InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Sunset Love ❯ Consequences ( Chapter 25 )

 

Disclaimer - Inuyasha forever shall elude my grasp.

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Chapter 25 - Consequences

 

 She had emerged from the well with teary eyes and a mind full of memories both dark and confusing. Her chest heaved with the sobs of one destined to suffer the losses of many without ever knowing why. She had lingered there for some time as she tried to force her memories to emerge from the fog that had settled over them but nothing she seemed to do had worked.  It was then that her staggered steps had carried her into the protective embrace of her mother's arms. Her story poured out through broken sentences and heart wrenching cries of one distressed.

 

That had been one month, four days, three hours, and fifty-seven seconds ago. Kagome gazed at the clock on her bedroom wall silently counting the passing seconds as her turbulent mind wrapped itself around what she now knew had occurred. It had taken one week to regain her full memories and the knowledge of what had happened had been of her own will had been a startling revelation.  It served to sooth some of her fears though as understanding of her part had saved his life and maybe the lives of countless others. But still she remained at home, allowing her body and soul the time to heal from such a harsh event.

 

Many a long night had been spent cradled in her mother's arms as she cried out her fears and worries. Her mother's soft words of reassurance and loving care were what had helped her to accept the dark fate that destiny had dealt her.  It was through her mother's ever-present support that Kagome had finally come to terms with what had happened and what was still happening to her.

 

She was changing, something she had noticed two weeks after she had returned. A new power had been awoken within her slender body that she did not understand. As always, though, her mother had been the one to help her. Her mother explained that it may be the dormant youkai powers awakening, powers that she had inherited from her father. Her mother had explained that perhaps the mating had drawn them out to save her from what would have surely killed her. 

 

It had been then that they held a lengthy conversation concerning the Northern Taiyoukai and what had happened after her mother had returned home, pregnant with her and no one else but her grandfather to support her.  It was then that Kagome got the full story, of how her grandmother, Lady Kananobara had traveled the well many a time to make certain all was well with her grandchild. Of how the great lady youkai had held her mother's hand when the day came for her to be born into the world. It had been the last day that her mother had seen anyone from Kisho's family. The day the well had closed to them forever and how sad her mother had been.

 

Through it all her mother had remained strong, with her father's help, she began to raise Kagome as best she could. It was three years after her daughter's birth that her mother had met and married Souta's father. Her stepfather had known all about the reasons for Kagome's birth and yet he still had loved the child as if she were his own. It did not matter to him if she were demon, hanyou, or human. Two years after that her baby brother came into the world to complete their loving family.

 

Kagome had been seven when fate took her stepfather away, her mother had explained with teary eyes. Her mother had felt the loss of two loves and dedicated herself to raising the children she had been given to cherish. She also went on explained that while Souta's father was human, Souta still carried her miko blood and that was what had made it possible for him to keep up with her during training at first, but now that her youkai blood was awake it would be different.

 

Though outwardly, Kagome could find no evidence of any physical change, she could feel it brewing deep within her soul. She knew without understanding why that she would become stronger and faster then she had ever been before.

 

It was then that she remembered that Lady Kana had told her she needed to get stronger in order to combat the new evil that shadowed the lands. At the time she had doubted the Lady's words, but now looking back at them she wondered if perhaps this was what the she meant. Had she been destined from the start to find away to awaken the youkai blood that flowed hidden within her veins?  And could this lady have truly been her grandmother? If so why then did she only give her a shortened version of her name? Was her grandmother trying to hide her presence from Lord Kisho or someone else?

 

All these questions had plagued Kagome over the past few weeks as she learned more and more. She hoped that she would find the answers once she returned to the Feudal Era. She had already made up her mind to return, besides there was really no other place she felt like she belonged. Here in this time, she sometimes felt odd, even among those she had grown up with. The feeling had always been there, no matter how hard she had tried to fit in even back before she had fallen into the well for the first time. That first trip only started the love she held for the era, it blossomed in her heart and flourished in her soul until she knew that it was where she belonged. It had only been when the destroyed Shikon had sent her back to this time that she truly felt the pains of losing her home.

 

When she had first become aware of the origins of her blood father, Kagome had always hoped to one day find a way to return to the troubled lands of Feudal Japan, but nothing she had attempted would take her back. Now she knew without a doubt that it had not been the appropriate time back then. It was the right time now though, and no matter what had happened she had to return, she had to try and make things right between her and Sesshomaru, even if he had mated her without his full knowledge.

