InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Dream a Little Dream of Me ❯ Hello...and...Goodbye ( Chapter 6 )

Disclaimer: Do not own it.

 

~ ~ ~

 

Chapter 6: Hello…and…Goodbye

 

~ ~ ~

 

Kagome had guessed correctly. Sango certainly had complications during labor, not the least of them being a hovering Miroku who tried to help and only ended up getting in the way - especially when all the blood started coming out of Sango and he fainted. Yes, the proud monk, slayer of youkai, had fainted. Right on top of Sango's leg no less and had had to be carried out by one of the larger youkai in the birthing chamber. And that is why they often did not allow the father's in. Men are all about blood and gore, but give them screaming women and placenta and they're goners.

 

The labor had been long and tedious for all involved. Sango had been in labor for the next day and a half, despite that her baby was far undersized being eight weeks early. Inuyasha had stopped by Kagome's room a couple separate times to make sure she was staying put. He also wanted to make sure she was okay, but not like he would admit that out loud to anyone, if he even admitted it to himself. She was pretty much under house arrest until Sango had delivered, but she also wanted to stay there so that she would be easy to find if anything went wrong or when good news came.

 

The news finally came early this morning, two days later. Miroku himself came to tell Kagome all about it. The baby had been breach, coming out backwards (Kagome had to keep herself from making a joke at Miroku's expense here), but in this case the baby being premature and smaller actually made it easier to get him out like this. Still, it was long and Sango had lost a lot of blood and was still resting up from it. She would likely be on bed rest for the entire week, but now she and the baby were doing fine.

 

“In fact Kagome,” Miroku said, “Sango and I are waiting until you can join us to name him.”

 

Kagome was absolutely flabbergasted. This was such an honor. Normally this is something that only involves the parents, and even then more so the man that the woman. The father just picks a suitable name and the wife shows her agreement to it, usually whether she likes it or not. Miroku though, was quite a conundrum. He could be a lecher, but then was more forward about things like women's lib than any other man she had met. She was sure he had either talked over the naming with Sango or would pick something that he knew she would love, and now he was asking her to be part of it too.

 

Miroku saw her starting to tear up and sighed as he started to push her out of the door. “Come on Kagome, no need to get all mushy on me here or anything. They agreed you could come with me right now as long as Inuyasha comes with us.”

 

Kagome looked up to see Inuyasha standing under the large tree just outside her door, arms crossed in his typical pose. She shook her head, smiling at him slightly.

 

She remembered that this was where they had talked that one moonlit night when she had been crying for Sango. Inuyasha had told her to not worry about Sango, saying that Sango was strong. The next morning he had walked in with Miroku in his arms.

 

She couldn't help but see something in him that he tried to hide from the world. She had been upset at what he had said to her those two days earlier, but truth was she could see where he was coming from. She was a clutz, and she would have gotten herself killed already if it hadn't been for him. Regardless of what he said his reasons were, the fact was that he had protected her - but not just her, her friends also. He had a big heart, she just wondered why he hid so much of it.

 

Well, not like he'll ever tell anyone, especially not me, she thought exasperated. Miroku pulled on her arm, bringing her out of her thoughts. She was surprised to see they were already in the birthing chamber, where Sango and the baby were being kept for the next week. There were two youkai mid-wife types in the room also, taking care of this and that, but Kagome was also pretty sure were there at the moment to make sure nothing happened with the three of them `dangerous' ningens.

 

She almost laughed at the thought, but stopped cold when she saw Sango on her futon holding her son. The boy was so tiny! Kagome crept closer and knelt down by Sango, who in turn held her son out to Kagome. Kagome was used to children, but the older ones in the orphanage. Even in the village she'd never seen a baby this small. His head was dwarfed by her hand! She looked down at this precious bundle and smiled, silently promising herself that she would help protect him at all costs.

 

With one last coo she handed the boy back to his mother, then glanced back at the two still standing in the doorway. Miroku looked like he was filled with what Kagome could only term fatherly pride, but Inuyasha had her puzzled. He seemed to have a battle of emotions going on just underneath the exterior, his mask slipping away from time to time allowing her to get the tiniest glimpse of him. For the life of her she couldn't tell what it was. When she looked up at him as she was handing Sango back her son, Inuyasha's eyes had been glued onto the young child and the women's hands, as if their handling of him was the most sensational thing in the world. Then for a moment he continually glanced between Kagome and Sango, of course trying to not be obvious about it. There was something brewing deep inside him, but what it may be Kagome could not guess. Well, at least not at the moment, because Miroku was calling attention for the ceremony to begin.

