InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Tomorrow ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter Two

 

SesshoMaru slowly drifted back to consciousness. Damned bandits. The worst they'd ever used before was flaming arrows… when did they get that cursed thing? Like a handheld explosion… right in his stomach…

 

He grimaced in pain as he tried to move. His entire body felt burned. Still, he could feel himself slowly healing. He opened his eyes.

 

He couldn't see the worst of the damage because someone had wrapped in tight with bandages. He was lying in one of the few standing huts. He heard a faint murmuring and looked over to the doorway. Several of the village's survivors, mostly women, were watching him suspiciously. The last couple of bandits must have fled after SesshoMaru killed the rest. Even if he had saved their lives, he was still youkai, he supposed. So who had saved him? How long had he been asleep…

 

“Let me through, please! Goodness, you don't have to be so suspicious. He only killed the bandits, right? Besides, even if it is an evil youkai, he's hardly in a position to start slaughtering us all with his gut hollowed out, is he?”

 

The girl's voice had a sharp, commanding quality. It must have been her who bandaged him. He tried to move his head slightly to look at the girl, and grimaced in pain when his damaged muscles protested. Her scent wafted over as she knelt nest to him. Yes, it must have been her who bandaged him. Her scent was vaguely familiar.

 

“I brought you some water… do you need anything to eat, youkai?”

 

SesshoMaru was about to shake his head and thought better of it. Instead he said, “Human food does nothing for me. I need only to rest until I can heal. I give you my thanks for bandaging my wounds. The healing process would be far slower without it.”

 

“No, we should be thanking you for saving us from those bandits.” The girl insisted. “Now, for everyone's peace of mind, I have to ask: Are you planning to slaughter us all as soon as you are healed?”

 

SesshoMaru smiled inwardly at the girl's bluntness. It was always rather refreshing to meet a human who didn't consider one a source of absolute terror. “I make a point not to kill humans these days, although filth like those bandits are the exception.”

 

“I suppose you have your reasons. Well, since it looks like saving you isn't going to get my head ripped off, I'll be back occasionally to refresh your water. Let me know it f you need anything else.” Her scent faded as she walked away. The villagers, with a few last suspicious looks in his direction, also wandered off. SesshoMaru closed his eyes and drifted off back to sleep.

 

I should have asked one of them to get a message to Rin's village, he thought. I wonder if she's had the child yet…

 

***************************************************************** **********************************

 

“A girl? Awww, Mama, how could you!”

 

“I think she's cute,” Takumi said quietly, waving Tsukiko's little hands and watching Yoshinori's huff with every sign of amusement. Michio patted his cousin's shoulder pityingly.

 

“At least it's only a little sister,” he said sagely. “Big sisters are the root of all evil.”

 

“What'd you say, Michan?” Yuki said menacingly as she walked into the hut. Haruka rushed past her and melted at the sight of Tsukiko.

 

“Kawaiiiii!” She squealed, reaching down to cradle the baby. Kazuki stepped between Yuki and Michio.

 

“Now, ane-ue,” he said seriously, “don't be mad at ototo-chan. After all, the boy speaks the truth.” Yuki growled in rage and lunged for her brother, who slipped from her grasp and fled, cackling madly. Isamu watched the chase with a laugh as Hitomi and Kiki rushed in to coo over the new baby.

 

“You're not the baby any more, Takumi,” Hitomi said. “She is.”

 

Isamu looked in on Haruka holding Tsukiko and gulped. He couldn't help thinking what their pup would look like...

Stop it, baka! He told himself. You don't even know whether or not she likes you yet...

 

“Something wrong, Isamu?” the hanyou almost jumped as his mother came over to the hut.

 

“I-I'm alright,” he said, switching back to reality. Then he frowned. “Are you all right, mama?” he asked. “Something's off with your scent…” his eyes widened as he realized what the change meant.

 

“Just under a month. Nice catch, pup,” InuYasha said, leaning over the rooftop where he was sitting to scrutinize his son. “So if you can notice that, why ain't you paying any attention in practice?”

 

“Kami above, but that was a disaster,” Miroku commented as he stopped by the hut door.

 

“Who invited you to the conversation, bouzo?” InuYasha growled. The monk waved his hand towards the crowded hut.

“It's rather overrun in there,” he said before turning back to Isamu.

 

“Most of `em are yours,” InuYasha pointed out, which only drew a laugh from the monk.

 

“Indeed,” he said. “So why were you so distracted yesterday? I saw that practice… And I think anyone could've parried a straight thrust like that…”

 

Isamu groaned as all three adults turned to interrogate him. Of course he wasn't paying any attention. Yuki had, giggling evilly, asked him to go swimming with her and Haruka before her twin had turned bright red and dragged her off. His growing infatuation over the older girl was starting to give him sleepless nights, not knowing whether she liked him back or not…

 

All three adults smiled as he turned bright red under their gaze. Kazuki walked back up to the hut, having apparently lost Yuki.

 

“Give a guy a break,” he said casually. “He's just feeling frustrated `cos he's in love with ane-ue…” Isamu snarled and leapt on Kazuki, who, with a surprising turn of speed, made off for the forest once more.

