InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Yellow Brick Road ❯ Calm Waters ( Chapter 17 )

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN INYUSHA AND COMPANY, NOR DO I OWN WIZARD OF OZ.

AN: Thank you to angelic memories and ktshabatie for beta-ing.


Chapter 17: Calm Waters

Madoka was beyond livid. Yes, yes, her daughter’s mate played into to her scheme just as she had thought, but her son was proving to be an annoyance. Wouldn’t his father be proud? The dog had taken Michi into his direct pack; so now Madoka had no claims on the stupid little twit.

Centuries of murder were all for nothing. On top of all else, Michi was now known to fully support the insane miko. This made it harder to fuel the indignation of those who wished to rebel. Her son seemed far more efficient at tying her hands than his father ever was. Perhaps she taught him too much when he was a pup.

Really, how was she supposed to know that his father would send him out into the world alone? Madoka had realized early on that the great Inu no Taisho would not take her as mate without proper motivation, so she had decided to condition her son as a contingence. The pup learned well, far too well.

Once he returned from his journeys, it had become clear that Sesshoumaru would never be the pliable ally she had conditioned him to be. In fact, Sesshoumaru had forced her to become far more cautious with her plans.

Now said plans were almost useless. It did not matter. She would be able to accomplish her goals; she just needed a little more time to come up with the perfect plan. Fortunately, this exile included a pleasant diversion. The soldier was a very accomplished toy.

She would become the Lady of West, and it did not matter who or what stood in her way. She was Madoka.

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Kuro swore that this bitch could have cured his father of his infamous, insatiable libido. It could not be healthy to vomit so many times in one day, let alone one hour.

However, his health was small price to pay for the safety of the West. A thousand years in a position of power had reinforced Madoka’s arrogance, and that would be what led to her down fall. It mattered not how intelligent the being was, arrogance always led to stupidity.

The only problem was figuring out a how to inform Sesshoumaru-sama of his mother’s musings and schemes. Really, some of the things she spoke of doing reflected on how psychopathic the bitch was. Not to mention, she liked to use her poison during rutting. Truly there was not another with as much malice as this one.

It was probably better that their Lord spent so many centuries away from her. Kami-sama only knew the evil that would have fallen on the West if this bitch had been able to corrupt the Lord.

If Kuro lived through this, he would be more than happy to clean stables for the rest of his life. Oh, and never rut again.

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If nothing else could be said about Ichiro, then one could comment on his healthy lungs. Were newborns supposed to cry so loud?

Kagome rapped lightly to announce her presence to the new parents. When the shoji slid open, Kagome saw a disheveled Miroku and an exhausted Rin in the room.

“Wow, I can’t wait for my turn.”

Both parents glared daggers at the now oddly happy Kagome. “May I come in?”

Rin nodded, and then went back to trying to latch Ichiro onto her breast. Kagome moved to kneel before Rin and noticed the pain flinted across the young mother’s face. When Rin winced in pain, she jerked Ichiro causing him to let go, and begin wailing again. Rin sighed in defeat. Where the hell were her maternal instincts?

Kagome moved to take the wailing bundle from the obviously frazzled woman. “What you need, is to get more comfortable. Miroku, please go fetch your wife more pillows,” Kagome waited for him to leave before looking back to Rin. “The pain will become less as you allow the child to feed. It will be best to position pillows behind you so that you are not straining your back. Also, pillows under Ichiro will relieve some of the strain on your neck.”

Rin looked at the now obvious imposter that resembled Kagome, “What have you done with Kagome-sama?”

Laughing, Kagome replied, “My brother was over six years younger than me, and I was a child full of questions.”

“You learned from your mother?” There was a hidden sadness in Rin’s voice and eyes.

“Hai, but not everything can be taught. Most of what we learn is taught through our failed attempts.”

Miroku had reentered the room with the requested pillows and began to help Rin arrange them so that she was comfortable. He looked down at his wife and just smiled. She was the most precious gift he had ever been entrusted with, and now he had a son. He had a son, not to ensure the curse was defeated, but because he had a son. This woman, this Rin, bestowed the thing upon him he had wanted most in the world, and he would spend the rest of his life ensuring that he was worthy.

“My dear husband, do you wish for some time to meditate? I believe Kagome-sama plans on staying for a while.”

