Disclaimer: I do not own Inyasha, One Piece or How to Train Your Dragon. All characters and their affiliations are owned by their respective creators. I am not making money off of this work of fiction. The characters Rock and Rain do belong to me.
A Family of Outlaws
Chapter One: Children of Destiny
It's been two years since Kagome and her family arrived in the outskirts of Foosha Village. A year since she and Dragon had been married. Now she was in the back room of the house she lived in with her mother and brother. Her mother was bustling around, getting things ready for the new arrival. That morning Kagome had gone into labor.
Souta ran for the village to get the Doctor and to inform Monkey D. Garp, Kagome's father-in-law, of the child's coming. With a resounding bang of the door Garp arrived in a flurry. He had Souta under one arm and the doctor under the other. Souta was laughing at the very excitable man. The poor doctor was complaining how it was undignified for a man of his age to be carried around like a sack.
Akita rushed out to greet them. "She's doing fine for the moment doctor," she said. "Kagome is in the back room. I have everything set up that we've discussed. She went into labor about an hour after waking. Her contractions are two minutes apart now."
"Excellent work," the doctor said. He muttered under his breath as Garp let him down. "I'll do a quick examination to see how the mother and child are doing. We will have an estimation then on how much longer we have to wait."
As the doctor went into the back room Garp looked like he was going to follow. "Hold it right there mister," Akita charged. She stood between Garp and the birthing room. "Just where do you think you're heading?"
"I'm going to see my grandchild," Garp said.
"OUR grandchild isn't here yet," Akita snapped. "You can't go in there while Kagome is still in labor. Men are not allowed in a birthing chamber except for doctors. You will have to wait out here with Souta."
"Ah, but Akita..."
"No 'buts'," Akita poked his chest. "I won't have you making a ruckus during this." She then turned her attention to her son. "Souta, please find something to keep him busy with." She then turned on her heel and disappeared into the room. She shut the door in Garp's face when he went to take a peek.
"It'll be fine Mister Garp," Souta said. "My sister is tougher then she looks. My new niece or nephew will be just as tough." Souta placed a hand on Garp's shoulder and led him to the front door. "I needed to chop wood today since we're low. With an infant in the house we'll need to make sure to keep it warm and cozy inside." That did the trick as Garp zipped outside. Before Souta knew it he could hear the sounds of wood being chopped. With a shake of his head and a chuckle, Souta followed the man out.
Garp was concentrating so hard on his task that he didn't notice Akita coming up until she cleared her throat. "Mister Garp, you can come in now. I'm sure that your grandson would love to meet you." In yet another whirlwind of movement Garp was inside the house. Akita turned to see Souta sitting on the fence. "Why weren't you helping chop wood?"
Souta pointed to the side of the house that Akita couldn't see. "I would have been in the way. I think we're covered for wood for a few months though." Akita looked around the corner to see a wood pile as long as the wall and almost as tall. Souta walked past his mother with a chuckle. "He could hardly sit still. Once I said we would need to keep the baby warm he started chopping wood like a man possessed."
"Honestly," Akita shook her head. "One would think that it's his son and not his grandson. Speaking of which, was Dragon in town? I didn't get a chance to ask you earlier."
Souta shook his head sadly. "Mister Garp said that he hasn't come back yet from his latest mission. I'm a little worried Mom."
"I am as well," Akita sighed. "Midoriko did say we would leave for another world when a child of destiny has been born. I believe Kagome's son is the catalyst for our departure."
"Poor Kagome," Souta softly spoke. "She won't get to explain things to Dragon. Not only that, but she'll be leaving behind her son. Mom, what will Kagome do?"
"I don't know," Akita admitted. "I only know that she will be extremely upset. The best thing for us is to be there for her." The two walked back into the house as the doctor was leaving. He gave them instructions along with congratulations before leaving.
Akita and Souta walked into the room to find Garp holding a blue bundle and making goofy faces. Kagome lay in an exhausted pile on the bed. She had a tired smile as she watched the new grandfather. Her smile widened a bit when she saw Souta. "Come meet your nephew, Souta. His name is Monkey D. Luffy." Her voice was slightly hoarse from crying out in pain. Akita offered her a glass of water which she accepted then turned to Garp.
