InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Lifetime Loving You Part 2; The Path to Osaka ❯ Meeting Father ( Chapter 5 )

Disclaimer! No! Not that! No! (Long pause) okay you talked me into it! Inu-yasha is not mine and nor are any of the other characters.

A Lifetime Loving You

Part 2; The Path to Osaka

Chapter 5; Meeting Father

~~~~

(Inu-yasha)

I sat up in the tree with my arms crossed looking off into the distance. Two…two whole weeks and I had not heard a word come from the tiny hut bellow. Kagome scent though was filled with the smell of stress and despair. The scent of tears was hers as well, and mixed with the warm steamy scent of her body when she took baths at night.

Kitsumi on the other hand had not moved from her spot in the hut. Her scent was dormant in the backroom, filled with fear and disbelief. She hadn't eaten nor drank anything heavily since she had discovered her sudden new form. The sound of a rumbling hunger and a tiny body sifting in the covers from cold and restlessness due to lack of sleep, finally mad the man inside of my body snap.

I jumped down from my perch and landed in the snow. I made my way to the door and then changed my mind before my fingers touched the reed door. I pulled my hand back and then glanced to the side. Slowly I made my way to the side of the hut and looked at the tiny window that covered the piece of animal hide. Slowly, I reached for the flap of skin and pulled it back as I climbed in through the window and on to the wood floor where Kitsumi's mat lay out with the tiny bundle of blankets wrapped around a lone figure in the single lamp lit room.

On the floor I could smell fresh rice that was only ten minutes old and getting cold with a small cup of tea. I let out a grunt when I realized I was correct in all of my assumptions, but it also caught the attention of the two platinum eyes hidden in the brown blankets. Her head lifted with a weak little gasp and they looked at me with fear and surprise.

I stared back at her for a while before making my way toward her and then around back as the tiny eyes looked down at the ground. I sat down behind her and looked at the tiny shivering body for a moment before folding my legs and putting my hands on the tiny bundle and pulling it into my lap. "You really are like your mother," I said roughly.

I picked up the wooden bowl and picked up a small clump of rice and tired to coax Kitsumi to open her mouth. She refused by turning her head to the side, completely uninterested in food. Yet, the loud grumble that made her vibrate in my lap proved otherwise.

"Come on, Squirt…you can't keep doing this to yourself. You need to eat something."

Kitsumi was quiet for a moment before her stomach groaned again. "You can't taste anything in a dream."

I rolled my eyes and picked up the rice again to coax it into her mouth, only to have her reject me again. "Please, Kitsumi, eat something!"

Her little face buried itself in the brown blankets. "Did you know?" her muffled little voice said.

"Did I know, what?"

Kitsumi sat up in my lap and turned around letting the brown blankets fall from her head and for the first time I saw the pink ears with their full attention on my voice. "Did you know…I was going to look like this? That I was going to look…different?"

I closed my eyes halfway and exhaled loudly through my nose. "Yes…I've known for a longtime…I just didn't know when it would happen."

Kitsumi blinked for a moment and then her ears pulled back as she put her head back down for a moment. It was funny watching those tiny floppy ears move with her every emotion. She put her cheek to her knee and looked up at me again. "Do you know…Sesshoumaru?"

My breath caught in my throat and I looked at the rice. "Make you a deal. You eat and I'll tell you what I can."

~~~~

"Lord of the Western Domain? You mean he's royalty?" Kitsumi squealed as she munched on a piece of fruit while we sat up in the tree eating.

"Kind of," I said trying to think of the right way to put it, "He's more like a high class demon because of his father."

Kitsumi leaned in closer and I could tell by the look on her face that she had made a connection. "The Western Lands…but aren't those…you father's domain as well, Inu-yasha."

I caught my breath again and looked at her with my jaw wide open and eyes wide. Kitsumi stared at me waiting for the question to be answered, but my reaction gave her all she needed. "Then that would make him…" she gasped, "You're my uncle?"

