Categories > Anime/Manga > Inuyasha > Okaeri
Chapter Eleven
0 reviewsAfter the end of their quest, Inuyasha and Kagome adjust to life in modern Tokyo. But there are still secrets in the past, and dangers in the present. And finding a place to call home may be the mo...
0Unrated
Disclaimer: Inuyasha and associated characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.
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Chapter 11
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Breakfast was unremarkable, if only because all the drama had occurred on their return, quite late, the previous evening. The family had all watched the news and seen the smoking hole in the side of the hospital. Mama had been relieved that they were finally home, and had gently reproached Kagome for not calling. Jii-chan had been apoplectic with worry and had interrogated them without mercy about what had happened. Souta had been allowed to stay up until their return, and had excitedly demanded details on the monster they had fought. Now, of course, he was bleary eyed at the table, and picked at his breakfast. Kagome did the same, not really hungry, and smiled at the hanyou sitting across from her. He met her eyes briefly before looking away, one side of his mouth quirked up in a tiny smile.
By unspoken agreement, Inuyasha accompanied Kagome on her way to school. Their steps were slow; she had gotten up early enough that she had no need to hurry, and she savored the time spent with him. The lowering sky was grey and oppressive, the air chilly, but that didn't shake Kagome's euphoria. This morning, nothing could. Final exams, university acceptance-even her newest, unsought role as 'exorcist'- it all seemed remote, all outcomes were assured success. For wasn't Inuyasha with her? She couldn't keep the silly grin off her face.
Inuyasha seemed to be in like condition-a small smile persisted uncharacteristically on his lips, to her secret delight. They had walked almost all of the way to her school before she could wrench her giddy brain out of the clouds and bring up the rather less exciting thought of her afternoon meeting.
"I'll try to be quick getting home after school, Inuyasha," she was saying, speaking louder to be heard over the roar of a passing bus. They walked closely, an occasional gentle bump of the arms or shoulders keeping them nearly in contact while they walked. "Kitamura-san and Michiko-kun said they'd be over right after, and I want to make sure Jii-chan doesn't talk to them first."
"So what if he does?" Inuyasha asked, covering his nose with a sleeve against the cloud of exhaust fumes. He grimaced in distaste, glaring at the bus before flicking a glance back to her. "You told him everything last night. It's not like he'll be surprised by anything those two tell him."
"It's more like what he'll tell /them/. He might forget and start spouting off about youkai." She rolled her eyes.
"So?" He frowned, focusing on her, but didn't stop walking.
"Hello? No one's supposed to know you're a youkai, remember?" She gave him a quick teasing grin.
He snorted. "Like they'd know what that is. Kagome, much as I've been around this realm the last couple of years, nobody ever seems to figure out that I'm not a human." Even now, dressed in his red fire-rat clothes, a baseball cap feebly disguising only the most obvious of his youkai characteristics, he was garnering only an occasional odd look on the busy street. Most passersby didn't even spare him that much. "Even those friends of yours thought I was foreign, not youkai." He sounded a little disgruntled at that.
She laughed at the memory; even upon subsequent meetings, her junior-high friends never thought there was anything especially odd about Inuyasha. "You're right. But they did all think you were pretty cool, you know."
"Keh. Who cares what a bunch of girls think." He was staring straight ahead, but she thought he looked pleased.
"Well, I liked that they agreed with me." She smiled as he glanced back at her. Yeah, he did look pleased. "Anyway, we have to be careful in what we tell people about you. There's too much that's hard to explain."
"Fine, whatever." He looked grumpy now. "But you're probably wasting your time worrying, Kagome. The girl saw me without the hat, remember?"
"Oh! That's right." Kagome thought for a moment, chewing her lip. "Well, maybe she'll think she was seeing things. She had been unconscious before that, and things were pretty weird."
"Yeah, you could say that." Now he rolled his eyes, and sighed. "So you want me to keep them away from the old man before you get home?"
"Sure, if you can." She gave him a dubious look. "How would you do that?"
"Well, your grandpa will probably be drooling all over that stuff we found out back. I was going to move it today, anyway."
She brightened. "Oh, that's perfect, Inuyasha. He was so happy that we found his father's things. And I'll feel better knowing that he won't have to go behind the well house to get to them, he might get hurt. Where are you moving them to?"
He shrugged. "I was talking to him about it last night. Once he calmed down, I mean. He said the well house would be a good place to put the stuff for now."
They were nearing the entrance gate to her high school; her fellow students passed them in ones and twos, sometimes sparing a curious glance at the two of them. She took his hand briefly.
"I have to go," she murmured, wishing she dared to kiss him in public. "See you after school."
"Yeah." He squeezed her hand gently and let go, smiling again. "Don't worry, I'll take care of it."
"Okay," and she smiled back at him, the giddy feeling returning. She went in to class with a light heart, already counting the minutes before she could see him again.
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It was near midday when Inuyasha set down the last crate with a sense of accomplishment, lining it up with the rest of the boxes and assorted junk he'd retrieved from the long-hidden cache in back of the well house. His eyes slid over to one wooden trunk in particular that he'd placed nearer the door, and narrowed in speculation. Now that it was away from the overpowering smell of damp and rot that permeated the buried hiding place, the acrid reek of decaying paper was obvious. There was more than one box that smelled of paper, but this one seemed the most promising.
He stepped over to it purposefully, but then hesitated, frowning. The trunk sat mutely before him; what sort of secrets did it hold? Would he find unpleasant truths, or worse, nothing at all about their friends left behind? The thought of disappointing Kagome, with bad news or anything else, did not appeal to him; maybe he should wait for her and they could find out together.
That idea lasted all of three seconds./ Dammit, I'm not going to sit around and wait/, he thought impatiently. Whatever was in it couldn't be worse than not knowing. Faint echoed whispers of sound from outside chuckled hollowly in the well behind him, and he shuddered slightly, skin crawling. He shook himself with a curse, and hunkered down in front of the trunk.
It was held closed with a padlock, similar to one of those that had secured the door on the dug-out hole in the bluff in back. There didn't seem to be any protections on the trunk, so he reached for the lock and crushed it easily. He brushed off the bits of rusty fragments from his hand, and lifted the lid.
A cloud of the acidic paper smell, mixed with dust, rose to his face and he sneezed violently. Holding his breath for a moment, he let the air settle and examined what lay before him. The trunk was filled nearly to the top with square bundles of paper. Some of the bundles within view were tied with twine, and a loose layer of scrolls lay across the top of them. He pulled one of the thick bundles out and looked at it in curiosity, but the writing was crabbed and difficult to read. It had been afflicted with mildew at some point in its past; the faint black spots were dry and faded now. With a frown, he set it aside and poked tentatively through the pile of scrolls.
The action of disturbing the paper brought another cloud of dust and reek, but this time it also brought a faint smell that pierced his memory: the smell of the waxy colored sticks that Kagome had brought Shippou, the ones he used to draw with.
