InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ A Dragon's Possession ❯ Chapter 9

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.

 

And here's the ever so long author's Note: So yeah, it's been a year since this was updated but as you probably noticed if you haven't given up on the fic, I revised the previous eight chapters as well. Quite a bit of it is still the same although I had to rewrite a great deal of it due to changes in my writing style. Other things have been altered however, including the addition of conversations that weren't in the first version. So you may wish to reread them, or not. Nothing was changed that altered the outcome of Hiei and Kagome leaving, it just settled things a bit more to my liking. Unfortunately the lemon anticipated for this chapter didn't happen. I'm hoping the next one will be a bit more suitable for it.

 

There's no real time frame on when the next update for this story will be. I've received more than one comment(or complaint) about the amount of one shots I've been doing. I know I've stated this before but I'm guessing either people haven't read it, don't realize what it means or just plain don't care. I'll try to explain this again with a bit more detail. I've joined several live journal communities that have fic writing challenges. A pairing is claimed and you are given a list of themes that you have to complete within a certain time frame. Usually one theme per story every three months. I found this is a great way to get rid of the random plot bunnies that attack and want to be turned into full length fics. But it still puts me on a time line. So updates for the communities are going to be more frequent until the challenges are taken care of. I'm also revising my older stories as time permits so rest assured they are not being completely ignored. I'm just so disgusted with how some of them look I can't even concentrate on writing the next chapter until they're cleaned up and yes, On The Night Of A Blood Red Moon is one of them. The next chapter is more than half written but I need to get the previous chapters fixed before I finish it. Thank you to everyone for your continued patience and for the reviews, they are greatly appreciated.

 

 

Chapter Nine

 

A cloud of dust signaled the newcomer's arrival and Hiei tightened the grip he had on his katana, not moving from his position at Kagome's side. Based on the feel of the youki he could tell that it was a male and with Inuyasha's protective stance he could only come to the conclusion that it was a possible rival. An enemy would have alarmed both women and while they looked nervous there were no traces of fear around them. The thought that it was another male seeking the woman he'd been bound too was enough to intensify his lust for blood but still he fought for control. 'I refuse to give myself over to some foolish notion that another could take her away.'

 

Even so, with his breeding cycle raging full force through his body it was all he could do not to strike first and ask questions of the corpse as he wanted to do. The lack of reaction from the others was the only thing aiding him in that endeavor, had he picked up the slightest indication that there was something serious he would have already begun his attack. As the strange demon came into view the tension level around him increased but not to an intolerable level. Casting a quick look over to Kagome he saw her gazing at him with uncertainty and trepidation. A small hand came to rest lightly on his shoulder, no doubt meant to forestall any possible acts of aggression on his part. 'Not that it would be enough to stop me should the situation warrant it. She's far too accustomed to being the one in control.'

 

Worried didn't quite cover just what Kagome was feeling at the moment. She could literally feel the agitation rolling off of the apparition but she knew he wasn't likely to listen to her if she told him that Kouga wasn't a threat. God only knew she had never been able to get it through Inuyasha's thick head that she hadn't been interested in the wolf, nothing she had ever said had made much of a difference. While it was hard to imagine she was beginning to wonder if Hiei was even more hardheaded than the hanyou. He certainly was move volatile which was certain to cause numerous moments of worry until they left the village. Still, she had to try and calm him down some. Perhaps there was a way she could ease his apprehension, if only a little bit. Carefully she took a step closer and spoke softly to him, "It's only Kouga."

 

The girl's wording affirmed that she did indeed know the strange demon but that in itself meant very little to him. Until he had the opportunity to discern for himself just how much of a threat the newcomer was he wouldn't let his guard down. Scoffing softly he kept his attention trained ahead, "It changes nothing." Personally Hiei didn't care that what he had said did nothing to reassure the girl holding on to him. One way or another Kagome would come to understand that he put his trust in very few people and she wasn't one of them yet. He wasn't about to take her word on the trustworthiness of people he didn't know. As it was he already questioned her judgment on her choice of traveling companions.

