InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Royal Birth: Sequel to His Little Girl ❯ Family ( Chapter 18 )

 

 

“How are you Kagome?” Sango asked her friend in concern as they entered the baths.

 

“Oh I'm fine Sango. A little sore and a bit tired, but I'm fine.”

 

Kagome gasped softly seeing that the bath was already occupied, but more importantly by who it was that occupied it.

 

“Kagura? Kanna?” Kagome asked not understanding why the two were here.

 

“Lady Kagome,” Kagura said as she looked at the young miko. “Please come join us. We mean you no harm, and bear no ill intent toward you or your friend.”

 

Hesitantly Kagome stepped forward and began to undress. She hissed and flinched in pain as she found the haori she wore stuck to her back painfully. In an instant both Kagura and Sango were at her sides. Kagome tried to remove the garment herself, but every tug she gave caused pain through her back.

 

“Ow,” she whimpered and it was Kagura who came behind her.

 

“You bled through the bandages and the blood dried the silk and bandaging together to your wound. It will hurt a lot more to remove it out here. The water will soften the blood and help to remove it easier and with less pain,” the wind witch and the taijiya helped Kagome into the hot mineral water.

 

Kagome hissed more as the warm water touched every single one of her wounds making it feel like there was salt poured into them even though she knew the mineral water to be free of the substance. The young woman stood panting between Sango and Kagura, the two women - one youkai and one human, helping her to stay standing. She heard the door to the enclosed spring slide open and turned thinking it to be her mate but instead was greeted by a far more troubling sight.

 

“Souta,” she said softly seeing her younger brother enter the room.

 

The boy's eyes took in nothing around him and his face was pale, dark heavy circles under his eyes from not being able to sleep and his face was gaunt with his inability to eat. Tears came to Kagome's eyes as she looked upon her brother; he looked almost dead, like Kohaku almost. Kagome moved to reach for him and the wave of water from her sudden movement tore the silk garment from her back and she cried out as the wound was reopened and her blood escaped slowly into the water.

 

The other women in the spring as well as Kanna moved toward her quickly but Kagome shrugged away from them as she climbed out of the spring and made her way toward her brother. Kagome came before Souta and fell to her knees as she hugged him close to her naked and dripping body. She cried her tears silently for the lost look in his eyes and wished countless times more that he would tell her what was wrong.

 

A short moment later Kagura appeared by her side and placed a towel over her form and she understood why when in the next instant the bathing chamber door was thrown open to reveal Toga and his two sons. Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha had both handed their pups off to Kouga and Ginta when they heard Kagome's first cries, their sensitive ears picking up the faint cry from down the hall. They came moments later when a second and louder one was torn from her.

 

The three males stood looking upon the scene before them. Kagome was on her knees on the floor with her brother hugged to her naked body and Kagura sat next to her keeping a towel over her form for modesty's sake, but there was a large blood stain on it.

 

“I knew I shouldn't have trusted you,” Inuyasha growled as he stomped into the chamber and over to Kagome, his eyes fixed solely on Kagura.

 

“No, Inuyasha, it wasn't her fault,” Kagome said as she stood and placed herself in front of Kagura, not caring about the fact that he, his brother, and their father could see everything, the towel covering nothing of her front. “I bled through the haori and it dried to my back.” She turned and looked upon Toga with apologetic eyes and he brushed her silent apology off with a shake of his head and stepped into the room.

 

“Let me see,” he said softly to her and Kagome watched Inuyasha for a moment before obliging him.

 

Toga watched as Kagome turned and lowered the towel to be around her waist and he and the others saw the large wound that had been made from Loki's claws on her back. The wound gave the appearance to having been healing quickly before it had been ripped open again and he saw fibers from the bandaging in it.

 

“Hold still,” he said softly to Kagome and she obeyed. “I'm sorry little one,” he said softly as he very carefully used his claws like pincers to remove the fibers from her wound. “There,” he said after a few moments. “All done. Back into the water with you now.” The youkai turned to Kagura and looked into her ruby eyes. “Be sure to clean them all, especially that one before she gets out again. Do not wrap the wound or dress her. Take her to Shinta and have the healer put a thick paste on her wound so this does not happen again.”

 

Kagura nodded once and returned to the spring, uncaring of the males in the room as she dropped her bathing robe and returned to the warm pool. She could feel the hanyou's eyes boring into her back but paid no heed to his stare. She and Kanna began to gently bathe Kagome as Sango worked the miko's hair, the three telling her not to worry as she tried to tell them that needn't fuss over her.