 

“Only you can remove the spell but at a great cost. A cost that once paid will easily destroy him!”  Sora had told her, her hate filled look had told Kagome the truth of those words. Those words had haunted her every since she had obtained her full memory of the events that led up to her and Sesshomaru mating. She worried deeply about their truth, worried the even as she lay there staring up at the ticking clock that he was going through a hell of his own.

 

Kagome knew that no matter what she had to speak with him, she had to make certain that he would not become lost within the depths of that guilt. She had to talk to him, to let him know that she was all right and let him know she forgave him his harsh treatment of her.  Slowly she pulled herself up from the bed and began gathering the things that she would need for the journey ahead.

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Long days filled with the gut twisting pain of guilt had filled Sesshomaru's entire existence. Every moment that she was gone, he was reminded of just how much he had damaged her over the course of her return. He had both poisoned and raped her yet his heart still wished that it had never occurred. It was his actions that brought pain to such a pure soul and to find out that she was the pup of his father's dearest friend only made him feel that much worse.

 

He, Sesshomaru, Lord of the Western Lands, had not only sullied the Northern Princess with his foul essence; he had marked her as his mate without her consent. Everything that he was or ever would be now rested solely within the small hands of a woman who might never forgive him the atrocities he had inflicted upon her. It was a devastating blow to the highborn pride he had always outwardly displayed and in its face he drew farther away from the world.

 

Upon the battlefield he was cold and calculating, as precise as always. His lust for blood driving him onward in a hope of regaining all that had been lost to him. It was off the battlefield that those who were closest to him saw effects of the guilt upon him.

 

After two weeks of a hard fought battle the usurper's forces had been driven back into their dark hiding places. A few days later the majority of the Western Army had been returned to their homes with the command to stay ready in case the usurper's army reappeared. Not knowing had left them all on edge and large border patrols were left behind to make certain the gained ground remained secure.

 

Due to the call of duty, Sesshomaru had been made to return to the Western Castle, there he immersed himself in the now daily routine of studying war maps and coming up with various strategies that might come in handy whenever the usurper's armies reappeared.

 

He worked long into the nights, distancing himself from everyone, and as night fell he would restlessly prowl the hallways in a sleepless rage that few dared stand against. Even Rin felt the Taiyoukai's withdrawal and sought out answers from those who had been with them. Tatsu, Kisho, and the others did not allow the matter to slip from their lips, but Inuyasha and Shippo supplied the girl with enough information about it to give her cause for alarm.

 

Desperately, Rin had tried everything she could sooth his worries and bring out the father she knew but no matter how hard her effort he would just gaze at her with a tired dullness to his golden eyes and send her away. As the days turned slowly into a month he began to spend more time locked away in his study then in the war council, stirring rumors of the lord becoming weakened. If something was not done soon, people feared that they would soon lose their lord.

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“So the miko still has not returned,” the deep voice of the usurper mused as his clawed hand gently slid along the top of his favored pet's head. Tanaka's ears swiveled slightly back listening to him with rapt attention even as her gaze remained steadily upon the trembling human male prostrate before them.

 

“N…no…m…master,” the dirt encrusted human barely managed to stammer out as he pressed his forehead against the wooden floor, “and Lord Sesshomaru draws further away from his people.”

 

“Interesting,” the master smirked, one deadly fang overlapping his lower lip. If things progressed the way they were then he would be able to just stride right into the Western Lands and no one would dare challenge him.  Glaring coldly down at his human slave, the master's eyes glowed red from the depths of the shadows that obscured the upper half of his face. “Return to your post and keep me posted.”

 

“Y…yes…master.” The human male crawled slowly backward toward the doorway, never once raising his eyes to look upon the one who held his life within deadly claws. Once outside the confines of the shadowed room, the slave turned and fled.

 

“This is turning out to be better then I had first hoped. Sora's betrayal has given rise to a situation that will be to our advantage, my pet.” His claws lightly scraped the panther's scalp bringing out the deep rumbling of a contented purr.

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Iyashii and Hayashi knelt with head bowed before the Southern Lord. For one month they had laid their plans and formed a strategy that would put them in the Taiyoukai's favor. Long hours had been worked in order to set everything up and prove to the lord that even though their leader was gone nothing would change; in fact they proved that it prospered.

 

Tithes had been almost doubled as the lands flourished under Hayashi's governing hand, the people showed signs of being far more content. They had even begun producing a high grade of silk that most of the royal houses were clamoring to buy.

 

All in all everything looked to be in their favor, but all their well laid plans now rested in the well manicured claws of the Southern Lord. A youkai that was well known for his flighty nature and hair brained schemes.

