InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Lost Hopes ❯ Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Inuyasha sighed as he his feet landed on the soft grass of his time. Sliding off the edge of the well, he sat against it, rubbing his full stomach gently and contentedly, ignoring the slight weakness he felt.

“Mrs. Higurashii, sure knows how too cook.” He mused happily, licking his lips. The woman had fussed over him non-stop for three hours and made him eat most of what she cooked. Not that Inuyasha minded, though he would never admit, he liked how Mrs. Higurashii acted. She reminded him of his mother, the way she used to gently reprimand him for missing his meals and not taking care of himself. He was thankful to the woman, for now he seemed to feel much better.

However, he was not pleased with the behaviour of Kagome. For the first time in his life he had not forced Kagome to change her decision and yet the miko kept presenting him with heated and slightly displeased glares all through the meal, not to mention the snide remarks and mumbled curses about her mother babying him, which the older women promptly ignored. He meant to ask Kagome if he had done something wrong, but she wouldn’t answer. He even voiced his concern to her mother, but Mrs. Higurashii simply dismissed the matter saying, “It’s a girl thing,” or whatever she meant by that.

He closed his eyes letting his muscles relax; as he went over the conservation with Kagome, he managed to force, before fleeing. Though he was a little disappointed in failing to good naturedly pursue the young miko to leave her era even for a few hours, however, he felt more than relieved when a red faced Kagome literally shouted that she wasn’t coming back for a week or so and that he could get lost. In truth, he was immensely happy for at the moment he didn’t want to confront her with the current changes in his life.

Things were going too fast for his choice and the time earned, due to her denial in retraining to the feudal era, will let him sort out the matter in his own way and be ready for her when she returned. Although he couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for the kitsune pup who was eagerly awaiting her return. Poor Shippo was counting on him so much to bring Kagome back and he would hate to see the disappointment in those olive eyes when he was informed of the current situation. Inuyasha opened his eyes and blinked, surprised that he was concerned about Shippo’s feelings so much and the strange sympathy welling up in his chest for the pup. Though he cared for his friends this way, he was always proficient in concealing them behind his arrogant exterior, even when he was alone. Kehing at his silly behaviour, he turned his attention back to the miko, thankful that he had managed to jump into the well before she could sit him.

“Hmph… and I didn’t even yell at her,” He grumped slightly, crossing his arms over his chest and sticking his nose in the air in his usual arrogant manner. “I just wanted to know if she was sure she couldn’t come for another week and she screeched like a mad banshee at my face. Keh! I really don’t understand her.”

So wrapped up was he in his musing that he didn’t notice the figure, that had been waiting for him behind the shadows, reveal itself into the evening light and strode towards him in a collected and stoic manner. Blame it on his rapidly decrementing senses or his lack of attention, he only realised that he was not alone when he felt a shadow over him, shielding the rays of the dying sun.

Startled, he looked up to see the familiar aureate eyes glancing down at him in an odd mixture of amusement, curiosity and unbound disgust. Inuyasha growled, in spite of his instincts warning him to lie as close to the ground as possible. It would not be good for his health, to challenge an alpha. He wanted to bolt right out of the place, moving as far as possible from the figure but his sense of pride, the one that always managed to get him into trouble, wouldn’t let him move one inch. So he stood up, fixing the tall figure with what he assumed to be his most deathly glare, his hands close to Tetsusaiga’s hilt.

“What do you want Sesshomaru?” He growled, ignoring the waves of fears that ran down his spine.

The western lord never answered, yet continued to study the hanyou, his senses reaching out to determine why his brother smelled that strange way. His eyes told him that Inuyasha remained his same Self-centred, egotistical, selfish, arrogant, spoiled, insensitive and rude self but the scents definitely confirmed something else at work. Although, his primary motive was to retrieve the sword in possession of his brother, but the strange scent along Inuyasha’s suspicious behaviour, that he could recognise on close inspection, made Tetsusaiga a secondary matter…for now.

Cocking his head to the side, he decided to open his mouth.

“Inuyasha.” He began, closely watching how his brother flinched involuntarily “Tell me, where have you peregrinated?” At the questioning look he received from his brother, he explained himself further. “I have been watching you, for quite sometime. You had leaped into the well and disappeared, where had you gone?”

Inuyasha just stared. Sesshomaru was watching him, why? And why didn’t he sense him? Fear was making itself prominent in his body, the urge to be on his stomach before the alpha becoming stronger with each second. But he pushed the voices down, answering his Aniki as he always would. “And why should I tell ya?” He snapped, his hand tightening on the katana. “Fuck off Sesshomaru, I ain’t in the mood to answer your silly questions. Go bother someone else or if want, come and fight.” He yelled, praying that the youkai would leave him alone and not take up the challenge.

