InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Demon Nature ❯ Demon Nature Chapter 31 Hotaru Gets a Scent ( Chapter 31 )

Demon Nature Chapter 31 Hotaru Gets a Scent…

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Aiko Morimoto had never been so happy to see her father in her life. Doctor Hanaka and the priest Master Fujita were creeping her out, and she had just been resisting their efforts to make her spend the night in the safety of their keeping at some undisclosed location when her father appeared in the doorway.

"Father!!" she cried, running into his arms and burying her face in his shoulder.

"There Aiko. Everything is fine now," he said looking over her head at the two men who were standing in the middle of what had been her office suite.

"May I ask who you are?" he said softly, moving his daughter so she stood to the right of him.

"I am Doctor Hanaka Morimoto-san. This is Master Fujita, a revered priest of our ancient faith."

"And why are you here Master Fujita?" Jiro asked, using one of the gifts he had from Yukio as he read the human priest, sensing the spells on whatever those things were in his golf bag and knowing the priest had come to kill a demon.

"I was here visiting Doctor Hanaka when the explosion happened. I ran here as quickly as I could to see if I could be of any help."

"And you brought your golf 'clubs'," Jiro thought to himself instinctively knowing not to let the priest know that he was even remotely aware of the golf bag or its contents.

"Thank you for your for your concern gentlemen but I will take my daughter home now. I think you both understand that she needs to rest."

"Of course," Dr Hanaka said, his eyes narrowing as Aiko left with her father, still visibly shaking.

"Where does she live?" Master Fujita asked anxiously, rushing out into the hall to get one last glimpse of the woman and her father.

"She lives nearby like most of our staff…"

"I need her address."

"Master, she is a doctor…"

"Fool!! She bears the marks of a demon on her back, the marks a demon puts on his mate to claim the person forever, through every incarnation."

"I…"

"You couldn't have known. Does she have a boyfriend, someone she dates?"

"She never dated, at least that I knew about, and then they guy Yukio shows up out of the blue…"

Master Fujita sat down heavily.

"Yukio."

"Yukio Morimoto he said."

"You told me she was seeing a demon…"

"Half her clientele is demon. One extra demon meant nothing…"

"Where does she live Hanaka?"

"I, I'll get her file."

Jiro drove into the temple grounds and came to a screeching halt outside the main building.

"Father…"

"You will be safe here. Aiko. I will deal with the police and the press."

"Why…"

"Those men in your office were demon hunters. The priest came with the intention of killing Sesshoumaru and if he could Inu Yasha…"

"Come on. How…"

"I suspect your Doctor Hanaka is part of a network that specializes in tracking the Demon Lords and Great Demons. Somehow they knew Sesshoumaru was here, and they came after him."

"And they would use me to get to Yukio…"

"Do they know about Yukio?"

"Doctor Hanaka does. He met him."

"I see."

"Not good huh?"

"The demon hunters that we saw today descend from people who were killed by Sesshoumaru back in the Warring States Period. The other demons they track and watch. Him, and his family, they want to kill."

"Including you, and me?"

"Yes. Including us."

Aiko sat down, wrapping her arms around her body.

"Did you hear from mother?"

"Yes. She was the one who called me. She saw what happened on television."

"Where is she?"

"In Hokkaido. She's on her way. I will meet her at the airport."

"Can she come here?"

"The spell is pretty specific Aiko."

"I would like to see her…"

"I'll see what I can do," Jiro said softly, smiling at his daughter. "What did happen?"

"It was so fast…Leiko…"

"…demoness of the North…former Demoness of the North…"

"I guess she was after Sesshoumaru-sama. I was examining Inu Yasha's wife when Sesshoumaru came barreling through the room, eyes red like fire, and well, he jumped out of the window. That's all I can say. All I saw was lights…"

"It's all you would be able to see. They fought, and Sesshoumaru almost killed her. Did you see Leiko?"

"No. Kagome told me it was her. All I saw was lights."

"Good. It was very bloody."

"Why didn't Lord Sesshoumaru kill her? She's been hounding our family for years…"

Aiko blinked as she heard what she was saying. How did she know that?