 

At present, said demon, was lounging in the seat of honor at Hayashi's house, one silk clad leg draped over the arm of the wooden chair. The green silk of his clothing was crafted from the very fabrics that Hayashi's lands had started to produce while the Kitsune lord inspected his long claws.  Long pointed ears twitched slightly whenever a sound from outside the room caught his attention and he let the silence stretch to an almost impossible length.

 

After what seemed to be like an eternity, the bright emerald eyes of the Taiyoukai shifted from his hand to the two kneeling patiently before him, a mischievous grin tugging at the red lips. “So you wish for me to allow you to join Sesshomaru's army…hmm?”

 

The rustling of silk came like a soft warning as the lord shifted in the wooden chair. His light laughter echoing through the room as the pair nodded to his question. “Well then, I grant you this boon and I will go one further. Since you've proven to me to be more efficient then the previous landholder, I grant the lands into your capable hands, Hayashi. But cross me once and your fate shall be worse then that of Kage's.  I, myself, have already promised to send more reinforcements to my western counterpart and your volunteering could not come at a better time. It shall work in both of our favors.” Once more that mischievous grin tugged at the Southern Lord's lips. “Gather your men and be ready to set out within the week.”

 

“Yes, my Liege.” Hayashi and Iyashii both replied in unison. It was a relief on both of their minds. Everything was going as Iyashii's mysterious benefactor had hoped.

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Kisho had to suppress the urge to sigh for what seemed like the thousandth time that day as his golden eyes took in the scene before him. There, not a hundred yards away, Tatsu and Ozeki were currently in the process of the great dragon trying his best to teach the belligerent bear youkai just how to obtain maximum thrust of his earth shattering attack. The bear as always was huffing out his indignant retorts every time the great dragon lord conked him over the head for his failure to concentrate.

 

In the absence of the usurper's army, it had become a daily routine for Tatsu to drag the reluctant youkai down to Lord Sesshomaru's training grounds to fulfill his promise to the young miko as best he could while she was absent. Tatsu did not see her absence as a permanent goodbye and had demanded that the bear do all he could to improve his skill so that when Kagome returned she would have a stronger and more dependable guardian. Ozeki, on the other hand, moped as though he did not believe such a miracle would occur.

 

Kisho softly snorted out his displeasure of the bear's continuing belligerence and stood from where he had been attempting unsuccessfully to meditate. Normally the bear's squawking did nothing to pull him away from such an endeavor but there was something definitely different about this day. 

 

The Northern Taiyoukai could feel, his very bones sensing that something about this day would upset the strained balance that had been somehow wrought over the past few weeks.  It irked him slightly that an entire army could just seemingly disappear overnight without leaving any signs of where they were going and since that day a strange silence had settled over everything, it was almost as if the world were holding its collective breath for something to happen.

 

Striding aimlessly away from the training grounds, Kisho raised a clawed hand to gently massage his aching temple, the headache becoming almost merciless over the past few hours. It was a rare thing for him to suffer, something that always was a forerunner of something about to happen. He had tried for the past hour or so trying to figure out just what that was to no avail. Even his senses seemed to have failed him in this and it was beginning to frustrate the normally calm youkai, though none would have guessed from the stoic set of his face.

 

His mind swirled with all that had happened in the span of the last few years, especially those things that had occurred within the span of the last few months. He had lost his lands to some upstart; his armies almost laid to waist in the barrage of weapons and magic that it had taken to force him from his home. His friends had suffered at the hands of the usurper within his own dungeons, one had been the target of a spell that could very well have forced him into causing the destruction of the world and to top it all off he had unknowingly been reunited with a daughter that he had never met before.

 

The eastern lands had also fallen into the usurper's hands and it brought about a shaky alliance between humans and youkai in the face of a threat that most vied being capable of an evil that would greatly overshadow that of the dark hanyou Naraku. It was a time of great mourning and speculation, when no one felt safe even within the walls of their own abodes. Demon, human, and hanyou alike had in someway been tainted by this new evil that spread the lands without the normal prejudices that seemed to govern most hearts. At least with Naraku, there had been no veil of mystery to contend with except that of his hidden location. He had been more then pleased to announce his presence and intentions to most all of Japan within the span of fifty some odd years.

 

This one though, it would seem had lain dormant for several hundred years, his intentions brewing in the darkest parts of his mind while he awaited his freedom from the sleep the Shikon had placed him in. Other then that of conquest, this so called Master's intentions was unknown as was that of his real name or even what he looked like.  Those that had been lucky enough or stupid enough to look upon his features swore that he was an Inu youkai but that was all they seemed to know. Iyashii had been the greatest source of information about the usurper but he had somehow managed to escape from Sesshomaru's dungeon before they could learn more.  Kisho just hoped that wherever the Inu youkai had fled too it would be far enough away to where he would no longer pose a threat to them.

