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avionvadion · 2 months

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Trashahime Rewrite: Forest Deep version

When Towa is four and Airi is six, time portals leading to the modern era began to appear randomly and it swept them away.

(Potentially caused by Kirinmaru in the modern era by messing with the sacred tree) but he has an extreme makeover so he doesn’t look like the dollar store version of Takemaru of Setsuna.)

Seeing the sacred tree in the distance, the pair of sisters make their way to it, recognizing it, but are unable to find their way home and are instead taken in by Sota Higurashi- only to encounter their mother, Irene, like two years later when she is only nineteen years old and about to make her journey back to the Feudal Era after being gone for two and a half months. Despite her younger appearance, her scent is the same, and so is her gentleness and warmth, and Towa clings to that memory of young short-haired Irene for the next decade. Maria stays behind to help Sota and his wife look after them, as they are obviously her little sister's future children.

Maria soon encounters an older Koga, who had survived to the modern era by blending in, and is reunited with her precious wolf, Saun, who has grown old with age and has weary bones.

Back in the Feudal Era, six years after Towa and Airi disappear, a moth demoness, Mayonaka, awakens from her restorative slumber within her cocoon, having suffered terrible injuries over fifty years prior from a war that took place in her territory.

(Her name means "Midnight", and she is a relative of Gatenmaru and Garamaru, but unlike either of them she is a daiyokai)

She's been obsessed with Sesshomaru for over a century, and has always been frustrated that he never once looked her way, but upon awakening learns that not only has Sesshomaru has become a daiyokai... but he has also taken Irene, a mortal, for a wife.

Mayonaka is enraged, and sends her minions after Irene in hopes of getting rid of her, but this does little to deter the human, experienced in the ways of battle with her Shikigami, and having InuKag as neighbors and MirSan as friends. And, not to mention, anytime Sesshomaru discovered demons heading for the village with ill intent, he slaughtered them, as he visits fairly frequently to check on his wife and help look after their children- because he is a father who helps with raising his kids.

After two years of zero results, Mayonaka decides she has to take matters into her own hands and curses Irene.

It was a simple curse really, Mayonaka having some of her little moths spread some dust onto her kimonos while they were hanging out to dry, and it started off with just nightmares. It would make it difficult for Irene to sleep, each nightmare growing more and more horrific and taking a toll on her health, but as days to weeks to months go by she is getting noticeably worse, as the nightmares slowly begin leaking poison into her soul. Eventually, she becomes so ill from the curse that she begins spitting/coughing blood until she collapses, falling comatose.

Time continues to pass, but her body grows weaker and weaker. When the Shikigami spirits sense she’s on the brink of death, they combine their powers to cast a spell, placing her in stasis at thirty-five years of age so she would not take her final breath.

Her body is placed in a shrine within Mount Ryosozan, where Tatsunori, her dragon spirit, once lived as a highly respected Kami. The air there is very clean and pure, and will hide her scent. Sora, the eldest child, stands guard, protecting her mother’s resting body at only fifteen years old while Sesshomaru continues to search for who cursed his beloved.

For the next four years, Irene would remain asleep, and Mayonaka will be taking delight in sending Sesshomaru on a wild goosechase trying and failing to find her. All the while, demons have been going missing- swept away by the time portals into the modern era, and Maria, a much older Koga, Hakkaku, and Ginta, and the descendants of the Kururugi Shrine, work together to take care of these threats. They also train Towa in swordsmanship and martial arts, and Airi in the art of Shikigami and archery- as Airi's human blood and connection to spirits is much stronger than Towa's, who has a stronger connection to their demon side.

Shortly after Towa turns fourteen and Airi sixteen, shenanigans happen that get them sent into the Feudal Era. Potentially separated, with Towa being found by Rin and Kohaku (both of whom had viewed Irene as a mother figure, and have met Irene when she was short-haired and see Towa's resemblance to her) while Airi is found by Kin'u and Gyokuto, who note she has round eyes- much like a foreigner- and decide to take her to the village.

Later, after being reunited, it turns dark and Towa becomes human, as it is the fifth night of the month.

Towa resembles Irene the most in appearance, despite Airi having their mother’s eyes, and Kaede comments on this- especially when seeing Towa in human form. Towa asks why her biological parents aren't around if they're still alive, and Kaede informs her that her mother was cursed, and that her father is on a hell-mission trying to find the one who cursed her so he can kill them.

Towa: "She's cursed? So... does that mean she's nearby somewhere? Can we meet her?"

"That... is a question you need to take up with your sister."

"Shion?"

"Sorano." *Kaede smiles* "One of your older sisters. She is protecting her. Ah, but I do not know where you can find her. Perhaps you should speak to one of your OTHER siblings to find out. Shion, being so young, was not given the knowledge of your mother's location- as she was even younger when sweet Irene was put to sleep. Your great demon father could not risk her being found by his enemies, you see... or by the one who cursed her."

Kaede is aware that Irene was cursed and put into stasis to save her life. She also knows that the eldest child, Sora, is protecting her. But she knows not where they are, only what is being done, and if they wish to meet their mother they must first find Sora- and to do that, they must find Hikaru or Akane, for they surely know of her whereabouts.

InuKag and MirSan know where Akane at least can be found, but state that she never leaves the village and is almost never seen by anyone except her parents, siblings, and spouse. As relatives, they might have a good chance of getting into the Kururugi Shrine to see her… but the villagers are very protective of Akane as they view her as a benevolent saintess/kami, due to when Sesshomaru and Inuyasha helped Irene defeat Anastasia.

Gyokuto, a demon slayer like her mother, brother, and uncle, finds out the girls want to find Akane, so she goes with them because she wants to see Hikaru and because she’s annoyed Hisui is getting all the fun of traveling without her. They discover him lounging about in the valley and he takes them to see Akane, though only Towa, Airi, Shion, and Hikaru himself are allowed inside the shrine where she stays.