I cleared my throat and put the piece of fruit in her mouth to keep her voice down so her mouth didn't hear a word. "In a sense…but not entirely."

Kitsumi removed the fruit from her mouth and spoke more quietly. "Wow, I didn't know I was living with a prince this whole time. No wonder Myoga calls you Lord Inu-yasha, you're the heir of a whole kingdom."

I snorted, "Hardly! Your father owns the lands because he's a full demon, Squirt. He's high class!"

"I can't believe I have a pedr…pega…prg…"

"Pedigree?" I said for her.

"Yeah, a peaedagee! I descend from royal dog demons. That must make me pretty high class then, huh? Like a princess or something, right, Inu-yasha?"

Kitsumi tugged at my sleeve and waited with a face full of hope just from learning this entirely new side of her existence. My eyes saddened as I looked at her knowing the truth…remembering the tears my mother shed when I asked her what a half-breed was.

I closed my eyes to compose my thoughts. "Kitsumi…there's a difference between demons and…and those born only half."

Kitsumi arched her brow and I collected myself. "Squirt, you know what makes me different right?"

"Yeah, sure! You're father was a demon and your mother was a human."

"And so is your mother…your father is a demon and your mother is human as well. Your father is Lord Sesshoumaru and your mother is Kagome."

Kitsumi blinked for a moment, "So, what difference does that make?"

I took a breath to speak and the words die on my mouth with a sigh. Kitsumi looked at me and then at her fruit. "Does it mean…I'm a…hanyo? That I'm not the same as my father?"

I narrowed my brow and leaned in while holding her tiny chin up with my fingers. "Only if you allow them to make you believe it in your heart."

Kitsumi then placed her hand over her heart and her eyes stared at my chest while it could be plainly seen she was trying to think things through again.

"Did my mother love Sesshoumaru like your parents did?"

I narrowed my brow and found the question was on a sort of dangerous territory. "No…and it's a good thing, too," I said making sure I stayed on innocent ground for the time being.

Kitsumi ran her claws over the last bit of untouched skin. "Why is it good?"

I looked away and laughed a little with a smile. I didn't say anything, but stared at the hut as the cooking fire boiled herbs seeped into the air.

Kitsumi watched and being observant put a curious grin on her face. "I knew it!"

I jumped a little when she made her out burst. "Huh? Knew what?"

Kitsumi giggled, "You've that same funny look on you face."

"What face?" I said trying to sit up and completely show my pride. Kitsumi though was too good for that act anyway.

"That same face Kara gets when she gets all dreamy about some boy in the village."

I could feel my face getting hotter by the second and I rose to my feet and hid the blush under my bangs. I jumped down to the ground and waited for a moment to pass before Kitsumi looked down. "I won't tell her if you want? It can be our secret!"

I looked up at Kitsumi with the lack of trust written all over my face. She tossed the finished fruit down to me and I caught it before sighing and throwing it over my shoulder. "Do you promise?"

Kitsumi jumped her feet in surprise. "It's true?" she squealed.

I jumped instantly back on to the branch and hushed her while she covered her mouth to muffle her laughter.

Kagome walked out and looked up into the tree while the two of us were red in the face, Kitsumi from her giggles and me from rush of blood to my face. Yet the attire Kagome was wearing made the blood drain quickly once I realized what was about to happen.

Kagome looked up at me in her cloak. "Inu-yasha, can you go into town and ask Miroku for the two riding horses in the barn?"

I was shocked at the suddenness and the feeling that everything I wanted was slipping away too fast. I nodded and brought my feet to one side of the branch while Kitsumi took hold of my sleeve to jump on my back. "I promise, I won't tell Mother."

I looked at her from the corner of my eye and smirked. "You better not tell anyone, or you'll pay for it big time."

Kitsumi giggled. "No, you wouldn't do that."

"Oh?" I said as I jumped to the ground and crouched down.

