The Hanyou War

Chapter 1

The sun set on the horizon over the barren field as Naoto gazed out his window longingly. He was watching for his father; waiting to see when he'd come home, if he ever did. His father was a member of the Hanyou Army and was out fighting for his people. The Hanyou Army had declared war on the Demon Army in order to gain their freedom from the rule of the demons. It had been three years since Naoto's father had left and his family hadn't gotten a single letter from him since the second year after he left. Reiko and Akiko, Naoto's sisters, had given up hope that their father was ever coming back. Kagome, Naoto's mother, even lost hope and believed her husband to be dead. Naoto swore that he'd never give up on his father and he knew that somehow, someday, his father would come home.

"Naoto it's time for bed." His mother said as she came into his room. She saw him looking out the window and she knew exactly why. Kagome sighed and sat next to her son. "Naoto-"

"I know he'll come back. He promised that no matter what he'd find a way to come home to us." he responded; interrupting his mother.

"Naoto we haven't had a letter from him for an entire year. It's been at least three years since he left, I don't think he's coming back."

"He will. He promised me before he left. He even said that as soon as he comes home he'll teach me how fire his gun." Naoto replied; still looking out the window. Kagome sighed again as she looked at her son's face. He had that lonely look his eyes. He was longing to see his father again and he wasn't going to give up hope that his father would come home.

"He might come back," she said trying to be as hopeful as her son, "but I wouldn't count on it at this point Naoto." She continued as she turned out the light and walked towards the door. "Now it's time for bed, so please go to sleep."

"Okay." Naoto groaned miserably. He plopped into bed still looking out his window. Kagome went down the hall and strait to her bedroom. She closed the door, turned on the light, and opened her dresser drawer. That was where she kept all of the letters her husband wrote to her. Kagome opened the most recent one and began to read it.

My Dear Kagome,

How are you now? How are the children? I miss you all so much. I'm doing all right, but I suffer from not seeing you. The army is going to move out tomorrow but we don't exactly know where. The commanders in charge say that we might run into another battle. Don't worry about that though, I know that you worry every day. I know that as long as I'm thinking of you and the children that I'll be able to make it through another battle. Just take care of the family and don't worry about me, alright? I promise that I'll come home as soon as I can so tell the children to never loose hope. I'll come home soon. I love you, and I always will.

Yours now more then ever,

InuYasha

Kagome folded the letter up and held it tight. She looked out her window at the night sky, wondering if InuYasha would ever come home to her. She put the letter down and turned off the light. Then Kagome knelt beside her bed and began to pray.

"Dear God please let InuYasha come home to me. I can't go on much longer not knowing if he's alive or not. Even if he isn't at least let me know! I can't stand this anxiety any more…please…InuYasha…please come home." She sobbed; burying her head in her arms. Just then the door creaked open and Akiko stood in the doorway looking at her mother.

"Mommy, why are you crying?"

"Oh, Akiko… I'm sorry I… I didn't see you there." Kagome replied; wiping her tears away.

"Why are you sad Mommy?" Akiko asked her mother as she went to her and hugged her.

"Oh it's nothing dear… it's nothing." Kagome answered hugging her daughter back. "Come on sweet heart lets get you to bed."

"Mommy," Akiko began as they walked into the hallway towards her bedroom.

"What is it dear?"

"Do you miss Daddy?" she asked; walking into the bedroom that she shared with her older sister Reiko, who was already in bed. Kagome tried to avoid answering Akiko's question by changing the subject.

"How about we read a story before bed? It always helps you fall asleep." She said; pulling out a book.

"Mommy, I miss Daddy. I want him to come home and read to me like he always did." Akiko answered; sobbing. Kagome knew she couldn't avoid the subject any longer. She put the book down and wiped Akiko's tears.

"I know you miss him honey, I miss him too. But we have to move on during times like these. Daddy wouldn't want us to be sad." She replied as she tucked in Akiko.

"I know but…but I miss him."

"I know Akiko, it's okay." Kagome hugged her daughter as she began to cry. "Please don't cry sweetheart."

"Mom what's going on?" Reiko asked sitting up in bed. Akiko's crying woke her up.

"Akiko is just upset that's all." Kagome responded; comforting Akiko. Reiko knew why Akiko was crying and she felt it too. She missed her father a lot, but she was trying so hard to move on like her mother had said to.

"It's okay Akiko-"Kagome coaxed again but she was interrupted by Akiko.