"It's a memory Ai. It'll happen for a while. My guess is that Sesshoumaru time traveled here, that he hasn't caught up to this era yet, and he knows that if he alters the present he will alter the past, which is why he couldn't let Leiko kill anyone, but he couldn't kill her either."

"Time travel? Father, you are really asking a lot of me if you think I believe in that idea."

Jiro knew it was not time to tell Aiko about the well.

"How was Lady Rin?"

"My god, she is so small, maybe four eleven. But she is Sesshoumaru's hook, line and sinker, and he is hers. He tries to act aloof, as if her being there doesn't matter, but he loves her. He watches every move she makes."

"The family always wondered about that, how he stays so devoted to her."

Jiro didn't want to mention the other children of Sesshoumaru and Rin since they hadn't been born yet as far as Sesshoumaru and Rin were concerned. And Aiko didn't know them, or remember them, yet. They were still alive, still living very low key lives, and staying out of the lifeblood of the family, ruler ship of the Demon Domains. They looked like their father, and stayed away from humans for the most part.

All of this went through his head as he made ready to leave.

"I have to go pick up your mother. She is very worried about you."

"She's never cared before."

"She has always cared Aiko. It's why we're not together."

"What…you can't just leave after making a comment like that Father."

"I have to go. Maybe we can talk, all of us, when she gets here."

"I think we should Father."

Jiro started his car, his mind on the woman who called herself his daughter. She had been his mother in her prior incarnation, and he wondered how she would handle that when she remembered everything. He eased the car towards the airport, his mind on the woman who deep down inside he still loved. She had sounded frantic this morning on the phone, afraid her daughter had died. It had been years since he'd seen Tadako, and he wondered how she looked, if she was still the beauty she'd been when he'd met her all those years ago. Because of his demon blood, he had not aged at the same rate she had, he would live hundreds of years before he even looked old. She was now in her fifties in human years, and he knew she would be elderly and pass on in a short while in terms of his life span. His mother/daughter would soon be old too he thought to himself unless his father Yukio did something to allow her to live the way Sesshoumaru and Inu Yasha had with their human mates. Sesshoumaru was very skilled in magics, and he wondered if Yukio would force him to reveal his secrets.

He checked his face in the mirror, seeing a man who appeared to be no older than thirty five looking back at him. How would Tadako react on seeing him he wondered?

Tadako Morimoto was now known as Tadako Hattori, her maiden name, and she walked out of the terminal head up, eyes behind black sunglasses, her hair bobbed and showing red gold highlights. Thank god the fashion industry had found a way to overcome the pigment in Asian hair and thus allow millions of women like her to color their hair something other than black.

She wondered what car Jiro was driving now, probably a Benz, he had always preferred them over BMW's or American luxury cars. He never drove a Japanese car. The families in that business did not truck with demon kind, and the demon families responded by not buying their cars.

When she and Jiro had separated all those years ago she had thought she was the only woman in Japan who had married a part demon, a hanyou as they were called she now knew. But she soon found out that there were hundreds of women who had had relations with, or were married to, hanyou. Some women were married to full youkai she now knew as well. And there were men who were married to female hanyou or youkai. But as humans they all faced the same problem; they would grow old, and their mates would live forever young, old age a worry for thousands of years down the road if they survived the internecine warfare among demon kind.

She turned and looked to her left, and saw Jiro walking towards her. Her breath caught in her throat and she blushed. He looked the same as he had looked twenty six years ago when she'd met him, and she knew, despite the fact that several men, old and young, had made note of her as she walked through the terminal, she did not look the same as she had then.

"Tadako-chan," Jiro said, bowing to her before sweeping her into his arms.

"Jiro…"

She didn't resist his kiss, and didn't ignore the question behind it, returning his fervor with her own. She had been a fool to leave, to make such a big deal over what was an every day, if not common, occurrence, in modern day Japan. If only she had known…if only he'd told her the truth from the beginning.

They drew stares as they walked back to his sedan, many women giving her secret smiles of praise at the sight of what they saw as a May-December relationship. What would they say if they knew the younger seeming partner was in reality over six hundred years old she thought to herself as she slid into the passenger seat, watching him as he walked around the front of the car and took his place behind the wheel.

"Where are we going Jiro?"

"Someplace you should've known about years ago Tadako."

