InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Angel ❯ Persistence ( Chapter 44 )

Chapter Forty-Four:

Persistence

Kagome stood in a field, the sun shinning bright, and warm. Kagome looked down at the little creature at her feet. It was a cat, a little black cat with big green eyes. Kagome knelt down. Reaching out she ran her hand over the soft fur.

"Who are you little creature?" she asked softly.

"I am Rinki," the cat said.

Kagome reared back in shock.

"It talks!" she said in shock.

Rinki tilted his head.

"It has a name,"

Kagome stared at the creature, mouth agape. This was just too weird.

"Come now, you must have seen talking animals before, Kagome,"

"Uhmm…"

"It matters not. We will start the bonding now. Here you will learn persistence,"

"Persistence?"

The cat turned, leaping up onto a near by tree branch.

"Aye, persistence and patience,"

Kagome stood from her kneeling position, hands on hips.

"Okay, how am I going to do that?"

"You must catch me,"

Kagome raised a brow.

"Catch you, huh?"

"Aye, catch me,"

In a flash, Kagome was on him. Rinki leapt from the branch, breaking into a run. Kagome gave chase, her blood thundering through her veins. She felt alive, exhilarated. She felt like a beast being released from its cage. The feeling came out of no where. She figured it was her demon blood at work. Rinki ran over an open field, Kagome chasing. She nearly fell on her face as the scenery changed from an open field to a deep green jungle.

What the hell?

Rinki jumped, disappearing into the thick tree tops. She stopped, looking around. The forest was huge! The trees were a tall as the northern castle, and just as thick. There were flowers as tall as she was! Everything was! Kagome looked up at the towering trees in shock.

"You will never catch me down there," Rinki said.

How in the hell was she supposed to catch him? She couldn't climb those trees! Could she?

"Persistence, persistence!" he called down to her.

Kagome sighed.

She looked up at the tress, trying to see how she could get up there. There was nothing she could do down here, what did she have to lose? Two of the monstrous trees had grown close together. Maybe she could jump from one tree to other.

It was worth a shot.

Walking in between the trees, she looked at the distance between them before leaping up onto one tree, then leaping to the other, then back to other, the back to the other tree once more until she landed atop a branch. Rinki sat on a branch a few feet away from her, his tail swishing back and forth.

"Persistence pays off, ne?" he said.

Kagome said nothing as she leapt for the cat. Rinki took off, leaping from branch to branch. Kagome gave chase, mimicking his moves. Suddenly she was falling. Her eyes widened.

Closing her eyes, she waited for the impact. Nothing came. She opened her eyes. The scenery had change again. She was in a large pale room, standing on stairs leading up to a gray door. There were stairs everywhere, leading to several doors. There were even stairs on the ceiling!

"What is this place?" she asked aloud.

Her voice echoed off the walls. A door opened above her. She looked up as Rinki excited the room and stood on the stairs above her. He was sitting there upside down!

"How the hell do you do that?" she asked.

"Who knows?" he said with a swish of his tail, "Maybe you should try a door,"

Kagome shrugged and climbed up the stairs to the gray door. She stepped through the door and sure enough, she was upside down on the stairs Rinki had been on. Problem was, Rinki was no longer on the stairs, instead he was on the stairs a few feet away from her. Kagome huffed, placing her hands on her hips.

"Will you stay in one place?" she asked sternly.

Rinki licked his paws before answering.

"I am not a being that enjoys being stationary for long. Besides, staying still would make it too easy for you to catch me."

Kagome sighed.

Of course.

Shaking her head, she headed for the next door, only to come out another door further away from Rinki. Without hesitation, she stepped through the next door. This time she ended up standing above Rinki. Growling a bit she stomped to the next door, only this time, she stepped out into large hall with many, many red doors. Kagome sighed again and headed for one of the doors. She came out a few feet away from the door she had entered. Rinki stood further down the hall. Kagome's brows lowered in irritation as she chose another door.

This time, she came out in a tunnel. Rinki was standing further down, his green eyes shimmering. Kagome gave chase. Rinki turned and ran. As the two ran, a light at the end of the tunnel appeared. At the end of tunnel was the field from which they started from. Though it irritated her a bit more, she continued to chase Rinki.