He breathed through his mouth to suppress further sneezing, and dug through the pile, tasting the odd scent. He brought up a thick roll of perhaps twenty or thirty largish sheets of paper, the kind Kagome had brought along with the colored sticks for the kit. It was held closed with a paper ribbon, and on the edge of the outermost roll he found a scrawl in ink: 'Shippou'.
The paper was brown and brittle, and chunks of it had fallen off all along the edges of the roll. The outermost sheet was in the worst shape from the looks of it. Inuyasha removed the ribbon and laid the roll over the top of the flat-topped crate next to the trunk, and carefully unrolled it.
The inmost sheet was in much better shape that the one on the outside; it had browned and discolored slightly, but was mostly still white. It was an ink drawing of a single, dead tree, and he recognized it as one that stood just outside the boundaries of the village, on the way to the well. He used to lounge in that tree, waiting for Kagome.
He stared at it, his thoughts suffused with an inarticulate regret. The drawing was quite good, he had to admit. Shippou had demonstrated an obvious talent for drawing, which Kagome had encouraged by bringing him ink and watercolor paints once it was clear that he was outgrowing the colored sticks. She had been lavish in her praise of the runt, and he had basked in her attentions. Who would have taken notice of such things when Kagome was gone?
Damn. With a sigh Inuyasha began to leaf through the sheets, letting them coil back into tight rolls as he peeled them off for a cursory look. The topmost ones were ink wash and watercolor drawings much like the first-bamboo, pine branches, things like that. He knew that Miroku had been encouraging the boy in this type of art after pointing out similar pieces hanging in the alcoves of rich men's homes that they had...exorcised. Miroku had actually managed to trade one of Shippou's drawings once to a traveling merchant in exchange for some supplies, after persuading the runt to part with one. His scribblings were that good.
He skipped down to the bottom of the pile, to find the wax stick drawings he had smelled. He remembered some of these. Much more childish than the ink drawings, they were exuberant cartoons of...all of them. There he was, a scowling splash of red next to a smiling Kagome in green. Miroku, Sango, Kaede, and Kirara were represented in various poses or actions, sitting, walking or flying across the pages.
Inuyasha's face stilled as he looked down at them. Kagome was going to take one look at this shit and start crying. Maybe he'd better bury it under some of the other stuff. They should be looking for something more useful first.
He ought to go through them, though. Just in case there was something important. Angrily swallowing against the tightness in his throat, he slowly leafed through the pile, noting a nice ink drawing of Miroku, one of Sango and the well, and then paused on the next one. Its subject was a girl he didn't recognize. He snorted. Shippou was as obsessed with females as Miroku, but in his own, more innocent way. How many times had Shippou gotten them off track because he thought some girl needed rescuing? This one looked to be maybe ten or twelve, with a solemn expression; ink brushstrokes suggested straight hair hanging loose over her shoulders. Inuyasha thought back to the girls in the village, but she didn't resemble any of the ones he remembered./ /He shrugged to himself, and flipped through the rest of the drawings quickly. There was nothing else of any particular interest.
He rolled the sheets back into a compact bundle and held it in his hand, tapping it against the edge of the trunk lightly while he looked in. This looked like a really boring job, come to think of it. He'd had the idea that it would be easy to pick out things written by Kaede or Miroku by scent; he now realized it was ridiculous to think that a touch-scent like that would linger for so long. He was resigning himself to a long afternoon of squinting at scribbles when he heard steps outside.
"Inuyasha-kun? Are you in here?" He looked up to see Mama sliding the well house door open. She saw him and smiled. "Would you like some lunch?"
He glanced back at the trunk. Ah, it could definitely wait. He stuck the roll of paper to the bottom of the loose pile of scrolls. "Sure," he replied, getting up and following her out.
"It looks like you've done a lot this morning," she said as they walked to the house. She glanced over at him inquiringly.
"I guess." He folded his hands in his sleeves. "All of the stuff is moved out of that hole."
"Wonderful! Jii-chan will be so pleased."
It occurred to Inuyasha that he hadn't seen the old man since he first started moving things this morning. Jijii had been hovering, concerned about possible breakage of absolutely irreplaceable artifacts, and generally being an annoying pain in the ass before suddenly disappearing for the rest of the morning.
Inuyasha felt compelled to ask despite himself. "Where is he, anyway?"
Mama's brow crinkled. "In the house eating lunch, I hope. I called him before I went looking for you." She looked slightly disapproving. "He's been in the shrine office all morning, on the telephone. I think he's having a little too much excitement for a man his age. And he's just getting over that wretched flu, no less."
"Oh." Whatever all that meant.
They reached the kitchen door and stepped inside, to find Jijii heartily slurping down a bowl of miso. He set it down with a satisfied grunt as Inuyasha sat cautiously opposite him.
"Inuyasha-kun is done moving the treasures, Jii-chan," smiled Mama, bringing a serving dish of stir-fried vegetables and rice to the table. Jijii regarded him with suspiciously good humor as he took a bowl from his daughter-in-law.
"Thank you, my boy. After lunch I'll have to come down and start going through them. I've spent enough time talking to people. What a great day for the shrine!" He rubbed his hands together, cackling, before picking up his chopsticks.
Mama and Inuyasha exchanged mystified glances, before Inuyasha shrugged and began eating. Mama picked at her food for a moment before asking.
"Er, Jii-chan. Who have you been talking to?"
"Who haven't I talked to? The Shrine Association is in an uproar!" he cackled again. "Apparently, the police have not been able to determine the cause of the damage at the hospital. They've gone so far as to call several members of the Association, trying to disprove that it could have been a youkai!"
"Have you talked the police yourself?" Mama asked, wide-eyed.
"Not yet," he admitted. "What I've heard so far is that some scholars at the University have allowed that it's not 'out of the realm of possibility' that some evil creature possessed that girl. They won't say anything about the damage." He smacked his hand on the table, glaring at both of them. "When will people realize that dangerous youkai are not just old myths?!"
Inuyasha snorted a laugh into his bowl.
Jijii glowered at him, and then subsided with a crooked smile. "Well, you have a right to laugh, boy. Living proof of the youkai around us. But anyway," he continued gloatingly, "the reputation of the Higurashi Shrine is rising to the heavens. The knowledgeable and wise are certainly becoming aware of Kagome's accomplishment! I have received a number of admiring and congratulatory phone calls, and even more importantly, daughter-" he gave her a significant look- "even a couple of discreet inquiries as to Kagome's marital status. It seems" and he lowered his voice conspiratorially, "that at least one priestly family-/a quite powerful and well-placed family/-may be interested in arranging a match."
Inuyasha choked abruptly and began coughing./ /Mama shot a concerned glance at him, and asked, "What did you tell them?" She got up to slap Inuyasha's back when he continued to cough rice out of his windpipe.
"I didn't tell them anything definite, it's much too early in the game. But the intermediary was pleased to hear that she's not already engaged, of course. Kagome being so beautiful, talented, and powerful, any family would be eager to have her, not just a priestly family trying to improve their weakening bloodline." He grinned smugly. "Did I say well-placed? It was hinted that this family had connections to the Imperial Palace! Can you imagine the advantages that such an arrangement would bring to this shrine? Not to mention the wealth and comfort it could mean for Kagome."
