InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Metamorphosis ❯ Healing ( Chapter 36 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: King Baka 
Some wounds heal quicker than others, but the mending process can begin on even the oldest sores.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Suspense / Romance / Hentai / Adventure | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 10.15.2009 | Updated On: 01.30.2011 | Pages: 6 | Words: 10.4K | Visits: 3.5K | Status: Completed
Some wounds heal quicker than others, but the mending process can begin on even the oldest sores.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Suspense / Romance / Hentai / Adventure | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 10.15.2009 | Updated On: 01.30.2011 | Pages: 6 | Words: 10.4K | Visits: 3.5K | Status: Completed
Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or any of the publicly known characters, plot, etc. I’m just renting them from Rumiko Takahashi, Viz, etc. I do own the plot of this story and any original characters I’ve created. I will make no money from this fic; I write for my own enjoyment and the enjoyment of my readers.
Healing
Sesshoumaru soared across the sky, sharp eyes scanning the earth below like a hawk. He searched for anything unusual, some irregularity that might lead him to Naraku. Finally, he spotted something that peaked his interest; the rough circle of yellow and brown was a large eyesore amid the sea of green. Descending rapidly, he landed amid the dead grass, knowing that his enemy’s miasma was one of the few things which could have caused such devastation. Naraku’s scent was nowhere to be found, but there was another that caught his attention. Inuyasha had been here very recently, and Sesshoumaru was certain the hanyou had the answers he sought. He frowned in consternation; mixed in with Inuyasha’s scent was another strange, yet oddly familiar smell. The taiyoukai’s eyes widened as he identified the owner of the scent and realized the implications. Very curious now, he began tracking the scents into the forest. Oh yes, his half-brother had much to answer for.
“S-Sango? Did I do something to displease you?”
“Don’t act all innocent, you jerk! You were going to sacrifice yourself back there, weren’t you?!”
Miroku’s eyes widened in understanding. Oh…that. At least now he knew the source of Sango’s ire. He had refused to close his kazaana until Sesshoumaru demanded he do so, sucking up many saimyosho and putting himself in his current predicament. Yes, in that moment he had been willing to die to prevent Naraku’s heart from escaping. Sango apparently believed that to be stupid or wrong. He considered it neither, and was not about to apologize for his actions.
“I was prepared for death,” he answered seriously. While not an explicit admission, they both knew his statement was more or less an affirmative response to Sango’s question.
“Y-you BAKA!” she yelled, several veins popping in her forehead. “I’d give you a black eye if you didn’t already have one!” Pausing, she hung her head as her shoulders slumped in sorrow. “I thought we were going to live together. What happened to me becoming your ‘beloved wife?’ What happened to all the things you promised me that night? (1) What happened to all the children we were going to have? Do those things mean nothing to you?!”
“Do you think it was easy for me to keep my kazaana open, knowing that I would have to give all that up? Kami, Sango, I can’t even describe how difficult it was. I did it because I had to.” Seeing that the slayer wasn’t buying that, Miroku tried again. “Answer me this: what would you have done in that situation? Naraku’s heart was escaping, and I thought I was the only person who could prevent it. If I closed my kazaana, the infant would have gotten away. And who knows when the next chance to kill it would have arisen? Even now, I live on borrowed time. This hole in my hand can take my life at any moment. For that reason, I cannot afford to waste opportunities to rid myself of my family’s curse, even if it means risking my life.” Miroku glanced up at Sango, happy to see that her gaze had softened significantly. Yet, he still felt there was more he needed to say.
“Sango, I do not take my life lightly. I will never throw it away needlessly or foolishly. But you must know that there are people I will gladly die to protect—you, our friends. I believe Inuyasha and Kagome are fighting for their lives this very moment, and perhaps in injuring Naraku’s heart we have saved them. That is why I was willing to sacrifice my life today.”
Sango heaved a heavy sigh, some of her anger turning to frustration. She wanted to be pissed at him, but how could she when his explanation made perfect sense to her? How could she resent his willingness to die to protect their friends when she herself felt the same readiness? So he was officially off the hook, but that didn’t mean she had to like it. Growling, she reared back and punched him hard in the shoulder.
“Ow! What was that for, my dear Sango?”
“Just…because!”
Miroku made no further comment, choosing to take the blow like a man. He supposed he did deserve it a little.
“I’m hungry,” Shippou whined suddenly. Kirara mewed in agreement from her spot on his lap, instantly perking up at the mention of food. Sango favored them with a sympathetic look. They were all hungry, but food wasn’t going to just drop out of the sky. The only practiced hunter in the group wasn’t around, so that was out. Maybe the nearby village would give them something to eat. A place to stay for the night would be nice too. Decision made, Sango heaved herself to her feet.
“I’ll go see if the village will help us out. Maybe they’ll give me a hand lugging you around, Houshi-sama,” she joked as she walked away.
“I resent that,” the monk replied. I can walk…maybe. Grinning, he turned his head to the side and watched Sango walk away until he could no longer make out the unintentionally provocative sway of her hips. Kami, I love that taijiya suit. The minutes passed slowly in silence, punctuated only by feline purring. When Sango reappeared over the lip of the valley some time later, Miroku immediately knew from her stiff gait that the news was not good. She was practically storming back, and the monk was highly grateful that he was not responsible for her ire. She breezed right past him and proceeded to pace back and forth, fuming quietly to herself all the while.
“What did the villagers say?” Miroku braved after a moment.
“What do you think?! Bastards! With the commotion Sesshoumaru caused earlier, they’re all panicked and suspicious of outsiders. They almost convinced themselves I was a youkai in disguise! They won’t even sell us any food!”
“So we’re staying here for the night?”
“I guess so. Wait—what do you think you’re doing, Houshi-sama?” she asked, noticing that he had started to sit up.
“Going to gather some firewood.”
“Oh, no you don’t! You stay here and rest,” she ordered, gently but firmly pushing him back down again. “I’ll get the wood.”
“Sango, I’m perfectly capable of—”
“Shut up, Houshi-sama. Don’t make me knock you unconscious.”
Miroku sighed, surrendering. Sango really would knock him out if she thought it would be best for him. And he could admit to himself that it probably would be better if he didn’t move around; just that small effort of raising his head and shoulders off the ground had been enough to make him dizzy. For a moment there were two swaying rear ends moving off toward the forest, and then his head cleared and he discovered the view was just as nice with one. Sighing again as Sango disappeared into the foliage, he closed his eyes and resolved to take a late afternoon nap. He was in fact able to drift off for a short while, but being a light sleeper caused him to partly rouse at the sound of soft, urgent speech.
“Kohaku, you’re awake! Are you okay?”
Now that woke him up. His eyes snapped open and he turned to see that the young taijiya was indeed awake. The boy was sitting stiffly upright, an anguished expression marring his features as he stared heatedly at his hands. His fingers curled into fists, shaking with what could have been any number of dark emotions. Then suddenly his whole body slumped, his head hanging and his arms flopping limply at his sides. Miroku reflected that he had never seen anyone look so defeated before, and that included any of his friends even during their bleakest moments.
“Why am I alive?” Kohaku rasped without moving.
“Sesshoumaru revived you,” the monk replied. Kohaku’s fists clenched again as he raised his head, anger dancing in his gaze behind unshed tears.
“Why did he do that?!” he demanded furiously. Drooping again, he softly continued, “I should be dead.”
Miroku sighed, the fact that he expected this kind of reaction from the boy not making it any easier to deal with. He was sure suicidal thoughts were running through his head at this very moment. He had to get through to Kohaku, for Sango’s sake. To lose her brother again after so recently getting him back would be devastating.
“Look, Kohaku, I know you probably don’t want to hear it right now, but no one blames you for the things you did. Sango doesn’t even blame you for what happened to your father. I won’t ask you to go back to the way you were before all this happened, but I will request that you do one thing. Live. If not for yourself, then for Sango. You’re the only family she has left.” Pausing, Miroku watched as his words sank in, the conflicting emotions flickering in Kohaku’s eyes though his features remained neutral. “Now,” the monk spoke into the silence, “please go help your sister gather some firewood.”
The boy turned to stare at him, apparently shocked to hear such a request. After a moment of indecision, he slowly rose to his feet and strode off. Miroku nodded grimly to himself, hoping his strategy would work. He believed the best thing for Kohaku was to resume a normal life as quickly as possible. Perhaps it would help the boy grow used to life again, and enable him to discover his own will to live. Besides, Sango surely desired to reunite with her brother, and he imagined she would want the encounter to be private. Please, Kohaku, don’t break Sango’s heart again.
“Houshi-sama, I thought I told you to stay at camp.”
When no reply game, she glanced over her shoulder, and the wood in her hand once again tumbled to the forest floor. There, standing not ten feet away, was Kohaku. He stood stock still, staring at the ground with an unreadable expression etched into his features. Sluggishly Sango rose, in complete shock. Despite all the times she had contemplated this moment, she was woefully unprepared for it.
“Kohaku,” was all she could articulate, and that in only a whisper. Her brother remained silent, lowering his head even further and closing his eyes. Hesitantly, Sango approached, having trouble believing that this really was Kohaku standing before her. She halted within arm’s reach, tentatively reaching up a shaking hand to caress his cheek. She could feel him trembling.
“Kohaku,” she said again, more forcefully this time. Yet, he still refused to look at her. Finally she gripped his chin, gently raising his head. His eyes slid open, and Sango gasped at the storm she glimpsed in his dark orbs. Siblings gazed at each other for a long moment, reestablishing bonds long dormant but never broken. No words were spoken; they expressed everything they needed to in the silence only disturbed by the rapid beating of their hearts. Eventually, Sango managed a small, watery smile and enfolded her brother in a tight embrace. And Kohaku finally allowed his pent-up tears to fall. He sobbed quietly against his sister’s shoulder for what seemed an interminable amount of time, unable to gather his wits until the great torrent of his emotions had run its course. He was also unable to return Sango’s embrace, or her smile. All he could do was hang there limply, supported solely by the woman who for some incomprehensible reason still considered him family. At long last, his tears dried up, and his breathing returned to normal. Sango released him, pulling back far enough to grab hold of both his shoulders.
“It’s going to be okay, Kohaku,” she declared confidently, and he almost believed her. Oh, how he wanted to, but the weight of his past was too much to overcome. He could never forgive himself for the horrible atrocities he had committed, the lives he had taken. But perhaps by living he could avoid wounding the only person left he could call family. He didn’t understand why Sango wanted him to stay, but she did. It was an unfathomable miracle from the Kami, or perhaps it was just the kind nature of his sister’s heart. Either way, it triggered in him an emotion he hadn’t felt in longer than he could remember—hope. Maybe…maybe things really would be okay, someday. Nodding briefly, he broke away from Sango and began gathering the wood she had dropped.
“Sango! Sango! Come quick!” Shippou called, bounding toward the pair at full speed.
“What is it Shippou?” the slayer inquired anxiously.
