Authors Note:
This chapter took me longer than I expected. My internet connection got messed up too, but I'm done now! Go me!
Please remember:
1) to REVIEW!
2) If you guys ever have any questions about the story then don't be shy and ask!
Hoshiko yawned. She felt her jaw extend to it's limit and she silently made a groan as she let her mouth close firmly. Yellow blossoms filled her hair and kimono, they had fallen from the Sacred Tree and were carried in the breeze. She blinked slowly.
This was the second time she had fallen asleep on the roof yet this time it was much higher. 'How on earth did I get up here?' She shrugged it off and jumped.
She landed lightly, just how she had expected. She walked inside the shrine to find Inuyasha sleeping on the couch. A trail of drool hung down the side of his mouth and he groaned.
"More ramen please" he whispered. This made Hoshiko giggle.
Her nose caught the smell of food and she followed it into the kitchen where she found a basket full of fruit. "Yum" she said, before stuffing her tiny hands into the basket. She took out a nectarine and jammed it into her mouth. The fruit's juices made a loud slushy noise.
Her eyes widened a bit when she heard Inuyasha groan again. He tipped to one side making the blanket, that had kept him warm through the night, fall onto the floor. A smirk grew on her face then she dug her fangs into the fruit, letting juice run down the side of her soft, mocking mouth and off of her chin.
When she turned around, she saw Mrs. Higurashi standing on the doorway of the kitchen. She wore long, black pajamas with polka dots in multi-colors. She scratched her head and walked towards the refrigerator.
"I'll be making some waffles, honey, in case you want some." she smiled weakly.
Hoshiko nodded and walked out. 'What are waffles?' she thought. Inuyasha was rolling on the couch, one more inch and he'd be on the floor. And sure enough, he rolled again. Thump!
"Ah! My head!" he screamed. Hoshiko shook her head and grabbed him by the arm to pull him up, "Why are you so clumsy, father? I mean… Inuyasha."
She gulped. 'I shouldn't of said that' She backed away enough for him to stretch. His eyes were half-closed. He blinked at her, "I'm not clumsy!" he said in a drunk voice. "The couch is just too small!" He turned to the couch and gave it a low "humph!"
'Geez, Am I the only one who doesn't wake up drowsy?'
As soon as she ended her thought, Kagome came down the stairs, "Good Morning!" she shouted. "Wench! Stop shouting!" the ill-fated hanyou was holding his doggy ears in both hands. Mrs. Higurashi chuckled and gave his right ear a little tweak.
Souta, who was helping Kagome walk down the stairs, had flinched at her loud voice. Kagome frowned, "Well, if you hadn't drinked yesterday, you would be fine now!" she stuck her tongue out at Inuyasha.
"What are you talking about? I didn't drink anything!" he crossed his arms.
-Flashback-
Inuyasha and Kagome were sitting outside on the porch. They were waiting for that pizza that her mother had ordered. Mrs. H had insisted that Kagome stay in her bed more except she refused, saying "The doctor is exaggerating, mother! All I need is my wheel-chair to get from one place to the other, or Souta." She grinned happily at her statement.
"Is it here yet?" Inuyasha hadn't stopped asking since the minute they had sat down on the porch steps. "Inuyasha, stop being so impatient! It'll get here soon." Kagome said, rolling her eyes.
Hoshiko and Souta were playing "Catch" on the yard. After playing with Shippo, "Catch" had become Hoshiko's favorite thing to play. Yet since Souta was a human, he couldn't throw it nearly as hard as Hoshiko. This resulted in Souta having to take cover almost every time she hurled the ball at him. He panted, "Hosh-shiko, nice throw" that had been the 20th time he had to run after the ball. She just blushed and opened her arms, mentioning him to throw the ball.
When the pizza arrived at the end of the day, Inuyasha grabbed it and dashed inside. His stomach had been grumbling for hours now and the strong smell of pepperonis and cheese was almost killing him. "Food.." he kept murmuring with each bite, "Finally food!"
Kagome laughed, "Inuyasha, you know I always feed you!" His mouth was too full for him to answer. So he just nodded contentedly. "Could you clean yourself?" she handed him a napkin and mentioned he had sauce on his face. In fact, he had it all over his mouth and the tip of his nose.
Hoshiko and Souta were the last ones to come in, when they saw the anxious half-demon, they burst out laughing.
