Feudal Diaries:

Lost


Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi


Summary- While on his way to pick up Kagome from school, Inuyasha gets sidetracked helping a lost little girl.


It was just another one of those days. One where Inuyasha was spending the day at the Higurashi Shrine, practically making himself at home there (and secretly enjoying the pampering that Atsuko gave him). However, as the clock struck 3:30, Inuyasha knew that it was almost time to go pick up Kagome from school since she usually got out around 4 pm.

So, after putting on his "modern disguise", Inuyasha headed out to Kagome's school since he knew the way very well. He just hoped he didn't have to wait long for her to come out onto the campus. After all, they had to go back through the well, tomorrow.

As the half-demon walked down the street with his hands shoved down his pants pockets, he stopped as his ears twitched under his hat. Even though it was faint, he thought he heard the sound of sniffling coming from nearby. Was someone crying?

As he rounded a corner, he soon saw a little girl about 7 or 8 years old, wearing a red dress over a light pink shirt, long white socks, and a pair of black, shiny shoes. Her short, wavy hair was dark brown with a cute little red ribbon tied into the left side, and in her arms was a white plush dog with black button eyes and a pink velveteen tongue sticking out of its mouth. The little girl sniffled and wept as fat tears came rolling down her cheeks as she hugged the stuffed animal, hoping it would bring her some form of comfort...but it seemed that it wasn't working because her tears kept falling.

"Hey, kid," Inuyasha spoke up, causing the girl to look up at him and gasp as she backed away. "Whoa, whoa, easy! I'm not gonna hurt you."

That seemed to assure the girl for a moment...but her eyes were still wet.

"Why all the tears?" Inuyasha asked.

"...I'm lost," the girl answered. "I was walking with my Mommy, but then I accidentally let go of her hand because I was looking at cakes in a display window...and when I looked up, I couldn't find her." She sniffed again as she rubbed at her eyes. "And now I don't know what to do."

"Well...I wish I could help ya out," Inuyasha began as he glanced over at the big clock on the building nearby, "but I got somewhere to be, so...see ya." As he turned to walk away, however, he stopped when he heard whimpering coming from behind him, causing him to glance back at the girl, who sniffled as her tears returned and her nose started to run, bigger than ever...and suddenly, he felt his heart sink. Staring at her, he could've sworn he saw someone else: a little boy with messy, silvery hair and two little puppy ears, staring up at him while clutching his dirty Robe of the Fire Rat, his skin covered in scratches and bruises.

Inuyasha sighed in exasperation. He always hated how his conscience bothered him like that.

"Okay, okay!" he cried as he walked back over to the girl. "Turn off the waterworks, will ya?"

The girl sniffled as she looked up at him.

"I'll help you find your mother," Inuyasha began, "but...I need you to be brave and not start bawlin' on me, okay? So dry your eyes and wipe the snot from your nose."

The girl nodded her head and wiped her tears, once again, then Inuyasha handed her a handkerchief to blow her nose on (even though it was the one Kagome gave him a while back and she forgot to ask for it, but she didn't have to know).

"Okay," Inuyasha said. "Do you have something that belongs to your mother or something? Something I can sniff?"

"...Huh?" the girl muttered with a slight tilt of her head.

"Just trust me, okay?" Inuyasha asked, prompting the girl to search inside her pockets, and then she pulled out some sort of little trinket: it looked like a bracelet made with colorful plastic beads on it, too.

"I made this for my Mommy," she said. "It was on her hand, but I accidentally pulled it off when I let go of her."

Inuyasha took the little bracelet and took in a big inhale. He could smell just a bit of that fancy perfume that Atsuko liked to wear, as well as a mixture of various fruits such as apples, peaches, and just a tiny hint of lemon, and there was also the smell of fresh dirt, like someone had just been digging in soil.

"Okay," said Inuyasha as he handed the bracelet back. "I got your mother's scent, now we just have to follow it and see where she is." He then turned and walked off, but not before he glanced back at the girl, who stared at him. "Well? What are you for, an invitation? Let's go, already!"

The girl gasped before she hurried after him, trying to keep pace with him.

"So, you got a name?" Inuyasha asked. "Or do you just want me to keep calling you 'kid'?"