Akane reluctantly tells them about Mount Ryosozan, but that it is dangerous to visit. Still, Towa and Airi want to see Irene. They have only one recent memory of her- of when they were children and had only been in the modern era for a short time before Irene, at 19 years old, appeared to try and go back to the Feudal Era. Towa wants to see her again.

Towa and Airi want to help the mother who they remember had looked after them so kindly and gently, even when she didn't know who they were. They hold on to that one day so strongly, and to the photo they were given of her, and to the storybook of the Celestial Prince and his Stolen Love that their Uncle Sota read to them so often when they were small, as it told the (albeit greatly twisted over the years) story of how their father once saved their mother from a human lord and his soon-to-be bride, and how Auntie Maria corrected all the flaws in the story and told them the truth of the tale.

They want to meet Irene, and they want to save her. They want to feel her warmth again.

So they go to the mountain.

It’s Towa’s human night when they get there, and Sora has to do a double take and look behind her into the shrine to see the sleeping Irene. Towa, as a human, has shoulder-length hair, and solely because of the connection to spirits her human blood gives her. (Irene's hair grew because of the Shikigami spirits, even when her body was frozen due to Anastasia's spell, the first time she traveled to the past) Hair is viewed as something that holds a connection to spirits, and when human Towa's connection to the spirits is much stronger, and the growing hair as a human represents that connection.

And Sora has known their mother with longer hair all her life.

Looking back at Towa, she gives her the MOST dumbfounded look. “Here I thought HIKARU took after our mother..."

And Hikaru rebuts with a, “I don’t want to hear that from the one who most looks like our father.”

"I think I resemble Mother quite a bit."

"Absolutely not! In what way!? You can be just as cold as Dad sometimes, you know!"

"Well, I wouldn't have to be if you'd just listen to your big sister..."

"I listen plenty! It's hard being the only son, you know!"

When morning rises, Towa is half-demon again.

She mentions she met their mother when she was little, but their mother was younger and hadn’t even had Sora yet. Towa confesses she based her haircut and style off of what she remembered her looking like back then, as a way to avoid forgetting her, and Airi takes out the photo Sota snapped before 19 year-old Irene left for the Feudal Era to show them.

…

Mayonaka wanted Sesshomaru to look at her, to have her on his mind at all times… and had sent minions to kill Irene at first to get her out of the way, but when that failed, she cursed her in hopes that he would finally glance her way. And it worked, kind of.

By cursing Irene to the point where she is on the brink of death, he is now obsessively searching for Mayonaka- to kill- and has been for four years.

But when Sesshomaru finally finds her, he doesn’t even humor Mayonaka in conversation. He just attacks. This infuriates her, and she realizes that he isn’t even looking at her, more as he is just seeing the “demon who cursed his wife”. He doesn’t even know her name. There’s not enough room in his heart to hate her when all he cares about is Irene.

So she decides to take some drastic measures. Mayonaka believes she has to fully get rid of Irene in order for there to be room in his heart for her, because if she can’t have him she WILL have his heart by scarring it so badly that the memory of her will be etched in his very soul- as the woman who killed his love. So she starts searching for Irene.

(Think a very twisted and obsessed Yandere. That's Mayonaka)

When she finally finds her, Sora is there and in the way- trying to stop her. Sora puts up a good fight, but Mayonaka has more experience and ends up killing her by targeting Irene, tricking Sora into sacrificing herself and taking the blow by shielding her mother’s body. As Sora is bleeding out, she collapses atop the sleeping Irene just as Sesshomaru appears, having tracked Mayonaka down.

Sora had bought just enough time for her father to find them, and passes away holding onto her mother.

Sesshomaru is pissed. He goes full dog mode. Mayonaka laughs with delight and goes full moth mode. Giant daiyokai battle ensues. The Inugang and Kiddos all show up at the mountain to see Sesshomaru and Mayonaka battling it out, and everyone is horrified upon seeing Sora collapsed and dead, her blood pooling at her feet.

The Inugang go to help Sesshomaru, but Mayonaka’s minions appear. Lesser demons who despise the fact that Sesshomaru took on a human wife. They end up battling it out while Hikaru, Airi, Towa, and Shion try to protect what’s left of the shrine with Irene and Sora’s bodies inside. Itsuki and Moroha are working with Hisui, Kin’Gyo, and Kohaku and Rin (she's a priestess) to fend off anymore new arrivals. Miasma is slowly killing the foliage that kept the shrine pure.

Sesshomaru ends up leaving Mayonaka a bloody mangled mess, and tosses her down from the sky and into the river below. With a splash, she’s back in her humanoid form, and she is cackling and laughing with delight, grinning as wide as could be. She’s so happy. Sesshomaru is finally looking at her, and she’ll be etched in his heart forever if he kills her.

But he doesn’t.

A familiar scent has reached the entrance, and with it the appearance of hot blue flames that swallow the area, enveloping the lesser demons and disintegrating them all. As it clears, everyone sees a figure walking calmly towards them, and as the figure draws close they realize… it’s Akane.

Akane in her mortal form. The final sibling, Hikaru’s twin sister, the one that could not blend in with society in her normal form, has finally arrived… and her gaze turns to meet the gaze of her father.

Sesshomaru will not kill Mayonaka. He will not give her the pleasure she so wishes to have of dying at his hands. Her body is already mangled, limbs barely hanging on as is. No, she’ll die at the hands of the daughter that most resembles his wife in terms of power and selflessness.

So he turns away. He starts walking towards the resting bodies of Sora and Irene.

Mayonaka is horrified. She starts screeching, screaming at him, that it HAS to be him to kill her. That she did all this FOR him, but… he pays her no heed. So she pulls herself together with what little remains of her strength and pulls out her moth wings, flying towards Sora and Irene. She is determined to kill the human woman.

