Warning: A small amount of coarse language is in this chapter.
DISCLAIMER: InuYasha and Co. do not belong to me. They do, however, belong to the amazing Rumiko Takahashi.
AN: Minor edits!
Chapter 2: Explanations- Part 1
When Kagome woke up the first thing she saw was a beautiful mural of an Inu Clan. The pictures depicted pups frolicking around in a brightly flowered field with the adults gathered around the edges of the large meadow, seemingly to keep the pups from wandering away. The swirls of color brought tears to Kagome's eyes as she could tell that whoever painted the magnificent piece of artwork truly put his soul into the creation. She hissed in discomfort as she tried to sit up; her muscles felt so weak. then she remembered everything that happened. Before she could make another move a woman with long, wheat-colored hair, sun-kissed skin and a single sage-green stripe upon each cheek entered the room and helped her into a sitting position.
"Thank you," said Kagome, feeling a little awkward as she still didn't know what had happened past when she blacked out. She assumed that she was in Sesshoumaru's Palace, and that a healer had come and cleaned her up and bandaged her wounds. Her assumptions were proven correct when the older woman spoke up from her position next to the confused maiden.
"You're most welcome, Child. I am Umeko, the Head Healer in the Palace of The Moon. Me and my aide, Ami, cleaned you up and dressed you and your wounds." As soon as Ami's name was spoken, said demoness walked into the room. She was a few inches shorter than Kagome, who was 5"6'. She had dark brown hair, light brown skin, and two scarlet stripes on each cheek.
"Umeko-san, would you like for me to alert Lord Sesshoumaru that the Lady has awakened?" Ami asked, with a soft voice.
"Hai, Ami-chan. That would be appreciated," Umeko responded in an equally soft voice, but it seemed almost ancient in the same way that Kaede's had seemed when she talked.
Kagome watched the interaction between the two women with interest. The way they acted around each other reminded her of her and Kaede's relationship. Oh, how she missed the others. She hadn't seen them in years.
However, before her musings could go too far, a familiar presence touched the edge of her aura and a scent she didn't even know she had been longing for brushed her senses. Sesshoumaru was outside her room. He walked through the door just as she turned to look at it. His appearance hadn't changed a bit since the last time she had seen him and that brought great pleasure to her, though she wouldn't say it out loud. Instead of ruining the moment she just looked at the beautiful man in front of her and waited for him to start asking the questions that she knew he had.
Sesshoumaru was in his office working when someone knocked at his door. The scent that the person carried told him that it was Ami.
"Enter," he called out.
Ami slid open the shoji and walked in. She bowed to him before stating her cause for her appearance.
"Milord, the Lady has awakened. " Ami said to him. After the last word was spoken he stood up from where he was sitting behind his desk.
"That is all, Ami. You can go to the kitchens and have the cooks prepare something for her to eat."
"Hai, Milord." Said the young demoness as she bowed and exited the office and made her way to the kitchens.
After she had gone, he stood there and tried to gather his thoughts. He thought back to the quickly written letter that he had sent to the Inu-Tachi five days ago.
-FLASHBACK-
Sesshoumaru sat at his desk the day after he had found Kagome in the woods. He knew that her friends would want to know about her, so he decided to write a letter telling them about the news. He grabbed the quill from the stand, dipped it in the inkwell and proceeded to write the letter.
Inuyasha,
She's been found.
The rumors were correct; The Kitsune-Miko is none other than the woman that was thought to be lost to us. She is recovering from an attack on her person and the injuries were extensive. I have been told by the Head Healer that she will make a full recovery. It is expected that by the time you arrive (for this Sesshoumaru is under no illusions that you will stay where you are) that her injuries will be healed up. However, her emotional state has yet to be evaluated.
Your rooms have been prepared, and this Sesshoumaru will allow your arrival to be a surprise for her.
Also, the kit has yet to be seen. Keep an eye out for him, for her peace of mind. It is sure that she will be upset if she knows he is missing.
Sesshoumaru, Lord of the West.
He knew that it would only take about 4-5 days for them to get here if they traveled at a high speed; and knowing them, they would.
-FLASHBACK ENDS-
He didn't realize that he was still holding his quill-pen until he felt the sensation of the feather brushing his hand as it fell to the ground when he dropped it. He gracefully retrieved the pen and placed it upon his desk, straightened out his papers, and walked out the door. On the way to the infirmary he allowed his thoughts to wander to the young woman who had captivated his attention.
