InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Shared Blood ❯ New Life ( Chapter 11 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Inuyasha does not belong to me--he is owned by Rumiko Takahashi. This really is the last chapter for awhile, folks! I'm amazed that I got this out before I left. Enjoy, minna-san!

Shared Blood

Chapter Eleven

By: Lazuli

lazulidreamer@yahoo.com

"Kagome..." Inuyasha called his mate's name softly, wondering if he could call her to him through their link. He knew that she was still awake, working in the kitchen. He never tested this before, but he wanted to see how strong their bond was, how close they were becoming. He was alone in their bedroom, eyes closed, leaning against the pillows on his bed. After the bombshell his mother dropped, he had to talk to her.

*Inuyasha?* He heard her answer, and the surprise bounced across the link, making him jump. *You're here? Where are you?* He could practically see her looking around for him, and he smiled sadly.

"Just in your mind, love. I...I need to talk to you tonight. Are you doing okay?" He waited for her response, wondering if she would reply back to him at all.

*I will always be here for you.* There was an uncertainty to her voice. *I don't mean to be so weak, Inuyasha. I...I just...* Her voice broke off in mid sentence, and he felt a flash of pain run through him from their link, followed by anger.

"Kagome?" He asked quickly. "What's wrong?" He felt her...weaken, and he frowned. Someone had hurt her. If he could only see through her eyes, know who was doing this to her, he'd be able to find her that much sooner, it would be that much easier to bring his mate back to him.

*They don't like my pausing in my duties.* A weak smile transmitted. *I have to be more careful. It's not so bad now that they let me out of that damn room for a while. Easier to move and breathe.*

"That's good, at least. How much have you changed now, Kagome? The last time you told me it was your nails...have they completely changed to claws yet?" He waited for her answer, he knew that she was struggling to do the chores she was ordered to do, and even with her youkai strength, she was tiring. It had been a long day for her.

*Yes, but I don't think anyone notices. If they do, they don't say anything. Most of the slaves here are scared of me, besides Hojo.* The disdain in her voice was thick enough to spread, and he grinned.

"Have an admirer? The humans think you are special, too, don't they?" His voice was wistful. "I knew they would." He tried to keep the longing out of his voice.

*Baka! I don't give a damn what they think.* Her voice was angry, and then softened. *I love you, Inuyasha. My mate...* She didn't try to keep her longing out of the sending, and his heart ached at the feeling that doubled back again when he let his leak to the surface.

"Kagome...gods...I told you to never leave me..." He shook his head. "Hurry and finish what those morons told you to do, and get back to bed. I don't care if it's in that room, withstand the pain so I can talk to you, please."

*I will, Inuyasha.* The link was cut off, and Inuyasha opened his eyes to stare at his empty bedroom. He needed Kagome back with him. He didn't know when he fell in love with her so deeply that he needed her by his side, but his mother explained the ache in his soul. He just had to tell Kagome so that she understood as well.

Kagome finished scrubbing the casserole pan and sighed, one hand moving up to her heart. Inuyasha had finally reached her outside of her dreams--in the waking world where she needed him to be with her.

Looking around the silent kitchen, she realized the other slaves weren't around. She wasn't lying when she told Inuyasha that they were scared of her. They knew what she was, even if Hojo did not. They saw the changes in her, the way she moved, her endurance, her ability to heal after a youkai batted her into a wall.

"Why can't that moron see it?" She muttered aloud, and turned to go back to 'her' room. She hated that room, and she wondered if she'd be free of it one day. Hojo apparently thought she was special enough to get her own room, protected. He sometimes came in late at night to stare her, thinking she wasn't aware of it. She was going to have to teach him a lesson....

She opened the door slowly, feeling the tingle of magic as she walked across the threshold, and shut the door behind her. She heard the lock click into place as it always did-- only a human could open the door from the outside, and she wondered when she wouldn't be able to open it any longer.

"Damn him!" She swore, and winced as pain shot through her once more. Every day it got worse...she plopped down on her bedding, willing her body to relax and fall asleep so she could meet Inuyasha. This was the only way they could see each other, and she needed that.

