InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Do What You Have to Do ❯ Chapter 26: Burning Slow ( Chapter 26 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Title: Do What You Have To Do
Author: DeityOfDeath
Archive: Yes please...
Pairings: Inu Yasha/Sesshomaru mentions of Inu Yasha/Kagome and Inu Yasha/ Kikyo
Category: Drama, romance, slash, Mpreg, yaoi
rating: NC-17/R
Spoilers: Most likely.
Warnings: Yaoi, Lemon, Non-con, Mpreg, Incest, SPOILERS!
Disclaimers: I never have nor will I ever own Inu Yasha or its chars. They are property of Rumiko Takashi and major companies.

Note from Author: Thank You for reading and supporting fan fiction! Enjoy and please review!

The chapter titles are lyrics from the song "Do What You Have to Do" by Sarah McLachlan

Chapter 26: Burning Slow

I had spent a week in the hunter village and enjoyed the company of Sango's children and their children's children. Sango and Miroku were grandparents which was odd to think on and even odder to see.

Katsuro was Sango and Miroku's oldest and he was always busy either with work or family and so I rarely saw him. Hitomi did return to the village while I was there and though she was the spitting image of her mother her personality was all Miroku's and I was given a big hug when she saw me. She was a beautiful young woman with all the grace and poise of her mother with the cunning and honeyed words of her father.

We had gone to visit the shrine where Nariko and Nuriko, Sango and Miroku's twin daughters were training to be shrine maidens under the tutelage of Miroku's good friend. The two were much like Miroku with ebony locks and deep brown eyes but their looks were all Sango. It seemed a blessing that they had inherited their mothers looks. I kept that thought to myself but I was amused to hear Miroku admit it after he had introduced me to the girls who were nearly impossible to tell apart.

Hiroshi was still young and full of energy that only a six year old could have. Looking at him you could see Miroku as a child. His son was Miroku but with the innocence and happiness of a happy childhood with no tragedy. I hoped he would stay that way.

Katsuro was like Miroku in many ways but unlike Miroku he had married his childhood sweet heart young and they two were blessed with twin boys their first year of marriage; those were the two little bundles of energy I had first met wrapped around their fathers legs. Their names were Miyatsu and Mushin; Miyatsu after Miroku's grandfather, Katsuro's great-grandfather and Mushin after the monk that had trained and cared for Miroku after his fathers death. The two were ebony haired like their mother but possessed their grandmother's eyes. The two were going on eight and yet they behaved very well for their age.

Katsuro's twin daughters were all of six years old and also resembled his wife with her ebony hair and bowlike lips but their eyes were all his and reminded me of him with how serious they looked until they had begun to warm up to me, eventually showing me their playful smiles much like Katsuro had when he was younger. He had named his daughters Kikyo and Kaede and hearing those names caused my heart to swell in happiness and my mind to fill with memories of those they had been named for. When I asked how the names had come about I was told that they were named for the great priestesses and healers their parents often spoke of in their stories. As I saw the girls I couldn't help think that ba-chan and Kikyo would approve.

Katsuro and his lovely wife had a second set of twin girls named Haruka and Hikaru who had only just turned four and the two reminded me more of Kohaku than Sango when I saw them. They had hair that was such a deep brown that it almost looked ebony and both sported freckles that seemed to cover their cheeks and the bridge of their noses. They were pretty little things and actually warmed up to me quicker than any of Katsuro's other children.

Kairi the baby of the family who was about to be usurped from his throne in another four months was just as cute and easy to please as most babies were. Kairi seemed to take after his mother in looks and temperament. He would be a little heartbreaker when he grew up and I amused myself at the thought.

Surrounded by Sango and Miroku's family and friends in the village made me miss my own and so I had decided that after two weeks of catching up and sharing all there was to share I said my farewell with the promise of letters and possible visits in the future I left the village once more with a full heart and thanks to their kindness a pack full of food, a full water skein and a mind full of memories.

I had no destination in mind, I simply wanted to travel and so I did.

A week had gone by and I found myself lost in the wilds of Japan enjoying the quiet and calm and oddly enough found it too quiet. In my younger years of wandering youkai had been everywhere but now it seemed as though they were all but gone.

