Chapter 13; Go Back in Time Reiko!:
Reiko stumbled down the stairs and into the kitchen, eyes bleary with sleep. She stretched her arms out behind her, her whole body tensing before she released with a satisfied groan.
"I'm in love."
"With who? A boy?" Grandpa, reading a newspaper at the kitchen table, perked up. Reiko shook her head.
"No. My mattress. It knows how to treat me right. I've never slept so good."
Reiko beelined her way to the fridge, making certain to kiss Grandpa on the cheek as she passed by. He grinned at her before going back to reading his morning paper. Opening the fridge, Reiko began exploring her options.
"What do you think I should make for breakfast, Gramps?" She asked as she rummaged around.
"Oh, something simple. Some rice, miso, and pickled salad."
"And some eggs with furikake?" Reiko suggested.
"That would be wonderful. Thank you, my dear."
"Reiko," Chided Auntie Emi as she made her way down into the kitchen, "You don't have to keep cooking breakfast for everyone."
"It's no problem. I enjoy it, and I've got to pull my weight somehow." Reiko deflected, tying an apron over the button front dress she was wearing.
She started on the miso, setting some water to boil and grabbing the miso paste for flavor. It usually took a while for the flavors to steep, but Reiko's skilled hands quickened the process, and soon enough breakfast was ready. As if on instinct, Sota came thudding down the stairs.
"Alright! Reiko's making breakfast!" He cheered, immediately taking a place at the table.
"Well! I've never seen you this excited when I cook," Auntie Emi smiled as she set the table, watching her son turn pink.
"Oh, uh, I like your cooking too mom. Just, uh..."
"My cooking happens to be divinely irresistible," Reiko interjected, winking at Sota as he started to help himself to the rice.
"Kami, does everything with you have to be a corny joke?" Kagome groaned as she came into the kitchen as well. Reiko put up an offended frown.
"Who's joking? You know better than anyone else here how true it is. My cooking purifies the soul and strengthens the spirit."
Kagome rolled her eyes but sat down to eat just the same. Untying her apron, Reiko joined the rest of the family at the table. Helping herself to a portion, Reiko tried to smile, the sounds of her family eating and chatting so casually filling her with unease.
She couldn't help it; it felt like at any moment something horrible would come along and ruin this dream, leaving her tense. But maybe that was experience talking.
It had been four days since she had returned to the future. Between Kagome and herself, they were able to give a modified version of events to Auntie Emi, Sota, and Grandpa that wouldn't shock them. It was especially difficult when the subject of Reiko being a Blood Maiden came up. But as a family, they managed to weather it and share Reiko's grief when they learned the truth of her mother's death.
As for the rest - her blood, her scent, the madness she drove yokai to - Reiko downplayed it all. Reiko didn't want to keep secrets, but she didn't want her family to fret over things they could do nothing to stop. Besides, it's not like Reiko would put them through that kind of worry ever again. She promised to protect them, and that included unnecessary truths. And while reuniting with her family had been everything Reiko had prayed for and more...reality was beginning to settle in.
On the second day of her return, Reiko carved out a little time to go visit her friends at the Lily Dragon. Akira was ecstatic and ushered her into the employee break room for a lengthy chat. Masato and Haru joined them, each excited to know where Reiko had disappeared too. Grandpa visited them once to find out what they knew about Reiko's disappearance, leaving everyone convinced that a cult kidnapped her. Not that the excuse Reiko gave them was any better - spontaneous amnesia did leave a lot to be desired - but eventually, they bought it. Haru even offered Reiko the chef job again, making her blush when he told her he would keep a close eye on her so she didn't disappear again. While flattered at the offer, Reiko had to decline. Compared to what she had been doing the past couple of months, it sounded laughably dull.
I had commanded an entire troop of samurai, had the allegiance of a daiymo, and exorcised powerful yokai...being a line cook is a bit too much of a demotion from Lady Miko.
Yet that was not the only reason. Because it wasn't only the four of them huddled tight in the employee break room. There was another, though Reiko was the only one who could see it.
She had forgotten all about the noppera-bo that had once tried to attack her, but it had not forgotten about her. The no-face yokai must have followed the trail of her scent here, waiting for her return. The passing months had not slacked its hunger for her. Reiko knew she was lucky it waited until the others went back to work to approach. Luckier still that she happened to have a tin of leftovers to feed to it, and this time, it accepted the offer.
While she was happy to avoid its attack, the noppera-bo's presence reminded Reiko how precarious her situation was. The yokai of Tokyo not forgotten her, and her usual gap of months it took for yokai to find her had been shortened to days. If she stayed at the Shrine for much longer, then she ran the risk of a yokai attacking her family. She already had to exorcise some imps from the storage shed with her few remaining sutras. She tried to convince Grandpa to let her go to a hotel, but he insisted she remain at home. Reiko was too weak-willed to resist. She had missed them all too much to keep herself away, as selfish as she knew it was.
She knew what she had to do though. That much was clear to her when she saw the noppera-bo. She didn't like it, but Reiko knew it would be the safest choice, as much as she knew she would hate it. Still, she had a little time left. A few more days, and then her family would be safe from her. Until then, she was going to enjoy herself, hoping to forget the past and everyone she had left behind.
Rin...I wonder if she and Chie are doing okay...no, don't think about it. I can't go back anyway, so it's best if I forget.
It was almost unfair. She had a taste of something fantastic. She had learned few answers to questions that had burned in her mind since she had lost her mother. She had known respect and power, and now it was all gone. She was still waiting for the moment when she would be able to dismiss it all as part of some nightmare. The Bone-Eater's Well, Sesshomaru, Hajimari, everything. She wanted to forget it all. For everything to stabilize and be normal again; to feel less like a strange visitor in her own home.
Except nothing will be normal. Nothing ever was normal for me. Reiko sighed to herself, doubts rising in her, What if...what if I could go back?
Reiko let the thought go, trying to let the easy chatter of her family soften her nerves a little.
