InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ A Dragon's Possession ❯ Chapter 6

Title: A Dragon's Possession

Author: Ryukotsusei

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho. I merely borrow the characters from time to time for my own amusement.

 

 

Chapter Six

 

It was an uncomfortable way to wake up, horrible really when she thought about it. One minute she had been warm, content even. Safe within Hiei's arms and the next, she was landing on the hard ground and wondering why the hell he'd dropped her. Opening her eyes with a groan she looked at her surroundings and was surprised to find that she was in the well. With the bright light that streamed down from above she knew exactly what time period she was in, "Dammit you just had bring us through without waking me up first didn't you?"

 

 

When no answer was forthcoming she closed her eyes once more, trying to squash the wave of disappointment that threatened to overwhelm her. 'It figures. I guess the dragon wasn't enough like he thought it would be.' Kagome seriously thought about just remaining where she had landed, having no real desire to move just yet. Not that she was comfortable, far from it in fact when one took into account the sharp rock digging into her side. Instead it was the enormity of what she had just learned that was beginning to weigh heavily on her. Hiei couldn't come to this time and it left him in was in even more danger than she was now. She knew that she should go back, but at the same time she was afraid to take the chance. How long would it be before they were being hunted? At least here she was safe, as safe as she could be anyway.

 

 

Then there was the little issue of telling Inuyasha what exactly was going on. What would he say to this? Aside from calling her stupid that is. There was no avoiding the fact that he would be hurt by what had happened, that was a given. Kagome was fairly certain that he would forgive her, eventually. It would take time though, he wasn't known for his forgiving attitude when someone betrayed him. At the same time as soon as he learned what sort of danger she was in he would forbid her from going back, possibly even destroying the well to make sure she couldn't.

 

 

It was with a heavy heart that she realized she was at a crossroads, one that would forever change the relationships that she had with all of her friends. She had promised Inuyasha she would always stand beside him, yet she could not leave Hiei to face this alone either. 'I guess I go back then, Inuyasha will come eventually. I can explain it to him then. If I try now I'll never be able to return home.' Slowly she pulled herself off of the ground and began to climb the thick vines that clung to the side of the well. It was slow going but she managed to pull herself up on the edge. A gust of wind ruffled her hair as she sat there for a moment, taking in the peaceful atmosphere that surrounded her. There was no telling if she would ever be able to come back, hopefully she could work something out with Hiei and Inuyasha.

 

 

"Well it's about time you came back!" Inuyasha had been in the village when he felt the well's magic. Kagome had been due to return two days ago but her extended absences weren't exactly unheard of either. His mind had been made up to retrieve her tomorrow should she fail to return, yet as he saw her sitting there he was thankful that it wouldn't be necessary. Kagome's attitude could turn positively bitchy if she felt she was being yanked back before she was ready to leave. As he walked up to her he realized that there was something different, something off. It set he nerves on edge as he stared at her trying to figure out exactly what it was.

 

 

'This can't be happening. Can't you just spare me the headache even once? Just once, that's all I ask!' Kagome prayed to every god that she could think of as soon as she had heard his voice. While he didn't sound overly upset just yet she knew it was only going to be a matter of time before that all changed. She tried to scoot away from him as the hanyou moved closer, as if he was trying to catch her scent. Briefly the thought of throwing herself down the well just to get out of this predicament occurred to her but she tossed the idea aside, knowing he'd just follow her anyway. A brawl between Inuyasha and Hiei in the middle of the well house did not sound appealing at the moment. "Uhh yeah I'm back Inuyasha. But, we need to talk," she said quietly, giving him a solemn look.

 

 

When Kagome continued to try scooting away from him he decided enough was enough. Not giving her a chance to get away he grabbed her arm, holding her in place, "What the hell is wrong with you?" As he touched her a foreign energy reached out to touch him, one that made his skin crawl. Growling lowly in his chest he sought out the origins of the unfamiliar power. Leaning closer he finally got a good dose of her scent and he realized part of what was off about her. Instead of the floral scents of the soaps she used there was another laced in with it. The scent of Juniper permeated her aroma, tangled so intimately with it there was only one possible conclusion he could come to, "You didn't!"

 

 

Staring at him, she couldn't turn away from the harsh glare he was giving her. Nor could she ignore the hurt tone of his voice, well hidden in the angry accusation, "Inuyasha let me explain!"

