InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ It Must Be Destiny ❯ Chapter 32

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

Chapter 32

Kohaku walked quickly toward where her mother was sitting quietly in front of Sango and Miroku's hut, staring at the horde of children doing their chores. The older woman glanced up as her daughter approached, her face brightening in relief as she realized her baby had come back safely from the future.

(“Kohaku! My dearest one… you're back! I was so worried about you.”) Kuri gave her daughter a warm hug.

Kohaku smiled at her mother. (“We were successful on more than one account, Okaasan,”) she replied. (“Amber-chan's niisan has returned with us, ready to be trained in the kitsune arts alongside his oneesan.”)

Kuri's eyes went wide. (“Amber-chan's niisan? I wasn't aware she had one.”)

(“Neither was she. He was deathly sick, apparently, and needed blood from Amber-chan to survive. She saved him and he returned to her. I will tell you the whole story later. But now, I want to hear about you. How was 'Haku?”)

Kuri chuckled as she pointed to where Sango's son Sai was showing the little hanyou how to weed the garden. (“He's found a new hero,”) she murmured, a sad little look in her eyes.

Kohaku smiled. (“So I see.”) She caught the sadness in her mother's expression and sat down next to her carefully. (“Okaasan? What's wrong?”)

Kuri gave a shaky sort of sigh. (“I… I'm not sure. It's just that… when I look at that boy… I see my beloved late husband.”)

The younger woman glanced at her hanyou son. She wasn't sure how that worked, since 'Haku looked more like Shippou than anyone else. Before she could comment on it, Shippou and their two descendents appeared, followed by Inuyasha, Inusouta, and Kagome. (“Konnichiwa, minna,”) Kohaku greeted them. (“I was just trying to catch up with my okaasan and we got somewhat sidetracked.”)

Shippou walked over to Sai and 'Haku, scooping up his son who squealed in delight at seeing his father again. Kuri stared at them, her eyes distant.

(“Miroku, I swear to Kami, if you ever touch me again, I'm going to rip you a new Kazaana!”)

Everyone's attention turned toward the house, where apparently Miroku and Sango were currently occupying. Inuyasha sniffed carefully. (“Uh oh,”) he muttered.

Instantly he was the center of attention. (“'Uh oh' what?”) Kagome asked, narrowing her eyes.

The hanyou sighed, stuffing his hands into his sleeves. (“Sango's whelping,”) he replied, his cheeks flushing.

(“Whelping?”) came the confused chorus.

Inusouta shook his head. (“He means she's in labor,”) he replied, giving his father a rather disgusted look.

Kagome nearly squealed. The women scrambled to their feet, heading for the front door of the hut. (“Sango! Sango, are you all right? Why didn't you tell us you were in labor?”)

Inside, a sweating, laboring Sango huffed and puffed as she glared at her husband, who managed to look quite serene despite the murderous (or neutering) scowl on his wife's face.

(“Every kid comes quicker,”) she managed to reply between puffs, (“so I thought by the time I sent this hentai out to tell you, the baby would've been here.”)

Miroku patted Sango's hand soothingly. (“Now, now, my lovely Sango,”) he murmured calmly. (“Focus your breathing and soon our baby will arrive.”)

(“You don't need to tell me!”) Sango roared indignantly. (“I've given birth to thirteen kids- I know what I'm doing!!”)

Kagome rolled her eyes. (“She's got a point, Miroku. Why don't you just let her handle this?”)

Miroku's calm look never faltered. (“Absolutely not. I've been present for every one of my children's births, and I'm not about to stop now.”)

The miko checked her friend carefully, shaking her head woefully. (“Well, the fourteenth one's ready to arrive. The head's already coming out.”)

Sango panted. (“No kidding,”) she muttered as she pushed.

Within moments, a perfect little boy arrived, wailing his discontent at being removed from his warm, cozy environment and being thrust into this cold, bright world. Dark brown hair was matted against his tiny skull and his little hands were closed tightly into fists as if railing against the inhumanity of his predicament.

Kuri and Kohaku both grinned in remembrance of their own personal experiences with birth; Kohaku looking forward to giving birth to her second kit who was still growing patiently inside her. Kagome smiled wistfully, wondering if she and Inuyasha would be successful in conceiving another child. Amber blinked in wonder, amazed at such a little miracle and wishing with all her heart that she would be able to have a baby- or pup, as Inusouta called it- with her new husband. Otherwise their marriage (mating) wouldn't be considered valid by youkai law and she would still be considered available for claiming.

Miroku lifted his new son into his arms, gazing at him in love and absolute adoration. (“It's your turn, Sango,”) he said softly, showing the newborn to his mother. (“You get to choose his name.”)

Sango gazed at the babe silently for a few moments, thinking carefully. Her dark brown eyes lifted to Miroku's violet ones. (“He's going to be our last one, Miroku,”) she said quietly. (“I can't do this any more.”)

The ex-monk nodded, knowing this was coming. (“I know, love. I know you've said that after each child, but I agree with you this time. This little man will be the final addition to our vast family.”)

Sango was quiet for a while, staring at her now-quiet son, who seemed quite content to be held by his father. (“I… I want to name him Kohaku. After my niisan.”)

Kohaku and Amber groaned simultaneously. (“Not another Kohaku!”) they whined good-naturedly.

The tired mother managed to laugh. (“I know… but I need to honor his memory. The least I can do is name my last son after him.”)

