InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Mating Season ❯ The Fox and the Hound ( Chapter 81 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: SplendentGoddess 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Drama / Adventure | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 03.11.2007 | Updated On: 08.21.2008 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.5K | Visits: 8.7K | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Drama / Adventure | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 03.11.2007 | Updated On: 08.21.2008 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.5K | Visits: 8.7K | Status: Completed
Blanket Disclaimer:
Inuyasha, and the characters therein, are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I am in no way affiliated with Takahashi, or VIZ Productions.
========================
Chap ter 81 - The Fox and the Hound
A/N: Okay, okay, I know that Inuyasha is not technically a Hound. While I previously selected his breed in this story as being Kishu, I believe I recall reading somewhere that he and Sesshoumaru are actually supposed to be Akita. Not that Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru even look like the same breed of dog, when you consider Inuyasha’s got pointy, erect ears, and while in his “true” form, Sesshoumaru’s ears are long and floppy. I think, in reality, they are probably just supposed to be “dogs”. They are youkai, after all, so who’s to say that they follow the same rules as mortal canines?
Regardless…it’s a cute chapter title, ne?
On with the show!
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“Kitsune are believed to possess superior intelligence, long life, and magical powers. They are a type of yôkai, or spiritual entity, and the word kitsune is often translated as fox spirit.”* Kagome read from her mythology book, a little perturbed that her world would come to view the beings she considered family as “myths”.
A gentle tug on her sleeve drew her back to the here and now, to see a small inu-hanyou gazing at her questioningly, while pointing to his posterior. “Two…” he said.
Kagome smiled and scanned the open page of her book, finding the notation and then pointing it out to her youngest son, as his eyes stared blankly at the words she read aloud for him.
“Physically, kitsune are noted for having as many as nine tails. Generally, a greater number of tails indicates an older and more powerful fox.”* she read.
She still remembered the day Shippo had spontaneously sprouted his second tail, while “talking” with Sesshoumaru. Neither dog-demon would confess to her what had transpired that day though she was sure her husband knew the details of their encounter. She had eventually decided to let it go, since Shippo was unharmed, and since the incident was apparently for the best, considering that it had triggered the growth of a new appendage.
She had just finished with Kazuki’s bath, when a dejected version of her mate entered the hut. She’d known something was wrong right away, because he’d never seemed that submissive, even during their most heated of arguments. He had hesitantly confessed that Sesshoumaru had not been angry with himself, and instead had wished to speak with Shippo. The shriek that had ensued caused both inu-hanyou to lower their ears to their heads, in an attempt at blocking out the horrible sound.
Trying to calm herself then, Kagome had gone into denial-mode, assuring herself that everything would be just fine, and that when Sesshoumaru said talk, he meant talk. Of course, that bubble was burst soon enough, when not an hour later, did none other than the great Taiyoukai himself stroll casually into their hut, without knocking mind you, merely to place their unconscious child upon the table.
Well, she supposed she would forgive him for not knocking, considering his only arm had been otherwise engaged, and he also undoubtedly knew that they could undoubtedly feel his approach. But as the second shriek of the day had escaped the miko’s lips, the Inu no Taisho had momentarily found himself wishing he could muffle the sound with his elfin ears the way his half-brother and nephew were apparently able to do with their canine ones.
“He is unharmed.” the youkai Lord had stated, and calming herself once more, Kagome had then taken a moment to use her inherited youkai senses, by sniffing the child in question.
With her nose confirming for herself that all Shippo needed was rest, she’d picked him up, prepared to carry him to his room. Of course, that was when she’d made the same discovery the Taiyoukai himself had made upon hoisting the child up into his grasp.
“Inuyasha!” Kagome’d called to her mate, causing the grown hanyou (who was in the same room) to leap ten feet in surprise before rushing to her side.
“What!?” he’d snapped, though more panicked than angry.
“Shippo…” was all she’d been able to say, as she’d turned the slumbering kit in her arms so that his father could see for himself.
