InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Torn Apart ❯ Chapter 11

 

Chapter 11:

 

Sango pried opened her salt encrusted eyes as she reached a hand up to wipe away at the offending crystals. Focusing her eyes on the ceiling above her, she groaned and turned over onto her stomach to press her face into her pillow. Taking in a deep breath, she gagged on the stench of wet down that wafted up to her pressed nose.

 

The memory of her restless night flooded her mind with images of Miroku's betrayal and caused a few more tears to escape her control. `Why Miroku? Why did you have to fall in love with someone else?' she thought as sobs wracked her tired body once again. `Couldn't you tell I loved you deeply? I know I told you that I wasn't going to wait for you to finish wandering, but couldn't you have waited? Maybe if I had stayed you would have realized after a few months of traveling that you loved me too. Oh, Miroku, why did I have to lose you? Why did I have to get sucked here to a time I don't belong in with no one except Kagome to help me remember who I am?'

 

Sango let out a final heart-wrenching sob into the drenched pillow. “I miss you, hentai. Gods, how I've missed you.” Letting her tears flow down her face, she rolled onto her back away from the offending pillow before shakily sitting up on her bed. Taking a calloused hand, she wiped off her cheeks before swinging her feet over the edge to stumble over to her desk where a box of tissues nested in the corner. Blowing her nose, she stared into a mirror that reflected back a black haired, brown-eyed girl of twenty years. Her nose was red from the recent nose blowing and her cheeks were blotchy and glistened with the wetness of her tears. A lost look spoke from the depths of her eyes while her body drooped in exhaustion and sorrow.

 

If one knew nothing of her past and recent present, one would instinctively know that this girl, seemingly young in years, had been through more heart-ache and sorrow then many adults would experience in a lifetime. Yet, she still somehow found the will to continue on against all odds. Before them stood a broken warrior who still managed to find the strength to pull herself along inch by sordid inch hoping that the end would come swiftly.

 

Sango gulped back a fresh wave of tears and turned away from the visage in the mirror. Closing her eyes, she fought to empty her mind of all thoughts of Miroku in order to regain control of her body and emotions. Taking a deep breath, she held it for a moment before expelling the life-giving air. Repeating the exercise, concentrating on a rhythm of breath in, hold, breath out, she loosened the tense muscles restricting her airflow in both her abdomen and her throat. Satisfied, she opened her eyes and walked towards her closet. She would not allow the past, however distant it seemed to others, to break her.

 

—Higurashi Kitchen—

 

“Ohayo,” said Sango as she walked into the kitchen, refreshed and collected after a long shower. “I hope you slept well.”

 

Aikouitsu smiled from her seat at the table where she was nursing her morning cup of tea. She had finished her breakfast a few minutes earlier and was now reflecting on the brightness of the morning when her adopted daughter walked in. “I did, thank-you. I hope you had a good rest as well?” she asked.

 

Sango paused momentarily from her search through the cupboards. Covering up the hesitation, she replied, “Yes, thank-you. It was as good as could be expected after the events of last night.” Pulling out a box of cereal, she grabbed a bowl from another cupboard and the milk from the refrigerator.

 

“Yes, I suppose it was rather eventful.” Aikouitsu smiled as she watched Sango prepare her breakfast. Normally, she would have prepared some for everyone but what with the odd hours everyone had kept last night, she had elected to allow everyone to fend for themselves. “I'm proud of both you and Kagome, you know.”

 

Sango looked at her strangely before she put away her mess and took a place at the table opposite the kind woman. “Why do you say that?”

 

Aikouitsu shook her head. “Kagome still has it within her heart to accept the hold the past has on her, both through her struggles five hundred years ago and now with the return of old friends. It takes a strong heart to be able to rebuild lost friendships.” Looking up, she watched Sango slowly eat. “And then there is you. I wouldn't know what its like to have to rebuild your life in a foreign place and a foreign time. You have accepted the things that you cannot change and made them your own. Very few can accept their lot in life let alone keep it from breaking them.”

 

Reaching over the table, she took Sango's free hand and grasped it tightly. “I just wanted you to know that I'm proud of you and how far you have come. Don't ever forget or doubt that.” Rising from the table, she turned to clean off her breakfast dishes.