"Yeah, you're nice, Inu-yasha. And you know what? I bet meeting my father won't be so bad."

I looked at her while I was still crouched down at her level and she made her way beside me. I narrowed my brow. "What…Why?" I asked completely at a loss.

Kitsumi smiled, "Well, knowing you're his brother must mean he's a pretty nice guy too, right?" she smiled brightly again and then made her way into the hut quickly once she heard Kagome calling for her. I was left dumbfounded as the entire reality hit my head hard. The picture in my mind though, was of that reality finally being realized by Kitsumi.

~~~~

(Kitsumi)

Mother had told me to wrap myself in my blankets as we went through the dark woods north of Inu-yasha's forest. The trees swayed almost hauntingly like they were listening to the hooves of the horses as the made contact with the ground.

I was snuggled into my mother's lap as she followed Inu-yasha who rode some ways ahead of us with his nose in the air. I watched him, as he seemed to be constantly testing the air and following a scent. Sure he had known Sesshoumaru was in the area, and not far. Mother had already mentioned that we were heading out that day. Inu-yasha said that we would be out for the entire day and had to return by sundown since tonight was the new moon and to be in the northern demon forests were not safe while having a human recovering man trying to protect a woman and her child. The risks were high just being out in the forest during the day anyway.

I felt my heartbeat pick up as I watched the trees pass. I leaned into my mother's chest for a moment until the discomfort of something hard pressed into my back and I turned around. "Mother, why do you have a bow…and arrows on your back."

My mother looked into the forest for a moment and then down at me with a comforting smile. "The arrows are for our protection, Kitsumi. We might need them while we're in this area."

"Protection? From what?"

My mother's eyes shot up suddenly and she watched as Inu-yasha tested the air in the sudden silence. He looked into the wood beside him and pulled his horse to a halt. "Here! He's just up this small hill…and the scent is getting stronger, so it's likely that he's picked up my scent as well."

My mother looked into the woods and pulled our horse's reins to stop him. Both horses were unsteady and Mother nodded. "We'll take it on foot, you stay here with the horses."

"Are you crazy? I'm not letting you get within two feet of him with out me beside you, I'm coming with you."

My Mother dismounted her horse and looked at Inu-yasha as she reached for me. "Stay here…you won't make this any easier."

Inu-yasha's face was filled with worry and I could see it. Jeez, why couldn't Mom just let him come? With Inu-yasha deep feelings for my mother, he surly wouldn't let anything happen to either of us if he was near. Yet, Inu-yasha composed himself and remained put on his horse before he dismounted and took the reins in my mother's hands as I looked up at the two of them. Inu-yasha let a single finger touch her face and I watched as my mother looked into his eyes with the same fear. Inu-yasha's eyes were filled with worry and seemed to be filled with guilt for actually letting my mother do this.

His voice sounded weak and was a little lower than normal. "You know where I am if you get into trouble, just…come back to me…both of you."

My mother looked into his eyes for a long time and I observed until my mother finally raised her hand and pulled his hand away slowly. I watched Inu-yasha's fingers try to touch her fingers before she pulled away from him and took my hand. "Come along, Kitsumi," she said clutching the cloth of her cloak close to her heart. I began to walk and looked back at Inu-yasha was he watched with the sheer panic written in his golden eyes as he watched me and Mother disappear into the thick forest.

I tried to control my breathing as I looked around me at the trees that seemed to be watching our every move and I clutched my mother's hand a little tighter as I looked at the dark forest closing in around me. I looked back wondering how far Inu-yasha was just incase I was far to scared to go any further.

But, just as I was ready to run back to the safety of Inu-yasha's presence, a high-pitched voice cracked the silence. "What are you doing here? Me Lord has no time for the likes of you humans."

I gasped and turned to see what was in front of me only to see a green toad like figure dressed in a ragged brown robe and bald with nothing to protect his head. In his hand he held a staff with two heads at the top. His eyes were baggy but didn't hide the large bulging yellow eyes that stared at mother and me.

My mother narrowed her brow. "Call for your master, you stupid toad. I'm here because there is something I need to tell him."

The green warty toad grunted and then stared directly at me and sniffed the air with his large pointed nose. I winced and scurried to find safety behind my mother's leg. The toad eyed me with those large eyes and then took a step forward. "That child…I have not seen her before. Her scent is familiar though."

He then let out a triumphant laugh, "So, that half-breed brother has stooped to his level, has he? At last that fool knows his place at least in the world, and Lord Sesshoumaru has not inherited a taste for human woman like that low class bred brother of his."

My eyes widened at his harsh words, and anger built in my chest at the fact this toad was talking about Inu-yasha so cruelly.

My mother spoke, "She's not Inu-yasha's child…" my mother composed herself for the words she knew that the creature would not believe. "She is the daughter of your lord and master."

The tiny toad had a look of complete shock before her grit his teeth and growled at her. "How dare you insult my master by claiming that is his child. A child that is none other than a lowly stinking half-breed!"

I gasped as the words hit my ears.

The toad looked as though he was ready to charge forward and harm us when a cold, even voice came through the darkness behind him. "Jaken, that will be enough. I will talk to my brother's companion in piece."