"So, what are everyone's plans today?" Grandpa asked when breakfast came to an end.
"Reiko and I are heading for a bookshop," Kagome answered, trying her best not to sound bored. It wasn't her idea of a fun Saturday. Besides, she had a test to study for, but Reiko insisted she come along with her.
"Come on, it will be fun." Reiko encouraged as she started to clean up the table with Auntie Emi.
"Have something in mind to buy?" Grandpa asked, opening up his newspaper again.
"Yeah, I'm going to see if I can't find any of those books you recommended to me. Maybe I can find something about the Blood Maiden."
Hearing her say that, Grandpa nodded.
"I am certain you will! Those books list every curse known to holy servants! But be sure to read those spells and mantras I gave you too, learning those will protect you. Those sacred words have power, my dear."
"Of course Grandpa." Reiko agreed. She didn't have it in her to tell him she had already tried such things but to no avail. Still, she held out hope that the books he recommended might be of use, even if she did have her doubts.
Grandpa seemed to take this curse as a personal insult and was determined to protect her. He was so determined that he tried hanging a sacred shimenawa rope outside her window and over her door. It was a sweet gesture, but all it had done was throw his back out from being on the ladder so long.
Still, Reiko wanted her Grandpa's advice about her spiritual powers. From all his years as a monk, he might know something about reiryoku. Instead, all he could offer were the spells. They were more like uplifting mantras than anything else. It wasn't quite the step by step handbook she had hoped for as someone who had actual powers. If she was going to get stronger, she would have to learn to develop her powers on her own. Grandpa admitted it himself when Reiko told him of her time as a miko in the past that it seemed she had more to teach him than vice versa.
"Reiko, you're cool like Harry Potter!" Piped up Sota, beaming up at his big cousin as she gathered all the dishes into the sink to start washing. She looked down at him with a smile.
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah! He learned spells and was cursed too. Tell me the story about how you killed that ogre with a kitchen knife again!"
"I've told you twelve times already. Aren't you getting sick of hearing it?" Reiko asked, hoping to derail the conversation. She didn't want to keep bringing up her time in the past, no matter how impressive Sota thought it was.
"Hey! What am I, chopping liver?" Kagome whined, "You never ask to hear what happened to me. I've fought monsters too you know."
Sota snorted through his nose helped dry dishes for Reiko.
"Inuyasha is the one who fights all the monsters. He says all you do is stand on the sidelines screaming at him."
"That jerk!" Kagome shouted, her hands pounding down on the table, "Well, remind me the next time I see him to give him the biggest 'sit boy' he's ever-!"
Kagome never finished the threat, as then a sound of a startled yelp from outside the kitchen window caught everyone's attention. Following that was the sight of a falling body that landed with a loud 'thud!', much to the surprise of everyone. Reiko peered through the window to see the outline of a very recognizable inu yokai embedded into the lawn.
"Well, speak of the devil," Reiko nearly groaned as she opened the window to shout, "How long have you been spying on us, Inuyasha?"
"I wasn't spying! I was waiting for Kagome!" Inuyasha immediately deflected, dirt smearing his face as a result of his rough landing.
Given the way he fell out of the sky, Reiko guessed he had been crouched on the eaves of the overhanging roof above the kitchen. He had probably been there for the better part of the morning, tired of waiting for Kagome on the other side of the Bone-Eater's Well. In fact, Reiko was certain he had been hiding in the wellhouse since they had returned. She had no proof, of course, else she would have brought it up to Kagome. But Reiko noticed there were a lot of leftovers missing in the fridge...
Maybe he enjoys my cooking more than he lets on, Reiko considered smugly.
"Inuyasha, I told you yesterday. I'll go back after I have my math test on Wednesday, okay?" Kagome came over to the window to say. Inuyasha, recovering himself, shoved his head through the window to shout back at her.
"You've been here four days already! Just slay this math test creature already and get your scrawny butt back so we can go look for jewel shards!"
Kagome's eyes widened.
"My butt is not scrawny!"
"You're right, my mistake," Inuyasha said, feigning innocence, "Your butt isn't scrawny, it's big and lazy. So if you could get off your big lazy butt and help me find some jewel shards, I'd-!"
"Sit boy!"
Another 'thud!', and this time Reiko couldn't contain her groan.
"Kagome, be careful. You're going to ruin the lawn." She warned as she made her way back upstairs, feeling tired. The niggling doubts and anxieties took advantage of her exhaustion, worming deeper into her mind.
"So what's a 'bookstore'?" Inuyasha grumbled, kicking at a loose pebble on the sidewalk. It skidded several feet in front of him, giving him the chance to kick it farther.
"It's a place that sells books. Today, everyone can read, and some people enjoy it in their spare time and buy books to take home," Kagome explained.
"Huh. Sounds boring."
"Well, no one asked you to come along, Inuyasha." Reiko commented from ahead, stopping to glance back at the white-haired boy, "Why are you coming along?"
He made the oddest picture, standing there in his red robes and bare feet, his ears hidden by a baseball cap. His presence made the two girls stand out, drawing attention to the group as they walked down the street. Any second now, Reiko expected a police officer to come by and stop Inuyasha for carrying a weapon - or for looking like a bum, walking around barefoot like he always did - and she dreaded what would come of that. She and Kagome both tried to dissuade him from coming with, but he glued himself to their sides.
"Feh. Until Kagome comes back, I got nothing better to do." Inuyasha scoffed, giving Reiko a scrutinizing glare, "Besides, I know you ain't just going to buy books. I can smell the rice balls in your bag. You're on your way to feed a yokai, ain't cha?"
"Alright. You got me." Reiko shrugged, holding tight to the bag at her side in case Inuyasha got any ideas of helping himself to the rice balls.
"A yokai? Really?" Kagome asked excitedly as they continued on their way.
"Well, I figured I'd knock out two birds with one stone. Buy some books, and show you a yokai here in the future. You know, normal teenage stuff girls our age do." Reiko chuckled, only to then realize it wasn't funny. Nothing about it was.