 

Although it was termed a ceremony, there wasn't anything particularly rigid about it. Miroku called on the kamis and prayed a prayer of protection and blessing over his son. He had to tread carefully during this prayer, making no indication of evil spirits or youkai since he wouldn't be sure if it would be taken offense or not. So the prayer was a bit shorter than usual. After that he made a mark on the baby's forehead and took a deep breath. “With this, I name you…Kohaku.”

 

Kagome sat stunned, and she could only guess that Sango was the same. She glanced over to her friend to see small tears on her cheeks.

 

Miroku leaned over and grabbed her face gently with his right hand, sliding his thumb across her cheek to catch the falling tears. “Sango, you come from a long line of fierce and worthy warriors. It is a good thing to remember them for all they did and loved while they were alive. Your brother was very noble, and I would like to honor him with naming our son after him. Please tell me if this is okay, I don't want to hurt you…”

 

Sango shook her head determinedly, and looked up at her husband while placing a finger to his lips. “It's okay, really. You're right, it is an honor.” She looked down at her son. “Kohaku,” she whispered.

 

~ ~ ~

 

Inuyasha kept glancing sidelong at Kagome. As if that weren't enough, he'd been fidgeting the entire time they'd been walking back to the fields. Something about what they had just seen was definitely bothering him and if he wasn't going to ask then she'd just have to find out on her own.

 

“Well?” she asked him.

 

“What?” He looked at her like he'd just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

 

“What is it you're wondering about? You're fidgeting and you keep looking at me like you want to ask me something, so just ask me. I saw the way you were in that room, there was definitely something bothering you.”

 

He stopped walking and Kagome did not notice until she was a few steps ahead. She turned around to face him and closed the distance between them until she was just arms length away from him.

 

“Who was Kohaku?” he asked, looking up at her.

 

She was surprised at his question. He had been fidgeting in the room long before Kohaku had been mentioned. Whatever else that was bothering him, he obviously didn't want to bring it up right now, so she decided to just let it be. He had to deal with things in his own time.

 

“Kohaku was Sango's little brother. Sango came from a village of - taijiya - “ she glanced up at him to make sure it was okay to continue after just mentioning Sango's entire family made a living of killing youkai. When he just continued looking at her she continued on. “Sango was one of the best slayers in the village, so she had been out on an assignment by herself since she only had to deal with a small demon. While she was gone her father had taken her little brother out on his first hunt, and things turned bad. Both of them had been killed. Some neighboring youkai heard this, and knowing that both Sango and her dad were out of the picture at the moment, they formed a party and raided the village.

 

“Everyone was killed…women, children…everyone. Sango came back and buried them all, then just started wandering. She was in an extreme state of shock when we found her. Kaede, Miroku, and I were actually the ones who found her. She was walking next to a stream that flows by the village, but she was moving like someone already dead. She didn't respond to us when we called to her and we all but had to drag her to the village. It took days to get her out of the shock, but eventually she came around. She originally lived with me, but then after a while she and Miroku got married, so that's that.

 

“She's fine most of the time, but still sometimes when her family is mentioned she gets that blank, glazed over look again. I don't think she's ever fully healed from that, but then again I'm not sure I would be able to either. We had worked with her village on occasion, and I had met her little brother. Kohaku was a great kid, he had such a great heart. I'm glad that's the name of Sango and Miroku's son, it's a great legacy to live up to if their son can have the same kind of heart.” Kagome finished, realizing that she had dazed off and she was looking somewhere into the trees. She turned back to Inuyasha and saw that he was doing the same thing.

 

“Ano, Inuyasha, can I ask you something?”

 

He just continued looking off in the distance and nodded.

 

“You told me once that I knew nothing about your father…What did happen to your parents?” Kagome half cringed, expecting him to yell at her for asking something that was none of her business. Instead he was just strangely quiet.