But Sesshomaru doesn’t give her more than a glance over the shoulder before a massive spirit (Akane’s familiar) appears and swallows Mayonaka whole, sealing her away. She burns the talisman the demoness was sealed in with a vanquishing flame, and Mayonaka is effectively dead… and the curse on Irene broken.

As she starts to wake up, Sesshomaru uses tenseiga on Sora, and his daughter is very confused until she realizes what happened and watches as color returns to Irene’s face and the woman coughs, groaning and rolling onto her side as the spirits release their spell that had kept her in stasis.

Irene is shooketh, and mildly horrified she’s been asleep for so long that Sora is now 19, Hikaru and Akane 18, and that Airi and Towa have returned and are both 16 and 14 alongside Shion!????? Three of her children are young adults now, and two of her babies have returned and are so much older now, and wait, why is Sora covered in blood?

Irene cries, and Sora is laughing and hugging her, telling her it’s alright, and Irene is like NO, IT ISN’T, WHO CURSED ME, TELL ME THEIR NAME SO I CAN BURN THEM TO CRISPS, and they have to tell her that the demoness is already dead. Irene is pissed and upset and going through all the emotions, and ends up smothering all of her kiddos with affection because it's been four years and she missed so much and two of her babies are back but her other babies are four years older now and oh gods how could she have slept so long???

...

Unfortunately... there's still the case of the randomly appearing time portals and all the demons that are disappearing.

The modern era is an extreme danger now, as with all the demons from the Feudal Era being sent to modern times all the demons of the modern era that were in hiding and blending in have decided they were tired of hiding and reveal themselves, lashing out at the humans that had them hide away for so long.

Kirinmaru is the one leading it all.

Kagome, Inuyasha, Moroha and Itsuki, and Irene, Airi, Towa, Shion, and Kin'u and Kohaku all get zapped by one of the portals. They're reunited with Sota, Maria, and Koga, and they watch as the skies grow dark as hundreds to thousands of demons appear, while others are wrecking havoc in the towns.

In a panic, Kagome remembers something from years ago and reveals that inside Kururugi Shrine is a scroll. Hinami and Ren are there, and they know exactly which one she's talking about, and they send Irene to the shrine to unseal the demon and his allies that are with him- and have been for many centuries.

It is a scroll depicting the demon lord Sesshomaru... who had been sealed by his daughter, Akane, in an effort to save his life, many many years ago, and who lost her life sealing her siblings along with him.

To quote Hinami from my Forest Deep fanfic, "Demons existed once. They were in abundance, living in the wild and in their own forms of civilization. Yet when humanity's weaponry began to grow more advanced, their numbers began to decline. Demons started to lose their place in this world. Those who sought preservation hid themselves, while others were proud and died fighting. The few who could pass themselves off as humans did so, and their demonic bloodlines dwindled until nothing but traces of their powers within their descendants remained."

During the era of the Tokugawa Shogunate and the Sakoku Edict, demons began to be killed off. They either learned to blend in or died fighting. Sesshomaru, being as proud as he is, refused to blend in, and fought for years until he was gravely wounded. His half-demon, half-white children were being hunted.

Akane knew he wouldn't survive if he kept going. She knew her siblings would all be killed.

So, in a moment of extreme sacrifice, wanting to protect them all, Akane gives up her life sealing Sesshomaru and all of her siblings away. Her descendants, who lived in hiding within the Kururugi Village, acting as priestesses and priests, worshipping the "Great Kami" of their shrine, prayed to and protected the scroll for the next few hundred years, passing down the stories and legends to each generation.

Sesshomaru, trapped with three of his half-demon children and... potentially a grandchild, ponders over the next few centuries why Akane, the child who could not blend in with society, who lived in hiding, who was the one child he was harshest/most strict with to ensure she could survive, did what she did, and how she died doing so, knowing full well he could not revive her with tenseiga after being sealed away.

And as the years pass...

He gets to see her children, and her grandchildren, and her grandchildren's children and grandchildren. Some look just like her human self or just like Irene or just like him, and then it's Hinami and Ren who are IDENTICAL to Akane and Irene, and he's still TRAPPED with his other children while the ONE IS DEAD but her descendants are THERE, and then...

Kagome's finally come to collect the shard of the "shattered bird".

And Kagome sees the scroll and finally realizes why Hinami and Ren look so familiar, and why something always felt so off about them, because in the shrine she sees a little crescent glowing upon the brunette's forehead. With the jewel shard in her hand, Kagome approaches the scroll, the scroll that has what is so very obviously Sesshomaru painted on it, despite the older appearance and change of armor, and when she reaches out to touch the painting... the image changes so his likeness is looking RIGHT at her.

Kagome is, understandably, freaked out.

She books it out of there after listening to Hinami's story, and Sesshomaru is left waiting again. And again. And…

Miasma.

The doors to the shrine slams open.

Irene?

She's younger, much younger than she was when she had died, and she's dressed in the purple kimono with the blue butterflies he gave her shortly before she originally left the Feudal Era, as an apology for having hurt her. She's... not as young as back then, but not as old as when she died. She's somewhere in between. He hasn't seen her in centuries.

And she's... as beautiful as the day he had lost her.

He watches from within the scroll as she rushes over, muttering to herself. He feels the warmth from her palm as she rests her hand against the scroll, gentle flames peeling away the seal.

And then he was freed, along with those who had been sealed with him.

Five hundred years, and he gets to hold her again.

He had missed her so much.

But it's only temporary, for after the battle she'll have to return to his younger self.