 

Sango stared at her adopted mother. Swallowing, she blinked back the ever threatening tears. `She must have heard me last night,' she thought while her stomach warmed at the kind words. “Thank-you,” she whispered.

 

Aikouitsu turned to smile over her shoulder. “There is no need to thank me child. Just be as proud of yourself as I am.” Putting the last dish on the counter to air-dry, she turned around to look at the blurry-eyed Taijiya.

 

“Oh, I should tell you this before I forget.” Aikouitsu walked over to the phone and tore off a piece of paper with an address written on top that was sitting next to it. Handing over the curious piece to Sango, she said, “Inuyasha called earlier this morning and wondered if you or Kagome were up for some practice. I think he said he'd be there until late this afternoon if you wanted to stop by. Kagome already refused saying she was meeting Shippou for coffee.”

 

Sango nodded her head as she watched Aikouitsu leave the room. Glancing down at the piece of paper, she dropped her spoon. `The Fighting Inu,' she thought. `Damn, that's only the most exclusive dojo in all of Tokyo and probably Japan!' Excitement coursed through her body thinking that at last she'd be allowed entrance to the coveted dojo. She had been working towards that goal since she first heard of it a year and a half ago from her sensei. Hurriedly finishing her breakfast, she cleaned off her dishes and dashed upstairs. Grabbing Hiraikotsu, her katana, and her old exterminator's outfit, she rushed outside. A little head-to-head practice was just what she needed to relieve her stress, and who better to do it with then the hard-headed hanyou?

 

—Coffee Shop and Cafe—

 

Kagome started pensively at the half empty coffee cup sitting on the table in front of her. She had never expected to actually get a hold of Shippou since it had been seven in the morning when she had called him. She had been expecting him to be asleep which is what she should have been doing and would have to if it weren't for her hentai dream.

 

`Oh my god,' she thought as her body flushed with warmth again. `I need to stop thinking about that,' even though she knew it was a hopeless cause. Her body shivered as she remembered the fierce possessiveness that had shown in Sesshoumaru's eyes when he had looked at her and her two children pressed against the headboard. It was almost the same look he had given her the day she had disappeared when he had demanded she wear the emerald studded kimono.

 

Remembering why he had demanded she wear the elaborate outfit, her thoughts turned to Inuyasha and the absolute look of horror and anguish that had passed over his face as she plummeted to the ground. It was a look she was often familiar with as he was forced to save her time and time again during their many battles for the Shikon shards. It was a look she had thought never to see again.

 

She knew that long ago, she had fallen in love with the misunderstood hanyou, but she had only discovered when she was cut off from the past that she loved both the hanyou and the youkai. She had thought her dreams were long since over and put away, but then they had to show up and rip open the thin barrier that had walled off her feelings. Now they gushed out in a torrential wave of confusion as she was once again asked to decide just which one she loved more.

 

`It's just not fair,' she thought as she took a gulp of the now lukewarm liquid of her café mocha. `Why can't I just have both and leave it at that?' But she knew, deep in her heart, that neither one would allow her to leave things as they were. They had waited five hundred years to find a resolution, and it was really quite sweet knowing they had waited so long for her though it was beyond her to know why.

 

Setting down her drink, a stray thought flitted through her chaotic mind. `What will happen to the one I don't choose?' A frown marred her features as she stared unfocused at the air in front of her.

 

“What are you thinking about?” asked Shippou as he plopped wearily into the chair next to Kagome. He hadn't gotten any sleep last night, preferring to immerse himself in the mindlessness of reading rather then remembering. He had been caught off guard when he felt his phone vibrate against his hip with Kagome's early morning call and had agreed to a mid-morning coffee run. It was the last thing he wanted to do at the moment knowing that Kagome's grief would make him relive the heartache as though it were fresh again.

 

Kagome blinked and looked at her son. Dark shadows surrounded his eyes making the flesh look bruised and tender. His whole body screamed exhaustion as guilt flooded her body. She knew she shouldn't have asked him to meet her. `He still mourns for Rin,' she thought looking at him critically. `No wonder he never mentioned her to me.'

 

“Did you want anything? Tea? Coffee? It'll be my treat,” she said, hoping to break the heavy silence that surrounded them.

