InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Their Daughter's Journey ❯ An End to Peace ( Chapter 3 )

“Happy birthday, Sesono!” Mama said as he groggily headed outside. He'd almost forgotten - today he was five years old. Dad never really cared to celebrate, but Mama did.

He looked around to see Shirou at his mother's side, clinging to her as he always did. He looked left, then right, then back towards his mother.

“Where's Kiki?” he asked scratching his head.

Kagome looked to the ground, upset at usual with the mention of her daughter's name. Her eyes turned to the second hut to her left. She pulled Shirou tighter, nearer, worried that if she were to let him go, the same fate would befall him.

Sesono's expression changed, his heart sank. He pivoted around and dragged himself into the second hut. Taking a deep inward breath and stepped inside, he grinned from ear to ear.

“Hey Kiki! How you felling?” he asked, kneeling down beside she.

She stared up at him with a small, cute smile. Being two she was old enough to walk and talk, but in her state she couldn't go out much. She'd always been weak. The twins had been born premature. As she grew older, she also grew weaker. However, Shirou kept his health. That hardly seemed fair.

“Good!” she raised her voice, but even then it was no more than a whisper. He wondered if she saw through his halfhearted smile. “Seesee,” she said, watching her brother as he grabbed the cloth from her forehead.

“Not Seesee, Se-so-no.”

“Seesee!” He sighed, giving in to the cute mispronunciation of his name. To her it was almost like a nickname, like Shi was for Shirou. When she was younger she had a great deal of trouble saying her siblings' names. It became habit. “Wanna play,” she stated as the soaked cloth returned to its spot on her forehead.

“Sorry,” he hung his head low, “we'll play lots and lots when you get better.” He wiped the stray droplets from her cheeks.

“Promise?”

“Yep, definitely!” She smiled at this and returned to her slumber, breathing heavily in her rest.

Sesono exited the small hunt belonging solely to his sister and headed out to the fields. He didn't like seeing her like that - of course he didn't. Kikyou was his precious little sister. Seeing her like that…he could not bear it. How long had it been since she became like that?

Kagome turned, spotting something out of the corner of her eye, to see a black haired hanyou exiting the hut to her left. She sighed, picking herself up off the ground and dusting herself off. Her oldest was growing up too fast. Already he was maturing and growing stronger…

Taking care of his sister…

“Sesono!” she hollered across the field. The boy looked up at her, grinning ear to ear. He waved and she did the same. “Go get your father! It's almost time for breakfast!”

He ran off and Kagome lowered her hand. Every time she saw him, he continuously reminded her of his father. Though he was not as short-tempered, he worried a lot about Kikyou, just as InuYasha had done for her. In addition, he looked just like him - his human form.

Sesono sprinted through the trees and dashed across the forest. He always loved the smells of the wild; they were so intriguing. Among them, he could always find Dad's scent. It stood out, him being the only demon around. Dad had driven all the other demons away a long time ago to keep Mama safe.

He skidded along the riverbed, narrowly falling in. He sighed, thankful to have not fallen, before looking up to see an ebony head of hair and blue clothes. His eyes widened. The woman stared at him from the corner of her eye, lying against a large oak. Her kimono was tattered and worn, soaked in red; her body covered in tiny cuts and bruises. The stench of blood was overwhelming, nauseating.

He took a step closer, mouth ajar, before dashing to her side. She shut her eyes, ignoring his aid.

“Are you alright? What happened?” he questioned, leaning in to take a closer look. She remained silent. “Hey, answer me!”

“I'm fine,” she replied in a hushed tone. Clearly, she was not.

“But-”

“I said I'm fine,” she raised her voice, resting her head on her arms, “just leave me alone.”

Sesono stuck up his nose and crossed his arms.

“Keh, I was just trying to help! Sorry for being worried!” He spun around, arms folded, ready to continue his search for Dad. By now, Mama would be getting worried. She worried a lot, but not as much as Dad did.

“Wait-” He felt a small tug on his sleeve. The tug loosened, but he was still able to feel her grasp. He looked back at her, turning his torso sideways. For the first time he saw her eyes - big and sad, with a colour as bright as the sun. He knew eyes like that. There was someone with a gaze just the same as hers. “Sorry…” She lowered her head.

Though he could not see her tears, the sobbing that followed rang clear. The salt, too, it was just as overpowering as her scent. That scent of hers was demon. She was a demon Dad had not exterminated. Had he not rid the area of them all?

“It's ok…” he murmured, staring down at the girl who refused to show her tears.