Sesshomaru growled, his youkai was telling him that Inuyasha was in no position to argue, the hanyou was pushing his limit for the day.

“Inuyasha, don’t test my patience, answer me and why is it that your scent has changed?”

Inuyasha froze yet again, a slight tremble making it way up his spine. His brother knew his secret… somehow… Sesshomaru knew he was no longer an alpha that he was pathetic and weak, but he refused to give up.

“What do mean?” He spat indignantly. “Ya, I haven’t changed at all. Keh!” He knew, that now he had no choice, he had to fight his brother that was the only way to hide his shame, “Don’t waste my precious time. If ya want Tetsusaiga come and fight.” He began to pull out the sword but suddenly found himself on the ground with his arms pinned to his side, his body held down and an angry alpha growling menacingly in his face.

“Who do you want to do fool, uncouth brat?” Sesshomaru, glared at his sibling, clearly inhaling the scent of fear, emanating in forceful waves from his body. When Inuyasha glared back at him, struggling slightly, he growled, baring his teeth, warning the other to stay down or else…

Inuyasha, struggled with his instincts, pride and fear and at last his instincts won out. His ears lay flat on his head and he closed his eyes and baring his throat to the alpha, in utter submission.

Sesshomaru dipped his head sniffing experimentally, before his lips curled up in disgust. He leapt off of the hanyou and stood up, picking the smaller demon up by his collar, fury evident in his eyes and body.

“Filthy runt, you disgust me!” he spat on Inuyasha’s face “You allowed yourself to be taken and lowered yourself to the position of an omega. Have you no honour?” He growled, his finger gripping the hanyou’s throat and lifting him off the ground, “you have disgraced our family, our name.”

Inuyasha struggled against the deathly grip trying to get the much-needed air into his lungs, he was beginning to choke, yet his instincts refused to fight the other youkai. “Se..Sess.”

“Silence! Do not speak my name with your corrupt and vile mouth,” the fingers tightened around his neck as the next blow came, “not only to submit to an youkai, you allowed it to impregnate you,” Sesshomaru informed, the hate increasing ten folds before the fingers finally loosened a bit. “Had it not been for your condition I would have taken great pleasure in killing you here and now.” He finished, hurling the hanyou onto the ground.

Inuyasha gasped, the blessed air entering his lungs and then looked up sharply, his body trembling in a violent manner, as his mind processed the words spoken by his brother.

“You are lucky Inuyasha, we inuyoukai never harm breeding youkai or hanyou, however” He gave his brother a glare that would freeze hell, “the next we meet I shall not be so forgiving. You have abused your status and the name of our clan. You are a worthless scum; perhaps even father had realized it. That is why he chose to leave the world, before you could demean his honour and his name any further. And I refuse to even acknowledge you as my acquaintance; from here on you shall have all rights removed, to being a royal member of the inuyoukai clan. Even your face, disgusts me now.”

With that, the daiyoukai turned smoothly and glided off into the forest, leaving a stunned and hurtful hanyou behind.

“I..I am pregnant?” He questioned himself. He slowly sat up groaning and still shivering from the onslaught, as his hands caressed his flat stomach. Suddenly everything began to make sense, the pain, the nausea, the dizziness and the undeniable craving to be near Kouga, it was because he was carrying the ookami’s pup. Something rolled off his chin on to his hand and he lifted his hand to his face to realise that he had been crying. Slowly he got up, the dizziness returning making the world spin rapidly around him. Using nearby tree trunk as his support he managed to stabilize himself. The words “I am pregnant, I am carrying Kouga’s pup,” going on in his mind like a freaky mantra. “What will I do now?” He questioned, as stones settled in his stomach, at the revelation. He didn’t even know he could get pregnant, that he had the ability, that any male had such ability. “Oh Kouga, what have you done?” Then another thought hit him, Kaede had been uncharacteristically gentle with him today. Did she know? Then why didn’t she tell him?

Confused and devastated, he slowly made the journey towards the village, seeking to get his answers from the one who probably had them.

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Sango poked the splinters, in the small cooking fire, with a stick, her mind filled with worry and thousands of possible questions that needed to be answered.

Miroku sat a few paces beside her in the same position, lost in thought, while Kohaku entertained a slightly dejected Shippo with his tricks and stories.

Sango smiled, as she saw her brother settle down with Shippo on the ground, sitting crossed legged, to narrate a story to Shippo. ‘He has grown over the last few month,’ she mused. The young taijiya was more than happy to live his life as a healer, than by slaying demons. When Kaede had offered to teach him the basic, he jumped at it. Sango had instantly agreed, for she knew the life of a demon slayer would never suit the taste of her calm and gentle hearted brother and was happy when Kaede decided to take him under her wing. The boy had shown remarkable progress in his studies over the last few months and had even been successful in whipping up useful medication for various ailments, all by himself. Although, she was proud of him she couldn’t suppress, at times, the slight sorrow of him not being able to continue the family tradition. However, that was not her concern for the moment. Her current concern lay inside the hut conversing with the old miko, for over an hour.