'How is it she is now a Youkai? I know InuYasha knows nothing of how these developments came to pass…she ran of the night that Naraku was defeated…after the wish on the jewel. I wonder if they are connected…and what happened to the kit? Did he not run off with her that night? How did she get all of those injuries?' Once that thought crossed his mind he noticed that he had made it to the door. He took a subtle breath to clear his mind, and breathe in her scent, and then he stepped into the room.
Neither of them spoke, and the for once the silence bothered him. He wanted this woman to talk to him. He stared at her for a moment, noting how she looked calm and ready. Like she knew he had questions for her, then again it wasn't really hard to tell. He had found her bloody and about to be killed mere miles from his Palace. Of course he'd have questions.
"Onna, why are you here?" He asked her in a cool tone.
"Why, Sesshoumaru-sama, I'd think you would know the answer to that, seeing as how you brought me here," she playfully replied. After all, she is a Kitsune. Mischievousness runs in her blood…at least, now it does.
"Miko, don't make this Sesshoumaru repeat himself. You know full well what was meant by the question."
"Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama…Some things happened with the Kitsune clan I living with…"
-FLASHBACK-
It was a cloudy afternoon, and Kagome had all of the kits out in the meadow that was near the shared den. She was thinking about what she was going to teach the kits today. Good thing she had Shippou with her. Now, he looked about 17 years old and about 6 inches taller than her. She remembered when she could still hold him in her arms like a baby, and when he would curl up with her in her sleeping bag during the times when Naraku still ravaged the land.
Shippou could see the change in her demeanor and he also felt the way she was absently staring at him. He walked over to her and hugged her close.
"Haha, I'm still here. I'm still your little boy…just not so tiny anymore." He told her softly.
"I know, Ship-chan, I know. I just miss it, ya know? I miss being able to hold you. I miss telling you bedtime stories and singing you lullabies when your nightmares resurfaced around that one time of year. But I'm also happy. I'm happy that you're becoming a strong and honorable young man. I know it was hard sometimes…but knowing that I could continue what your biological parents started, well it gives me hope. I know that if I was able to carry on teaching you the correct morals and how to be a man who could take care of his own family someday…then maybe I could take care of any kits that I may have in the future. That is if I ever find someone who could fill this void in my heart…" Her voice had trailed off to a whisper by the time the secret hopes for kits and a mate were mentioned.
Shippou held his adoptive-mother close as he smelled the tears that were threatening to fall.
"Haha, I know any man would be lucky to have you. I was lucky enough to have you as my mother, and even though missing my natural Chichi and Haha was inevitable, I also know that they would be proud of you, and thankful for raising me like they would've," he softly whispered in her ear. "I also know that wanting your own kits is natural for any mother. I know that when you do have your own kits, 'cause not having 'em ain't even possible; you're too good a mother for any smart demon not to notice, they will just as lucky as I am." His words caused her heart to clench with a feeling of such immense gratification and love that she couldn't hold back the tears anymore.
He held her tighter, giving her the support she had come to rely on more than ever…especially since the others didn't know where they were or if similar transformations happened to the young priestess on the night of the new moon like they did to the rest of the group. He just now realized how much the woman he had come to love as a mother relied on him. How much she had sacrificed for him…and he vowed that he would never let her regret it. He would be the best he could be and he would do everything in his power to make her happy and keep her protected, no matter how strong she was in her own right.
Kagome hugged him tight once more then pulled away and wiped away her tears. Plastering a watery smile upon her face, she replied to his kind words.
"Thank you, Shippou. You'll never know how much those words mean to me. I can only hope that everything else will fall into place." She looked over at the group of kits that were totally oblivious to the conversation going on in front of them. "But for now, I think that we should start this lesson, before we totally lose the attention of these little ones." Just as she went to tell them to line up she felt the presence of a familiar aura…but what troubled her was the fact that there were four other auras near it, and all of them had such a malevolent feel to them that her clawed fingers started twitching in anticipation.
She knew that it was time to go. It happened everywhere she went. That's why she became known as the Wandering Maiden. Wandering, because she and Shippou never stayed in one place for longer than a year and Maiden because she was still untouched. She was a true beauty, exotic looks not only from being turned into a temptress of a Kitsune, but also from the enhanced look that the Shikon gave her. She practically glowed with the power and purity of her soul, and it attracted men to her like moths to a flame. It was too bad for them that her heart was already taken, and too bad for her that there was always one man that wouldn't take no for an answer.
