Letters from War
Be safe, son. Come home soon. Inuyasha's thoughts drifted from the scene in front of him as he thought back to when he left his mother to fight in the war. He had volunteered to fight in the army along with a buddy from the same town as he. Together they were going to fight against the enemy that was threatening the world.
"Inuyasha? You OK?" his friend asked, looking up from cleaning his musket.
"I'm fine. Just remembering when we left home," Inuyasha replied, going back to making bullets for his gun.
"When I told your mother that I would look out for you?" the young man with brown hair asked, eyes twinkling as he too recalled that day. He tossed a stick at his good friend, who caught it with one hand.
"Feh, like I won't end up being the one to look out for you," Inuyasha growled good naturedly as he tossed it back.
"Mail call!" soldiers echoed throughout the camp as someone on horseback came into view. Inuyasha's face lit up as the mail carrier dismounted and opened the mailbag up.
"All right everyone, you know the drill. Wait until I call your name and then get your letter!" the mail carrier said as he read the first envelope. "Miroku Houshi."
Miroku got up from cleaning his musket and took the letter, opening it greedily. "So who wrote this time?" Inuyasha asked as the mail carrier kept calling other names.
"Ayame. They've volunteered to be nurses for the sick. Rin has gotten sick already from being around needles," Miroku replied as he read his letter.
"Better tell them all to be careful. No telling dying soldiers will do with a pretty girls like them, especially Ayame," Inuyasha commented.
"You just had to tell me that, didn't you?" Miroku glared at his friend and went back to reading.
"Inuyasha Hitame," the mail carrier called out. Inuyasha stood up and took the letter, opening it just as greedily as his friend.
Dearest Son, I hope the army is treating you well. The house is different without you here. Shippou misses his 'big friend' as does his 'big friend's' mother. How is the weather overseas? It is bright and warm here. Perfect weather and everything except that you aren't here. Kikyo, Ayame, and Rin have volunteered to be nurses to the sick. Do you know where Ayame's brother is? He told me that he would look out for you when you probably aren't even in the same unit! Take care of yourself and listen to your orders. Make it home and make it safe. I love you, your mother.
"What are you grinning at, Inu?" Miroku asked, leaning to see Inuyasha's letter.
"Mother told me about Ayame, Rin, and Kikyo. She asks if I know where you are," Inuyasha replied, folding up the letter so he couldn't read it.
"Ahh, you're no fun!" Miroku went back to cleaning his musket as he folded his letter as well.
Inuyasha placed his bullets in his bullet box and took out a piece of paper and pen from his pack and began writing.
Dear Mother, the weather has been fine. Not a cloud in the sky! The army is going well so far. Miroku is in my unit and you can let Ayame cease any worries. We will both look out for each other as we always have done. Tell Shippou that I miss him too, though I miss you most. Being in the army and in war has gotten me thinking. About Dad and the life that he had and how I am here today. I understand why he left now. You know what I am fighting for in this war, as you knew with Dad when he left us to fight again. Thank you for understanding with him and with me. I have been following orders and I will come as soon as I can. I love you more. Your son, Inuyasha.
"Hey, mail carrier? I've got a letter for you," Inuyasha called as he sealed the letter and wrote his address on the back.
"You're already done with your letter, Inuyasha?" a soldier looked up from writing his own, surprised at the speed.
"Inuyasha writes letters? Wow, I never thought that he was a softy. Who is it to, Inuyasha? Your girlfriend?" another soldier remarked mockingly.
Inuyasha didn't reply as he gave his letter to the mail carrier and began to clean his musket, along with Miroku.
"Lay off, guys. You don't have to have a girlfriend to write to. I write to my sister, as does she to me," Miroku said, glancing at Inuyasha to see his reaction to all this.
"Oohh! Inuyasha writes to his mother! He's a mama's boy!" the same soldier who had made fun of him hooted as he caught the name written on the back before the mail carrier slipped it into the mailbag. The group of soldiers with the exception of Miroku chuckled slightly, but abruptly grew silent as Inuyasha turned a steely gaze towards the soldier who had started it all.
"You want to make something of writing to your mother?" he asked dangerously, his golden eyes glistening. Miroku stood still, reading Inuyasha's body language.
"Umm…no. Not at all," the soldier stammered, going back to what he had been previously doing, reading his own letter.
"I didn't think so," Inuyasha breathed under his breath to where only Miroku could hear the comment.
Miroku remembered a time in elementary where a similar incident had happened, only a much different outcome…
And who is that lovely picture for, Inuyasha? The art teacher asked, looking at the drawing of a vase filled with flowers in front of a young Inuyasha.