"...It's...it's Miku," the girl answered. "Miku Hiromi."

"...I'm Inuyasha," Inuyasha replied.

XXX

Meanwhile, Kagome stood out on the campus of her school, looking out to the front entrance.

"That's strange," she said as she looked at her watch. "I thought Inuyasha would be here by now. What could be keeping him?"

"Hey, Kagome," said Eri as she walked by. "If you want, I can walk you home."

"Oh, no thanks," Kagome replied. "Inuyasha's coming to get me. He should be here soon."

"Well, if you say so," said Eri, "but let me know if you need a ride or anything if your boyfriend doesn't show up."

"I'll be fine, Eri," Kagome assured. "Inuyasha would never forget about me. He's just running a little late, as usual."

XXX

Out on the streets of Tokyo, Inuyasha walked with Miku through the busy sidewalks, the girl clutching his sleeve as they walked together. Needless to say, they get some looks from nearby bystanders, but they ultimately left them alone. They just assumed that maybe the girl was his sister and they were just out on a walk together. As time went on, however, Inuyasha began to grow a bit annoyed.

"Jeez, where is this woman?" he grumbled as he looked around. "With all these scents mixing together, it's hard to pinpoint where she might be." He then looked to Miku, who blinked up at him. "Do you have any idea where your mother might be? Like...if you got lost, did she ever tell you where to meet her?"

"Umm..." Miku muttered before she gasped. "Oh! She told me if I ever got lost, I should find her at the train station in front of the Hachiko Statue!"

"Okay," Inuyasha said as he looked around again. "Uhh...damn, I can never find my way around this huge village without Kagome's help."

"Who's Kagome?" asked Miku.

"I'll tell you later," Inuyasha answered. "Now...where's that statue, again?"

Just then, a low rumble suddenly reached his ears, causing him to glance down at Miku, again, and he noticed that the girl had a slight blush on her face as she had a hand over her tummy while still clutching her doll. All the half-demon could do was sigh in exasperation.

"Of course, she's hungry..." he muttered, but then his own stomach rumbled, as well, causing him to tense...and that made Miku giggle a bit. That's when his nose caught the scent of noodles, broth, and various meats and vegetables, and as he looked up, a grin creased his lips as he saw a ramen restaurant just around the corner.

"Want some ramen?" Inuyasha asked, causing Miku to beam up at him brightly.

XXX

"Here you go!" said the waitress as she set down a bowl of tonkotsu ramen with green onions, seaweed, pork belly, and a soft boiled egg. "One tonkotsu ramen with extra pork belly and hen fruit!" She then placed a smaller bowl with regular portions down in front of Miku. "And here's yours, cutie!"

"Thank you!" said Miku as she and Inuyasha both clapped their hands together.

"Itadakimasu," they both proclaimed before they began to dig in with Miku vigorously slurping up noodles while Inuyasha blinked in fascination. The only one he knew who ever ate ramen with such voracity was...well...himself.

"So you really like your ramen, too, huh?" asked Inuyasha.

"Yeah!" Miku answered. "My Mommy would take me out for ramen, sometimes."

"Hmm...sounds nice," said Inuyasha as he ate his boiled egg, enjoying the tasty of the runny yolk mixed in with the broth. "So...do you have any other family?"

"My big sister, Yukio," Miku answered. "Sometimes, we fight, but we mostly get along."

"Hmph...lucky you," Inuyasha snorted before he scarfed down some more noodles. "My brother can't stand me."

"Why not?" Miku asked.

"Eh...it'd be complicated for you to understand," Inuyasha said before he ate some pork belly. "So...you mentioned your mother and sister. What about your father?"

"He doesn't live with us, anymore," Miku answered as she absentmindedly stirred her chopsticks in her soup. "Mommy caught him being with another lady and she got all mad about it."

Inuyasha tensed up upon hearing that.

"I don't really understand why Daddy went to that other lady," Miku explained. "I don't really mind, though. He was never around much, to begin with, and..." She trailed off as she noticed Inuyasha's blue face. "Uh...Mister Inuyasha? What's wrong?"

Inuyasha forcibly swallowed his food and panted for breath.

"Uh...nothing," he said as he wiped his mouth. "Don't worry about it."

