InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Mating Season ❯ The choices we make ( Chapter 90 )
[ 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: 06.10.2007 | Updated On: 09.27.2008 | Pages: 5 | Words: 8.4K | Visits: 8.6K | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Drama / Adventure | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 06.10.2007 | Updated On: 09.27.2008 | Pages: 5 | Words: 8.4K | Visits: 8.6K | 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.
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Author’s Note…
I decided to give you all a quick run down of character ages so you would know from the start where you are in the timeline right as you jump in, rather than having to figure it out gradually based upon a subtle mention here or there. I realized that just because I knew what age everybody currently was, didn’t mean you guys automatically would.
Ten years have now passed since the beginning of the story. (Wow, has it really taken me that long? *snickers*)
Kaede is still alive and kicking at age 72, though time is starting to get to her in the form of “old bones” otherwise known as arthritis.
Kagome is 27. Still a perfectly fine young age to be at. *cough*
Don’t remember if I ever specified exactly how much older Sango and Miroku were from Kagome, just pretty much leaving that to the canon, I think, which would then mean that Sango is currently 28, while Miroku is lucky number 30.
Shippo is currently 19, and Rin is 20. I’ll wait while you do the math, I made sure to take my time with this one.
If I do make a mistake by like a year, though, let’s just excuse that with not knowing when in the year’s four seasons anybody’s birthday may be, hmmm? We know Kagome’s birthday is in the Spring, but I never mentioned anybody else. Well, okay, I did mention that Inuyasha’s birthday was in the summer, but we’re not tracking his age. If we wanted to be technical, based upon what was supplied to us in the canon, (if you consider the movies as ‘canon’) then he should be exactly 212 at this point in my story. Do that math.
Anyway, on to the children.
Kazuki, Emi, and Suishoukaze are currently 8. (They grow up so fast.)
Kichiro is nearly 6, and Daichi is barely 5.
Kagome has a new set of identical twin girls, named Minako & Miyako. They are both 4, but rapidly approaching 5.
Rin has also been blessed with a pair of fraternal twin boys, Hikaru & Noboru, who just barely turned 4.
I apologize for gypping everybody out of Rin’s pregnancy, but I’m afraid it couldn’t be helped. I simply must start getting along with my timeline jumps if I ever hope to get Kagome back to her mother in time for the 100th chapter. I’ve set my deadline, and unlike certain Inuyasha authors *cough cough* I do not plan on exceeding the number of predicted chapters. This is an “Iron-Chef” competition here people, or “Iron-Author” as the case may be, but once the buzzer goes off, that’s it. Time’s up. Walk away from the story. You’re done!
That’s what sequels are for.
But we’ll worry about that later. In the mean time, on with the show!
Chapter 90 - The choices we make
The late evening air was still mildly warm, as the sounds of children playing could be heard over those of summer bird song. With the days lasting so much longer that time of year, every child in the village took advantage of the extra light to push back their bedtime while the adults of the village got dinner prepared for their little ones.
“Emi, Kazuki, time to come inside!” called Sango, as she stuck her head out through their hut’s rather large bedroom window, directing her attention to the two eight year olds who were currently using the trees beyond her vegetable garden as the playing field for their game of hide and seek.
Kazuki always tried to make it fair, agreeing to be the one to hide, so that Emi wouldn’t think that he had cheated by sniffing her out. Yet, it always managed to amaze the little hanyou when sometimes, the human girl managed to find him faster than she should have been able to, almost as if she had sniffed him out. But that wasn’t possible, right? Then her mother’s voice was carried to them on the breeze, the children close enough so that even Emi’s human ears picked up her mother’s call.
“Awwwww.” rang twin sets of disappointment, while Sango merely chuckled to herself, directing her attention back to Kichiro, who still refused to wear the top to his summer jinbei, the short rob in question once again laying crumpled upon the floor.
Finally deciding to let the little rascal go topless for the time being, the slayer made her way into what would pass for the “kitchen”, which was a designated corner of the main living chamber in the center of the hut, containing shelves of herbs and cutting utensils. Preparing a pot of stew to hang over the fire, she looked up from her duties with a smile as the door flap was pushed aside, and two panting, dusty children appeared. Well, they were both dusty anyway, but Emi was the only one actually panting. Kazuki looked as though he could run a marathon right then and still not break a sweat, though Sango couldn’t help but to notice the extreme interest he seemed to take in Emi’s attempts at catching her own breath, both ears cocked in her direction, a frozen look of concern on his young visage. Only when Emi began dusting herself off and kicked off her sandals to move into the hut by her mother, did Kazuki’s face shift back to that of a normal, happy child.
“You’d better head on home, pup.” Sango said playfully in the hanyou’s direction, “I’m sure your parents are missing you by now.”
“Hai, Sango-sama!” he answered cheerfully, waving bye to Emi before dashing back out the door.
Shaking her head in mild amusement, Sango prepared the rest of that evening’s meal.
When Miroku returned from his village duties, he shot his wife a questioning glance as to why their youngest was dressed merely in a pair of shorts, but the shrug he received in return told him that she’d tried, but in the end, the summer heat had won out over propriety. Oh well, it could be worse. At least Kichiro had agreed to keep his shorts on.
Dinner was rather uneventful, consisting of a rabbit stew augmented by pleasant conversation. Miroku spoke briefly of the holy duties he’d performed for some of the villagers that evening, having given up on the pretense that he was an ex-monk long ago. Once a man of the cloth, always a man of the cloth, or so it would seem. With his spiritual powers very much intact, some of the elderly in the village desired his blessings for those of their family. No offense to Lady Kagome, who took no offense in fact. The miko easily relented that while her raw purification powers may be stronger than the monk’s, he was by far the more spiritual of the two, with a higher connection to the kami and Buddha than she and her youkai family. The more religious in the village simply preferred his blessings to hers, and everyone was happy to comply.
Miroku failed to notice any discomfort on his wife’s part as he told her how one of the said religious folk had asked him to bless his new granddaughter. Miroku spoke of blessing the infant, along side everything else he had done that day, and while a smile remained fixed upon Sango’s visage, the truth was that she couldn’t help but to feel a small stab of pain at his words.
Doing her best to tell him of her day after he had finished his tale, Sango found she was successful as he chuckled at her antidotes regarding the children and their games out in the garden. Her own recap of the day having reached its end, then, Miroku kissed his wife gently on the lips, while offering to clean up the remains of dinner himself while she prepared the children for bed. Readily agreeing, Sango took their children to their room, Kichiro still refusing to wear any sort of robe, while Emi happily changed into her sleeping yukata.
The pain in her heart only increased as she smiled down at her two wonderful children.
Two… she thought sadly. Why only two?
What was wrong with her?
Now don’t get her wrong. She absolutely adored both her son and daughter, with every fiber of her being, but if she were to be truly honest with herself, then with as often as she and Miroku…coupled…she should have had about six kids by that point. Had the Tenseiga not healed her properly, after all? Kagome had assured her long ago, that since Sesshoumaru had healed her with the Tenseiga, that physically, it should have been as though nothing had ever happened to her in the first place. She had certainly recovered from the mental trauma of her experience quickly enough, simply enthusiastic at having been granted a second chance at life. But what was the point in continuing on with said life, if she could no longer experience the joy of bringing others into it? Of course, she wasn’t truly so depressed as to honestly feel that there was no point to her life any longer. There were three very strong points, in fact, one of which who was currently washing out her cooking pots, while the other two were snuggling down into their futons before her very eyes. But even so…
Why had she not conceived since Kichiro? What was wrong with her?
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Earlier that evening, in the largest hut, that rested the farthest from the village center, a yuong miko looked up from what she was doing at hearing the front door swing open on its hinges. Kagome then offered a small nod and smile to her son, who had finally come back home from playing with Emi.
“Go wash up ‘Zuki, dinner will be ready soon.” she said in a soft tone, not at all scolding the boy with regard to how late it had become before his return.
She had to relent that their village was a pretty safe village those days. Youkai attacks had become extremely few and far between, and whenever one did occur, it was completely coincidental regarding which village the beast had chosen to attack. Word had spread long ago of the jewel’s destruction, though most continued to remain in the dark regarding how that had been accomplished, but the fact still remained that after a couple of years, they’d stopped coming across anybody else who had specifically been seeking its power.
Random beastly youkai weren’t usually the greatest threat to hanyou children anyway, and Kagome understood that all too well. She sometimes caught her mate watching Kazuki play with the other children of the village, the expression upon his face being as close to absolute awestruck wonder that she had ever seen. Even the look he had given her an entire decade ago, when she had first confessed her love and agreed to become his mate, was nothing compared to the expression he sported while watching the other humans of the village treat his son like an equal.
Inuyasha had earned and gained everyone’s trust and respect long ago, but there was just something about watching that respect transferred down to his children that touched a part of his soul. Even though he had finally found his peace, finally found where he belonged, it had taken him over a century to finally reach that point in his life. He had to really earn the pleasantries that now bestowed themselves upon him, having paid for his current happiness with a past of hatred and persecution.
His children would be spared that.
All of his children would be spared that.