To his credit, all Inuyasha had done was stare blankly, and then, as realization struck, a slow, proud smirk formed on his lips, exposing his fangs, as he tucked his arms into his sleeves, and confidently declared “Keh”.
Now, as Kagome remembered it all, she couldn’t help but to chuckle. That had been months ago, and Shippo was adjusting quite well to the change. He seemed more mature now than ever before, and less interested in childish games. Though, granted, there were still moments when he broke out the crayons. His portraits were getting to be so good, that you could actually call them…portraits. He had also shown a lack of selfishness, when he had shown Kazuki how to draw, something that the old Shippo would have complained “wasted” his precious color-sticks.
He was getting rather frustrated with himself, though, which Kagome had easily noticed over the past several weeks, as Shippo had seemed to have lost his new found ability to successfully hide his tails whenever the rest of him transformed. It had taken him so long to master that, too. That was actually what had originally inspired Kagome to drag out her mythology book to begin with, because if memory served, that was such a common problem among kitsune that mention of it had actually been recorded, despite the fact that most people no longer believed the beings themselves to have ever existed.
“A kitsune may take on human form…”* she read, wondering to herself if Shippo actually possessed a fox-form he had yet to reveal to them. “As a common prerequisite for the transformation, the fox must place reeds, a broad leaf, or a skull over its head.”* Shaking her head, Kagome was glad her little Shippo had decided to use the leaf method.
Finally finding what she was looking for, Kagome called Shippo into the room, and allowed him to read for himself… “In some stories, kitsune have difficulty hiding their tails when they take human form; looking for the tail, perhaps when the fox gets drunk or careless, is a common method of discerning the creature's true nature.”*
Shippo already knew that youkai presumably did not exist in his mother’s time, and therefore was not shocked to read about his kind under the pretense of being folklore. Instead, he merely turned thankful eyes to the miko who had taken him in, shrugging while he stated “Guess I’m not the only one.”
Kagome questioned him then, regarding the nature of his true form, surprised by the answer she received. Shippo merely shrugged again, and then stated
“My true-form is the same as Sesshoumaru’s…it’d come out if I let myself lose control…or if I…died.”
Kagome suddenly remembered when she and Inuyasha had first encountered the Thunder Brothers, and the fox-pelt that had been Shippo’s father. She also recalled that while Inuyasha’s father unquestionably possessed a human-form, his remains rested in their true-form, as monstrous as that was. Not to mention Sesshoumaru… If their animal form was called their ‘true’ form, then did that mean their humanoid appearance was merely an illusion? Apparently sensing his mother’s line of thinking, Shippo interrupted her thoughts then, as he insisted
“I haven’t been hiding from you, Okaasan. This form is natural for me.” he explained, as he gestured to his traditional appearance, of a redheaded boy, with pointy ears, green eyes, and fox paws for hind legs. Two bushy tails now protruded from his backside rather than one, and he stood much taller than he used to, but he was still her little Shippo, nonetheless.
Continuing to scan more of the mythology regarding his kind, Shippo quickly assured her that she couldn’t take everything in that book at face value. He didn’t like to take on the form of young women to trick human men, for one thing, and for another, it also stated that kitsune feared and hated dogs, which simply wasn’t true of himself, either.
“I love Otousan.” he assured her.
Smiling at her eldest’s comment, Kagome was once more pulled from her musings as her youngest son suddenly took it upon himself to once again tug on her sleeve to gain her attention. Kazuki understood that he and his father were inu, while Shippo was a kitsune, but he had merely taken it at face value, the way a human toddler would accept that Mommy was a girl and Daddy was a boy. So in that moment, Shippo tried to suppress his chuckle as his baby brother proceeded to ask their mother why Shippo was a kitsune rather than inu. Kazuki was in a very curious stage of life, asking questions about just about everything. With autumn coming to a close, it would soon be his second birthday, Kagome mused, staring down at the pup who appeared much older.
