Jealous? Inuyasha wondered to himself. That is strange. For Kuri to be jealous.
"You okay?" Reiko asked from behind him.
Inuyasha jumped. "Why'd ya do that?"
"Well cuz..." Reiko said. "You've been staring down Mom's well for over an hour. If Sis was coming back today she'd be here already."
Inuyasha sighed. "You stay here and keep an eye out for trouble. I'm going to get Kuri."
Xxx
Kuri knelt next to Mom's grave, gently finishing the planting of the cherry tree. Kuri felt frustrated tears fall down her cheeks and hit the soil.
"Heya, Mom," Kuri said gently. "I wish you were here. Remember when Reiko and I were little and Grams gave us both the same toy? You got so mad. You told her that you wanted us to be individuals, and that I was a creative fighting spirit, whereas Reiko was a laid back pacifist gamer. You always knew us.
"But what do I do now? We've been going down your well to the Feudal Era and we both like the same guy. It's never happened before. Mom, what do I do? I can't go back…not with them close like that. But…they said I was the catalyst.
"Mom, I-I just…
"Come home, Kuri," Inuyasha said, standing at the gate of the cemetery.
Kuri looked up, my cheeks wet with tears.
He ran over, taking her chin in his hands, examining her face. "Why are you crying? What—"
Then he noticed the grave. "She's your mom, huh?"
Kuri nodded. "I-Inuyasha…you were worried?"
He looked away. "Don't be stupid. Your sister sent me. And I have to keep the Jewel accounted for."
"KOIBITO!" Kuri shouted angrily, exiting the graveyard.
Xxx
Reiko was helping Kiana with some daily tasks, as well as learning new spells to use to get rid of demons. She learned protective spells as well.
Suddenly she sensed something. It was a demon, but it had to be tiny or have very little power.
It hopped into her hand and she giggled. "Hi there."
"You must have been near Lord Inuyasha," he said. "I am Myoga the Flea. I am the keeper of his father's tomb."
Reiko laughed. "Then what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be, um, protecting it?"
"I ran as soon as it was attacked," replied Myoga.
"Men are trying to violate my old man's tomb?" Inuyasha asked.
"I, Myoga, protector of the tomb, could bear it no longer and here I am." Myoga said.
"You abandoned the tomb and ran away?!" Inuyasha exclaimed.
"But that tomb was just stone. The urn itself is in another location." Myoga protested.
"Then where is it?" Inuyasha said, annoyed.
Myoga shrugged. "Well, I do not know myself."
"And you call yourself a tomb protector?!" Inuyasha said incredulously.
"Inuyasha, I have heard that your father… was a phantom dog that once ruled over the western region." Kaede said.
Inuyasha rested his face on his hand. "I don't remember much about 'im."
"He was a magnificent and powerful demon. And his blood was so flavorful. Master Inuyasha has inherited the tasty blood from his father." Myoga grinned.
Kuri was curious. "Hmmm… and his mother?"
"His mother was very beautiful." Myoga praised.
Inuyasha stamped on Myoga with his heel and twisted it in anger.
"Inuyasha! Don't be so rough!" Reiko said.
"My mother died a long time ago!" Inuyasha stormed out of the hut.
"Why? Did I say something to anger him?" Kuri said.
"Hmmm… I do not know." Kaede said.
"All I did was ask about his mother." Kuri said.
"Master Inuyasha is always like that when the subject turns to his mother." Myoga pointed out.
Kaede remained silent and tended to the fire. Kuri looked puzzled and thought for awhile. She got up.
xxx
It was Nighttime, Inuyasha was sitting on his tree, staring into space and looking pissed off. Kuri appeared in the background and cycled towards the tree. She got off the bicycle and pushed it along.
His father was a full-fledged demon. And Inuyasha is a half-demon. Half demon…does that mean the other half is human? Is that why…? Kuri thought
xxx
"Too late," said Reiko, tilting her head and sensing the waves of a powerful demon approaching. His waves were similar to Inuyasha's, but they were the waves of a full demon.
"Kiana, stay here and protect the village," Reiko said, her eyes narrowing in determination. "I sense a trap."