Inuyasha was on his feet and looming over him, seething with rage. "This had better be a fucking joke, old man," he growled. Jijii looked up at him, frowning, and opened his mouth, but was cut off before he could say a word.
"I agree. And it's in /very /poor taste if it is." Mama was standing at his shoulder, clearly furious. He turned his head to stare at her, astonished.
"What's wrong with you two?" Jijii looked uneasy now, and got up to face them. "It's not like I could make her marry someone she didn't like, even if I would ever do that to my precious granddaughter! All it means is an introduction, and then seeing what happens."
"Jii-chan." Mama seemed to be trying to contain herself, but her face was as dark as a stormcloud. "How could you even contemplate such a thing? Kagome will be mortified!"
"What?" the old man quavered. "So I received an honorable offer, and not from just anybody! There's no harm in it, and there could be a lot to gain. Connections with the Imperial Palace shouldn't be taken lightly!"
"You should have refused right away." Mama towered menacingly over Jijii, her fists clenched. Inuyasha, momentarily diverted from his own outrage, was transfixed. He'd never seen her this angry. It was kind of scary, like when Kagome got really mad. "No one arranges marriages these days except for the desperate parents of old maids and confirmed bachelors. Kagome's not even out of high school!"
"But-"
"But nothing." Visibly getting a grip on herself, she glared at the old man. "This is far and away the worst idea I've ever known you to entertain. You are going to get on the phone right now and refuse that offer."
"But think of the shrine!" he burst out, wilted but still defiant. "Think of her future!"
"Think of Kagome, too embarrassed to show her face at school if word gets out. Think of how angry she'll be. Think of how hard she's worked to get into college," Mama countered. "She has her own plans for her future, Jii-chan. Don't interfere with them."
"Very well," he grumbled. "You have a point. I know she'll do well at whatever she puts her mind to." He tottered out, muttering, and tossed over his shoulder, "I'm coming back for my lunch. Make sure that boy leaves some for me."
Mama watched him leave, her expression stern, before turning to Inuyasha. He stared at her with mingled relief, residual anger, and appreciation.
"Inuyasha. Don't worry." She smiled, but her voice had an edge to it. "Nothing will come of this. I'll make sure of it."
He crossed his arms and looked away. "Who says I'm worried? The old man's crazy."
"He certainly has allowed some things to go to his head," she said grimly. He looked back at her in surprise, to see that she still looked angry. Her face cleared when she saw his expression. "I think Kagome knows best how she wants to arrange her life. I just can't see her making any plans that don't include you." Mama winked encouragingly, and stalked off.
Whoa. He stood for a moment and stared after her, before giving himself a little shake to relieve his tension. The little house felt suffocating. He made his way outside, where the sky was dismal and threatening rain. The whole idea, of Kagome being married off like that, was fucking ridiculous. Laughable. She'd never stand for it. And she'd said, over and over, that she would stay with him. And the old man would tell them to buzz off now, anyway.
And yet...in the back of his mind, a cold whispered thought gnawed at him. He was a hanyou; he had nothing. If anything, he had even less here in her world than he had back on the other side of the well. If there was someone out there who had so much to offer her and her family, someone who truly valued her...
Any man like that wouldn't let the first refusal put him off. Look at how that fucking wolf Kouga had sniffed around her for so long.
He clenched his fists, feeling the prick of his claws in his palms. /Fuck/. With a vicious growl he leaped off into the thick of the trees, to think, shredding bark and leaves in violent passage as he sought the darkest, deepest patch in the pathetic remnants of the old forest. He wasn't even conscious of the rain that had begun to fall.
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Kagome hurried her way home through slick streets, even in her rush to get back feeling as though she were floating on a cloud of dreamy contentment. She really seemed to be getting her momentum back in her studies, and if she could maintain it she shouldn't have a problem passing final exams. She had already taken her university entrance exams, so there was nothing to do there but wait-but right now, she couldn't imagine failure. Nobody had stared or whispered at school. That only means that the media hasn't made the connection between the shrine and the hospital yet, she thought darkly, before pushing the thought away. No brooding over that, not today. She felt too good. And best of all, Inuyasha was waiting for her at home.
She saw him as she reached the top of the stairs from the street, out of breath. He waited for her, arms crossed; his expression was stern and distant, though that hardly discouraged her. She beamed at him as she came closer, and his expression softened a bit.
"Inuyasha!" she gasped, slinging her bookbag off her back and to her feet. "Are they here already? Where's Jii-chan?"
He reached down to pick up her bag. "No, they're not here. And the old man is in the well house, just as I said he would be."
"Oh. Well, that's good." She sucked in air, trying to catch her breath, and he waited patiently. She looked up at him when she was finally breathing easier; he was studying her intently, amber eyes serious. She noticed his clothes were wet; but then again, he didn't believe in umbrellas. "Did you find anything good back there in the hiding place?"
"Maybe." He shifted, looking off towards the shrine, and the well house past it. "There's a trunk full of papers, but I haven't really looked at it yet." They started walking forward slowly, to the house. She frowned slightly; his manner was unusually subdued.
"Is everything okay?" she asked, glancing at him.
He didn't look at her. "Of course, woman."
They continued in silence. Kagome was confused by his abrupt taciturnity, especially after the words exchanged last night, but she was used to his moods. She tried again. "So, did you get all that stuff moved?"
"Yep."
"That's great!" She looked over at him, and unaccountably he was frowning slightly, and not looking at her. "Isn't it?"
"Why wouldn't it be?" He still wasn't looking her in the eye. At that moment she heard her name called. Mama had emerged from the house, and was headed towards them.
"I'll put your stuff in the house," Inuyasha said shortly. He bounded forward, past Mama, who turned her head to look at him before turning back to Kagome. He disappeared through the front door.
Odd./ Wonder what's eating him,/ she thought. Mama was advancing on her with a serious expression; maybe she knew something. But before she had gotten more than a few steps closer she heard her name called again, this time from behind.
"Higurashi-sama!"
She turned around, and sure enough, it was Kitamura and Michiko. She stopped and waited politely, and they reached her slightly before her mother did.
"Higurashi-sama. So good of you to meet with us," Kitamura said, bowing respectfully. He had what seemed to be his perpetually haggard look, but he wore a cheerful expression today. He was a bit out of breath.
"It's no trouble at all," Kagome assured him.
Michiko bowed too, looking a bit awed as she glanced at the main shrine building. They both looked up as Mama arrived behind Kagome.
She introduced her mother, and they exchanged polite greetings. Mama volunteered that she would go to fetch the head priest, and walked in the direction of the well house as Kagome led their visitors to the shrine office.
Kagome covertly studied Michiko as she got them settled in the chairs by Jii-chan's desk, and set about making some tea as they waited for him. The girl looked much better than she had yesterday; her face, though still pale, was animated with curiosity as she looked around the office. No trace of the evil that had possessed her lingered, and Kagome let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"Did you have a restful night, Michiko-kun?" she asked, setting a cup of tea deftly in a clear space in front of the girl, returning with another cup for her uncle.