“It’s Miroku! His kazaana has disappeared!”
“WHAT?!!!”
Kohaku watched as his sister dashed across the field, practically diving into the houshi as she hugged him. Then they spent several moments examining his right hand, all the while sitting in proximity that was entirely too close for Kohaku’s liking. It warmed his heart to see Sango so happy, but it made him more than a little uneasy when the monk grabbed both her hands in his own. He finally tore his gaze away when the two moved to kiss. He scowled. It was Sango’s right to choose a husband, but he would still watch the monk like a hawk. One wrong move, and he would lose more than just his woman. Seeking to distract himself, Kohaku turned his attention to getting his question answered.
“Kitsune.”
“Y-yeah?” Shippou replied nervously, having remained in the forest so as not to break up the tender moment going on back at the campsite.
“What does it mean, that his ‘kazaana’ has disappeared?”
“It means Naraku is dead.”
“Good,” Kohaku answered. Yet, the expected satisfaction never came. Perhaps it was because Naraku’s death could not undo all the terrible wrongs he had executed under the dark hanyou’s orders. Nothing would bring back the people whose souls now resided in the netherworld courtesy of the sickle chain on his hip. Brooding, Kohaku returned to wood gathering.
He inhaled deeply, choking and sputtering as a most unwelcome scent registered. Just what the hell is Sesshoumaru doing here?! As gingerly as possible he moved Kagome’s head off his lap, pillowing it with a spare blanket from her backpack. Then he stood and turned to face his half-brother, his left hand coming to rest on Tetsusaiga’s sheath. His sword hand hung limply by his side. Now would probably be a bad time to pick a fight; he wasn’t even sure Tetsusaiga would transform for him. So he made no move or insult when Sesshoumaru emerged from the forest a few minutes later. The taiyoukai’s eyes immediately shifted to Kagome, widening slightly at what he saw. He continued to stare at her with great interest, and it made Inuyasha more than a little uncomfortable.
“What the hell do you want, Sesshoumaru?” he growled, shifting so he mostly blocked the elder youkai’s view. Golden eyes flickered to regard him stonily, as if Sesshoumaru had just realized he was there. Then they practically flew open, and the taiyoukai’s nostrils flared. Finally, Sesshoumaru’s lips curled in a small but wicked smile that caused a chill to settle in Inuyasha’s gut.
“I see. This is not a good night for you, is it, Inuyasha?”
The hanyou’s jaw dropped, then rose again as he bared his teeth. Shit! He can smell my youki receding!
“A moonless night, is it not?” Sesshoumaru continued, still grinning with apparent amusement.
“Yeah, so what? You gonna kill me, do what you couldn’t do when I’m hanyou?”
“This Sesshoumaru would not stoop to slaughtering a helpless mortal. If and when I decide to slay you, it will be when you are at your strongest. Then perhaps you can pose some miniscule challenge.”
Inuyasha smirked. “Miniscule challenge,” huh? That stump where your arm used to be tells a different story! Oh, Kami how he wanted to say that! But somehow he held his tongue. More than just his own life on the line here.
“How did this happen?” Sesshoumaru inquired, motioning with his chin to Kagome.
“Why the fuck do you care?”
“Do not mistake detached interest for caring. I know of no previous instance where a human became a hanyou. I simply wish to know how this occurred.”
Inuyasha opened his mouth to deliver a scathing response, but was left gaping when Sesshoumaru lowered himself to sit cross-legged on the ground.
“Wh-what the hell are you doing?!”
“Sit,” the taiyoukai ordered sternly, “and talk.”
Inuyasha snarled, hating that his brother had the gall to boss him around. The last thing he wanted to do was shoot the fucking breeze with him! But what were the alternatives? Start a fight when he was nearly human? Oh, yeah, that would end well. Refuse to talk and give Sesshoumaru an excuse to beat the living shit out of him? No, that wouldn’t do either. So it looked like his only option was to sit and have a conversation with his brother, something he had never done before. But if Sesshoumaru was content to be civil for once, then he really had no reason not to participate in said discussion. What harm could possibly come of revealing the facts behind Kagome’s transformation? The bastard had never born any ill will toward her, except when she interfered in their battles.
So Inuyasha plopped himself down, albeit grudgingly, and spun the entire tale of the rebirth spell, searching for a way to change Kagome back, and their battles with Takehiko and Sora. It took Sesshoumaru several minutes to wrap his head around the fact that Kagome still possessed her miko powers. He also seemed particularly interested in the other inu-youkai, and Inuyasha knew why, thanks to Myouga’s brief history lesson. (2) The taiyoukai nodded in satisfaction when Inuyasha informed him of Takehiko’s demise.
“That whelp should have been slain more than a century ago. You may give my regards to the miko for taking care of Chichi-ue’s unfinished business. Continue.” (3)
Inuyasha huffed again at being ordered around, but carried on by relating Kagome’s decision to remain a hanyou. Pausing, he eyed Sesshoumaru, expecting some sort of response, but his brother gave none. Skipping everything that happened after that, he jumped right into the battle with Naraku.
“Sometime during the battle, Naraku’s heart returned to his body, did it not?” Sesshoumaru interrupted.
“Uh, yeah. How’d you know?”
“Because I was there when it was wounded, courtesy of your taijiya companion.”
“Sango did that?”
“Indeed.”
“None of those guys got themselves killed, did they?” Inuyasha questioned, trying vainly to appear disinterested. When Sesshoumaru shook his head, he breathed a sigh of relief.
“And what of Naraku?” the taiyoukai inquired.
“Dead. I—well, Kagome and I killed him.”
“How?”
“She hit the Shikon no Tama with a pure miko arrow powerful enough to purge it and cause it to explode into a hundred pieces again. There’s no way Naraku could have survived the blast.”
Sesshoumaru made no reply, but simply nodded and stared off into space.
“What,” Inuyasha spat, “are you pissed at us for killing him before you could?”
Now Sesshoumaru favored him with a condescending look, as if he was stupid for even considering that thought.
“This Sesshoumaru does not care by whose hand that filth perished, baka, only that he met his end.”
“Yeah, yeah, don’t get all pissy about it.”
“This Sesshoumaru does not get ‘pissy.’ Such shows of pointless emotion are below me.”
Kagome chose that moment to stir, drawing the attention of both males. Instead of waking, she rolled over to face away from them and settled down again.
“And what of the miko? Have you officially mated or are the two of you merely fornicating?” the taiyoukai inquired, wrinkling his nose. Now it was Inuyasha’s turn to glare angrily at his brother.
“Not that it’s any of your business,” he spat, “but yeah, Kagome and I intend to spend our lives together.”
“Good. Anything less would sully our noble father’s lineage.”
Inuyasha said nothing, too surprised by Sesshoumaru’s use of ‘our father.’ He didn’t want to read too much into what that could symbolize.
“Chichi-ue would approve of her,” Sesshoumaru continued, deepening Inuyasha’s stupor. He had never given much thought to what his father would think of him, but now, he couldn’t deny how Sesshoumaru’s words affected him. A sense of pride surged within him, together with an unfamiliar sadness that he had never met his old man. He definitely was not used to that feeling. He had never hated his father, but throughout his early life his attitude had been one of ‘what did he ever do for me?’ That only started to change after he received Tetsusaiga, and even more so when he met Daichi and heard that his father did in fact try to provide for his care. And now he felt a certain sense of respect, because he knew that Sesshoumaru was right. How could his father not approve of Kagome? They had both fallen for strong, willful human women. He remembered how soft-spoken his mother had been, yet she always carried herself with a silent authority that no one dared challenge. That alone spared him the worst of the persecution during his early years, until the awful sickness took her and officially ended his childhood. Kagome’s manner was entirely different, but she lived with the same kind of strength and character. At least regarding females, there was no doubt he was his father’s son.
“Inuyasha,” Kagome rasped suddenly, gazing at him blearily from her prone position. “I think your brother’s here.”
Inuyasha sweatdropped. She’s just noticing now? Shit, she must still be totally out of it.
“I know, wench. Everything’s fine, so go back to sleep.”
“M’kay.” She was out as soon as her head hit the makeshift pillow.
“What is wrong with her?” Sesshoumaru asked, and Inuyasha thought he detected an iota of genuine concern in his voice, though he might have just been imagining it.
“She drained herself using her miko powers today.”
“It is unbelievable that she still has them.”
Inuyasha nodded, in complete agreement. Only Kagome had the kind heart and gracious soul to pull something like that off. He shuddered, recalling how close he’d come to losing her that fateful day, soon after she had been struck by the Rebirth spell. Becoming the first hanyou-miko in history had proven challenging at first, as she slowly adjusted to her new senses and abilities. The resulting trials and heartache allowed them to grow closer, and now he was here. Kagome was his mate, and he was carrying on a rather pleasant conversation with his brother. Talk about unlikely scenarios.
But as novel as this was, it was no longer uncomfortable. It was actually nice to sit down and talk with Sesshoumaru. For the first time in his life, he felt like they were family. His brother had refrained from making any half-breed comments, even though they had been discussing Naraku. The truly amazing thing was that now, after spending most of his adult life hating Sesshoumaru’s guts, he didn’t feel any compulsion to make him leave. It was true that their encounters had grown less violent over the past year, but this was nothing short of revolutionary. And that was why, when the arrival of the familiar tingle signaled the onset of his monthly transformation, he felt no fear or panic. At least not initially.
He convulsed suddenly, unable to completely stifle his cry of pain as a half dozen deep slashes opened in his flesh. His hanyou body had fully repaired most of the small cuts and bruises, but some of the more severe battle wounds had only partially healed, and now bled freely without the restriction of his youkai strength. In the excitement of realizing tonight was the new moon and Sesshoumaru’s visit, he had forgotten about his own injuries. They needed treatment, but he was clearly incapable of doing it himself.
“Miko,” Sesshoumaru called, striding over to her still-slumbering form. But Kagome was already stirring, furrowing her brows as her nose twitched furiously.
“Inuyasha,” she mumbled, eyes fluttering open and blinking several times in rapid succession. Lucidity returned to her gaze, brought back by the scent of her mate’s blood. “Inuyasha!” she screamed upon seeing him, lying on the ground in obvious pain. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Sesshoumaru standing only a few feet away, and the resulting conclusion hardened her countenance with rage.
“You bastard! What did you do to him?!” Her miko powers flared and flickered around her, forcing even the mighty Sesshoumaru to take a step back.
“Calm yourself, miko,” he ordered sternly. “This Sesshoumaru did nothing. When your mate transformed, his weak human body was no longer able to contain his preexisting wounds.”
