InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Metamorphosis ❯ Race Against Time ( Chapter 60 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: King Baka 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Suspense / Romance / Hentai / Adventure | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 11.01.2010 | Updated On: 03.03.2011 | Pages: 5 | Words: 10.8K | Visits: 2.7K | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Suspense / Romance / Hentai / Adventure | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 11.01.2010 | Updated On: 03.03.2011 | Pages: 5 | Words: 10.8K | Visits: 2.7K | 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.
Race Against Time
**Week Twenty-Eight**
Inuyasha yawned, just rousing from a peaceful slumber. He loved Kagome’s modern mattress; he always slept well on it. They had another prenatal appointment tomorrow, and this afternoon they planned to go shopping for some baby-related items they would take with them to the feudal era. Just because their child was going to be raised in the past didn’t mean he or she couldn’t enjoy some modern amenities. He glanced over to his wife to see if she was awake yet.
Inuyasha grimaced; not only was she awake, but it appeared as though she’d been up all night. Her eyes were bloodshot and bordered by dark circles, widened as she started blankly at the ceiling. He sighed, gazing at her in sympathy. Insomnia, and by extension fatigue, had plagued Kagome recently. Part of the problem initially had been discomfort from lying down with her increasingly distended belly. Her mother had bought her a maternity pillow, and that helped with the discomfort, but apparently that wasn’t the only cause of her insomnia. She was usually able to get some shuteye during the night, but Inuyasha wasn’t sure that was the case this time.
“Were you up all night, Kagome?”
She panned her eyes slowly over to him, perhaps realizing for the first time that he was awake. Then she nodded miserably, confirming Inuyasha’s suspicions.
“The whole night,” she croaked, ample frustration evident in her tone. “Every time I thought maybe I’d fall asleep, I’d get one of those damn Braxton Hicks contractions, or your kid would start kicking me again.”
Inuyasha grinned at her characterization of the ‘misbehaving’ child as his kid, but made no mention of it. Instead, he raised himself into a sitting position, settling cross-legged with his back against the wall. Then he gently scooped Kagome up and deposited her in his lap, cupping her cheek and pressing her head to rest on his shoulder. She resisted at first, feeling too miserable to accept his comfort.
“Just let me go, Inuyasha. This isn’t going to work.”
“Shhh…just relax, Kagome. Let it all out.”
“Let what all out?” she demanded irritably, but Inuyasha only kissed her on the top of the head and began running his hand over her hair. That was apparently the final straw that broke Kagome’s will to hold in her emotions, because in the next moment Inuyasha caught the scent of her tears. For once, it was a welcome scent; he knew his wife well enough to know when she needed a good cry to vent her frustrations. Pregnancy was difficult, hormones were running wild, and sometimes it was nice to simply release all the pent up emotions that came with it.
Kagome’s sobs wound down to sniffles quickly, and then to occasional hiccups. She buried her face in his haori, too physically exhausted and emotionally spent to do anything else. Inuyasha sat silently with her throughout. Now he leaned his cheek against her hair, his hand moving to soothingly stroke her back. They sat like that for a long time, Inuyasha hoping to hear some telltale signs of slumber from his wife. Finally, Kagome’s breathing evened out and she slumped completely against him. At last, she was asleep.
Inuyasha grinned victoriously, but made no other move for fear of waking her. He scarcely dared to breathe, and he did not stop rubbing her back. He resolved to sit here all day if he had to; Kagome needed sleep, and he was going to make sure she got it. Mrs. Higurashi stuck her head in around mid-morning. She beamed at him and close the door wordlessly, glowing with pride in her son-in-law. Her daughter was certainly in good hands.
Kagome finally stirred late that afternoon, sitting up and looking around dazedly, momentarily unsure where she was. She’s freakin’ adorable, Inuyasha thought.
“Sleep well, Kagome?”
“Sleep?” she replied numbly, amazed that she had actually been sleeping at all. She glanced over to the alarm clock and gasped.
“Four-thirty?!” she exclaimed. “I’ve been asleep all day?” Then understanding dawned, and she turned watery eyes toward Inuyasha. “You stayed with me all this time?”
“Keh. Don’t worry about it. You’re doing the hard part,” he said, placing his hand meaningfully on her belly.
“Oh…” she breathed, pulling him down for a grateful kiss. Perhaps it was her appreciation, but she felt something else stir within her at the intimate contact. Pulling away just a little, she licked her lips in anticipation.
“How can I make it up to you?” she asked sultrily.
“Make me something to eat? I’m starving over here.”
“Oh…okay,” Kagome replied, trying to hide her disappointment. She had just risen to her feet when she felt Inuyasha’s hand on her wrist. She glanced down to see him wearing a mischievous smirk.
“Later,” he said, pulling her into his arms.
They found Miroku pacing nervously outside, all of his training as a monk useless in this situation. He could no more sit down and meditate than he could sprout wings and fly. Not when his wife’s barely-stifled groans of agony periodically drifted to his ears. He tossed the newcomers a haggard look, exhausted by the act of worrying for hours on end. Kagome gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder and ducked inside.
That of course left just the two males outside. Inuyasha imagined his experience was a little different from Miroku’s though. For one thing, it wasn’t his wife giving birth in there. In addition, he could smell everything going on inside, from sweat to blood to fluids he couldn’t name. He could also hear what the women were saying, some of which filled him with a sense of awe. The rest of it either made him dread two months from now when Kagome would go through childbirth, or made him want to laugh.
“Can you hear, Inuyasha? How is she doing?” Miroku asked, not bothering to hide the fact that he was petrified.
“Kaede doesn’t sound alarmed at all. Sango seems fine to me. In fact,” Inuyasha said, smirking slightly, “she just finished telling Kagome how she’s never letting you touch her again.”
Miroku managed a small chuckle but that was it; then he went back to brooding. Inuyasha sighed. He wasn’t good at reassuring people, but he would try.
“Look, bouzu, Sango’s the strongest woman I know. If all the shit she’s been through so far couldn’t kill her, childbirth doesn’t stand a chance. She’ll be fine.”
Miroku nodded, wanting so badly to believe the words. But he knew his fear would not abate until both Sango and the baby were safe in his arms.
“I know, Sango-chan, but just bear it for a little while longer.”
“Indeed,” Kaede interjected, “soon we should be able to see the head.”
“Is it almost time?” Sango asked hopefully.
“Not yet, Sango. Rest for now, and let your body do its work. I will tell you when to push.”
“Ugh!” Sango grunted as another contraction set in, lasting nearly a full minute. She slumped weakly back onto the pillows, breathing heavily.
“Kagome-chan, tell my husband to get his ass in here. I want him to see the birth of his child.”
Kaede smiled to herself. She thought every husband should be present for the birth, but always left it up to the pregnant mother. If the mother would rather do it in private, then so be it. But Kaede had a soft spot for this particular couple, and was especially glad Miroku would get to witness the miracle with his own eyes. Kagome left Sango’s side, and within moments Miroku took her place.
“Sango,” he whispered, amazement, terror, and helplessness swirling in his widened eyes. “What can I do?”
“Just hold my hand,” she ground out, feeling the approach of another contraction.
Kagome moved away from the trio, a forgotten observer. She watched as Sango rode out her contractions, squeezing her husband’s hand with all the intensity she felt inside herself. She watched as Kaede realize the time had come, and ordered the slayer to push. She listened as the anguished cries Sango had been holding back finally escaped her in those final moments. She was there as a new life came into this world, took its first breath, and let out its first keening wail.
Kagome let herself out while parents and newborn were becoming acquainted, not wanting to intrude on that special moment. She glanced down to find Inuyasha leaning against the outside of the hut, a tentative smile on his features. Kagome sniffled, drying the tears in her eyes and beaming joyfully. She sat down next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder. His hand found hers and clutched it tightly, their thoughts perfectly in sync. In a couple months, that will be us. All the pain, the effort, the worrying…it would all be worth it, just to have their child in their arms.
Miroku called them in a few minutes later so ‘Auntie Kagome’ and ‘Uncle Inu’ could meet the new arrival. He was a sleepy baby boy named Hiroshi, after Sango’s father. (1) Perhaps it was too early to tell, but Kagome thought he had Sango’s features. He definitely possessed his father’s violet eyes, however. One could only hope he did not grow to exhibit the same tendencies toward women as his father, but that was a worry for another day. For now, he was simply adorable, from his small tuft of black hair to his tiny toes. And when he started fussing, apparently deciding he wanted a meal before his first nap, Kagome and Inuyasha took their leave. They returned to their own newly-completed hut for the night, to pleasant dreams of the family they would soon have.
“Ugh, I’m going to need a damn vacation when this day is over,” Kagome grouched, something she had been doing a lot of lately. In addition to feeling huge and clumsy, though her youkai side prevented at least the latter sensation from becoming reality, her body seemed to be doing everything it could to bug the crap out of her. More forceful Braxton Hicks contractions, sore feet, tiny bladder, and general moodiness were just some of the issues confronting her on a daily basis. Was it any wonder that she hadn’t been the most pleasant person to be around the past few days? Still, none of that was any comfort to the male hanyou whose moods fluctuated in conjunction with hers.
“If you’d let me carry you, maybe you wouldn’t be so sore,” he replied, harsher than he intended.
“Like I said the first five times you asked,” Kagome spat, “I don’t want you to carry me.”
That was the last straw for Inuyasha. He was tired of being snapped at for trying to help. And he was tired of his mood and their whole relationship being soured by his crabby wife. Before he could think better of it, he rounded on her, bringing his face mere inches from hers.
“Kagome, could you at least try to be less of a miserable bitch?!”
Kagome stared at him blankly for a moment, then her eyes hardened at the same time Inuyasha’s colored with uncertainty. Wait, what did I just—
*Slap!*
The sound was as much a shock to Inuyasha as the blow, which snapped his head to the side. The painful sting on his cheek was an unfamiliar, degrading sensation, and it took him awhile to realize what had happened. Kagome had hit him. He slowly turned his head, finding her recoiling slightly with the same look of uncertainty which he had worn moments before. But that didn’t matter now. Snarling silently, he spun on his heel and stormed off. She did not call out for him, but he sensed that she wanted him to stay. Perhaps he would have, if anger had been the only thing motivating his flight. But no, it was fear that fueled him, forced his muscles to move. For a split second, the tiniest iota of time, he had wanted to hit her back. And that scared him more than anything.
He sighed heavily. There was nothing else to do except go back and try to make things right. Her expression after striking him provided some hope that she would forgive him. He slowly made his way back toward where he’d left her, each step feeling like he was moving closer and closer to a mysterious abyss. At last, he spotted Kagome sitting in the exact same spot as their fight had taken place. She was not crying, which surprised him. In fact, his nose told him she had shed not a single tear. This was perplexing to say the least, especially since she appeared to be…berating herself?
“Why did I hit him? Stupid, Kagome! He only called you a miserable bitch because you were acting like one!”
Inuyasha cleared his throat, abruptly ceasing her self-reprimand. He almost smiled at her surprised visage, feeling much more relaxed than he had only moments before. Knowing that she felt the same as he did made a world of difference.
“Inuyasha?” she breathed, still unsure of herself.
