InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Inunori ❯ InuYasha's Birth ( Chapter 5 )

“My lord,” Inunori called dropping to one knee in a bow.

“Inunori? What are you doing here? You are supposed to be protecting Izayoi and the pup,” he answered angrily moving towards her.

“They are why I am here! It's time! The pup is coming now! She insisted I come for you.”

Inutaisho stopped. “Why didn't you just send Saurina?”

“She went off some time ago, to train with other fox demons. I believe she wouldn't have left if she knew that she would be gone this long. I came as quickly as I could. I made sure the guards were ready for anything.”

“It is the leader of the guards that I am worried about. Come.”

They rushed off into the dusk hurrying to Izayoi's side. When they arrived the guards were still on full alert.

“Izayoi should have sent them away by now. I know she heard us,” Inunori said with worry.

“It seems we will have to fight our way through,” Inutaisho said pulling the tensaiga. He rushed forward. “Wind Scar!” he yelled. A giant gust of wind swept through the gathered guards throwing them out of his way.

“Izayoi!” he called out, running into the courtyard.

“I have sent her to the next life,” a steady voice called out.

“No,” Inunori whispered to herself. She moved quickly past him following the scent of blood,

Inutaisho took an even quicker route and sliced off Takemaru's arm. He arrived at Izayoi's side just after Inunori. She picked up the crying babe.

“She is-”

“Move aside,” he said slipping the tensaiga from it's sheathe. He sliced through the air. Izayoi gasped out a breath.

“They set fire to the castle!” Inunori said urgently. “We need to get out of here.”

“I will send you all to hell!” Takemaru said clutching the stump of his arm.

“Inunori, take her and the pup. Protect them,” Inutaisho ordered wrapping Izayoi in the cloth of the fire rat.

She nodded and handed Izayoi her son. She then scooped her up on her back to hurry off.

“Wait, the child, call him InuYasha.”

“You can call him that yourself,” Izayoi said weakly.

Inutaisho nodded and turned away to face Takemaru.

“Hold tight to InuYasha,” Inunori ordered Izayoi before running out of the burning castle.

Izayoi wrapped one arm around Inunori's shoulders and held InuYasha tightly to her chest with the other. “He will be alright, won't he?”

“Of course, my lord will be fine. Be calm,” Inunori reassured her, while feeling some nervousness herself. “I will take you to my home until Inutaisho comes for you. It should not be long.”

The next morning Inunori led a servant to the chamber Izayoi had been given. She was fast asleep on the bed, the pup lying next to her sucking on his own fist. She smiled and picked him up carefully making sure not to wake Izayoi.

“Take it back,” she said to the servant. “I'll send for it once she wakes.” She cuddled the pup to her chest letting him curl his tiny claws around her finger. “You are going to be a troublesome pup maybe even worse than your brother.” She gently rubbed his tiny furry ears. Tears filled her eyes. “You almost had a playmate. It would have been Akemi for a girl or Kenrou for a son.” She brushed a tear from her eye.

“You weren't ready to move on with your life,” Izayoi said sleepily. She sat up and brushed the hair from her eyes. “I can stay somewhere else if it hurts.”

“No,” she paused looking down at the newborn pup. “I just wish…”

“I know.” She got up and started to dress. “Why does your husband hate me?”

“It's not really you that he hates. He feels that humans are an inferior species…If you were a demon of any type he would treat you with the reverence that is your due.”

“What do you mean?” she asked carefully tying her obi.

“Sesshoumaru would respect you as the mistress of his lord. While my husband is Inutaisho's second, he has to respect the hierarchy. You are third in line.”

“Third?”

“Sesshoumaru's mother and father are the people who are above you in the hierarchy. Sesshoumaru and I would follow you. You're son is just above me and just below Sesshoumaru, since he is the second son.” She wiggled her finger that was held tightly in InuYasha's tiny fist.

He let out a loud yell.

“I think someone's hungry,” Izayoi said holding out her arms.

Inunori handed him over reluctantly, imagining what her own son would have looked like.

Their day went on normally. Inunori followed tribal tradition and worked to rebuild her tribe to its former power. When Inutaisho hadn't arrived by sunset Inunori became worried. She sent a servant to the castle to see what happened.

An hour passed, and the servant returned. Inunori was in the tribunal chamber with a few of her advisors. When the servant entered she sent everyone else away.

“What have you found?” she demanded.

“There were only humans there, my lady. I found a blood trail that was partially covered.” The demon began scratching at his ear.

Inunori breathed in through her nose. “Myoga jii-chan, leave him be.” She held out her hand palm up.

The tiny flea hopped off the other demon and bounced across the floor landing easily in her hand. He panted slowly. “The Great Lord is going to be fine. The human leader of the guards injured him slightly and the fire wasn't much help. He is recuperating in the West. He said that he will come as soon as he is able.”

Inunori placed her other hand over Myoga to keep him from leaping up to her neck, as was his wont. “I will take you to meet the pup, shall I?”

“Of course, Mistress,” he called out, his voice muffled by her hands.

She walked to the garden where Izayoi was playing with the pup.

“Izayoi, I would like you to meet one of Inutaisho's advisors.” She opened her hands and knelt down next to her. “This is Myoga.”

“Let me see Master InuYasha!” he said excitedly leaping onto Izayoi's shoulder and then onto the blanket wrapped pup in her arms. He admired the pup for a while and told some old tales about Sesshoumaru while he was growing up.

A few days later Inutaisho appeared. He looked exactly the same… that is until you saw him from behind. His snowy white hair was at least 6 inches shorter than it was before. He walked up to Inunori who was again talking to her advisors about tribal affairs.

“Welcome!” she said smiling at him. “I am glad to see you are in good health.”

“I would have come sooner, but there were some tribal details that I had to take care of. For a short time I have left Sesshoumaru in charge…” He gave her a sideways look.

“I have no problem hearing about Sesshoumaru. He is the one with a problem.” She let out a huff. “Come. I will take you to your son.” She led him to Izayoi and InuYasha.

He spent the day playing with the new born pup and spending time with Izayoi. Inunori made herself scarce. Inutaisho was a good father, and he closely resembled his son. She believed that it would hurt to watch him with InuYasha; it would remind her of what she didn't have.

That night Inunori slept fitfully. Odd dreams buzzed through her head. The worst of them was a reminder of all that she had lost.

She was standing in the midst of a battle her stomach huge with child, wolves and members of the eastern tribe were deep in battle around her. She could see Sesshoumaru in a death battle with one of the wolf tribe leaders. She wanted to call out to him, but knew he would be distracted by her being there. Suddenly one of the other wolf leaders came up behind Sesshoumaru and dug his claws deeply into his back. He fell to his knees and collapsed to the ground. The wolves suddenly disappeared and it was just Inunori, still in her pregnant state, and Sesshoumaru lay bleeding. She rushed to him and knelt next to him. There was nothing she could do to save him, and watched at the light left his eyes.

She woke up the next morning gasping for breath and feeling tears streaming down her cheeks. She wiped her eyes and lay back on her bed, thoughts whirring.

“Sesshoumaru,” she murmured fingering the marks on her neck.