InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Royal Birth: Sequel to His Little Girl ❯ Dreams ( Chapter 16 )

 

 

There was so much to think about now. After Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru had assured, at least for themselves, that Kagura and Kanna's appearance wasn't some trick, they had a room fixed up for them, Kagura unwilling to be apart from Kanna. Toga walked down the halls of the castle, it was so late, would be near dawn would the sun rise earlier in the winter. The questions on his mind were pounding through his head with the force of a ox stampede.

 

How had Kagome freed them while protecting Sango and Miroku and Kirara? For that matter, how had she done that in the first place? As he neared his daughter's room he sensed that both his sons were inside, the pups still with Kouga until they gathered them in the morning. Kagome still was unable to wake up enough to detransform and regain her human form and so she slept outside while her mate and his brother shared her bed. Inuyasha still wasn't doing as well as he wanted everyone to believe, that much was obvious.

 

Toga shook his head as he silently entered the room and saw both his son's curled together, Sesshoumaru holding Inuyasha in his arms in much the same manner as he had when the younger boy was still a pup. Inuyasha was tucked up against his brother's chest, the two males lying on their sides, his head tucked beneath Sesshoumaru's chin. Sesshoumaru lay with his arms wrapped around Inuyasha, and from the look of things, Inuyasha seemed to have cried himself to sleep. It wouldn't be easy for the hanyou, his mate had died in labor and his pup was just barely two days old.

 

Toga moved to the bed and sat down slowly. He sighed softly as he looked upon his sons.

 

“My boys, my precious boys,” he said sadly as he looked upon them. “I'd do anything to keep you boys safe, to keep you happy…” he leant over and kissed both their heads.

 

As he sat back up, he heard a pained whine and a loud thump from outside. What the hell? he thought and raced outside. As he came outside the castle he found Kagome lying on her side, panting, her fur matted with snow and fresh blood. She had moved a good distance from where she had fallen earlier that day and it looked as though she had been trying to make her way inside the castle when she fell.

 

Toga rushed to her side as she whimpered and tried to stand, her legs shaking underneath her and unable to hold her weight for very long before she fell once again into the snow, the fine white powder blowing out around her. Coming to stand in front of her, he laid his hand upon her nose and told her to stay still as he moved to look over the wounds that had reopened on her side and legs. After finding that the reopened wounds weren't in any danger of causing her serious harm, he moved back to her face.

 

“Can you return to your human form?” he asked softly and she looked at him with uncomprehending eyes. “Can you do this?” he asked and moved away, changing into his inu form and then back again.

 

Kagome panted as she closed her big eyes, her breathing growing harsh as she focused on what she looked like when human. Her transformation from inu to human was slow and dreadfully painful. She could feel her bones shifting, feel her fangs and claws receding. It took nearly five minutes for her to change back and by the time she was in her human form she lay upon the snow naked and shivering and panting harshly as tears of pain slipped from her eyes.

 

Toga raced to her side and removed his haori, draping it over her naked form. He sat upon the snow and gathered her into his arms, cradling her on his lap, her head resting against his chest. Aside from the strong scent of her blood from the wounds on her body, he could smell something else in her scent, but the new smell was too faint for him to fully identify what it was, all he knew was that the scent was familiar.

 

“It hurts,” Kagome whimpered in his arms as he stood slowly, clutching her against his chest as he turned to carry her into the castle.

 

“I know baby girl,” he whispered to her and kissed her forehead, still amazed that she went from inu youkai to human and held not the scent of youkai on her at all. “It'll be alright, I promise,” he said softly as he carried her inside and into the healer's sick chambers.

 

He laid Kagome down gently on a soft futon and moved to gather a bowl of warm water and bandages t cover her wounds with. Moving back to her side he set the healing herbs, bandages and warm water and soft cloth on the floor next to the futon and sat by Kagome's side. Ever so gently, he removed his haori from her, leaving the barely conscious girl naked on the soft bed as he cleaned her wounds. As he cleaned a wound just above her abdomen, his face close to her flesh, he smell the scent again, the one from earlier and as his mind processed the scent, his eyes widened.

 

“Oh damn,” he whispered, too low for Kagome to hear him. There was a reason he knew that scent, he'd smelled it on both of his mates. It was the scent that let him know he would have sons. Kagome was pregnant, not very, but just barely pregnant. He prayed to Kami that the battle wouldn't cause her to loose the life she held inside her womb.

