InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Sword of Supreme Conquest ❯ Chapter 11 ( Chapter 11 )

As the dawn broke over the tireless mountain peaks that were the hallmark of the Western Lands, it brought light to the world but could not ease the hearts of the weary. Within the imposing fortress on the crest of the hill, a demon paced back and forth across the floor. He appeared drawn and haggard, having refused sleep and food for several days, though to describe him as such would be misleading since his demonic visage made him more beautiful than any normal man. He'd been living nearly a week in his own personal hell, completely removed from the rest of the world.

 

 

Sesshomaru had returned from Totosai's lair several days prior only to find Kagome gone, with no word to anyone as to when she would return. Confused and a little hurt (though he would never admit that particular detail to anyone but himself) that she'd left him when she was so close to delivering their child, he tried to determine logical reasons for her flight.

 

 

Perhaps she needed to return to her own time for one of those special medical tests? Maybe she felt more comfortable there because of the hospitals and doctors? Both of these explanations were sound and logical, but he sensed that there was more to it than that. There had to be more. If it was that simple she wouldn't have left without telling him.

 

 

When he discovered Ah-Un waiting patiently at the edge of the Bone Eater's Well his reaction had been bittersweet. He'd been correct in thinking that she'd returned to her own world, but that fact alone created and entirely new set of problems. He felt assured at first, thinking that perhaps she had no intention of staying in the world he could not enter, but after conferring with the two-headed demon the icy fingers of worry once more trickled down his spine.

 

 

Ah-Un had been waiting for two days and there'd been no sign of her. Sesshomaru quickly dismissed the pair, thanking them for their loyal services, and sent them back to the palace. He'd waited for her in Ah-Un's place, surveying the well patiently from the dense cover of the nearby woods. By sunset there was still no sign of his mate and he'd given in to his body's need to pace restlessly back and forth through the trees.

 

 

The fact that he couldn't sense her was what disturbed him the most. She was so far removed from him that he had no inkling of what she felt or how she fared. He tortured himself with various dire scenarios - mainly Kagome giving birth alone and scared, calling out for him to help her, to ease her pain or to save her from death's claws only to have her pleas go unanswered. Yes…to describe the past week as a personal hell was an understatement.

 

 

He returned to the confines of the palace after that long and arduous day to contemplate his options. Judging by the scents still clinging to the grass of the meadow Inuyasha had gone with her. He was somewhat comforted knowing she wasn't alone, whatever the circumstances. He cursed his own generosity at returning the subjugation necklace to his miserable half-brother. For a time he debated going to the old priestess, the one they called Kaede, to see if she'd be willing to make another necklace, but quickly realized that such a scheme was impossible. The power of the necklace lay in Kagome's will, she had to be the one to subjugate him. Still, with nothing else to occupy his frantic mind he clutched to the faint glimmer of hope the necklace gave him and journeyed to the old woman's village.

 

 

Upon arriving he discovered that Kaede had temporarily abandoned her hut, perhaps heading to another village to fulfill her duties there. Feeling his rising of frustration take hold, he snarled and lashed out, slicing his claws through the wooden beams of the hut's exterior. Weary, he rested his palm against the ragged edges of the torn wood and breathed heavily through his nose to calm his nerves.

 

 

It was then, in that very moment of hopelessness that he found her. His head snapped up as her scent wafted to him on the breeze. Pushing away from the wall he sniffed the air tentatively, his heart thrumming against the walls of his chest, but he was certain…it had to be her. Without thinking he acted purely on instinct and raced towards the well, tearing through the forest with enough power to leave the trees shaking in his wake.

 

 

He paused when he saw Inuyasha leap out of the well with Kagome securely clinging to his back. The unimpressionable mask that never wavered from his features faltered briefly. His eyes widened with shock at the sight of Inuyasha's half-demon features and his changed scent in the air. How is this possible? he wondered, as he openly stared at the hanyou's silver hair and golden eyes. His eyes flickered back and forth between the pair as he anxiously watched the scene before him play out.