 

Any retort she might have had died on her lips as Kouga came into view. For once he didn't slide to a stop, trampling Inuyasha in the process just to get close to her. No doubt a vicious fight would have broken out if that had occurred this time but instead he had stopped a good distance away and was taking a moment to look her over. Kagome couldn't help but flush as she endured his scrutiny, surely he could sense that there was something different about her, after all Inuyasha had noticed the dragon's aura almost immediately. An uneasy silence stretched out between the group before it was finally broken. Just as she was about to greet Kouga, Inuyasha beat her to addressing him.

 

"Why are you here Kouga?" Seeing Kagome about to approach Kouga had prompted him to make the first move. Inuyasha knew that Kagome was blissfully unaware of the way demon society worked and it was up to him to step in before an all out war started. With Hiei being in season there was every chance that if Kagome made a move towards Kouga the apparition would react violently. Whether the smaller demon saw her as his mate or not no longer mattered, she carried his offspring and it would rouse his protective instincts like nothing else could. The village had already suffered enough damage from the dragon's attack earlier, they didn't need a repeat occurance of the day's events.

 

The fact that Inuyasha wasn't hurling insults at the first opportunity was telling. But even in the face of that development Kouga hardly spared him a glance. Instead he concentrated on the short apparition that was standing beside the human priestess he had been pursuing for years. His nose twitched as the breeze shifted, bringing the demon's musky scent closer and confirming his suspicions. Based on the way Kagome was touching the man he knew that something had happened between them, something big. Finally he turned to Inuyasha who was staring at him with a guarded expression, "Hell dog breath, it's not every day that someone tries to call the Dragon of Darkness Flame.” Seeing the stunned expressions on their faces he snorted in disgust, “What? You think I wouldn't come to check things out? I had to make sure that Kagome was okay." A stunned silence followed his proclamation just as he had expected. Few would recognize the beast from hell and truthfully, he wouldn't have been able to either if it hadn't been for an experience many years ago when he watched a pyromancer attempt to summon the creature and pay for it with his life.

 

"How the hell did you know that?" Inuyasha wasn't certain just how Kouga knew of the wretched creature but it pissed him off that he knew what it was. Especially considering the fact that not even Sango or Miroku had any idea about the dragon and the apparition had taken great joy in rubbing their ignorance in their faces. Now this just gave Kouga one more reason to gloat around him.

 

Kouga snorted and rolled his eyes, casting a superior look over to to the hanyou, "I know a lot of things you don't. Instead of me shoving my knowledge in your face, why doesn't someone tell just what the hell is going on here?" So far the demon in black hadn't made a move but he knew that he was being watched very carefully. The aura that continued to pulse around him told him that this man was indeed very dangerous and he would have been a fool to miss that the dragon's energy cloaked the smaller demon. Somehow the man had managed what was thought to be impossible and tamed the beast.

 

"And people bitch about my sense of smell," Inuyasha muttered while crossing his arms. Perhaps it was just that Kouga wasn't close enough to catch the girl's scent or maybe he was just being blind to the obvious. Either way Inuyasha knew that he was stuck dealing with this mess and at this point he would rather be stuck dealing with his bastard of a brother than the wolf in front of him. Things would have been ever so much easier. Seeing the confused look on Kouga's face and the way he was stepping forward to discover what he was missing had Inuyasha taking action before things could get out of hand, "I'll make this simple for you wolf. He fucked her, she's pregnant. Now they have to find a place to go to keep her safe from Naraku."

 

"Inuyasha!" Kagome was horrified with the way the hanyou had just bluntly laid the situation out. To tell the truth she was still ashamed of what had happened and to have it spoken so callously caused her anger to flare. Sure, the others knew of the circumstances behind it now but that still didn't change things and Kouga was oblivious to what had happened to her while she was gone. What would he think of her now? He had to know that she hadn't known Hiei for very long.