 

Toga gingerly cleaned and treated her wounds, choosing to stay by her side that night as he redressed her in his haori once all of her wounds were cleaned and dressed.

 

“Pappa,” her voice whimpered as she searched for him.

 

“I'm right here little one,” he said as returned to her side after putting the extra bandages and herbs back and rinsing out the bowl.

 

“Pappa… it hurts,” she whimpered softly and he could see that she was close to falling asleep again, but it seemed that the pain was keeping her awake.

 

“I know baby girl, but I'm not sure what to do,” he said softly saddened that he couldn't take her pain away.

 

“I could prepare a tea,” a soft young female voice said from behind him and Toga turned to see Aikyouragi standing behind him her face sad and uncertain.

 

“You're ok,” Kagome said as her eyes too took in Shinta's daughter.

 

“Yes Lady,” the girl said bowing low before sitting on her knees by Kagome's side. “I can't thank you enough for what you did; I'm just sorry you got hurt.” Tears filled the girl's eyes as she looked over Kagome's bandaged form.

 

Kagome opened her arms and waited until the girl had settled herself in them for a hug before holding the girl close to her. “I'd do the same again, no question about it. You and your mother are family to me Kyou,” she said softly and kissed the girl's forehead as they broke the embrace and Kagome laid back on the pillows once more. Kagome's hand went to the girl's face and she cupped her cheek, her thumb brushing over the healing cut on her cheek. “I just wish I'd gotten here sooner.”

 

Oh no,” the girl cried as she looked upon her injured lady, “My lady you've already done so much.”

 

“Kagome, Kyou, call me Kagome.” The girl nodded and looked to Toga who smiled gently upon her.

 

“I should make that tea for you,” Aikyouragi said softly as she bowed her head and stood, Toga standing as well and moving to her side.

 

“Be careful with the herbs little one,” he spoke softly to the girl as he walked her to the door that separated the healing chambers from the room kept for cooking and brewing the potions and healing remedies. “Kagome is pregnant.”

 

The girl's eyes widened and she nodded as she went to prepare a tea to take Kagome's pain away and help her to sleep. Kagome blinked up tiredly as Toga returned to her side. She knew that he knew something, but she was too tired to ask, too tired to care what it was. All she wanted to do was sleep, but the welcoming darkness seemed so far out of her reach.

 

“It's alright baby girl,” Toga said as he sat down at her side and stroked her hair back away from her face. “She's going to make some tea for you, it'll take away your pain and allow you to sleep.”

 

Kagome tried to nod but the pain in her head was growing stronger and it made her ears ring. She could see that he was speaking again, watched his lips move, but she couldn't hear what he was saying. The look of absolute confusion on her face must have made him understand that something was wrong, something that hadn't been wrong before. She watched as he grew closer as he knelt over her, her eyes began to blur as he grew closer to her face.

 

“Kagome,” he called to her, “Kagome answer me!”

 

Toga watched despairingly as her eyes clouded and she passed out. What the hell had happened? Sango and Miroku sat up at his calls and were surprised to see their friend lying motionless and covered in bandages on the futon across the room from them. Sango was the first to rise and as she did so, she clutched her stomach with one hand the other going to her mouth as she raced to the empty chamber pot she saw in the corner and promptly began retching.

 

“You've been doing that a lot in the past few days Sango,” Miroku said worriedly as he went to his mate's side.

 

“Your wife is pregnant,” Toga said as he continued to watch over Kagome worriedly.

 

“Pregnant?” Miroku mused in a whisper soft voice as Sango continued to retch.

 

“Hai.” Toga turned his face marred by a confused frown. “Her child is youkai, full youkai and not hanyou…” How is that possible? He asked himself as he studied the woman wrought by the convulsions of `morning sickness' before turning his attention back to Kagome.

 

 

 

“Toga,” a whispery feminine voice called out softly to him. “Toga my love open your eyes,” the voice softly commanded him.

 

Toga opened his eyes to find himself surrounded in a beautiful meadow, a spring breeze blowing past him as he looked around him at the field of wild flowers and spring violets blooming in the morning sun. This had to be a dream he thought, because he knew it to be the dead of winter in the real world. But that voice, he knew that voice.

 

“Toga be not afraid,” a new voice, also feminine spoke to him.