Kazuki may have developed a best friend in Emi, but Miroku’s daughter was not, by far, the only child in the village who would play with “the hanyou”. The term was no longer spoken with an air of disdain. Kazuki was a hanyou, after all, and so was his father. The other children often asked questions, curious regarding his differences, but not scornful or fearful as a result of them. Their parents treated Kazuki just as they treated any other child who may play with their own children, offering him the occasional snack, or rules regarding how far they may wander in their play. The behavior of the village as a whole had sure made answering the age-old question “What’s a hanyou?” a hell of a lot easier. Kazuki did have to be made aware of his differences, after all. He could very easily injure somebody, if he wasn’t careful, and Inuyasha had drilled that bit of information into his head fairly early. Kazuki had been the one afraid to play with the human children after that, rather than them being afraid of him, but then after having learned a great deal about his powers while out on practice hunts with his father, the boy had felt more confident in his ability to keep himself under control.
The elder hanyou was virtually obsessed with making sure his son’s life was the complete opposite of the hell he had been forced to endure, and his mate supported him every step of the way. Now, Inuyasha was preparing himself to soon conduct the same lessons with his daughters.
His daughters…
He smiled at the sound of that.
Kagome had wanted a girl…and he had given her two. A grin of pure male pride slowly worked its way upon his face, despite the fact that Kagome had already explained why and how identical twins were created, and that it honestly had nothing to do with the father.
Regarding the twins, Inuyasha had given his mate permission to name the girls whatever her heart desired, and in the annoyingly sweet tradition amongst parents of multiple births, she had given the twins virtually identical names. Between Minako and Miyako, Minako was the eldest, and her name, chosen rather instantaneously by a still-birthing Kagome, simply meant “beautiful child”. Miyako, ever the stubborn one, had taken two more hours to deliver. Poor Kagome. The late evening sky had turned pitch black by the time Minako’s sister made her debut, and ultimately, the time of her birth had earned the girl the title “beautiful night child”.
The girls were virtually identical in every way, and Kagome had never been more thankful to have acquired her husband’s sense of smell, scent being about the only way she could truly tell the children apart. As for Inuyasha, he had kept the reigns pulled back somewhat over his youkai during mating, not going full-blown crimson eyes, though it truly didn’t matter because of the sheer strength of his youkai blood. He had his father to thank for that. So while the girls still smelled hanyou, and truly were half and half by blood, visually, they took on a few more characteristics of their mother. Each female inu-hanyou had a full head of midnight hair, for one example, including the little furry raven colored ears perched upon the tops of their heads. Their eyes were some sort of happy mixture between amber and brown, though they didn’t shine with the same striking brilliance of Kazuki’s orange eyes. More like a natural hazel in color, their eyes appeared subdued in the light of day, but still possessed the vibrant glow of a youkai when seen in the shadows of night.
Retiring for the evening, Inuyasha watched with a smile as Kagome struggled to tuck the girls into bed, Minako wanting another story, while Miyako claimed to want something to eat.
“You already had a story, and you just had dinner.” she said to each of the girls, as she insisted it was well passed their bedtime.
From across the room, a soft growl could be heard, their elder brother warning “obey alpha female” in inu.
Kazuki wasn’t really all that tired, either, but the sooner he went to bed, the sooner it would become morning, which meant the sooner he could play with Emi again.
Finally settling down, Kagome left the children’s room with a broad smile, as she made her way into the main sleeping chamber, the residence of which currently consisted merely of Inuyasha and herself. No more little ones for a few more years yet, they had agreed, since they had been surprised with twice the blessings, and twice the headaches, with her last pregnancy.
Observing herself in the full-length mirror, Kagome had long ago learned to accept her more “motherly” figure, but found that her waistline wasn’t currently the cause of her scorn.
“What’s the matter?” her mate asked as she saw his concerned reflection approach her from behind, wrapping his arms lovingly around her waist.
“I look so young.” she answered, being sure to keep her voice down, as she could hear the evening out heartbeats and breathing of the children in the next room.
“‘Course you do…” was his reply, adding “…stopped aging at ‘round twenty or so.”
“I know…” she responded, “…which was fine…” she explained, “…until I suddenly looked younger than Rin.” A small giggle escaped her. “She’s only twenty herself.” Kagome pouted. “How does she look older than me?”
Laughing softly, also conscientious of not wanting to wake their sleeping children, Inuyasha leaned forward and whispered in Kagome’s ear “Raising a pair of kitsune hanyou will do that to you.”
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“Hikaru! Get back here right now!”
“No!”
“Don’t you say ‘no’ to me! Get back…stop that…you need to…Hikaru!!!!!”
With Rin’s shouts easily reaching all the way to the kitchen, where he had previously been, Shippo was suddenly by his mate’s side before she could blink.
“Trouble?”
“Would you get your damn son out of that tree?!” she snapped, her hand outstretched as she pointed toward the top of the towering oak she had no hope of scaling in her human body. Her eyes softened in an apologetic manner, then, not having meant to take her anger out on her mate.
Smirking in an understanding manner, Shippo’s response was “Oi, so whenever he’s disobedient, he’s my son?”
The sound of his mate’s gentle laughter followed him up the tree, which he had no trouble climbing, reaching his scruffy rascal of a son in less than three seconds. Leaping back upon the ground, he landed without a sound, save for the growling child he held upside down by the tale.
“Mind telling me what he did this time?” the adult kitsune asked his mate, eyeing his son as though he were examining a recently caught fish, attempting to determine if it were worth keeping or if he should just toss it back.
“He bit Akiaka.” was Rin’s even reply.
Eyes widening, Shippo glared at his son, who had suddenly stopped struggling at the sound of his father’s growl. The thought that his son had actually attacked the daughter of the visiting Northern dignitaries did not sit well with him, regardless of the fact that it was merely Kouga and Ayame. That wasn’t the point. What if he had attacked somebody else’s daughter? Somebody else who would be much, much less understanding…
In a manner of speech the kitsune had adopted from having spent the last five years of his life under Lord Sesshoumaru’s roof, he dropped his son upon his feet, and then, without hesitation, uttered “Explain.”
Sandy colored fox ears lowered upon the youth’s head, as he shuffled his furry paw in the dirt, eyes averted. Something was mumbled between pouty lips, but it was so soft even Shippo wasn’t sure he had heard right.
“What was that?” he asked, but in a softening manner, as much of his anger bled out of his veins.
“She called me ‘hanyou’.” the child repeated, tears leaking from the emerald eyes that slowly rose to meet his father’s.
A mild sense of guilt washed over Rin at hearing her son’s words, but quickly determining that two wrongs simply did not make a right, no matter what the circumstances, she was the first to break the awkward silence when she insisted “Well, then you each owe each other an apology.”
Nodding, Shippo agreed, “Your mother’s right, cub. You can’t resort to physical violence just ‘cause somebody calls you names. That makes you no better than they are.”
Marching in the direction Rin had left Wenying, whom she’d left in charge of watching Daichi and Noboru in her pursuit of Hikaru, they were surprised to find themselves met halfway by a pair of angry wolf youkai, who also appeared to be dragging their nine year old daughter with them against her will. Before either Shippo or Rin could say anything, Ayame barked out the harsh command “Apologize!” and it was quickly understood that she had been speaking to her own daughter.
Akiaka, who had previously been preoccupied with rubbing the already healing bite mark on her forearm, raised her ice blue eyes to meet the swollen, puffy eyes of the fox-human she’d insulted.
In her younger years, the she-wolf hadn’t comprehended the differences in somebody’s blood, recalling herself the respect she had once shown the inu-hanyou and his human mate the day they had visited her family’s cave, but growing up amongst rowdy wolf youkai had started to warp the girl’s vocabulary. That was why Ayame had insisted upon bringing Akiaka with them to the West that time around, simply not wanting to leave her daughter alone in the care of her ‘uncles’ any longer.
The girl hadn’t really meant what she’d said in a vindictive manner, truly. The term was accurate, was it not? But perhaps the way she’d said it had left much to be desired. “Leave me alone, hanyou.” She simply hadn’t wanted to play with an annoying little four-year-old boy. It hadn’t had anything to do with blood, really. Unfortunately, the eight year old demi-inu she’d been playing with hadn’t much appreciated the tone she’d used on her nephew, and the glare Suishoukaze had sent the young she-wolf was enough of a distraction for Hikaru to make his move, rushing forward and biting Akiaka, before turning around and running as fast as his hanyou legs could carry him. Noboru, who had followed after his brother and had seen (though not heard) the whole thing, was already running back to where he’d left his mother and the panda youkai who was watching Uncle Daichi. He knew that Mother needed to be told what his brother had just done to the ookami girl. As Rin took off after Hikaru, telling Noboru to stay with Wenying and Daichi, Suishoukaze had the distinct impression that the kitsune-hanyou wouldn’t get a fair trial unless Akiaka’s guilt was also brought into the light, so after shooting the girl another crimson glare, which made the ookami gulp, Suishoukaze sought to do something she’d been taught from day one to never do. Interrupt the adults during their meeting.
