Chapter 11: And So It Begins

"Oyaji…are we almost there yet?"

"Hai runt. Now shut up before I pound you one."

"Inuyasha! Osuwari!"

"Gahh!!!" One shuroi inu hanyou was sent plummeting to the ground for the fifth time that day. Shippo had been pestering him whenever he got the chance, and each and every time Inuyasha would either say something nasty to him or pound his head. Kagome would then, of course, 'osuwari' him each time. Though at times, Inuyasha getting 'osuwari'-ed was quite amusing, the other members of the group thought it was growing rather bothersome this time around.

"Kagome-chan? Can we stop to rest for a bit? Kirara needs a break and I'm pretty sure Inuyasha could use one too."

"Keh! No I don't! I could keep going all day. Besides Sango, we're almost there, about an hour away."

"Yeah whatever dog-boy. You just don't want to admit you're tired."

"Oh you're just bitchy because you haven't mated yet! Well I got news for you Kagome, I'm just as fucking bitchy, so stop using the fucking rosary!" Fire flashed for a millisecond through Kagome's eyes as she let her emotions escape her usually happy mask.

"Bitchy am I, Inuyasha? Boy, I have just three words for you, I'm a mesuinu!" With that, Kagome stormed off and into the woods, to go find some place away from Inuyasha. Inuyasha stared blankly at where Kagome once stood. Sighing, he turned to the group.

"Come on guys, one more hour and then we can all rest."

"Well, what about Kagome, Inuyasha? She's defenceless out there."

"She'll be just fine. She's not defenceless anymore. She never was. Kagome's been training for these past few weeks. She can take care of herself. She'll go back to the village when she's good and calmed down."

"If you're sure Inuyasha…but once we get there, if she has not arrived yet, I would suggest looking for her."

"Keh, I'm not going with you guys. Kirara, Shippo, follow the pine scent north, you'll come to the village. State your names and your relation to the inu tribe, all of you. As soon as you mention me and Kagome, they should let you in." Both youkai nodded and were off, taking the houshi and Sango with them, but not before Shippo let out,

"Make up with Okaa, Oyaji, otherwise I'll be sure to tell Obasan and Ojiisan. Keh?" Inuyasha smirked and nodded.

"Hai, pup. And stop calling me Oyaji! I'm not an old fart!" With that, Inuyasha began to follow Kagome's scent. When he finally found her, he sat up in the tree to keep lookout and stayed downwind from her so he could scent her but she couldn't scent him.

"Inuyasha…you can't sneak up on me anymore. Get the hell out of that tree before I break it."

"Wha? How?"

"Your aura baka. And the intended mark. The mark heats up whenever you're around. Now get down here." Obediently, Inuyasha jumped down from the tree and landed next to the miko-hanyou. "Now…why did you follow me Inuyasha? I can protect myself you know. I don't always need you to look out for me now." Inuyasha looked down at the ground, trying to hide the hurt from Kagome. "Inu? What's wrong? The mark went cold."

"Nothing Kagome…"

"Inu?" Suddenly, Inuyasha wrapped her in the tightest hug he had ever given and whispered into her ear.

"Don't leave me. I need you with me Kagome…please."

"Inu…"

"PLEASE!" Kagome wrapped her own arms around his, climbing onto her tip-toes and whispered back while rubbing his back.

"Inu, I'll never send you away, or leave. Never. When have I ever said I didn't need you with me?"

"But you said-"

"I said I don't need you to always look out for me, not that I didn't need you Inu-chan. I'll always need you." Both hanyou closed their eyes, resting their foreheads on the others. "Now…about being 'bitchy' because you weren't mated yet…let's fix that…" With that, Kagome brought her lips to his, pulling him down onto the soft leaf-bed.

"Kagome…" He could smell her arousal. Arousal that was supposed to be meant for him, not the shuroi half-breed. It sickened him that the daimyo could easily toss off his daughter to the first bastard that came along. He gagged when her kimono came off along with the hanyou's hakama and haori. Both feasted on each other's unique juices before her virginity was taken from her, her purity. Inuyasha bit into Kagome's long, lean neck, taking her only chance to be happy as well as his own. He knew that Inuyasha forced himself on her when they were all pups. He, Inuyasha and Kagome were the best of friends, but that had all changed after Inuyasha had marked her. His decided mate had been stolen from him from right under his nose. The hatred for Inuyasha started that day that he mark her neck the first time, now it only grew as he watched the temee mark her for the final time as he climaxed within her. Still it grew as the bite turned into a crescent moon and hoshi scar on her collarbone.