#inuyasha #inuyasha oc #anti yashahime #anti sessrin #Sesshomaru x oc #Sesshoumaru x oc #seshomaru #kagome higurashi #inukag #mirsan #moroha #Towa is literally an Irene baby you can pry her from my cold dead hands #Forest deep #Yashahime rewrite

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classysassy9791 · 11 months

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They named her Kagome after finding her injured and unconscious on the subway. Suffering from amnesia, she recuperates under the care of a semi-retired surgeon and a fresh young doctor. But when dark and violent flashes of her past come back to haunt her, Kagome begins to wonder if her past was worth remembering. Especially when a man she doesn’t recognize quite literally lunges into her life, accusing her of murder.

Fandom: Inuyasha Genre: Drama, Mystery Pairings: InuKag, MirSan Warning: Dark themes throughout

Ch. 1 l Ch. 2 l Ch. 3 l Ch. 4 l Ch. 5 l

Chapter 6 Word Count: 5800 Can be found on AO3

Miroku flipped another chart closed and handed it back to the nurse sitting behind the desk in the center of the emergency room. The last of his patients had finally been seen after another brutal day. He had changed scrubs once due to a motor vehicle accident coming in with a bleeding artery. The entire trauma room looked like a murder scene, and that's how his morning had started. It didn’t get much better from there. One of the silver linings, however, had been his mentor, Shizu Takemi, giving him praise for his quick assessment and critical thinking skills that would one day make him a proficient trauma surgeon.

Working alongside Kaede had taught Miroku so much in regards to handling the chaos traumas frequently came with, often leaving little room for error, needing quick and concise decisions to fight off the grim reaper. He had been lucky she had been willing to take him under his wing the day he showed up at her clinic unannounced, practically begging for her counsel. Even though his father had been a distinguished surgeon in his own right, it had been Doctor Kaede Miyamoto’s research analysis and groundbreaking methods that had left him stunned.

When Miroku had learned of her early retirement that came without warning or cause, he had been bound and determined to track down the physician he had idolized from afar. Maybe that was a bit overkill, even stalkerish behavior, but it had always been a dream of his to be an apprentice under her expert instructions. He had done everything he could to rise to the top of his class and snag an internship position at Memorial Hospital in which she ruled.

And then she had left - there one day and gone the next. It left Miroku feeling a little lost, as he had always wanted to be the best surgeon possible, but how could he be if the best mentor was no longer within reach?

Kaede folded her arms over her chest and raised a brow, the lights of her clinic casting her in a golden back-glow. “You want me to train you?”

“Please,” he had begged, nearly on his knees as he tried to figure out a way to convince her. “You’re the only one who can.”

He must’ve looked like a pathetic fool, but perhaps she had seen something in him, for she invited him in for a cup of tea and heard him out. She hadn’t promised grandeur surgeries or exhilarating late night calls. It was official: she had hung up her surgical scrubs for the quiet life of a clinician.

But, she had offered what she had left.

She invited him to stay at her home. When he wasn’t grinding out shifts at the hospital, she would teach him everything she knew about traumas and how to fix the things that were broken. In return, he would assist her at the clinic when able. It was hardly a fair trade off, and Miroku had wanted to offer her more, but she had declined.

“There’s nothing more you can offer me,” she had told him with a whimsical smile. “At least, not yet.”

Begrudgingly, he had yielded to the arraignment, vowing to one day pay back Kaede’s kindness in full. He only realized too late that perhaps he had brought more trouble to her doorstep than she had bargained for - two disobedient patients who wanted nothing more than to escape the safe haven she had created, regardless of their physical and mental wellbeing.

Miroku exhaled deeply and ran a hand through his dark locks. She couldn’t say he didn’t have drive, but damn, he really didn’t know where to draw the line sometimes. Earlier, during the whirlwind of his day, Kaede had sent him a quick text letting him know that she had returned home with Kagome and Rin, and would fill him in later. A twinge of guilt ate away at him. While he was here furthering his career, Kaede had taken it upon herself to clean up his mess.

“Do you need anything else from me before I go, Koharu?” he asked the petite brunette sitting behind the desk.

She smiled up at him, her eyes bright. “Nope. I think we’re all good here. Thanks!”

The doors to the emergency room slid open with a whoosh, letting the cool Spring air flow into the space. Both Miroku and Koharu turned their gazes on who entered - a woman with brown hair pulled back into a ponytail and a taller man wearing an aloof expression.

“Hello, may I help you?” Koharu greeted cheerfully, always so upbeat even this late into her shift.

“Good evening,” the woman greeted as she sauntered up to the nurses’ desk. “I’m looking for the nurse in charge.”

“That’s me!” Koharu confirmed, turning to give her full attention to the pair, a few strands of hair pulling free from her messy bun with the movement.

“I’m Detective Sango Tachibana, and this is my partner, Detective Takeda Kuranosuke.” She flashed her badge, the man at her elbow following suit, before they returned them to their hips.

That caught Miroku’s attention. He certainly had experienced his fair share of police interaction since working in the emergency room - gunshot victims, car accidents, and other physical injuries often brought the authorities to their doorsteps. His gaze roamed the pair of detectives. Takeda seemed to wear the traditional detective attire - clean pressed slacks and button-up shirt - hinting at Miroku the man played by the books. But Sango wore jeans paired with black combat boots and a black faux leather jacket, hardly the attire of someone on official business.

Koharu glanced between them. “How may I help you, Detectives?”

“There was a car accident on 34th street Friday night that’s being investigated,” Sango explained as she leaned against the counter. “We were wondering if you knew who was working that evening.”

“I’d have to check our staffing logs. Hold on.” Koharu stood and crossed the nurse’s station to rifle through the Charge Nurse binder.

Miroku smiled and sauntered up to the two detectives, his gaze trained on the one with chestnut eyes and a nice rack. “Hello, there, Beautiful. I’m Doctor Miroku Ishida,” he greeted, holding out his hand.

Sango raised a brow and didn’t spare a glance toward his outstretched greeting, instead keeping her focus solely on his face. “And?”

