InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Reunion ❯ Chapter Twenty-four ( Chapter 24 )

Chapter Twenty-four

A/N: Hello, everyone. I suppose it's time for me to get Inuyasha out of this jam, or not! evil laugh I actually almost wrote myself into a corner on this one, but I have come up with a solution to the mating problem that makes sense. Or, at least, I think it makes sense. Tell me what you think. I don't own Inuyasha.

Kagome could hear voices in the darkness, voices calling her name. "Kagome! Wake up!" came the voice of someone. He sounded angry and upset. "Mama-Kagome, please wake up!" came a younger voice. "Sesshomaru-sama? What's wrong with Kagome-sama?" came a young girl's voice. "She will be fine, Rin. She has just recieved a shock and she will soon awake." She slowly started to come out of her sleep. "Ohh!" she moaned.

"She's coming to!" came the angry voice, this time relief was in his voice. And as she came more awake, she recognized it as Inuyasha's. Kagome opened her eyes to the anxious face of her hanyou above her.

"Oh, Inuyasha! I just had the most horrible dream!" She threw her arms around Inuyasha neck and clung to him. "We were meeting your aunt when a woman came in and your aunt said that she was your mate..." Her voice trailed off as she looked over Inuyasha's shoulder at the figure of a woman on the floor. Miroku was working to revive her from her faint. "It wasn't a dream, was it?" she asked softly. "Is it true?"

"Kagome! How can you ask that?!"

"You didn't answer me, Inuyasha." Kagome said, coldly. "Is it true?"

Inuyasha looked at her with disbelief in his eyes that was rapidly turning into fury. "If you have to ask that, then you won't believe my answer." He stood and turned to walk away.

"Sit!"

"Arrgh!"

Kagome looked at Inuyasha on the floor. He wasn't looking at her but she could see the anger and the pain in his face. "I ... I'm sorry Inuyasha." She started to cry. "I don't doubt you. It's just that this is, is, oohh! I don't know what it is! I'm just confused and upset and angry and...."

The compulsion spell had worn off. Inuyasha sat up and stared at Kagome crying for a moment, his face expressionless. Then he sighed and took her into his arms. "Alright, I forgive you. Now stop crying, I hate it when you cry." Kagome just leaned into him and sobbed. Shippou came up and tried to push himself into her lap.

"Mama-Kagome? Are you alright?"

"She's fine, runt. Now give her a minute to get herself together so that we can sort this out."

Kagome's sobs subsided into sniffles as she got control of herself. She pushed away from Inuyasha to take Shippou in her arms and hug him. "It's okay, Shippou." she reassured her adopted son, with a sniffle. "I'm ready to find out who this woman is." Kagome looked at Lady Mariko, who was hovering in the background. "My Lady, you said that this woman claimed to be Inuyasha's mate. Who is she?"

Mariko took a deep breath. "Her name is Yukiho. She was one of Inuyasha's playmates when he lived here. And she was hopelessly in love with him."

"She was just grateful that I kept bullies off her!" interupted Inuyasha.

Mariko shook her head. "It was more than that, Inuyasha. She was truly in love with you."

"But she was only seven. How could she be in love with me?"

"She was. And she was devastated when you were exiled."

"Okay, I get that she knew Inuyasha when he was a child. Why isn't she old?"

"Well, she says that she mated with Inuyasha."

"She hasn't mated with me! No one has!" Inuyasha stopped. He looked at the faces of the people who were gathered around him. "Well, no one has."

Kagome smiled at Inuyasha, fondly. "It's fine, Inuyasha. Some of us haven't mated yet either." she said with a blush.

"Inuyasha. Do not act the fool." Sesshoumaru paused for a moment. "You do know that the binding ritual does not require sex, don't you?"

"Binding ritual?" asked Kagome. "What is a binding ritual?"

"You haven't told her." Sesshoumaru looked visibly annoyed with his brother. "Inuyasha, I was wrong earlier to say that you were acting the fool. You ARE a fool."

"Now wait a minute!" responded the irate hanyou. "I haven't told her because I don't know all the ritual! I have been trying to nail down Myouga for the key words and phrases, but he never stays around long enough for me to get the information out of him!"

"If you two are done, I would like to get an answer to ...." That was as far as Kagome got when they heard a moan from the woman.

"She's coming to!" shouted Inuyasha. "Now, let's get some answers!" This said, he stood and helped Kagome to her feet.

"But, you still haven't answered my question." Kagome protested.

"Later." said Inuyasha. "Right now, I want to find out how this woman can say that I am her mate."

"Maybe she fainted because she knew her story was a lie and you were here to prove it wrong."

