InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Love Found After Centuries: Part 2 ❯ Color of Hope ( Chapter 5 )

Disclaimer: I no own. You no sue. We all happy.

Chapter 5: The Color of Hope

by Inumaru_Rapture

The vibrant of her being shook the sleeping miko mother from her slumber, the mark given to her as a ring to a bride throbbed with despair. A sense she never knew she possessed burned in her heart as the emotions of nothingness and numb pain captured it and held it's beat with a slower, colder, broken one. The deepest desire to run from the camp to the palace not more than a day away had to be suppressed as the obligated miko glanced down at her three responsibilities.

Three pairs of canine ears twitched in slumber, soft snores coming from the adolescent kitsune and the soft breaths of her two blood bound sons was too comforting to ignore. Though happy with her blessings, the miko felt a deepened pain at not being able to share the joy with her love, and the reason two of the three slumbering bundles existed.

The dawn was swiftly approaching the next time the miko's eyes opened, and two of the bodies had left her arm reach, her silver hared, black eared son was awake. He had chosen not to leave the grasp of his mother, his instincts telling him he needed to be there for her. When his mother's eyes opened, he greeted her with a shy smile. His mother returned it was a smile of her own, one that almost reached her eyes.

Gabriel gasped.

It was the kindest look from her eyes he had ever seen, despite pictures of her from her high school years. He had once found a worn, folded, creased, old picture that held everyone in it he had met so far, aside from Emiko, but three people were missing. The tall, elegant, smooth looking man who held a hidden passion in his golden eyes and a smirk upon his lips as he glanced down at the grinning black hared girl, ponytail off the top-side of her head. A little green toad creature was at the man's feet, a scowl on his face. Though he never asked his mother about it, he had a feeling the hall man was his father, and the girl, his sister, Rin.

For a child a few days over his third year, Gabriel held the widest and deepest intellect of any child yet known.

"Is something the matter, baby?" Gabriel heard his mother's whisper breaking him from his memories. He nodded.

"Hai…you never told us what our father looks like…How will I know if it's him or not?" Gabriel asked in a hushed whisper. His mother's smile faded. She had a picture of him…but she had left it at home under the 5th page of the book on her beside table. Without it, she would never have remembered what he looked like.

"He looks like you and Inumaru. Long silver mane of silk, golden eyes like the moon, taller than the tallest person you've met, and he holds more beauty than the most beautiful cherry tree orchards or koi gardens in all of Japan combined," she spoke of him as Gabriel watched in awe as her emotions turned into a beautiful aura of colors. He could barely hear his mother continue as he saw his mother's emotion colors take form of the tall man with long silver hair from the photo. "He has purple marks on his cheeks, and a moon, like you boys do, on his forehead. That will be your biggest help."

Gabriel nodded, watching as the image of his father shattered and the dark blue of sadness reclaimed her aura. He noticed, before he was engulfed by his mother in a hug, that a small ball of white lingered next to her temple the color of hope.

"Kagome?" A male voice called softly, as if to awaken the mother from her world. The miko raised her head. "You want breakfast?" She shook her head. The sooner they left, the sooner they would arrive at the palace.

~* *~

The forlorn ice lord shuffled from his room. He had to make an appearance before the youkai lords overrode his palace in search of him. Ra moved aside for the attempted-to-look-decent lord as he stiffly walked to the parlor in which he had Jaken gather the youkai lords and ladies.

Rin was at his side, but lagging in her steps as she moved like a ghost over the cold tiles. The ice lord could not bring himself to speak to the mute ward. He had failed to keep the only thing they both loved more than life…how could he speak to her?

He reached the parlor and hesitated. He really didn't want to see these youkai, but he didn't want them to tear down walls just to find him.

"Lords and Ladies of the Youkai Nation, please forgive my absence…I've not been well…" His voice was tired and pained, the cold mask he once wore was dissolved into a constant frozen glance. A growl stopped Lady Iiekna from moving to ensnare his arm in hers. Lord Yohaka glared disapprovingly at the female, then moved to invite the host Lord into the conversation, taking his allies hosting burden onto his own shoulders.

Yohaka was a tiger youkai as tall as Lord Sesshoumaru. His ocean blue hair, darker blue tides rippling through it, was a gentle contrast to his golden skin and black stripes that blessed his whole figure. A large smile usually graced his fanged mouth, but as of late, worry filled his tide blue eyes. His mate sat on his right side, the beautiful Lady Lathrinea was brought north from the southern seas in a business deal. She had made the journey to bring the allegiance of her father, the red panda youkai Lord Threan, to the Northern tiger lord and the western inu lord. Upon meeting with the two allies and friends, there was a lightning attraction between the tiger and the red panda youkai. The inu youkai had noticed, and worked behind the curtains to bring the two together. Yohaka remembered the look hidden behind the cold mask of his friend as he asked the Lady Nea, she insisted on being called, to dance at a youkai ball. The same look was in his eye at the news that the two had mated.