"We need to talk," she said. She waited for Garp to hand the babe to Souta and sit next to her. "I was hoping that Dragon would be home in time for the birth. I have so much that I need to tell him. I'm hoping that you will tell him for me."
"You can tell him yourself when he gets back," Garp argued.
Kagome sadly shook her head. "I won't be here," she whispered. "Mom, Souta and I are being called away. We don't know how long we'll be gone." Kagome then started to choke on her sobs. "I can't take Luffy with me." Garp moved to hold Kagome and let her cry on his shoulder. He looked at Akita and Souta. Akita was watching with tears in her eyes. Souta was looking down and to the side, a pained expression on his face.
"What's going on here?" he demanded.
"Kagome has a very complex destiny and history," Akita started. "When she was fifteen she was dragged into a well and taken five hundred years in the past. For two years she traveled back and forth trying to stop an evil force from spreading. She suceeded in her goal and was sent home. Two years ago she received a visit from a powerful priestess. She was told her destiny wasn't finished yet. She had to travel to two new worlds. The first she would find her soulmate. Kagome would then travel to the second world once another child of destiny had been born. We all think that Luffy is the child of destiny."
"Can't you tell that priestess 'no'?" Garp asked. "Luffy needs his mother."
"I know," Kagome sobbed. "I want to be here for him, watch him grow into a strong man. But I can't stop the power of the jewel."
"What jewel?"
Kagome leaned away from Garp. She pulled the pink jewel from her neck and held it in her hand. "This is the Shikon no Tama," she explained. "Or the Jewel of Four Souls. I was born with it in my body. It was taken from me when I was pulled down the well. I retrieved it, but it was stolen by a Crow Demon. I managed to shoot the crow down, but the jewel broke. I spent those two years finding the pieces of the jewel with friends that I had made in the past. We eventually came up against a powerful half demon that was also looking for the jewel fragments for his own gain. Just a shard of this jewel grants a person unimaginable power. It's my duty to protect it from those that would misuse it. The powerful priestess that came to me is trapped within. It's part of her power that's inside of the jewel. The other part is the souls of demons that she trapped inside with her. My power alone isn't enough to stop them from taking my family and I. The only hope I have is that we will be allowed to return once we're finished in that other world."
"How long will that take?" Garp asked.
Kagome shook her head sadly. "It might take a few days or a few years," she answered. "The only thing that they told me is that it would be when the time was right."
Garp was staring blankly at the wall. "You promise to return?" he asked.
"I promise on my life," Kagome vowed.
"I will watch Luffy until Dragon returns," Garp said. "I will help raise him to be strong and to do the right thing no matter what."
"I knew I could count on you," Kagome smiled. "Will you tell Dragon everything I told you?"
"I promise," Garp agreed.
"Will you also tell him that I love him and Luffy and that I'll miss them? I'll return to them as soon as I'm able to."
"You can rest easy Kagome," Garp said. "I'll make sure that Dragon and Luffy both know how loved they are."
Kagome turned her gaze to Souta. "I think that it's time," she said. "Please give Luffy to his Grandpa." She watched as Garp tenderly took the baby.
Without being asked he walked back over and held Luffy to where Kagome could see his face. His eyes were closed in sleep and his pudgy cheeks were red from crying earlier. He had a tuff of soft black hair on the top of his head. Kagome reached out and started to stroke her son's face. "I love you," she whispered. "Be strong for me, my handsome little man. You might not remember me when I come back, but I'm sure you will know somehow that I'm your Mom."
Kagome had tears streaming down her cheeks as she watched her son fade from her view. It was just the same as what happened when they bid her own grandfather good-bye. The last she saw was Luffy opening his eyes to look at her and him starting to wail, loudly. Not able to hold in any longer, Kagome started to cry loudly as well. Her heart was breaking at the sound of her child. She knew he needed her, but she couldn't stop fate.
~ Garp walked into the village. On his back was a large pack filled to the brim with baby furniture and other things he could find at Kagome's home. In his arms he carried the precious bundle of his grandson. He had spent the walk to Foosha Village thinking of a way to explain what happened to Kagome and her family. He finally came to the conclusion that he would lie and say he had been hunting for them when the house was attacked by bandits. He would say he found Luffy hidden in a laundry basket as the house was burning. He didn't want them all to label Kagome as a bad mother for abandoning her child.