Sesshoumaru and Kagura appearing on the scene behind the ookami pair, the still silent redhead suddenly got the distinct impression that every single set of eyes within the castle grounds was upon her. Then Hikaru did something that surprised everybody, including Akiaka. He apologized first.
“I’m sorry I bit you, Aki.” he said in a genuinely sad little voice, the usually rebellious hanyou cub truly sorry for what he had done, for once. He couldn’t meet the questioning gaze of his brother, Noboru having no idea why he’d lashed out at the girl, while everyone else merely awaited Akiaka’s response.
“I’m sorry for calling you…what I said.” she whispered, her own eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “I…didn’t mean it…that way.” she added, glancing up at her parents, and then across at the adult kitsune and his human mate. Rin smiled understandingly towards the young girl, while Shippo glared in a neutral, although protective manner, the very presence of his being stating that while be may believe that what his son did was wrong, that he also wouldn’t hesitate to defend his boys himself should anybody have anything to say about them in his presence.
All being forgiven between the children, the adults took their cues to spread out in regard to what their previous activities had been prior to this disturbance. As Sesshoumaru escorted his mate and colleagues back toward the briefing chamber, he made a mental note to congratulate Suishoukaze’s independent decisiveness at a later time, proud of his daughter for having reached the conclusion she had with regard to whether or not she should fetch them, under the circumstances.
Unfortunately, while he knew that Lord Kouga and Lady Ayame did in fact share equal respect among the races, and held no disdain towards his own adoptive claim of a human daughter, or her hanyou children, he also knew, through the ookami’s own admittance, that many of the older members in their tribe failed to hold their tongues when it came to the ‘discussion’ of said changes. The West was simply not what it used to be, but Sesshoumaru was content in his new position of role model. It would take time, everyone knew, before humans and hanyou gained the respect they deserved among the higher youkai society, but while even Sesshoumaru himself would still admit to a mild disdain of the human race, as a whole, Kagome had already informed him of her species’ apparent rule in her time, and he knew that if he were to maintain a position of power, certain views would need to be adapted, simple as that.
Perhaps, one day, even hanyou would no longer be hated. If the great Ice King of the West himself could change, as Inuyasha had once jokingly pointed out, then truly, anything was possible.
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Running through the blinding forest as fast as his human legs could carry him, the changes of the future wouldn’t come swiftly enough for Hideki, who was currently praying with all his might that he wasn’t too late. Finding his wife, whom the angry mob that had once been his fellow villagers had left for dead, Hideki stilled his breathing until he caught the faintest wisp of her own.
“Oh thank the kami.” he uttered aloud, permitting his exhausted body to collapse to the ground beside her.
“You cannot be rid of me so easily, husband.” came Etsuko’s weak, but playful voice, as she struggled against her injuries in order to glance down upon her swollen belly. “Correction, us.”
Placing a shaking hand upon his wife’s stomach, he could not disguise his desperation as he asked her “Is the baby all right?”
“I believe so.” came her honest reply, as she managed to sit.
“Come, my butterfly, brother told me in private of a village where we will be safe, but we must leave this place immediately.”
Nodding wordlessly, Etsuko permitted her mortal husband to assist her to her feet. Fortunately, the monk’s powers of purification were not as strong as she’d feared, and while she had suffered from several burns, they would heal, in time. It was also fortunate that none of the villagers carried a sword, theirs being a peaceful (yeah right) farming community, whose weaponry of choice consisted of mostly shovels, intermingled with the throwing of stones. She was severely bruised and bloodied, but she would live, and so would her baby.
Everything had been fine with their lives, until a traveling holy man who had happened upon their village showed no remorse in revealing to all the true nature behind Etsuko’s human guise. Forced through special sutras to transform into her true appearance, everyone gasped in shock and horror at the giant winged creature, save for Hideki, who had been fully aware of what his wife was, prior to ever having married her. But before he could rush to her aid against the angering mob, Hideki had been pulled aside by his brother, confronted with regard to whether or not he had known Etsuko was a butterfly youkai. Upon his tearful confession, though, Hideki’s brother had shown him mercy when the townspeople had sought to punish he who had brought a youkai amongst them, by insisting that his brother had been manipulated as well, shifting things to make Hideki seem the greatest victim of her deception.
“You can do her no good if you are dead.” he had whispered, forcing Hideki to remain calm until he was able to slip his brother out through the back of the village unnoticed and circle around through the surrounding forest. His parting words had been in reference to a village he had heard of long ago, which contained a powerful inu-hanyou, who was mated to the village miko, no less. Rumor held that years ago, she had been the miko of the shikon jewel, and that now, her hanyou mate was actually the ruling Lord of their prosperous village. Word had spread of their kind hearts and good deeds, always offering assistance to others in need. “If anywhere you will be welcomed, brother…” he had said, and Hideki smiled sadly, knowing he would likely never see his brother again.
Traveling straight through the rest of the night, and into much of the morning, Hideki only stopped once, when his wife informed him that she could smell water, and they sidetracked to a small spring in order to wash away the dried blood from her pale skin. She was truly a beautiful woman. Though she had sported the appearance of a normal Japanese human female in the company of others, her natural hair color was a light, iridescent blue. Her eyes were more rounded than what was commonplace, her irises the color of the sky. Her ears came to the traditional points of those with youkai blood, and while she did have fangs, they were fairly small, and hardly noticeable. Now that she and her beloved husband were away from his people, she saw no point in disguising herself any longer.
“You are beautiful, my butterfly.” came the words of her husband from behind, when Hideki caught her gazing at her reflection in the slow moving stream.
“You are truly the only one who thinks so.” was her soft-spoken reply, and no more words were said between them as he offered her his arm, her youki still suffering from the after-effects of purification.
It was several hours later, as the sun was nearing its evening post in the sky, when a red-clad figure who had previously been assisting his mate with preparing that evening’s meal suddenly dropped the carrot he’d been slicing.
“What is it?” Kagome asked, instantly on alert from Inuyasha’s expression. Then, before he could even utter the word “Youkai” Kagome sensed it too, and grabbing her bow and arrows, she was two seconds behind her mate as Inuyasha dashed outside, Tetsusaiga drawn and ready.
They were quickly joined by Miroku, who gripped his staff firmly, Sango having to quickly drop her children off with Kaede before she could join in the fight, as her little ones didn’t possess the natural instinct to hide during times of danger as Inuyasha and Kagome’s half-inu children did.
Everyone was poised with baited breath when suddenly, a man who was very decidedly human appeared from within the thickness of the trees.
“Oh help us, you must help us, please!” he begged upon instantly recognizing those who he had specifically sought, and rejoiceful that he had found the correct village.
In that instant, both Inuyasha and Kagome noticed something that neither Miroku nor Sango could possibly realize. One, the man smelled entirely too strongly of youkai for the scent transfer to have occurred from merely a few moments of contact, and two, the blood visible on his person was not his own.
Upon seeing Inuyasha lower his sword, the slayer, who had been itching for a good fight as a means of distraction from her own worries, hissed toward her companion “What’s the matter with you? I can feel a demonic aura in the woods not far off!”
“I believe they traveled here together.” came the response, though it was from Kagome, who remained standing back with her friends while Inuyasha sheathed his sword and approached the man with caution.
“What’s got you so spooked?” were the first words spoken by the hanyou, directed towards the man who glanced around and took note of everyone’s battle stance.
Feeling a little guilty for having startled those whom he desperately hoped would assist him, he bowed in apology, and answered “Forgive the misunderstanding, but we are not being pursued. We merely seek sanctuary.”
“If you are not being pursued…” Miroku spoke up that time, “…then might we ask why it is that you seek sanctuary?”
“I believe I can shed light on the subject.” was softly spoken from somewhere behind the man, as a new figure slowly emerged on the scene through the thickness of the forest beyond. And shed light she did, her very presence nearly luminescent.
Youkai was everyone’s first thought, but after a moment, once her appearance was taken in more fully, everyone knew that the woman meant them no harm.
One sniff from Inuyasha confirmed what he’d suspected from just the man’s scent alone. That youkai woman was his mate, and by the look of things, she was with child. A quick glance back towards his own mate confirmed that Kagome had reached the same conclusion he had, as he saw her replace her arrow in the quiver behind her back, her bow hanging innocently from her shoulder.
Miroku was temporarily smitten by the youkai’s beauty, though he at least had the good graces to make no such comment aloud. Once her injuries were taken into account, as he noted the blood staining her pink yukata, as well as the many scrapes and bruises apparent on her pale flesh, a thoughtful frown appeared on his visage, as he too lowered his weapon. Her swollen belly had not gone unnoticed, either
Sango lowered her Hiraikotsu, as well, the slayer having quickly reached the same conclusion as her comrades.
It had become apparent that the human man had not been running from the youkai, but rather, that the two of them had been running together.
It was Kagome who spoke next, as she moved herself forward to stand directly beside Inuyasha.
“You, and your baby, are welcome here.” she said.
Etsuko’s eyes widened slightly as she took in the appearance of the miko before her, the fact that her holy clothing consisted of demonic materials not lost on her slowly returning senses.
“I thank you deeply, Miko-sama.” the youkai answered, bowing as low as her protesting muscles would permit.
