Chapter VI: Of Fathers and Sons.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inu-Yasha and I never will own Inu-Yasha. He belongs to Takahashi-sama. (Oh, and Kags too! )

A/N: To anyone who hasn't forgot about this story or finds it again I'm terribly sorry that I haven't updated. A mix of school and just not knowing how to continue this story can be blamed for the lack of updates. This was originally supposed to be a one-shot so I'm virtually making things up as I go along. I thank every one who reviewed and humbly ask any newcomers to post a review whether it be good, bad, or ugly. I also encourage everyone that has reviewed to continue to do so!

(I didn't answer some questions in the reviewer responses because I think that whoever asked them probably forgot. If a question isn't answered please re-ask it in a review.)

Reviewer Responses:

Orion Kohaishu: You think I'm proud of the cliffie? NO WAY! I'm so ashamed that I even wrote one. I'm such a hypocrite… -- Thanks for your great review though! Enjoy!

Black Wren: Thanks a lot for your review!

Shikon: I hope you enjoyed "My Beloved Master", and thanks for the review!

Fetchboy84: Yeah, I know, but "puppy" was stretching it a bit. That's why I hyphenated the Ko and whenever I mention him I spell it "Kou". Thanks for the review!

ShadowWalker343: Heh heh…. I don't' know what you're talking about…. Thanks for the review!

Laku: I'm trying to continue… Maybe he will, maybe he won't, I don't know. Thanks for your review!

MirokuHoushi: Like I said (typed?) above, a lot of things have delayed this update. I can't believe you remembered though! Here's an update and thanks for the review!

Well, here we go again…

Kou awoke the next day just before dawn. He laid on his makeshift futon for awhile thinking about the previous few days' events. He was the son of a hanyou that lived five hundred years before the time that he grew up in. His mom nearly lost her life dozens of times to reassemble a sacred jewel that she shattered. His father did lose his life in order to protect his mother and the world from an all-encompassing evil. At this very moment, he was lying in a hut during the Sengoku Jidai that belonged to a demon slayer and a monk—who were his mom's best friends, no less! Then he found out his uncle is the lord of the western lands, watched his mom get drunk on sake, and he was verbally and physically assaulted by the leader of the Demon-wolf tribe. Needless to say it's been quite a couple of days. And to think it all started on Halloween…

Kou dismissed his thoughts and stretched out his stiff muscles. He arose from his sleeping bag and exited the hut as the first sunrays peaked over the horizon, giving the foggy atmosphere a luminous golden glow. Judging by the position of the sun and the watch on his wrist he figured he had about a half an hour until the rest woke up. 'I guess I'll go for a morning stroll…' he thought.

Kou took off on the path to the Bone Eater's Well. He paused at the well before continuing on to the forest named after his father and his destination: The Go-Shinboku. Kou stopped abruptly by one of the nearby trees. There was someone near the tree… someone who looked vaguely familiar… 'Who is that?' he wondered. The figure was a woman of medium height. She had long raven black hair and appeared to be wearing the robes of a miko. Her hand rested on a section of the tree that wasn't as withered as the rest… as if something had been covering it for a long time.

'M-mom?' Kou thought incredulously. He knew she was asleep when he left. He hadn't smelled her and hadn't seen her approach, but this woman looked exactly like his mother! Kou thought about it for a couple seconds, but concluded that this wasn't his mother. His mother was a little bit bigger, never dressed in the miko's robes—even at the shrine and to his great-grandfather's chagrin, and this woman smelled of clay and dirt; nothing like his sweet mother.

"Inu-Yasha…" the woman trailed off, her deep, rich voice dripping with sadness. Kou tried to step forward but snapped a twig. The miko whipped her head back and glared at the trees, and Kou instinctively dived back into the foliage to cover himself. When he peeked through the leaves again she was nowhere to be found. Kou walked over to the tree and walked around it, looking everywhere for the mysterious woman. 'Where the heck did she go? Maybe the fog is just playing tricks on me…' Kou then looked to the place that the woman had her hand resting. 'This piece of bark isn't as withered as the rest…I wonder if this is where Tou-san was pinned for fifty years…' Kou shrugged his shoulders and dusted any dirt that had accumulated on his father's grave marker.