A huff from his mate brought him back from the past. The Lady Iiekna was complaining about the human threat in the south, how they were growing more bold and such. Yohaka toned her out again and studied his mate. Her flame hair was untamed as always, their silky terraces loose and tossed over her neck. Two bamboo green stripes driven down her cheeks from her eyes, the green ending half way down her slender throat in zigzags. Her silken ringed tail was wrapped around his. It seemed whenever they were together, their tails seemed to become entwined. At first, it had been a sign of shy love, but as the years past, and pups born, it was a habit not easily broken.

His memories wandered, thinking back to the time after he and his mate had become mated…how Sesshoumaru had realized he needed a mate sometime for heirs. Yohaka remembered looking through all the youkai in the nation to find a fiery, strong-willed female to contrast his cold exterior and break him from his cold mask.

At the memory of hearing of Sesshoumaru's new mate and expecting pups, he and Nea had left the north and traveled the 4 day journey to meet this woman. A soft chuckle trembled in his chest as he remembered the look on his mate's face when they were introduced to the human miko, and the feeling of pride he felt after being with them for barely an afternoon at how well they matched. The look of passion and love in his ally's eyes had been more than enough to convince the Northern taiyoukai, but getting to know this Kagome woman, proved to be a truly delightful time.

His mate's breath caught and a few growls came from the youkai around him. Yohaka tuned into what was being said.

"I don't see why in the Seven Hells you are still hung up over that filthy human, Sesshou-kun! I mean, she was so ugly, and a HUMAN!" The Lady Iiekna was saying, oblivious to the murderous, red-eyed youkai across from her. Yohaka was suddenly afraid for his life as a murderous growl came from the taiyoukai next to him.

"You foolish, ignorant female!!" Lady Lathrinea snarled with her venomous elegance. "How dare you even speak to a make in pain? Have you no mind, no heart?! When will you realize you will not win the Western Lord, ever, even if he never mated with that beautiful woman! No wonder you'll never find a mate with power!!"

Her words fell on an embarrassed rat as the inu youkai left the room. He didn't have to put up with that.

Yohaka sighed. They had been so close to bringing him from his dark corner back into life. His mate's hand clenched suddenly around his arm. With alarm, he looked at his mate. Her wild brown eyes were distant, her nose twitching.

"Someone is in need of a midwife, love. I must leave to aid them," his mate's voice was back to it's kind velvety smoothness it normally was. A smile graced his lips as he was suddenly jarred to remember his mate's one of a kind instinct to aid any creature with birth, human or youkai. She was a mother, and midwife at heart, no matter what. He nodded, excused himself and his mate, and left the palace, transforming into his demon form, a large orange tiger. His mate gracefully sat on his neck, patted his ears, and they were off.

~* *~

Sango suddenly cried out, clutching her swollen belly. The rain had just started as they entered the western lands. Inuyasha hurried to them from the trees, and pointed to a hut not too far away. Miroku helped his wife onto Kirara and gave Emiko to Kagome. Kirara ran off towards the hut to get the woman in labor out of the rain. Kagome followed, hugging Emiko, followed by her three sons and Inuyasha, who was suddenly on alert. Two youkai were on their way to them.

Inuyasha suddenly growled, unsheathing Tesaiga. Kagome looked in worry to him, then herded the children into her grasp as Shippo stood on guard of his mother, siblings, and friend. A large tiger burst from the trees, shifting to his human form as a red panda glided onto the ground. She didn't hesitate and went into the hut. Kagome looked at them in shock. She hadn't seen them in more than three years.

"Inuyasha, don't hurt them," Kagome said softly, standing and moving to look at the youkai. The youkai stared at her with his mouth agape.

"Lady… Kagome! You've returned!" He stuttered, amazed.

-End Chapter-

Sorry for the cliffy, it's 2:30 in the morning, I need sleep.

-I didn't add Nea and Yohaka into the story until the last two chapters cuz they weren't important until now.

-The bit on Gabriel's emotion color talent is a mix of his father's talents and his mother's miko powers. Inumaru will have a cool power too, but his hasn't been formed yet.

-I will get my scanner up soon, so then I'll make a site for the pics and post them there for the stories!

Japanese word help:

taiyoukai: demon lord

youkai: demon

inu: dog

neko: cat

Read and review.

Love from IM_R…even if you try to kill me.