InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ My Futures' Past ❯ The Pauper is a Prince ( Chapter 15 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

The group finds out more about Inuyasha's past, including the castle's defences and about his human mother. Later, they meet the weaver, who has her eyes set on one of them.

WARNING: MILD LEMON IN CHAPTER

thank you to doggieearlover for taking time to check up on my lack of punctuation! i hate comma's!!!

Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Romance / Hentai / Adventure | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 01.27.2007 | Updated On: 01.27.2007 | Pages: 7 | Words: 9.7K | Visits: 5.5K | Status: Work In Progress

My Futures' Past

Disclaimer: Nope, sadly my hanyou didn't come in the mail over the holidays. I'm still holding out hope for Valentine's Day though. For now, Inuyasha's leash is still held by Rumiko Takahashi and Viz.

To Lil Rin: Yep, catnip does grow in Japan. It's one of the few things that will grow almost anywhere!

Chapter 15: The Pauper is a Prince

Early afternoon sunlight streamed though wooden slats and landed across the eyes of a dozing monk. Miroku groaned and tried to block out the light, but a chuckle from across the room brought him fully around. Peeking around his privacy screen, the monk saw Sango sitting fully dressed on her futon, stroking a very satisfied looking Kirara.

“Good morning, Lady Sango.”

“Actually, Houshi, it is afternoon. And please, I am no Lady. I am just Sango.”

“As you wish, Sango,” the monk replied, straightening his freshly laundered outer robes and coming around to sit on one of the reed mats near the fire pit. The flames were freshly stoked and pot of hot tea sat on a tray next to several clean cups.

“The wife of the homeowner left these outside the door. My thoughts are that she will bring us something to eat closer to supper time,” Sango explained, taking a seat across from Miroku, and accepting a cup of tea.

“May I ask you a question, Houshi?” she asked. At the monk's nod she continued, “Why is it you allowed Kagome to go to Inuyasha last night? You have been against their relationship from the start, and yet you fully supported the two before Zen-sama. Are you looking to gain something from all of this?”

Miroku shook his head. “I admit I judged Inuyasha harshly, when, in fact, he is the first hanyou I have come across. I am familiar with non-hostile demons, but the majority were lower level. They could not take human form, and therefore would not consider breeding with human females…at least not willingly.”

He toyed with the rings on his staff before continuing, “Inuyasha is immensely protective of Lady Kagome. He tries to restrict her, and yet she fights back. My first instincts were that he was holding her against her will. As I watched them further, I came to understand it was more of a dominance play; she would be dominated by him, but only to a certain point, and then she would have her say.”

Sango sipped her tea and smiled. “I was with them shortly after Inuyasha took the girl in. Lady Kaede had them brought back to her village for Kagome's miko training, and the hanyou insisted on following. He was…is…incredibly rude, stubborn, and temperamental, but he appears to have a good heart. He did quite a lot for the villagers, granted much was at Kagome's urging, but he did help them.”

“He is more than I gave him credit for, and I saw that when Lady Kagome was found. Those two were brought together for reasons the Kami have not yet revealed to us. I will not interfere with the will of the gods.”

“Houshi, what do you think of going into battle against the Demon Lord of the Western Lands? Do you think it a wise idea? Surely, there must be another way to return Inuyasha's birthright to him.”

The monk frowned thoughtfully. “In truth, Inuyasha has not told us much about his brother, nor the castle in which he was raised. We now know that his mother was often left in the care of the villagers here, while his father patrolled the more dangerous territories, but Inuyasha has told us nothing of the woman. Who was she; what was her station in life before she fell in love with a demon lord? From his brief descriptions of Lord Sesshomaru, I doubt he took to having a human and a hanyou under the same roof.”

Miroku's back straightened. “And that is why we must learn all that we can before engaging in this battle. There is much more at stake than I originally thought, and I doubt Inuyasha has anticipated all of the ramifications of his actions. If he is forced to kill his half brother…a half demon will rule over the West. I don't know if he fully comprehends that.”

