InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Fang of the Father ❯ The Dagger's Purpose ( Chapter 18 )

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

LES: Don't worry. This chapter will be considerable longer than the last chapter. No LEMONS this time, but Sesshomaru does make a comeback! Yeah! And, no, I'm not a Sesshomaru-hater. I AM a fan-girl, and I love Fluffy as much as the next rabid fan-girl. It's just cause I like Inuyasha more. I'm a sucker for his ears. The only Inuyasha character that I'm a `hater' of is Kikyo. And she's dead. LOL!

Chapter XVIII: The Dagger's Purpose

Early the next morning, Inuyasha and Kagome somehow managed to sneak back into the village without being caught. It helped that day-break brought back both of their Yokai powers.

Inuyasha was beside himself, punishing himself for a fool. “Gods, I'm such a moron!” He growled to himself. “I'm such an idiot!”

“Inuyasha? What's wrong?” Kagome asked, concerned as she changed into her miko robes.

“I can't believe I allowed myself to fall asleep on the night of the new moon… vulnerable and out in the open! Sesshomaru or anything could have attacked us and we would have been weak and defenseless!”

“Inuyasha! It was fine! Nothing happened!”

“But a million things could have happened!” Inuyasha growled worriedly.

“But they didn't, and that's all that matters.” Kagome said as she put the Chouin-taken at her waist. But she was surprised when Inuyasha pulled her into a warm embrace.

“I don't know what I'd do if I lost you, Kagome.” Inuyasha confessed.

“Inuyasha… what do other Inu-Yokai do when they lose a mate?” Kagome asked.

“Well, that depends on how strongly they are bonded.” Inuyasha said. “I've seen the surviving mate commit junshi, (Translation: Following someone in suicide) simply unable to live without their mate. A weaker bond could mean that the survivor will mourn for a few centuries, but eventually become able to take a new mate.”

“Would you take a new mate if I died?”

“Feh! No!” Inuyasha said. “Didn't I just say that?”

“So you'd commit suicide?” Kagome asked. “Inuyasha! I wouldn't want you to commit suicide! I'd want you to live!”

Inuyasha said nothing for several seconds. “Okay… I'll live… for you.”

“No matter what happens, I could never wish for your death.” Kagome said softly. Inuyasha detected just a hint of her old jealousy for Kikyo in that statement.

“Heh. Same here.” Inuyasha said.

Suddenly, a call interrupted them. “Miko-sama! Miko-sama!” (-sama Translation: Carries the same meaning as Mr. or Mrs., but used a lot more in the Japanese language, then in the English.) The two looked around, and saw a man rushing up, a stranger. He seemed to have traveled a long way without stop, judging by his state.

“What is it?” Kagome asked, her hanyou mate and protector took his place at her side, ready to react to any threat this traveler might pose.

“You seek the Shikon no Tama, do you not?” The man asked.

“Yes. Do you have news of a shard?”

“Yes, I have news. A few weeks hence, a Yokai assaulted our village. It was a known Yokai who had lived in peace in the forest around our village since the time of my grandfather. But it attacked with more anger and power than we believed it had.”

“Sounds like the work of a shard.” Inuyasha commented. “What type of Yokai?”

“An Inu-Yokai.” The man said. “We were going to send for you, for we heard of a group of Yokai hunters trying to restore the Shikon no Tama to its original form, but another Inu-Yokai assaulted and defeated it.”

“Another Inu-Yokai? Was it my no-good brother?” Inuyasha asked.

The man seemed confused. He had noticed Inuyasha's unusual features, and figured that he was an Inu-hanyou, but how was he supposed to know who Inuyasha was related to? “Lord Sesshomaru, the Yokai Lord.” Kagome explained.

“I have never seen the Yokai Lord in my lifetime.” The man said. “The attacker was a fearful Yokai with long silver hair, two markings on each of his cheeks, and poison dripping from his talons.”

Inuyasha snorted. “That's Sesshomaru, all right. But why?”

“Could it be… he's after the Shikon no Tama?” Kagome asked.

“Feh. Sesshomaru has never given a damn about finding the shards. Why should he start now?” Inuyasha hissed.

“Maybe it's true that he's lost a lot of his powers, so he's going to use the Shikon to make up for it.” Kagome mused.

