Chapter Twenty:

Kagura Attacks!

The next morning the group set out once more for West. Kagome rode with Sango on top of Kirara and as the group continued on, the young miko was lost in thought. All she could think about was the look in InuYasha's eyes when he returned to the camp. He looked scared as if he had seen something that had terrified him and so because of this Kagome allowed her husband the time he needed to calm himself as he listened to their daughter and allowed her to comb her long fingers through his thick silver hair.

Flashback

"InuYasha?" Kagome asked as he finally looked up at her. "What happened?" She didn't know how she knew that something significant had happened between him and his past lover but his actions scared her. Usually when he had been to see Kikyo he would be unable to look her in the eye as if he couldn't face her for the guilt and shame he felt for betraying her the way he had. But now he was looking into her eyes without blinking and they sad, regretful even.

"I saw Kikyo." He said and Kagome felt her heart jump into her throat. "I know." She whispered.

InuYasha looked up at his mate with sadness and fear in his heart. If she knew then why was she holding him? Why wasn't she avoiding him like she usually did? Maybe it was due to the way he clung to her as if he was scared she'd disappear forever.

Kagome smiled as she gently stroked his face with a calm and loving aura. "I may not be happy with you right now InuYasha but I will never abandon you. I'm with you until you send me away. Now tell me what happened." She said and allowed the half demon to lower his head to her lap.

"I told her about the pup. She didn't take it well." Kagome froze as InuYasha told her he had confronted Kikyo about his love for her and their child and his decision to stay with her but she quickly shook it off and continued to stroke her husband's hair from the back of his neck.

"What do you mean?" she asked. At the question InuYasha sat up and then brought Kagome to her feet.

As he lead her back to the sleeping female dog Kagome felt as if the hanyo was pulling away from her emotionally, as if he were back to his old ways of not letting anyone in to see his pain and that bothered her.

"You should go back to sleep Kagome. Everything is fine." He whispered. "I promise. I'll make everything fine."

His words puzzled Kagome as he helped her lower herself to the nest of silver fur that Aiko's tail created and then he jumped back to his perch above them to watch over his sleeping pack.

As the two fell asleep neither noticed that a set of golden eyes watched them from the darkness.

Flashback ends

Since then InuYasha had been quiet and had not spoken to the others unless he needed too. The hanyo's behavior had begun to bother not only Kagome but also the others in their group but not even Raiden or Aiko could get their nephew to open up to them.

Finally around mid-day the group stopped for lunch and Kagome was happy to be able to stretch her achy muscles.

"Oh wow!" she said as she stretched her arms over her head. "That feels so nice."

Sango laughed as her sister, for lack of a better word, enjoyed the only time she had really been on her feet that day. As the taijiya began to set up camp Raiden came over to the women and smiled.

"Stay near the females Little Bird, Dai and I are going with InuYasha to hunt and we'll be back soon."

Kagome frowned. "But I have plenty of ramen in my bag and other stuff too."

The large dog demon gently hugged the girl as if to comfort her and as he did he felt something brush his aura. It took him a minute to realize the pup was tentatively testing him as if trying to determine if she and her mother were in danger from such a strong presence.

Once the child's aura calmed the demon finished what he was saying.

"It's a pack thing Kagome, the whole pack helps provide for a pregnant member. We are simply helping InuYasha keep his instincts under control in a healthy and safe way."

Kagome nodded and then three demon men left the clearing to find some wild game while Miroku and Shippo left to gather firewood.

Aiko and Megumi watched the males leave and then turned to the two human women they were left with.

"I'll make a perimeter run, Aiko you and Sango watch after Kagome."

Aiko smirked as she nodded. "Yes Ane-chan." Then with that Megumi transformed into her true form, a large sleek silver dog with pale lavender markings on her face, and raced off the opposite way from the boys to ensure that there were no threats nearby.

It wasn't long after the others had gone when Aiko, who had been sitting and polishing her weapons, stiffened and raised her Sai knives.

"Aiko-sama," Sango asked as she put her hand to hiraikotsu. "What's wrong?"

Aiko's golden eyes glanced about rapidly as she tried to pin down the owner of the scent that was clogging her delicate nose. It smelled of evil and the wind.

Suddenly a gust of wind blew from every direction hard enough that Kagome had to hold onto Kirara or she'd go flying.

Once the wind began it stopped a woman with blood red eyes, and dark hair tied in a bun held up by two feathers stood before them.

"Kagura!" Sango seethed as she placed herself between Kagome and the wind witch. Aiko never dropping her guard assessed her enemy calmly with the calculation of a true Daiyokai's daughter.

"Speak woman what is your purpose here?"

Kagura's eyes were zeroed in on Kagome's partially hiddened belly as the Miko stood next to the fire cat for protection.

Aiko growled as she saw where the wind demon's gaze was and because of that she lashed out as outraged fury and a deep-rooted desire to protect the pack's young filled her.