Kagome’s powers faded immediately, as much from exhaustion as her belief that Sesshoumaru was telling the truth. Even that small display had thoroughly drained her again. But as nice as going back to sleep sounded, Inuyasha needed her attention. So she crawled over to him, grimacing as her stomach throbbed with each movement. She was relieved to see that he was conscious; he continually swore quietly to himself through gritted teeth. It was probably a good thing that he aware enough to be pissed at the pain, Kagome reasoned. She slowly drew open his robes, not surprised to see that his kosode was stained crimson in several places. After examining his chest and deciding it was safe, she helped him sit up so she could get a look at his back. He stifled himself, allowing only grunts and the occasional curse word to communicate his discomfort. Finally Kagome was satisfied that he would be fine until morning. If he had to remain mortal any longer than that, her biggest concern would be infection. The wounds were clotting on their own and were fairly clean, so she would just wrap them tightly to limit the blood loss and facilitate further healing. The problem was that the bandages were in her backpack, which was the great distance of fifteen feet away. And she didn’t think her legs would support her right now.
“Sesshoumaru-sama,” she said pleadingly, “could you please bring my pack over to me?” She gazed up at him with deep brown eyes, not afraid to do a little begging if it came to that. For a moment it appeared he would refuse, but then he silently strode over to her pack, hoisted it easily, and dropped it by her side. “Thank you,” she told him sincerely, though Sesshoumaru did not respond. Inuyasha hissed as she released him to grab the bandages, apparently having difficulty remaining upright without assistance. That presented another problem, because it was impossible to bandage a person with just one free hand.
“Sesshoumaru-sama,” she tried again, “could you please help Inuyasha sit up so I can wrap his wounds?” This time she was sure he would ignore her, or worse throw some racist insults their way, but much to her surprise he complied after a momentary hesitation. She was equally shocked that Inuyasha voiced no protest. Whatever those two had been discussing, it seemed they had come to some sort of understanding. Still, Kagome hastened to her task before either of them could change their mind. Finished, she gingerly laid Inuyasha on his back before flopping down beside him, completely spent. Soft snoring sounded in her ear; her mate already dozed fitfully. Fighting off her own weariness, Kagome struggled to sit up again, knowing it wasn’t safe for both of them to sleep in this strange forest. She trusted a hanyou Inuyasha to rouse if danger approached, but not herself. Ugh, how am I going to stay up all night?
“Go to sleep, miko. This Sesshoumaru will keep watch.”
Kagome stared at the inu-youkai in bewilderment. She had to have misheard him, right? But as Sesshoumaru settled himself against a nearby tree, gazing idly off into the forest, Kagome realized that her ears were sharp as ever and her mind wasn’t delusional. She had mixed feeling about this new development. On the one hand, if Sesshoumaru really was going to protect them, she had no doubt that they would be safe. On the other…why? Had Sesshoumaru’s attitude toward them really changed that much? It had been more than a year since the taiyoukai’s last attempt on Inuyasha’s life, and in that time he had actually rescued the hanyou from his own youkai bloodlust. At the time, his professed rationale had been that killing Inuyasha had no value because he was nothing more than a mindless animal. Was something like that going on now, with Sesshoumaru holding back because Inuyasha was human? But that wouldn’t explain why the taiyoukai was guarding them. Perhaps Inuyasha had done something to increase his worth in Sesshoumaru’s eyes, like slaying Naraku. Or something else perhaps? Kagome didn’t know, but she truly wanted to. Nevertheless, she posed the question without really expecting a straight answer from her stoic brother-in-law.
“Why?”
“Do you not sense them, miko?” he replied without looking at her. Kagome stretched out her senses as much as she could, picking up on what Sesshoumaru was referring to.
“Youkai.”
“Indeed. They are no doubt attracted by the small bauble on your person. They hold back because they fear my youki. In the state you are in, the two of you would surely be killed if I were to leave.” Here Sesshoumaru paused for moment. “Inuyasha’s life is mine to take when I so choose. I will not allow him to be devoured by a swarm of pathetic youkai,” he added, as if the statement was an afterthought.
“Oh…well, thank you anyway,” Kagome told him sincerely. Receiving no answer, she sat up enough to detach the sleeping bag from her pack. She unzipped and unfolded it fully, laying it across herself and Inuyasha as she stretched out by his side. As she slipped back toward unconsciousness, she let her mind wander, frowning as her nose picked up on a scent she hadn’t detected before.
“Are you wounded, Sesshoumaru?”
“It is of no consequence.”
Kagome nodded, believing him. The smell of his blood was too faint to be anything more than a minor wound. But now her mind was thinking about Sesshoumaru, and a couple more questions popped into her head. Hopefully he wouldn’t mind entertaining her curiosity for a few minutes. She reasoned that if he could carry on a conversation with Inuyasha, then speaking with her would be tolerable as well.
“What about the little girl you travel with? Will she be safe without you tonight?” (4)
Sesshoumaru was silent, and for a moment Kagome thought she had taken it too far.
“Rin will be safe. Jaken knows better than to let any harm come to her.”
A hundred questions burned Kagome’s tongue. Why does he let a human girl follow him around? When did he meet her? Why does she want to go with him? This time, she held her curiosity in check, knowing that to voice these queries really would be to overstep her bounds. Sesshoumaru was their ally, at least temporarily, but that didn’t mean he was their friend. She settled on a less intrusive question.
“How did you know where we were? Did you just happen to be in the area and catch Naraku’s scent?”
“The wind,” he replied solemnly. It took Kagome several seconds to grasp his meaning.
“I see, so Kagura led you?”
“Yes.”
“Is she still alive?”
“No.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Kagome told him, sensing the layer of grief hiding beneath the surface. A hush descended on the small clearing, and she realized the conversation was over. It’s just as well, she thought, yawning. Cuddling into her mate’s side, cautious of his injuries, she reflected on how grateful she was to be allowed to rest. As she slipped into slumber, glowing golden eyes kept a constant vigil, silent sentinels in the darkness.
“Sesshoumaru,” he called softly, waiting until the taiyoukai stopped and turned his head slightly before continuing. “Thanks.”
Sesshoumaru resumed his stride without responding, and soon disappeared from view. And as his scent faded, that of the youkai swarm increased until finally they emerged from the foliage. Writhing, scaly bodies and snapping jaws appeared in every direction, but Inuyasha just smirked and drew Tetsusaiga. Heh, this might be fun!
Kagome roused to the stench of rotting flesh, burrowing further into the sleeping bag with a groan. Inuyasha chuckled at her but didn’t tease. Instead, he slung the backpack over his shoulders and picked her up bridal-style in the bag. He moved a good distance upwind, glad to be away from the putrid pile of dismembered corpses his sword had left in its wake. Kagome was napping again by the time he set her down, and he set about building a fire and preparing breakfast. She would surely be starving by the time she finally decided to get up. But again, he would let her sleep as much as she wanted for the next few days, the rest being probably the best thing for her. The sooner she recovered the better; he wouldn’t be able to truly celebrate their victory until she was back to her old, fiery self.
~~~
“Oh, Kami…I can’t believe it,” she breathed, running her fingers along the smooth skin of Miroku’s right palm.
“Me neither,” the monk agreed. “I’m having trouble convincing myself that Naraku is truly dead, even though the proof is right in front of us. To finally be free…” he trailed off, at a loss for words.
“Well, you won’t be able to use your ‘cursed hand’ as an excuse for your lechery anymore,” Sango observed in an attempt to lighten the mood.
“I’ll tell you something, my dear,” Miroku replied with a smirk, pulling his hand from her grasp and placing it lightly on her lower back. “It was never the curse.”
Giggling, Sango removed the wandering appendage and returned it to her lap, content to sit there and examine it for the rest of the afternoon.
“You know what this means, don’t you Sango?” the monk asked after a moment of quiet reflection. The seriousness of his tone made the taijiya’s breath catch, and she shyly raised her eyes to meet his when he took both her hands in his own. “Shall we get married as soon as we return to the village?” he inquired hopefully, his thumbs moving in delicate circles over her skin.
“I-I’d like that,” Sango answered without hesitation, not breaking eye contact even though her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. They smiled blissfully at each other for a moment, then Miroku leaned in to kiss her…
~~~
Kirara’s roar snapped Sango from her reminiscing and returned her attention to the world around them. Instantly she spotted what had excited her feline companion—a rounded blotch of sickly yellow in the distance. As they approached, the circle grew larger until she could see that it encompassed a sizeable section of a great valley. It looked as if every single piece of vegetation in the area had withered and died. Sango had a feeling this was probably what they were searching for.
“Can you pick up their scents, Kirara?” she inquired as they landed amid the desolation. The fire-cat slowly meandered around the area, sniffing furiously until finally she raised her head and gave a triumphant growl. But several more minutes of fruitless sniffing led Sango to the conclusion that while Kirara could smell their friends in a few places, she couldn’t track them. And it was frustrating her; that much was certain from her irritated snorting and demeanor.
“That’s okay, Kirara,” Sango soothed, rubbing the feline’s neck. “We know they were here, so let’s just go look for them.”
Kirara growled in concurrence and took off, flying around the dead region in ever expanding circles. Sango periodically called out the names of their missing companions. They were about ten minutes into their search when they got a response.
“Down here, taijiya!” came Inuyasha’s voice, startling the birds roosting in a nearby tree to sudden flight. Descending through the canopy, Sango was overjoyed to see them both healthy, although one of them looked better than the other. Kagome was sitting up in her sleeping bag, drowsily rubbing her face. The movement did nothing to get rid of the bags under her eyes, nor did it improve her disheveled appearance. Her hair was unkempt and frizzy, her eyelids drooped in weariness. In short, she was a mess.
“Kami, Kagome-chan, what happened?” she wondered aloud, dismounting Kirara and darting over to kneel by her side. “You look like hell!”
“I’m fine, Sango-chan,” she rasped, utterly failing to convince the slayer of that fact.
“You don’t look fine. Are you injured?”
“Well…”
“What?! Where? Let me see it!” the taijiya ordered, already starting to pull apart the miko’s robes.
“Relax, Sango, I dressed it already,” Inuyasha spoke up. “I’ll change the bandages later. She’s mostly just drained from purifying Naraku’s ass yesterday.”
Sango glanced at Kagome to make sure she didn’t want additional treatment, but the latter merely nodded in agreement, so she let it go.
“You really killed him, Kagome-chan? There’s no way he could have survived, right?”
“Nope,” Kagome replied confidently. “He’s dead, alright, thanks to you. I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t forced him to pull his heart back into his body.”
“How did you—”
“My bastard of a brother told me last night,” Inuyasha answered, the insult not delivered with quite as much conviction as usual.
“He’s really dead…” Sango repeated, the last of her worries leaving her.
“There’s something different about you, Sango-chan,” Kagome observed thoughtfully. “Just your eyes. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look so happy before.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever been. Hou—Miroku and I are going to marry as soon as we get back to the village.”
“That’s great!” Kagome cried, her exuberance driving away her fatigue as she enfolded Sango in a tight embrace. But before she could gush any further about the upcoming wedding, the taijiya’s next mumbled words wrung a shocked gasp from her throat.
“And Kohaku is alive.”
