A Montage of Characters
Day 2
Kitsuna sat in a spaciously large wooden room. It was the house that she thought looked almost modern from outside. To her disappointment, nothing looked modern on the inside. There was a fire in the center casting shadows on everyone in the room. The only furniture in the room was a shelve, some pillows for people to sit on, and a pot which was boiling water above the fire. She was having trouble breathing due to the thick smoke billowing out from the flickering flames. It was exiting the room through the propped open wooden windows and the air holes between the roof and walls. Kii's eyes were watering a little, and her throat was aching from the heat of the room and dehydration.
Clutching her phone tightly in her hand, she sat beside the monk Miroku, who had pulled her inside the house while she was wallowing in depression over having no cell phone service. Miroku had introduced Kii as the "Girl with Ninja Food," and had announced to everyone in the room that she needed some medical attention. Across from Kii sat InuYasha (she was certain that was his name), who was rubbing the shoulders of a woman who looked almost old enough to be Kii's mom. She was dressed as a priestess, in white and red robes. Her long black hair was pulled back in a pony tail. The two of them had been yelling about something before Kii entered, and Kii guessed the woman won.
Three children of varying ages were hiding behind InuYasha and the woman, peering at Kitsuna suspiciously. Two of them, looking around six to ten years old, had white hair like InuYasha, while the other child, the only female of the children, looked around five years old, and had black hair like the priestess. The looks they were giving her was making Kii feel very uncomfortable.
"Daddy," the little girl curiously said, examining Kii, "Look at her face; is she a demon?"
"She has ninja food," was all InuYasha said in reply. "Kagome, do you know her?"
What the hell is ninja food? Kii thought, irritated. This ninja food thing had been the source of her problems since this morning.
The Priestess, who had been gaping at Kitsuna since she was led into the room by Miroku and instructed to sit down, spoke, ignoring InuYasha. Her voice at first had a whimper to it, but then came out strong and confident. "Where did you get those clothes?"
Kii looked down at her hands gripping her phone, tired of having to explain herself, yet afraid of what will happen if she did not give the right answer. The past two days had been draining, and she was sick of it. Kii let out an exacerbated breath as her heart pounded in her chest from nervousness."School." she mumbled.
"Huh? School!?" Kii's eyes shot up and stared at InuYasha, who had spoken. His ears seemed to stand up straight, despite her swearing that the last time she looked, the tips were curled slightly above his head like dog ears sometimes do. "Isn't that the place you used to go to, Kagome? For those pointless test'n'stuff?"
Did... did his ears just move?
Before Kii could even blink, the priestess got up, ran around the fire and sat down in front of Kii, grasping Kii's hands. Kii's phone fell onto the wooden floor. The woman's face was right in front of Kii's, so close that she could see the beginnings of wrinkles on the her face.
"You!" The priestess said, "You're human, right?"
Kii nodded, flabbergasted. The woman's almond shaped eyes were peering straight into Kii's soul, as if Kii's answer would decide the fate of something very important.
"And, you go to school, right?!"
Kii nodded again.
"And, you're... you must be half Japanese, right?!"
Kii swallowed and gave a tiny nod.
"And you're from Tokyo, right?!"
Kii nodded a fourth time, unsure of what to say. The woman squealed like a little kid. Kii took a side glance towards Miroku, wanting help, but the ponytailed monk was staring at Kii as if she was an alien. Almost as if the answers she was giving the priestess were unexpected. Kii could hear the children asking InuYasha what their Mama was so excited about. The woman's grip on her hand tightened.
"Did you come through the Bone Eaters Well?! I've been checking if it still works, and nothing happens each time!"
Kii shook her head, "N-no." The Bone Eaters Well?
"I thought you said you stopped doing that!" InuYasha nearly shouted, in an almost pouty voice. His voice reverberated throughout the wooden room, rising over the crackling of the flames. The woman ignored him.
"But you're from Tokyo, right? 21st Century Tokyo, right?" She asked. The woman was so animated that her hair was flowing back and forth in her ponytail as she spoke.
"Ye-yes."
"What year is it?"
Huh? "2014," Kii replied, confused.