 

Shippou shook his head no in reply. “I already put in my order. They should be bringing it out soon.”

 

“Oh,” said Kagome as she played with the cardboard ring insulating her hands from the absent heat of her cup. “Um, so how are you feeling this morning?” she asked. `Great,' she thought to herself as she watched Shippou pick at a piece of lint from his khaki pants. `You sound like a moron.'

 

“I'll feel much better after I get some caffeine in me,” he replied. He hoped Kagome would just ask him her questions so he could run back home to wallow in his despair.

 

“Hello,” said a cheery voice that clashed with the awkward silence that had descended on the table as each avoided the other's gaze fastidiously. “Here's your coffee sir,” said the waitress as she set a large French roasted coffee in front of the handsomely disguised kitsune. “Have a good morning,” she cried as she turned with her tray full of drinks to the next customer eagerly awaiting the rejuvenating liquid.

 

Taking a tiny sip of the steaming beverage, Shippou sighed in contentment. Caffeine did absolute wonders at soothing his frayed nerves. Kagome smiled at the picture of serenity, happy that at least one good thing would come out of this meeting.

 

Cracking open his eyes, he caught his okaa-san's fleeting smile before he set down his cup. Sighing, he gathered his courage together and prompted the woman into speaking. “You're probably wondering why I never mentioned that me and Rin got married.”

 

Kagome hesitated before nodding yes. “I was wondering why Sesshoumaru was the one to tell me and not you. I mean, yes, she was his daughter, but surely you had the greater claim considering how she—died.” Gulping, she cringed, hoping that she hadn't offended her son.

 

Shippou smiled. Kagome really was a wonderful woman. She always hated causing any sort of pain to others unless it was Inuyasha or Sesshoumaru. For some reason, her temper got the best of her where both demons were concerned.

 

“I will admit that I wanted to keep our reunion as free of the past as possible. It was so good just being in your company again that I didn't want anything to taint that reunion.” Taking another sip of the fortifying coffee, he continued, “The main reason I never mentioned her though was because it was Rin's last request. She knew Sesshoumaru would never open up to anyone after she passed away and wanted to make sure that he did. She also knew that you were probably the only one he would ever show a weakness to besides maybe herself and her children.” Gulping, he reached a hand across the table to grasp Kagome's. “I wanted to tell you so badly that I had a family so you could meet them, but I couldn't. I made a promise and I meant to keep it.”

 

Shippou laughed shakily as he swiped his free hand through his red hair. “I threatened to lock Sesshoumaru in a pink room if he didn't tell you soon.”

 

Kagome blinked as she tried to imagine Sesshoumaru standing in a pink room. The look on his face would be absolutely priceless. Kagome giggled into her drink until she remembered that her room was pink. Heat uncurled in her stomach as she transported Sesshoumaru from the hot-pink room in her head to sitting on her soft-pink comforter and the sensuous look in his eye as he stared straight at her.

 

Shippou watched the blush transform her face and smiled. `It would seem that she knows whose room I threatened to lock him up in. Perhaps, he should have given in.' Shaking the hentai thought from his head, he cleared his throat. “Yes, quite. Anyways, I'm glad he's told you now so you can meet my family.”

 

Kagome's head snapped up. “You mean, they're still alive?” A smile spread across her face, lending a soft glow of excitement to her features.

 

Shippou cleared his throat again. “In a manner of speaking, yes.”

 

Puzzlement dampened the joy as she looked with confused eyes at the kitsune. “What do you mean?” she asked softly.

 

Shippou drained another gulp from his coffee before setting it down to wipe his chin with his hand. Gathering his thoughts together, he decided to just plunge right into his tale. He did not wish to prolong the sorrow any longer then absolutely necessary. “Roiyaro was never all that strong and grew to barely half the strength of Inuyasha. He was the first to die in 1644.”

 

—Inuyasha's forest 1644—

 

Roiyaru stomped through the late autumn forest, sending fox fire at one tree after another, charring the bark black with the heat of his anger. A smoking trail was left behind the kitsune-hanyou as he made his way deeper into the thick foliage commonly known as Inuyasha's forest. He had been making his steady way through the forest ever since he had woken up to discover that his sister had been foolish enough to send him into a drug-induced sleep to ensure her escape from the shrine grounds.