 

He knew that voice too. Wait…the first voice, that was…Izayoi? And the second, that was…Hana - his first mate? Hana? Izayoi?

 

“That's right my love,” Izayoi said as her form appeared to him as she grew closer, Hana appearing next to her as they stood among the violets.

 

“We have both missed you so terribly much,” Hana said as she looked up her mate. Even in death her heart did not forget him.

 

“How is this possible?” he asked and then his eyes saddened as a thought came to him.

 

“No my love,” Hana said as she stepped up and embraced her mate. “We are not here to take you back with us.”

 

“You're…not?” he asked with a confused frown.

 

“No my love,” Izayoi said as she settled herself on his free side and wrapped her arms about him as well. “We are here,” Izayoi began.

 

“To answer your questions,” Hana finished.

 

“My questions?” he asked as the women led him to sit under a blooming sakura tree.

 

“Yes my love,” the women said together as they sat on either side of him and curled into his arms, each having one arm slung over his stomach and around his back as he stroked both females' hair.

 

“You have so many questions my darling,” Hana said as she looked upon the friend she had made of her mate's second mate in death. “Toga, I've never felt betrayed by your love for Izayoi, how could I? I sent her to you.”

 

“You did?” he asked amazed as he looked down upon Hana who shifted her face to look up at him.

 

“Yes. Oh Toga,” she said with equal parts happy and sad. “You needed her, and she needed you. Our son was at least grown before you were taken away from him. Izayoi's was not.”

 

Toga felt Izayoi shake against his side and felt her tears through the silk of his haori as he smelled the salt of her tears. He gathered his human mate closer against his side and dipped his head down to kiss her hair as he held her tight in one arm.

 

“Toga how could he?” she sobbed as she finally raised her face to look up at him. “How could father do that to my baby?”

 

“How could he do it to you koi?” Toga asked his voice darkened by anger at the human man who had hurt and betrayed both his mate and pup. “Inuyasha told me of the beatings you suffered at his hands while trying to protect him from your father's rage and bigotry.”

 

“It didn't matter what he did to me,” Izayoi said as she lowered her face, her tears falling faster. “He tormented my little boy, my little puppy. He made my baby feel worthless.”

 

“Yes, but Izayoi,” Hana said as her hand covered the human's. “What about Kagome?”

 

“Oh that dear sweet girl,” Izayoi said as she smiled and dried her tears. “I'm so glad my puppy met her, got to know her.”

 

“Yes, she is a treasure,” Toga said as his face clouded with worry as he thought about the girl who he had last seen lying unconscious and unreachable in the healer's infirmary.

 

“Toga worry not, she's going to be perfectly fine. And our grandpup will be as well.” Izayoi smiled up at her mate.

 

“She's going to have her hands full that one. She'll need you much more these days as well as the support of both her mates and her mother.”

 

“Her brother though,” Izayoi said sadly, “that poor little boy. He's going to need you too. He's going to need you so much Toga. The world in his mind that he's trapped inside, his mother can't bring him out of it, only you can.”

 

“Me, but how will I?”

 

“You'll know what to do when the time comes.”

 

“Kagome, that poor girl. My little girl, betrayed by her past self,” he mused as he thought over what Inuyasha had told him about Kikyou's part in Kagome's torment.

 

“What are you talking about?” Izayoi said looking up at Toga as though he were speaking in some foreign language. “Kagome carries Midoriko's spirit yes, but she is not Kikyou's reincarnation Toga, Kagome is my reincarnation.”

 

“Yours?” Toga asked astonished.

 

“Yes mine. Why do you think you and Inuyasha have been so very drawn to her from the start? She had the power yes, but why do you think you responded to her so readily when she called to you as she stood before your portrait? How many times has Sesshoumaru spoken to you in such a manner, yet you did not return to him.”

 

“The answer to your question Toga…”Hana said as she looked upon her mate as his golden eyes met hers. “You are not to be called back. You were never meant to die. Our sons needed to grow up on their own; they needed to learn life by cutting their own path instead of having paths cut for them. You are not back for any one battle Toga, you are back to live out your life and help guide your sons through theirs. You will live until you die of old age.”

 

“We can tell you - promise you this much,” Izayoi said as she smiled up at him. “Death in any battle will not touch you nor those you protect. You and your pack, those held within the walls of your home and without, are safe from death.”