 

Sango shook her head at Kagome, laughing inwardly at the girl that pampered everyone but rarely accepted the same treatment for herself from anyone else. The waves from the water that had at first been calming suddenly turned and made her stomach rebel. It was only a moment after Kagura had climbed back into the spring that Sango struggled to get out her hand held tightly over her mouth.

 

Toga saw the taijiya's upset and hurried to her side to steady her as he led her to basin to where she could relieve her rebellious stomach into. He sat by her side and rubbed her back as she threw up rather violently into the ceramic bowl. It was long moments before her sickness ended and she sat back exhausted on her heels, Toga supporting her against his side. Kanna stepped over to him silently with a bathing robe a small cup of water for her to rinse her mouth with.

 

Toga thanked the silent girl with a nod of his head and draped the robe around the woman before lifting her into his arms and standing. He walked quietly out of the room and carried her back into Shinta's chambers. He knew that `morning sickness' was common among pregnant women but hers seemed to be far more violent than was normal. As he laid Sango down on the futon he caught the scent of youkai on her, but it wasn't coming from the child within her womb.

 

In the next second the exhausted woman was up and across the room as she once again purged herself of what was left inside her stomach and toga watched amazed as she changed. The scent of youkai began to grow steadily stronger and he watched in wide eyed wonder as her long black hair grew longer and thicker and full of deep waves a few purple streaks growing into it as well but only being seen when the light hit her raven locks just right. He also noticed the red crests that, though at first very pale and seemingly faded, grew dark and strong upon her flesh, the robe having fallen away from her, baring the woman once more to his eyes. As the last of her violent retching ended and she cleaned herself up and turned to face him, he noticed that she was full inuyoukai.

 

Upon her brow was a red mark in the shape of her Hiraikotsu and each cheek and eye lid bore one jagged scarlet mark. Her eyes were no longer a molten brown but now a startling violet that shimmered like a lake lit with a full moon's light. Her skin was no longer the tawny tan of her human self but now a flawless snowy white save the long scar on her back made by her brother's blade.

 

Sango looked weakly at Toga and felt as though she would collapse right where she was. She was so very exhausted that she couldn't even move. Her eyes blinked slowly, tiredly as she shakingly made her way up onto all fours, feeling as though trying to do anymore would cause her untimely introduction with the wooden floor. She gave a low moan as she fell to the floor on her side panting heavily; the exertion was just too much for her. She didn't see Toga move toward her nor hear the started gasp from Shinta's daughter who was attending to her unconscious mate that had also returned to his youkai form in the same way and at the same time that she had.

 

Sango barely registered the feeling of Toga lifting her into his arms, sleep overcoming her as his voice told her gently to sleep. Her already full breasts had filled out a bit more as her hips flared out a bit as well and Toga shook his head as he looked down upon the sleeping female in his arms. Was this how she was able to carry a youkai child? He'd have to talk to his son later and get some answers from him. My but this was interesting development, he thought with a silent laugh and slight upturn of his lips.

 

Back in the hot springs, Kagome was leaning tiredly against Kagura as the wind youkai held her up while Kanna tended to her washing her wounds. She whimpered a bit as her breasts brushed up against Kagura, her nipples were so very sore, she had discovered that morning that both her pups were teething by the feel of the pin pricks of their teeth clamping around her sensitive nipples painfully. Kagome pulled back slightly and Kagura looked upon her seeing the human woman in her arms wince as she tried to gently massage her stinging nipples, her breasts once more engorged with her mothers' milk. It didn't take long at all for her breasts to refill themselves after the pups fed and it made it difficult for her to ever be truly comfortable.

 

As Kagura watched Kagome's movements and her the soft whimpers that came from the woman she noticed small tiny drops of blood on the woman's nipples and asked her about it.

 

“Apparently my pups have begun to teeth,” Kagome said softly, her voice weak with the pain from her wounds and exhaustion. “I'm so tired all the time and they need so much care and now I'm pregnant again,” she suddenly looked up her azure eyes meeting Kagura's molten red gaze a blush lighting her cheeks. “Please don't think badly of me, I love my children, every one of them, but I'm just so tired.”

 

“It's quite alright,” Kagura said gently as she stroked Kagome's damp hair away from her face. “You're caring for three infant pups, you have two others that are growing rapidly and you're once again pregnant. That alone is far more than most women can handle, but you've also been injured Kagome, you need rest and time to gather your energy…”

 

“Kagura,” Kagome asked softly as the woman helped her from the bath, Kanna waiting on the stone floor with a bathing robe. “Why are you and Kanna here?”