He leaped up into the safe seclusion of the Go-Shinboku. Kou just sat there for awhile admiring the scenery. 'Wow, the view in this time is beautiful—no, breathtaking. I can see why Nii-san missed it so much.' As he finished his thoughts, he felt a familiar—to him at least—shimmer of power and air distortion on the branch next to him. Kou sighed and leaned back on the trunk almost sleepily.

"Hey Tou-san," he said. A ghost-like image of Inu-Yasha stood on the branch to Kou's right. Inu-Yasha was fully clad in the same haori that his son was in, with his arms folded in the sleeves and his trademark smirk on his face.

"What's up kid?" Inu-Yasha asked, semi-interested, "How's the family doing?"

"Fine," Kou replied. "Let me ask you something: How can you be so indifferent towards the condition of your family?"

Inu-Yasha ignored the question. "How do you like the past?" he asked instead.

Kou sighed, "It's beautiful, dad. Why didn't you ever tell me about this place when we talked?"

"Because it was unimportant," Inu-Yasha told him. Kou quirked an eyebrow. "And because your mother didn't tell you. I assumed it was against her wishes for you to know."

"Since when do you care what mom wants?" Kou asked rhetorically. "Tell me how we're able to do this again?"

"Damnit whelp, I've told you this a hundred times all ready!"

"So? That doesn't explain why you're in the past with us."

Inu-Yasha mumbled something about stupid little brats. "I thought you told me you got good grades in that "skool" place."

Kou glared at his father. "Yeah, and what of it? Are you going to tell me or not?"

"You all ready know the reason!" Inu-Yasha barked at him.

" 'The power of mine and your mothers' love' doesn't cut it anymore! There's obviously a reason for it! Oh, yeah, and from what I've heard, what makes you say that? Your 'friends' say you were a real grouch…"

Inu-Yasha sighed heavily and tried to strike the tree. Since his hand went straight through it, he abruptly spun around before trying to regain his balance. "Stupid freaking ghost, stupid freaking kids, stupid freaking tree…" Inu-Yasha mumbled as Kou snickered. "And what the hell are you laughing at!?" Inu-Yasha yelled to his son.

"Obviously nothing," Kou commented dryly. "Now are you going to tell me or not?"

"Watch your mouth, whelp!" Inu-Yasha sneered.

"Gomen ne. Anyway, you were saying…?"

"All right, all right." Inu-Yasha sighed. "This tree is what allows us to speak."

"The Go-Shinboku?" Kou asked.

"Are you going to let me finish?" Inu-Yasha asked forcefully.

Silence.

"Anyway, this tree is what is known as a time tree, or a tree that lives outside of time. As you know, this tree has been here for over five hundred years—a thousand in your time. The thing of it is, it lives outside the here and now—it exists in this time and your time at exactly the same time. Or that's what it told me."

"So now you're talking to trees?" Kou asked dryly.

Inu-Yasha started mumbling again and began to shimmer out.

"Okay! Okay," Kou told him, "Gomen Nasai, Tou-sama. Now please continue."

Inu-Yasha returned but started to once again glare at his son. "What I said is also why I can be here too."

"I understand. But why can you talk through it?"

"I honestly don't know. I think it was because I was trapped here for fifty years and it recognizes my desire to watch over my family."

"I see. Y'know, I still don't now why I can't bring Kaa-chan to see you."

"That wench you call a mother…"

"And you call a mate…" Kou interrrupted.

Inu-Yasha mocked him then continued, "She'd probably get all teary-eyed on me and I don't need that kind of annoyance."

"So what you're saying that it would cause a lot of grief on both sides at not being able to hold and console each other—that just being able to see would be torture."

