Chapter 3
Something was bothering her.
He could hear her heart pounding and how she was twisting her fingers.
Looking all over the place as if she was waiting for something, someone.
He had seen how Inuyasha let go of her hand when they arrived, and their scents intertwined around each other.
She now continued to rip the few stems of grass that were still green off the ground, shedding them to pieces.
She hadn't even noticed he had been staring at her.
-"You're upset" Sesshomaru said.
-"No, I'm not" She answered letting go of the murdered grass on her lap.
-"You should get some sleep, we leave early tomorrow and..."
-"I will"
She didn't want Sesshomaru asking questions, she knew he saw what happened when Inuyasha and her came back, and she knew he could smell his scent on her, it made her feel uncomfortable and nervous but she knew he caught it all, the disadvantage of being human.
She got up faster than usual and admired Sango, sleeping next to Miroku, both resting against Kirara.
She saw them holding hands in their sleep, only fueling her own sadness.
Inuyasha had slept next to Sango last night while she next to the kids, which was unusual for him.
Just like everything he did lately.
The sudden kisses in the dark.
The subtle touches.
The stroking on her hair.
And the disappearances.
But she had other things to pay mind to, like Sango's sudden nausea and dizziness.
-"Kagome?" Sesshomaru said to the distant woman in front of him.
He knew she hadn't been listening.
Kagome turned around but instead of meeting him in anger, the blue of her eyes gave away her sadness.
-"Huh?"
-"I asked if something was troubling you"
-"Sorry...I didn't hear"
She sat down again, this time closer to Sesshomaru.
There was no fire that night, as the clouds were gone and the light of the stars was enough.
-"So? Is something troubling you?"
Kagome didn't feel like sharing what was actually troubling her, she went for the easy one, which was also true so she wouldn't be lying.
-"I'm just worried about Sango, her dizziness and the sickness, it's not like her, she never gets sick, it's as if she were immune" she remembered the time everybody caught the flu, except Sango, after all she was the one that had taken care of them.
She looked at him and wasn't expecting the evident confusion on his face.
-"What?"
-"You don't know?" He asked.
-"Know what?"
-"Sango is with child"
No, she truly, absolutely didn't know, and was sure neither did Sango.
She lifted her eyebrows in surprise not believing Sesshomaru's words.
How?
When?
That's why Inuyasha had been sleeping next to her.
-"That's why Inuyasha has been sleeping next to her and Miroku"
Sesshomaru nodded.
-"I was certain she had told you"
-"I don't even think she knows yet"
They fell in silence but Kagome's sadness washed away by the happiness that now replaced it, knowing that Sango was pregnant with Miroku's child.
She hoped the baby was a girl.
They were all still young.
So young.
Sango was twenty three, and a demon slayer.
Top range.
She would talk to her tomorrow.
But in the meantime, she could only think.
-"What are you thinking about?" Sesshomaru asked her.
He noticed how quickly the sadness had changed into pure happiness at the announcement of Sango's child.
She hadn't lied to him about what was bothering her, he appreciated that.
-"That Sango is young" she said "I just want to make sure she will be alright".
-"She will be, she has you" he said smiling at her, and Kagome smiled back.
-"Have you sensed him?" Kagome asked turning her head away towards the place she had last seen Inuyasha.
-"Only a couple of times"
-"I'll go look for him" she said standing up, reaching for her bow and quiver. Truth was, she was exhausted.
But she was worried, and that beat her tiredness.
-"Kagome, I think you should get some sleep, he'll come back"
-"It's okay, it's kind of our thing, he goes I follow" she chuckled.
-"I think this time you should stay" but he wasn't joking and he saw right straight through her fake laugh "and rest"
His tone had a little more harshness to it and Kagome noticed it, and the thought of staying crossed her mind.
She was exhausted.
Laying next to her was Shippo, Rin was asleep in Sesshomaru's lap.
She let the quiver and the bow on the tree Sesshomaru was leaning in.
-"If he doesn't come back, will you go for him?"
-"I will, now please sleep"
She smiled but the exhaustion didn't give more than a small grin.
She laid on the ground, next to Shippo.
-"Good night" she whispered.
And he heard.
/\
She opened her eyes to find big green ones.
-"Hi" she whispered.
-"Hi" Shippo whispered back.
-"Why are you up so early?"
-"I don't know" they kept whispering.
-"I can hear you you know?" Sesshomaru said hearing the faded words.
Shippo laughed and Kagome took her finger to her lips, trying to silence her own giggles.
-"Alright, up" she said to Shippo as the boy complained.
-"I don't want to..."
-"I don't care what you want little brat, I said up" Kagome said poking Shippo's ribs, tickling him and he laughed "good, now you're awake"
Kagome got up with and carried Shippo on her arms.
She saw Inuyasha walking towards her.
-"Can I talk to you?" He asked.
She nodded and placed Shippo next to Sesshomaru.
-"We'll be right back" she said to him and Sesshomaru simply nodded.
Kagome followed Inuyasha, making their way through the forest.
When they were next to the stream, he placed himself in front of her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
She was mad.
-"Why didn't you come for me last night?" He asked wondering why she hadn't followed him.
-"I was expecting more of an apology, but I was tired"
-"An apology for what?"
-"Why didn't you tell me Sango is pregnant?"
-"Who?- Sesshomaru"
-"At least he had the consideration to tell me"
-"It's still not safe to tell her Kagome, what if something goes wrong?"
