Chikara raced through the time portal, dragging the unconscious Zankokumaru behind her. She was very anxious to see what had changed in her time and, most of all, if her father was well.
She leapt out of the portal and it promptly shut behind her. Despite some modifications from what it had been in the past, the old Higurashi shrine was still as peaceful as it ever could have been. Chikara tossed her half-cousin on the floor and headed for the kitchen. No one was there. She checked upstairs and in the well house, but not a soul was to be found. Curious, she ran outside to the Go-Shin-Boku Tree.
The part youkai girl heard laughter coming from behind the ancient tree and approached cautiously. By the time she caught the familiar scent, it was too late to dodge. Someone pounced her, and the young girl was pinned to the ground. When she opened her eyes, a pair of green eyes and a mop of tawny hair were looking back at her.
"Shippo!" she laughed warmly. "How many times have I told you not to scare me like that?"
"I lost count" the said fox demon replied.
Over the years, Shippo had grown up alongside Chikara as if he had been her older brother. They had played together and helped one another through hard times, but there were times when the fox liked to goof off once in awhile.
"I missed you while you were away in the past." His laughter melted into a warm grin. "I'm really glad you're back."
Chikara looked her best friend over and smiled. Since those long-gone days she had just come from, Shippo had changed a lot. He was a bit taller than her and wore a T-shirt with the same pattern as the one he'd had as a pup. He'd traded in his blue bow and ma-ge for a long ponytail and bangs to match. The foxy little feet he had had so long ago were now like that of a large dog, and he still wore no shoes. His big, fluffy tail swayed in the breeze, and sometimes Chikara confused it for his hair.
"Has anything changed?" she asked, returning to her senses.
"If anything has," he gazed up at the sky pensively. "I haven't noticed it. Uh, hey! If I remember correctly, you dragged jerk-face back with you. Where is he?"
"In the house," she pointed. "and still out like a light."
"Good," Shippo pretended to roll up his non-existent sleeves and headed for the house. "I want a crack at him!"
"Hold on." Chikara caught his arm. "Where is everybody? I've never seen this place so empty before."
"Down the street, beating the crap out of Sesshoumaru." He grinned. "I was just keeping an eye on the shrine when I saw you come back. Why don't you go join them? I'm sure they miss you."
Chikara knew Shippo was probably going to pulverize Zankokumaru and that she should probably stop him, but she was too anxious to join the others to bother. She dropped her stuff and raced down the street.
The sounds of battle could be heard a short bit away. Chikara hurried in hopes that she would get there in time. A familiar, monstrous howl echoed from behind the steep hill. When she reached the top, the sight took her breath away.
Sesshoumaru was standing there, in demon form, and snarling viciously at the group before him. Through a combination of science and sorcery, he had been able to successfully regenerate the arm that Inu Yasha had lobbed off so many centuries ago. A woman in her thirties reared back as she poised herself to haul her giant boomerang at the huge dog demon. Utilizing his technologically improved staff, a monk, about the same age as the woman with the boomerang, pole-vaulted himself up onto the demon's back and dealt a hard blow to the back of its head. All were familiar sights to the quarter-demon girl, but something was obviously different.
A streak of white slashed upward in front of Sesshoumaru, leaving a deep bloody gash in its wake. The giant demon howled in agony and reared back momentarily. When the whiteness slowed to a stop, Chikara could see the silvery mane of her father swaying in the breeze. Taking a swipe with Tetsusaiga, the hanyou engraved a deep slash into his older half-brother's left cheek before the howling creature spirited away in retreat.
"Otou-sama!" Chikara called to him. The hanyou sheathed his inherited blade before turning around to the young girl behind him. It was Inu Yasha, and he smiled at the sight of his daughter.
"Come down here!" he beckoned.
Chikara promptly obeyed, her heart soaring at the sight of her father. It had been ages since she had seen him in such good health that she couldn't wait to see him. She raced to rejoin her family group, and was promptly scooped up into their warm, caring embrace. There was Sango, the taijiya who made a living exterminating mononoke both in the past and in the present. Next, there was Miroku, who had ceased his lecherous ways since the demise of Naraku and his marriage to Sango, but otherwise remained the same. Kagome, her mother, had purified the Shikon Jewel upon its completion and utilized its power to help friends and family alike. She had changed little since her shard hunting days with the others.
Finally, there was Inu Yasha, the beloved father she had trekked to the past to save. When she had been born, Inu Yasha had dyed the fire rat yukata in blue, accounting for the purple shade in now had. He, too, had hardly changed since the time period she had recently returned from. His silvery white hair, which she had tugged on mercilessly as a baby, seemed ever so slightly grayish in comparison to the way it had used to be. Sometimes she wondered if it had been his human heart that had melted some of the youkai silver hue away, but she simply laughed that thought away. She was with her family again, and that was all that mattered right now.
"I'm glad you're home safe and sound." Inu Yasha ruffled up Chikara's hair.
"It simply was not the same without your presence." Miroku added.
"Welcome home, Chikara." Kagome gazed at the young girl affectionately. "It seems like ages since you left."
Chikara could see in her mother's eyes just how thankful she was for her daring escapade into the past. In fact, the young girl could see it in everyone's eyes. From the demon exterminator to her father, they all held dear the delicate task the youngest of their group had done: saving the friend that had brought them all together.
"Hey!" Inu Yasha cried suddenly. "Didn't you drag Zankokumaru back with you?"
"Oh! That's right!" Kagome panicked. "Where is he?"
Chikara opened her mouth to explain when the demon in question suddenly landed next to her, unconscious and badly beaten up even worse than when she had dragged him through the portal. Distracted, she failed to duck the incoming pouncing fox demon.
"Ow!" she laughed as she hit the ground with a thud. "I see you took care of him rather well."
"Of course I did!" Shippo grinned. "The bastard had it coming to HIIIIIM!!!!!"
Despite Shippo's growth over the years, Inu Yasha still had no trouble picking the pesky fox demon up by the tail. The hanyou growled his familiar, protective growl as he held the fur-footed Shippo in his grasp.
"WHAAAAAA!!!! INU YASHA!! COME ON! LEMME GO-O-O!!!!" Shippo squirmed and struggled. "I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING! I SWEAR!"
"How many times do I have to tell you, fox?" Inu Yasha scolded. "Don't even think about it!"
"OSUWARI!" a certain mother and daughter said simultaneously.
*THUD!*
"Oi, Inu Yasha!" Kagome shook her head, a smile creeping onto her face. "Some things just never change!"
Inu Yasha grumbled as he peeled his face from the pavement. Everyone broke into warm-hearted laughter as they helped him up and headed home.
~~~~~~
This is the Epilogue. Where would you like to go next?
