InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Tomaru's Story 2: Prejudice ❯ Chapter 14

Dragonfly: Gomen nasai, minna. I've been buried in homework once again and this week is finals! Not to mention I have a persuasive speech due, which I haven't even begun to write.

 

Tomaru: Excuses, excuses. You're just a procrastinator.

 

Dragonfly: True, true. But once my finals are done I have freedom until after the New Year! So you know what that means…

 

Tomaru: Writing, drawing, and me with Haruko! Champagne, moonlight, kisses at midnight…

 

Dragonfly: Careful, boy. I think Warm-Ice-sama might get a little mad if you try anything with her Haruko.

 

Tomaru: Well, I can always woo her too…

 

Dragonfly: Enough! On with the story! (After a bloody long time, too!)

 

Chapter 14

 

The person dropped from the trees to land on the grass just on the edge of the clearing around the well. He walked forward, a huge boomerang balanced in one hand. He was clothed in a black bodysuit covered with indigo armor and his brown hair was pulled back in a high ponytail. Violet eyes met Kagome's from above a silver exterminator's mask. He removed it and regarded the former miko suspiciously.

 

“How do you know my father?”

 

Large brown eyes blinked in complete and utter shock. Then Kagome let out a squeal of delight. “You're Miroku's son?” she cried.

 

“I just said that, did I not?” the young man responded, almost sounding irritated. “And I repeat- how do you know Miroku?”

 

“Watch your tongue, ningen,” Sesshoumaru warned, his voice deadly soft. “Be aware of whom you are addressing.”

 

The man flicked a glance at the tall, graceful youkai and scowled slightly. “Obviously a youkai lover, if she has borne two half-breeds.”

 

Tomaru and Sesshoumaru both moved in identical, eye-blink-fast fashion toward the young man. Kagome held out her arm to prevent the two from annihilating him. “Stop it! He's a taijiya- a youkai exterminator. He probably doesn't know any youkai other than those that come to attack the village.”

 

Slight respect flickered in the boy's violet eyes. “So you know of taijiyas. Interesting.”

 

Kagome moved closer to him. “Where is Sango? And Miroku? Are they still in the village? Please- can I see them?”

 

Pain washed over his eyes and his face hardened slightly. “Sango…” he murmured, regret and hurt in his soft voice as he looked away. “That is a name I have not heard in a very, very long time.”

 

Immediately Kagome got a painful knot in her stomach. “No…” she whispered. “Don't… don't tell me…”

 

The boy looked back at her, meeting her eyes with piercing directness. “Sango… my mother… She… she died.”

 

The former miko let out an involuntary whimper of distress, her eyes filling with tears. “No… no!” she cried, bringing her hands to her face and covering her mouth as if that would stop the sorrow from escaping. “How? How?”

 

Again the boy looked away, almost ashamed. “Because of me. I killed her.” His voice turned hoarse, slightly breaking on the words. “She died giving birth to me.” Then his voice became harsh, bitter. Hateful. “For him.”

 

Tomaru raised a silver eyebrow as he exchanged a curious glance with Haruko, who had silently walked over to stand between him and Sesshoumaru. “'Him'?” he repeated, so softly only his father and Haruko could hear.

 

The boy lifted the boomerang in his hand and eyed Kagome once more, his eyes filled with a hardness that was much older than he was. “Obviously you know Miroku and you know my mother. So I repeat, woman- who are you and how do you know them?”

 

Kagome wiped the flood of tears out of her eyes and off her cheeks and gazed morosely up at the boy. “I… I'm Kagome. I used to travel with them… searching for the Sacred Jewel shards.”