The doctor came rushing up when he saw Garp. Taking a deep breath, Garp relayed the story he had come up with. The doctor rushed the child into his clinic to do a check up. Once he was satisfied the baby didn't suffer from smoke inhalation he let Garp take him. Makino was waiting just outside. She had been close friends with Kagome for the last two years. She had overheard the story being told to the doctor.
"If you need any help just name it," she declared. "I will help you raise Luffy, just the way I know that his mother would."
Garp nodded and started walking away. "I do have a favor to ask Makino," he said. "When Luffy gets older, I would like to not talk to him about his mother. If he asks, tell him about her. But I refuse to tell him that she's dead."
"That sounds cruel," Makino protested.
They silently walked into Garp's house. "I didn't want to say anything in front of the other villagers," he started. "Kagome, her mom and brother are alive. It's just, magic took them away from us; took Kagome away from Luffy. She promised that she would be back. That's why I don't want to tell Luffy she's dead. She's not dead and she will be back."
"Where did she go?" The two turned to see Dragon standing in the doorway.
"You have a bad habit of listening in on conversations," Garp complained.
"Where is my wife Father?" Dragon ignored him. "What happened while I was away?"
Makino bid a quiet 'farewell' and slipped past Dragon. She knew when it was a family matter and not to get involved.
Garp walked up to Dragon and handed him the small bundle. "First of all, meet your son. I believe you and Kagome agreed to name him Luffy."
Dragon looked down at the tiny person he held in his arms. The infant was fussing, mouth opening and closing as he searched.
Garp busied himself and prepared a bottle in the way the doctor had explained to him. He gave the bottle to Dragon and told him to feed Luffy. "Go sit with him and I'll tell you." Dragon moved to the living area to get more comfortable.
"Where is Kagome?" Dragon reiterated.
Garp groaned as he sat down. "What do you know of Kagome's past?" he asked.
"She told me everything," Dragon said.
"Including her trips through a well?" Dragon's head snapped up to look at Garp. "I see that she did. So you must know what the Shikon no Tama is." Garp watched as his son nodded and looked back down to Luffy. "The Shikon no Tama took her, her mother and brother to a different world. She was told that they would be needed there."
"She willingly abandoned our son?"
Garp's eyes narrowed dangerously at Dragon. "If you had been there you wouldn't be saying that," he growled out. "You didn't see her tears. She was crying for you and for Luffy."
A look of shame crossed Dragon's face. He knew that Kagome would never willingly leave him and their son. It went against her personality. He was upset that neither he nor she could do anything to stay together. Dragon silently stared down at Luffy.
"Kagome told me she would be back," Garp continued to speak. "Until then, I'll be here for the two of you if you need anything."
Dragon's features hardened as he turned to look Garp in the eye. "I can't take care of Luffy," he said. "I have decided to devote all my time to the army. This world needs to be a place of equality. I have to have it ready before Kagome gets back. I want to show her a world where people aren't treated like dirt just because of the circumstances of their birth. I want Luffy to live in a free world."
"So you'll abandon your son?" Garp asked.
"I'm doing this for him," Dragon said. "I'm a wanted man and leader of the Revolutionary Army. The government considers me to be the most dangerous man alive. That's no life to raise a child in. If the government found out I had a son they would target him as well. It's a good thing Kagome isn't here right now. I was determined to take her with me this time. She would become a target in this as well."
"I can understand your reasoning, but think of what this means for Luffy. Both of his parents are alive, but neither are around to raise him. What will that knowledge do to him?"
"Don't tell him about us," Dragon said. He watched as Luffy closed his eyes once the bottle was finished. He gave small, whimpering noises as he fell asleep. "He's far too innocent to be involved with me. Let him grow up without the government hating him just for being born. He deserves at least that much." Dragon stood and handed his son back to Garp. "I won't be coming to visit. Wouldn't want to risk anyone getting wind of our relation. I will be thinking of you both." Dragon rushed out of the house before Garp could stop him. That was the first and last day that Luffy saw his parents.
~ They had been here for a month. Akita and Souta built a small shelter for all of them while Kagome was still too weak to contribute. It was a humble existance, although Midoriko never said that life would be handed to them on a silver platter.