In the middle of their meal, Kagome's grandfather suddenly barged into the dining room, "Hey Inuyasha, come with me outside to get away from the ladies." He winked. Kagome nodded as in saying he should follow him. He gulped down the rest of his food and walked outside.
Kagome's grandfather was sitting on a boulder placed harmlessly on the bottom of the porch. It was no higher than 2 feet off the ground. Beside the old man, lay an incest burner, which was a mere dark silver plate with burning coal placed inside.
The night sky was darker than the piercing color of blood. The only lights left was a lantern hung on the edge of the Shrine's walls, the incest burner and the street lights. The bird's cheery voices had disappeared as soon as the sky turned a blue-purple shade and in place was only the songs of crickets.
The smoke burned Inuyasha's lungs and he cleared his throat. "Come sit" the old man said, "You thirsty?" He mentioned to a green colored bottle next to him. "Go ahead and take a sip." then he turned back to face the Sacred Tree.
Inuyasha picked up the bottle. It smelled foul, like socks merged with rotting milk. He flinched at the strong scent. 'What the fuck is this?' Inuyasha smiled nervously at him, 'Does he expect me to drink this?'
"Go ahead, boy. Don't be afraid." the old man said, raising an eyebrow, as he watched Inuyasha stare at the bottle. "Feh, I'm not afraid!" Inuyasha had no choice now, he brought the tip of the bottle to his lips. The liquid slid down onto his mouth and down his throat. At first it tasted as foul as it smelled. Yet after two more sips, it grew on him. The disgusting taste was gone and he felt a calming chill run down his body.
"Mm.. Not bad." he smiled, "There are more in here." Kagome's grandfather pointed to a wooden box underneath the porch. "Now sit, relax. Let the ladies clean up inside while we enjoy the cool breeze." He said.
-20 minutes later-
"You know how's my best friend?" Inuyasha took yet another drink from his bottle, "You are… I'm serious, you're my new best friend."
"Oh, Inuyasha, you're too kind!" both men laughed to themselves. Five or more bottles littered the ground, "Oh, my bottle is empty! Refill!" yelled the old man, he picked up a fresh bottle from his box and closed it shut.
"Well, it's been great, Inuyasha." he bowed, "I shall be retreating into my study now" a hic-up escaped briefly, "I hope to find you very soon." he took another sip and walked away. Just as he took his fourth step, the old man fell on the dirt. Inuyasha burst out laughing and he fell off the rock he was sitting on. As both men lay on the cold ground, they laughed uncontrollably.
-End Flashback-
Kagome glared at Inuyasha once again, Hoshiko smirked wildly at both of them. She clearly enjoyed the show. "Okay! I might have had one.." when he saw she wouldn't stop glaring, he finished, "..or three."
He mumbled a curse to himself and sat down next to Hoshiko. She was munching on a waffle that Mrs. H had prepared for the children.
Inuyasha grabbed his head in both hands and let out a painful grunt. "Here" Hoshiko handed him her hand, he looked at her weird but held her hand in his. She took out her small box from her sack. She never left anywhere without it.
Both their hands glowed a neon purple for a second and then she let go. "How do you feel now?" Hoshiko inspected his forehead, "Actually, I feel great! Thanks."
He knew she had just used the powers of the Shikon Jewel to heal him yet he tried not to think about it so much, after all, she was his daughter and he didn't want to have thoughts of stealing the jewel from her. 'It'd be quite stupid to steal from your own child' he thought.
Kagome, however, since she was the keeper of the jewel just had to question her about it. "Hoshiko, where did you get that?" making it simple and direct was best.
"From Inuyasha." she looked at him, innocently. He just gave out a low, "Nani?"
"He told me the jewel was used for many great and horrible things alike." she didn't enjoy the attention she was getting from everyone in the room so her voice grew meek, "He told me, he and my mother joined the jewel together years before my birth but after her dea-"
'What am I doing? Should I really let him know that my mother, his wife, died when I was young? He'll eventually find out, right?'
"her, umm, death, Inuyasha didn't have any use for it anymore. I would use it for healing wounds or sicknesses." She smiled feebly at everyone.
Inuyasha was the most shocked. 'Died?'
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Later…
Inuyasha walked through the forest, alone. Hoshiko had decided to stay and keep company to Kagome after her mother and brother needed to leave on a family emergency. Somehow her grandfather had over-dosed on his drinking the other night.