"Keh! Don't get all sentimental on me, brat."

"Sentimental!? And just what the hell do you mean by that!?"

Inu-Yasha snorted. "With you being raised by that over-emotional wench and that poor excuse for a Kitsune, it figures that you'd be a wuss."

"It's because I'm educated you unintelligible, pompous, ass!"

Kou and Inu-Yasha were panting and glaring at each other; their amber eyes glowing with hate. As their breathing slowed, Inu-Yasha blinked twice then cracked a smirk. Kou started howling with laughter.

"That was fun! I haven't had a fight like that in ages!" Kou exclaimed, clutching his sides and rocking with mirth.

Inu-Yasha gave a low chuckle. "You should try that with your Kaa-chan sometimes," Inu-Yasha told him, "Those fights were a blast!"

"Yeah," Kou agreed, "But they end in 'Osuwari's." Kou rubbed his lower back and Inu-Yasha winced at the word.

"I know what you mean. That's the one thing I can't say I miss."

"But dad, she really misses you a lot. And I think that she's catching on; she told Sango and Miroku that I act like you too much—especially considering I never met you… or so she thinks. But I understand your reasons for her not wanting to know about this."

"Good Boy," Inu-Yasha complimented him.

Kou looked like someone slapped him. Inu-Yasha howled with laughter.

"Dad! I'm not a kid anymore! That's mean."

"You'll always be my son, and I haven't been around enough to say that. You know how sorry I am about that, right?" Inu-Yasha asked sincerely.

Kou sighted, "Yeah dad, you tell me every time. Don't worry about it, okay? Besides, you had to save mom, ne?"

"Yes. Before all else, I had to make sure you and your mom were safe."

They sat in a companionable silence for a few moments after that. "Hey dad," Kou finally said, "I know I can't bring mom here, but why not Nii-san?"

Inu-Yasha sighed. "Because your brother all ready lost one father. I don't want him to experience the same thing if he sees me."

"Okay. Hey dad, fatherhood has changed you, ne?"

"What do you mean? I'm not even alive!"

"Yeah, but you've been watching over Shippo and I, haven't you?"

"I guess, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, like I said before, Sango and Miroku's descriptions don't fit you at all. Wellll, "at all" may be stretching it a litttttle, but…"

Inu-Yasha sighed again. "I am your father, after all, so I'd act a little differently towards my own flesh and blood." Inu-Yasha told him blatantly.

Kou rolled his eyes, "You know what I mean."

Inu-Yasha stared at him for a second for effect… "Yeah, I do."

Kou finally noticed the sun's position in the sky. "Sorry Tou-san, but Kaa-chan's probably up and looking for me. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Okay," Inu-Yasha said. "Take care of yourself and your family."

"I will Tou-san. Luv 'ya, bye!"

"I love you too, my son, I'm proud of you." It was a whisper in the wind, but Kou heard it clearly. He smiled and bounded back to the hut. The shield the Go-Shinboku put up to keep the conversation private diminished, and the forest returned to normal. Unbeknownst to the hanyous, a lone figure watched as the younger one bounded from what appeared to be an empty tree. But this figure knew better. They had heard the whole conversation from beginning to end—even through the Go-Shinboku's powerful magic. The reason was that this figure's fate was entwined to the tree just like the older hanyou—for she was the one that killed him the first time.

"So his soul still rests here, does it?" The melancholic tone of Kikyo voiced, "That makes my job a little easier…" With that, the Shinidamachu surrounded her and she vanished from sight.

Kou returned to the hut a few minutes later. "Ohayo!" he called as he brushed the flap that acted as the door aside.

"Ohayo Kou!" Sango called from the 'kitchen', "How are you today?"

"Fine," Kou replied. "Who's up so far?"

"We are!" Hideki and Hiroshi announced in unison.

"Hi Kou!" Yuki chimed as she restrained the twins from bolting towards Kou.

