InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Tomorrow ❯ Chapter 6 ( Chapter 6 )

Chapter Six

 

“Check it out!” Isamu said, walking into his hut. “The stream's full of `em-“ He nearly dropped the bundle of fish he had been holding when his mother barreled past him and knelt by the treeline. His father ran over to her, wrinkling his nose against the acrid stench of vomit.

 

“Better get `em out of here, Isamu,” InuYasha called. “Damned if they don't look like they'd be good roasted, but your mother's never been able to handle the smell of fish when she's expecting.”

 

Isamu winced at being the cause of his mother's puking fit. “I'll go share `em with Kazuki's family, then,” he called over his shoulder. He sighed as he looked at the armful of fat fish he'd caught. The stream really was thick with them… migratory season, he supposed…

 

Kazuki's jaw dropped when he saw the fish. “Drop the rice bowl, haha-ue,” he called over his shoulder, “Isamu's feeding us tonight… Where'd you get those?” he added, directing the question at Isamu.

 

“They fell from the sky,” Isamu said, unable to resist a chance to needle Kazuki, who just pouted as Sango started skinning a few fish.

 

“Too bad you had to catch them now,” she commented, to a “huh?” look from Kazuki.

 

“Okaa-san can't stand the smell of fish during pregnancy,” Isamu answered, “and since she's just over two months along I really don't want to make her puke too much.”

 

“Kazuki, can you do me a favor and find your siblings?” Sango said. “Yuki and Haruka are training, but I don't know where the other two are…”

 

“Speaking of Haruka…” Kazuki said as they left the hut, “You two've been walking out into the forest every evening for the past couple of weeks. So spill- has anything happened?”

 

“Kami, I don't think I'm the dog here,” Isamu commented, but blushed. “Look, I'll go hunt the forest for Michio and Hitomi, you go to the training field…”

 

“Don't tell me you two haven't even kissed yet?” Kazuki called after him. Isamu was glad that his friend couldn't see him growing redder.

 

On the other hand, at least Kazuki was wrong…

 

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“Isn't that gorgeous?” Haruka sighed, staring up at the full moon. Isamu nodded, but he was staring at her instead. She couldn't help blushing. He suddenly sighed and flopped backwards onto the grass. He seemed to be muttering something under his breath. “Isamu?” she asked, leaning over to look at him. He opened his eyes, a fierce glow igniting in the swirling gold. He reached over and grasped her hand.

 

“Haruka…” he said, with the air of one wondering whether the berries he's holding are poisonous or not, but is going to eat them anyway. “For a long time now, I've been wanting to ask you something…” her heart beat faster; she couldn't help it.

 

“I really like you, Haruka, more than anyone. Do you… feel… anything… for me?”

 

Haruka suddenly got the urge to giggle. “Why do you think I've been inviting you to come on a walk with me every night… alone…?” She was blushing worse than ever now, but… he liked her! And youkai only ever fell in love with…

 

The thought was knocked aside when Isamu sat up, the hand not holding hers around her back, and kissed her…

 

“Oi! Daydreamer!” Haruka was knocked out of a happy reminisce by her twin's voice. She and Isamu had both been to shy to tell anyone about their growing relationship yet, although if the look on his father's face whenever Isamu went home was anything to go by, everyone would know soon enough… curse inu-hanyou and their overly sensitive noses…

 

“What's with the stupid grin?” Yuki asked, although if her own large grin was anything to go by, she already knew. Haruka made a show of struggling with the ties on her exterminator uniform to hide her blush.

 

“I'm just glad we're getting our own job,” Haruka said lightly; they were about to head out to a village some way to the west which was plagued by demon moths, who had taking to eating houses rather than clothes.

 

Yuki arched an eyebrow but decided to go along with Haruka's bluff. “Yeah, I wish they'd let us go out sooner,” she said. “I mean, we're already older than okaa-san was when she started slaying… after all, she was the best in her village when she was fifteen!”

 

“I guess there's been little need for us, with the armies turning on wild youkai,” said Haruka, sticking her nunchaku into her belt, “but it still feels a bit over-protective, doesn't it?”

 

Haruka thought that Yuki had forgotten about their earlier conversation; but as they were mounting Kirara to leave, Yuki said, out of the blue: “So, did he kiss you, then?”

 

She laughed when Haruka instantly turned bright red, but she smiled.

 

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Kazeko couldn't help frowning as she passed the hut where SesshoMaru-sama had been staying. Even though it had been “purified”, most villagers still watched it with some contempt and a new hut was being built for the family that was currently having to live there. It was probably a blessing that her father had put off his return home for a few months until his army had made its way this far north. The hut would be destroyed by then.

 

She found herself, as she often did, wandering back to the cliff-edge that overlooked the path to the north. She looked back to the south and froze. A girl was walking up the path, clutching a baby of about a year old. They were both thin and filthy, as if they'd been on the road for days-weeks, perhaps. They were also youkai. Even if their vivid striped hair wasn't visible, Kazeko could tell that they were not human. It was just a feeling, like the air around them was different.