Miroku snapped out of his reverie, “Hai, I do believe that I shall go to the gardens.”

The two women watched him leave, and the second he was out of hearing range Rin released a sigh. “That man has been hovering over me and Ichiro like a mother hen. If you had not come when you did, I was about ready to start throwing things at him.”

“Well, I imagine that is a result of begging for a child for the past fifteen years or so,” her dry laugh stopped as Kagome continued to think. “Or it could be that now he knows for sure that the curse is gone. The man watched his father be consumed by the curse, believing that it was to be his fate as well. Now he has a son that will never know the burden of his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. Ichiro is a blessing as are all children, but to Miroku I believe that he is far more.”

“Hai, I know you are right, but I hurt. I am at a loss for what to do as a mother, and there seems to be no one or nothing to guide me,” the whispered confession struck an ironic chord with the older woman.

“You are searching for your yellow brick road. I don’t know much but this is what my mother said when my brother was born, ‘No baby comes with instructions. You keep them fed, clean, and well rested. All else are the discoveries that make parenthood worthwhile. ’ Do not worry so much about what you don’t know. Enjoy the time you have.”

Rin listened to the words of the older woman, guilt weighing heavily on her mind. Here she was whining about being lost and instead of snubbing her, as Rin had done to Kagome in her time of need, Kagome was patiently imparting all the knowledge that she had to offer as help.

“I am sorry, Kagome-sama. I did not give you patience when you needed it,” her head hung low, “How can you offer me kindness when I gave none?”

“Rin-chan, look at me. Do not compare this with what transpired when you first arrived. If you had done what you now believe you should have done, then that would have been tarnishing the image of your savior. I do not hold ill will towards your treatment of me. You followed the course you believed was right.”

“But how can you be so calm about this? How-“

“Rin, when I said you have no idea what lurks in the darkness, I did not lie. You have only felt fractions of his malevolence. How could I survive his whispering if I could not forgive a girl for her defense of her idol? Now please, take your own advice and hold on to your happy moments.”

It was not sitting well with Rin how easily Kagome had forgiven her callus treatment.

“Rin-chan, there is a saying from where I come from: ‘Hindsight is twenty/twenty.’ What it means is that often times we can see the past clear while the present is blurred. Do not berate yourself over this because if I had been in your position I probably would have acted the same.”

“Kagome-sama that does not absolve my guilt in this.”

“No it doesn’t. Only you can do that.”

Their heart-felt talk was interrupted by the wails of Ichiro. Rin tried to get him to re-latch, but nothing seemed to work.

“Perhaps it is gas?” Rin looked at her in the picture of utter cluelessness. Kagome smiled gently as she moved to kneel closer, she scooped the infant up to cradle him over her shoulder. Gently rubbing circles on his tiny back, both were taken by surprise at the volume of the burp. Kagome handed back the babe to his mother.

“We will be leaving the Citadel soon.”

“What? Who will be leaving the Citadel?” Really, you have a baby and no one tells you anything anymore.

“Sesshoumaru-sama, myself, Michi, Tadashi, and Yuichi; though if I can convince Sesshoumaru-sama Yuichi will stay here.”

“Why?”

“Time runs short. The longer Mikaboshi is left alone, the stronger he becomes. Right now we know where he is, so now is the time to confront him.”

“Inuyasha will be staying here?”

“Hai, he will. Sesshoumaru-sama has dictated that you, Miroku and Ichiro will stay at the Citadel, until our return at least. Your safety can be guaranteed here, especially with Inuyasha in charge.”

“So why is Michi to leave as well?”

“Come Rin, if Sesshoumaru-sama does not keep his proximity to her than the wicked witch of the west will try to steal her. Seeing how the witch will not melt when water is thrown on her, the safest place for Michi is near Sesshoumaru-sama.”

“Oh,” she brought her attention back down to her son. She had been able to travel freely with her lord when she was a child, but now she had the responsibilities of a wife and mother.

“We should not be gone long,” Kagome smiled at her, “Besides, you have a mother hen of a husband, what else could you ask for?”

“You are so right,” she said while smiling back at the older woman, “I have a husband who cares deeply for his family. I am blessed in many ways.”

“Has Michi been by to visit with you?”

“No. It is not a practice that youkai commence in. In fact, I am surprised that she stayed during the birth.”