 

His violet eyes went wide. “You… you're the miko from the future,” he breathed, taking a slight step backward. “You're the one who destroyed Naraku and…” He turned and looked at Sesshoumaru, who was standing like a statue next to Haruko and Tomaru. “…and became the Lady of the Western Lands…”

 

Immediately he fell to one knee in supplication to the former miko. “My most sincere apologies, my Lady. I did not mean…”

 

Kagome moved forward and placed a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder. “Don't worry about it,” she said softly. “You did not know who we were. Now,” she announced in a slightly louder voice, “you have some explaining to do. Who are you? And why were you so eager to harm us when you found out I knew Miroku?”

 

The boy stood and bowed formally to them all. “My name is Kataki. I am one of the village's youkai exterminators, under the command of my uncle, Kohaku.”

 

Tomaru scowled. “Kataki. That means revenge, does it not?”

 

He straightened and looked the hanyou directly in the eye. “It does. I seek revenge for my mother's death. By finding the one who caused it.”

 

Understanding dawned. “Your father,” Haruko said. “Miroku.”

 

Fury burned in his violet eyes as he looked at her. “Do not call him that. He is only Miroku to me.”

 

Kagome moved over to her son's side and looked at Kataki. “It is not his fault that your mother died,” she said softly, sadly. “I know Miroku. He loved your mother very, very much. He would never have purposely wanted her to die. Ever.”

 

“He got her with child,” Kataki retorted harshly. “He forced it upon her. She never wanted to be a mother, but he insisted. He forced her to marry him and then demanded that she give him children.”

 

Kagome's eyes flew wide in shock and disbelief. “That's not true! Sango married Miroku willingly! I knew them well- they planned to marry as soon as Naraku was defeated. And Sango did want children- she and I talked about it often!”

 

“Lies,” Kataki snarled. “My uncle raised me. He told me the truth. Miroku cared nothing for her- he only wanted her to bear his children! And it killed her!” He turned and slammed the boomerang into the ground, showing his frustration. “Not long after I was born he left,” he added, his voice much softer. “He knew he had murdered my mother and his guilt caused him to flee.”

 

“What a bunch of bullshit,” Tomaru growled, his voice a lower timbre than normal. Kagome turned in surprise and blinked as her son (was it her son? It was hard to tell with him in those clothes from her era) crossed his arms and huffed in a vaguely familiar way. He turned toward Kataki and she saw that the green crescent on his forehead was gone again and his eyes were a deeper gold. “I knew Miroku better than Kagome did and she's right- he would never do anything like that to Sango. The poor bastard loved her.”

 

Haruko's posture slipped and she found that she had somehow involuntarily moved closer to Sesshoumaru. The tai-youkai glanced down at her with slight surprise in his eyes.

 

“Do not become alarmed,” he murmured, intended for her ears only. “All will be explained to you later.”

 

She wanted to cry out “Are you insane?” but she managed to only nod slightly.

 

“And who are you?” Kataki was asking Tomaru. “You don't look old enough to have known Miroku.”

 

“Does the name Inuyasha ring any bells for you, whelp?” Tomaru snarled right back.

 

“Inuyasha?” Kataki waved him off. “Don't give me any of that. Uncle Kohaku told me Inuyasha was killed over twenty years ago. There's no way you could be him. Or his offspring.”

 

Tomaru cracked his knuckles and brandished the claws on his right hand. “Oh, you'd be surprised…”

 

Kagome placed her hands on her son's arm and forced his hand to his side. “Knock it off, Inuyasha,” she hissed under her breath, knowing that he had taken over Tomaru's mind again. “This is not your body- give it back to my son!”

 

Surprise and… regret? flashed through those familiar golden orbs before his whole demeanor slackened. He closed his eyes and the green crescent appeared again. When he opened his eyes again they were the pale goldenrod color they normally were, yet emitting a strange sort of subdued expression.

 

“Fascinating though this is,” Kataki said, picking up his boomerang again, “I have no time for this. I'm starting on my search for Miroku and to take vengeance for me and my uncle. If you know of his whereabouts, I insist that you tell me.”

 

Kagome turned her attention from her now-submissive son and scowled at the boy. “Even if I did, I wouldn't tell you,” she informed him tartly. “Miroku did nothing wrong- except maybe leaving you to be raised by someone not even old enough to be a father.”