"I will have my revenge Inuyasha. You will be a dead man when I'm through with you. But not before you suffer the sight of your close companions being the ones to kill you. Then, once your dead, I'll hold your soul to the land of the living and you can watch as I take Kagome from you forever. You just wait Inuyasha. It's only a matter of time." He then turned to his underling. "Turn it off Kanna. I do not wish to see anymore."

"Hai, Akuma-sama."

"Tell Shi to begin with her plans. Oh …and tell Kagura to stand-by for instructions."

"Hai, Akuma-sama." Slowly, the void-girl turned around and left to go in search of her shimai and the komori youkai to tell them their orders. Chuckling, Akuma began to talk to no one but himself.

"And so it begins…Heheheh"

Kagome smiled as she looked down at her new mark for the tenth time that hour. The silver crescent moon scar clashed brilliantly with the black hoshi that lay between the endpoints of the moon. "It's so beautiful Inuyasha. It looks like it was meant for the two to go together."

"Keh. It was Kagome. We were meant to go together." Kagome smiled. Her nakama could be such a softy when he wanted to be. Inuyasha slid his hand into hers, intertwining their fingers as he raised her hand up to his mouth. "Aishiteru, nakama."

"Aishiteru Inuyasha. Itsumo."

With a nod and a smile Inuyasha agreed. "Itsumo."

When the two finally reached the village, they found their friends sitting outside the wall, on the hill, and the sun to be slowly sneaking away from their view. "What are you guys sitting out here for Shippo-chan? Sango-chan? Miroku-sama?" All three sighed and began their explanation.

"Well, we followed your instructions Oyaji, just like you said. When we got here, the big scary guy said we weren't allowed in. We even stated that we were your guy's friends but he said we could be lying, so he didn't let us anywhere near the gate. He also said not to come back without proof. Okaa! I'm tired! I wanna go inside and go to bed! Make him let us in!" Shippo complained. Kagome smiled, gathering the young kit in her arms and motioning for the others to follow her to the gate.

"Daiyu-san! Daiyu-san!" The 'big scary guy' came back to the wall and looked down to see who was calling him.

"Oh! Kagome-sama! Welcome back! How was your trip? Good I presume?"

"Hai Daiyu-san. Ano…I don't mean to be rude, but my musuko is tired from the long day's trip, and would like to rest inside the village walls. Could we all be let in please?" It was then that Daiyu looked at the other members of the group.

"Oh so they were your friends after all. Gomen-nasai. It was disrespectful of myself to send the daimyo's otome's friends away. A friend of Kagome-sama's is a friend of the village." Miroku and Sango muttered an Arigatou for the apology.

"Keh. Will you just open the fucking door Daiyu?"

"O-Of course, Inuyasha-sama. Right away." With that Daiyu disappeared, only for moments later to have the door opened and him standing behind it. "Welcome back Inuyasha-sama. Your parents and siblings have awaited your return. They have requested to have dinner to congratulate you on your mating as well as the daimyo's family. Inuyasha nodded.

"You could have just said they wanted me and Kagome at dinner tonight. Jeez, what's with all these fancy-shmancy words? They hurt my head."

"Gomen nasai, Inuyasha-sama. I am truly sorry for hurting your head." Daiyu bowed low before leading the group to a small hut. "Yuudai-sama has requested that the tajiya and houshi stay here with the bi-neko. I assume that the kitsune will be staying with you and Inuyasha-sama, Kagome-sama?"

"Hai. We'll meet after dinner, okay guys? My parents are waiting for us. I'm sorry for leaving you guys all alone tonight. I promise tomorrow we can spend more time together."

"No problem Kagome-chan. We'll see you in the morning. Gonbanwa."

"Gonbanwa minna. Come Shippo, you do want to meet your Obas and Ojiis ne? Not to mention your Obaa." Shippo nodded and followed after Kagome. Inuyasha brought up the end as they walked towards Yuudai's hut.