“Who cares? I was always a match for him before.” Inuyasha said. “But… if that bastard is collecting shards…”

“We'll eventually run into him again.” Kagome finished. “On the other hand, he'll be easier to track now.”

“He'll know that.” Inuyasha said. “Even he wouldn't be fool enough to carry the shards around with him. They'll probably be kept at his place. Everyone in the West knows where it is, but that just makes the place a lot more dangerous. Sesshomaru's home has constant protection around it, which makes it impossible for anyone to get in unless they are personally invited by him.”

“He has a home?” Kagome had never suspected it, considering that he always seemed to be on the move.

“Yeah. A dumb mansion to match his dumb ego. It was our old man's. I've seen it… once.” Inuyasha said. “His guard dogs chased me way before I got too close. There's no better `Not Welcome' sign than being chased by Yokai dogs screaming for the mutt's blood.”

“Why did you go there?” Kagome asked.

“Call it curiosity. Looking for possible relatives on my old man's side. Too bad all I found was my bastard half-brother.” Inuyasha sighed. “I think it's time to go back to the Western Lands.”

Kagome stared at him. “Are you sure?” He had never bitched more on their quest than when shard rumors took them into the Western Lands.

“Can't avoid it forever.” Inuyasha said, shrugging. “So, who else is gonna go?”

“I don't know. I'm not sure if Miroku and Sango will want to come in light of their wedding. Shippo will probably stay with them. And I couldn't predict what Kenji or Megumi will do, because we haven't known them for that long yet.”

“Kagome… I want you to stay this time.” Inuyasha said seriously.

Kagome sighed. “There's no reason.”

“Uh… I can think of one reason.” He pointed at her abdomen.

Kagome smiled, and placed her hands on his arms. “Ahh! Can't my big strong daddy hanyou protect his mate and pup?”

“Feh! Of course! You're just really good at making my job a lot harder!” Inuyasha said.

“So… you just want to protect me?” Kagome asked.

“Of course!” He hardly finished his statement before she tweaked his ear, rather harder than necessary. “Ow!”

“Listen here, Inuyasha, this is the last time I'm gonna say this. I'm not a `weak' human anymore! Being pregnant is not a disability! I am fully capable of defending myself! Or maybe you've forgotten how many Yokai I've slain… without your help, even!” Kagome hissed. “Kami forbid our pup should inherit your pig-headed stubbornness!”

Inuyasha tenderly massaged his abused ear. “Ow, bitch! That hurt!”

Kagome continued as if he hadn't spoken. “I'll make this simple: if you want to live to see the birth of your first-born pup, you'll learn to let me have my way while I'm still half-way reasonable.” Kagome said slowly, a threat that was in every way serious. “Got that?”

Inuyasha's ears were lowered in submission to his mate. “Yes.”

“Good. There's no way I'm letting you go to the Western Lands alone.” Kagome said. “Mates are always there for each other. Besides, you can protect me best when I'm nearby, isn't that right?”

Inuyasha's hand drifted down from his own ear and gently tweaked her ears. “Don't mess with my ears.” He gently reprimanded. “Okay… I trust your judgment.”

“Good, because when I have ever shown bad judgment?” Kagome asked.

“Well…” Inuyasha began, ready to point out the numerous times when she had made a really stupid decision.

“Don't answer that question.” Kagome growled.

Inuyasha flinched. “Yes.”

So, after a short talk with the rest of the pack, it was decided. Inuyasha, Kagome, and Kenji would go. Miroku and Sango would stay behind, and though no reason was offered, everyone could guess why. Shippo decided that he wanted to be just a kid, and spend his days playing with the other village children who had accepted the kitsune as a friend. He would be watched over by Miroku and Sango. Megumi insisted that she had to watch over the silent pup. Everyone agreed that it was a good idea. If the pup acted up in any way, they would need a hanyou present to control him.

The poor pup had done little more since arriving than sitting around and watching everyone else live their lives. No one knew a thing about the pup, but they still worked their hardest to keep him safe.

Since it was only three hanyous traveling, they would travel light and fast, and they were ready to go within hours.

“So… the Western Lands, eh? Have you been back there since you were banished?” Kenji asked Inuyasha.

“Only a few times, and never longer than necessary.” Inuyasha answered. “I don't have many good memories of `home'. Let's just go ask my idiot brother why he's suddenly after Yokai with jewel shards.”