 

“But not from injury,” Hana said quickly. “So protect them well.”

 

“Toga-sama,” a softer more hesitant feminine voice said and he looked up to see and inu female dressed in armor, her black hair pulled back into a braid that fell down her back and her violet blue eyes sad but also peaceful. “Please my lord,” she said as she bowed low, “protect my mate and pup.”

 

“Come forward warrior woman,” he said as he disengaged himself from his mates and stood. The closer she got the more he recognized her. “Maika,” Toga said in greeted and he embraced her in a fatherly hug.

 

“I know he didn't truly love me, but he loved me enough, and he loves our pup more than anything. Protect them both, and please let him know that I harbor him no ill will.”

 

“Oh my dear child,” he said as he ran a hand down her braid and the cupped her head and held it to his chest. “He knows, but I'll tell him.”

 

“Thank you,” she said gratefully as she took his hands in his and bowed. Soft young voices were heard in the background and she turned her head, her long braid swinging gently. “I must go, my sisters are calling for me.”

 

“Then go my daughter and be well.”

 

Toga watched as Maika smiled warmly at her before running away, her form drifting into nothingness as she raced through the violets. He turned back to see both his mates standing and walking toward him, each taking one of his hands they stood next to him.

 

“She's a wonderful girl, so protective of everyone here,” Izayoi said sweetly as she saw something he could not. “She was my son's first lesson in love.”

 

“First?” he asked softly as he looked at her.

 

“Yes, the one that will truly ignite his passion, the one he will love truly as he should. He will fight his love for her all the way.”

 

“Out of duty?” Toga asked thinking his human mate spoke of Kagome.

 

“No,” Hana laughed as she looked over at Izayoi and their eyes met and danced in laughter. “Out of pride and disbelieving what his heart and youkai blood tell him.”

 

“Who?” he asked as he looked between the two.

 

“She who dances upon the wind,” Izayoi giggled as she Hana joined hands and ran off, their forms disappearing just as Maika's had earlier.

 

“Who?” Toga asked left in an utter state of confusion as the field around him grew dark and he awakened from his dream.

 

 

“Mmmhhh,” Toga awoke hearing a painful moan at his side, he had apparently fallen asleep next to Kagome. “Pappa,” she called to him as he sat up and looked down into her face. Yes he could see it now; he could see Izayoi in her face. “Pappa where are you?”

 

“I'm right here baby girl,” he said softly to her as he leant down and kissed her forehead.

 

He watched as Kagome struggled to open her eyes, the task seeming so very difficult for the girl. She whimpered painfully as her eyes opened and she squinted as she tried to adjust her eyes to the painful brightness of the waking world.

 

“Pappa, they hurt,” she whimpered as she clutched his hand.

 

“What hurts baby?” he asked as he stroked her bangs away from her face.

 

“The pups, I need the pups,” she said as she winced.

 

“They're safe sweetheart. They're ok,” he said as he thought her need for them was out of worry.

 

“No Pappa,” she said desperately as she winced in the pain radiating from her over full breasts. “My breasts hurt, I need the pups,” she said desperate to make hi understand.

 

“O-oh, uhh...”

 

“I can take care of that, if you and Miroku will leave us momentarily,” Shinta said with a gentle chuckle as she stepped up to them.

 

“Of course,” Toa said and stood as he moved to the once monk leaning over his wife worried that she had begun to retch once more. “Miroku-san,” he began but was stopped by man's desperate voice.

 

“I hurt her,” he said as he looked up at Toga. “I've hurt her,” he said looking in concern over his vomiting mate.

 

“This `morning sickness' is natural with pregnancy. You have not hurt her,” he assured Miroku. “It will pass.”

 

“You're certain?” Miroku asked thinking that it would never end as he looked at Sango's sickly greenish pale face as she leant over the chamber pot, vomiting up everything in her stomach.

 

“Yes. But for now we must leave so that Lady Shinta can attend to Kagome,” he said and led Miroku out of the room.

 

Kagome hissed softly when Shinta's gentle hands set to milking her into a bowl that would be keep the milk to give to Rin's kits and rabbit pup since the milk would not last for her pups.

 

“Thank you,” Kagome said gratefully once her breasts were emptied.

 

“Of course. Would you like some tea?” Shinta asked and was surprised when Kagome grabbed her stomach.

 

“I think I'm gonna be sick.”