 

“My father was the inu tai-youkai of all the Western Lands. He was the most powerful of all the tai-youkai, but somehow fate was against him. He got slack from both the youkai and the ningen worlds for taking a human mate, but he didn't care. He was still an honorable and powerful youkai. He died protecting my mother and I. Normally that fight would have been nothing for him, as strong as he was, but he had been severely wounded in another battle earlier that night. I never really knew him, but I live by his legacy.

 

“After he died a bunch of lesser youkai battled over his land and split it up between themselves. Since they were such pathetic losers,” he spat, “ they were not able to keep the land together and protected, and everything went to shit. A tai-youkai's job is to protect all of the inhabitants of the land, and these vermin raided village after village until all the trade lines were broken up and nothing could get done. That's why we eventually formed this village. My bastard half-brother even asked me to come here so I could deal with the humans.”

 

“What about your mother?” Kagome asked gently.

 

“My mother…my mother…My mother raised me after my father died, in the ningen villages. Life was never good there, but I was with her so it was okay. But eventually she…she died…from…well…she…”

 

“It's okay,” Kagome said, gently laying her hand on his shoulder. “You don't have to tell me anything, it's fine. I'm sorry.”

 

“For what?” he asked, looking at her suspiciously.

 

“I'm sorry for asking you all these questions and making you relive your past. And also for everything that happened to you. I'm not sure all what it was, but it doesn't sound good. No one deserves that,” she ended quietly. “Especially not you,” she said as a mere breath.

 

Inuyasha heard it, he just had no clue what it meant. So he followed his typical habit for when he didn't know how to deal with something.

 

“Feh,” he snorted, turning away and starting up again toward the fields. Kagome followed quietly behind him.

 

~ ~ ~

 

When they got out to the fields Inuyasha left Kagome and jumped up into his tree to stand guard for the day. Kagome shot him one last lingering look and then turned to find Yumi to tell her the joyful news of Kohaku's birth. But try as hard as she might Kagome could not catch sight of Yumi anywhere.

 

Yumi had been a bit distant lately, even working on her own in a separate part of the field, but Kagome had always been able to see her. Kagome wondered where she could be, but had to turn back to her work. She'd already pressed her luck enough the last couple days and Inuyasha had let her slide by with a lot, so she would just have to wait and find Yumi later.

 

~ ~ ~

 

Sango was doing well enough now that she was able to accompany Kagome to the orphanage, even though she still couldn't do a large load of work. She enjoyed being around the kids, and the kids certainly liked having the new baby around. Kirara and Shippo hung on that kid like he was the coolest thing since…well…ever. They were the two youngest of the group, so they'd never gotten to have their `baby,' and now they did which made them very happy.

 

Kagome and Sango had to keep an eye on Shippo though. He always meant well and did amazingly with Kohaku most of the time, but sometimes he was just a bit too hyperactive to deal with a week and a half old baby. It was so cute to see them all together, almost like a miniature family - an odd kitsune, neko, ningen family.

 

While Sango had been out of commission the same helpful lizard-youkai mother, Kiru, had offered to help out in the orphanage. Both Kagome and Sango were so grateful. They knew she had her own obligations to fulfill, but Kiru had assured them that she would be alright since she would only be helping out until Sango was back in her own again. And with Sango looking as healthy as she did, it looked like she would be able to start helping out again fully in about another week.

 

Originally Kagome had wanted to ask Yumi to help out in the orphanage, knowing that she had been a bit down lately, but she had been unable to find her. Actually, since Kohaku's birth she hadn't seen Yumi at all, which was really starting to worry her. Sango had seen her, only once, and had gotten to tell her about Kohaku. Yumi had been very excited and had promised to visit, but hadn't been seen since.

 

Kagome turned, picking up some more of Shippo's mushrooms that he had thrown around the room trying to amuse Kohaku. Now he and Kirara were chasing each other in circles around the young boy and his mother. Kagome let out an exasperated sigh, but not before giggling at the antics of the two. She grabbed Shippo up into a great big hug and turned around to see no one but Yumi standing before her.

 

“YUMI!!!” she squealed, running to her and embracing her in a hug, crushing Shippo in the process.

 

“Oh, I'm sorry Shippo!” she soothed the poor kitsune. She put him down gently and watched as he scampered back over to Kirara, all eyes in the room now on Kagome and Yumi.