 

"And here I thought you cared for the girl fool. Do you think she appreciates the insinuation that she is a whore? Think before you speak, assuming you are capable of such a difficult concept," Hiei had managed to relax ever so slightly seeing that the wolf hadn't proven to be a threat as of yet. The fact that Kouga was aware of what the dragon was helped some, if the man knew then just what he was up against it was unlikely he'd be foolish enough to make a move on the girl. Of course, the circumstances insinuated that Kagome was exactly what Inuyasha had hinted at but Hiei was no fool. Had it been under any other circumstances the girl probably wouldn't have looked twice at him as a potential partner.

 

Inuyasha's ears flattened against his head as realization of what he had just done set in. "Aw hell I didn't mean it like that!" Still, he couldn't take back the words nor the furious way that Kagome was now looking at him. If she sat him this time he wasn't going to complain, he knew that he deserved it. Yet the dreaded word that would invoke the rosary never came, instead Kagome turned from them all with her fists clenched at her sides.

 

Taking one look at how quickly the situation was about to deteriorate Sango made the decision to take Kagome back to the hut. Hiei seemed torn between laying into Inuyasha and trying to calm Kagome down, after all it was him that was going to have to deal with her once they left. His stiff posture was a testament to just how uncertain he was but the sneer he had directed to the hanyou only intensified. Grabbing the girl's hand she began tugging her away from the group, "Kagome, lets go back to the hut and double check the packs okay?"

 

Taking a deep breath, Kagome nodded once and began stalking away from the group leaving Sango to hurry and catch up with her. Feeling the apparition staring at her retreating back she cast a glance over her shoulder and saw him nod his approval. Most likely he'd be following her shortly but first he wanted to settle the little conversation that had been started. Gritting her teeth she chose to ignore the other two males who were staring at her, "Yeah, let's go look at those packs. I probably forgot something."

 

Kouga watched with the others as the two women walked off before turning his attention back to the men. Concern had gripped him when he had heard Inuyasha's words but he hadn't wanted to say anything just then that would upset Kagome even further. Once she was out of sight however he allowed his anger to show through, "Okay, someone tell me what the fuck is going on. How did this happen?" While he had made a great show of pursuing the girl over the past couple of years, much of it had been posturing because he knew how much it pissed Inuyasha off. Now to hear that the girl had turned from the hanyou and was now carrying another's offspring was a shock to him.

 

Having come up on the confrontation, Miroku took up the tale in hopes that he could forestall any arguments that would come from the hybrid's apparent refusal to explain, "Lady Kagome encountered some trouble in her village and Hiei was the one to rescue her. Certain... circumstances came to pass where it became necessary for them to become intimate if they were to convince her captors to allow her to leave. During that time a bond was formed between Lady Kagome and the dragon, the reasons for which have not come to light as of yet. Since you are aware of the creature you know how unwise it would be to go against its wishes."

 

It wasn't hard for Kouga to put two and two together, especially considering Kagome's reaction to the hanyou's comment. It had to hit her like a blow to the chest, no wonder she'd gotten so upset, "And where were you while this was going on dog breath?" It was rare that the two of them were seen apart, for something like this to have happened was unthinkable. How had the girl ended up in a brothel and just why had this strange apparition taken such an interest in her? Was it for the jewel? Somehow he doubted it, if that had been the case then Kagome would have already been dead and the jewel taken. Perhaps it had been because of the man's condition. Whatever it was, the apparition seemed to be protective of her which was understandable if she was indeed pregnant. He was tempted to go and see for himself but somehow he knew he would never get close enough to do so before the smaller demon took offense.

 

"Where the hell do you think I was? I was here, waiting for her to get back stupid. She doesn't like it when I follow her home," Inuyasha groused, crossing his arms and glaring at the wolf in front of him. If he could he'd lay it all out on the line and tell Kouga just where the girl was from but that wasn't an option. The less people who knew where she came from the better.