Reiko was breaking all her rules by doing this. Rules that had kept her safe for years - don't acknowledge yokai, do keep it a secret, and always be safe than sorry - and now here she was, seeking trouble on purpose. But there was a method to her madness. Showing Inuyasha and Kagome a yokai here in the future might bring out some long-awaited answers.
"I can't believe yokai are really still here in the future. Why haven't I seen any?" Kagome asked after a while. From her side, Inuyasha frowned.
"What about that Noh mask?"
"Well..."
"Or that tatarimokke? That soul piper was a yokai too." Reiko piped up.
"Okay!" Kagome scoffed, "So there are yokai here. But why can't anyone else see them?"
Again, Reiko shrugged.
"I think it's because no one wants to see them anymore. And the yokai don't want to be seen either."
Kagome's brows furrowed in confusion.
"What does that even mean?"
Reiko never answered, as they made it to the front of the bookstore. It looked so ordinary, but Reiko felt her rising anxiety squirm at the sight of it. Regardless, she tried to smile as she opened the door for her cousin and Inuyasha.
"Here we are."
The inside was very much the same as Reiko remembered it all those months ago. Densely packed shelves, the smell of paper and ink, and even the cashier at the front was the same. The cashier smiled when she saw them approach.
"Welcome! Is there anything I...can..." The woman's smile faded as did her voice. Her eyes were on Inuyasha, entranced by his strange outfit and long white hair. Inuyasha, catching her open stare, looked ready to say something rude.
"We're just browsing. Thanks." Reiko stepped in, glancing up towards the ceiling with a smirk, "See you still have the mold problem. Good."
Without another word, Reiko ushered Kagome and Inuyasha towards the maze of shelves. She wasn't certain what to expect. Sure, the mold was still here, but that didn't mean the keukegen would be. It had been several months after all. But when she began to doubt if this little show and tell would happen, a voice spoke up.
'Please...Please...give me your heart!'
Glancing around, Reiko narrowed down the direction of the voice.
"This way."
Inuyasha huffed and continued to follow Reiko, though Kagome hung a little further back. They traveled further into the store, closer to the darkest corner that rested between an unpopular section of books and the door to the storage room. Reiko dove a hand into her bag, starting to unwrap a rice ball in preparation. From behind her, Kagome gasped in shock.
Turning around, Reiko saw she had been leading them wrong. Under the shelf next to a pile of worn boxes was the keukegen. Their notice of it must have set it off because it bolted out of its hiding place. It wasn't fast, but its unexpected charge took them by surprise. Inuyasha instinctively took a defensive stand, his claws flexing, blocking Reiko from getting closer to give the keukegen the rice ball. When it noticed its target was too well protected, the keukegen changed direction for Kagome.
Its large rounded mouth full of rotting teeth frightened her, and Kagome tried to back away - right onto the pile of boxes - causing her to fall against the shelves. She shrieked as books from above rained down at the sudden impact, the sound spurring the keukegen's instincts as it dove for her exposed throat. Reiko froze, half-way between a scream and the need to reach out and protect Kagome, her powers swirling in a panic, when Inuyasha acted first.
"Fiesty little guy." He scoffed, holding the keukegen by the scruff of its neck.
Taking advantage, Reiko stuffed a riceball into the keukegen's snarling face before it had the chance to wriggle its way out of Inuyasha's grip. Reiko went to grab another one in case it wasn't enough to calm the keukegen, but it was. The creature looked at her apologetically.
'So pure...pure...'
"It's calmed down now." Reiko sighed in relief. Looking at Kagome, she was about to unleash a wave of endless apologies, guilt churning in her, but she was cut off.
"Hey!" The cashier shouted as she rounded the corner, causing everyone to tense up, "What's all the noise?"
Kagome, glancing between the keukegen and the cashier in disbelief, chuckled bashfully.
"Sorry! Um, tripped?" She apologized, standing herself up. The cashier frowned suspiciously but shrugged.
"Okay. But no eating in the bookstore please." She said to Reiko, who nodded and put back the spare riceball in her bag.
"Of course."
The cashier walked away, but the nervous tension did not leave with her.
"She didn't see it! How could she not see it?!" Kagome panicked in a loud whisper.
"How could she not smell it?" Inuyasha added, his nose wrinkling as the keukegen began to squirm in his grip again.
"People could see the Noh mask!"
"People are bound to see something that's eating their flesh and driving a firetruck," Reiko explained, "That thing wanted to be seen, this little guy doesn't. I'm guessing you're only seeing him now because your reiryoku was unleashed when you traveled into the past."
"But why are they invisible? How?"
"I don't know. I guess I could ask. What do you have to say for yourself, little guy? Why can only a few people see you?" Reiko asked the keukegen with a smile.
It looked at her with wide eyes, knowing she was addressing it. She could hear a few garbles in its mind, words like: safe, hidden, and fear. It was more a need that was conveyed, the need to survive in a world that no longer had room for monsters. And while it confirmed what Reiko had long believed, she needed more.
So she asked what it knew about the Blood Maiden. From what she could recall, she herself had never heard the name until dragged into the past. None of the yokai here called her by that name, as if they had forgotten it but remembered the desire. As she guessed, the name didn't ring a bell for the keukegen, but it chimed the word 'pure' over and over again.
Reiko sighed, unable to help her disappointment. She didn't know why she had bothered with this. She had hoped for some finality: a true answer to why yokai hid themselves and why they sought her heart. Why did she think it would be that easy? Or was she just so desperate for it to be? The keukegen's mind started to dissolve into a grumble of panic and frustration, wanting to retreat away from the threat that was Inuyasha. Eventually, Reiko shook her head, realizing she wouldn't get any answers here.
"He's not talking anymore. I guess he's not very chatty."
"Or friendly." Inuyasha snarled when the keukegen tried to scratch at his face. Without ceremony, he let it fall to the ground. Immediately the keukegen slunk back under the bookshelf. It turned itself to glare at them all, obviously frightened, and Reiko felt a tug at her heart.
