The "Magic Word"
Chapter 3
"So, the girl be ye daughter," Kaede restated after IY explained the past events. The two spoke secluded in Kaede's hut, now repaired and quiet.
"Or so she claims," said IY.
"Ye do not believe her?"
He paused, thinking hard. "Well, her scent was definitely part demon, not full. I can't hurt her in good conscience now. And her clothes aren't of this era . . ."
"Ah, the bond between a father and daughter be strong, even in demons. Be it so impossible that she be -"
"I DIDN'T SAY IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE!!!" He paused again, not voicing his true thoughts. 'Why didn't Kagome come back to tell me? How long is this 'college' thing, that she never returned? The brat's to young to wander around, even in her era.'
Kaede examined the hanyou's face, and understood without words. "If ye have so many unanswered questions, perhaps ye should ask in a more kind manner. Remember, the girl is a child."
"Every time I try to ask her something, she runs away," IY snapped. "She's out of control!! I thoughts kids were supposed to respect and obey their parents!!" And then it hit him. 'Obey?' The perfect solution. "Kaede-obasan, do you have another set of beads?"
"Beads?"
IY fingered his prayer bead necklace with an evil smile. Kaede's eyes widened. "Ye are a cruel, cruel boy who does not deserve the gift of a child."
"Its not like I asked for her! I can't hit her without feeling guilty, and its hard to catch her, so," his grin widened, "I'll just tell her to 'sit'!"
Koinuma swung her legs back and forth, waiting on the rim of the Bone Eater's Well. Myoga the flea sat patiently on her shoulder. "Please, don't be cross with Lord Inu-Yasha. He is not as rough as he first appears."
"I know," she responded, not fully paying attention. "I know all about him from Mommy. She writes books about him and their adventures together. It gets more money for the shrine." Her watch ticked slowly in her small hands. "Its been over an hour."
"Remember, Mistress, that this is the Sengoku Joudai era; we have no time-keeping devices such as yours. Therefore, the delay is only reasonable."
The girl stared at her watch, nervously biting her bottom lip. She hated staying still, but she wanted her father to come. It was hard for a little girl to grow up without a father, watching other kids play with theirs. Every night, before she went to bed, she would pretend her father kissed her goodnight, her mother held her close, and the three of them remained together forever. More then anything, she wanted a loving father to be with. She touched the blood stain on her skirt. 'Mother, please be okay!'
"Tell me, M'Lady," asked Mygoga gently. "Why will you not tell your Otousama about the blood?"
"I don't want to make his life harder then it is."
An anime sweat-drop formed on the flea's head. "Ano, if you don't mind my saying so, but your sudden appearance has had that affect already."
"I know. I just meant . . . well . . . Kikyo . . ."
"AH!! I see!! You think that Lord Inu-Yasha has become the mate of the Tragic Miko!"
Koinuma nodded. "That's why I haven't come. Or Mom."
Myoga stared at the young girl. 'So minute in years, but great in heart! Her true consideration is unbelievable for a child so young!'
"So THAT'S why you haven't told me anything!?!?"
Both looked up to see Kaede and a very peeved IY. "I spent all that time thinking you didn't respect me, worrying about Kagome, only to find out you thought I was now with KIKYO!?!?"
Koinuma jumped up, grinning. "So, you mean, you're not?"
"OF COURSE NOT!! The woman is still trying to kill me!!!"
Koinuma glomped onto her father's midsection. "OH! I'm so happy! That means, after we save Mommy, you can come home, and we'll live together, and we can be a whole family!!"
"Matteyo! Tell me what's wrong with Kagome!"
The little pup hopped onto Kaede's head, paying no attention when the old woman almost fell forward. "You never said the magic word!" And she started jumping her way through the trees toward the direction Myoga earlier indicated as the way to the closest alchemist.
IY growled. "You want a magic word, brat? I'll give you one. Kaede?"
Kaede held up the beads, said a prayer, and without the small demon's knowing it, forced it around her. "Now, Inu-Yasha!"
"OSUWARI!"
Koinuma, being a dog-demon herself, did a face-plant into the ground.
"HA!" yelled the triumphant IY, standing over his daughter. "Serves you right! Now you HAVE to do everything I say!" But to his surprise, he heard her crying. "Na-nani?"
Koinuma held the beads in her hands. "The cursed beads? You cursed me? You curse your own daughter?!" She started sobbing anime style, tears pouring like rivers. "How could you be so MEAN!?!"
IY had *no* idea what to do! He gave a whine of helplessness. "Hey, calm down! I-I didn't mean-"
"And to think [sob] I w-was actually go-[hic]-gonna tell you [sob] about M-M-Mom!! I hate you, Daddy! I HATE YOU!!!" She ran away into the foliage.
IY, now more confused then ever, stood still for a few seconds, then started chasing her. "WAIT, KOINUMA!! WAIT!!!"
Myoga and Kaede, left alone, observed the odd pair speed away in silence. Once the ruckus died away, Kaede asked, "Are ye not going to follow?"
"Neh," answered Myoga. "I told the girl where to go. She'll have no trouble. Lord IY, on the other hand, will find his claws full, even with the sacred beads around Lady Koinuma's neck." The flea shook his head. "Having never had friends as a child, and after being forced into maturity at an early age, my lord has not a clue how to treat children. He may need some extra help then merely this humble Myoga. I'll round up the rest of the group."