Kagome ran up to Inuyasha, throwing her arms around his neck as his encircled her waist, pulling him tight against him, burying his face in her hair.

"Gods...you don't know how good it is..." She looked up at him, confused.

"Is this really real? I know I dreamt about you before." She smiled. "Somehow you are so much real now than in my daydreams of you." She paused to stroke his cheek. "I heard your voice today in my mind, comforting me. Did that really happen?"

He nodded weakly. He had to tell her before they were denied contact from each other again, before daylight streamed through the windows, sending back to the plane they existed on.

"Kagome--I have to tell you what Mother and I talked about. It deals with our bond. We are talking, beloved. It's because of our bond. *Never* think that this is an ordinary dream, because it's not."

Surprised, she nodded slowly, and he sat down, leaning against an invisible wall in the darkness, pulling her next to him., and listening to the soft sounds of her breathing.

"My mother told me this..." As he related the conversation to her, it was almost as if they were replaying his memories, going back to the time he spent in his mother's room, hearing again the words she said to him.

Flashback

"It's time that I told you what your destiny holds in store for you, Inuyasha." Inuyasha stared at his mother as she quietly sipped her tea.

"You and Kagome's fate has been intertwined since your souls were created. They were meant for each other, meant to create one perfect soul again. Do you know what I am talking about, my son?"

He shook his head. "You lost me, Mother. I understand about our souls." He smiled ironically. "I can feel her heart beating when mine does. We're already joined, already one person it seems."

She nodded. "You are Kagome, and she is you. That is the way it is intended to be, and you need to create that combination of yourselves."

Inuyasha got what she was saying and blushed. "I..." He swallowed and tried again. "There is more than to just us having a child." He muttered. "Isn't there?"

She looked amused. "I never said anything about a child, now did I? If you did create an heir from your union, it would be a marvelous thing indeed." She smiled at his deepening blush.

"However, the prophecy states this:

"When the two souls meet, they will create such a powerful bond that nothing, not even death can sever. The souls will intertwine themselves until there is no boundaries between the two, and only at the point when it is most crucial will the artifact present itself again in their joined hands. They alone will have the power to change the fate of their world, to restore it back to its original path that fate had intended for it."

Inuyasha was silent after his mother read the short message contained in the scroll. Was it really meant for him and Kagome? Where they the ones mentioned in that crumbling piece of rice paper?

"Wait a minute, Mother. You said that a bond like this occurred five hundred years ago." He frowned.

She looked over at him, shaking her head. "Never like this. Yours and Kagome surpass even the strongest soul match. It was because of the last one, though, that this artifact was created at all. It was because of the death of the other half, that the artifact vanished."

She sighed softly, staring at the leaves in the teacup. "And that is why our world shattered in the manner that it did."

Her eyes were serious as they met with his. "Inuyasha, this was never meant to be. Humans were never meant to be slaves to the youkai; we were never to overpower one or the other. We used to live peacefully together, only doing what nature called us to do...living our roles."

"What...you can't change the past, Mother. No one can do that." He smiled at her. "I...I don't understand this whole thing, but..." Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair. "I will do my best to do what it says to do."

She smiled at him, hope in that small trembling of her lips. "I know you will. I know my duty will be served, now." She closed her eyes. "I've never been more sure that you are the one, Inuyasha. Now...go tell Kagome of the same thing."

Nodding, he hugged his mother, showing her the first physical affection for her since he was a child. Her eyes were filled with surprise, and he grinned at her before walking out the door, trying to portray confidence in his stance. Once he was away from the room however, he slumped, wondering how they were going to handle this. How would they deal with what the fates were asking them to do?

End Flashback

Kagome gasped and looked at Inuyasha, her senses returning back to her. She had been there for the whole conversation, heard in, and experienced his conflicting emotions as he/they were told of their destiny. She managed a wisecrack.

"Got quite a mess when you chose me for a slave. Didn't you once tell me I attracted danger?" She smiled, and he started.

"Why you...even if I had known about this, even I had never known, I'd have still chosen you, still have you for my mate to awaken this bond." He stroked her hair. "I want you back with me, so we can start our family, be together, and fix what went wrong with our world."

