Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction / Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ Mayakashi ❯ Chapter 18 ( Chapter 18 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, Bleach, or YuYu Hakusho, or any of the anime/manga characters.

Warnings: Mild Language

New Life

 

Kagome was awoken the next day by an incredible pain unlike anything but the most dangerous of her battles could have prepared her for.

Awakened by his mother's pained gasp, Shippo rose to her bed, looking at her in concern.

“Momma?”

“Sh… Shippo… Go get Yukina… Hurry,” Kagome gasped, clutching her stomach as another wave of pain filled in where the first left off.

Quickly the kitsune scampered away, terror in his eyes. Not a minute later, he returned, Yukina and Genkai right behind him.

“Well, this is an interesting way to be woken up,” Genkai mused.

“What's wrong, Kagome?”

“I… think that… my water broke,” Kagome gasped, eyes wide.

“I'll go get Hiei. He can probably get you-”

Kagome caught the running maiden's wrist, a weak smile playing across her face.

“I don't… need… a hospital… I have… faith that… you're more than enough…”

“Maybe with the average pregnancy, but your water just broke, and yet your contractions are already instantaneous… I would venture that's not average for a human.”

At that, Kagome smirked, looking down at her stomach.

“I think that… my baby's… just anxious… to come out and meet everyone. And I… trust you, Yukina,” Kagome said, gently squeezing said maiden's hand before another contraction hit.

Instantly, the ice maiden was moving, sending the frantic Shippo and Souta, who'd been awoken by the commotion, to collect anything and everything they would need.

Yukina had been right, as it turned out. It wasn't a normal birth. Despite the incredible pain, the actual birth took place faster than anything Yukina or Genkai had heard of, taking no more than half an hour, as opposed to the multiple days it sometimes had been known to.

After the crying child had been swathed in a clean sheet, Yukina gently handed the bundle to Kagome, who smiled weakly.

“It's a girl.”

Kagome gently slid aside the cover of her child's head and instantly, her breath left her. Snuggled gently in her arms was a beautiful baby girl with bright, silver eyes and, somehow, silver hair.

“She's so adorable,” Yukina gushed, leaning over to look at the oddly calm child.

“So, what's her name?” Shippo asked, returning to the room now that the screaming was over.

“Hmm… I'll name her Tsuki, after the radiant beauty of the moon,” Kagome whispered, gently kissing the child's forehead.

“Well, that's certainly a fitting name,” Kurama said, making an entrance at last.

“So, this is my little sister,” Shippo said, a strange tone in his voice.

“That's right.”

“I can't believe how big my family is,” the kit said, looking into the surprised miko's eyes as a large smirk crossed his face. “I'll be sure to be the best big brother ever!”

Smiling, Kagome ruffled his hair, her heart warming.

“I'm sure you will, Shippo.”

Power flared in the distance, and the standing occupants turned towards it. Kurama appeared, taking up space between Kagome and the approaching force.

And then, the power reached them, and in stepped a tall, smirking blond man. Instantly, Kurama released his tension, instead turning and facing Kagome, though Genkai was growling.

“Who the hell're you?” Genkai growled. “And how do these people keep getting through my barrier?”

“That'd be Shinji. He's another mentor of mine,” Kagome sighed, glaring at the smirking Vizard. “What're you doing here, Shinji?”

“Oh, nothin' much. I just happened to be in Tokyo, felt you nearby, and thought I'd stop by and check up on ya'. The training seems to be doin' ya' wonders, huh? I could sense you a full city away before.”

“Is he a Shinigami, too?” Yukina asked, staring at the strange man.

“A Shinigami!? HA! Like I'd want to be one of them.”

“You say that, but you jumped right on the chance to work with them… us again, didn't you?” Kagome asked, frowning at the strange slip-up.

“Well, that's all the excitement I needed today. When you're done lazing around, come find me so we can see what you can really do,” Genkai said before she and the ice maiden disappeared.

“Well, she's sociable… And who's that?” he asked, focusing on the baby cradled to Kagome's chest.

“This is Tsuki.”

“Damn. Who knew the Quincy boy'd make somethin' so cute,” Shinji mused, looking at the adorable little creature. “Though she's definitely got more than human in `er, so I guess a lot of it's you, huh?” he asked, smirking.

Before Kagome could respond, he turned to Kurama, his smirk growing.

“And it's good to see you again. I'm impressed you're still around this trouble magnet after six months. And speaking of which,” the Vizard added, smirking at Kagome, “lots of curiosity why you've been gone six months has come up.”

“Curiosity?”

“Oh, yeah. You should hear some of the better rumors. There are people saying you died, some saying you were kidnapped, some saying you decided to abandon Soul Society-”

“Whoa, whoa, hang on,” Kagome said, eyes wide. “Do people really think I'm dead?”