 

 

"Explain? Explain what! You disappear, come back two days late and you've lain with another demon? There is nothing to explain!" Inuyasha watched as she cringed with each word he yelled out but at the moment he didn't care. He had trusted her dammit! While they hadn't ever spoken of a relationship he had thought she knew. Didn't she understand how courtship worked? He had to prove to her that he could take care of her, protect her against anything that could be a danger and then she would either accept or reject his advances. The fight with Naraku was the first stage, and he had proven he could protect her. Couldn't she see that he had been waiting on her to give him a sign to proceed?

 

 

Guilt flooded her as he continued to rant, but at the same time she grew angry. It wasn't as if she had asked to be kidnapped, she hadn't asked to be bought by Hiei. All in all she felt rather lucky that it had been the apparition that had come across her in the first place. There were far worse choices out there she knew, god forbid, someone like Naraku could have purchased her and she'd be dead already! "Stop it right now Inuyasha! There is plenty to explain but if you're going to be a jerk then I'm just going to go home and you can think what you want!"

 

 

His eyes narrowed at that statement. That idea was completely unacceptable, she had just gotten back and was ready to run off again? To him no doubt, whoever this 'him' was. "Oh no you don't. You aren't going anywhere until you tell me what the hell you were thinking!" To prove his point he pulled her up and off of the lip of the well, and began running with her towards the village. It would be more difficult for her to get away the farther away from the well that she was.

 

 

"Inuyasha put me down!" Kagome knew exactly what he was doing by this little stunt and concern was beginning to get the better of her. She could feel the emotions rolling off of the brand the dragon had given her. Hate and rage simmered just beneath the surface and she wondered just how long it would take before it broke free. A suspicion had formed in her mind that the only reason it hadn't attacked yet was because of the separation due to the different eras.

 

 

Once they reached the outskirts of the village Inuyasha finally did as she asked but he made sure to keep himself in between her and the path back to the clearing, "Now talk, I want to know what possessed you to do something like this!" That she would choose someone from her own time was so completely unexpected, hitting him from completely out of the blue. A thought hit him then, one he hadn't wanted to even consider, "Were you raped Kagome? Tell me, if you were I'll hunt the bastard down and make sure that he can never hurt you again!" A rage even greater than before hit him with the thought that someone could have taken advantage of her. Was that what she had meant by needing to explain?

 

 

Knowing there was no way that she could get out of telling him what had happened Kagome sank to the ground and began hugging her knees, "He didn't rape me Inuyasha but we didn't exactly plan this either. I was kidnapped again and he ended up being the one to rescue me. Things just.. happened."

 

 

Silence hung between them as he contemplated what she had just said. That she'd been kidnapped in her own time was disturbing but not quite as much as learning there was another demon in her own time. As much as it hurt him to think that she would give herself to another he could almost reconcile what had happened. She would have been in an extremely vulnerable state when she'd been rescued, he'd seen it before. If this guy had said the right thing depending on her frame of mind she might have turned to him for comfort and things could have easily gotten out of hand. Kagome was a strong girl in some respects but extremely weak in others. Emotions just happened to be one of them that wasn't under her control most of the time. Sighing heavily Inuyasha fought to control his temper, "Who kidnapped you and how did he know to rescue you?" So many questions continued to raced through his mind but as of yet he had no answers for any of them.

 

 

She hesitated, knowing how he'd react to hearing she had been enslaved and sent to a brothel. Even worse would be his reaction to hearing Hiei had bought and paid for her, fully intending on sleeping with her. It still bothered her that he'd been sent to rescue her but had slept with her anyway but there was nothing she could do to change that. Most likely it'd been because of his mating cycle and that wasn't something she'd hold against him. When Inuyasha knelt down beside her and placed his hands on her arms she felt something that made her stomach churn. The dragon was somehow overcoming the distance that separated her and Hiei. Panic began to fill her, being unsure of just what the dragon would do to her friend, "Inuyasha please listen to me and don't argue! Get back, I don't want you to get hurt!"

 

 

The hairs on Inuyasha's arm had begun to stand on end and even though he felt the strange energy he couldn't say just what it was. He stood up and took a step back but he wasn't about to leave Kagome unprotected, not with whatever it was surrounding her, "What the fuck is going on Kagome?" Unsure of where the attack would come from he unsheathed the Tetsusaiga and waited impatiently for something to happen. However as a black aura began to surround Kagome's body he took a step forward, intent on pulling her away from the immediate danger.

