InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ It Must Be Destiny ❯ Chapter 23

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

Chapter 23

Sango sat on the hillside, watching as the majority of her children danced and giggled as they tried to catch the fireflies that flew around them. The two oldest were inside, cleaning things up before bedtime, feeling that they were too old to enjoy such childish activities.

Suppressing a moan, she rubbed her round belly. Kami… it seems like I've spent my whole life either killing youkai or being pregnant.

Kohaku, Shippou's mate, sat next to her, smiling wistfully. (“When are you due?”) she asked softly.

Sango gave the other woman a weary smile. (“I'd swear it was two months ago with as big as this one is. I only hope it's not twins again.”)

Their gazes drifted over to the identical 12-year-olds giggling and chasing the littler children around. (“Those two turned out all right,”) Kohaku murmured, smiling. (“Although I can't say I would've wanted to give birth to two at the same time.”)

Sango nodded vigorously. (“I was ready to kill Miroku. I thought there was something seriously wrong after Keiko was born. Imagine everyone's surprise when Kaoru popped out!”)

Kohaku's hand drifted to her slightly rounded stomach. She just barely showed at all. (“I can't wait until this one is born. 'Haku is such a sweet child- I'm sure his niisan or neesan will be too.”)

Sango's face went sad. (“I… I had a brother… named Kohaku, too. He died… a long time ago.”)

Sympathy filled the younger woman's gaze. (“Sometimes I wish that I had a sibling- to fight with, to talk to, to share secrets with. But I have to admit that I'm grateful to even be here- my okaasan only had two months with my otousan before he disappeared.”)

The taijiya nodded. (“I'm sure that had to be rough on your okaasan. I can't imagine what would've happened if we hadn't defeated Naraku. My Miroku… he'd probably be dead now, sucked into his own Kazaana.”)

(“Okaasan! Okaasan! I caught one! Look!”)

Sango and Kohaku looked up to see one of the taijiya's many children standing in front of them, holding a small glowing bug in his hands. (“That's fantastic, Sai,”) his mother praised. (“Did you show Yasuo? He's trying so hard and hasn't caught one yet.”)

The ten-year-old nodded. (“Hai, Okaasan. I'll go show him now.”) He bowed politely to Kohaku, who smiled bck.

(“He's a good-looking boy,”) Shippou's mate commented after Sai had run off.

Sango smile was full of sorrow. (“He… he looks just like my niisan. It… scares me sometimes.”)

(“I can imagine. Perhaps he is your niisan's reincarnation, come back to be with you again.”)

This time Sango's smile was slightly happier. (“Perhaps.”)

The two women turned as two more figures joined them in the moonlight. (“Amber-chan, are you sure you should be up and about so soon? What about your injuries?”) Sango admonished.

Amber gave a half-shrug. (“Apparently they're almost healed. Shippou-sama says it's because I've got youkai blood in me.”)

Kohaku's eyebrows lifted in surprise. (“So… then you are our descendant?”)

(“So it would seem.”)

Inusouta gave Kohaku a grin. (“That makes you a many-times-over obaasan, Kohaku-san.”)

The young woman stuck her tongue out at the handsome hanyou. (“You're as bad as Shippou,”) she retorted.

The kitsune in question appeared by his mate. (“Who's as bad as me?”) he asked, nuzzling Kohaku's neck.

She blushed. (“Stop that! There are other people present!”)

(“Let them get their own mate,”) he murmured, nipping at a particularly sensitive spot on her neck.

Sango rolled her eyes. (“I've had enough of that from my `mate',") she said, oozing sarcasm as she rubbed her belly again. (“I'm done.”)

Amber flushed as she looked over at Inusouta, who gave her a familiar “I'm-a-bad-ass” grin. (“I haven't even got that far yet,”) he smirked. (“Maybe I should try to make up for lost time…”)

The golden-haired girl thwapped him on the arm. (“Ain't happening.”)

Shippou glanced up at his descendant. (“I wonder,") he mused. ("How are you feeling, kit?”)

Amber blinked at the emerald eyes glowing in the moonlight. (“I'm fine. Almost as good as new.”)

(“Excellent. Then come over here- I want to try something.”)

Inusouta growled. (“I told you, kitsune: try something on your own mate. Leave mine alone.”)

Shippou rolled his eyes as he and Amber walked a few yards away from everyone. (“Last time I did she got pregnant. Now she won't let me touch her.”)

Kohaku snorted delicately. (“Liar.”)

Inusouta stared at the two golden-haired beings standing away from them, their forms shining silver in the moonlight. When they stood close together like that, it was obvious that they were related. Shippou was saying something to the girl, speaking so softly that even Inusouta's keen hearing couldn't pick it up.

Kohaku smiled at her mate and descendant. (“They really look alike, don't they?”)

Sango grinned. (“If I didn't know she came from 500 years in the future, I'd wonder at Shippou's fidelity.”)

The kitsune's mate laughed. (“I know what you mean. But she's what- 17? 18? He'd had to have fathered her when he was 8.”)

The two women laughed merrily. Inusouta's eye twitched as he watched Amber and Shippou. What in all the hells are they talking about over there?

Shippou held out his hand, muttering something. A small ball of turquoise flame appeared in his palm. Inusouta lifted an eyebrow. He's not really thinking…

I think he is.

Amber scowled, apparently concentrating. She lifted her hand like Shippou did and muttered something.

Nothing happened.

Her disappointment was palpable. Shippou gave her an encouraging grin and a pat on the arm. She lifted her hand again and repeated her words.

Again, nothing.

