8 – Can it happen again?
After plotting with Zaki, Inuyasha decided to stay in the Afterlife for the night, and the next morning he was about to leave the Afterlife and return to Kagome. To the feudal era. But, unlike he was hoping, he didn't arrive to the feudal, but the modern era Goshinboku. This would make it more complicated getting to the feudal era..Quickly, making sure nobody would see him, he ran across the yard all the way to the well in the small shack. He jumped down... Oh hell. He looked up and saw the sky... But he couldn't float in this form. How was he supposed to get up? He turned his face to the ladder... Well, he had to try.
Slowly Inuyasha started climbing up the ladder. It took maybe five minutes, but finally he was up the well. He started sniffing the air. Of course there were many different scents, but one he recognized the best. He followed it and found a man with dark robes, carrying a fishing rod and three big fishes on his shoulders.
Inuyasha barked. This man, Miroku, flinched and turned around.
"Hm, Inuyasha", he smiled. "You don't mind you are called that by name?"
"Hell no", Inuyasha snorted in his head, withtout, ofc course, being heard.
"Follow me, boy. Today we are eating like kings! Sango will fry these fishes and Kaede makes herbal dressing", he talked, even though he thought the dog didn't understand. Still. he talked to him like he was the real Inuyasha. Inuyasha appreciated it.
Back at Kaede's hut: The pan had been on the fire for a while, so it was hot enough for frying of the fish.
The lovely scent of frying fish filled the hut. Inuyasha was laying on floor, on his back, next to Kaede.
"Good boy for comin' back home by yerself. We were worried if ye have been got yerself in trouble", Kaede smiled at the dog boy and pet his tummy a few times. Unlike you'd think, Inuyasha closed his eyes, so that everyone could see he was enjoying this.
Things went like this for a while. Inuyasha stayed by Kagome all her school days as an angel, and usually, after that, with her in her dog form. Of course, he had to keep up his coulisses in the feudal era every now and then. And now he was there.
Now he was jogging beside Miroku in the forest. They were hunting. Miroku had first meant to take Inuyasha just as a scenthound, but something didn't go as planned.
They were sitting in a bush, waiting for a prey to arrive. It took a while. Miroku was just about to give up, when suddenly a pretty small deer stepped in front of the bush, eating the grass. Oddly, it didn't seem to sense the duo in the bush.
Miroku aimed his arrow towards it, but as it finally startled, Miroku accidentally let go of the arrow, and it flew somewhere far away above the tree tops. But Inuyasha was fast: in these few seconds when all this happened, Inuyasha managed to jump to the deer, crunching his fangs to it's throat. Blood scattered everywhere. Inuyasha growled, not letting go.
"Good boy Inuyasha! Hang on for just a few seconds!" Miroku shouted, ran out of the bush and joined the fight with a dagger. As said, it took only a few seconds until the deer was dead. Miroku wiped his forehead.
"Good boy. Really, good boy", he said, panting, taking the deer on his back and pointed his head towards the pathway back to the village. Inuyasha was actually getting used at this 'good-boying' and being stroked and pet all day. Actually, even if he didn't want to admit even to himself, he maybe enjoyed it a bit. Maybe.
They were almost back at the village, when Inuyasha started getting more nice scents... And one that was the best.
"Inuyashaa!" shouted Kagome, when they saw each other at Kaede's hut's door. Inuyasha started panting, jogged to 'his master', wagging his tail. Again, he didn't really mean to do it. It just happened. After ruffling Inuyasha from behind his ears, she turned at Miroku and the deer on his back.
"Wow, Miroku!" she shouted out. "I didn't know you were this good at archery!"
"I wasn't", Miroku admitted. "It was Inuyasha who attacked the deer."
Everyone turned at Inuyasha. His mouth, cheeks and paws were covered in blood. For a while nobody said anything, when finally Kaede knelt down in front of the dog and bared his fangs with her figers, examining then for a while.
"Well he really has amazingly big and sharp fangs..." she mumbled. Then she grabbed his paw and touched his black claws. "And claws as well."
The evening went peacefully. As Miroku had said, they had a great feast, fried fish with herbal dressing. Everyone wanted got back for seconds. And so did Inuyasha.
He started pushing his empty bowl towards Kagome.
"A!" Kagome flinched when the bowl touched his butt. She turned around and saw the dog and the bowl. Kagome smiled.