Kagome and Inuyasha looked at Sango in shock. "You know, that's a pretty good idea you've got there, Sango!" exclaimed Inuyasha. "I'll bet that's it! Now to get the truth out of her!"

"Don't hurt her, Inuyasha!"

"Feh! I wouldn't hurt her, Kagome!"'But, I'm not above scaring her into thinking that I would!'

By this time, they had gathered around Yukiho. She moaned again and slowly opened her eyes. At first she looked at the gathered faces above her with concern until her eyes stopped on Inuyasha. "By the gods, it wasn't a dream! You are alive!" She closed her eyes, and tears began to leak from them. Inuyasha gave Sango a look of 'you were right' and prepared to intimidate Yukiho into confessing her lie. Before he could open his mouth though, Yukiho's eyes snapped back open and she lunged at him, taking everyone by surprise. She threw her arms around him and kissed him hard on the mouth!

Inuyasha waved his arms for a minute to try and catch his balance and fell over backward. Finally, he managed to get his hands on Yukiho's shoulders and push her away. Before he could say anything to her, she began babbling to fast for him to get a word in. "You're alive! And you're here! I knew you would come back to me, I knew it!"

Yukiho suddenly felt a hand in her hair. "GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY MATE!" screamed Kagome as she yanked Yukiho backwards with all her strength.

Yukiho screamed as she hit the floor. She looked at Kagome in disbelief. "HE'S NOT YOUR MATE! HE'S MINE!" She leaped from the floor and rushed Kagome. Kagome set herself to take on Yukiho's rush and realized that she was at a distinct disadvantage. Yukiho was dressed in more practical working clothes, but she was in that stupid, formal kimono! As Yukiho reached her, she dropped to the floor in a body block that took Yukiho's legs out from under her. As Yukiho went flying through the air, Kagome used the respite to grasp the bottom of her kimono with her hands and rip the seam up to her hip. Now she could fight! She leapt to her feet to see that Yukiho had controlled her fall by going into a tumble and coming to her feet with her back to Kagome. Yukiho spun and set herself. She began to advance on Kagome at a more deliberate pace. Or at least, that is what she started to do before she was grabbed from behind by Inuyasha.

"That's enough!" he shouted. "Yukiho, Kagome! This is getting us nowhere!"

Yukiho cuddled back into Inuyasha. "Whatever you say, my love."

Inuyasha released her like she had become white hot and Kagome glared daggers at her.

Miroku chose this moment to say something. "Inuyasha!" he said, shaking his head. "I didn't think you had it in you to mate with two women at the same time!"

"Miroku, you're not helping! I'm not mated to both of them!"

"Well, if you're not, can I have the extra?"

He must have thought that he was safe since Sango didn't have Hiraikotsu. He soon learned the error of his ways. She may not have had her boomerang, but her shoe worked just as well to knock the lecherous monk out cold.

Sesshoumaru shook his head in disgust at the antics of his brother's friends. If anything was going to get resolved here, he was going to have to take control of the situation. "Woman." he said, addressing Yukiho. "You claim to be Inuyasha's mate. By what right do you make this claim?"

"I make it because he is my mate! And none can say otherwise!" This last was said with a glare at Kagome.

"Papa-Inu and Mama-Kagome are mates! And they are my parents!" shouted Shippou.

"Be quiet, kitsune. I will handle this." Sesshoumaru looked at Yukiho appraisingly. "You have not answered my question. How is it that you can claim to be Inuyasha's mate when he has no knowledge of it?"

"Well, I, uhm." Yukiho began to stammer.

"Indeed, Yukiho. We have been led to believe that you and Inuyasha were mates. He obviously has no memory of it.Was this a lie?" Genki demanded.

"NO! No, I didn't lie to you. It's just that, well..." Yukiho trailed off, obviously not wanting to explain.

"Woman, I grow impatient. How do you claim Inuyasha as your mate?!"

"Because I performed the mating ceremony after he was on that damned tree!" she shouted.

"WHAT?" screamed Inuyasha.

Kagome went to calm Inuyasha. Genki cleared his throat and looked at Yukiho and Sesshoumaru. "Lord Sesshoumaru. I believe that we should hear the entire story." He glared at Yukiho. "I expect a full explanation Yukiho."

"Yes, my lord." She sighed. "Inuyasha, I dreamed of the day that I could tell you this, the day that I could explain."

"Get on with it. I want to know what you did to me!"

"It is a long story. I think that we need to go somewhere more private to discuss this."

"Very well, Yukiho." agreed Lady Mariko. "I know of a good place. Please follow me. Daremo, stay with the monk until he awakens, then bring him to my garden."

"Yes, my lady."

"Now, everyone else, please follow me."

A/N: Now that I have your attention, the next chapter will be a real eyeopener. I hope that you are enjoying this, so far.