Kagome sat on the porch and watched her mom's car vanish beyond the curve in the road. She sighed. "I hope your grandfather feels alright." Kagome looked up at the girl and smirked. She was glad Hoshiko stayed because now they could get to know each other better. She patted the ground, to mention to her to sit down. She did.
They sat there and stared at the butterflies that passed by. They discussed the different colors and designs on their wings until a young boy came walking up the Shrine's steps.
"Hello, Kagome! How are you?" the boy said in a cheery voice, "Hello, Hojo. I'm fine, thank you." Kagome's voice seemed to show discomfort. "I want you to met my friend, Hoshiko." The little girl stood up to face the boy. Since she was only twelve, her head reached well below Hojo's chest.
Hoshiko bowed slightly to show respect and Hojo did the same, "Nice meeting you, Hoshiko!" he smiled. Hoshiko tried to hide her ears from the stranger by pressing them tightly against her head.
"I was walking home from school and I thought that I should come by and see how you were doing." he replied.
"No need to worry, Hojo. I'm completely fine!" she tried to rise from the porch steps but her leg gave in and she nearly fell. Hojo grabbed her arm and led her inside. There he sat her down on the couch.
"Hm.. You don't seem 'completely fine'. I should stay with you until I see that you are okay." he smiled down at her, "There's no need for that! Hoshiko can help me." Kagome replied. "Nonsense! A little girl cannot take care of you properly." This Hoshiko took as an insult and growled softly.
Hojo walked up to Kagome's room to retrieve a small blanket and a pillow. When he came back down, he helped Kagome position herself on the couch and then walked into the kitchen. "I'll make you some nice, hot tea." Hojo smiled.
The hanyou sat beside Kagome on the floor and stared towards the kitchen. 'The nerve of that guy! To come here, uninvited and insult me as being just a little girl! Humph!' She growled yet again and this time Kagome heard her. "What is it?" she asked. "Huh? Oh, nothing."
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"Inuyasha! You're finally here!" Shippo shouted towards the silver-haired dog demon. "Yes, Shippo, I'm back." he grunted at the kitsune.
"My friend, how was your trip?" Miroku smiled nervously, he didn't dare tell him that Hoshiko had escaped them. If he did, Inuyasha would surely beat him half to death.
"There's no need to be worried, Miroku, I know you're a horrible baby-sitter. Hoshiko is with Kagome, she decided to stay." now it was Inuyasha's turn to be worried, 'how can I break it to them gently?'
"Kagome almost died."
'yea, that's gentle enough..' He saw they're jaws drop and shout random questions. All were too loud to distinguish properly. "Could you guys shut up? She's fine!" he snapped.
"Thank Gods!" Sango put a hand to her heart in relief. "So is Hoshiko, right?"
"Of course." Inuyasha rolled his eyes.
"There is something we must tell you." Miroku started, "Kikyou is searching for you. And it doesn't look good." Inuyasha pouted, the sound of her name sent a sharp pinch to his heart. He hadn't seen her for a long while. 'I wonder what she's been up to' thought Inuyasha
"If she wishes to speak to me, then she will come back." with that, he walked away. He climbed the tallest tree he could find and sat down on one of the highest branches. He balanced himself then started to think.
As soon as he placed a hand underneath his chin, he spotted two large, white snakes slithering between the trees. And with them was Kikyou.
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Meanwhile…
Kagome and Hoshiko had decided to watch a movie in the living room. Outside the noise of water droplets could be heard smashing against the ground and ceiling of the Shrine. Cold winds had lifted the leaves off the trees and left them scattered throughout the ground. Kagome looked outside once more. She sighed deeply, 'Oh, Inuyasha, please come back to me soon.'
Hoshiko had helped the miko select a movie from the cabinet. "Yes, that one is a good one. Now open the box and place the cassette into that box right there." She pointed to the VCR. Hoshiko nodded and did as she was told. In her hands lay "Big Fish".
Hojo had left before the clock stroked 8, telling them that he'd be back tomorrow to keep taking care of Kagome. She had smiled with clenched teeth, 'Oh Gods, please let him forget.' she had thought to herself.
Now that the movie had started, Hoshiko sat down next to Kagome. Her doggy ears twitched from one side to the other and it made Kagome's heart flutter. They reminded her of Inuyasha's.