For the first year or so of his life, Kazuki had appeared to age at a formula Kagome had calculated at being approx. two days per day, which meant that by age one, he had appeared closer to two. Inuyasha had explained that he would grow the fastest for his first year, his body trying desperately to get him out of the vulnerable “infant” stage as quickly as possible. His aging then slowed to what she guessed was probably closer to one and a half days per day, as now, at nearly age two, he appeared closer to three and a half. His aging would continue to slow, now, allowing his mind time to catch up with his body, so that by the time he reached age five, he would appear…five. Then the rest of his childhood should pass at what Kagome would consider the proper rate, until he reached adolescence, at which point his aging would slow to practical nonexistence.
Kagome had to admit, she wasn’t sad that she had been gypped her baby’s infancy. Waking up at all hours of the night was something that she would certainly never miss.
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*Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa*
“It' s your turn…” Sango groaned, missing her ability to sleep on her stomach.
“How is it my turn?” came Miroku’s sleepy response, “It’s been my turn for the last ten turns in a row.” he whined, his sleep deprived mind getting the better of his Buddhist training.
*Waaaaaaaa Papa! Papa! Waaaaaaaa*
Smirking in the dark, Sango could not hide the amusement in her voice. “Well, there you have it, your daughter wants you.” she teased.
“You taught Emi to do that.” he groused, getting up nonetheless.
“I warned you that too much wasabi would give her nightmares.” Sango’s voice drifted from the doorway as he staggered out into the hall…
Yeah yeah yeah he brushed off mentally, as he entered his daughter’s room.
“Hey pumpkin, quiet down.” he soothed, as he approached her futon, and settled on his knees.
He was nearly knocked to the floor by the strength of the toddler who suddenly launched herself into his embrace.
“There there…” he droned nearly on autopilot, as he patted his daughter’s head. “Did something in your dreams bother you?” he asked.
Nodding against her father’s chest, Miroku grimaced when he realized that his child had also used the movement to wipe her nose on his yukata.
“Mama…” she whimpered.
“Shhhh.” he soothed, “Mama’s just in the other room. Do you want Mama?” he asked.
“Mama hurt.” she continued to cry.
With a shudder, Miroku quickly realized what his daughter’s nightmare had apparently entailed.
“Mama’s not hurt.” he assured her, “She’s in bed, watching over your sister or brother.”
“Mama hurt. Batha hurt.”
He knew that “batha” meant “brother” and suddenly, Miroku wasn’t liking where their conversation was going. Emi had always insisted that her new “brother or sister” would definitely be a boy. How could a child not yet even two years of age possess such premonitions? But such things were not unheard of, he supposed.
“How?” he asked her then, “How is Mama and Brother hurt?” he asked her, worry lacing his voice.
Her next statement did little to ease his fears.
Whimpering against his chest, Emi fought the images of her nightmare, barely whispering “Blood.”
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With winter on the approach, Inuyasha knew that there was no time to waste, as far as his village-duties were concerned. Firewood didn’t chop itself, after all. Well…there was that one time, with those two battling wood-youkai, but that was different.
He was surprised, at first, when Shippo popped up (literally) and asked if he could help out. After all, it wasn’t like he actually needed the help, and the hanyou somehow also seriously doubted that Shippo had suddenly taken a fancy to tedious labor. But what did make sense, he mused, was the timing. Rin had just returned home after another one of her oh-so frequent visits, so Shippo was undoubtedly feeling…restless.
“I wish she didn’t have to go home so soon.” the thirteen year old boy pouted, as he slashed through a log resting upon a tree stump, two halves falling away as his youki energy flawlessly split the log in twain, without damaging the stump underneath. Muttering a few other “wishes” under his breath, Shippo momentarily forgot that his father, unlike the village humans, could hear the things he whispered that quietly. A horrible blush quickly rose to his not-so-innocent cheeks at the realization.
Inuyasha, using Tetsuaiga more for show than necessity, had just effortlessly cleaved through a large, dead tree. Shippo’s comments momentarily caught him off guard, and he flustered. As a result, he barely dodged the giant timber as it crashed down upon them. Leaping out of the way, having been sure to grab Shippo, as well, Tetsusaiga got tossed free as a result. Not that losing grip of his sword was a life or death situation at the moment, neither being engaged in battle, nor still requiring its sealing properties over his youkai blood. Still, Shippo felt bad that he had accidentally distracted his father, and since the sword was lying closer to him, he unthinkingly moved to retrieve it.