Reiko put her bow and arrows over her shoulder and ran off into the woods toward the well. There was no sign ofI Inuyasha or her twin. But she did sense something sinister.
Out of the darkness loomed a palanquin with a woman inside. A large demon grabbed her and began to crush her.
"What a foolish thing for you to do," Reiko said angrily, shooting a glowing arrow at the creature. It quickly exploded.
"That creature was mine, human," said a voice, and down stepped a very attractive demon.
Reiko, for her part, didn't let her confidence waver, and cocked an arrow in his direction. "The next one's aimed at your heart! What do you want with Inuyasha and why do you have that thing disguised as his mother?"
"How does she know that?!" a little green imp said. "Kill the human quickly Lord Sesshomaru!"
Sesshomaru ran a hand through his silver hair in disdain. "Silence Jaken. Girl, how is it you know so much with a mere glance?"
"My name is Reiko! And if you must know, I'm no human!" she lowered her arrow. "I am a wise fox of fortune!"
Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at her. "So what is Inuyasha to you? Why protect him?"
Reiko paused. She did not really know. She wanted to say that he was her friend. Or that she did it because her sister loved him.
She felt his hand on her shoulder. "You should not have let your guard down."
Suddenly he held her up by the neck. "I will reduce you to ash."
He raised his poison claw.
Xxx
Kuri came into the clearing with two glowing swords in hand and Inuyasha close behind. "Let go of her!"
To her surprise, the silver haired demon dropped Reiko. "What?! Why do you look so much alike?"
"I swear you'd think they've never seen a twin before!" Reiko said standing.
A gust of strong wind blew suddenly.
"Wh-what?!" Kuri said.
Inuyasha leapt down from the tree branch. "Get down!" Inuyasha plopped Kuri's head onto the ground.
Kuri raised her soiled face, chiding. "Inuyasha!"
"Can you feel it? There's something weird coming." Inuyasha said.
In the sky, the silhouette of a palanquin was seen floating across the sky, backlit by the moon. Several demons guarded the palanquin.
"A noble's palanquin?" Kuri said.
The screen of the palanquin flew open, revealing a woman in chains inside.
"There's a lady inside." Kuri said.
Inuyasha got up and walked a few steps forward.
"Inuyasha! What's the matter?" Kuri said.
Inuyasha spoke softly. "M-my mother…?"
"You are… Inuyasha!" Izayoi said as the chains tugged at her. "Agh!"
Inuyasha ran forward. "Mom!"
Kuri followed. "What's happening? I thought you said your mother was dead!"
"Inuyasha! Inuyasha!" Izayoi called.
The palanquin flew towards a cloud swirl in the sky, from which a gigantic demon claw reached out and crashed it. The rest of the demon appeared, with eerie red eyes, among the clouds and clenching Izayoi tightly in his fist. Inuyasha's mother looked unconscious.
"Inuyasha, your mother!" Kuri shouted.
"You…" Inuyasha leapt into the air but a torrent of fire surged suddenly towards him. "Damn!"
It was JAK who released the fire from his Human Head Staff. He was standing on the arm of the huge demon. Inuyasha landed and cursed Jaken. Sesshomaru appeared, standing on the shoulder of the giant demon.
"Jaken." Sesshomaru said.
"Yes, my lord?" Jaken said.
"We kill him after our business is done." Sesshomaru said.
"Yes, my lord." Jaken said.
"You… Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha said.
"Admirable… so you remember your older brother?" Inuyasha said.
"Older brother? Your brother?" Inuyasha said.
"A mortal girl?" Sesshomaru was surprised.
Kuri hid behind Inuyasha. "Wh-what?"
"Inuyasha… It suits you to stick to humans." Sesshomaru said.
A chain around Izayoi's neck was raised, causing her to wince in pain.
"Disgusting beasts called humans. To be a half-demon, whose mother is a human is a disgrace to all our kind!" Sesshomaru said.
Inuyasha ground his teeth in anger.
So Inuyasha's mother is human, after all! Kuri thought.
"Sesshomaru… you! Did you come all this way just to tell me that?" Inuyasha clenched his fist.
"Fool! I am not so idle as that! I came to ask you the location of our father's grave." Sesshomaru said.
