InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ How Do We Learn to Love the Ones We Hate? ❯ For Once, Good News! ( Chapter 19 )

Disclaimer: I own absolutely no characters created by Rumiko Takahashi; as much as I wish I was brilliant enough to come up with these characters, but I did not. This goes for everything but the ideas. A lot are spin-offs of different ideas in the story, but others are completely off the charts for weirdness and/or are not related to Takahashi's work at all.

 

For Once, Good News!

 

Kagome sighed and took a deep breath. Correction: she tried to take a deep breath, her lungs had dubbed themselves incapable to get enough oxygen the second the entire Nerima wrecking crew (plus Ayame) had forced her to stay behind and rest for just one more day. The moonlight was filtering through the half-closed shades, and the papers on her desk were fluttering in the soft, gentle breeze, but it was anything but relaxing.

 

She was in pain. It caused actual, honest to god, physical pain to lie here. Her heart was hammering, and her muscles were wound tighter than a six-foot thick, compressed spring. Sleep. Ha. As if she could sleep like this.

 

“Don't even think about it. I'm not letting you go.”

 

Kagome groaned and flopped over onto her side, hugging her body pillow closer into her face.

 

“How can you expect me to rest when he might be bleeding to death somewhere?!” she barked, muffling it in the pillow so as not to wake the other humans in the house, as she knew the wolf demon would be able to hear her perfectly through the fabric of the pillow.

 

Ayame sighed and hopped down off the windowsill, plopping down on the edge of the bed.

 

“Well, I expect you need some sort of recharging, that fight with the she-devil couldn't have been easy, and if she's coming back for more, than you had better damn well be ready. I might be forced to knock you out again just so Kikyo will go away until you're actually recuperated.” She explained, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, but Kagome could hear the threat in her voice. Ayame was totally serious about knocking her out if it meant her safety.

 

Kagome lifted her face from the pillow, her bangs falling into her eyes as she glared at her bodyguard, trying to look as intimidating as she could. “I could force my way by you.” She growled menacingly.

 

Ayame laughed. “Don't bother trying to scare me, I've faced death so many times because of you that nothing scares me anymore. Besides, unless you want to purify me, you can't force your way by me.”

 

Kagome yelled out in rage and her pillow exploded in a flash of blue light and feathers, coating the entire room with the white down. Ayame had her beat there. The wolf was ten times stronger and faster than Kagome because Kagome couldn't use her powers. Not unless she did want to purify her friend. Ayame had her cornered. She tried a different approach.

 

“And what about Koga?!” she yelled, shaking her head from side to side viciously to get all the feathers out of her hair. “You do realize that he could be dying too! You're fine with that?!”

 

“I am in no way what so ever fine with that.” Ayame stiffened. Kagome smirked, she had hit a nerve, now if she could just play with this correctly…

 

“Then you don't care?”

 

“Take that back Higurashi.” Ayame rounded on her.

 

Kagome fought not to bite her lip, maybe she had gone to far---no, she couldn't stop. She had to keep fighting for Inuyasha. For her fiancé, Inuyasha was hers, not that demon's spawn's with the name of Kikyo.

 

“And Rin? And Shippo, and Miroku and Sango? They're all out there too! Miroku, Sango and Rin are all human, they're probably dead right now!”

 

Ayame's shoulders clenched, making it look like she had no neck. Kagome winced, that had to be uncomfortable, even for a demon.

 

“Shippo would never let that happen.” Ayame ground out, her fists clenched so tight that Kagome could actually see the creases in her friend's joints.

 

“Maybe not for Rin, but Miroku and Sango are probably lying face down in a ditch somewhere!” Kagome screamed.

 

Ayame turned, slowly, Kagome almost jumped away in terror because Ayame was moving so slow, but she fisted the covers tightly and forced herself not to move an inch.

 

“You think I don't know that?” Ayame hissed, her voice as slow as her movements. The moonlight was only hitting one of her eyes, and Kagome almost screamed. Ayame looked like she was seriously considering going on a massacre through the castle.

 

“You think I couldn't breathe while I had to protect you and Inuyasha, and Koga was being strangled before my eyes?” she growled. “You think I don't want to be looking for him right this fucking second?! Well here's some news for you princess,” Ayame stood up, her fists clenched by her sides, as if she were forcing herself not to hit Kagome.

 

“I don't really have a choice in this matter, because if I go out and look for him now, you are in as much danger as if you were fighting Kikyo with no powers! If I go out and look for him now and take you with me, you'd be in as much danger if you were fighting the entire band of seven alone! And if I leave you here after making sure that no one could ever get to you and find Koga, then it wont do us much good, because your mother will have already mounted my head on the goddamn wall!” she screamed, her voice shooting through three octaves as she continued to scream.