“Shippo!”
Shaking his head to regain his senses, the kitsune eventually realized that Inuyasha was calling his name. Grimacing at the stench of burnt flesh emanating from his right palm, Shippo sat with an air of disdain directed inwardly at his own stupidity.
“You okay?” his father asked.
“Yeah,” he sighed, adding “Forgot about the barrier.”
Inuyasha couldn’t help but to feel guilty. His sword shouldn’t reject his own son. Just because Shippo was full youkai, and not of his blood, shouldn’t matter, in his opinion.
I’ll see if Totosai can do something about that… he thought, but upon thinking of that loony old man, something else suddenly crossed his mind.
Gazing affectionately at the fox-youkai he had come to call son, Inuyasha didn’t bother to stop the smile that slowly spread across his face. Yes, yes it was time.
“What?” Shippo asked suddenly, in a very unsure ‘why are you looking at me like that’ tone of voice.
His grin increasing, Inuyasha approached his boy, resting a hand upon the shoulder he could reach those days without bending down.
“I think it’s time you and I visited a crazy, old friend.” he said with a smirk.
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Kagome hadn’t wished to impose, but it was only for a few days. With Inuyasha and Shippo away, she had been instructed to stay with Sango and Miroku. Everyone got a good chuckle out of his unwavering protectiveness, like Kagome needed protection those days. But Inuyasha had insisted, and he was right, that the trek into the fire-mountains would be too much for Kazuki, which was why she couldn’t go with him. She couldn’t fault him there. Thinking of things in a positive light, the miko quickly decided to enjoy visiting with her best girlfriend, who was currently big as a house!
“My goodness!” she declared with a joyous smile, as she felt Sango’s baby kickboxing within his mother’s womb. “Healthy as a horse, that one.” she smiled.
Sleeping arrangements had turned out not to be an issue, because Emi had been suffering from reoccurring nightmares as of late, and as a result, wouldn’t go to sleep unless she was in her parents’ bed, thus leaving the child’s room available for their visitors. Kagome felt mild concern, believing that such a coddling would only lead to future problems with getting the child to ever return to her own bedding, but at the same time, she knew she wasn’t really one to talk… Kazuki often slept with them, after all. So instead, she merely asked Sango what seemed to be disturbing her daughter in the first place.
“I wish I knew.” the ex-slayer sighed, “But she won’t tell me, and neither will Miroku.”
“Miroku knows?” Kagome asked.
“I believe he does.” Sango stated, as she went on to briefly explain how Emi had always called for her father when the dreams woke her, and that now, it was Miroku who actually insisted Emi sleep with them, to spare their daughter such turmoil.
Kagome couldn’t help but to wonder if it was more than just a scary boogieman that was bothering their daughter.
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“Excellent.” near silently complimented a stoic, emotionless voice.
One wouldn’t think that news could travel so quickly in the feudal era, yet news of such importance always somehow managed it. Sesshoumaru made it a point to know what his brother was up to at all times. He wouldn’t consider himself a worthy alpha, otherwise. So needless to say, when he caught wind of his half-human brother and that fox-child of his, making their way into the depths of Totosai’s realm, he felt a momentary wave of pride wash over him. That baka was finally doing something right, for a change.
Of course, Sesshoumaru had to admit, if only to himself, that Inuyasha had done a few things right in the more recent chapters of his life. Mating with that miko was certainly one of them. Agreeing to his proposed alliance was also high up on the list. Under the circumstances, Sesshoumaru even found that he couldn’t fault the hanyou’s method for ridding themselves of that annoying jewel, either. Yes, perhaps Inuyasha wasn’t quite as stupid as he used to be.
He would need to monitor the progressing development that was his half-brother more closely, Sesshoumaru unquestioningly decided. After all, curiosity killed the cat.
