Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Inuyasha characters and Inuyasha or the Yashahime plotline!
Chapter 5
The yaokai had turned up at the house the haraiya, Inuyasha, Kagome and Shippo were guarding. It was an easy catch, but the fight had arose Kin'u who was way past her bed time. The little girl had refused to go back to bed, opting to listen to Shippo tell how the great kitsune of the team had captured the yaokai with his skillful traps. This had resulted in Inuyasha and Shippo engaging in an argument on who had captured the yaokai and both determined to retell the story in the version they deemed to be true. Thankfully after a couple 'osuwari's from Kagome, the team was able to get some much needed rest before beginning their journey to find the pearl maker. After bidding the Hiraganas and the haraiya goodbye, they set off for the cave.
The cave was a fair distance away, they were halfway there when the sun began to set and the team began to set up camp for the night. Everyone had just finished dinner when Miroku spoke up, "Kin'u, what were you doing when you found the green pearl?"
Kin'u tilted her head, furrowing her eyebrows in deep concentration before replying, "playing with Goyatsu by the river, hahaue was washing clothes by the stream and chichiue, you were hanging the clothes up!" her eyes suddenly lit up as she burrowed herself into Sango's arms, "hahaue said that since we were behaving well, she's going to let us have some apple juice before meeting our guest!"
"Guest?" This piqued everyone's interest.
"yes!"Kin'u nodded enthusiastically, "we even flew all the way to this big shrine to meet the guest!"
"shrine?" Shippo asked.
Kin'u nodded, "It is a beautiful shrine and it has this big big Sakura tree in the middle of a crater!"
Miroku blinked in surprise at Kin'u mention of a crater. He can't forget it as it is a constant vivid reminder in his mind. He knew she was talking about his father's grave, though there was no Sakura tree planted there, he guessed that it could be a later addition. The others in the team caught onto it and all turned to look at Miroku, who was smiling at the fact that he had brought his family back to visit his father and Mushin samma, that one day in the future he would be able to proudly tell his father that the curse had ended with him and that his children were proof that their family would continue to prosper.
"Do you know who the guest is?" Kagome asked, her thoughts at the same time were circled around how the little girl had came in contact with apple juice. She knew that apples weren't available in the Sengoku period. She was slightly giddy at the fact that despite the little girl not recognizing her when they had first met, perhaps she still played an important part in Kin'u's life and there were other explanations as to why Kin'u hadn't recognized her.
Kin'u shook her head, frowning slightly before beaming, "but Myoga jichan knows! He told Goyatsu and I that they haven't met for a while!"
"You knew Myoga jichan?" Sango asked in surprise. From Kin'u's interaction with Myoga the night she appeared, she thought that it was the first time for Kin'u to come in contact with the flea yaokai.
Kin'u nodded as she burrowed herself deeper into Sango's arms with sleepy eyes, "Myoga jichan always has the best stories, he has gone on many adventures and defeated many evil yaokai!"
Inuyasha scoffed at that, "defeated?"
Kagome shushed Inuyasha, eager to learn more about Kin'u.
Shippo spoke up,"Why don't you tell us more about your life?" The others perked up at the question, all eager to learn more.
Kin'u pondered for a moment before speaking up, "well, there's hahaue, chichiue, Goyatsu and I. We live in a village with Kohaku ojichan and many many taijiya."
Sango paused in her movements, her eyes sparkling with emotions.A taijiya village? They returned back to her village? Started their family there?
"And?" Shippo asked eagerly, "am I….am I there?"
"mmhh…"Kin'u closed her eyes, concentrating hard on her memories, "Shippo...I remember now! Hahaue said that Shippo is taking his kitsune test and will be back for a visit soon…but I don't remember seeing Shippo… why is that?"
"Kitsune test is usually a one-year event." Miroku spoke up in a comforting voice, "if Shippo is returning, he must have left when you were barely two, you might not be able to remember everything clearly."
Kin'u frowned and nodded at her father's words before burrowing her face into her mother's arms, stifling a yawn.
"What about me?" Kagome asked eagerly as she sat closer to Kin'u, "did you see your favorite aunt? or Inuyasha?"
"Aunt Kagome and Uncle Inuyasha" Kin'u furrowed her eyebrows as she tried to recall her memories, however, her eyes were dropping and she let out another little yawn, "I don't think I've *yawn* seen you."
The team looked at Kin'u with wide eyes.
"did I *yawn* say something wrong?" Kin'u asked sleepily.
Sango shook her head as she tucked Kin'u into the blanket that Kagome had given Kin'u "nothing's wrong, you're tired, why don't we get some sleep?"
Kin'u nodded as she snuggled into the covers, her lack of sleep from the previous night quickly catching up, soon she was fast asleep, oblivious to the tense atmosphere that hung around the team. All wondering what had happened to the two members of the team that caused Kin'u to not recognize them.
Sango spoke up, "I think Kin'u might be too sleepy to recall anything, don't think too much of it Kagome chan."
Miroku nodded in agreement, "like I mentioned, she is still fairly young, it is very likely that she wouldn't be able to remember everything clearly, espcially after this traumatic event of traveling back in time."
Inuyasha spoke up, "but you suspect something."
"I do have some questions," Miroku frowned as he replayed Kin'u's words, "and only the pearl maker would have the answers."
The unanswered question of why Inuyasha and Kagome wasn't in Kin'u's memory lingered over the group.
"Is this the cave?" Shippo asked as he looked at the cave before them, "it looks… scary."
"Myoga jichan did say it was an unpleasant place to visit." Miroku replied as he followed Inuyasha into the cave.
"Let's go, Shippo!" Kin'u smiled as she tugged on Shippo's hand, trailing after Sango into the cave.
The team were a few minutes into the cave when they stumbled upon a pile of skeleton remains.
