InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ She Who the Prophecy Foretold ❯ Awakening and a Slip of the Tongue ( Chapter 12 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Inuyasha & co. belong to the illustrious Rumiko Takahashi. I do, however, own all my original characters and this plotline.

 

Chapter 12 - Awakening and a Slip of the Tongue

 

 

Night had once again found the palace and Kagome's sleeping form was once again surrounded by dog demons. Seven mid-sized white dogs curled around one side of her body while the other was being occupied by another dog demon; this one in his humanoid form. His nose was buried in the curve of her neck and his silver tresses feathered over her shoulder, mixing with hers of the darkest ebony.

 

The girl found herself once again in a field of white flowers resting under a crescent moon. She looked around and admired the beauty of the seven white dogs that lay surrounding her. She lifted her hand and found that this time she was solid instead of translucent. She reached out and smoothed the soft fur on the head of the dog nearest her.

 

Sesshoumaru found himself again in the dream world, standing in the trees surrounding the same clearing he had dreamt before. He looked out and saw Kagome, a solid Kagome this time, sitting and slowly rubbing the ears of one of the white dogs that lay circled around her. He recognized them as his pups and wondered if they were also sharing the dream. He stepped forward, slowly walking towards the woman dressed once again in a beautiful shimmering silver kimono. He noticed how the moonlight reflected off of her hair, making it appear to have dark blue streaks. She finally noticed him, turning her head and giving him a heartwarming smile.

 

“I see you were right, Sesshoumaru. I feel much stronger now.”

 

“Yes. You should be waking any time now. It seems my pups have grown quite attached to you. They have refused to leave you unattended since they woke. Right now, in fact, they all surround you, very similar to how they appear here. It is a very good thing I had you placed in a room with a large futon. Otherwise not all of them would fit.”

 

A grin spread across Kagome's face at Sesshoumaru's small attempt at humor. “So then they're okay?”

 

“Yes, Kagome, they have all returned to normal, if not better. I am unsure how I am going to separate them from you when it is time for you to return to your village.”

 

“How could they have become so attached to me? I have been asleep this whole time!”

 

“Nevertheless, they have. I believe it has something to do with your mark. They now share a connection with you which cannot be broken. Come, stand up. I wish to test something.” Kagome looked at him with questions in her eyes but she stood anyway. He held his hand out to her and she took it, stepping carefully between the sleeping forms. As he led her away from them they began to stir. One by one they rose and followed at a close distance. Kagome and Sesshoumaru walked slowly while observing them. “It is as I suspected. They wish to stay close, even here. It will be interesting to see how they react once you wake. Rin is also looking forward to seeing you.” They stopped walking now and stood in place, neither noticing that their hands were still interlocked. The pups surrounded them and then lay around them in a rough circle.

 

“How long have I been out, Sesshoumaru?”

 

“It has been slightly over a week, which I fear is my fault. It took me several days to be able to locate the dead miko. I apologize. If I had not let her escape me the first time, you would not have been so weakened.”

 

Looking into his eyes she could see honest regret and even shame, something she had never imagined Sesshoumaru capable of. “Don't blame yourself, Sesshoumaru. It's not your fault. Kikyo was pretty good at getting away when necessary. Those creepy soul collectors would just pick her up and fly her away. Besides, I'm fine now which is all that matters. Thank you for taking care of me all this time.”

 

“There is no need to thank me. All I wish is for you to wake. There will be quite a crowd waiting.” Kagome giggled a bit at this.

 

“This place is so beautiful. Never before have I had dreams in such a wonderful setting. It must have something to do with you.” She shot a sly smile in his direction. “Do you often have dreams of a field full of flowers in the moonlight? It just doesn't seem like your kind of thing.”

 

“Really? Well then, what would you think this Sesshoumaru would dream of?”

 

“Hmmm.” She smirked up at him, a sparkle in her eye. “I would think you would dream of a battlefield, the soil drenched with blood, and body parts lying around. You, swinging your sword, showing off your power. Yeah, that seems more like your thing.” She gave him a wink and he leaned in closer to her, his hair slipping forward over his shoulders and into her line of sight like a silver waterfall, blocking her vision on both sides. He was almost nose to nose with her now.