 

“So you mean to tell me you picked that one time to actually give a damn about what would piss her off?” While Inuyasha cared a great deal for the girl in Kouga's opinion he was terrible at dealing with her mood swings. Half the time he seemed to go out of his way to piss Kagome off so why would this one time be any different?

 

“As entertaining as it might be to watch the two of you argue like children this is getting us nowhere. Fight if you want but me and Kagome need to be going if we are to reach the cave and be settled before nightfall,” Hiei said before fixing Inuyasha with a cold glare, “As for you, I suggest you think about how important your friendship with Kagome is. If all you are going to do is continually upset her as you've just done I will ensure you will have limited contact with her.” The stunned look leveled at him was quickly followed by anger but Hiei was beyond caring. Let Inuyasha get pissed at him if he wanted but Kagome was in his care now, he would be the one to decide whether or not this fool saw her again. If all he was going to do was piss her off and increase the stress she was already under it would be better if she didn't see him until after the child was born. It would save him innumerable headaches in the meantime and perhaps manage to keep the peace.

 

“You know, you're beginning to piss me off,” Inuyasha growled while staring the smaller demon down,”How long do you think Kagome's going to put up with you telling her who she can and can't see? We've been friends for years and your say so isn't going to change that. You try and tell her she's no longer allowed to see me, she'll make your life a living hell.”

 

“Like you've got room to talk dog boy,” Kouga snorted in irritation, just how stupid was Inuyasha going to be before the day was out? Had he been in the other demon's shoes he'd probably be saying the same thing. Humans were constantly succumbing to pregnancy complications and mikos were no exception. He wasn't sure how they were going to keep the child from destroying itself. Additional stress brought on by someone who didn't know how to shut their mouth was something Kagome sure as hell didn't need. When Inuyasha turned to look at him in anger he rolled his eyes, “How do you think she's feeling right now about what you said? If she'd make anyone's life a living hell right now it'd be yours.”

 

“She knows what I meant,” Inuyasha growled, his glare alternating between Hiei and Kouga, “Sure she might be pissed at me for now but when she stops and thinks about it she'll know it wasn't meant like it came out.”

 

“And by the time she comes to that realization we'll be at the cave so it's pointless for you to continue trying to justify your actions,” Hiei said, ending his part in the conversation. Abruptly he turned on his heel, leaving the two canines standing there staring at him. 'Let them continue bickering if they wish. I have better things to do.'

 

~*~

 

The inside of the hut, Kagome realized, was a very poor place to take out her frustrations much to her chagrin. There wasn't anything that she could pummel short of the stack of blankets she'd packed earlier and throwing something was completely out of the question. That still didn't stop her from being irritated though. 'Oh he makes me so mad! My last day here with him and he has to say something like that to mess it up!'

 

“Kagome,” Sango placed a hand on Kagome's, encouraging her to stop trying to cram the clothing into a smaller space, “Nothing else is going to fit in there and besides, there's nothing left to pack. You need to calm down.” She couldn't blame the girl for being upset but getting so worked up over it wasn't helping either.

 

Blinking in surprise, Kagome stared down at the rumpled clothing and realized Sango was right. Giving an irritated sigh she tied the basket shut and leaned back, “I know. I just can't believe he said it like that.”

 

“I wouldn't worry about it too much, Kouga knows you better than that and he wouldn't think it of you anyway,” Sango said as she checked over the packages one final time, “I think thats it for now. If you need anything else all you have to do is send Kirara back with a list and we can make sure that you get it.”

 

Kagome smiled as the aforementioned cat mewed her agreement, “Thank you Sango, for sending her with us. I wish that you could come too, I mean,” she trailed off for a moment while running her fingers through Kirara's soft fur, “It's going to be so lonely there. Hiei's not much of a conversationalist and I'm guessing that he's probably going to be pushing Shippo to train. I don't even know what to expect from this pregnancy beyond what I've read in books.”