“Keh, glad I’m not the only one pissed at myself,” he replied, striding over and kneeling in front of her. Kagome managed a relieved smile at this, realizing what he already knew. This wasn’t a relationship-breaker. Unlike in the past, they were mature enough to see this potentially epic fight for what it was—a simple misunderstanding. The line between overbearing and helpful was a tough one to tread, and Inuyasha could admit that sometimes he strayed on the wrong side. And Kagome could admit that sometimes she snapped at him when he was on the right side. Most importantly, they could give each other a break.
And as for that little urge he’d felt…he didn’t think it was as huge a deal as he originally believed. It was probably human nature to feel such impulses, and though he was not physically human, he was close to it emotionally. The key was whether he would go through with it, and there was no doubt in his mind that he never would.
They embraced, simply holding each other for a long time. After awhile, her hand crept up and tenderly cupped his still-red cheek, conveying a silent apology and a promise not to do it again in the future. That kind of conduct worked for one couple they knew, but neither of them wished it to become a part of their relationship. Finally, Kagome chuckled against his shoulder.
“Inuyasha, I think we’re both bakas.”
He fully agreed.
“Inuyasha, you’re being unreasonable.”
“I’m being unreasonable? I’m not the one who wants to go traipsing off into the wilderness when she’s gonna give birth in a few weeks!”
“The jewel is more than three quarters complete already. Don’t you want to rid the world of the Shikon no Tama before bringing our child into it?”
“Of course I do, but not enough to let you wander away from the well. You’re having the baby in your time. What if it comes early?”
“Dr. Hayashi says that’s highly unlikely,” Kagome assured him. She shared his desire to have the baby in the modern era; the doctor had already arranged a special room at the hospital for her, where she would be cared for by youkai physicians. Their child’s hanyou ears would set off no alarm bells in that environment. In the meantime, the doctor had performed numerous ultrasounds and other tests, concluding that the baby would probably not come more than a week early. They still referred to the baby as an ‘it’ because they had declined to learn the sex, preferring instead to be surprised.
“But she can’t be sure, can she?” Inuyasha retorted.
“Well no, but—”
“No buts! We’re staying here and that’s final!” he declared, setting his jaw and crossing his arms over his chest.
Kagome’s eyes narrowed; he could put his foot down all he wanted, but that didn’t mean his word was law, or that she had to accept it without question.
“Alright smart guy, say we stay here until the baby is born. How do we complete the jewel then?”
“Uh, you and the baby stay here. I’ll go look for the shards.”
“Oh, so now you can sense them? When did you acquire that ability?”
“W-we’ll leave the baby with your mother.”
“Oh yeah,” Kagome drolled sarcastically, “I’m going to wanna leave my newborn child behind while I’m ‘traipsing off into the wilderness,’ as you put it.”
“Fine, then we’ll take the baby with us!”
“WHAT?!!! You want to take an infant out on the road? That’s way too dangerous! This baby is a lot less vulnerable and easier to keep safe when it’s in here,” she said, pointing to her belly.
“Dammit…”
Kagome took a deep breath, reigning in her temper. She did understand where Inuyasha was coming from, but that didn’t make him any less wrong. Still, speaking in a more civil manner might get them somewhere toward a solution.
“Look, Inuyasha, I know you’re worried. But the best time to search for the jewel shards is now. If we go out now, I think we have a good chance of completing our mission before having the baby. Then we can move on with our lives, settle down, and raise our family, all without worrying about marauding youkai attracted by the Shikon no Tama.”
When Inuyasha sighed heavily, Kagome knew she had him. But he was not about to surrender either, because he knew he was right too, at least partly.
“Two weeks, Kagome. I’ll give you two more weeks. Then we’re returning to your time and staying there until the baby is born.”
Kagome thought about it for a few seconds, eventually deciding that it was a fair compromise. She didn’t want to cut the delivery too close, after all.
“Deal.”
“Damn, this fucking thing never stops!”
They had been tracking this youkai, a feline judging by its scent, for the better part of five days. While most shard-bearing youkai were attracted to Kagome’s piece, this one seemed intent on avoiding it. That of course meant the two hanyou had to chase after it. It seemed to flitter in and out of the range of Kagome’s ability to sense jewel shards, never staying close enough for long enough to allow them to catch up. Most of the time, they had to rely on their noses to track it, and that was slow going. The scent it left behind was not remarkable, nor pungent as Naraku’s had been, which made a difficult task even more challenging. And of course they needed sleep, Kagome especially, though even Inuyasha needed to rest periodically. In short, their progress was slow, and they had to stop for at least part of every night, plus several times during the day to eat.
Increasing Inuyasha’s frustration, they had already stayed out well beyond the two weeks he had promised Kagome. But she had sensed a ‘large presence’ of the Shikon no Tama from this youkai. Such an opportunity was too good to pass up; who knew how long it would take them to find this bastard again if they let it get away now? Optimistically, this youkai could possess all of the remaining shards, minus Kouga’s. The quest could be basically completed once they caught this youkai, or at the very least substantially closer to completion. They had come this far, and weren’t about to turn back empty-handed.
They pursued their quarry through forests, over plains, and now the youkai was leading them up into the mountains. Soon bare rock greeted them everywhere they looked, the vegetation sparse and weak, barely clinging to life. But they were gaining. They had closed the gap this morning, and now Kagome could sense the shards clearly, obviating the need to track the scent. Inuyasha sped up his pace further, allowing a predatory grin to pull at the corners of his lips. This thing was close; he could feel the youki tingling against his skin. Soon this long hunt would finally come to an end.
“Inuyasha,” Kagome said, grabbing his arm and pulling him to a stop. “It stopped.”
Inuyasha studied her for a moment; she was breathing hard, slumping forward with one hand on her knee. Sweat beaded on her forehead and flowed down her face and neck. In his haste he had forgotten that it was more difficult for her to move around. She could keep up with him to a point, but it was clear that he had been exceeding that pace for at least an hour or two.
“Dammit, Kagome. Why didn’t you say something?”
She shook him off. “I’m fine. I would have if I couldn’t handle it. Come on, let’s end this.”
Nodding, he turned and crept slowly up the hill, knowing he didn’t need to tell her to stay behind him. The cat youkai was no longer the only thing he sensed; a powerful scent and an equally powerful aura emanated from just ahead. It appeared this was not going to be as simple as he originally hoped. The rise leveled out into wide plateau, surrounded on three sides by looming mountains. Dead grass crackled under his feet; it was spread sparingly across the whole expanse, most of which was simply bare, lifeless earth. The area reeked of burnt flesh and vegetation, of acrid smoke that never quite blew away in the wind. This was a place of death.
In the center of the plateau, perhaps a hundred yards away, stood a lone figure. He was dressed in majestic hakama and robes, black as night, ornately decorated with sharp patterns of fiery reds, yellows, and oranges. His short hair was wild and colored in the same shade of crimson. As Inuyasha and Kagome approached closer, they saw that his face was free of markings, but his smoky gray eyes smoldered with malice and amusement.
“My, my, Kaibun has certainly done well this time. (2) Imagine, the entire Shikon no Tama strolling up to my front door!”
“Inuyasha, he has the piece of the jewel,” Kagome whispered, confirming what he already suspected.
“Keep an eye out for that damn cat,” he told her, able to sense its presence nearby but not pinpoint its location.
“Who are you, bastard?!” he called, addressing the stranger.
“I am Kajimaru,” the man replied smoothly, unaffected by the insult. (3) “Do not tell me your names; I do not wish to know them. Hand over the Shikon no Tama and I will give the two—or three—of you quick deaths. Odd that you would bring your pregnant mate here, and foolish. You will come to regret it.”
Inuyasha bristled at the threat, pulling out Tetsusaiga and dropping into a combat stance. “Fuck off,” he snarled. “Surrender now and I may only slice you up a little.”
Kajimaru chuckled, a dark, chilling sound despite his genuine amusement. “I believe you misunderstand the situation, hanyou. Do you think you tracked my Kaibun to this place? To the contrary, you were lured here. And you will die here by my hand,” he declared, reaching over his shoulders with both hands and drawing two long katana from sheaths crossed over his back. They did not look exceptional in any way, but the air immediately heated up a few degrees, a stifling wind blowing slowly across the plateau.
Inuyasha swore under his breath. The cat youkai, Kaibun, had apparently sensed that they possessed part of the Shikon no Tama, then drawn them here so her master could deal with them. She had then given her shards to the master and now lurked somewhere on the sidelines. This was a trap, a plot to lure Kajimaru’s enemies to his favorite battlefield, where he possessed all the advantages. And they had walked right into it.
Inuyasha tightened his grip on Tetsusaiga, a determined grin spreading over his features. This was nothing compared to some of Naraku’s traps, and they had survived all of those. He would kill this Kajimaru bastard, both because he had to and because he wanted to. He crouched lower, digging his foot into the dirt in preparation for a charge. Kagome’s startled shriek cancelled those plans.
He spun in time to see her dodge an attack by a dark creature, the feline Kaibun he realized as Kagome leapt away. The cat youkai looked like Kirara’s evil cousin. About her size, Kaibun was covered in black fur crisscrossed by angry crimson markings. Her single tail was long and thin, and her yellow eyes glowed wickedly as she sized up her prey. She attacked again, her movements a flurry of swiping claws and snapping jaws. Kagome retreated, avoiding each strike with room to spare, but there was little opportunity to counter the relentless advance. Inuyasha moved to go to her aid.
“Your fight is with me, half-breed!”
The cry forced him to stop and spin, raising his sword just in time to block the katana swinging down at him. The blades crashed together with a mighty clash, Inuyasha’s knees buckling slightly with the power of the blow. Kajimaru smirked, raising his other sword arm to slash at the hanyou’s unprotected side. Inuyasha leapt back, sucking in his chest to avoid the slice. He felt no pain, but looking down he spied a neat tear in his haori. That had been close. He grimaced. Kajimaru was apparently pretty strong; if he turned his back, he would wind up with a sword sticking out of it. At least for now, Kagome was on her own.
Kagome dove to the side, narrowly avoiding a swipe from Kaibun’s paw. There was no letup in the cat’s attacks; all she could do was retreat and try not to be too predictable in the way she dodged them. Going in for hand-to-hand fighting was too risky, and she had no time to pull the bow from her shoulder and notch an arrow. Kagome knew she had to somehow find a way to change that. She couldn’t keep doing this forever; her extended belly slowed her down and left her feeling intensely vulnerable.
Inuyasha kept one ear turned toward his wife as he crossed blades with Kajimaru, unwilling to abandon her completely. The enemy wanted to split them up and deal with the separately, and to allow that would play right into their hands. So he continued to look for an opening to aid Kagome in even some small way. The problem was that Kajimaru was as relentless as his feline companion. He combined quickness and deft swordsmanship to severely test Inuyasha’s defenses; often, the hanyou was forced to use Tetsusaiga’s large surface as a shield more than an offensive weapon. But Inuyasha had never been proficient at traditional swordsmanship, so being inferior to an opponent in that regard was nothing new. He kept his head, not making any wild attacks which would leave him vulnerable to counterstrike. Still, his mind was not completely into the fight, and his opponent noticed.
“Your distraction will get you killed, hanyou,” Kajimaru declared, flinging his blade forward in a stabbing motion toward Inuyasha’s midsection. The hanyou twisted to the side, but not quickly enough to avoid a shallow slice on the arm. Backing away, Inuyasha dug his claws into the bleeding wound and threw the blood forward.
“Hijin Ketsusou!”
