The Mysterious Women: The Women of the Mystic Mountain
Part 1: Chapter 21
I opened my eyes and the entire house was quiet, the sun was shining through every part of our house, and I could hear mom and dad outside.
"Kiki?" I said to her noticing she had pulled dad's haori over her face. I pulled it down and looked at her.
"Sun," her voice whispered. I smiled and hugged her.
"Your okay," I said to her. She looked at me and smiled. I sat up and stretched my arms. Kikyko did the same and pulled dad's haori off of her. She looked around the house and smiled. I think she was relieved to be home, I know I was relieved.
"InuYasha stop what is with you," I heard mom's voice outside again. They were being mushy again yuck. I really hate when they do that.
"Ah what!" I said noticing Kikyko looking right at me.
She held up her necklace from around her neck. I pulled mine out of my top and held mine up.
"You did this didn't you," I asked her. She smiled and looked at me.
"I'm glad your home, I was worried..." I said to her. She smiled again and diverted her eyes to the door.
"Look who's awake," father said to us.
"Papa," her voice barely came out, she shifted to her feet and ran at him.
"Good morning," dad said to her throwing her to the air. I guess she missed dad too. I smiled and pulled the sheets of of me.
"Woah," I said as mom emptied one of her bags. She brought back so much stuff. I leaned over her watching her as she organized everything. I looked over at Kikyko who had sprawled on the floor with dad and was colouring on some papers.
"What are you making?" dad would ask her. She smiled and held up her paper.
"Mom what's this?" I asked reaching for a very colourful book.
"Oh this is a story book... I thought I'd set up a school in the village for you and Kiki and all the village children," mother said to me. I sat down and opened the book looking at it.
"A school?" father's voice said from behind me. Mother stood up and patted my head. I looked at them.
"Yeah, I would need to travel to a neighbouring village or somewhere where there is a school to see if I can get the material I need," she said to father. Dad looked at her and smiled. What is with them they have been so weird ever since mom came home. Dad's been very weird and different.
"I think that would be a great idea," he said to her and followed her outside.
"They're so weird," I said diverting my gaze back to the book.
"Book," I heard Kikyko's half whisper voice. I looked over at her she beamed a huge smile.
"Yeah it has pictures and words in it," I said showing her.
"Kagome your back," I tilted my head to the door and heard Sango and Miroku outside.
I didn't pay attention to what they were talking about, I heard them laughing and talking.
"Kikyko," I heard Haku and Kira say behind us. I closed the book and looked at them.
"Hi," Kiki half whispered.
"We are so glad your okay!" the girls said hugging her.
"Hi Inuko," Haku said to me. She patted down her kimono and ran a hand through her hair, her cheeks turned a rosy pink. I blushed and diverted my eyes away.
"We are going fishing, want to come with us?" Kira asked Kikyko she stood up and smiled. They held eachothers hands and went out the door.
I took in a deep breath and sighed.
"Wow," I said. Haku has changed these past few months, she is two years older then me and she always looks really nice. It gave me a strange feeling everytime I'd see her. I try to avoid her now and try to hang out with my friends a lot more.
"Inuko," I heard father's voice bellow at me.
I jumped to my feet and followed the girls as they held hands and chatted outside.
"We're going fishing," father said to me.
"Oh yeah," I smiled.
"He's so cute Sango," mom said to Sango's new baby. Mother held him in her arms as he sucked on his hands.
"We named him Yuki," she said watching as the girls kicked a ball around. Dad and Miroku set up the fishing gear near the river. I sighed and looked at Haku as she kicked the ball to Kikyko. Kira held Koji's hand helping him balance on his feet, he looked at the ball as it rolled to him and kicked it. I smirked at this and diverted my eyes to the river.
"Something wrong?" dad asked me as he sat down next to me.
"Huh uh no nothing," I said and diverted my eyes to the water.
"Why don't you go join them?" he asked again.
"Nah its okay, I want to fish..." I said watching my stick in the water. Miroku looked to dad and then to Hakura.
Dad chuckled and rubbed my head.
"We are so glad your home Kagome, Kikyko looks in good spirits," Sango said to mother as she pulled out a few bowls and wrapped dishes from her basket.
