InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Demon Nature ❯ The Calm Before the Storm ( Chapter 11 )

Note: Duh, I don't own these characters. Just like them a lot.

Kagome looked over at Rin, who had just come up to see her.

"Are you cold Kagome? I can have my servant come up with another brazier…"

"I'm fine. When I'm pregnant I'm warmer than usual. This is good for me."

"Are you happy about having another child?" Rin asked, her face and voice serious.

"I wasn't looking for it, but it happened, and I'm okay now."

"What do you want?"

"A healthy child. Rin, don't you want more children?"

Rin looked away, and Kagome saw that the answer was not going to be what she'd expected.

"I like being alone with my Master…"

"Why do you still call him that Rin? You two have been together…"

"He is that to me Kagome. He is the Demon Lord of the West. I always think of him that way, and I'm so honored that he chose me as his mate. Inu Yasha has a title too…"

"…but he is Inu Yasha to us, to me, his mate, and his children."

"They are very different Kagome."

"I know," Kagome said, not wanting to get into an argument with Rin. No matter what she thought about Rin and Sess relationship, there was no doubt that they were devoted to each other.

"So, you don't want any more children."

"No. Sesshoumaru-sama told me something about people called doctors in your time…"

"Yes. As soon as the weather breaks, we have to go so they can make sure the baby is fine."

"How do they do those things? How can they see inside?"

"They have imaging machines…Rin, I can't explain. You have to come and see for yourself."

"You and Sesshoumaru-sama make your time sound like a dream, but he told me people don't like demons, and that they hurt Inu Yasha."

Kagome was the one to look down now, holding back tears.

"They attacked us, a group of people. We were with the children, and they, they just tried to beat us, calling us freaks. The children were very upset, and after we came back here, we decided that the children should live there, take advantage of the education they can get, and visit here. We go there when we can, but with me pregnant…I would like to deliver at home, but I may go to the hospital."

"Hospital?"

Kagome laughed, and Rin flushed red, angry.

"Don't make fun of me Kagome…"

"Rin, it's not that. When the weather breaks, if Sess says it's okay, you come with us. We'll drive around and you'll get to see everything, even go to a movie."

Rin smoothed the folds of her kimono.

"What type of kimono should I wear?"

"You'll have to change to more modern clothes to not be so conspicuous. They keep clothes in the house for us for when we come."

"What about my children? Sesshoumaru-sama has them learning how to read and write very well so that they will be ready for the future world."

"They should come."

"Then who will stay here? Sesshoumaru-sama has so many enemies…"

Kagome decided not to dwell on the why of that, and shrugged.

"I don't know. I guess we'll work it out. Maybe your kids can go with my kids."

Rin brightened, and Kagome relaxed.

"I hope we can be good friends Kagome. My master will be gone a lot in spring and summer, and it'll be nice if we can talk…"

Kagome reached out and took Rin's hand, surprised at how soft it was.

"Of course Rin. We can pick flowers together and enjoy the baby."

Rin smiled broadly.

"I would like that."

Later Kagome watched Rin leave, a pensive look on her face. Rin had not come to talk to her about the future, about kimonos and having babies. She had come for another reason, and in the end, she'd left it unsaid. She remembered the first time she'd see Rin, how long ago now, and how she'd never seen Sesshoumaru tolerate any human but her around him. That little girl was gone, Rin was Sesshoumaru's wife now, with all that that meant. She sighed, and went back to her room to wait for Inu Yasha to come home. He and Sess had gone somewhere earlier, and would probably be back shortly. Just as she sat down a serving demon came in. She looked human, but her skin was reptilian. Sess had a thing for reptiles she guessed.

"May I get you something My Lady?"

"Some tea please. Is Lord Inu Yasha's meal ready?"

"Yes My Lady."

"Bring it here. He will be here shortly."

Even as she said the words, Kagome cringed inside. Lord Inu Yasha? It must be this place she said to herself. But the day she called him Master, she was out of here.

Rin had intended to talk to Kagome about Yore, and Yukio, but once she'd arrived she'd not been able to bring the subject up. Kagome had dealt with Kikyo, and she'd thought that maybe she'd be able to give her some guidance. As she reentered her apartment, she looked over at the courtyard where her children trained. They were in their wings, Sakura working on her calligraphy, and Taisho working with the arms master on new armor. Later the arms master would work with Sakura. She looked up at the setting sun, wondering if Sesshoumaru would be home that night. It wasn't snowing but it was bitter cold. Feeling slightly chilled, she lit two braziers in her room and took out a scroll of parchment and some ink. Her tongue sticking out of her mouth, she wrote the characters, the sound of the teacher's voice in her head. When she finished she smiled, sitting back and looking at her handiwork. Rin. Her name was Rin, and this was the first time she'd written it. By spring she would know how to write Sesshoumaru-sama's name.

Sesshoumaru and Inu Yasha walked side by side in the snow, their senses fully alert. Sesshoumaru wondered how to approach his brother about going to the future, for Rin, and decided that the best approach was direct.

"I would like to take Rin to Kagome's time."

Inu Yasha looked over at his brother, his eyes calm, waiting. There were other youkai around them, their scents reaching their noses as they walked. But none approached, and that was for their own safety.

"Why?"

