My very first fanfic was a story similar to this one. One day I signed on to find that the story had vanished. I still don't know what happened. I didn't have any of the old chapters so I decided to just rewrite it. Hopefully this is at least as good as - if not better than - the original. Can't tell you since I can't remember how the first chapter of the original went.
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.
Ch. 1: An Old Friend
Naomi smirked. How interesting to see him approaching her home again. He'd left over hundred years ago with an arrogant swagger and swearing he would never come back. Yet here he was, walking through the doors of her mountain compound. She could tell from his scent that was more than a little nervous. His companions were looking around with interest. Naomi knew who they were. Despite the way he left, she had kept track of any news concerning him. She's made a promise to watched out for him after all.
"Well, look what the cat dragged in. A lost puppy," she said as she leaned against the wall. Naomi had no intentions of letting this return be easy for him. "I thought you weren't coming back, Inuyasha."
The hanyou shifted uncomfortably. Naomi took the chance to examine the hanyou. He hadn't changed much in the last one hundred years since she'd seen him. His hair was still long and silver. There was a pain in his golden eyes that hadn't been there before. Probably the leftovers of Kikyo's betrayal. He was taller than when she'd last seen him, and seemed stronger somehow.
"Cat got your tongue, Inuyasha?" she asked him as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Or did you forget how to speak?"
He glared at her. "I see you haven't changed."
"Why would I?" she replied with an indifferent shrug. "I like who I am."
"No one likes a sharp tongue, Naomi."
"Then why are you here subjecting yourself to it? If I remember correctly, it was your choice to leave in the first place." Naomi's eyes burned with suppressed anger. "I told you that you weren't ready and you chose not to listen."
He flinched and his ears flattened. "I know." Inuyasha fidgeted uncomfortably. "Look, Naomi, I want...I need your help."
She tilted her head and examined him for a moment. "My help?"
Inuyasha nodded. "Yeah."
Naomi considered him for a moment then motioned him and his friends inside. "Come in, Inuyasha, and you can tell me what brought this on."
Her eyes scanned the group. She saw the demon slayer, Sango. From what she heard, Sango was a formidable opponent to anyone foolish enough to anger her. Then there was the monk, Miroku – the man with a curse that would kill him one day. There was Shippo, the orphan fox demon, and Kilala, Sango's companion. Then her eyes landed on the miko called Kagome, the girl who had freed Inuyasha from Kikyo's spell. She was the one that interested Naomi the most. From what she'd heard, Kagome was the one person in the world Inuyasha loved more than himself.
She turned and led them through her house. There would be time for talk when they'd all settled down in the library. Then she could get to the bottom of what brought Inuyasha back here a hundred years after he'd left.
As they walked, Kagome examined her surroundings. The house was kept clean and several painting hung on the walls, most of them seascapes. Soft, beautiful rugs were placed on the floors. She saw plants that provided color and life. All of the plants were in beautiful pots, painted and molded to please the eye. This demoness obviously liked beauty. So much so that she surrounded herself with it.
The miko turned her attention to the demoness. She was beautiful. Naomi's black hair was thick and long. There were two streaks of dark blue hair framing her face. She had sea green eyes that were intelligent and wise. Naomi had a petite build, but the energy and strength she gave off made her seem larger. Unlike most of the women of the Feudal Era, Naomi didn't wear a women's kimono. Instead, she chose dark blue hakama, much like Sesshoumaru's, and a man's kimono with silver hems. Hanging from the silver sash at her waist was a water skin. She varied from tradition again by choosing to wear boots instead of the usual footwear of the country. She had one blue stripe on each cheek. Instead of human ears, she had those of a wolf. A beautiful black tail swished behind her.
Kagome hadn't heard of Naomi until this morning. For the last week, Inuyasha had seemed driven to get to this compound. He hadn't let anything slow him down or get in the way. This morning, Kagome had put her foot down. Inuyasha had been like a slave driver and she had been too tired to let him do it anymore. That was when he finally explained where they were going. Kagome still didn't know the entire story but she did realize that this was important to Inuyasha. He desperately wanted Naomi's forgiveness and help. The miko sighed. She would do anything to make Inuyasha happy, including running herself into the ground to reach this compound. She was so sore and tired.
Naomi heard the sigh and glanced back. Her eyes narrowed. "What did you do, Inuyasha? Run them ragged? This girl is ready to fall over." She walked over to Kagome and placed a clawed hand under her chin, forcing the miko to meet her gaze. "She so tired she's nearly asleep standing."