"It was so hard for me Sango being away from InuYasha... not knowing what to do for her," mother looked over the girls as they played.
"We were all so worried, especially InuYasha, we thought he was going to loose his mind, Miroku definately kept him sane..." she said as Yuki pulled mother's hair. She pulled her hair away. I diverted my eyes to mom and Sango and then to Haku... and sighed deeply.
"InuYasha is different, since I returned with Kikyko he's been so affectionate and just... different," mother said and blushed. Sango laughed and took Yuki from her.
"Uh dad," I said trying to distract myself from thinking.
"Yeah," he replied as we waited for something to bite our lures.
"I hope Kikyko get's her voice back, its kind of no fun without her being annoying," I said again.
"Was that all..." Miroku asked me. I looked to him then dad.
"Yeah that's all,"I said and sighed again.
"Are you sure there isn't anything else you want to talk about?" father looked to me quickly then the water.
"Why would you ask that..." I said nervous.
"Don't know, maybe there's someone you like and your not telling..." Miroku teased me. I sighed deeply and shook my head.
"We already know you like Hakura, well she has admitted it for a long time now..." Miroku said touching my head. I felt like I was being interrogated and that one of them was going to kill me at any moment.
"Uhhh... no, I don't like her like her," I said quickly changing the subject.
"Yup, you do...I see how you look at her, its not like how you look at Kiki... its different," dad said to me. I blushed and pulled my knees up.
"Ahhh, I don't like her, in that way... or whatever," I said and pressed my head in to my knees.
"Hahahha... well she clearly likes you Inuko," Miroku and dad laughed.I felt like my head was going to explode.
"Hey Inuko," Hakura's voices said from behind me, she startled me.
"Ah what?"I said dropping my stick.
"Hehehe, want to play with us?" she asked holding the ball out to me.
"Uhh, sure..."I said and stood up.
"Hahahha," dad and Miroku laughed as I took the ball from Haku and followed her.
"Kagome," Sango said to her as she watched us kick the ball around.
"Yes," Mother replied to her.
"Have you noticed how Hakura and Inuko are around eachother," she said again bouncing Yuki in her arms.
"Actually I have, hahaha... its so cute how he looks at her, and his face gets so red when he sees her," Mother laughed and held her hands to her face.
"I wouldn't be surprised if they ended up together," Sango said again. Mother looked at her and then to me.
"THAT'S SO CUTE," she said loudly as they both laughed.
"Get it Kiki," I said to her as the ball rolled to her. She kicked it to Hakura.
"Here it comes," Hakura said as she kicked the ball a little too hard, it rolled over to Dad and Miroku.
"Huh," dad said picking up the ball. Kikyko ran after it.
"Papa, ball..." she said in almost a half whisper, her voice was slowly coming back. Her words would crack and sound almost normal.
Dad looked at her and passed her the ball.
"Papa, Uncle... Miroku, come play," she would say. Dad rubbed her head and stood up.
"Haven't played this game in such a long time," Miroku said as well. He stood up and followed Kikyko.
"Cool..." I said as she put the ball down and kicked it.
I kicked the ball over to Koji who was trying to get to it, Miroku took him from Kira and helped him to the ball. He kicked it and giggled.
Kikyko laughed as the ball rolled to her, she turned to dad and kicked it.
"My turn," dad said and bounced the ball on his knees.
"WOAH," we all said. Kikyko looked at the ball and jumped up and down.
"SO COOL PAPA," she said as dad did tricks with the ball.
"Woah," she said again as dad bounced the ball on his knees again, he dropped it and let it roll to the ground. He looked at me and kicked it over.
"Whoo hoo nice kick Kiki," I said as the ball rolled to Miroku, he held Koji by his hands, Koji looked at the ball and kicked it again.
"Good job," Miroku said to him.
"They sure are enjoying themselves," Sango said as she fed Yuki.
"Yeah, they sure are..." mother said and smiled at us. I waved at her as Hakura passed the ball to her sister.
"Kikyko this one's going to be a good one, are you ready?" Kira said to her, Kikyko bent her knees waiting for the ball.
"Here it comes," she said and kicked the ball. Kikyko tried to stop it with her feet but the ball rolled past her.
"Oops,"Kira said as we watched Kikyko chase the ball.