 

“Yes, the threat is still hanging over my head, and will be until the day you die! If it's because of old age, and your mother's already passed away, then I'm safe, but if it's because I let you out of my sight for one goddamn second, then you'll see my face sticking out of a wooden plaque every time you walk to the great hall! Your mother reinforced it while Ukyo and Kasumi were taking care out your wounds! If I leave you for even one freaking second, I loose both my arms and legs, and that's if your mother's in a good mood!” she screeched.

 

By now, Kagome had leaned back as Ayame had continued to vent, and had flattened herself against the bed, seeking any protection that she could. She knew the wolf could be dangerous when she wanted to.

 

“Well, I know Kagome! I know that he could be bleeding out from his gut right now! I know that they could all be dying in the most painful ways possible as the band of seven pulls their limbs off one by one, and I realize that I'm doing nothing!” she screamed, her voice shooting through another octave. Kagome pitied everything that could actually hear that high.

A knock, and both girls' eyes whipped to the door. Kagome almost screamed for the person to run and save themselves, but she didn't want to anger her possibly very dangerous bodyguard any more right now.

 

“Is everything ok?” Akane opened the door a crack and poked her head in. Ayame took a deep breath, rolled her neck and nodded, her eyes closed coolly. Kagome managed a nod too, though she wasn't even sure if it passed as a nod. It felt really jerky to her, and might have resembled something more of a muscle spasm.

 

“Kagome, how's your arm?” Akane stepped in and closed the door softly behind her.

 

Kagome waved the arm that Kikyo had sliced up around, demonstrating her mobility. “It's fine. What about you?” she hinted, giving Akane a knowing look.

 

“I feel fine.” Akane nodded appreciatively, sitting down lightly on the bed. She was wearing one of Kagome's long flowing nightgowns, having brought none with her in the spare of the moment decision to follow Kagome.

 

“I was going to mention it before, but we were all just so busy. I don't think you're eating enough.” Ayame placed her hands casually on her hips, scrutinizing Akane. “The baby will get really malnourished if you don't eat enough.”

 

Kagome choked on air, and Akane fell off the bed, shooting back up an instant later to glare at Kagome.

 

“I didn't tell anyone!” Kagome waved her hands in front of her desperately. “I swear! I haven't even had time to think about it until now!”

 

“Your scent.” Ayame explained. Akane cocked her head to the side in confusion.

 

“Your hormones have altered to accept and change with the baby, you give off a certain scent.” She elaborated. Akane nodded, but as if she were trying to convince herself that she understood.

 

“Have you told him yet?” Kagome cut in, sitting up in bed and fixing the covers around her.

 

Akane scoffed loudly. “As if.”

 

Ayame gaped. “The father doesn't know?”

 

“I'm the only one he's done it with.” Akane snapped, cutting off any male whore rumors before they started. “I think…” She mumbled to herself. “But… no, he doesn't know. I'm mean, how often does a virgin get pregnant?” she laughed, a loud, hysterical laugh.

 

“You should tell him before it becomes noticeable.” Ayame advised quietly.

 

Akane sighed. “I don't even know if he wants me. I don't know about the laws of your world, but in mine, sex is… almost like, just, a way of saying that you like someone. Not necessarily love, from what my friends have told me.”

 

Kagome leaned back in shock. “Well, that's moronic. `Just a way of saying you like someone'?” she repeated. “What genius invented that dumb-ass rule?!”

 

Akane sighed. “If I knew, he wouldn't be able to walk anymore.”

 

Kagome smiled unsurely, knowing only too well about this girl's temper and its… side effects, and then turned to Ayame, an idea flashing across her mind.

 

“Ayame, as of now, you are no longer my bodyguard. In a nutshell, you're fired.”

 

Ayame's eyes popped open in shock and Kagome swore her friend's knees wobbled. Kagome shoved aside her covers and grabbed her jacket, that being the only thing she would need with her armor.

 

“Now, seeing as you are no longer in the Higurashi family service, and cannot restrain me from going to find my fiancé, you have a few options: to come with me, to go look for Koga on your own, or to stay here and protect the other humans.” She looked at her friend suggestively.

 

Understanding flashed across Ayame's face as she straightened. “Let's go.” She said determinedly, clenching her fists in anticipation.

 

“Akane, I want you to stay here, and as princess of the Higurashi lands, and as the near queen of the Takashi lands, I order you to tell Ranma before I return.”

 

“What?” Akane squawked. “No, I can't!” she pleaded, her knees buckling.