 

Trust the blasted woman to find a way to annoy him. `If only her husband were around to take care of this shit,' he thought as he sent another string of fox fire at the towering birch tree in front him. Pausing a moment to watch in satisfaction as the bark peeled away in layers to curl and drift to the ground in thick ashes, he muttered, “If Kicho wasn't pregnant, I'd so kick her ass from here to the western castle and then help otou-san string her up by her tail to the castle turret!”

 

Frustrated, he swiped a claw at the half-burnt tree and watched as it fell crashing to the forest floor. Grinning madly, he again stomped off through the forest, following his sister's meandering trail. `She's not even going straight to the castle like a good little girl!' he thought as he continued to ravage the trees around him.

 

He knew he could have caught up with her an hour ago if he had tried to use his demon speed, but it would be ill for both him and his twin sister. He couldn't bear to hurt her even though he dearly wished to wring her neck for the trouble she was causing. Nor would he think of daring such an act. Not only would he get mauled himself for trying, but Sesshoumaru would take great pleasure in killing him only to bring him back to life to allow Shippou and Inuyasha their turn at his life. Not to mention, Kitaro would most likely have a grisly torture planned for him upon his return from China.

 

Sighing, he felt a little of the tension fade away as he remembered Kitaro's sadness when he was forced to travel across the sea to help set up a new trading post and to present a gift of good will to the new Chinese emperor, Shi Zu-Fu Lin. If it wasn't for his close connection as Sesshoumaru's general and mating to Mottomokicho, it would have been Roiyaro, himself who was sent in good faith. As it was, the heir to the western lands could not be risked. So, three and a half months ago, five months into Kicho's pregnancy, Kitaro was sent across the sea. In theory, he should have been back two days ago now to help with his wife's labor. It was the only reason Kitaro agreed on the assignement; he would be back two weeks before the baby was due.

 

However, that still did not mean he wasn't going to verbally beat up his sister once he caught up to her! Sniffing the air, Roiyaro made sure he was still on his sister's trail. From all guesses and appearances, it looked as though she was planning on stopping at a favored hot spring before returning home to the castle. It was beyond him why she couldn't have waited a few days more for him to finish his duties at the now thriving village. He would gladly have escorted her safely to their papa's side.

 

Sniffing the air again, he caught the faint whiff of blood flowing on the wind. Feeling his body break out in a cold-sweat, he tested the air again to make sure his brain was not deceiving him. `Crap,' he thought as he took off in a flash through the forest. `She's gone into labor.'

 

Letting the adrenaline course through his body, he agilely dodged trees, branches, and decaying logs. Flitting through the forest in a blur of red hair and pale skin, he at last could see the hot spring come into view.

 

The tranquil view of moss covered rocks and half submerged resting stones surrounded by the leafy foliage of high salt tolerant bushes adorned with red and white bell shaped flowers allowed him to slow his mad dash to merely running swiftly through the leaf strewn forest. His sister had chosen a good place to birth her child. It was highly defensible with water at their back and a natural wall of rock to surround them on two sides. Only attacks from in front and above would dare threaten them, and threaten them they would. The scent of newborn blood would be a beacon for miles around to any and all wild youkai roaming the western lands.

 

Speeding into the clearing surrounding the hot spring, he quickly took note of his sister's position which was exactly where he wanted her in the defensible nook of boulders. Falling to his sister's side, he grasped her hand tightly as she sweated in the humid air. Recognizing her brother's aura, she opened her eyes to gaze in pain at the elder twin. Smiling bravely against the pain rippling through her body, she whispered, “I knew you would follow me.”

 

Roiyaro laughed nervously as he kept his senses trained on the surroundings. “Of course I would. If it got around that you were able to drug me, I'd never hear the end of it.”

 

Mottomokicho laughed weakly in return. “How were you supposed to tell? I only soaked the fish with sake after it was half cooked to make you drunk enough to avoid detecting the laudanum I slipped into the wine.”