The crimson blades rushed across the brief expanse between Inuyasha and Kajimaru, forcing the latter to retreat. It was the opportunity Inuyasha had been waiting for. He spun toward his wife and her attacker, raising his sword high above his head.
“Kaze no Kizu!”
His aim was perfect, but a casual observer might note that he missed. Kaibun turned toward the oncoming power in time to stumble to the side and avoid the slashing wind. But Inuyasha’s goal was not to kill the cat. Kagome had already drawn an arrow, and as he watched she loosed it. The projectile flashed across the clearing, trailing a huge quantity of purifying energy behind it. Kaibun again saw the attack, but she could not move completely out of the way this time. The arrow itself missed her, but the wave of pink energy caught her on the side. She let out a pained yowl as the air filled with the scents of burning fur and flesh. Then she managed a hobbled, sprinting retreat, clambering up a rock face and disappearing out of sight.
“You’ll pay for that, bitch!” Kajimaru swore angrily, stalking towards Kagome. Inuyasha placed himself between the two of them, facing the youkai with a smirk.
“Oi, did you forget that I’m your opponent?”
Kajimaru growled in response, then charged forward to begin the battle again. For her part, Kagome kept one eye on the ongoing melee and the other, plus her other senses, on the surrounding area. Kaibun had not been mortally wounded, and still lurked out there somewhere. She needed to watch both their backs.
Inuyasha grimaced as the tip of Kajimaru’s sword sliced him again, on the thigh this time. His opponent’s dual weapons gave him an advantage, as did his quickness and agility. If this was a battle of power-on-power, Inuyasha knew he and Tetsusaiga would win, hands down. But Kajimaru liked to remain in close, engaging in constant sword-on-sword contact. He pranced around like this was some sort of traditional duel, and he possessed the emotional detachment to match. Inuyasha grinned to himself; he still had some tricks up his sleeve. It was time to rock the boat, and maybe piss Kajimaru off a little bit.
Inuyasha swung Tetsusaiga in an exaggerated sideways arc, intentionally allowing his attack to carry too far. His opponent took the bait, deftly parrying the huge blade and forcing it into the ground. Then he swung the katana in his free hand down toward Inuyasha’s skull, expecting to slice his surprised and unprepared opponent in half. But Inuyasha was ready; he grabbed the descending wrist in his left hand, stopping the sword’s descent. Twisting the arm to the side, he released Tetsusaiga and closed the gap between them, knocking Kajimaru back with a vicious head butt. Shuffling forward enough to stay with the reeling youkai, he pulled his right arm back and slugged Kajimaru on the chin as hard as he could.
He felt the jaw bone break under the force of his knuckles, watching with great satisfaction as Kajimaru stumbled back, nearly falling on his ass. But he recovered, dropping into a wobbly fighting stance with both swords once again at the ready. He worked his jaw several times, popping the fractured bone back into alignment so he could speak. Then he glared daggers at Inuyasha, who had by then retrieved Tetsusaiga and leaned it over his shoulder.
“That was a dirty trick, half-breed,” he snarled, spitting out a glob of saliva and blood.
“Why, ‘cause I don’t fight like a pansy?” Inuyasha sneered. “Come on, let’s put our swords away and just go at it with our bare hands.”
“Utterly barbaric,” Kajimaru replied dismissively. “Very well. If you will not give me an honorable battle, than I will show you how a true warrior fights!”
Kajimaru slammed his swords together, and with a bright flash of light and a wave of heat, they fused into one blade. This one was much larger, with wicked-looking jagged edges near the tip. Inuyasha might have compared it to a medieval European mace had he possessed the historical background. If it was hot before, it was doubly so now; the atmosphere took on the feel of being inside a burning building. The blade began to glow red hot, flames leaping from its surface in all directions. Now they knew why this area was a wasteland.
“Amatsu no Kaen!” Kajimaru shouted, swinging his sword with practiced precision. (4) A solid mass of fire roiled out in Inuyasha’s direction, forcing the hanyou to dodge. His haori was fire-resistant, but it did not cover his head. This was the kind of heat that would instantly singe every strand of hair and melt his eyeballs if he took a direct hit. In other words, he’d be dead before he hit the ground. He continued to run as Kajimaru brought the sword around toward him, the great surge of flames following his every move. It was like a giant whip, only made of a ‘cord’ of fire, its diameter half as his height.
Inuyasha leapt over the undulating inferno, but his feet had barely touched the ground before it came at him from the other direction, obliging him to throw himself to the ground face-first. He was sure the tips of his hair got charred, but he managed to escape the worst of it. Then he launched himself straight at Kajimaru like a vengeful missile, knowing the only way to win was to get in close. Kajimaru appeared helpless, unable to retract the business end of his weapon quickly enough. In another moment, Inuyasha would dodge his feeble swing with the sword and slice him in half.
“Look out!”
Only Kagome’s warning and Inuyasha’s insanely fast reflexes saved him from sudden incineration. The flames had come out of nowhere from behind, nearly catching him. Perhaps a whip was not the best way to describe the weapon. It was more like a serpent, moving to the will of its master. Kajimaru favored him with an arrogant smirk.
“I grow tired of your endless fleeing, hanyou,” he declared. “Let’s see if we can’t corral you a bit.” Taking his sword in a double overhand grip, he smashed it into the ground. Instantly a rift tore the dirt surface of the plateau, spreading quickly toward Inuyasha. Fire erupted from the fissure, along with frightening volcanic material that seemed to come from the bowels of the earth. The hanyou tensed, but about fifty feet away from him the rift split into distinct sections, moving around so as to complete a circle by joining behind him. Seeing what was happening, Kagome hurried to join her husband before the oncoming conflagration could cut them off. And then they were alone, surrounded by blazing walls at least thirty feet high. Periodically, bursts of magma would explode from the fissure, tossing mysterious red hot matter and black ash into the air.
“You should have stayed outside, Kagome,” Inuyasha told her firmly.
“He wants to split us up, Inuyasha. We’re stronger together than we are—look out!”
Inuyasha didn’t have time to react before Kagome’s hand grabbed the collar of his robes and dragged him backwards just in time to avoid a strike from the same serpent-whip of flame as before. Kajimaru’s taunting cackle floated to them over the roar of the inferno all around them.
“You see now, the difference in our power,” he spoke, his voice booming as if it was being projected by the flames themselves. “There is no escape.”
Inuyasha had to reluctantly agree with that assessment. They were trapped now; judging by the heat emanating from the walls, they wouldn’t survive a breakout attempt. To make matters worth, they couldn’t see where Kajimaru’s next strike would come from. He felt Kagome press her back against his, and grinned. She had the right idea, keeping the entire compass within their combined field of vision. Perhaps it had been a good idea for her to join him after all. At least now Kajimaru had to fight them both together, as opposed to picking one of them off at a time. So no, they weren’t going to escape. Fortunately, neither of them had any intention of doing so. This was still a fight to the death, one they would win.
“Kaze no Kizu!” he yelled, launching the attack against Kajimaru’s serpent-whip. The wind blades tore through the flames, extinguishing them. Then they reached the walls, blasting through the fire and ash…for about half a second. The wall solidified before Inuyasha could even think to look past it. His Kaze no Kizu could deal with Kajimaru’s weapon because it was concentrated youkai power, but this, this was the violent and mighty force of the earth itself. No mortal weapon could overcome it, though it appeared Kajimaru’s could summon it.
Kagome’s purifying arrow obtained much the same results when Kajimaru tried to come at them from her side. It temporarily put out his serpent-whip, but had little effect on the walls. Inuyasha swore under his breath. Dammit, how are we supposed to hit the bastard if we can’t tell where he is? He supposed he could start blindly firing Kongousouha, but in the high likelihood that he missed, Kajimaru might find a way to counteract that attack too. Then they’d really be in trouble.
“Inuyasha,” Kagome said softly, her voice deadly calm. “Can you cover me for a little while?”
He didn’t need to ask what she was planning; he trusted her completely, especially when she used that tone of voice.
“Yes,” he answered. Nodding, Kagome seated herself cross-legged on the ground, closing her eyes. Truth be told, she didn’t really know what she was doing. She knew what she wanted to do, but as for how… She felt Inuyasha’s haori flutter down on top of her head, reminding her of old times. Times when Inuyasha had saved her, and she him. When they had rescued each other from certain death. It helped her focus, to picture her goal in her mind’s eye, and to make a journey of self-discovery to learn how to reach it. Her miko powers had always come through for her when she needed them the most, teaching her something new at just the right moment. She had faith they—and she—would rise to the occasion again. Because if she didn’t, Inuyasha and their unborn child would die. There was no more powerful motivation in the world.
Inuyasha crouched down, closing his own eyes as well. They would be useless now because he didn’t have a pair in the back of his head. He attuned his other senses more sharply to his surroundings. His ears would hear the telltale crackle of the approaching maelstrom, his nose would detect the smell of the blaze, and his aura would tingle with the presence of the foreign youki. Just wait…focus…there.
He stood and spun, knowing it was too late for a Kaze no Kizu. He drove his sword into the ground in front of Kagome’s helpless form and crouched behind it just before the serpent-whip struck. Tetsusaiga howled with the impact, but its youki nevertheless deflected the worst of the flames. Inuyasha threw his shoulder into his weapon, refusing to let it give in to the relentless heat and pressure. The blade began to warm; soon the skin of his shoulder was being burned through his kosode. His right hand pulsed with scorching pain, but still he maintained his grip on the hilt. Tetsusaiga would break before he did, and if this continued for much longer…
“What the—” he heard their assailant say over the roar of fire on metal. Then, much to Inuyasha’s delight, the pressure on Tetsusaiga eased. Tightening the fingers of his charred right hand, he pulled the blade out and smashed the serpent-whip in the same motion. The flames dissipated under the onslaught, man and sword fighting with the same aura, as one. As he honed in on Kajimaru, he noticed the reason for the youkai’s distraction. The once-towering walls of fire were gone. Or rather, they were being suppressed. For extending over the fissure, all along its length, was a barrier. It glowed pink, but Inuyasha could see the rage of the repressed energy underneath. His wife was containing the power of the earth itself, but there was no time to admire her handiwork. The barrier was already cracking under the strain.
Rearing back, Inuyasha called upon Tetsusaiga’s strongest transformation, releasing its power with everything he had.
“KONGOUSOUHA!!!”
The barrier shattered an instant after the first few diamond shards leapt from the blade, blocking Inuyasha’s view of his target. But the projectiles passed through easily, unimpeded by the flames. Diamonds, even artificially created ones, were one of the few things the fire could not stop.
For a few seconds nothing happened, and Inuyasha began to fear that he had missed, that Kajimaru had somehow dodged or deflected his Kongousouha. But then the great searing walls began to recede, the earth’s power retreating back inside its surface. The fissure closed, leaving behind only bare earth, purged of all life. Kagome’s choked gasp drew his eyes to her, and as he turned to follow the direction of her stare, he was hard pressed to hold back his own grunt of revulsion.
It was a grisly scene. Kajimaru, or what was left of him, was pinned to the side of the mountain, hundreds of diamond shards embedded all around him. At least a dozen protruded from his body at various points, blood flowing down their lengths and dripping from their tips. There was nothing left of his face; a large diamond shard had taken him almost directly on the nose. Now, all that remained of his head was a shell of bone and skin wrapped around the projectile. His right hand still clutched the hilt of his sword, pieces of which now lay scattered all around. As Inuyasha watched, the broken sword caught fire, quickly burning itself and the remains of its master to nothingness. A tiny, darkened speck of something fell to the ground, and Inuyasha realized what it was. Not even the power of the Shikon no Tama had been able to save Kajimaru from his wounds. Sheathing Tetsusaiga, he trotted back to check on his wife.