Kuri nodded in complete understanding. (“That's why I named my daughter after my beloved late husband,”) she said, holding onto the memories of her love carefully so she wouldn't break down in tears. Even after 19 years, she still felt the loss cleanly. (“My Kohaku was so handsome, so skilled. Even now, I can still see him as he was when we first met: dark brown hair, dark brown eyes… that adorable scattering of freckles across his nose that made him seem so much younger than he really was. I see him in my heart and I feel like I'm fourteen again.”)

Everyone except Kohaku and Amber was staring at Kuri with mute disbelief on their faces. Miroku managed to speak first.

(“Kuri… your late husband… was he… was he a taijiya? A youkai exterminator?”)

Kuri nodded, somewhat surprised at his question. (“He said he and his aneue were the last survivors of an exterminator village that had been wiped out by the evil Naraku. He mentioned something about being unable to face his aneue again because of something horrible he had done, but I never pressed him about her. It was just too painful for him.”)

Sango sat straight up, staring at the widow with absolute shock on her tired face. (“No… that's impossible…”) she whispered hoarsely, her eyes wide and beginning to fill with tears. She tried to reach out to grasp Kuri's arm, but she was still too weak from the birth. Kuri moved over to Sango's side, concerned for her new friend's health.

Sango grabbed Kuri's hand and stared into the woman's eyes. (“You have to tell me,”) she gasped as she tried to hold back the flood of emotions that threatened to spill over. (“Did your late husband… your Kohaku… did he have a small scar on his right shoulder? One he wouldn't let you touch?”)

Kuri nodded slowly, wondering how the woman could know about such a thing. (“There was also a scar on his hip- a result of-“)

(“An injury during weapons practice when he was 8,”) Sango finished in a whisper.

A long, tense silence followed this announcement. Kohaku glanced back and forth between her mother and Sango.

Sango didn't move. She continued to stare at Kuri. (“What was his weapon?”) she asked in a monotone.

(“Kusari-gama. A scythe-like weapon with a long chain attached,”) Kuri replied almost immediately. (“I still have it… in our home in the forest near my old village.”)

Kohaku finally spoke up. (“Okay, if I understand this correctly, you're saying that my otousan Kohaku was the same Kohaku that was your niisan?”)

Miroku glanced at the young woman. (“I think… that that is exactly the case, Kohaku. You are, if I'm not mistaken, our niece. And that makes…”)

(“Amber-chan our distant relative as well,”) Sango finished, looking at the new bride.

Amber blinked. (“Nani?”)

Sango burst into tears as she pulled Kuri into a tight hug, regardless of the fact that she had just given birth. Miroku had tears in his eyes as well as he held his newest son. Kagome was already crying.

Kohaku and Amber exchanged a look. (“Wow,”) Kohaku murmured. (“I… I've got an obasan and an ojisan…”)

Amber grinned. (“And a horde of itoko- cousins- as well.”)

Kuri sniffled as she cried right alongside Sango. (“I thought… every time I'd look at your son… how much he reminded me of Kohaku…”)

Sango nodded. (“You mean Sai? I know what you mean. He looks exactly like my niisan.”)

(“So much… it's almost as if…”)

(“He were Kohaku's reincarnation. Maybe he is.”)

Kuri let out a little laugh. (“That would explain his attachment with 'Haku. Those two haven't been apart since we arrived here.”)

Amber excused herself as the newly-realized sisters-in-law exchanged stories about the young taijiya that had started this whole thing. Outside, she found the men waiting patiently for word from inside.

Inusouta moved to his mate's side as soon as he saw her emerge. Inuyasha, Shippou, and Tristan were right behind him. (“Well?”)

(“It's a boy,”) Amber said quietly, looking at Shippou. (“And Sango-san named him Kohaku-chan in honor of her niisan…”)

Shippou nearly groaned. (“Not another Kohaku,”) he muttered.

A wry laugh escaped the young girl. (“There's more,”) she murmured.

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. (“Not twins again, is it?”)

She shook her head. (“No… but it would seem that Kuri's husband… Kohaku's otousan… was Sango's niisan.”)

Inuyasha's and Shippou's jaws both almost fell to the ground. (“Say what??”) Tristan only looked confused, as he still didn't understand the language.

Amber nodded. (“Even as we speak, Kuri-sama and Sango-san are exchanging stories- and everyone agrees that Kuri's husband and Sango's niisan were one and the same.”)

Shippou stared in absolute shock at Sango and Miroku's hut. (“My adoptive parents… are now…”)

(“Your mother-in-law's sister- and brother-in-law. Yup. They're your mate's obasan and ojisan.”)

Inuyasha shuddered. (“Weird.”)

Inusouta raised an eyebrow at him. (“Not to mention that Amber and Tristan-kun are now related to Obasan Sango and Ojisan Miroku after all.”)

(“Keh! At least your wench doesn't share any blood with that hentai monk.”)

Shippou shook his head, in amazement. (“How did this happen?”)

Inusouta pulled Amber into an embrace as he smiled at his parents' old friend. She smiled up at her mate with all the love in her heart. Tristan grinned at his new brother-in-law from his place by Shippou's side. Inusouta placed a kiss on top of his wife's head before answering the kitsune with the only answer he had.

(“It must be destiny.”)

-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo- The End -oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-

…Or is it?