 

 

"No, please don't hurt him!" Kagome pleaded with the creature, hoping to somehow calm the beast. If anything though, the dragon's emotions became more volatile as it sensed her panic.

 

 

Inuyasha looked up from her when he heard the sound of someone approaching at a high rate of speed. Relief filled him as he realized that Miroku was almost upon them. This aura had a demonic feel to it, but at the same time it was unlike anything he had run across. If anyone could determine what it was and how to get it away from Kagome it would be the monk, "Hurry your ass up Miroku, somethings wrong with Kagome!"

 

 

As Miroku slid to a stop in front of the girl the black aura intensified, becoming even more threatening. "Unbelievable!" At the moment the miko seemed to be surrounded by a column of black flames but she remain unharmed by the scorching fires

 

 

"Believe it you pervert, what do we do about it?" Inuyasha knew that none of his attacks would work on it, nor would he attempt it even if there was the possibility. The likelihood of hurting Kagome was far too great for him to even consider taking action.

 

 

Quickly analyzing the situation Miroku realized that something was repressing Kagome's holy powers in addition to this dark presence around her, "Whatever it is Inuyasha, it is not of this world. I don't know if anything that we do can stop it!"

 

 

"You can't. Just.. Just go away and let me deal with it!" Kagome stood up, ready to bolt into the forest if she had to. It wasn't exactly the safest thing to do but it was the only thing with any real possibility of calming the dragon down. However she was stopped when Inuyasha grabbed her, effectively stopping any progress she would have made in getting away, "Let me go!"

 

 

Knowing that they were rapidly running out of options Miroku did the only thing that he thought might have a chance of dispelling the evil aura that surrounded their friend. Taking out two ofuda's he quickly chanted under his breath, invoking his holy powers and then threw them, hitting Kagome square in the back with both slips of paper.

 

 

~*~

 

 

For several long moment Hiei had stood at the bottom of the God forsaken well, trying to figure out a way to both calm the dragon and force the portal to open for him. It wouldn't do anyone any good should he burn the structure itself down because he couldn't control the beast, yet something was continuing to rile the creature up and with the separation he couldn't read off of her emotions to see what it was. Was it just the separation that was bothering the beast or something more? He had absolutely no way of knowing and he was beyond pissed off. "Dammit Kagome get your ass back here," he snarled into the darkness, not that it had any effect whatsoever.

 

 

It had irked him that he'd believed the dragon would be enough would be enough to allow him to pass, that the portal would not refuse him. But it would seem even that bond hadn't been strong enough. Now that it was apparent that he had been wrong in his assumptions he was being forced to deal with attempting to keep the beast contained. She should have returned by now, with everything at risk to the both of them she wouldn't take the easy way out and stay in the past without him would she? Granted they didn't know each other well but Kagome didn't strike him as the type to run from her problems, leaving others to deal with them. Perhaps she was in trouble, the warring states era wasn't exactly peaceful after all. It would explain why the Dragon refused to be pacified and leave him in peace so he could solve the problem. Any minute now he expected someone to come investigating what all the noise was, he just prayed that the Dragon didn't decide to eat the unsuspecting person, whoever it happened to be.

 

 

Irritated beyond belief he ripped off the ward that concealed his Jagan and used the implant to look for any possible weaknesses in the portal that he could exploit to gain entrance to the Feudal Era. It was a painstaking process with his attention diverted in two places such as it was. Eventually though, he found what he was looking for. He'd finally found the the spell, keyed to Kagome's energy which tied in with the Shikon. However before he could do anything about it the Dragon, feeling Kagome's panic had decided it was more than tired of waiting. Wrenching itself free from his arm it filled the well, exerting its power on the spell that kept it from the miko. Furiously it worked at unraveling it, ignoring the pull of the Jagan which would attempt to force it into submission. Not this time, Kagome was frightened and surrounded by those it considered a threat. It would not be denied in this.

 

 

Abruptly the blue glow of the well flared again and transported them into the past as it should have the first time. As Hiei landed on the other side he expected the beast to subside once more but luck was not on its side on this particular day. A shrill cry cut through the air, freezing him in place for the briefest of moment. There was no mistaking that it was Kagome's voice that had reached him. Wasting no time he leapt out of the well and began to race towards where he sensed her aura, anger fueling him to even greater speeds.