Kagome lay down on the grass, chest heaving. Rinki was just too fast for her. She had no idea how long she had been chasing that cat, but now she was too tired. They had ended up in the field again, and instead of continuing to give chase, she had collapsed onto the floor to rest. There was no way to catch him. She closed her eyes. How could she bond with this amulet when she couldn't even keep up with the damn cat?

Unless…. She wanted to giggle. It was worth a shot. Rinki was a cat but he was still considered a male.

"Have you given up?" Rinki asked as he approached her.

Kagome sighed and sat up, pulling her knees to her chest.

"How am I supposed to catch you?" she asked softly, tears forming.

"You're not crying are you?" he asked, a bit panicked.

He hate when women cried. Always had, always would.

Kagome sniffled.

"No," she said wiping her eyes.

Rinki moved closer.

"Aww, come now. Don't do that! It's not that bad!"

Kagome sniffled again, more tears forming. She looked out of the corner of her eye. Almost….

"I can't do it," she said.

"You can. You just have to have patience, plan out your moves, be persistent and analyze your situation. Figure out how to obtain your goal," he said coming to sit beside her.

'Bingo…'

Kagome reached out, grabbing Rinki by the tail. She lifted him up, bringing him face to face with her.

"I agree," she said with a smile.

Rinki sighed.

"How didn't I see that one coming?" he asked himself aloud.

Kagome giggled as a bright light engulfed them both….

The trance receded, and Kagome awoke to see she was in her bedroom. Pulling the hair pin from her hair she giggled. She had gotten the best of Rinki. She felt bad for tricking him that way, but she had no choice. She had to get the last amulet before the end of the month. There was no time to waste. She had to do what she had to do, and if that included playing a few tricks here and there, so be it. She sighed and lay back on the fluffy pillows.

Now, all she had to do was to wait for her vision to kick in. She had absolutely no idea when that would happen. Exhaustion over took her body. She had been so tired lately. Turning on her side, she yawned.

She needed a nap.

After chasing that darn cat to and fro, she deserved a good long nap.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sesshomaru entered the room, his eyes instantly locating Kagome nestled in bed, fast asleep. He had come to check up on her an hour before, only to find her surrounded by a green barrier, her eyes glazed over, deep in a trance. He was glad to see she was resting. He disapproved of her continuing to search for the last amulet. With part of the Evil Six wiped out, there was no immediate danger any longer. Sesshomaru had injected Vishious with enough poison to keep him incapacitated for months. He knew there was no sense in explaining that to her. She was hell bent on taking down the remaining Evil Six and would not stop until she had.

However, denying her the chance of exterminating the Evil Six could result in emotional distress. In her condition, emotional distress was more dangerous for their pup than anything else she would face. Thus he had given in to her demands. He walked over to her, looking over her with a critical eye, searching for any sign of distress or injury. Finding none, he turned and left the room, heading for the kitchen.

He found the head kitchen servant chopping vegetables, and barking orders at the kitchen staff under her supervision.

As he entered the room, activity ceased immediately.

The kitchen staff bowed.

"My lord, what brings ye to the kitchens today?" the head kitchen servant asked.

He had met the servant yesterday. Instructing the stunned servant to prepare a special meal for Lady Kagome and himself. She had introduced herself as Yuri. She was a brown haired, gray eyed middle aged human woman, whose husband and son currently served in the Northern military.

"You are to prepare another meal for Kagome and serve her after her nap," he said.

"Do you require anything, my Lord?"

"Nay," he said as he turned and left the kitchen.

Today, he had decided to tour some of the villages on his land. He was completely unfamiliar with this land, and he did not like it at all. While waiting for Kagome to bond with the amulet and have a vision, he would go out and scour his lands. He had not been out in quite a while. There had been so many documents he'd had to go over, so much important information Miroku had needed to make known to him.

He was used to roaming the lands.

He had left strict orders with the guards in charge of protecting Kagome to prohibit Lord Sarinji anywhere near Kagome in his absence. He would not take any chances with that male. If Lord Sarinji continued to pursue Kagome, he would find death at his hands.

