especially not Kouga.”

 

“Yes, yes, I thought as much when you suddenly showed up—five years later—after the well was destroyed,” replied Miroku, “but where is my cola?” He graciously accepted a can from Kagome, popped the top, and took a long gulp before he continued. “How did you manage to return?

 

Inuyasha told them about Tetsusaiga's new ability and also that it dropped them at the site of the old well, which was now an empty meadow in the middle of a stand of trees.

 

“How inconvenient,” murmured Miroku.

 

“Yeah, so you need to build a shrine over the spot.”

 

“Me?”

 

“Yeah—I can't very well do it,” said Inuyasha. “You did do it—will do it—Shippo and Kouga both said so.”

 

“Well, then it's settled,” said Miroku. “I must build it. Let's see. . . a shrine to what? To Inuyasha? No, that would be too obvious. . .”

 

“Sooner or later you're gonna add a well in there, too,” Inuyasha said. Miroku raised his eyebrows.

 

“I can see where this can get complicated,” remarked Miroku. “Did a thing happen because you told me to do it, or are you telling me to do something because it already happened?”

 

“Whatever,” muttered Inuyasha. As far as he was concerned, he'd said what he needed to and didn't want to talk about it anymore.

 

The women had gone into Sango's house to talk privately, both glad that they had found each other again. “I hope we can continue to do this over the years,” Kagome said. “It will be hard keeping secrets from Shippo and the others, but at least I'll get to see them again in my time.”

 

The hardest thing would be keeping their true identities a secret from Miroku and Sango's children. Right now, they were young enough that it didn't matter. But eventually, many of their offspring would intermarry with hanyou and youkai who must never find out that Inuyasha and Kagome still lived. So they would have to continue to avoid youkai, and disguise themselves as distant friends who came to visit occasionally from far away. It was so tempting to bring at least Shippo and Ayame into their secret, but Kagome couldn't risk it, couldn't risk all their futures just for her own happiness.

 

“What is that smell?” Sango finally asked her.

 

“You can smell it? It's curry powder, to hide our scents,” Kagome replied.

 

Just then a screech from outside interrupted them. “That's Kazuki,” said Kagome, resigned, as she got to her feet. She knew that screech. Sure enough, Inuyasha was just hauling Kazuki down from the top of the stockade fence where he had jumped in preparation for escaping to the other side to do a little exploring. Sango's son stood below, apparently knowing better than to try something like that. The screech had been the result of Kazuki coming into contact with Miroku's re-established barrier. He made the same sound when he hit Kagome's barriers at home.

 

“Is he all right?” asked Sango, concerned that the hanyou boy might have been injured by the holy barrier.

 

“Don't worry,” Inuyasha called back, holding onto Kazuki by the scruff of his neck. “He does this all the time.”

 

Sango's eyes widened as Inuyasha threw Kazuki into a trough of water.

 

“That'll cool him off,” Inuyasha said as he walked away. Kazuki spluttered as he shook water off of his ears and climbed out of the trough.

 

“I don't know what we're going to do when we have to send him to school,” murmured Kagome half to herself.

 

“I'll take him out for a run later and let him burn off some of that energy,” said Inuyasha. He tilted his head back towards Kagome. “He'll learn,” he reassured her. “We've got all summer to practice being human.”

 

Miroku just gaped at him. “How long are you planning on visiting?” he asked,

 

 

 

THE END