He faltered. She didn’t fluster like most women did when he was so brash. He knew he had charm and good looks that often gave him an edge when it came to the female population, but he wasn’t used to rejection. Sango had tenacity and apparently wasn’t easily impressed. Chuckling to cover up his surprise, he slipped his hands into the pockets of his scrubs. “I was working the ER Friday evening. Maybe I can help.”

“Ah, great,” the man beside Sango said - Takki? Kurano? something like that - as he reached into his overcoat and pulled out a small notepad. “Did you recall if anyone with suspicious injuries came in?”

Miroku’s shoulders fell. He wanted to continue speaking to Sango and wasn’t really interested in dealing with her partner. “No, not that I remember. Business as usual,” he replied begrudgingly.

“They would’ve had blunt force trauma, cuts, maybe a broken limb,” Sango prodded, hoping to jog his memory. “Most likely would’ve just walked off the street, and could’ve been a woman, although not conclusively.”

Miroku absently shook his head at each of Sango’s suggestions until she said that the victim could’ve been a woman. He paused. Friday night was when he had discovered Kagome on the subway. She had much of the same injuries Sango listed. With her amnesia, it had left everyone in the dark as to how she had ended up in such a state. Could it have been the car accident they were investigating?

“Doctor Ishida?” Sango’s voice stirred him from his thoughts.

He quickly collected himself. “Yes, sorry, I was just thinking. You said the accident happened on 34th street?”

“That’s right,” Takeda confirmed.

That street ran through the business district and had a major subway platform used for people to commute in from the suburbs. It was also one of the station routes of the train Miroku always used to get home. It was plausible that Kagome was in that car accident, found her way to the subway, and passed out on the chairs where he later found her.

Sango frowned. “Do you know something?”

Miroku hesitated. Since he met Kagome, her behavior had been odd. She had asked for no cops and had a gun - two uncommon behaviors for most people. If he told these detectives of what he knew, would it be doing more harm than good? Would he be putting Kagome in danger? Although he knew very little about Kagome, she had put her faith in him, and he was hard pressed to betray her confidence.

Then again, what if she was as dangerous as Kaede had first feared? What if she was a wanted criminal? He couldn’t picture Kagome being a hardened delinquent, but that didn’t mean that she didn’t lead a life of crime prior to the accident. Besides that first interaction of waking up, she had shown no true animosity toward them. And if he did tell the detectives about her, there was a chance they would be able to help them piece together Kagome’s past.

But would his breach of trust be worth it?

“Doctor Ishida,” Sango said again, this time her tone more firm. “If you know something, now would be the time to tell us.”

Miroku smiled easily, swallowing his moral code. “Unfortunately, I can’t recall anything eventful or out of the ordinary from that evening. I wish I could be of more help.”

Sango narrowed her eyes at him, but it was Takeda who spoke. “No problem. If you happen to think of anything that may help, give us a call.” He handed Miroku a business card with a phone number on it. “Even the smallest detail could prove to be useful.”

He took the card and waved it casually. “I’ll be sure to do that.”

“Here’s a copy of the staff members who were here that evening, along with their contact information,” Koharu said as she returned with the requested list.

“Thank you,” Sango murmured as she took it from her and gave it a quick glance.

“We appreciate your help,” Takeda added. “Have a good evening.”

As the detectives turned to leave, Sango’s gaze lingered on Miroku for a moment longer than necessary, before she finally turned and followed Takeda out of the hospital’s emergency room entrance. Miroku waited until they were out of sight before glancing down at the business card he had.

He wasn’t an immoral person, and hated lying to anyone without just cause, much less to the police, but there were simply too many unknowns right now. Even if he hadn’t known Kagome long, he had promised to care for her as long as she needed. That meant regardless of what her past carried. What kind of man would he be if he handed her over without mulling over the consequences for more than a few minutes? Besides that, he definitely needed more information.

Part of him wanted to divulge the encounter with the detectives to Kaede immediately. She had always been level-headed and would know what to do. But the other part of him feared that Kaede’s decision would lead Kagome down a dark path, and he had already brought so much trouble to Kaede as it was.

With a ‘have a good night’ to Koharu, Miroku began his walk back to the residents’ locker room to change. First thing was first - he needed a beer. Then, a couple of hours to research the car accident. He wasn’t much for watching the news or keeping up on current events - that had more to do with his lack of time than his lack of interest - so he had a bit of catching up to do.

After that, he would decide what to tell Kaede, or if he would tell her at all.

The following morning, Kagome found herself in a funk. On the one hand, she had been eager to start working toward physical recovery - mending her dislocated shoulder and injured leg. In the same thought, however, she still had no idea how to recover the memories or her mental state. Kaede had assured her that her memories would most likely come back with time. How much time? Kaede had no answer for that, and couldn’t guarantee that they would come back at all.

It left Kagome feeling a little lost.

“Come on,” Kaede said as she entered Kagome’s temporary bedroom, her hands on her hips, and a stern look on her face. “Sitting in bed all morning isn’t going to get you anywhere.”

Kagome scoffed. “What else is there to do right now?”

With a hum, Kaede opened up the wheelchair that had been occupying the corner of the room, and geared it toward Kagome. “Remember what you told me yesterday?”

It had been less than twenty-four hours, and already Kaede was making sure Kagome stuck to her word. She had told Kaede she trusted her. Now she would be paying for it. With a few disgruntled complaints, Kagome allowed Kaede to help her into the wheelchair.

Moments later, Kagome found herself sitting out back of Kaede’s home in a self-made garden of sorts. The home bordered a small forest, and was far enough away from the main road to avoid noise pollution. Kaede locked the wheelchair in place in the center of the patio next to a wicker armchair. “I’ll be right back,” she murmured before disappearing back inside.