It took little effort for Sesshoumaru to mentally summon the flea.
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* All quoted information pertaining to the mythology regarding kitsune was extracted directly from wikipedia.com. Credit for those quotations belongs solely to the author of that page.
Inuyasha, and the characters therein, are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I am in no way affiliated with Takahashi, or VIZ Productions.
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Chap ter 81 - The Fox and the Hound
A/N: Okay, okay, I know that Inuyasha is not technically a Hound. While I previously selected his breed in this story as being Kishu, I believe I recall reading somewhere that he and Sesshoumaru are actually supposed to be Akita. Not that Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru even look like the same breed of dog, when you consider Inuyasha’s got pointy, erect ears, and while in his “true” form, Sesshoumaru’s ears are long and floppy. I think, in reality, they are probably just supposed to be “dogs”. They are youkai, after all, so who’s to say that they follow the same rules as mortal canines?
Regardless…it’s a cute chapter title, ne?
On with the show!
````````````````````
“Kitsune are believed to possess superior intelligence, long life, and magical powers. They are a type of yôkai, or spiritual entity, and the word kitsune is often translated as fox spirit.”* Kagome read from her mythology book, a little perturbed that her world would come to view the beings she considered family as “myths”.
A gentle tug on her sleeve drew her back to the here and now, to see a small inu-hanyou gazing at her questioningly, while pointing to his posterior. “Two…” he said.
Kagome smiled and scanned the open page of her book, finding the notation and then pointing it out to her youngest son, as his eyes stared blankly at the words she read aloud for him.
“Physically, kitsune are noted for having as many as nine tails. Generally, a greater number of tails indicates an older and more powerful fox.”* she read.
She still remembered the day Shippo had spontaneously sprouted his second tail, while “talking” with Sesshoumaru. Neither dog-demon would confess to her what had transpired that day though she was sure her husband knew the details of their encounter. She had eventually decided to let it go, since Shippo was unharmed, and since the incident was apparently for the best, considering that it had triggered the growth of a new appendage.
She had just finished with Kazuki’s bath, when a dejected version of her mate entered the hut. She’d known something was wrong right away, because he’d never seemed that submissive, even during their most heated of arguments. He had hesitantly confessed that Sesshoumaru had not been angry with himself, and instead had wished to speak with Shippo. The shriek that had ensued caused both inu-hanyou to lower their ears to their heads, in an attempt at blocking out the horrible sound.
Trying to calm herself then, Kagome had gone into denial-mode, assuring herself that everything would be just fine, and that when Sesshoumaru said talk, he meant talk. Of course, that bubble was burst soon enough, when not an hour later, did none other than the great Taiyoukai himself stroll casually into their hut, without knocking mind you, merely to place their unconscious child upon the table.
Well, she supposed she would forgive him for not knocking, considering his only arm had been otherwise engaged, and he also undoubtedly knew that they could undoubtedly feel his approach. But as the second shriek of the day had escaped the miko’s lips, the Inu no Taisho had momentarily found himself wishing he could muffle the sound with his elfin ears the way his half-brother and nephew were apparently able to do with their canine ones.
“He is unharmed.” the youkai Lord had stated, and calming herself once more, Kagome had then taken a moment to use her inherited youkai senses, by sniffing the child in question.
With her nose confirming for herself that all Shippo needed was rest, she’d picked him up, prepared to carry him to his room. Of course, that was when she’d made the same discovery the Taiyoukai himself had made upon hoisting the child up into his grasp.
“Inuyasha!” Kagome’d called to her mate, causing the grown hanyou (who was in the same room) to leap ten feet in surprise before rushing to her side.
“What!?” he’d snapped, though more panicked than angry.
“Shippo…” was all she’d been able to say, as she’d turned the slumbering kit in her arms so that his father could see for himself.
To his credit, all Inuyasha had done was stare blankly, and then, as realization struck, a slow, proud smirk formed on his lips, exposing his fangs, as he tucked his arms into his sleeves, and confidently declared “Keh”.