"Eee, you want more fish?" she chuckled and turned towards others, sitting by the fire. "Is there some more for Inuyasha, too?"
"I think so", Kaede nodded, reached her hand to Kagome, and the girl gave the bowl to her. But when she turned around, something happened.
Inuyasha was panting of joy... But Kagome didn't give him the bowl. She stood up, pointed her finger towards him...
"Inuyasha, sit boy."
KATABLAM!
Everyone went quiet. The dog was laying on floor, squished like a flea.
"I-Inuyasha..." Kagome stammered and knelt down beside him. "A-are you alright? I-Im so sorry, if I just knew this would happen..."
"What is going on...?" Sango wondered. "Could this dog really be...?"
"He's a young, white dog with pointy ears, sharp fangs and teeth... He's strong, can travel through time like me..." Kagome listed. "Let's not be idiots – this is Inuyasha!"
Again, a long silence. Miroku broke it:
"Maybe, but... Inuyasha is dead. That is a fact. Think about it – how on earth would it be possible for a dead person to rescurrect into a dog..."
Kagome sighed with a sad face. She was lost.
Then she reached to the dog and started rubbing his ears.
"Inuyasha, give me a sign that you Are the Real Inuyasha. Give me a sign."
Inuyasha couldn't make up any kind of a way to tell the girl the truth – but, even if he did, he'd be really in great trouble, if he got caught in the Afterlife.
So, Inuyasha only closed his eyes and tilted his head against Kagome's stroking hand. Kagome sighed again. Could this all be just a big coincidende?
Suddenly, a huge crack was heard from outside. Everyone turned their heads towards the door, and Inuyasha got up on his feet, running out from the door right away.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed. Miroku and Inuyasha ran out, and saw a snake-like demon. It wasn't that big. That wasn't the only thing they saw. A huge crowd of the village men were trying to fight it.
"Retreat right now!" Miroku shouted. "We will take care of this!"
"Don't be silly! Let us help you!" one sturdy man shouted.
"...Alright, then", Miroku nodded with a serious face. "Inu-!"
But the dog had already attacked the demon. Being the Real Inuyasha, he knew exactly how to kill a demon most fast and easy way. He jumped towards the demon's throat and bit it as hard as he could. Blood started scattering.
"Fire!" a villager shouted, and so everyone released their burning arrows. Miroku threw three soutras against the demon's eyes, and it started roaring. It started slashing like a lunatic, and Inuyasha had a big trouble hanging on. Until finally...
The demon hit Inuyasha with his huge claw. It went all the way through his neck to his spine. Inuyasha let out a howl and fell on ground.
"Inuyasha!" Miroku shouted and ran to him Inuyasha was panting, blood falling from his mouth and the huge wound on his back. Miroku growled, got up from the ground and grabbed his rosary around his right arm.
"Everyone! Run away as fast as you can!"
"B-but-!"
"Just do it!"
And so all the villagers ran into the depths of the forests around the village. Miroku uncovered the black hole in his hand, and shouted:
"Kazaana!"
A huge void in his hand sucked everything that got in it's way. But as Miroku was talented using it, he could spare the houses. And finally, the demon was sucked in.
As it was gone, Miroku put the beads back around his hand. He squeezed it with his left hand, as it was nettling.
"Houshi-sama!" Sango shouted as she ran out ot the hut. "Are you alright?"
"Yes, yes..." he mumbled, eyes closed, in pain. "But Inuyasha..." he pointed at the dog that laid on a puddle of blood about 15 meters away.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed. She ran to the dog and knelt down. Miroku and Sango ran to them. "Inuyasha..." Kagome whispered and stroke the long wound on his spine.
"Aye!" Kaede shouted, coming them with Shippo and the baby in her arms. "Is everything okay?"
The dog boy opened his eyes and looked all around him. He saw Miroku. He saw Sango, Kaede, Shippo and Kagome. He was in insane pain – something he thought he would never have feel again, being a spirit... But he knew he had failed. He would die again.
And so, he closed his eyes, took a few more breaths... Then his ears went limp, and he stopped breathing. Everyone's eyes widened.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed. But then something happened. Inuyasha's dead body started glowing in blue light, and started glimmering. And slowly, Inuyasha's body vanished and disappeared completely.
"Inu... Inuyasha..."
In his last seconds Inuyasha knew he was going to die. Die again. But he wasn't sure would it even be possible.