 

“Well, you've said that there are no demons in your time, although we now know they're still around just in a different place. So I'm assuming these books only deal with normal pregnancies, am I right?” Sango pursed her lips for a moment. Demonic pregnancies generally weren't much different from a humans with few exceptions, it was the birthing process that could be difficult. She could only imagine the trouble that Jininji's mother went through with having him.

 

“Right, most people would run screaming if they learned that demons and apparitions weren't just something from myths and legend,” Kagome agreed without hesitation. With the way Sango was looking at the basket she was certain that if anyone could answer the question on what to expect it would be the woman sitting across from her.

 

“Well without knowing for certain just what his genetic make up is it's hard to say what to expect. The dominating force with him is fire, that much we know for sure so it's probably best to use that as a base to go by,” Sango began after a moments thought. The slightest of grins appeared when she saw that she had Kagome's complete attention at this point, “For the most part I'd say that it will be what you would normally expect if you were carrying a human child. However there will be a few differences that you need to be aware of.”

 

“Like what? I'm not suddenly going to be craving raw meat or insects am I?” Kagome couldn't help but laugh even if the thought of chowing down on a bug did make her slightly nauseous.

 

“Oh dear Gods no,” Sango laughed at the relieved expression on her friend's face. A slight whisper of movement had her glancing to the door where she saw Hiei standing there though his expression was one of vague disgust. More than likely the talk of bugs had managed to offend even his sensibilities.

 

“Whew, now that's a relief,” Kagome made a dramatic show of wiping her brow again. If nothing else the deviation from her earlier thoughts was helping to lighten her mood considerably.

 

“I'm sure it is,” Sango agreed with a chuckle, “But seriously as far as foods go you will need to eat more protein and while fish will work you're going to need red meat. So Hiei's going to have to keep busy with hunting to make sure there's a steady supply.” A slight nod was given in agreement from the apparition, apparently he'd already thought of that or was acknowledging she probably knew more about pregnancy than he did. She wasn't going to ask which it was though.

 

Kagome enjoyed a good slab of beef as much as the next person but cattle weren't exactly commonplace so she imagined that their diet would consist of plenty of venison, not that she had any objections. So far this didn't sound too terribly bad. “Okay so plenty of red meat, got it. Sounds simple enough, anything else?”

 

“I'm sure I don't have to tell you the horror stories of morning sickness and how it can hit at any time during the day, right?” Sango nearly laughed at the look of disgust on Hiei's face. If he had a problem dealing with a puking female then he was in for several weeks of hell.

 

“Yeah but that doesn't happen to everyone right?” Kagome arched a brow at her friend. After all, she'd seen her mother when she was pregnant with Souta and she had rarely gotten sick. Maybe she'd get lucky this time as well.

 

“Mmm,” Sango patted Kagome's hand in sympathy when the girl turned pale, “Well... you can hope but don't be surprised when it hits you. If you didn't get it I'd be shocked and if it's in a mild dose I'll be extremely surprised. Most likely you're going to find yourself with an aversion to different smells. Even thinking about certain things will likely bring on a spell of nausea.” Of course there were teas that could be made to counter it but without someone knowledgeable in healing herbs it was best not to chance making them. 'Poor Kagome, she's just going to have to suffer through this as best as she can.'

 

“Just great, I knew I should have brought a bottle of mouth wash,” Kagome said with a sigh. 'Well at least I have the tooth brush and tooth paste that I kept here from my last visit. That's something at least.' It was better than nothing although she wasn't about to delude herself into thinking that tube would last until she managed to go home.

 

“Well you make due with what you have. There's other things that will make you ill as well but with where you're going I'm sure you won't have to worry about it too much, “ Sango stated with conviction causing both people to look at her strangely.

 

“Enlighten me so I can ensure that it doesn't happen,” Hiei said dryly. Truthfully he hadn't given any thought as to what the physical ramifications of all this was and he'd been dismayed to learn that he'd soon be witness to repeated bouts of stomach purging. He wouldn't bother getting his hopes of on avoiding it either, not unless he wanted to remain outside and sleeping in trees for the duration of their stay.