That was about where the formalities ended, as Inuyasha quickly rushed forward, having smelt fresh scents of blood from the woman who, for some reason, wasn’t healing as quickly as she should. She and her husband were brought back to their hut, where Kagome tended to Etsuko’s remaining injuries while Hideki stared in openmouthed astonishment at the three little hanyou-helpers who fetched for their mother whatever it was she required.
After being assured that the purification had caused no permanent damage, and that his wife’s youki was steadily rejuvenating and all she truly needed was rest, Hideki left Etsuko to her slumbers as he familiarized himself with the village that would now be home.
Inuyasha, if he recalled the hanyou’s name correctly, had promised that he would supply them with all the necessary building materials for their own hut come morning. In the mean time, he and his wife were permitted to remain the night with him and Kagome in their hut. Truly a wonderful couple. Truly a wonderful village. So lost was he in thought that he failed to notice the holy man’s approach until Miroku took a quiet seat beside him on the grass.
“My apologies,” Miroku spoke quickly, “I did not mean to frighten you.” he explained, at having noticed Hideki’s start at his appearance.
“Quite all right.” Hideki relented, once he slowed his trembling heart. “Merely a bad experience with monks of recent…you understand.”
Nodding quietly, Miroku, who was indeed dressed in the robes of a Buddhist monk, as he had continued to dress ever since coming out of “retirement”, took in the presence of the man beside him, before finally asking “May I inquire something of you?” He quickly added “I mean no disrespect.” wishing to assure the man that this “holy man” had no problems regarding his choice of bride.
Nodding his consent to the monk’s questions, Hideki attempted to answer honestly when the first one voiced was “How did you two come to find love in one another?”
While Miroku knew that youkai/human couplings were extremely rare in and of themselves, he had never before heard of such a pairing in which the mortal of the two was the father. Everyone heard tales of human women smitten by mysterious and powerful youkai, but how was it that a youkai woman had managed to fall in love with a human?
Releasing a large breath, Hideki attempted to keep his tale short, and to the point, of how Etsuko was the “reject” of her family, being the weakest, and abandoned to die by her butterfly clan. He told Miroku briefly of how he had stumbled upon her, quite literally, during his return journey from a neighboring village. It was clear the unconscious woman he had found was youkai, her pointy ears and shimmering hair screaming the word throughout his conscience. But she just seemed so innocent, so lovely, and so vulnerable, that his legs had failed him when he should have moved onward, remaining instead by her side until she awoke. Her first words had been cruel, that it was her fate to die by the hands of a mere human, and she had actually commanded him to “get on with it” in a manner of confusion regarding why she still lived. It had taken quite an amount of persuasion, but Hideki finally managed to convince her that he was no threat, and in turn, he invited her to return with him to his village, at least until she found her strength. Barely enough of her illusionary magic remained to guise herself as a mortal woman, but she managed it with some level of difficulty, and agreed to his hospitality, as after the battle she’d just had against her clan, it would take her several days to fully recover her energies. Had it not been for Hideki finding her when he had, she very likely could have died, as she was in no way strong enough to defend herself against an attack should something else have found her.
One thing inevitably lead to another, and Etsuko found herself caring for the man who had quite literally put his life on the line by not only trusting in a strange youkai, but by inviting her back to his village. She could have slaughtered everyone…in theory. She had no idea why he trusted her, but his trust in her earned him her trust in him in return. After her youki was fully restored, she opted to remain in the village, under the continued pretense of being an orphaned village girl whom he had found wandering lost in the woods. It wasn’t long until they both confessed their growing feelings towards one another, and shortly after, they were married, the village remaining none the wiser as to whom Etsuko truly was, until the fateful day that traveling monk had arrived and ruined everything.
Nodding his understanding, Miroku inquired next “And the child?” Wishing to clarify, he elaborated “Surely you realize Etsuko’s child may not look fully human. Would her birth of a hanyou not cause the same turmoil within your village?”
“We had been planning to leave.” Hideki confessed, he and his wife having shared that very same discussion not long ago. “We had planned on leaving before the baby was due, but then that monk arrived and disrupted everything.”
Patting Hideki on the shoulder, Miroku’s heart went out to him, as he could sense incredible waves of both fear and relief wash over the man’s aura, though he did well to maintain his outward composure.
“Your child will be safe here.” Miroku insisted, smiling back at the thankful smile he received for his words.
“I thank you, all of you, for your tremendous hospitality. The safety of our child had become my greatest concern as her pregnancy continued.”
“Then may I ask something else of you, not as a monk, but as a fellow husband and father?”
Hideki blinked at the sudden change in the monk’s demeanor, but then readily answered “Of course you may, ask whatever you wish.”
“Why?”
He blinked again. “Why…?”
Shaking his head, Miroku clarified, “Why did you do it? If you are so worried, and you know the danger is truly great, why risk the life of your unborn child, the life of your mate…?”
Understanding dawning behind his tired, but peaceful eyes, Hideki smiled at the monk, whom he suddenly saw as merely a man, like himself, as he answered with confidence “Because I love her.”
At Miroku’s unsatisfactory expression, Hideki continued. “I love her, Houshi-sama, and our child is a symbol of our love. I can only imagine how hard it will be for our son or daughter. I cannot even begin to pretend that I know what life is like for hanyou, though I’m sure your village headman could explain it all with grueling accuracy. But we could not stop from expressing our love, even knowing the risks. What is life but merely one risk after the other? I have known men who have died without warning. One minute they were working in the fields beside me, and the next, they clutched at their chests in agony, falling dead before my very eyes. Who are we to say when the kami will choose that our time has come to an end? When it is our time it is our time, and nothing we say or do can have any effect on their decision. It is their holy judgment, and theirs alone.”
At Miroku’s pained expression, Hideki suddenly uttered “Something troubles you.”
Nodding solemnly, Miroku confessed to how he nearly lost his wife and son during childbirth, and how they were…saved.
“You have been given a second chance, my friend.” came Hideki’s response, as it was his turn to pat Miroku gently upon the shoulder. “Do not waste this gift.”
Glancing up in surprise, Hideki merely smiled and continued.
“Your wife’s body will still one day leave this world, as will your own. Only your children will continue to live on in your place. Would you deny their right to be born in an attempt to merely delay the inevitable?”
Grinning wryly, Miroku commented “Are you sure you are not a student of Buddha yourself?”
Laughing goodheartedly, Hideki rose himself to his feet, and then offered his hand to Miroku, who took it readily, and smiled in kind.
“I never was a religious man.” Hideki confessed, adding “Until the day the kami delivered Etsuko into my life.”
Wishing his farewells for the evening, Miroku parted ways with their newcomer, having much to ponder all of a sudden. Perhaps he had been selfish, to play kami with regard to whether or not his wife was destined to bare future children. He would also be lying if he claimed he had failed to notice her more melancholy behavior in recent months whenever the conversation turned to another village woman’s newly born infant. Yes, he would tell Kirara that he had now changed his mind, and ask her to stop informing him of when Sango was at risk of conception. It was not his place to interfere with the kami’s divine plan, and he would do so no longer. He would also need to apologize to his wife, who was owed a very overdue explanation. Hopefully, after Sango was through with him, he would still be able to father children. A slow smile spread across his face. She always was so sexy when she was angry.
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Translations…
Hideki - “hide” means either excellence or excellent, and “ki” stands for tree. Excellent Tree, ummmm…okay. Anyway, for anyone out there who likes Chobits, now you know what his name means. I was tempted to name Etsuko “Chi” just for shits and giggles, but then thought better of it.
Etsuko - etsu = joy, ko = child.
Oh and by the way, two months after this chapter takes place, she had her baby. It was a girl, and they named her “Chouko” or “butterfly child.”
Now onto Rin’s little ones. I know I didn’t go into physical descriptions all that much, and I’m sorry, so here it is now.
Hikaru:
His name means “light” or “radiance” and he has sandy, auburn hair, much like his father. His feet are fox paws like Shippo, and a single bushy tail in the same sandy auburn sticks out from his backside. Because he is hanyou, he also has the addition of pointy fox ears upon the top of his head, and as mentioned, his eyes are emerald green. Hikaru takes after his father, in his younger days. A little trouble maker, or “mischief magnet” as Kagome playfully calls him, he’s really a good boy at heart.
Noboru:
For those of you who caught my reference to the boys being “fraternal” twins, I’m sure many of you already realized that they could look very different from one another, and in fact they do. His name means “rise” or “ascend” and he took on the looks of his mother, featuring raven hair and ears, though the tips of his ears are tan. His tail is also black at the base, lightening to a tan tip, though the fur adorning his fox-paw hind legs is auburn, just like his brother and father. His eyes are greenish hazel, a mixture of Shippo’s brilliant emerald and Rin’s chocolate brown, and he was the runt of the two. His personality is more subdued, and he’s normally very polite, though he’s also known for allowing his older brother to talk him into a prank or two. He’s still a kitsune, after all.
