InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Tale of the Twins ❯ Chapter Thirty-Three: Love ( Chapter 33 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Chapter Thirty-Three

Love

The years had finally progressed to the late 1990s, and it had been entertaining to watch how everything had changed so rapidly over the years, though now they had to avoid humans, lest they figure out that there was something very wrong about the family—something very off indeed. The fact that none of them aged was a red flag these days, and the only one—thankfully.

Kareishikyo (Sesshoumaru) and Naraku stayed in Japan mostly, and had been for some time, though they moved frequently to avoid suspicion.

Shuarra Meitsuki, the last they had heard, was in England. She wrote letters every so often, because the long-distance calls were expensive, though she did take a flight to Tokyo every now and again to visit, and they went to visit her at least once a year. Shuarra just wanted to have fun.

The last time that they had heard from either Kaida or Kuraimaru was about three months ago, and he had been in South Africa at the time. They were going on some kind of Safari. Kuraimaru was never content to stay put. He would leave no mountain unclimbed, and no cave unexplored, no trail untrodden. The twins made sure to call each other at least once a week—Kuraimaru was always the one making the phone calls, because he was frequently no where near a phone of any sort. When he couldn't call, he wrote Shuarra, and always made sure to call his parents every now and again—but he had to keep in contact with Shuarra Meitsuki.

Rin was all the way in America (New York City, to be exact), and traveled to England and Japan frequently to visit.

The family made sure to pick one of the three destinations a year to get together for a time.

This year, the get-together was in Japan. Shuarra looked at the address on the piece of paper as she walked away from the airport. She considered getting a cab, but when she looked at how nice the weather was, she decided to walk instead. Feeling light-hearted to be back home, she almost started running. She settled for walking quickly, lest she draw attention to herself.

She had cut her hair recently, and it felt odd along the back of her neck, the disheveled ends just brushing the nape of her neck. It would take some getting used to. And, if she really hated it, she could always grow it back in a few minutes if she regenerated her hair. Still, it framed her face really well, and made her look a little less like her father, especially when she straightened her hair, like she did now.

She stepped aside for a group of high school girls coming home from school. One of the girls stopped mid-stride staring at her. Shuarra Meitsuki frowned, trying to figure out why the girl had that stunned look on her face. The girl was unremarkable in appearance. Sort of pretty, but unremarkable—long brown hair, brown eyes.

The girl involuntarily took a step back. Shuarra realized something in that instant. The girl… was a priestess. She didn't know how it could be possibly in this era, but… there she was. And, she recognized Shuarra for what she really was. That alone gave Shuarra pause. How could it be…? No one had noticed what she really was for decades. No one had sensed her aura in over a century! The last person who realized it had been an old man, who was so tired and worn that he didn't care if she was demon or not.

The other girls turned.

“Kagome, is something wrong?” one of them asked her.

The girl, Kagome, only stared at Shuarra. The other girls slowly looked at Shuarra Meitsuki, but saw nothing remarkable about her. They thought she was human… just like everyone else did.

Shuarra decided that that was enough. She smiled in a way that she hoped came across as disarming. To her, it seemed a bit forced. “Hey, are you gonna take a picture? I know I'm pretty cute, but you're just acting weird,” she said. She acted like she didn't care, as if she didn't realize that this girl knew. She pretended to be an ordinary human. She brushed past her. Kagome slowly started walking with her friends again. Shuarra looked back at the girl. Kagome turned to look at Shuarra.

“Naraku…” Kagome said quietly. It was so soft that even her friends didn't hear her, and if they did, they wouldn't have known what she meant. She turned back around and started laughing.

But Shuarra had heard her. What was this girl's connection to her father? And why did she know his name? More than that, who was she?

She would have to ask.

Kuraimaru led the way to the address he had already committed to memory. Kaida followed, but stayed beside him. They had taken a bus to cut some of the distance there, but it was still quite a walk. Not that either of them minded.

Kuraimaru suddenly froze. Kaida stopped. “What's wrong?” she wondered.

He didn't answer, but looked upwards instead. Something—a flash of red—was all that she saw. Something that had leaped from one building to the building on the other side of the street, then it froze and walked back to the edge of the second building. Kuraimaru squinted against the light. The sun blocked the figure from him, but he could still smell him; he smelled like… A lot like himself, actually, and at the same time, completely different. He couldn't quite place it, come to think of it…

The figure apparently changed his mind about continuing in the direction he was headed, because he leaped off the building, landing several yards in front of the pair.

Kuraimaru blinked. The hanyou in front of him actually had a few similar features that he had; for one thing, it was an inu youkai, had silver hair, and yellow eyes. Kuraimaru's eyes weren't yellow, but they were a close shade to Shuarra's eyes.

The hanyou seemed angry for some reason.

“You smell like Sesshoumaru,” he accused.

Kuraimaru blinked again. “Well, I suppose that would make sense,” he said softly. “Considering that we're related.”

The hanyou seemed to recoil slightly. “What are you doing here?” he demanded.

Kuraimaru was growing annoyed. “Walking. Get out of the way,” he snapped. He started strolling forward again, Kaida following in his wake.

The hanyou moved deliberately in front of him. Kuraimaru's eyes narrowed dangerously. “Not until I figger out what yer up to,” the hanyou growled. “What are you doing in this world?”

Kuraimaru raised an eyebrow. “Obviously, I'm living in it, you idiot.”