"Don't hold it against him. Being a yokai is never easy, here or in the past. They live such dark, horrible lives, and often suffer horrible deaths."
"You feel sorry for things like that?" Inuyasha sneered, causing Reiko to chuckle.
"You sound like Sesshomaru." Reiko didn't catch Inuyasha flinch as she lowered herself to the floor, "I don't want to be cruel to something that has only know cruelty. Not like I want them to eat humans or anything, but I can't help giving them the benefit of the doubt. If given the chance to change, I think many of them would."
She stretched out her hand towards the keukegen, coxing it with a smile. With a cautious glance at Inuyasha, it came back out, Kagome ready to shriek again until it bummed its head against Reiko's hand like a cat seeking affection. Reiko ran her hand over its head, again surprised by the softness of its fur. Her smile grew.
"A bit of kindness goes a long way, you know? A bit of hope to light up the misery."
'So pure...your heart so pure...' The keukegen cooed.
"Wow. You sound like a fortune cookie. You've been hanging around Grandpa too much." Kagome laughed, needing to ease the tension she still felt. The sound startled the yokai, and it sprang back under the shelf. Reiko watched it for a moment, her mind wandering before she forced herself to focus.
"I guess." She sighed as she stood up, "Come on. Let's browse."
Reiko began to wander the maze of shelves. Inuyasha and Kagome, not having anything better to do, followed after her. So did the keukegen, although it kept its distance.
Scanning the spines of the books, Reiko looked for the books her grandfather had recommended her. Whenever she found one, she skimmed through it, not at all disappointed when she saw there was nothing about the Blood Maiden. She was beginning to see a pattern here. One of the first things she did when she got back was scour the internet for information, but that proved as fruitless. Same for information about the Shikon no Tama. There was no mention of it anywhere, no more than what Grandpa had told them already. Like both had been lost to time.
Or purposefully hidden from history, some part of Reiko whispered. She didn't know where the thought came from, but she knew it had to be the reason.
Reiko was reluctant to admit it, but there wasn't much here in the future to learn that she hadn't already. These books couldn't help her, same as Grandpa.
There were no answers here, only danger. Yokai still wanted her heart, and her months' long absence made them all the more desperate for it. Reiko had only been a few feet away and Kagome nearly got hurt because of her. If Inuyasha hadn't caught it...Reiko didn't want to think about it. It proved her worse fear though; she still wasn't strong enough to protect her loved ones, and she was still putting them in danger.
It solidified the decision she had made all the more, as much as she had hoped to find another way. Reiko supposed she had been hoping for a miracle of some kind, but that didn't seem likely to happen. The keukegen's attempted attack had been the last straw. Pretending at normality was too dangerous a game for her to play. She would do what was best and distance herself, and keep everyone safe with her absence until she could find a better solution.
"There's nothing here. Let's go." Reiko said out loud, catching Kagome's attention.
"What? We're not gonna buy anything?"
Reiko shrugged.
"Not like I have much money anyway."
Well, maybe I do. Father did say that he reactivated my credit card, but I might be pushing my luck.
Nearby from where he stood bored, Inuyasha scoffed.
"Nice to know this trip was a waste for all of us."
Reiko's inner agitation had her turn sharply on her heels to face Inuyasha, biting out her next words.
"You know, you've been nothing but rude and snide to me ever since we met. What's your problem?"
"You kidding? You tried to shoot me the first time we met, you helped Sesshomaru, and you've been nothing but a bossy bit-" Inuyasha stopped himself with a glance towards Kagome, making a last-second word change, "Um, a bossy witch. So what's your problem?"
"Guys, let's not do this here," Kagome said, hoping the cashier wasn't on her way to see what the commotion was about.
"My problem is that you keep bothering Kagome. She told you she'd be back on Wednesday, so quit stalking her or else I'm going to have get involved." Reiko stated bluntly, but Inuyasha only laughed.
"Ha! Is that a threat? What are you going do? Feed me till I get fat?"
"Guys!" Kagome protested louder, but it was too late.
"I'll tell you what I'll do!" Reiko hissed as she stepped closer to the hanyō, "I'll do something I've wanted to do since I first saw you!"
She reached out with both her hands before Inuyasha had time to react. Kagome's eyes went wide in shock, unable to believe what she was seeing. Inuyasha too didn't quite know how to react, especially when Reiko started to smile.
"Wow. Kagome wasn't kidding. You are soft." She laughed as she gave his ears another squeeze. Inuyasha went red and recovered enough to pull himself away from her. He stamped his way out of the bookstore, muttering colorful phrases. Reiko and Kagome followed after him, giggling as they left the store.
"I'm glad I got that out of my system. His ears do feel like five uncooked Chinese dumpling shells atop one another."
Kagome snorted another laugh but tried to regain control of herself.
"I better go after him before he gets into trouble." She announced, making to follow Inuyasha before pausing to look back, "You coming Reiko?"
Reiko shook her head.
"I've got a few errands to run. I'll see you at home." She smiled, hoping it would ease the lie. Kagome smiled in return.
"Okay. See you." She waved before turning. Her face became white as a sheet as she looked towards Inuyasha.
"Inuyasha, no! That chihuahua is not a yokai!"
Kagome ran after the hanyō, absolutely panicked. Reiko chuckled as she watched the pair of them start to make their way back home before turning in the opposite direction.
Reiko had not been lying to Kagome when she said she had other errands. She did. There were a bunch of loss ends to tie up. She needed to get all her furniture back from the apartment building she had hoped to move into and put it into storage again. It was almost funny how much it saddened her; her chance to have a place of her own, to decorate and arrange as she pleased, gone.
Well, she did have her hut back in Hajimari. She loved the simplicity of the space, waking up to bundles of herbs tied to the rafters to dry. More than that, she loved having Hanae, Genzo, and Rin come over to eat and talk until the fire in the pit was no more than embers and Chie had curled herself up to sleep on Reiko's lap…
Stop it. Why do I keep doing this to myself? She wondered, I can't go back. It's not even possible anymore. I know it isn't, so why do I keep considering it?
