InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Present Perfect ❯ Chapter 27 ( Chapter 27 )

Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi

 

 

Chapter 27:

 

 

Sesshomaru was next on the list of Kagome-sitters. He didn't bother to seek her out; instead, he went right to the well house, set up a chair outside the entrance, and took out a book. He didn't even pretend to be concerned about her well-being. She found that refreshing, not that she doubted the sincerity of the others, but she didn't need a babysitter. At least he was honest about why he was there—to prevent her from sneaking into the well.

 

At lunchtime, Kagome took out a tray of food for Sesshomaru, who looked at it briefly, then went back to reading his book. “No, thank you,” he said.

 

“I know you eat human food,” she admonished him softly.

 

Sesshomaru closed his book, keeping one hand on the page to mark his place. “I can eat human food. I don't want to,” he clarified.

 

Kagome set the tray down a small distance away, then asked, “Do you mind if I sit here with you for a while?”

 

Sesshomaru spread out his hands, and she took it as a `yes.' She sat quietly next to him while Sesshomaru attempted to start reading again. “Sesshomaru?”

 

This time, when he closed the book, he didn't mark the page.

 

“Did you ever have any children?”

 

Sesshomaru stared into the blue sky. “One,” he said. “She was not a child of my flesh and blood, but she was my child in every way that counts. A child of my heart.”

 

“Rin.” Kagome spoke, and Sesshomaru nodded.

 

“Do you regret not having other children?”

 

“I have many children, all descendants of Rin. My one regret is that Rin chose to grow old with her husband, Kohaku, and left us all to fill our days with her memory.” Sesshomaru pierced Kagome with his gaze. “We youkai have long lives, and longer memories. Rin taught me things that I had never understood from my father or from my life before she entered it. No matter how strong we think we are, we are stronger still when we have someone else, not weaker—stronger. Do you know why I am telling you this, miko?”

 

No, she didn't. In fact, she was more than a little amazed that Sesshomaru was being so forthcoming with her. Slowly she shook her head.

 

“You remind me of her, my Rin. She was a miko, too, wise, yet childlike in many ways. She was always full of such hope. Be strong. Your baby needs you, Kagome.”

 

Kagome didn't know which flattered her more: that Sesshomaru thought she was wise, or that he had actually called her by her name. It occurred to her that Sesshomaru meant something else, too. Her baby would be related to him by flesh and blood, another inu-hanyou like Inuyasha. Her baby was also Sesshomaru's heir.

 

“I'm not going to fall apart,” she told him. “Inuyasha needs me, too.”

 

 

 

They planned to leave for Kaede's early the next morning. Ayame strapped her son onto her back again for easy traveling, while Inuyasha held Sango's child one last time. Rin and Kohaku were ready, too.

 

“Follow my lead, dog-boy,” said Kouga. “I don't want you trying to take over like you always do.”

 

“Whatever. I'll watch your back, since you're not too good at that.” Inuyasha shot back at Kouga.

 

Inuyasha handed the baby to Miroku and walked with him a little ways towards his house. “This is it. Remember what I said and don't follow us, got it?”

 

“I understand,” replied Miroku. “You just get back safely and give Kagome our love.”

 

“I will,” promised Inuyasha. He waved, and ran off to catch up to the others who had already left the village by way of the gate this time. He stopped at the entrance and spoke briefly to Sango, who hugged him quickly, then watched him sprint away.

 

The village seemed awfully quiet with just Miroku, Sango and the baby. Kirara slept curled up on the floor next to the baby's mat, and Shippo had been gone since yesterday. Miroku would have to have a talk with that young kitsune soon about telling them when he was going out so they wouldn't worry.

 

Later, when Sango was feeding the baby, Miroku thought to ask her what Inuyasha had said to her at the gate.

 

“He told me Kagome is going to have a baby.” Sango smiled. “We can't tell anyone, of course, but he wanted us to know.”

 

That made sense, considering Inuyasha knew that Miroku and Sango might be Kagome's great great many times great grandparents, and so Kagome's baby would be their great great many times great grand-child. That reminded him. “Sango, where are the beads I used to wear around my hand to seal my wind tunnel?”

 

“Those beads?” Sango put the baby up to burp and fixed her clothing. “I gave them to Rin. She was looking at them and said she could feel a funny tingle from them, and asked if she could have them. You haven't looked at them in months. I didn't think you wanted them any more, so I told her to take them.”

 

Miroku jumped up. This changed everything! Kagome wasn't his descendant—she was Rin's! Rin, who right now was in grave danger with Inuyasha's group. Quickly he explained to Sango what he and Inuyasha had guessed from the pictures Inuyasha had shown them, and the wrong conclusion they had both drawn. “I have to warn them,” he said at last.

 

Sango was already changing into her slayer's clothes. “I'm going too,” she insisted.

 

“Sango—the baby. You can't. It's too dangerous.”

 

Sango regarded him with steely eyes, as she wrapped her child in a protective cloth and tied him to her back. “I'm a slayer—our child comes from a long line of slayers—and Kagome is my friend! I will not let anything happen to Rin if I can help it.” Sango's voice died away to almost nothing. “She has to survive.” Even she didn't know if she meant Rin, or Kagome.

 

Miroku knew better than to argue. “Kirara!” he shouted. The youkai cat transformed immediately and they sped off after Inuyasha's group. Miroku didn't tell Sango the rest of what Inuyasha had revealed about their future. That eventually Rin would marry Kohaku, and so Kagome was still a descendant of the slayers and related by blood to Sango herself.