Sango nodded, her gaze drifting to the shoji leading to the hall. “I hope we are doing the right thing, Houshi, especially for Kagome's sake.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When Kagome awoke, she was completely encased in hanyou. Somehow, she'd turned to him during the night and buried her face against his chest. He, in turn, wrapped his larger body around her, bringing the blankets with him. She felt encased in a fuzzy hanyou lined cocoon. Instead of moving to wake up her blanket, Kagome flicked her tongue over the nearest nipple, bringing it to attention then latching her teeth onto it.

Inuyasha knew his human was awake, but was content to lie with her a bit longer. He felt more at ease here, his dreams reminding him of happier times in his childhood, when his mother still laughed and smiled. He was startled when he felt her moist tongue on his chest, then her human teeth tugging playfully on his nipple. With a growl, he rolled them so she was straddling his hips, her hair a black waterfall around a flushed face.

“Good Morning, Inuyasha,” Kagome said, smiling.

Her answer was a low groan as she rocked her bottom back against his morning erection. She felt better, much better than she had when she went to sleep. She didn't recall any dreams, good or otherwise, and if the good night was attributed to sex with Inuyasha, well then, Kagome figured it would be a good way to start the day. Especially if they were going to meet some sort of weaver youkai.

Amber eyes narrowed. “Are you planning on making it better, wench?”

“Maybe.”

Already aroused, Kagome carefully maneuvered herself above Inuyasha's erection. The hanyou gripped himself with one hand, while the other steadied Kagome at the hip, balancing her as she lowered herself onto him. It worked much better this time than the attempt in the tub. Kagome decided she wouldn't be making love in water anytime in the near future, she felt too dry. This however, felt wonderful.

“Ohhhh!”

While Kagome used her knees to help raise and lower herself over the hanyou's length, Inuyasha reared up into a semi-sitting position and captured one of her peaked nipples in his mouth and suckled furiously. Pulling his knees up, he began pumping his hips each time Kagome lowered herself, alternating suckling her breasts and neck. The coupling was going to be fast, and as Inuyasha felt the heat building in his loins, he gripped the back of Kagome's head and pulled her mouth to his, swallowing both of their cries.

Still connected, Kagome lay on Inuyasha's chest, resting her chin on her crossed arms while he brushed his fingers through her hair.

“Better?” she asked.

Inuyasha smirked. He could tell Kagome was still exhausted from the previous night, but he knew there was little chance of him leaving her in the care of Zen and his wife while he went into the marshlands.

“Keh. You're still tired, though. Are you sore?”

Sitting up again, Kagome stretched out her back and shoulders, causing the hanyou beneath her to groan at the intimate contact they still shared.

“No, not too bad, but I'm not…”

A sharp gasp from the doorway brought around both their heads. Kagome recognized Zen's wife, Aiko, from the previous night in the bathhouse. Now the woman stood stock still with one hand clamped over her mouth and the other fisted over her heart. Her velvet brown eyes were so wide that Kagome feared the woman may have been having a stroke.

Suddenly, it dawned on the miko that not only were she and Inuyasha in a very intimate position, but the bruises on her back were clearly visible, and if they were anything like the ones on her stomach and upper thighs (speaking of which, the wolf's scratches were reddening around the edges and looked like they were going to have to be treated and wrapped before they went anywhere), they looked bad. But, as her embarrassment rose, so did her anger. The woman didn't even knock! They were supposed to be guests! They hadn't been making so much noise that Inuyasha wouldn't have noticed someone at the door.

Crossing her arms over her breasts and ignoring the growling hanyou beneath her, Kagome turned sharp eyes on Aiko.

“Yes? May we help you?”

Clearly startled, Aiko took a step back and struggled to compose herself. “Lady…Miko...Kagome…Ma'am, I wanted to tell you that dinner is going to be served shortly. I wanted to know…to know if you would prefer to take it in your room…or with the Houshi and Slayer as last night. I see that you do not wish to be disturbed. I will tell your companions…”

“You will tell them that Inuyasha and I will be joining them. Aiko-sama? Did you knock on Miroku and Sango's door before entering?” Kagome asked.