“You alright, Kagome?” he asked, kneeling by her side.
She nodded, still holding her hand over her mouth. “Aside from wanting to puke, yeah.”
“Using your powers that much didn’t tire you out?” he inquired suspiciously.
“…”
“I’m carrying you for the rest of the day.”
Kagome shook her head with a grin, deciding not to argue. Truth be told, her exertions had left her quite exhausted. Not to the point of passing out like last time, but certainly enough to not refuse her husband’s ‘offer.’
“That was pretty amazing, by the way,” he said quietly, causing Kagome to do a double-take. The wonderful thing about compliments from Inuyasha was that she knew he meant them. She could see it in his eyes, which held amazement, pride at her strength, and maybe a little bit of bruised male ego.
“You weren’t so bad yourself,” she replied sincerely. His ever-improving fighting abilities had been astonishing her since the day they met. The only thing that impressed her more was the strength of his heart.
“Just kicking ass like usual,” he quipped, his lips quirking in a fanged smirk. Kagome was about to make a teasing response when something behind Inuyasha caught her eye, and chilled her blood.
“Oh, no! Look!” she cried. There was Kaibun the cat youkai, clambering down the rock face by using the diamond shards as footholds. She was heading directly for the spot where her master disintegrated.
“Shit!” Inuyasha cursed, darting forward. In all the excitement and commotion of battle, they had completely forgotten about the damn cat. His goal was to reach the piece of the jewel before Kaibun did, but that was clearly not going to happen. She leapt down to the ground, still favoring her injured side, and scooped up the tiny black bauble with her tongue. Inuyasha skidded to a halt as her body pulsed once, then again, large amounts of jyaki emanating from her form. Then, before his eyes, Kaibun began to grow. Inuyasha stumbled back as her size increased, to two, five, ten times normal. She towered over them now, her canine teeth at least three feet long and glistening dangerously. Her enormous yellow eyes locked on Inuyasha, and she snarled. And when the hanyou’s hand went for his sword, she pounced.
In two great strides she was upon him, closing the distance before he could use the same attack that killed her master. Inuyasha retreated from the swipe of her paw, managing to avoid the brunt of the attack. Unfortunately, even a glancing blow from the mammoth beast was enough to send him skidding and tumbling across the ground, Tetsusaiga falling from his grasp along the way. Kaibun pursued, ducking under the frantically-fired arrow, not allowing the singed hair on her back to distract her from finishing off her prey. Inuyasha rolled into a crouch and looked up in time to see those massive jaws, gaping and closing in on him. Too late to run, too late to escape… He jumped.
“INUYASHA!!!” Kagome shrieked, her heart lodging in her throat. Kaibun climbed to her feet, and turned to face her. There was no sign of Inuyasha anywhere. The huge feline licked her chops once and hissed, a sound meant to buckle an enemy’s knees with fear.
Kagome’s bow clattered harmlessly to the dirt. Her head was down, her bangs concealing her face. A strange aura flowed around her, reminiscent of all those months ago, when Takehiko and Sora had forced her to purify Inuyasha to save his life. Or when that bastard human had beaten Shippou. An eerie, lustful feeling settled over her, accepted by her grief, and not repulsed by her sense of good judgment. There was no reason to resist the pull of her vengeful youkai side, or the tantalizing desire to bathe in this filthy creature’s blood. This abomination which had dared to harm her mate.
She lifted her head, glaring at her enemy with deep crimson eyes, black pupils drawn into slits. Those same pink markings adorned her cheeks, the color matched by the power radiating from her claws. Kaibun recoiled in confusion. Where before this woman had been hanyou with miko power, now she exuded full youkai essence and purifying energy. Both were frighteningly powerful. Hissing as a cornered cat might, Kaibun backed away from the approaching horror.
Suddenly, streaks of yellow light exploded from her skin, just behind the neck. She howled, crying out in agony as more and more streaks tore through her, decimating her from the inside out. Finally, the entire front half of her body burst into pieces, blood and viscera flying in all directions. Inuyasha fell to the ground in a heap, coughing and sputtering. He rose onto his hands and knees, wiping his face and greedily inhaling the fresh air. It had been a snap decision to leap inside the cat’s mouth, thereby being swallowed whole instead of being bitten to death first. It had been a good decision, but that hadn’t made it any less miserable in there. At least he was alive; the battle was over. Or so he thought.
In the next moment, he found himself on his back, courtesy of the body crouched on top of him and the hand wrapped around his neck. His first thought was that another enemy had shown up, but he recognized this snarling visage; no matter how twisted with rage they became, he would always know those eyes.
“Kagome,” he croaked, receiving a fierce growl in response. “Kagome!” he tried again. “Calm down, Kagome. It’s me!”
Abruptly her rumbling ceased, and she leaned closer, sniffing and studying as if inspecting him. Then her crimson eyes widened with a new emotion—recognition. Inuyasha grabbed her and pulled her close, burying her face in his shoulder. He rumbled low in his chest, stroking her hair soothingly. He knew what had happened. Kagome had witnessed what she thought to be him getting eaten alive—hell, that’s exactly what had happened—and snapped. Her youkai side had tried to take over, and she hadn’t held it back. He knew a little something about that; his second encounter with that cursed beetle came to mind. He also knew that once she calmed down, she would return to normal.
“Inu…yasha?” she mumbled, raising herself to gaze down at him with those chocolate eyes he loved so much. “You’re alive?”
“Keh,” he replied, grinning up at her. She collapsed against him, embracing him tightly and allowing a few relieved tears to slip into his kosode. He hugged her back, beaming up at the sky. Now the battle really was over.
“Just kicking ass like usual,” he joked. Kagome punched him in the shoulder.
“Baka.”
But that was a worry for another day; right now, they were heading straight back to the bone eater’s well, and the modern era beyond. If they stumbled upon Kouga along the way, then great. But their primary concern at the moment was the impending birth of their child.
Inuyasha stopped in his tracks, furiously sniffing the air. A cold wind blew past, toying with his silver hair. Dark clouds were drifting in from the west, blocking the sunlight and casting the earth in gloom.
“Fuck!” he swore. He had smelled similar scents in the past, and he knew what it meant. A storm was coming, and soon. Up at this elevation, it would be no normal rainstorm.
“What is it, Inuyasha?”
“We’d better find shelter.” If he was alone, he’d probably try to keep going. The problem was not Kagome’s current form, or even her pregnant status. She was a hanyou, more than capable of keeping her core body temperature up in wet, cold weather. The real issue was the unpredictability of her time of weakness. The last had been two weeks ago, so it was unlikely to occur again for another few weeks, but they couldn’t be sure. It was definitely not worth the risk; for a human, getting caught out in a blizzard was very dangerous indeed. Considering how their progress would be slowed by the storm anyway, it was much smarter to find shelter and wait it out.
The sky opened up barely three minutes later, pelting the hanyou with sleet and snow. The temperature dropped dramatically, hovering right around the freezing point of water. Inuyasha did his best to shield Kagome from the worst of it, but the wind gusted erratically in every direction. Both were soaked to the bone when he finally found a large enough cave ten minutes later.
That was the good thing about this mountainous area; suitable shelter was never too far away. The bad thing was that there was little in the way of vegetation, which meant no fire. Fortunately, Kagome’s bag was waterproof, so each of them had at least one change of dry clothes, plus towels and blankets. They also had a mostly-dry sleeping bag, thanks to Kagome’s quick thinking. As the storm began, she had urged him to stop and stuff the sleeping roll into the bag itself to keep it safe. But the air was still uncomfortably cold, as was the rock which formed the floor of their little refuge.
That was fine; they didn’t have much planned for tonight. They changed into dry clothes, then snacked on some ninja food, which wasn’t the best supper but would have to do. Inuyasha put on a pair of modern sweatpants and Kagome followed suit, also adding a loose-fitting t-shirt that didn’t quite cover her swollen belly. Then they laid out the sleeping bag, piling all their blankets both on top and underneath, and settled in for the night. They cuddled close together, heating chilled skin and creating a cozy cocoon around them as they slowly banished the cold of the outside world. They would keep each other warm tonight.
The rest of the day passed uneventfully, and the night was peaceful. Kagome woke in the pre-dawn hours to her old nemesis, yet another Braxton Hicks contraction. Sighing, she rolled over and tried to go back to sleep. Another one came just as she was dozing off, which was nothing unusual. Frustrated, she rolled onto her back and gazed up at the stars for awhile. She was surprised when yet another contraction came within what seemed like only twenty minutes of the previous one. And was it her imagination or were they lasting longer than before? One-Kongousouha, two-Kongousouha, three-Kongousouha… Twenty-two seconds. Then twenty-five. Then twenty-six. All coming at seemingly smaller and smaller intervals, perhaps fifteen minutes apart now. With a sinking feeling, Kagome realized that perhaps these were not Braxton Hicks contractions.
She didn’t truly become alarmed until she shifted and felt a dampness between her legs. Sliding out of the sleeping bag, she went into the bushes to check herself. Her underwear wasn’t wet, per se, but it was tinged with speckles of red, exactly resembling the color of… Kagome’s eyes widened. Oh, no…I read about this. I’m…I’m going into labor! She hurried back to wake her still-slumbering husband, shaking him vigorously.
“What is it, Kagome?” he demanded, coming awake immediately at the panic in her eyes.
“Inuyasha, I think the baby is coming!”
(1) I don’t think Sango’s father was ever named, but Hideyoshi means “tolerant, generous,” or “prosperous.” It seemed like a good name for him.
(2) Kaibun means “ash”
(3) Kaji means “fire, conflagration”
(4) Amatsu means “heavenly” and Kaen means “flame.” So the attack is named “heavenly flame.” You may be sensing a theme here.
A/N – oh, no! My first cliffhanger in awhile! Well, my goal was to finish this story by its second anniversary (October 27). That obviously didn’t happen. My new goal is to finish it in 2010. I think I have a much better chance of making it this time around.
Thank you to babycenter.com for information on labor (I will be using them next chapter too). And thanks to cutelittleears for pointing me in their direction.
2011 Note – I made the 2010 goal (editing doesn’t count). Yeehah!
Converting /tmp/phpVxtixX to /dev/stdout
Race Against Time
**Week Twenty-Eight**
Inuyasha yawned, just rousing from a peaceful slumber. He loved Kagome’s modern mattress; he always slept well on it. They had another prenatal appointment tomorrow, and this afternoon they planned to go shopping for some baby-related items they would take with them to the feudal era. Just because their child was going to be raised in the past didn’t mean he or she couldn’t enjoy some modern amenities. He glanced over to his wife to see if she was awake yet.
Inuyasha grimaced; not only was she awake, but it appeared as though she’d been up all night. Her eyes were bloodshot and bordered by dark circles, widened as she started blankly at the ceiling. He sighed, gazing at her in sympathy. Insomnia, and by extension fatigue, had plagued Kagome recently. Part of the problem initially had been discomfort from lying down with her increasingly distended belly. Her mother had bought her a maternity pillow, and that helped with the discomfort, but apparently that wasn’t the only cause of her insomnia. She was usually able to get some shuteye during the night, but Inuyasha wasn’t sure that was the case this time.