"I'm fine," Kagome objected, pulling her chin away from Naomi's hand.
The demoness smiled. "Really? Then why are you're eyes half shut?" Naomi turned to Inuyasha. She stared at him for a moment then shook her head with an indulgent smile. "You haven't changed at all, Inuyasha. Still running full speed ahead without any thought to the consequences like a hotheaded fool."
He wasn't sure whether he should be irritated or happy with Naomi's comment. On the one hand, she was smiling at him again. Still, she did just call him a hothead. Irritation came easier so he settled on that and glared at her. She didn't seem surprised with his reaction.
"I was going to take you to the library to talk," she commented then examined the group. "Instead, I think I'll show you to rooms. You all need some sleep. We can talk in the morning."
"Naomi, I want to talk to you now," Inuyasha insisted.
She looked at him. As usual, he had the feeling that she could see every little thought and feeling that ran through him. For perhaps the first time in his life, he met her gaze without looking away. Naomi smiled and said, "We can talk then. Let me get the others to bed. They've had a long journey. You remember where the library is right?"
He nodded.
"Good. I'll meet you there."
She turned and went down a different hall. Everyone but Inuyasha followed her. As they walked, Miroku decided to asked the question that everyone wanted the answer to. "Umm, excuse me, Lady Naomi?"
The demoness glanced over her shoulder. "What is it, Monk?" Her eyes narrowed as she remembered the rumors about this particular man. "You're not about to ask your favorite question are you? Because the answer is absolutely not."
He shook his head. "No, though now that you mention it, I should have." Sango shot him a very angry look and he held his hands up as it to hold her off. "I didn't ask, Sango."
"You were about to." Sango poked him in the chest. "I will hurt you, Miroku. I really will."
The monk cleared his throat. "Umm...what I was going to ask, Lady Naomi, was how do you know Inuyasha? He hasn't explained."
"I'm not surprised. We didn't split on good terms," she replied.
"You two were a..." Miroku left the question hanging.
Naomi stopped and looked at him with disgust. "No. I've known Inuyasha since he was a pup. That would be like...yuck. Don't even suggest it." She turned with one last shudder. "The rooms are this way."
"So how do you know Inuyasha?" Kagome asked.
"I helped his mother until her death. After she died, I took over raising him." Naomi stopped in front of a shoji. "Here's Sango's room. Miroku, yours is across the hall." The demoness turned to Kagome. "You're is farther down the hall, across from Inuyasha's."
Inuyasha's friends were still staring at her in shock. Kagome shed her paralysis first and said, "You raised Inuyasha?"
Naomi couldn't help the small chuckle. Their reaction was so amusing. "Yes and no. He lived here with me until about one hundred years ago. Then he took off because he thought he was ready to handle the world."
"You didn't agree," Miroku stated.
"No, I didn't. Inuyasha was young and naïve. Not only that but he hated his human blood. I knew the combination of the two would get him into trouble. It wasn't easy letting him walk out of the compound. We had a fight that lasted for hours." Naomi's eyes grew distant. "He didn't want to listen to me though. Thought he knew it all. Turns out he didn't and paid for his mistake with fifty years of his life."
Kagome saw what the others didn't. Naomi felt guilt for what happened to Inuyasha. The miko's voice was soft as she spoke. "You really care about him, don't you?"
"It's hard not to get attached when you raise someone." Naomi started down the hall. "Come this way, Kagome. Your room is down here."
Sango frowned. "Wait. How did you know our names?"
Naomi looked over her shoulder with an indulgent smile. "I live in the western lands. In case you've forgotten, Lord Sesshoumaru is Inuyasha's half brother. These lands receive quite a bit of news on both of Inu Tashio's sons." Her smile widened. "Much to Lord Sesshoumaru's annoyance."
"Do you know Lord Sesshoumaru too?" Kagome asked curiously.
The demoness shook her head. "No. He doesn't associate with my kind."
"You're kind?"
Naomi nodded. "Hanyous."
They all looked at her in shock.
"You're a hanyou?" Sango asked in shock.
"A wolf hanyou to be specific," Naomi confirmed.
"You look pure demon to me," Miroku stated. "Well, except for the ears."
"I know. Are you coming Kagome? I really need to go talk with Inuyasha." Naomi looked towards the direction Inuyasha went. "I'm getting the impression that I'll be around to answer all questions later."
Kagome nodded and followed Naomi to her bedroom with Shippo.