Aiko nodded. “Yes, it was only polite.”

Kagome's eyes narrowed. “If it was only polite, then why didn't you knock before coming in here?”

Reaching out, Kagome grabbed her discarded yukata and slipped her arms into it. She didn't care if Aiko saw her naked, but she DID mind giving the poor woman an eyeful of naked hanyou, even if he was impressive. Slipping off of Inuyasha (and struggling not to moan), she pulled up the sheets and ran her fingertips over his cheek. He was being amazing quiet though all this. His beautiful eyes followed her as she faced off with the headman's wife.

“My husband assured me that you and the hanyou were not mated. I wanted to be sure that he was not taking advantage of you in your injured state, Miko-sama.”

“Why you stupid…”

“Inuyasha, please,” Kagome interrupted before facing Aiko again. “Miroku and Sango are not married, yet you didn't think he would take advantage of her? No, you thought that because Inuyasha was a half demon, he wouldn't be able to control himself. What Inuyasha and I do is our business, not this village's. And, just so you know in the future, Inuyasha has excellent hearing.”

Aiko blushed brightly and gave a small bow. “Your dinner will be across the hall shortly. I am sorry to intrude.”

When the shoji clicked closed, Kagome's shoulders began to shake with suppressed anger. Muscular arms slid around her waist and the soft skin of Inuyasha's cheek brushed against her own, but Kagome wasn't ready to calm down yet.

“Why? Why is it everywhere we go, we get treated like we have the plague? If I'm not being held against my will, then what does it matter who I fuck? You have all the right parts, we fit together, what does it matter?”

The hanyou behind her sighed, causing the small hairs on the back of her neck to rise.

“Kagome…that's just how it is. Youkai are to remain with their kind and humans with theirs. It doesn't matter that a youkai may look human, that's all they do, look it. My Father's true form was that of a giant demonic dog. So, while he could be with my mother and create me, he was still an animal to most humans.”

Inuyasha turned the girl to face him. Resting his hands on Kagome's shoulders, he stared deeply into her eyes, searching for any hint of doubt, in him, in her, or in what they had together.

“That's part of the reason I haven't taken you completely as mine yet. Humans will be able to see the mark I give you, and demons will smell it. Right now, if you were to leave and stay in a village that didn't know you had been with me, you could live normally for a human woman. With me, you would go through this everywhere we go. And it will be worse when we take on Sesshomaru, make no mistakes about that.”

Kagome pressed her palm against Inuyasha's cheek, rubbing her fingertips where human ears would be.

“If you survived it, I'll survive it.” She smiled. “But right now we'd better get dressed and into the other room before we have to endure Miroku's teasing.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Dinner was simple; rice, skewered meat, and vegetables, but plentiful. Kagome wished there was some form of soda in this era; she was missing the taste of Pepsi horribly. Tea and water were fine for quenching thirst, but where was the flavor? Miroku had been clearing his throat throughout the meal, to the point where Inuyasha felt the need to thump the poor man on the back, nearly sending him into his bowl.

“Inuyasha, I know why you wish to visit this youkai today, but I…we…that is, Sango and myself, we wish to know a bit more about the western castle and the surrounding resources. Surely you do not wish for us to go into this battle blindly?”

Inuyasha snorted but placed his bowls onto his tray and settled on the floor.

“Keh. What is there to know, really? The castle of the Inu no Taisho is the oldest standing castle, human or youkai, in all of Japan. It has several layers of defenses. First, is a sea of demon smoke that can take physical form. Second, is a circular river filled with living water, surrounding the castle. And last is the stone wall. It's said to be almost a mile thick, fucking impenetrable. I only remember bits and pieces; I was a pup when my mother and I permanently left. It wasn't long after that my father left the castle to Sesshomaru and stayed with us.”