"Is this really the pearl maker's cave?" Kagome asked with a shiver as she looked at the frightening pile before her.
Before anyone could reply, the ground beneath them began to shake and from the shadows appeared a bear yaokai.
"What's this?" the bear yaokai before them snarled, "a hanyao? This is my lucky day! A meal delivered straight to me!"
"You!" Inuyasha shouted, "are you the pearl maker?"
The yaokai laughed, "pearl maker? That guy left ages ago, I was too late in finding this cave, or else he surely would have made a decent meal. Now stop talking and become my lunch!" With that said, the demon swiped its claw at Inuyasha.
"That flea and his intel..." Inuyasha cursed as he jumped out of the way of the attack.
"Kirara, Shippo!" Sango shouted for her companions as she anchored her hiraigotsu, shielding Kin'u from the attack.
Shippo nodded, understanding Sango's unspoken orders and pulled Kin'u onto Kirara, ready to make their escape.
"None of you are leaving." The bear yaokai growled as he knocked on the wall beside him, making boulders drop and blocking the entrance, their only exit.
Kirara growled as she dodged the falling stones and landed behind a boulder.
"Shippo! Kin'u" Miroku exclaimed as he gestured for Shippo and Kin'u to hide in a tiny hole created between fallen boulders. As soon as they entered, he quickly slapped two sutras over it, creating a protective barrier. He faced Shippo with a serious look in his eyes,"protect her." Upon receiving a nod from the kitsune, he let out a grateful smile before quickly resuming battle.
"Look, we just want to know if you know where the pearl maker is." Miroku spoke up.
Inuyasha scoffed, "let's just beat him up and ask later."
The bear yaokai snarled at them and launched an attack at Inuyasha, his claw clinging with tessaiga.
"This yaokai is strong"Inuyasha frowned as he pushed harder with his tessaiga.
The bear yaokai frowned at Inuyasha and let out a growl which was echoed by another one. The rest of the team turned in alert to the further end of the tunnel to see another bear yaokai approaching.
Sango immediately leaped into action swinging her hiraigotsu at the second bear yaokai while Miroku threw sutras at it. The second bear yaokai shook off the sutras and swung his claw at Miroku,who leaped to the side in attempt to dodge the attack, but it caused him to crash into Sango.
"Hahaue! Chichiue!" Kin'u exclaimed in fear.
"Miroku!Sango!" Shippo exclaimed in panic.
This gained the attention of the second bear yaokai who turned to the kitsune and the little girl,heading towards them.
Shippo exited the hiding place and began to use his weapons in attempt to stall the yaokai from coming closer to them. However, it wasn't faring well.
"It's been a while since I've had a kitsune to eat!" the second bear yaokai drooled as his claws tightened around Shippo.
"Shippo!" Kagome shrieked as she quickly aimed an arrow at the second bear yaokai's direction. However, before she could let the arrow fly, the first bear yaokai slashed down towards her, making her put down her bow to dodge the attack. Just as the bear yaokai was about to toss Shippo into his mouth, a tiny pellet flew toward's the bear yaokai's nose and exploded, making it drop Shippo in shock.
Almost immediately, a strong scent filled the cave both bear yaokais covered their nose in distaste. Inuyahsa and Shippo were also covering their nose with a frown.
They all turned to see Kin'u with a slingshot in her hand. Kagome's eyes widened when she recognized the pellet in Kin'u's hand as the one Sango used against yaokais.
"Yah!"Inuyasha growled, "Kin'u put that away!"
"What is that horrid smell!" the first bear yaokai exclaimed as it glared at the team.
"It's horrid,"the second bear yaokai complained, "my nose! Why is it getting stronger?"
Shippo glared at the first bear yaokai while covering his own nose, pointing to the blocked exit, "because some genius decided to block the airway."
"Clear the boulders!" the second bear yaokai whined as it began pushing at the boulders.
"I agree with you on that!"Inuyasha frowned as he swung his tessaiga at the boulders, clearing the passage and the scent lightened.
Looking at the yaokais all sprawled out on the floor, Kagome couldn't help but let out a chuckle.
"Yah! Stupid woman! What are you laughing at?" Inuyasha groaned as his eyebrows furrowed.
"Sorry, sorry." Kagome giggled as she took out a fan from her bag and began fanning at Inuyasha.
"This scene does look pretty comical." Miroku chuckled as he walked closer to the yaokais.
"I hate your daughter."Inuyasha hissed as he tried to let out a vicious glare.
Miroku let out another laugh and turned to look at Kin'u who was running towards him and Sango who was trailing after their daughter proudly.
"Chichiue! I took down the bear yaokai!" Kin'u exclaimed, "and hahaue says that she is going to help me restock my pellets!"
"Did she?" Miroku smiled as he winked at Sango, "I can see that your hahaue is extremely proud of you." He placed a kiss on her forehead, "and so am I."
Once the smell had lightened enough for all the yaokais to regain their senses, they all sat down.
"So, do you know where the pearl maker is?"Inuyasha asked as he crossed him arms, looking at the bear yaokais, both of them had opted to sit far away from Kin'u, who was still looking at them in awe.
"The last I heard was that he's traveling northeast for the Tianshin temple." The first bear yaokai replied while leaning away from Kin'u, "now will you stop staring at me like that?"
"I've never seen a live bear demon before" Kin'u said as she observed the two bear yaokais, "I've only seen the fur."
Both bear yaokais swallowed nervously and shifted further away from Kin'u.
"Kin'u, why don't you head out the cave with Shippo"Sango suggested, "I think I've seen some berries on our way here, you can start picking those for snacks."
Kin'u nodded brightly as she tugged on Shippo's arm to leave the cave.
Author's Note:
So the search for the pearl maker continues!