Chapter 10-Memory and meetings
I don't own Inuyasha and company. I do own Ichiro, Sanae, and Akiyoshi.
This Chapter is dedicated to Mystical Rose. Thanks!-Namiyo
The next day. Scratching.
"Damn it," Inuyasha looked annoyed as he peered down through the trees at the group. They were on a ridge overlooking a campsite, and in a way...at camp at the same time. He scratched again absently as he tried not to think about the paradox.
"What is it?" his wife whispered back.
"Ear mites! Ow. Ow. Ow," he had lived with the damned things for years, then had discovered there was a way to get rid of the itchiness. Now they were back-and they were driving him nuts.
"I told you to pack your ear drops. Did you? Probably not," Kagome chided him as she looked intently through a small pair of binoculars. He didn't need them to see what was going on.
"Uh-" a pause, and a sheepish grin as she just shook her head.
"Baka. Your healer said to keep the drops up. Neither of us can figure out how you keep getting them, you know. Kami knows I don't keep our home dirty, unless you've been rolling around outside or something? Playing with strange-"
"Don't you even!" he glared. Healer. One way to put it considering he, like his brother and two of his children, used a canine youkai specialist when they needed a Doctor-with an embarrassing to half her patients public cover. Kagome just said it made sense for Ai to do it, but it rankled. Youkai healers had to be half vet anyways...and it was the easiest way to be able to order the mortal medicines she used in her practice. Then she giggled when he was out of earshot. Supposedly out of it, anyways. So yes, it rankled.
But no matter what was over her door...he, Inuyasha-did not go to the Veterinarian.
Sesshomaru did, yes. But not him.
"Damn it!" he said again, itching forgotten at the sight below them. A man in the robes of a monk and a woman in pink and black armor. His boy, sitting with a girl in a school uniform...and a hanyou in red crouching by a fire with a kitsune hopping around.
"Oh...look!" Kagome couldn't believe it. Them. Sango. Miroku. Their dear friends and allies.
"Keh," a hand took hers as they watched. Kagome stared, and slowly lowered the binoculars. It hit her as it rarely did. The weight of five centuries. She ended up outliving them all...
"You got quiet," Inuyasha commented, and she jumped.
"Yep."
"Why don't we remember meeting him?" he'd asked this a few times and she shook her head.
"I really don't know," Kagome admitted.
"That's driving me crazy."
"Really? I wouldn't know," Kagome answered with a slight smile as she again lifted the binoculars. But Inuyasha sniffed as she turned. Something was headed right for the pair as they hid.
A whirlwind surrounded by adoring wolves. Inuyasha was already in motion.
"That's..."
"Which Ayame?" Kagome asked, trying to figure it out.
"How the fuck is she here?? It's ours!" the hanyou told her over his shoulder and she dropped the binoculars on the ground.
"Oh, no you don't!" he put himself in her path, and she stopped. Ayame gaped. Her parents by marriage were here. But she smelled Ichiro ahead! Why were they standing between her and Ichiro?
"Honored father in law, let me through! Ichiro needs me!" she demanded.
"No, dear. We aren't going to. He's fine, I promise. Now please put your charm back on before they sense you. What are you doing here, anyway?" Kagome ordered firmly.
"But-"
"No. No going to him! We'll keep watch and make sure he gets home safe and you'll stay out of it. Now you better explain this, Ayame!" Inuyasha seconded...and the wolf winced. She reached for her watch and clicked it after sending her allies away. A human seemed to stand there now, and she walked forward to stare down with them from cover. Kagome gently put a comforting arm around her as the woman shivered.
"I had to come. Ichiro...you know what this time is like. I was so afraid for him!" she managed. Inuyasha nodded once. He could understand that-he'd go to hell itself if Kagome had been taken, but it was how she'd gotten here that was the kicker. Especially when she wouldn't say.
"I can't. I gave my word. There's nothing else I can say, except that I got help," Ayame answered. The hanyou frowned. He gripped her arm, and told Kagome to stay there while he had a chat with her. He knew of only one youkai who'd bother helping his family and demand silence.
"Don't-" Kagome began.