I knew this to be untrue because it seemed as though more and more attended Sesshomaru's New Years gatherings every year instead of less. Perhaps they had moved farther apart or perhaps the ongoing feuds and battles for land and title had driven youkai into deeper and more secluded areas.

Every so often I would find myself wandering into villages and when I did I would pin my ears against my head using my hair to hide them and some days I simply covered my entire head with either a hat or scarf.

In towns I would hear gossip and news about this great lord had won this battle and that great lord was in this battle.

Power, war, battles…it seemed Youkai and humans shared in common other than the love of family and friends the only difference is most demons lived long enough to learn that fighting didn't solve everything. It seemed as though humans were desperate to throw themselves into battle and more often than not, death. Such short lives shortened even further for land and power.

The tension in the air was thick in the villages and towns and I didn't stay long and as soon as I found the cover of woods and forests I took off into them instead of following the trails and dirt roads that lead from town to town. The anxiety was palatable on the air and the best way to avoid it was to escape mankind and all that was closely connected to it. As I traveled and the weather became hotter I could smell the salt in the distance and decided to follow the scent and as I did so it became stronger until I found myself at the shore.

It had been a long time since I had found myself on the soft white sand starring out into the blue salty sea while the calls of sea birds echoed in the sky above. It was peaceful and calm and so I found walked along the beach until I had found an old abandoned cave dug into the wall of a cliff where brown earth met white sand.

I spent my first day on the shore gathering dried reeds and weaving them into a mat which became my bed along with a thick blanket was a gift Sango insisted I take with me on my travels. I was glad for it because the shore seemed just a tad bit chillier than I had remembered and my blanket kept me comfortably warm from the cool winds that came in with the foamy waves that crested the sandy shores.

The shore was peaceful and for the most part I seemed to be the only person in the area of my little cave. Feeling bold and smelling and seeing no one around I stripped down to my fundoshi and jumped into the cresting waves riding them, occasionally getting a mouth full of salty water for my effort. I played and jumped the waves and watched as fish swam in the deeper parts of the waves. My stomach growled but catching fish was a lot harder in the ocean than in smaller lakes and streams and I soon called it a lost cause only to be pleasantly surprised to find the tides leavings.

I was left with a buffet of clams and oysters and I had even lucky enough to find two decently sized crabs before the seabirds. I boiled half my findings and ate the rest raw and enjoyed my meal as my hair and fundoshi dried in the bright sun and salty air.

My poor hair seemed to suffer the salt poorly and stuck up in every direction as it dried. I finger combed it as much as I could and imagined Reika's expression if she could see me now. Finding my hair a lost cause I simply twisted it and pulled it up in a high ponytail before I wrapped it into a tight bun. My belly was filled and my soul refreshed. I lay down on the sand in the shade and watched the waves crest and fall and listened to the birds and fell asleep on my straw mat at peace.

Morning came and with it I could hear the sound of shouts and laughter in the distance. Curiosity got the better of me and so I hid my ears beneath my hair, strapped Tessaiga to my side under my hakama and gathered my remaining items and walked the length of beach until I came to a part that was crowded by villagers helping to bring in boats and nets full of fish from the salty sea. Everyone seemed to be happy and joyous and villagers of all ages came to help. As I approached a man who was suntanned to a healthy brown with thick muscled arms and legs waved me over.

“If you lend a hand we'd be more than happy to see you fed,” and as he said it his deep ebony eyes shined with a pure happiness that I had seen in few people as of late.

I smiled back at him and shrugged, “Why not, I've got nothing to do.”

I planted my feet in the sand and bent to grab a handful of net and tugged bringing in a net that easily should have taken two or more men. I tried to play it down and laughed saying that “the waves” had helped but I had already caught the eye of many giggling women and cheering children who came to help pull the creatures of the sea from the net, sorting them into baskets.

I was amused at how deftly the children moved crabs and lobsters without a pinch or wound to show. It hadn't taken long to pull in all the nets and I helped in sorting good from bad and handing nets that needed mending to the women and men who stayed behind for such tasks.

“Come my friend, we shall feast. I've been told that a traveling troop has come to our village. Tonight we will feast and celebrate the summer.”

I followed and as I did the muscled man continued to talk and I learned that he was a well known fisherman in these parts and was known simply as Hiko. When Hiko asked my name I told him Yasha and he grinned and said I was a “pretty one” and that he was “surprised I had such strength

with such scrawny arms”. I didn't take his comment to heart and couldn't really; I wasn't about to tell him I was hanyou.

