InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Takara ❯ An Interesting Conversation ( Chapter 2 )

(AN: Well here's the second chapter. Thanx to Koneko-chan for her help on this one.)

"speech" ~*~thoughts~*~ (AN's) Name: telepathic communication/foreign language

A few moments later Inu Yasha's traveling companions stepped into another shallow clearing near the road they had been traveling along earlier. The two demons were sitting on the ground across the clearing while they talked and laughed. Or more precisely Takara was talking and laughing while Inu Yasha listened and occasionally let an ALMOST smile slip.

Slowly they settled into their camp, gathering firewood, building a fire, fetching water, and starting the food. After they had finished all that they turned to the two teenage demons and waited for Takara to start her story. Noticing her audience she turned to face them, straightened her shoulders and cleared her throat. Inu Yasha just rolled his eyes and looked long suffering at the theatrics. Finally she began her story.

"Alright Kagome asked me about how I knew about well if I'd never been through it. To answer my dad accidentally falling through the well back when I was just a baby. He was being chased by some demons wanted to capture him and use him as a bargaining chip against my family. He jumped down the well to try and escape and he hit his head once he got to the other side. It gave him amnesia and he ended up with a family on the other side of the well." At this everyone looked shocked and mildly disgusted. Takara's smile saddened slightly and she nodded as though in answer to their unasked questions. Then she slowly began to finish her story.

"Anyway he was gone for a long time but my mom never lost faith and she stayed single and put her energy into taking care of me. But I guess she got lonely with only a little kid for company so one day she went and made an offering to the gods along with a prayer that he would be returned to her. I don't know exactly what happened but about a week later he returned with strange clothes and stories of a magical well capable of transporting people to the future. After that he stayed with us but he couldn't just abandon his other family so occasionally he went back and returned with stories and gifts for us. He always used to tell me about my brother and sister on the other side of the well. After they died I ended up alone. Eventually Yash here found me and we've been friends ever since. Today I was in real trouble. I had been looking for him to give you guys the jewel shards when those monsters caught me. I called for help and he must've heard me and come to help. A good thing too." Takara looked truly grateful for the help Inu Yasha had provided. Then Kagome realized something.

"How could a demon live on the other side of the well?" The humans and Shippo blinked in realization. Of course they knew that some demons had survived to live in Kagome's era, after all hadn't the Noh mask been proof of that? But it was still hard to believe that a feudal demon could slip through the well and then proceed to have a normal family. A look of brief surprise flashed through Takara's eyes shortly before she turned to glance at Inu Yasha. After a brief and silent conference Takara turned back to the others and spoke hesitantly.

"They probably couldn't but my father was...a...human mage." The others looked at her sharply while she turned away slightly and closed her eyes to try and avoid their reactions. Sango was the first to speak.

"A hanyou?" She asked, her voice uncertain. Hesitantly Takara nodded. In her own eyes there was little difference between humans, hanyous, and demons. At least little truly important difference but a lifetime of fear and pain that came from what she was had lead to a weariness of the first reactions of anyone she shared her secret with. Miroku frowned.

"Is that why you have the ears?" It probably wasn't the most prudent question but it did help to soften the tension in the air. Takara smiled softly and nodded slightly and again Shippo leaped onto her shoulder and began to play gently with her silver ears. He seemed fascinated with his new playthings and when Takara finally managed to pry him away he simply jumped to Inu Yasha's head and began to play with his ears. At this Inu Yasha scowled and grabbed Shippo's tail yanking him off his head and then bopping him before dropping him to the ground.

"Kaaaggggooooommmmmeeeee!!!" Shippo wailed racing to his adoptive mother for protection. Kagome gently cradled the small boy and closed her eyes serenely before speaking.

"Inu Yasha...?"

"KUSO."

"Osuwari!!!" Inu Yasha plummeted face first to the ground. The reactions to this event were typical. Shippo laughed and went to heckle the temporarily prone inu hanyou. Miroku sighed in annoyance. Kagome looked down at him in annoyance and Sango shook her head at how stupid those of the male species could be. Takara who had never witnessed any magic like this before blinked in surprise and mild shock but since no one else seemed to think much of it she contented herself with keeping Shippo away from her best friend until he could defend himself from the little youkai again. When Inu Yasha was able to sit upright again he decided that now was the time to bring up the idea that had been smoldering in the back of his head ever since he had seen those five laughing figures watching Takara struggle for her life against the onis. For all he might seem callous and uncaring he was still fiercely protective of those he considered to be true friends and he was not about to let his honorary little sister out of his sight if he could help it. Especially now that the wolves were on her trail again.