 

Roiyaro took note of his sister's words. There was no way in the world he was ever going to touch sake again. He should have known that cooking the fish wouldn't burn off all the alcohol as he suspected. Only a tiny sip of the drink had the power to get him drunk despite his half-demon blood. “I deserved it then,” he said. “I hope you know I won't be able to help you with the birthing.” Staring into his sister's hazel eyes, he laid a hand on her shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze. “You know what's going to happen don't you?”

 

He did not have to wait for long before she shook her head in affirmation. “I just wanted to go home to see papa,” she said as she stared at the ground as a contraction pulsed through her body. Grimacing, she continued. “I had to do something otherwise I was going to go crazy waiting for Kitaru to come back home.”

 

Roiyaro sighed. “I know, Kicho. I know.”

 

Mottomokicho breathed in raggedly as another forceful contraction swept through her body. They were now minutes apart, and she could feel her child force his way lower into her body. The scent of blood increased slightly as her nails pierced the skin of her palms.

 

Sensing the metallic smell spike, Roiyaro gained his feet to stand defensively in front of his sister. He could sense the wild aura of youkai approaching, spurred on by the fresh scent staining the air. Glancing back at his sister, he whispered, “I wish you luck, dear sister,” before turning to send a blast of fox-fire at the boar youkai thundering towards him. Racing the few steps to the lumbering fool, he slit the youkai's throat with his katana before turning to the next dangerous foe, a snake youkai.

 

Soon, a score of youkai laid scattered across the open bank of the hot spring as Mottomokicho continued on in fierce labor while Roiyaro continued to stave off the hungry mass of blood crazed youkai. A female youkai in heat was bad enough to protect from the beast instincts of the opposite sex, but compared to a blood-crazed youkai, especially when that blood was a result of youkai mating, it paled to nothing.

 

Gutting a neko with the katana he had been gifted with by his great-uncle, he turned to hear the triumphant squawk of a hawk demon as he descended from the sky to pierce his sister's heart. Roaring in anger, he leapt forward to fly in-between his sister and the hawk, taking the blow meant for her as he plummeted to the ground inches from his sister. Twin cries pierced the air as the hawk strove to free his claws and beak from Roiyaro's chest as the hanyou reached upwards to snap the demon's neck. Mottomokicho gave a last cry of triumphant pain as her kit at last fell into the world. Roiyaro smiled fiercely as he heaved the hawk off to the side as he crawled over to his sister to free her newborn son and to place the mewling child into her waiting arms.

 

A tender smile graced her face as she gazed awestruck at the fur covered kit resting in her arms. He took after his kitsune father with round brown eyes and a light covering of black downy fur found all over his body. His mouth and nose appeared a mirror image of her brother's though. It was a cute, button-nose that would no doubt offend him as much as her beloved brother had been offended.

 

Glancing up to look at her brother, her heart froze as the neko hobbled towards them with guts held firmly inside with one hand. Anger built in her blood as she watched the neko spring forward with outstretched paws, uncaring now that his entrails were spilling out to liter the ground, to grasp Roiyaro's neck. Screaming, she sent a searing blaze of fire roaring past her brother's head to burn the neko to ash as a sickening crunch of broken bones echoed in the clearing. Crying, she bent over to shake her brother's shoulder, hoping beyond hope that he yet lived.

 

Watching his head loll back and forth limply, she knew it was too late. She was left all alone with her newborn son. Crying, she waded into the hot spring to swiftly wash off the blood and fluids from her and her son's body before crawling back to her brother. Lifting him in her weakened arms, she threw him over her shoulder and staggered away from the blood scented hot spring to a cave located a half mile away. Exhausted, she deposited him on the cold stone floor and collapsed next to him with her son cradled in her arms. Crying still, she drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

 

—The Fighting Inu—

 

Sango uneasily walked through the door of the coveted dojo, The Fighting Inu, and followed the instructions the receptionist had given her after verifying her name. Only those invited to join were allowed entrance. It had been a matter of bruised pride that Sango was only allowed in now that she had friends in high places. However, she would not allow it to get in the way of the teaching she was bound to find among the elite of the elite in the martial world.

 

Walking down the brightly lit passageway, she found herself in a cavernous room that had been emptied of all furnishings and was padded with foam along the entire floor. A few students knelt in studious concentration along the edges of the room as two warriors danced in the middle of the arena.