She knew it was impossible. Or, at least, she pretended she did. Kagome, Inuyasha, and Kaede said that the only way to travel through the well was to be connected to the Shikon no Tama – Reiko traveling through had been a one-time fluke. She was sure of it. She had never meant to fall through; it was an accident. So she put it from her mind.
She had bigger things to worry about right now anyway. Her first priority was to keep her family safe, and that meant leaving the shrine. And that led her to her other errand. It wasn't so much an errand as a punishment. Reiko new she had to face it sooner than later, but right now she wished she had opted for later.
"Are you not hungry?" Her father asked from across the fancy china and decorative floral display.
"I had a big breakfast," Reiko explained, continuing to pick at the food plated in front of her.
She wasn't certain what it was, but it had mushrooms and that was bad enough. She hadn't paid any attention to the menu when she ordered it, intimidated by the amount of French displayed. She should have known that when her father said they should meet for lunch he would take her to someplace like this.
It wasn't exactly the most welcoming place to hold an overdue reunion. Everything was topped with white table cloths and the servers were in black, surrounded by gaudy displays of floral and marble. There was a quartet of violins playing from somewhere. In her casual dress and sandals, Reiko felt out of place among the finely clad diners, including her father. He was wearing a checkered suit, looking distinguished as he always did. He was a handsome man, the only sign of his age being the deep smile lines on his cheeks, but for the life of her Reiko could not remember the last time she had seen her father smile.
"If you're not going to eat, maybe you can tell me what's really been happening." He commented after a while.
"I told you over the phone."
The call had been tense and brief, given just an hour after her return to the future at the prompting of Grandpa. But apparently it wasn't enough for Reiko's father.
"You told me you fell down a time-portal into the Sengoku period, got captured by ninjas, and became a revered miko for an entire province."
"Samurai. I got captured by samurais, not ninjas." Reiko corrected.
"Right." He drawled, still not buying it. But he let the moment go and went back to his plate of food.
Reiko tried to keep in a frustrated sigh. Unlike Sota, Grandpa, and Auntie Emi, her father refused to believe the truth. Reiko didn't even know why she had bothered telling him what happened. Maybe she had been caught up in all the excitement of her sudden return. She had been surprised to learn that her father had remained in Tokyo ever since he found out she had been missing. The thought of him looking for her made Reiko hope their meeting would be more pleasant than this, but it seemed they had fallen back into their old ways of glossing over both truth and feeling. As such, Reiko decided to give him the version of events he wanted to hear.
"I...I needed to figure some things out on my own. That I could take care of myself. Protect myself. Some soul searching I guess."
If her father was buying this excuse, he didn't make any sign of it. Reiko, awkwardly, continued.
"I learned some things, actually. Have you ever heard of something called the Blood Maiden?"
"Blood Maiden?" He repeated, finally looking back up at her.
"I think it's something that's maybe been passed down in our family. A curse of some kind. One that brings out hunger and madness."
"You sound like your grandfather." He said dismissively.
People have been saying that a lot lately. I wonder if that's their way of saying I sound crazy, Reiko grumbled to herself.
"If you don't want to tell me what really happened while you were gone, fine," Her father relented. "You are safe now, I suppose I should be happy for that much."
"I'm sorry if I made you worry." Reiko tried to comfort, only to wither as her father gave her a pointed look.
"You did. And not just me. The rest of the family was frantic. Grandfather used up his retirement savings to hire a private investigator."
"I know. I'll…I'll pay him back somehow."
"You mean I will pay him back. And before we leave you will be giving your grandfather a proper apology for the trouble you have caused him." He corrected, and Reiko looked down at her plate in shame.
She had to remind herself that this was her choice. One she had made the day after Kagome had disappeared down the Bone-Eater's Well – that it would be better for everyone involved, including herself, to move back in with her father. In her time in the past, Reiko didn't have much forethought on what she would do when she finally found Kagome and returned to the future. Mostly because she was stuck on phase one of that plan in trying to find the Bone-Eater's Well. But in the moments that she did consider it, she knew this was the only viable choice.
Her father, for all his faults, would keep her safe. Better yet, he would help her keep the rest of their family safe. She wouldn't be a burden or a danger to anyone. When she had spoken over the phone with him, her father agreed it was for the best that she return to him, and he promised he would take care of her. She hadn't told anyone about her decision so far, having wanted to enjoy her visit with her family while she could. Besides, it wouldn't be so bad to leave. It might even be for the better. If she talked to him more, she might be able to convince her father to help her learn more about the curse.
Yeah, and maybe I'll grow horns and learn to fly, Reiko snorted to herself.
Even with his unlimited sources and wealth, Reiko doubted her father would be of any help. He hadn't expressly forbidden her from bringing up things like yokai and monsters, but it went unspoken between them. It was this kind of thinking that kept Reiko from daring to ask herself why only she could see yokai for years. She could hold out some kind of hope that she would find a way to get her answers and channel her powers, but it seemed about as likely as her other attempts. The thought of giving up filled her with dread, but Reiko was beginning to realize that's all that would be left for her if she went through with her choice.
Her doubts grew louder, and some part of her knew what needed to be done. But it frightened Reiko. So she pushed it aside, hoping to pretend a little longer that the safest choice was the best choice.
"So…where will we be going?"
"America. We'll be leaving tomorrow." Her father answered, shocking Reiko.
"What? So soon? I thought I had a few more days."
"No, I have pressing business in California. Pack what you can and we'll replace anything you have to leave behind."
Reiko swallowed her words of protest. She was already on borrowed time as it was, placing her family in danger from yokai, so it was good she and her father would be leaving soon. That meant tonight was her last night, and she would have to say goodbye. When would she see her family again? Months? Years? Last time it had been over a decade. That thought filled her with a stomach-turning ache, so she tried to distract herself.