Now, as Kagome remembered it all, she couldn’t help but to chuckle. That had been months ago, and Shippo was adjusting quite well to the change. He seemed more mature now than ever before, and less interested in childish games. Though, granted, there were still moments when he broke out the crayons. His portraits were getting to be so good, that you could actually call them…portraits. He had also shown a lack of selfishness, when he had shown Kazuki how to draw, something that the old Shippo would have complained “wasted” his precious color-sticks.
He was getting rather frustrated with himself, though, which Kagome had easily noticed over the past several weeks, as Shippo had seemed to have lost his new found ability to successfully hide his tails whenever the rest of him transformed. It had taken him so long to master that, too. That was actually what had originally inspired Kagome to drag out her mythology book to begin with, because if memory served, that was such a common problem among kitsune that mention of it had actually been recorded, despite the fact that most people no longer believed the beings themselves to have ever existed.
“A kitsune may take on human form…”* she read, wondering to herself if Shippo actually possessed a fox-form he had yet to reveal to them. “As a common prerequisite for the transformation, the fox must place reeds, a broad leaf, or a skull over its head.”* Shaking her head, Kagome was glad her little Shippo had decided to use the leaf method.
Finally finding what she was looking for, Kagome called Shippo into the room, and allowed him to read for himself… “In some stories, kitsune have difficulty hiding their tails when they take human form; looking for the tail, perhaps when the fox gets drunk or careless, is a common method of discerning the creature's true nature.”*
Shippo already knew that youkai presumably did not exist in his mother’s time, and therefore was not shocked to read about his kind under the pretense of being folklore. Instead, he merely turned thankful eyes to the miko who had taken him in, shrugging while he stated “Guess I’m not the only one.”
Kagome questioned him then, regarding the nature of his true form, surprised by the answer she received. Shippo merely shrugged again, and then stated
“My true-form is the same as Sesshoumaru’s…it’d come out if I let myself lose control…or if I…died.”
Kagome suddenly remembered when she and Inuyasha had first encountered the Thunder Brothers, and the fox-pelt that had been Shippo’s father. She also recalled that while Inuyasha’s father unquestionably possessed a human-form, his remains rested in their true-form, as monstrous as that was. Not to mention Sesshoumaru… If their animal form was called their ‘true’ form, then did that mean their humanoid appearance was merely an illusion? Apparently sensing his mother’s line of thinking, Shippo interrupted her thoughts then, as he insisted
“I haven’t been hiding from you, Okaasan. This form is natural for me.” he explained, as he gestured to his traditional appearance, of a redheaded boy, with pointy ears, green eyes, and fox paws for hind legs. Two bushy tails now protruded from his backside rather than one, and he stood much taller than he used to, but he was still her little Shippo, nonetheless.
Continuing to scan more of the mythology regarding his kind, Shippo quickly assured her that she couldn’t take everything in that book at face value. He didn’t like to take on the form of young women to trick human men, for one thing, and for another, it also stated that kitsune feared and hated dogs, which simply wasn’t true of himself, either.
“I love Otousan.” he assured her.
Smiling at her eldest’s comment, Kagome was once more pulled from her musings as her youngest son suddenly took it upon himself to once again tug on her sleeve to gain her attention. Kazuki understood that he and his father were inu, while Shippo was a kitsune, but he had merely taken it at face value, the way a human toddler would accept that Mommy was a girl and Daddy was a boy. So in that moment, Shippo tried to suppress his chuckle as his baby brother proceeded to ask their mother why Shippo was a kitsune rather than inu. Kazuki was in a very curious stage of life, asking questions about just about everything. With autumn coming to a close, it would soon be his second birthday, Kagome mused, staring down at the pup who appeared much older.
For the first year or so of his life, Kazuki had appeared to age at a formula Kagome had calculated at being approx. two days per day, which meant that by age one, he had appeared closer to two. Inuyasha had explained that he would grow the fastest for his first year, his body trying desperately to get him out of the vulnerable “infant” stage as quickly as possible. His aging then slowed to what she guessed was probably closer to one and a half days per day, as now, at nearly age two, he appeared closer to three and a half. His aging would continue to slow, now, allowing his mind time to catch up with his body, so that by the time he reached age five, he would appear…five. Then the rest of his childhood should pass at what Kagome would consider the proper rate, until he reached adolescence, at which point his aging would slow to practical nonexistence.