“I'm so sorry,” she repeated, desperately covering her eyes.

Mama told him that when he felt like crying he should cry no matter who was around. He didn't like to cry because it was embarrassing, but he did. This person made it seem like it was a bad thing. Why was she apologizing?

“I'll get some water. You wait here, ok?”

Her tears ceased and once more, she raised her head, nodding.

Sesono's face broke out into a wide smirk before he sprinted over to the riverbed. She doesn't seem bad, he thought, cupping river water and standing back up.

“Hey! Sesono!” shouted an all familiar male voice. He looked across the stream, spotting a figure with a silver mane and red robes. “What're you doing over there? C'mon, let's head home before your mom yells at us.”

“Dad! There's a lady who's hurt!” he stated, dropping the water at his feet.

“Oh yeah? Where?”

“Right-” He cut himself off; no one was there. Behind him stood tall trees, grass, but the woman with ebony hair had vanished. He did not hear her leave, nor did he notice her scent disappear, and yet she was gone.

“Hurry up alright?” InuYasha shouted back, waiting for his son to return to his side.

“Yeah…” He managed to peel his eyes away from the empty shade beneath an oak, but not without effort. That woman, the image of her tears, would he see her again?

“Happy birthday!” his parents and siblings shouted at the dinner table. He sighed, blushing slightly, before grabbing a bowl of stew. Since his encounter in the morning, the day went by abnormally quick. To him, the more time passed, the closer he felt to understanding what had happened. That was not the case.

“Thank you,” he fumbled over his words. Things like this were always so embarrassing!

Kagome smiled sweetly, the twins at her sides.

“Kikyou, you sure you're ok?” InuYasha asked, being concerned as he always was. It was a habit and his daughter was sick; worrying was his right.

“Yep!” she retorted.

Night fell soon after that, the familiar sounds of darkness ringing across the land. The soothing ring of crickets chirping, the howling of the wind as it made its way across the land - nothing could compare. Yet tonight he was unable put his mind at ease. The teenage woman he had spotted earlier still plagued his thoughts.

She was a demon, yet demons never got that close to the village for fear of extermination. After all, it was home to a demon slayer, monk, priestess and the strongest half demon ever, at least to Sesono. Her voice was gentle, a bit like Mama's. And her eyes…those eyes…

His eyes doubled in size, feeling a cold metal against his skin. He swallowed, slowly turning to face the intruder: a woman.

“Fool. Have you not yet realized that you're surrounded?” He sniffed the air. It smelled of demons and blood - lots of blood. “Typical half breed behavior; overconfident and easily distracted. I suppose you get that trait from you father.”

“My father?” he asked, as though he was unaware. Keep her talking, he thought, someone will come for me in time.

The woman tossed her dark, inky hair aside and flashed a look of superiority onto him. She bent in near his ear and whispered, “It's no use. No matter how long you stall for time nobody's going to come save you.” She laughed, recognizing his dismay. “If you don't wish for your family to meet its end then you'll come with me, boy.”

Sesono gritted his teeth. His blood boiled a thousand times over with skin red and hot as lava. How dare she threaten their lives? Being as young as he was he did not quite understand the situation, however knew enough. If it were not for that last threat, his pent up rage would have escaped. Alas, his only choice was to obey. The boy lowered his fist, breathed deeply and nodded.

“Heh, your choice is quite noble; to die in their place.”

Die - to die. He was going to die in their place. That was the right decision, was it not? He felt her blade's jagged edge run against his skin. Sesono nibbled along his bottom lip as he was forced outside.

“You're quite obedient. Does that family of yours mean so much?”

Sesono stayed silent. Of course, he thought, hiding his face beneath his overgrown bangs. To him…they were…

“Sesono!” shrieked a woman from behind. His mouth gaped, distress washing over his being. As he turned to face her, thoughts raced through his mind: not now, not here, when I'm about to leave. Low and behold, there before him stood a young maiden, Kagome, her husband at her side. “What…What are you…and she…”

He flashed her one of his brightest smiles. Don't cry. Mama always looked best with a smile. “Sorry,” he inhaled deeply, “you're too late.”

“Se…Sesono?” The two stared, their mouths ajar.

InuYasha gripped the Tetsusaiga, ready to tear that woman to shreds. He knew her - he remembered. How could he not? She still reeked of Naraku. The stench was all over her.

Sesono gawked at his father's right hand, shaking his head. He flashed his fangs one last time before spinning around and disappearing into the dark abyss.

“Take care of Kikyou.”