 

“Yumi, where have you been? We've all been so worried about you!” exclaimed Kagome, grasping her friends hands and she almost fought off tears.

 

“Kagome,” Yumi's eyes roamed around the room, finding nothing to land on until she came to rest on her feet. “I, uh, can we talk?”

 

“Of course Yumi, we can always talk.” Kagome pinned Yumi with a quizzical look.

 

Yumi glanced suspiciously at Kiru and the rest of the youkai in the room before gently tugging on Kagome's hands that were still resting in her own. Kagome's mouth formed a small `o' as she understood and followed her friend outside, noticing they were walking toward the rice fields.

 

A small cluster of children had followed them out of the doors and stopped at the edge of the porch but now were being shooed back inside by Kiru. Sango herself stayed out on the porch, wondering where the pair were going. She clutched Kohaku to herself and gazed after Kagome, wondering if Yumi was really going to be alright. She had a bad feeling about this.

 

~ ~ ~

 

Yumi never looked back, she just continued to drag Kagome forward by her hands, leading her further into the woods that separated the orphanage from the rice fields. Kagome glanced backward, and just as Sango and the orphanage faded from view she felt Yumi come to a spot. She turned to look around her and was amazed at what she saw.

 

They were in a secluded spot! If she took a few steps one direction she was in view of the orphanage, while a few steps in the other took her in view of the fields. But right where she was she was practically invisible. She hadn't known any place like this existed in the village! Kagome stood dumbfounded, looking to Yumi to see why she had brought her to this place.

 

Yumi still had her eyes downcast and was trembling slightly, as if afraid of something. Kagome gently put a hand to her shoulder and called to her, “Yumi, are you alright? What did you need to talk about?”

 

Yumi's eyes caught Kagome's, tears and a strange determination held within. Kagome didn't understand what she was seeing. “I've tried Kagome, I really have.”

 

“Tried what, Yumi? What do you mean?” Kagome was becoming ill at ease at the distress she heard in Yumi's voice.

 

“I've discovered I don't want to try anymore.”

 

“Yumi…you're scaring me.” Kagome's grip on her friend's shoulder became tighter.

 

“Here Kagome, this is for you.” She slipped a small piece of paper into Kagome's hand. “I want you to know something: you are a great friend. You, Sango, and Miroku are amazing people, and I'm sorry if I've made you feel like less. You deserve happiness in any form, and I hope you can find it here. I also want to let you know, there's nothing you could have done to change anything.”

 

“Change what!” Kagome was become frustrated at Yumi's purposeful vagueness. “You've got to tell me what's going on!”

 

“Bye Kagome,” Yumi smiled a bittersweet smile. “Tell Sango bye for me too.” With that she turned and made strong determined steps toward the rice fields.

 

Kagome started after her. “WH--”

 

“Kagome!” Sango's voice burst into the moment.

 

Kagome turned to see that Sango had come just into view, but was still a good distance off. She yelled out to her, “Stay there! Something's wrong with Yumi - I'm going after her!” She whirled around again, barely able to spot Yumi, surprisingly far ahead of her already. Kagome started off at a run, but Yumi must have sensed it because she started to run also. Unfortunately for Kagome, she was still in the trees when Yumi hit the fields so she started lagging even further behind from all the obstacles in the way.

 

Suddenly, as she hit the edge of the forest and was able to see all the fields around her she was what Yumi intended to do. `No, please Yumi, no. Don't do it.' Kagome almost sunk to her knees, but with a sudden resurgence of strength sprang forward with a blazing speed. “No Yumi, NO!!!”

 

It was too late. Yumi knew what she was doing.

 

Yumi had never stopped running. She had found the closest border to the rice fields and chose that as her target, knowing there would be at least one or two youkai who would come to cut her down at her `attempted escape.'

 

Kagome saw the youkai descending in on Yumi and suddenly her world was on edge. Her vision was imbued with a pink tint and she heard sparks of energy flaring off in all directions. She wasn't even able to feel the ground underneath her feet anymore, if it even was under her feet. All her senses were on kilter and she couldn't breathe. The only sense left to her, much to her later dismay, was her hearing. The last thing she heard before the darkness once again took her was a splattering of liquid and then the thump of a soft mass against the mud.