“Really. Why?”

“Female inu-youkai, along with many other kinds of youkai, are known to be particularly vicious during and immediately following birth.”

“Huh.”

“In fact, many will not even let the sire near the pup. So, the sire is left guarding the den until the pup is weaned, allowing no one to approach the nursing mother.”

“Wait, then how did the wicked witch get close enough to ensure her grandpups died?”

“That would be part of the reason why there was never anything more to accuse her with than rumors.”

“Huh. She should have melted. Then at least the flying monkeys would have been happy.”

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< br> The argument had become circular and Sesshoumaru was done. “You will do what you are told. Was that not the agreement we came to half a year ago?”

“Oh yeah asshole, I agreed to it so that you would protect Kagome. What the hell did you do? You fucking pupped her!! If you think that I am going to let you take her back out into the woods you’re wrong!” Everything about Inuyasha’s stance screamed aggression.

In the weeks following Michi’s arrival, Sesshoumaru had managed to build a small amount of trust with his breeder. However, his brother proved to be a different matter.

Growling out his response, the proud inu-youkai spat, “What this Sesshoumaru does with his breeder is not for the likes of you to dictate.”

“Oh yeah,” Inuyasha stepped closer to his brother in raised challenge, “What are ya gonna do with her? You bastard, you can’t go two days without beating me into the dirt. Now you want me to stay here and play house, while you and your temper take my Kagome alone in the woods?! No fucking way!”

The little twerp dared to question his control. This was not an insult that he would allow to stand, and neither did the wall of the general study. Inuyasha found himself staring up at the clouds amongst the rubble that had moments before been a wall. A booted foot pressed close the hanyou’s windpipe while red eyes narrowed at him.

“She is my bitch!”

“No. She is Kagome,” the statement could barely be heard, but it was still heard.

“Never forget little brother, when you asked this Sesshoumaru to protect her, you gave her to this Sesshoumaru.”

“You treat her like a bitch and you’re gonna break her. I bent down to you for her. I did it because after everything, she deserves better. She deserves happiness. What did you do? You raped her.”

Sesshoumaru’s body dropped over his brother’s. Inuyasha’s hands were pinned under his back, his feet having been swept under his buttocks. Sesshoumaru positioned one knee over his brother’s groin and the other weighted heavily on the hanyou’s chest. One hand thrust Inuyasha’s chin up so high that the hanyou had no choice but to expose his throat to his alpha.

Sesshoumaru leaned down and whispered into his brother’s ear, “Do you know the fate that Kagome would be living right now if it was not for this Sesshoumaru? She would be reliving, not remembering, all the darkest moments of her life and the existence of the Shikon no Tama. Tell me brother, where was her happiness on that cave floor? What would you have done to save her? Never forget, brother, that she is mine and never again will she be yours.”

An instant later Inuyasha could move freely with only the lingering scent of his brother to accompany him.

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Yuichi knew that the time was approaching. Soon the Lord would take his breeder and search out the one that dared to threaten the West. He would go. He had to stay by her. She was all he had.

Frantically, he was searching for some way to ensure that he left with the traveling party. What would he have to do to convince a taiyoukai that he was worthy? So lost in thought he did not realize he had run into something until a voice descended upon him.

“And what has you so distracted, little one?” the lilac eyed, silver haired inu-youkai asked the kit.

“Nothing.”

“It is not intelligent to lie to those who can so easily smell it. Come, the Citadel should find peace for a little while, Rin has had her son.”

“And why would that bring peace?”

Laughing lightly, Michi replied, “She will no longer be able to harass the servants.”

“Oh,” a mischievous grin broke across his face, “I wonder if the breeder will be as cruel when she reaches that time?”

“Pray to the Kami that she is not. Rin is a sweet woman, but I have no wish to be near another breeding human again. I thought bitches were bad,” a light shudder made its way through her body, “Now, tell me where you were heading with such determination that not even living bodies would stand in your way.”

“I was headed off to see Tadashi. He has the most inventive ways of resolving my boredom.”

“I had heard that many in this Citadel wish for you two to never speak again.”

“It is not my fault that the arrogance of an inu blinds them to the true nature of a kitsune. We may be smaller, but we are used to making up for that inequality.”

“Is it in the nature of all kitsune to be so self assured?”

“No, it is in the nature of all kitsune to enjoy a good joke.”

