InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Feudal Tale ❯ Chapter 8 ( Chapter 8 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or affiliates. That is owned by Rumiko Takahashi and Viz.

 

Inuyasha sighed as he stroked his wife's slightly distended belly. She had been crying tears of happiness when she told him that she had missed two courses. The sickness that followed soon after only confirmed their assumptions.

 

What idiot called it morning sickness? Inuyasha grumbled to himself. More like, night, morning, and sometimes even afternoon sickness. Oh, and whenever she smells fish sickness. And that one time a hunter brought in a dead deer and gutted it just upwind sickness.

 

Kagome was always very apologetic afterwards, but he still couldn't wear one of his favorite sets of pants. She was soaking it in lye, hoping to get the last of the stench out of it.

 

Kagome's mother had explained everything to expect to Kagome, who passed the information on to Inuyasha. Thus he was not worried when she threw up one morning. But when it didn't stop after a month, he did worry. Kagome said it was normal, but now it was doubly hard to make sure she had enough food, because he often had to feed her twice, if not more times, to get one meal down. And she was eating for two.

 

However, it all seemed worth it when, on the few nights that she didn't throw up or was unable to sleep for cause of the back pain, he was able to wrap his arms around her and feel the growing life on her front.

 

Mine. My child.

 

Kagome whimpered and shifted in her sleep, and he carefully shifted her so that she wasn't all scrunched up. He lay down right behind her, his arms wrapped around her belly, one below and one above. Her soft breathing tickled the hairs of his arm, and every time she breathed her belly pressed into his hand.

 

This woman… Inuyasha nuzzled her hair. It was a very good idea to take a wife.

 

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

 

“No news?”

 

“None at all.”

 

“Wouldn't they have said something if they had executed her?”

 

“Maybe they will demand she follow her husband to the afterlife.”

 

“What information can they really get out of her? The rebellion she was involved in was crushed. She is of no further use.”

 

“Why would they do this to a woman?”

 

“The bakufu is probably just being sure. They won't want to have to deal with another uprising.”

 

“Still, Kikyo has no power to do anything. Her father and husband are dead and disgraced, and her village has been chastised.”

 

Kagome sat by the village well, listening to the wives talk about the news. It had been some months since Kikyo's arrest, and yet there was no word on her condition.

 

“What if she is pregnant, and they are waiting for the child to be born?”

 

“What would they do? Take it away? Would they punish the child for the sins of its parents?”

 

Kagome shuddered and lay a hand to her own stomach. It was soothingly warm, reassuring her.

 

“I'd say that she is just being difficult to the government officials, so they are detaining her for as long as they can to inconvenience her.”

 

Kagome sighed. Inuyasha was in Edo, having finally found an excuse to leave her behind. Her pregnancy aside, it was also wonderfully timed that the one time she was interested in searching for information in Edo, about the condition of her sister, there was finally a legitimate reason not to go. Inuyasha had promised that he would see what he could find concerning the matter, but she knew that it was hard to get information about Edo's prisons. Still she would stay awake and wait for him as long as it took for him to return home, with or without the news she desired.

 

In the meantime, she was doing everything she could to make the day pass quickly. An extensive cleaning of the already sparkling house had only taken her to midday. She set about making a fancy dinner for his return, but even that did little to distract her. So she joined her mother and the other wives at the well.

 

Kagome's mother's hands shook, and Kagome steadied the pot of water before her mother's trembling could knock it over.

 

“Should we go?” Kagome asked quietly. “I'll help you prepare dinner.”

 

Her mother nodded tersely.

 

The hut seemed so empty, as it was missing over half of its occupants. When Kagome had lived there it had felt cramped, but now it seemed dreary and abandoned with only a woman and two young girls.

 

Her mother caught her furtive glances at the empty hut and pursed her lips.

 

“It is very quiet,” she remarked. “And I make less food now, especially since some of the biggest eaters are gone.”

 

“You wouldn't remarry, would you?”

 

Her mother shook her head. “I am far too old. Besides, we have far too few men for all the unmarried girls, let alone old widows.”

 

After several minutes of silence, her mother spoke up again. “My mother and father are considering coming to live with me. My sister's family already cares for her husband's parents, and two sets of old people is really too much for one house. I would have plenty of time to care for them.”

 

Kagome nodded. She had only met her grandparents once, but it would be good for her mother to have other adults in the hut, to ease her loneliness.

 

With good news, they were slowly able to broach happier topics. Kagome reheard many embarrassing childhood stories, and laughed along with her mother for happiness that everything seemed to be alright with her.