The morning air had a slight chill to it, causing Kagome to wrap the shawl Kaede had leant her tighter around her shoulders. She watched the leaves of the trees sway with the wind as birds fluttered between their branches. The trickling of water drew her attention to a small waterfall that spilled into a pond full of koi fish. She closed her eyes. Her heart beat slowed, the thrumming of anxiety quieting to a small tickle at the base of her neck, as she took a deep breath of damp moss and wet tree trunks

The images were clear for the first time.

Dew glistened over the leaves, occasionally dripping to land on her skin. She glanced up from where she sat at the base of a tree, watching sunlight peek through the branches. A cool breeze whispered against her cheek, pulling dark strands of hair across her shoulders. She felt so much younger than she was now, able to recognize her middle school uniform skirt draped across her thighs. To be honest, she probably should’ve still been wearing her winter attire with the slight nip in the air.

She smiled. Today was going to be a good day. Her eyes glanced over at the sound of approaching footsteps against cobblestone, settling on a man whose face was still muddled in darkness. He stood nearly as tall as the tree behind her, his baritone voice soothing as it reverberated through her.

“There you are~!”

“Here you are,” Kaede’s voice pulled Kagome from her memories.

She opened her eyes to see the doctor holding out a cup of tea for her. “Thank you,” she murmured, taking it carefully, the scent of hibiscus flowers rolling over her.

This time, the memory she had wasn’t a flash or jarring like the others she had experienced. It felt soothing, familiar, a small bit of gaiety amongst the dread she had so far been plagued with. Yet, regardless of what the memory had shown her, she still felt her heart clench, as if it had only precluded the darkness of a storm.

Kagome frowned and bit the inside of her cheek, simply watching the steam curl away from her tea.

“What’s wrong?” Kaede asked as she sat down beside her in the wicker chair.

“Why do you think somethings wrong?” she countered.

“Well, you’re biting the inside of your cheek, which usually means somethings bothering you.”

Kagome quickly stopped gnawing on the offended skin, a heated blush working into her cheeks. “Dammit.”

The doctor chuckled. “Come on, talk to me.”

A deep exhale escaped her and she took a sip of her tea - a tart, almost cranberry-like flavor - letting the warm liquid soothe her throat. “I-” She pursed her lips, trying to figure out how she was going to word her next statement. “I guess I’m having, uh, flashes?”

“Flashes?”

Kagome nodded slowly. “Yeah. I think they might be memories, but I can’t always grasp onto them. It’s almost like a bad rendition of a flash film.”

She shrugged. “I’m no expert on amnesia. I’ve read studies, though. Most people will get their memories back sporadically or they'll wake up one morning and everything will just be there .”

“Most people?”

“There’s a few who never get their memories back,” Kaede replied, gazing over at her with a sad smile and a despondent look in her eyes.

Kagome huffed. “Well, at least I know my odds.”

“Cheer up,” Kaede said, trying to bolster her spirits. “At least you get to hang out with Miroku and I until you figure things out.”

The expression on Kagome’s face must’ve been hilarious, because Kaede barked out a laugh that nearly startled Kagome.

“We’re not that bad,” Kaede proclaimed.

A smile tugged at Kagome’s lips. “I guess not.”

“Miroku has his faults, but he’s one of the best guys I know,” Kaede went on to explain. “He’s been through a lot to be where he is today, and you’d never know it. I mean, he rescued some bleeding woman with a gun from a subway train.”

Kagome fully grinned at that. “Yeah, when you put it that way, what was he thinking? ”

“He was thinking you were someone in need, and he’s a savior to his core - in work and in life.” Kaede’s voice was softer. “He never would’ve been able to turn a blind eye.”

That left Kagome quiet, almost ashamed at her earlier actions, considering what Miroku had put on the line to help her. Yet, she couldn’t quite fault herself for taking actions she didn’t understand. She sipped on her tea thoughtfully. “What about you, then?” she asked Kaede.

She tilted her head. “Well, let’s just say I’m more realistic than he is. I’d love to save everyone, but that’s just not how the world works. There’s too many horrible things out there to believe that my hands can repair everyone.”

“Your hands?”

Kaede nodded. “I’m a retired surgeon. Well, I guess ‘forced into retirement’ would be a better description of it.”

“If you love medicine so much, what happened that made you retire?”

Kaede pointed to her eyes. “In the peak of my career I was diagnosed with Best’s Disease. A sneaky son of a bitch that’s apparently hereditary, but evidently I was the lucky one to start the genetic fault.” She turned her gaze to the gardens. “One day, I started noticing some trouble with my vision. Didn’t think too much of it for a while. Figured I was needing glasses or something. Went to a few eye doctors until one sat me down and finally gave me the diagnosis.”

“It affects your vision?” Kagome asked.

She nodded. “Yeah, my central vision. There’s no treatment and no cure. Only thing I can do is get checkups to determine how far along it is. My vision really isn’t too bad right now, but it’s a vision no surgeon can safely operate with. So, I was forced into early retirement.”

“Wow.” Kagome didn’t know what else to say to that. Kaede lost her passion and livelihood with one tragic diagnosis that she had no control over. She didn’t even have an inkling that it was possible for something like that to derail her career.

“Yeah,” Kaede answered with a sigh. “That about sums it up.”

The pair sat there in companionable silence for a while. Kagome mulled over the information Kaede shared with her. She couldn’t imagine going through that, and yet finding a way to fall in love with a new line of work. The strength it must’ve taken had to be profound.

“So, what then? You opened a clinic?”

Kaede laughed. “Oh, heavens no. After I was forced to retire, I nearly drank myself to death.” Kagome nearly spit out her tea, causing Kaede to laugh again. “Having your entire life turned upside down is not something easy to overcome. It takes a lot of strength and perseverance, not to mention a lot of tears and alcohol - at least for me.”

“I guess I can somewhat relate,” Kagome murmured.