 

 

A half mile out of the slayer's village, Kouga stopped and squatted down. “Get on,” he said to Rin, exasperated by her merely human speed. Kohaku had been trying to help her along, but he wasn't much bigger than she was, although he was a lot faster.

 

Rin hesitated. She knew this youkai, and she knew she shouldn't be scared of him. Yes, he was the leader of the wolves, and he was no longer the same youkai as that one who had ordered his wolves to help themselves to the humans in her village. Those days were far behind all of them. Still. . . .

 

Kouga felt her fear. So did Inuyasha, who tried to make light of it for the girl's sake. “She probably got a good whiff of you, smelly wolf,” he said, before turning to Rin. “How about I take you on my back? I used to carry Kagome that way all the time. All right?”

 

Rin nodded, and climbed on Inuyasha's back. She was light as a feather, not much heavier than Shippo. “Hold on tight,” he bade her, as the group took off once more, traveling at twice the speed.

 

Youkai were everywhere. Mostly mindless, like the hordes that had once come at Naraku's bidding, they attacked anything that moved. Inuyasha drew Tetsusaiga and laid about with his kaze no kizu whenever he had a clear shot. Kouga and Kohaku took out any stragglers who got too close. It was exhiliarating, after having to be so careful in Kagome's Japan, and even in the new world. If this was as bad as it got, Inuyasha thought they'd have a chance.

 

The beer smell was starting to wear off, but it still distorted his altered youkai scent enough that Kouga was still fooled. In a way, it was good that Sesshomaru wasn't nearby yet. Inuyasha didn't think the beer smell would fool Sesshomaru at all.

 

One disturbing incident shattered Inuyasha's growing confidence. After blasting away yet another swarm of youkai, Inuyasha leaped ahead, wanting to make sure there weren't more youkai lying in wait. They were almost to Kaede's village.

 

“Hey!” yelled Kouga, as Inuyasha bounded past him with Rin clinging to his neck. “I thought I told you to stay behind me!”

 

The wolf youkai started after Inyasha, leaving Ayame, who was carrying the wolf cub, and Kohaku, to follow them off the path and into the thick underbrush. They caught up to him quickly, because Inuyasha had stopped suddenly, confronted with a human-seeming youkai with a very powerful aura.

 

“Who are you?” Inuyasha asked belligerently. He didn't like the crafty intelligence he saw in this youkai's eyes. But the youkai didn't answer Inuyasha's question. Instead, he named each of them.

 

“Inuyasha. Rin. Kohaku. Ayame. Kouga. Daichi.” The youkai pointed at each one of them as he uttered their names.

 

He even knew the name of the wolf cub which had been inscribed on the scroll in Midoriko's cave. Inuyasha felt chills go up his spine. Who was this youkai and how did he know them? He never got a chance to ask, because the youkai dipped his head to them and then disappeared—disappeared! No sound, no scent.

 

A second later the area was attacked from all sides by more youkai. It was too close for Inuyasha to use his sword, so he set Rin down with orders for Kohaku to guard her, and used his claws. Ayame stationed herself in front of the humans, and handed her son to Rin so that she could have her hands free to defend them.

 

Inuyasha and Kouga fended off youkai which came at them from every direction. Every so often a few youkai slipped by, eager to get at the soft child flesh beyond, but Kohaku and Ayame managed to deflect most of their attacks. Suddenly a giant boomerang sliced through the attacking youkai from behind, and Sango's unmistakable voice cried out, “Hiraikotsu!”

 

Inuyasha looked up in disbelief to see Kirara hovering above, carrying both Miroku and Sango—and their baby! “What the hell are you doing here? I thought I told you to stay in the village!” he yelled up at them.

 

“The situation has changed, Inuyasha!” Miroku called back down. “There's something you don't know!”

 

What could possibly be that important that Miroku would risk his child's safety to come out here?

 

Kouga ran off after a group of youkai who had feinted a retreat while Inuyasha was distracted by Miroku. The main body of youkai swerved back around him and headed straight for Ayame and the kids. Kohaku swung viciously with his sickle, and Ayame cut huge swaths through their ranks with her deadly leaves, but it wasn't enough. Inexorably, the youkai advanced, slashing Ayame's arms and legs with teeth and claws, while Kohaku tried in vain to push them back. Rin huddled behind them, protecting the wolf cub with her small body.

 

Inuyasha cursed, and sprang into the mix. Behind him, Sango and Miroku cleared a path through the youkai on Kirara, while Kouga tried in vain to get back to his wife and child before they were slaughtered. Inuyasha threw youkai out of his way, sparing a quick glance to assess Ayame's injuries. Kohaku looked to have it under control, so Inuyasha grabbed the back of Rin's clothes with one hand, still slashing youkai with his other hand. Rin still had a tight hold of the wolf cub. Good. He hauled them both bodily out of there, and shouted to Kohaku, “Stay with Ayame, I'll be right back!”

 

Kirara landed on the forest floor just as Inuyasha reached them, shoving the two children into Miroku's arms. “Get the hell out of here!” he shouted, pivoting on one foot so that he could go help Kohaku.

 

“Inuyasha,!” Miroku leaned down and spoke urgently. “Rin has the beads!”

 

“Get them out of here,” Inuyasha repeated, shaking his head. Rin, huh? Not Miroku. He couldn't think about that now. He didn't tell Miroku to take the kids to the well, but he knew how the story was supposed to end. Shippo, it's up to you now, he thought. Find Sesshomaru and bring him to the well. He turned around and joined Kouga, who had finally fought his way back to Ayame's side. They still had a battle to finish here first.