"2014, 2014..." Kagome said, pondering out loud. The woman let go of Kii's hands and started to count her fingers. The fire was crackling loudly, and Kii found herself licking her lips in an attempt to moisten them from her dehydration.
What is she counting?
Kii's eyes started to wander as Kagome counted her fingers. Through the smoke in the room, she saw all three of the kids climbing over InuYasha. Kii guessed she wasn't that interesting to them anymore. They were starting to get loud. "Daddy! Daddy! Guess what!? Kenta and I have finally mastered a new technique! Wanna know what it's called? Wanna see it?! Wanna? Wanna!?"
"Hey," the girl said, grabbing onto InuYasha's red pants. "I know how to do it too!"
Kii watched as the boy pushed her face, knocking the girl off InuYasha's leg. She fell onto the wooden floor, precariously close to where the fire pit was. "Shut up Chiharu! This is man business. You go do your sissy stuff."
The little black haired girl, Chiharu, started to cry.
What a mean kid. Kii thought.
InuYasha knocked the white haired boy on the head. "Why'd ya do that to your sister, huh?" he growled.
The boy rubbed his head defiantly. "Cause she's a girl!"
Kagome's head perked up, snapping Kii's attention back to her. Her face contorted into an angry mother look; the fire cast terrifying shadows on her face."Mamoru! Go to your room! Kenta! Chiharu!" Kagome yelled, turning away from Kii. "Go play outside!"
"But Mama~," all three of them whined. The girl on the floor stopped crying and whined with them. "That's not fair!"
"NOW!"
"Eep!" The kids all scattered off quickly, their feet pattering loudly against the wooden floor. In seconds, they were out of the room. Kagome was breathing heavily, probably from the stress of having to deal with the children on a daily basis. She turned back to Kii, grabbing Kii's hands and tightening her grip once more. Her rapid fire questions began again, as if she never missed a beat.
"It's 2014! 2014 makes sense! So if it wasn't from the bone eaters well, how'd you get here?" Kagome leaned so close into Kii's face that Kii could almost make out all the black flakes in Kagome's dark brown iris'.
"I-I don't-"
"Did a demon pull you through somewhere?! Did you eat something weird?! And what's Tokyo like now?! Japan is still Japan, right?! The world didn't end at the millennium!?"
"Kagome," the monk beside Kii said, finally speaking up. He got up, resting his staff against the wall, which jingled from the movement, and put his hand on Kagome's shoulder. "I know you're excited but calm down and think rationally. Think. If she is truly from where you come from, then, for the safety of us all, look carefully. Do you sense the Shikon Jewel within her?"
Kagome's grip slackened, and Kii took the opportunity to struggle and finally pull her hands away from Kagome's. She leaned back a bit so that there was a bit more space between herself and strange woman. The priestess had this frantic look in her eye which was scaring Kii.
The priestess blinked at her, and then gave her this almost sad look. Her whole countenance deflated as she sat on her knees. She sighed heavily. "No. I don't sense it within her."
Kii licked her lips again, feeling them crack in the heat.
Miroku squeezed Kagome's shoulder. "Then are you sure she's from your country?"
Kagome had this very sad look on her face as Miroku's words sunk in.
Shikon Jewel? What? Her... country? Why does everyone speak gibberish here? And what the hell were those spiders?! Why is everyone kidnapping me?! Why can't they let me go home!?
"Kagome," Miroku continued, his hand rubbing Kagome's back, "This girl is sick. And thanks to InuYasha, she had a very rough ride down here. Do you have anything that can help her?"
Kagome suddenly started evaluating Kii with a serious expression of her face. As she stared intently, scrutinizingly, the slight wrinkles on her face became more pronounced. Then, her face twitched and her lips pursed. She turned around and randomly slapped the monk in the face. "PERVERT!" She screamed. "I can't believe you!"
InuYasha growled in the background, not moving an inch but just glaring.
What the hell is wrong with these people? And why did she slap him?
Eeeeeiiiiiiiiiiiiiii! Everyone in the room jumped. The pot above the fire rang out, telling everyone it was done boiling the water.
Miroku rubbed his face with a laugh, "I'll get it," he said. And then he turned away, most likely running from the angry woman.
