InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ At the End of Days ❯ Decisions ( Chapter 8 )

AN: Sorry, sorry, sorry! I know it took forever to get this up, but life has been definitely more than a little weird lately. I hope the next part takes less time, in case anybody’s still looking for this thing…. 8. Decisions  

Kagome smiled into the darkness. Although she was more than a little disappointed that there would be a delay before her beloved hanyou would in fact take her as his mate, she could understand his desire to do things correctly. From what Sango had told her, most kinds of youkai--the more advanced ones, at least--had very specific (and closely guarded) procedures to follow when taking a mate. Since he had had to essentially raise himself, it should not have come as any great surprise that he had never been taught the proper customs for inuyoukai. After all, a hanyou surviving to physical maturity was almost unheard of--who would ever expect one to have any need for information on mating practices?

He had been horribly embarrassed when he had confessed his ignorance to his intended mate, his ears practically disappearing into the top of his head. Realizing that he had become so attuned to her in recent weeks that he would have no trouble distinguishing between the compassion she felt for his dilemma and pity, she had held him close in the night, gently stroking his sensitive ears until the tension drained from his lean body, his eyes slipped halfway shut, and a soft, rumbling growl began deep in his chest.

The stress and confusion of the day finally caught up with them both. At the wide yawn that the girl couldn’t quite stifle, the hanyou pulled her tight against his body, resting his chin on the top of her head.

The last thing Kagome heard before drifting off to sleep was a deep, rough voice whispering, “I’ll talk to Sesshoumaru. He can tell us what we need to know, and he might even be able to find a safe place for us to hold the ritual. You won’t want to do it here--we’ll be vulnerable while we’re…distracted, and we don’t want to wake up your family by making too much noise.”

It made for some very pleasant dreams.

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Kagome was not too surprised to find that her soon-to-be mate was already awake when she opened her eyes shortly after daybreak.

“Hey. You okay?”

Having long since abandoned his old need to seem somehow immune to emotional influences, he lightly stroked her hair for a moment before answering. “Yeah. I guess I just got a little stressed when I realized that there’s a lot I don’t know about this. I know that there are still a lot of youkai around, but I don’t know if any of the customs have changed--in my time, if the procedures weren’t followed right, other youkai wouldn’t recognize the mating. Hell, some of them wouldn’t think twice about claiming a mate by force, even if they were already mated. I can’t take a chance like that with you.”

She pushed even more firmly against him. “I understand. We’ll talk to Sesshoumaru, find out what we have to do, and do it. It just might take a couple of days to arrange.”

His grip on her tightened fractionally before he released her to sit up. “I don’t want to wait, but I don’t dare make a mistake with this.”

Leaning down to place a soft kiss on his lips, she whispered, “Neither do I, but if it’ll keep anybody else from making trouble for us it’ll be worth it.”

He stood, then reached down to help her to her feet. “We should get downstairs. I think your mother’s starting to get impatient--she’s walked past this door five times in the past hour or so.”

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Once the two had showered, dressed, and gone downstairs, they learned that Kagome’s mother did indeed have something that she wished to discuss with them. As it turned out, Kaede, Rin, and Ami--yet another of Shippou’s kits--arrived at the shrine last night after the hanyou had disappeared up the stairs to tend to his mate.

After examining the girl that Kagome had cleansed of the youkai infection, the group had agreed that there was little that any of them could do to speed her recovery. If she was going to recover, it would have to be her youth and natural resilience that would do it for her. It was, they said, likely that she would recover fully if they could somehow manage to keep her body alive until her natural regenerative abilities could heal the damage that the invading youkai had done.

Though the old miko was pessimistic, those who had learned to live in this century either by growing into it or by being born into it could bring themselves to be cautiously optimistic: they were familiar with some of the possibilities available to them through the advances in human medical technology. Between Higurashi-san’s experience in raising two children and Ami’s training as a nurse (even though her specialty was pediatrics rather than emergency medicine), they had developed a plan of sorts.

The girl’s mother shook her head at the two devouring the large breakfast she had prepared. “I should be hearing from them sometime within the next hour or two. They were going to talk to Sesshoumaru and the others about sending an expedition out into the city, to a clinic or hospital. If we could gather some supplies and equipment to provide supportive care, there’s a good chance that Yuka could recover completely.”

Kagome nodded absently--she understood some of the things that could be done with present-day medical supplies. “What kind of things will we need?”

Her mother laughed. “There’s quite a list. The biggest problem, as we see it, is to keep her body from starving to death until it can repair itself. We’ll need some intravenous solutions and the equipment for administering them, for a start. We should also get a variety of medicines--things like painkillers and antibiotics--assuming, of course, that they’ll let us have them.”