"Ohayo gozaimasu, Kou-kun," Chii said as she glanced up at him from cutting vegetables.

Kou was about to reply as his nose and ears twitched. "Oi, Kohaku," Kou said without turning around, "Did you really think you could sneak up on me?" Kou finally turned to look at him.

Kohaku rubbed the back of his head while looking down to cover his blush. "Heheh… I guess not."

Kou chuckled while moving out of the doorway and pushing Kohaku inside. "Good, 'cause if you did I'd consider it an insult." Kou smirked again and slapped him on the back.

"You seem to be having fun." A could voice commented. The voice made Kou freeze in his tracks. "And just WHERE have YOU been?" His mother hissed out. "I've been worried about you! You could've been attacked by a youkai! KILLED! What would you have done then!?"

Kou was about to grovel to his mother for forgiveness, but decided to try out his father's advice. He slammed his arms into the opposite sleeves, turned, glared at his mother, and snorted. "KEH! I am Ko-Inu-Yasha, the son of the hanyou that slew Naraku! No low class youkai can TOUCH me!" He boldly announced. "Stupid wench," he mumbled, this time much lower, "You should have more faith in your own son."

Kagome was speechless. She just stood there, her mouth forming an 'o' as she listened to her son's words. Tears started streaming down her face as she gazed in bewilderment. 'Wh-wh-what did he just say? He… that…' suddenly, confusion turned to anger. "WHAT!?" she yelled. "DON'T YOU EVER SAY THOSE THINGS AGAIN!" "Y-You could've been killed! KILLED! Dead! Lifeless! I can't—"

"B-But mom—"

"Don't 'but mom' me! OSUWARI! OSUWARI! OSUWARI! OSUWARI! OSUWARI!" Kagome yelled hysterically. "Your father was KILLED by that same hanyou! Besides, he was infinitely stronger than you! How can you even believe for a second that—why would you even think—how could you be so WRECKLESS?" Kagome was sobbing extremely hard. Before she lost her temper even more, she bolted from the hut.

Kou was struggling against the subduing spell's effects. "Kami-sama!" He gasped, his eyes wide with fright and his body flailing about fruitlessly. "What have I done? Mom, Wait! MOM!" he yelled, still unable to free his body.

Shippo, who had been watching all of the events unfold since Kou's "brilliant" retort, rushed to his brother. "Kou, are you okay?" he asked urgently.

"Nii-san!" Kou yelled desperately, "What have I done? It wasn't supposed to go this way! He said it wouldn't be this bad!"

Shippo couldn't understand him. "What? Kou, what are you talking about?"

"I have to get to her… I have to! Let go Shippo, let go!"

"Kou! KOU!" Shippo yelled, slapping is little brother across the face. "Listen! Let me go get her. She's still probably mad. I'll bring her back, okay?" he asked gently.

"Shippo, oh Kami-sama, Shippo, what have I done? I'm so sorry! So… so… sorry…" Kou sobbed into his older brother's shoulder.

"It's okay Ototo-kun, it's okay. I'll bring her back. I promise." With that, Shippo handed Kou to Sango and took off after his adoptive mother.

Shippo ran towards the Bone Eater's Well tracking his mother's scent. When he arrived, he looked around frantically. 'Where is she? She better have not gone back through the well… Kou and I won't be able to get back!' While he was fearing the worst, the direction of the wind changed. He finally caught her scent. 'She didn't' go back! She must be at the Go-shinboku.' Without a second thought, Shippo raced towards the Go-Shinboku.

He arrived at the Go-Shinboku a few seconds later to a sight that nearly broke his heart. His mother was lying over Inu-Yasha's grave marker sobbing hysterically and calling Inu-Yasha's name over and over. With all the resolve he could muster, he approached her.

"Okaa-san…"

"Kou, stay back. I don't want to see you now."

"But mom, it's…"

"Osuwari!" she called. She waited for a yelp and a crash, but they never came. Slowly, she turned around to see Shippo's worried gaze; his arms open in invitation.