 

“Akane, look at me.” Kagome said quietly. Akane forced her eye upward to meet Kagome's smiling face, her blue aura glowing around her.

 

“It's for the best, trust me.” she whispered before following Ayame out the window.

 

Akane crumpled, falling against the bed. “I can't.” she moaned. “He'll reject me.”

 

Meanwhile

 

“Do you smell that?” Ayame turned her head to the wind, skidding to a halt.

 

“No, but I sense it, that's Kyokotsu!” Kagome braced her feet against a tree and rocketed herself to the north, her armor bubbling into place around her as she did.

 

Ayame sped up, coming out of nowhere and flying past Kagome.

 

“Wait up!” Kagome yelled, forcing more power into her speed. “I want to beat the hell out of him too!”

 

“You can't order me around anymore princess!” Ayame sang. “I'm not in your service anymore, remember?”

 

“I wasn't ordering!” Kagome defended, slowing down as Kyokotsu's presence was reinforced by a hunk of flesh on the ground below her feet.

 

“What the…?” Ayame raced back to her side, poking the meat with her toe.

 

“Those are claw marks, but…”

 

“Shippo isn't brutal enough to do something like this.” Kagome agreed, looking around. She shrieked as he eyes traced over something huge.

 

“Ugh.” Ayame walked up to the thing. It was as tall as she was, but Kagome was finally able to identify it as a mangled portion of Kyokotsu's arm.

 

“Koga…?” Kagome asked unsurely, taking a few steps back.

 

“Not unless he's in a really bad mood.” Ayame shook her head, tracing the claw marks with her hand. “And now that I'm up close, these claws are actually from a pretty small hand. Not only that, but…”

 

“What?” Kagome pried, looking around and grimacing at another bloody chunk of flesh by her.

 

“Well, you're going to think I'm crazy, but it really smells like… Rin.”

 

“Rin?” Kagome snorted. “She's human Ayame.”

 

“I know, and it's laced with the scent of a fox demon, but underneath…” she turned back to look at Kagome, “it's definitely Rin's scent.”

 

“Let's keep going.” Kagome turned to the main source of Kyokotsu's aura. Ayame nodded, and they both shot off again.

 

“Slow down.” Ayame called to her. “We're getting closer, and it could be really dangerous to just burst in.”

 

Kagome slowed to a crawl and landed, trotting forward and creating a sword in her hand from her spiritual energy. She pressed herself up to the back of a tree and looked cautiously around.

 

Ayame waved her forward at the sight of no one, and Kagome slid around the tree, sinking into a crouch as she inched forward, her fingertips skimming the ground.

 

Is that…? “Rin?” Kagome called out.

 

A muffled sob came from over the edge of the small cliff directly in front of her and Ayame and Kagome slunk forward peaking over.

 

“Rin!” Kagome cried happily, jumping over and into the water.

 

Rin flinched at the movement of the water, but didn't turn to face Kagome, but instead stayed hunched over the thing in her arms.

 

“Rin?” Kagome touched her should, yelping and jumping back as Rin's eyes snapped up to meet hers.

 

Hatred saturated the girl's eyes, but that wasn't what scared Kagome. The warm chocolate that Kagome remembered was gone, replaced by a deep crimson, and fangs dripping blood were visible from Rin's open mouth.

 

“Rin!” Ayame leapt to her side, grabbing her hand and holding it up to the light to see the new claws.

 

“Shippo…” Rin chocked out, her voice waterlogged, her eyes dropping back to the thing in her arms. The body in her arms.

 

Kagome screamed at Shippo's limp form and Ayame fell back.

 

“What happened?!” Ayame demanded, forcing herself to her feet.

 

“Suikotsu… he got in the way to… save me…” Rin swallowed noisily, her tears flowing continuously down her cheeks. “It was a transformation spell… before he… before he…” she squeaked, squeezing her eyes shut, “and then Kyokotsu came… and I…” she sobbed, pulling Shippo closer.

 

Kagome staggered forward, falling to her knees. “No, I feel…” she pressed a hand to Shippo's chest, “I can feel his demonic aura!” she cried ecstatically. “I can feel him, he's alive!”

 

“He's alive?” Rin breathed, her eyes shooting open.

 

“Let's get him back to the castle!” Ayame tried to take Shippo from Rin's arms, but she snarled and stood on her own, Shippo held protectively in her arms. It was strange to see the tiny girl carrying Shippo like he was stuffed with cotton.

 

Rin took one step back the way and stumbled, dropping to the ground with a strangled cry.

 

Kagome was at her side in a second to catch Shippo's head as Rin let go to clutch at her middle. Another convulsion, and Rin cried out.