It seemed that it was happening again. It always did. She would find a place that she could be happy. First she would train with them for a bit, so that her skills could be honed in better, then she would help with the kits. The un-mated men would see how well she could take care of the young ones, and try to court her. She would decline, stating that she wasn't ready to settle down. Some would accept her response, but there was always one that just couldn't take no for an answer. That someone always ended up forcing her from the place that had become her temporary home. The one constant in her life was Shippou.
They would've gone back to the Inu-Tachi, but Kagome wasn't sure what to expect. It had been seven years. They probably had families started and were happy as they were. How was she to know if they would want her to come back? Shippou had tried to convince her that they would always welcome her back, but she wouldn't allow herself to believe it. She didn't have a high self-esteem, due to the way that Inuyasha used to treat her during the two year time-span that had caused so much trouble. She had always been told it was her fault, and that she was always going to be second to Kikyou. Towards the end of that race against time, she began to realize that is was only a physical attraction that she had mistook for love. Now, she felt for him like she did her brother, or a best friend.
What she didn't know was that Inuyasha felt the same way. He only said the callous words to her because he didn't understand how to handle his emotions. He tried to push her away because he knew he would never be able to love her like he did Kikyou. He didn't understand that he had cut her to the core every time he spoke an insult to her. He didn't know that he might have damaged her to the point where she couldn't understand her true worth. He didn't realize that his words might have been the reason why his best friend and younger sister never returned to them, because his words caused her to believe that she wasn't needed…instead they caused her to believe that she was a hindrance to the group, and once her duty was done, she was gone without a trace.
But now, as she felt these auras, she knew that this would be the worst case yet. She knew exactly who it was. The headman of the den had a son by name of Daiki. He had been pursuing her for about 6 months and he couldn't seem to take no for an answer…almost like Kouga. But lucky for her Kouga already knew about her, and had finally given up and was now happy with Ayame. Sadly, Daiki wouldn't back down. He constantly showed up when she would walk around the den visiting with other families, and always trying to invite himself to stay for dinner with her and Shippou. Even though she always found a way to excuse herself nicely, six months of an unwanted pursuit was too much for even her to take, especially since she had specifically told him no. That day, she didn't feel fear; no instead she felt a mother's righteous anger. He had threatened to harm her child, and not in the physical sense. He had threatened to kill her in front of him.
Kagome knew that she had to get the kits back to the den and Shippou back to Kaede's village. She could feel that the men were in the opposite direction of home, and she saw that Shippou could feel them, too. She looked up at him and whispered "Take the kits to the den. Tell the headman that his son is not as great or noble as he was thought to be. Send a few warriors here, and then leave. Go to Inuyasha and the others. I will head towards the West. If the rumors are correct then Sesshoumaru-sama is now getting along better with Inu…" She felt the auras growing closer and closer. "Go. Now! And don't turn back. Get the kits to safety and then go to Inuyasha. Now, run!" She said urgently.
Shippou gathered up the group of rowdy kits and hurriedly led them back to the den, leaving Kagome alone to fight this new opponent. She stood in the clearing and allowed her aura to appear. The blue and purple-pink colors mixed and mingled together in an amazing display of power. Her rivals were lucky enough to see the show. Daiki had three other youkai with him. Only one other than him was in their humanoid form, and it was the Panther-Youkai. The other two were a snake and a bear.
After a brief moment of silence, Daiki made his final offer. "Dear Kagome," he said in a seductive voice, "This doesn't have to be the end. You could come with me quietly, and I'd never have to bring your remains to your son. I would hate to have to kill you, but if I can't have you then no one will. So what's your choice, my precious beauty? Live with me, or die today?"
"You know, I'm pretty sure that there's another option that you didn't tell me," she responded haughtily, "You and your buddies could just go away and leave me and my son alone, or if you don't like that option, I could just take you out and spare another unfortunate woman the grief of ever having to put up with you."
"Now, now, dear, that's just not very nice. Oh well, I gave you your chance. You have decided your fate, so do you have any last words that you'd like for me to tell your son when I give him your bones?"
"Hm, nope, seeing as how I'm not the one who's going to die after this fight, but is there a message you'd like for me to send to your father, you know, besides the fact that you're a disgrace to Kitsune everywhere?"
"You'll pay for that, bitch!" He snarled, and then the fight ensued.
He lunged at her, aiming for her throat, but she back flipped and kicked him in the chin. The snake saw an opening and darted forward, wrapping around her leg. It pulled down and knocked her to her back. She struck out with her claws glowing with her reiki, and sliced into the snake's side. As he started to disintegrate, she jumped back up, just in time to meet the claws of the bear-youkai. Its paw connected with her collarbone, and she could feel the claws cutting through the skin and slicing the bone. She quickly used some of her reiki to heal the bone, but left the cut so she could conserve her energy.