Well, just like the last time, he woke up in the middle of the forest of huge trees, in his hanyou form. He was laying on his back on the grass, not wanting to get up. He didn't even want to think what he would be facing at the castle. He laid there. Just istening to the wind and birds singing. He tried to relax. He closed his eyes and took deep breaths. He laid there.
Of course he had to return. So finally he got on his way the same road where he had walked with his father when he had died the first time. His father had been so proud of him. How Inuyasha had managed all his life, and even how he had started his protecting work. But now. Now he would be a complete disgrace. He had braken the main rule of the Afterlife – he became visible to his protege.
Inuyasha got to the castle. He stopped at the main door, leaning his hand against it. He didn't even want to think what he would be facing in a few minutes.
He walked the corridor. Stopped in front or his family's room and opened it...
Inside sat her mother and father. Both turned their faces towards the boy. Izayoi seemed a bit sad, but Inutaisho seemed angry. Inuyasha's ears went drooping. He closed the door slowly and sat in front of his parents.
"Honey..." Izayoi was about to say.
"Now I... I can explain..."
"Son, I am very disapointed in you", Inutaisho said. "I told you – if you Ever get sensed in any way by your protege, tell me or the Kig Right Away!"
"But I..." Inuyasha mumbled. "She was so sad... Tried to kill herself once, I... I had to do something!"
"And now what? She lost you again! Now she has faced two huge losses in a very short period of time!"
"...And yeah... How could I die then? You told me deaths are always meant to be. Maybe this was just like it – meant to be."
"No. You chose to attack the demon. A spirit can make choices like that, living beings can't."
"...I'm so sorry... mom and dad... Please forgive me..." Inuyasha whimpered.
"The word is out. Many people in the castle know about this. And, of course, the King. I'll take you to him tomorrow, and we'll see what he thinks", Inutaisho said, not sounding insanely angry anymore.
It was getting later. Inuyasha didn't want to be with his parents right now. He had walked to the verandah where you could see the field where the kids played dodgeball. Now there was nobody around, just the ball, in the middle of the field. Inuyasha grabbed and held it. He felt so sad. His friends in the land of the living were sad because of him, and his parents were angry because of him.
What about Zaki?
Inuyasha got on his way through the castle. He got to the dragon temple right away – but he wasn't there. Inuyasha started sniffing the air and listening. He followed his instincs, and found his friend from a room where there was currently going on a prom. There Zaki sat in a corner, with his cousin by his side. When Inuyasha got closer, they both turned towards him.
"Hi, Inu", Zaki waved. "Come on, sit down."
Inuyasha sat down next to him. "You've heard the news about me."
"Oh yea, who wouldn't. But don't worry, nobody else than your dad and the King are angry. But oh man, I have heard of spirits turning material and go to the world of the living, but Never heard of them dying again!"
"I guess I'm making history.", Inuyasha sighed.
"Don't you worry. I think this will be forgotten in a few weeks. We all have better things to think about."
"Yea, I hope so..."
"But now, relax and enjoy the prom! Wanna join the dance?"
The prom went on for who knows how late. Inuyasha got on the dance floor for a while, but got tired pretty soon and decided to get on his way home. He was pretty glad. He had been prepared for something much horrible.
He got to his famiy room. His father wasn't there, but his mother sat on the tatami-floor, brushing her hair. After she saw her son she smiled like the sun. Inuyasha closed the door quietly, not smiling.
"Come here, honey", she smiled. Inuyasha tilted his head with a sigh and sat down in front of her. Izayoi wrapped her arms gently around her son.
There they sat, Inuyasha in her mother's arms. It was maybe a bit of a weird situation; Inuyasha sitting in her mother's arms his eyes closed. The Inuyasha: he who curses, he who fights... fights for his friends and loved ones. He just had lost almost all of his childhood years with no mother, so now it was his time to get those years back.
"Would you like me to brush your hair?" Izayoi asked
"Hm? Yea", Inuyasha mumbled. As she brushed the boy's long and thick hair, Inuyasha smiled with his fangs beared a bit.
"Are you angry with me?" he asked quietly.
"No", Izayoi answere, quiet too. "Don't mind your father. He will be his normal self in a day or two."
"Is he still at work?"
"Oh yes", Izayoi said. "He does work a lot."
"As much as me?"
"Heh, something like that", Izayoi chuckled.
Poor Kagome and friends... What will happen next?
That's a good guestion. I think it might take a bit longer for the next chapter published. But remember – every review helps and gives me insipiration!