Shikon no Tama?
Chiwaii had heard of it some time, in either Jii-chan and Uncle Sota's tales but he never really paid attention to it much to the consternation of his two relatives.
But when he was young he loved them and he listened to their stories with such rapt and admiration. His grandfather used to talk about the kappas and the stories of vengeful kitsunes while his uncle would talk about a certain hero, one that had ears of a dog and hair of white, a half-demon who wields a sword made out of a giant's fang.
His childhood days passed too quickly for him to remember. As a child of a fallen woman, he grew up too soon, exchanging whatever frivolities or innocence of a child to work and worldly ambitions.
The tales that Chiwaii had long forgotten sat in front of him and there was something strange in that moment. It is as if he was entering into a story itself.
" Is that food you're carrying?" Inuyasha pointed at the container that Chiwaii had brought.
" Yes, I come here every first day of the week to have breakfast with okaa-san." Chiwaii laid down the container and took out the dumplings.
As if on cue, Inuyasha's stomach rumbled loud enough for both of them to hear.
Chiwaii put a dumpling on his mother's gravestone and gave the rest to Inuyasha after taking some of his own.
" How long have you not eaten?" Chiwaii asked as he handed down the food to Inuyasha.
" I don't know." He grabbed a piece and heartily ate it." Take your pick: 6 hours, 4 months, 15 years."
Chiwaii didn't bother to ask that cryptic remark.
" So what exactly do you do around here?"
" I talk to mother."
" Oh" The hanyou's eyes focused on the gravestone. " I went into the Underworld and I didn't find her there. I keep wondering where she is right now."
" Probably here." Chiwaii bit a piece of food before he went on." But it really does not matter. I think that wherever she is, okaa-san's spirit could hear and look after us."
Inuyasha could only look at his son. For a fifteen year old, he didn't expect the boy to be so old in thought.
" Come with me to Sengoku Jidai. Help me find the shards so that we might resurrect Kagome."
Chiwaii didn't hesitate in his repy." No."
Taken aback by the rejection, Inuyasha nearly roared in surprise." What do you mean 'No"? "
" I have to go to school. I still have classes to attend."
Inuyasha sputtered in annoyance. The boy would rather go to those 'tests' than save his mother.
" Kagome!!" He addressed the stone and glared accusingly at his son." Look at that!! He has taken after you. With all those tests and stuff----------"
" Tell me." The hanyou switched back his attention to Chiwaii. " What is so bloody essential about those tests?!"
His son doesn't seem to be the least ruffled on Inuyasha's intimidation.
" To get a high grade, to pass into a med school and get a high paying job as a doctor after that." Chiwaii replied in a mechanical fashion.
" Then what!"
Then what? Chiwaii stared back at his father unable to answer the question. Frankly he never thought of a future after achieving his ambitions and proving to the whole world that he could rise above any hardship.
That is all there is.
And Inuyasha for once could catch a glimmer of uncertainty in his son's eyes. They seemed to go out of life for a second as if finding no hope.
" Then I'll be happy."
Are you not happy now? Inuyasha wanted to ask his son, go to him and shake him out of this foolish notion but Chiwaii as if sensing this, looked at his wristwatch and announced that he would have to go to school. Before Inuyasha could protest, the boy stood up and walked away.
Something was wrong, and a paternal instinct took over him and nagged him to do something. Inuyasha turned and look at the grave as if asking for some advice.
"Well, Kagome, as parents we ought to be doing something good for him. You've been with him longer than I have…" He paused for a moment as the thought saddened him." …But I still think that it would be good for him also if he should go with me in Sengoku Jidai."
Far ahead he could see his son riding on a bicycle and he remembered the same thing of Kagome of the time when they would travel with that mechanical contraption and bicker like husband and wife.
Still hungry, Inuyasha was disappointed to find out that there was no more food in the container. Then his eyes rested on the lone dumpling left on top of the gravestone.
" Oi, Kagome, are you gonna eat that?"
___
Chiwaii was going too fast, so fast that he could go with the current of vehicles that traveled in the main road. Drivers were either cursing or loudly warning him of his safety but his thoughts were on other things.
Then I'll be happy.
He was not sad or depressed. He had his otou-san, his uncle and grandmother for a family. He didn't have a lot of close friends but that was not the reason for his unexpected admission. Then what the hell is wrong with me, he mentally wrenched in frustration.
Happiness for him coincided with playing, hanging out with friends and doing child stuff. He didn't have time for that, he logically concluded, since he was busy preparing for the future.
Whether he was happy or not was of no importance, he had his family to look out for.
But he never admitted this to anyone except now with his hanyou father.
Maybe because he looked so much like me that it was like talking to a mirror.
Nevertheless, it somewhat irked him that the hanyou could get under his skin and discover his secrets for such a short period of time. And in addition, Chiwaii grimaced in the memory; Inuyasha was quickly relegating himself into the role of a father.
With practiced ease, he glided out of the busy streets and into the concrete pavement leading to the school. Checking his watch, he found out he had 7 minutes to spare and that was good. He had kept his perfect attendance.