"Jiro…"

"Aiko is safe. Where she is no one can get to her, not even you."

"Then how…"

"She will come out to see you."

"Who is she really Jiro? Why was she so important to you and your family?"

He was surprised at how much he wanted her back in his life, but he knew the first step towards that goal was telling her the entire truth.

"First, you should know about Yukio, the Demon Lord of the South, and his life mate, the human, Ai. Listen to me, and after that I will answer your questions."

Their eyes met in the mirror, and she nodded her silent assent to his terms. Taking a deep breath, he began his tale.

"You see, Yukio never wanted to be Demon Lord of the South…"

Hotaru, hair still damp from the shower, sat down at her vanity and looked in the mirror at Yukio, who was lying on his back with his eyes closed. He was not asleep, he didn't really need to sleep, and neither did she, but they did rest at times, especially after sex, and this was one of those times. She began to comb out her hair, remembering the old days when a servant would do this for her. She still had them, but when she was with Yukio she liked to do for herself the way she knew his human life mate did. She knew he had found the bitch in this time, and she had to take a deep breath to steady herself. Two humans, Rin and Kagome, were marked for all eternity as belonging to their mates, and she, who bore the title wife, took second place to a human female. When she had gotten herself together she looked in the mirror and saw Yukio's eyes fixed on her.

"You're awake."

"As always. What is bothering you?"

"Nothing," she snapped, gently pulling out a tangle in her hair.

"Hotaru…"

She put her brush down and turned to face him, letting her towel fall lower and exposing her breasts almost to the nipple.

"Rin-sama and Kagome-sama are both marked by their Demon Lords."

Yukio dropped his eyes, and Hotaru knew he'd done the same for the human bitch.

"I see," she said bitterly, turning back to the mirror and starting to work on her hair again. The towel fell softly to her waist, exposing her ample breasts, and she saw Yukio react, becoming semi erect.

"I'm good enough to fuck, good enough to stand at your side as wife, but not to being claimed by you."

They had been having this argument for centuries, and Yukio was not in the mood to have it now, not when he had to rely on his son Jiro to protect his mate. He actually liked being with Hotaru, she had moved and changed with the times, and now had her own little company that distributed cosmetics throughout Japan and South Korea. She was looking to expand into China, and had made contact with some of the demons there. But she had a way of always pissing him off, and now was one of those times.

"Hotaru, isn't it enough that I'm here? Isn't it enough that you are the one who stands next to me? Isn't it enough that I kept you when my dear mother wanted me to toss you out on your ass?"

"And that I have to see that cow Chiyo big with your babies? How many did you sire with her huh? How many of those little bastards are running around hatching plots against you as we speak so that their pig of a mother can throw me out on what's left of my ass after they try and kill me Yukio? Oh yeah, you did a lot for me, but every day I have to live with the fact that I can't have your children!!!!!!!!!! I wonder which one of your whores did it? Do you know Yukio? Do you know which one of them killed your pup? Do you even care??!!"

"I've had enough of this… it's not as if you haven't had your lovers over the years."

"What was I supposed to do while you were rutting with your whores? Pleasure myself?"

They were standing toe to toe now, both naked, both angry. When Hotaru turned to stalk off, her high heeled feather decorated mules still on her feet, Yukio grabbed her by the shoulder and spun her around, causing her to sprawl backwards on the bed.

"I need to get out of here…"

"Do you?" she asked softly, pulling her knees up and exposing her wetness.

"Hotaru…"

"You know I'm the best of them all, that's why you come back isn't it? No one can match us when we're together and you know it. My body had never been stretched by birthing a child, and it's just as tight as it was the first time, just the way you want it."

"Hotaru…"

"Go to your whore Yukio. The minute you step out of that door I'll have someone filling me with his cum."

"You bitch…"

"That's what I am Yukio. I'm your bitch."

He fell on her, plunging deep inside with one thrust and Hotaru met his thrust with a groan of pleasure, her toes curling in joy.

Later as they dressed Yukio flipped on the television, which was still covering the explosion at the hospital. Hotaru watched him, eyes hooded, as he stared, every fiber in his body straining to hear every word. The explosion meant a lot to him, he was way too interested in it, which meant someone affected had a tie to him.