As Shippo is incredibly strong for a kitsune, just like Inuyasha’s father’s blood runs powerfully through his half-human veins, so too does Shippo’s blood influence his two boys. As they mature, their human half will not hinder their abilities to perform kitsune magic, including transformations with the aid of magical leaves, though their “true form” will forever be that of their humanoid appearance, possessing no “natural” animal form.
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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Author’s Note…
I decided to give you all a quick run down of character ages so you would know from the start where you are in the timeline right as you jump in, rather than having to figure it out gradually based upon a subtle mention here or there. I realized that just because I knew what age everybody currently was, didn’t mean you guys automatically would.
Ten years have now passed since the beginning of the story. (Wow, has it really taken me that long? *snickers*)
Kaede is still alive and kicking at age 72, though time is starting to get to her in the form of “old bones” otherwise known as arthritis.
Kagome is 27. Still a perfectly fine young age to be at. *cough*
Don’t remember if I ever specified exactly how much older Sango and Miroku were from Kagome, just pretty much leaving that to the canon, I think, which would then mean that Sango is currently 28, while Miroku is lucky number 30.
Shippo is currently 19, and Rin is 20. I’ll wait while you do the math, I made sure to take my time with this one.
If I do make a mistake by like a year, though, let’s just excuse that with not knowing when in the year’s four seasons anybody’s birthday may be, hmmm? We know Kagome’s birthday is in the Spring, but I never mentioned anybody else. Well, okay, I did mention that Inuyasha’s birthday was in the summer, but we’re not tracking his age. If we wanted to be technical, based upon what was supplied to us in the canon, (if you consider the movies as ‘canon’) then he should be exactly 212 at this point in my story. Do that math.
Anyway, on to the children.
Kazuki, Emi, and Suishoukaze are currently 8. (They grow up so fast.)
Kichiro is nearly 6, and Daichi is barely 5.
Kagome has a new set of identical twin girls, named Minako & Miyako. They are both 4, but rapidly approaching 5.
Rin has also been blessed with a pair of fraternal twin boys, Hikaru & Noboru, who just barely turned 4.
I apologize for gypping everybody out of Rin’s pregnancy, but I’m afraid it couldn’t be helped. I simply must start getting along with my timeline jumps if I ever hope to get Kagome back to her mother in time for the 100th chapter. I’ve set my deadline, and unlike certain Inuyasha authors *cough cough* I do not plan on exceeding the number of predicted chapters. This is an “Iron-Chef” competition here people, or “Iron-Author” as the case may be, but once the buzzer goes off, that’s it. Time’s up. Walk away from the story. You’re done!
That’s what sequels are for.
But we’ll worry about that later. In the mean time, on with the show!
Chapter 90 - The choices we make
The late evening air was still mildly warm, as the sounds of children playing could be heard over those of summer bird song. With the days lasting so much longer that time of year, every child in the village took advantage of the extra light to push back their bedtime while the adults of the village got dinner prepared for their little ones.
“Emi, Kazuki, time to come inside!” called Sango, as she stuck her head out through their hut’s rather large bedroom window, directing her attention to the two eight year olds who were currently using the trees beyond her vegetable garden as the playing field for their game of hide and seek.
Kazuki always tried to make it fair, agreeing to be the one to hide, so that Emi wouldn’t think that he had cheated by sniffing her out. Yet, it always managed to amaze the little hanyou when sometimes, the human girl managed to find him faster than she should have been able to, almost as if she had sniffed him out. But that wasn’t possible, right? Then her mother’s voice was carried to them on the breeze, the children close enough so that even Emi’s human ears picked up her mother’s call.
“Awwwww.” rang twin sets of disappointment, while Sango merely chuckled to herself, directing her attention back to Kichiro, who still refused to wear the top to his summer jinbei, the short rob in question once again laying crumpled upon the floor.
Finally deciding to let the little rascal go topless for the time being, the slayer made her way into what would pass for the “kitchen”, which was a designated corner of the main living chamber in the center of the hut, containing shelves of herbs and cutting utensils. Preparing a pot of stew to hang over the fire, she looked up from her duties with a smile as the door flap was pushed aside, and two panting, dusty children appeared. Well, they were both dusty anyway, but Emi was the only one actually panting. Kazuki looked as though he could run a marathon right then and still not break a sweat, though Sango couldn’t help but to notice the extreme interest he seemed to take in Emi’s attempts at catching her own breath, both ears cocked in her direction, a frozen look of concern on his young visage. Only when Emi began dusting herself off and kicked off her sandals to move into the hut by her mother, did Kazuki’s face shift back to that of a normal, happy child.
“You’d better head on home, pup.” Sango said playfully in the hanyou’s direction, “I’m sure your parents are missing you by now.”
“Hai, Sango-sama!” he answered cheerfully, waving bye to Emi before dashing back out the door.
Shaking her head in mild amusement, Sango prepared the rest of that evening’s meal.
When Miroku returned from his village duties, he shot his wife a questioning glance as to why their youngest was dressed merely in a pair of shorts, but the shrug he received in return told him that she’d tried, but in the end, the summer heat had won out over propriety. Oh well, it could be worse. At least Kichiro had agreed to keep his shorts on.
Dinner was rather uneventful, consisting of a rabbit stew augmented by pleasant conversation. Miroku spoke briefly of the holy duties he’d performed for some of the villagers that evening, having given up on the pretense that he was an ex-monk long ago. Once a man of the cloth, always a man of the cloth, or so it would seem. With his spiritual powers very much intact, some of the elderly in the village desired his blessings for those of their family. No offense to Lady Kagome, who took no offense in fact. The miko easily relented that while her raw purification powers may be stronger than the monk’s, he was by far the more spiritual of the two, with a higher connection to the kami and Buddha than she and her youkai family. The more religious in the village simply preferred his blessings to hers, and everyone was happy to comply.
Miroku failed to notice any discomfort on his wife’s part as he told her how one of the said religious folk had asked him to bless his new granddaughter. Miroku spoke of blessing the infant, along side everything else he had done that day, and while a smile remained fixed upon Sango’s visage, the truth was that she couldn’t help but to feel a small stab of pain at his words.
Doing her best to tell him of her day after he had finished his tale, Sango found she was successful as he chuckled at her antidotes regarding the children and their games out in the garden. Her own recap of the day having reached its end, then, Miroku kissed his wife gently on the lips, while offering to clean up the remains of dinner himself while she prepared the children for bed. Readily agreeing, Sango took their children to their room, Kichiro still refusing to wear any sort of robe, while Emi happily changed into her sleeping yukata.
The pain in her heart only increased as she smiled down at her two wonderful children.
Two… she thought sadly. Why only two?
What was wrong with her?
Now don’t get her wrong. She absolutely adored both her son and daughter, with every fiber of her being, but if she were to be truly honest with herself, then with as often as she and Miroku…coupled…she should have had about six kids by that point. Had the Tenseiga not healed her properly, after all? Kagome had assured her long ago, that since Sesshoumaru had healed her with the Tenseiga, that physically, it should have been as though nothing had ever happened to her in the first place. She had certainly recovered from the mental trauma of her experience quickly enough, simply enthusiastic at having been granted a second chance at life. But what was the point in continuing on with said life, if she could no longer experience the joy of bringing others into it? Of course, she wasn’t truly so depressed as to honestly feel that there was no point to her life any longer. There were three very strong points, in fact, one of which who was currently washing out her cooking pots, while the other two were snuggling down into their futons before her very eyes. But even so…
Why had she not conceived since Kichiro? What was wrong with her?
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Earlier that evening, in the largest hut, that rested the farthest from the village center, a yuong miko looked up from what she was doing at hearing the front door swing open on its hinges. Kagome then offered a small nod and smile to her son, who had finally come back home from playing with Emi.
“Go wash up ‘Zuki, dinner will be ready soon.” she said in a soft tone, not at all scolding the boy with regard to how late it had become before his return.
She had to relent that their village was a pretty safe village those days. Youkai attacks had become extremely few and far between, and whenever one did occur, it was completely coincidental regarding which village the beast had chosen to attack. Word had spread long ago of the jewel’s destruction, though most continued to remain in the dark regarding how that had been accomplished, but the fact still remained that after a couple of years, they’d stopped coming across anybody else who had specifically been seeking its power.
Random beastly youkai weren’t usually the greatest threat to hanyou children anyway, and Kagome understood that all too well. She sometimes caught her mate watching Kazuki play with the other children of the village, the expression upon his face being as close to absolute awestruck wonder that she had ever seen. Even the look he had given her an entire decade ago, when she had first confessed her love and agreed to become his mate, was nothing compared to the expression he sported while watching the other humans of the village treat his son like an equal.
Inuyasha had earned and gained everyone’s trust and respect long ago, but there was just something about watching that respect transferred down to his children that touched a part of his soul. Even though he had finally found his peace, finally found where he belonged, it had taken him over a century to finally reach that point in his life. He had to really earn the pleasantries that now bestowed themselves upon him, having paid for his current happiness with a past of hatred and persecution.
His children would be spared that.
All of his children would be spared that.
