InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Love, Interrupted ❯ Chapter 25 ( Chapter 25 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Anzu landed on the ground softly, followed by Sesshoumaru,
"Ryouya is a master illusionist. He hides himself by using illusion. But, it's difficult to sense. I suggest we walk from here. I have a feeling he's close by." she said.
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Inuyasha pulled on his fire-rat robe. Without his yukata, the robe was a little itchy. He adjusted it on his body and then reached down to grab his sword,
"Thanks, wolf, for your help. I do appreciate it." he said.
Kouga looked surprised at Inuyasha's words,
"Uh, yea, sure. Whatever, dog-breath." he responded.
Inuyasha left the wolves den, his face set in determination. He headed back to the village. He would find a way back to Kagome someway.
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Kagome waited three days as instructed and then set out towards Mushin's temple. She followed the stream as instructed, stopping as needed to feed her brood,
"I'm impressed with you three. You are very obedient and quiet unless it's feeding time. You make traveling easier." she spoke to them, and they gazed up at her, quiet but very alert.
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Miroku and Sango sat down to eat lunch with Hachi, Shippou and Kaede,
"I am so tired of remaining here." moaned Miroku.
"I know, Miroku. But, as long as we are targets, this is the safest place to be." said Kaede.
"HMPH! Lord Sesshoumaru will take care of the weasal and come to get us." announced Jaken.
"Hey, imp, if you haven't noticed, it's been a few months since Sesshoumaru left you with us. We're still waiting ..." said Shippou.
"He'll rescue us. I just know it. He just hasn't found out who's behind all this yet." said Rin.
"I agree." said Sango, "But, my main fear is Inuyasha and Kagome."
"HMPH! Inuyasha is dead!" started Jaken, then,
WHAM!
"I really must learn to keep my mouth shut." moaned Jaken, as four lumps appeared on his head.
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The little imp keeping guard outside the temple was laying back and relaxing, trying to stave off boredom, when his nose twitched,
"Whoooaa ... that scent ...can it be?" he said, sitting up alert, "That priestess .... how ...she has returned! I must inform my master." he said, hopping off the tree and into the woods.
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Kagome walked up the steps, stopping midway to wipe her brow. Getting to the top, she looked around. Seeing no one, she walked further inside. She then heard voices. She quickened her step and abruptly stopped,
"Miroku! Sango! Shippou! Kaede! Hachi!" she called out excitedly.
The group turned around in shock at the voice,
"KAGOME?!" they all chorused together, as they got up and ran to their friend,
"You're back!"
"How did you get here?"
Their voices were a jumble as were their questions. Kagome held up her hands and waved,
"Hold on, guys, one at a time." she said, overwhelmed.
Shippou hopped up on her shoulder and sniffed, "Kagome?" he queried, as he looked at the sling over her shoulder, "Babies?" he queried again.
Kagome smiled as her friends' mouths dropped open wide,
"I guess I need to introduce you to ..." she started, as she opened the sling, "Inuyasha's pups."
Eyes widened as they took in the sight of three small inu youkai babies resting in the sling, eyes open and very alert,
"My child, they aren't very old." said Kaede, recovering from her shock.
"About a week, actually." Kagome said.
"You were pregnant when you left, Kagome?" asked Sango.
"Apparantly yes. Let's sit down and I'll fill you in on everything. Plus, I'm hungry and thirsty."
"Yes, I agree. You need to sit and relax, Kagome." said Miroku.
Kagome sat down and relaxed - especially now that she had eager hands to assist with the pups. The group, quite huge now with Sesshoumaru's followers included, traded stories of all that had happened in the past 7 months to all of them. The newborns reveled in all the attention they received until finally they had had enough and wailed for food and a diaper change,
"Kagome, I'm impressed that you are able to feed three babies." said Kaede, "I must admit, I have no experience with triplets."
"We had one woman in our village who had triplets." said Sango, sadly, "Unfortunately, she wasn't able to produce enough milk and even though another nursing mother assisted, one of the babies never thrived and passed on."
