InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Time Goes By; Life Goes On ❯ Truth Reigns ( Chapter 16 )

Chapter Sixteen second possibility

Sesshomaru rounded the unusually crowded corner at neck breaking speeds, causing unsuspecting motorists to frantically search for safety. Under normal circumstances, he would be obeying traffic laws, but since the phone call, his mind was on one thing and one thing only: Naraku.
‘What exactly is he up to?’ Sesshomaru thought, gripping the steering wheel tighter as he took another reckless turn. ‘We haven’t heard from him in centuries and then all of a sudden he shows up right here in Tokyo and we are expected to defend the world from him. How?’ All thoughts stopped when he caught Rin out of the corner of his eye. She gripped the ‘oh shit handle’ so hard her knuckles turned white, her eyes closed and her lips drawn tight until they practically disappeared.
“Ses…sess… Sesshomaru can you slow down maybe just a bit? I would like to get there in one piece you know,” Rin ground out between clenched teeth. Her heart was pounding so hard she could hear it in her ears and her fingers started to go numb. Of course, she trusted her husband with her very life; however, under the recent circumstances she feared for the very thing he promised to protect.
Sesshomaru backed off the accelerator only slightly. Nevertheless, he was still doing eighty down the narrow streets of Tokyo.
Thunder boomed as Sesshomaru turned the final corner to the shrine and pulled his car to the curb. It would not do anyone any good – especially him – to be stuck in a downpour at such a crucial time. Stepping out of the small sports car, he glared at the stairs with pure hatred. ‘Of course things would not be easy.’ Sesshomaru thought never taking his eyes off the small mountain before him. Wanting to reach the top of the mountainous stairs before the rain actually started to fall; Sesshomaru scooped up his unsuspecting wife and took the stairs two at a time. Maybe it was not as bad as he thought, after all Kagome's brother said nothing about what was going on. All he actually said was Kagome wanted him at the shrine as soon as possible. That in turn left only one possibility. Something bad had happened and he was needed to help make it right again.
Finally, reaching the top of the stairs Sesshomaru gingerly sat Rin on her feet and proceeded toward what he could tell was the back door and though it seemed warm and welcoming, Sesshomaru could feel the anguish that grew from within.
Turning to Rin his eyes softened and a reassuring smile formed at the corner of his mouth. “Rin, there is no doubt in my mind now that what we are about to walk in to.” Rin nodded her head. Though she was still young by demon standards and her naïveté with things of this nature she was still strong willed. “I would like to tell you things will be okay but as you can tell, they are not. And I am sure Kagome still doesn’t know about Naraku.” He hated knowing he was going to be the one that told her about the appearance of said hanyou, but he knew it had to happen. With a shaky but solid hand, Sesshomaru slid the door opened and walked through the dim entrance.
‘It’s now or never,’ he thought, taking Rin’s hand and leading her straight into the lion’s den. Luckily, though they did not have a piece of raw meat hanging from their neck.

Inuyasha heard the door slide open and smelt the presence of his brother and mate as they entered the small room. With flattened ears, he turned to face them. His eyes full of worry and his visage marred with strife anyone could see the pain he was in. it was not supposed to be like this, he was supposed to protect Kagome from pain and strife but he failed (miserably).
“Fuck!” Inuyasha wailed, covering his face with his calloused hands. Things had worsened and now he would have to deal with the ire of a scorned woman. His Kagome was distraught, apathetic and he would have given his very life to make her happy – to see her smile. And as he watched her crumpled and tired form heave from the massive sobs, he found his own eyes tearing. He moved his mouth to speak but found all coherent words were stuck somewhere between his vocal box and his mouth. However, the resounding silence that graced the room after his released profanity was broken with Kagome's soft voice.
“Sesshomaru,” she started her voice uncharacteristically low and her tear stained eyes averted to her lap. She was not sure if she wanted to know what was really going on but her son’s life was possibly in jeopardy, “Please tell me what is going on.” Her pleas did not go unnoticed by the rest of the group.
Sesshomaru flinched inward as she put him on the spot. Of course, he had known it would happen or else she would not have called him over in the dead of night. Unless she just needed added assurance that things were going to be okay and that Isamu would be returned unharmed. That however, was something he could not guarantee her. Sesshomaru raked the room for any sign of resistance before he turned his eyes back to the frail raven hair beauty before him.
“Please Sesshomaru, I know something is going on, and of course no one here has the courtesy to tell me anything. After all it’s my fucking son out there and I have a right to know.” Her choice of words left the group slack jawed. They had heard her utter: damn, hell, and even shit, but for her to use the word left only to Inuyasha they realized what state she was really in. She glared malevolently at Inuyasha when a attempted to approach her and only returned her gaze back to Sesshomaru when she was knew he would not make another advance. She hated giving him this type of treatment but he never told her how him, Miroku, Sango, and Kirara came to be in her time, and now her son was abducted for reasons unknown. She would not let her guard down until she had the answers she needed to move on.