 

“Uncle Kohaku raised me well,” Kataki replied, his brow furrowing. “He trained me as a taijiya, just as my mother would have wanted, so that I could one day travel to find Miroku and make him pay for what he did.”

 

Haruko shook her head, finally having enough of this. “Were you not listening, Kataki? Lady Kagome knew your father well. If she says Miroku loved your mother and would never harm her, then it must be truth. I have never known her to lie.”

 

Uncertainty flickered on the boy's face. “The Lady of the Western Lands is known to all as a very honest woman,” he admitted. Then his face grew cloudy again. “But… my uncle told me that Miroku left because he knew he killed my mother.”

 

“He probably left because you reminded him too much of his lost love,” Haruko said quietly. “He was most likely overwhelmed with grief and was unable to take care of an infant.”

 

Everyone was looking at her. Kataki looked shaken. “Wh… why? Why would you say these things as if you know?”

 

Haruko's ears drooped and she looked at the ground sadly. “My… my mother. She also died in childbirth. My father… he couldn't even look at my newborn brother. And then when my brother died a few short hours after my mother, I thought he'd die from the grief.” She glanced up and gave him a weak sort of smile. “Indeed, as a youkai, he should have.”

 

“That doesn't mean anything,” Kataki protested weakly, although his denials weren't as vehement as before. “Your father must have loved your mother. Miroku didn't love-!”

 

“He did,” Haruko interrupted, without raising her voice. “And you are the proof. A child born of their love.” She lifted her eyes to his and met sadness with sadness. “If you must search for your father, then I say you should- if only to hear his explanation of what happened. Then, and only then, should you decide if vengeance is called for.”

 

Kataki stared at her as if trying to decide if she were crazy or divine intervention. He finally fell to his knees in front of her, dropping his boomerang.

 

“I… I will find him,” he said with determination in every syllable. He lifted his head and gazed at her, his mouth in a thin line. “I will find him and discover the truth for myself.” Then his expression softened a bit. “It… I believe it's what my mother would have wanted.”

 

Haruko gave him a smile that practically lit up the area. Kataki blushed slightly and looked at the ground awkwardly.

 

“Arigatou, my lady,” he murmured. Hesitantly, he glanced up at her through his brown bangs. “Might I ask for your name… if it all right with your family?”

 

Haruko gave him a single regal nod of the head. “I am Haruko. Princess of the Northern Lands.”

 

He looked surprised. “Northern? But Lord Sesshoumaru and Lady Kagome are of the Western Lands.”

 

“Indeed,” Tomaru replied, speaking for the first time since Inuyasha had taken over and retreated. “I am Tomaru, heir to the Western Lands.” He moved to Haruko's side and put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her gently to his side. “Lady Haruko is my bride-to-be.”

 

Haruko looked at him in surprise and Sesshoumaru's eyes flashed with mild emotion. Kagome moved to Kataki's side and urged him to his feet, intent on discussing his plans further before he left. Sesshoumaru sensed a “moment” approaching and discreetly moved to his mate's side, leaving the two hanyous somewhat alone.

 

Haruko turned her body slightly so that she was facing the taller hanyou a bit more. “Wh-what nonsense are you tr-trying to pull?” she stammered softly, her sapphire eyes locked on his. “You have abandoned me, do you recall? You were heading to the Southern Lands to ask Kouga for Niji's paw in marriage, remember?”

 

“I remember,” Tomaru murmured, his eyes softer than she had ever seen before. “But I think I also remember my mother calling me eight different types of fool. Perhaps she was right.”

 

She straightened her spine and lifted her chin in defiance. “S-so? You broke the betrothal. You cannot just un-break it.”

 

A rather masculine smirk spread across Tomaru's handsome face as he leaned down slightly, his face mere centimeters from hers. “Then I guess I will have to win you the hard way.”