"You should probably come with us Takara after all we need all the help we can get when it comes to getting the jewel shards." He spoke casually. Miroku and Sango accepted it as if the decision was already made since they both knew that the more help they had the faster they would be able to procure the jewel shards. Shippo merely regarded it as the addition of an extra playmate. Kagome wished fiercely that she had a reason to protest Takara's addition to their rag tag little band but she couldn't come up with any sort of decent argument besides that fact that she didn't want the girl within a hundred miles of Inu Yasha if she could help it. So she simply gave a noncommittal shrug and kept on with preparing their meal. In a few minutes it was ready and Kagome quickly handed around the steaming hot bowls of Ramen. As usual Inu Yasha and gulped his down in a matter of seconds Takara however surprised them all with her exemplary table manners even going so far as to compliment Kagome afterwards and offer to help with the dishes. This nearly sent Kagome over the edge. It was impossible for her to comprehend how the girl could get any more perfect...it made her want to scream but that would only make herself look worse in the eyes of her companions. So instead she dealt with the matter as good manners dictated she should, giving a polite, humiliate thanks for the compliment and a polite yet firm no thank you to the offer of help with the dishes.

Soon everyone began to settle down for the night. Sango unrolled her blankets and settled under a tree with Kilala beside her to help stop any perverted monks that might try to come calling in the night. Meanwhile said monk was settled with his back against a tree midway between his two lovely female companions. Kagome had set up her sleeping bag beneath another tree across the clearing from Sango with Shippo snuggled in beside her. Inu Yasha leapt easily into the branches of the tree above Kagome. After a moments hesitation Takara did a quick check to make sure that everyone was asleep before she jumped up beside Inu Yasha who moved to the side slightly to make room for her. After a bit of shifting Inu Yasha and Takara were sitting cross legged and facing each other on a branch midway up the great tree. Takara leaned back slightly against the tree trunk and let her hands fall lightly into her lap in a meditation pose. Her eyes fell gently closed as they both fell into a comfortable silence. They stayed that was for several minutes checking with their enhanced senses to make sure that everyone below them was truly asleep and their was little chance of their conversation being interrupted in any way. Finally Takara opened her eyes to meet Inu Yasha's gaze.

Takara: So you're going to stay up all night to...

Inu Yasha: Make sure no one takes the jewel shards.

Takara: Yeah that and to make sure no one hurts your pack.

Inu Yasha: They are NOT my pack

Takara: Only technically

Inu Yasha: Feh.

Takara: Speaking of pack when are you going to ask her?

Inu Yasha: Ask who?

Takara: Yash...

Inu Yasha: Don't even try it.

Takara: Then don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about.

Inu Yasha: Feh.

Takara: That's not even a word now stop stalling.

Inu Yasha: I don't know.

Takara: Why not?

Inu Yasha: She wouldn't understand.

Takara: She's never going to understand if you don't tell her. Besides her understanding isn't the issue and you know it.

Inu Yasha: She didn't know what was happening and she should have the choice.

Takara: And what if you're the one she chooses?

Inu Yasha: She wouldn't.

Takara: How do you know?

Inu Yasha: Because I know her.

Takara: At least give her the chance as far as all other youkai are concerned you're already mates you know.

Inu Yasha: Not to Kouga.

Takara: Yeah but if Kouga had to figure out how to get a spot of his clothes he'd end up starting a forest fire.

Inu Yasha: True but it should still be her choice.

Takara: Then stop taking her choice away by refusing to tell her! Honestly Yash you're such an idiot some times.

Inu Yasha: Feh.

Takara: I take it that's Inu for 'Yes Kara you're absolutely right and I'm going to tell her as soon as she wakes up in the morning'.

Inu Yasha: Feh.

Takara: Very good now I'm going to sleep wake me for dawn watch ok? Ok.

With that Takara turned slightly to lean into Inu Yasha, snuggling into him slightly to make herself comfortable. Inu Yasha gently lifted his arm to make more room for her against his side before resting his head on hers and preparing to keep watch for the hours left until dawn. He had the feeling that it was going to be a long night alone with his thoughts and memories. He sighed and leaned more fully into Takara remembering the times when they were younger and they would stay up for days straight or would just run for miles as fast as they could because they could. His life had been complicated before but he had still had fun so what was so different now? Unbidden a little voice piped up in his head and insisted that it was different now because before he had had Takara to share his burden with and it had just been them, he hadn't had a pack to take care of, or a quest to finish, the only lives that had rested in his hands were Takara's and his own. Most importantly he hadn't had a mate and pup to take care of. Back then life had been so much simpler. He sighed and forced himself to concentrate on keeping watch. Below him Kagome sighed as well. Above her Inu Yasha and Takara were cuddled together. Tears slowly leaked from beneath her eyelids as she buried her face in Shippo's hair.

GLOSSARY: hanyou = half demon kuso = damn onis = ogres osuwari = Sit command for a dog Takara = treasure youkai = demon