Inuyasha sighed. Sesshomaru closed his eyes. And Kagome swallowed thickly. It was going to be now or never and she was not relenting until he – Sesshomaru – told her what was going on. With teary eyes, she stared hard at him. Imploring him with her silent gaze to tell her what she wanted to know.
Sesshomaru returned her gaze with one of sadness and almost helplessness. Turning to face his grief stricken brother he began, “Kagome, what I have to tell you is… well… it should have been told to you long ago. However, I do understand the reasoning behind my brother’s wishes to keep this from you,” Sesshomaru could not hold her eyes. Kagome on the other hand had never taken her’s off his face.
“Kagome, please don’t hate me,” Inuyasha implored from his place behind her. After the look she had given him, Inuyasha sulked to the corner just out of her line of sight. He did not want to see her face when she was heard the news of Naraku, nor did he want to see the hatred in her eyes when she looked at him after. His heart just could not take it.
Kagome did not respond instead she stayed trained on Sesshomaru’s face and waited not so patiently for him to continue.
After another pregnant pause, Sesshomaru continued, “Kagome, if I had known Isamu had been abducted I would have…” He paused again, “We know who took Isamu. “ Sesshomaru had not known what was going on when he entered the shrine, at least, not until he heard the words Kagome had said. He was surprised to say the least.
Kagome's eyes widened as realization hit her, ‘They knew.’ They actually knew who took her creation and no one mentioned anything. She stood up so fast her chair tumbled over behind her. Slamming her hands on the table she hung her head before spinning around and lurching toward Inuyasha, “You bastard!” Inuyasha barely had time to react as her opened hand grazed his handsome face.
“Kagome…” Miroku could not stand to see his friends fall apart over hiding the truth. It was not the way things should turn out; after all, they have overcome deceptions in the past. And though it was not an easy obstacle to overcome it always made the bond between them that much stronger. This should be no exception.
He actually remembered the last time Inuyasha ran off with Kikyou. Kagome had been so upset she heaved, her entire body shaking with outrage and hurt. She was inconsolable and her tears threatened a flood of seismic proportions. It was the first time Miroku had felt her heart break. However, when Inuyasha had returned an hour or so later Kagome had calmed down and tried to act as nothing had happened. And they could see the relief dance across Inuyasha's face. But on the inside, Kagome was dying a slow and painful death.
Two days passed before Kagome could even look at Inuyasha, but when she did, it was painfully obvious her heart broke again. Apparently telling him how she felt meant nothing to him because he would never let Kikyou go - Ever. At least, that is what she thought until he took her hand and pulled her into warm embrace.
“Kagome please forgive me. I never meant to hurt you and yet I do just that over and over again. You have become my whole world, my light, my savior and I promise you now, right here that I will never leave you again.” Kagome absorbed his words as flowers absorb sunlight. At first her hesitation showed but eventually she warmed to the prospect of having Inuyasha as her own, her love. It was then and only then that she lost her inhibitions and gave herself – mind and body- to the man she loved.
Kagome grabbed the front of Miroku's robe and shook him back to reality, “You… you’re a bastard too Miroku. My family invited you to stay in their house and yet you still did not have the decency to tell us anything.” She dropped her hand to her side, releasing the scared monk from his hold and turned to face the one woman she thought of as a sister, “Sango, please tell me something, anything. You are all I have left in this chaos and I need the truth.”
Sango was hoping to avoid all of this. She hated not telling Kagome about Naraku, but with the birth of Isamu, she did not want to ruin her happy time. Even Sesshomaru seemed to fear for the young woman’s life, at least, her feelings. So instead he stood and gently placed a large hand on Kagome's shoulder, guided her back to the table and sat beside her, “Kagome, I need you to listen to me,” When she did not show a sign of an outburst he continued, “When you came back the last time and the well closed. Well, your journeys were not truly over. Apparently, Naraku had somehow harvested the power of the well and created a time vortex somewhere in Tokyo. We know he is the one behind this, the only thing we don’t know is how he found you.”
Kagome's eyes filled her face and a sharp gasp escaped her parted lips, “Naraku! How did he manage to steal the power from the well, kidnap my son, and ruin my life in six weeks?” Turning to face Inuyasha again, her lip quivered and she fought the urge to lash out at him again, “And why did you think it was beneficial to keep this bit of information from me?” Not waiting for a reply she stood from her seat, rather calmly before running to the back door and into the falling rain.