"Okaa, Chichi, we're back!"

"Kagome! Oh it's so good to see you dear, how was your trip?"

"Wow, that only took a week, new record Kagome-chan."

"Arigatou Chichi. It was terrific okaa. I have someone you have to meet. Minna, this is Shippo, my adopted musuko." Shippo came out from behind Kagome's legs.

"Ohayo, Obasan, Ojiisan." Yuri right away ran up to the little kit and grabbed him into a death grip.

"Oh you're so KAWAII!"

"He is quite Kawaii. He'll be a strong fighter when he gets older, if he is anything like either of his chichi's."

"Keh I'm not his chichi." Yuudai raised his eyebrows.

"You're not?" Shippo smiled.

"Nope, he's not! He's my Oyaji!" Everyone but Inuyasha burst into laughter.

"Keh. Just like you're not my musuko." Shippo's eyes widened and Kagome was about to osuwari him when-

"You're my runt." Everyone smiled at the bond the two shared. It was such a strong bond that no one could break. Inuyasha understood that Shippo didn't want another chichi. He didn't want to replace his real one with Inuyasha. He knew that it would be a disgrace to his chichi's memory. Shippo also understood that Inuyasha didn't want to call him pup. That would show his softer side, something that he wanted to keep locked away for only certain people to see. He understood that. Besides, he was pretty sure that Inuyasha didn't want to go around calling him a pup when really he was a kit. And Inuyasha would never call Shippo a kit.

"Oh, Inuyasha? Have you gone by to see your parents yet? Iza wanted to see you as soon as you got in. She has 'my son is gone' anxiety at the moment." With a nod, Inuyasha left, grabbing Shippo and Kagome on his way out from Yuri, leaving the two adults to wonder just what happened.

"Did you see the mark Dai-chan?"

"Hai Yuri. Won't be long now before the village is over run by little Kagomes and Inuyashas." Yuri smiled and death gripped her nakama.

"Just think Dai! Think of all the little ears we'll get to play with!" Even that thought alone made the kuroi-inu-youkai smile.

Meanwhile….

"Haha! Kyoko! Oyaji! Sesshoumaru! I'm back!" All four appeared in front of the young couple and Shippo with their fingers over their mouths.

"Shut up baka. We just got Rin-chan to bed." Nodding in apology, Inuyasha went to go hug his mother hello, an attempt to throw away her anxiety.

"It's good to see you Haha." Kyoko jumped on Inuyasha and hugged him tightly.

"Ohayo Inu-chan. How was your trip? Did you get any mating done? Let's see of there's a mark!" not waiting for an invitation, Kyoko pulled off Inuyasha's haori to gaze upon his mate mark. "Oh my god you actually got up the guts and did it! Look Mama Iza! Inuyasha's mated!" Kyoko then ran up to Kagome and hugged her just as tight. "Welcome to the family Kago-chan!" Congrats went around the hut for the couple, minus the 'Stoic Fluff-Ball', as Kyoko took to naming him, who was intently watching Shippo.

"What are you doing here kitsune? Shouldn't you be back with your pack in the hut?" Kagome then turned to see Shippo turn a ghastly white.

"Iie, Sesshoumaru-san, Shippo is Inuyasha and mine's adopted musuko. Everyone, meet Shippo. Shippo, right there is your other obasan and ojiisan, Izayoi and Inukai, and over there is Kyoko-obaa-chan, and you of course already know Sesshoumaru." Said kitsune began to run around the hut as Kyoko tried to get a hug out of him.

"Okaa!!! Make the scary Sesshoumaru look-alike stop! She's scaring me!"

"Oh get back here! I just want a hug from my new nephew! Rin-chan got one too!"

"I don't want one! Oyaji! Tasukete!"

"No can do runt. Not even I can handle Kyoko when she's like this. You're all on your own." Everyone laughed as the two continued to play cat-and-mouse all night.