 

“She's under too much stress!” Kagome cried, pushing Shippo into Ayame arms and forcing Rin to her feet. “It's the baby!”

 

Rin shuddered in Kagome's arms and threw her head back, her scream shattering the night air.

 

Meanwhile

 

Akane's head snapped up to the sound of a scream.

 

It's too far away, I can't tell if it's Kagome or that other girl. She gripped the covers of her bed tightly.

 

I should really go find Ranma… Kagome's right, I need to tell him.

 

She jumped at the knock on her door. “Y-yes?” she breathed, trying to calm herself.

 

Oh no. She moaned mentally as Ranma opened her door.

 

“Did you hear that?” he whispered, stepping up to her, looking to the window.

 

Akane nodded. “Kagome went out with her friend, I… I don't know if it's her.”

 

“Kagome went out there?!”

 

“Quiet, don't wake everyone else!” Akane snapped, her hands clenching so tightly around the sheets that they tore.

 

“But when---!”

 

“Ranma.” Akane cut him off, closing her eyes tightly. “I… I have to tell you something.” She forced out.

 

“Yeah?” he backed away slightly, worried by her sudden outburst and the torn cloth in her clenched hand.

 

Akane sighed. Well, he never was the brightest thing on two legs.

 

“Um, you… should sit.” She said slowly, taking a deep breath when she felt the bed dip under his weight.

 

“I was… uh, wondering, uh, if you'd… chosen out of us, me, Shampoo or Ukyo.” Akane clarified.

 

“Huh?” Ranma backed away from her fist, self-preservation in mind. “Why? Are you jealous?” he taunted.

 

“That's not why I'm asking!” Akane snapped, the sheets tearing more. Though shalt not hit. Though shalt not hit. Though shalt not hit. Though shalt not hit. Though shalt not hit.

 

“You know, how our parents engaged us to…” shit, how am I supposed to say this?! “to, uh, carry on your family name?”

 

“Like I could forget.” Ranma scoffed. “Why don't you open your eyes?”

 

He dropped the subject when Akane shook her head vigorously, and he didn't really have the guts to approach her right now.

 

“Well, if you do… you know, choose me,” she ground out, “they're going to be very happy.”

 

“And I'm guessing there's a reason that's different from the one of them wanting their kids to marry?” Ranma asked dryly.

 

Good, maybe he'll catch on. What am I saying? Of course he won't, he's Ranma.

 

“There is.” She nodded.

 

“… Well?” Ranma leaned forward and tapped her shoulder after a while.

 

“Becausethey'regoingtobegrandparents!” Akane said so quickly that she couldn't even understand herself.

 

“… Uh… come again? I didn't quite catch that.” Ranma scooted closer to her. Maybe she isn't going to hit me.

 

“Because…” Akane took a deep breath, “because they're going to be grandparents.”

 

WHAM

 

Akane opened her eyes and looked down to see Ranma's head on the floor, his lower body still sitting on the bed.

 

“Ranma?!” she leapt down next to him.

 

“Grandparents.” He repeated before she had a chance to try and right him.

 

“Huh? Oh, uh… yeah.”

 

“As in…”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“When you and I…”

 

“Did it.” She finished.

 

“I got you…”

 

“Pregnant.” Akane finished for him.

 

“And it's mine?”

 

“What do you mean?!” she smacked him, knocking him off the bed. “I'm not some kind of whore!” she yelled as he cowered.

 

She took a deep breath and sat down, scooting herself to lean up against him. “Yeah, it's yours. I know, it's kind of hard to comprehend.”

 

“Yeah.” He nodded, slightly hysterical. “Well, at least now I have an explanation to why I can't marry Ukyo. Shampoo was out of the running before she even joined, but…”

 

Akane forced the anger boiling inside of her back down to a low simmer. “She's your friend.”

 

Ranma nodded.

 

Akane leaned her head against his chest. “I thought you were going to freak out.” She admitted. “And throw me out on the streets or something.”

 

“First of all, I am freaking out.” He breathed, his voice slightly higher than normal. “And second, I'm the free-loader, if there's any throwing out on the streets, I would be the one on my tail, and third, husbands don't throw wives out, especially if they… l-l-l-love them.”

 

Akane's eyes popped and her head shot up to find Ranma's face as red as a tomato.

 

He loves me. Her grin spread across her face and she leaned into his chest again. “And wives don't let husbands let them throw us out if we love them just as much.” She whispered.

 

She felt Ranma stiffen, and bit her lip, hoping that hadn't been too much of a blow for one night, but sighed contently when his arm snaked up and wrapped around her shoulder.