 

Kisho allowed his feet to guide him as his mind turned to the subject of his missing daughter and the effect her absence was having upon Sesshomaru. The pup had become almost unbearable to be around, his nightly prowling becoming something that frightened even those that had known him when he was but a young pup at his father's knee.  They feared he was beginning to lose himself to his inner beast, slowly becoming nothing more then a mindless demon that had lost touch with reality.

 

Far too long, Sesshomaru had spent locked away from those that knew him and even his daughter, Rin, seemed helpless in the face of the Western Lord's slow spiral into despair. Already there were whispers of the great lord becoming weak and Kisho feared that soon there would be an uprising amongst the people, a clamoring for a stronger leader who would be better able to protect them while the old lord withered away in his guilt induced isolation.

 

It was something that Kisho could not allow to happen. Something must be done to snap Sesshomaru back into the land of the living so that together they could defeat the threat darkening the lands.  If only his daughter would return, perhaps her presence would be able to do that which no one else could and restore the Western Lord to his full glory.

 

Kisho also worried for his daughter's well being, he feared that her ordeal might have caused lasting damage to the girl's mind. Though he prayed that she would return safely to him, he was not certain she would. To her, even with her acceptance of it, it may have instilled a fear in her too deep for her strong spirit to overcome. Yet he longed to be able to be the one that comforted her, hold her as she cried out her fears, and be the protective father he had always hoped to be. He wanted to keep her safe from harm and somewhere deep down he hoped that she stayed in her own time where her mother could keep her safe, no matter how much it hurt him to lose her before he really got to know her.

 

For once, the Northern Lord was at a loss of what to do. He felt helpless in the face of the darkness surrounding them and knew only they could sort things out. In the face of everything, Kisho found that all he could do was hope that they would be able to overcome the trials that had been set before them and rise victorious.

 

So occupied in his thoughts was he that Kisho barely noticed that his feet had carried him outside the Western Palace. Whether of his own unconscious decision or some pull of fate, he found himself heading in the direction of the Bone Eater's Well, the very place his daughter would emerge if she decided to return to this troubled world.

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I can do this…I can do this. Kagome turned to look back down into the blackened void of the well she had just clambered out of, the silent words of self-encouragement playing over and over in her mind. To say that she was nervous about the prospect of seeing Sesshomaru once again would be a blatant understatement. She was almost downright frightened now that he was back to his old self, or so she hoped anyway. What terrified her the most was the thought that he may have fallen into the spell's web once more without her there to save those she loved.  She knew she would not be able to take that, especially since it had been she who had run away from her responsibility.

 

 Even if he were completely free of the curse, how would he react to her just showing up again? Would he become enraged and kill her for daring to try and escape him or would he welcome her with open arms, glad to see her safe return? It was all to much for the young miko and she had to fight down the strong urge just to return home and not have to face up to him again.

 

Sighing, Kagome allowed herself to slump down beside the old well, her mind on what might yet lay before her. She knew there were too many responsibilities on her shoulders to just shrug them off and return home never to look back. There were those she viewed as her own children to think of, Rin and Shippo had a right to know that their mother figure was alright, and then there was Kisho, her father. He had a right to know who exactly she was and now that her demon blood was stirring within her, he might be able to help her deal with the powers that were beginning to surface.

 

It was strange really, her mother had been slightly confused as to why her miko powers were not attempting to sedate the demon blood, instead it seemed as if the two had united within her to forge a new power, one that consisted of both bloods. A perfect balance of the two combined in a person who outwardly appeared human, but had the strong-willed nature of a demon.

 

Kagome and her mother had done some research on the combining of such bloods and discovered that her birth was rare among miko and youkai couplings. Her mother had stated after long hours of pouring over the old tomes that she may very well be a human with a demon's lifespan or a demon with a human appearance.  Either way, the two of them were left stumped and her mother had suggested that perhaps her father would hold the answers. It was just one more thing in a long list of things that Kagome doubted she would ever have the answers too.

 

Burying her face in her hands as she tried desperately to try and get some semblance of order back to her thoughts, she failed to notice the approach of a strong demonic presence until said demon sat down next to her.

 

 “It is good to see you again Lady Kagome,” the silken voice startled her from her inner thoughts and she looked up with shock into the golden eyes of her father. In those orbs she noticed a strange warmth that she seldom had seen within their normally cold coloring, an emotion that seemed to run deep into his very soul and radiate outward.