"Oh, yes, Higurashi-sama." The girl nodded eagerly. "Thank you so much for your concern."
Kagome sat down to wait for Jii-chan...what was taking him so long, anyway? "And is your family all right? Anything happen with the house?"
"Um..." Michiko looked down, twirling a lock of hair around her finger. "Father is away on business. Mother seems to be fine. She was angry that I didn't want to come home."
"She wanted to drag Michiko home," put in Kitamura, leaning forward earnestly, "but we both told her what you said, that there was something wrong with the house, and she finally agreed to let her stay with me until the problem is...settled."
"What did she mean by that?" asked Kagome curiously.
"She wants to hire you to exorcise the house," Kitamura replied, and sipped his tea.
"But..." Kagome was stunned. She'd never exorcised a house-that was always Miroku! "Why doesn't she get a Buddhist priest?"
Kitamura set down his cup and looked at her sternly. "Why should she, when none of the ones who tried to were successful in helping Michiko?"
Michiko scrunched down in her chair, looking a little embarrassed. "That's exactly what she said, Higurashi-sama."
"And it's a very good reason, if you ask me!" Jii-chan finally made his appearance; behind him, in the doorway, was a reluctant-looking Inuyasha. He was being pushed by Mama, who winked at Kagome and shut the door behind him before taking her leave. Jii-chan made his way to his chair, behind the desk, while Inuyasha leaned against the wall with an aggrieved expression, his eyes shadowed by the bill of the cap.
Michiko had brightened when she saw him, and straightened out of her slouch. "Oh! Hello, Inuyasha-san!" He nodded to her, his expression unchanged. She rose and bowed when introduced to Jii-chan. When all of these greetings were accomplished and everyone had tea (except Inuyasha, who refused with a grunt) Jii-chan cleared his throat and got down to business.
"Kitamura-san, I understand there were some...unexpected expenses involved in the exorcism," he began.
The man nodded, looking doleful. "My sister has volunteered to pay some of the damages, and it's possible that the hospital's insurance may cover part of it as well. Still, it's going to be a hefty hit to the wallet."
"Well. You will agree that it was a dangerous enterprise for Kagome and her companion, yes?" Jii-chan narrowed his eyes as Kitamura nodded vigorously. "And now you want her to take on an additional commission, one that may be equally if not more dangerous. It's up to her if she wants to do it," and he nodded to her, "but the fee will go up accordingly. Now," and he brought out copies of the documents that Kitamura had signed, "we agreed to a small initial fee for a diagnosis, but Kagome actually effected a full exorcism..." The two men bent over the documents; Kitamura offered some argument, and they began a long debate.
Kagome quickly lost interest, and her eyes slid by their own volition to Inuyasha. Their eyes met, and he looked away uncomfortably. Michiko, apparently as bored with the men's conversation as Kagome, turned to her, smiling as she pulled her chair closer.
"Higurashi-sama, I hope you and Inuyasha-san will help us. I'm sure Mother would be willing to pay. Even if she does it just to shut up everybody talking about the house," and she scowled.
"Why, what are they saying, Michiko-kun?" Kagome suppressed a sigh. If only this was over with, and she could find out what was bothering Inuyasha...
"Well, even before we moved in," the girl began, "people around the area were saying we were fools for moving into a cursed house. It had been the manor of a samurai family a long time ago, but they all died, or something. They told us when we moved in that there was something awful sealed in it."
Michiko had Kagome's full attention now, as well as Inuyasha's. He moved away from the wall and squatted by Kagome's chair, focused on the girl. "Something sealed?" she asked. "Do you know what it was supposed to be?"
"Some terrible demon, that a whole bunch of priests died to seal in there," and the girl shivered. "I believe it. Mother doesn't. Not even now, I think, not really."
"Michiko," Kagome said carefully, "you said some interesting things last night when you woke up." The girl's expression had changed, becoming grave, almost fearful. Beside them, Jii-chan and Kitamura were obliviously arguing about large amounts of yen. "You said it promised to kill them all if you told. What told you that?"
The girl's eyes were starting to fill with tears, and she wrung her hands in her lap. "It was always just a voice. No one else heard it." Kagome reached into the pocket of her school uniform for her handkerchief, and gave it to the younger girl, who dabbed at her eyes and nodded thanks. "I thought I was going crazy, hearing that voice. It was horrible. But things happened when it said they would-it hit me with things all the time, so I knew it was real."
The men had stopped talking, and stared over at her. Kitamura reached over and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. Michiko drew a deep breath and continued.
"So when it said it could hurt us-kill us-I believed it. If it could pick up heavy pieces of furniture and make them fly around the room, it could easily pick up a knife in the kitchen and kill us in our beds." She sobbed, overcome now. "And Mother still won't leave!"
Kagome gripped the girl's shoulders and gave her a little shake. "But what do you know of this thing? What is it? Did it give you a name?" The girl shook her head.
"It never gave a name. It always talked about death." She looked down. "Awful whispers, always about death in the dark, and that they all were killed without mercy."
"Who were killed?"
"I don't know. The voice said it hadn't finished hunting them all down, and it wants to get free to do it." Michiko looked back up at Kagome. "It wanted me to free it, so it could leave. It's sealed somewhere in the building, and it wanted me to destroy the things that hold it there. I wouldn't do it. I was afraid of it, but I didn't want it loose. That would be worse." The girl's hands trembled in her lap.
Inuyasha snorted, speaking for the first time. "Damn straight it would be worse. A sealed youkai, who can still do all that?" He stared at Michiko. "Maybe the seal's been weakened somehow." His eyes narrowed "So how did you end up possessed?"
The girl heaved a deep, shuddering breath. "I'm not sure. I don't remember. I think bit by bit it was trying to take me over-I started out being tired all the time, fighting it. I was so tired." Kitamura tightened his fingers on her shoulder, his face reflecting his distress, and she reached up to touch his hand. "Uncle was so worried, they all were, but I couldn't tell them. It just laughed at me. And then I couldn't hear anything at all but the voice."
Jii-chan, fingering his goatee, asked slowly "Do you remember your actions at all times, or did you have blackouts? Times you don't remember?"
"I'm...I'm not sure." The girl looked at him uncertainly.
"Hmm. Usually cases of possession feature periods of time where the demon takes over the body without the owner's knowledge. Possession is normally not too dangerous, and be taken care of fairly easily by a competent priest. But this certainly sounds more serious."
That's a definite understatement, Jii-chan, thought Kagome wryly. They all sat in silence for a moment, while she tried to gather her thoughts.
"Kagome's not going anywhere near that house." Inuyasha said, standing abruptly. "It's too dangerous." He crossed his arms and stared down at Kitamura.
"Eh?" Jii-chan peered at him, eyes narrowed.
"But we need her help!" Kitamura started, a bit desperately. "I'm sure she's the only one who can purify the evil in that house!"
"So? What about leaving the damn house?" Inuyasha snorted. "Ain't nobody forcing any of you to live there."
