Chapter 28
After looking for the main group and the dragons for yet another year, Kagome and Inuyasha left their children with Sango and Miroku who would be staying at the village for a little while then heading back to the castle while they went to start looking for the woman Midoriko told them about. They traveled as usual. Go as far and as fast as they could during the day and sleep soon after dinner only to rise at dawn and go again. They had been at it for four days and they were keeping close to the mountains until they got closer to the tallest one and then they would start to climb.
They ran for another two days before they started to climb high up the mountain. The air began to get cold and the wind picked up the higher they went. Snow started to land on them as they went even higher. It was night when they stopped again. Inuyasha found a small cave for them to spend the night. He had gotten what wood he could to cook the food they had saved knowing food might be scarce up in the mountain. Kagome sat huddled by the small fire for warmth as Inuyasha stood at the cave mouth looking out at the weather and looking for threats. He heard Kagome shift and her teeth chatter together. He turned his gold orbs away from the cold outside to his freezing cold mate. He made his way over and sat beside her pulling her into his lap.
"Now I know why no one comes back." Kagome said through her chattering teeth. Inuyasha smirked and took his haori off to use as a blanket around the front. After a few hours of the haori being wrapped around them Kagome started to warm up and the two feel asleep to be ready for the long day that was sure to follow.
"Kagome, come on. Get up so we can have more daylight." Inuyasha whispered into her ear as she slowly roused.
"It's morning already?" She asked sleepily.
"Yeah, come on." He smiled as she stood and stretched. They ate a little before they began to walk again in the worsening snow. After five hours of walking with the wind howling, the snow pounding in their faces and the cold making their limbs freeze so they could barely move anymore. Inuyasha held tight to Kagome s they walked farther yet. Suddenly they saw a shadow walking to the side the several more appeared and Inuyasha got Kagome on his back and pulled his sword ready for the attack that was sure to come. He watched each shadow get closer and closer and suddenly launch.
He moved out of the way just in time to avoid the massive jaws of what looked like the giant snow yeti to Kagome. Inuyasha swung and stopped another's teeth from getting to him. As he stopped one and held it with his sword and other came from behind and swiped at them knocking ten feet sideways. Landing hard Inuyasha looked around and found Kagome laying a few feet away. As he got closer he saw she was unconscious and turned his attention back to the approaching yetis. He saw them start to come closer together and took his chance. He called the dragon scale Tetsaiga and looked for the Yurkai.
"There." Inuyasha whispered to himself as he saw all three Yurkai. He raised his sword above his head and swung down and across when they were close enough. There were screams of pain that rose about the howling wind as the three creatures fell dead. He sheathed his sword and turned to see Kagome still unconscious.
"Kagome. Kagome. Come on open your eyes." He called to her. He lifted her into his arms and cradled her praying to every Kami he knew that she would open her eyes and not be dead from the cold or the attack. "Kagome, please wake up. Koi open your eyes for me once then you can sleep. Just let me know you're alright." He whispered into her ear. He felt her start to move slowly and he pulled back to look at her.
"sssso cccold." She chattered. Inuyasha pulled her to him and held her tight as he smiled at her waking up and he started on his way again.
"I know, I'll get us there and everything will be fine." He told her as he trekked his way up the mountain. It took him seven hours longer and he found another cave that lead deep into the mountain. He walked as far as he could and saw a light coming from the back. As he walked he smelled food and it became warmer. "Am I dreaming?" He asked himself.
"No, you are not dreaming child. You have entered my home after battling the weather and the yeti that have killed so many before you. I have never expected to ever have anyone find their way up here." An old woman said looking at him with her silvery eyes and long silver hair. "Come set her down your friend must be tired form the journey. I will look at her wounds." Inuyasha pulled Kagome closer to him.
"She's my mate. She is really cold not hurt." He told her and the old woman nodded with a smile as the girl in his arms began to stir. "Koi." He said as she opened her eyes and looked up at him with a smile.
"I feel so warm. Are we home?"
"No we made it to the woman's cave." He told her making her try to sit up quickly. "Lay back down. Relax, Kagome. She will be here when you wake up." He said looking down at her in his arms. Kagome laid back and snuggled closer to Inuyasha as she feel back to sleep.
"Is this the famous Kagome? The powerful miko I have heard about?" The woman asked Inuyasha. He looked at her confused. "I do have my ways." She laughed. "My dear old friend keeps in touch every so often. She had told me of a powerful miko named Kagome. So you must be Inuyasha the Inu- hanyou." Inuyasha nodded. "Midoriko has told me much of your mate's and your bravery and power that you have used to save her. She came to me a few years ago telling me that you were to come to see me. She said that the miko had a very important favor she wanted."