 

“There is much you do not know about this Sesshoumaru.” He paused for a moment and listened as her breathing deepened and her heart beat speed up. `So, she is excited by my proximity.' “For example, this Sesshoumaru does not dream often, and I have yet to dream of a scene as you have described. I have seen more than my share during my waking hours, after all.” She shivered and he was unsure if the cause was his words or how his breath swept across her lips as he spoke.

 

Kagome was nervous. `What is Sesshoumaru doing so close? He smells good. Kami, I can almost feel his lips, they are so close! What is he trying to do to me?' She gazed into his eyes and saw a depth she had never before experienced. There were emotions in those eyes behind his poker face. Now, if only she could tell what they meant!

 

He lowered his eyes to her lips and she licked them, wetting them without thinking. Thoughts swam in all directions in his mind. `Will she allow this Sesshoumaru to kiss her? Her lips look so inviting.' He leaned in just a bit more, slowly, waiting to see if she would pull away from him and when she didn't he pressed his lips to hers gently.

 

Meanwhile, Kagome's brain was ready to explode. `Oh my Kami, he's kissing me! Mr. Killing Perfection is kissing me, little old Kagome! Holy shit! Oh, what do I do, what do I do?'

 

Before she got a chance to decide whether to respond or pull away, Kagome was ripped from him. She woke with a start and her whole body twitched, immediately alerting all of her sleeping companions.

 

It was suddenly very dark. She slowly took in her situation. She was lying on her left side and a gentle weight was pressed against her back. There was something lying across her waist and in front of her was a source of great warmth. But why was it so dark? Kagome finally realized the problem and slowly opened her eyes. Her vision was flooded with white fur, which rolled like waves as the things covered in said fur moved about. Suddenly a spot of red came into view and then another. Soon she realized she was looking into the red eyes of several mid-sized white dogs. She looked a little lower and realized then that there was an arm wrapped around her waist. She froze, unsure of what to do as well as unsure of the identity of the one holding her. After a moment she noticed a magenta stripe wrapping around the lower forearm to the wrist. She knew that arm!

 

“Sesshoumaru?” Kagome whispered softly.

 

“Yes, Kagome?” Sesshoumaru replied in a deep, sleep filled voice that caused her to shiver at its intensity.

 

After a few moments Kagome found that her ability to speak had returned. “Nothing. Just making sure.” Okay, so apparently her mouth worked, but her brain… not so much.

 

He chuckled behind her before giving her a soft squeeze with his arm, taking in one more deep pull of her scent, and reluctantly pulling away to sit up. The pups watched their father's actions with humor dancing in their eyes. They took turns nuzzling the half awake young miko before stepping off of the futon, shifting form, and standing in a line at the end of the bed. When they were all assembled Sesshoumaru cleared his throat, startling the dazed beauty from her thoughts. She sat up quickly and looked from him to the line of boys. The way they stood reminded her of soldiers in formation.

 

Sesshoumaru knew what the pups were doing. He had taught them the proper way to present themselves for introduction. “Kagome… I would very much like to introduce you to my sons. My eldest and heir is Yoshikazu.” The first boy stepped forward and bowed low. When he straightened he locked eyes with her.

 

“I wanted to thank you, Lady Kagome, for healing us, for giving us a chance where no other miko would. You are an amazing creature. In thanks for your gift, my brothers and I have given you a gift in return.” She looked from the boy who had just spoken to Sesshoumaru, who looked just as confused as she felt.

 

“What is it that you have done, Yoshikazu?” Yoshi lowered his eyes. They had been aware that they should have consulted their father before they proceeded, but they were determined to do what they had done and were unsure as to whether their father would have allowed it.

 

“We apologize for not having asked permission first father. We have given to her as she gave to us.” Sesshoumaru's eyes widened slightly before his mask returned. He nodded and Yoshi stepped back into the line.

 

Sesshoumaru decided to continue with the introductions before they veered off track. “My second born, and Yoshikazu's twin is named Shinji.” Shinji stepped forward and bowed, repeating the actions of his brother.