"Keep your eyes on me bitch!" she snarled as she slashed Kagura with one of her Sai knives.

Kagura yelped as she covered the cut and moved away. She glared at Aiko with distain.

"I've been sent for InuYasha's wench." She then looked back to Kagome. "And apparently I'll be bringing back a little more then just her."

"That won't happen." Sango promised as she lowered her stance, as she got ready to fight the wind witch.

Aiko snarled. "Over by dead body!" agreeing with the slayer as the two began to advance on the one woman. Kagura scoffed as she raised her deadly fan and as she did samurai came from the trees.

"Damn!" Sango cursed.

Kagome watched with wide eyes as she and her friends were surrounded.

"It's Kagura's dance of the dead!"

Aiko knocked one corpse away with a fierce front snap kick to the chest as she twirled and stabbed another with her knives.

"They won't stay dead!" she snarled as her eyes flashed red.

"Kirara get Kagome in the air now!"

Hearing the noble woman's command Kagome hurriedly pulled herself onto the cat's back as she took the air.

Kagome watched from above as the samurai attacked her friends and as she got an arrow ready to fire she couldn't help put hope that InuYasha would return soon.

With The Guys

Damn him! Naraku you fucking bastard it fucking figures that he'd show up as soon as I leave Kagome's side. I swear if there is even one mark on them I'll kill the fucker!

InuYasha's dark thoughts roamed through his mind as his demonic marks appeared on his face as his demon blood surfaced to protect his mate and pack.

As a full demon InuYasha managed to outrun the two full blooded demons running along with him and was the fist to appear on the scene.

As soon as he cleared the trees his eyes zeroed in on Kagura who was busy trying to get Kagome and Kirara out of the air.

"Come back here you stupid cat!" Kagura hissed as she tried once more to overtake the Neko.

"Maybe you should worry less about the cat and more about me!"

Kagura whirled around and came face to face with InuYasha's sadistic demon form smiling evilly at her as if he were about to shred the life from her, which he was.

Before Kagura could react InuYasha grabbed the collar of her kimono and turned her so her back was against his chest. One clawed hand was at her throat and the other twisted her wrist painfully forcing her to drop her fan.

"InuYasha!" Kagome cried in relief as she saw her mate protect her from their enemy.

Demon InuYasha glanced at his mate and was happy to see her unharmed.

Kagura struggled in the hanyo's grip until he tightened his hold on her slender neck.

"Call them off!"

He snarled in her ear and for minute Kagura thought she saw her life flash before her eyes.

"Alright!" she snapped and made a gesture with her hand causing all of the soldiers to fall dead at the feet of their enemies.

Raiden carefully put his halberd back in the straps that held it to his back as Dai sheathed his Naginata and Megumi folded her fan. Then the four siblings looked up in awe at their nephew in his full demon form.

"It's just as Ryoichi feared." Megumi whispered as she put a hand to her heart.

Her elder brother had worried for the fate of his half-blood offspring but until then she didn't think there was truly anything to fear.

Raiden watched InuYasha and then called out.

"InuYasha we need to question the woman bring her down."

The half demon laughed as he looked down at his uncle.

"Oh don't worry dear uncle, I know exactly what this demon wench is after and she ain't getting it!"

He began to chock Kagura and in a desperate attempt to save her own life Kagura maneuvered the feather she was on and as InuYasha began to fall she slipped from his grasp. As soon as she was free she hightailed it out of danger.

InuYasha had landed in a crouch as he snarled at the retreating form of his hated enemy.

"Damn." He mumbled. "Get back here Kagura!"

"InuYasha!" the hanyo turned demon didn't have the chance to turn around before he felt his wife's arms encircle him and her belly press against his back.

As Kagome held onto her hanyo the baby felt her father's unstable aura and reached out with her own for reassurance that all was well. As InuYasha felt the spiritually laced demonic aura pulse in time with his own his demon blood began to recede and his eyes returned to the golden amber color that they all knew and loved.

Once he was a hanyo again InuYasha turned in Kagome's arms to hold her tightly.

"It's alright Kagome, you're safe."

"Yeah Kagome she's gone." Shippo said as he jumped onto the hanyo's shoulders and pat Kagome's head.

"It might be better if we hurry to the Western Lands. Now that Kagura knows about Kagome's condition it will only be a matter of time before Naraku knows as well."

Raiden nodded. "I agree, lets continue our journey hopefully we'll find a safe place to camp tonight and tomorrow the humans will ride us the rest of the way we should get to the Western palace that much faster."

Dai looked to his brother. "Of course you want us to be pack animals for the humans." He grumbled as he turned his back on his family.

InuYasha watched Dai walk away with anger in his golden gaze. Now was not the time to deal with trash like Dai.

A/N: Hmmm I wonder what Naraku wants with Kagome and what will happen when he learns about InuYasha's baby?

I do not Own InuYasha!

Ane-chan is a casual way of saying Big sister