“Were you up all night, Kagome?”
She panned her eyes slowly over to him, perhaps realizing for the first time that he was awake. Then she nodded miserably, confirming Inuyasha’s suspicions.
“The whole night,” she croaked, ample frustration evident in her tone. “Every time I thought maybe I’d fall asleep, I’d get one of those damn Braxton Hicks contractions, or your kid would start kicking me again.”
Inuyasha grinned at her characterization of the ‘misbehaving’ child as his kid, but made no mention of it. Instead, he raised himself into a sitting position, settling cross-legged with his back against the wall. Then he gently scooped Kagome up and deposited her in his lap, cupping her cheek and pressing her head to rest on his shoulder. She resisted at first, feeling too miserable to accept his comfort.
“Just let me go, Inuyasha. This isn’t going to work.”
“Shhh…just relax, Kagome. Let it all out.”
“Let what all out?” she demanded irritably, but Inuyasha only kissed her on the top of the head and began running his hand over her hair. That was apparently the final straw that broke Kagome’s will to hold in her emotions, because in the next moment Inuyasha caught the scent of her tears. For once, it was a welcome scent; he knew his wife well enough to know when she needed a good cry to vent her frustrations. Pregnancy was difficult, hormones were running wild, and sometimes it was nice to simply release all the pent up emotions that came with it.
Kagome’s sobs wound down to sniffles quickly, and then to occasional hiccups. She buried her face in his haori, too physically exhausted and emotionally spent to do anything else. Inuyasha sat silently with her throughout. Now he leaned his cheek against her hair, his hand moving to soothingly stroke her back. They sat like that for a long time, Inuyasha hoping to hear some telltale signs of slumber from his wife. Finally, Kagome’s breathing evened out and she slumped completely against him. At last, she was asleep.
Inuyasha grinned victoriously, but made no other move for fear of waking her. He scarcely dared to breathe, and he did not stop rubbing her back. He resolved to sit here all day if he had to; Kagome needed sleep, and he was going to make sure she got it. Mrs. Higurashi stuck her head in around mid-morning. She beamed at him and close the door wordlessly, glowing with pride in her son-in-law. Her daughter was certainly in good hands.
Kagome finally stirred late that afternoon, sitting up and looking around dazedly, momentarily unsure where she was. She’s freakin’ adorable, Inuyasha thought.
“Sleep well, Kagome?”
“Sleep?” she replied numbly, amazed that she had actually been sleeping at all. She glanced over to the alarm clock and gasped.
“Four-thirty?!” she exclaimed. “I’ve been asleep all day?” Then understanding dawned, and she turned watery eyes toward Inuyasha. “You stayed with me all this time?”
“Keh. Don’t worry about it. You’re doing the hard part,” he said, placing his hand meaningfully on her belly.
“Oh…” she breathed, pulling him down for a grateful kiss. Perhaps it was her appreciation, but she felt something else stir within her at the intimate contact. Pulling away just a little, she licked her lips in anticipation.
“How can I make it up to you?” she asked sultrily.
“Make me something to eat? I’m starving over here.”
“Oh…okay,” Kagome replied, trying to hide her disappointment. She had just risen to her feet when she felt Inuyasha’s hand on her wrist. She glanced down to see him wearing a mischievous smirk.
“Later,” he said, pulling her into his arms.
* * *
They returned to the feudal era the following day after their appointment with Dr. Hayashi. They quickly realized it was not going to be a quiet evening with friends. Miroku and Sango’s hut was deserted, but there was quite a bustle over at Kaede’s. Sango had gone into labor early that morning. They found Miroku pacing nervously outside, all of his training as a monk useless in this situation. He could no more sit down and meditate than he could sprout wings and fly. Not when his wife’s barely-stifled groans of agony periodically drifted to his ears. He tossed the newcomers a haggard look, exhausted by the act of worrying for hours on end. Kagome gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder and ducked inside.
That of course left just the two males outside. Inuyasha imagined his experience was a little different from Miroku’s though. For one thing, it wasn’t his wife giving birth in there. In addition, he could smell everything going on inside, from sweat to blood to fluids he couldn’t name. He could also hear what the women were saying, some of which filled him with a sense of awe. The rest of it either made him dread two months from now when Kagome would go through childbirth, or made him want to laugh.
“Can you hear, Inuyasha? How is she doing?” Miroku asked, not bothering to hide the fact that he was petrified.
“Kaede doesn’t sound alarmed at all. Sango seems fine to me. In fact,” Inuyasha said, smirking slightly, “she just finished telling Kagome how she’s never letting you touch her again.”
Miroku managed a small chuckle but that was it; then he went back to brooding. Inuyasha sighed. He wasn’t good at reassuring people, but he would try.
“Look, bouzu, Sango’s the strongest woman I know. If all the shit she’s been through so far couldn’t kill her, childbirth doesn’t stand a chance. She’ll be fine.”
Miroku nodded, wanting so badly to believe the words. But he knew his fear would not abate until both Sango and the baby were safe in his arms.
* * *
“Dammit, Kagome-chan, it hurts so bad,” Sango groaned during a quiet moment between contractions. “Getting stabbed and shot in the back were nothing compared to this.” “I know, Sango-chan, but just bear it for a little while longer.”
“Indeed,” Kaede interjected, “soon we should be able to see the head.”
“Is it almost time?” Sango asked hopefully.
“Not yet, Sango. Rest for now, and let your body do its work. I will tell you when to push.”
“Ugh!” Sango grunted as another contraction set in, lasting nearly a full minute. She slumped weakly back onto the pillows, breathing heavily.
“Kagome-chan, tell my husband to get his ass in here. I want him to see the birth of his child.”
Kaede smiled to herself. She thought every husband should be present for the birth, but always left it up to the pregnant mother. If the mother would rather do it in private, then so be it. But Kaede had a soft spot for this particular couple, and was especially glad Miroku would get to witness the miracle with his own eyes. Kagome left Sango’s side, and within moments Miroku took her place.
“Sango,” he whispered, amazement, terror, and helplessness swirling in his widened eyes. “What can I do?”
“Just hold my hand,” she ground out, feeling the approach of another contraction.
Kagome moved away from the trio, a forgotten observer. She watched as Sango rode out her contractions, squeezing her husband’s hand with all the intensity she felt inside herself. She watched as Kaede realize the time had come, and ordered the slayer to push. She listened as the anguished cries Sango had been holding back finally escaped her in those final moments. She was there as a new life came into this world, took its first breath, and let out its first keening wail.
Kagome let herself out while parents and newborn were becoming acquainted, not wanting to intrude on that special moment. She glanced down to find Inuyasha leaning against the outside of the hut, a tentative smile on his features. Kagome sniffled, drying the tears in her eyes and beaming joyfully. She sat down next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder. His hand found hers and clutched it tightly, their thoughts perfectly in sync. In a couple months, that will be us. All the pain, the effort, the worrying…it would all be worth it, just to have their child in their arms.
Miroku called them in a few minutes later so ‘Auntie Kagome’ and ‘Uncle Inu’ could meet the new arrival. He was a sleepy baby boy named Hiroshi, after Sango’s father. (1) Perhaps it was too early to tell, but Kagome thought he had Sango’s features. He definitely possessed his father’s violet eyes, however. One could only hope he did not grow to exhibit the same tendencies toward women as his father, but that was a worry for another day. For now, he was simply adorable, from his small tuft of black hair to his tiny toes. And when he started fussing, apparently deciding he wanted a meal before his first nap, Kagome and Inuyasha took their leave. They returned to their own newly-completed hut for the night, to pleasant dreams of the family they would soon have.
* * *
**Week Thirty-Two**“Ugh, I’m going to need a damn vacation when this day is over,” Kagome grouched, something she had been doing a lot of lately. In addition to feeling huge and clumsy, though her youkai side prevented at least the latter sensation from becoming reality, her body seemed to be doing everything it could to bug the crap out of her. More forceful Braxton Hicks contractions, sore feet, tiny bladder, and general moodiness were just some of the issues confronting her on a daily basis. Was it any wonder that she hadn’t been the most pleasant person to be around the past few days? Still, none of that was any comfort to the male hanyou whose moods fluctuated in conjunction with hers.
“If you’d let me carry you, maybe you wouldn’t be so sore,” he replied, harsher than he intended.
“Like I said the first five times you asked,” Kagome spat, “I don’t want you to carry me.”
That was the last straw for Inuyasha. He was tired of being snapped at for trying to help. And he was tired of his mood and their whole relationship being soured by his crabby wife. Before he could think better of it, he rounded on her, bringing his face mere inches from hers.
“Kagome, could you at least try to be less of a miserable bitch?!”
Kagome stared at him blankly for a moment, then her eyes hardened at the same time Inuyasha’s colored with uncertainty. Wait, what did I just—
*Slap!*
The sound was as much a shock to Inuyasha as the blow, which snapped his head to the side. The painful sting on his cheek was an unfamiliar, degrading sensation, and it took him awhile to realize what had happened. Kagome had hit him. He slowly turned his head, finding her recoiling slightly with the same look of uncertainty which he had worn moments before. But that didn’t matter now. Snarling silently, he spun on his heel and stormed off. She did not call out for him, but he sensed that she wanted him to stay. Perhaps he would have, if anger had been the only thing motivating his flight. But no, it was fear that fueled him, forced his muscles to move. For a split second, the tiniest iota of time, he had wanted to hit her back. And that scared him more than anything.
* * *
“Baka! You stupid, no good, brainless, fucking moron!!!” Inuyasha yelled, punctuating each insult with a powerful punch to the trunk of an unfortunate tree. After a few minutes of this, there were two circular indentations in the bark, and he had bloody knuckles. His self-ire somewhat abated, Inuyasha slumped exhaustedly at the base of the tree, placing a hand over his face as if to hide from the shame. Did I really just call my pregnant wife a ‘miserable bitch?’ He pounded his head against the wood a few times for good measure, perhaps hoping some cranial trauma would erase the horrible memory. No such luck. He sighed heavily. There was nothing else to do except go back and try to make things right. Her expression after striking him provided some hope that she would forgive him. He slowly made his way back toward where he’d left her, each step feeling like he was moving closer and closer to a mysterious abyss. At last, he spotted Kagome sitting in the exact same spot as their fight had taken place. She was not crying, which surprised him. In fact, his nose told him she had shed not a single tear. This was perplexing to say the least, especially since she appeared to be…berating herself?
“Why did I hit him? Stupid, Kagome! He only called you a miserable bitch because you were acting like one!”
Inuyasha cleared his throat, abruptly ceasing her self-reprimand. He almost smiled at her surprised visage, feeling much more relaxed than he had only moments before. Knowing that she felt the same as he did made a world of difference.
“Inuyasha?” she breathed, still unsure of herself.
“Keh, glad I’m not the only one pissed at myself,” he replied, striding over and kneeling in front of her. Kagome managed a relieved smile at this, realizing what he already knew. This wasn’t a relationship-breaker. Unlike in the past, they were mature enough to see this potentially epic fight for what it was—a simple misunderstanding. The line between overbearing and helpful was a tough one to tread, and Inuyasha could admit that sometimes he strayed on the wrong side. And Kagome could admit that sometimes she snapped at him when he was on the right side. Most importantly, they could give each other a break.