Kagome had to admit, she wasn’t sad that she had been gypped her baby’s infancy. Waking up at all hours of the night was something that she would certainly never miss.
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*Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa*
“It' s your turn…” Sango groaned, missing her ability to sleep on her stomach.
“How is it my turn?” came Miroku’s sleepy response, “It’s been my turn for the last ten turns in a row.” he whined, his sleep deprived mind getting the better of his Buddhist training.
*Waaaaaaaa Papa! Papa! Waaaaaaaa*
Smirking in the dark, Sango could not hide the amusement in her voice. “Well, there you have it, your daughter wants you.” she teased.
“You taught Emi to do that.” he groused, getting up nonetheless.
“I warned you that too much wasabi would give her nightmares.” Sango’s voice drifted from the doorway as he staggered out into the hall…
Yeah yeah yeah he brushed off mentally, as he entered his daughter’s room.
“Hey pumpkin, quiet down.” he soothed, as he approached her futon, and settled on his knees.
He was nearly knocked to the floor by the strength of the toddler who suddenly launched herself into his embrace.
“There there…” he droned nearly on autopilot, as he patted his daughter’s head. “Did something in your dreams bother you?” he asked.
Nodding against her father’s chest, Miroku grimaced when he realized that his child had also used the movement to wipe her nose on his yukata.
“Mama…” she whimpered.
“Shhhh.” he soothed, “Mama’s just in the other room. Do you want Mama?” he asked.
“Mama hurt.” she continued to cry.
With a shudder, Miroku quickly realized what his daughter’s nightmare had apparently entailed.
“Mama’s not hurt.” he assured her, “She’s in bed, watching over your sister or brother.”
“Mama hurt. Batha hurt.”
He knew that “batha” meant “brother” and suddenly, Miroku wasn’t liking where their conversation was going. Emi had always insisted that her new “brother or sister” would definitely be a boy. How could a child not yet even two years of age possess such premonitions? But such things were not unheard of, he supposed.
“How?” he asked her then, “How is Mama and Brother hurt?” he asked her, worry lacing his voice.
Her next statement did little to ease his fears.
Whimpering against his chest, Emi fought the images of her nightmare, barely whispering “Blood.”
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With winter on the approach, Inuyasha knew that there was no time to waste, as far as his village-duties were concerned. Firewood didn’t chop itself, after all. Well…there was that one time, with those two battling wood-youkai, but that was different.
He was surprised, at first, when Shippo popped up (literally) and asked if he could help out. After all, it wasn’t like he actually needed the help, and the hanyou somehow also seriously doubted that Shippo had suddenly taken a fancy to tedious labor. But what did make sense, he mused, was the timing. Rin had just returned home after another one of her oh-so frequent visits, so Shippo was undoubtedly feeling…restless.
“I wish she didn’t have to go home so soon.” the thirteen year old boy pouted, as he slashed through a log resting upon a tree stump, two halves falling away as his youki energy flawlessly split the log in twain, without damaging the stump underneath. Muttering a few other “wishes” under his breath, Shippo momentarily forgot that his father, unlike the village humans, could hear the things he whispered that quietly. A horrible blush quickly rose to his not-so-innocent cheeks at the realization.
Inuyasha, using Tetsuaiga more for show than necessity, had just effortlessly cleaved through a large, dead tree. Shippo’s comments momentarily caught him off guard, and he flustered. As a result, he barely dodged the giant timber as it crashed down upon them. Leaping out of the way, having been sure to grab Shippo, as well, Tetsusaiga got tossed free as a result. Not that losing grip of his sword was a life or death situation at the moment, neither being engaged in battle, nor still requiring its sealing properties over his youkai blood. Still, Shippo felt bad that he had accidentally distracted his father, and since the sword was lying closer to him, he unthinkingly moved to retrieve it.