 

Sango blinked as she stared at the fight. It had been a long time since she had last seen two demons fight each other and required a few minutes for her eyes and her mind to focus on following the youkai auras instead of the body itself as it blurred in action. Slowly, ever so slowly, she was able to pick out the details of the fight. There were indeed two demons, one dressed in red hakama and a white shirt that was unmistakably Inuyasha while the other was dressed in black hakama and had decided to go shirtless.

 

Inuyasha swiped his claw across his opponent's bare chest only to cleave the air as the demon jumped backwards in anticipation. As he jumped backwards, he kicked up with his leg only to miss Inuyasha's face by a fraction of an inch as the hanyou bent his body to swing his leg out to trip the youkai. Sensing the rush of air, the youkai threw his outstretched leg above his head to flip backwards in a somersault. Barely pausing, the youkai dashed forward with his fist pulled back to punch the hanyou as he regained his feet only to find a fist rammed into his stomach as Inuyasha side-stepped the headlong rush.

 

The youkai bounded backwards as the two fighters came to rest a few feet apart. Bowing, they turned to see Sango staring with dropped jaw from the doorway. Grinning, they bounded over to the Taijiya. Inuyasha pulled her further into the room as the students who had been sitting patiently along the room's perimeter took up their places as a sensei stepped out to direct their lesson.

 

Sango's eyes flitted back and forth between the two men as her mouth opened and closed in mimicry of a gasping fish starving for oxygen as she tried to force a single name past her blocked throat.

 

Laughing, the shirtless man clapped her on her back causing her to cough as air was forced back into her lungs. “I take it you've missed me Sango?” he asked with a twinkle shining in his brown eyes.

 

Sango blushed. “I can't believe you're alive, Kouga!” she exclaimed as she leapt forward to hug the ookami.

 

Kouga smiled as he returned the hug. “What,” he asked as he held her at arms length. “Did you think I'd let mutt-face outlive me? Not a chance!”

 

Inuyasha punched the wolf demon playfully in the arm. “You're just sore I punched you in the gut, you mangy, old wolf.”

 

“Ha!” he said as he attempted to swipe the hanyou's feet out from underneath him. “You just think you were able to lay a hand on me! I could tell with my superior senses that Sango was here and so decided to let you end the fight.”

 

Inuyasha frowned and keh'd in sullen agreement. “I thought that fight was a little to short.”

 

“Just how long do you normally fight like that?” asked Sango as she gazed back and forth between her two hosts.

 

Inuyasha and Kouga paused as one scratched his chin and the other stuck his hands in his white, sweat-soaked shirt. “I'd say normally an hour or so, wouldn't you agree Inuyasha?” Inuyasha nodded his head yes.

 

Sango nearly choked on her own saliva when Kouga mentioned an hour. “You mean, you can't hit each other once in an hour fighting at that speed?” she said in disbelief.

 

“You wait until you have about four hundred years of experience at fighting one person and see if you can't figure out their tells,” said Inuyasha as he glared at Kouga. It was damn rude of him for letting himself become so predictable.

 

Kouga grinned wolfishly at his sparring partner. “Don't worry, I'll be sure to spice things up a little bit next time when you're not so slow on your feet.”

 

Inuyasha sniffed and turned his nose up at the ookami. Turning to face Sango, he asked, “So are you ready to test your skills against me, or are you to afraid of throwing that boomerang of yours now that it's been two years since your last real fight?”

 

Sango un-slung Hiraikotsu from her shoulder and handed it to Kouga. Grasping her duffle-bag tightly in one hand, she asked, “Just tell me where I can change, and I'm all yours dog boy.”

 

—Coffee shopand Cafe—

 

Kagome wiped her eyes with her sleeve as Shippou finished his tale of Roiyaro's self-sacrifice. Sniffing, she leaned across the table to give the kitsune a hard hug, knocking her empty coffee cup to the floor. Shippou clutched the woman tightly to himself before letting go and pushing her back into her seat. Reaching down, he picked up Kagome's discarded cup and gathered his own before walking over to the trashcan and throwing away the useless paper.

