Chapter 38: A Reason For Silence
By the time everyone had reached Kaede's village, Mizuki had gotten very comfortable with everyone. Kagome had even asked her to call her mom like the triplets did. Mizuki stood outside the home staring up at the house. "A real home! You guys have a real home!" She was so happy that she started spinning, the triplets giggling and following suit.
"Have you found the others yet?" spoke a dark figured shrouded in shadow.
"Not yet."
"Hurry up and find them!"
"OH Inuyasha isn't it wonderful. After almost 20 years we only have 1 more shard to find." Kagome clapped her hands together and stared at him happily through the firelight."
"Keh, just two problems. What are we gonna do with the jewel afterwards and what are we gonna do after it's used?" stated Inuyasha calmly.
"Good point." Kagome placed a finger to her mouth and started to think. She glanced at her husband. "I'm not sure really, but we can live a peaceful life after."
There was sudden giggling on the other side of the campfire and Inuyasha and Kagome looked over to investigate. There were two 16 year old girls, two 16 year old boys, a 14 year old boy named Makoto belonging to Sango and Miroku, a 10 year old boy and a 10 year old want to be playing cards.
"HA I win again. Nughhhh." Shouted Kori as he stuck out his tongue.
"Kori, you cheated!" Hollered his older sister Mizuki.
"How could I cheat?"
"Shhhh, quiet you guys or you'll wake up Miroku and Sango." whispered Kenji as he brushed his long, brown braid back over his shoulder and looked over at the monk and his sleeping exterminator wife.
Mizuki added her cards to the pile and stood up. "I'll be back in a little while ok." She then started off for the nearby river.
Akira looked up at the full moon slowly trailing across the sky. "Hey Kenji, it's our turn to scout tonight so let's go." He stood up and tossed his cards down onto the pile and started for the tree line while Kenji walked in the opposite direction.
Chiisai grabbed up the cards and started to deal to Kori and Shippo, "One more game till bed ok and I'll win this time."
Kagome giggled at her teenage daughter then looked at the full moon. "The moon seems to get larger the further North we go."
Inuyasha scooted closer to her and brushed his hand along her long brown hair, "are you scared since it's your human night?" there was humor in his voice as her petted where her dog ears would be.
She turned her head and glared at him, "What, worried about me? You're not worried about your sons out scouting on their human night?" Kagome nudged him in the ribs and smirked.
"Keh, no and besides those boys are almost pros with those weapons. We have nothing to worry about." Inuyasha watched his daughter, his adopted daughter and two adopted sons play. "I think that those two are the least of our worries. I'd hate to see the other guy." Inuyasha started snickering and Kagome followed.
Mizuki was grateful to have the water from the waterfall wash over her, washing away weeks of dust and grime. She had let her hair loose, falling down to her knees and just stood under the water. It was still cold since it was still May but it was refreshing and she enjoyed it. 'I should have invited Chii.'
That thought was gone the moment she heard a quiet rusting of a bush. She covered what she could and scanned the shoreline. She couldn't smell nor could she see anything. A moment later a deer ran back into the woods, obviously after taking a drink from the river. Mizuki sighed heavily and quickly left the lake.
Just as Chii and the others were finishing up their long, drawn out game of Old Maid, Kenji returns. He quickly climbed into his bedroll and didn't say a word; he just laid there staring into the fire. A minute later Akira returns and reports that's he didn't see anything then goes to bed.
Chii calls it quits for the night after losing to Shippo and puts the cards away in her bag. Upon request, she tucks Kori and Shippo into their bedrolls and goes to her own just as Mizuki arrives.
"Hey Mizuki. Enjoy your bath?" Chii questioned as she watches Mizuki go to her bedroll next to her and start putting her hair into two long ponytails.
"Yes but it was cut short but some noise, but it turned out to be a deer." The girls laughed and settled in for the night.
Kagome watched all the kids as they settled in, "I'm glad they all get along. I've always been worried that they would hate each other."
Inuyasha pulled her down into their bedroll and nuzzled her neck. "With you as their mother how could they NOT like everyone?" He smiled at her then kissed her sweetly goodnight.
After several day of Mizuki being ignored by Kenji she was getting upset and frustrated. He wouldn't talk to her or look at her or even rough house. He would with everyone else, but the second she joined he would stop. She was starting to think she'd done something wrong, but she couldn't think of what it was. She asked Chii and Akira if they knew what was wrong but both shrugged their shoulders and said "no idea." Kenji was her best friend next to Chii. He had greeted her kindly when she had been found and he was always the first to help her in school, spells, weaponry, everything. So why was he being so distance now.
She let everyone walk ahead of her that day and hung back with Kagome. She had her arms in front of her and looked at Kagome a little embarrassed. "Umm mom," Kagome looked at her inquisitively. "I was wondering if…if you knew why Kenji has been ignoring me lately? He's never done that and I'm worried it's something really bad."
Kagome looked at her with a smile and put an arm around her shoulder drawing her closer. "I think…you should ask him. It's always better to get the words straight from the source, believe me." She winked at her and released her shoulder.
Mizuki hurried up to Chii and they started talking again, all the while Mizuki was secretly forming a plan. She cast a sideways glance to Kenji who was engaged in a conversation with Akira, Shippo and Kori. Determination flashed in her eyes, 'I will find out what's wrong…no matter what!'