Kagome turned her attention back to Kii, evaluating her.
Stop staring at me like that! Just tell me where I am or let me leave! I'm tired of all this!
"Um," Kii started, nervously interrupting them. As always, her attitude was displaying emotions completely different from her thoughts. Wisps of orange hair fell in front of her face, so she tucked it behind her ear. "What-what year is it?"
Damn. That's not what I wanted to ask. I want to know where I am!
Kagome gave her a sad, steady look. Aside from the crackles of the fire, the room seemed to go silent as her words delivered a heavy blow.
"Not 2014."
Not... 2014...? Is this lady crazy? Is this... a dream? An anime...? What...?
Kii felt her heart drop. She had already guessed something was up, but this? It wasn't the future. This couldn't be the future, so it had to be the past. That did not make any sense, yet... it made the most sense. Why else would those soldiers have been so... so medieval looking? And why else couldn't she get service a country ruled by technology like Japan? And why else was everyone afraid of her iPod and phone?
"Then..." Kii started quietly, trying to understand. "Then what year is i-"
Kii was cut off by a bright, cheerful woman excitedly entering the house.
"Lady Kagome, Yuna and I went and picked some flowers and herbs! We brought you some! Is Chiharu around?"
"Oh hey Rin," InuYasha said with a smile, completely disregarding the mood in the room. He had gotten comfortable once the kids left and was leaning lazily with his back to the wall, swords resting beside him, "Chiharu should be running around outside."
The bubbly woman turned around and yelled out the door, "Yunaa~, Chiharu should be outside somewhere! Don't stay out too late, I want you home by supper!"
Kii heard a faint, "Yes mum!" in the distance.
The woman, Rin, turned back, basket of flowers and herbs in hand. She was a small, yet very beautiful woman, with long black hair flowing freely, and chocolatey brown eyes that seemed so warm and welcoming. She wore a very plain but expensive looking purple floral pattern kimono, which flattered her skin almost perfectly. Her eyes were dancing around the room, stopping when she saw Kagome and Kii.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Am I interrupted something, Lady Kagome?" She asked.
Kagome shook her head. "Perhaps, but I think that's for the best. I've gotten way to ahead of myself. Do you have any medicinal herbs in there. This girl is ill."
Rin took one good look at Kii, and then without missing a heartbeat, ran over to Kii and cooed over her: "You poor thing, you look exhausted! When was the last time you ate? Here," she reached into her basket, "take this. It may look weird, but trust me, it should help."
Kii took the green plant. I don't want to eat this. She thought. It largely resembled a certain medicinal herbs which was banned in many countries, but was shaped a little differently. Despite her better judgement, Kii found herself eating it under the watchful stare of Rin, not wanting to make that smile disappear. It was the most genuine and friendly face Kii had seen since this whole fiasco started.
Rin started rubbing Kii's back, "What's your name?" she asked.
Kii almost had to stop and think for a second. I think this is the first time I've been asked..."Yamato Kitsuna. And..." she paused, recalling the woman's name, "you are Rin?"
Rin flashed Kii a smile.
Kagome started rubbing her temples. "InuYasha, do you mind starting lunch? Make it a big one, I'll invite Shippo over. You can make it with Mamoru. Miroku and Rin, would you guys like to stay? You can bring Kohaku and Songo and the kids."
"Yes please!" Rin said.
Miroku nodded.
InuYasha stood up from his wall in a flurry, "Why do I have to make all that food? You're obviously make Mamoru do it as punishment!" He whined.
Kii watched as Kagome's eyes narrowed. "Because we've been so rude to Ms. Yamato! We haven't even introduced ourselves! And look!" she pointed at Kii. "her clothing is soaked and we haven't offered her anything to change into. I'm sorry Ms. Yamato, I got ahead of myself there and was so rude. I'll explain everything after we get some food into you. You look starved."
"Hey!" InuYasha shouted. His ears perked again. They definitely moved. "That was all you who did that! Why do I have to cover for yer mistakes?!" Smoke billowed into his face as he spoke, and he found himself coughing after he finished his sentence.