"Well, there's some good universities in California. Maybe I'll apply to one of them."
"I can help with that."
"Really?" Reiko frowned, surprised at her father's agreement.
"Yes, there are several online business schools that are highly accredited there. You can enroll in one of those."
"Online?"
"Yes. Transferring from college to college is not as easy as it is with high schools. This way you can attend as we travel. And when it comes to internships, you can apply to my company."
That…was one of the worst things Reiko had ever heard her father say.
When she said she wanted to attend college, she had hopes of living on her own in America while she attended. She never tested it before, but she was somewhat certain she'd be safe from yokai in a foreign land. Maybe she'd even major in Japanese history, and have access to better research to learn more about her curse and yokai. It was a small chance that allowed her to hope she would be able to keep her promises.
But her father had other plans, plans that meant keeping her close to him for the rest of her life. Next, he was going to suggest that after she graduated from college, he would hire her as his assistant, allowing him to keep moving her around for her own safety. And even though that's what she wanted now, the idea that in five, ten, even twenty years she would be doing the same thing made Reiko feel sick.
How could he do this to her? How could he keep her life on pause so that she had no chance of finding answers, of having friends, or finding love? How could she let him do this to her again? Reiko wanted nothing more than to keep her family safe, but was she willing to give up on everything she had fought for? All the answers, the power, the chance of breaking her curse? Did she have no choice but to be a perpetual stranger that never felt at home?
She was falling for the same mistakes she made before when she believed her father knew what was best. She had criticized her father before for running away and mastering denial, but she was no better. Was she so hypocritical that she couldn't see she was falling for the charm of pretending everything was normal while the curse still loomed over her? That somehow, despite her knowing better, everything would be alright? That the answers she searched for years would fall into her lap when she knew - knew somewhere in the recesses of her heart - the only way to move forward was to go back?
"Thank you, but no." Reiko muttered, "I don't think I want that."
Her father arched a wry brow.
"Then what do you want?"
Reiko took a moment to answer. When she did, she surprised herself with the honesty of her statement.
"I want to become a miko."
"Reiko, no."
"Why not? Everyone else in the family expects me to take over the shrine one day. It's my inheritance, isn't it?"
"That place is not good for your condition."
"And what is my condition, dad?"
"I'm not having this conversation again."
The edges of Reiko's nerves frayed at his blunt refusal, and finally snapped.
"Too bad, because I am. My condition is that I see and get attack by yokai. Come on, say it with me: yokai. One killed my mother, and one dragged me through hell. I have the scars to prove it."
"Lower your voice." Her father hissed in warning. But Reiko couldn't hear him over the thundering rush of her heartbeat in her ears. Words so long repressed needing to be spoken, and she was not going to stop until she did.
"If that's not enough proof, come to the Shrine. We've got one raiding the fridge for leftovers. I know Inuyasha says he doesn't like my food, but he secretly loves it. Or we could go down the street to a little book shop. There's a keukegen that lives in it. Stinky little guy, but kind of cute."
"Reiko."
"Or better yet, why don't you remember? Remember what you saw thirteen years ago when you heard mom and I screaming and went inside the wellhouse. Do you remember the eyes? Those horrible red eyes? You wanted to believe that mom tripped and fell, and that her body sunk into the thick mud at the bottom of the well, but you can't forget those eyes and neither can I. Or the blood. Or the claw marks. Or the-"
"Rieko, enough!" Her father shouted, standing up from his chair so suddenly that it fell back.
This caught the attention of the other diners and servers, the floating music of the violins falling silent. Stunned, Reiko watched her father storm over to her side of the table. He went to grab her, hoping he could escort her somewhere private, but Reiko moved out of his reach.
"No!"
"Reiko, come with me. You're making a scene."
"No!" She yelled louder, moving to put the table between them, "I'm not going to run away! I'm done! I know what I saw that day, and so do you! And I know why it happened! It's because I am cursed. I'm the Blood Maiden, and so long as I am, I can't be normal. I can't pretend like you can. I tried but I can't. I can't!"
"So then what are you going to do?" He seethed.
Reiko froze. What was she going to do? The answer was obvious, but she still hesitated. It had been skirting around her mind for days now. She wasn't certain what would happen when she finally admitted to herself what she really wanted. But it was obvious there were no answers for her here. She knew there weren't. And there wasn't much of a future for her either, as ironic as that was.
That left her with only one real choice. And as much as it frightened her, Reiko felt a sense of relief wash over her as she finally accepted it. She had been pretending it was impossible when, in fact, it was the only possibility. She knew that now. It was her only chance of seeking answers and to grow strong enough - but was she desperate enough to commit to it?
Well, like people say, desperate times call for desperate measures. Reiko laughed to herself. Without another word, she made to run out of the restaurant, blind to her purpose, but her father spoke up.
"Reiko! What are you-?!"
Reiko cut him off as she lunged at him, pulling him into a tight hug. She buried her face into his tailored suit, hoping her mascara would stain it as tears started to form in her eyes - her passive-aggressive way of making sure her father would remember her.
"I'm going to get stronger, okay? That's what I'm going to do. I'm going to get stronger and break this curse, and then everyone I love won't have to be afraid of monsters. Not even you, dad." Her words were muffled in his vest, but Reiko could tell by the way he stilled that he heard her. Before her father had another chance to stop her, Reiko bolted.
Although they weren't formal attire, Reiko was glad she had worn her sandals. It made the sprint back to the shrine bearable, although her lungs protested otherwise. After all this time, Reiko still was not much of a runner. She supposed that might need to change. Even though she felt like passing out, when she came to the stairs of the shrine, she climbed them faster than she ever had before. Reiko didn't stop until she was inside the wellhouse, her hands resting on the wooden brim of the Bone-Eater's Well.
Oh Kami...what am I doing? Reiko thought as she peered into long darkness below.
Reiko didn't give herself enough time to answer that question. For once the doubts in her had quieted down, and she never felt more sure of anything when she chucked off her sandals and swung her legs over the side of the well. There was a bit of hesitance in that final moment, but soon enough Reiko was falling.