 

“I would also like to thank you for giving us all a second chance at life. If ever there is anything you need, please do not hesitate to ask. I will be forever in your debt.”

 

Kagome was quite surprised by the level of development of the pups she knew to be just shy of one and a half years old. `Youkai must develop much faster than humans! The older five all look to be nearly five now, and so far, they seem to speak at an even higher level. The younger two seem to be a little older than three maybe. Wow. I'm impressed. It must be nice not to have to change diapers forever!'

 

Kagome nodded to the boy before speaking. “You owe me nothing. I only did what I felt was the right thing to do. I need no repayment. Thank you for offering though.”

 

Shin lowered his eyes before nodding and returning to his place in line. Sesshoumaru continued on once again. “My third is called Hisoka.” Hisoka stepped forward and bowed, but did not make eye contact with her. A light blush colored his cheeks as he stepped back into the line. “Fourth born was Hitoshi.”

 

Hitoshi stepped forward and smiled at her before bowing. “You'll have to excuse Hisoka. He tends to be quiet around people. He's a bit shy.” Hisoka's blush now darkened considerably and you could see the merriment dancing in Hitoshi's eyes. “Lady Kagome, on behalf of my brothers Hisoka and Akihiro and I, we would like to thank you from the depths of our hearts. Whether you think you deserve a reward or not, we all feel that you deserve more than we could ever give you and will gladly spend the rest of our lives trying to repay you and devoted to your protection.” Hitoshi stepped back into line, the signal that he had finished his speech.

 

Kagome was blushing almost as brightly as Hisoka. They all had such sweet things to say about her. They were definitely not quite as she had expected. She had been prepared for cold, emotionless mini-Sesshoumaru clones, but these boys all seemed full of life and each one seemed different from the last, despite their near mirrored appearances.

 

Sesshoumaru swelled with pride at the words of his sons. They had learned well the importance of honor and respect. “Fifth and the youngest of the triplets is Akihiro. The boy stepped forward and bowed, repeating the motions of those before him before he spoke. “Lady Kagome, if it would be at all possible I would love to speak with you about what occurred. I have read a lot about mikos, but I have never come across any mention of one with the ability to transfer their power to another, especially to a demon. If you would not mind I would like you to describe your method so that I can record it to add to the library.”

 

Kagome nodded to the boy with a large smile. “I would be more than happy to tell you everything I remember.”

 

“Finally, my two youngest sons are named Yuudai,” Yuudai stepped forward and bowed, “and Isamu.” Isamu repeated the motion and the two smiled at her in perfect harmony.

 

“You're very pretty.” Yuudai spoke first, and from there the boys switched every sentence.

 

“Yes, we hope you like our gift.”

 

“Are you going to stay with us?”

 

“Do you like daddy?

 

“I think daddy likes you.”

 

“We think you should stay here with us,” Isamu started.

 

Yuudai continued in his place. “forever and ever. We promise to always be good,”

 

“We'll listen, and study hard, and train, and do whatever you ask.”

 

“Please stay pretty lady. We like you.” The youngest twins tag teamed their thoughts, speaking so quickly that no one got a chance to get a word in before they stopped. When they were silent again, Kagome caught sight of Yoshikazu sending a very familiar glare at the eager boys.

 

“It is very nice to meet all of you. You all seem like very nice young men and very well behaved too. I bet you can be a handful though, huh? Yuudai, Isamu, as much as I would love to stay with you forever, I have a very important task to do and I need to return to my friends to do so. I also have a kit that must be worried sick about me by now. I'm the closest thing he has to family anymore and he hasn't been without me for this long since we first met.” Kagome watched as the faces of all the boys dropped. “Just because I can't stay doesn't mean we can't see each other again. I would be happy to visit once I have finished my duty and until then maybe your father could bring you to visit me. I know Shippo would love to meet you all.” Their faces brightened somewhat but they still looked disappointed. She decided to distract them. “So, who wants to tell me about this gift you guys mentioned?”