 

“L…Lord Kisho!” She managed to stammer out wondering exactly how he had managed to sit down beside her without her noticing his approach. Was she really that spaced out that she let her guard down or was it that knowing who he was had allowed his youki to go unnoticed? Either way it was a little unsettling to her and it even made her more curious as she saw a momentary flash of what appeared to be pain shadow his eyes before gracing her with that rare smile of his.

 

“I am delighted that you have returned to us, though I must confess to worry over your appearance here at the same time. Have you recovered from the shock or do you seek answers to what has occurred?” He asked trying hard to cover his hurt at her addressing him by his titled instead of gifting him with the simple word a child used to refer to their male parent.

 

“Oh…umm…perhaps a bit of both.” Kagome replied meekly as her eyes shifted to the ground. What she really wanted to do was to let him know exactly who she was but she did not know how to approach the subject of her heritage without angering him. Silence stretched between them as she tried desperately to think of a way to do just that.

 

Sensing the turmoil within the girl beside him, Kisho decided he would be the one to broach the subject first. Shifting slightly, he folded his hands into his sleeves and gazed up at the bright sky overhead. It was such a wonderful day and as he lazily watched the clouds drift by he tried to choose his words with care.

 

“I use to meet your mother here in this very same spot, often waiting for days while she went to visit her father through the well.” His voice was soft as he spoke, not daring to look at her for fear of what he would see in her face.

 

Kagome stared up at him in astonishment, her mouth slightly hanging open as his words sunk through her shocked mind. “You knew?” She finally managed to spit out as she tried to collect her scattered thoughts.

 

“At first I didn't, but when we gathered you from the cave the healer gave me the pendant you wear about your neck. It was that pendant that answered the questions I had not been able to find otherwise.” His gaze traveled down from the sky to lock with hers, his gaze filling with a mixture of hurt and curiousness. “The real question is why you would chose to hide yourself from me?”

 

Kagome sighed heavily, her eyes feeling with the guilt she felt for not having told him. “I wanted to, but I thought you'd hate me, refuse to believe what I told you. That and I wanted to get to know you before I said anything. I was afraid to tell you and then everything seemed to get so complicated so fast that I didn't have time and…and,” She felt the tears threatening to spill down her cheeks as she spoke, her sentence left hanging in midair between them. It was the truth, she had been afraid to say anything because she did not want to loose a father she had never known but just walking up to him and blurting out her secret. She had hoped in a way that by getting to know him first she would have some sort of memory of him even if he had denied her existence after that.

 

“I see,” Kisho knew from the way she was sitting there, slumped over with an air of worry about how he would react told him the truth of her words. “You were right to allow me to get to know you first. I would not have believed you even if you had shown me the pendant. I would most likely assume that you had stolen the heirloom from my intended to fabricate your story.”

 

“Oh,” Kagome felt defeat rush through her at his words. Now that he knew who she was he probably would not wish to be anywhere around her because she had not been honest with him from the start even if he said she had chosen the right course of action.

 

It was then that his strong arms wrapped around her, drawing her to his chest while one hand gently soothed her hair. “Do not worry, I shall never reject you my daughter. I have waited many centuries to meet you and even though the moment of the knowledge being granted to me was overshadowed by the events my heart rejoiced that you had returned home to me even as it felt the grief of nearly losing you. You actions have brought great honor upon the house of the North and I am proud that it is you who are my pup and not another.”

 

A great relief washed through Kagome as she relaxed in his embrace, returning it with such fervor that she almost managed to knock them over. Tears of joy slid unhindered down her cheeks as everything she wanted to tell him spilled quickly from her lips.

 

For a long while they spoke at length concerning various things. She told him about her mother and how she had managed to continue on after discovering she could no longer return. He in turn was happy to hear that his love was alive and had went on to give his daughter a sibling even though it was heartbreaking to a point to know it had not been his child.

 

Kagome also told him of the changes that she was experiencing and of the confusion she and her mother faced over what she might be. He took it in stride, explaining all he knew and told her that he would help her anyway he could to discover the truth. He also informed her of how Sesshomaru and the others were doing and how they feared for the Western Lord's sanity after she had left. It was this that made her all the more determined to speak to Sesshomaru and try to right the wrongs that had been discovered between them

 

It was with these thoughts that father and daughter set out to return to the Western Castle where both hoped to bring the Western Lord back to his senses.

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Remember that I have started a yahoo group so that you all can get the update letters. I'm going to only place this in the end of about two more chapters to make certain everyone knows but I did place it in my profiles though. The URL is:

 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sunsetlove/

 

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. It is greatly appreciated.

Much love to you all
DJ aka AuroraNyte/l3lackroze