Kagome’s face fell as she recalled that Naraku had stated early in the battle that he had not yet taken Kohaku’s shard. That meant the boy’s life was still tied to it, and to complete the jewel…
“Oh, Sango-chan,” she whispered, hugging her friend tighter.
“It’s alright,” Sango declared as she pulled away, sensing the direction of the miko’s thoughts. “His shard was already removed. Sesshoumaru revived him.”
“What?!” both hanyou yelled at once. “You gotta be shitting me,” Inuyasha said in amazement.
“No, it’s true. He said he did it because it was Naraku’s will that Kohaku die. So Kohaku is alive. He’s really withdrawn, and I can tell he blames himself for everything that happened, but I think he will be okay, eventually.”
“I’m sure he will, Sango-chan,” Kagome assured, delighted for her friend. After suffering so much, if anyone deserved a happy ending, it was Sango.
“You didn’t see where that jewel shard went, did you?” Inuyasha asked.
“No, one of the saimyosho took it. Why?”
“Ah, crap.”
“Well, you see, Sango-chan,” Kagome hedged, taking on the slayer’s question. “I kind of shattered the Shikon no Tama. Again.”
“Oh, w-well, Houshi-sama and I don’t have to get married right away,” Sango said, hastily recanting her earlier statement. “We could continue our journ—”
“No! You two have waited long enough! You should settle down and start a family.”
“But—”
“No, Sango-chan! You and Miroku want a big family, right? Well before you know it you’ll be in your thirties. You…you don’t have that much time,” Kagome acknowledged gravely, sobered by the reminder that she and Inuyasha had the potential to outlive their friends by hundreds of years.
“She’s right, Sango,” Inuyasha agreed. “Leave the shard hunting to us. You and the bouzu have done enough.”
Sango frowned, not quite ready to give in, but at the same time reluctant to continue the argument now with Kagome still recovering and Miroku not here to back her up.
“So what do we do now?” she asked, changing the subject. “I could bring Houshi-sama and Kohaku here and we could all go back together.”
“Nah, you guys just head to the village and we’ll meet you there,” Inuyasha suggested with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. His countenance remained neutral, but inside the hanyou was rubbing his hands together gleefully. Some time alone with the wench sounded positively divine; for a new couple, they weren’t having nearly enough sex. By the time they made it back to the village, he wanted to be counting their trysts on fingers and toes. And they didn’t have to rush back either, even if their friends were waiting for them. Who knew what kind of ‘unforeseen circumstances’ would pop up along the way, delaying their arrival? The humans could wait another couple days for their precious wedding. There were probably many preparations to make anyway.
“Alright, I’d better be getting back,” Sango declared. “I don’t want to leave the boys alone for too long. I’ll see you back at the village.”
“Bye, Sango-chan!”
“Keh.”
When the slayer was gone, Inuyasha returned to the task of preparing the meal. He moved with just a little extra bounce in his step, and nearly started whistling. His excitement did not go unnoticed.
“You know, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you have hentai thoughts on your mind,” Kagome spoke in a scolding tone. She could not, however, hide her grin or her amusement.
“Good thing you know better then,” Inuyasha replied smoothly, earning a small chuckle from his mate.
“Hey, Inuyasha?” she said after a while.
“Yeah?”
“I’m hungry.”
Inuyasha hung his head. “Yeah yeah, wench, I’m workin’ on it.”
“Well…work faster.”
Inuyasha sighed, hoping not for the first time that Kagome healed up as quickly as possible. That reminds me; I need to change her bandages. Glancing over, he saw that she was eyeing the food ravenously, a predatory glint in her eyes. Maybe I’d better feed her first.
“Behind its left eye.”
It was now three days after the battle with Naraku, and Kagome had finally awoken that morning feeling like her old self. It had taken many hours of sleeping and eating like a horse, but her energy levels had mostly recovered. She still hung back as Inuyasha went to work, mostly because her bow and arrows were history. She was ready to intervene if he needed help, but she didn’t expect any problems. This was the third shard-bearing youkai to attack them in as many days, and they had all been primitive and weak. Watching their chunk of the Shikon no Tama grow larger by the day, they were both optimistic that recollecting the rest of the shards would not take as long as they had originally thought.
“Here,” Inuyasha said, interrupting her musings and tossing yet another shard in her direction. She caught it and fused it with the larger piece, putting the whole thing back in her bra. She was getting tired of keeping it there; a new bottle from the modern era was on her wish list.
“That was quick,” she observed, impressed with Inuyasha’s efficiency.
“Yeah, I almost wish it had been more of a challenge,” he confessed, rolling his shoulder.
“Be careful what you wish for.”
“Keh.”
As the pair resumed their journey, Kagome’s mind wandered back over the past few days. She felt very lucky indeed to have Inuyasha during her convalescence. He had proven an adept nurse, feeding her, helping her change and bathe, and being attentive to her every need. And he had been the perfect gentleman, never pressuring her for sex even though she knew it was on his mind. She decided not to make him wait any longer.
Grabbing his shoulder, she spun him around. Before he could voice his confusion, she threw her arms around his neck and planted her lips firmly against his. Things became heated rather quickly, neither partner feeling particularly patient at the moment. It truly had been far too long. Soon the forest floor was functioning as a makeshift bed, articles of clothing thrown haphazardly off to the side. Each reveled in the sight and scent of the other, and the latter was what caused Inuyasha to postpone the main event in the final stages of foreplay. Stumbling backward, he landed flat on his butt, grimacing as an unfortunate stone poked his left cheek.
“Inuyasha, what’s wrong?” Kagome asked in concern, sitting up and covering her breasts for modesty’s sake.
“Take a whiff of yourself, wench,” he huffed in frustration before realizing that emotion was unnecessary—their most recent trip to the modern era had seen to that. Kagome frowned but complied, coming up empty by the look on her face.
“What’s wrong with the way I smell?” she demanded, arousal fading in favor of irritation.
“Nothing!” he hastily replied, waving his hands to placate her ire. “It’s just…I think if we did it now, you’d get pregnant.”
“Oh,” Kagome uttered, thinking it over. “That’s right! I completely forgot what time of the month it was.”
“It’s alright. We just have to try one of those con-dum things,” he said, turning to rummage through her bag for the circular little godsends.
“Inuyasha, I don’t…I don’t want to use a condom.”
“Then why the hell did we go to all the trouble of—wait, what?” He froze as the possible significance of Kagome’s words sunk in, suddenly finding it difficult to draw breath. Ever so slowly he turned his head to glance at her. She was staring at the ground, face flushed and hands nervously wringing in her lap. Her posture left no doubt as to the true meaning of her words, and he nearly toppled over in a heap at the realization. Whoa, boy.
“F-forget it!” Kagome stuttered, trying in vain to mask her disappointment. “Just get a condom.”
“No, wait,” Inuyasha said, moving to sit directly in front of her. “Kagome, do you even realize what you’re saying?”
When she sent him an icy glare he knew that hadn’t been the right way to put it.
“I think I know what I said, baka!” she growled, shame and hurt morphing into anger. Inuyasha didn’t let the outburst bother him; this conversation was far too important.
“I-I didn’t mean it like that. I meant…well, do you know what this means? Are you really ready to start a family?”
Kagome narrowed her eyes, finding a certain clump of dirt very interesting, but gave no reply. She was probably thinking more about Inuyasha’s answer to his own question, or what she obviously thought his answer was. He would have to correct that misconception.
“Because if you are,” he spoke lowly, grabbing her hands, “then I am too.”
Shocked brown eyes finally rose to meet his. Her pupils twitching back and forth, searching for anything besides truthfulness. She found nothing, and her expression softened. She licked her lips, seriously considering her own feelings before coming to a conclusion.
“I’m ready. I want to have your baby, Inuyasha.”
Inuyasha gulped, sudden anxiety hitting him hard, but his resolve never wavered. “Okay,” he finally said.
“Okay,” Kagome repeated.
The ensuing silence was intensely awkward and uncomfortable. Kagome studied her mate; Inuyasha appeared every bit as nervous as he did their first night together. And like that night, she realized that she would have to make the initial move. She crawled forward, pushing him to sit and settling in his lap. She wrapped her arms tightly around him, running her fingers over his back. Only when she felt his tense muscles begin to relax did she raise her chin and kiss him. Soon the fires of passion were once again roaring fervently, burning with a new kind of effervescence as they finally consumed them.
Both hanyou slept soundly that night with the knowledge that the child of their love was growing in Kagome’s belly. And the miko dreamt…
~~~
She was sitting in a field of lush green, the sun shining brightly overhead and bathing the area in soothing warmth. Birds and insects flitted about their business, and flowers of every color swayed in the wind. In short, the scene was breathtakingly beautiful.
A small form moved in the distance, drawing her attention. It was a dark-haired child, probably about two or three years old, teetering after a butterfly. It took her a moment to realize that the child had puppy ears perched atop its head. As she watched, the child lost interest in the butterfly and scampered over to a larger form which she recognized almost instantly. Inuyasha? And that’s…our child!
Inuyasha had his back to her, but was staring solemnly off to the side, his gaze unseeing. Why does he look so sad? Sensing her presence, Inuyasha turned to regard her fully, and Kagome gasped at the wretchedness of his expression. Such grief, such sorrow… The world shifted until all she could see were his haunted amber eyes, the once bright orbs burning darkness and despair into her soul. Then, mercifully, the entire image faded to black.
(1) The night of their first kiss (chapter 27).
(2) See chapter 12.
(3) Chichi-ue is a very old, very respectful term for ‘father.’ Inuyasha, by contrast, uses the slangy, less respectful term ‘Oyaji.’
(4) Immediately after Naraku vanishes and Sesshoumaru spares Kohaku’s life, Inuyasha and Kagome get a brief look at Rin. She is excited to see Sesshoumaru and leaves with him.
Converting /tmp/phpeMEYZK to /dev/stdout
Healing
Sesshoumaru soared across the sky, sharp eyes scanning the earth below like a hawk. He searched for anything unusual, some irregularity that might lead him to Naraku. Finally, he spotted something that peaked his interest; the rough circle of yellow and brown was a large eyesore amid the sea of green. Descending rapidly, he landed amid the dead grass, knowing that his enemy’s miasma was one of the few things which could have caused such devastation. Naraku’s scent was nowhere to be found, but there was another that caught his attention. Inuyasha had been here very recently, and Sesshoumaru was certain the hanyou had the answers he sought. He frowned in consternation; mixed in with Inuyasha’s scent was another strange, yet oddly familiar smell. The taiyoukai’s eyes widened as he identified the owner of the scent and realized the implications. Very curious now, he began tracking the scents into the forest. Oh yes, his half-brother had much to answer for.
