InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Love, Interrupted ❯ Chapter 34 ( Chapter 34 )

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

Inuyasha stared at his limp children,
"THOSE BASTARDS!" he cried out in anger, "THEY'LL PAY FOR WHAT THEY'VE DONE!"
Inuyasha's entire body shook with rage, his fists clenched in anger, his claws tearing through his flesh, causing blood droplets to drip onto the ground.
"Inuyasha, please. A simple antidote will bring them back." Kagome said, trying to calm him down, although her voice belied her calmness.
Inuyasha carried Kagome on his back as Ah-Un walked beside them. Kagome needed to find a village to make the antidote. She had the poppies and water but she had no utensils with which to grind up the poppies and make the tea. Kagome sighed softly. She only wanted this nightmare to be over. Suddenly, Inuyasha stopped,
"What is it, Inuyasha?" she asked.
"A hut. I wonder if it's occupied or if it has what you need."
To answer this, an elderly woman walked out of the hut. Stooped and wrinkled with age, she looked like she would die at any moment. Kagome quickly slid off Inuyasha's back and ran to the woman,
"Old woman?" she called out.
The elderly woman looked up at her visitor,
"Child, why are ye out so far? And why do ye travel with a demon?" the old woman asked.
Kagome bowed to her hostess, "Old woman. My name is Kagome. I am a priestess. This is my mate, Inuyasha. Our children have been poisoned. I know the antidote but I have nothing to make it in. Could you please assist us?" she asked breathlessly.
"Hurry, child. Come inside. Feel free to use anything you need." the old woman said, as she re-entered her hut with Kagome and Inuyasha following.
The old woman gently brushed the bangs of the three babies that Kagome had laid on a blanket on the floor as she began to crush the poppies into a powder,
"A priestess mated to a demon. How interesting." the old woman commented, "I go by the name Rei. Please feel free to call me that."
Inuyasha stared at the old woman, "What's so wrong about a priestess mating with a demon? You got a problem with that, old woman?"
"Inuyasha!" Kagome chided.
"No, young man, I don't. I've seen stranger things in my 97 years, I guess."
"97? You're ancient old woman." Inuyasha said.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome chided again.
The old woman laughed, "No offense taken. Yes, I have lived a long time and I've seen alot. Are you sure these young'uns are just poisoned? They look dead to me."
"It's a paralyizing poison." Kagome said, over Inuyasha's snarl, "I've seen it used on my friends." then she lowered her head, "In fact, it was used on my friends again and then they vanished. I feel our enemy moved their bodies to avoid me giving them the antidote. I was poisoned too, but it doesn't seem to have any affect on me. Or Ah-Un, the dragon outside."
"I see." said the old woman, as she looked at Kagome strangely.
Her look at Kagome raised Inuyasha's shackles. He didn't like the way she looked at his mate.
Kagome heated the tea and then let it cool. When the tea was tepid, she picked up her daughter and began dripping the tea down her finger and into her daughter's mouth. As the tea went down her throat, Kagome was happy to see her throat muscles taking the tea further into her little system. After a short time, the infant began to squirm and finally she let out a throaty cry,
"Sakura!" Kagome cried, as she hugged her infant.
The baby continued her throaty wail and Inuyasha suggested that Kagome feed her,
"She has to be hungry after all this time. The other two can wait a bit longer."
"Good idea. I'm very full." Kagome said, and latched the baby on, who suckled feverishly on the nourishment her mama offered.
She followed suit with her sons and soon all three babies were awake, fed and changed. The old woman watched with a smile as Kagome and Inuyasha played with their children, thrilled to have them back in the world of the living. After a while, Inuyasha went out to hunt for a meal after Rei invited them to stay and rest. He soon returned with a couple boars and some fish,
"My, do we need all of that?" asked the old woman.
"You've obviously never fed a demon before." Kagome said with a smile.
As Kagome and the old woman prepared the meal, Inuyasha stretched out beside his now sleeping pups,
"Inuyasha. We have to search for Miroku and the others. I'm worried about what Ryouya or Anzu may have done to them." said Kagome.
