InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Children of Fate ❯ Six - Adopted Responsibilities ( Chapter 6 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Kagome and Inuyasha's decision is final. They want to be a proper family - and they can't do that unless Shippo is fully adopted as their own.

Also, Rin gets herself lost in a human village - though Jaken is trying (and failing) to find her, she makes a break for it. She doesn't know that this cut and run is going to affect her whole life from this point on...

Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Drama / Romance / Supernatural | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 03.02.2006 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.6K | Visits: 175 | Status: Work In Progress

Chapter Six
Adopted Responsibilities

Kagoyasha and Inuome are three weeks old…

Kagome was sat, her legs crossed, on the bare wood flooring - her head bowed. Shippo was sat in her lap, looking around at the people in the room, hesitating. He wasn't sure what to say, or wasn't sure whether he should be bowing his head in respect like Kagome.
He didn't know what was going on - all he knew was that they were deliberating something about him.

“Ye are both prepared to take in this kitsune?” One of the men stood around them said. He had his arms folded like the rest of the men; Shippo could tell he was a priest by the robes he wore.
Kagome nodded wordlessly. She passed up the scroll Shippo had been looking at earlier.

The priest who had spoken took the scroll without question and unwound it, staring at the writing on it. Kagome had to suppress a snigger. Getting Inuyasha to sit down and write something had taken a long time, but it was going to be worth it. She glanced at Shippo, who was watching her face. She winked.

The priest sighed and handed the scroll to a man standing next to him. He, in turn, glanced at the scroll then passed it on around the semi-circle. Shippo fidgeted uncomfortably.

The last person standing in the circle was the villager who had asked Kagome to be their priestess. He looked at the scroll, smiled and went down on one knee in front of Shippo. He stared at the fox-demon before speaking. “Do you wish to be adopted into our priestess's family?” he asked, his tone soft.

Shippo's emerald green eyes widened. His mouth opened in a wide grin, flashing all his teeth. The villager took it as a yes. He stood up and nodded at the other men, who parted and made their way out of the hut without another word. Kagome raised her head.

Shippo turned to his new mother, jumping up and down. “So that means I have to call you `Mama' now?”
Kagome laughed. “If you really want to,”
Shippo smiled, rocketing into her lap. “Kagome, you're the best! Uh… I mean, Mama.”

Kagome smiled and brushed her fingers through Shippo's fiery red hair, standing up. “Come on, we've got to go home. Your dad will be waiting for us,”
Shippo didn't counter her; he rubbed his hands together greedily. He laughed mischievously. “Inuyasha's my dad…” he giggled.

Kagome shook her head, exasperated. She picked up the little kitsune, locking him in her arms. “It's your bed time, Shippo.”
Shippo creased his face up in detest. “Oh great. Now I have parents again I'm gonna be ordered around,”

Kagome ruffled his hair, laughing. “Not so much. Come on, I'll race you home!” she jeered. Shippo cheered and started running. “Come on, Mama - hurry up!”
Kagome smiled, deliberately falling behind. Shippo giggled all the way through the woods, and all the way home.

Inuyasha tugged Tessaiga out of its slot in the door and flung the door open. He didn't see anything for a minute, but then what resembled a ball of fur jumped out at him, squealing. “Daddy!”
Inuyasha was knocked backwards in surprised. He looked down to see Shippo grabbing onto his chest, grinning from ear to ear.

Inuyasha sighed. “Get down, whelp,” he joked, ruffling Shippo's hair.
Kagome stepped through the open door, smiling warmly. “Are the kids in bed?” she asked Inuyasha. Her husband nodded, swiping at Shippo and grabbing him around the waist. He left the room, taking Shippo to bed. Kagome grimaced and left to go to the room she shared with Inuyasha.

She was tired, way beyond the point of caring that this was the first night in their new house - away from her friends and family, and instead with her own new family. Kagome dropped down onto the makeshift bed, her eyes droopy. The walk back home had taken a lot out of her.

Inuyasha appeared in the doorway, looking concerned. Both of his hands rested on the doorframe as he stared at her, critically. “Tired?” was all he said.
Kagome looked in his direction, doggedly. She nodded, but that was all - she was falling asleep on the spot.

Inuyasha stepped over, his eyes never leaving her face. Kagome yawned, gradually falling back on the bed. Inuyasha laid down next to her, draping one arm over her. He smiled as he watched her eyes shut and her breaths fall into a sleepy pattern. He kissed her cheek. “'Night, Kagome.” He whispered against her skin, his own eyes slowly shutting.