"But-"
"You're wrong, Kitamura-san." Kagome stood up, and they all stared up at her. "I'm not the only one who can exorcise a house. In fact, I'm not sure I actually /can/. And I'm not going."
TBC
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Chapter 11
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Breakfast was unremarkable, if only because all the drama had occurred on their return, quite late, the previous evening. The family had all watched the news and seen the smoking hole in the side of the hospital. Mama had been relieved that they were finally home, and had gently reproached Kagome for not calling. Jii-chan had been apoplectic with worry and had interrogated them without mercy about what had happened. Souta had been allowed to stay up until their return, and had excitedly demanded details on the monster they had fought. Now, of course, he was bleary eyed at the table, and picked at his breakfast. Kagome did the same, not really hungry, and smiled at the hanyou sitting across from her. He met her eyes briefly before looking away, one side of his mouth quirked up in a tiny smile.
By unspoken agreement, Inuyasha accompanied Kagome on her way to school. Their steps were slow; she had gotten up early enough that she had no need to hurry, and she savored the time spent with him. The lowering sky was grey and oppressive, the air chilly, but that didn't shake Kagome's euphoria. This morning, nothing could. Final exams, university acceptance-even her newest, unsought role as 'exorcist'- it all seemed remote, all outcomes were assured success. For wasn't Inuyasha with her? She couldn't keep the silly grin off her face.
Inuyasha seemed to be in like condition-a small smile persisted uncharacteristically on his lips, to her secret delight. They had walked almost all of the way to her school before she could wrench her giddy brain out of the clouds and bring up the rather less exciting thought of her afternoon meeting.
"I'll try to be quick getting home after school, Inuyasha," she was saying, speaking louder to be heard over the roar of a passing bus. They walked closely, an occasional gentle bump of the arms or shoulders keeping them nearly in contact while they walked. "Kitamura-san and Michiko-kun said they'd be over right after, and I want to make sure Jii-chan doesn't talk to them first."
"So what if he does?" Inuyasha asked, covering his nose with a sleeve against the cloud of exhaust fumes. He grimaced in distaste, glaring at the bus before flicking a glance back to her. "You told him everything last night. It's not like he'll be surprised by anything those two tell him."
"It's more like what he'll tell /them/. He might forget and start spouting off about youkai." She rolled her eyes.
"So?" He frowned, focusing on her, but didn't stop walking.
"Hello? No one's supposed to know you're a youkai, remember?" She gave him a quick teasing grin.
He snorted. "Like they'd know what that is. Kagome, much as I've been around this realm the last couple of years, nobody ever seems to figure out that I'm not a human." Even now, dressed in his red fire-rat clothes, a baseball cap feebly disguising only the most obvious of his youkai characteristics, he was garnering only an occasional odd look on the busy street. Most passersby didn't even spare him that much. "Even those friends of yours thought I was foreign, not youkai." He sounded a little disgruntled at that.
She laughed at the memory; even upon subsequent meetings, her junior-high friends never thought there was anything especially odd about Inuyasha. "You're right. But they did all think you were pretty cool, you know."
"Keh. Who cares what a bunch of girls think." He was staring straight ahead, but she thought he looked pleased.
"Well, I liked that they agreed with me." She smiled as he glanced back at her. Yeah, he did look pleased. "Anyway, we have to be careful in what we tell people about you. There's too much that's hard to explain."
"Fine, whatever." He looked grumpy now. "But you're probably wasting your time worrying, Kagome. The girl saw me without the hat, remember?"
"Oh! That's right." Kagome thought for a moment, chewing her lip. "Well, maybe she'll think she was seeing things. She had been unconscious before that, and things were pretty weird."
"Yeah, you could say that." Now he rolled his eyes, and sighed. "So you want me to keep them away from the old man before you get home?"
"Sure, if you can." She gave him a dubious look. "How would you do that?"
"Well, your grandpa will probably be drooling all over that stuff we found out back. I was going to move it today, anyway."
She brightened. "Oh, that's perfect, Inuyasha. He was so happy that we found his father's things. And I'll feel better knowing that he won't have to go behind the well house to get to them, he might get hurt. Where are you moving them to?"
He shrugged. "I was talking to him about it last night. Once he calmed down, I mean. He said the well house would be a good place to put the stuff for now."
They were nearing the entrance gate to her high school; her fellow students passed them in ones and twos, sometimes sparing a curious glance at the two of them. She took his hand briefly.
"I have to go," she murmured, wishing she dared to kiss him in public. "See you after school."
"Yeah." He squeezed her hand gently and let go, smiling again. "Don't worry, I'll take care of it."
"Okay," and she smiled back at him, the giddy feeling returning. She went in to class with a light heart, already counting the minutes before she could see him again.
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It was near midday when Inuyasha set down the last crate with a sense of accomplishment, lining it up with the rest of the boxes and assorted junk he'd retrieved from the long-hidden cache in back of the well house. His eyes slid over to one wooden trunk in particular that he'd placed nearer the door, and narrowed in speculation. Now that it was away from the overpowering smell of damp and rot that permeated the buried hiding place, the acrid reek of decaying paper was obvious. There was more than one box that smelled of paper, but this one seemed the most promising.
He stepped over to it purposefully, but then hesitated, frowning. The trunk sat mutely before him; what sort of secrets did it hold? Would he find unpleasant truths, or worse, nothing at all about their friends left behind? The thought of disappointing Kagome, with bad news or anything else, did not appeal to him; maybe he should wait for her and they could find out together.
That idea lasted all of three seconds./ Dammit, I'm not going to sit around and wait/, he thought impatiently. Whatever was in it couldn't be worse than not knowing. Faint echoed whispers of sound from outside chuckled hollowly in the well behind him, and he shuddered slightly, skin crawling. He shook himself with a curse, and hunkered down in front of the trunk.
It was held closed with a padlock, similar to one of those that had secured the door on the dug-out hole in the bluff in back. There didn't seem to be any protections on the trunk, so he reached for the lock and crushed it easily. He brushed off the bits of rusty fragments from his hand, and lifted the lid.
A cloud of the acidic paper smell, mixed with dust, rose to his face and he sneezed violently. Holding his breath for a moment, he let the air settle and examined what lay before him. The trunk was filled nearly to the top with square bundles of paper. Some of the bundles within view were tied with twine, and a loose layer of scrolls lay across the top of them. He pulled one of the thick bundles out and looked at it in curiosity, but the writing was crabbed and difficult to read. It had been afflicted with mildew at some point in its past; the faint black spots were dry and faded now. With a frown, he set it aside and poked tentatively through the pile of scrolls.
The action of disturbing the paper brought another cloud of dust and reek, but this time it also brought a faint smell that pierced his memory: the smell of the waxy colored sticks that Kagome had brought Shippou, the ones he used to draw with.
He breathed through his mouth to suppress further sneezing, and dug through the pile, tasting the odd scent. He brought up a thick roll of perhaps twenty or thirty largish sheets of paper, the kind Kagome had brought along with the colored sticks for the kit. It was held closed with a paper ribbon, and on the edge of the outermost roll he found a scrawl in ink: 'Shippou'.