Kagome stood up and faced him, her long ponytail flinging back and forth in her animated anger. "Because you brought her here knowing full well how I feel about things that are about my hometown! Of course I was going to mess up and be rude! You, being my husband should have known and should have stopped me! Instead you were just sitting with your back to the wall doing nothing!"
"I only brought her back here because I thought she had ninja food! And you didn't even ask her about that! And I thought you said you stopped going to the Bone Eaters Well!"
"Yeah well, you should have know I was going back there! You can smell my scent, can't you? Besides, it's literally right beside our house! I have to clean up that area anyway! And that has nothing to do with this!"
"That has everything to do with this! If you didn't go down to the Bone Eaters Well, you wouldn't be so caught up about things that remind you about yer old home!"
"Yeah well..."
Kii stared at them wide eyed. Her parents never fought like this. This was... wow.
Rin rubbed Kii's shoulder, speaking softly. "Ms. Yamato, come with me. They'll be at it for a bit. I've got some clothing at my house you can borrow. Plus lunch may take a while. You can have some snacks at my place."
Kii, unsure of what to do, nodded. She grabbed her phone, put it into her pocket, and followed Rin out of the house.
Kii rested in Rin's house. It was small, but very cosy. There was not electrical devices, no couches, no chairs, nothing like that. But it did have many things which Kii expected to find in a well off house from the past, like futons, silk clothing, a fireplace and multiple rooms.
She had been introduced to Rin's husband, Kohaku, a tall, handsome man dressed in what looked like ninja wear. He had short brown hair, a bit of stubble on his face, and calloused hands, which, as Kii had shaken his hand, had determined was from some form of hard labour. His smile was very kind, and he welcomed Kii into his home right away, only to remain outside to continue chopping firewood.
She had also been introduced to Rin's son Munto, a short snot-nosed kid who would not stop talking once he saw Kii. He was adorable, but in the hour she had been inside in Rin's house, she had heard the phrases, "Do you know what?" and, "Um, so I," and, "Did you know?" so many times she almost wished he would go away.
Rin explained her daughter Yuna was busy playing outside, but she would meet her when it was time for lunch.
After being given a basin of water to wash up in, Kii was finally able to get cleaned up. Rin gave Kii a beautiful pink kimono to wear, which Rin had to help her change into. Thankfully, the kind woman said nothing about the bruises on Kii's body, scars which Kii had gotten from school, but instead listened to Kii's adventure and she combed out Kii's hair. Rin did not even comment on Kii's hair color or freckles. And strangely enough, the herb which Rin made Kii eat helped with her nausea, so she was able to eat and drink the food which Rin provided.
Unfortunately Rin knew nothing about what Kagome was going to explain to Kii, so Kii decided not to bother Rin with too many questions. She also glazed over what her home was like, and, after showing Rin her phone, decided not to explain how to use it. Rin was convinced there was a demon living inside it, and Kii did not have the strength to explain otherwise.
Kii was allowing herself to believe she was in the past, but decided she would wait to Kagome explained everything.
All of this is crazy. I don't even know if they're all just lying and are going to kill me later. Well, they could have left me do be crushed by those spider things, so they can't be that bad... Although InuYasha and Kagome are kind of scary... I'll just wait for lunch, I'll over think the whole situation anyway if I keep at it... All I want to do is sleep. They can kill me once I'm knocked out, if they have to... I just don't care anymore...
Exhaustively, she decided to take a nap.
Tenseiga rattled in its sheath the closer he got to Rin's house. Sesshomaru was frowning, picking up his pace in the air. His stomach ache was gone, and he was feeling more rested and less nauseous, but he did not like the idea that something was happening around Rin.
"My Lord!" Jaken yelled on top of Ah-Un, "Where are we going?"
"Rin's" he said, and then continued onward.
"But weren't we just there?" Jaken asked.
Sesshomaru ignored him. Even he did not know the answer. He did not sense any malice coming from the place.
Tenseiga, why are you leading me there? He silently asked.