Sango watched the emotions play out in the hanyou's eyes. She was always taught that no matter how human a demon looked, they still had no emotions, no true feelings. Watching the one before her, she began to wonder how many of the demons they had flushed out of hollows in the forest, destroyed as preventatives, to keep them from getting too close to villages or farmlands, actually had families, actually cared, and simply wanted to be left alone to live.

“Inuyasha,” the slayer whispered. “Can you tell us a bit about your mother?”

The muscles in the hanyou's shoulders tensed and he ears shot to attention. He hated thinking about his mother. The kind, quiet, fiery human woman was his everything. Red/gold eyes glanced to his right, to the small, fragile human girl sitting comfortably against his raised knees. His everything…until now. He could talk about her. Maybe if he went into this holding to the few good memories they had at his father's home, and how his mother was cast out by someone who was nothing more than a spoiled child, it would give him the strength to fight the demons he wouldn't be able to physically see.

“My mother…my mother was a Hime.” Inuyasha's ears flattened slightly at the two gasps from across the fire pit. He expected them, but it still hurt. Kagome's gentle hands rubbing his calf helped him to continue instead of just storming out of the room.

Taking a breath, Inuyasha continued, “My mother was betrothed to a warlord almost two decades older than her. Her father thought it would be a good match for the region and gain him an important section of land and resources. Mother was too young to get married, younger than the wench here, but her father insisted. Two days before she was to be sent to the warlord, she was sitting out by a river and was attacked by a water snake. My father was nearby and came to her aid. She wasn't afraid of him.”

Inuyasha paused a moment in his story telling and pulled Kagome onto his lap, crossing his arms and legs over her and resting his head on her shoulder.

“Stupid human girl didn't know to be afraid of the Inu youkai. Sort of like someone else we know.”

“Hey!” Kagome muttered indignantly, butting her head lightly against the hanyou's before settling down to listen.

“My father said that he could smell the sadness coming from her, and couldn't help but notice how she didn't even try to run from the water youkai. It was as though she wanted death. He asked what she was doing alone, and she explained her engagement. He'd been alone for a long time, and for some reason wanted to bring her with him. She agreed.”

“Wait a minute. You said your mother was very young at the time. She was too young to be married. But she went off with your father, a demon, willingly?” Sango interrupted.

“Keh! It wasn't like that! My father was hundreds of years old. Hell, Sesshomaru was probably close to two hundred or three hundred at the time. She was a child to him! Damn, woman!” Inuyasha shook his head, as if shaking the thoughts loose.

“He took her to let her have time to be a child. She was reared as a Hime, to be married and breed sons. With my father she had a chance to grow up a bit more, to have more schooling, to learn the ways of Inu youkai. They weren't happy to receive her, and even less so when my father started to show more than fatherly affection for her. She was in her twentieth year, very late for a human woman, when she asked him when he was going to make her his mate.”

Kagome tried to turn in the hanyou's embrace, but he pretty much had her locked down.

“Hold it. You're telling us your mother asked your father to mate with her? A human princess asking that from the Lord of the entire Western Lands?” The little miko sighed. “I wish she was still alive so I could meet her.”

“What?” None of them had ever heard the hanyou caught so off guard. Kagome simply shrugged.

“She sounds like such an interesting woman. Aside from Sango, all the women I've meet here are so meek. Quiet. I feel like a bull in a china shop.”

Kagome noticed the wide eyed stares she was receiving and went back over her words. Oh. “It's a saying where I'm from. It means I feel like I'm clumsy and loud compared to all of the other women around me.”

“Keh, you are clumsy, wench”

The miko huffed. “Anyway, we know that she became his mate and had you. And you didn't stay in the castle long. What was her name, Inuyasha?”

“Izayoi. We lived okay for a while, not great, but Father protected us. When we stayed at mother's old village…well you know how he died, Kagome. He died because people hated the fact that a human and a demon would be lovers, let alone have offspring. Hanyou aren't just hated because we have the blood of both, it's because we aren't understood. How can something exist that isn't part of either world?”

It was quiet as the other two companions mulled over what was revealed. Miroku knew the Western demons would never accept the hanyou as a leader. Perhaps there was another full demon that could take the place of Sesshomaru, but if not…it would be nothing more than one war after another. No humans would survive that.