"No it's not! He's never coming back! Never!" she sobbed even more and buried her face in her mother's arms. The door creaked open and Naoto came into the room. He had heard Akiko's crying as well and he came in to see what was going on. There was no need for it though, he knew exactly why she was upset and he was upset too.

"Mom will he ever come home?" he asked as he sat on the bed next to her and Akiko. Reiko got out of bed and joined them to comfort her little sister.

"You know that answer don't you?" Reiko asked. She was tired of hearing her mother lie and say that he would come back. She knew he wouldn't and she didn't want to hear it any more.

"No. I keep telling my self that he will come home, but then again Mom's right. We haven't had a letter from him in a whole year. What if something happened to him?"

"Stop it Naoto! You know that something happened to him! Isn't it obvious by now?" Reiko yelled back at her brother. "I'm tired of hearing everyone say that it's alright and that he'll come home, when we all know he won't! He's never coming back!" she got up and started towards the door.

"Rieko get back here!" Kagome called after her. "Don't yell at your brother like that! I know it's hard and I know you're tired of hearing the same things over and over, but it's not Naoto's fault! You don't think that I'm tired of hearing and saying the same things over and over again? You don't think that I miss him as much as you do?"

"I know you do I just," she tried to talk as tears built up in her eyes, "I just want my Dad back." She sobbed dropping to her knees and crying her heart out. Naoto got up and went over to his sister.

"It's okay Reiko, I forgive you. I want him to come home too, and I know he will. He promised me."

"It doesn't matter Naoto, don't you get it?" Reiko asked as she sat up and wiped her eyes. "It doesn't matter what he promised. You can't control when you die!"

"But Reiko he's not…he can't be…no way! I don't believe you!" Naoto yelled getting up off the floor and backing away from his sister.

"Believe it or not it's true! He's dead Naoto!" Reiko yelled back sobbing even more. Naoto had nothing to say after that. He stood there in shock taking everything in and trying so hard to fight his tears.

"Stop it both of you!" Kagome yelled after Reiko was finished. "Stop all this yelling! Do you think that this is what your father would want? Would he want us to be fighting and yelling at each other, instead of comforting each other and staying strong? He always told us to stay strong in times like these, and now look what's happening." Kagome replied in a strong loud voice as she put Akiko in bed. She sat right back up and wiped her eyes to see what her mother would do next. Kagome walked over to Reiko and Naoto and pulled them both close to her in a tight hug.

"I miss him as much as you do, but we have to be strong and support each other. Okay?" she finished as she hugged her children tighter trying to fight off her tears. Reiko and Naoto could say nothing; instead they hugged their mother back and cried with her. Akiko got up out of bed and went over to them. She wiped away her mother's tears and hugged her too.

"Don't cry Mommy. Daddy will be sad." She said; looking up at her mother.

"Yes, you're right." Kagome replied as she pulled Akiko into the group hug. They all sat, hugging each other, for a while before Kagome realized that she had to get them to bed. "Come on, let's get to bed alright." She said as she let go of her children. She gave them each a kiss and tucked Akiko and Reiko into bed. Then she took Naoto by the hand and walked him back to his room.

"Mother I'm sorry." He said as Kagome tucked him in.

"Sorry for what dear?" she asked; sitting next to him on the bed.

"I'm sorry for bringing up the subject of Father coming home." He answered as he turned his head towards his window again.

"It's alright Naoto. You don't need to apologize for that." She replied; getting up to leave. "We all miss him and it's hard not to bring it up, but we must try to do our best to move forward alright." She added; walking over to the door. Naoto nodded and closed his eyes to try and go to sleep. Kagome smiled and closed the door as she left his room. Once the door was closed behind her she leaned against it and slid down to the floor, burying her head in her arms.

