The Old Lady Who Overcame Time And The Gramps Who Was Just Overcame
Kaede sighed as she looked down the Well. The gang was out of the village and she didn't know when they'd be back. And there was a jewel shard. She had came here, following her senses and now she was looking inside the well, frowning.
The shard was down there. And she couldn't send anyone to fetch it. The possibility of leaving it there until the gang was back did't even cross her mind - it was lucky enough no youkai bones weren't revived yet.
She gave a firm mod, adjusting her bow and then reaching for the rope ladder Kagome was using while climbing back to the past. She carefully positioned herself on the ladder, ignoring the protests of her bones and muscles. It was her duty to protect the village and the shard in the well was practically begging for trouble.
Climbing down the rope ladder wasn't easy, she wasn't as agile as she had once been. Thinking about herbal ointments she was going to use later she was slowly descending in the shadowy depths of the well. She prayed to the gods for the ladder to hold her weight, she wasn't exactly as thin as Kagome. Then she thought about the girl's backpack, with it Kagome sure weighted more than Kaede.
Finally she reached the bottom and sighed in relief. She made it safely. She looked around and spotted the shard just laying on the ground, so she bent down to pick it up. As soon as her fingers brushed the shard blue light filled the well, blinding her for a minute. The miko froze, but nothing more happened, so she put the shard in her robe and climbed up the rope ladder. It passed her mind that it seemed to be on a wrong wall, but she thought she just was confused after the burst of light.
It wasn't until she climbed out of the well that she realized she was no longer in the familiar Forest of Inuyasha. She found herself looking at old-looking wooden walls of a well-house. She had a suspicion she knew where - or rather when - she was.
Slowly the old miko climbed up the stairs and slid open the door to look outside.
A yard with an odd-looking house, a few buildings encircling it. The Sacred Tree was casting its shadow upon the property, a few other trees here and there. But there was no forest, no scent of wild flowers. There was no one in sight, so Kaede decided to go for a short stroll - after all such a chance wouldn't happen again. She looked at the city spread out to the horizon, wrapped around the hill where the shrine was located. It was so... Stunning. She had never thought a city could be so huge, many buildings taller than trees. She could hear the faint sounds of the city, but couldn't recognize most of them.
Finally she came to stand under the Sacred Tree and saw that she wasn't alone in the area.
There was a man sleeping with his back against the wide tree.
He wore old-looking clothes and had silver hair tied up in a simple, but flattering hair style. He had a strong jaw, his cheek bones pronouncing his strong will, his brows shadowing his closed eyes, his mouth curled in a small smile. His whole body radiated serene peacefulness and confidence.
"Are these..." she tentatively stepped closer, her eye landing on something. "...Really...?"
Kaede knelt down slowly and outstretched her hands to brush her fingers against...
"Huh?" she tensed and looked in the man's face.
His eyes were beautiful, wise and full of surprise. There was much resemblance to Kagome in his face, now she could easily see that he was related to her in some way.
"Oh," she pilled her hands away from the items he was holding in his hands. For some reason she felt like a teenager caught while stealing sweets. "I didn't mean to wake ye up," she gave him an apologetic smile.
His eyes, which had seen so much, but still were able to hold innocent wonder, blinked a few times.
"Are you a goddess?" he uttered after a second. "You must be I can feel your immense power. It's so soothing and refreshing."
"Nay, I'm merely a village miko," Kaede was amused by his words and relieved he wasn't annoyed. "I'm called Kaede. I came through the well by an accident and..." her gaze traveled to the items in his hands. "I purchased those bells for the shrine the previous spring. It's..."
"Ah, you're from that Inuyasha's time!" the man exclaimed and then examined the bells. His eyes lit up. "You bought these? Oh, that's so wonderful to know they are so ancient!"
"I'm just glad they stay in the shrine, they were pretty pricey," Kaede chuckled. The man gave her a wide, excited grin, his wrinkles making him look like an apple after winter.
"It's one of many precious treasures of the shrine, kept by my family for generations!" he exclaimed.
.
When a few hours later Mrs. Higurashi went to fetch her father for the dinner she found the old shrine keeper looking at the Sacred Tree with a dazed smile.
"Father? Is everything alright?" she asked.
"Oh, dear daughter, I had the most wonderful visitor today," he said with a dreamy smile.
A/N: What? I ship Gramps and Kaede, deal with it ~ccackles~