Quickly he flew, approaching he house. Tenseiga was rattling roughly in its sheath, almost threatening to fall out. Feeling the cool breeze of the wind on his face, he flew through clouds over green treetops, brown cliffs, and crisp blue rivers. A minute later Sesshomaru gracefully landed in front of Rin's house. He spotted Kohaku immediately, and felt relieved. If Kohaku was not prepared for or engaging in battle, Rin must be safe.
Kohaku smiled, not knowing what was going through Sesshomaru's head. He waved at Sesshomaru from his stump where he was cutting wood outside his home. "My Lord! Rin's just inside with a guest."
Sesshomaru gave him a quick look, and then walked into the house, holding onto his sword to stop it from making noise.
"My Lord!" Rin squealed. She was sitting down at a table, playing a game with Munto.
"Lord Sesshomaru~" Munto shouted. He got up, completely disregarding the game he was playing, and ran over to Sesshomaru, hugging his leg.
Rin got up and gave him a polite bow.
"Lord Sesshomaru, Lord Sesshomaru! You're back early! Do you know what?!" Munto prattled, while holding onto his leg, "We got a visitor! Ms. Yamato! She has orange hair and freckles, and, and she has a demon in a box! And, and, it sings! But she's napping right now so me and mommy are playing! But, um, at lunch we're gonna eat with everyone and Lady Kagome is gonna tell stuff to Ms. Yamato, and there will be lotsa food! Will you come, Lord Sesshomaru!?" Munto paused for a breath and stared up at Sesshomaru, with a wide smile that resembled Rin's.
Rin put a finger to her smiling lips, "Shh, Munto. Remember, she's sleeping."
Sesshomaru briefly patted Munto on the head, then pulled Munto off his leg and walked up to Rin. He stared at her as she giggled at him, with her warm brown eyes. He gave her a mindless pat on the head as well and looked around.
"We have a guest today, My Lord," Rin reported softly, "She's sleeping in there."
Never taking his hand off Tenseiga so not to worry Rin with it's rattling, he walked towards the room the visitor was sleeping in and opened the door, laying eyes on the person Tenseiga wanted him to meet.
He was unimpressed with what he saw.
A woman – no, not a woman, a child – lay sleeping on Rin's futons. She had orange hair, which messily splayed out across the bed. Light freckles which covered her face, and from what he could see, her arms. She was curled up onto her side, using one of the kimono's he had given Rin as a blanket. She had drool falling out of her mouth. She was breathing loud enough that it could have almost have been mistaken for snoring.
Standing in the doorway of the room, Sesshomaru frowned. This is what you have called me here for, Tenseiga? Sesshomaru was extremely unimpressed. Behind him, he could hear Jaken criticizing Kohaku for not having the house ready for Sesshomaru's arrival. Having no idea of the significance of why he was here, Sesshomaru was very, very unimpressed.
Fine. Sesshomaru thought, Show me, Tenseiga.
He let go of the sword, allowing it to rattle all it wanted. He could here Munto gasping behind him as Tenseiga slowly left it's sheath and flew up into the air, floating above the sleeping girl's head.
The boy suddenly took in a huge breath of air, "NO! LORD SESSHOMARU, DON'T KILL HER!" Munto screeched before Rin could silence him.
"Don't you dare give orders to Lord Sesshomaru, you brat!" he heard Jaken yell as the imp ran into the house. He could hear Jaken taking in a huge breath of air, preparing to rant.
Rin was going, "Shhhhhh," the entire time, understanding the power of the sword and that it could not kill. He could sense her reaching down and covering Munto's mouth, while shielding him from Jaken.
He kept his attention on the sword floating inches above the girl's head. It was glowing blue. The girl had woken up, and was staring across the room.
"What's going on?" he heard her breathe in a groggy, feminine voice. She sluggishly turned her head upwards to stare at the ceiling and saw the sword. She blinked multiple times. It must have looked like a rusty piece of metal floating above her head, aiming to kill her. There was a flash of disbelief across her face, followed by panic. Almost unexpectedly, the girl began to scream.
To his own disbelief, as he watched her scream, Lord Sesshomaru felt fear envelope him.
...
...
...