He would not tolerate disrespect.

Forming his demonic cloud, he left the castle and headed to the nearest village. He arrived in less than a half hour to the village of Genka. The people of the village instantly ceased activity to stare at him. Lowering his demonic cloud to the ground, it disappeared. Instinctively, his eyes tracked every single person in the immediate area, looking for any sign of danger. Sensing none, he advanced into the village. Villagers cleared his path, mothers pulling their children behind them in fright.

He looked at the condition of the village.

It seemed to be in good condition and well cared for. The people were dressed decently and did not look to be suffering in any discernible way. Up ahead a group of elderly men stood before him, blocking his path. The elder in front was a short, stooped old man, with long gray hair and brown eyes. He was dressed fairly well in a gray kimono and brown hakama. The elder to his left was tall and hunched, with short gray hair and gray eyes. He was dressed just as well in a blue kimono. The last elder on his right was taller than the other two, and seemed to be the youngest of the group. He had long salt and pepper hair, light brown eyes and wore a green kimono and white hakama.

He stopped before the elders.

"Welcome to Genka, my Lord," the elder in front said with a bow, "I am Hitin,"

He gestured to the man at his left with a shaky wrinkled hand.

"This is Michiko," he said.

Michiko bowed respectfully.

"Welcome, my Lord," Michiko greeted.

Hitin gestured to other male on his right.

"This is Goshinki," he said.

Goshinki bowed.

"Welcome my, Lord," he greeted as well.

Sesshomaru inclined his head in response to the greetings.

"We are but a few of the elders of this village. Please, pay no mind to the younger villagers. They need time to adjust to the new Lord of the lands. What brings you to Genka, my Lord?" Hitin asked.

"Do to the disturbance of the Evil Six; this Sesshomaru has not been able to tour his lands, establish a rapport with the people of this land, nor see to the needs of said people,"

"Ah, I see," Hitin said with visible approval, "Please, allow us to show you around Genka and you may assess for yourself the condition of the village."

Sesshomaru followed the old men, moving at a slower pace to accommodate their frail bodies and slowed steps.

"The village is well cared for and clean," Goshinki commented.

"Your mate, Lady Kagome has take good care of the Northern lands," Michiko said.

"The land is fertile, the water plentiful, and the weather is stable. We have not suffered drought, nor flood in decades," Hitin said.

As they walked through the land Sesshomaru was silent, though inside, he was very much impressed with the care of the land. Mayhap his mate had indeed known how to successfully run a territory. The Elders spoke highly of her, not only as a former ruler but a kind young woman in general. Satisfied with what he was seeing of the village, Sesshomaru decided to cut his visit short, but before leaving, he informed them of Kagome's pregnancy. News of her pregnancy was received with joy.

As he formed his demonic cloud and headed for the next village, he knew that news of her pregnancy would spread like a wildfire.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yamiko stared down at his reflection in the water.

His face was back to its original perfection and yet he was not happy. Walking through a near by village, the women had ogled and gushed over him, just like before. He should feel ecstatic. He had his life back. He could go back to living his life. Things could go back to the way they use to be and yet they couldn't. Things would never be the same.

He sighed.

He still felt stupid for the way he had bemoaned his looks. In the end, they had not really been that important.

"What you thinking about, ugly?" a voice asked from behind him.

"What do you think, mutt?" he responded, still looking at his reflection.

InuYasha frowned at Yamiko, arms crossed.

"Ya got ya looks back, why the hell are you still moping?"

Yamiko's eyes saddened.

"I have them back and yet I feel….."

"Dissatisfied," InuYasha answered.

Yamiko looked up at him as he walked over and sat next to him.

"Sort of…."

"Well I could've told ya getting your face back wouldn't change a damn thing. When you first got that scar and saw the way people treated you, you were changed; on the inside. Removing the physical scar didn't remove the scar inside, any idiot could have told you that," InuYasha said.

"And I suppose you would have been that idiot?" Yamiko asked with a roll of his eyes.

"Damn right," InuYasha said proudly.

Yamiko chuckled. The idiot. They sat in silence for a while, listening to the rushing water.