It wasn't anything like last time. Last time she had been dragged down and had to fight for her life against the fused corpses of yokai, their pleas filling her mind as their teeth tried to sink into her skin. It had felt like forever she was falling with that creature, but this time it was no longer than a few seconds in the dark.
Soon enough, Reiko felt herself land softly on dirt, almost as if she had been floated down. She wondered if she had made it, but for the longest time she couldn't bring herself to open her eyes to confirm. Eventually, she did. She saw vines, then blue sky and clouds. A breeze rustled through the forest above her, and she knew it had worked. She didn't know how or why, but it had. And that was enough for her.
Reiko started bursting into laughter, crumpling over herself and into the dirt when her lungs finally collapsed with effort. Still, she kept on laughing.
Life really is one big fat circle, isn't it?
"Are you sure?" Kagome asked for the twelfth time in a row. She was sitting on Reiko's bed, feet tucked under her so as not to disturb the organized chaos Reiko had spread across the floor of her room.
"I've never been more sure in my life." Reiko answered for the twelfth time in a row, continuing to concentrate on the piles in front of her. It was evening now, and she had only a few more hours to get everything packed. Her afternoon had been an absolute mad scramble to do some shopping before her father canceled her credit card again.
"Okay, let me rephrase the question. Are you insane? Cause I think you are insane!" Kagome shouted, tossing herself back onto Reiko's bed dramatically.
From over the clipboard her packing list was fixed to, Reiko gave her cousin a look.
"No more than you are. I at least know how to blend in by dressing the part."
"Oh yeah, cause a girl who has walkie-talkies is totally going to fit into the Sengoku period!" Kagome scoffed.
"Those radios are so I have some peace of mind. This way I'll know you're okay no matter where Inuyasha drags you off to. Well, within a radius of fifty miles at least." Reiko corrected as she stuffed a bottle of sunscreen into her overnight bag. She hoped it and the woven basket that she brought back would have enough room to hold the supplies she would be needing to survive in the past. Reiko prided herself on being a reader, and had in the span of a few hours devoured several books on wilderness survival to help flesh out her packing list.
Compass, check. Firestarters, check. Duck tape, check. Lantern, check. Batteries, check. Restocked first aid kit, check. Mess kit, check. Compact survival hammock, check. Bow, quiver, arrows, a big check.
"Some big help that will be," Kagome grumbled. Again, Reiko gave her a serious look.
"Right, cause a bunch of junk food, hairspray, and crayons are so vital for survival."
"This is serious!" Kagome shrieked, sitting upright.
"I know it is. That's why I'm not going to take any chances." Reiko rebutted, waving a topographical map for emphasis.
"B-but, I mean, living in the past?" Kagome sputtered, "Is that what you want?"
"It's my best chance to break the curse of the Blood Maiden. There's nothing here for me to learn. And I refuse to go back to live with my father."
This time, Reiko knew her choice was not just the only one she had, but the right one. It wasn't an easy choice to make, her denial of it these last few days made that obvious, but she had never felt so relieved to have made it. It ensured everything she wanted; the safety of her family, the chance to seek answers, and a way to grow strong. Everything of importance she discovered only revealed itself in the past, and she was certain there was more to learn.
Maybe it had been fate this whole time like Miroku said. A fate that would lead her down the path of true strength and the answers she sought...
Wow. I am starting to sound like Grandpa. Reiko thought with a laugh. I better curb that attitude now, or else I'll start getting obsessed with the history of pickles or something.
"But you don't have to!" Kagome again tried to reason, "You can live here, at the Shrine!"
"I am a burden and a danger, Kagome. I won't be able to protect everyone here from yokai every minute of every day. You still don't understand. Yokai will not stop until they have my heart, and they don't care who they have go through to get to me. Like today at the bookstore. That keukegen smelled me on you, and that's why it tried to attack you. If Inuyasha hadn't been there…"
Reiko shook her head, not wanting to think about it. And given the way Kagome nervously swallowed, neither did she.
"So, until I can be sure that everyone I love will never be in danger because of me, I have to find a way to grow stronger and break my curse."
"But what if we set up a barrier around the shrine? Like the one you set up around that village?"
Reiko, going back to her packing, sighed in frustration.
"A barrier won't protect Sota when he goes to school or Auntie Emi when she goes shopping. It would be unfair to ask any of them to stop living their lives for safety. Besides, I'm certain a barrier around the shrine might be a problem whenever Inuyasha comes over to visit, don't you think?"
"But..."
"But nothing," Reiko interrupted, "I've already made an arrangement with Kaede."
"Kaede?" Kagome frowned.
"I spoke with her when I popped over into the past. I'm going to train under her to become an official miko." Reiko answered, recalling how shocked the old woman had been to see her when she burst into her hut. Despite the unexpected surprise, Kaede said she would be honored to train the Blood Maiden.
"I'll divide my time there between training with her and preforming my duties Hajimari."
"What? Why?"
"Because I have a daimyō in my debt. I can have Lord Asano use his men to search for information about the Blood Maiden for me. Maybe even the Shikon shards. And…" Reiko paused, the faces of Rin and Sara flashing in her mind, "because I have people I want to protect there too."
As much as Reiko liked to think her choice had been a logical one, she could not ignore her joy to reunite with Rin and the others. She couldn't - wouldn't - make a home out of the past, but Reiko couldn't bring herself to abandon the people she had met there yet. Besides, it seemed the best way to take advantage of her opportunities; Kaede's advice and training, and Lord Asano's resources and wealth. Genzo too would be useful, as he could have his wide network of acquaintances in all the villages hunt for information. Auntie Emi and Grandpa also agreed it was a good plan, the both of them happy that Reiko had finally committed herself to become a miko.
"Why don't you travel with Inuyasha and I then? I'm sure we can find out more about the Blood Maiden together."