“Shippo!”
Shaking his head to regain his senses, the kitsune eventually realized that Inuyasha was calling his name. Grimacing at the stench of burnt flesh emanating from his right palm, Shippo sat with an air of disdain directed inwardly at his own stupidity.
“You okay?” his father asked.
“Yeah,” he sighed, adding “Forgot about the barrier.”
Inuyasha couldn’t help but to feel guilty. His sword shouldn’t reject his own son. Just because Shippo was full youkai, and not of his blood, shouldn’t matter, in his opinion.
I’ll see if Totosai can do something about that… he thought, but upon thinking of that loony old man, something else suddenly crossed his mind.
Gazing affectionately at the fox-youkai he had come to call son, Inuyasha didn’t bother to stop the smile that slowly spread across his face. Yes, yes it was time.
“What?” Shippo asked suddenly, in a very unsure ‘why are you looking at me like that’ tone of voice.
His grin increasing, Inuyasha approached his boy, resting a hand upon the shoulder he could reach those days without bending down.
“I think it’s time you and I visited a crazy, old friend.” he said with a smirk.
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Kagome hadn’t wished to impose, but it was only for a few days. With Inuyasha and Shippo away, she had been instructed to stay with Sango and Miroku. Everyone got a good chuckle out of his unwavering protectiveness, like Kagome needed protection those days. But Inuyasha had insisted, and he was right, that the trek into the fire-mountains would be too much for Kazuki, which was why she couldn’t go with him. She couldn’t fault him there. Thinking of things in a positive light, the miko quickly decided to enjoy visiting with her best girlfriend, who was currently big as a house!
“My goodness!” she declared with a joyous smile, as she felt Sango’s baby kickboxing within his mother’s womb. “Healthy as a horse, that one.” she smiled.
Sleeping arrangements had turned out not to be an issue, because Emi had been suffering from reoccurring nightmares as of late, and as a result, wouldn’t go to sleep unless she was in her parents’ bed, thus leaving the child’s room available for their visitors. Kagome felt mild concern, believing that such a coddling would only lead to future problems with getting the child to ever return to her own bedding, but at the same time, she knew she wasn’t really one to talk… Kazuki often slept with them, after all. So instead, she merely asked Sango what seemed to be disturbing her daughter in the first place.
“I wish I knew.” the ex-slayer sighed, “But she won’t tell me, and neither will Miroku.”
“Miroku knows?” Kagome asked.
“I believe he does.” Sango stated, as she went on to briefly explain how Emi had always called for her father when the dreams woke her, and that now, it was Miroku who actually insisted Emi sleep with them, to spare their daughter such turmoil.
Kagome couldn’t help but to wonder if it was more than just a scary boogieman that was bothering their daughter.
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“Excellent.” near silently complimented a stoic, emotionless voice.
One wouldn’t think that news could travel so quickly in the feudal era, yet news of such importance always somehow managed it. Sesshoumaru made it a point to know what his brother was up to at all times. He wouldn’t consider himself a worthy alpha, otherwise. So needless to say, when he caught wind of his half-human brother and that fox-child of his, making their way into the depths of Totosai’s realm, he felt a momentary wave of pride wash over him. That baka was finally doing something right, for a change.
Of course, Sesshoumaru had to admit, if only to himself, that Inuyasha had done a few things right in the more recent chapters of his life. Mating with that miko was certainly one of them. Agreeing to his proposed alliance was also high up on the list. Under the circumstances, Sesshoumaru even found that he couldn’t fault the hanyou’s method for ridding themselves of that annoying jewel, either. Yes, perhaps Inuyasha wasn’t quite as stupid as he used to be.
He would need to monitor the progressing development that was his half-brother more closely, Sesshoumaru unquestioningly decided. After all, curiosity killed the cat.
It took little effort for Sesshoumaru to mentally summon the flea.
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* All quoted information pertaining to the mythology regarding kitsune was extracted directly from wikipedia.com. Credit for those quotations belongs solely to the author of that page.