The other two nodded in agreement and they took off towards the Western Lands.

They traveled for several hours until Inuyasha announced to the rest that they had entered the edge of his old man's dominion.

“How can you tell?” Kagome asked.

“I can… feel it.” Inuyasha finally confessed. “It's like… I'm being pulled to go to Sesshomaru's mansion.”

“Well, it's a good place to head towards.” Kagome said.

“Your mother…” Kenji began. “Did she live in the Western Lands?”

“Yeah. My human grandfather was the daimyou (Translation: Japanese Feudal Lord) of a pretty decent amount of land in the shadow of my old man's mansion. My parents probably met on one of his routine trips around his land.” Inuyasha said.

“So… we'll be able to see the village where you grew up?” Kagome asked.

Inuyasha's lip curled. “I never wanna set foot in that village again.” Kagome didn't press the issue.

As they got closer to their destination, Inuyasha began to point out more and more placed from his childhood memories. Kagome was shocked by the level of detail in his memories. He pointed out some placed connected to memories from when he was still less than a year in age.

“Inuyasha? How do you remember so much about your early childhood?” Kagome asked.

“Don't you?” Inuyasha asked.

“No. There further back I try to remember, the fuzzier it gets.” Kagome said.

“It's because hanyous are born differently.” Kenji said. “We are born with the ability to remember. At first, it's only the smell of our parents and family, but as our other senses develop, we begin to remember more.”

“Yes.” Inuyasha agreed. “My old man died when I was a newborn. I can remember his scent, but not the sound of his voice or what he looked like. His scent was the only thing I knew about him until the Sounga incident.”

“Inuyasha… can you tell me more… about hanyou pups?” Kagome asked.

Inuyasha knew that she was discretely asking for information regarding their future-pup. “Hanyous are typically born easily, like full-Yokai pups. We don't suffer those birth complications crap humans sometimes have. The Yokai blood will not let the pup cause harm to itself or its mother. Inu-hanyou are born with a fully working sense of smell, and will imprint on their parents within minutes of birth. But we are also born deaf and blind. Those senses don't develop until a few days after birth.”

“So, Inu-hanyou are born like puppies? Eyes and ears sealed shut?” Kagome asked.

“Yes. Inu-hanyou are also born with the knowledge of the Inu language. An Inu-hanyou can speak to their parents within hours, and the Inu-Yokai parent can talk back to it as soon as its hearing develops.”

“That would make things easier.” Kagome commented. “A pup could tell their mother from a young age that they're hungry, or tired, or…”

“Not mine.” Inuyasha said. “My mother was mortal. She had to learn the old-fashioned human way.”

“Nor mine. My mother wasn't really the maternal sort.” Kenji said. “She dumped me with my father. I almost died, because of the lack of my mother's milk.” He glanced at Kagome. “Why are you so interested?”

“Oh… well… I'm just curious.” Kagome said, smiling innocently.

“Wait.” Inuyasha said suddenly. “This is where we'll cut around the village. I won't go closer than this.”

“Okay.” Kagome instantly agreed. Kenji sighed with exasperation, probably at having to take the long way around, but he said nothing. They followed Inuyasha without complaint.

The human village came into view only once, when Inuyasha took a road at the base of a small hill that seemed to lead to the village. At first, Kagome couldn't figure out why Inuyasha put himself within the view of the village he so obviously hated, but her unspoken question was answered when they stumbled upon a small, neglected gravesite.

Inuyasha stopped and began to clean the gravesite as if he did this often. He cleared the dead flowers and began to clean out the name that had become nearly invisible with dirt settling into the carving. The name became clear, and with it, Inuyasha's behavior.

`Izayoi'

“Inuyasha? Is this your mother's…?”

“Yeah.” Inuyasha answered shortly. He collected some nearby flowers from the forest, and placed them on the grave.

“She was a human Princess, right?” Kenji asked. “It seems kind of plain.”

“My human relatives would have given less to the Yokai's whore.” Inuyasha growled. “I did this myself.”

(Flash-back)

A much younger Inuyasha felt tears run down his face as he followed Myoga's instructions by digging a large hole in the ground some distance from home.

It had taken all of the hanyou's emotional strength to drag his mother's body the distance.