"Yeah. Kagome is from five hundred years in the future and after we killed Naraku the well separated us, only to reunite us three years later but now she can't see her family. Midoriko said ta come to ya and ya would be able to open it for her."
"Oh, you must speak of the dry well in the east of the western realm." Inuyasha nodded. "Yes I can open the well but it will take some time. If you would come back in a year I shall have everything ready for you." Inuyasha didn't look pleased at battling the weather or climbing all the way back up or waiting that long before he could make Kagome happy. "There is a secret passage that only Midoriko and I know about. I will tell you about it only because of how Midoriko respects and trusts you and your friends. No one should find out about this." Inuyasha nodded and followed the old woman deeper into the cave. At the very back there was a passage way.
"Why didn't anyone say something sooner?" Inuyasha asked gruffly.
"Well it was to be my decision to tell you. Now follow this and it will bring you to a cave I believe you are familiar with." Inuyasha nodded and began his walk, cradling the still sleeping Kagome.
After two hours of winding through the passageway Inuyasha began to walk straight and as he entered a large open room his eyes grew wide. There in front of him was the statue of Midoriko.
"We're at the demon slayer's village." Inuyasha mumbled and heard laughter from the front of the cave. Then a thought suddenly hit him. "Sango and Miroku must have taken the kids to visit the village." He walked across the room and down the passage way to reach outside. The sun shined brightly outside. He looked around the open field that laughter could be heard echoing from. Inuyasha started to walk in the direction of the laughter and where he knew the demon slayer's village was.
"Inuyasha, where did you come from?" Miroku asked as he walked up to his friend.
"I'll explain later, get lots of blankets." Inuyasha said looking down at Kagome whose teeth were still chattering. Miroku nodded and called to Sango as she came running to them.
"Sango get blankets!" She stopped and looked at Inuyasha holding Kagome before running off to get blankets. Inuyasha and Miroku walked into a hut that Inuyasha and Kagome would use when they came to help fix the village up and Inuyasha laid Kagome down gently and covered her with all the blankets that were in the hut. When Sango came running into the hut she handed a few blankets to Inuyasha and she and he started to cover Kagome as fast as they could.
"Inuyasha what happened?" Sango asked once she made sure Kagome was covered. He looked at Kagome who was now sleeping quietly.
"We went ta find that woman and it got too cold for her then we were almost there and the fucking yeti things attack and made her hit her head. She was half frozen by the time we got to the old hag." Inuyasha grumbled as he watched his mate sleep.
"What did the woman say?" Miroku asked as Sango checked on Kagome to make sure she was warming up.
"She said that I had to come back in a month. She said she would have everythin set and the well could be opened." He told his friends. "Where are the kids?"
"They're outside; I told them to wait till they were called. Didn't want them to get under our feet when we were working on Kagome." Sango told him and watched him nod.
"Daddy?" Came a soft voice from the door of the small hut. Inuyasha looked and saw four children there.
"Katsumi fell and hurt her knee." Toshiro said.
"Come here." He said causing all four to run to him.
"Dad, what happened to mom?" Toshiro asked looking down at his mother.
"She's really tired after our trip. Leave her sleep." He told his son who nodded and looked back at him. Inuyasha was looking at Katsumi's knee and saw a scrape. "You get me somethin ta bandages this?" Inuyasha asked Sango. She nodded and went to get what he would need.
"Does Kagome know of what the woman said?" Miroku asked.
"No, she was out the whole time. She woke up once when we first got there but went right back out."
"So she knows nothing about the woman opening the well? Did the woman say anything else?"
"No. All the old hag said was that I had to go back in a year and get the stuff she had to open the well."
"So mom doesn't know that the well can be opened again?" Toshiro asked.
"No not yet." Inuyasha answered.
"Dad don't ya know what next month is?" Taji asked.
"It's Christmas!" Izayoi smiled before Inuyasha could answer his son.
"Mom would love being able to go through the well for Christmas." Taji said.
"Yeah, tell her about it as her Christmas gift." Toshiro said with a smile.
"They do have a point, Kagome would love that gift." Sango smiled as she knelt beside Inuyasha and started to bandage Katsumi's knee.
"Yeah, she would." Inuyasha said and smiled down at his kids. "How about it be from all of us?" He asked everyone in the room.