Kazuki may have developed a best friend in Emi, but Miroku’s daughter was not, by far, the only child in the village who would play with “the hanyou”. The term was no longer spoken with an air of disdain. Kazuki was a hanyou, after all, and so was his father. The other children often asked questions, curious regarding his differences, but not scornful or fearful as a result of them. Their parents treated Kazuki just as they treated any other child who may play with their own children, offering him the occasional snack, or rules regarding how far they may wander in their play. The behavior of the village as a whole had sure made answering the age-old question “What’s a hanyou?” a hell of a lot easier. Kazuki did have to be made aware of his differences, after all. He could very easily injure somebody, if he wasn’t careful, and Inuyasha had drilled that bit of information into his head fairly early. Kazuki had been the one afraid to play with the human children after that, rather than them being afraid of him, but then after having learned a great deal about his powers while out on practice hunts with his father, the boy had felt more confident in his ability to keep himself under control.
The elder hanyou was virtually obsessed with making sure his son’s life was the complete opposite of the hell he had been forced to endure, and his mate supported him every step of the way. Now, Inuyasha was preparing himself to soon conduct the same lessons with his daughters.
His daughters…
He smiled at the sound of that.
Kagome had wanted a girl…and he had given her two. A grin of pure male pride slowly worked its way upon his face, despite the fact that Kagome had already explained why and how identical twins were created, and that it honestly had nothing to do with the father.
Regarding the twins, Inuyasha had given his mate permission to name the girls whatever her heart desired, and in the annoyingly sweet tradition amongst parents of multiple births, she had given the twins virtually identical names. Between Minako and Miyako, Minako was the eldest, and her name, chosen rather instantaneously by a still-birthing Kagome, simply meant “beautiful child”. Miyako, ever the stubborn one, had taken two more hours to deliver. Poor Kagome. The late evening sky had turned pitch black by the time Minako’s sister made her debut, and ultimately, the time of her birth had earned the girl the title “beautiful night child”.
The girls were virtually identical in every way, and Kagome had never been more thankful to have acquired her husband’s sense of smell, scent being about the only way she could truly tell the children apart. As for Inuyasha, he had kept the reigns pulled back somewhat over his youkai during mating, not going full-blown crimson eyes, though it truly didn’t matter because of the sheer strength of his youkai blood. He had his father to thank for that. So while the girls still smelled hanyou, and truly were half and half by blood, visually, they took on a few more characteristics of their mother. Each female inu-hanyou had a full head of midnight hair, for one example, including the little furry raven colored ears perched upon the tops of their heads. Their eyes were some sort of happy mixture between amber and brown, though they didn’t shine with the same striking brilliance of Kazuki’s orange eyes. More like a natural hazel in color, their eyes appeared subdued in the light of day, but still possessed the vibrant glow of a youkai when seen in the shadows of night.
Retiring for the evening, Inuyasha watched with a smile as Kagome struggled to tuck the girls into bed, Minako wanting another story, while Miyako claimed to want something to eat.
“You already had a story, and you just had dinner.” she said to each of the girls, as she insisted it was well passed their bedtime.
From across the room, a soft growl could be heard, their elder brother warning “obey alpha female” in inu.
Kazuki wasn’t really all that tired, either, but the sooner he went to bed, the sooner it would become morning, which meant the sooner he could play with Emi again.
Finally settling down, Kagome left the children’s room with a broad smile, as she made her way into the main sleeping chamber, the residence of which currently consisted merely of Inuyasha and herself. No more little ones for a few more years yet, they had agreed, since they had been surprised with twice the blessings, and twice the headaches, with her last pregnancy.
Observing herself in the full-length mirror, Kagome had long ago learned to accept her more “motherly” figure, but found that her waistline wasn’t currently the cause of her scorn.
“What’s the matter?” her mate asked as she saw his concerned reflection approach her from behind, wrapping his arms lovingly around her waist.
“I look so young.” she answered, being sure to keep her voice down, as she could hear the evening out heartbeats and breathing of the children in the next room.
“‘Course you do…” was his reply, adding “…stopped aging at ‘round twenty or so.”
“I know…” she responded, “…which was fine…” she explained, “…until I suddenly looked younger than Rin.” A small giggle escaped her. “She’s only twenty herself.” Kagome pouted. “How does she look older than me?”
Laughing softly, also conscientious of not wanting to wake their sleeping children, Inuyasha leaned forward and whispered in Kagome’s ear “Raising a pair of kitsune hanyou will do that to you.”
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“Hikaru! Get back here right now!”
“No!”
“Don’t you say ‘no’ to me! Get back…stop that…you need to…Hikaru!!!!!”
With Rin’s shouts easily reaching all the way to the kitchen, where he had previously been, Shippo was suddenly by his mate’s side before she could blink.
“Trouble?”
“Would you get your damn son out of that tree?!” she snapped, her hand outstretched as she pointed toward the top of the towering oak she had no hope of scaling in her human body. Her eyes softened in an apologetic manner, then, not having meant to take her anger out on her mate.
Smirking in an understanding manner, Shippo’s response was “Oi, so whenever he’s disobedient, he’s my son?”
The sound of his mate’s gentle laughter followed him up the tree, which he had no trouble climbing, reaching his scruffy rascal of a son in less than three seconds. Leaping back upon the ground, he landed without a sound, save for the growling child he held upside down by the tale.
“Mind telling me what he did this time?” the adult kitsune asked his mate, eyeing his son as though he were examining a recently caught fish, attempting to determine if it were worth keeping or if he should just toss it back.
“He bit Akiaka.” was Rin’s even reply.
Eyes widening, Shippo glared at his son, who had suddenly stopped struggling at the sound of his father’s growl. The thought that his son had actually attacked the daughter of the visiting Northern dignitaries did not sit well with him, regardless of the fact that it was merely Kouga and Ayame. That wasn’t the point. What if he had attacked somebody else’s daughter? Somebody else who would be much, much less understanding…
In a manner of speech the kitsune had adopted from having spent the last five years of his life under Lord Sesshoumaru’s roof, he dropped his son upon his feet, and then, without hesitation, uttered “Explain.”
Sandy colored fox ears lowered upon the youth’s head, as he shuffled his furry paw in the dirt, eyes averted. Something was mumbled between pouty lips, but it was so soft even Shippo wasn’t sure he had heard right.
“What was that?” he asked, but in a softening manner, as much of his anger bled out of his veins.
“She called me ‘hanyou’.” the child repeated, tears leaking from the emerald eyes that slowly rose to meet his father’s.
A mild sense of guilt washed over Rin at hearing her son’s words, but quickly determining that two wrongs simply did not make a right, no matter what the circumstances, she was the first to break the awkward silence when she insisted “Well, then you each owe each other an apology.”
Nodding, Shippo agreed, “Your mother’s right, cub. You can’t resort to physical violence just ‘cause somebody calls you names. That makes you no better than they are.”
Marching in the direction Rin had left Wenying, whom she’d left in charge of watching Daichi and Noboru in her pursuit of Hikaru, they were surprised to find themselves met halfway by a pair of angry wolf youkai, who also appeared to be dragging their nine year old daughter with them against her will. Before either Shippo or Rin could say anything, Ayame barked out the harsh command “Apologize!” and it was quickly understood that she had been speaking to her own daughter.
Akiaka, who had previously been preoccupied with rubbing the already healing bite mark on her forearm, raised her ice blue eyes to meet the swollen, puffy eyes of the fox-human she’d insulted.
In her younger years, the she-wolf hadn’t comprehended the differences in somebody’s blood, recalling herself the respect she had once shown the inu-hanyou and his human mate the day they had visited her family’s cave, but growing up amongst rowdy wolf youkai had started to warp the girl’s vocabulary. That was why Ayame had insisted upon bringing Akiaka with them to the West that time around, simply not wanting to leave her daughter alone in the care of her ‘uncles’ any longer.
The girl hadn’t really meant what she’d said in a vindictive manner, truly. The term was accurate, was it not? But perhaps the way she’d said it had left much to be desired. “Leave me alone, hanyou.” She simply hadn’t wanted to play with an annoying little four-year-old boy. It hadn’t had anything to do with blood, really. Unfortunately, the eight year old demi-inu she’d been playing with hadn’t much appreciated the tone she’d used on her nephew, and the glare Suishoukaze had sent the young she-wolf was enough of a distraction for Hikaru to make his move, rushing forward and biting Akiaka, before turning around and running as fast as his hanyou legs could carry him. Noboru, who had followed after his brother and had seen (though not heard) the whole thing, was already running back to where he’d left his mother and the panda youkai who was watching Uncle Daichi. He knew that Mother needed to be told what his brother had just done to the ookami girl. As Rin took off after Hikaru, telling Noboru to stay with Wenying and Daichi, Suishoukaze had the distinct impression that the kitsune-hanyou wouldn’t get a fair trial unless Akiaka’s guilt was also brought into the light, so after shooting the girl another crimson glare, which made the ookami gulp, Suishoukaze sought to do something she’d been taught from day one to never do. Interrupt the adults during their meeting.
Sesshoumaru and Kagura appearing on the scene behind the ookami pair, the still silent redhead suddenly got the distinct impression that every single set of eyes within the castle grounds was upon her. Then Hikaru did something that surprised everybody, including Akiaka. He apologized first.