 

 

Kagome felt as if her body were on fire and she was powerless to do anything to stop the pain coursing through her body. Never before had she thought that Miroku's ofuda would be this agonizing but she would never again look at those slips of paper in the same way. As she collapsed into Inuyasha's arms she knew that her ordeal was just beginning. She could feel the Dragon coming and it would only be satisfied with blood. The only thing that they had managed to do with the ofuda was piss the beast off, the aura her brand was giving off hadn't dissipated in the least. Consciousness was a fleeting thing and she could feel the darkness trying to close around her. Just before her eyes slid completely shut she saw a black blur racing towards them in the distance. 'Hiei?' She tried to reach out to him, knowing that he was the only one who could stop a massacre from happening.

 

 

'I'm coming Kagome, just hold on.' Now that they were in the same era he could sense her easily, including all of the pain that she was in and the emotional overload she was experiencing because of her current predicament. When he didn't receive an answer he pushed against the mental barriers he had helped her erect, needing to find out just what he was getting himself into. 'Wards, they're attempting to subdue her with wards when they have no fucking clue what it is they're dealing with!' The thought only angered him further, although he was aware it was the dragon's presence that had prompted their reactions in the first place.

 

 

Inuyasha looked up but didn't make a move away step away from Kagome as Hiei slid to a stop in front of them. The scent that arrived with him was unmistakable, this was the man that had taken advantage of Kagome. At the moment he wanted nothing more than to lash out at newcomer, yet at the same time there was a large black dragon circling around them as if it were looking for any opening it could to attack. Screams were heard as the beast took its mounting frustration out on the surrounding buildings. Already more than a handful of huts had been destroyed and it looked as if the carnage would continue. If this kept up the entire village would be destroyed. The beast arrived with the bastard standing in front of him so it stood to reason that he could control it. Glaring at the demon who had come for Kagome he growled at him, "What the fuck is it that you want? You've had your fun, call off your pet and leave before I kill you!"

 

 

"Unless you want to die I suggest you shut your mouth Hanyou. Put the girl down slowly and just maybe I'll let you live," Hiei had unsheathed his katana as he stared at Inuyasha with growing malice. He was well aware of just who the hanyou was and while Kagome may not want him to kill her friend, he wouldn't hesitate to do so if he felt the situation warranted it. The dragon's desires coursed through him as well, urging him to get rid of the potential threat that held the girl. For now it wouldn't attack because to do so would cause her injury but once she was clear of the danger it was a completely different story.

 

 

"Like hell I will, you have no rights to her," Inuyasha's grip on Kagome tightened as she pushed against his chest, struggling to get free.

 

The ofudas combined with the ward on her holy energy proved to be extremely draining. Already she had passed out once but the feel of Hiei so near had given her just enough to rally against the wards. Still, it was all she could do not to pass out again but she knew that should she do so then someone was going to get hurt.

 

 

"Inuyasha. Please, don't do this. He won't hurt me," Kagome pleaded as she continued to struggle against him. By now, the villagers had realized that remaining in the village wasn't the safest course of action and had taken to hiding in the forest. It was probably for the best she realized, they wouldn't stand a chance against Hiei or the dragon if they were to interfere. Sango and Kirara had arrived as well, although they were keeping a good distance between them. The room would be needed should Hiraikotsu come into play. Turning to Miroku she turned pleading eyes on him, "They hurt Miroku, take them off."

 

 

Uncertainty filled him as Miroku stared at the young miko. It was against his better judgment to remove the ofuda's but it was clear just where the aura was coming from now and the wards didn't seem to be having any effect. It helped that Kagome didn't appear to be possessed in any fashion and the fact that this strange demon hadn't attacked yet was a point in her favor. Perhaps this was one of Kagome's friends, and this was some sort of misunderstanding, "Kagome.. Are you sure of him? Or it?" He kept a hand on the rosary wrapped around his right hand, ready to pull it off in a moment's notice. He wasn't sure if the wind tunnel would affect the beast or not since it seemed to be a spiritual manifestation of sorts but it would most certainly work on the demon standing in front of them.

 

 

Kagome smiled weakly and nodded, "He won't hurt us, just.... Just take them off and I can explain." She waited anxiously, taking shallow breaths in the hopes that it would minimize the pain she was experiencing. Through the bond she could feel that the dragon was getting restless again, yet she knew that it wouldn't attack her friends while she remained in the line of fire. They were safe for the moment, though she couldn't say the same for the rest of the village. Already Sango had attempted to distract its attention with her Hiraikotsu and failed miserably, the weapon going up in flames as soon as it touched the creature. Yet still it hadn't turned on the exterminator which was a bit of a surprise to them all. Part of it she was certain was Hiei's doing since it largely fed off of the apparition's emotions and he was remaining surprisingly calm under the circumstances.

