InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Mother Miko's Instincts ❯ A Mother Miko's Instincts Chapter 18 ( Chapter 18 )

A Mother Miko's Instincts - Chapter 18

By Majicman55

 

 

The second encampment, where the children and babies were being cared for, had been set up nearly a mile further from Sesshomaru's castle than the main camp. There was no sign of the guards as InuYasha and Kagome approached.

 

“I'm scared, InuYasha. Please hurry!”

 

“Keh!” said the hanyou as he and his mate broke into a small clearing where the camp was supposed to be.

 

“Where are they, InuYasha?”

 

InuYasha took a deep sniff and then wrinkled his nose. “The babies are here. I smell Izaoyi…and Jaken, too.” InuYasha turned serious. “Our three oldest aren't here.”

 

“Why don't I hear crying? Are…Are they alive?”

 

InuYasha sniffed again. “Yeah, they're fine. And you don't hear them crying `cause they're our pups.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Youkai or hanyou pups will go silent when their pack is attacked…so they don't attract attention.”

 

“But what about Akamaru, Midoriko and Aoimaru?”

 

“I…I don't know.”

 

Kagome was about to say something when they heard a groan coming from not too far away. InuYasha picked up Kagome bridal style and in one leap had them both standing by the source…a rather charred Jaken who was slowly returning to consciousness.

 

“What happened to him?” asked Kagome.

 

Her mate sniffed again. “Just a second.” InuYasha rolled Jaken halfway over. Underneath the fried imp was little Izayoi, looking scared but otherwise alright. “Oi, looks like the toad did something right for a change.”

 

Kagome pulled the girl out from under Jaken and held her close. “Mommy and daddy will be here soon, Izayoi.”

 

Jaken opened his eyes and looked up to find InuYasha holding him. “L-Let go of me, filthy halfbreed.”

 

InuYasha let go.

 

<THUD>

 

Kagome glared at her mate. “You dropped him on his head!”

 

“Oi, he said to let go of him.”

 

“Hold Izayoi.” Kagome knelt beside the imp. “I am truly sorry for my mate's actions.”

 

“Filthy halfbreed,” sputtered Jaken. “Filthy human.”

 

“I will help you.” Kagome cupped her hands over the imp's burnt face and concentrated till a pink glow surrounded Jaken's head.

 

The imp was surprised when the pain from the burns to his head receded. It was almost like he could feel his skin healing under the miko's hands. Experimentally, he worked his jaw. The skin didn't feel hard anymore. He reached up to his face and felt…new skin. Even more surprisingly, under the continued care of this “filthy human,” he began to feel…well, good.

 

Kagome sat back. “Does that feel better?”

 

“You…you are not like most humans.”

 

“Thank you, I think.”

 

“But you are still human!”

 

 

******************

 

 

“Jaken!”

 

The imp sat up and looked around wildly. “It is Lord Sesshomaru.”

 

The Great Lord of the Western Lands settled to the ground. Close on his heels, Kagura floated down on her feather, jumped off and took Izayoi from InuYasha.

 

“We found her under Jaken. It looks like he was blown back and landed on top of her,” said InuYasha. “Looks okay, though.”

 

Sesshomaru turned to his retainer. “You will relate what happened.”

 

“Yes, m'lord,” answered Jaken, who then cleared his throat. “Ahem. It is a tale most fearful, m'lord. Your servant displayed much courage when…”

 

Sesshomaru looked stonily at Jaken. “You were afraid of what would happen to you if you let anything happen to Izayoi.”

 

“That is most unfair, m'lord!”

 

“It is true.” Sesshomaru fixed Jaken with a stare.

 

“A-All the same, m'lord, your servant did stand bravely between Izayoi and that fearsome creature, Oshirimaru.”

 

“And…”

 

“The creature belched forth this miasma most foul. It had already dispatched…or, rather, absorbed…what youkai remained after the rest had flown to your side.”

 

“They should not have done that.”

 

“They would not listen to me, m'lord!”

 

“Go on.”

 

“Only a few remained. One of them hid the halfbreed's…”

 

A low growl came from Sesshomaru.

 

“…your brother's four youngest pups in a small copse behind me…”

 

Kagome started, then took off for the indicated thicket.

 

“…while the others confronted Oshirimaru.”

 

“Found them!” Kagome called out.

 

Jaken continued. “Bravely they fought, but they were absorbed one by one. The creature…absorbed…the older three of your brother's pups. Then it came towards your servant and Izayoi. Terrible it was, m'lord, and as it approached it spewed out this odiferous miasma!”

 

“So it blasted you.”

 

“I am not entirely sure, m'lord,” said the imp. “As the creature approached, spewing its miasma, your servant used the Staff of Two Heads.”

 

“You used the flames.” Lord Sesshomaru looked pained. He was looking down while massaging his own forehead.

 

“Indeed, m'lord. Most spectacular, although unfortunate for your servant, was the result.”

 

“Let this Sesshomaru guess. Flames all over the place.”

 

“Why yes, m'lord.” Jaken looked admiringly at his master. “How did you know?”

 

“The miasma is flammable. The miko set it on fire once with a flaming arrow.”

 

Jaken rubbed what, on him, passed for a chin. “That would explain a lot, m'lord. The next thing I remember, I was waking up with your brother and the…human…standing over me.”

 

“Not `filthy human,' Jaken?”