Sesshoumaru looked away, watching as a flock of demon birds took flight.

"She should go, should go see one of those doctors you talked about. The time will come when she wants another child, and I need to know if she can bear another."

Inu Yasha nodded, looking to his side in time to see a badger kitsune watching them. It didn't move, and he looked back at his brother. After the attack in Kagome's time, he'd decided never to go back. Here he was someone, even if some thought he basked in reflected light. Sesshoumaru had never defeated him head to head, and if he wanted to, he could assume his brother's place.

But he preferred to be with Kagome, to wander and meet people, to have adventures. And they could do that here. Of course there were people who would run them out of a village, but they threw rocks and used weapons that you had to be close to someone to use. In the future, with the weapons called guns…

"I don't want to go there, not now."

"It's winter there too Inu Yasha. You know that it's the best time for us to go."

"Your war starts in the spring?"

Sesshoumaru looked at his brother, chuckling softly.

"Always direct aren't you?"

Inu Yasha didn't smile back, looking away. His body had healed, but the anger he bore had not gone away. Kagome had been telling him lately that he had to deal with whatever it was that was making him hurt. How could he explain to her how he felt about the humans that had shot him, and almost shot Aiko?

"You hate them don't you? The future humans?"

"Kagome is a future human."

"She lives here with you."

Sesshoumaru sighed.

"If I tell you why I want to go…"

"You want Rin to have something to occupy her mind while you're off slaughtering any and everything that gets in your way. I understand that. It just always shocks me that you feel so deeply for her, a mere human."

Sesshoumaru stopped, forcing Inu Yasha to stop as well.

"Will you take us?" Sesshoumaru asked softly.

Inu Yasha met his brothers eyes. Sesshoumaru would never say he loved Rin, that was not his style. But Kagome had told him that it was true, and that if anything happened to Rin, the Sesshoumaru they knew, while bad, would be nothing compared to the monster who would emerge from that pain. So he could only give one answer, and he did.

"Yes."

Sesshoumaru looked up at the sky, and saw it was getting dark. Rin would worry if he wasn't home he thought to himself. Inu Yasha turned, taking to the sky, his pregnant wife on his mind. Sesshoumaru nodded, needing to feel the soft hands and hear the soft voice of the one person who brought sunshine, and…, no even now he couldn't admit to having felt that emotion, and joined him.

Leiko paced, her deep angry purring vibrating through the air of her palace, keeping everyone on edge. She had not ventured past her palace since her agent's body had been returned, but even here, she'd heard that Sesshoumaru had made up with his hanyou brother, and that the two had now joined forces. Despite the fact that Inu Yasha was a half breed, he was more feared by some than his brother. After all, it had been Inu Yasha who had cut Sesshoumaru's arm off, an almost fatal wound that many demons had thought would render him useless, and his domain ripe for the taking.

So she had sent her spies, and they'd all come back, reporting that indeed the brothers were united. But her spies from further south told her something even more interesting. Yemon was dead, at his daughter's hand, and her son, Yukio, was now the Great Demon Lord of the South. An untested Lord, at this critical time, should be easy to manipulate and probably get into her corner.

"My Lady."

Her new chief aide, and confidant stood before her, and she stopped pacing. He was in human form, and she shifted, meeting his gaze.

"I think you should reconsider any visit to the South."

"And why should I do that?" she said, stepping over to him and stroking his face.

"The rumors in the South are that he is Sesshoumaru's son."

Leiko stood stock still as all the pieces fell into place.

"And would Sesshoumaru defend this son of his if he were attacked?"

"He's never gone near him."

Leiko nodded, looking away.

"And what about the West? What have you found out from our spy there?"

"Nothing. I'm beginning to suspect the worst."

"Sesshoumaru wouldn't miss an opportunity to gloat. He hasn't found out yet."

"I'm going to the South," Leiko said, shifting into her true form. Chieko, smiling, shifted and followed her through the shimmering curtain and joined her in flight, heading for the South, and a meeting with Yukio.

Shippou stood watching as the demoness and her new companion streaked across the sky, heading not West, but South, and he looked at the young vixen who had become his companion during the winter. She had no idea how tied he was to the ruling demon family of the West, and he had no intention of telling her. She, like most demons of his level, tried to stay out of the way of the ruling families, preferring to keep their mayhem to a level below that of the demon lords. But even here, in this forest, the rumors were rife, and too insistent not to be true.

"That can't be good," the demoness said, linking her arm in his.

Shippou's mind was already thinking about where Inu Yasha and Kagome were, if they were in the future, or if they were still in this time. Her voice brought him back to now.

"I have to go."

"What???!!!"

Riku stood with her hands on her hips, her tail twitching in anger.

"You can't go where I'm going. It's been good…"

Riku hit him so hard he saw stars, and he looked at her in shock.

"No way you are going anywhere without me."

"Riku…"

"Where are you going?"

"To visit friends."

"Who? You never mention anyone…"

Shippou cursed, and walked away from her. Riku, not to be deterred, followed.

After an hour, she realized he was heading West, and she caught up with him, grabbing him by his arm.

"West? You have friends in the West?"

"Riku, if you're going to follow me, at least do it quietly."

Knowing a victory when she saw it, she fell in next to him, wondering who he knew in the West.