Sesshoumaru glanced up. The breeze was blowing the hair around his face into his eyes - contaminating his view - but he could still make out the halo of the moon in the sky. He frowned.
He knew he would have to find Rin and Jaken, soon - and in his thoughts he almost forgot where he had left them. But it wouldn't be hard for a demon like himself to find them again. Rin's scent lingered in the air even here - the scent of spring flowers and cinnamon.

Sesshoumaru found it… soothing.
He turned, half expecting to see someone there. The night was shadows around him - enveloping him in a lonely world where only he stood in this clearing. It could have been the whole world, for all Sesshoumaru cared. He was always alone, even with people at his side. They didn't understand him - and they would never understand him, that was the way he wanted it to be.

Without realising it, he found himself following Rin's scent - ready to reunite with his followers and seek any rumours or tales that gave away Naraku's position. Sesshoumaru clenched his fist as he walked, eyes narrowed and focussed straight ahead.

He knew there was something Naraku was after… but if only he could find out what…

Dawn was welcome when Kagome's eyes fluttered open, her eyelashes dancing on her cheek. Inuyasha groaned next to her and refused to open his eyes, rolling away from her as she sat up. Kagome smiled. Putting a hand to her head, she looked around.

Half expecting to see her own bedroom in the future, recognition dawned on her as she looked around at the walls of her new hut. She hadn't realised how much effort had gone into making it look like home. Tapestries hung from the walls at regular intervals - with no particular meaning or image, just patterns. Sockets in the walls were for holding candles, yet the hooks underneath the holders could be used to hang up outdoor clothing.

A rug ran the width of the room and neat shutters had been cleaned at the window side. Kagome smiled.

She looked down at Inuyasha. He looked young and vulnerable while he slept, especially now that he was only a human. Kagome felt a knot of sadness in the pit of her stomach. That was one of the things that ruined this moment. That he wasn't the half demon he'd been before.

And that they still hadn't completed the jewel. And… Naraku was still alive. Kagome shivered and clambered out of the bed, slipping over Inuyasha's sleeping body without waking him. She brushed back her hair, sighing. Why couldn't anything ever be easy?

It was midday. Rin didn't know how she'd managed to abandon Jaken and wander into the human village, yet here she was - looking around curiously. No, it was nothing like her village, yet it looked familiar in a way she… liked. She could feel something here, a happiness that was infectious. She smiled without realising it and ran around the streets.

Villagers walked to and fro, excitedly chatting about the nice weather and other such things, but no matter where she went - Rin heard the mention of `twins'. At times she would stop, her dark hair framing her face as she came to a sudden halt - and then she would watch the people talking with interest.

She didn't miss the human villages. She didn't miss being tied down in one spot, in one house. But…
Rin sat down on the steps of a shrine, her head in her hands. She blinked as she looked around at the happy village with the happy villagers, frowning.
She wished she could just live in one house, with one person.

But that one person wasn't here with her, nor was he the minion running through the forest blindly searching for her. No, Sesshoumaru wasn't here.
Rin rubbed the back of her hand over her eyes, but she wasn't crying. She didn't even feel exactly sad. Just… invisible.

A teenage girl of about eighteen stopped in front of Rin, looking down at her with plain curiosity on her face. She was average-looking, her short black hair held back by a colourless scarf. She crouched down, staring at Rin intently.

“Hello,” she smiled.
Rin looked up surprised. She suddenly felt like a trapped animal. Instead of answering, she pulled her knees in close to her - wrapping her arms around them. She refused to answer, ignoring the girl. She turned her face away, fingers of fear tightening around her heart.

The older girl grinned. “Don't be shy. My name's Mikhail, what's yours?”
Rin shook her head, looking down into her lap. Hurry, Jaken… she thought in her head. I don't want to stay with these humans anymore…

Mikhail leant in closer, putting her hand on Rin's arm. “Are you lost?”
Rin shook her head again, more furiously this time. She stood up, balling her hands up at her side. Then she ran for dear life in the direction of the woods. Fear was rising inside of her, choking her. She was afraid that if the strange girl caught up with her, then she'd be forced to live in the village.

She didn't want to live in a stupid human village. She'd made a promise to herself, and to Sesshoumaru (secretly) that she'd always be with him - always. Terror made her careless. And carelessness made her take the wrong direction. She wasn't heading towards Jaken. She was heading deep into the heart of the woods.

Her heart was in her throat, pounding there and making it hard for her to breathe. She kept her head down, her eyes shut - somehow avoiding all the trees that surrounded her. This was her instinct - to run. It had saved her so many times before, and she wasn't about to doubt herself now.

All she had to do was run - that would save her.
She'd find Jaken sooner or later. She was sure of it.