 

“Like father, like son,” Sango said, trying not to laugh as she watched Isamu try to maim her oldest son.

 

“So does ane-ue mean Yuki or Haruka?” Miroku wondered aloud.

 

“We'll find out at the party tonight, won't we,” Kagome said with a smile. “My baby boy in love… I feel old now…”

 

“So do I, and that's not fair, because you don't look old,” Miroku complained. “My daughters look older than you. That's just not fair. Toss a little of the eternal youth my way?”

 

“I ain't fucking mating with you,” InuYasha growled, to which the women broke down laughing and Miroku became speechless, a rare sight. Rin and Kohaku suddenly became very focused on Tsukiko, and the rest of the kids looked at their parents as if they were crazy.

 

***************************************************************** **********************************

 

Hitomi carefully wrapped Kiki's long black hair around the little bunch of flowers, then pinned it in place on top of her head, directly between her ears. She carefully sat back, and watched with joy as the hairstyle didn't fall apart. “I did it!” She squealed, clapping your hands. “Don't you dare move your head until I get a mirror, Kiki-chan,” she said, and sped off. Kiki sat stone still, not even turning her head when she smelled her brother coming near.

 

“Isn't that pretty,” he said, crouching down in front of her. “Did Hitomi do that?” Kiki nodded enthusiastically, then stopped in horror as she tried to look at the top of her head. Isamu chuckled.

 

“It's alright, you didn't dislodge anything,” he said. “Hey, did you notice mama's scent?”

 

Kiki started nodding again before she could stop herself, then said. “Is she sick?”

 

“Nope, It just means that you get to be a big sister in nine moon's time.” Kiki squealed loudly and jumped up.

 

“Don't move, Kiki!” Hitomi screamed, rushing over with a mirror.

 

“Don't worry about it,” Isamu said, “you did a great job. The hair looks fine.” Kiki admired her hair in the mirror before turning to her friend.

 

“Guess what!” she said excitedly. “Isamu told me. Mama's having another baby!”

 

Isamu grimaced against their squealing as he stood to leave. He wished he had dog ears like Kiki so he could flatten them to shut out the high-pitched sound... then again, she didn't have claws, so fair trade...

 

The girls eventually wound down and Hitomi looked at Kiki with her violet eyes sparkling. “A baby!” she said. “Will it be a boy or a girl, you think?”

 

“I hope it's a girl,” Kiki said. “Then we can do her hair, too! Oh, that reminds me...” she pulled a beautiful little hairpin from her kimono. “Let's put this in your hair. I stole it from mama, but I think it'll look prettier on Hitomi-chan!”

 

***************************************************************** **********************************

 

“Calm down, Ane-ue...”

 

“Give me one good reason not run back for Hiraikotsu and maim you with it.”

 

“I'm still a virgin.”

 

“Right. Hiraikotsu it is.”

 

Kazuki ran in front of Yuki, trying to intercept her search for weapons. “Why does everyone want to maim me?” He complained.

 

“Because you're a baka,” Yuki fumed, “who doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut...”

 

“All right, all right, I'll keep quiet if you promise not to maim me,” Kazuki said with a chuckle.

 

“But If I kill you, how will you tell anyone?” she pointed out reasonably. Her brother made a face.

 

“Well, Chichi-ue's a monk and Kagome-oba-san is one of the most powerful miko, ever... surely at least one of them can see ghosts...” He lurched towards Yuki, waving his arms and going “wooooo!” Yuki folded her arms and gave him a formidable glare which reminded him rather worryingly of his mother, and quickly subsided, reminding himself that Yuki's temper could put InuYasha to shame, never mind his mother...

 

“All right, I'll pay my penance,” he swore. “I am your servant, my lady.”

 

Yuki tilted her head to the side and glared at him with a scary little smile on her lips. “We-ee-ee-ell...” she said at length, “You know the party tonight? For Tsukiko?” Kazuki nodded, then grinned.

 

“Ahh,” he said. “Are you planning something for ane-ue and Isamu?”

 

Yuki's grin widened as she carefully looked around, sensing for eavesdroppers and, finding none, leaned in to whisper to him.

 

“Here's my plan...”

 

***************************************************************** *************************************************************************** **********************************************************

 

I guess the main couple for this fic will be Isamu and Haruka, but really, it's about all of the kids... and SesshoMaru will play a big part too, early on at least, not as much for storyline reasons than for the fact that I just adore him. I'm just posting this first couple chapters for now, since I'm about to go on holiday... More in three or four weeks' time... Until then. I hope you enjoy this, and please review!

 

InuYasha is the property of Takahashi Rumiko-Sensei, and I claim no ownership of any of it. All couples not involving original characters will be strictly canon. Aside from Haruka, Yuki and Kazuki, I made up all of the kids, though since birthdates other than Kazuki's were never really stated in the manga, nor names, I've made these up as well. This fanfic will make little sense if you have not read the entire manga, and I'm afraid that to read the last twenty or so volumes you will have to (at the time of writing) venture into the internet, but I strongly suggest that you do buy the Tankoban volumes for yourself, so that Takahashi-sensei can afford to continue gracing us with her imagination. Anyway, hope you enjoy the fic. ^_-