She nodded. “Yeah, I suppose you can. At least for me, I had memories and people to fall back on. You don’t have that, and I can’t imagine how hard that is. But Kagome-” she placed a hand on Kagome’s and squeezed gently, granting her a small smile - “Miroku and I will be your people for now. We’re going to get you through this.”

Kagome slowly nodded. Not for the first time did she feel eased at Kaede’s presence and words. The kindness Miroku and Kaede had shown her went far beyond what she would’ve expected, or frankly, deserved. Where would she have been without them?

Probably dead.

“I don’t know if I ever thanked you,” Kagome said after a moment of quiet.

“You didn’t.”

Kagome frowned, earning raised eyebrows from Kaede. “Fine,” she continued. “I didn’t. And I’m sorry for that.”

The doctor chuckled. “It’s okay. You’re in a unique situation. I can’t hold memory loss against you.”

She smiled. “I guess not.”

As the morning sun drifted across the sky, Kagome and Kaede found a new friendship between them, and an even deeper understanding.

“Thank you,” Takeda said to the waitress as she dropped off their morning coffee.

Sango offered the waitress a smile before turning her attention to the cream and sugar on the table, adding more than what was probably reasonable into her coffee. Takeda’s nose crinkled with disgust as he sipped on his - bitter and dark. “Don’t give me that look,” she chastised as she gave hers a stir.

“I have no idea how you could drink something so sweet.”

“I don’t know how you could drink something so bitter,” she barbed playfully in return.

They had decided to mix up their morning routine and grab breakfast at a quaint bistro around the corner from her apartment. It allowed Sango to enjoy something better than cop shop coffee and to indulge in an actual breakfast, considering she more often than not started her day with a quick pastry from her usual cafe.

The weather, although still cool, had warmed to a comfortable degree that morning in which they decided to sit on the bistro’s patio that overlooked the busy downtown street. People bustled by on the sidewalk as they hurried to work, the sound of cars driving by occupying the air. Sango leaned her elbow on the table and her chin in her hand as she gazed at passersby.

“When did he say he was coming?” Takeda asked as he perused the menu the waitress had left.

Sango shrugged, eyes drifting to the watch around her wrist. “He said he was on his way, but knowing Koma, that could mean two minutes or two hours. He probably got distracted by something.”

Takeda smiled. “He’s one of the smartest men in the room, but heaven forbid his attention gets stolen by something trivial.”

“Honestly, Souten probably held him up by reminding him to wear his jacket,” she mused. “Even I wouldn’t entice her wrath.”

He chuckled. “She’s a spitfire, that’s for sure.”

“They’re good for each other, though,” she replied, tugging her scarf more snug around her neck to ward off the chill. “Speaking of, how are you and Shima? Did you enjoy your vacation?”

Takeda nodded, his lips tugging into a smile that made her heart do a little flip. “We did. Got to enjoy some relaxation, but also went on a few adventures.”

“Yeah? Like what?”

“Snorkeling, jet skiing, and a bit of parasailing. You know, the normal touristy things people do on a beach holiday.” He waved his hand in the air as if to minimize the excitement of it all.

Sango hummed dreamily. “That all sounds fantastic. I wish I could be on a beach somewhere right now.” She honestly couldn’t recall the last time she enjoyed a vacation, too married to her work to leave time for much else. When she wasn’t working, she spent her time worrying over Kohaku and his whereabouts.

“You should take a trip,” he said, motioning with his coffee toward her. “You work too hard.”

She frowned, not really wanting to delve into her work-life balance. Her father had always been dedicated to his detective work, and he left big shoes to fill. Even though he was gone, she still experienced an unseen pressure to make him proud. She would be lucky enough to be even half the detective he was.

“Not sure if I would know what to do with myself,” she replied wryly, meeting his brown eyes that danced with mirth.

“Yeah, relaxation isn’t exactly in your vocabulary, is it?”

Sango wrinkled her nose. Takeda, although considerate most of the time, also knew how to hit her at her weak points. A playful jest, but she couldn’t stop the souring of her mood. “Har har,” she barbed back, taking a large gulp of her coffee and wishing it was laced with some alcohol. It was too early to be diving into her insecurities when it came to her personal life.

With both of her parents gone, it was just her and her younger brother, and Kohaku was never around, so really, she spent most of her time alone. She didn’t have any friends outside of the police force - which she chalked up to her drive and ambition - and even when she was invited out on rare occasions, she tended to find a reason to turn the invites down. Sango knew there were some underlying issues she didn’t want to admit to, but that would probably require years of therapy to uncover, which made that particular task daunting and off-putting.

So, instead she did what she always did when finding herself too close to a sensitive topic: she changed the subject. “Anyways, I think we covered the major hospitals in the area surrounding the accident scene.”

Takeda didn’t bother commenting on her sudden change of conversation, only offering a knowing smile. “Yeah, I think you’re right,” he agreed with a nod. “Considering those didn’t turn up any new leads, I think it would be good to start making rounds on the small community hospitals.”

Sango clucked her tongue. “Maybe the clinics, too.”

He raised his brows. “You think someone would go to a clinic with those kinds of injuries?”

She shrugged. “If they were desperate enough. Or if they sought any medical attention at all. We’re just guessing that whoever walked away from that accident went somewhere to get treated. They could’ve patched themselves up in some backdoor warehouse or something.”

“You’re right,” Takeda said before he took a long sip of his coffee thoughtfully.

“Hell, I’d be willing to even interview a school nurse at this point,” she grumbled, turning her eyes back to the busy street. Having no solid leads was beginning to wear on her last nerve. Hopefully when Shippou arrived, he would bring some good news.

Her partner leaned forward with a teasing grin. “Sure you don’t want to go back and interview that doctor from yesterday?”

Sango pinched her brows together and shot him a sideways glance. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“He looked awfully interested in talking with you,” he said with a shrug. “Just figured you may want to pursue it.”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. Any man who greets you with a ‘hello, beautiful’ should be castrated.”