She quickly slashed out with a fox fire attack, and the bear went down in a huge blast of flame, turning even the bones to ashes. It was now time to take care of her two strongest opponents. She briefly wondered what was taking the warriors so long to get here, but decided not to think about it. She had to keep all of her concentration on this battle.
Daiki had decided to stay on the sidelines, aside from the initial swipe. He now sent the panther after her. He came with a swiftness and agility that most Neko-Youkai have, but he didn't count on the fact that she had been constantly training with various youkai species for the past seven years, and so she knew many of the fighting styles that they used. Panthers were no exception. She watched him carefully, waiting for him to make the first strike. She knew it would come hard and fast, and she wasn't disappointed. He came at her with a hard swipe of his claws, and though she managed to jump back, she got a shallow set of cuts on her arm. She darted in and tried to get a hit at his ribs, but instead she got hit, and she could hear the snap! of the bone. She could feel the bruise on her chest forming, as the blood gathered around the cracked rib.
"Shit," she snarled, "That hurts, you son of a bitch" She knew she had angered the panther with her words seeing as how the only response she got was a violent hiss and a new set of lacerations due to the flurry of attacks he sent her way. She fought back with equal fervor, and finally managed to sink her claws into his chest, releasing her reiki directly into his heart. She could see him dissolving from the inside out, and it did not bother her in the least. He was allying himself with a man who threatened the emotional security that she had managed to give her son and, like any mother, she would do anything for her child, even if he didn't technically count as a child anymore.
After the panther had finished dissolving, she turned her glowing amethyst eyes upon Daiki. "It looks like it's your turn now," she said with menace in her voice. She may not have acted like that before she fell into the well, but now she knew that the world was a harsh place, and sometimes you had to kill for survival.
He said nothing, but rushed at her, his hands glowing with dark blue flame. She sent a flair of her Reiki at him, just enough so that he wouldn't be able to use his fox-fire, and struck at him with her claws ready to shed more blood. He parried, strike for strike, kick for kick, until he hit her arm with such a force that the bone broke, and hung at an awkward angle. She didn't have the time or energy to heal the bone, so it was very lucky for her that the warriors showed up at just that moment. They went straight for Daiki, and tried to restrain him. Unfortunately, he was too fast for them, and lunged straight for Kagome's head.
She encased the warriors in a protective barrier and just as his claws cut into her cheek, she released a blast of reiki that dissolved him like the other four youkai. She freed the warriors from her barrier and told them to return to the den, and that she would be going elsewhere. The let her go without a fight, because after seeing such a rare display of power, they were wary of what would happen should they anger her.
-FLASHBACK ENDS-
Sesshoumaru stayed silent during the telling of her tale. It answered a few of his questions, but he still wondered why she left the night of Naraku's defeat. However, before he had a chance to pose his question, he felt six auras approaching. All of them were familiar, but one of them he hadn't felt in a while, so he knew that they had found the adolescent Kitsune. They all stopped at the door, and when he looked at Kagome he could tell that she knew who was standing behind the thickly paneled shoji. She had a blank look on her face, but her scent told a different story. Her normally sweet scent was laced with joy, anxiousness, and just a bit of fear. Why she was afraid, he didn't know. Did she think that the Inu-Tachi was going to react negatively? Either way, she didn't have a choice in the matter of seeing them.
The shoji slid open and a man in red with glinting hair that matched his half-brothers slid in, leaving the others outside the room. As he turned around, she saw that he had pointed ears, instead of the soft white puppy-dog ears that he had before, and that the stripes upon his face were not jagged, but instead they were smooth and angled perfectly. As his amber eyes locked with her violet orbs, she could see his widen just a bit.
"Inuyasha," she whispered.
AN: Oh my goodness, thanks so much for the reviews! I'd like to give a shout out to my first 5 reviewers: VixenKitsune147, fox-white-moon, Mercy's Wolf Pack, Sesshomaru2004, and loveinthebattlefield. I really appreciate all the encouragement! I never really know when I will be able to update, but I promise I will do it whenever I can! And yes, yes. I know you're all upset that I left it at a cliffy, but trust me when I say that the story is just now getting good. I probably won't be able to update until the weekend, but if at all possible I will update sooner. I promise. R&R Please!
Glossary:
Youkai- demon
Haha- Mother (Related)
Chichi- Father (Related)
Onna- Woman
Ja Ne,
-Angel