The paper was brown and brittle, and chunks of it had fallen off all along the edges of the roll. The outermost sheet was in the worst shape from the looks of it. Inuyasha removed the ribbon and laid the roll over the top of the flat-topped crate next to the trunk, and carefully unrolled it.
The inmost sheet was in much better shape that the one on the outside; it had browned and discolored slightly, but was mostly still white. It was an ink drawing of a single, dead tree, and he recognized it as one that stood just outside the boundaries of the village, on the way to the well. He used to lounge in that tree, waiting for Kagome.
He stared at it, his thoughts suffused with an inarticulate regret. The drawing was quite good, he had to admit. Shippou had demonstrated an obvious talent for drawing, which Kagome had encouraged by bringing him ink and watercolor paints once it was clear that he was outgrowing the colored sticks. She had been lavish in her praise of the runt, and he had basked in her attentions. Who would have taken notice of such things when Kagome was gone?
Damn. With a sigh Inuyasha began to leaf through the sheets, letting them coil back into tight rolls as he peeled them off for a cursory look. The topmost ones were ink wash and watercolor drawings much like the first-bamboo, pine branches, things like that. He knew that Miroku had been encouraging the boy in this type of art after pointing out similar pieces hanging in the alcoves of rich men's homes that they had...exorcised. Miroku had actually managed to trade one of Shippou's drawings once to a traveling merchant in exchange for some supplies, after persuading the runt to part with one. His scribblings were that good.
He skipped down to the bottom of the pile, to find the wax stick drawings he had smelled. He remembered some of these. Much more childish than the ink drawings, they were exuberant cartoons of...all of them. There he was, a scowling splash of red next to a smiling Kagome in green. Miroku, Sango, Kaede, and Kirara were represented in various poses or actions, sitting, walking or flying across the pages.
Inuyasha's face stilled as he looked down at them. Kagome was going to take one look at this shit and start crying. Maybe he'd better bury it under some of the other stuff. They should be looking for something more useful first.
He ought to go through them, though. Just in case there was something important. Angrily swallowing against the tightness in his throat, he slowly leafed through the pile, noting a nice ink drawing of Miroku, one of Sango and the well, and then paused on the next one. Its subject was a girl he didn't recognize. He snorted. Shippou was as obsessed with females as Miroku, but in his own, more innocent way. How many times had Shippou gotten them off track because he thought some girl needed rescuing? This one looked to be maybe ten or twelve, with a solemn expression; ink brushstrokes suggested straight hair hanging loose over her shoulders. Inuyasha thought back to the girls in the village, but she didn't resemble any of the ones he remembered./ /He shrugged to himself, and flipped through the rest of the drawings quickly. There was nothing else of any particular interest.
He rolled the sheets back into a compact bundle and held it in his hand, tapping it against the edge of the trunk lightly while he looked in. This looked like a really boring job, come to think of it. He'd had the idea that it would be easy to pick out things written by Kaede or Miroku by scent; he now realized it was ridiculous to think that a touch-scent like that would linger for so long. He was resigning himself to a long afternoon of squinting at scribbles when he heard steps outside.
"Inuyasha-kun? Are you in here?" He looked up to see Mama sliding the well house door open. She saw him and smiled. "Would you like some lunch?"
He glanced back at the trunk. Ah, it could definitely wait. He stuck the roll of paper to the bottom of the loose pile of scrolls. "Sure," he replied, getting up and following her out.
"It looks like you've done a lot this morning," she said as they walked to the house. She glanced over at him inquiringly.
"I guess." He folded his hands in his sleeves. "All of the stuff is moved out of that hole."
"Wonderful! Jii-chan will be so pleased."
It occurred to Inuyasha that he hadn't seen the old man since he first started moving things this morning. Jijii had been hovering, concerned about possible breakage of absolutely irreplaceable artifacts, and generally being an annoying pain in the ass before suddenly disappearing for the rest of the morning.
Inuyasha felt compelled to ask despite himself. "Where is he, anyway?"
Mama's brow crinkled. "In the house eating lunch, I hope. I called him before I went looking for you." She looked slightly disapproving. "He's been in the shrine office all morning, on the telephone. I think he's having a little too much excitement for a man his age. And he's just getting over that wretched flu, no less."
"Oh." Whatever all that meant.
They reached the kitchen door and stepped inside, to find Jijii heartily slurping down a bowl of miso. He set it down with a satisfied grunt as Inuyasha sat cautiously opposite him.
"Inuyasha-kun is done moving the treasures, Jii-chan," smiled Mama, bringing a serving dish of stir-fried vegetables and rice to the table. Jijii regarded him with suspiciously good humor as he took a bowl from his daughter-in-law.
"Thank you, my boy. After lunch I'll have to come down and start going through them. I've spent enough time talking to people. What a great day for the shrine!" He rubbed his hands together, cackling, before picking up his chopsticks.
Mama and Inuyasha exchanged mystified glances, before Inuyasha shrugged and began eating. Mama picked at her food for a moment before asking.
"Er, Jii-chan. Who have you been talking to?"
"Who haven't I talked to? The Shrine Association is in an uproar!" he cackled again. "Apparently, the police have not been able to determine the cause of the damage at the hospital. They've gone so far as to call several members of the Association, trying to disprove that it could have been a youkai!"
"Have you talked the police yourself?" Mama asked, wide-eyed.
"Not yet," he admitted. "What I've heard so far is that some scholars at the University have allowed that it's not 'out of the realm of possibility' that some evil creature possessed that girl. They won't say anything about the damage." He smacked his hand on the table, glaring at both of them. "When will people realize that dangerous youkai are not just old myths?!"
Inuyasha snorted a laugh into his bowl.
Jijii glowered at him, and then subsided with a crooked smile. "Well, you have a right to laugh, boy. Living proof of the youkai around us. But anyway," he continued gloatingly, "the reputation of the Higurashi Shrine is rising to the heavens. The knowledgeable and wise are certainly becoming aware of Kagome's accomplishment! I have received a number of admiring and congratulatory phone calls, and even more importantly, daughter-" he gave her a significant look- "even a couple of discreet inquiries as to Kagome's marital status. It seems" and he lowered his voice conspiratorially, "that at least one priestly family-/a quite powerful and well-placed family/-may be interested in arranging a match."
Inuyasha choked abruptly and began coughing./ /Mama shot a concerned glance at him, and asked, "What did you tell them?" She got up to slap Inuyasha's back when he continued to cough rice out of his windpipe.
"I didn't tell them anything definite, it's much too early in the game. But the intermediary was pleased to hear that she's not already engaged, of course. Kagome being so beautiful, talented, and powerful, any family would be eager to have her, not just a priestly family trying to improve their weakening bloodline." He grinned smugly. "Did I say well-placed? It was hinted that this family had connections to the Imperial Palace! Can you imagine the advantages that such an arrangement would bring to this shrine? Not to mention the wealth and comfort it could mean for Kagome."