Kagome shook her head. “Has anybody tried to call the hospitals and ask?”

Her mother repeated the gesture. “They tried, but couldn’t get through. We couldn’t tell whether it’s because the phone lines are down in parts of the city or because there’s just nobody left in the hospitals to answer.”

The deep, smooth voice didn’t exactly interrupt. “It would seem that the latter possibility is the more likely. There are few youkai staff members in the area hospitals, and it would seem that the disease has gotten well beyond the ability of the human physicians to control at this point. That is why I have come here this morning.” With a quick glance and an almost imperceptible sniff in the hanyou’s direction, the taiyoukai continued, “I see that you have chosen not to take my advice.”

Leaping to his feet, the hanyou grabbed his half-brother by the shoulder of his spotless suit and dragged him to the door. “Come with me,” he snarled. “Now.”

Once outside under the Goshinboku, Sesshoumaru almost smiled at his wild younger sibling. “What is it that you wish to know?”

Suddenly finding the ground beneath his feet extremely interesting, he muttered, “Just about everything.”

At the sudden flare of surprise he could feel from the youkai lord, he continued, “Hell, why should you be surprised that I don’t know anything about taking a mate? It’s not like I had anybody that could teach me this stuff.”

Sesshoumaru sank to the bench beneath the great tree in surprise. This, he decided, could take a while. “What exactly DO you know?”

The hanyou blushed furiously. “I know what to do as far as actually mating--I’ve seen humans in the forest a few times. I don’t know anything about placing a mating mark, or even how to do it.”

“The flea never thought to explain this?”

The hanyou snorted. “You know what Myouga’s like--he usually stays as far away from me as possible: my life’s way too dangerous for the likes of him.”

“Sit here for a while. This could get complicated.” As his younger brother joined him on the bench, Sesshoumaru began, “First of all, you must realize that all of the information I have refers specifically to youkai--I do not know how relevant it will be to you. Still, you should be able to allow your youkai instincts to help.”

“You mean I’ll have to transform like I did when we were fighting?” That didn’t sound very appealing--he had always feared what he might do when he released his youkai.

“Not exactly,” the taiyoukai said, understanding Inuyasha’s concern. “It is just that your youkai half will have the information you need instinctively--it will know exactly when and how to place the mark on your mate.” He shook his head slowly. “It already seems to recognize the little miko as yours, and will not harm her--it is my understanding that your youkai has tried to surface a number of times since you have been here, yet you have never harmed her.”

“But I could.”

The taiyoukai shook his head slowly. “I don’t think so. As I think I may have mentioned earlier, your two auras have begun to merge. This only happens with mates who have been together long enough to have established a pure connection of love and trust at the deepest levels. In many cases, it never happens at all. Even in your most out-of-control state, you never intentionally injured yourself. To harm the miko now would hurt you as surely as a sword through the heart--somehow, your youkai knows this and will not permit it to happen.”

“I don’t ever want to hurt her, not even a little, so how can I put a mark on her?”

Sesshoumaru rubbed absently at the tension that was starting to gather in the center of his forehead: he had never planned on having this particular conversation. “You are referring to the scars that you have no doubt seen on some of the lower youkai, are you not?” At the hanyou’s silent nod, he continued, “Each kind of youkai marks its mate in a different way. Wolves, for example, bite their mates to leave a scar that eventually changes into a mating mark. Inuyoukai have no need for such crude methods. When you claim the miko as your mate, your youki will create a mark somewhere on her body. At least, this is what would happen if you were youkai--in your case, there is no way to know precisely what will occur, as there is no record of an inuhanyou ever taking any mate, much less a powerful miko. I do, however, think that everything will happen as it should: you are almost impossibly powerful for a hanyou, even for a youkai. I do not know whether it is because of the hardships you endured to survive, your connection to the miko, or the fact that our father’s blood is so strong in you. The only possible difficulty I can see is the fact that you will not bear a mark from your mate.”

“Why not? I thought that both mates had a mark.”

“They usually do, but your mate is human--she does not have youki with which to create a mark. As I recall, our father never had a mark from your mother. That was much of the cause for the almost constant attacks we suffered from lesser youkai.”

Deciding to let the matter of his own mark go for the moment, Inuyasha asked, “What will my mark look like?”

The taiyoukai shook his head. “It’s impossible to say. Each mark is different, and is created by the deepest connection you have with your mate. Some time after you are mated, you will come to me so that I may record the mark on your mate and enter it into the family records.”