Inuyasha had retuned, looking worse than before and near collapsing. He had somehow managed to convey that Kagome wished to stay in her world and then pleaded to talk to Kaede before loosing his consciousness. Kirara and Miroku had helped him into the hut and they worked for over an hour to bring the hanyou back to the world of the living. Finally, their joint efforts bore fruit and Inuyasha opened his eyes tiredly at them. However, she was surprised, when the golden orbs stopped at the old priestess and held the gaze, as if engaged in a silent conversation before they were literally shooed out of the hut like chickens. Inuyasha had wished to speak to the priestess in private and they were doing just that at the moment, but that didn’t answer why the hanyou looked too weak and worn out before. She needed answers, the worry for her friend eating away at her brain yet she chose not disturb the occupants of the room.

“That’s it!” Sango looked up, to see an agitated monk get up and advance towards the hut. “I need my answers and I need them now,” he muttered, echoing the taijiya’s thought, who promptly stood up as well blocking his path.

“Sango?” Miroku looked as his chosen, questioningly.

“No Miroku, we have to wait. No matter how eager you are to confront them, we cannot enter until Kaede says so.”

“But they have been talking for an hour and even we have every right to know what is going on. We are his friends, damn it” Miroku countered, as he proceeded to push her off his path.

Sango, could see the monk getting worked up and did the only thing to calm him down for the moment. She rose up on her toes and placed a gentle and loving kiss on his lip before proceeding to wind her arms around his body, holding him close. “Calm down, love.” She whispered. “We will get our answer soon. We just have to wait for it.”

Miroku, stood there for a moment, in utter shock. He hadn’t anticipated such a thing from his little taijiya, and moreover in public. Soon, he relaxed into the embrace, the question forgotten momentarily, as he delighted in the feeling of her soft body against him, neither noticing a scarlet faced Kohaku, who was struggling to get to his feet and pull a stunned Shippo with him quickly to settle down elsewhere… somewhere far from the young couple.

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~* ~ Meanwhile inside the hut ~* ~

Inuyasha ignored the giddiness and the usual pain in his abdomen as he tried to sit up, before being promptly pushed down. He tried again and growled when his efforts were again thwarted, by the old miko, who watched him closely not even an ounce threatened by his falsely menacing behaviour.

“Ye need to rest Inuyasha, believe me, when I say that ye are as weak as a new born puppy and unless ye calm down and allow yourself to lie still, ye will never recover.”

Inuyasha snorted, settling down in the comfortable futon and turned to the miko sitting beside him, sipping her tea, while studying him intently. He grumped, closing his eyes and he turned his head to the other side. “You know what has happened to me, don’t you?” he questioned.

“Hai, I do” Kaede replied, setting the cup down as she began to pet his head, slowly, occasionally scratching behind his ears.

Inuyasha wanted to growl at the audacity of the priestess and snap his teeth at her finger, but the simple gesture felt so good that he chose not to protest…. For the moment.

“I had known the day ye had returned, looking all tired and sick.” She continued, never ceasing her ministrations as the hanyou, listened quietly. “Something was drowning you of yer strength rapidly and on close examination, I found the reason growing happily and healthily inside ye.”

“But, Kaede… How can… I mean how am I…” He failed to complete his sentence, his cheeks burning in embarrassment; he refused to open his eyes.

“Ye want to know how males can get seeded and bear children?” Kaede finished it for him, Inuyasha nodded slightly.

“Well human males can never do that, yet demons are different. They can bear children in the same way as the female, yet the process is never simple. Before I start Inuyasha, I presume that ye and yer brother Sesshomaru are the last descendants of yer race, aren’t ye?” she inquired, never missing how the hanyou flinched when she uttered his brother’s name.

“Hai” Came a small reply.

“Hmmm, since there are no female of yer kind to carry on the race, nature has bestowed upon ye the gift of bearing children to continue the race and yer unique heritage, can also not be forgotten. However the process of conceiving a child and in yer case a pup, is not an easy task. For a male demon to be seeded, he has to submit completely to his partner. First his youkai and then his own self. He has to trust and love the other, with his sprit, mind and body, only then can he be impregnated.” She completed, her face growing grave and serious.