"And spend even more time with Inuyasha than I already have? No thanks," Reiko laughed, "Besides, I'd be more of a liability to you guys than an advantage. You guys are targeted enough because of the shards, but with me, there'd be no hiding. Yokai will come after us in droves. You said Inuyasha turns human one night each month? Well, I'd bet that would be the one night some huge yokai comes after us to eat me. And if I traveled around with you, I won't always be able to set up a barrier or have food supplies to satisfy the yokai. No, it's better if I concentrate on growing stronger, as much as I'd miss the company of a grumpy puppy and a pervert."
Reiko knew everything she said was true, but it still bothered her. The same as it was for Sota, Grandpa, and Auntie Emi, Reiko would have to distance herself from Kagome as well. Perhaps not so much - they might safely enjoy a few days here and there - but more than she liked. Especially with Kagome throwing herself into every conceivable danger possible. Danger that was not always countered by the fact that she had spiritual powers and a hanyō protecting her.
"And what's all this fuss over anyway? When I told Grandpa and Auntie Emi they seemed fine with it, so long as I promised to send letters. And it's not like I'm going to stay in the past permanently. I can come back whenever I want for a quick visit. So why are you freaking out?"
"It's just...it's so dangerous!" Kagome flustered, grasping at hypocritical straws.
Reiko resisted rolling her eyes. Of course it was dangerous. But she was willing to take that chance. In his own way, Miroku had been right. Her life would never be whole, would never be worth living, until she broke her curse. She had to be rid of it, no matter what the cost to herself.
I have a penchant for self-destructive behavior and a bunch of guilt-induced self-hatred anyway. I could be making a lot worse life choices to be honest.
"It's dangerous going after the Shikon no Tama too. If you were at all serious, you'd train with me. Learn how to channel your reiryoku better."
"I don't have time. We have to keep looking for the shards." Kagome dismissed, giving Reiko an avenue to bring up a topic she wanted to address.
"You have time for tests and school. I'd get coming back here to visit family, but to stop searching because of math? Seriously Kagome, you need to rethink your priorities. Graduating high school isn't worth this kind of stress, and you don't even like math."
Kagome, knowing it was the truth, grew flustered.
"What are you, some kind of expert on how to live your life in two different eras? I'm trying to live with this the best way I know how! It's not easy knowing people could die because of your mistake!"
Kagome knew she had said the wrong thing when Reiko glared up at her. The pain and solemnity in her cousin's eyes spoke a depth of feeling Kagome had yet to experience herself. And, she prayed, never would.
"No. It's not. Which is why I've dedicated my whole life to fixing mine. Can you say the same?" Reiko accused.
Kagome, wisely, said nothing. Reiko turned from her and allowed the tension in the room to soften as she went back to packing. After a few minutes of silence, she attempted conversation again.
"I'm…I'm headed over in the morning. Kaede will train me for a few days, then I'll head for Hajimari. Just stay a few days with me and Kaede. I'd feel much better about us being separated if I knew you could take care of yourself."
"Okay. Maybe a few days of training would do me good - after I take my math test." Kagome stipulated, only to then groan, "If only Inuyasha can be convinced. He already wants to head out and look for the shards."
"Don't worry. If he gives you grief about it, let me know. I'll make a bowl of ramen so big he'll get fat and won't be able to move for a week." Reiko smirked, only half-joking.
Kagome was grateful they were able to move past their argument, but still could not help but worry for her cousin. This decision of hers was dangerous. Kagome was beginning to understand the fret Reiko had felt for her all those weeks lost in the Sengoku period. Anything could happen to her. But at the same time, Kagome knew - knew as Reiko did for Kagome - there would be no stopping her. They each had to do what they felt they must. Still...Kagome would miss Reiko terribly. She would even miss their arguments.
"Here," Kagome sighed after a while, reaching back around her neck, "If you're going to do this, then you'll need this."
She leaned off the bed to hand Reiko something. Realizing it was her mother's jade necklace, Reiko tried to hand it back.
"I don't think-"
"Take it. It will make me feel better about us being separated. Jade represents purity and protection. And it is said the stone blesses whatever it touches, so it will keep you safe."
At Reiko's baffled look, Kagome gave her a sly wink.
"You're not the only one who reads books around here, you know."
This caused them both to laugh. Reluctantly, Reiko fastened the necklace around her neck, allowing the pendant to settle between her collar bones. It felt heavy to her, the jade cold against her skin. As she held it in her hand to warm it, Reiko looked over the piles of supplies still strewn about her room.
"Kagome, tell me again."
"Tell you what?"
"That I'm insane. That this idea of mine is insane."
Kagome frowned, wondering if Reiko was doubting her decision. As much as she wanted to help foster that doubt, Kagome instead slid off the bed to give her cousin a hug from behind.
"You're insane. But I guess I am too."
The pair giggled again. Together they finished Reiko's packing, setting her up to travel through the Bone-Eater's Well when the sun rose the next morning.
AN: I know this wasn't much of an exciting chapter, but I felt it was a vital one. Not only for the story, but for Reiko. It's not an easy decision she is making, but it is one that will help her grow as a character. She wants to protect her loved ones, and the best way to grow stronger and figure out more about the Blood Maiden stuff is to move back to the past. And I hope I gave sufficient reasons for why Reiko won't be joining the Inu gang. At least, not yet. One, I feel going and looking for trouble isn't her style, and two, I have plans already for her involvement in the plot of the anime as it progresses (involvement concerning Sesshomaru, of course). So bear with me on this point. And trust me, it does involve pay off.
Also, to the reviewer who asked, Reiko's mother's body was not found. As to what that will mean in the future, you will just have to wait and see.
Well, that's enough of the future, let's get back to the past! Reiko starts her training with Kaede, and learns much about her powers and how to protect herself. But will it be enough when she gets a visit from a stoic yokai and a dead miko? Please join Reiko in the next chapter to find out (also, omg, this story is over three hundred favs! Three hundred favs?! Are you kidding me? Thank you all so much!)!