“I’m sorry I bit you, Aki.” he said in a genuinely sad little voice, the usually rebellious hanyou cub truly sorry for what he had done, for once. He couldn’t meet the questioning gaze of his brother, Noboru having no idea why he’d lashed out at the girl, while everyone else merely awaited Akiaka’s response.
“I’m sorry for calling you…what I said.” she whispered, her own eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “I…didn’t mean it…that way.” she added, glancing up at her parents, and then across at the adult kitsune and his human mate. Rin smiled understandingly towards the young girl, while Shippo glared in a neutral, although protective manner, the very presence of his being stating that while be may believe that what his son did was wrong, that he also wouldn’t hesitate to defend his boys himself should anybody have anything to say about them in his presence.
All being forgiven between the children, the adults took their cues to spread out in regard to what their previous activities had been prior to this disturbance. As Sesshoumaru escorted his mate and colleagues back toward the briefing chamber, he made a mental note to congratulate Suishoukaze’s independent decisiveness at a later time, proud of his daughter for having reached the conclusion she had with regard to whether or not she should fetch them, under the circumstances.
Unfortunately, while he knew that Lord Kouga and Lady Ayame did in fact share equal respect among the races, and held no disdain towards his own adoptive claim of a human daughter, or her hanyou children, he also knew, through the ookami’s own admittance, that many of the older members in their tribe failed to hold their tongues when it came to the ‘discussion’ of said changes. The West was simply not what it used to be, but Sesshoumaru was content in his new position of role model. It would take time, everyone knew, before humans and hanyou gained the respect they deserved among the higher youkai society, but while even Sesshoumaru himself would still admit to a mild disdain of the human race, as a whole, Kagome had already informed him of her species’ apparent rule in her time, and he knew that if he were to maintain a position of power, certain views would need to be adapted, simple as that.
Perhaps, one day, even hanyou would no longer be hated. If the great Ice King of the West himself could change, as Inuyasha had once jokingly pointed out, then truly, anything was possible.
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Running through the blinding forest as fast as his human legs could carry him, the changes of the future wouldn’t come swiftly enough for Hideki, who was currently praying with all his might that he wasn’t too late. Finding his wife, whom the angry mob that had once been his fellow villagers had left for dead, Hideki stilled his breathing until he caught the faintest wisp of her own.
“Oh thank the kami.” he uttered aloud, permitting his exhausted body to collapse to the ground beside her.
“You cannot be rid of me so easily, husband.” came Etsuko’s weak, but playful voice, as she struggled against her injuries in order to glance down upon her swollen belly. “Correction, us.”
Placing a shaking hand upon his wife’s stomach, he could not disguise his desperation as he asked her “Is the baby all right?”
“I believe so.” came her honest reply, as she managed to sit.
“Come, my butterfly, brother told me in private of a village where we will be safe, but we must leave this place immediately.”
Nodding wordlessly, Etsuko permitted her mortal husband to assist her to her feet. Fortunately, the monk’s powers of purification were not as strong as she’d feared, and while she had suffered from several burns, they would heal, in time. It was also fortunate that none of the villagers carried a sword, theirs being a peaceful (yeah right) farming community, whose weaponry of choice consisted of mostly shovels, intermingled with the throwing of stones. She was severely bruised and bloodied, but she would live, and so would her baby.
Everything had been fine with their lives, until a traveling holy man who had happened upon their village showed no remorse in revealing to all the true nature behind Etsuko’s human guise. Forced through special sutras to transform into her true appearance, everyone gasped in shock and horror at the giant winged creature, save for Hideki, who had been fully aware of what his wife was, prior to ever having married her. But before he could rush to her aid against the angering mob, Hideki had been pulled aside by his brother, confronted with regard to whether or not he had known Etsuko was a butterfly youkai. Upon his tearful confession, though, Hideki’s brother had shown him mercy when the townspeople had sought to punish he who had brought a youkai amongst them, by insisting that his brother had been manipulated as well, shifting things to make Hideki seem the greatest victim of her deception.
“You can do her no good if you are dead.” he had whispered, forcing Hideki to remain calm until he was able to slip his brother out through the back of the village unnoticed and circle around through the surrounding forest. His parting words had been in reference to a village he had heard of long ago, which contained a powerful inu-hanyou, who was mated to the village miko, no less. Rumor held that years ago, she had been the miko of the shikon jewel, and that now, her hanyou mate was actually the ruling Lord of their prosperous village. Word had spread of their kind hearts and good deeds, always offering assistance to others in need. “If anywhere you will be welcomed, brother…” he had said, and Hideki smiled sadly, knowing he would likely never see his brother again.
Traveling straight through the rest of the night, and into much of the morning, Hideki only stopped once, when his wife informed him that she could smell water, and they sidetracked to a small spring in order to wash away the dried blood from her pale skin. She was truly a beautiful woman. Though she had sported the appearance of a normal Japanese human female in the company of others, her natural hair color was a light, iridescent blue. Her eyes were more rounded than what was commonplace, her irises the color of the sky. Her ears came to the traditional points of those with youkai blood, and while she did have fangs, they were fairly small, and hardly noticeable. Now that she and her beloved husband were away from his people, she saw no point in disguising herself any longer.
“You are beautiful, my butterfly.” came the words of her husband from behind, when Hideki caught her gazing at her reflection in the slow moving stream.
“You are truly the only one who thinks so.” was her soft-spoken reply, and no more words were said between them as he offered her his arm, her youki still suffering from the after-effects of purification.
It was several hours later, as the sun was nearing its evening post in the sky, when a red-clad figure who had previously been assisting his mate with preparing that evening’s meal suddenly dropped the carrot he’d been slicing.
“What is it?” Kagome asked, instantly on alert from Inuyasha’s expression. Then, before he could even utter the word “Youkai” Kagome sensed it too, and grabbing her bow and arrows, she was two seconds behind her mate as Inuyasha dashed outside, Tetsusaiga drawn and ready.
They were quickly joined by Miroku, who gripped his staff firmly, Sango having to quickly drop her children off with Kaede before she could join in the fight, as her little ones didn’t possess the natural instinct to hide during times of danger as Inuyasha and Kagome’s half-inu children did.
Everyone was poised with baited breath when suddenly, a man who was very decidedly human appeared from within the thickness of the trees.
“Oh help us, you must help us, please!” he begged upon instantly recognizing those who he had specifically sought, and rejoiceful that he had found the correct village.
In that instant, both Inuyasha and Kagome noticed something that neither Miroku nor Sango could possibly realize. One, the man smelled entirely too strongly of youkai for the scent transfer to have occurred from merely a few moments of contact, and two, the blood visible on his person was not his own.
Upon seeing Inuyasha lower his sword, the slayer, who had been itching for a good fight as a means of distraction from her own worries, hissed toward her companion “What’s the matter with you? I can feel a demonic aura in the woods not far off!”
“I believe they traveled here together.” came the response, though it was from Kagome, who remained standing back with her friends while Inuyasha sheathed his sword and approached the man with caution.
“What’s got you so spooked?” were the first words spoken by the hanyou, directed towards the man who glanced around and took note of everyone’s battle stance.
Feeling a little guilty for having startled those whom he desperately hoped would assist him, he bowed in apology, and answered “Forgive the misunderstanding, but we are not being pursued. We merely seek sanctuary.”
“If you are not being pursued…” Miroku spoke up that time, “…then might we ask why it is that you seek sanctuary?”
“I believe I can shed light on the subject.” was softly spoken from somewhere behind the man, as a new figure slowly emerged on the scene through the thickness of the forest beyond. And shed light she did, her very presence nearly luminescent.
Youkai was everyone’s first thought, but after a moment, once her appearance was taken in more fully, everyone knew that the woman meant them no harm.
One sniff from Inuyasha confirmed what he’d suspected from just the man’s scent alone. That youkai woman was his mate, and by the look of things, she was with child. A quick glance back towards his own mate confirmed that Kagome had reached the same conclusion he had, as he saw her replace her arrow in the quiver behind her back, her bow hanging innocently from her shoulder.
Miroku was temporarily smitten by the youkai’s beauty, though he at least had the good graces to make no such comment aloud. Once her injuries were taken into account, as he noted the blood staining her pink yukata, as well as the many scrapes and bruises apparent on her pale flesh, a thoughtful frown appeared on his visage, as he too lowered his weapon. Her swollen belly had not gone unnoticed, either
Sango lowered her Hiraikotsu, as well, the slayer having quickly reached the same conclusion as her comrades.
It had become apparent that the human man had not been running from the youkai, but rather, that the two of them had been running together.
It was Kagome who spoke next, as she moved herself forward to stand directly beside Inuyasha.
“You, and your baby, are welcome here.” she said.
Etsuko’s eyes widened slightly as she took in the appearance of the miko before her, the fact that her holy clothing consisted of demonic materials not lost on her slowly returning senses.
“I thank you deeply, Miko-sama.” the youkai answered, bowing as low as her protesting muscles would permit.