And as for that little urge he’d felt…he didn’t think it was as huge a deal as he originally believed. It was probably human nature to feel such impulses, and though he was not physically human, he was close to it emotionally. The key was whether he would go through with it, and there was no doubt in his mind that he never would.
They embraced, simply holding each other for a long time. After awhile, her hand crept up and tenderly cupped his still-red cheek, conveying a silent apology and a promise not to do it again in the future. That kind of conduct worked for one couple they knew, but neither of them wished it to become a part of their relationship. Finally, Kagome chuckled against his shoulder.
“Inuyasha, I think we’re both bakas.”
He fully agreed.
* * *
**Week Thirty-Three**“Inuyasha, you’re being unreasonable.”
“I’m being unreasonable? I’m not the one who wants to go traipsing off into the wilderness when she’s gonna give birth in a few weeks!”
“The jewel is more than three quarters complete already. Don’t you want to rid the world of the Shikon no Tama before bringing our child into it?”
“Of course I do, but not enough to let you wander away from the well. You’re having the baby in your time. What if it comes early?”
“Dr. Hayashi says that’s highly unlikely,” Kagome assured him. She shared his desire to have the baby in the modern era; the doctor had already arranged a special room at the hospital for her, where she would be cared for by youkai physicians. Their child’s hanyou ears would set off no alarm bells in that environment. In the meantime, the doctor had performed numerous ultrasounds and other tests, concluding that the baby would probably not come more than a week early. They still referred to the baby as an ‘it’ because they had declined to learn the sex, preferring instead to be surprised.
“But she can’t be sure, can she?” Inuyasha retorted.
“Well no, but—”
“No buts! We’re staying here and that’s final!” he declared, setting his jaw and crossing his arms over his chest.
Kagome’s eyes narrowed; he could put his foot down all he wanted, but that didn’t mean his word was law, or that she had to accept it without question.
“Alright smart guy, say we stay here until the baby is born. How do we complete the jewel then?”
“Uh, you and the baby stay here. I’ll go look for the shards.”
“Oh, so now you can sense them? When did you acquire that ability?”
“W-we’ll leave the baby with your mother.”
“Oh yeah,” Kagome drolled sarcastically, “I’m going to wanna leave my newborn child behind while I’m ‘traipsing off into the wilderness,’ as you put it.”
“Fine, then we’ll take the baby with us!”
“WHAT?!!! You want to take an infant out on the road? That’s way too dangerous! This baby is a lot less vulnerable and easier to keep safe when it’s in here,” she said, pointing to her belly.
“Dammit…”
Kagome took a deep breath, reigning in her temper. She did understand where Inuyasha was coming from, but that didn’t make him any less wrong. Still, speaking in a more civil manner might get them somewhere toward a solution.
“Look, Inuyasha, I know you’re worried. But the best time to search for the jewel shards is now. If we go out now, I think we have a good chance of completing our mission before having the baby. Then we can move on with our lives, settle down, and raise our family, all without worrying about marauding youkai attracted by the Shikon no Tama.”
When Inuyasha sighed heavily, Kagome knew she had him. But he was not about to surrender either, because he knew he was right too, at least partly.
“Two weeks, Kagome. I’ll give you two more weeks. Then we’re returning to your time and staying there until the baby is born.”
Kagome thought about it for a few seconds, eventually deciding that it was a fair compromise. She didn’t want to cut the delivery too close, after all.
“Deal.”
* * *
**Week Thirty-Six**“Damn, this fucking thing never stops!”
They had been tracking this youkai, a feline judging by its scent, for the better part of five days. While most shard-bearing youkai were attracted to Kagome’s piece, this one seemed intent on avoiding it. That of course meant the two hanyou had to chase after it. It seemed to flitter in and out of the range of Kagome’s ability to sense jewel shards, never staying close enough for long enough to allow them to catch up. Most of the time, they had to rely on their noses to track it, and that was slow going. The scent it left behind was not remarkable, nor pungent as Naraku’s had been, which made a difficult task even more challenging. And of course they needed sleep, Kagome especially, though even Inuyasha needed to rest periodically. In short, their progress was slow, and they had to stop for at least part of every night, plus several times during the day to eat.
Increasing Inuyasha’s frustration, they had already stayed out well beyond the two weeks he had promised Kagome. But she had sensed a ‘large presence’ of the Shikon no Tama from this youkai. Such an opportunity was too good to pass up; who knew how long it would take them to find this bastard again if they let it get away now? Optimistically, this youkai could possess all of the remaining shards, minus Kouga’s. The quest could be basically completed once they caught this youkai, or at the very least substantially closer to completion. They had come this far, and weren’t about to turn back empty-handed.
They pursued their quarry through forests, over plains, and now the youkai was leading them up into the mountains. Soon bare rock greeted them everywhere they looked, the vegetation sparse and weak, barely clinging to life. But they were gaining. They had closed the gap this morning, and now Kagome could sense the shards clearly, obviating the need to track the scent. Inuyasha sped up his pace further, allowing a predatory grin to pull at the corners of his lips. This thing was close; he could feel the youki tingling against his skin. Soon this long hunt would finally come to an end.
“Inuyasha,” Kagome said, grabbing his arm and pulling him to a stop. “It stopped.”
Inuyasha studied her for a moment; she was breathing hard, slumping forward with one hand on her knee. Sweat beaded on her forehead and flowed down her face and neck. In his haste he had forgotten that it was more difficult for her to move around. She could keep up with him to a point, but it was clear that he had been exceeding that pace for at least an hour or two.
“Dammit, Kagome. Why didn’t you say something?”
She shook him off. “I’m fine. I would have if I couldn’t handle it. Come on, let’s end this.”
Nodding, he turned and crept slowly up the hill, knowing he didn’t need to tell her to stay behind him. The cat youkai was no longer the only thing he sensed; a powerful scent and an equally powerful aura emanated from just ahead. It appeared this was not going to be as simple as he originally hoped. The rise leveled out into wide plateau, surrounded on three sides by looming mountains. Dead grass crackled under his feet; it was spread sparingly across the whole expanse, most of which was simply bare, lifeless earth. The area reeked of burnt flesh and vegetation, of acrid smoke that never quite blew away in the wind. This was a place of death.
In the center of the plateau, perhaps a hundred yards away, stood a lone figure. He was dressed in majestic hakama and robes, black as night, ornately decorated with sharp patterns of fiery reds, yellows, and oranges. His short hair was wild and colored in the same shade of crimson. As Inuyasha and Kagome approached closer, they saw that his face was free of markings, but his smoky gray eyes smoldered with malice and amusement.
“My, my, Kaibun has certainly done well this time. (2) Imagine, the entire Shikon no Tama strolling up to my front door!”
“Inuyasha, he has the piece of the jewel,” Kagome whispered, confirming what he already suspected.
“Keep an eye out for that damn cat,” he told her, able to sense its presence nearby but not pinpoint its location.
“Who are you, bastard?!” he called, addressing the stranger.
“I am Kajimaru,” the man replied smoothly, unaffected by the insult. (3) “Do not tell me your names; I do not wish to know them. Hand over the Shikon no Tama and I will give the two—or three—of you quick deaths. Odd that you would bring your pregnant mate here, and foolish. You will come to regret it.”
Inuyasha bristled at the threat, pulling out Tetsusaiga and dropping into a combat stance. “Fuck off,” he snarled. “Surrender now and I may only slice you up a little.”
Kajimaru chuckled, a dark, chilling sound despite his genuine amusement. “I believe you misunderstand the situation, hanyou. Do you think you tracked my Kaibun to this place? To the contrary, you were lured here. And you will die here by my hand,” he declared, reaching over his shoulders with both hands and drawing two long katana from sheaths crossed over his back. They did not look exceptional in any way, but the air immediately heated up a few degrees, a stifling wind blowing slowly across the plateau.
Inuyasha swore under his breath. The cat youkai, Kaibun, had apparently sensed that they possessed part of the Shikon no Tama, then drawn them here so her master could deal with them. She had then given her shards to the master and now lurked somewhere on the sidelines. This was a trap, a plot to lure Kajimaru’s enemies to his favorite battlefield, where he possessed all the advantages. And they had walked right into it.
Inuyasha tightened his grip on Tetsusaiga, a determined grin spreading over his features. This was nothing compared to some of Naraku’s traps, and they had survived all of those. He would kill this Kajimaru bastard, both because he had to and because he wanted to. He crouched lower, digging his foot into the dirt in preparation for a charge. Kagome’s startled shriek cancelled those plans.
He spun in time to see her dodge an attack by a dark creature, the feline Kaibun he realized as Kagome leapt away. The cat youkai looked like Kirara’s evil cousin. About her size, Kaibun was covered in black fur crisscrossed by angry crimson markings. Her single tail was long and thin, and her yellow eyes glowed wickedly as she sized up her prey. She attacked again, her movements a flurry of swiping claws and snapping jaws. Kagome retreated, avoiding each strike with room to spare, but there was little opportunity to counter the relentless advance. Inuyasha moved to go to her aid.
“Your fight is with me, half-breed!”
The cry forced him to stop and spin, raising his sword just in time to block the katana swinging down at him. The blades crashed together with a mighty clash, Inuyasha’s knees buckling slightly with the power of the blow. Kajimaru smirked, raising his other sword arm to slash at the hanyou’s unprotected side. Inuyasha leapt back, sucking in his chest to avoid the slice. He felt no pain, but looking down he spied a neat tear in his haori. That had been close. He grimaced. Kajimaru was apparently pretty strong; if he turned his back, he would wind up with a sword sticking out of it. At least for now, Kagome was on her own.
Kagome dove to the side, narrowly avoiding a swipe from Kaibun’s paw. There was no letup in the cat’s attacks; all she could do was retreat and try not to be too predictable in the way she dodged them. Going in for hand-to-hand fighting was too risky, and she had no time to pull the bow from her shoulder and notch an arrow. Kagome knew she had to somehow find a way to change that. She couldn’t keep doing this forever; her extended belly slowed her down and left her feeling intensely vulnerable.
Inuyasha kept one ear turned toward his wife as he crossed blades with Kajimaru, unwilling to abandon her completely. The enemy wanted to split them up and deal with the separately, and to allow that would play right into their hands. So he continued to look for an opening to aid Kagome in even some small way. The problem was that Kajimaru was as relentless as his feline companion. He combined quickness and deft swordsmanship to severely test Inuyasha’s defenses; often, the hanyou was forced to use Tetsusaiga’s large surface as a shield more than an offensive weapon. But Inuyasha had never been proficient at traditional swordsmanship, so being inferior to an opponent in that regard was nothing new. He kept his head, not making any wild attacks which would leave him vulnerable to counterstrike. Still, his mind was not completely into the fight, and his opponent noticed.
“Your distraction will get you killed, hanyou,” Kajimaru declared, flinging his blade forward in a stabbing motion toward Inuyasha’s midsection. The hanyou twisted to the side, but not quickly enough to avoid a shallow slice on the arm. Backing away, Inuyasha dug his claws into the bleeding wound and threw the blood forward.
“Hijin Ketsusou!”
The crimson blades rushed across the brief expanse between Inuyasha and Kajimaru, forcing the latter to retreat. It was the opportunity Inuyasha had been waiting for. He spun toward his wife and her attacker, raising his sword high above his head.
“Kaze no Kizu!”