She leaned up suddenly and kissed him, smiling at him after a few seconds. "Our destiny can wait, Inuyasha. I just want to be with you now. I want to kiss and hold you. If our souls have been joined for so long, no wonder the ache is this bad. Let me kiss you."

He complied all too quickly, letting his lips move across hers tenderly, feathering kisses along her face, tracing her eyelids and cheeks as his hands stroked her hair, then down her back.

Her kisses answered his own, and there was a desperation in them that demanded answering, and their embrace grew tighter, their kisses more passionate as their timeless dream went on.

He finally pulled away from her, his breathing as ragged as her own. Whispering in her ear was as high as he could make his voice go, and he warned her as he felt the stirrings of the waking world beckoning to him.

"Work hard for me, beloved. I want to feel your arms around me while I'm awake, too. Have faith in your mate. I'll bring you back with me soon."

She nodded, and he felt her fade from his mind, their parting more gentle than the last, both of them knowing the next meeting would hold more for them.

Kagome woke up slowly, a lot on her mind from what Inuyasha had told her in that dream. They were fated to change the world? It seemed ridiculous to even think about the concept, and she understood Inuyasha's disbelief over what his mother said all too well. She was just an ordinary human, mated to a hanyou. Their bond was unique--she couldn't deny that. Knowing a person's heart didn't make them able to change what had been the way of life for so long, though.

"Kagome! Kagome, you lazy girl, get up now!" Kagome turned to the door where Hikari waited. Hikari had been in the household the longest and flaunted it over the rest of the slaves. She mainly acted as an overseer of the rest of the slaves, ordering to do their chores. She had her own chores to do as well, but she picked one slave a day to do their chores and hers.

Ever since Kagome arrived and had all of Hojo's attention, Hikari chose to pick on Kagome more often than not. She recognized that Kagome was stronger than the rest of the slaves, and used it to her advantage.

"C'mon, girl. You have to clean Shippou-sama's room today. Hojo is out doing errands and Shippou made a mess in there."

Kagome's eyes widened. "Shippou-sama?" She questioned. This was her chance. If she could see what the Master looked like, she could tell Inuyasha. He could rescue her, and she'd be out of this house.

"Shippou-sama isn't in, of course. You just make sure you clean everything correctly and perfectly in there. I'm not going to be blamed for your mistakes."

Rolling her eyes, Kagome got up. "You're being lazy again, aren't you?" She asked. "One of these days you're going to get caught."

Hikari smirked. "Who is going to believe you, the freak? You're not human, you're not youkai. I'm surprised they haven't killed you yet for that miko power you have."

Kagome's eyes widened, and she paused, looking at Hikari in shock. Inuyasha's words came back to her.

"Your aura shines too brightly for that. It's easy to see, you can't hide it. It flares when you are angry or you think you or someone you care about is in danger."

It was obvious that Hikari could see it--and that meant that she had something to hold over Kagome. She hung her head and got ready for a long day of work and beatings. She ignored Hikari's superior smirk and followed her out the door.

"You stupid slave!" Kagome winced as she was yet again thrown into a wall. Kemuri eyes were narrowed in satisfaction at the sound she made, and turned away, her body almost unseen by the smoke that was constantly around it.

"You're not going to last her too long if you keep on messing up like that, you moron." Kagome wished that she could just blast the woman into nothingness, but she remembered that she had promised the Empress that she would not use her powers against another youkai, unless it was protecting Inuyasha.

Kemuri's stopped dead in her tracks though, and peered at Kagome in shock. "You..." She hissed out slowly. She stalked back towards Kagome, fury in the black eyes that she focused on the girl tucked into the corner of the room.

Kagome's heart sped up. When you think you are in danger...She forced herself to calm down, and looked inquiringly up at Kemuri. "Yes, Mistress?" She hoped she sounded subservient enough. She pushed whatever fueled her miko powers deep inside of her, so that not a crack of its shine escaped.

Kemuri blinked. "For a moment, I thought I saw something..." She muttered. She looked at Kagome warily. "It's not what I thought it was. You would have been killed already."

She sniffed at made her way back out of the room, leaving the trembling Kagome in the corner.