The hanyou seemed painfully suspicious of something. What, Kuraimaru had no idea. “You're up t' somethin'.”

The youkai had just about had enough of the hanyou's insolence. “Step aside, or I will kill you. I have no desire to fight you, but if you persist, and do not leave me to my business, I will kill you.”

The hanyou was silent. Golden eyes looked in to red eyes for what seemed an eternity, as if weighing each other's souls. “Who are you?” the hanyou said. His tone was impetuous and rude, but Kuraimaru didn't think he meant it to come across that way. The heat of his anger had left his voice; the hanyou was just rude by nature.

Feeling a little bit disdainful, Kuraimaru replied, “Kuraimaru. Now move. I don't make idle threats.”

The hanyou slowly stepped to the side to let Kuraimaru pass, but kept a wary eye on him as he walked by. Kaida was a little confused by the entire confrontation.

“Kuraimaru, what's going on? Who was that?” she asked him in a hushed whisper.

“I don't know,” he confessed. “It's not any of our business though.” He glanced back. The hanyou had slowly started walking away. He looked back at Kaida. “He and I are obviously related somehow. I'll have to ask Sesshoumaru.” He still referred to his mother as “Sesshoumaru” more often than “Kareishikyo” out of habit.

Kaida nodded her agreement on the idea.

By the time that Kuraimaru and Kaida had arrived, Rin was sitting down in the living room with Sesshoumaru and Naraku, having tea. Shuarra Meitsuki was putting down her bag in her room. The other two put down their things as well and joined the rest of the family in the living room.

Before Kuraimaru could ask about the strange hanyou, Shuarra asked a question of her own.

“A human recognized me today,” she said. “As a youkai, I mean.” She traced the rim of her teacup with her finger. “Her name was Kagome.”

Naraku and Sesshoumaru glanced at each other, frowning. They had figured out—once the times had changed, that Kagome was obviously from this era. What they couldn't figure out was how she traversed the two eras. But now their suspicions were confirmed at any rate.

“I think she's a priestess, which seems a little bit strange, I know… But she definitely knew me, and I think she knows you too, Dad,” Shuarra said, looking at her father. “She said `Naraku' when she looked at me.” She cocked her head to the side. “So, who is she?”

Naraku took a sip of tea, trying to decide how to explain the phenomena. “Kagome… is a priestess—an incarnation of one at any rate with all the spiritual power of the original, if no knowledge of how to use it properly. She found a way to travel back and forth across time—I'm not certain as to how; I'm just certain that this is true. At any rate, in the past—the feudal era that you were born in—she's on a journey to kill me and retrieve the Sacred Jewel. Obviously, she failed in her duty. This is her time, and obviously, in the past, she hasn't died yet, if that makes sense.”

“It makes sense… sort of…” Shuarra stammered. It only made sense if one didn't think about it too deeply.

“I also had a strange encounter today,” Kuraimaru said. He waited until everyone had directed their attention to him. “I met an inu hanyou today. I'm convinced that I'm related to him somehow.” He looked at Sesshoumaru, waiting for a reply.

Sesshoumaru was silent for quite some time before deciding to speak. “He's your uncle, and my half-brother,” she answered. “Apparently, he can travel to this time as well. I think that, to keep problems from arising, we should move out of Japan for the next decade or so.” She took a small sip of tea. “We don't need any more of these accidental encounters.”

That was agreed upon by all; any more encounters could interfere with the past, and thus interfere with the present. The wrong things that happen may even mean that the twins didn't exist any more. It would be best just to avoid the possibility entirely.

The twins, Rin, and Kaida had retired for the night—exhausted from their long flight to Japan. Sesshoumaru looked at Naraku.

“We should move as soon as possible,” she said. “If these occurrences had happened once, they're bound to happen again. And if Inuyasha should see either of us, he's bound to do a lot more than stand there. A battle in this era will mean trouble that we could avoid easily otherwise. And I suggest we do so within the next two weeks—maximum. With both of the twins being seen by the priestess as well as my half-brother, they'll be looking for us.”

Naraku rolled his eyes. “It seems bizarre—running from them like this. I understand the need, I just don't like it.”

“I know,” Sesshoumaru said softly. “But let's not push our luck. We should be grateful that it was the twins, and not us.”

The hanyou's arm encircled Sesshoumaru's hips. “Then we'll move as soon as possible. I'll make the arrangements this time.” She nodded absently, apparently lost in thought. Naraku slowly pulled her up against him. She allowed this. “You really do look beautiful in a yukata.”

She leaned her head against his shoulder, quietly accepting the compliment, though it wasn't exactly desired. They were silent for a while, listening to the insistent buzz of the cicada. A cool breeze drifted in from the open door, caressing their hair before it disappeared as quickly as it had come. Outside, the trees murmured in the wind.

The world looked peaceful, but with the hanyou and the priestess likely thinking there was trouble afoot, it wouldn't last forever. Better to just leave and let the conflict resolve itself.

Naraku suddenly pressed his lips against Sesshoumaru's. She had been so lost in thought that it took her completely by surprise, but it was a pleasant surprise—and welcome.

She moaned softly against his lips.

There was so much to do. They had to pack again, sell the house…

He was insistent against her lips.

She supposed that all that could wait for the morning.

Right now, there were more important things than some hanyou and a priestess sticking their noses where they didn't belong.

The important thing was love.

The end.