 

 

Inuyasha gently lowered Kagome to the ground so she was standing on her own two feet. Stretching her hands towards the sky, she let out a large yawn and shook off the last vestiges of stiffness. Turning her back she waited as Inuyasha untied something from her back and handed it to her. She beamed up at him, her smile radiating and Sesshomaru dug his claws into the nearest tree trunk.

 

 

Though he would never admit it aloud, he was more than jealous of the relationship his mate and the hanyou shared. He'd successfully managed to keep his brother away for over a year, hoping that his absence would heal some of the wounds left by their previous encounter, but he'd been wrong. Seeing them together now made his claws itch for blood. He trusted Kagome and knew she would never betray him. He'd been so wrong to accuse her of it the first time around, he wouldn't be reckless enough to make the same mistake twice.

 

 

Kagome gratefully took the makeshift baby carrier she'd made from Inuyasha's hands and checked on the little one. He was alert and gurgling, his tiny fists waving in the air as his golden eyes took in everything around him. Happy to see that he was in good spirits, she extended her index finger and waved it in front of his eyes. He latched on to it instantly, shaking it back and forth in front of his face with a delighted giggle.

 

 

She was still in awe at how fast hanyou children developed. A normal human baby wouldn't be able to do much more than sleep, let alone have any kind of grip at only a few days old. She'd been worried at first, not knowing what to expect, but Inuyasha told her that all hanyou and demon children were the same. They had to develop fast because the world was so dangerous. If they couldn't defend themselves they ended up injured or dead, a sobering thought for someone who'd spent her entire childhood in relative peace and safety.

 

 

“He's a cute kid,” Inuyasha commented casually as he watched mother and son playing with one another. Kagome looked up and smiled at him, nodding her head in agreement.

 

 

“Yeah. I can hardly believe he's mine.”

 

 

The half demon opened his mouth to say something else but hastily shut it again. Tilting his nose into the air he sniffed experimentally and couldn't stop the low growl that suddenly reverberated in his throat. With a muffled `keh' his cheery air was replaced with characteristic cockiness and he shoved his claws into the sleeves of his haori. He turned to the forest expectantly, eyeing the spot where Sesshomaru lay in wait.

 

 

Realizing he'd been discovered and that there was no point in drawing out the theatrics any longer, the lord of the Western Lands revealed himself. Faster than the human eye could travel, he moved to Kagome's side and pulled her into a tight embrace. With his back to his brother he had no qualms about letting his stony resilience relax, and allowed his eyes to close in ecstasy as he breathed in her scent. It quickly filled every pore, travelling down in great warm waves to the very center of his being like hot brandy on a cold winter's night. Kami he'd missed her. He held her like that for some time, gently running his claws through her dark mane, until she finally stepped away.

 

 

When he looked down into her warm chocolate eyes he couldn't resist pulling her in once more, this time for a heated kiss. The words on her lips were silenced as he pressed his mouth against hers, telling her through the need in his touch just how much he'd missed her and the pain he'd suffered from not knowing where she was. She willingly gave herself up to him and allowed her body to relax at his touch, melting into him as if they were two halves of the same whole. Sesshomaru smirked inwardly, enjoying the feel of Kagome's lips and his brother's noticeable discomfort at the obvious display of affection between them.

 

 

Finally pulling away he saw the mist of tears in Kagome's eyes and brought his clawed hand to her cheek. She smiled and nuzzled her nose into his palm before placing a delicate kiss against the inside of his wrist. “I'm so sorry for leaving,” she began softly.

 

 

 

“I thought…,” he began to say but the words faltered on his lips and died off. None of it mattered now. Whatever he'd been tempted to ask, whatever fears he'd had about her leaving were all pushed aside the moment his eyes were reflected in the identical amber orbs of his son's.

 

 

With a tender smile Kagome offered the squirming bundle to him and he accepted it gingerly, careful to mind his claws against the newborn skin. Father and son stared at one another curiously, heads identically cocked to one side as they sized each other up.