"My mother," Inuyasha replied proudly, pleased with the outcome of the picture.
"I'm sure she'll enjoy it, Inuyasha," the art teacher replied, glaring at the group of boys who had snickered at his answer.
Later in the day, Inuyasha began walking home from school, his picture with him.
"Let me see that 'beautiful' picture for your mommy, mommy boy!" the school bully grabbed it from Inuyasha's hands and looked at it.
"Give it back!" Inuyasha reached for it, taking it back from the bully and unwrinkled it.
"Inuyasha's a mommy's boy!" the group of boys chanted as he tried to move through them without much luck.
"No I'm not!" Inuyasha yelled, getting angry. The boys continued and the bully who had started it all tried to grab the picture again. Inuyasha suddenly grabbed the boy by his neck, his eyes turning red and his nails growing longer, about to dig into the bully's skin. "I am not a mommy's boy. Got it?"
Everyone had vanished, with the exception of a young boy in Inuyasha's hold and another boy with dark brown hair and two younger girls next to him, who watched. "Got it," the bully gasped, staring at the nails that were about to dig into him. Inuyasha didn't respond, smiling with evil as the nails dug into his skin.
BAM! Suddenly, Inuyasha was flat on his back and the bully had run off.
"Go home, Ayame. Take Kikyou too. I'll be back soon," the brown haired boy spoke quietly to his little sister and her friend before going to the fallen Inuyasha.
"What…?" Inuyasha asked, red eyes going back to golden.
"You almost killed someone, youkai," the boy replied, staff in his hand, ready for combat if need be.
"I…did? Mother's going to kill me…" Inuyasha answered, getting up as he looked around confusingly. "How did I fall?"
"I'm a monk. Well, reading to be one, anyways. I used a barrier to push you away from that boy," the boy replied, "I'm Miroku."
"Inuyasha. Did anyone see…?" Inuyasha looked back and forth, sniffing the air to pick up the scents.
"Just the bully and my kid sister and her friend. Everyone else scrammed. Don't worry about my sister and her friend – they won't say a word. I'll take care of the bully. Where do you live?" Miroku asked.
"Feh, how do I know you aren't out to get me or going to get me purified?" Inuyasha looked at him in disbelief.
"You don't. Monks don't purify anyways, mikos do. Come on, Inuyasha. I've got to make sure that you aren't going to threaten society anymore," Miroku prodded.
"Feh, I'm not a threat to society," Inuyasha huffed.
"I'm not going to take that chance until those ears are gone. Man, you need to work on keeping your temper in check," Miroku replied. Inuyasha's hands immediately flew up to feel his ears. Sure enough, they were in dog shape. Together, the two boys walked somewhat amiably to Inuyasha's house.
"Inuyasha, you're home…! Oh no…" Inuyasha's mother ran out from the house to greet him, but saw the ears and a boy she had never seen before.
"Mrs. Inuyasha's mom? I have something to tell you…" Miroku began as she looked at the two of them with hands on her hips, expectantly.
The next day, rumors were going on about Inuyasha being a demon as the bully told stories of what he saw. Inuyasha's mom had made her son stay home so Miroku's plan could be played out. "Hey, Hiten?" Miroku called, getting his attention at recess.
"Yeah?" Hiten, the bully, asked, annoyed that Miroku was interrupting his story.
"What did you really see?" Miroku asked, chanting a few words.
"I saw Inuyasha's eyes turn…umm… I can't remember!" Hiten replied, racking his brain for what had happened.
"You guys, I saw the whole thing. Hiten was just making it up. Inuyasha scratched Hiten in the neck as he tried to duck away from getting his face scratched up. After that, Inuyasha released him and he ran home," Miroku said, telling the story. "Hiten just wanted to make it sound better than it actually was."
Hiten was never believed after that, but Inuyasha's identity was safe. Ever since, Miroku was there to stop Inuyasha from losing his temper and allowing his hanyou self to take over. Inuyasha was there for Miroku to protect him from all the times that females got angry with him for groping them. And all the times that the boyfriends got angry with Miroku for groping their girlfriends.
"Miroku? Time for our watch," Inuyasha replied, waking Miroku from his memories. He picked up his gun and followed Inuyasha to their post.
What do you think of the story so far? Review please and let me know.
I got this idea from a song called "Letters from War" by Mark Schultz.
I'll update as soon as I can and continue if you all like it.
More characters are going to come in soon, don't worry!
Be happy!