Myoga could not help but feel pity for the orphaned hanyou. Almost every hanyou ended up being early orphaned, but it didn't make watching the pain on the pup's face any easier.

Myoga couldn't help with the task either, being a flea-Yokai. Inuyasha, at such a young age, would have to do this himself.

Myoga tried to help the boy, but ended up causing even more damage. “She was mortal, you know. This would have happened eventually.”

The young hanyou collapsed to the dirt, crying freely now.

“Master Inuyasha, you must get up! We are the only ones who can give Lady Izayoi the burial she deserves!” Myoga said.

“Myoga?” Inuyasha asked in a shaking voice full of denial. “Why do people die?”

“It is the fate of all mortals.” Myoga said. “It is something that cannot be helped.”

“I… I don't want Mother to die!” Inuyasha cried.

“There's nothing that could be done now.” Myoga said. “Keep digging. Show your mother your love by giving her a proper burial.”

Inuyasha cried some more, but got back to work, digging frantically. He put his soul into digging this single hole in the ground. It was the most painful experience of his young life thus far, and would remain one of the most painful experiences for the rest of his life.

Before they knew it, the grave had been dug, but Inuyasha in a grief-filled haze, hadn't stopped.

“Stop digging. That's enough.” Myoga said, once more feeling pity for his young Master.

Inuyasha wiped his eyes with his robes and followed Myoga's next instructions of placing his mother's body within the grave. The pain of this surpassed the pain of digging the grave with his own claws. He had the physical strength; it was the weight on his heart that burdened him.

After that, he covered her body and placed a medium-sized rock over the site. With shaking claws, he carved into the rock the second word he ever learned to write, after his own: his mother's name.

Once her name was permanently carved into the rock face, Inuyasha embraced the stone as if it was his mother, and wept once more.

Myoga waited silently until the hanyou's tears ran dry. “You have to go back to your human relatives now.”

“No!” Inuyasha cried out. “I hate them! I wanna go with you!”

“It is even less safe for you where I am going.” Myoga said. “It may not be pleasant, but it is the safest place for you.”

“But…”

“I'll come back and get you when you are older, Master Inuyasha. I promise.” Myoga said, hopping away into the darkness before the hanyou could follow him.

Little did Myoga know that would be the last time he'd see Inuyasha for almost two hundred years. Within months, Inuyasha wouldn't be able to stand his grandfather, aunts, uncles, and cousins abusing him. He would run away, and Myoga effectively lost track of him. For the first one hundred and fifty years, the only evidence Myoga had that Inuyasha was alive was when every few years, someone would care for the ignored grave for the forgotten Princess, leave flowers, and disappear back into the forest like a spirit. (Or, rather, a Dog Spirit.)

“You… had to dig your own mother's grave?” Kagome asked, horrified. “But what about your mother's family?”

“Feh. They didn't give a damn about their Yokai-loving daughter or her hanyou whelp.” Inuyasha snorted. “It was all they could do to let us live in the same house while my aunt and uncle had perfect little human children.”

“You could have human relatives still living?” Kagome asked.

Inuyasha shrugged. “All the ones I knew are dead by now. I could have grand-nieces and nephews as old as your grandfather. They probably wouldn't even know about having a hanyou for a great-uncle and a member of their royal family.” He snorted. “Like a care about them. I ran away from them before they could cause me permanent damage.”

The rest of the journey around Inuyasha's birthplace was completely uneventful. But Kagome could not stop thinking about it. His human relatives must've treated him like a beast, lower than dirt. And it affected him so much that even after the ones who abused him died, he still won't go near his birthplace. Kagome thought. How could anyone treat a defenseless child that way, hanyou or not?

Kenji was hanging back, so Kagome took her place by Inuyasha's side. “You know that my human relatives will love our pup, right?”

“I know.” Inuyasha said.

“Sota can't wait to be an Uncle.”

“Feh. Well, judging by Sesshomaru's reaction to the news, he's gonna be the only Uncle.”

“Well, that doesn't matter.” Kagome said. “If you have the love of the people that matter to you, isn't that enough? Since when have you cared what Sesshomaru thought?”

“Never.” Inuyasha said.

“See?” Kagome asked. “And you do have the love of those who matter. Like me.”