“Inuyasha, you are having an armor of sorts made for Lady Kagome and myself. Are there any other precautions that can be taken to ensure our safety against such strong defenses?” the monk inquired.

The hanyou stared at the far wall. This was what he dreaded bringing up, the other reason he didn't just take Kagome as his mate last night. Humans were very protective of their mortality; it was part of what separated them from their demon counterparts. Kagome…she didn't care…at least right now, but how would she really feel in a hundred years, not having aged physically much more than one human year. Even then, as time when on, the process would slow even more. And a slayer and monk…would they want that on their shoulders?

“Inuyasha?” Kagome's soft voice brought him out of his thoughts. Only one way to find out.

“I want to take Kagome as my mate, my life mate, to bind her life expectancy to mine. There's a way to do it without changing her blood, her humanity; it's what my mother chose to do, but not what I…what we want.”

Sango and Miroku watched as Kagome broke into a huge smile and managed to maneuver herself to kiss the hanyou on the mouth. The slayer blushed brightly and turned away, but Miroku just grinned.

“That is wonderful news, since it is plain that Lady Kagome desires the mating as well, but may I ask why you are announcing it to us in such a way?” Miroku inquired.

“Because you are my pack and a true leader seeks the approval of his comrades. And because there is another way that you can be offered protection in the fight against Sesshomaru and his guards.”

There was silence for a full minute before Sango caught on to what Inuyasha was saying. He expected the slayer to understand. Though demons didn't take humans as life mates or full family members often, if it was possible, it was necessary for a youkai exterminator to know how it was done in order to recognize it.

“You can't mean you want us to do…that?” Sango squeaked.

Inuyasha's ears flattened a bit at the disgust evident in her voice. He didn't even flat out state that he wanted them to perform the ritual of family, just that there was an option out there that could offer more protection. It also dawned on him that she didn't say anything to Kagome about the mating, simply blushed and turned away. Was she rejecting the idea? He would take the miko regardless, but he was not like his half brother. He was neither a full demon nor a full human, but he would seek the approval of those Kagome considered close enough to be family.

Miroku turned to the flabbergasted slayer. “Do what, Sango?”

“He…he wants us to become half breeds like him!”

“SANGO!”

Kagome's voice cut though the older girl's ranting. The miko's stare was deadly.

“I thought you were past this. You followed Inuyasha, you accepted his protection knowing full well what it meant, and now he's back to being a half breed? So, he's good enough for the fool girl who doesn't know any better, but not the mighty demon slayer?”

Sango looked at Kagome, horrified. “Kagome, no, that's not what I…” But the miko was too riled up to listen.

“Damn it, if you can't stand us then leave! No one is keeping you here. It was your choice to follow. I don't care. Do you hear me? I don't care!”

She managed to pull out of the hanyou's hold and stormed out of the room. Everyone could hear the shoji practically pull from the hinges with the force of the slam. Inuyasha got up and looked solemnly between Sango and Miroku.

“Monk, if you want to know what I was talking about, ask the slayer, she seems to understand. If you want to follow, meet the wench and me at the edge of the marshlands just before sunset. If you decide to leave…at least let me know so I can tell Kagome. She'd want to know.”

Without a second glance, Inuyasha left Sango and Miroku to themselves.

“Now, Sango, explain yourself.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The sunset tinted the mist rising from the marshes with pinks and oranges. Inuyasha stood at full attention, his eyes trained towards the woods, eyes clear, scanning for any obvious dangers. He didn't turn when the door opened behind him.

“Are you gonna be warm enough, wench?”

“I think so. Aiko let me borrow the coat her eldest left behind, and the girl must have been gigantic. Is it time to leave?”

“Give them a few more minutes.”

“Inuyasha, I don't think they're coming,” Kagome murmured, coming up beside her hanyou.