“What else should I know?”

“When you allow your youkai to assist you in the mating you must remember to keep at least a little control. The little miko is indeed as innocent as she appears, and you are very large by human standards. Your youkai will want to dominate your mate, simply taking what is yours, but you should remember that her first experience will be uncomfortable, and try to bring her at least some pleasure before completing the mating. Your instincts should be able to guide you in this as well, if you allow them to help.” He sat in silence as his younger brother stood and paced briefly, then continued, “You will need a safe place to conduct the ritual. I’m offering you the use of a suite in my home--you will be able to proceed without interruption, and my security staff will ensure that no harm comes to you or your mate while you are there.”

As appealing as the idea was, Inuyasha had certain reservations. “Are you sure about this? Won’t your servants be upset with you for bringing a filthy hanyou and a human home with you?”

The taiyoukai’s features took on the cold disdain that had once been habitual. “This Sesshoumaru doesn’t permit his servants to dictate policy. Any of my long-time staff who had a problem with humans were dismissed after Rin joined my household. If any of the newer staff have a problem with my decisions, they are free to find other employment.”

The hanyou raised his ears from where they had been plastered to his skull. “I’ll talk to Kagome about it--she wants to get this done as soon as we can.”

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The pair returned to the Higurashi kitchen to find the women pouring tea for all of them. The hanyou could feel his future mate’s curiosity, but understood that she would not embarrass him by asking what had occurred while they two were outside. Although it would have been almost impossible to believe just a few months ago, Higurashi-san smiled at the youkai lord sitting at her table sipping his tea. “What do we do now?”

Sesshoumaru shook his head slowly. “We will indeed be making a journey into the city to gather medical supplies. That is, however, but the first of several such expeditions we must make in the very near future--we must also gather food supplies, tools, spare clothing, and any other equipment that could be of any use.”

The three looked at him blankly. Understanding that they had not been privy to the reports he had been receiving from his agents throughout this part of the country, he went on, “I have been receiving information about the deteriorating conditions in the city for several days now, and have decided that we should all leave before things grow too much worse.” Looking directly at the human woman, he said, “I realize that you will not wish to leave your home, but there is no longer any real choice. There are growing areas of power outages, places where telephone service has entirely ceased, and many parts of the city with no water or sewer services. There have been no deliveries of food or other supplies into the city in more than a week. These conditions will rapidly turn the urban areas into death traps--with no alternative, the few remaining survivors trapped in these concrete wastelands will soon turn on each other before dying of starvation, thirst, or madness.”

Kagome’s mother stared at the taiyoukai with wide eyes. “When must we go?”

He raised an elegant eyebrow--he had half expected that he would have had to drag the humans away from their home kicking and screaming. “We should make the initial trip into the city for medical supplies today--I do not know how long the girl will be able to survive without receiving the care I have been informed that she will need.” Glancing at the clock on the kitchen wall, he continued, “The vehicles and crew I have chosen for this task should be arriving within the hour. Tomorrow, we will return here to bring you all to my home until we have gathered the necessary supplies for the move to the countryside.”

Kagome was curious. “But where will we go? A few of us have experience in living in the wilds, but most of us have lived in cities for our whole lives.”

In a surprising move, Sesshoumaru flashed a very small smile. “There is a very large farm not too far from the city. I have been acquainted with the proprietor for a very long time--I am sure that he will permit us to stay on his lands, at least until we can make additional plans. In any case,” he said, gesturing to the two women, “You and your family should gather any personal possessions that you cannot live without. Take only what can be carried, and only the things that you value the most. Bear in mind that electrical power, indoor plumbing, and even running water may not be available to you any time in the near future.”

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Kago me’s mother was not particularly surprised by the odd caravan that pulled onto the shrine grounds a bit more than an hour later. From what her daughter had told her of the taiyoukai--and from what she herself had seen of his character--she had realized that he was not one to do things by half measures. Still, she could not entirely believe the string of vehicles that had appeared outside the shrine. The four trucks were easy enough to understand: after all, the entire purpose of the trip was to gather supplies, but she didn’t quite understand the need for the two hummers that made up both the front and rear of the line.

She was even less surprised by the rather odd group that trooped into her kitchen. In addition to those who had accompanied her daughter on her journeys in the past, she was pleased to once again see the old miko, the young woman who had been raised by the youkai lord, and three of her kitsune hanyou kits.