After dinner, Kagome, Inuyasha and Shippo went back to Yuudai's hut for rest. Each had to lay on separate mats, to Inuyasha and Shippo's dismay, because Yuudai would 'have no mating in my family room. A family room is for a family to come together, not for creating a family'. And since Inuyasha wasn't allowed to sleep within a ten-meter radius of Kagome, he decided that it was then that the runt had to grow up and stop sleeping with Kagome. Unfortunately, this also meant that Inuyasha wouldn't be able to 'protect Kagome in his sleep'. That reason was quickly blown out the window when Yuudai responded that there was a whole village of youkai here to protect Kagome, plus two tajiya and a houshi. There was no way anything would happen to her. After an hour Inuyasha gave up on the argument and went to sleep on his mat, Shippo soon following suit.

Late into the night, an object covered the village in a brilliant red dust, a spell to make sure everyone stayed asleep as they should. A swift dark object flew into one of the huts to retrieve its prize. Carefully lifting it up, said dark object left just as quickly as it came, flying far off into the distance. Looking down at her prize, Shi smiled one very evil smile.

"And so it begins. Your downfall begins now, Inuyasha of the shuroi-clan." With that, the komori flew off once again to meet up with her master and move onto the next stage of her plans.

Inuyasha woke up with the sun, having slept longer than he had planned. Actually, he hadn't planned to doze off at all. He had hoped that once everyone was asleep he could sneak over to Kagome's mat and curl up next to her. Sighing, Inuyasha looked over at his nakama's mat, only to have not found her there.

"Strange. Usually Kagome's still asleep. She's never up with the sun." sighing once more Inuyasha went to Sango and Miroku's hut, to see if she was there. Finding that they were still asleep, he shrugged it off and went to his parent's hut, hoping that she would be there with his shimai.

"Ohayo gozaimasu otouto. Why are you outside so early? Afraid you lost something?"

"Keh. No. I was just seeing if Kyoko had seen Kagome this morning."

"Shimai is still asleep. And I have not seen your precious miko-hanyou as of late Inuyasha."

"So she might be in the village square."

"Iie otouto. I do not scent her anywhere among the village. I thought it strange this morning when I could only smell your stench." Inuyasha's eyes widened. How could one hanyou go missing in a village of youkai that were there to protect her? Inuyasha ran back to the Yuudai's hut, only to find a bawling kitsune.

"Oyaji! I can't find Okaa anywhere! I checked with everyone but they haven't seen her! Where's my okaa?!" Inuyasha was starting to panic as everyone in the village was getting up from Shippo's wailing.

"Inuyasha? What's going on?" came the sleepy remark of his father-in-law.

"Keh. Kagome's gone missing. And you said she'd be safe without me there to protect her ne?" Yuudai's eyes widened.

"WHAT?! Sound the alarm. Alert Inukai and Izayoi immediately! Send out the search parties!" Every youkai within the village began to run around, following Yuudai's commands in panic. Just as they thought it couldn't get any worse, an arrow was shot from the mountain that overlooked the village. No one was able to see who shot the arrow, but it landed deep into the doorway of the hut. Attached to the arrow was a letter. Inuyasha pulled the arrow out of the doorway and unravelled the notice. After reading it once to him self, he read it a second time, and then a third, each time becoming paler than the last.

"What does it say Inuyasha?" Taking a deep breath, Inuyasha began to read the letter out loud.

Inuyasha:

Your precious light has been taken hostage by one you used to know, yet did not know.

In order to reclaim it you must be at the southern mountains in five days. Fail to do so

will lead to the diminishment of your precious light. Bring as many as you please, for

they will do you no good at the peak.

Everyone stood in utter puzzlement but Shippo, Miroku, Sango and Inuyasha, wondering what on earth the letter had meant. Finally gathering the courage to ask the distraught hanyou, Kyoko spoke up. "Inu-chan? What does it mean?" With a grim expression, Inuyasha answered his shimai.

"They've got Kagome."

End Chapter

A/N

Wow! What a cliffy! What do you think Inuyasha will do? And what is Shi's plan? All that and more to come…next chapter! A special thanks to those who have remained faithful to AMOHOA and haven't given up on me. I will be updating on The Nikikon soon! Reviews please!

Adina-chan

Dictionary time!

Temee-bastard

Nakama-mate

Oba(san)-grandmother

Obaa-chan-aunt

Ojii(san)-grandfather

Oyaji-old man

Tasukete-save me/help me

Alright! That's it for this week! Ja!