“Oh, that is what the ‘Day of Pranks’ was all about: jokes?”

“To know the true answer to that question you must ask Tadashi. I believe that he should have been born a kitsune, for I have never met another with such a love for jokes.”

“Yes, well the more handsome the face, the more they believe their smile hides their misconduct. I shall join you in your search,” a light chuckle filled the immediate area.

“Would it be wise for an unmated female of your status to traipse through the barracks?”

“No, I suppose not. How about I join you as far as the eastern orchards?”

The kit smiled at the inu, she truly was a kind one. He had heard the other females of the Citadel and decided that he would stay as far away from them as possible. This one, however, drew you in and made you want to protect her. It was a quality that was very similar to the breeder.

Both females were in possession of a fierce kindness that seemed to defy explanation or logic. Both females deserved happiness, and both had been denied it.

“An orange sounds quite refreshing.” With that, both the inu and kit head towards the orange trees in the east.

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Kago me was exhausted after spending the afternoon with Rin and Ichiro. Miroku had tried to help, but for a man who so desperately wanted children he had no idea what to do with one. Ichiro was a healthy boy with a strong appetite. While Rin was still recovering from her introduction to motherhood, Kagome had caught glimpses of the same wonder that filled the eyes of little girl in a flower field with a lopsided ponytail.

Kagome and Rin had begun to build a true friendship, and while Kagome was hesitant to fully embrace the companionship of another female, Rin had done nothing with malicious intent. She had grown into a strong woman who understood the dangers of self-pity, especially within youkai society.

She now was in search of her breathing teddy bear, aka Sesshoumaru. When did she start thinking of him in such terms? Kagome had no clue; all she knew was that with him there she would not vomit upon waking.

Focusing on his aura, her hand absently slipped down to cradle over her children. A warm feeling washed over her as she thought of the cleansing. She had never trusted herself with the power, but he had the faith she lacked.

She found Sesshoumaru staring into a Koi pond in the south gardens. Whatever occupied his mind did not seem pleasant.

His brother’s accusation ran through his head in mantra that threatened to drive him as insane as his breeder did.

“ She deserves happiness. What did you do? You raped her.”

No. That was not what he did. She denied her alpha’s call. He reinforced his claim and bonded to one of his pack. Any inu-youkai would understand that.

“You treat her like a bitch and you’re gonna break her.”

Surely, she must know that it was not as his brother had said. She had to know. He was many things, many of those being what nightmares are made from, but he was not a rapist.

Was that why she still clung to her clothing when he entered her chambers at night? He was definitely going insane because now he was being haunted by her scent.

“Sesshoumaru-sama?”

He turned to stare into her jeweled eyes. There was a brightness there that had not been before. It was this stark contrast to his mood that made him realize he had to know, “Was it rape?”

She had not expected that question to ever fall his lips. She thought about just turning and trying to sleep on her own, but the chances of that working were slim to none.

“To me, yes,” she turned to look at the Koi pond. The fish found such serenity in those calm waters. Calm waters would be nice.

Why had she allowed him near her? How could she stand so near him? Her scent told of no deceit. The chaos in his mind was invaded once again by the female.

“What was it to you?”

“It was a necessary bond on an endangered pack mate that no longer responded to her alpha’s call.”

“Oh.”

Calm waters.

“What was this?” she placed his hand over their pups. ‘Please, do not say it was a mistake. Please.’

He mentally sighed. Then, it was his beast allowing his instincts complete control. Now, it was everything worth fighting for, sacrificing for, protecting for. Now, it was everything and so much more. Sesshoumaru decided that what it meant then did not matter. What mattered was now.

Turning to the small woman, he forced her to look at him. “This is,” his hand rubbing gently over their pups, “a far greater bond than this Sesshoumaru has ever known.”

Kagome smiled at him, “No, I already told you. This is ours.”

Sesshoumaru slide his hand down from her chin to cover her heart, “Is this still scared?”

Her eyes became slightly sadden, “Hai,” she covered her hand over is his, “This is still searching for it’s ‘Somewhere over the Rainbow.’” Her smile brightened again, “It takes time, but I have more than enough of that.”

“Hn.”

They spent a few precious and quiet moments by the Koi pond.

Calm waters.

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AN: Thank you for reading, please review.

Emily