At that moment the door opened again and both Sango and Miroku appeared. Sango was dressed in her exterminator gear and Kirara was curled around the opposite shoulder from Hiraikotsu. She said nothing, simply nodded at the two and waited for Miroku to speak.

“We were unsure if the path to this youkai would be dangerous, and felt it best to be prepared.”

Inuyasha still hadn't moved. “The weaver won't attack us. Once her spies alert her to us, we should have no problems. Kirara should transform, though.”

Giving no further explanations, he crouched low so Kagome could climb on his back. Once she was secured, he began to trek towards a small space between the lush bunching of trees and vines. The mist was heady, damp and almost had weight to it. It wrapped around Kagome and she felt like it was trying to wiggle between her and Inuyasha, attempting to separate them.

“Is it alive?” she whispered, burrowing her face into his hair.

“Yeah,” Inuyasha responded loud enough to carry back to the others following closely behind them. “My father bottled it and brought it home it him. It spreads unless there's a strong youki to keep it in place. The weaver won't let it feed though, at least not on us. Sesshomaru's a different story.”

“That's comforting,” Sango mumbled.

Unseen things scuttled through the trees overhead and made waving patterns along the ground, but Inuyasha ignored them, following some sort of trail the humans of the group couldn't see. When they got to a clearer area of land he paused. It was mostly sodden vines and soil surrounded by murky water and more of the thick mist. Hanging between the trees was some sort of crystal spider web. Kagome swallowed hard. She HATED spiders.

“WEAVER!” Inuyasha shouted.

Kagome trembled as the whole marsh seemed to shudder and inhale. A flash of movement caught the miko's eye, and Kagome watched as a woman floated down from the forest rafters.

She was beautiful; long, silver and sable hair was coiled multiple times atop her head, and held in place with red lacquered sticks that picked up the faint swamp light surrounding them. Her skin was beyond pale, almost translucent, but with some sort of undertone that said it would be brown if it could ever see the sun. She was dressed in the colors of the marsh; rich brown and deep green robes flowed around a slender body and hid her feet. It was only then that Kagome noticed she wasn't floating, but that there were four long spider legs sprouting from her back, allowing the weaver youkai to walk along the web with ease.

“So, the youngest son of InuTaisho has grown up. You are a good blend of both your parents, and I appreciate a good blend.”

The youkai's voice traveled over Kagome's body, caressing it as a silken fabric would. She trembled against Inuyasha and couldn't stop her powers from flaring. She felt afraid and violated by this woman.

The spider only smiled, showing more of the razor-sharp fangs that extended both above and below her lips.

“It seems the younger dog as gotten himself a pet with some bite.”

Inuyasha growled. “She's not my pet. And she has control but if you fucking keep provoking her, I'm not gonna stop her from blasting you a good one.”

The woman tilted her head. “Not your pet, but not your mate either.”

“I don't see how that's any of your damn business. You owed my mother a favor; I'm here to claim it.”

The spider youkai looked at Kagome a moment longer before bowing her head. “Even if I did not owe a favor, I would grant your request. You were always an amusing child to watch. So head strong.” She looked at the others. “A taijiya and a houshi, along with a fire neko. A strong pack. I am Oru-Siito.”

Inuyasha nodded. “You know of my half brother and his rule?”

“Yes. He is…determined, but he seeks aid from no one. He is satisfied only when he has all, but he has not yet learned what that means,” Oru-Siito replied.

“He stole Tessaiga.”

The spider's black eyes widened and Kagome could see now that they were faceted, like they were made up of multiple smaller eyes.

“I am planning on taking it back, but the humans I am with need more protection than mortal cloth can provide if they are to fight effectively. The monk has spiritual powers, same as the wench, and firerat reacts to it. I don't know of anything other than worm silk for the slayer, she has no aura.”

Oru-Siito looked at each member of the group, concentrating on the energy surrounding them. “You are correct, Inuyasha, the demon exterminator has a human aura, but the youkai worm will work fine. But, for such a large order, I do require some sort of compensation.”

“Keh, and what would that be?”

Black eyes locked on Kagome.

“Miko blood.”