 

“Even you should know this one,” Sango snorted, did Hiei keep himself so isolated that he didn't even know the basics of demonic pregnancy? Certain things were universal when dealing with a human mother as well when the child was a hanyou, “A pregnant female that is not mated becomes a prime target for other demons because they wish to eliminate any future competition. To a certain extent even those that are mated are at risk but not nearly so much because their mates are usually nearby to protect them. As a precaution the child's energy usually reacts violently to the feel of any strange youki in the area which triggers the mother's instincts to go into hiding until it passes. Unfortunately that manifests as nausea and a feeling of general weakness. But I'm assuming Hiei is going to make sure the area remains relatively free of other demons so it shouldn't be an issue.”

 

Hiei wanted to curse for forgetting something so simple, it threw a slight kink in his plans. He'd decided to do minimal cleanup in the area as far as other demons were concerned since a lack of demonic aura in one given area could possibly alert Naraku that there was a reason for it. Now this would force him to change those plans to a certain extent.

 

“Great, remind me to smack the next person who claims that pregnancy is an enjoyable experience,” Kagome muttered beneath her breath. Come to think of it, her mother was one of those people. Of course that was probably because the woman had been looking forward to the day that she settled down and took a husband. If she'd turned around and said that having kids was a horrible experience that would have likely ruined her chances of ever having grandchildren.

 

Sango chuckled at the comment, times must be different where Kagome was from when it came to these things. What was common knowledge here seemed to be coming as a great surprise to her friend but she was sure she'd manage one way or another. “Just remember, if you need help we won't be that far away.”

 

Kagome nodded as Hiei pushed away from the wall and picked up one of the larger baskets. Seeing his intentions she stood as well, “I'll hold you to that but it looks like it's time to go. I'm going to miss you.”

 

“I'll miss you as well,” Sango stepped forward and gave the miko a light hug, mindful of the look that Hiei was giving her. The slightest hint of strain appeared on his face and she knew that he was having to hold the dragon in check. Not wanting to push her luck she released the girl and grabbed one of the baskets, “I'll give you a hand with these.”

 

“Thanks,” Kagome said with the slightest bit of a smile while she reached for the last bag. Quickly she hurried out of the hut since she knew that Hiei was anxious to be going. To her surprise Shippo and Kirara were already waiting on them and the fire cat was wearing some sort of leather harness. 'Most likely to attach the baskets to since it's going to be a long journey. Hopefully all this weight won't be too heavy for her to carry.'

 

Shippo jumped off of Kirara's back so Hiei could begin lashing the first of the packs into place. Both Inuyasha and Kouga were standing nearby talking quietly for a change although from time to time he could still hear their voices raise in anger. When he figured out they were still arguing over how this could have happened he'd dismissed them completely, “Are we almost ready to go?”

 

“Almost,” Sango said as she handed her pack to the apparition so he could secure it. The others were coming closer now, sensing their impending departure and she took a moment to say her own goodbye to her companion, “Take good care of them Kirara, we'll see you in a couple of months alright?”

 

When it looked like Inuyasha was likely to come too close, Hiei gave the hanyou a look and turned to Kagome, “We're ready. Mount the cat and we'll be going. If we leave now we should be able to make it there just after the sun hits it's highest peak.” As expected Shippo jumped into the miko's arms and Hiei had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. The kit was too clingy but this time he wouldn't complain too loudly. It kept him from having to carry him as he ran.

 

“I guess this is goodbye then, at least for now,” Kagome said with a watery smile. Inuyasha was doing his best to look impassive but she wasn't fooled by the act. Seeing the look on his face was enough to give her strength to push the tears away. If he could stay strong then she could as well, tears would only add to the pain of saying goodbye. Although it took some careful maneuvering she managed to climb up on Kirara's back and get settled. Once she was firmly in place Hiei took off at a run and the fire cat quickly followed, leaving her to do little but wave at the others who were calling out their goodbyes.