There and Back Again

Chapter Twenty-One:  Baka to the Future

            The two Inuyashas plopped themselves on the roof below Kagome's open window and listened as the girls chattered en route to the shower.  Well, Kagome chattered.  Ruri listened and refrained from saying "baka," although she thought it loud enough for Inu to hear several times.  Inu smiled at her thoughts and made sure to back out of Ruri's mind enough that he wouldn't accidentally be exposed to something she'd make him regret later.

            "So, um, nephew.  What happens?"

            The youkai looked at the hanyou.  "What happens to what?"

            The hanyou looked down, blushing slightly.  The youkai smiled.  "I see.  I suppose the answer you're looking for is 'yes.'  And quite happily, I might add.  You might want to avoid asking too many questions about your own future, though."

            "And why's THAT?"

            The younger laughed slightly.  "It has nothing to do with anything bad happening in your life.  Sure, life's not easy, and you have plenty of battles left before the jewel is completed.  But it will be.  And modern life won't be so bad, once you get used to it.  Your brother will get used to it, so will you."

            The hanyou blinked, not fully understanding the implications, or not wanting to understand the implications, of his nephew's statements.  One thing he picked up on though, and asked about it.  "So, um, about Sesshoumaru."

            The youkai had laid back against the slates and closed his eyes.  He opened one eye to look at his uncle.  "The two of you make amends eventually.  Not soon though."  He sat back up.  "I'll tell you this much of your own future.  After we part company, the next time you see me welcome your brother with open arms.  Don't ask the chick with me about Ruri, we won't have met yet.  And don't trust my bitch of a mother.  Oh, and feel free to smack Jaken-baka around."  The hanyou nodded, repeating the instructions in a whisper so he wouldn't forget them.  For the most part, they waited in silence, one occasionally asking the other a question.   Finally after what seemed like ages, Inu felt Ruri's presence nearing the open window above him, and both ledge-dwellers smelled lingering shampoo and water.

            "Isn't clean nice?" Kagome said from within the room to the open window.

            "What does it matter?" the hanyou outside retorted, sticking his head up enough to see inside.  "If we gotta fight you'd just get dirty again."

            "Yes, but it's nice now."

            'They're like an old married couple, aren't they imouto?'

            Inu heard Ruri sigh audibly as he joined his uncle by the window.  'True.  At least if we ever fight people won't have to hear it.'

            Inu laughed aloud.  "Hai."

            Kagome looked at her hanyou.  "Do they creep you out too?"  The hanyou nodded.

******

            The four re-convened outside by the tree.  Inu paused and looked down at Ruri, and then turned his head to stare at the ground.  Ruri wasn't sure whether what she felt from him was shame or embarrassment.  His left hand reached into the cloak which again hung around his shoulders.  When the hand exited the cloak again, it was holding a holstered weapon.

            "Ruri, I wish I didn't feel it necessary to give you this.  There's no telling what's on the other side of this tree though.  Neither Inuyasha-sama nor Kagome-sama knows how to use this.  Do you?"

            Inuyasha was ignorant of what the youkai had just handed Ruri.  Kagome knew what it was and shuddered.  Ruri pulled it from its holster.  A Glock 9mm.

            "Hai.  It's lighter than the one they trained me with."

            Inu nodded.  "That was probably a Beretta.  Nergal bought a bunch of them a few years ago.  I pulled this one from Sesshoumaru-sama's collection.  Glocks may not necessarily be better made, but they're lighter because its body has more plastic in it."  Ruri didn't ask how he knew about the weapons purchases of Nergal; she just clipped it into the back of the belt holding Hanyou's Protector.  Inu passed her extra clips which she shoved into her pack.

            Satisfied, the youkai produced a Chulip crystal and was handed a shard by Kagome.  He jammed it into the crystal as before, and Ruri saw the light flare from it again.  She took his hand once more as he approached the tree, then reached back to grab Kagome's hand.  Unsure if it was necessary or not but afraid of leaving him there, Kagome grabbed Inuyasha's hand to complete the chain.

******

            As Kagome stepped out of the tree, she was greeted with the familiar sight of the shrine with subtle changes.  Inuyasha probably wouldn't even be able to tell what had changed.  Two things were certainly different.  A young man, probably about the age of the Inuyashas was tinkering with a dirt bike on the pavement before them.  The other was the stately form of Sesshoumaru.

            Bowing to his father, Inu greeted the other man with "Oi, decide we weren't coming back and you'd do your own mods?"

            "What're you talking about dog-boy?"  The man retorted.  "You've only been gone a coupla hours.  I figured I'd make sure you hadn't done something stupid to it." He stood and turned around, wiping his hands and wrench on a rag.  Kagome's eyes almost left her head, the man dropped the tool and rag, and even Inuyasha's eyes were registering surprise.

            "Sh-Shippou?" Inuyasha stated.  Kagome hadn't found her voice yet.

            "Inuyasha!  Kagome!"  The youkai raced to embrace them.  Well, that answered the question Kagome had last night.  The trio chattered (most of which was Shippou and Kagome) as Inu took a few steps into the compound.  Ruri and his father followed him.

            "Nergal is aware of our treachery."

            "I am not surprised, Father.  How soon before they come to us?"

            "Not long.  The shards have been given?"

            "Hai."

            "Kagome-sama!  Inuyasha-sama!  You must return NOW!"  The hanyou and human read the fear in Sesshoumaru's voice.

            Shippou obviously wasn't pleased with this.  "Why?  They just got here!"

            "Baka," the dark-robed youkai snarled.  "We are in grave danger.  They must not come to harm, and Nergal must NOT get its hands on any part of the jewel."

            A helicopter sounded in the distance.  Ruri guessed its purpose and didn't even have to see it.  She sighed.  "Again with the helicopters. Baka no baka," she finished with a shrug.

******