My mother looked into the darkness and I peaked with one eye as a man walked out of the darkness. His hair was silver and his eyes were gold just like Inu-yasha's. Yet, he seemed stiff and hard as a board when he walked. His Hair was tied back with a red tie of some sort at the ball of his head. White fur covered his right shoulder and down his back. A black cloak covered his other arm at the spiked armor around his shoulder. His kimono was a decorated white with red flower patterns, but the inter kimono of red rode high around his neck like a collar.

When I saw his face though, my dreams of this man who was Inu-yasha's brother being nice disappeared. His eyes were cold and glanced directly toward my mother's face. Purple stripes colored the sides of his face and his forehead was decorated with a crescent moon.

The toad, "Jaken", with a huff left and disappeared into the woods and I watched, as the man I then believed was my father as he stopped. "You've come looking for me. I can tell by your appearance and the scent of my brother not far from here. Why have you hunted me down?"

My mother removed the hood over her head and placed her hand on mine as I stared from my maternal shield. "I need your help…I need your help in adding Kitsumi with her demon form."

He stared at her for a moment and his eyes narrowed. "Why should I add you with your half-demon child?"

My mother took a deep breath. "She's your daughter!"

His eyes opened a little more and I gripped my mother's clothing a little more, feeling the claws on my hand starting to sink through the fabric. I relaxed a little.

He lifted his head. "You claim that this child, this girl behind you is my daughter?"

My mother nodded. "She is your daughter…and mine."

His face seemed even colder suddenly and my eyes widened as he slowly glanced down at me and stared at me for a long period of time. My heart was pounding in fear, as those eyes seemed to see right through me. I felt completely exposed…invisible.

He opened his mouth and spoke coolly, "I have no memory of having a child with you, and I will not stand for such nonsense without proof or a decent explanation. Either way I will tell you now that I will not be the father of this child."

My mother gasped and her eyes shot open. "Look, I understand that you need a memory and a purpose to prove you're her father, but the explanation I have is complicated. Please, you have to at least help her?"

His eyes narrowed again, his voice was still cool yet had a hint of anger behind it now, and his body remained motionless. "She is a half-breed…and I am not interested in raising such dirty blood."

I gasped and my hand let go of my mother's clothing. My eyes blinked a few times as I watched his mouth.

"If you wish for someone to raise her properly, than ask my little brother. Hanyos should be raised around their own worthless kind anyway."

I felt my breath start to quicken as my eyes began to blur with the water forming in them.

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes then and turned his back to my mother and me. "I will not raise such a low class child to understand demon behavior. Whether they are known to me or not. I will never raise a worthless half-breed, or anything lower."

He suddenly began to walk away and my mother took a few steps toward him. "Sesshoumaru, please…she doesn't understand. She needs a real father in her life right now. She needs her real father to help her understand."

He continued walking away while tears began to stream down my face. I then took a step forward. "You're nothing like your brother, you…you…I don't ever want you to be my father!" I wept.

He suddenly stopped and froze without looking back. "I have already granted your wish."

I gasped and he lowered his head. "Understand this, woman. If any hear that this child is born of my blood, then I will hunt you and your daughter down to clear my name of this shamefulness that you put on me. I will clear my name with her blood shed."

I shivered with fear and the urge to feel fear and cry at the same time. Then, as he began to disappear into the darkness I turned around and ran toward the other end of the wood in tears.

"Kitsumi!" my mother called, but I ignored her and ran. I ran to the only person I wanted to feel safe around right now. The only person from the outside world that had accepted me for what I had become…for what I was.

The trees cleared and I wailed, "Inu-yasha!" His head turned and he fell to his knees in surprise. I ran into his chest and wrapped my little arms around his neck as tightly as I could. "I don't want to see him again. I don't want to hear the things he said about you again. Please, Inu-yasha, don't let me go back? Don't let Mommy take me back?"

Inu-yasha's hands finally touched my back and he held me a little closer than he had ever done before. He hushed me as his hand soothed my back. "It's okay, Squirt, you're safe now. It's okay now…I'm right here."

I sniffled and I wept into his shoulder. "Don't disappear, Inu-yasha. Please don't go away."

I buried my nose into his neck trying to find a sense of comfort. His earthy scent was soothing. "I don't want him for a father. I don't care if he is. I don't want him for a father, Inu-yasha."

He hushed me again and pulled me into his crossed lap on the ground and I curled up into his chest.

"I'm right here, Kitsumi. I've always been right here. I'm not going to leave you alone."

I sniffled as he began to rock me a little in his body and I clutched his red vest to keep telling myself that he really wasn't walking away…into the darkness…knowing that I would die if I saw him again.

I wanted his to stay. I want him to never leave me, and my mother, alone.

I felt exhaustion start to take me over and I felt myself getting dizzy and sleepy in the warmth of Inu-yasha's cradling body.

"I…I wish…I wish I had a father…I wish you had been my father…" I mumbled as sleep took over my sadness and fell into a dreamless sleep.