 

 

Miroku stepped forward ignoring the warning look Inuyasha gave him. He knew the hanyou was against causing her any pain but he couldn't know that Kagome wasn't under some strange influence. Before Inuyasha could move her away he stripped off the slips of paper, noticing immediately how quickly the pain lines in her face had disappeared.

 

 

Steeling herself for what she was about to do she pushed against Inuyasha's chest once more. When all she got in response was a growl and his grip tightening she glared up at him, "Inuyasha let me go and we can all talk. Don't force me to use the word, I will if I have to."

 

 

Inuyasha never looked at her, instead giving her a snort of derision, "You wouldn't. If you say it, you'll eat dirt with me and you won't do that to yourself." Clearly she'd lost her mind if she thought he was just going to let her go so she could go anywhere near the demon who seemed to be waiting for something.

 

 

"Don't push me on this Inuyasha, you'll regret it. Hiei isn't here to cause problems, there is something we all need to talk about," Kagome said testily, while she could understand his reluctance but he had to understand that her way was his only choice. She didn't relish the idea of being slammed to the ground, especially in her possible condition but she'd do it if she absolutely had to. She just hoped that he wouldn't call her on the threat and force her to take action.

 

 

With great reluctance Inuyasha let her go, only because he was fairly certain between the three of them they could hold the intruder and his pet off long enough to get Kagome away from the area if necessary. He opened his mouth to protest when she began to walk away from them but when she shook her head he fell silent thought it took some major willpower to keep his mouth shut. Something big was going on here but he didn't know what. If all this guy had wanted was a quick fuck then they wouldn't be in this situation to begin with. The question was, what was it that had he missed?

 

 

Slowly Kagome began walking towards Hiei, dividing her attention between him and the dragon. She tried to project her thoughts and feelings as best as she could to the beast, hoping to calm it some. Her efforts were rewarded when it ceased its circling and began to gently wrap itself around her body in an effort to assure itself that she wasn't injured in any way. Once it was satisfied and managed to pour even more of its energy into her brand it let finally her go, retreating to its customary spot on Hiei's arm. Slowly she crossed the last few feet that stood between them and made her way over to the apparition, managing to give him a weak smile in the process. He didn't return it, seemingly too pissed off about what had just happened but she was just relieved the the impending catastrophe had been averted, "You made it."

 

 

Hiei stopped glaring at the people in front of him to look her over carefully and then sheathed his katana, "I did, the portal thought it could keep you from me. It quickly learned that it was wrong." Casting a quick glance at their audience he turned back to her, "You should have returned, the well was nearly destroyed when the dragon realized you had been taken out of its reach."

 

 

Sighing heavily she nodded, "Trust me I would have if someone hadn't insisted we come back to the village. At least you're here now though, I was worried we'd be stuck on the other side." It was one worry off of her mind although she wondered exactly how much of a headache she would have before this was all said and done. Now that the dragon was gone the others were cautiously approaching the two of them. Kagome knew that they were expecting her to give some explanations and fast so she decided to get to it, "I guess introductions are in order. This is Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango and Kirara. Shippo is around here somewhere I am sure." She didn't bother pointing to which one she was referring to, knowing he had her memories to go with the names helped just a bit. Giving her friends an uneasy smile she gestured to the demon she was standing next to, "Guys, this is Hiei. As you've probably guessed he came with me from my time. We really should go inside, there is a lot we need to talk about."

 

 

Not waiting for anyone to object she grabbed Hiei's hand much to his surprise and proceeded to walk towards one of the huts that didn't have any damage done to it. Kaede was already out, most likely assessing the damage that had been done by the dragon's appearance. The others followed in quickly behind her, arranging themselves in their normal spaces while Hiei remained standing close by. Briefly the thought flitted through her mind that he was like Velcro with the way he stayed close to her, not that she could say that she minded. She blushed when he raised an eyebrow at her, having picked up on the thought. 'Crap, I really need to watch what I think from now on.'