Naomi wished the two goodnight and made her way back to the library where Inuyasha waited. When she walked in, Naomi immediately relaxed. She loved books. Of all the rooms in the house, this was her favorite. Books covered every shelf. Some laid on the tables positioned around the room. There was a large window that let light into the room. At night, Naomi lit candles. With her demon vision that was all she really needed.
Right now there were no candles lit, but she could sill make out Inuyasha's figure standing by the window as he stared out into the night. She crossed her arms. "Alright, Inuyasha. Tell me why you're here."
He turned to face her. "It started fifty-one years ago when Kikyo pinned me to a tree..."
Naomi listened to him patiently as he told her about everything. She took an immediate dislike to Naraku. That wasn't really unexpected. She'd heard about the hanyou but hadn't really had any person dealings with him until now. Still, anyone who was that cruel needed to be punished. She listened as Inuyasha told her about Kagome, Miroku, Sango, and Shippo. During that moment, she discovered something she'd already guessed. Inuyasha cared very deeply for the young miko. Maybe was even in love with her. Naomi gave a small knowing smile but said nothing. Inuyasha reluctantly told her about his encounters with Seshoumaru and Kikyo. Inuyasha's story was rounding to a close now.
Naomi already knew what he wanted, and her answer. That didn't me she wasn't going to make him ask anyway. Inuyasha did run out of here with quite a few mean things said between them. Then he want and got himself pinned to a tree for fifty years. Naomi was just angry enough to make him swallow his pride before she gave him her answer. She smirked. Hopefully he didn't choke on that pride. It was fairly large after all.
"...Anyway," Inuyasha continued, "I can't find Naraku on my own. Even when I do find him, I can't seem to kill him. I...I need...help. Naomi, I need your help."
She watched him for a moment then walked over to him. "Before I answer, I just want to get one thing out of my system first."
Inuyasha braced himself. Naomi had a violent temper and he hadn't exactly left her in a happy mood.
She drew back a hand and swung it towards him. Just when it would have connected with his face, she stopped, smiled, and patted his cheek. "I told you so," she informed him with a satisfied smile.
The dog hanyou stared at her in shock. "Huh? You aren't going to hit me?"
"No. I just wanted to say I told you so." Naomi's smile widened. "And I did. I told you that you shouldn't have left the compound when you did, but did you listen to me? Nooo. You thought you knew it all." Naomi was enjoying herself now. "Then you went and got pinned to a tree for fifty years."
H glared at her. "Alright. Feel free to rub it in, why don't ya? I messed up. I get it."
"Inuyasha, everyone messes up." Naomi leaned against a table and looked at him. "Even I've messed up, though that's rare. I also accept that some lessons you had to learn the hard way. I still enjoy saying I told you so. Which I did."
Inuyasha sighed in resignation. She was right. "Fine. You told me so. Now are you going to help me or not?"
"Of course I'll help you, Inuyasha. I could have given you the answer the moment you walked onto the compound."
He stared at her in shock. "You mean I just spilled my guts to you for nothing? I could have just asked you for help from the beginning and you'd've said yes?"
Naomi shook her head. "No. I was mad at you for some of the things you said to me before leaving. Making you swallow your pride was a good way to get back at you." She stood and stretched. "I'm going to bed. You know where your room is. We'll leave in a week."
"Why not tomorrow?" Inuyasha demanded.
"Because your friends need to rest, Inuyasha," she told him patiently. "Or have you forgotten how tired they were. They can take a week to rest."
"But..."
"Inuyasha," Naomi growled.
He winced and prepared for the worst of Naomi's temper.
"If you start arguing with me over every little thing, I'm going to hurt you," she warned him. "We're waiting a week. Live with it."
"Okay, okay."
"Good." She turned and walked out of the library. "Good night."
Naomi walked down the hall and into her room. Unlike the rest of her home, the decoration in this room was simple. She had a single painting of a large white dog demon hanging on one wall. Her bed was large and covered in soft warm blankets. The nightstand by her bed had a book sitting on it and an oil lamp. She had a dresser for storing her clothing. That was it. She walked across the room and over to the shoji that led outside and opened it up. The night was cool and the sky clear. Naomi took a deep breath and smiled slowly.
A sound reached her. She tilted her head and her ears twitched. The scent of sadness was in the air. It would seem the young miko was upset. Naomi turned and followed her nose to the girl's location. It didn't take her long to locate Kagome. The young miko was sitting underneath a large and old willow in Naomi's garden.