AN: Okay, so I realize I've introduced a lot of people in this chapter. You guys should know who the main cast of InuYasha is, but you probably don't know who their children are (unless you can read my mind... dun, dun, DUUUN) so I thought I'd give a brief explanation of who they are and which child belongs where. This is mostly for me, so that I stop changing my mind on where I want the series to go. Also, Kii and Sesshomaru have finally met! Woohoo! And under the best circumstances too. They shall be good friends, right from the start! :D
InuYasha and Kagome have five children, three of whom you just met. They are:
1. ?
2. ?
3. Mamoru: A brat. 9 years old. Looks human aside from his white hair. Headstrong just like his father, and wants all the attention from his parents. He doesn't like Chiharu because she gets along well with their parents and rarely gets in trouble, and he likes Kenta because Kenta is easy to push around. He does love his family though, and will do his best to protect his siblings when they are in trouble. He loves being acknowledged.
4. Kenta: A crybaby. 8 years old. Looks human aside from his white hair. All he wants is for everyone to be happy, and he'll be quite stubborn until people in need promise him that they are happy. He hates responsibility, so he'll follow around and listen to people who are stronger than him, like Mamoru. He also enjoys being coddled and hates doing things for himself. He will rise to the occasion when in a tough situation only if no one else can do it for him.
5. Chiharu: A copy cat. 5 years old. Looks human. Like Kenta, she'll follow around people who are stronger than her, but she actually has the drive to rise above them. She learns from other people, and makes what she learns better. Despite this quality, she hates getting people angry at her, so she's most likely to do what Kagome and InuYasha tell her to do, rather than what people like Mamoru want. She loves being acknowledged. Best friends with Yuna.
Rin and Kohaku have two children. Yuna will show up later:
1. Yuna: A quiet girl. 5 years old. She loves doing quiet activities with her parents, such as picking flowers and fishing. She wants to surpass her father and one day become a great demon hunter. She uses a staff to fight and trains religiously, however, like her father once did, she has no talent. She adores Lord Sesshomaru and uses a staff because Jaken fights with one. She secretly hopes to one day take Jaken's place as Sesshomaru's vassal. She is very smart, and can easily problem solve her way through challenging situations that are above her age level. Her ability to think through problems combined with her inability to fight irritates her to no end. She is best friends with Chiharu.
2. Munto: A chatterbox. 3 years old. He is very open and is unable to keep his thoughts to himself. He loves everyone and, as he is still separating himself from other people, he cannot comprehend why anyone would get tired of listening to his thoughts.
Sango and Miroku have six children, three of which appeared at the end of the manga. They had no names so I'm making them up:
1. Saya: A player. 17 years old (now you know how long it's been since the end of the series! Spoiler alert! :P). Takes after her father in her womanizing ways. She is a strong demon slayer. Often has comedic banters with Miazaki, much like their parents.
2. Miazaki: Headstrong. 17 years old. Takes after her mother in her stubborn ways. She is a strong demon slayer. Often has comedic banters with Saya, much like their parents.
3. Akira: A liar. 16 years old. Cannot fight, despite trying to learn. He has a need to make up an excuse or lie for everything he does, despite not needing too in most cases, because he hates losing. He is very kind, despite his condition. When not at home helping his family, he is often travelling around Japan with his friends, writing grand stories and telling tales of his adventures.
4. Yui: A hypochondriac. 14 years old. Thanks to an event that happened in her childhood with Sakura, she thinks everything is out to get her. She has been trained in demon slaying, but won't go out unless she has someone with her. She stays close to her parents, despite their wish for her to start becoming independent.
5.Sakura: Sickly. 13 years old. Thanks to an event which happened in her childhood with Yui, is very ill. Despite this, she always greets everyone with a smile. She is sad on the inside, but does not want anyone to worry about her condition. If she is up out of bed for too long, she gets very tired. All the children in the village try to visit her often, so she is hardly ever lonely.
6. Kabuto: Mischievous. 10 years old. Because he is the last child, and his parents are almost always away or busy with another sibling, he is always getting into trouble. He craves his parents attention, but is too stubborn to ask for it. There was an incident with Chiharu and Mamoru, which ended his friendship with the InuYasha's children. He still regrets it, but is unwilling to ask for forgiveness.