 

The girl suddenly sniffed the air and then stared at Kazeko. She gasped sharply when she saw Kazeko watching them from the ledge and froze, clutching the baby closer to her. I guess I smell like my father, she thought wildly. He must have attacked them…

 

She carefully slipped down the stretch of stable, slightly less vertical earth that for want of a better definition was known as the path down the cliff. The girl shrieked and backed further away from Kazeko, one hand raised. Kazeko saw sharp claws extending from her fingers, glinting in the sunlight. She held up her hands in a show of surrender.

 

“I'm not gonna hurt you,” she said quietly. “Were you attacked by the armies in the south?” The girl nodded warily. Kazeko's stomach dropped. Her damned father was attacking babies…

 

Biting back the fury, she said, “I am no enemy of yours. I am… a friend of SesshoMaru-sama's.” The inspiration hit her- SesshoMaru had said that some youkai put faith in him because of his power. Perhaps using his name would help this girl trust her. She did lower the hand, although she did not retract her claws.

 

“You smell like that general,” she said accusingly. Her voice was wispy and faint. They must have had nothing to eat or drink for days. SesshoMaru had gone over a week with no food with no ill-effects, but perhaps it was harder on children…

 

“I know, he's my father,” Kazeko said, and noticing the look of terror return to the girl's eyes, waved her hands, saying quickly, “but he's also a bastard- still, what can you do, eh? Look, I know a place where you'll be safe- at least until he gets this far north, but maybe they can protect you…” the babble seemed to have calmed the girl down somewhat, although she did not seem to trust Kazeko yet. “There's a village to the north,” Kazeko said, pointing up the path, “Where some friends of SesshoMaru-sama's live. There's humans, and inu-hanyou, and maybe some other youkai- and they accept each other. They live peacefully, accepting everyone for what they are. They will protect you. Look,” she added, “I know that you don't trust me and have reason to, but it won't hurt you to at least look. You've got nothing to lose, have you?”

 

The girl stared at Kazeko for some time, then nodded. “I see this path leading to safety,” she said quietly. To Kazeko's questioning look, she said, “I am somewhat clairvoyant… a rather odd trait among youkai, I know, but my parents thought it was a sign of peace to come…” tears began spilling over her cheeks, washing away some of the accumulated filth. “I'm sorry,” she said, wiping them away, though Kazeko thought there was nothing for her to be sorry for. “They killed my parents, and my aunt. Akira is all I have left…” she started crying again. Kazeko could see why. Naming a child “Bright, clear dawn”… They must've really thought the fighting was over, Kazeko thought sadly.

 

“My name is Kazeko,” she said.

 

“Mitsuko,” the girl said in reply, “tiger-youkai. We both follow difficult paths, so I feel that they may cross again. Good luck.”

 

I'm not the one who needs it, Kazeko thought sadly as she watched the girl walk along the path to the north.

 

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SesshoMaru watched in disgust as the flaming arrows thudded in rows into the roof and walls of the house. The wooden building caught fire quickly, but thankfully, it was empty. The family of nightingale-youkai who had been living there had felt his presence nearby and he could warn them of the danger coming.

 

Nightingales, he thought as he watched the roof collapse. At one time, only birds of power such as hawks and eagles flourished. Now even the nightingales have power enough to assume humans forms… I sign of peace, I suppose. He could not help feeling angry at the man he saw overlooking the destruction with a smug smile. Kazeko's father, Captain Yamazaki. SesshoMaru had already seen the man's ruthlessness. He had arrived at one village to late, only in time to see the end of the slaughter…

 

Yamazaki had even killed his own men. Four archers had refused when he had ordered them to fire on a huddle of small children , tied up in front of the house. Yamazaki had decapitated the men without a word before turning on the children. SesshoMaru knew the pleasure of slaughtering one's foe in battle, but who could find joy or honor in destroying children, barely more than babies? Children could not fight. It was murder of the worst kind.

 

He turned to move north. He could do no more here. He could only ensure that more families did not meet the same fate, a mass slaughter that not even the children survived…

 

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I'm not great at fluff, so the little Isamu/Haruka passage took forever to write and seems to have come out a bit awkward to me. I eventually decided that I could probably leave it on “awkward”, since that's generally how it is with teenagers. *sigh*

 

I've still not decided whether I'll write in the lemons or not. To be honest, it's not something I'd really know how to write. Well, they've still got a while to go. Sorry for the wait.

 

InuYasha is the property of Takahashi Rumiko-Sensei, and I claim no ownership of any of it. All couples not involving original characters will be strictly canon. Aside from Haruka, Yuki and Kazuki, I made up all of the kids, though since birthdates other than Kazuki's were never really stated in the manga, nor names, I've made these up as well. This fanfic will make little sense if you have not read the entire manga, and I'm afraid that to read the last twenty or so volumes you will have to (at the time of writing) venture into the internet, but I strongly suggest that you do buy the Tankoban volumes for yourself, so that Takahashi-sensei can afford to continue gracing us with her imagination. Anyway, hope you enjoy the fic. ^_-