The planning was concluded rapidly. Although Higurashi-san and her family would remain at the shrine to begin packing, her daughter would accompany the group going out into the city. Not only would her rapidly growing perceptions serve to alert the others to possible trouble approaching, but her arrows would allow them to defend themselves against potential attackers from a considerable distance. Although most of the group had been chosen because of their fighting ability, Shippou’s daughter Ami had been included because of her medical knowledge--she could tell the others what supplies would be of the greatest use in their admittedly strange situation.

Each of the vehicles would be driven by one of Sesshoumaru’s security people. In addition, each of the hummers would be carrying a team of skilled fighters. Shippou would be in the first hummer, along with Inuyasha and Kagome, while his twin sons Hiro and Hikaru would bring up the rear with Sango and Miroku. Although the two young men were hanyous, the fact that they were identical twins gave them a certain advantage--when they worked in tandem, their illusion powers were much more powerful than those of full kitsune youkai.

As she watched the caravan drive away, Higurashi-san turned back to the house where she would keep watch over their patient with the others who had been left behind.

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Although she did not expect that her daughter would come to any harm while in the care of either of the brothers, Higurashi-san was growing more and more uneasy as the afternoon became evening. Sensing the younger woman’s growing distress, Kaede stepped forward, resting a wrinkled hand on her arm. “Don’t worry. He’s kept her safe from youkai, wild animals, and all manner of human threats. Surely he can protect her from a nearly deserted city.”

The two women fell silent as the deepening gloom outside the windows turned to full dark. Suddenly, the old woman’s head snapped up. “They’re coming,” was all she said.

The entire group--save for Kagome’s grandfather, who had remained inside to watch over the still unconscious Yuka--emerged to see two hummers flanking a single large truck pulled up to the curb on the street below the shrine. Although she wanted nothing more than to race down the steps to see for herself that her daughter was indeed home and unharmed, Higurashi-san realized that she would be needed where she was to direct the group in placing the things being unloaded from the truck into suitable storage areas.

Surprisingly, only a few boxes of supplies were removed from the truck before it drove off into the darkness. Staring in shock at the handful of people climbing the long flight of steps, she suddenly remembered what Sesshoumaru had said that afternoon about leaving the shrine the next day. Obviously, the only supplies being left here tonight were what might be needed to care for Yuka: the rest would be taken to wherever the taiyoukai was assembling supplies for their evacuation of the city.

Once the supplies had been opened and Yuka had been attached to an IV containing the nutrients she would need to survive, the oldest of the Higurashi women looked at her daughter’s haunted eyes. “What happened out there? Where are the other trucks?”

Kagome seemed to shake herself. “Sesshoumaru was right, Mama--we can’t stay here. It took us a long time to get to the hospital, because we had to avoid the biggest population centers. I didn’t really understand why until the wind shifted one time and we caught the smell from all the decaying bodies. We got to the hospital okay, but had to wear special breathing masks once we went inside--the place was full of bodies, most of them pretty far gone.” She shuddered in horror, then the hanyou standing behind her reached out and gathered her into a tight embrace. After a few moments, she continued, “There was nobody left alive inside, so we went through the storage rooms on each floor and took what we needed of the supplies. It didn’t take us long to fill the four trucks.”

Not wishing to make his future mate relive the sights she had seen on the trip back, Inuyasha took over the narration. “After we left the hospital, we decided that it might be best to take the bulk of the supplies to Sesshoumaru’s--he has a building on the grounds of his estate that will hold just about anything we might need to gather. We left three of the trucks there so that his people could get them unloaded, then came back here. We tried to call a couple of times, but it looks like the phone service is pretty much finished.” He turned the slight form in his arms slightly into his chest, resting his chin on top of her head. “They ambushed us when we went into the park about a mile and a half from here--it would cut nearly a half hour off our travel time, and we didn’t have any trouble going through there on the trip out. They weren’t very strong--hyena youkai and a handful of humans--but they knew we had women with us, and they really wanted them. I guess those bastards figured that if they were immune, and mated with women who were also immune, their pups would survive the sickness.” At the look of horror on the older woman’s face, he shook his head. “We didn’t kill any of them, but I almost wish we did--we chased them back to their campsite where their leader decided that one of the humans was at fault because they couldn’t take us out. They tore him to shreds, then they….” His voice trailed off as he noticed the color draining from the woman’s face.

“Anyway,” he said, lifting his burden easily and turning to the stairs, “Sesshoumaru’s people will be along tomorrow to take us all to his estate. That ecchi monk and the old woman have a barrier in place, so we’ll all be safe there until we’re ready to move out.”

Without another word he vanished up the stairs to spend some time easing his intended mate’s frazzled nerves.