Inuyasha was on his feet and looming over him, seething with rage. "This had better be a fucking joke, old man," he growled. Jijii looked up at him, frowning, and opened his mouth, but was cut off before he could say a word.
"I agree. And it's in /very /poor taste if it is." Mama was standing at his shoulder, clearly furious. He turned his head to stare at her, astonished.
"What's wrong with you two?" Jijii looked uneasy now, and got up to face them. "It's not like I could make her marry someone she didn't like, even if I would ever do that to my precious granddaughter! All it means is an introduction, and then seeing what happens."
"Jii-chan." Mama seemed to be trying to contain herself, but her face was as dark as a stormcloud. "How could you even contemplate such a thing? Kagome will be mortified!"
"What?" the old man quavered. "So I received an honorable offer, and not from just anybody! There's no harm in it, and there could be a lot to gain. Connections with the Imperial Palace shouldn't be taken lightly!"
"You should have refused right away." Mama towered menacingly over Jijii, her fists clenched. Inuyasha, momentarily diverted from his own outrage, was transfixed. He'd never seen her this angry. It was kind of scary, like when Kagome got really mad. "No one arranges marriages these days except for the desperate parents of old maids and confirmed bachelors. Kagome's not even out of high school!"
"But-"
"But nothing." Visibly getting a grip on herself, she glared at the old man. "This is far and away the worst idea I've ever known you to entertain. You are going to get on the phone right now and refuse that offer."
"But think of the shrine!" he burst out, wilted but still defiant. "Think of her future!"
"Think of Kagome, too embarrassed to show her face at school if word gets out. Think of how angry she'll be. Think of how hard she's worked to get into college," Mama countered. "She has her own plans for her future, Jii-chan. Don't interfere with them."
"Very well," he grumbled. "You have a point. I know she'll do well at whatever she puts her mind to." He tottered out, muttering, and tossed over his shoulder, "I'm coming back for my lunch. Make sure that boy leaves some for me."
Mama watched him leave, her expression stern, before turning to Inuyasha. He stared at her with mingled relief, residual anger, and appreciation.
"Inuyasha. Don't worry." She smiled, but her voice had an edge to it. "Nothing will come of this. I'll make sure of it."
He crossed his arms and looked away. "Who says I'm worried? The old man's crazy."
"He certainly has allowed some things to go to his head," she said grimly. He looked back at her in surprise, to see that she still looked angry. Her face cleared when she saw his expression. "I think Kagome knows best how she wants to arrange her life. I just can't see her making any plans that don't include you." Mama winked encouragingly, and stalked off.
Whoa. He stood for a moment and stared after her, before giving himself a little shake to relieve his tension. The little house felt suffocating. He made his way outside, where the sky was dismal and threatening rain. The whole idea, of Kagome being married off like that, was fucking ridiculous. Laughable. She'd never stand for it. And she'd said, over and over, that she would stay with him. And the old man would tell them to buzz off now, anyway.
And yet...in the back of his mind, a cold whispered thought gnawed at him. He was a hanyou; he had nothing. If anything, he had even less here in her world than he had back on the other side of the well. If there was someone out there who had so much to offer her and her family, someone who truly valued her...
Any man like that wouldn't let the first refusal put him off. Look at how that fucking wolf Kouga had sniffed around her for so long.
He clenched his fists, feeling the prick of his claws in his palms. /Fuck/. With a vicious growl he leaped off into the thick of the trees, to think, shredding bark and leaves in violent passage as he sought the darkest, deepest patch in the pathetic remnants of the old forest. He wasn't even conscious of the rain that had begun to fall.
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Kagome hurried her way home through slick streets, even in her rush to get back feeling as though she were floating on a cloud of dreamy contentment. She really seemed to be getting her momentum back in her studies, and if she could maintain it she shouldn't have a problem passing final exams. She had already taken her university entrance exams, so there was nothing to do there but wait-but right now, she couldn't imagine failure. Nobody had stared or whispered at school. That only means that the media hasn't made the connection between the shrine and the hospital yet, she thought darkly, before pushing the thought away. No brooding over that, not today. She felt too good. And best of all, Inuyasha was waiting for her at home.
She saw him as she reached the top of the stairs from the street, out of breath. He waited for her, arms crossed; his expression was stern and distant, though that hardly discouraged her. She beamed at him as she came closer, and his expression softened a bit.
"Inuyasha!" she gasped, slinging her bookbag off her back and to her feet. "Are they here already? Where's Jii-chan?"
He reached down to pick up her bag. "No, they're not here. And the old man is in the well house, just as I said he would be."
"Oh. Well, that's good." She sucked in air, trying to catch her breath, and he waited patiently. She looked up at him when she was finally breathing easier; he was studying her intently, amber eyes serious. She noticed his clothes were wet; but then again, he didn't believe in umbrellas. "Did you find anything good back there in the hiding place?"
"Maybe." He shifted, looking off towards the shrine, and the well house past it. "There's a trunk full of papers, but I haven't really looked at it yet." They started walking forward slowly, to the house. She frowned slightly; his manner was unusually subdued.
"Is everything okay?" she asked, glancing at him.
He didn't look at her. "Of course, woman."
They continued in silence. Kagome was confused by his abrupt taciturnity, especially after the words exchanged last night, but she was used to his moods. She tried again. "So, did you get all that stuff moved?"
"Yep."
"That's great!" She looked over at him, and unaccountably he was frowning slightly, and not looking at her. "Isn't it?"
"Why wouldn't it be?" He still wasn't looking her in the eye. At that moment she heard her name called. Mama had emerged from the house, and was headed towards them.
"I'll put your stuff in the house," Inuyasha said shortly. He bounded forward, past Mama, who turned her head to look at him before turning back to Kagome. He disappeared through the front door.
Odd./ Wonder what's eating him,/ she thought. Mama was advancing on her with a serious expression; maybe she knew something. But before she had gotten more than a few steps closer she heard her name called again, this time from behind.
"Higurashi-sama!"
She turned around, and sure enough, it was Kitamura and Michiko. She stopped and waited politely, and they reached her slightly before her mother did.
"Higurashi-sama. So good of you to meet with us," Kitamura said, bowing respectfully. He had what seemed to be his perpetually haggard look, but he wore a cheerful expression today. He was a bit out of breath.
"It's no trouble at all," Kagome assured him.
Michiko bowed too, looking a bit awed as she glanced at the main shrine building. They both looked up as Mama arrived behind Kagome.
She introduced her mother, and they exchanged polite greetings. Mama volunteered that she would go to fetch the head priest, and walked in the direction of the well house as Kagome led their visitors to the shrine office.
Kagome covertly studied Michiko as she got them settled in the chairs by Jii-chan's desk, and set about making some tea as they waited for him. The girl looked much better than she had yesterday; her face, though still pale, was animated with curiosity as she looked around the office. No trace of the evil that had possessed her lingered, and Kagome let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"Did you have a restful night, Michiko-kun?" she asked, setting a cup of tea deftly in a clear space in front of the girl, returning with another cup for her uncle.
"Oh, yes, Higurashi-sama." The girl nodded eagerly. "Thank you so much for your concern."