Akita was walking along the beach of the small island the three travelers found themselves on. She was searching out tide pools and looking for any fish that may have gotten trapped. She paused in her walk when she heard a small sound. Following the sounds, it led her to a cave that had water flowing into it. Curiosity getting the better of her, Akita continued to follow the sound that was getting louder the closer she got.
After walking in the dark for a few minutes Akita stumbled into something. Taking out a flashlight, deciding it was worth a few minutes of battery life, she turned it on. Akita nearly dropped the light into the water as the sight startled her. A dragon lay half in and half out of the water. It's eyes were frozen open, clearly dead. The body was riddled with cuts, arrows and various other wounds. Lifting the light higher, Akita identified the dragon as a Deadly Nadder. On the back of the dragon was a worn saddle. It was charred in a few places.
Akita turned away from the scene when the noise started to become more insistant. Now she was able to clearly determine that it was the cries of a baby. She followed the crying further into the cave. About twenty feet from the dragon another figure was laying on the path. This time it was a grown woman. She was on her side, curled protectively around the baby that was crying.
Akita checked for a pulse on the woman. Like the dragon before her, she had passed away. Akita carefully pulled the babe from it's suspected mother's protective embrace. Angry blue eyes were glaring at her. The child looked very young, a week old at best. Akita quickly glanced around the gave. She found a piece of paper by the woman's head. Making a last minute decision, she grabbed that too and headed back to the shelter she and her children had made for themselves.
The child's cries grew louder the longer it took to return. When Akita was close enough to the shelter, Kagome had come out to investigate the source of the noise. She rushed to her mother to find out what was going on. "I don't know how long they were down there," Akita explained. "I need to find this little one some milk."
"Give her to me Mom," Kagome said. "I'm still lactating from my birth."
"Are you sure Kagome?" Akita asked. "I know how hard it must be for you."
"I'm needed right now," Kagome argued. "I'll worry about the reprecussions once we get this little one fed and cleaned." Kagome took the infant from her mother and went back inside.
"What's going on?" Souta walked up.
"Your sister's gentle heart," Akita sighed. She then told Souta about what she had found. "I haven't looked at the note yet."
"Well, let's see what it has to say."
They opened the paper to find characters that neither were familiar with. "I thought Midoriko was going to make sure that we had the knowledge we would need to survive," Souta stated. "If this is written in a common language for this world then why can't we read it?"
"Read what?" Kagome approached the two of them. She had the baby tucked into her top as she fed, keeping herself from becoming exposed.
"I found this next to the baby and it's mother," Akita explained. She handed the paper over to Kagome. As Kagome looked at it, the Shikon no Tama started to glow a soft pink.
"It says: 'Berk was attacked by Daggur and his army of Berserkers while the chief was away. If you should find this and my daughter still lives, bring her to Outcast Island. Her father is there along with allies of Berk. Her father's name is Hiccup. I pray someone finds my body before it's too late for my daughter.
Astrid'"
"You can read that?" Souta asked.
"I couldn't at first," Kagome admitted. "But the jewel reacted to my needs."
"Okay, so how do we take the baby to her father?" Souta crossed his arms over his chest.
"I don't know," Kagome admitted. "This is a first for me."
"First of all we need to ask ourselves, how long have they been there?" Akita put a finger to her chin as she spoke. "How did they get there without us knowing about it? Would this Hiccup still be on Outcast Island or would he have returned home with the chief? Most importantly of all, in which direction will we find either place?" Silence reigned over the three of them, the only sounds were the baby happily feeding.
"It couldn't have been more then a day or two," Kagome said thoughtfully. "How long can infants survive without food or water?"
"That's a good question," Akita said. "The average adult can survive two weeks or more. Sometimes they can last up to seventy days or more. An infant will survive off of their baby fat if they're not getting the necessary nutrients. How did the baby look to you before you covered her back up?"
"She didn't look like she was starved," Kagome admitted. "Let's also think about the bodies. Did you see or smell any sign of decay?"
"Come to think of it, no." Akita thought back to what she had seen. "It all looked like they were fresh wounds."