"InuYasha…where are you?" she sobbed. Then she lifted her head and looked out the window in the hallway. It overlooked the same view as the one in Naoto's room. Kagome stared out into the field and looked up at the sky. Rain clouds were forming and thunder quietly beginning to boom. Kagome wiped her tears and stood up, turning her back to the window. She walked down the hallway and went back into her bedroom. The thunder boomed a little louder as she turned on her light again. Kagome went over to her closet and took out her nightgown. As she changed she could see her silhouette on the wall, but not as she was now. She saw a younger version of herself on the wall and behind her a younger man. Instead of thunder booming birds were chirping, and it was the afternoon instead of the night. The man behind her was of coarse InuYasha and he was hugging her from behind. She was wearing her slip instead of her nightgown and he was wearing his pants instead of his uniform; which is what she last remembered him wearing. Kagome's silhouette suddenly fell onto the bed with InuYasha's still hugging her. She suddenly got up and playfully pushed him away, and he went back to her. She was against the wall now with InuYasha standing over her. Her eye's met his and the two silhouettes moved closer. InuYasha was standing with her, instead of somewhere in line. Kagome was kissing him, instead of staring into nothing. Then it came to her; she was in fact staring into nothing instead of kissing InuYasha. He was standing in line somewhere, if he was standing at all, and not standing with her. She was standing next to her bed instead of standing against the wall, and her eyes didn't meet his; they met her closet door. She hadn't moved from her spot; playfully pushing InuYasha away or falling on her bed. He undoubtedly hadn't moved from his spot in the middle of the night, if he could move at all. Kagome was wearing her nightgown instead of her slip and InuYasha was undoubtedly wearing his uniform, bloody or not. She was older instead of younger, as was he for sure, and she was alone instead of with him. Kagome was sitting now; sitting on her bed, in her nightgown; she had fallen now, fallen into her pillow, and she was crying now; she was crying alone. Instead of the birds chirping the thunder was booming again, but now it was booming much louder than before. It was so loud that it buried Kagome's already muffled cries. It continued to boom, is if it felt her pain and was mourning with her. Kagome just lay there, with her face in her pillow, crying her eyes out for sometime as memories flashed in her head. Suddenly she sat up and wiped her face of her tears when she heard a noise. It was the sound of a door creaking open and Kagome turned to face her bedroom door, expecting to see one of her children; she saw no one.

"Hello? Who's there?" she asked; walking over to the door and continuing to wipe her cheeks until they were dry. She peeked out into the hallway and looked around, no one was there. Kagome went back into her bedroom when she remembered that she hadn't turned off her light, but it was already off. The thunder boomed again and Kagome realized that the power must have gone out because of the storm. She went to her closet and grabbed a candle. She lit it and reached for her robe, but then she noticed InuYasha's robe hanging right next to it. She ran her free hand down the sleeve, it was cold. His robe was never cold because he always wore it when he came home every night. Kagome grabbed his robe instead of hers and put it on, it was much thicker than hers anyway. She left her room, wearing the robe and holding her candle, and walked down the hallway to her daughters' room. She opened the door just a bit to see if they were still in bed. Both Reiko and Akiko were sound asleep, but the nightlight that Kagome kept on for Akiko was off; the power was definitely out. Kagome closed the door and went down to her son's room. She peeked in and he was sound asleep as well. Kagome closed his door and headed back to her room.

"I must've been imagining things." She said to herself as she walked back down the hallway. Suddenly she stopped right in front of her door; she heard it again but this time it was the sound of a creaking floor and not a door. Kagome turned and looked around again; listening. She walked to the middle of the hallway and listened again; she heard nothing. She walked to the top of the stairs and listened again; she still heard nothing. Kagome waited a moment before going back to her room; still there was no sound. She sighed and turned to go back to her room. She walked very slowly in case she might hear it again. Kagome reached her room without hearing a thing and she closed the door. She put the candle down on her dresser and went back to her closet. She began to take off InuYasha's robe and put it away when she heard it again; this time it was louder than it was the last two times she heard it; this time it was as if the door was burst open and it had hit the wall in the process.

"Okay, now I know I'm not imagining things." She said to herself; putting the robe back on. She bent down to her closet floor, reached behind the clothes, and pulled out a large wooden case. She opened the case, nervous and shaking, and pulled out InuYasha's spare gun. He had left it with them if anything should happen while he was away. Kagome quickly loaded the gun and put the case away. She grabbed the candle again with one hand and held the gun with the other. She immediately headed to her children's rooms to get them up. They had to get to a safe place quickly. Kagome was about to find a way to open the door when it opened and Reiko came out with a shaking Akiko clinging to her arm. She jumped, as Kagome did, at the surprising sight of her mother standing there holding a gun.

"It's okay Reiko; I was just coming to get you up." Kagome answered before Reiko could ask.

"Right, but why are you holding a gun?"

"For protection, your father left his extra gun with me in case anything like this should happen." Kagome explained; handing Reiko the candle. "Here you go, take Akiko with you and go into my bedroom. I'll go and get Naoto; don't come out of my room until I tell you understand?" she explained; heading for Naoto's room. Reiko nodded and pulled Akiko with her to go to her mother's room.

"Mommy don't leave!" Akiko yelled back to her mother who had already gone into her brother's room.