When asked I simply told him I was an apprentice monk, traveling on an enlightenment journey. Miroku would have been proud of my story I think. I spent the afternoon helping with menial tasks while bonfires were formed and lit as the sun set. The night came and a great feast was had by all with a quarter of what we helped to bring in cooked and served along with rice, pickles and fresh vegetables and the treat of seaweed; dried and fresh.

I enjoyed the taste of finely prepared fish cut into choice pieces and served with soy sauce. As we ate a group of musicians dressed in kimono and hakama in the same shade of pale orange arranged them selves on a raised stage and played for us on shamisen and flutes. The sounds were beautiful and haunting and seemed something only the oldest and most experts of musicians could play and as I looked up at those on stage I saw that they all looked extremely young.

Not only were they young but they were oddly beautiful or different. One man completely covered his body and face only allowing his golden brown eyes to show as he played the taiko drums in the background but no one really paid attention to him with the two young ladies whose long curling lavender hair and piercing blue eyes were matching and seemed to stand out in their pale orange kimono's. As I looked them over I realized they didn't smell human and yet they didn't smell like youkai. I stared at them intently and tried to figure out just who or what they were as they played and before I could a lady with long flowing ebony hair tipped in forest green and the palest of green eyes that reminded me of a lime came onto the stage in a flowing pink and white kimono that had long pale pink lace that touched the floor and then some which she moved along the stage and then into the air in a flowing motion that left the crowd stunned in silence and I found myself drawing breath, like I had forgotten to actually breathe.

She was beautiful and her movements were ethereal and otherworldly as she entranced all those who watched her. Not one eye left that stage or her. When her dance ended she bowed deeply and coins were tossed onto the stage, which were collected by two rag tag children whom also had oddly shaded hair, a girl with bright red locks tied back into a bob along with a boy whose hair was a deep yellow also tied back in a similar fashion.

They performed another song as the lady left the stage and as the music played the smell of smoke became pungent and I looked up just as the call over “fire” rung out. Panic set in and it was then that men in full armor jumped out and began attacking the small village and its villagers. I stood and watched as the children from the troop crouched amongst the crowd of escaping villagers too frightened to move.

I jumped in front of them and gathered them into my arms and moved so that we were away from the crowd. There I found the ebony haired beauty looking grateful at seeing the two safe.

“You guys should gather your stuff and leave this village, seems the fighting has found its way here.”

She nodded and I watched as she turned to run with the children holding her hands. I saw them run to the hooded man who nodded and I turned around and ran back into the crowd. Men with swords and armor cut down men and women regardless of whether they were armed or not and I felt ill seeing it. I couldn't understand mankind in times like this and so I ran into the fray and tried to take down as many as the samurai as possible but I soon realized it was impossible. I felt an arrow pierce my shoulder and I cried out in pain and ripped it from my shoulder growling at the one who had loosed it.

He screamed and loosed another before I could reach him which caught me in same arm. I jumped onto him, knocking him to the ground and seeing that he was unconscious I left him. I turned around and watched in horror as the kind and muscled Hiko was ran through by a samurai's sword. I growled and jumped into the air and onto the tiled roof of a nearby home. I eyed the samurai and was about to jump onto him when felt another arrow pierce my remaining arm throwing me backwards. I felt the shocking pain as my head slammed against one hard surface and then another and then the air left my body as I hit the ground.

I stared up into the night sky obscured by smoke and brightened by the red and orange light of flames as the village was burned to the ground and felt darkness pull me down; the smell of copper of blood and wood burning filled my nostrils and then something hard hit the side of my temple and I knew no more.

To Be Continued….

I was in a rut with this story and then the amazing LagunaL8 did some absolutely gorgeous fanart which you can find on Archive of Our Own. So I'm inspired again and kind of revamped how I want this story to end. Please stay with me to the end! This story is about to get a bit more drama filled.

Thank you for ALL of your reviews and kudos and favorites!!! I actually stayed up writing this just in time to celebrate my B-Day~! So here's to an awesome birthday spent writing fanfiction~!

Thank you for reading~!!

Deityofdeath AKA Kat