"Then she couldn't have been left alone for more then a day," Kagome mused. "That's a good thing." She turned her attention to Souta. "Could you go and give the bodies a proper burial? She died to protect her baby. She deserves a honorable send off, not to be pecked at by scavengers." Souta nodded and headed off for the direction Akita indicated.
"Now the only question is how do we get her to her father?" Akita asked. "We don't have a boat or any way to send a letter."
"Mom!" The women looked to where Souta was calling from. He was pointing up into the sky. The women looked up and froze. Several blotches were getting bigger as they headed straight for them. It was a horde of dragons of varying size.
"Do they have riders?" Kagome asked.
"They're too far away to tell." Akita glanced back at Kagome. "Just in case, take the baby inside. Try to keep her as quiet as you can. If this turns out to be Daggur then we don't want to give them a reason to attack us." Kagome nodded as she disappeared. "Souta, save that for later. Come back here and get ready for anything. We don't know what to expect."
After a few minutes the dragons landed in front of Akita and Souta. One was a large brown dragon with four wings. A rider with brown and blue armor swung off of it's back. Another was a brown dragon that looked like a boulder. A large man with blonde hair and peach fuzz for a beard sat on it's back. The last dragon was gray. It had a steel helmet on it's head. A muscular man in a brown tunic sat on top.
"I'm sorry to impose," the warrior in brown and blue said. The warrior took off their helmet to reveal a woman with graying brown hair. "We're looking for someone. Have you seen a blonde woman riding a Deadly Nadder and carrying a small bundle?"
"Who are you?" Akita asked.
"My name is Vilka," the woman said. "This is my partner, Cloud Jumper. Over there is Fishlegs and his dragon Meatlug. On the other side is Eret and his dragon Skull Crusher."
"Why are you looking for a Deadly Nadder and it's rider?" Souta asked.
"The rider is my daughter-in-law," Vilka said. "I told her to flee from an attack with her new babe. The enemy was overwhelming us and I couldn't protect them."
"What's the name of your daughter-in-law?" Akita pushed.
A look of relief passed over Vilka's features. She was assuming that these people knew where she was. "My daughter-in-law is Astrid."
Akita closed her eyes and let out a slow breath through her nose. "You should come inside with me Vilka," she said. "Souta, take Fishlegs and Eret with you. They can help you with the task. Tell them what happened on the way." Souta nodded solemnly and motioned for the two to follow him.
Akita went inside the shelter and Vilka ducked in after her. Kagome was sitting by the fire, trying to burp a now full infant. "Kagome, this is Vilka. She's Astrid's mother-in-law."
Kagome looked at her mother with startled eyes. She held a silent question in them as well. Akita shook her head negatively, she hadn't told her what was going on yet. With a nod, Kagome stood and walked over to where Vilka was. She was looking around, as if trying to spot someone.
"Miss Vilka," Kagome spoke softly. Once the woman turned her attention to her, Kagome handed the infant over to her. "I believe this is your grand-daughter."
"What are you saying?" Vilka gasped.
Kagome took the letter out of her trouser pocket and offered it to Vilka. "My mother only recently found the baby and this letter. I'm sorry to say that Astrid was also found. She didn't make it."
Vilka fell to the ground. Her knees hit the dirt floor, but she kept the baby safe in her arms. She started to cry into the swaddling blanket. "I'm so sorry Rain," she whimpered. "I couldn't save your momma. Oh, my poor Hiccup. How will I tell him?"
"It wasn't your fault Miss Vilka," Akita spoke softly. "Place the blame where it belongs. Who is this Daggur person anyway?"
"He was another chief in a neighboring village," Vilka explained. "He became jealous of my son when he discovered humans and dragons could live in peace. He wanted to create an army of dragons. Hiccup has thwarted him so far."
"It looked to me that they set an ambush up for all of you then," Kagome said. "It seems too convenient of timing. You chief leaves with a few warriors and they attack you."
"The way the wounds looked on both the dragon and on Astrid," Akita started. "It looked like they were being attacked without an opportunity to defend."
"That's typical of Berserkers," Vilka said. "They can't be reasoned with when they go into a battle rage, striking hard and fast to incapacitate the enemy. If you say Astrid didn't have a chance to fight back then she was ambushed. Astrid is the best warrior in hand to hand combat on Berk. She and Storm Fly, her Deadly Nadder, would have concentrated on running if they had Rain with them. Not to mention that they would have taken a blow to keep her from getting hurt."