* * *
Miroku sincerely wished for the capability to get up and run away, but unfortunately the poison in his bloodstream would not allow it. He and Sango had been sharing a quiet moment, his head resting in her lap and she tenderly stroking his hair. They couldn’t go anywhere with Kirara wounded, so they just decided to relax after the battle. Things had been peaceful until the slayer’s demeanor morphed in an instant, contentment replaced by anger. She positively radiated fury, and it was all directed at him. Suddenly he found himself unceremonious deposited on the ground, Sango looming over him. Her fist was raised, shaking as if she was just barely restraining her desire to smash his skull open. Miroku was completely at a loss, and scared shitless. “S-Sango? Did I do something to displease you?”
“Don’t act all innocent, you jerk! You were going to sacrifice yourself back there, weren’t you?!”
Miroku’s eyes widened in understanding. Oh…that. At least now he knew the source of Sango’s ire. He had refused to close his kazaana until Sesshoumaru demanded he do so, sucking up many saimyosho and putting himself in his current predicament. Yes, in that moment he had been willing to die to prevent Naraku’s heart from escaping. Sango apparently believed that to be stupid or wrong. He considered it neither, and was not about to apologize for his actions.
“I was prepared for death,” he answered seriously. While not an explicit admission, they both knew his statement was more or less an affirmative response to Sango’s question.
“Y-you BAKA!” she yelled, several veins popping in her forehead. “I’d give you a black eye if you didn’t already have one!” Pausing, she hung her head as her shoulders slumped in sorrow. “I thought we were going to live together. What happened to me becoming your ‘beloved wife?’ What happened to all the things you promised me that night? (1) What happened to all the children we were going to have? Do those things mean nothing to you?!”
“Do you think it was easy for me to keep my kazaana open, knowing that I would have to give all that up? Kami, Sango, I can’t even describe how difficult it was. I did it because I had to.” Seeing that the slayer wasn’t buying that, Miroku tried again. “Answer me this: what would you have done in that situation? Naraku’s heart was escaping, and I thought I was the only person who could prevent it. If I closed my kazaana, the infant would have gotten away. And who knows when the next chance to kill it would have arisen? Even now, I live on borrowed time. This hole in my hand can take my life at any moment. For that reason, I cannot afford to waste opportunities to rid myself of my family’s curse, even if it means risking my life.” Miroku glanced up at Sango, happy to see that her gaze had softened significantly. Yet, he still felt there was more he needed to say.
“Sango, I do not take my life lightly. I will never throw it away needlessly or foolishly. But you must know that there are people I will gladly die to protect—you, our friends. I believe Inuyasha and Kagome are fighting for their lives this very moment, and perhaps in injuring Naraku’s heart we have saved them. That is why I was willing to sacrifice my life today.”
Sango heaved a heavy sigh, some of her anger turning to frustration. She wanted to be pissed at him, but how could she when his explanation made perfect sense to her? How could she resent his willingness to die to protect their friends when she herself felt the same readiness? So he was officially off the hook, but that didn’t mean she had to like it. Growling, she reared back and punched him hard in the shoulder.
“Ow! What was that for, my dear Sango?”
“Just…because!”
Miroku made no further comment, choosing to take the blow like a man. He supposed he did deserve it a little.
“I’m hungry,” Shippou whined suddenly. Kirara mewed in agreement from her spot on his lap, instantly perking up at the mention of food. Sango favored them with a sympathetic look. They were all hungry, but food wasn’t going to just drop out of the sky. The only practiced hunter in the group wasn’t around, so that was out. Maybe the nearby village would give them something to eat. A place to stay for the night would be nice too. Decision made, Sango heaved herself to her feet.
“I’ll go see if the village will help us out. Maybe they’ll give me a hand lugging you around, Houshi-sama,” she joked as she walked away.
“I resent that,” the monk replied. I can walk…maybe. Grinning, he turned his head to the side and watched Sango walk away until he could no longer make out the unintentionally provocative sway of her hips. Kami, I love that taijiya suit. The minutes passed slowly in silence, punctuated only by feline purring. When Sango reappeared over the lip of the valley some time later, Miroku immediately knew from her stiff gait that the news was not good. She was practically storming back, and the monk was highly grateful that he was not responsible for her ire. She breezed right past him and proceeded to pace back and forth, fuming quietly to herself all the while.
“What did the villagers say?” Miroku braved after a moment.
“What do you think?! Bastards! With the commotion Sesshoumaru caused earlier, they’re all panicked and suspicious of outsiders. They almost convinced themselves I was a youkai in disguise! They won’t even sell us any food!”
“So we’re staying here for the night?”
“I guess so. Wait—what do you think you’re doing, Houshi-sama?” she asked, noticing that he had started to sit up.
“Going to gather some firewood.”
“Oh, no you don’t! You stay here and rest,” she ordered, gently but firmly pushing him back down again. “I’ll get the wood.”
“Sango, I’m perfectly capable of—”
“Shut up, Houshi-sama. Don’t make me knock you unconscious.”
Miroku sighed, surrendering. Sango really would knock him out if she thought it would be best for him. And he could admit to himself that it probably would be better if he didn’t move around; just that small effort of raising his head and shoulders off the ground had been enough to make him dizzy. For a moment there were two swaying rear ends moving off toward the forest, and then his head cleared and he discovered the view was just as nice with one. Sighing again as Sango disappeared into the foliage, he closed his eyes and resolved to take a late afternoon nap. He was in fact able to drift off for a short while, but being a light sleeper caused him to partly rouse at the sound of soft, urgent speech.
“Kohaku, you’re awake! Are you okay?”
Now that woke him up. His eyes snapped open and he turned to see that the young taijiya was indeed awake. The boy was sitting stiffly upright, an anguished expression marring his features as he stared heatedly at his hands. His fingers curled into fists, shaking with what could have been any number of dark emotions. Then suddenly his whole body slumped, his head hanging and his arms flopping limply at his sides. Miroku reflected that he had never seen anyone look so defeated before, and that included any of his friends even during their bleakest moments.
“Why am I alive?” Kohaku rasped without moving.
“Sesshoumaru revived you,” the monk replied. Kohaku’s fists clenched again as he raised his head, anger dancing in his gaze behind unshed tears.
“Why did he do that?!” he demanded furiously. Drooping again, he softly continued, “I should be dead.”
Miroku sighed, the fact that he expected this kind of reaction from the boy not making it any easier to deal with. He was sure suicidal thoughts were running through his head at this very moment. He had to get through to Kohaku, for Sango’s sake. To lose her brother again after so recently getting him back would be devastating.
“Look, Kohaku, I know you probably don’t want to hear it right now, but no one blames you for the things you did. Sango doesn’t even blame you for what happened to your father. I won’t ask you to go back to the way you were before all this happened, but I will request that you do one thing. Live. If not for yourself, then for Sango. You’re the only family she has left.” Pausing, Miroku watched as his words sank in, the conflicting emotions flickering in Kohaku’s eyes though his features remained neutral. “Now,” the monk spoke into the silence, “please go help your sister gather some firewood.”
The boy turned to stare at him, apparently shocked to hear such a request. After a moment of indecision, he slowly rose to his feet and strode off. Miroku nodded grimly to himself, hoping his strategy would work. He believed the best thing for Kohaku was to resume a normal life as quickly as possible. Perhaps it would help the boy grow used to life again, and enable him to discover his own will to live. Besides, Sango surely desired to reunite with her brother, and he imagined she would want the encounter to be private. Please, Kohaku, don’t break Sango’s heart again.
* * *
Sango hissed in discomfort, swearing under her breath as the bundle of wood clattered to the ground. Carrying anything with her left arm was impossible, and that meant this was going to take much longer. That presented a problem; the sun was already sinking low in the western horizon, and she didn’t want to be wandering around the forest after dark. They wouldn’t freeze if they ran out of firewood, but it would be nice to have a fire to ward off the worst of the night’s chill. Stooping, she began organizing the fallen sticks and branches into a smaller bundle so she could scoop it under her right arm. Soft footsteps alerted her to a presence behind her, and she barely suppressed a growl. “Houshi-sama, I thought I told you to stay at camp.”
When no reply game, she glanced over her shoulder, and the wood in her hand once again tumbled to the forest floor. There, standing not ten feet away, was Kohaku. He stood stock still, staring at the ground with an unreadable expression etched into his features. Sluggishly Sango rose, in complete shock. Despite all the times she had contemplated this moment, she was woefully unprepared for it.
“Kohaku,” was all she could articulate, and that in only a whisper. Her brother remained silent, lowering his head even further and closing his eyes. Hesitantly, Sango approached, having trouble believing that this really was Kohaku standing before her. She halted within arm’s reach, tentatively reaching up a shaking hand to caress his cheek. She could feel him trembling.
“Kohaku,” she said again, more forcefully this time. Yet, he still refused to look at her. Finally she gripped his chin, gently raising his head. His eyes slid open, and Sango gasped at the storm she glimpsed in his dark orbs. Siblings gazed at each other for a long moment, reestablishing bonds long dormant but never broken. No words were spoken; they expressed everything they needed to in the silence only disturbed by the rapid beating of their hearts. Eventually, Sango managed a small, watery smile and enfolded her brother in a tight embrace. And Kohaku finally allowed his pent-up tears to fall. He sobbed quietly against his sister’s shoulder for what seemed an interminable amount of time, unable to gather his wits until the great torrent of his emotions had run its course. He was also unable to return Sango’s embrace, or her smile. All he could do was hang there limply, supported solely by the woman who for some incomprehensible reason still considered him family. At long last, his tears dried up, and his breathing returned to normal. Sango released him, pulling back far enough to grab hold of both his shoulders.
“It’s going to be okay, Kohaku,” she declared confidently, and he almost believed her. Oh, how he wanted to, but the weight of his past was too much to overcome. He could never forgive himself for the horrible atrocities he had committed, the lives he had taken. But perhaps by living he could avoid wounding the only person left he could call family. He didn’t understand why Sango wanted him to stay, but she did. It was an unfathomable miracle from the Kami, or perhaps it was just the kind nature of his sister’s heart. Either way, it triggered in him an emotion he hadn’t felt in longer than he could remember—hope. Maybe…maybe things really would be okay, someday. Nodding briefly, he broke away from Sango and began gathering the wood she had dropped.
“Sango! Sango! Come quick!” Shippou called, bounding toward the pair at full speed.
“What is it Shippou?” the slayer inquired anxiously.
“It’s Miroku! His kazaana has disappeared!”
“WHAT?!!!”
Kohaku watched as his sister dashed across the field, practically diving into the houshi as she hugged him. Then they spent several moments examining his right hand, all the while sitting in proximity that was entirely too close for Kohaku’s liking. It warmed his heart to see Sango so happy, but it made him more than a little uneasy when the monk grabbed both her hands in his own. He finally tore his gaze away when the two moved to kiss. He scowled. It was Sango’s right to choose a husband, but he would still watch the monk like a hawk. One wrong move, and he would lose more than just his woman. Seeking to distract himself, Kohaku turned his attention to getting his question answered.
“Kitsune.”
“Y-yeah?” Shippou replied nervously, having remained in the forest so as not to break up the tender moment going on back at the campsite.