"It's okay Akiko; Mommy is just going to get Naoto. We have to stay here." Reiko explained as she put the candle on her mother's dresser and picked up her little sister. Akiko hugged her big sister tight as she carried her to the bed. Reiko sat down and tried to calm Akiko by hugging her and rocking back and forth. Kagome came into the room a little while later with Naoto by her side.

"Listen to me, all of you." Kagome began in a serious tone as she brought them all close together by the bed. "You must stay hidden no matter what happens understand? You must not leave this room until I tell you and if you hear me fire the gun go and hide in the closet or under the bed okay."

"Mother what's going on? Why are we hiding?" Naoto asked as Akiko began to cry and cling tight to Reiko.

"Something is going on down stairs and I'm going to find out what it is. You are going to stay here and keep as quiet as possible understand?" she answered as she blew out the candle and went to the door. Naoto nodded and watched his mother leave the room. Once he was sure that she had gone to the stairs he peeked out the door to see what was going on.

"Naoto get back here!" Reiko whispered as loud as she could. Naoto completely ignored her and went into the hallway. He wanted to know what was going on and make sure that his mother would be alright. He had promised his father, before he left, that he would protect his mother and take care of her.

"Naoto, I said get back here!" Reiko demanded a second time; talking very low instead of whispering. When she realized he wasn't going to listen, or come back, she picked up Akiko and followed him out the door and into the hallway.

Kagome walked down the first couple of stairs very slowly and cautiously as she held the gun close to her chest, gripping it tightly with shaking hands. She peered over the banister every once in a while, but she didn't see anything. The thunder boomed as she walked down one more step and stopped to peer over the banister again. In the light of the thunder she saw a figure standing in the doorway; holding a gun. Kagome quickly pulled her head back behind the banister, breathing heavily. She gulped as she clicked the gun to get it ready.

The figure's head turned at the sound coming from the stairs. It turned towards the stairs and slowly made its way forward; leaning on the gun it carried as if it was a walking stick.

Kagome slowly crept down two more steps and held the gun tight; still breathing heavily. She was convinced that the figure was the enemy and she knew what she had to do. She gulped again and put her finger on the trigger; stepping forwards. Kagome poked the gun and her head out from behind the banister and shouted towards the figure; pointing the gun. "Who's there? What do you want from me?"

The figure stopped moving and turned to face Kagome. The thunder boomed again and lit up the doorway for a moment. The figure's face was lit along with the doorway and it was staring at Kagome.

Kagome's hands shook with fear as she aimed the gun. As the figure's face was lit up by the thunder Kagome gasped; her whole body shaking. She dropped the gun down the last three steps and put her shaking hands to her face; still breathing heavily as the gun hit the floor.

Naoto went to the top of the stairs when he heard a noise. It sounded like his mother had dropped the gun instead of firing it. Reiko and Akiko soon followed Naoto to the stairs; they had heard the noise as well.

"What happened?" Akiko asked as she peeked over Reiko's shoulder.

"I don't know but it didn't sound good." Reiko answered nervously.

"I'm going down there." Naoto said as he started down the stairs.

"Naoto, No!" Reiko called after him; trying not to be too loud. Naoto ignored Reiko again and kept going. Reiko shook her head and followed him; still holding Akiko. Naoto stopped in the middle of the stair case and stared down at the doorway as the thunder boomed again. Reiko stopped behind him and stared as well.

Kagome slowly walked down the last three steps and stood there staring at the figure in the doorway. She stood breathing heavily; her hands clasped to her mouth; tears rolling down her cheeks that she had no idea were even there. She slowly stepped toward the figure, but she didn't have to go very far. The figure walked towards her as fast as possible, still leaning on the gun. Kagome looked into the eyes of the figure standing before her and the figure looked into hers.

"What's going on down there?" Reiko thought as Akiko leaned forward to see what was going on for herself. Naoto just stared down at the doorway watching; his eyes glued to the scene.

"It's…you're…you've come home." Kagome said to herself staring at the man in front of her. She ran to him as fast as she could and hugged him tighter than she'd ever hugged him before. "InuYasha I was so scared!" she sobbed as he dropped his gun and held her tight in his arms. He held her close as she cried her eyes out and buried her face in his chest. "I missed you so much! I thought you were dead. I thought that you'd never come home to me." Kagome cried as she blurted everything out to him. InuYasha hugged her tighter and kissed her forehead.

"Kagome it's okay, I'm here now. I'm home." He said; still holding her in his arms. Kagome just kept crying; she had to let everything out that she'd kept in for so long.