Someone called out his name and it was his friend and classmate, Nihro Jubei.
They talked about homework and school activities on the way to their classroom. As they were walking, Chiwaii saw another familiar face. It was Yurika Keiko, a girl from one of his affiliated clubs and his secret crush.
" Good morning, Yurika." Jubei piped up and Chiwaii could only smile at her direction.
She greeted Jubei and deliberately ignored him.
" What was that all about?" Jubei loudly wondered after a certain distance.
" I'd rather not talk about it." Chiwaii replied tartly.
But his friend prodded upon the subject." I thought you two were an item. I was just waiting for one of you to admit their feelings."
He kept silent and only glared for his friend to shut up.
It took a few seconds for his friend to put two and two together.
" Okay so what's wrong with her this time?"
" It's not like that." Chiwaii loudly countered." I am busy and I don't have time to be with a girlfriend. You know that."
" But you really like her. I can tell."
Yeah" She's allergic to dogs." Chiwaii blurted.
" You don't have any pets in your house much more a dog so what's up with that."
He stared at him and thought of an excuse:" I like dogs."
" Cut the crap, Akai-kun."
Well if he would only know the truth, Chiwaii was running out of alibis to give to Keiko if she sneezed, acquired rashes and experienced allergic attack whenever he was near.
Being a dog demon, even if he was just a quarter of it, sucked.
Damn it to hell, Chiwaii inwardly cursed, love and allergies.
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The office where Hojo Akai was working for was suffocated and crammed with dozens of paperwork and dusty old documents. For years, Hojo inched his way up from the bottom rung of the corporate ladder, working long hours and nearly breaking his back over typing reports and balancing minor accounting projects. He was overworked and underpaid but he did not complain for such things were expected to someone who had not finished high school.
Then out of nowhere a shadow darkened his vision as he was poring over some records. When he looked up, it was none other than his boss. A fat middle-aged man who passed most of his workload on Hojo and received the most of the credits if not all from his superiors for a job he did not even lift a finger to.
Hojo could see that his boss was upset at something and he tried to remember any previous errors he made.
"Your son is waiting for you downstairs and he had the gall to threaten my life if you do not come down within one minute."
Hojo could only blink, experiencing a moment of surreality, as his boss ranted on the disrespectfulness of today's youth.
"…And how could you have allowed that boy to grow that obscene length of dyed white hair! You better tame that brat of yours Akai-san, I hope that punk would be more courteous towards his elders next time I meet him."
Inuyasha!
Not wasting a moment, Hojo stood up and excused himself. Pacing through the buzz of activity in the corridor, he entered the elevator and pushed the button going to the ground floor.
He didn't know how to act towards the true father of his Chiwaii and he was nervous of meeting the hanyou.
As he stepped out, Hojo saw Inuyasha looking at him expectantly with his hands folded across his chest. The hanyou had gone back to Sengoku Jidai, to claim his red hinezumi from Kaede and to groom himself enough for as to appear presentable for this meeting.
"We need to talk."
The seriousness of Inuyasha's voice steeled Hojo's nerves. He could already guess that it was about Chiwaii. Nodding, he gestured for Inuyasha to follow him as he led him to an empty parking lot outside.
"What do you want?"Hojo faced the hanyou as he sat on the concrete ledge.
" Let Chiwaii come with me to Sengoku Jidai."
" No." Hojo nearly screamed. His heart was pounding loudly in his ears. It was anger and he was desperately trying hard to control it.
Inuyasha sensed this and understood the tumult of Hojo's emotions. And thus he, despite being a proud creature, sat down on Hojo's level and said to him in a pleading voice.
" He could help me save Kagome. Chiwaii may have inherited her ability to see the shards that would wish Kagome's life back."
Hojo could only stare at him unable to think of anything to say. This was all too much for him.
" He may come from your flesh and your blood, but he acknowledges me as his father. I have that right and I won't allow you to claim him and take him away from me."
" I don't deserve it anyhow." The hanyou admitted." But I just want to bring Kagome back …"
" Why?"
Inuyasha looked at him squarely in the eye." I love her."
It was the truth. Despite what others ---Sota, his mother in law and even Kagome thought of the hanyou, Hojo believed in Inuyasha's words.
" She is married to me you know."
" I never said that I would take her away from you."
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Author's Notes:
To Lanie, this is not the end of the story; in fact it's not even half of it. I realize that I've made people, sad and depressed but this is Angst after all. Nevertheless I'm doing terrible on the Humor part.
I am really tempted to answer people's questions like: Where did they get the name 'Chiwaii'? Where is the Shikon no Tama? Etc. but if you wait long enough, you'll find the answers in the upcoming chapters.
And yes Crimson-snow, it's not that simple. Heck, I love complications, it's good for the drama and I try to be realistic on writing this fic.
To Airen and to all of you who don't find any hope in this situation, trust me. It may be an Angst fic but it's not tragic. (Besides I already know the ending of this)
How do I get out of this hurdle? Keep on reading, we'll get there. ^_^