“What does it mean, that his ‘kazaana’ has disappeared?”
“It means Naraku is dead.”
“Good,” Kohaku answered. Yet, the expected satisfaction never came. Perhaps it was because Naraku’s death could not undo all the terrible wrongs he had executed under the dark hanyou’s orders. Nothing would bring back the people whose souls now resided in the netherworld courtesy of the sickle chain on his hip. Brooding, Kohaku returned to wood gathering.
* * *
Inuyasha swore quietly to himself for the hundredth time. Fuck! Why tonight of all nights?! In retrospect, they were lucky Naraku had chosen to make his move in the early afternoon. Already his youkai strength and senses were fading in favor of the mortal weakness that would permeate his body come sunset. He glanced down at Kagome, running his fingers lightly through her hair. After retrieving her backpack, he had cleaned and bandaged her wounds, and now she snoozed soundly with her head on his lap. He would let her sleep; she would need to be awake all night. In this unfamiliar landscape, he didn’t trust himself to alert them to danger before the nocturnal creatures closed in. Not to mention the youkai that would surely gravitate to the jewel shard in Kagome’s possession. It was going to be a long night. He inhaled deeply, choking and sputtering as a most unwelcome scent registered. Just what the hell is Sesshoumaru doing here?! As gingerly as possible he moved Kagome’s head off his lap, pillowing it with a spare blanket from her backpack. Then he stood and turned to face his half-brother, his left hand coming to rest on Tetsusaiga’s sheath. His sword hand hung limply by his side. Now would probably be a bad time to pick a fight; he wasn’t even sure Tetsusaiga would transform for him. So he made no move or insult when Sesshoumaru emerged from the forest a few minutes later. The taiyoukai’s eyes immediately shifted to Kagome, widening slightly at what he saw. He continued to stare at her with great interest, and it made Inuyasha more than a little uncomfortable.
“What the hell do you want, Sesshoumaru?” he growled, shifting so he mostly blocked the elder youkai’s view. Golden eyes flickered to regard him stonily, as if Sesshoumaru had just realized he was there. Then they practically flew open, and the taiyoukai’s nostrils flared. Finally, Sesshoumaru’s lips curled in a small but wicked smile that caused a chill to settle in Inuyasha’s gut.
“I see. This is not a good night for you, is it, Inuyasha?”
The hanyou’s jaw dropped, then rose again as he bared his teeth. Shit! He can smell my youki receding!
“A moonless night, is it not?” Sesshoumaru continued, still grinning with apparent amusement.
“Yeah, so what? You gonna kill me, do what you couldn’t do when I’m hanyou?”
“This Sesshoumaru would not stoop to slaughtering a helpless mortal. If and when I decide to slay you, it will be when you are at your strongest. Then perhaps you can pose some miniscule challenge.”
Inuyasha smirked. “Miniscule challenge,” huh? That stump where your arm used to be tells a different story! Oh, Kami how he wanted to say that! But somehow he held his tongue. More than just his own life on the line here.
“How did this happen?” Sesshoumaru inquired, motioning with his chin to Kagome.
“Why the fuck do you care?”
“Do not mistake detached interest for caring. I know of no previous instance where a human became a hanyou. I simply wish to know how this occurred.”
Inuyasha opened his mouth to deliver a scathing response, but was left gaping when Sesshoumaru lowered himself to sit cross-legged on the ground.
“Wh-what the hell are you doing?!”
“Sit,” the taiyoukai ordered sternly, “and talk.”
Inuyasha snarled, hating that his brother had the gall to boss him around. The last thing he wanted to do was shoot the fucking breeze with him! But what were the alternatives? Start a fight when he was nearly human? Oh, yeah, that would end well. Refuse to talk and give Sesshoumaru an excuse to beat the living shit out of him? No, that wouldn’t do either. So it looked like his only option was to sit and have a conversation with his brother, something he had never done before. But if Sesshoumaru was content to be civil for once, then he really had no reason not to participate in said discussion. What harm could possibly come of revealing the facts behind Kagome’s transformation? The bastard had never born any ill will toward her, except when she interfered in their battles.
So Inuyasha plopped himself down, albeit grudgingly, and spun the entire tale of the rebirth spell, searching for a way to change Kagome back, and their battles with Takehiko and Sora. It took Sesshoumaru several minutes to wrap his head around the fact that Kagome still possessed her miko powers. He also seemed particularly interested in the other inu-youkai, and Inuyasha knew why, thanks to Myouga’s brief history lesson. (2) The taiyoukai nodded in satisfaction when Inuyasha informed him of Takehiko’s demise.
“That whelp should have been slain more than a century ago. You may give my regards to the miko for taking care of Chichi-ue’s unfinished business. Continue.” (3)
Inuyasha huffed again at being ordered around, but carried on by relating Kagome’s decision to remain a hanyou. Pausing, he eyed Sesshoumaru, expecting some sort of response, but his brother gave none. Skipping everything that happened after that, he jumped right into the battle with Naraku.
“Sometime during the battle, Naraku’s heart returned to his body, did it not?” Sesshoumaru interrupted.
“Uh, yeah. How’d you know?”
“Because I was there when it was wounded, courtesy of your taijiya companion.”
“Sango did that?”
“Indeed.”
“None of those guys got themselves killed, did they?” Inuyasha questioned, trying vainly to appear disinterested. When Sesshoumaru shook his head, he breathed a sigh of relief.
“And what of Naraku?” the taiyoukai inquired.
“Dead. I—well, Kagome and I killed him.”
“How?”
“She hit the Shikon no Tama with a pure miko arrow powerful enough to purge it and cause it to explode into a hundred pieces again. There’s no way Naraku could have survived the blast.”
Sesshoumaru made no reply, but simply nodded and stared off into space.
“What,” Inuyasha spat, “are you pissed at us for killing him before you could?”
Now Sesshoumaru favored him with a condescending look, as if he was stupid for even considering that thought.
“This Sesshoumaru does not care by whose hand that filth perished, baka, only that he met his end.”
“Yeah, yeah, don’t get all pissy about it.”
“This Sesshoumaru does not get ‘pissy.’ Such shows of pointless emotion are below me.”
Kagome chose that moment to stir, drawing the attention of both males. Instead of waking, she rolled over to face away from them and settled down again.
“And what of the miko? Have you officially mated or are the two of you merely fornicating?” the taiyoukai inquired, wrinkling his nose. Now it was Inuyasha’s turn to glare angrily at his brother.
“Not that it’s any of your business,” he spat, “but yeah, Kagome and I intend to spend our lives together.”
“Good. Anything less would sully our noble father’s lineage.”
Inuyasha said nothing, too surprised by Sesshoumaru’s use of ‘our father.’ He didn’t want to read too much into what that could symbolize.
“Chichi-ue would approve of her,” Sesshoumaru continued, deepening Inuyasha’s stupor. He had never given much thought to what his father would think of him, but now, he couldn’t deny how Sesshoumaru’s words affected him. A sense of pride surged within him, together with an unfamiliar sadness that he had never met his old man. He definitely was not used to that feeling. He had never hated his father, but throughout his early life his attitude had been one of ‘what did he ever do for me?’ That only started to change after he received Tetsusaiga, and even more so when he met Daichi and heard that his father did in fact try to provide for his care. And now he felt a certain sense of respect, because he knew that Sesshoumaru was right. How could his father not approve of Kagome? They had both fallen for strong, willful human women. He remembered how soft-spoken his mother had been, yet she always carried herself with a silent authority that no one dared challenge. That alone spared him the worst of the persecution during his early years, until the awful sickness took her and officially ended his childhood. Kagome’s manner was entirely different, but she lived with the same kind of strength and character. At least regarding females, there was no doubt he was his father’s son.
“Inuyasha,” Kagome rasped suddenly, gazing at him blearily from her prone position. “I think your brother’s here.”
Inuyasha sweatdropped. She’s just noticing now? Shit, she must still be totally out of it.
“I know, wench. Everything’s fine, so go back to sleep.”
“M’kay.” She was out as soon as her head hit the makeshift pillow.
“What is wrong with her?” Sesshoumaru asked, and Inuyasha thought he detected an iota of genuine concern in his voice, though he might have just been imagining it.
“She drained herself using her miko powers today.”
“It is unbelievable that she still has them.”
Inuyasha nodded, in complete agreement. Only Kagome had the kind heart and gracious soul to pull something like that off. He shuddered, recalling how close he’d come to losing her that fateful day, soon after she had been struck by the Rebirth spell. Becoming the first hanyou-miko in history had proven challenging at first, as she slowly adjusted to her new senses and abilities. The resulting trials and heartache allowed them to grow closer, and now he was here. Kagome was his mate, and he was carrying on a rather pleasant conversation with his brother. Talk about unlikely scenarios.
But as novel as this was, it was no longer uncomfortable. It was actually nice to sit down and talk with Sesshoumaru. For the first time in his life, he felt like they were family. His brother had refrained from making any half-breed comments, even though they had been discussing Naraku. The truly amazing thing was that now, after spending most of his adult life hating Sesshoumaru’s guts, he didn’t feel any compulsion to make him leave. It was true that their encounters had grown less violent over the past year, but this was nothing short of revolutionary. And that was why, when the arrival of the familiar tingle signaled the onset of his monthly transformation, he felt no fear or panic. At least not initially.
He convulsed suddenly, unable to completely stifle his cry of pain as a half dozen deep slashes opened in his flesh. His hanyou body had fully repaired most of the small cuts and bruises, but some of the more severe battle wounds had only partially healed, and now bled freely without the restriction of his youkai strength. In the excitement of realizing tonight was the new moon and Sesshoumaru’s visit, he had forgotten about his own injuries. They needed treatment, but he was clearly incapable of doing it himself.
“Miko,” Sesshoumaru called, striding over to her still-slumbering form. But Kagome was already stirring, furrowing her brows as her nose twitched furiously.
“Inuyasha,” she mumbled, eyes fluttering open and blinking several times in rapid succession. Lucidity returned to her gaze, brought back by the scent of her mate’s blood. “Inuyasha!” she screamed upon seeing him, lying on the ground in obvious pain. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Sesshoumaru standing only a few feet away, and the resulting conclusion hardened her countenance with rage.
“You bastard! What did you do to him?!” Her miko powers flared and flickered around her, forcing even the mighty Sesshoumaru to take a step back.
“Calm yourself, miko,” he ordered sternly. “This Sesshoumaru did nothing. When your mate transformed, his weak human body was no longer able to contain his preexisting wounds.”