Kagome wiped a drop of sweat that trickled down her cheek as she leaned over the huge tub of steaming water. She had to get Shippou's room as clean as possible before he returned home. Kemuri had kept her busy all day, cleaning this at that, not having moment of rest--except for the random times she was smacked for her slowness over a task.

"This is insane." She muttered. "I always knew that this would happen to me, but not like this. I'm stuck cleaning after a spoiled, oversized rat that can't clean after himself."

"And who are you?" Kagome whirled around at the high pitched voice and looked at the small furry creature that she was making fun of. He was in the arms of Hojo, and he gestured for him to be put down in front of Kagome.

"Leave us, Hojo." Hojo bowed quickly, and gave Kagome a strange look as he made his way out of the room, and she ignored him, choosing to look at the furball that was the cause of all this.

Shippou walked carefully over to her, sniffing the air around her. "It's what I thought." He peered carefully at the hand holding the scrub brush. "You're really did sleep with a youkai, didn't you?"

Kagome almost dropped the cleaning tool in shock as she stared at the small kitsune youkai standing calmly before her. "How can you tell?" She asked. She wasn't going to deny it. She had been trying to get this across to someone since she got here.

"You smell like a mix of youkai and human--it's obvious. Not all youkai have such a good sense of smell, though." He peered at her. "I'm sorry about all this. I know you weren't mated with that youkai when I saw you. My slave wanted you."

He smiled warmly at her. "You can have Hojo if you want. It must have been horrible for you to have been a concubine, but you can be with my human if you want."

The look Kagome gave him confused Shippou. She seemed to be sickened at the very idea, and he backed away at the slight rage that flamed up in her eyes.

"You're as stupid as your slave!" She exclaimed, picking him up by his tail. "Can't you see that I didn't just sleep with him, but he's my *mate*?" She asked, disbelief on her face when he shook his head. She dropped him, narrowly missing the tub of water.

"Just let me go back to him, now that you know the truth." Her voice was plain, and he shook his head, shaking out his tail.

"I told you, my slave wanted you, and I gave him to you as a gift. I can't say I'm pleased with your attempt to work here, but let me tell you, your 'mated' life is over, girl. You are *mine*, and Hojo's, and nothing you say or do is going to change that." He frowned at her.

"Finish cleaning up my room, and then get to work on scrubbing the kitchen and dining room down. We're going to have guests, and I don't want this house to look dirty."

She glared at him. "Who are you to order me around, you oversized piece of a rug? I don't have to listen to a single thing you say."

His eyes narrowed. "I am your master, you stupid human, and you'll do as I say." She snickered at him, and he gaped. Since when did a human have the audacity to make fun of him?

"You're laughing at me?" He asked, incredulous. She nodded, amusement in her eyes. "Why are you laughing at me?"

She smiled. "You're acting so serious...like you expect me to believe you." Shaking her head, she picked up the tub of water easily. "I may be under your roof, but I ceased being a slave once I mated with Inuyasha."

She walked out the door, slamming it behind her.

Inuyasha made his way throughout the city, searching for Kagome. He hadn't had any luck yet, but he knew that she had to be around her somewhere. He felt her near him--but that was because of the bond. It seemed the longer they were apart from each other, the more that the bond tied them together, until it was like she was walking beside him, her soft voice reaching his ears.

He was alone, though, and he wondered if the fates wanted them to do such great things together, than why were they being separated? He peered in the dark windows of a store and sighed. He didn't have any idea of how to search for her, and it wasn't as if he could go knocking on every door that he came across. He would have to wait until Kagome gave him some more information.

Frustration was slowly overcoming his sense of reason, though. He wanted so badly to tear down half the town to find her--like he had promised Kagome he would. He hardly noticed where he was until he looked up and saw Miroku's house in front of him. He had made a full circle from his searching, and it wouldn't hurt to stop in and visit him.

Miroku looked up when Inuyasha entered the room, and he sighed softly. "No luck yet, cousin?" He asked. Inuyasha shook his head.

"Not a damn clue." He muttered. "There's something covering where she is, and I'm getting frustrated at it! I don't like being tricked, I don't like having what is mine taken from me." He growled low in his throat, and Miroku smiled.