"…we have been told by her family that Doctor Aiko Morimoto is in seclusion, and that she will speak only to the police, not to the press, about what happened. Doctor Morimoto is a very popular doctor and the hospital has vowed to repair her suite as soon as possible."

Hotaru sat up, leaning forward now. So, the office was that of a female doctor. Could it be…Yukio turned off the set and looked at Hotaru.

"It's time to go."

"Of course," she said demurely, lowering her eyes.

Masao stood up when he heard the sound of the cars engine, looking behind him at Rei, who had been reading an old scroll.

"He's here," Masao said, standing up and walking to the gate of the temple while Rei went to get Aiko, finding her sound asleep.

"Ai-sama, your father is here."

Ai felt as if she were stuck in mud, and sat up slowly, blinking her eyes as she looked around, trying to remember where she was.

"Your father has brought you mother, Tadako-san. You must come out to meet her."

"I just need a minute…"

She had had the strangest dream about a jewel…

She stood up, her mouth tasting foul, and she asked Rei for a few minutes to fix her self up. Her mother had always been a beauty, and a stickler for a beauty regimen, so she could not walk out smelling like she just got out of bed.

Tadako looked at Jiro, her brown eyes solemn. He had removed his contacts at her request, and she was till getting used to seeing his bronze eyes, dog eyes, his real eyes.

"Will she want to see me?"

"I think so. Girls need their mothers."

"I…Jiro, you have to give me time to get used to this. I mean, we have our circle as you know, but I had no idea you are descended from the Great Demon…it's just so much to comprehend. You told me the marks had to stay, that they were a tradition, but you never even hinted that…"

She sighed, and leaned against the car, her shearling coat protecting her from the cold. Jiro wasn't cold, he never was, and now she knew why.

"Your father…has been with Aiko?"

"Yes."

"Is she pregnant?"

"No."

"I've never met your father Jiro. He didn't come to our wedding…"

"He doesn't come to those things…"

"What is it?"

"He's here."

"Who?" Tadako said, not seeing anyone or hearing a car. Jiro looked up and Tadako saw a twinkling light that as it got nearer became a ball of light that descended to earth. Tadako watched as a man appeared, dark, with thick luxurious black hair and the identical eyes that Jiro had. The faint outlines of stripes crossed his cheeks and shaded his eyes.

"Why are you here and not inside," Yukio said with no preamble.

"Tadako, my wife, can't go inside. Aiko will be coming out here to see her mother."

"Lord Yukio," Tadako said, bowing deeply. He had never seen Jiro's wife, and took a few seconds to study her. She was still a beauty, and he saw where this Ai had gotten her looks.

"She knows Father," Yukio said softly.

At that moment Ai came out, and she ran to Yukio, who swept her into a kiss that lasted long enough for Jiro to clear his throat and Tadako to blush.

"Aiko, I'm so glad to see you well," Tadako said.

"I…, I'm glad you came. I'm glad to be here."

"I wish I could go inside…"

"No!!! You would be killed," Aiko said, letting go of Yukio's hand and embracing her mother.

"Father…"

"I told her everything Aiko, about you, about My Lord."

Tadako was surprised to hear Jiro use the formal form of address when speaking about his father.

Yukio was still studying Tadako, looking for any sign of reaction one way or the other from her. Apparently she was still shell shocked he decided.

"It's dangerous for Ai to be exposed like this. Leiko could have people anywhere…"

"So could Hotaru."

"Hotaru is still with you My Lord?" Ai asked, the name having triggered all kinds of memories, and not all of them pleasant.

"She…oh. Oh yes, I see."

"What is going on?" Tadako asked.

"She's remembering things," Jiro said, slipping his arm around Tadako's waist.

"Yukio, can we go to my apartment?"

"Not a good idea."

"This is insane!"

"Whoever wants to bring down my family is going to look for you at your place. You have to stay here."

"But my mother…"

"I'll be nearby. Don't worry."

Yukio lifted his head and Tadako and Ai stared as he sniffed the air. When they turned to Jiro he was doing the same thing.

"Nothing," the Demon Lord and his hanyou son agreed.