His aim was perfect, but a casual observer might note that he missed. Kaibun turned toward the oncoming power in time to stumble to the side and avoid the slashing wind. But Inuyasha’s goal was not to kill the cat. Kagome had already drawn an arrow, and as he watched she loosed it. The projectile flashed across the clearing, trailing a huge quantity of purifying energy behind it. Kaibun again saw the attack, but she could not move completely out of the way this time. The arrow itself missed her, but the wave of pink energy caught her on the side. She let out a pained yowl as the air filled with the scents of burning fur and flesh. Then she managed a hobbled, sprinting retreat, clambering up a rock face and disappearing out of sight.
“You’ll pay for that, bitch!” Kajimaru swore angrily, stalking towards Kagome. Inuyasha placed himself between the two of them, facing the youkai with a smirk.
“Oi, did you forget that I’m your opponent?”
Kajimaru growled in response, then charged forward to begin the battle again. For her part, Kagome kept one eye on the ongoing melee and the other, plus her other senses, on the surrounding area. Kaibun had not been mortally wounded, and still lurked out there somewhere. She needed to watch both their backs.
Inuyasha grimaced as the tip of Kajimaru’s sword sliced him again, on the thigh this time. His opponent’s dual weapons gave him an advantage, as did his quickness and agility. If this was a battle of power-on-power, Inuyasha knew he and Tetsusaiga would win, hands down. But Kajimaru liked to remain in close, engaging in constant sword-on-sword contact. He pranced around like this was some sort of traditional duel, and he possessed the emotional detachment to match. Inuyasha grinned to himself; he still had some tricks up his sleeve. It was time to rock the boat, and maybe piss Kajimaru off a little bit.
Inuyasha swung Tetsusaiga in an exaggerated sideways arc, intentionally allowing his attack to carry too far. His opponent took the bait, deftly parrying the huge blade and forcing it into the ground. Then he swung the katana in his free hand down toward Inuyasha’s skull, expecting to slice his surprised and unprepared opponent in half. But Inuyasha was ready; he grabbed the descending wrist in his left hand, stopping the sword’s descent. Twisting the arm to the side, he released Tetsusaiga and closed the gap between them, knocking Kajimaru back with a vicious head butt. Shuffling forward enough to stay with the reeling youkai, he pulled his right arm back and slugged Kajimaru on the chin as hard as he could.
He felt the jaw bone break under the force of his knuckles, watching with great satisfaction as Kajimaru stumbled back, nearly falling on his ass. But he recovered, dropping into a wobbly fighting stance with both swords once again at the ready. He worked his jaw several times, popping the fractured bone back into alignment so he could speak. Then he glared daggers at Inuyasha, who had by then retrieved Tetsusaiga and leaned it over his shoulder.
“That was a dirty trick, half-breed,” he snarled, spitting out a glob of saliva and blood.
“Why, ‘cause I don’t fight like a pansy?” Inuyasha sneered. “Come on, let’s put our swords away and just go at it with our bare hands.”
“Utterly barbaric,” Kajimaru replied dismissively. “Very well. If you will not give me an honorable battle, than I will show you how a true warrior fights!”
Kajimaru slammed his swords together, and with a bright flash of light and a wave of heat, they fused into one blade. This one was much larger, with wicked-looking jagged edges near the tip. Inuyasha might have compared it to a medieval European mace had he possessed the historical background. If it was hot before, it was doubly so now; the atmosphere took on the feel of being inside a burning building. The blade began to glow red hot, flames leaping from its surface in all directions. Now they knew why this area was a wasteland.
“Amatsu no Kaen!” Kajimaru shouted, swinging his sword with practiced precision. (4) A solid mass of fire roiled out in Inuyasha’s direction, forcing the hanyou to dodge. His haori was fire-resistant, but it did not cover his head. This was the kind of heat that would instantly singe every strand of hair and melt his eyeballs if he took a direct hit. In other words, he’d be dead before he hit the ground. He continued to run as Kajimaru brought the sword around toward him, the great surge of flames following his every move. It was like a giant whip, only made of a ‘cord’ of fire, its diameter half as his height.
Inuyasha leapt over the undulating inferno, but his feet had barely touched the ground before it came at him from the other direction, obliging him to throw himself to the ground face-first. He was sure the tips of his hair got charred, but he managed to escape the worst of it. Then he launched himself straight at Kajimaru like a vengeful missile, knowing the only way to win was to get in close. Kajimaru appeared helpless, unable to retract the business end of his weapon quickly enough. In another moment, Inuyasha would dodge his feeble swing with the sword and slice him in half.
“Look out!”
Only Kagome’s warning and Inuyasha’s insanely fast reflexes saved him from sudden incineration. The flames had come out of nowhere from behind, nearly catching him. Perhaps a whip was not the best way to describe the weapon. It was more like a serpent, moving to the will of its master. Kajimaru favored him with an arrogant smirk.
“I grow tired of your endless fleeing, hanyou,” he declared. “Let’s see if we can’t corral you a bit.” Taking his sword in a double overhand grip, he smashed it into the ground. Instantly a rift tore the dirt surface of the plateau, spreading quickly toward Inuyasha. Fire erupted from the fissure, along with frightening volcanic material that seemed to come from the bowels of the earth. The hanyou tensed, but about fifty feet away from him the rift split into distinct sections, moving around so as to complete a circle by joining behind him. Seeing what was happening, Kagome hurried to join her husband before the oncoming conflagration could cut them off. And then they were alone, surrounded by blazing walls at least thirty feet high. Periodically, bursts of magma would explode from the fissure, tossing mysterious red hot matter and black ash into the air.
“You should have stayed outside, Kagome,” Inuyasha told her firmly.
“He wants to split us up, Inuyasha. We’re stronger together than we are—look out!”
Inuyasha didn’t have time to react before Kagome’s hand grabbed the collar of his robes and dragged him backwards just in time to avoid a strike from the same serpent-whip of flame as before. Kajimaru’s taunting cackle floated to them over the roar of the inferno all around them.
“You see now, the difference in our power,” he spoke, his voice booming as if it was being projected by the flames themselves. “There is no escape.”
Inuyasha had to reluctantly agree with that assessment. They were trapped now; judging by the heat emanating from the walls, they wouldn’t survive a breakout attempt. To make matters worth, they couldn’t see where Kajimaru’s next strike would come from. He felt Kagome press her back against his, and grinned. She had the right idea, keeping the entire compass within their combined field of vision. Perhaps it had been a good idea for her to join him after all. At least now Kajimaru had to fight them both together, as opposed to picking one of them off at a time. So no, they weren’t going to escape. Fortunately, neither of them had any intention of doing so. This was still a fight to the death, one they would win.
“Kaze no Kizu!” he yelled, launching the attack against Kajimaru’s serpent-whip. The wind blades tore through the flames, extinguishing them. Then they reached the walls, blasting through the fire and ash…for about half a second. The wall solidified before Inuyasha could even think to look past it. His Kaze no Kizu could deal with Kajimaru’s weapon because it was concentrated youkai power, but this, this was the violent and mighty force of the earth itself. No mortal weapon could overcome it, though it appeared Kajimaru’s could summon it.
Kagome’s purifying arrow obtained much the same results when Kajimaru tried to come at them from her side. It temporarily put out his serpent-whip, but had little effect on the walls. Inuyasha swore under his breath. Dammit, how are we supposed to hit the bastard if we can’t tell where he is? He supposed he could start blindly firing Kongousouha, but in the high likelihood that he missed, Kajimaru might find a way to counteract that attack too. Then they’d really be in trouble.
“Inuyasha,” Kagome said softly, her voice deadly calm. “Can you cover me for a little while?”
He didn’t need to ask what she was planning; he trusted her completely, especially when she used that tone of voice.
“Yes,” he answered. Nodding, Kagome seated herself cross-legged on the ground, closing her eyes. Truth be told, she didn’t really know what she was doing. She knew what she wanted to do, but as for how… She felt Inuyasha’s haori flutter down on top of her head, reminding her of old times. Times when Inuyasha had saved her, and she him. When they had rescued each other from certain death. It helped her focus, to picture her goal in her mind’s eye, and to make a journey of self-discovery to learn how to reach it. Her miko powers had always come through for her when she needed them the most, teaching her something new at just the right moment. She had faith they—and she—would rise to the occasion again. Because if she didn’t, Inuyasha and their unborn child would die. There was no more powerful motivation in the world.
Inuyasha crouched down, closing his own eyes as well. They would be useless now because he didn’t have a pair in the back of his head. He attuned his other senses more sharply to his surroundings. His ears would hear the telltale crackle of the approaching maelstrom, his nose would detect the smell of the blaze, and his aura would tingle with the presence of the foreign youki. Just wait…focus…there.
He stood and spun, knowing it was too late for a Kaze no Kizu. He drove his sword into the ground in front of Kagome’s helpless form and crouched behind it just before the serpent-whip struck. Tetsusaiga howled with the impact, but its youki nevertheless deflected the worst of the flames. Inuyasha threw his shoulder into his weapon, refusing to let it give in to the relentless heat and pressure. The blade began to warm; soon the skin of his shoulder was being burned through his kosode. His right hand pulsed with scorching pain, but still he maintained his grip on the hilt. Tetsusaiga would break before he did, and if this continued for much longer…
“What the—” he heard their assailant say over the roar of fire on metal. Then, much to Inuyasha’s delight, the pressure on Tetsusaiga eased. Tightening the fingers of his charred right hand, he pulled the blade out and smashed the serpent-whip in the same motion. The flames dissipated under the onslaught, man and sword fighting with the same aura, as one. As he honed in on Kajimaru, he noticed the reason for the youkai’s distraction. The once-towering walls of fire were gone. Or rather, they were being suppressed. For extending over the fissure, all along its length, was a barrier. It glowed pink, but Inuyasha could see the rage of the repressed energy underneath. His wife was containing the power of the earth itself, but there was no time to admire her handiwork. The barrier was already cracking under the strain.
Rearing back, Inuyasha called upon Tetsusaiga’s strongest transformation, releasing its power with everything he had.
“KONGOUSOUHA!!!”
The barrier shattered an instant after the first few diamond shards leapt from the blade, blocking Inuyasha’s view of his target. But the projectiles passed through easily, unimpeded by the flames. Diamonds, even artificially created ones, were one of the few things the fire could not stop.
For a few seconds nothing happened, and Inuyasha began to fear that he had missed, that Kajimaru had somehow dodged or deflected his Kongousouha. But then the great searing walls began to recede, the earth’s power retreating back inside its surface. The fissure closed, leaving behind only bare earth, purged of all life. Kagome’s choked gasp drew his eyes to her, and as he turned to follow the direction of her stare, he was hard pressed to hold back his own grunt of revulsion.
It was a grisly scene. Kajimaru, or what was left of him, was pinned to the side of the mountain, hundreds of diamond shards embedded all around him. At least a dozen protruded from his body at various points, blood flowing down their lengths and dripping from their tips. There was nothing left of his face; a large diamond shard had taken him almost directly on the nose. Now, all that remained of his head was a shell of bone and skin wrapped around the projectile. His right hand still clutched the hilt of his sword, pieces of which now lay scattered all around. As Inuyasha watched, the broken sword caught fire, quickly burning itself and the remains of its master to nothingness. A tiny, darkened speck of something fell to the ground, and Inuyasha realized what it was. Not even the power of the Shikon no Tama had been able to save Kajimaru from his wounds. Sheathing Tetsusaiga, he trotted back to check on his wife.