 

 

Sesshomaru felt a great swell of pride wash through him as he saw his son's face for the first time. He looked so much like his mother, with his dark hair, pale complexion and rosebud lips. He also thankfully had inherited her disposition and seemed to ceaselessly gurgle and coo with happiness. From the looks of it, all his son had inherited from him were his large amber eyes that were the tell tale mark of their bloodline.

 

 

With a tiny squeak the child began to squirm in his hands, his face gradually turning fuchsia until a great wail erupted from his lungs. Sesshomaru blinked, startled by the sudden outburst, and quickly handed him back to Kagome who cooed the boy until he was silent again.

 

 

“He's perfect,” he commented as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “I am sorry I wasn't there.”

 

 

Kagome swallowed down the ball of guilt that constricted her throat and tried to keep the smile on her face. Even though she knew it was all for the best in the end, she still felt horrible about leaving him behind. This was supposed to be the happiest time of their lives and her mission had thrown a giant wrench into their happy bubble. She remembered the Sesshomaru she'd met through the well - the stubborn, aloof, and very angry demon lord who'd been her companion, for better or for worse, through the most difficult day of her life. Taking Sesshomaru's hand in hers she rested her head against his arm, happy to finally have her own demon back.

 

 

“Well I'm gonna get going. I've got a lotta stuff to do and I wanna test this new body out,” Inuyasha remarked casually, purposefully glancing away from the happy couple. He stared off into the distance, focusing on a tiny flock of birds advancing towards them over the horizon.

 

 

“Thanks for everything Inuyasha,” Kagome said gratefully.

 

 

He shrugged haplessly and bounded towards the forest shouting back to her over his shoulder. “See ya around!”

 

 

Kagome let go an inward sigh of relief at knowing that he was finally at peace with himself. His entire life he'd wanted to be something other than what he was, but when he'd finally gotten his wish it hadn't been what he'd expected. In the end, he'd learned to appreciate being a half demon and she was happy that he'd been given the opportunity to change back.

 

 

In the days that followed their trip through the well he'd told her all about what'd happened with the sword after she'd passed out. Sesshomaru had used the fang to save her and then changed Inuyasha back into a half demon. It made them both question how dangerous his fang could truly be, but in the end Akira had convinced them not to be deceived.

 

 

He stated with conviction that while the sword of Supreme Conquest had the power to give life and heal the wounded, it could also kill thousands in a single stroke. It was not something to be trifled with or considered lightly. In the end, they'd decided to postpone their mission for the time being to allow Ronin to grow and to give Kagome time to heal.

 

 

As Inuyasha's red outline faded into the distance, Sesshomaru placed his hand against Kagome's back and looked down at her expectantly. “Shall we head home?” he inquired, his eyebrow cocked slightly since he already knew what her answer would be. She nodded emphatically and cuddled up to his body so he could transport them westwards.

 

 

“I should ask,” he added as an after thought while the misting cloud they would travel upon billowed out at their feet. “What is his name?”

 

 

Kagome ran her knuckle down the soft, pudgy cheek of the now dozing baby in her arms and thought back to those fateful moments in the hut. “Ronin,” she replied after a moment of silence, her voice reflecting the distance of her thoughts.

 

 

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at her response. What a strange name for a child. He made a mental note to ask her why she'd chosen such a name when the time was right. For now, he was satisfied simply knowing she was within reach.

 

 

As he wrapped his arm around her waist to pull her in close he couldn't help but notice the faint scent of death that clung to her skin. Though she seemed healthy enough, his instincts told him that she'd been dead, or very close to it, quite recently. Though his face remained expressionless he withdrew inside himself to ponder this new revelation, and secretly wondered when and if she would ever tell him the truth about where she'd been.

 

 

Author's Note: If you've been wondering what Sesshy's been up to all this time…well here ya go! This is the last chapter for this time period. The next one starts a few years in the future so please enjoy and review! Thanks!

 

Side note: This is fair warning that things get dark from here on out. Preeeetty much till the end…But there is a happy ending :)