Kagome’s powers faded immediately, as much from exhaustion as her belief that Sesshoumaru was telling the truth. Even that small display had thoroughly drained her again. But as nice as going back to sleep sounded, Inuyasha needed her attention. So she crawled over to him, grimacing as her stomach throbbed with each movement. She was relieved to see that he was conscious; he continually swore quietly to himself through gritted teeth. It was probably a good thing that he aware enough to be pissed at the pain, Kagome reasoned. She slowly drew open his robes, not surprised to see that his kosode was stained crimson in several places. After examining his chest and deciding it was safe, she helped him sit up so she could get a look at his back. He stifled himself, allowing only grunts and the occasional curse word to communicate his discomfort. Finally Kagome was satisfied that he would be fine until morning. If he had to remain mortal any longer than that, her biggest concern would be infection. The wounds were clotting on their own and were fairly clean, so she would just wrap them tightly to limit the blood loss and facilitate further healing. The problem was that the bandages were in her backpack, which was the great distance of fifteen feet away. And she didn’t think her legs would support her right now.
“Sesshoumaru-sama,” she said pleadingly, “could you please bring my pack over to me?” She gazed up at him with deep brown eyes, not afraid to do a little begging if it came to that. For a moment it appeared he would refuse, but then he silently strode over to her pack, hoisted it easily, and dropped it by her side. “Thank you,” she told him sincerely, though Sesshoumaru did not respond. Inuyasha hissed as she released him to grab the bandages, apparently having difficulty remaining upright without assistance. That presented another problem, because it was impossible to bandage a person with just one free hand.
“Sesshoumaru-sama,” she tried again, “could you please help Inuyasha sit up so I can wrap his wounds?” This time she was sure he would ignore her, or worse throw some racist insults their way, but much to her surprise he complied after a momentary hesitation. She was equally shocked that Inuyasha voiced no protest. Whatever those two had been discussing, it seemed they had come to some sort of understanding. Still, Kagome hastened to her task before either of them could change their mind. Finished, she gingerly laid Inuyasha on his back before flopping down beside him, completely spent. Soft snoring sounded in her ear; her mate already dozed fitfully. Fighting off her own weariness, Kagome struggled to sit up again, knowing it wasn’t safe for both of them to sleep in this strange forest. She trusted a hanyou Inuyasha to rouse if danger approached, but not herself. Ugh, how am I going to stay up all night?
“Go to sleep, miko. This Sesshoumaru will keep watch.”
Kagome stared at the inu-youkai in bewilderment. She had to have misheard him, right? But as Sesshoumaru settled himself against a nearby tree, gazing idly off into the forest, Kagome realized that her ears were sharp as ever and her mind wasn’t delusional. She had mixed feeling about this new development. On the one hand, if Sesshoumaru really was going to protect them, she had no doubt that they would be safe. On the other…why? Had Sesshoumaru’s attitude toward them really changed that much? It had been more than a year since the taiyoukai’s last attempt on Inuyasha’s life, and in that time he had actually rescued the hanyou from his own youkai bloodlust. At the time, his professed rationale had been that killing Inuyasha had no value because he was nothing more than a mindless animal. Was something like that going on now, with Sesshoumaru holding back because Inuyasha was human? But that wouldn’t explain why the taiyoukai was guarding them. Perhaps Inuyasha had done something to increase his worth in Sesshoumaru’s eyes, like slaying Naraku. Or something else perhaps? Kagome didn’t know, but she truly wanted to. Nevertheless, she posed the question without really expecting a straight answer from her stoic brother-in-law.
“Why?”
“Do you not sense them, miko?” he replied without looking at her. Kagome stretched out her senses as much as she could, picking up on what Sesshoumaru was referring to.
“Youkai.”
“Indeed. They are no doubt attracted by the small bauble on your person. They hold back because they fear my youki. In the state you are in, the two of you would surely be killed if I were to leave.” Here Sesshoumaru paused for moment. “Inuyasha’s life is mine to take when I so choose. I will not allow him to be devoured by a swarm of pathetic youkai,” he added, as if the statement was an afterthought.
“Oh…well, thank you anyway,” Kagome told him sincerely. Receiving no answer, she sat up enough to detach the sleeping bag from her pack. She unzipped and unfolded it fully, laying it across herself and Inuyasha as she stretched out by his side. As she slipped back toward unconsciousness, she let her mind wander, frowning as her nose picked up on a scent she hadn’t detected before.
“Are you wounded, Sesshoumaru?”
“It is of no consequence.”
Kagome nodded, believing him. The smell of his blood was too faint to be anything more than a minor wound. But now her mind was thinking about Sesshoumaru, and a couple more questions popped into her head. Hopefully he wouldn’t mind entertaining her curiosity for a few minutes. She reasoned that if he could carry on a conversation with Inuyasha, then speaking with her would be tolerable as well.
“What about the little girl you travel with? Will she be safe without you tonight?” (4)
Sesshoumaru was silent, and for a moment Kagome thought she had taken it too far.
“Rin will be safe. Jaken knows better than to let any harm come to her.”
A hundred questions burned Kagome’s tongue. Why does he let a human girl follow him around? When did he meet her? Why does she want to go with him? This time, she held her curiosity in check, knowing that to voice these queries really would be to overstep her bounds. Sesshoumaru was their ally, at least temporarily, but that didn’t mean he was their friend. She settled on a less intrusive question.
“How did you know where we were? Did you just happen to be in the area and catch Naraku’s scent?”
“The wind,” he replied solemnly. It took Kagome several seconds to grasp his meaning.
“I see, so Kagura led you?”
“Yes.”
“Is she still alive?”
“No.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Kagome told him, sensing the layer of grief hiding beneath the surface. A hush descended on the small clearing, and she realized the conversation was over. It’s just as well, she thought, yawning. Cuddling into her mate’s side, cautious of his injuries, she reflected on how grateful she was to be allowed to rest. As she slipped into slumber, glowing golden eyes kept a constant vigil, silent sentinels in the darkness.
* * *
Inuyasha woke with the sun, enjoying the return of his hanyou powers. The pain of his wounds dulled instantly, his youkai blood resuming the work interrupted the previous day. Slowly edging out from under Kagome so as not to wake her, he wrapped her in the sleeping bag and stood to face the morning. Or rather, his brother. He was momentarily surprised the taiyoukai was still here, but the fact that Kagome was sleeping meant he had remained all night. Sesshoumaru was already departing, his protective services no longer required. It would be so easy to let him go without comment, but Inuyasha felt he needed to say something to express his gratitude. There was a good chance neither he nor Kagome would have seen today’s sunrise without his brother’s assistance. “Sesshoumaru,” he called softly, waiting until the taiyoukai stopped and turned his head slightly before continuing. “Thanks.”
Sesshoumaru resumed his stride without responding, and soon disappeared from view. And as his scent faded, that of the youkai swarm increased until finally they emerged from the foliage. Writhing, scaly bodies and snapping jaws appeared in every direction, but Inuyasha just smirked and drew Tetsusaiga. Heh, this might be fun!
Kagome roused to the stench of rotting flesh, burrowing further into the sleeping bag with a groan. Inuyasha chuckled at her but didn’t tease. Instead, he slung the backpack over his shoulders and picked her up bridal-style in the bag. He moved a good distance upwind, glad to be away from the putrid pile of dismembered corpses his sword had left in its wake. Kagome was napping again by the time he set her down, and he set about building a fire and preparing breakfast. She would surely be starving by the time she finally decided to get up. But again, he would let her sleep as much as she wanted for the next few days, the rest being probably the best thing for her. The sooner she recovered the better; he wouldn’t be able to truly celebrate their victory until she was back to her old, fiery self.
* * *
Sango closed her eyes and grinned up at the sky, loving the caress of the wind whipping through her hair. Kirara roared enthusiastically beneath her and increased her pace, feeding off her mistress’ joy. The fire-cat had recovered nicely overnight, and now the pair was heading off to search for their lost comrades, following the route Sesshoumaru had taken the day before. They hoped some sign of Inuyasha and Kagome’s battle with Naraku would present itself. Sango beamed wider at the thought of her hated enemy’s demise and what it meant for them now, especially for herself and a certain monk.~~~
“Oh, Kami…I can’t believe it,” she breathed, running her fingers along the smooth skin of Miroku’s right palm.
“Me neither,” the monk agreed. “I’m having trouble convincing myself that Naraku is truly dead, even though the proof is right in front of us. To finally be free…” he trailed off, at a loss for words.
“Well, you won’t be able to use your ‘cursed hand’ as an excuse for your lechery anymore,” Sango observed in an attempt to lighten the mood.
“I’ll tell you something, my dear,” Miroku replied with a smirk, pulling his hand from her grasp and placing it lightly on her lower back. “It was never the curse.”
Giggling, Sango removed the wandering appendage and returned it to her lap, content to sit there and examine it for the rest of the afternoon.
“You know what this means, don’t you Sango?” the monk asked after a moment of quiet reflection. The seriousness of his tone made the taijiya’s breath catch, and she shyly raised her eyes to meet his when he took both her hands in his own. “Shall we get married as soon as we return to the village?” he inquired hopefully, his thumbs moving in delicate circles over her skin.
“I-I’d like that,” Sango answered without hesitation, not breaking eye contact even though her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. They smiled blissfully at each other for a moment, then Miroku leaned in to kiss her…
~~~
Kirara’s roar snapped Sango from her reminiscing and returned her attention to the world around them. Instantly she spotted what had excited her feline companion—a rounded blotch of sickly yellow in the distance. As they approached, the circle grew larger until she could see that it encompassed a sizeable section of a great valley. It looked as if every single piece of vegetation in the area had withered and died. Sango had a feeling this was probably what they were searching for.
“Can you pick up their scents, Kirara?” she inquired as they landed amid the desolation. The fire-cat slowly meandered around the area, sniffing furiously until finally she raised her head and gave a triumphant growl. But several more minutes of fruitless sniffing led Sango to the conclusion that while Kirara could smell their friends in a few places, she couldn’t track them. And it was frustrating her; that much was certain from her irritated snorting and demeanor.
“That’s okay, Kirara,” Sango soothed, rubbing the feline’s neck. “We know they were here, so let’s just go look for them.”
Kirara growled in concurrence and took off, flying around the dead region in ever expanding circles. Sango periodically called out the names of their missing companions. They were about ten minutes into their search when they got a response.
“Down here, taijiya!” came Inuyasha’s voice, startling the birds roosting in a nearby tree to sudden flight. Descending through the canopy, Sango was overjoyed to see them both healthy, although one of them looked better than the other. Kagome was sitting up in her sleeping bag, drowsily rubbing her face. The movement did nothing to get rid of the bags under her eyes, nor did it improve her disheveled appearance. Her hair was unkempt and frizzy, her eyelids drooped in weariness. In short, she was a mess.
“Kami, Kagome-chan, what happened?” she wondered aloud, dismounting Kirara and darting over to kneel by her side. “You look like hell!”
“I’m fine, Sango-chan,” she rasped, utterly failing to convince the slayer of that fact.
“You don’t look fine. Are you injured?”
“Well…”
“What?! Where? Let me see it!” the taijiya ordered, already starting to pull apart the miko’s robes.