"Kagome-chan…"

Kagome just sat there for a second before throwing herself at him. "Shippo!" she said as she began to sob in his shoulder. Shippo guided them to the ground and let her cry.

"Kagome, Kou said he's really sorry."

"Why… why would he do that, Shippo?" She asked desperately. "Why would he say such things! Doesn't he know how worried I was? Doesn't he know what would happen if he got killed?"

"He knows… he knows. Deep down, he knew you were just worried. I can't say why he said what he said, but he was really sorry. He was sobbing just as you are now on my shoulder. He was devastated that he did this to you."

"I know. But it wasn't just what he said—that made me mad, of course, but it was more or less how he said it," she elaborated. As she was saying this, a being shimmered to life on the branches of the Go-Shinboku. Shippo's eyes widened considerably as he recognized this person; almost the spitting image of the boy he left back at the hut. He was about to interrupt her when he saw the figure bring a clawed finger to his lips and shake his head, his golden eyes shinning with worry. Kagome continued, "He sounded just like Inu-Yasha! It was as if Inu-Yasha was right there coaching him on what to say!" Shippo watched as the figure's eyes widened.

Shippo watched Inu-Yasha as he conveyed his consolation. "I bet it's this time period, Kagome. I bet that Inu-Yasha's spirit just blankets the land and influences us all."

"Yeah," Kagome agreed, sitting back and wiping her eyes. "It's almost like I can feel him right now."

Nodding to the figure, Shippo helped Kagome up—making sure she didn't turn around—and led her back towards the hut. "Let's go Kagome. I bet Kou's going crazy with worry."

"Wait Shippo," she said. Shippo's eyes widened as Kagome began to turn around. Inu-Yasha shimmered away before she could see him. Kagome walked over to the mini-shrine and kissed her hand before resting it on the shrine. "Ai Shiteru Inu-Yasha." With that, they walked back towards the hut. As they reached the end of the forest, the figure once again returned to the Go-Shinboku, a lone tear traveling down his cheek.

Kou sat on the floor of Sango and Miroku's hut hugging his knees with tears still silently streaming down his cheeks. There was a dead silence in the hut and everyone's eyes snapped towards the doorway as the flap was pushed aside. Shippo stepped in first with a sheepish grin on his face followed by Kagome.

"OKAA-CHAN!" Kou exclaimed as he all but threw himself at his mother; kneeling in front of her with his hands wrapped around her waist and crying into her stomach. "Gomen Nasai Okaa-chan. I didn't mean what I said. I thought acting like Otou-sama would cheer you up. I didn't mean to upset you. Please forgive me!"

Kagome was surprised at first but then her face changed into a warm smile. "Shh, Shhh, it's okay Kou, it's okay." Kagome dropped to her knees to embrace her son properly. "Don't worry about it. I know you were just trying to cheer me up, but I was really worried about you. You haven't trained or had to rely on yourself as much as your father did at your age. I was just worried about you is all. You can't defend yourself as well as he could."

"I know. Forgive me?" Kou asked.

"Of course. I love you, my son."

"I love you too mama."

"I know… I know… " Kagome stood up and clapped her hands. "Now that the waterworks are over, what do you say we have some brekafast?" she asked everyone.

"Yay!" all of the kids chorused.

After all of the food was passed out and everyone sat down, conversation began again. "So Kou," Sango asked as she sipped her soup, "How did you know how to act like Inu-Yasha so well?"

Kou's eyes widened and he paled. "Err… um…"

Shippo noticed this and spoke up, "That would be my fault. I used to act out his father for him… y'know so he knew more about his father." Shippo ducked his head when he saw his mother's disapproving glare.

The rest of the meal enjoyed pleasant conversation until Shippo noticed something peculiar. "Oh no…" Shippo moaned, "Not him."

"Wha…?" Kagome asked.

"Hey!" An obnoxiously high voice called, "Stop that! Oww! Leave me alone you stupid cat!"