"Grave? Who knows?!" Inuyasha said.
"Visible, but invisible… The true protector of the grave cannot see it." That is the clue to the gravesite." Sesshomaru said.
"I don't know what you're talking about! Besides, even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you! That's for sure!" Inuyasha said.
"I see… Then it can't be helped. Your mother will suffer for it." Sesshomaru whipped the giant demon, who winced in pain and clenched his fist, thus hurting Izayoi.
"Inuyasha!" Kuri said.
"Are you stupid?! My mother died a long time ago! As if I'd fall for such a trick!" Inuyasha said.
"Trick, huh?" Sesshomaru said.
"Do you not understand? Bringing dead spirits from the netherworld is a simple task for someone as great as Lord Sesshomaru. He was so kind as to give her flesh! Her own son won't believe that it's her. How mortifying it must be for your mother!" Jaken said.
"Inuyasha!" Izayoi called.
"It's not some trick…?!" Inuyasha thought in disbelief.
"I am returned from the dead…" Izayoi reached out to him.
Little demon imps tugged at the chains around her and she fainted from the pain.
"Damn! Iron Reaver-Soul Stealer!" Inuyasha said.
Inuyasha leapt up and clawed the giant demon's hand, cutting it into two. The fist which was clenching Izayoi fell to the ground. The demon growled in pain. Inuyasha landed. The little demons which were tugging at Izayoi fled once they landed on the ground.
"Are you all right, Inuyasha's mother?" Kuri said.
"Kuri! Take my mother and go!" Inuyasha said.
"You will not escape." Sesshomaru said.
Sesshomaru whipped the demon again, which growled in pain defenselessly.
"You hopeless imbecile!" Sesshomaru said.
Sesshomaru whipped the demon cruelly again, this time in the face. The demon growled and reached towards Izayoi.
"Mother!" Inuyasha ran towards her.
"Inuyasha!" Izayoi said.
Inuyasha blocked the demon's hand from his mother and the hand stabbed into his back instead. She gasped in horror and held out a white glowing orb in her hand, which enlarged and engulfs Inuyasha, Kuri and her. Sesshomaru shielded his face from the bright light. When the bright light stops, Inuyasha, Izayoi and Kuri are gone.
"What a nuisance." Sesshomaru said.
"It's going well, my lord. Just leave everything to Jaken!" Jaken said.
"You made me go along with this silly scheme… If it fails… You will die." Sesshomaru said.
Jaken fell back in terror. "Oh… Please leave it to me."
xxx
INU and Kuri appeared, unconscious, laying in a serene and enchanted garden, next to a pond. Inuyasha woke.
Inuyasha looked around. "Where is this?"
Izayoi walked up to behind Inuyasha. "We are at the border of the spirit world. I must now return."
"The spirit world?" Inuyasha spoke softly. "Yes… You are dead, after all."
Izayoi turned around and walked away. Inuyasha glanced at Kuri who was still unconscious, and followed his mother. They walked a little further on the grass, next to the pond.
Izayoi was happy. "Inuyasha… How you have grown."
"Of course! I was just a little kid when you died." Inuyasha gave a spiteful look.
"It was a violent age. And I left you… all alone with no one to care for you. Forgive me." Izayoi stopped and turned to Inuyasha. "How you must have suffered."
Inuyasha turned around and folded his arms. "It wasn't your fault."
Izayoi spoke gently. "Inuyasha…"
Inuyasha turned around to face her. Kuri awoke.
Huh?! Inuyasha and his mother… They're okay. Kuri tried to get up, thinking. Wh-what… My body… I can't move!
Kuri looked at Inuyasha and Izayoi, and noticed her reflection in the pond.
Huh?! There's no face in the reflection! Inuyasha! My voice… I can't speak! Kuri thought.
Izayoi walked to his side.
"Mother…" Inuyasha said.
"Parting is so sad… Inuyasha." Izayoi said.
"Yes…" Inuyasha said.
Have you realized it, Inuyasha? She doesn't have a face! She's not your mother! Kuri thought desperately.
The reflection of Inuyasha and Izayoi's were in the pond. They faced each other, a little sideways, but there were no facial features on the face of Izayoi.