After a while, they finished their meal and Inuyasha paid the tab (he was grateful that Atsuko gave him some money just in case), the two left the restaurants with full stomachs and renewed vigor.

"Okay, so we're looking for a statue of this 'Hachiko' guy," said Inuyasha. "Shouldn't be too hard." He paused. "Do you know where this statue is, Miku?"

"Umm...I think it's that way," said Miku as she pointed to her right. "Or...is it that way?" She pointed to her left before she began to bite her lip in slight frustration and anxiety. "Umm...oh, I don't remember! I've only been there once!"

"Damn..." Inuyasha cursed. "Some help that is. Uhh...what did Kagome say to do in case I get lost around here, again...? Uh...oh, right! I have to ask for directions!"

At that moment, a man in a black business suit and glasses walked by, holding a brown briefcase.

"Uh, excuse me?" Inuyasha asked, getting the man's attention. "Uh, hi, do you know where this Hachiko Statue is? I'm trying to help this little girl find her mother."

"Ah, Hachiko," the man said before he pointed off behind Inuyasha. "Take this street and keep going down 3 blocks, then turn right. You'll see it right away."

"Thanks," Inuyasha said as he turned and walked away. "Come on, Miku, let's go."

"Okay," Miku replied as they walked down the street...and the whole time, Inuyasha gently held the child's hand.

"Just to make sure that I don't lose you, got it?" Inuyasha asked.

"Right," Miku replied with a smile.

XXX

"Ugh...where is he?" Kagome groaned as she stood outside the school gate, which was now closed and locked. Everyone had gone home and the sun was starting to go down, turning the sky a light orange color as time passed. Kagome took a minute to look at her watch.

5:30 pm.

"Inuyasha should have been here an hour ago," she said. "What's taking him so long?"

XXX

After a while, Inuyasha and Miku finally made it to Shibuya Station...and once they got there, they found the statue that they were looking for. However, to the former's surprise, it was not exactly the statue of a man, but rather the statue of a dog. An Akita Inu, to be more exact. He could actually tell by the shape of the dog's head and his curly tail.

"So...Hachiko's a dog?" Inuyasha asked.

"Yep!" Miku replied as she hugged her plush dog. "Just like Pochi here!"

"Huh," Inuyasha muttered. "Never thought a human would make a statue for a dog, of all things. What'd he do? Save a life or something?"

"Nope," Miku replied. "Hachiko was a dog who walked to the Shibuya Train Station every day with his master and waited for him to come home...but then one day, his master died, but Hachiko kept waiting for him every single day until he died, too."

"So you're saying that the dog waited all day and night, even though his master kicked the bucket?" Inuyasha asked. "This dog didn't sound very smart. If his master died, he should have just found himself a new master. What was the point in waiting for him?"

"I think Hachiko knew that his master died," Miku began, "but he kept waiting because it was a tradition for the both of them. It's a story of loyalty and love between a dog and the person he loved."

Inuyasha's eyes widened slightly before he glanced down at Miku, then back at the statue...before he scratched the back of his head.

"Uh...well...I guess that might explain things," he said. "Anyway, do you see your mother around here?"

"Oh, right!" Miku exclaimed before she looked around, seeing many people walking about...but her face soon sagged into a frown. "I...I don't see her."

"Hmm...maybe she's on her way here," Inuyasha said before he turned to leave. "Well...good luck then."

"Wait, what?" Miku asked. "W-where are you going, Mister Inuyasha?!"

"I said I'd help you get to the statue," Inuyasha said, "and...I'm actually really late in picking somebody up and since it's getting dark, that means she's been waiting on her own, long enough...and...well..." He trailed off when he saw Miku staring at him with those big, watery eyes again, and suddenly, he felt his heart sink. "Or...I'll just stay with you until your mother shows up. Would you like that?"

Miku smiled and nodded her head, and soon, they were both sitting on a bench, waiting for Miku's mother to appear. The girl sat beside Inuyasha, quietly swinging her legs while drinking a can of orange juice that he got for her from a vending machine. As they waited, Inuyasha glanced up at the clock.

6:09 pm.