~~~~

(Inu-yasha)

I stared at the tiny child in my arms as she let her body instantly fall asleep from the exhaustion of the day. Yet, I stared at her not because I was trying to burn her face in my mind this time, I was starting at her because of the mumbled wish that she made before falling asleep.

Free love…love that came unconditional from this one tiny child in my arms, a child I had watched grow from afar, and longed to be closer to as she grew into a young woman.

I loved her so much, and now I knew that the love I shared was the same. This tiny girl I had watched come to life in my hands, was now completely in love with that comforting reassurance that I was always in her shadow.

I loved her…I loved her just as much as I loved her mother.

I felt a tear form in my eye and I brushed the strands of rose pink hair away from her forehead and pressed a dry kiss to it.

Kagome's Kitsumi…My Kagome's Kitsumi…My Little Kitsumi…

"Kitsumi!" I heard Kagome's voice call from the trees and I looked up as Kagome fell to her knees in front of me. Kagome panted and tears were streaming down her eyes.

"Is she okay? Is she--"

I quickly brought a finger to Kagome's trembling lips. "She's just exhausted. It's been a big day for her."

Kagome nodded and began to weep into her hands. "She hates me…she must hate me so much."

I cradled Kitsumi in my arms and got closer to Kagome as I helped her to her feet. "It's so unfair…things didn't have to be this way, but way do they have to?"

I arched my brow and leaned into her with Kitsumi still sound asleep in my arms. I placed my hand on her face and looked into her tear stained eyes. "You're not making any sense. What's so unfair?"