"Do you ever wish to change it?" Yamiko asked.

InuYasha looked down at his own reflection. Did he wish to be one or the other? youkai or human? To blend in with one group of beings instead of an outcast?

"Hell no! I am who I am. Ain't no way in hell I'd choose to be something else. Besides, being different has its advantages," he said smugly.

Yamiko raised a brow.

"Any what advantages would those be?"

"You get more leeway. People don't expect much from me, so I'm not constantly walking a narrow line. If I do something out of the ordinary or a little crazy, I don't get grief from it. They expect me to act like a heathen," he said in amusement.

Yamiko laughed at that. Leave it to InuYasha to turn criticism into an advantage.

"Besides, it let's you see what people really are deep inside. The mask comes off."

Yamiko had to admit, he had a point. When he had been scarred he had damn sure seen more than a few masks come off, and the real face underneath had not been pretty. Despite the fact that most people thought he was an idiot, InuYasha was wiser than many saw, or even cared to find out.

"So what now?" InuYasha asked.

"What do you mean?"

"How are you gonna live now that you've seen the faces without the masks?"

Yamiko sighed.

"I don't really know,"

"Did you hear about Lady Kagome?" a voice said from behind them.

Ears tuned to the voice, Yamiko and InuYasha listened to the conversation. The river they sat next to was located only a few feet away from the main road of the village. Two young women walked along the path gossiping about the latest news from the castle.

"No, what about Lady Kagome?" the other woman asked.

"They say she's pregnant with the new Lord's child,"

The woman gasped.

"Already?" the woman gasped in surprise.

"Well I'm not in the least bit surprised. Have you seen him?"

"Seen who?"

"Lord Sesshomaru,"

"Nay, I've not seen him,"

"He was here earlier this morning. He was extremely scary but he is the most gorgeous male I've ever seen!"

"Even more so than Lord Yamiko?" the woman asked in surprise.

"Oh aye! Even more so!" she sighed, "If only he weren't so cold….."

Their voice slowly dwindled as they continued down the main road. Yamiko and InuYasha sat in shock.

Kagome?

Pregnant?

"Do you think-"InuYasha started.

"What do you think?"

InuYasha shivered, covering his face.

"I don't even want think about it! Sesshomaru fathering a child? A spawn of the devil?"

Yamiko laughed aloud. He didn't know what was funnier; Lord Sesshomaru playing the role of father or InuYasha being an uncle.

"This shit ain't funny!" InuYasha yelled at the laughing demon.

And it wasn't, not to him. What kind of hell, what kind destruction would a spawn of the devil bring? He couldn't imagine, didn't wanna imagine!

"What's wrong uncle InuYasha?"

InuYasha began to sweat, his brow and ear twitching.

"U-U-Uncle?" he repeated; panicked.

He shook his head as Yamiko rolled around on the ground, his laughter ringing in his ears.

"Shut up! It's just a rumor!" he yelled, an angry flush staining his cheeks.

He hoped to Kami it was just a rumor.

He stood, determined to find out if it was true. There was no way it could be. Narrowing his eyes at Yamiko, he kicked him in the ribs. Yamiko was laughing too hard to even care. InuYasha took off towards the castle. After a few more moments of laughter, Yamiko followed.

They arrived back at the caste a little over a half hour and headed straight to Kagome and Sesshomaru's bedroom. To their surprise, two guards were stationed at the door.

"Lady Kagome is resting. Lord Sesshomaru gave specific orders that she not be disturbed," one soldier said.

"We ain't gonna disturb her" InuYasha began,"We just-"

"No on sees Lady Kagome unless Lord Sesshomaru or the Lady herself says otherwise," the second guard said.

The door opened behind them. Kagome appeared in the door way, wearing a deep blue sleeping kimono, her hair ruffled, her eyes tired. It was obvious she had been sleeping.

"The Lady herself wishes to see them," she said.

The two soldiers bowed.

"Yes my Lady," the said in unison.

They entered the room. Kagome closed the door, hands on hips.

"Honestly, posting guards without tell me," she muttered testily.