 

 

While Hiei disliked the idea that she found him clingy, it pleased him that she also enjoyed his presence, it would make the next several months ever so much easier. He turned his gaze on the hanyou who chose to sit right next to the girl. 'If he was any closer she'd be in his lap. I wonder if she's ever considered buying her dog a leash.' While couldn't exactly object to the place the hanyou had chosen it didn't mean that he had to like it. Figuring he should be the one to start the conversation he addressed the hanyou, "Before you get started with any questions I have one of my own. Is your nose any better than an average humans or would I be wasting my time by asking if you can smell anything different about Kagome?"

 

 

Inuyasha growled at the question, it infuriated him that his abilities were being called into question just by virtue of his blood. It was so damned typical of a full blooded demon and there was no way in hell this bastard was going to have anything further to do with Kagome if he had any say in it. Already he disliked him and couldn't wait for the apparition to say what he had to say so he could leave. It was only Kagome's presence stopped him from dragging the newcomer outside and beating his ass, "My nose works just fine asshole. I can tell you rutted with her!" His nose twitched as he picked up on Hiei's current condition and he grimaced in distaste. It would explain why he couldn't control himself around Kagome but it didn't excuse what he'd done, "Keh, it figures. So your instincts made you look for a mate but you didn't mark her, only forced her into your bed. What's the matter couldn't control yourself and had to pick a girl you could easily manipulate?"

 

 

Hiei crossed the distance between them in a heartbeat, his katana out and held to Inuyasha's throat before the hanyou could make a move to defend himself, "My current condition has no bearing on just what happened. Are you jealous? Knowing she gave me what she would not allow you to have? That must be a blow to your pride. However, continue to bait me as you have and you'll have worse things to worry about. Know this, I do not make idle threats."

 

 

Ignoring the way that the blade cut into his hand Inuyasha pushed the apparition away fully intent on making him pay for the attack. He had barely gotten up off of the floor when Hiei leapt out of the way, just as Kagome invoked the rosary which sent him crashing back to the floor, "Dammit Kagome, he attacked me first. What the fuck are you thinking?"

 

 

 

"Inuyasha shut up!" Kagome glared at the two of them, fed up with their nonsense already, "Hiei if you don't mind please avoid attacking him again. I really don't need to spend all day playing babysitter for the two of you!" She was beginning to wonder if this entire trip was a mistake, there was no way they were going to get along by the looks of it. If this was to work she would have to speak with Hiei about his attitude, not that she thought it would do much good. At least she could say that she made an attempt though.

 

 

"Woman remember who you are talking to," Hiei leveled a look at her that said he did not appreciate the way she was thinking. Clearly though she didn't care if the way she just rolled her eyes was any indication. "Let's get this over with," He looked at Inuyasha again who was pulling himself back into a sitting position and looking none too happy about it, "Use your impeccable sense of smell and tell me what I wish to know. Do you detect any changes in her or not?"

 

 

Inuyasha fought back an insult as he moved closer to the girl in question. He didn't know where they were going in this, though if the look Miroku was giving them were any indication he had his own suspicions. Breathing deeply he took in Kagome's scent, though it was so heavily laced with Hiei's it was difficult to find anything else. It took a bit of searching but he finally found something that was different, “Your cycles is off by a few days.” Uneasily he leveled a look at Sango, “I thought demon breeding cycles didn't affect humans.”

 

 

Sango considered what he'd said carefully against everything she'd been taught, “For the most part they don't, a woman's cycle is timed specifically to her body. But if she happened to be close to that stage anyway a dose of the pheromones can alter it slightly. Usually it isn't enough to make that much of a difference though.”

 

That statement was more than enough to tell Hiei what he needed to know. It was most likely enough to make a difference in this instance since she'd been close to being fertile anyway. 'Well that answers that question, now it will just remain to be seen whether or not it will take.' Before he could voice his opinion though a young kitsune burst into the room and stared at them all in shock.

 

 

Shippo shifted from one foot to the other as he stared at the group surrounding the small fire. Earlier he had seen the attack that was going on in the village but he hadn't been close enough to do anything to help. It had taken him several minutes to reach the village and by then everything had been resolved, or so he had thought. Now as he stood there he could easily see the tension that blanketed the room but what was even more curious was the way Inuyasha had his nose buried in Kagome's hair and the hate filled look the strange demon was giving the hanyou. Slowly he made his way over to Kagome, ignoring the growls from the two males stationed next to her.