Inuyasha remained silent, letting Kaede’s words sink into his mind. Yes. He had submitted to Kouga, totally and without any questions, and now he was carrying Kouga’s pup, no not Kouga’s pup, their pup or more specifically his pup. His pup, his baby, a tiny life growing inside him. He felt a burst of joy taking over his heart lessening some of his pain. Never mind, how strange it may sound to anyone, no matter how disgusting, he only felt happiness and adoration for his child. A stray tear escaped his closed lids. He was no longer alone, he had someone, someone who would love him, care for him and earn his love in return. It seemed hope was yet to abandon him…

“Inuyasha? Inuyasha, are ye listening to me?” Kaede’s gentle voice brought him back to reality.

“Hai?” He asked, opening his eyes to glance at the priestess’ sombre expression.

“Inuyasha, ye need to know more about this situation.” she began, continuing when the Inuyasha gestured her on. “During your examination, I’ve noticed that ye bear no mating mark…” Inuyasha stiffened, but Kaede continued. She needed to know things, if she had to help the poor hanyou. “…therefore, this is going to be hard. Inuyasha, you should inform the other parent. It is important.”

Inuyasha paled visibly at the declaration. No! He could not do that, Kouga would never believe him, he will turn him away. “I…c-can’t.” He whimpered, fighting to prevent the tears of distress from falling.

“Why Inuyasha?” Kaede questioned, worried how the hanyou’s demeanour changed at the mention of his partner.

Inuyasha looked up again, his gaze holding so much pain and anguish, that Kaede was shocked. “Inuyasha…is this child... has anyone forced ye to..” She couldn’t finish the sentence, the dread of her words drying her mouth instantly.

Inuyasha, shook his head. “No… I was in heat… he was… well it was the mating season and we… well, it was not a rape.”

Kaede, sighed in relief. “Then why are ye afraid of informing your partner? He has the right to know, besides, ye will need him.”

“No! I don’t need anyone. No one needs me.” He was sobbing now and struggled to sit up. This time, Kaede didn’t push him, instead, she helped him lean against the wall.

Inuyasha realized how weak he had become, as the effort left him out of breath and dizzy. Kaede, sat in front of him, her old eyes studying his features, trying to understand how the hanyou had got himself into this mess and why he was so stubborn and scared to inform his partner. Inuyasha had never been away from the group for too long, except for the time when he sent Kagome home, while Kouga was following her… then he too had disappeared, possibly this was the time when all this had happened, she was sure. But, who could be the father? Inuyasha would never submit to an unknown demon and he had confirmed that he was never raped. So… but Sango and Miroku had informed her of a struggle near the well and Shippo had said that Inuyasha and Kouga’s…. Suddenly realisation dawned on her, her eyes growing wide.

“Inuyasha? Is Kouga the other parent? Is he the one with whom you had spent the mating season.” She asked, the sudden shudder and the silent gasp escaping his lips, followed by more quiet sobs, confirming her thoughts.

“Oh, Inuyasha,” she felt so helpless, she didn’t know how to soothe the distraught hanyou.

“Kaede, I don’t need him.” Inuyasha whispered, trying to control his tears and gulping several times before he continued in strong, yet, a grief tinged voice. “I am strong. I can carry the pup, give birth and raise it on my own. I need nobody.”

“But Inuyasha, the child will draw on yer strength as it grows and ye will continue to become weaker and weaker. Ye need Kouga, to lend the pup his strength and power. It is not so easy, as it seems. Demonic pregnancies, specifically male pregnancies, are full of perils and ye must be careful. No wonder, ye rarely get to see a male demon pregnant, in fact, ye maybe the only one in this century. So ye see..”

“No Kaede. I cannot get Kouga involved in this. I… he will never accept me. I was just a hindrance in his path to claim Kagome and nothing more.” He said, knowing he could confide in the woman. “He will… no, I will do whatever it takes, to raise this pup alone. He is mine and only mine. I am strong and I can bear the pain, the weakness, but I can bear humiliation, no more. I know I cannot do this on my own, that I need help... but,” He stopped; he couldn’t seem to ask for help from Kaede, so he looked at her, silently begging her to understand his situation and to help him.

Kaede smiled, as she cupped his cheek with one hand. “Ye are truly brave Inuyasha. I understand. Do not worry, I will help ye through it. Though it will never be easy and ye have to be very wary and listen to my advice, no matter how much ye dislike it.”

Inuyasha sobered up a bit at that and nodded slowly. Finally, he looked up and smiled “Okay, I will, but if ya piss me off too much, I’ll kill ya.”

“Now, ye must lay down and rest Inuyasha. I shall see about the meal.”

Inuyasha nodded dutifully, lying down with Kaede’s help and grateful for it, for it was really starting to get uncomfortable sitting there. He watched as the miko got up to go outside.

“Kaede?”

“Hai?” Kaede stopped, turning around, to look down at him.

“My friends, please do not tell of it… for now.”

“All right. I shall not speak of it. Tell them, when you’re ready.”

Inuyasha nodded, closing his eyes, while Kaede pushed the shoji to step outside.

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