“I'll never understand you, not if we live for several thousand years.” Inuyasha said with a playfully crooked grin. “What could attract you to a hanyou like me?”

“What shouldn't attract me?” Kagome answered his question with another question.

“Strange future-bitch.”

“Strange past-mate.”

“Hey!” Kenji suddenly interrupted. “I smell dogs!”

Inuyasha sniffed the air also. “Sesshomaru's guards.” He cracked his knuckles menacingly. “Just some low-level Inu-Yokai mutts.” He glanced at Kagome. :Mate stay back. Alpha and pack-brother will protect Alpha-female.:

:Yes, mate.: Kagome barked back in return. She backed away, allowing Inuyasha and Kenji to protect her.

One-by-one, the low-level Inu-Yokai dogs appeared through the trees, growling menacingly.

:Hanyous!:

:Mutts!:

:Filth!:

The Inu-Yokai were silver furred and only slightly larger than their canine cousins. Even together, their combined auras were overpowered by Inuyasha's Yokai aura.

Inuyasha knew this and he tossed his head, snarling fiercely. :Lesser males, submit!:

The Inu-Yokai weren't going to hear it. :Filth! Hanyou! Never submit!:

Inuyasha snorted. “Well, not that I expected you idiot dogs to be intelligent…” Without even bothering to draw Tetsusaiga, he leapt at them and caught half of them with a single claw attack. Kenji took care of the other half with a little less grace.

Almost immediately after Inuyasha and Kenji and finished off Sesshomaru's lap-dogs, a blazing Yokai whip almost struck Inuyasha, but he managed to dodge it at the last second.

“Sesshomaru!” Inuyasha hissed, having recognized Sesshomaru's Yokai aura.

“Inuyasha. This Sesshomaru never thought you were this great of a fool.” Sesshomaru stepped out of the shadows of the forest. “This Sesshomaru was kind enough to his unworthy half-brother to drive him away from my castle with a warning as a pup. You can no longer blame your intrusion upon your ignorance. You know to return here is death.”

:Pack-male.: Inuyasha barked at Kenji. :Danger. Protect Alpha-female.:

Kenji barked a simple affirmation and stood guard over Kagome.

“Stupid hanyou.” Sesshomaru said. “Do you really think to fight this Sesshomaru?”

“All in good time, brother.” Inuyasha injected as much sarcasm into the word as possible. He drew the Tetsusaiga. “Why are you after Yokai with Shikon jewel shards?”

“This Sesshomaru sees no reason to explain himself to an ignorant hanyou.” Sesshomaru growled, his eyes glowing red. “Die, Inuyasha!”

Inuyasha resisted the temptation to roll his eyes and say `Gee, where have I heard that before?' if only because of the seriousness of the situation.

Undoubtedly, Sesshomaru was about to transform into his true form. Inuyasha couldn't count on his battle skills being any less without the use of his left foreleg. After all, his human form had not lost any fighting strength with the loss of his left arm.

Inuyasha also knew that he wouldn't be able to beat Sesshomaru as he did last time. His half-brother was smarter than to fall for the same reason twice. Sesshomaru also had the advantage of bodily bulk. The hanyou knew that unless he gave Sesshomaru a fatal wound, the Inu-Yokai would simply shrug it off as nothing.

Sesshomaru finished transforming into his true form: that of a large silver dog with a missing leg. He growled at Inuyasha.

:Lesser male, submit!: Sesshomaru growled. :Submit and die!:

“Heh. Not on your life! You ain't nothing but an over-sized, three-legged dog!” Inuyasha yelled at him.

Sesshomaru circled him, being much more cautious of the hanyou this time around. He obviously knew that he couldn't afford to lose another leg. Inuyasha kept all his senses trained on his half-brother.

Suddenly, Sesshomaru paused in his pace. :Mutt-bitch dies first!: Suddenly, before Inuyasha could protest, and realizing that Sesshomaru's movement had placed him between the hanyou and his mate, he whirled on Kagome, poison dripping for his fangs.

:Mate!: Inuyasha barked desperately, feeling his own transformation overcome him in order to protect his mate.

Kenji tried to attack Sesshomaru head-on, but was tossed back by the poisonous aura. The flesh on his hands were melting. He was defiantly out of the battle.