"I feel the gods and Buddha are looking over our dear Kagome," said Miroku, "She bore three children and survived and the three appear to be very healthy."
"Aye, Miroku, I must admit, they are very fat for ones so young." agreed Kaede.
"And Kagome and the pups survived the trip to the temple. That's amazing enough." added Shippou.
"I must find Inuyasha." said Kagome, sadly.
"I know Inuyasha fought that other demon." said Miroku.
"I know Inuyasha is alive. I can feel it." said Kagome.
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"Master! Master!" the young imp cried out, as he ran through the forest,
"Chang, what is it?" Ryouya asked.
"The strange priestess. She has returned, master!" the imp replied, breathlessly.
"What? Are you sure, Chang?"
"Yes, master. I witnessed her entering the Buddhist temple where the group is held up."
"Damn! How did she manage to get back here? Now I have to deal with her, too!"
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Anzu walked slowly in front of Sesshoumaru and extended her hand in front of her, moving it right and left,
"It's here. What we see in front of us is merely an illusion, my lord."
Sesshoumaru looked at where Anzu pointed,
"Are you positive?"
"Yes. I am positive."
Sesshoumaru sniffed the air,
'There is a strange scent here. I cannot place the scent.' he thought.
Anzu walked two steps back and assumed an archer's position. Sesshoumaru stared at her in wonder,
'What is she doing?' he thought.
Anzu extended her left arm out straight as her right hand touched a bracelet on her left wrist. She then pulled her right hand back as if extending a bow string. Sesshoumaru's eyes widened in amazement as a blue light formed around her and turned into a bow of light. In the center, an arrow appeared, also of light. Anzu opened her right hand and the arrow flew straight and true. The air in front of them began to turn wavy and then it swirled and disappeared. Before them was a whole new scene, a scene of carnage.
A village appeared ... a dead village where human and animal corpses littered the ground. In the center of the village, a pack of hyenas feasted on the remains. The hyenas turned and stared down at the onlookers, then attacked. With a simple wave of his hand, Sesshoumaru extended his Vine Whip attack, destroying the pack easily.
Sesshoumaru lifted his nose in the air,
'There it is. His scent.' he thought.
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Ryouya felt the dissolvement of his barrier and his fur stood up on end,
"Stay here, Chang." he warned the young imp.
Slowly walking to the village, he suddenly stopped,
'DAMN! It's Sesshoumaru! I'm not ready to fight him just yet.' then his nose twitched, 'What? That scent! Why is Anzu here?'
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Inuyasha skidded to a halt as he came upon the remains of the village he once called home,
"What the hell happened here?" he said aloud, as he walked through the remains of huts and graves, "Oh No! They couldn't be ...!"
An old man walked from behind one of the decimated huts, carrying flowers. He looked up and saw Inuyasha,
"Inuyasha! You are alive! Thank the gods, my boy."
"Huh?" said a surprised Inuyasha. Walking up to the old man, he asked, "Are you one of the villagers?"
"Yes, I am. Inuyasha, you must hurry to the temple of Mushin. Your allies are there. So is your woman, Lady Kagome. At least, that is where she was headed. She was very heavy with child and the road is perilous, I hope she made it."
"Kagome? She's here? And you let her leave while pregnant? You foolish old man!"
"She would not heed my warnings, young half-demon. I urge you to hurry."
Inuyasha gulped down his worry, "Right! Thanks old man." he said, as he sped off, putting all of his energy into his legs,
'Kagome! You've returned. I don't know how, but you've returned.' he thought, as he leapt into the trees.
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Sesshoumaru walked further into the village, following the scent. He knew where to go ... the scent was now plainly obvious.
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"MASTER!" called Xin Yun.
Ryouya turned around,
"I don't have time for this Xin Yun."
"But, master, Inuyasha has disappeared!"
"WHAT? DAMMIT IT ALL! Xin Yun, you must flee at once." Ryouya said
Xin Yun didn't ask questions, but quickly disappeared. Ryouya turned to do the same but stopped suddenly,
"Are you going somewhere, Ryouya?" asked Sesshoumaru, as he landed quietly in front of his cousin.