"We're just going to talk. Come on," Inuyasha barked. He pulled Ayame deeper into the woods. She got increasingly worried as they moved farther away from Ichiro, and when he pushed her against a tree trunk her green eyes were huge.
"It was a kitsune with a Shard. Wasn't it?" Inuyasha asked, and she gasped...all the proof he needed. Inuyasha swore. Only one would do it. Shippo. No, sorry, he was dead.
"I can't say," Ayame said softly. But it was-and they both knew it.
"One strong enough to slip right past Sesshomaru and his watchers. Why did he bring you? What did he want here?"
"The-I only got a one-way ticket. That's what I was told, and not to speak of the person."
"And you were desperate enough to go for it. Didn't you think I'd get my own son home??"
"Inuyasha, you know how it is to have a mortal as a mate! Ichiro doesn't even have powers to look after himself! You would go after her too and you know it, no matter the price or who else was seeking her!" Ayame answered forthrightly. He sighed and looked upward a moment.
"I know. I know how it is. Mortals are breakable. The Shard though, Ayame. Where did the Shard go?"
"It will be left in the well for her, he promised!"
"Touzoku's word ain't something I'd bet on."
"No!" she shook her head, and he nodded.
"It was him, little wolf. Never doubt it." Oh, yeah. Shippo. He'd found a fucking Lost Shard and decided to rob the past. Meaning he wasn't here for the Jewel. Kami knew what he planned to steal and bring back, though. Damn it!
"But-he's a legendary thief! Heartless, evil! He stole the Gorashi right out from under Kouga's nose!" Ayami protested. He was a legend, alright. A thief who emerged from out of nowhere, one who stole only the finest and rarest antiquities and treasures. One who got through any warding or barrier as he preyed on humans and youkai alike-and was clearly a youkai himself. To steal some of what he had...he'd have to be able to fly, reports were of a man, a woman, no two matched and it was known only it was a kitsune by the youkai populace in general. One no skulk claimed as their own, but had an admiring following for daring among his kind. The creature was called Touzoku. Thief.
"It was him. Not one word to Kagome. Not a peep," Inuyasha warned her, and she nodded in confusion.
"I won't," she agreed. Inuyasa led her back and scowled. More trouble. Last thing they needed. Shippo.
Shippo had long since discovered being called a hero...didn't lead to much in his own people's ranks. Not as news spread that he was not leader of the Shard Hunt as kitsune rumor had held. As Inuyasha took his rightful place in youkai history as the leader of that group of legends that slew Naraku, he was relegated to comedic relief and sidekick. What he'd been, really-a child with an inflated ego. The revered Jewelguardian's ward was seen as just that. A ward, always needing a human or hanyou to bail him out.
No upward advancement for him in the often complex world of kitsune rank. He'd wanted more as he matured. Position, rank tails, the benefits of power and importance. The path he chose was the only way, really. Shippo wasn't much of a warrior, but had learned much from old Miroku and Inuyasha himself. How to case a house, how to find the best fences...and how to hunt and track.
His people prized daring and risk, but if he had used his old name...Kagome would've stopped him. Would be ashamed. So he spared her that, by killing off Shippo the runt. Became Touzoku. Inuyasha was sure of it. He was also sure that he'd be meeting up with the little shit-and soon.
Even so, they had managed to keep Ayame from running in and causing a ruckus. That was something. But the New Moon was tomorrow night. She agreed to stay with them and watch over them from a distance. And Ayame...didn't mention her run-in with Kouga. Bad enough she'd done what she had told them about!
Then Kagome came up with her scheme to get their Shard into the right hands. Her husband was quite convinced she was nuts as they found a beat up hut off of the kids' route of travel for the new moon. Inuyasha sighed and sat as Ayame took up a guard point by the hut's door, watching as Kagome pulled out a set of ofuda and started to set protecting wards. She was used to helping at this time, and was a much stronger youkai than the girl she was in this era.
The least she could do for her in-laws. They'd always been good to her.
The coming night weighed on another Inu hanyou as well.
Ichiro. His friends knew, but the human...looks kept getting exchanged as they traveled the next day. The man saw, and knew why, yes. But he did wonder how exactly they were going to broach it as all day, the hanyou kept glowering. Miroku looked rather serene, and so did Sango. Kagome didn't-and wondered if they were considering that Inuyasha didn't exactly like people knowing his secret. Maybe they really had gotten too casual about this stuff.
