Author's Note: Kudos to my reviewers!
Sioned: SIT! SIT! SIT! SIT! SIT! Okay, let's get one thing straight right now: Never call me "Woman" again. Call me Trallgorda, Buddy, Pal, Friend, or Super Genius, whatever you like, but never "woman." That would be as bad as calling me "Shoe" or "Table." (Can you tell I'm a supporter of women's rights and respect?) As for your questions: Naraku and Kagura don't really come into this story, Kimi is something of a free radical, she works on her own. You'll find out where she is, and how Inutaisho is alive, later. I give Fluffy highest accolades for slapping you. I'll update as long as you keep reviewing.
Umi5: Sorry, buddy, the chapters come along in their own way and time. Thanks for reviewing.
Ms. Moonstar: I'm glad you liked it. I'm thinking of making this into a trilogy. Maybe Inutaisho's alive and maybe not. The only person who can know that for sure is Rumiko Takahashi. I'm updating.
Shadow Wolves: Sesshy is still a little influenced by his time with human emotions. He's still not thinking completely like a demon, and he's following his impulses a little more. Which spell do you mean? The one Kimi cast on Inuyasha, or the spell that would bind the brothers to her? They're pretty much a part of one another, since they serve the same purpose. Thanks for reviewing.
Silverstriker: Inutaisho, of course! Thanks for reading and reviewing.
Chapter 4
As the days went by, Inuyasha began to relax around this stranger that called himself his father. For all he knew, the man could be another incarnation of Naraku, and he would have to be on his guard. He found keeping himself on his guard to be more difficult than he'd thought since this man was very easy to like.
When he realized that Inuyasha was getting bored with nothing to do but rest, he began to visit him more often, bringing things for the invalid to do or see. Sometimes, he would come and read to him from scrolls or bound books, and other times, he would bring games that they could play together. Igo, Gomoku, and Shogi often made appearances, but since Inuyasha had rarely played these games, he almost always lost. Inutaisho was patient, however, and taught him what he needed to know, made suggestions, and praised him when he did well. When Inuyasha was too tired to play games, he was given books full of stories and fabulous drawings to look at and read on his own if he wished. Sometimes, when all Inuyasha wanted was someone nearby, Inutaisho would sit by his bed, keeping him quiet company. As his strength improved, he was helped out to a padded couch in the garden to enable him to enjoy the sunshine, fresh air, flowers, and the tiny waterfall that ended in a koi pond. It was relaxing, and Inuyasha enjoyed the peace there.
His appetite was also improving. He graduated from broth to thick soups, and from there, to light meals with regular food. For some reason, Inutaisho seemed to know his favorites, and these made frequent appearances. One evening, while he was having supper, he felt the need to ask something that had been driving him crazy.
"Ah, I have a question," Inuyasha said, getting the older man's attention. "Several, actually."
"Yes? What is it?" Inutaisho asked, turning to him to pay better attention.
"Do you know that you were dead?"
Inutaisho looked at him, surprised. "I think I was," he said, thoughtfully. "But I'm not, now. I'd been hoping that that whole thing had been a dream."
"What whole thing?" Inuyasha asked, not understanding.
"Well, I remember being in a place that was quiet, and nothing was really happening. It was gray mist all around, really, and I never had to rest or eat or anything, I just existed. Every now and then I'd hear another demon somewhere, but it sounded as if it were in pain, and I couldn't go anywhere, so I could never learn if it was several demons or only one."
"But you're here now," Inuyasha pointed out. "Why? What happened?"
Inutaisho thought back. "I'm not sure, exactly. I've been in the habit of letting my mind drift, lately, and it was during one of those periods that something changed. My senses became very sharp all of a sudden, as sharp as they had been while I'd been alive, and I felt. . .something. . .take hold of me and begin pulling me out of the demon-realm. It was like being held in a large hand. It took a while, but finally, it pulled me out. I hurt like madness when I felt myself settle into my body, this body," he said, putting his hands on his chest to illustrate the point. "I don't know if it's really mine or not, but I don't care, really. After that, it felt as if I had never been dead at all. Something inside told me to come find you, and I found you, and that's all. You know the rest."
Inuyasha wished he could tweak his ears, but for the moment, all he could do was look thoughtful. He missed having ears that he could tweak. "So, you were dead, and now you're not. Okay. Do you know about Mother?"
"Your mother? Izayoi? What about her? Where is she?"
Okay, so he doesn't know, Inuyasha thought sadly. "Ah, she died. A long time ago. I was still a little kid when it happened."
"Oh, is that all?" Inutaisho said, sounding relieved. "It wouldn't be hard for me to bring her back, you know. Would you like that?"
Inuyasha stared at him, then remembered that a powerful demon like his father could bring people back from the dead. He swallowed hard. "I'd have to think about that." After all, he was used to his mother being dead. Something about bringing her back didn't seem fair to her.
"All right. How did she die?"
"She was killed in a battle when the place where we lived was attacked."
"Ah."
They were both quiet then, each lost in their own thoughts. Inutaisho examined Inuyasha's face, trying to gauge how he was feeling. He could tell that his son was a little upset at the prospect of not one, but both parents possibly coming back from the dead, and that it frightened him, but he wasn't about to embarrass him by saying so. Inuyasha sighed, and that was when Inutaisho realized something else.
He's lonely for other people. He doesn't want to hurt me by saying so, but I'm the only person he's seen for ages. He needs to see someone else.
"Inuyasha, can I ask you about something?" he said, pulling something out of his sleeve.
"What is it?"
"What is this thing?" he asked, holding out a photograph that he'd found in Inuyasha's jacket as he'd undressed him for bed when he'd first brought him there.
Inuyasha looked at it. "Oh, that! That's a photo that Kagome took of all of us. She brought something called a camera to take it, there was this flash, and there the picture was."
Inutaisho looked confused.
"Ahh, Kagome said that it was a really fast way to draw a picture," he explained. "We all have one."
"Oh," Inutaisho said, still not sure what a "photo" or "camera" was. "Who's Kagome?"
Inuyasha pointed her out. "And this is Miroku, Sango, Shippo, Kirara, and Kaede. Kagome's from a different place, and she always brings stuff from there to show us. One day, she brought the camera to take our pictures."
"Oh," Inutaisho said again. "So these are all of your friends?"
"Yep, that's them."
Inutaisho smiled. "Well, I thought you might like to have this back," he said, handing it back to him. "Why don't you finish your supper and get some rest? I'll see you in the morning."
They said good night then, and Inutaisho made a decision. He'd be back before morning, at the latest. He just hoped that Inuyasha wasn't awake before then.
Author's note: Igo, Gomoku, and Shogi are Japanese board games. Ikebana are flower arrangements in front of a hanging paper scroll or painting.