 

All of them came rushing towards her at once, all talking simultaneously. “See, look here,” one lifted her left arm slightly. “We gave you our mark…just like you marked us…I've never seen a mark like the one you gave us before…do you know what it does…the nurses tried to explain…no one knows” The pups all spoke together, interrupting each other and completing each other's thoughts. Kagome's head was starting to spin from turning her head, trying to keep track of who was doing the talking. “each one of the lines is one of us…this one's mine…here's mine…and mine…see, now we will know if you're in trouble… any weaker demons will know to keep away…it should help keep you safe…do you like it?...it means you're pack…you're our family now…can I call you mama?”

 

A large gasp was heard from all the boys except the one who had spoken last. It had been shy little Hisoka who managed to say what all the others ached to know but were too afraid of the answer to ask. Now they all looked back and forth from Kagome's face to Sesshoumaru's. Both of their expressions appeared frozen in surprise and slowly Kagome turned her face to meet eyes with the demon lord and father to the pup who just asked her to be his mother. Her eyes showed her nervousness and pleaded with him to answer for her. She did not want to break the boy's heart but she was just a human, and Sesshoumaru would surely never permit such a thing as allowing a human to act as mother to his pups. He had said before that they needed none.

 

Sesshoumaru looked into the girl's eyes. He was stunned by Hisoka's request. He knew they had all become attached to her, but to ask to call her mama was more than he had expected. He felt guilt well up inside himself. He had thought that his pups would do fine without a mother but perhaps he was wrong. They all seemed to be frozen in place awaiting an answer, begging silently with their eyes for either adult to say something, anything. The taiyoukai stayed silent, wanting to hear her answer.

 

Kagome finally decided she would have to be the one to speak since it seemed like Sesshoumaru wasn't going to help her out. “Hisoka, sweetie, all of you really, you all mean a lot to me. I can feel a connection to each of you because of what we have shared. Each and every one of you will always have a place in my heart, but…” she paused, seeing how their eyes all showed fear once the dreaded B word had been uttered. “You all have to understand. I am a human and even if I was a demon, being a mother is something that is a huge commitment. I am not able to make that commitment to you because if I were to act as your mother I would want to spend every moment with you all and that is just not possible. I have a very important duty, a job to complete. Cheer up! We can still be friends. Besides, why would you want a human miko as a mother anyway? I'm not so sure your father would approve either.” The last sentence was nearly a whisper but she could tell Sesshoumaru had heard by the way one eyebrow rose high on his forehead, disappearing behind his parted bangs.

 

He had been surprised by her answer. He knew that she would probably not say yes, if for no other reason then because of her knowledge of his feelings about humans. He was impressed by how gently she had tried to let them down, but he could still feel the disappointment and sorrow rolling off of his pups. “My sons,” he started. He waited until he had their attention before continuing. “Go get cleaned up and dressed for breakfast. I expect you down in the dining hall and seated within half an hour.” The boys stood, shoulders slumped, before they exited the room single file. Once they were gone Sesshoumaru looked back to the one he intended to make his own. She also looked very upset, even slightly afraid.

 

“I'm sorry Sesshoumaru. I didn't mean to upset them but I didn't know how to answer that. I know you would never want a human as their mother. You said before that they didn't need a mother, that one would only coddle them and make them weak. I hope you're not mad.”

 

“Miko,” he paused, considering his words. “Kagome, it is not your fault. Do not feel guilty. Besides, this Sesshoumaru has decided that I may have underestimated the worth of a mother figure. I was unaware before now that they desired one. As for your reply, you did your best to not hurt them with your decision. This is something I will have to think on at length. Know this, if I had to choose a mother for them, despite your humanity, I could not find a better choice than you.” Kagome's blush returned at his words.

 

“Okay, who are you and where is the real Sesshoumaru?” Kagome joked.

 

“I assure you miko, that I am the one and only Sesshoumaru. There is much you do not know of me.” The dream she had experienced before she woke came rushing through her head at his words and the memory of their kiss made her shiver slightly. She hoped it had not been noticeable but when she looked at him again the smirk on his face and laughter in his eyes proved that he had, indeed, noticed. “I will send a servant to assist you in bathing and dressing. We will be awaiting you for breakfast.” With that said the lord turned on his heel and exited the room, intent on checking on the surprise he had for the miko.