"So, where do we camp tonight?" Ichiro asked easily.
"You people will take a clearing up ahead," Inuyasha answered shortly. He'd go into the woods and hide nearby. That was best. If there were youkai in the future, then he had to consider that Ichiro might be a bad person to have see him like this.
"Really? A clearing sounds fine," Ichiro answered.
If Inuyasha knew what he did as a mortal when Ichiro was small-he'd have fainted.
Edo. Centuries from now...
"Go to bed!" Inuyasha ordered as three small forms came bouncing out of their room. Faces were made, and there was complete refusal.
"You stay with me. Let us stay too?" Akiyoshi asked wistfully, coming over to be scooped up by his father. Inuyasha set the four year old in his lap and made a face. The day after the Full Moon. Little Aki's time of weakness, when they watched over a nervous little human boy. The grown hanyou was extremely proud that his son had never sat terrified all night alone...his parents were both there to take care of him.
"Papa-can we stay up? Please??" Sanae asked, hands clasped in front of her.
"Please, Papa? I like the night of the New Moon. We match," Ichiro, then nine, came over with Sanae in their nightclothes. Inuyasha put his sword to one side and shook his head.
"One way to look at it, pup. I don't like it-because it's up to your mother to protect us all tonight. That's my job," his worried father answered. He felt so useless, and his precious little ones were in danger too. Without his strength, he couldn't be sure they were safe. But he didn't let it show as he smiled at them.
The resemblance was indeed closer tonight. He sometimes wondered if little Ichiro regretted not having such worries, and the benefits to match...but his mortal son seemed to be happy as a human full time.
"It's like Aki. He turns human too. We can help! Our noses work fine tonight, Papa. We'll watch out for trouble for you and Mama!" Sanae commented proudly. She didn't change, and Ichiro was human all the time. It fascinated the little youkai. Delicate claws brushed her Father's black hair where his ears usually were as she leaned against his shoulder. Sure enough, her and Aki's fuzzy little ears were indeed perked for trouble, and he shook his head. Baka little puppies, the three of them.
"Keh. It's a good thing he does it on a different day, means we can both look after him. But remember-you can't tell anyone! Ever, alright? It's a secret," his eyes met theirs with complete seriousness.
"Yes, Papa. True hanyou have to be sneaky about their human time," Ichiro repeated dutifully.
"Yes! We can be sneaky too! Will you tell us a story while we watch for trouble, Papa? A good story, like when you beat up youkai who tried to take Mama's Jewel? I like those stories!" Sanae agreed, and eyes rolled. When a now middle aged looking Kagome came in a few moments later, seeing him covered in draped children and telling them stories...she laughed. Then she sat with her bow across her lap as they traded tales and entertained their little ones for half the night.
Even now they usually made a movie night of it at home and either Akiyoshi, Sanae, or Ichiro and Ayame made an excuse to stay with them. To keep them company, they said. No one was fooled. They did it because they loved their parents.
But that was to come. Now...
Ichiro frowned, and looked very worried as the hanyou got up after seeing them safely camped. Inuyasha frowned at his expression.
"What?" he demanded.
"I think it might be best if you stay in camp. What if...something comes to eat us?"
"Something comes to eat you?" Inuyasha asked with a bewildered expression.
"Yeah. We could get-eaten."
"Nothing's going to eat you, Ichiro," Inuyasha shook his head in befuddlement. Mortals. He turned away, and his son worried. What if something did eat him because he should be at camp with them now? If he ran off because of his presence?
"Uh-" a desperate look was shot at Miroku. Who looked uncomfortable.
"Inuyasha, Kouga is around. It probably is best if you stay here," the monk chimed in, and the hanyou looked at him like he'd lost his mind.
"I'll be fine!" he snapped, and walked away. Kagome looked after him, and smiled awkwardly at Ichiro.
"He will be," she said easily, and the man just nodded.
"If you say so," he answered dubiously. Ichiro worried, though.
Author's notes-I'm a bit nervous about this one. Flashbacks aren't my strong suit. Hopefully, this read well. In any case, thanks for reading!-Namiyo