Kagome cried out as Sesshomaru lunged at her with poisonous fangs. She could only think about the safety of her pup… her and Inuyasha's pup!

Then, quite suddenly, Sesshomaru was thrown back. It was then that Kagome realized that at the last second, a barrier had been placed around her body, and it had repelled Sesshomaru's attempt to kill her.

But it was the barrier itself that was confusing her. She had seen human spiritual barriers, and Yokai barriers, but this was like neither one. In fact, it reminded her of both at the same time.

Wait… both…? She had seen a barrier like this before! Hourai Island! When she and Inuyasha had been protected and rejuvenated by a barrier created by the fire-fly souls of Yokai, mortals, and hanyous.

A barrier containing both the Yokai power of protection and the human power of sustaining? I've created a hanyou barrier! But how? I didn't even think about it! Barriers normally take extreme concentration!

At her thoughts, the dagger at her hip began to shake slightly, as if trying to get her attention. “Chouin-taken? Is this your power? To create a barrier when I'm in danger?” It shook again as if in affirmation.

Well, I guess that makes sense. The Chouin-taken is made from Inuyasha's fang, and it obviously inherited his desire to protect me.

She turned her attention back to the fight. Inuyasha was almost fully transformed, and Sesshomaru continued to eye her. He obviously wanted to attack once more before Inuyasha could fully transform.

Sesshomaru snarled once again. :Die!: He leapt at Kagome, intent on smashing through her barrier by any means necessary. But, just before he could even strike the barrier, a fully transformed Inuyasha was on him, using his smaller size to dart in under his guard and sink his fangs into Sesshomaru's mane and draw blood.

Sesshomaru roared in rage and tossed his head, dislodging his half-brother. Kagome noticed that the poisonous aura seemed to have disappeared.

Of course! Inuyasha's Chouin-Shikon! They sealed off Sesshomaru's poisonous powers! But it seemed that Sesshomaru would need more than a single bite to seal his full powers.

Inuyasha's hackles rose as he snarled at his foe. :Lesser male, submit!:

Kagome didn't have to be able to understand the Inu language to know that Sesshomaru was not pleased about being told to submit to his younger, hanyou half-brother.

:Insolent pup!: Sesshomaru barked, throwing the worst insult for a mature canine. To call a mature Inu a `pup' was to say that they were helpless, ignorant, and weak like a pup.

Sesshomaru knew how to take advantage of his bulk, and quickly had Inuyasha by the back of the neck; which was another insult to his maturity, because that was how mother bitches disciplined their pups. Thankfully, Inuyasha's mane was thicker than Sesshomaru's, and it protected him from the worst of his bite.

“Inuyasha!” Kagome cried out, starting to rush towards him.

Inuyasha growled at her, with Sesshomaru's fang's still lodged in his neck. :Bitch stay! Protect pup!:

Kagome froze, torn between her need to protect her mate and to protect her pup. “Inuyasha…”

:Stay there!: Inuyasha growled. With another growl that had little meaning beyond an exclamation of pain, he twisted around in such a way that Sesshomaru couldn't maintain his balance due to his missing limb.

Inuyasha was on him in an instant, attacking Sesshomaru's throat with his fangs and his exposed chest and stomach with his claws.

Kagome could barely stand to watch. The only dogs she knew were mild-mannered pet dogs. She had never seen dogs fighting before. The absolute viciousness amazed her, as well as the wounds they inflected upon each other.

`All bark and no bite' was defiantly not a phrase that she'd use to describe Sesshomaru and Inuyasha fighting in their true forms.

One thing could be said of Inuyasha, despite his smaller size, once he got the advantage, he was very good at keeping it. Sesshomaru was finding it nearly impossible to get Inuyasha off him. Missing an arm as a human was not nearly as great a hindrance as missing a leg as a dog. And, whether he would chose to admit it or not, the Chouin-Shikon had greatly weakened him.

:Stop!: Sesshomaru yelped.

Inuyasha did stop his assault, snarling in Sesshomaru's face. :Lesser male, submit!:

:Never!: Sesshomaru growled as he locked his jaws around Inuyasha's snout.

Inuyasha howled in pain, and Sesshomaru took advantage of the distraction to kick the smaller dog off him, leaving a pretty deep gash in Inuyasha's stomach.