“You alright, Kagome?” he asked, kneeling by her side.
She nodded, still holding her hand over her mouth. “Aside from wanting to puke, yeah.”
“Using your powers that much didn’t tire you out?” he inquired suspiciously.
“…”
“I’m carrying you for the rest of the day.”
Kagome shook her head with a grin, deciding not to argue. Truth be told, her exertions had left her quite exhausted. Not to the point of passing out like last time, but certainly enough to not refuse her husband’s ‘offer.’
“That was pretty amazing, by the way,” he said quietly, causing Kagome to do a double-take. The wonderful thing about compliments from Inuyasha was that she knew he meant them. She could see it in his eyes, which held amazement, pride at her strength, and maybe a little bit of bruised male ego.
“You weren’t so bad yourself,” she replied sincerely. His ever-improving fighting abilities had been astonishing her since the day they met. The only thing that impressed her more was the strength of his heart.
“Just kicking ass like usual,” he quipped, his lips quirking in a fanged smirk. Kagome was about to make a teasing response when something behind Inuyasha caught her eye, and chilled her blood.
“Oh, no! Look!” she cried. There was Kaibun the cat youkai, clambering down the rock face by using the diamond shards as footholds. She was heading directly for the spot where her master disintegrated.
“Shit!” Inuyasha cursed, darting forward. In all the excitement and commotion of battle, they had completely forgotten about the damn cat. His goal was to reach the piece of the jewel before Kaibun did, but that was clearly not going to happen. She leapt down to the ground, still favoring her injured side, and scooped up the tiny black bauble with her tongue. Inuyasha skidded to a halt as her body pulsed once, then again, large amounts of jyaki emanating from her form. Then, before his eyes, Kaibun began to grow. Inuyasha stumbled back as her size increased, to two, five, ten times normal. She towered over them now, her canine teeth at least three feet long and glistening dangerously. Her enormous yellow eyes locked on Inuyasha, and she snarled. And when the hanyou’s hand went for his sword, she pounced.
In two great strides she was upon him, closing the distance before he could use the same attack that killed her master. Inuyasha retreated from the swipe of her paw, managing to avoid the brunt of the attack. Unfortunately, even a glancing blow from the mammoth beast was enough to send him skidding and tumbling across the ground, Tetsusaiga falling from his grasp along the way. Kaibun pursued, ducking under the frantically-fired arrow, not allowing the singed hair on her back to distract her from finishing off her prey. Inuyasha rolled into a crouch and looked up in time to see those massive jaws, gaping and closing in on him. Too late to run, too late to escape… He jumped.
“INUYASHA!!!” Kagome shrieked, her heart lodging in her throat. Kaibun climbed to her feet, and turned to face her. There was no sign of Inuyasha anywhere. The huge feline licked her chops once and hissed, a sound meant to buckle an enemy’s knees with fear.
Kagome’s bow clattered harmlessly to the dirt. Her head was down, her bangs concealing her face. A strange aura flowed around her, reminiscent of all those months ago, when Takehiko and Sora had forced her to purify Inuyasha to save his life. Or when that bastard human had beaten Shippou. An eerie, lustful feeling settled over her, accepted by her grief, and not repulsed by her sense of good judgment. There was no reason to resist the pull of her vengeful youkai side, or the tantalizing desire to bathe in this filthy creature’s blood. This abomination which had dared to harm her mate.
She lifted her head, glaring at her enemy with deep crimson eyes, black pupils drawn into slits. Those same pink markings adorned her cheeks, the color matched by the power radiating from her claws. Kaibun recoiled in confusion. Where before this woman had been hanyou with miko power, now she exuded full youkai essence and purifying energy. Both were frighteningly powerful. Hissing as a cornered cat might, Kaibun backed away from the approaching horror.
Suddenly, streaks of yellow light exploded from her skin, just behind the neck. She howled, crying out in agony as more and more streaks tore through her, decimating her from the inside out. Finally, the entire front half of her body burst into pieces, blood and viscera flying in all directions. Inuyasha fell to the ground in a heap, coughing and sputtering. He rose onto his hands and knees, wiping his face and greedily inhaling the fresh air. It had been a snap decision to leap inside the cat’s mouth, thereby being swallowed whole instead of being bitten to death first. It had been a good decision, but that hadn’t made it any less miserable in there. At least he was alive; the battle was over. Or so he thought.
In the next moment, he found himself on his back, courtesy of the body crouched on top of him and the hand wrapped around his neck. His first thought was that another enemy had shown up, but he recognized this snarling visage; no matter how twisted with rage they became, he would always know those eyes.
“Kagome,” he croaked, receiving a fierce growl in response. “Kagome!” he tried again. “Calm down, Kagome. It’s me!”
Abruptly her rumbling ceased, and she leaned closer, sniffing and studying as if inspecting him. Then her crimson eyes widened with a new emotion—recognition. Inuyasha grabbed her and pulled her close, burying her face in his shoulder. He rumbled low in his chest, stroking her hair soothingly. He knew what had happened. Kagome had witnessed what she thought to be him getting eaten alive—hell, that’s exactly what had happened—and snapped. Her youkai side had tried to take over, and she hadn’t held it back. He knew a little something about that; his second encounter with that cursed beetle came to mind. He also knew that once she calmed down, she would return to normal.
“Inu…yasha?” she mumbled, raising herself to gaze down at him with those chocolate eyes he loved so much. “You’re alive?”
“Keh,” he replied, grinning up at her. She collapsed against him, embracing him tightly and allowing a few relieved tears to slip into his kosode. He hugged her back, beaming up at the sky. Now the battle really was over.
“Just kicking ass like usual,” he joked. Kagome punched him in the shoulder.
“Baka.”
* * *
An hour later, the two hanyou were proceeding on their long journey down the mountain. Inuyasha was carrying Kagome bridal-style, as promised. Neither hanyou could stop grinning, a sense of accomplished euphoria hovering around them both. The Shikon no Tama was nearly complete, with what looked like only a couple shards left to find. And they knew exactly who possessed those shards. Finding Kouga could be a challenge, but Kagome didn’t expect the meeting to be nearly as unpleasant as their last encounter. As for getting the ookami to surrender the shards, she was pretty sure she could convince him. Getting Inuyasha to play nice could be the more difficult task. But that was a worry for another day; right now, they were heading straight back to the bone eater’s well, and the modern era beyond. If they stumbled upon Kouga along the way, then great. But their primary concern at the moment was the impending birth of their child.
Inuyasha stopped in his tracks, furiously sniffing the air. A cold wind blew past, toying with his silver hair. Dark clouds were drifting in from the west, blocking the sunlight and casting the earth in gloom.
“Fuck!” he swore. He had smelled similar scents in the past, and he knew what it meant. A storm was coming, and soon. Up at this elevation, it would be no normal rainstorm.
“What is it, Inuyasha?”
“We’d better find shelter.” If he was alone, he’d probably try to keep going. The problem was not Kagome’s current form, or even her pregnant status. She was a hanyou, more than capable of keeping her core body temperature up in wet, cold weather. The real issue was the unpredictability of her time of weakness. The last had been two weeks ago, so it was unlikely to occur again for another few weeks, but they couldn’t be sure. It was definitely not worth the risk; for a human, getting caught out in a blizzard was very dangerous indeed. Considering how their progress would be slowed by the storm anyway, it was much smarter to find shelter and wait it out.
The sky opened up barely three minutes later, pelting the hanyou with sleet and snow. The temperature dropped dramatically, hovering right around the freezing point of water. Inuyasha did his best to shield Kagome from the worst of it, but the wind gusted erratically in every direction. Both were soaked to the bone when he finally found a large enough cave ten minutes later.
That was the good thing about this mountainous area; suitable shelter was never too far away. The bad thing was that there was little in the way of vegetation, which meant no fire. Fortunately, Kagome’s bag was waterproof, so each of them had at least one change of dry clothes, plus towels and blankets. They also had a mostly-dry sleeping bag, thanks to Kagome’s quick thinking. As the storm began, she had urged him to stop and stuff the sleeping roll into the bag itself to keep it safe. But the air was still uncomfortably cold, as was the rock which formed the floor of their little refuge.
That was fine; they didn’t have much planned for tonight. They changed into dry clothes, then snacked on some ninja food, which wasn’t the best supper but would have to do. Inuyasha put on a pair of modern sweatpants and Kagome followed suit, also adding a loose-fitting t-shirt that didn’t quite cover her swollen belly. Then they laid out the sleeping bag, piling all their blankets both on top and underneath, and settled in for the night. They cuddled close together, heating chilled skin and creating a cozy cocoon around them as they slowly banished the cold of the outside world. They would keep each other warm tonight.
* * *
The storm continued through the night, finally letting up late the following afternoon. By then, both of them were getting a little stir crazy and neither wanted to spend another evening in that dank cave. After nearly twenty-four hours of sleeping and sitting around, they decided to pull an all-nighter. Moving around in the dark would not be a problem for either hanyou, and it would help them make up for lost time. By dawn the next morning, they had left the mountains and reached the forest below. In the dim light, Inuyasha went hunting and caught two rabbits, since one would not be enough to satisfy their ravenous appetites. Kagome had a roaring fire going when he returned, and for the first time in almost two days, they were able to fill their bellies. Tired but satisfied, they resolved to continue their journey during the day and then stop and sleep at night. The rest of the day passed uneventfully, and the night was peaceful. Kagome woke in the pre-dawn hours to her old nemesis, yet another Braxton Hicks contraction. Sighing, she rolled over and tried to go back to sleep. Another one came just as she was dozing off, which was nothing unusual. Frustrated, she rolled onto her back and gazed up at the stars for awhile. She was surprised when yet another contraction came within what seemed like only twenty minutes of the previous one. And was it her imagination or were they lasting longer than before? One-Kongousouha, two-Kongousouha, three-Kongousouha… Twenty-two seconds. Then twenty-five. Then twenty-six. All coming at seemingly smaller and smaller intervals, perhaps fifteen minutes apart now. With a sinking feeling, Kagome realized that perhaps these were not Braxton Hicks contractions.
She didn’t truly become alarmed until she shifted and felt a dampness between her legs. Sliding out of the sleeping bag, she went into the bushes to check herself. Her underwear wasn’t wet, per se, but it was tinged with speckles of red, exactly resembling the color of… Kagome’s eyes widened. Oh, no…I read about this. I’m…I’m going into labor! She hurried back to wake her still-slumbering husband, shaking him vigorously.
“What is it, Kagome?” he demanded, coming awake immediately at the panic in her eyes.
“Inuyasha, I think the baby is coming!”
(1) I don’t think Sango’s father was ever named, but Hideyoshi means “tolerant, generous,” or “prosperous.” It seemed like a good name for him.
(2) Kaibun means “ash”
(3) Kaji means “fire, conflagration”
(4) Amatsu means “heavenly” and Kaen means “flame.” So the attack is named “heavenly flame.” You may be sensing a theme here.
A/N – oh, no! My first cliffhanger in awhile! Well, my goal was to finish this story by its second anniversary (October 27). That obviously didn’t happen. My new goal is to finish it in 2010. I think I have a much better chance of making it this time around.
Thank you to babycenter.com for information on labor (I will be using them next chapter too). And thanks to cutelittleears for pointing me in their direction.
2011 Note – I made the 2010 goal (editing doesn’t count). Yeehah!
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