"Don't go far bring it back Kikyko," father shouted at her.
She chased the ball as it rolled out of view and down the cliff.
"Caught it," she said in a whisper. She picked up the ball and dusted it with her hands.
"Huh?" she said noticing a strange women looking at her.
"You child, why do you reek of half demon," this women said to Kikyko.
"Huh?"Kikyko said and sniffed herself. She tilted her head to the lady curious.
"Do you not speak?" the women said to her. Kikyko shook her head slowly, she looked scared of this women.
"There you are," father said behind her. She turned and looked at him.
"Uh, who are you?" father said looking at this strange women.
"That's why she reeks of half demon," the women said her nose sniffing the air.
"Kikyko's smell is fine," father said to this women. Kikyko shifted her feet to father she hide behind him and looked at this women.
"Does the child not speak, I ask her a question and she refuses to answer," the women hissed.
"She speaks but not to people she doesn't know," father said crossing his arms.
"Kikyko go back and finish playing," father said to her. She looked up at him then to the women and ran back up the cliff.
"You, you are InuYasha, are you not?" the women said.
"What's it to you?"father said to her again his tone was agitated.
"Aye, that is why the child smelt of your scent, she is your off spring..." the women smirk and held a hand to her sword.
"Finish what you came to do in this area and leave this place," father said to her.
"KIDS COME EAT," mother's voice shouted at us. Father half turned to the women.
"Leave this land," he said to her again.
"Don't worry, I will," she said as well turning around.
"Huh, strange women," father said as he watched her leave.
"Yeah the women was really strange," father said to us as we ate.
"Strange, did she say who she was?" Miroku said to him.
"No, she did give me a bad vibe though," father said again. I diverted my eyes to him then to mother.
"Well I hope she's just passing through," she said again passing a bowl to Kikyko.
"FOOD," Kikyko said taking the bowl.
"Hahahahhaha..." we all laughed at her as she took a huge bit of rice.
"What?" she said blinking her eyes at us.
"He is InuYasha, how is he the one I am seeking... his father the great lord demon, his brother a powerful warrior who led armies of demons in valleys, this... InuYasha how could he be just as powerful..." the women said peering at us from behind a tree.
"That child, her smell is that of human and half demon... how is that possible, unless..." the women said looking at Sango and Kagome.
"One of those women, must be her mother... InuYasha and a mortal women, his own father did the same, ... what a disgrace," she said and peered at us again before disappearing.
"WOW," Kikyko said leaning over the picnic basket. Mom had made a cake for today's picnic and it looked really good. She pulled it out of the basket and set it down on the blanket.
"Wow aunt Kagome that looks so good," Hakura said to her looking at the cake.
Mother smiled and cut up the cake she handed plates to all of us.
"I want to try," Kikyko said looking at my plate.
"Okay hang on," I said to her poking a piece with my fork and holding it up to her. She took a bite of it.
"WOOOOWWW," she said and sighed deeply.
"Hahhaha, wow its just cake kids," mother said to them. She passed a piece to Kikyko. She smelled it and smiled. Kikyko looked at the cake then dug her hands in to her piece and shoved it all in to her mouth.
"Great!" Mother said and shook her head.
"HAHAHAHA," the twins laughed looking at her.
"Well she devoured that fast," Sango said reaching for some baby wipes.
"She smells like cake," father said carrying Kikyko in his arms. She had fallen asleep while we were fishing. The entire day went by so fast I didn't even realize the sun was setting. I half turned and looked at father and mother as we headed home.
"Hahaha, her hair still has cake in it, I hate to have to wake her to give her a bath," mother said shifting the basket in her arm.
"Dad," I said lifting my arms over my head. I rolled my eyes to the sky and turned around again.
"Yes?" dad said to him rubbing Kikyko's back.
"Can we talk?" I asked looking at the house as it came in to view.
Mother covered her mouth and tried not to laugh. Why did she think that was funny... I didn't say anything stupid.
Mom leaned in to dad.
"I think you need to give him the talk," she said to dad. Dad narrowed his eyes to her and grunted.
"We already had that talk," he said to her. Mother held her arms out for Kikyko. Father passed her over.
"No cookies," she said and burried her head into mother's chest. I looked at her and shook my head. She's so weird.