That was about where the formalities ended, as Inuyasha quickly rushed forward, having smelt fresh scents of blood from the woman who, for some reason, wasn’t healing as quickly as she should. She and her husband were brought back to their hut, where Kagome tended to Etsuko’s remaining injuries while Hideki stared in openmouthed astonishment at the three little hanyou-helpers who fetched for their mother whatever it was she required.
After being assured that the purification had caused no permanent damage, and that his wife’s youki was steadily rejuvenating and all she truly needed was rest, Hideki left Etsuko to her slumbers as he familiarized himself with the village that would now be home.
Inuyasha, if he recalled the hanyou’s name correctly, had promised that he would supply them with all the necessary building materials for their own hut come morning. In the mean time, he and his wife were permitted to remain the night with him and Kagome in their hut. Truly a wonderful couple. Truly a wonderful village. So lost was he in thought that he failed to notice the holy man’s approach until Miroku took a quiet seat beside him on the grass.
“My apologies,” Miroku spoke quickly, “I did not mean to frighten you.” he explained, at having noticed Hideki’s start at his appearance.
“Quite all right.” Hideki relented, once he slowed his trembling heart. “Merely a bad experience with monks of recent…you understand.”
Nodding quietly, Miroku, who was indeed dressed in the robes of a Buddhist monk, as he had continued to dress ever since coming out of “retirement”, took in the presence of the man beside him, before finally asking “May I inquire something of you?” He quickly added “I mean no disrespect.” wishing to assure the man that this “holy man” had no problems regarding his choice of bride.
Nodding his consent to the monk’s questions, Hideki attempted to answer honestly when the first one voiced was “How did you two come to find love in one another?”
While Miroku knew that youkai/human couplings were extremely rare in and of themselves, he had never before heard of such a pairing in which the mortal of the two was the father. Everyone heard tales of human women smitten by mysterious and powerful youkai, but how was it that a youkai woman had managed to fall in love with a human?
Releasing a large breath, Hideki attempted to keep his tale short, and to the point, of how Etsuko was the “reject” of her family, being the weakest, and abandoned to die by her butterfly clan. He told Miroku briefly of how he had stumbled upon her, quite literally, during his return journey from a neighboring village. It was clear the unconscious woman he had found was youkai, her pointy ears and shimmering hair screaming the word throughout his conscience. But she just seemed so innocent, so lovely, and so vulnerable, that his legs had failed him when he should have moved onward, remaining instead by her side until she awoke. Her first words had been cruel, that it was her fate to die by the hands of a mere human, and she had actually commanded him to “get on with it” in a manner of confusion regarding why she still lived. It had taken quite an amount of persuasion, but Hideki finally managed to convince her that he was no threat, and in turn, he invited her to return with him to his village, at least until she found her strength. Barely enough of her illusionary magic remained to guise herself as a mortal woman, but she managed it with some level of difficulty, and agreed to his hospitality, as after the battle she’d just had against her clan, it would take her several days to fully recover her energies. Had it not been for Hideki finding her when he had, she very likely could have died, as she was in no way strong enough to defend herself against an attack should something else have found her.
One thing inevitably lead to another, and Etsuko found herself caring for the man who had quite literally put his life on the line by not only trusting in a strange youkai, but by inviting her back to his village. She could have slaughtered everyone…in theory. She had no idea why he trusted her, but his trust in her earned him her trust in him in return. After her youki was fully restored, she opted to remain in the village, under the continued pretense of being an orphaned village girl whom he had found wandering lost in the woods. It wasn’t long until they both confessed their growing feelings towards one another, and shortly after, they were married, the village remaining none the wiser as to whom Etsuko truly was, until the fateful day that traveling monk had arrived and ruined everything.
Nodding his understanding, Miroku inquired next “And the child?” Wishing to clarify, he elaborated “Surely you realize Etsuko’s child may not look fully human. Would her birth of a hanyou not cause the same turmoil within your village?”
“We had been planning to leave.” Hideki confessed, he and his wife having shared that very same discussion not long ago. “We had planned on leaving before the baby was due, but then that monk arrived and disrupted everything.”
Patting Hideki on the shoulder, Miroku’s heart went out to him, as he could sense incredible waves of both fear and relief wash over the man’s aura, though he did well to maintain his outward composure.
“Your child will be safe here.” Miroku insisted, smiling back at the thankful smile he received for his words.
“I thank you, all of you, for your tremendous hospitality. The safety of our child had become my greatest concern as her pregnancy continued.”
“Then may I ask something else of you, not as a monk, but as a fellow husband and father?”
Hideki blinked at the sudden change in the monk’s demeanor, but then readily answered “Of course you may, ask whatever you wish.”
“Why?”
He blinked again. “Why…?”
Shaking his head, Miroku clarified, “Why did you do it? If you are so worried, and you know the danger is truly great, why risk the life of your unborn child, the life of your mate…?”
Understanding dawning behind his tired, but peaceful eyes, Hideki smiled at the monk, whom he suddenly saw as merely a man, like himself, as he answered with confidence “Because I love her.”
At Miroku’s unsatisfactory expression, Hideki continued. “I love her, Houshi-sama, and our child is a symbol of our love. I can only imagine how hard it will be for our son or daughter. I cannot even begin to pretend that I know what life is like for hanyou, though I’m sure your village headman could explain it all with grueling accuracy. But we could not stop from expressing our love, even knowing the risks. What is life but merely one risk after the other? I have known men who have died without warning. One minute they were working in the fields beside me, and the next, they clutched at their chests in agony, falling dead before my very eyes. Who are we to say when the kami will choose that our time has come to an end? When it is our time it is our time, and nothing we say or do can have any effect on their decision. It is their holy judgment, and theirs alone.”
At Miroku’s pained expression, Hideki suddenly uttered “Something troubles you.”
Nodding solemnly, Miroku confessed to how he nearly lost his wife and son during childbirth, and how they were…saved.
“You have been given a second chance, my friend.” came Hideki’s response, as it was his turn to pat Miroku gently upon the shoulder. “Do not waste this gift.”
Glancing up in surprise, Hideki merely smiled and continued.
“Your wife’s body will still one day leave this world, as will your own. Only your children will continue to live on in your place. Would you deny their right to be born in an attempt to merely delay the inevitable?”
Grinning wryly, Miroku commented “Are you sure you are not a student of Buddha yourself?”
Laughing goodheartedly, Hideki rose himself to his feet, and then offered his hand to Miroku, who took it readily, and smiled in kind.
“I never was a religious man.” Hideki confessed, adding “Until the day the kami delivered Etsuko into my life.”
Wishing his farewells for the evening, Miroku parted ways with their newcomer, having much to ponder all of a sudden. Perhaps he had been selfish, to play kami with regard to whether or not his wife was destined to bare future children. He would also be lying if he claimed he had failed to notice her more melancholy behavior in recent months whenever the conversation turned to another village woman’s newly born infant. Yes, he would tell Kirara that he had now changed his mind, and ask her to stop informing him of when Sango was at risk of conception. It was not his place to interfere with the kami’s divine plan, and he would do so no longer. He would also need to apologize to his wife, who was owed a very overdue explanation. Hopefully, after Sango was through with him, he would still be able to father children. A slow smile spread across his face. She always was so sexy when she was angry.
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Translations…
Hideki - “hide” means either excellence or excellent, and “ki” stands for tree. Excellent Tree, ummmm…okay. Anyway, for anyone out there who likes Chobits, now you know what his name means. I was tempted to name Etsuko “Chi” just for shits and giggles, but then thought better of it.
Etsuko - etsu = joy, ko = child.
Oh and by the way, two months after this chapter takes place, she had her baby. It was a girl, and they named her “Chouko” or “butterfly child.”
Now onto Rin’s little ones. I know I didn’t go into physical descriptions all that much, and I’m sorry, so here it is now.
Hikaru:
His name means “light” or “radiance” and he has sandy, auburn hair, much like his father. His feet are fox paws like Shippo, and a single bushy tail in the same sandy auburn sticks out from his backside. Because he is hanyou, he also has the addition of pointy fox ears upon the top of his head, and as mentioned, his eyes are emerald green. Hikaru takes after his father, in his younger days. A little trouble maker, or “mischief magnet” as Kagome playfully calls him, he’s really a good boy at heart.
Noboru:
For those of you who caught my reference to the boys being “fraternal” twins, I’m sure many of you already realized that they could look very different from one another, and in fact they do. His name means “rise” or “ascend” and he took on the looks of his mother, featuring raven hair and ears, though the tips of his ears are tan. His tail is also black at the base, lightening to a tan tip, though the fur adorning his fox-paw hind legs is auburn, just like his brother and father. His eyes are greenish hazel, a mixture of Shippo’s brilliant emerald and Rin’s chocolate brown, and he was the runt of the two. His personality is more subdued, and he’s normally very polite, though he’s also known for allowing his older brother to talk him into a prank or two. He’s still a kitsune, after all.
As Shippo is incredibly strong for a kitsune, just like Inuyasha’s father’s blood runs powerfully through his half-human veins, so too does Shippo’s blood influence his two boys. As they mature, their human half will not hinder their abilities to perform kitsune magic, including transformations with the aid of magical leaves, though their “true form” will forever be that of their humanoid appearance, possessing no “natural” animal form.