The garden was Naomi's favorite location in the world even above the library. She'd worked hard to make it was a place she could relax with ease. Forests of green, healthy plants filled every corner. She had stone pathways that formed a spider's web when seen from above. Bursts of color from flowers and fruits came from every angle. The smell of those blossoms filled the air with their beautiful fragrances. Fireflies danced through the garden in patterns that caught her eye. The sky above was clear and littered with stars. She could hear cricket bugs and other assorted night noises.
In the center of her garden was a willow that was nearly four hundred years old. The willow sat on a small island formed by a split in the creek that flowed through the garden. Next to the willow was a bench where Naomi would frequently sit. Naomi had a special attachment to that willow. It was only a few decades younger than she was and was planted for her. She pushed the branches aside and stepped within the tree's shelter. The miko sat on the bench opposite of where Naomi stood.
"I see you found my tree," the wolf hanyou said conversationally.
Kagome jumped and looked at Naomi. "I didn't hear you."
"I know." Naomi sat next to Kagome. "I love this tree. It's very special to me."
"Why?" the miko asked curiously.
"The man who raised me planted it here the day he brought me here. It was my job to tend to it. This tree saved my life. I needed something, anything, to depend on me. To need me in order to exist. As if that would give me a reason to keep living. This tree provided me with that," the hanyou explained. "Now I still tend to it, as gratitude for what it gave me."
They sat in silence for a moment. Naomi examined Kagome. The girl was exhausted and still she didn't sleep. There was something troubling her. That much was obvious. Kagome was frowning slightly and she stared at the ground.
"So, what are you thinking about so much?" Naomi asked as she tilted her head.
Kagome shook her head. "Nothing important."
"You know, too much thinking can be bad for you." At Kagome's disbelieving look, Naomi smiled. "It gives you headaches and has you complicating things that are very simple. You should share what's on your mind so I can be sure you don't do the latter. It would be a shame if you complicate the simple."
The miko chuckled. "Right. I was just thinking about Inuyasha. You know about him and Kikyo?"
"He told me everything. Reluctantly but he did tell me." Naomi faced forward and leaned back against the tree. "I'm guessing you love him."
Kagome looked at Naomi in shock. "What?"
"You love him," she repeated simply. "It's written all over your face when you look at him. I hope you weren't trying to keep it a secret. If so, you were failing miserably."
"No," Kagome said in a sigh. "I wasn't trying to hide it."
"So why does this make you so glum. Usually girls in love are thrilled and happy people." Naomi frowned. "They can make others sick with just how happy they are."
Kagome laughed at Naomi's obvious disgust with that. "I guess this isn't a normal love. Inuyasha doesn't love me. Not in the way I want him to. I'll always come second to Kikyo."
"I don't think so," Naomi disagreed. "I think you'd come first if not for the guilt."
"Guilt?"
"Yeah. Guilt is an evil emotion. It can make you do things or say things that you wouldn't otherwise say or do. A lot like love or hate I guess. Unlike those two though, guilt makes you choose something. In Inuyasha's case, it's between you, the girl that he cares for most right now, or Kikyo, the girl that he loved first. Guilt has him choosing Kikyo."
"Why should he feel guilty about Kikyo?" Kagome asked. "It's not like he betrayed her."
"But he did," Naomi corrected. "He betrayed her by believing she betrayed him. By for one moment, believing she would hurt him without cause. He'll twist things around so that everything that went wrong between them was his fault. Guilt does that too. It can twist reality until everything is your fault even when it's not." Naomi turned her head to looked at Kagome with a small smile. "That's part of the complicating things that are very simple I told you about. Inuyasha tends to do that a lot."
"What did he complicate? I thought he simpled it down so that it was all his fault."
"Alright." The hanyou sat up and turned to fully face Kagome. "Here's the simple version of what happened between him and Kikyo. They loved each other but didn't trust. That allowed Naraku to get in there and turn them against each other. It's not Kikyo's fault nor is it Inuyasha's. It just was. Feeling guilty won't change it and it won't get Naraku. So why feel guilt?" Naomi's tone remained matter-of-fact as she said, "On that note. You're situation. You love Inuyasha and that won't change no matter what, right?"
Kagome nodded in agreement.
"Then why worry about it so much. Just relax and go with the flow until a chance comes to do something about it. Sometimes the best thing you can do is just wait for the opportunity to strike." Naomi stood. "If worrying or being sad won't change anything, then why bother?"
"Easier said than done," Kagome muttered.
The hanyou laughed. "Yes it is. But true nonetheless. Come on, miko. You need sleep. Things won't seem so bad in the morning."
Kagom nodded and stood. "Alright."
All done with this chapter. Let me know what you think. Hate to waste my time on a story no one wants to read. Until the next chapter.