Inusouta had had enough. He stalked over to where they were, his ears slightly back. (“What in Kami's name are you doing?”)

Shippou suddenly got a very mischievous look on his face. (“Try it on him, kit. Think of something he did that really pissed you off.”)

The hanyou looked perplexed. (“Try what on me?”)

Amber stepped back slightly, staring at him, memories of all the baka things he had said and done to her flooding her mind. Her eyes flickered and the air slightly swirled around them.

(“Kitsune-bi!”) she cried as she lifted her hand and made like she was heaving something at him.

Inusouta's gold eyes went as wide as they could go as he was suddenly hit by a lavender flame-ball. It disintegrated more or less right after it hit him, but still…

Shippou cheered.

(“Thatta girl! I knew you could do it!”) the kitsune crowed, catching the attention of everyone around them.

The black-haired hanyou stared at his soon-to-be mate in absolute shock. (“Did… did you… did you just…?”)

She blinked at him in surprise. (“I… I think I did…”)

Then it dawned on her what she did. “Oh my God...! Are you hurt?” She ran over to him and began running her hands over his body, checking for damage, the whole time rambling a mile-a-minute in English. “What the hell was I thinking? I can't believe that actually worked! I could've killed you! I'm such a stupid, stupid idiot! What kind of woman am I if I try to kill the man I love before I even get to marry him? Stupid, stupid…!”

Inusouta chuckled. “As much as I love having your hands all over my body, I would rather not do it with an audience.”

She paused, her hand resting on his hips. Cautiously she turned her head and was mortified to see both his parents, Yuki, Miroku and Sango, Hidama, Yasuo, and Sai, Kohaku and Shippou all looking at her with various smirks on their faces. Kuri was in the hut with the majority of the children and little Haku. Izayoi and Masao had volunteered to go fetch firewood and some game for the morning meal.

Miroku opened his mouth to say something and was stopped by an elbow to his stomach from his wife. (“Don't even say it, hentai,”) she muttered.

Inuyasha cleared his throat. (“I don't know what you or your woman just said,”) he grumbled, (“but perhaps you should wait until later to do that stuff?”)

Amber turned dark red, pulling her hands away from Inusouta's hips as if she were burned. Shippou chortled. Inusouta grinned.

(“I cannot help it that I am so irresistible that she finds it impossible to keep her hands off me,”) he replied in all seriousness to his father.

Shippou nearly fell over from laughter. Kohaku kicked him in the leg.

Kagome ignored everyone. (“Amber-chan… did you just use fox-fire? On Inusouta?”)

Panic filled her sapphire eyes. (“I didn't mean to! I didn't think it would really work! Gomen nasai! Onegai, forgive me!”) She dropped to her knees, pressing her forehead to the ground in supplication. (“Onegai, Kagome-san! Onegai, don't hate me!”)

Inuyasha snorted, closing his eyes and stuffing his hands into his sleeves. (“Baka girl.”)

Inusouta stepped over to his father and confronted him, nose to nose. (“She is my mate, Otousan, and you will talk to her with some respect!”)

His father cracked open an eye at his irate son. (“She's already got my respect, Son, because she actually managed to conjure fox-fire and hit you with it.”)

Everyone fell silent at this. One- Inuyasha had never admitted having respect for anyone. Two- he had actually referred to Inusouta as "son" and not as "pup." Amber lifted her head marginally.

(“You… you're not mad that I attacked Inusouta?”) she asked meekly.

Kagome knelt down and helped the young girl to her feet. (“Of course not! My son is much stronger than to be taken down by a simple kitsune-bi attack.”)

(“Maybe from an untrained kit like her, but I know I'd do some serious damage to the whelp,”) Shippou snorted, earning him a thwap on the head from Inuyasha. (“You too,") he muttered as he rubbed the sore spot on his head while glaring at the hanyou.

Sai yawned, blinking in confusion. “Okaasan? Chichi? Can we go to bed now? This is too weird for me.”)

Miroku smiled, holding in a chuckle. (“I think we should all be in bed, son.”) He nodded to his oldest, who escorted the boys to the house.

Everyone else followed, heading to their respective huts, except for Inusouta, Amber, and his parents. Inusouta cleared his throat.

(“We'll be camping out tonight,”) he said clearly, his amber eyes locked on his parents' faces. (“We'll see you in the morning.”)

Kagome stepped forward, her mouth open as if to protest when Inuyasha caught her shoulder. She looked back at him surprise as he shook his head silently. She tensed slightly, worry flickering across her brown eyes.

Inuyasha looked at his son seriously. (“Where?”) was the only thing he said.

(“Goshinboku,”) was his son's reply.

The older hanyou nodded. (“Come get us if there's trouble,”) he said as he put his arms around Kagome and guided her- somewhat forcefully- away from their son and his soon-to-be mate.

Alone, the two young adults looked at each other.

(“What do you mean, we'll be camping out? Isn't there enough room inside one of the houses for us?”) Amber asked with confused eyes.

Inusouta shrugged. (“Probably not. I'm going to grab a couple blankets and some stuff for a fire. Wait here.”)

(“Wait!”) she called, taking a hesitant step forward. He paused, turning around. (“Is… is my purse here?”)

He nodded, somewhat confused as to why she would want it. (“My okaasan brought it with her and my neesans. Did you need it?”)

(“Hai. Onegai.”)

He nodded once before turning around again and walking towards the hut. Amber stood there in the bright moonlight, her heart fluttering.

Something told her this was going to be a night to remember- and not just because she conjured and threw a lavender fire-ball at the man she loved.