"Inuyasha, this should be your gift to her." Sango said.
"I think she would like it even more if ya go in on it too. Besides, I'm gonna need yer help."
"What do you mean?" Miroku asked.
"If Kagome isn't gonna know then I'm gonna need all the help I can get. I can get the stuff from the hag in a year."
"That'll be before Christmas." Izayoi said.
"Yeah, and I'm gonna make sure it works before we get her there. So ya guys gotta keep her from knowin." Everyone smiled and nodded at him.
"Do you think we all will be able to get through?" Sango asked as she sat back.
"Don't know. The hag didn't say." Inuyasha told her.
"I hope it does." Taji said.
"Yeah, I wanta see what mom's home looks like." Taji said.
"You guys probably will be able to go through. You have Kagome and Inuyasha's blood in you. We may not be able to go through." Miroku explained to the children.
"So only we could go? We can't take uncle fluffy, and aunt Rin? Or Katsu and Nori? Or-" Taji asked
"No, but the hag might make it so everyone can go through." Inuyasha said. "Now go play with the others." The children all got up to go play as Inuyasha helped Katsumi stand up and run after her siblings with little one and a half year old chubby legs, leaving the adults to sit and wait for Kagome to wake up.
"Kagome are you sure you're alright?" Sango asked as she and Kagome walked through the woods.
"Yeah, I'm fine. You sure Inuyasha didn't say anything about where he was going?" Kagome asked.
"Why would he tell me? If anything he would have told you." Sango said and walked in front of her friend so she wouldn't see the small smile that crossed her face. She and the others had been keeping the secret about the well quiet for a month now, and couldn't wait till Inuyasha gave her the Christmas gift. Inuyasha had had to tell her that the woman said she didn't know and would see what she could find. It wasn't a true lie, the woman was looking for what she need.
"I know, but he just said he would be back soon and left." Kagome said and looked into the branches of the surrounding trees. She was confused at Inuyasha's behavior. This was the second time he had run off like this and she was worried that there was something wrong and he just didn't wasn't to tell anyone so he would take care of it by himself. She walked farther into the woods with her sister by her side.
"Relax, Kagome. I'm sure it's nothing. Probably just had to take care of something small demon that popped up." Sango tried to reassure her. Kagome nodded but still looked sad. They walked to a place they had found a few years ago after they moved into the castle for protection of the hanyou children. It had a very large hot spring that lead into a small river. Beautiful trees that were now bear hung over the water. Off to the side were beautiful flowers that sprouted high above the ground. The two women undressed and slipped into the warm water.
"I think we should relax and when he comes home sick the kids on him." Kagome said making both women laugh at the thought of all the children tackling Inuyasha and torturing him.
"That would teach him." Sango said. The women sunk in the water and felt like they did when they were younger, in the days when they made Inuyasha and Miroku stop hunting for shards and sit still while they went to a hot spring.
Miroku sat with Katsu, Nori, Rin and Tamotsu in the courtyard watching the children run around with the demon cats.
"Where did Inuyasha go?" Nori asked.
"He's been gone a while." Katsu said glancing sideways at the ex-monk.
"He never said. He just left a few days ago and said he would be back." Miroku said with a small smirk.
"What ya smirking at?" Katsu asked.
"Huh? Oh, nothing." Miroku said and turned back to the kids.
"What aren't you telling us?" Nori asked narrowing her eyes slightly.
"Come on Miroku, what's going on?" Tamotsu asked
"Nothing, just don't talk about it in front of Kagome." Miroku told them.
"Don't say what in front of her? And why?" Tamotsu asked.
"Inuyasha and Kagome went and talked to someone that can open the well. Kagome got too cold and hit her head during an attack and when they got back she was unconscious and Inuyasha told us what happened. The woman told him that she would be able to open the well and he had to go back in a month to get what he needed. After we all talked the kids thought it would be a great idea to give this as a present to her for Christmas. So he has been getting everything set so that when he gets the stuff he can go through and set everything up. The kids asked for a few things and Inuyasha is working on it for now. That's why he keeps leaving for little trips." Miroku explained. "Remember; don't say a word to Kagome." Everyone nodded as they looked back over at the children playing with Mizuki and Shippo. They were taking care of the one and a half year olds that tried to play with the older kids.
"I hope Kagome isn't mad that Inuyasha lied to her." Nori said. "He told her that the old woman didn't know."