Kagome sat down to wait for Jii-chan...what was taking him so long, anyway? "And is your family all right? Anything happen with the house?"
"Um..." Michiko looked down, twirling a lock of hair around her finger. "Father is away on business. Mother seems to be fine. She was angry that I didn't want to come home."
"She wanted to drag Michiko home," put in Kitamura, leaning forward earnestly, "but we both told her what you said, that there was something wrong with the house, and she finally agreed to let her stay with me until the problem is...settled."
"What did she mean by that?" asked Kagome curiously.
"She wants to hire you to exorcise the house," Kitamura replied, and sipped his tea.
"But..." Kagome was stunned. She'd never exorcised a house-that was always Miroku! "Why doesn't she get a Buddhist priest?"
Kitamura set down his cup and looked at her sternly. "Why should she, when none of the ones who tried to were successful in helping Michiko?"
Michiko scrunched down in her chair, looking a little embarrassed. "That's exactly what she said, Higurashi-sama."
"And it's a very good reason, if you ask me!" Jii-chan finally made his appearance; behind him, in the doorway, was a reluctant-looking Inuyasha. He was being pushed by Mama, who winked at Kagome and shut the door behind him before taking her leave. Jii-chan made his way to his chair, behind the desk, while Inuyasha leaned against the wall with an aggrieved expression, his eyes shadowed by the bill of the cap.
Michiko had brightened when she saw him, and straightened out of her slouch. "Oh! Hello, Inuyasha-san!" He nodded to her, his expression unchanged. She rose and bowed when introduced to Jii-chan. When all of these greetings were accomplished and everyone had tea (except Inuyasha, who refused with a grunt) Jii-chan cleared his throat and got down to business.
"Kitamura-san, I understand there were some...unexpected expenses involved in the exorcism," he began.
The man nodded, looking doleful. "My sister has volunteered to pay some of the damages, and it's possible that the hospital's insurance may cover part of it as well. Still, it's going to be a hefty hit to the wallet."
"Well. You will agree that it was a dangerous enterprise for Kagome and her companion, yes?" Jii-chan narrowed his eyes as Kitamura nodded vigorously. "And now you want her to take on an additional commission, one that may be equally if not more dangerous. It's up to her if she wants to do it," and he nodded to her, "but the fee will go up accordingly. Now," and he brought out copies of the documents that Kitamura had signed, "we agreed to a small initial fee for a diagnosis, but Kagome actually effected a full exorcism..." The two men bent over the documents; Kitamura offered some argument, and they began a long debate.
Kagome quickly lost interest, and her eyes slid by their own volition to Inuyasha. Their eyes met, and he looked away uncomfortably. Michiko, apparently as bored with the men's conversation as Kagome, turned to her, smiling as she pulled her chair closer.
"Higurashi-sama, I hope you and Inuyasha-san will help us. I'm sure Mother would be willing to pay. Even if she does it just to shut up everybody talking about the house," and she scowled.
"Why, what are they saying, Michiko-kun?" Kagome suppressed a sigh. If only this was over with, and she could find out what was bothering Inuyasha...
"Well, even before we moved in," the girl began, "people around the area were saying we were fools for moving into a cursed house. It had been the manor of a samurai family a long time ago, but they all died, or something. They told us when we moved in that there was something awful sealed in it."
Michiko had Kagome's full attention now, as well as Inuyasha's. He moved away from the wall and squatted by Kagome's chair, focused on the girl. "Something sealed?" she asked. "Do you know what it was supposed to be?"
"Some terrible demon, that a whole bunch of priests died to seal in there," and the girl shivered. "I believe it. Mother doesn't. Not even now, I think, not really."
"Michiko," Kagome said carefully, "you said some interesting things last night when you woke up." The girl's expression had changed, becoming grave, almost fearful. Beside them, Jii-chan and Kitamura were obliviously arguing about large amounts of yen. "You said it promised to kill them all if you told. What told you that?"
The girl's eyes were starting to fill with tears, and she wrung her hands in her lap. "It was always just a voice. No one else heard it." Kagome reached into the pocket of her school uniform for her handkerchief, and gave it to the younger girl, who dabbed at her eyes and nodded thanks. "I thought I was going crazy, hearing that voice. It was horrible. But things happened when it said they would-it hit me with things all the time, so I knew it was real."
The men had stopped talking, and stared over at her. Kitamura reached over and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. Michiko drew a deep breath and continued.
"So when it said it could hurt us-kill us-I believed it. If it could pick up heavy pieces of furniture and make them fly around the room, it could easily pick up a knife in the kitchen and kill us in our beds." She sobbed, overcome now. "And Mother still won't leave!"
Kagome gripped the girl's shoulders and gave her a little shake. "But what do you know of this thing? What is it? Did it give you a name?" The girl shook her head.
"It never gave a name. It always talked about death." She looked down. "Awful whispers, always about death in the dark, and that they all were killed without mercy."
"Who were killed?"
"I don't know. The voice said it hadn't finished hunting them all down, and it wants to get free to do it." Michiko looked back up at Kagome. "It wanted me to free it, so it could leave. It's sealed somewhere in the building, and it wanted me to destroy the things that hold it there. I wouldn't do it. I was afraid of it, but I didn't want it loose. That would be worse." The girl's hands trembled in her lap.
Inuyasha snorted, speaking for the first time. "Damn straight it would be worse. A sealed youkai, who can still do all that?" He stared at Michiko. "Maybe the seal's been weakened somehow." His eyes narrowed "So how did you end up possessed?"
The girl heaved a deep, shuddering breath. "I'm not sure. I don't remember. I think bit by bit it was trying to take me over-I started out being tired all the time, fighting it. I was so tired." Kitamura tightened his fingers on her shoulder, his face reflecting his distress, and she reached up to touch his hand. "Uncle was so worried, they all were, but I couldn't tell them. It just laughed at me. And then I couldn't hear anything at all but the voice."
Jii-chan, fingering his goatee, asked slowly "Do you remember your actions at all times, or did you have blackouts? Times you don't remember?"
"I'm...I'm not sure." The girl looked at him uncertainly.
"Hmm. Usually cases of possession feature periods of time where the demon takes over the body without the owner's knowledge. Possession is normally not too dangerous, and be taken care of fairly easily by a competent priest. But this certainly sounds more serious."
That's a definite understatement, Jii-chan, thought Kagome wryly. They all sat in silence for a moment, while she tried to gather her thoughts.
"Kagome's not going anywhere near that house." Inuyasha said, standing abruptly. "It's too dangerous." He crossed his arms and stared down at Kitamura.
"Eh?" Jii-chan peered at him, eyes narrowed.
"But we need her help!" Kitamura started, a bit desperately. "I'm sure she's the only one who can purify the evil in that house!"
"So? What about leaving the damn house?" Inuyasha snorted. "Ain't nobody forcing any of you to live there."
"But-"
"You're wrong, Kitamura-san." Kagome stood up, and they all stared up at her. "I'm not the only one who can exorcise a house. In fact, I'm not sure I actually /can/. And I'm not going."
TBC
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