 

“You freed us from Naraku's clutches Kagome,” the wind sorceress said as she draped the robe gently over Kagome's shoulders and covered her chest with it as she led her to the door and back into Shinta's chambers. “We are forever thankful and owe you a life debt.”

 

“Kagura I don't want you indebted to me, either of you. I just want you both to be free and happy.” Kagome let the woman and her sister lead her into the healer's quarters, an extra room having been prepared to tend to her in.

 

“We are happy to be of service to you Lady Kagome,” Kanna said her voice wispy and quiet as they helped Kagome to lie on her front on the bed as Shinta brought the thick herb paste over to slather on her back.

 

“No!” Kagome suddenly said strongly though her voice was still quiet. “No, I will not have you two in service of me,” she said and noticed the look on Kagura's face and grabbed the woman's hand as well as her sister's as she sat up on the bed. “If you two are here, you will be here as my friends, not my servants.”

 

A soft smile grew on Kagura's face and on impulse she moved forward to hug the battered woman before her. “Then friends we shall be Kagome.”

 

“Yes, friends,” Kanna said her voice still as emotionless as it had been when she had been under Naraku's control.

 

“Now you,” Shinta said and looked at Kagome. “Lie down so I can tend to your back young lady,” she said fiercely with humor.

 

“Yes, mother,” Kagome said with a laugh and laid down again gasping at the discomfort the action brought to her breasts.

 

“Are the wounds on your front bothering you as well Kagome?” Shinta asked as she smoothed the paste on the girl's back covering the open wound with a thick purplish green paste before placing a wide square of cloth over it and having the girl sit up so the that she could wrap bandaging around it to hold it in place.

 

“No,” Kagome said softly as she looked down at her dark red nipples. “The pups are teething and I just found out when I fed them this morning.”

 

“You should scruff them if they hurt you while nursing,” she said wisely.

 

“Yeah I would but I fell asleep while they were feeding, well during Sakura's feeding at least.”

 

“Once your wounds have healed you should be back up to your normal level of energy again. Don't worry dear, you won't be so tired then.”

 

But Shinta, Kagome thought sadly, I ' m exhausted all the time. There isn ' t a moment where I ' m not wanting for sleep.

 

Kagome nodded but didn't speak her thoughts aloud, too afraid that the others would see her as a bad mother or as selfish. She wanted so badly to be able to care for her pups and be a good mother to them, but the more that time went by the more exhausted she was. The young mother didn't know what to do. She was ever so grateful when the children were taken off her hands by her mate or her father but she couldn't possibly ask them for more time then they were already giving her. She couldn't be that selfish.

 

She hadn't told anyone, but Kagome ate only to keep up her nutrient rich milk, she was tired that she no longer hungered for food, and though exhausted she would give her mate the pleasure he desired because she loved him. She was so afraid that if she spoke her weariness that she would be considered a bad mate and more fearfully a bad mother. How could she tell any of them that she was so exhausted that it was all she could not to throw up the food she ate, her body nearly too tired to digest it?

 

She had to suck it up though; she thought ruefully. Mintomaru, the taiyoukai of the golden lion clan was coming for a visit the coming week and she had to be able to entertain him and his mate and her sisters. It was widely known over the land that he, his mate and his mate's family were of the kindest youkai to the south. It was well known that he and his mate had taken in orphaned human pups and had raised them as their own children over the past three centuries, the last of his human children having been mated to one of his guards fifty years ago.

 

Kagome rose from the bed and returned to her chambers with Kagura's help. She was so very exhausted, all she wanted to do was sleep, but there was so much to be done. Part of her duties as Lady of the castle was seeing that the rooms were properly prepared whenever visiting lords and ladies came to visit. The rooms must be prepared three days in advance to their visit and that meant, that meant she only had two days to rest and heal before she had to be up and active again. She'd do it though, and she wouldn't complain, what good would it do?

 

Just keep a smile on your face Kagome; she thought as she lay upon her bed and Kagura tucked her in before leaving her to rest. Just smile and be happy and they'll never know how exhausted I really am. Make your mate proud Kagome, just smile and make them think that everything's alright. You can do that, she thought to herself as exhausted tears came to her eyes but she blinked rapidly to keep them from falling, or you'll die trying.