Takeda winced. “Ouch. A bit much, don’t you think?”

“I don’t have time to waste on arrogance.” To be fair, she didn’t have time for any men, but she had kept her nonexistent dating life undisclosed. The last thing she needed was Takeda trying to hook her up with one of his old cop buddies. She knew that would be something he would do; it was just in his nature to help out another person, even if it was unwarranted. “Though, I do believe he knew more than he was saying.”

“What makes you say that?”

Sango shrugged. “Call it intuition, I guess.”

Her partner smiled at her comment just as the waitress returned. They quickly rattled off their food orders and desire for more coffee before she breezed away again.

“Hey there, Tachibana!”

Sango looked up from her phone - about to shoot a text to Shippou - but found herself looking at the red-haired investigator instead. She smiled brightly as he waltzed out onto the back patio and pulled up a chair at their table. “Well, it’s about time,” she greeted lightheartedly. “We just ordered food. You want in?”

Shippou sat down with a shake of his head. “Nah, Souten made breakfast this morning, which is why I was running late. She keeps after me to make sure I’m eating well.”

“Like a good wife should,” Takeda said with a sagely nod.

Sango swiftly kicked him under the table, getting a good-natured chuckle out of him. “Misogynist,” she grumbled, and then turned her attention back to Shippou. “Souten just knows how much you like your sweets.”

The crime scene investigator chortled, but didn’t deny her comment as he pulled a file folder out of his bag. “I’d love a coffee, though.” Takeda waved their waitress over and Shippou ordered a coffee-to-go.

“So, why’d you want to meet this morning?” Sango asked as she eyed the folder Shippou held.

“This hasn’t hit the air waves yet, so I thought I’d give it to you in person.” He handed over the case files.

“Giving us a gift before eight a.m.? I think that’s a new record for you, Koma,” Takeda said, taking a sip of his coffee.

Sango opened the folder and quickly thumbed through the first few pages. “Dental records?!” she nearly shouted, forcing herself to stay seated in her excitement. “They were able to identify the three bodies in the car. And Koma even included their arrest records.” She flashed Shippou a wide smile.

“Best in the business, I swear,” Takeda murmured as he stood to round the table and look over Sango’s shoulder. “So, who’ve we got?”

“The driver was Manten Sanda, convicted of armed robbery in the past. Looks like he was also arrested for attempted murder, but it never went to trial due to insufficient evidence.” She handed the profile to her partner before going onto the next one. “The woman in the passenger seat was Yura Yamaguchi.”

“Any relation to Kristi Yamaguchi?” Takeda asked.

“No,” Shippou replied sullenly. “I already looked into it. But man, that would’ve been a story!”

Sango chuckled. “Looks like she was arrested for some prostitution and a few drug busts. Nothing too crazy. Oh, and she had a restraining order against her at one point. Apparently went after a guy because she liked his hair.”

Takeda scrunched up his nose. “Oh, nothing too crazy, huh?”

“Okay, maybe she had a few screws loose.” Sango rolled her eyes. “But not a big fish in this city. The third body was Hinten Sanda, Manten’s older brother. He’d been arrested alongside his brother for armed robbery, as well as solicitation of sexual favors, and rape - but apparently was never tried because the victim backed out of prosecution. He was also a suspect in a murder investigation, but again, there wasn’t enough evidence to bring him to trial.”

“Damn scumbag.” Takeda took another drink of coffee and shook his head. “Can’t say I’m upset he’s dead.”

Sango didn’t voice it aloud, but she agreed with him. She studied their mugshots. The ‘Thunder Brothers’, as they had self-proclaimed themselves as, didn’t look alike, obviously being gifted with opposite ends of the gene pool. While Hinten was tall and muscular, Manten was short and stocky, with a large nose and lips that reminded Sango oddly of a platypus. Not that it mattered, considering they were both deceased, but she bet they had caused more trouble than their arrest records foretold. “Well, not exactly sure what we have yet, but their identities are sure to turn up some new leads. Thanks, Koma!”

Shippou saluted her just as the waitress returned and handed him his coffee to-go. “My pleasure,” he said, pouring even more cream and sugar into his coffee than Sango did. “I’m going to head back to the lab and continue processing the evidence from the train car. I was able to pull some strings to get you those I.D.'s. Figured it would get you started, but the rest is going to take some time. I’ll call you when something else comes up.”

Sango and Takeda said goodbye to him and then turned their attention back to the file folder he gifted them. “Well, she began as she placed all of the documents back into the manila folder and tucked it inside her bag for safe-keeping. “I guess we’ll start with last known addresses and known contacts. Figure out what connects them all.”

Takeda rounded the table and took his seat again. “Let’s call Fujimori to start a paper trail while we hit up the community hospitals. We’ll be able to cover more ground that way.”

Sango sighed. She wanted to dig into the newly identified criminals, not hit the streets like a beat cop. But Takeda had a point. Fujimori was most likely already at the office and could start investigating the newly acquired identities immediately. Meanwhile, Sango and Takeda were already out and not far from one of the community hospitals that came to her mind.

“Fine,” she grumbled, relenting to his good judgment. Police work wasn’t about who did what part of the investigation - it only mattered what evidentiary items were collected to bring down a perp. Sometimes her desire for the chase muddled that teaching.

“Let’s get a list together of the medical centers and clinics we want to hit. If all goes well, hopefully we’ll be done by noon and be able to get in on Fujimori’s search.”

As Takeda probably knew, the challenge lit a fire under her, causing her eyes to sparkle with eagerness over her new prey. He always knew how to get her going.

#inuyasha #kagome #inukag #mirsan #miroku #sango #kaede #shippo #fanfiction #inuyasha fanfiction #my fanfiction #the closest moment to the dawn #sassy stays classy

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