 

Much to her pleasure, it seemed like no time at all until the shadows grew long and her mother lit lamps to light the hut in the growing dusk. She bid a short farewell, eager to return to her home to await her husband.

 

She heard banging and clattering at the hut as she walked up the path, so she ran quickly up the hill. The lamp she had left lit in case she stayed out late burned low, but Inuyasha used its feeble light to help him put the cart away.

 

“Inuyasha!” He turned, and opened his arms to catch her as she barreled into him.

 

“Keh, remind me never to leave again if you get this hysterical every time I go,” he gruffed to himself, stroking her hair.

 

Kagome beamed at him. “Let me get dinner heated.” She ran into the hut, reappearing to light a lamp from the dying light outside.

 

Dinner was a hurried affair, as Kagome was obviously trying to portray some semblance of patience, but was only picking at her food. Inuyasha was eating ravenously, and occasionally noting between mouthfuls that she had not eaten. She would begin to eat after he said this, but soon dropped off.

 

“Fine,” he grunted finally, “will you eat if I give you my news?”

 

Kagome nodded enthusiastically. “Is she okay?” she blurted.

 

Inuyasha nodded. “She is still alive, and not missing any limbs. I couldn't tell you why they are still holding her. There are rumors flying around that she is pregnant, and that the officials don't know what to do with her. While I don't put much stock in rumors, this rumor is rampant and just about everyone has the same story. Besides, it would explain why she is still being held. It is the only story that holds water.”

 

Kagome released an unsteady breath. Her nervousness showed in her shaking hands. Inuyasha glanced at her, perturbed. “You promised you'd eat!”

 

“Hai, hai,” she replied absently, unable to keep up the farce that she interested in the rice.

 

Inuyasha sighed heavily, tapping his fingernails in an annoyed manner on the wood floor.

 

“You should eat,” he grumbled. “I know it's not great news, but that's no reason to starve yourself.”

 

“She could not have food! I doubt the Edo officials care that she is with child. And they give the prisoners food with mold on it…”

 

Inuyasha cut her off. “But if you decide to be a martyr for her we'll have two casualties instead of one. No, we will have four casualties! Don't risk all that. I doubt she's thinking about you anyway. It would have been better for that woman to have acknowledged that her man was a bit daft to do something so stupid and leave his woman alone.”

 

Kagome fumed. “I empathize because she is my sister! I cannot be comfortable and uncaring while she is all alone, without the proper care.”

 

“Respect her sacrifice and learn from her life by taking care of yourself and never making such a stupid decision. Now eat, stubborn woman!”

 

“No!”

 

“Yes!”

 

“No!”

 

Inuyasha almost jumped over the table, his eyes shooting swords. “Eat the damn food already!”

 

“I won't eat while she is starving!”

 

Inuyasha threw his arms up in the air, turning his back on her.

 

“How can you not care about your health?” he asked furiously.

 

“Because I care about hers!” Kagome yelled back.

 

Inuyasha broke down, slamming himself into a cross-legged stance and looking firmly away from her.

 

“Onegai,” he said, fists clenched, “I will worry about you if you don't eat anything. Please don't endanger our child.”

 

Kagome started. Her anger, which had grown so triumphant with his acquiescence, deflated. Inuyasha begging was a sight she was not used to seeing.

 

“All right,” she agreed. “I'll eat a little.”

 

Inuyasha waited until she had eaten about half her food before speaking again.

 

“If you were in jail, would you want your sisters to starve themselves and kill their babies because that is what you are going through?”

 

Kagome set down her chopsticks, eyes wide. She lowered her gaze, shame filling her features.

 

“No,” she whispered, “I would want them to make the best of their lives.”

 

Inuyasha released a relieved sigh and hugged her around the shoulders. “So do that, koishii, live well for her.”

 

Kagome hiccupped into his kimono, and then began to cry. Inuyasha panicked, patting her hair and trying to rub her back to placate her.

 

“I didn't mean to upset you! I take back whatever it was. Get a hold of yourself!” he rattled frantically.

 

“Hai,” she said, sniffling. Inuyasha sighed again, holding her tight.

 

“It'll be alright,” he soothed. She nodded. “I'll just hope,” she responded.

 

Inuyasha hugged her warmly, and she closed her eyes to relax in his embrace.

 

Alright, this is a little short for a last chapter, but I felt guilty being two weeks late…or however long it took me. School has started, in case that wasn't evident. There will be an epilogue coming shortly.

 

I've decided to use my Spanish abilities for something and am translating this fiction into Spanish. Since I am not a fluent speaker, I would like to have someone who knows what they are doing look over the conjugations and other grammary stuff. My email is akihana15@hotmail.com, and I would love any help I could get. - Akihana