 

“She is not like most humans, m'lord.”

 

“Oi,” said InuYasha. “You can say that again.”

 

 

******************

 

 

Within the hour, everyone had gathered to decide what to do next. The first thing decided was that the remaining children should be kept out of harm's way. Consequently, Sesshomaru detailed his youkai to reoccupy the castle. More nursemaids were sent for and would arrive within a few hours.

 

Shippo and Kanna were left at the castle because all they would do was hold hands and try to sneak off together. Not that it mattered as, according to InuYasha's sensitive nose, Shippo and Kanna had made Kagome a grandma, already.

 

It was just one more thing for Kagome to worry about in addition to their missing children. At least her prior adventures with InuYasha had given her the fortitude to keep it together even when their kids were in danger.

 

Anyway, speed was of the essence and a small party unencumbered by small children was called for. Sesshomaru, Kagura, InuYasha, Kagome, Miroku and Kirara would chase down Oshirimaru.

 

“I'm so sorry, Kagome,” said Kagura. “I was so overjoyed to find Izayoi safe that I completely forgot about your children.”

 

“Oi…Kagome,” said InuYasha as he waved his hand in front of his mate's eyes.

 

“Huh? What?”

 

“Kagura was talking to you.”

 

“Oh, yeah.” Kagome turned to Kagura. “It's okay. I understand. Besides, I can feel them.”

 

“The pups?” asked InuYasha.

 

Kagome nodded yes.

 

“Remarkable,” said Miroku. “Are they okay? Are they communicating with you?”

 

Kagome looked at the monk. “It's not like that. No, they're not talking to me, if that's what you're asking. It's more like I can feel that they're okay…for now.”

 

InuYasha knelt before Kagome. “Can you tell where they are?”

 

“Not really. It's…It's sort of like sensing the shards.” Kagome pointed north. “They're that way…and moving. Not too fast, though.”

 

InuYasha turned to the monk. “Can you sense it, bouzou?”

 

“Why are you asking me?”

 

“It's a girl's ass, stupid.”

 

Miroku sighed. “I'm so misunderstood.”

 

“Oi. Can you sense it?”

 

Miroku sighed again. “Yes.”

 

 

******************

 

 

The gang took off, headed north, with Miroku on Kirara in the lead. The monk was in a semi-trance and had a look of extreme concentration. His hands were in front of him, palms outward.

 

Kagome looked on from her position on InuYasha's back. “Amazing.”

 

“Oi. What's amazing?”

 

“I can sense them. There are what looks like magnetic lines of force stretching from Miroku's palms in the direction of the floating ass.”

 

“Feh. I guess that's good, but one thing…”

 

“Yes, InuYasha?”

 

“What are mag-net-tick lines and what do they have to do with force?”

 

“Uhhh, nevermind.”

 

“Oi. It better not have anything to do with ticks. I don't like ticks.”

 

“Let's just say Miroku's hands are drawn to…”

 

“I get the idea.”

 

Up ahead as he rode on Kirara, Miroku's eyebrow was twitching.

 

 

******************

 

 

Some distance ahead of her pursuers, Oshirimaru gloated. “They fell for it!” All she had to do was make them think they had “rescued” Rin's soul and they had become so distracted that they never noticed her slipping away to attack the other camp.

 

“The power.”

 

Each of InuYasha and Kagome's children held tremendous potential power, but absorbing all three had given her a sense of power undreamed of. It was all raw now, but give her time to learn how to use it and not only would she destroy InuYasha and his bitch, but also she would…why, there was no limit to what she could do!

 

She imagined the world ruled by an ass. The perfect ass.

 

Her.

 

For some reason, an image of that toad youkai, ruling by her side, appeared in her head. Oshirimaru smiled inwardly.

 

Back at the castle where he had been detailed to manage the household staff, Jaken shivered. “Why am I getting the willies?” thought the toad youkai.

 

 

******************

 

 

“Can you still feel it?” asked InuYasha.

 

“Mmm-hmmm,” answered Kagome. “Miroku's on the right track. I think we're getting closer.”

 

“Keh. Good.”

 

“Oi! Sesshomaru!”

 

The Great Lord of the Western Lands looked back at his brother and raised one eyebrow.

 

“Kagome says we're gettin' closer!”

 

Sesshomaru nodded to InuYasha, and then pressed forward.

 

 

******************

 

 

Up ahead of her pursuers, Oshirimaru cursed. “Damn them, they're catching up. I can feel it.” The floating ass turned her senses inward. “No, it's those brats I absorbed. As that bitch gets closer, their feelings grow stronger!”

 

Suddenly there was a prickling at the extreme of her senses. “What's that?” she wondered. Oshirimaru turned slowly from side to side till she found the direction the feeling was strongest. She altered her course slightly so she could find the source.

 

“It…It feels like…home.”

 

 

******************

 

 

Kagome's eyes got very big.

 

InuYasha detected a marked change in her scent, like she was excited. “Oi. What is it?”

 

“I know where she's going!”

 

“Where?”

 

“Naraku's castle.”

 

 

 

 

A/N: Kagome and InuYasha's kids are in danger and the gang is in hot pursuit! But why is Oshirimaru drawn to Naraku's old castle? What could it mean? Oh, what will happen next?

 

As always, please read and review. And, as always reviews = inspiration to write new chapters. Thanks!