Kagome asked, "Who was your mother?" She had wanted to ask her since Hoshiko mentioned her before in the day yet she didn't want to be rude. She didn't expect Hoshiko to answer but if she hadn't of asked then it would of haunted her throughout the night.
"I don't know" was her simple answer.
Kagome's jaw dropped, "Nani? You don't know who your own mother is?" Hoshiko shook her head, "Inuyasha never told me."
'That stupid Inuyasha! I cannot believe he didn't tell her!' She had to admit; she cared more that she wouldn't be able to know who her mother was instead of Hoshiko not knowing her mother. That made her feel bad.
"I'm so sorry Hoshiko." she put a hand on her back.
"It's okay. Since I'm here, I guess I'll be able to meet my mother. After all, I will be born in less than three years." She smiled and turned back to the television. That made Kagome feel much better, then she would be able to meet her also.
'Who is she?' a jealousy started to form within the miko but she ignored it and kept watching the movie.
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Inuyasha leaped from his perch and started to run the second he landed on the ground. As soon as he came to a clearing he stopped. Right in front of him, Kikyou lay on the grass. It looked as if she had fallen asleep. He walked towards her, silently. Then said, "Why have you been looking for me?"
The miko woke up and turned to face him. Her eyes were a pit of sorrow, just like they had always been since her death. "I wanted to talk to you about that little girl you keep around, Hoshiko." she said as she stood up.
"How do you know about her?" he snapped.
"She came to me and said you were her father." her gaze never changed or moved. Her eyes were focused on him. "She is" he said as low as he could. He didn't have much information to back this statement up, but the little hanyou said this was true. And she held the entire Shikon Jewel with her, which was more than enough proof for him.
"How could you, Inuyasha?" water started to form in her brown eyes. "I never knew I meant so little to you." He gasped, "You mean so much to me, Kikyou! Don't ever say that again."
"I don't believe that's true. If it were you wouldn't go into another woman's arms and let her bear your child." she looked away as if she didn't want him to see her face anymore, neither see his. Inuyasha frowned and outstretched a hand towards her face.
"Hoshiko" he said, "is a little girl I saved in the forest. We found her all alone and helpless. She told me her story, how she traveled through the well carrying only a sack and the Shikon Jewel." he stopped to stare in the miko's face. He could tell she didn't believe him yet he had to try. "I have seen it in her hands."
"What are you trying to tell me?" she said, "Hoshiko is from the future, like Kagome. So I don't know who the mother is yet." he blushed a dark pink.
He had never thought about that before. He had to get a mother for Hoshiko or then she would be erased from existence. And he couldn't let that happen, Inuyasha had grown to the fact Hoshiko was his daughter and even though he hadn't admitted it before; he cared about Hoshiko.
Kikyou winced at the name of the other miko, "So you must choose someone to bear your child before Hoshiko disappears." she said. "I-I guess." he gulped. Kikyou smiled. He knew he loved Kikyou but he also felt something for Kagome. That was something that he had always known, however, he could never make up his mind and choose a miko.
'They basically are the same person' he thought, 'But how come they are so different?'
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Slush, slush
The sound of feet tapping against the cold mud appeared in the quiet valley, destroying the peace. The wind started to blow violently, thrashing the tall grass and trees in a disturbing manner.
A low pant slowly grew in the shadow's mouth. It approached a cave and stopped. It dropped to it's knees and murmured a curse. He had traveled through the minds of both Kagome and Inuyasha until he finally came across the old cave where he met Kikyou. His strength had weakened to the point where he could barely walk.
"That stupid miko will pay for this" The voice struggled then…
Clink
An arrow fell to the ground. It was covered in blood from the silver tip to the feathers that adorned it's end. The wind carried the scent of blood towards the forest where Naraku lay. "What the..?" he said, before bursting into a sprint towards the cave.
When he reached it, a gasp escaped him. In front of him, lay.. Himself. "How can this be? Who are you?"
The figure turned to face him. It chuckled before the wind freezed his throat, making him cough. "Can't you tell? I am a much older you." He stood up with the last strength he had.
The other Naraku examined his wounds, "Who did this to you?"
"That damn miko who always follows Inuyasha!" he roared, "Make her pay!"
He fell on his knees once more and smirked to his other self standing on the entrance of the cave. His eyes closed as he fell onto the ground. The other Naraku looked down at his defeated self and growled.