Sango sighed and called her pet. "Kirara! Bring him here please!" Kirara, in her huge neko-youkai form, walked in with Jaken tightly clutched between her teeth.

Miroku had to bite back laughter. "All right Kirara, put him down."

"Does she have to?" Chii whined. "He's so annoying!"

"Chii!" Sango exclaimed. "Be nice!"

"You can't blame me!" she argued.

"You have to give her that, dear," Miroku agreed.

"Houshi-sama!" Sango chided.

"Don't you mean your Houshi-sama, Sango-chan?" Sango blushed madly.

Kagome sighed. "Kirara." The fire-cat glanced at her before dropping Jaken, shrinking back to her cuddly size, and jumping on her master's shoulder.

"What do you need, Jaken?" Kagome asked patiently.

"That neko-youkai is insane! Sesshomaru-sama will skin that thing alive!"

"Jaken!" Kagome chided, her gracious mood lessening.

"Oh, yes, I have a letter for you from Sesshomaru-sama," he announced.

They stared at each other for a minute. "Well?" Kagome asked, spitefully. "Bring it here!"

"Wha? How dare…" Jaken saw Kou's glare and his jaw snapped shut instantly. He silently waked over and handed it to her.

"Thank you," she said.

"What does it say Kagome-chan?" Sango asked.

"What does it say? What does it say?" Hiroshi and Hideki echoed cutely.

"Well, let's see:

Dear Kagome-sama, Shippo, Ko-Inu-Yasha, Sango, Miroku and Family:

I, Sesshomaru, Lord of the Western Lands, formally invite you for a stay at my castle. This is a privilege not given to many, and Rin and I sincerely hope you will join us. You shall not need any extra garments or food for your stay, as we shall provide them accordingly. All I ask is you be careful on your journey and come as soon as possible. Rin's next training exercise will be conducted here, so I suggest the taijiya and houshi bring the equipment needed. We hope to see you soon,

--Lord Sesshomaru and Lady Rin.

"Sesshomaru-sama's castle!" Yuki exclaimed, "Can we go? Can we? Can we? Can we?"

"Well, I guess so…" Sango replied, "Are you coming Kagome-chan?"

"I don't know. What do you think, Kou?" Kagome asked.

"I think we should! In fact, we should leave right away."

"I guess that's a yes," Kagome announced.

"Hey, Jaken," Miroku addressed the little imp, "How did you get here so fast?"

"Oh… well," Jaken replied, "I met Sesshomaru-sama the night before last about three-quarters of the way back to the castle. With Rin-sama's nagging, he penned a letter, gave it to me and… kind of… threw me about a quarter-and-a-half of the way back. It took me about to day for me to walk the rest of the way."

Miroku, Sango, Kagome and Shippo couldn't contain their laughter. They all exploded with mirth while Jaken had his head down blushing. After the laughter subsided, Kou asked the obvious question: "When do we leave?"

"Well, we can probably get packed in a couple hours. If we leave by noon, it should only take us about two days," Miroku replied thoughtfully.

"Then we'll leave about noon!" Kagome excliamed.

"Right!" everybody chorused.

Japanese Terms:

Hanyou: ½ human ½ demon

Tou-san/Otou-san: Father

Kaa-chan/Okaa-chan: Mother

Nii-san/Onii-san: Big Brother

Toto-chan/Ototo-chan: Little Brother

Gomen/Gomen ne: I'm sorry

Gomen Nasai: I'm very sorry

Shinidamachu: Kikyo's soul skimmers

Ohayo: Good Morning (Tadaima works too)

Ohayo Gozaimasu: Good Morning (very polite)

Kami-sama: God

Ai Shiteru: I love you

Neko: Cat

Well, there goes another chapter! It's a little longer than normal so please enjoy. I don't know when I'll be able to update again. I can only update when I think of something to write about. I'll try to update soon!

Please Review.

Regards, Ryguy5387