"It's still a tragedy," Akita said. "How could anyone be so heartless as to attack a mother and her babe?"
"Daggur has a reputation for being deranged," Vilka said. "In fact, he's proud of that. He once was going to kill my son along with himself if Hiccup didn't give him what he wanted."
"Did he get what he wanted?" Kagome asked.
Vilka shook her head. "Hiccup told me that another dragon showed up and inadvertantly saved the day. Dragons aren't bad creatures, just misunderstood." Vilka carefully stood, still holding Rain. "Is that where Souta took Eret and Fishlegs? They went to see to the bodies of Astrid and Storm Fly?"
Akita slowly nodded and gestured to show Vilka. The three women then headed for the beach. Cloud Jumper followed them keeping an eye on the things going on around him.
"I'm surprised you live on this island," Vilka commented. "It's not very hospitable. In fact, it's quite barren in the winter."
"We've only been here a month," Akita answered. "We were stranded here."
"A ship wreck?"
"You could call it that." Kagome remained silent as Akita answered Vilka's questions. Her son's tiny face still fresh in her memory.
"Rain seems quite content," Vilka changed the subject. "How have you been feeding her?"
"We only found her about an hour ago," Akita answered. "At any rate, she's lucky Kagome is still lactating from her pregnancy."
Vilka looked over to Kagome then back to Akita. "I did not see any other babes."
"It's a long story," Akita answered. "Kagome was forced to leave her newborn son and husband. We don't know when we'll be able to go back. I'm hoping that it's not too long."
Silence grew between the women. Vilka knew all too well what Kagome felt. She had been taken from her son when he was babe as well. She had only been reunited with him five years ago. Now he was twenty-five and chief of their village.
"The beach is just beyond those rocks," Akita pointed out.
Before they could walk further a voice calling out for their mother stopped them. Along with that voice was the roar of a dragon. "It's my son," Vilka announced. "I had sent him a message with a Terrible Terror before going to look for Astrid and Rain."
The three women turned to see a tall and skinny man riding a pure black dragon approach. Sitting in front of him was a young boy of around three years old. The boy looked like Vilka. Akita and Kagome assumed that the father looked the same. They couldn't tell for sure since he was wearing a helmet that hid his face.
The dragon landed and the man jumped off. He carried the boy in his arms. "I got your message," he said. "Have you found them." He stopped and looked at the bundle in Vilka's arms.
"Rain is safe Hiccup," Vilka said. Hiccup set the little boy down and gently took Rain. Vilka then picked the boy up and started cuddling him. "I'm sorry to tell you that Astrid and Storm Fly..." Vilka couldn't finish as she started crying.
"Kagome, why don't you take Miss Vilka and the children back to the hut? I'm sure a nice cup of tea would be welcome. I'll explain everything to your son Vilka." Vilka nodded as she allowed Kagome to steer her away from the beach.
"Your name is Hiccup?" Akita waited for some sort of response. Once she received a nod she motioned for him to follow her. "I found your wife and child not too long ago in a cave," she started. "Rain was the only one that was alive."
Hiccup stopped in his tracks. "You mean my wife, the mother of my children...?"
"I'm sorry Mister Hiccup," Akita said. "My son and two of your friends are at the cave right now. I'm sure they're setting things up to give your wife an honorable funeral."
"Could you take me there?"
"Of course."
After the funeral was finished the five people headed back for the hut. Kagome had prepared a stew to serve everyone. Since there wasn't enough room she fed everyone outside. Everyone was having a hushed conversation while Akita and Souta kept the boy, who they learned was named Rock, busy. Vilka told Hiccup how Kagome had fed Rain and they were stranded on this island.
Hiccup offerred the three a place to live in Berk. In exchange, he hoped that Kagome would nurse Rain and help raise his children as their nanny. There were no other women on Berk that were lactating and they shuddered at the idea of giving Rain Yak milk.
Kagome agreed, knowing that it was what was best for Rain and Rock. Without their mother, they would need a womanly figure in their life. Kagome made sure that at most she would only want them to call her Aunt and had no questions on whether she would be their mother. She was still a married woman and had her own son that she hoped she could return home to. She just didn't know when that would be.