Kagome sniffled for a moment and her lips trembled as she spoke. "I can't give her what she needs…what she wants."

I leaned into Kagome a little more. "What can't…you give her?"

Kagome stared at me for a long period of time, just staring into my eyes with an emotion that she seemed to be trying so hard to hide from mine. She started to cry softer now, and I let my cheek brush against hers as her face fell into the crock of my neck and shoulder.

I hushed her softly as she wept silently but bitterly into my shoulder. "It's alright now, Kagome. I'm here, now…I won't leave you…I'm still right here."

I'm still here…I love you this much, and that's what I'll always be here. You've stayed beside me all this time, and I'm not going to let you leave it.

I'm still falling in love with you, and I'm not going anywhere until I know how far this hole goes.

I love you so much, that I want to give you what you need to make this child in my arms happy.

What will it take, Kagome? What will it take to give you everything you've ever wanted?

What will it take, to let you know…how deep this love can go?

~~~~

(Sesshoumaru)

I rejected it all to save myself from shame.

I rejected it all to save myself from facing a truth that I didn't believe.

And even though the child's scent was burning in my nose and into my mind, I knew that somewhere inside of me I would never harm that child.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, where are we going now?" my young teenaged, Rin asked me as she rode atop the dragon steed.

"We head to the North for a while now, Rin."

Jaken huffed as he walked along the path beside me, knowing well that I wanted Rin to have no knowledge of the event that passed not a moment ago.

"We will not return to the Western Domain for a long time now. A scent in the wind had become foul and the North seems to be the only safe place for now."

Jaken stirred, "But…but…me Lord? Wouldn't it be safer to go to the Western Domain, your homelands?"

I was silent for a moment as Rin looked down at me. I lowered my head. "An event is about to happen not far from here, Jaken…and the west needs to be left open. Osaka has been untouched for many decades now."

Jaken wailed, "But me Lord, you're claim?"

I was silent and looked at the rode ahead. Demons were stirring out of restlessness and it was due to the stirring and unsettling feeling in the air around the entire Eastern Domain.

Every demon here would be doing something soon…and those that had decided to flee would head west and into the safety of my father's demon boarder that marked his land.

Thus, it would mean Inu-yasha would be heading westward…to the safety of Osaka.

To take a family across the lands would be treacherous in the turning of the season. Besides the migrating demons that would take to the mountain high passes, there was only one safe road that led to Osaka without concerning with many demons.

The journey would go through the mountains to the halfway point at Owari, from there it would be a trip through a mountain valley that would be streaming with ice cold snow melt rivers, through a demon magnolia tree forest where lives are lost if you don't have connections. Then, in order to cross the boarder you would have to make it through the paths of a bog, if it wasn't already flooded with twenty feet of snow melt water. And if you survived that, then the mud slides on the mountains would kill you for sure if you didn't keep moving.

Humans call it "The Path into Hell" these days, but every demon who survives knows it as "The Path to Osaka; The Demon Sanctuary" because my father would protect all of those who came into his domain.

But on these past few years, I have left it up to the shield to do all the work for me. For all I knew, Osaka might have belonged to a horde of other demons

…Or, previous residents have reclaimed it, and if that was the case, I was not going to return to find out.

To the north were the journey was safe and easy…I would not face danger there. I did not have to go to Osaka like every other weak demon. I could handle this sudden shift alone.

In time though, my arrogance and pride would come back to bite me…when I would be asking the last person in these lands to solve a problem that would grow over the next ten years.

Every demon knew…a war was coming.

~~~~

Well, another 10 paged chapter!

Hope all you Sessy fans are happy that Sesshoumaru knows, but he won't admit to the fact that he was used or the fact that he has a hanyo daughter. Hope you liked the fluff between Kagome and Inu-yasha

…But the fluff in the next chapter, now…well, I can only tell you this…I have an evil grin on my face right now.

SDR

Review!