 

 

The first thing that hit him was the fact that Kagome was covered in this new male's scent. He blinked, uncertain of what to make of this new development as he looked back and forth between Kagome and this stranger cloaked in black. The next thing he noticed was another underlying scent. He'd recognized it from the one time he'd encountered it before, when his mother had been speaking of having another kit. "What the....."

 

Carefully he dropped down off of her shoulder and crawled into her lap, ignoring the way Inuyasha had stopped his own investigation. All eyes were on him as he placed a small clawed hand on her abdomen. This was the source of the scent and it confirmed his suspicions. The smell wasn't very pronounced, just a variation of Kagome's natural smell really but it told him that her body was preparing itself to carry a new life. While the child hadn't implanted yet it was clear that it soon would. His teal eyes widened in disbelief as he stared up at the woman who had helped to take care of him all these years, "Kagome... You... but.. what about?" He couldn't seem to form a complete sentence as he struggled to put it into words.

 

 

"Out with it kit, you know something," Hiei looked at the young fox and waited for it to come out in the open. Shippo's reactions only confirmed what he was thinking, yet still he wanted to hear it. Somehow it didn't surprise him that a full blooded kitsune would be able to give him a better answer than the hanyou had.

 

 

"You want to tell me what exactly it is that you're babbling about? We know her cycle is off because of him but it's no reason for you to forget how to talk!" Inuyasha was getting irritated once more, with the entire situation. He was about to continue in his tirade when a sudden thought hit him. 'A day or two wouldn't matter but a week would. This can't be fucking happening!'

 

 

Miroku turned to Sango who was staring at the scene before them with wide eyes. He hadn't missed how the dragon had returned to this newcomer, nor had he missed the protective stance that the apparition had taken with Kagome. Inuyasha's comment about Hiei rutting with her had given him further clues as to what had happened, now Shippo had confirmed it, "I think what Shippo means to say is Kagome is pregnant with Hiei's child."

 

 

“She is but she isn't,” Shippo said nervously, glancing at the occupants of the room,. He wasn't sure how to explain what he meant but he knew he had to try, “Her body is getting ready for it but her scent hasn't changed enough to indicate that she is. That will only occur when the baby's taken root. Or that what my mama told me at least.” In fact he still remembered that conversation vividly, he'd been so looking forward to having a brother or sister but it wasn't long after that his parents had been killed.

 

"That's not possible! You can just be sorta pregnant, either you are or you aren't," Inuyasha snorted, he wasn't going to believe some half baked idea coming from Shippo. So they had slept together, that didn't necessarily mean that Kagome was expecting the bastard's kid. Instead he resuming his task once again and set about smelling her, trying to find whatever it was that had led Shippo to say such a thing. So far he hadn't been able to detect any massive changes but there was something different.

 

“Actually Inuyasha he might be right,” Kagome said slowly after a few moments of trying to figure out what it was that Shippo meant by 'taking root.' In school she'd taken more than enough biology classes to know how the human reproductive system worked. Pregnancy had also been covered and she'd learned that it took almost a week after conception for the embryo to implant but in the meantime there was a series of hormonal changes the body went through. Sighing heavily she looked at both Hiei and Inuyasha, “It's difficult to explain but getting pregnant and being able to detect it isn't an instant process, there are stages that have to occur before most pregnancies most signs are detectable.” She winced seeing the crestfallen look on Inuyasha's face but she wouldn't lie to him. It was tearing at her heart to see the way his ears had flattened against his head and his shoulders slumped. Hiei on the other hand only seemed to accept what she'd said without question, his resolve never faltering. “Inuyasha?” She reached out to him, hoping that he would at least speak with her.

 

“Not now Kagome, I need some time to think about things,” Inuyasha said gruffly before standing and walking out of the room. If he remained in there any longer he was going to say something he'd regret later. He also couldn't allow the others to see just how badly this had hurt him. It was one thing for him to eventually be able to overlook this one indiscretion, but for her to have a child by another male he didn't know just how he could cope with. 'Can I honestly say I wouldn't take it out on her? Or what about the kid?' Hoping to find some answers he stared up at the sky and watched some clouds roll in. 'If I went in there right now and asked her to be my mate what would she say? Hell, she'd probably think I was doing it out of possessiveness or pity and sit me to hell and back.' He also didn't know how Hiei was going to deal with the situation. He'd come all the way from the future, ripping through a portal that should have denied him passage just to find her. Whatever his reason was for being there Inuyasha doubted the apparition was going to be leaving anytime soon.