He gave a long, drawn-out sigh of exasperation. Kagome was going to be upset with him, he knew it. He could only imagine what kind of punishment that he would face.

What would she do? Not give him ramen for a week? Ban him from sleeping in her bed? Ban him from eating her cooking? Ban him from eating her mother's cooking?!

...No...Kagome would never be so cruel as to deny him her homecooked meals.

"Hey, Mister Inuyasha?" asked Miku, causing him to glance down at her. "Thanks for staying with me."

"...Yeah, well," Inuyasha said, "god forbid I actually leave a little kid on her own."

"...It's getting pretty dark," said Miku as she looked around, worriedly. "Do you think my Mommy forgot me?"

"Keh!" Inuyasha scoffed. "Don't be stupid. She's your mother. She'd never forget you. She said if you ever got lost, you should wait at this statue for her, right? If it were my Mother, I know she wouldn't sleep for nights on end until she knew I was back home, safe and sound."

"...Your mommy must be nice, huh?" asked Miku, and Inuyasha's eyes softened before he looked to the sky.

"...Actually...my Mother died a long time ago," Inuyasha replied, causing Miku to gasp quietly. "I was your age."

"...Oh..." Miku whispered, sadly. "I'm sorry."

"Nah...don't be sorry," Inuyasha replied as he stared at the first few stars that were beginning to form. "My Mother's always watching over me...even though I can't see her, anymore."

Miku blinked up at Inuyasha before she suddenly reached over and wrapped her arms around him as best she could, causing him to tense up a bit before he glanced down at her...then he smiled as he gently pat her on the back, causing her to look up at him with this big, bright grin.

"Miku?!"

Miku gasped before she turned to see a woman in her late 30s with dark brown, wavy hair that was tied up back in a topknot, wearing a floral-patterned dress, a light blue purse, and a pair of red pumps.

"MOMMY!" Miku cried as she jumped down from the bench and ran into her mother's arms, sobbing happily as they embraced.

"Oh, Miku...thank goodness!" whispered Mrs. Hiromi. "I was so worried! I looked everywhere! I went back to the house first to see if you were there!" She then proceeded to smother her daughter's face with loving kisses. "Oh, I'm so glad you're all right!"

"I didn't get here by myself, Mommy!" said Miku. "Mister Inuyasha helped me!"

"Mister...who?" Mrs. Hiromi asked before she looked up and saw Inuyasha standing behind Miku, hands shoved down his pockets.

"Umm...hi," Inuyasha greeted.

"Mister Inuyasha found me and stayed with me until you showed up," said Miku.

"...I see," Mrs. Hiromi said with a warm smile before she bowed her head in gratitude. "Thank you, young man, for helping my little girl."

"Err...yeah, well...don't let it happen, again," said Inuyasha. "Anyway, I gotta get going. Miku...be good for your mother, okay? And next time, stay close to her so you don't get lost, again."

"Mm!" Miku nodded as she and her mother turned and walked away. "Thanks again, Mister Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha smiled at the mother and daughter before he turned around...and leaped away, hopping from skyscraper to skyscraper.

XXX

6:34 pm.

"Well, it's about time you showed up!" Kagome said as Inuyasha finally appeared in front of her. "What took you so long?!"

"I'm sorry, Kagome," Inuyasha replied as he began to walk with her. "I just...got a bit sidetracked."

"Oh, did you?" Kagome asked, almost sounding a bit skeptical. "And what happened?"

"I...I found this lost little girl on the way to your school," Inuyasha answered, and immediately, any hostility that Kagome was feeling suddenly disappeared as her eyes went wide. "She got separated from her mother, so I decided to help her...and during that time...I got to know her a little bit." He looked up at the sky. "When I found her, she was crying...looking all scared and alone...and suddenly, I just felt bad for her."

"...You saw yourself in her...didn't you?" Kagome asked.

"...Yeah...I guess I did," Inuyasha replied...and suddenly, he felt an arm wrap around his own, causing him to look down and see the young priestess smile at him, warmly.

"You really are such a great guy," she said, causing him to grin.

"I have my moments," he said as they continued the walk home.


This one was almost 3 months in the making. I stalled on this because writer's block is a bitch to deal with, but I'm glad I finally finished it.

Review, please!