"It was a stretch of the truth. Beside she won't be angry at him after she finds out." Miroku smiled.
"She's never really is mad at him anyway." Tamotsu said
"I don't think she can be mad at him." Katsu smiled.
"Oh, yes, she can. Believe me I have seen her anger flare and push against Inuyasha's." Miroku said nearly shivering at the memories.
"Come on it can't be that bad." Katsu laughed at the man as he tried to suppress a shiver.
"Yes, it can and is. When those two are mad at each other you better stay away until long after they resolve it." Miroku said. Everyone laughed, until they heard a voice from above them.
"What ya talkin bout, monk?" Everyone looked up to see Inuyasha sitting on the lowest branch looking down at them with a smirk.
"Ummm. Well I was telling them about Kagome's temper." Miroku said glancing at the others.
"I thought I heard ya saying something about me." Inuyasha smirked down at the ex-monk as he saw him look to the others again.
"Actually he was telling us about when you all used to travel and how you and Kagome used to get mad at each other." Nori smiled up at her old friend.
"Did he also tell ya bout that hand of his?" Miroku gave a small glare to his friend in the tree. "The cursed one as he calls it. The one that he almost had a permanent hand print on his face for." Inuyasha smirked
"I haven't told them all about your baka fights with Koga….." Miroku looked up at Inuyasha. "Or why you fought with him." Inuyasha narrowed his eyes.
"What's it matter now? That baka wolf always got away anyway." Inuyasha said looking at everyone below him.
"Daddy's back!" They heard Izayoi yell as her and her brothers ran to him and jumped into the tree only to see Inuyasha jump higher and higher as they followed.
"Got ya now dad." Taji said with a smile once they reached the top.
"Really?" Inuyasha asked with a smirk as he dropped down and jumped to the ground leaving his three children in the tree.
"Dad, that's no fair!" Toshiro called down as he and his brother and sister stood at the top. Izayoi realized she was extremely high and crouched down holding the tree. Taji jumped down quickly, followed by Toshiro.
"Daddy!" Izayoi called down. "I can't move!" Inuyasha looked and spotted her crouched holding on for dear life.
"Still hasn't learned has she?" Sesshomaru said as he joined everyone in the courtyard.
"Nope." Taji said as they watched Inuyasha shake his head and jumped back into the tree to get his daughter.
"Learned what?" Nori asked.
"How ta get down when she climbs all the way up." Toshiro said in a matter of fact tone.
"She can climb up but can't get down?" Tamotsu asked
"Yeah." Taji said as his father and sister landed in front of them. "You got stuck again!" Taji laughed at his sister and Inuyasha hit the back of his head.
"Oye, don't make fun of your sister." Inuyasha said
"Or we could start talking about the demon under your bed?" Miroku told the boy who narrowed his eyes at his uncle.
"You wouldn't." Taji said as Miroku smiled and glanced at Inuyasha. "Dad…." he said as Inuyasha smirked.
"Don't pick on your sister." Inuyasha told him. The boy looked slightly relieved that the adults weren't going to start picking on him and he went back to play with the other kids.
"Demons under his bed?" Katsu asked
"Yeah, I don't know where he got the idea but he is terrified at night." Miroku said.
"He believes they will jump out and eat him, I believe is what he told me." Sesshomaru said looking at the boy run with his friends and siblings.
"So he is afraid of something." Katsu chuckled.
"Yeah, he's with the demons, Izzy is climbin too high, Shiro is the nightmares and Kat really ain't afraid of anything….. Well not yet." Inuyasha said.
"At least you do not have the one afraid of the dark." Sesshomaru said to his brother, causing everyone to smile. "It is not fun waking up to every light on in every room." He told them making Inuyasha and Miroku laugh.
"No I know it's not. Remember we watched her before?" Inuyasha said with a chuckle.
"The things that scare them are amazing." Tamotsu said, causing everyone to chuckle.
"I think we better get out now it's been about three hours." Kagome said. "I don't know how much longer the guys will be able to deal with the kids. " Kagome and Sango laughed as they got out of the hot spring and dressed before heading back to help with the children.
"I wonder if they're rethinking their actions that got them the little terrors." Sango said causing the two women to laugh.
"I don't know. They probably are rethinking how to avoid that but not their actions." Kagome giggled.
"True, those boys will never regret that." Sango said.
"Although I can't say I do either." Kagome smiled.
"Yeah, I know what you mean. Just worried that we might end up with another terror and we really want to wait till all of this is over." Sango told her friend.