Kagome screamed and tried to fire a purifying arrow at Sesshomaru for his dirty trick, but he was all ready gone.

As soon as it became clear that Inuyasha actually had a chance at winning, he had fled. But she didn't have time to consider Sesshomaru's sudden personality change into a coward.

Inuyasha was in pretty bad shape. His snout was covered in blood, both Sesshomaru's and his own. His right ear was in tatters. The gashes in his stomach and all over his body were bleeding heavily. He limped heavily, his right hind leg having been caught in Sesshomaru's jaws at one point during the fight.

She rushed up to him. “Inuyasha!” :Mate hurt!:

Inuyasha shook his large head. :Mate fine. Bitch okay? Pup okay?:

:Fine.: Inuyasha tried to lower his hind leg to the ground, but he yelped, and lifted it up again.

“Inuyasha!”

:Bone broken.: Inuyasha growled.

:Bitch does not know how to heal Inu.: Kagome said, trying to express with the limited Inu language that she couldn't help him until he resumed his hanyou form.

Inuyasha growled. :Mate understand.: He let his blood cool down until he was back to normal. “Ow! Shit!” He hissed when he became capable of human speech. He collapsed on the ground, finding it difficult to stand on one leg.

“Where is it broken?” Kagome knelt down beside him.

“Damn! My ankle!”

Kagome examined his ankle. “Well… I don't think there's much to do except wrap it up and wait for your Yokai blood to heal it. And I would suggest staying off that foot until it is fully healed.”

“We're not staying here and waiting for my damn ankle to heal!” Inuyasha protested.

Kagome didn't argue with him as she quickly patched up his more serious wounds, like his stomach and his poor ear. “Kenji, are you all right?”

“Never better.” The younger hanyou said sourly. “I almost had the flesh melted off my hands, but it's already fixing itself.”

“Well, once you're healed, we'll leave.” Kagome said, going to look at his hands. “But you'll have to carry Inuyasha.”

“Oi!” Inuyasha protested once again.

:Bitch obey mate, mate obey bitch!: Kagome growled at him, and her mate wordlessly submitted. “Good. Now… about these hands…”

Within an hour, Kenji was ready to travel, and he piggy-backed a very angry Inu-hanyou back to Kaede's village. However, despite his anger, he didn't say a single word all the way back.

Once they were back in the village, and had Inuyasha confined to a futon, Kenji pulled Kagome aside.

“I heard.” He said.

“Heard what?” Kagome asked.

:Protect pup.: Kenji growled. “Are you carrying your mate's pup?”

“Well, of course! Do you think I would carry some other male's pup?” Kagome demanded.

“No, I meant… you are carrying Inuyasha's pup… at all?” Kenji asked. “You will knowingly give birth to a hanyou pup?”

“Of course.” Kagome said. “This is about the prejudice directed towards hanyous, isn't it?”

“Yes.” Kenji said. “And as one who has lived my entire life hated and hunted, I have to ask you: you'd knowingly allow your child to live such a life?”

“As a human, I'd always wanted children, and my dream didn't disappear because my mate is a hanyou and transformed me into a hanyou. And, I know that deep in his heart, Inuyasha always wanted pups. I can give him that happiness.”

“There's a difference between wanting and having.” Kenji said. “I, too, would desire pups of my own, but I know that any pups of mine would be hunted and probably killed before they reach maturity. Why would I put myself through heart-ache like that? To knowingly set yourself up for such a painful loss?”

“Because Inuyasha and I have vowed to defend our pups with our lives.” Kagome said. “What creature could defeat a Yokai Lord and a hanyou-miko? Any creature coming for our pups will have to go through us first.”

Kenji seemed to run out of things to say. He lost his steam and walked away.

Kagome pressed her hands to her lower abdomen. “As long as your daddy and I live, nothing will happen to you.” She said softly, now gazing up in the direction where Kenji had left. “And I hope that, one day, you'll find the same happiness Inuyasha has, Kenji.” She turned and went to check up on Inuyasha.

LES: Okay, now a grand total of nine know about Inuyasha and Kagome's pup. Kagome's family, Kenji, Sesshomaru and his wards, and of course, the happy parents themselves! Don't worry, Miroku and Sango will find out soon enough, along with Shippo and Kirara! XD. Once again, reviews are always welcome!