The cool drops against ashen skin helped mask the fresh tears that left stains in their wake. She felt as if she was betrayed by the people that swore to protect her and she them. That, however, proved to be detrimental to their friendship, because in protecting her from the truth she was blind sighted by malice and deception. Gaining her bearings, she made her way to the faithful Goshinboku.
She sat in the rain so absorbed in her own turmoil she never heard the door open.
Inuyasha could barely make out her form under the infamous tree. The tree that brought them together and for that fateful day, he was thankful. Because, the moment he woke from a deep coma like sleep Kikyou put him under he was graced with her beauty. Her innocence.
Kagome’s back stiffened when she finally realized she was not alone, “Why didn’t you tell me, Inuyasha?” she wanted to turn to him, to run into his arms. But she could not; she could not forgive so quickly. She had to know his reasoning behind the secrecy.
Chills danced down Inuyasha’s spine. At first, he did not know if it was the cool rain or the ice in her voice, but when she did not turn in the slightest to look at him, he knew it was the latter, ‘Oh please Kagome forgive me,’ Inuyasha thought, inching closer until he was next to the bench and had her within arms reach.
“Kagome, I never meant to keep it from you this long. Originally, I just wanted to wait until you were released from the hospital. But then I saw how happy you were with Isamu and I did not want to worry you. I thought I was protecting you,” Inuyasha’s voice dropped to just above a whisper. His body shivered against the rain, this time. Moving to kneel in front of her he continued, “Kagome, I am sorry. Please, please forgive me. Let me have the chance to make it right.” Taking her small cold, wet hands into his, he offered a weak smile. When she did not acknowledge the touch or the sincerity in his eyes, his face fell and dropped her hands back to her lap.
“I’m sorry Kagome,” was the last thing she heard as he walked back to the shrine with his tail between his legs. ‘Oh Inuyasha, I know you meant well. But I cannot let you think it is okay to have secrets,’ she thought standing to move closer to the tree. Its trunk brought back so many memories of times long ago, and now it will bring memories of pain, suffering, and deception. Hoping the relationship between Inuyasha and herself was strong enough to pull through this; she made her way back to the warm, dry kitchen.
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Naraku glared at the screaming infant through cold, hard eyes. He knew this was all it was going to take to get both Kagome and Inuyasha to fight; however, he did not know how long he could take the incessant wailing of a kid. His mind danced with murder as he thought about the way he was going to torture them with their own spawn. He would dangle the child precariously over their heads until one made the slip of taking their eyes off him. It was a straight forward and not to mention simple plan, “You know Kagura, if you had done what I told you do in the first place, you would not be in the bind that you are.”
Kagura glared through narrowed at the disgrace before her. And from her standpoint, things did not look good for her or the infant. She fought against her restraints and yelled what Naraku thought to be obscenities through the double rolled duct tape he found laying around. She pitied him even more than she hated him. She knew what he was up to and where he was headed, only because she heard him say something to the infant about going to make good on his promise. ‘Threat’s more like it,’ she thought, grinding her teeth. ‘How could he so fucking heartless to steal a child and then go after its parents. ‘Her eyes widened at her thought. When did she change? When did she become one of the good guys? Maybe it was because she hated Naraku, or perhaps the thought of doing good had a nice ring to it. Either way she did not care… Naraku had to be stopped.
Naraku sneered before walking out of the warehouse and into the busy streets of Tokyo.
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Rin had moved to the counter by the time Kagome reentered the kitchen, ‘Making coffee no doubt,’ Kagome thought taking her seat at the table. Blood pounding, tears stinging it was a wonder she did not have a migraine yet and despite all of that she still had to deal with Naraku.
“What is the plan?” Kagome asked, raking the back of her hand across her eyes.
“Well, first thing we have to do is locate Naraku,” Sesshomaru said voice booming with authority.
“That could be anywhere between here and downtown,” Souta exclaimed, moving from his perch on the stairs to stand behind his sister, “How… where would we even begin?”
“I think we should start where we came through the portal,” Miroku replied, “ I don’t think he would have gone too far from there, especially in a place as unfamiliar as this.”
“Good point monk. Inuyasha you and Miroku head there and I will start scouring the streets. We will meet back here in an hour. In the meantime, Kagome you should get some sleep. Don’t worry Rin will be at your side,” Sesshomaru ordered, putting on his coat. Kissing his wife good-bye, he hurried out the door into the rain. Inuyasha on the other hand was torn between pulling Kagome to him, giving her a kiss she would never forget or walking out the door without so much as a glance. Choosing the latter idea, he ran out the door pulling an irritated monk behind him.
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Naraku watched from the shadows downwind as – Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, and Miroku – left the shrine and its inhabitants unprotected. ‘Tonight was going to be a good night,” Naraku thought stepping out of the darkness.