"HmHm." Inuyasha nodded, "Yes. After dinner we'll set out for the village and search."
"It will getting dark soon. Why don't you stay and rest here overnight and set out in the morning." offered the old woman.
"She's right, Inuyasha. It would be better." agreed Kagome.
"Oh, alright. Whatever." Inuyasha agreed.
Over dinner, Kagome explained to the old woman about what happened to their friends. The old woman looked genuinely concerned. As Kagome finished her story, the old woman spoke,
"You said you were a priestess, right?"
Kagome nodded.
"Child, I am an old woman. Death is at my door. I have no family left, I am the last surviving member of my clan. I have lived alone in this hut for a better part of 50 years now. I rarely have visitors, in fact, you are my first visitors in what seems like forever. I am very impressed with what I can see in you, child."
"What you can see in me?" queried Kagome.
"Yes." with that, the old woman fell silent.
Kagome looked at Inuyasha and then back at the old woman. But the woman offered nothing else in a way of explanation. She simply got up, excused herself, and went into her bedroom. Inuyasha looked at Kagome,
"Well, if we don't find Miroku and the others I know exactly where to go to next."
"Oh? Where?"
"To talk to the old man. Totousai should know something about Ryouya and his clan."
"HmHm." Kagome agreed.
Kagome cleaned up the cooking area and washed the dishes before settling down on an old futon in the middle of the room,
'I don't remember this being here earlier.' she thought, 'Oh well, maybe it's because I'm tired.'
The next morning, as light filtered in, Kagome stirred as she heard the babies starting to fuss. Inuyasha was already awake and sitting in front of a roaring fire,
"Oh, good. You have a fire started. We can cook breakfast." said Kagome sleepily, as she cradled two babies to nurse.
"Finish nursing the pups and we'll be on our way." said Inuyasha harshly.
"Huh? But Rei isn't up yet. We should say goodbye."
"She won't be up." answered Inuyasha.
"Huh?"
"The old woman died overnight."
"WHAT?"
"You heard me. She died in her sleep."
Kagome lowered her head, "Oh my." she said.
"And that's not all."
"Oh?" Kagome looked up at Inuyasha.
"She left something for you?"
"For me?"
"Yea."
"What is it?"
"I don't know for sure." Inuyasha said, producing a purple orb from behind his back, "The note with it just says it's a gift from her to you and to break it open if you need it."
"Huh?" said Kagome, confused, "How will I know if I need it? What does it do, I wonder?"
"Dunno. But, I bet she was a witch. She smelled different than a normal human. I thought it was just the smell of death that permeated her but when I found her this morning, her scent was definately not human and not demon. I think she's a witch from the continent."
"Where is she, Inuyasha?"
"I buried her. I figured it was the least I could do for the old woman."
Kagome smiled a sad smile. As soon as she finished nursing the babies, they got Ah-Un and headed out. Inuyasha caught some fish and they enjoyed a late breakfast. Hopping onto Ah-Un's back, they raced back to the village. Villagers stared as the dragon landed down near the house where they had stayed. Kagome went into the house with the pups while Ah-Un stood guard. Inuyasha started sniffing in a wide swath around the village. He returned mid-day with no success. After lunch he went out again and returned in the evening, still with no success.
The next morning, Inuyasha took Kagome and the pups on Ah-Un and headed to Totousai's. He tried to keep her from entering Totousai's volcano but then remembered Sesshoumaru telling him Kagome was no longer human. Still, it surprised him when she was able to enter his lair,
"Totousai, you there?" Inuyasha called out.
"HMM?" Totousai looked up from his smithing, "Inuyasha? Is that you? KAGOME? How are you able to enter here?"
"We'll talk about that later, old man." said Inuyasha, "Right now we want some information."
Totousai looked at Inuyasha and Kagome curiously, "Hmmmm?"
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A/N: This is sort of a inbetween chapter. But what is the orb that the old woman gave to Kagome? And what can Totousai tell Inuyasha about Ryouya?