"I know. I am so happy Inuyasha can usually tell when we can't." Kagome smiled as they continued talking about the men as the continued their walk back
"Mom!" Toshiro yelled and ran off causing Inuyasha and the others to see the boy run to his mother and hug her with a bright smile.
"Still a mama's boy, huh?" Katsu asked.
"Yeah. Always has been." Inuyasha said and smiled when Kagome knelt down to give their son a hug and a kiss on the cheek. She smiled sweetly and looked up to see Inuyasha standing with the others watching and her smile grow. She looked back at her son and spoke softly before he ran off to play with the other children. Sango's son and youngest daughter saw her and were currently hugging her as Kagome smiled as she stood and walked over to Inuyasha and the others.
"Ya took yer good ol' time." Inuyasha said with a smirk.
"Yeah, well we needed the time to relax." She told him with a bright smile she only ever gave him causing him to smile back. He had the need to grab her and place a loving kiss on her sweet lips but he still had some restraint in the public eye.
"I'm going to see if Shippo and Mizuki need help." Nori smiled and glanced at Katsu as Kagome looked at Inuyasha once more.
"I'm going to go and get something to eat." Kagome said looking at Inuyasha when she turned back from the children. Kagome knew the look he had in his eyes and gave another smile before walking off towards the castle doors. Katsu stared at Nori as she walked away and started to play with the older children. Inuyasha stared at Kagome as she walked down to the doors leading back in to the castle He watched as her hips swung back and forth as she took each step, how she glanced back at him several times at him and how she smiled when she saw him staring at her.
"Damn" He heard Katsu breath out. He glanced at his friend who had been looking at Nori and saw him glance at Kagome and up at him. "They suck." He said with a smirk. Inuyasha looked back at Kagome as she paused in the door way to glance back once more before disappearing with the bright smile on her face. Inuyasha had been teased enough and decided he needed, no had to go after her. He looked over and saw Sango smiling at him and gave a nod before he took off after his mate. The others stood looking after him in confusion, all but Sango, Miroku and the dog demon that smell the arousal scent, wondered where Inuyasha had run off too.
"What's with him?" Tamotsu asked.
"He's got some…. Things to take care of." Sango smiled.
"What does he have that would make him run like that and not tell us?" Tamotsu asked making Miroku, Sango, and Sesshomaru glance at each other.
"What?" Katsu asked when he saw the look they were giving each other.
"Well it's not something-" Miroku started when they heard Shippo as he walked up to the others.
"At least they went where we can't really smell it." Shippo laughed.
"Shippo!" Sango said trying not to giggle.
"What, I have lived with smelling that for years." He looked at Sesshomaru. "Sure you'd agree, wont ya." He smiled up at the dog demon that raised an eye brow.
"This is not proper to be discussing behind Inuyasha and the miko's back." Sesshomaru said and looked at the children running around with Nori and Mizuki.
"I still don't get it." Tamotsu said looking at everyone and noticed Katsu was just as lost.
"They're having their…. fun time." Shippo told them with a smirk. Tamotsu smiled as he realized what they were all talking about, Katsu smirked and glanced at Nori.
"I wouldn't try it. Nori doesn't seem like the kind of person to go for running out like that." Shippo said. "Dad went cause Mom teased him enough."
"Shippo, why aren't you out there with the kids?" Miroku asked trying to change the subject.
"Looks like they have it all handled." He said glancing at his mate and Nori.
"I think I'll go make sure." Sango said as she went to go play with the children.
As the group of men talked a twelve year old girl ran over to them with her ten year old brother.
"Uncle Miroku?" The boy called as they stopped in front of him.
"What is it?" Miroku asked bending slightly to talk to them.
"Where did daddy go?" Izayoi asked.
"He'll be back he said for you and the others to play nice." Tamotsu said gaining a look from the others. They knew how to talk to these two to make them go play.
"Why?" Taji asked.
"Where's he go?" Izayoi asked again.
"Dad went and had to help mom find somethin. He will be back in a while." Shippo said.
"Did, mom lose somethin?" Taji asked
"Yeah, she misplaced somethin. Now go play." Miroku told the two, who looked at each other and went to run off when they stopped and looked at the group.
"Ya know we know yer liein." Taji said.
"Yeah, we got daddy's nose." Izayoi said tapping her nose before they turned and ran off to play.
"So they're true mini Inuyashas" Katsu laughed making everyone else laugh as they made themselves comfortable to watch the women and children run around laughing and having fun.