"I just feel something is not right…Jiro, take Tadako to your house and make sure she stays in your company. I hope you remember your lessons," Yukio said grimly.

"How could we forget?" Jiro said solemnly, and Yukio nodded, having no choice but to hope his son could protect his mate.

"I'll stay here with Ai."

Hotaru didn't need light. She alighted just inside the destroyed window and began to look around, sniffing the air for scents. Doctor Morimoto treated a lot of demons she thought to herself as she walked through the ruined space. She stopped in the waiting area, picking up a strong scent, no two strong scents, and she stood still. The scents were like Yukio's, but different. So the Great Demon had been here. Was Rin pregnant? The only one who smelled pregnant had been Inu Yasha's mate, the miko Kagome. She wondered how humans gave birth, the thought going in and out of her head as she walked. Why had the Great Demon been here?

There was another demon, a female it seemed, whose scent permeated the entire space. Some other demon had been spying on Doctor Morimoto already.

She wandered into the back, not expecting to scent out anything, when she picked up the scent she was hoping not to find. Yukio had been here. Chiyo wasn't pregnant, for a change, and she wasn't, so the only reason he could've been here was for Doctor Morimoto. She looked at the plaques that lined the wall, her anger flaring around her like lightning. Aiko Morimoto. Aiko. Was she the reincarnation of the human Yukio had loved so many years ago?

She rotated her ears as the sound of approaching security guards reached them, drawn by the light of her aura. She stepped out of the window and took off, the guards bursting in just as a ball of light floated away into the night sky. Seeing no one had been in the ruined suite, they left, closing the door.

Hotaru came to earth several miles outside of the city, walking into her house and pouring herself a glass of wine.

"Well daughter? How was your day?"

Yore was if anything more beautiful in this time. Her delicate features surrounded by the mane of natural yellow gold hair drew men like honey, and she wasted no time indulging her self with human and demon alike. Her current favorite was a university professor who was interested in ancient religions. Judging by the way she was dressed, she was on her way to see him.

"Interesting," Hotaru said yawning, peeling off the gloves that covered her claws.

"I spent time with Yukio."

"He is your husband Hotaru," Yore said stopping in front of the mirror and checking her hair and make up.

"You picked Chiyo for him Yore. Don't tell me you forgot."

"No, I haven't. He needed heirs, he has them…"

"And the little horrors are busily trying to kill him so their mother can become ruler of the South. How surprising," Hotaru said archly, sitting down at her vanity and beginning to clean her face.

"I also met Sesshoumaru."

Yore stopped in mid stride, turning and facing Hotaru, who met her eyes in the mirror.

"Where?" Yore asked wide eyed and practically drooling.

"At the Higurashi Shrine."

"What the hell was he doing there?"

"Visiting it seemed."

"Why would he be there? What is there that he wants?"

Hotaru shrugged.

"Inu Yasha was there, and so were the human women they're mated with."

Yore sat down hard, all thoughts of her night of fun gone from her head.

"The Higurashi Shrine is in Kagome's family," Hotaru said, looking at her manicure.

"Kagome?" Yore asked, puzzled.

"Inu Yasha's mate Yore," Hotaru said hoping her voice held more patience than she felt.

"Oh. So all we have to do is capture the humans and we will have the Great Demon at our mercy."

"He told me he had nothing to do with my condition. And I believed him."

Hotaru, her hair in two braids, went to wash.

"Have fun mother. I'm tired."

"The hell you are," Yore muttered, and Hotaru laughed, disappearing into the bathroom and closing the door.

The Shrine was not hard to find, and Yore alit with the grace of a fairy, her eyes bright as she approached the gate.

It was too easy she thought to herself. If the Great Demon comes here, no one will get to it easily. And she stood still, adjusting her sight until she saw the light that came from the land, appearing to be a soft blue haze.

"A very unique spirit shield," she said aloud, walking right up to where it started.

"And set to kill. Someone wants this place protected," she said softly.

Because of the shield, she couldn't pick up any scents, human or demon. But there was a way to defeat everything she thought to herself, turning and walking away. As if on cue every dog in the area began to bark except for Yore, who walked slowly through the part of the land that was not blocked. Half an hour later she found no chinks in the wall, and took to the sky, angry.

She would get to the bottom of this.