 

Returning to the table, he picked the thread of his tale back up. “We found her in the cave a few hours later. Kitaro had returned to the palace expecting to find his wife there. After informing him of where she was, Sesshoumaru and I agreed to accompany him back to the village. We figured with Kicho so close to delivering, it would be better if we were all gathered together for the event. Little did we know we'd find her scent surrounded by a score and more of dead demons only to trace it to the cave where Roiyaro was lying stiff with rigor mortis.”

 

Taking a deep breath, “Sesshoumaru tried to bring him back to life with the Tensaiga, but we were already too late. The soul stealers of the underworld had already come and left with his soul.” Shippou wiped away the moisture collecting in his eyes. He would not weep another tear for his loyal son. He had died a noble death and would be respected as he deserved.

 

Kagome sighed and grasped her son's disguised paw. She could tell what was going through his mind and agreed with him. Roiyaro's death was noble indeed, not to mention they were in public. There was no need to attract unwanted attention with the two of them bawling in each other's arms when they were surrounded by fellow customers.

 

Gulping, she stood up and pulled Shippou to stand next to her. Lacing her arm through his, she began to pull him out the door. “Come on Shippou,” she said as he willingly followed her outside. “Why don't we find someplace to sit at the park? Then you can tell me all about Mottomokicho and her children!”

 

Leading him the few blocks down the street, they turned into the park and followed a path until it lead them to a secluded tree where they sat down to watch people on their Sunday stroll from a distance. Looking at the raven-haired beauty sitting next to him, Shippou pondered how he could finish telling the dreadful news of his family's misfortune to the mother he had adopted long ago and who knew nothing of the people who had come into his life afterwards and meant so much.

 

Sighing, he decided it was best just to tell her the facts as quickly as possible. The details he had were sketchy at best anyways and lighted on something his countrymen disliked remembering.

 

“Kagome,” he said, startling her from her thoughts. “I don't know quite how to finish saying this, but my daughter did not survive to see you.”

 

Kagome hugged her knees to herself as she turned her head to stare with watering eyes at her son. “What do you mean? Surely, I get to meet one of them!”

 

Shippou shook his head no. “I'm sorry Kagome, but it just wasn't meant to be. I do have grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and recently a great-great-grandchild that I would be honored to introduce you to in two weeks time. Sesshoumaru is giving a party so you can meet all your old youkai acquaintances that have survived and also my own family to keep things as fair as possible.”

 

Kagome reached over and hugged her son for the second time that day. “I would love to meet your family. There's no way you're going to keep them away from me now!”

 

Shippou smiled as he stroked his okaa-san's hair. “Thank-you,” he whispered.

 

Kagome smiled into Shippou's shirt and luxuriated in the comfort he exuded. “Please,” she whispered, muffled by the cloth of his shirt. “What happened to Mottomokicho? I need to know so I can move beyond all these changes.”

 

Shippou sighed and spoke to the air above Kagome's head. “She died in the bombing of Nagasaki in an attempt to protect her five year old son and her firstborn's new wife.” Gulping down the tears, he continued with what he had been able to glean from the five-year-old's sketchy recollection. Saichei's memory wasn't any better since she had been napping when the bomb was dropped. “From what I could gather when I was allowed to return to Japan from the front lines was that she had used up all her energy erecting a barrier around her family that would be able to withstand the force of the bomb's explosion. It required everything she had to protect them. It took them many years to recover from the radiation poisoning, but because of her sacrifice, they had the chance.”

 

Bitterness crept into his voice as he once again spoke. “It seems to be my fate to never be there to save my children's lives. I know Sesshoumaru agrees with me since he was busy locked up with the Emperor and the government petitioning for an end to the war. He came as soon as he could when he found out about the last bombing, but, once again, the soul-stealers beat him to her soul. We buried her next to Rin and Roiyaro where she always wanted to be buried.”

 

Kagome gripped her son tighter in her arms as she shuddered. Her son's voice seemed just a little to lifeless for her peace of mind as he spoke. To many of the men and women who were forced to remember those years not so long ago seemed either to distance themselves as much as possible from the events or else trembled with unspoken emotions. Kagome held her son tight wishing she could somehow do more for him then let him know she was there, and so the morning faded away leaving behind an afternoon shining bright and sunny while the silent pair huddled in the shadow of the tree and their memories.

 

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