“Relax, Sango, I dressed it already,” Inuyasha spoke up. “I’ll change the bandages later. She’s mostly just drained from purifying Naraku’s ass yesterday.”
Sango glanced at Kagome to make sure she didn’t want additional treatment, but the latter merely nodded in agreement, so she let it go.
“You really killed him, Kagome-chan? There’s no way he could have survived, right?”
“Nope,” Kagome replied confidently. “He’s dead, alright, thanks to you. I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t forced him to pull his heart back into his body.”
“How did you—”
“My bastard of a brother told me last night,” Inuyasha answered, the insult not delivered with quite as much conviction as usual.
“He’s really dead…” Sango repeated, the last of her worries leaving her.
“There’s something different about you, Sango-chan,” Kagome observed thoughtfully. “Just your eyes. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look so happy before.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever been. Hou—Miroku and I are going to marry as soon as we get back to the village.”
“That’s great!” Kagome cried, her exuberance driving away her fatigue as she enfolded Sango in a tight embrace. But before she could gush any further about the upcoming wedding, the taijiya’s next mumbled words wrung a shocked gasp from her throat.
“And Kohaku is alive.”
Kagome’s face fell as she recalled that Naraku had stated early in the battle that he had not yet taken Kohaku’s shard. That meant the boy’s life was still tied to it, and to complete the jewel…
“Oh, Sango-chan,” she whispered, hugging her friend tighter.
“It’s alright,” Sango declared as she pulled away, sensing the direction of the miko’s thoughts. “His shard was already removed. Sesshoumaru revived him.”
“What?!” both hanyou yelled at once. “You gotta be shitting me,” Inuyasha said in amazement.
“No, it’s true. He said he did it because it was Naraku’s will that Kohaku die. So Kohaku is alive. He’s really withdrawn, and I can tell he blames himself for everything that happened, but I think he will be okay, eventually.”
“I’m sure he will, Sango-chan,” Kagome assured, delighted for her friend. After suffering so much, if anyone deserved a happy ending, it was Sango.
“You didn’t see where that jewel shard went, did you?” Inuyasha asked.
“No, one of the saimyosho took it. Why?”
“Ah, crap.”
“Well, you see, Sango-chan,” Kagome hedged, taking on the slayer’s question. “I kind of shattered the Shikon no Tama. Again.”
“Oh, w-well, Houshi-sama and I don’t have to get married right away,” Sango said, hastily recanting her earlier statement. “We could continue our journ—”
“No! You two have waited long enough! You should settle down and start a family.”
“But—”
“No, Sango-chan! You and Miroku want a big family, right? Well before you know it you’ll be in your thirties. You…you don’t have that much time,” Kagome acknowledged gravely, sobered by the reminder that she and Inuyasha had the potential to outlive their friends by hundreds of years.
“She’s right, Sango,” Inuyasha agreed. “Leave the shard hunting to us. You and the bouzu have done enough.”
Sango frowned, not quite ready to give in, but at the same time reluctant to continue the argument now with Kagome still recovering and Miroku not here to back her up.
“So what do we do now?” she asked, changing the subject. “I could bring Houshi-sama and Kohaku here and we could all go back together.”
“Nah, you guys just head to the village and we’ll meet you there,” Inuyasha suggested with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. His countenance remained neutral, but inside the hanyou was rubbing his hands together gleefully. Some time alone with the wench sounded positively divine; for a new couple, they weren’t having nearly enough sex. By the time they made it back to the village, he wanted to be counting their trysts on fingers and toes. And they didn’t have to rush back either, even if their friends were waiting for them. Who knew what kind of ‘unforeseen circumstances’ would pop up along the way, delaying their arrival? The humans could wait another couple days for their precious wedding. There were probably many preparations to make anyway.
“Alright, I’d better be getting back,” Sango declared. “I don’t want to leave the boys alone for too long. I’ll see you back at the village.”
“Bye, Sango-chan!”
“Keh.”
When the slayer was gone, Inuyasha returned to the task of preparing the meal. He moved with just a little extra bounce in his step, and nearly started whistling. His excitement did not go unnoticed.
“You know, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you have hentai thoughts on your mind,” Kagome spoke in a scolding tone. She could not, however, hide her grin or her amusement.
“Good thing you know better then,” Inuyasha replied smoothly, earning a small chuckle from his mate.
“Hey, Inuyasha?” she said after a while.
“Yeah?”
“I’m hungry.”
Inuyasha hung his head. “Yeah yeah, wench, I’m workin’ on it.”
“Well…work faster.”
Inuyasha sighed, hoping not for the first time that Kagome healed up as quickly as possible. That reminds me; I need to change her bandages. Glancing over, he saw that she was eyeing the food ravenously, a predatory glint in her eyes. Maybe I’d better feed her first.
* * *
“Where’s the shard in this one, Kagome?” “Behind its left eye.”
It was now three days after the battle with Naraku, and Kagome had finally awoken that morning feeling like her old self. It had taken many hours of sleeping and eating like a horse, but her energy levels had mostly recovered. She still hung back as Inuyasha went to work, mostly because her bow and arrows were history. She was ready to intervene if he needed help, but she didn’t expect any problems. This was the third shard-bearing youkai to attack them in as many days, and they had all been primitive and weak. Watching their chunk of the Shikon no Tama grow larger by the day, they were both optimistic that recollecting the rest of the shards would not take as long as they had originally thought.
“Here,” Inuyasha said, interrupting her musings and tossing yet another shard in her direction. She caught it and fused it with the larger piece, putting the whole thing back in her bra. She was getting tired of keeping it there; a new bottle from the modern era was on her wish list.
“That was quick,” she observed, impressed with Inuyasha’s efficiency.
“Yeah, I almost wish it had been more of a challenge,” he confessed, rolling his shoulder.
“Be careful what you wish for.”
“Keh.”
As the pair resumed their journey, Kagome’s mind wandered back over the past few days. She felt very lucky indeed to have Inuyasha during her convalescence. He had proven an adept nurse, feeding her, helping her change and bathe, and being attentive to her every need. And he had been the perfect gentleman, never pressuring her for sex even though she knew it was on his mind. She decided not to make him wait any longer.
Grabbing his shoulder, she spun him around. Before he could voice his confusion, she threw her arms around his neck and planted her lips firmly against his. Things became heated rather quickly, neither partner feeling particularly patient at the moment. It truly had been far too long. Soon the forest floor was functioning as a makeshift bed, articles of clothing thrown haphazardly off to the side. Each reveled in the sight and scent of the other, and the latter was what caused Inuyasha to postpone the main event in the final stages of foreplay. Stumbling backward, he landed flat on his butt, grimacing as an unfortunate stone poked his left cheek.
“Inuyasha, what’s wrong?” Kagome asked in concern, sitting up and covering her breasts for modesty’s sake.
“Take a whiff of yourself, wench,” he huffed in frustration before realizing that emotion was unnecessary—their most recent trip to the modern era had seen to that. Kagome frowned but complied, coming up empty by the look on her face.
“What’s wrong with the way I smell?” she demanded, arousal fading in favor of irritation.
“Nothing!” he hastily replied, waving his hands to placate her ire. “It’s just…I think if we did it now, you’d get pregnant.”
“Oh,” Kagome uttered, thinking it over. “That’s right! I completely forgot what time of the month it was.”
“It’s alright. We just have to try one of those con-dum things,” he said, turning to rummage through her bag for the circular little godsends.
“Inuyasha, I don’t…I don’t want to use a condom.”
“Then why the hell did we go to all the trouble of—wait, what?” He froze as the possible significance of Kagome’s words sunk in, suddenly finding it difficult to draw breath. Ever so slowly he turned his head to glance at her. She was staring at the ground, face flushed and hands nervously wringing in her lap. Her posture left no doubt as to the true meaning of her words, and he nearly toppled over in a heap at the realization. Whoa, boy.
“F-forget it!” Kagome stuttered, trying in vain to mask her disappointment. “Just get a condom.”
“No, wait,” Inuyasha said, moving to sit directly in front of her. “Kagome, do you even realize what you’re saying?”
When she sent him an icy glare he knew that hadn’t been the right way to put it.
“I think I know what I said, baka!” she growled, shame and hurt morphing into anger. Inuyasha didn’t let the outburst bother him; this conversation was far too important.
“I-I didn’t mean it like that. I meant…well, do you know what this means? Are you really ready to start a family?”
Kagome narrowed her eyes, finding a certain clump of dirt very interesting, but gave no reply. She was probably thinking more about Inuyasha’s answer to his own question, or what she obviously thought his answer was. He would have to correct that misconception.
“Because if you are,” he spoke lowly, grabbing her hands, “then I am too.”
Shocked brown eyes finally rose to meet his. Her pupils twitching back and forth, searching for anything besides truthfulness. She found nothing, and her expression softened. She licked her lips, seriously considering her own feelings before coming to a conclusion.
“I’m ready. I want to have your baby, Inuyasha.”
Inuyasha gulped, sudden anxiety hitting him hard, but his resolve never wavered. “Okay,” he finally said.
“Okay,” Kagome repeated.
The ensuing silence was intensely awkward and uncomfortable. Kagome studied her mate; Inuyasha appeared every bit as nervous as he did their first night together. And like that night, she realized that she would have to make the initial move. She crawled forward, pushing him to sit and settling in his lap. She wrapped her arms tightly around him, running her fingers over his back. Only when she felt his tense muscles begin to relax did she raise her chin and kiss him. Soon the fires of passion were once again roaring fervently, burning with a new kind of effervescence as they finally consumed them.
Both hanyou slept soundly that night with the knowledge that the child of their love was growing in Kagome’s belly. And the miko dreamt…
~~~
She was sitting in a field of lush green, the sun shining brightly overhead and bathing the area in soothing warmth. Birds and insects flitted about their business, and flowers of every color swayed in the wind. In short, the scene was breathtakingly beautiful.
A small form moved in the distance, drawing her attention. It was a dark-haired child, probably about two or three years old, teetering after a butterfly. It took her a moment to realize that the child had puppy ears perched atop its head. As she watched, the child lost interest in the butterfly and scampered over to a larger form which she recognized almost instantly. Inuyasha? And that’s…our child!
Inuyasha had his back to her, but was staring solemnly off to the side, his gaze unseeing. Why does he look so sad? Sensing her presence, Inuyasha turned to regard her fully, and Kagome gasped at the wretchedness of his expression. Such grief, such sorrow… The world shifted until all she could see were his haunted amber eyes, the once bright orbs burning darkness and despair into her soul. Then, mercifully, the entire image faded to black.
(1) The night of their first kiss (chapter 27).
(2) See chapter 12.
(3) Chichi-ue is a very old, very respectful term for ‘father.’ Inuyasha, by contrast, uses the slangy, less respectful term ‘Oyaji.’
(4) Immediately after Naraku vanishes and Sesshoumaru spares Kohaku’s life, Inuyasha and Kagome get a brief look at Rin. She is excited to see Sesshoumaru and leaves with him.
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