"Come on my girl, bath time..." Mother said waking her.
I sighed and looked to dad.
"Well," he said crossing his arms.
"Well can we go somewhere and talk?" I asked looking to the sky. Dad rubbed my head and walked past me. I followed him curious as to where we were going.
"Why are we so far out here?" I said turning to look at the village, I turned around again and looked at dad.
"Well you wanted to talk," dad said to me. He sat down near a tree and looked to the village. I sat down next to him.
I sighed deeply I didn't know how to tell my dad what I wanted to say. I mean he is my dad and I always tell him things, and he's a good secret keeper... but this time I felt like I needed to be careful what I say. I don't know why, its not like its a big deal or anything... I just had questions and was curious about girls.
"Dad," I said to him and looked to the lights in the village.
"Yes," he said to me and shifted his eyes to me.
"How do you know if you like a girl..." I blurted out quickly. Dad looked at me and smirked.
"Well do you feel different around her?" he asked me rubbing my head.
"Yeah, sometimes... I can't explain it..." I said again watching as the lights went out one by one.
"Well do you feel like your heart skipped a bit, that when you look at her you think she's the most beautiful girl ever," father said again. He looked to me quickly then to the sky as it slowly turned black.
"Yeah... how did you know that?"I asked shifting to my knees.
Dad looked at me and smiled. He looked so different, his eyes looked so old and so wise.
"If you like Hakura... then tell her," he said to me touching my head.
"Just... tell her, I can't tell her... I'd be too embaressed," I said again.
"You know Inuko, when I first met your mother... I didn't tell her this, but... I fell in love with her at first sight, and each passing day... everytime we would argue and fight, or be fighting demons, everytime she'd leave and go through the well... my heart always yearned for her. I could never explain it, or understand why I was feeling this way... I knew I didn't want a relationship with your mother at first, I had things I needed to get done and I never wanted your mother hurt or injured in any way. But... I couldn't be away from her, I couldn't stay away from her... she changed me, in so many ways..." father said again. I never knew the full story about mom and dad, I mean I knew what happened with Naraku, and with everything else... but I honestly thought that mom and dad loved each other for a really long time.
"I didn't know that, I always thought that you and mom were together from day one," I said to him curious.
"We were, but I never wanted to love her, to be close to her because every women I ever got close too or loved always ended up disappearing from my life. Your mother was the one, who showed me what love was, who made me who I was today," he said again. He smiled and picked me up. He pulled me close to him. I felt a little uncomfortable.
"I want you to be happy in your life Inuko, if you like Hakura... tell her, compliment her, show her that you care," he said to me.
"But dad... I do like her, I just feel different around her," I said again.
"That's normal, your becoming a young man. Your going to feel different around girls all the time, but the one girl you truly like, the one you feel attracted too, that's the girl your going to feel different about..." he said again and put his arm around my shoulder.
"Huh!" I said thinking. Maybe I should say something to Hakura, I could tell her I like her kimono or her hair, she always puts her hair in different designs and it makes her look so cute.
"Trust me... you'll feel better after wards," dad chuckled and tapped my head. I looked up at him then to the village as it went black.
"Our house light is still on, maybe mom is still awake," I said noticing only our light was on in the darkness.
"No, she left it on for us... so we would find our way back..." father said shifting to his feet. I shifted to my feet and took in a deep breath. I felt good talking to my dad, he always knew what to say to make me feel better.
Find our way back, we were half demons we could easily find our way home. I didn't understand that at all. Maybe its a mom thing.
"Race yeah," I said running. Dad followed behind me keeping pace to me, he's definately much faster and always surpasses me in speed, but I felt like he wanted me to win. We ran through the village and when I saw the light outside our door on, I ran faster and slide against the ground.
"I TOTALLY WIN,"I said tapping the side of the house.
"Yes you did," dad said patting my head, he bend down to the lamp and turned the flame off.
"Oh, mom and sis are asleep," I said as I came through the door. I looked at Kikyko she curled up hugging mom.
Dad stretched and lied down next to Kikyko, he pulled the sheets over her and kissed her cheek.
"Night dad,"I said to him and shifted myself next to Kikyko.
"Night son," he said as the whole house went dark.