“There are a few. Though, with all the new information that mysteriously came out, there are a lot who also think you're on a spy mission.”

“Me? A spy?” Kagome asked, smirking.

“Yeah, I know. You can't lie if you tried. You'd make the worst spy in history… except maybe Hiyori,” he added as an afterthought.

“So, you were in Tokyo… any particular reason why?”

At that, Shinji's humor left him, his body tensing.

“Yeah. The others are around, too. The old man sent us.”

“That sounds ominous,” Kurama mused, sitting down on the chair to Kagome's side.

Shinji turned, glaring at the sky and city in the distance.

“There's somethin' here. Somethin' big. Yamamoto doesn't know if it's got something to do with Aizen, but he wanted to check, and we're more likely to survive an attack if it turns out to be a youkai, since we're technically like `em.”

“I haven't felt anything,” Kagome said, frowning.

And then, her eyes widened as she did. In the distance, there was definitely something `big' on the scale of power.

“Holy shit,” she gasped. “How did I miss that!?”

Shinji's eyes, too, widened, his body tensing.

“You didn't. That wasn't there a second ago. I gotta' go, before whatever that is gets much further.”

Kagome's eyes narrowed in concentration, and she turned to Kurama.

“Kurama, can you go, too?”

“Me?” the kitsune asked, surprised.

“It's… not completely demonic, but it's really powerful. And, for some reason, I get the feeling that the more people are there, the more likely Tokyo is to survive it,” Kagome said, eyes wide.

“Much as I hate to admit it, she might be right,” Shinji said through clenched teeth. “Whatever this is, it's big.”

Kurama rose, his body tensed as well.

“Then let's get going, shall we?”

Suddenly, Hiei appeared, his bandana gone and his Jagan eye flaring with power.

“I'd advise against that. I'll go, instead. You stay here, Kurama.”

“Why don't you both go?” Kagome asked, her body becoming more tense with every second the power went unchecked.

“You'll need someone here, Kagome,” Hiei stated as though it was obvious. At her blank stare, he sighed, drawing his sword. “This power just happens to appear mere moments after you've given the child life.”

At that, Kagome's eyes widened, instinctively reaching for the dagger that wasn't strapped to her arm as per usual.

“We're wasting time. Let's move,” Hiei said before vanishing, Shinji seconds behind.

“I agree with Hiei. While that power is dangerous, I wouldn't put it past this Aizen character to use it as a distraction,” Kurama said, taking Kagome's side.

Kagome, instead of complaining, simply returned her attention to her fretful daughter, cooing to calm her down.

“She really is quite beautiful,” Kurama stated, staring at the child. “It's only natural though, I suppose, given her mother.”

Kagome's face was instantly burning hot, her eyes refusing to rise from her child. Just then, Tsuki noticed the redhead, and he was unfortunate enough to be in reach.

Kurama winced as, faster than was thought possible, the baby's hand shot out and she latched on his long crimson hair, pulling it this way and that as squeals of delight fell from her.

“Quite a grip for a newborn,” Kurama mused, his head moving with his hair.

“Aww… C'mon, now, Tsuki, let Kurama's hair go,” Kagome cooed, gently extricating the kitsune's hair from her daughter's fist.

“I believe that Shinji fellow was correct in his assessment,” Kurama mused, smiling at the child.

“Well, I would hope so. How many normal humans have silver hair and eyes?” Kagome mused saucily. “Who's a pretty girl?” she asked the baby, cuddling her to her neck.

Kurama just watched in silence, a warm smile on his face. And Kagome continued to coddle her newborn, pretending not to notice the strange warmth in the watching kitsune's eyes.

And then, the tranquility was gone, with the arrival of the dark energy that formed, mere feet from Kagome's room. Instantly, Kagome and Kurama rose, the kitsune stepping protectively in front of her.

“If you don't want the building to come down, I would advise you to step out, miko bitch,” a low, suave voice said from outside, power crackling audibly even through the insulated wooden walls.

With a nod, Kurama exited, Kagome staying to him like glue.

And, as they stepped outside, they found a truly unexpected scene. Before them stood a tall, willowy woman, her body clothed in tight, black leather. Around her left eye and just over her very exposed cleavage were bits of a pearlescent white mask. And, behind the strange Arrancar with very purely demonic youki, was a small, shimmering black bubble of energy. Inside of said bubble was Genkai, Yusuke, and Yukina. Kagome's children, on the other hand, were in their own individual barriers, which were considerably smaller and more painful looking.

“Let them out,” she growled, glaring at the woman.

She simply smirked, slowly drawing a long, thing blade of a Zanpakuto from her fishnet stocking.