As she walked past them to the bed, instantly they knew the truth. Her scent had changed. She still smelled of her own natural scent, along with Sesshomaru's scent and hidden beneath was the scent of them both combined.

Kagome was pregnant.

InuYasha stood rooted to the spot. Yamiko took a seat on the window seat, a smile on his face. Kagome sat down on the large bed next to the bedside table where a covered plate sat. A servant had brought the meal about an hour ago. Her stomach growled.

"What brings you guys here?" Kagome asked.

The two remained silent. Yamiko looked as though he were holding back laughter, while InuYasha looked too shocked to speak. Kagome looked between the two, confused.

"What?" she asked.

"Do you have any idea what you have inside of you?" InuYasha exploded.

Kagome looked over at him in surprise. She blinked, bewildered.

"A baby," she answered cluelessly.

"A spawn of the devil!" he said.

Kagome's eyes flashed.

"Excuse me?" she said softly.

"That's Sesshomaru's brat!" he exclaimed, waving his arms around in the air.

"What of it?"

"That bastard brother of mine can only procreate mini devils! Spawns of ultimate evil!"

Yamiko held his side as his body shook with laughter.

"One more insult, and you'll end up out that window InuYasha!"

InuYasha clammed up immediately, his eyes shifting nervously. Yamiko could stand it no longer. He burst out into tears, his laughter uncontrollable. InuYasha glared. Kagome, while not completely sure of what was going on, could only giggle at the two.

The three conversed quietly for an hour or so on nothing special in particular, before the two excused themselves, leaving Kagome to eat her late lunch. So famished, she didn't even turn her nose up at the bloodied meat that filled her plate.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kagura laughed louder than she had ever laughed before. She and General Ensei sat beneath a large oak tree, the wind blowing softly. They had been sitting there for a little over two hours, General Ensei telling her stories of his youth.

"Father was not pleased with me at all," General Ensei said, a feigned saddened expression on his face, "There I stood, covered head to toe in warm gooey honey, bee stings all over me, my father and his guests looking at me in shock. Father calmly told me to go clean myself up, but while I was upstairs, he had dismissed his guests and when I came down, father gave me a thrashing I still remember to this day,"

Kagura burst into another fit of laughter. It was hard to imagine someone as big and strong as General Ensei ever being a child, let alone receiving a thrashing, but it sure as hell was funny. Though Kagura had told him she would only go on one date with him, when he had asked her out for a walk, she had found herself saying yes. No angry insult, no down playing of her emotions, she had gone because she wanted to.

It was….nice.

Spending time with General Ensei was nice.

She wondered how much longer had. How many more days she had with him like this? She wondered. Usually, her mind shied away from such thoughts, preferring not think of the future. But as she sat next to him, leaning against him, she wondered how long before the blind fold was removed and everyone could see what she really was.

"I've talked about me all afternoon, what about you Kagura? What was your childhood like?" General Ensei asked with a smile.

Kagura froze, her heart constricting.

"Were you scolded and thrashed by your parents as I was?"

Kagura looked down at her hands, speechless. She had no childhood to speak of, unless you count the past few months she had been alive. She had no parents. She was the demon spawn of an evil man.

Big hands covered her own.

Kagura looked up to see Ensei looking at her, his brown eyes soft with compassion, a soft smile on his face.

"You need not say anything. If it is too painful to speak of, you do not have to speak of it," he said softly.

Kagura looked deep into his brown eyes, marveling at the feelings going through her heart at the moment. It was like nothing she had ever felt before. It was wonderful, extraordinary….dangerous. She should not have these feelings, but she did, and she never wanted to lose this feelings.

Reaching up, she caressed his cheek.

"Why are you so kind to me?" she asked.

"Because I know there are things you hide. Things you are not willing to tell me right now. Mayhap you will never tell me. It matters not," he said, reaching up to take her hand in his once more, "I only know that I am drawn to you Kagura. I wish to have you at my side. For now, that is more than enough for me,"

Kagura closed her eyes as his lips lowered to her own, his warm lips touching softly to her own. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she held onto him with a death grip.

'I won't let go….I'll never let go…..'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you all for the reviews

Laters

~Sessakag