"InuYasha don't ever leave me again." She sobbed as she looked up at the man she'd been longing to see for three long years. InuYasha smiled at the woman he'd missed for so long and wiped her tears away.

"Don't worry I'm here now; it's okay." He answered as he hugged her again. Kagome hugged him back this time as she began to cry again.

"InuYasha I missed you so much. I don't know what I would've done if you didn't come home." She confessed as she looked up at him again. InuYasha wiped her tears away again.

"Well I'm here now so no more crying. I can't stand seeing you like this."

"I'm a wreck aren't I? I mean you've been gone for three years and I haven't seen you or hugged you or-" Kagome was interrupted by a long awaited kiss from InuYasha. She kissed him back as more tears ran down her cheeks. She hugged him again and InuYasha never let go once. He held her in his arms for as long as he could.

"I love you. I want you know that. I love you no matter what." He said; still hugging Kagome.

"I love you too. I've missed you for so long." She replied; still crying. InuYasha was just about to say something when he heard a yell from upstairs.

"FATHER'S HOME!" Naoto yelled as loud as he could as he ran down the stairs.

"What?" Reiko asked as Naoto ran to his father. She watched him until she could see that her father was really home. "FATHER!" she yelled out as she ran after Naoto, still holding Akiko.

"DADDY!" Akiko squealed with joy as Reiko reached the doorway and InuYasha took her in his arms. He held her close as Naoto and Reiko hugged him tight. InuYasha bent down to their level and hugged them all; giving them each a kiss on their foreheads. Kagome stood next to them smiling with happy tears running down her cheeks. She watched as InuYasha hugged Reiko, Naoto, and Akiko close to him as if they would slip away if he let go. They all did the same when they clung to their father who they had missed for so long. Reiko and Naoto were each in one arm while Akiko was in the middle. She hugged her father tight and buried her face in his chest while she cried. When she looked up to see her father she saw Reiko instead. Reiko was looking at Akiko with a horrified look; as if she had seen a ghost.

"What?" Akiko asked confused; wiping her tears and clinging to InuYasha.

"There's…it's…" Reiko couldn't talk she was so horrified. Kagome noticed the strange expression Reiko had on her face and that it spread to Naoto as well.

"What is it?" Kagome asked moving closer to them as Akiko realized it too.

"Daddy you-"

"It's okay it doesn't matter right now." He interrupted her as he continued to hug them. Kagome bent down and moved closer to InuYasha as Reiko and Naoto moved out of her way. InuYasha was bleeding from wounds on his chest and his leg was badly hurt. Kagome was so focused on the fact that he was home that she didn't realize he was hurt.

"Oh my God! InuYasha why didn't you say anything?" Kagome asked; putting her hands to her mouth as she began to cry again. Akiko began to cry too as she looked at her blood covered hands and clung to her father.

"NO! Daddy!" she sobbed.

"It's okay Akiko I'm fine." He said as he held her close.

"No you're not, you're bleeding!" Reiko shrieked as she put her hands to her mouth.

"Come on we're going up stairs, right now." Kagome said as she picked up Akiko and gave her to Reiko. Then she turned to InuYasha and helped him up. "Reiko take Akiko, go upstairs to my room, and get some water and towels. Naoto pick up the guns and come up stairs." She said as she headed for the stairs with InuYasha.

"Kagome I'm fine, really."

"No you're not, you're wounded!" she answered in a worried tone of voice as they started up the stairs. "Why didn't I notice this before?"

"Don't blame yourself Kagome. I didn't even notice that they reopened because I was so focused on getting back to you." InuYasha answered as they reached the top of the stairs. Naoto was close behind them carrying the guns with him and Reiko was rushing around to get the towels and water to her mother and father's room.

"It doesn't matter. We just need to get you to bed." Kagome replied even more worried as they reached their bedroom doorway. Akiko was sitting on the bed crying as Reiko cleaned off her blood covered hands.

"Shhh, it's okay Akiko. Daddy's okay." Reiko said as she picked up her sister and moved out of the way so her father could lie down. Naoto came into the room and put the guns away in the closet. He went over the bedside and stood with Reiko who was holding a sobbing Akiko. Kagome sat on the bed next to InuYasha and started tending to his wounds. She sent the children to bed so they wouldn't have to watch.

"I know this is hard to ask but, you all need to get to bed. I promise you can stay with your father all day tomorrow okay?" She asked. Of coarse they all refused to leave and ended up staying in their parents' room for another hour before they finally went to bed.