"You are protective over her, aren't you? I saw it from the start. I'll do anything to help you, cousin. I am going to another house tonight, though--a foreign kitsune family is staying in town and invited me to dine with them."

Inuyasha nodded. "Look, ask there if they have seen any sign of her, will you?" He slumped, suddenly very tired. "I can't look for her anymore today. There's nothing to work from."

Miroku nodded sadly. "I'll do what I can, Inuyasha. Rest here tonight, and you can look for Kagome in the morning." He got up and stretched, leaving Inuyasha to mope.

Kagome sullenly finished scrubbing the table. No matter how fast she healed with the youkai blood she had, it still hurt to get beaten, and she didn't like having her neck almost severed. Shippou said that were having guests tonight, and as much as she would like to leave the place a mess, she would get beaten hard for not cleaning, and the other slaves would get in trouble too. All of them were working hard, getting the house ready for the family coming to visit.

"All you slaves, back to your rooms! We don't want your dirty faces hanging around here." Kagome jumped at the sound of Kumiai's voice, and grabbed the washcloth and started back to the room with the rest of the slaves that had been working in the kitchen.

"Not you." Kagome stopped. "We need a server, and you're the most decent looking one here. You and Hikari--get cleaned up and changed into the servers uniforms."

Jealous looks were cast their way, and Kagome sighed inwardly. She would give up the 'privilege' of being a server if she could get back to the room and talk to Inuyasha.

She bowed quickly to Kumiai, who went to find Tejina-sama, the head of the household. She was the only one Kagome had any respect for out of all the youkai, and thought deserved the title.

Hikari walked quickly beside her. "I don't know why they want *you* to work with someone like me, freak. I hear that they're going to kill you soon. You're pretty worthless, you know that?"

Kagome looked straight ahead, shrugging. "I don't care what they think. My mate is going to rescue me before they have a chance to kill me, though."

Hikari laughed. "You still think you are mated?" She asked disdainfully. "Look, girl...just because he thought you were good in bed doesn't make you his *mate*."

Kagome shook her head. "What do you have against me, Hikari?" She asked softly.

"You think you're so high and mighty, with your freak blood--telling people that he is your mate, when you were nothing but his whore."

Kagome turned white, and stopped to face the angry girl beside her. She took a deep breath. "Look, Hikari...I wouldn't make up such a thing. We are mated. That's why I've changed from being a normal human--our bond does that, not the fact that I've shared his bed."

Hikari made a disbelieving sound, and Kagome had to tell herself to be patient. Hikari had no love for youkai, had no magic ability, and didn't understand Kagome's situation.

"I know you don't believe me, but trust me, okay? Think of me being a slave like the rest of you a type of revenge. A youkai scrubbing floors with humans." Her smile was ironic as Hikari considered this.

"You see? Now let's get the uniforms." Hikari nodded, and hurried ahead of Kagome, ignoring her once more. Kagome sighed. It would take a lot of work to get her to understand.

Kagome tugged on the plain black skirt of the uniform, sighing. Dinner was almost ready to be served, and she wasn't to go out into the dining room until Hikari returned with the empty plates from the before dinner refreshments. She would then proceed to serve the bowls of fresh white rice and plates of the beef teriyaki meal that Suisei prepared.

She tapped her fingers on the side of the counter, wishing she was in her room like she usually was at this time.

Inuyasha must be worried that I am not there... She bit her lip in worry, caressing the ring she wore, trying to tell him with their bond that she was okay--for him not to worry about her. This was new to her, and she wasn't sure how the bond worked--she only knew that it did, and the reason for it.

"Kagome! You're next." Hikari returned with a tray full of empty cups and bowls and Kagome sighed, picking up her own tray full of the dinner. It hardly weighed anything to her at all, and she grinned inwardly at the glare Hikari threw her. Hikari had struggled with the tray, nearly toppling it. She decided that Kagome should be the one to serve dinner, and swept out of the room, carrying the cups to give to the guests.

She nearly dropped the tray herself when she saw who was sitting casually next to Tejina-sama.