“If you give me the child, and forfeit your life, no harm will come to them, miko. I'd rather not stain my blade with tainted blood,” the woman said slowly, her youki building.

“Why does Aizen want my daughter?” Kagome asked, her arms tightening ever so slightly around the silent child.

“Will knowing affect your choice?” the Arrancar asked curiously. “His ally wants the little abomination dead. But Aizen sees much greater potential if we were to turn all of that power on our side, making her part of our ranks. So, what's your answer?”

Kagome tensed, and the Arrancar's eyes widened as power slowly began to creep up around the miko's body.

“Aizen will never touch a hair on her head, nor shall he touch any of my other family. If you take that message to him, I'll let you live. That's my counteroffer,” Kagome said, the power flaring wildly around her.

“I see… Well, no help for it, then,” she sighed.

The Arrancar launched, and Kagome jumped high into the air, spinning over her head and landing a solid kick before landing. The power began to flare even more wildly, and Kagome slowly turned to Kurama.

“Protect her with your life,” Kagome said before gently handing Tsuki to a bemused but unsurprised kitsune.

“Have no doubts,” he said before backing away, toward the barriers.

“You should've run with your life,” Kagome stated, staring at the Arrancar. “Release your Ressureción, or die.”

And then, the miko was gone, charging at the stunned Arrancar, who began backpedaling.

“What the hell!?”

“You threatened my family,” Kagome's voice said behind her, making the Arrancar jump.

Except, when she turned, the miko wasn't there, and every muscle in her body tensed. And then, a hand pressed firmly into her midback, and power exploded outward.

“Tell Aizen what I said, and tell Inuyasha that he won't survive this time,” Kagome said, before she pushed.

And, with a push light enough to almost be considered a caress, the Arrancar was launched into the air at breakneck speeds, blood flying as she went.

Slowly, calmly, Kagome walked toward the barrier and with a sweep of her hand, the barriers shattered before she took the agitated Tsuki back into her arms.

“What the hell was that!?” Yusuke bellowed, gaping at the not-quite-as-fragile-as-appearances miko before him.

“As soon as I gave birth, I just kind… evolved, I think,” Kagome murmured. “It's like there was a whole mass of energy in me, but it was blocked up so I didn't hurt the precious being inside of me. And, when Tsuki wasn't in danger anymore, it came out. It's bizarre. It feels like power's flowing through my veins now instead of blood.”

“Yeah, I'd say that's pretty accurate. I think I'm going to need to get sunglasses, from how bright your aura is,” Yusuke complained.

“For once, the dimwit isn't off-base. Though your girl seems to be right there with you,” Genkai added.

At that, Kagome smiled, gently rocking the baby.

“Well, like mother like daughter. Shippo, Souta, are you alright? That Arrancar didn't hurt either of you?”

“Nope, we're fine,” they called in unison.

And then, the power in the distance vanished, and Kagome frowned.

“They used all that energy for a distraction, and only sent one assassin?” Kagome asked, sharing a concerned look with Kurama.

“Perhaps it wasn't meant solely as a distraction-”

As though to prove a point, Hiei and the Vizards appeared then, not a one of them in completely unscathed shape.

“This is bad,” Shinji said the second he stopped moving.

“What was it?” Kagome asked, slowly letting her new and improved energy leak out and heal them.

“I've got no clue.”

“It wasn't just a distraction,” Hiei stated, being the least damaged there besides Shinji.

“No… Nobody was killed, but whatever it was wasn't there just to kill.”

“Then what was it for?” Kagome asked, frowning.

“It was a mass of living, sentient energy. But it wasn't alone. That guy that was there with Aizen before was there…”

“Okay,” Kagome said, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

“Remember how Koenma said he could raise an army of the dead? He wasn't exaggerating. We found the energy, and him, in a big-ass cemetery. And a huge Garganta opened and swallowed it.”

“Swallowed… it? What `it'?”

“The cemetery. Graves, corpses, gate and all. And the guy left that thing there, probably to explode and kill as many humans as possible,” Shinji said through clenched teeth.

“So, let me get this straight. A man who can raise the dead… just stole a cemetery?” Kagome gasped, her blood pressure spiking at the thought of what that could mean…

 

A/N:

Tsuki- moon

Okay, so, Kagome's child is finally born! Hurray! The reason why the scene was so short was that I know a little about the birthing process, but not enough to competently write in detail (though even if I did, I probably wouldn't go into a lot of detail). Also, it would make sense that, as Kagome's not even a fourth average human at this point, her child birth would be extremely unpredictable and out of the norm, and as she has so much incredible energy and strength, that she would be affected by the childbirth, but still be mobile and sentient. Hope you've enjoyed to now, and will keep enjoying. More to come. As always, be sure to hit me with your thoughts, be they good or bad. See you next time!