Finally, the long-awaited sequel. D I will try my best to keep the story at or above the level of the original; please just bear with me as I work. If you have not read, "Are You My Father," the story will probably not make much sense; however, if you are brave and would like to keep trying anyway, please do.
There are 17 chapters of the first story for a reason. I explained everything there. The concept seems rather odd and impossible, but if you will go back and read, you might be surprised.
Disclaimer: InuYasha is owned by Rumoshiko Takahashi; however, this piece and this plot are mine.
Special Thanks to: Dr. Dogma, for his help, ideas, patience, and beta work on my last story; and of course, special thanks go to all my readers and reviewers for their extreme patience and encouragement.
A brief summary of "Are You My Father": Kagome was given a school project that eventually caused her to find a book listing the generations of Higurashis beginning with a "Miroku and Sango Higurashi". Upon the discovery of the book, she finds that her family line strangely consisted of only males; she was the first female born to the family since the feudal era. Oddly enough, each family only had one male child who died at an early age, much like Kagome's own father, who died just after her birth.
After a time, Kagome comes to the knowledge that Sango and Miroku are more than just her friends—they are her father's ancestors. Since Kagome does not possess the curse, things seem to have taken a better turn, but then Kagome develops a hole in her right hand.
The group sets out on a furious search for Naraku, ending in the evil hanyou's death along with Akago and Hakudoshi. Kohaku was saved. Sango finally confesses her feelings toward Miroku, and they marry. How then is the future changed? The curse killed Kagome's ancestors and father, but what happens if Naraku was killed before they were born?
Where we left off before:
"Hurry up InuYasha! Miroku and Sango are—" Kagome's voice trailed off and she stopped in her tracks just inside the doorway of her home.
InuYasha muttered illegibly as he almost slammed into her back after her abrupt stop.
"What do you think you're doing…?" InuYasha asked, but his words went unheeded as the girl in front of him threw her backpack off her shoulder and dug frantically inside.
A mere moment later, she held up the photo that had started the whole fiasco of the last weeks. Then hurriedly, she stepped forward and stared at the stranger that had just walked into her yard.
Slightly annoyed at Kagome's odd manner, InuYasha stepped over the threshold and into the yard. Then his gaze followed Kagome's gaze and landed on a man hauntingly familiar, but one he was sure he had never seen before.
The man had shoulder length midnight black hair pulled back with a leather strap and wore a pair of dark pants along with a familiar leather jacket—his bare hands the only difference between the picture and the man.
Kagome gasped in wonderment, "Are you my… father?"
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Forgotten Memories
Prologue
Darting across her yard, Kagome grasped the neon straps of her backpack and raced for the feudal era. Her immense joy over her father's appearance was waning in the growing nightmare of the past week. Never before had she felt such an intense need to go back in time. Since she had met InuYasha, her modern home was her sanctuary—a place to get away from the trouble she faced in the feudal era, but now—now she just needed to be back with the people she knew… People who shared the same memories she did.
Opening the shrine door, Kagome stepped into the cool darkness, and breathed in deeply of the old wood smell. Then jogging to the lip of the well, she placed her foot on the edge and stepped over. Letting the familiar colors of time-travel wrap around her pale frame, she sighed and attempted to relax her tired mind.
It was not that her father was a bad man. In fact, it was the polar opposite. With each day, she grew closer to the man she had never known, and up until a few days ago had never even had cause to hope to know. He was a man of great knowledge with a wild and reckless side, but who obviously cared for his children.
Indeed, he was the father she had never known.
Unfortunately, for him, though he did not have the wind tunnel of his ancestor, he certainly retained some of Miroku's curse—if a "cursed hand with a mind of its own" counted as a curse. Her mother was constantly sidestepping his wandering hand, and she almost did not recognize her father without her mother's fingerprints on his face or some other area of his being.
For a moment, Kagome smiled as she her feet brushed the hard-packed dirt of the bottom of the well.
Always a sweet and smiling woman, Kagome's mother had blossomed. The worry lines that had developed during Kagome's time in the feudal era were steadily disappearing only to be replaced with the youthful glow of a woman in love. Her mother laughed more and her smile was hardly ever missing.
Kagome sighed. She was only a few months old when her mother lost Kagome's father. By the time Kagome was old enough to truly understand what was going on around her, her mother had already dealt with the death and had begun to move on. Over the years, she had kept her brave front and had truly found her joy in her daughter; then after Souta's birth (from her mom's second marriage), her joy was in both of her children.
Even after her second husband's death, she had managed to stay strong for both Souta and Kagome. But now that Kagome's father was back, the young miko could only begin to see what it must have been like for her mother after the wind tunnel took her father. The love they shared for each other was deep, and after seeing them together, Kagome was finding it harder to imagine one without the other.
Looking up at the well entrance, Kagome saw InuYasha's adorable ears and a moment later was joined by the silver haired hanyou. As she grasped onto his shoulders, she held her breath as he jumped out of the well, and a smile found its way onto her face.
Souta would love to be in her place. Not only did he love InuYasha, but he also loved the stories she told of the past—the youkai and the samurai, the hanyou and the human.
For a moment, her smile slipped. The day her dad came back, her brother had gone missing for most of the evening before suddenly appearing at the dinner table. For a while, she was afraid that she had gained a father and lost a brother.
She had feared that because her mother never would have remarried if her father were still alive, that Souta had been lost to the shifting of time—a boy that never would have been created. Yet, he was alive—though she had gathered from her parents' speech that she and Souta now shared the same father. Then after a time, Kagome feared that her brother was not truly the Souta she had watched over and mothered ever since his birth.
Yet, her fears were unfounded. At the dinner table, her brother had begged to hear about InuYasha, and as she told one of her stories, he had paused from eating and formed his hand into claws.
"Blades of Blood!" he had yelled, mimicking InuYasha's move.
Relieved, Kagome had laughed; Souta was still Souta.
But though it was nothing major, little things were different. Every once in awhile, he would say or do something that was out of character for him, and Kagome would start to comment on it before remembering what had happened. It both bothered and fascinated her.
Yet, as saddening and maddening as it was, Kagome would never wish Naraku alive so that everything would be the way it was before.
"Hey! Don't fall asleep back there!" InuYasha called to the quiet girl on his back.
The miko giggled lightly, "I'm not sleeping," she whispered.
InuYasha snorted, "Usually you talk my head off about that school place and all that other stuff, what's bothering you?"
"Things are just different now, InuYasha," she said, hearing the slight worry in his voice.
Indeed, things had changed.
With the return of her father, came not only a different future, but also a different past.
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Author's note: The prologue is shorter than a normal chapter, but I hope it struck your curiosity a little and gave you something to think about.
As you can see, I kept Souta around; so for those of you who worried about that, you don't have to anymore. Though he has a different father, he is still Souta. It just bothers Kagome a little that she does not know her brother as well as she did before.
I hope it doesn't sound depressing. I imagine it will be very similar to the first story in style. I just can't help but probe into a character's emotions every so often.
I really don't know how much time I will be able to devote to this story, but I will do my best. Typical Fille style, I have two other fics that are currently in progress (and have the priority at the moment). I truly wanted to be able to work on some other story ideas I had for this summer, but I doubt I will get to them.
Suggestions and encouragement are both welcome. If you don't like this fic, and have not read "Are You My Father," please don't feel the need to flame me needlessly. I have explained many of the events that lead up to what happened and will happen. I do not mind constructive criticism, if it is meant to help. )
Please leave a comment on your way out. I would definitely appreciate it.
Thank you all again.