Chapter 3
"So, the girl be ye daughter," Kaede restated after IY explained the past events. The two spoke secluded in Kaede's hut, now repaired and quiet.
"Or so she claims," said IY.
"Ye do not believe her?"
He paused, thinking hard. "Well, her scent was definitely part demon, not full. I can't hurt her in good conscience now. And her clothes aren't of this era . . ."
"Ah, the bond between a father and daughter be strong, even in demons. Be it so impossible that she be -"
"I DIDN'T SAY IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE!!!" He paused again, not voicing his true thoughts. 'Why didn't Kagome come back to tell me? How long is this 'college' thing, that she never returned? The brat's to young to wander around, even in her era.'
Kaede examined the hanyou's face, and understood without words. "If ye have so many unanswered questions, perhaps ye should ask in a more kind manner. Remember, the girl is a child."
"Every time I try to ask her something, she runs away," IY snapped. "She's out of control!! I thoughts kids were supposed to respect and obey their parents!!" And then it hit him. 'Obey?' The perfect solution. "Kaede-obasan, do you have another set of beads?"
"Beads?"
IY fingered his prayer bead necklace with an evil smile. Kaede's eyes widened. "Ye are a cruel, cruel boy who does not deserve the gift of a child."
"Its not like I asked for her! I can't hit her without feeling guilty, and its hard to catch her, so," his grin widened, "I'll just tell her to 'sit'!"
Koinuma swung her legs back and forth, waiting on the rim of the Bone Eater's Well. Myoga the flea sat patiently on her shoulder. "Please, don't be cross with Lord Inu-Yasha. He is not as rough as he first appears."
"I know," she responded, not fully paying attention. "I know all about him from Mommy. She writes books about him and their adventures together. It gets more money for the shrine." Her watch ticked slowly in her small hands. "Its been over an hour."
"Remember, Mistress, that this is the Sengoku Joudai era; we have no time-keeping devices such as yours. Therefore, the delay is only reasonable."
The girl stared at her watch, nervously biting her bottom lip. She hated staying still, but she wanted her father to come. It was hard for a little girl to grow up without a father, watching other kids play with theirs. Every night, before she went to bed, she would pretend her father kissed her goodnight, her mother held her close, and the three of them remained together forever. More then anything, she wanted a loving father to be with. She touched the blood stain on her skirt. 'Mother, please be okay!'
"Tell me, M'Lady," asked Mygoga gently. "Why will you not tell your Otousama about the blood?"
"I don't want to make his life harder then it is."
An anime sweat-drop formed on the flea's head. "Ano, if you don't mind my saying so, but your sudden appearance has had that affect already."
"I know. I just meant . . . well . . . Kikyo . . ."
"AH!! I see!! You think that Lord Inu-Yasha has become the mate of the Tragic Miko!"
Koinuma nodded. "That's why I haven't come. Or Mom."
Myoga stared at the young girl. 'So minute in years, but great in heart! Her true consideration is unbelievable for a child so young!'
"So THAT'S why you haven't told me anything!?!?"
Both looked up to see Kaede and a very peeved IY. "I spent all that time thinking you didn't respect me, worrying about Kagome, only to find out you thought I was now with KIKYO!?!?"
Koinuma jumped up, grinning. "So, you mean, you're not?"
"OF COURSE NOT!! The woman is still trying to kill me!!!"
Koinuma glomped onto her father's midsection. "OH! I'm so happy! That means, after we save Mommy, you can come home, and we'll live together, and we can be a whole family!!"
"Matteyo! Tell me what's wrong with Kagome!"
The little pup hopped onto Kaede's head, paying no attention when the old woman almost fell forward. "You never said the magic word!" And she started jumping her way through the trees toward the direction Myoga earlier indicated as the way to the closest alchemist.
IY growled. "You want a magic word, brat? I'll give you one. Kaede?"
Kaede held up the beads, said a prayer, and without the small demon's knowing it, forced it around her. "Now, Inu-Yasha!"
"OSUWARI!"
Koinuma, being a dog-demon herself, did a face-plant into the ground.
"HA!" yelled the triumphant IY, standing over his daughter. "Serves you right! Now you HAVE to do everything I say!" But to his surprise, he heard her crying. "Na-nani?"
Koinuma held the beads in her hands. "The cursed beads? You cursed me? You curse your own daughter?!" She started sobbing anime style, tears pouring like rivers. "How could you be so MEAN!?!"
IY had *no* idea what to do! He gave a whine of helplessness. "Hey, calm down! I-I didn't mean-"
"And to think [sob] I w-was actually go-[hic]-gonna tell you [sob] about M-M-Mom!! I hate you, Daddy! I HATE YOU!!!" She ran away into the foliage.
IY, now more confused then ever, stood still for a few seconds, then started chasing her. "WAIT, KOINUMA!! WAIT!!!"
Myoga and Kaede, left alone, observed the odd pair speed away in silence. Once the ruckus died away, Kaede asked, "Are ye not going to follow?"
"Neh," answered Myoga. "I told the girl where to go. She'll have no trouble. Lord IY, on the other hand, will find his claws full, even with the sacred beads around Lady Koinuma's neck." The flea shook his head. "Having never had friends as a child, and after being forced into maturity at an early age, my lord has not a clue how to treat children. He may need some extra help then merely this humble Myoga. I'll round up the rest of the group."