-"Then with more reason! What if she miscarriages? What if she loses the baby and neither her, me, Miroku and the kids knew?"
-"I didn't know what to say 'Hey Sango you're having a pup congratulations?'"
-"You could've told me"
Kagome said lowering her voice.
He walked up to her and held her chin with his finger.
-"I'm sorry okay?"
-"Why did you went away last night?"
-"I wanted to surprise you"
-"You could've waited for me"
-"I wanted to have a moment alone with you, is that that bad?"
-"No it's just... I don't get why we have to be hiding"
-"So you don't like that I make time for us to be alone?"
-"Inuyasha it's not that... talk to me before you do whatever you do"
-"I'll try" he said taking her hand "let's head back, they must be waiting for us"
/\
When they came back, Shippo and Rin were chasing each other in what she figured was tag.
Sango was talking with Miroku and Sesshomaru sat under his tree.
Inuyasha let go of her hand and went to meet the couple.
-"Got you!" She felt a little tap on her back and she turned around to find an almost breathless Rin.
-"Oh no!" Kagome said faking a faint.
She chased the girl but Rin was fast, making her task more difficult. She didn't bother chasing after Shippo because she knew she could never reach him so her best chances at winning were placed on Rin.
She finally caught the girl in her arms and they both fell to the ground laughing.
-"Let me go!" Rin said loosing her breath.
-"Never! Now you're my prisoner" kagome faked an evil laugh, tickling the girl.
Rin's laugh was contagious and soon his ears would be filled by Kagome's, Sesshomaru smiled to himself pretending he didn't see them.
He got up and walked towards the laughing girls.
-"I think we should get going" he spoke and Kagome started to steady her breathing, sitting down holding Rin's hand.
Before she could stand up Sesshomaru was already offering his hand to her.
She looked up to see him and he saw her flushed skin, bright red with a huge smile plastered on her face.
Her long hair was stuck against her face with sweat and her blue eyes caught the sunlight, her kosode stained with dirt.
She got up next to him.
-"You have a..." he moved his hand to her hair, grabbing the leaf hanging on it, he handed it to her.
-"Thanks" she laughed.
-"So, are we ready to go?" Inuyasha said suddenly appearing next to kagome, placing his hand on Kagome's shoulder.
Sesshomaru felt her relaxed body, stiff.
-"Um...yeah" Kagome answered removing his hand "I'll go get Shippo" then she walked away.
Sesshomaru observed his brother's eyes on the woman searching for the boy.
-"Let's go Rin" Sesshomaru said holding Rin's hand, then carrying her on his arms "look at you, you got all dirty" he said brushing the dirt on her face with his sleeve.
-"I'm sorry" she said.
-"It's okay, you'll bathe later, but for now we should get going"
Kagome appeared only a few minutes later with shippo in hand and the leather bag on her back.
Miroku, Sango and Kirara behind her.
-"Let's go" Inuyasha said and Sesshomaru made his way next to him.
The group moved forward to where Kagome and Sesshomaru had sensed the invisible aura.
/\
Blood.
Burning his nose with the metallic feeling.
He looked at Inuyasha, aware that he smelled the same.
They had passed the point from last night, moving forward.
-"Rin, go with Kagome and Shippo" Sesshomaru said placing Rin on the ground.
He turned around to look at the others and they all stared back at each other, feeling it in the distance.
-"Hey Rin, Shippo come here" Sango said squatting to reach their height "Be good and stay here with Inuyasha and Miroku, we'll just go a few steps ahead"
Both kids nodded and Miroku took their hand.
-"Be careful please" he said giving Sango a worried look.
-"I'll be okay, don't worry, just keep an eye on the children"
He nodded and walked towards Inuyasha.
Kagome, Sango and Sesshomaru kept getting closer to the pungent smell and the feeling of disgust kept growing in Kagome's chest.
They found a trail that could only mean one thing.
A village.
They kept walking and Kagome took Sango's hand on her own, each one reassuring the other.
Sesshomaru still didn't hear a sound as they kept moving forward.
Not when they reached the walls or the rice fields where people should be working on.
Everything smelled like blood and clay. Kagome stopped at the view in front of her and Sango followed her friend's eyes to the terrorizing image.
Bodies were scattered everywhere, faceless.
Each and every one of them missing their face, as if it had been peeled off.
Some laid on top of another, but they were everywhere.
A woman holding a baby in her arms, with their expression stolen away.
Sesshomaru made his way to the red distant dot resting in front of him, in the middle of, he counted, seven bodies.
They laid as if they had been arranged that way, facing towards the sun.
He picked up a mask.
An Oni mask.
With horns sticking out of it's head and forehead, holes instead of eyes and fangs sticking out of it's mouth.
He ran his fingers through the fangs and just as he had expected, they were real.
-"Kagome" he called out turning his head.
-"She's looking for survivors" Sango said approaching him "what is that?" She took the mask in her hands and admired it.
-"A mask?"
-"Their faces were ripped away, it could make sense, whoever did this...it knows what it's doing" Sesshomaru said brushing some sweat off his forehead.
-"Do you think it was the thing from last night?" Sango asked him.
-"I don't know..."
-"Nothing" Kagome said when she appeared by their side.
-"Look Kagome" Sesshomaru took the mask and handed it to her.
The mask felt oddly familiar, like she had seen it somewhere.
-"I feel like I've seen this before" she said admiring the fangs and the red of the mask "where was it?"
Sesshomaru pointed the place where he had picked up the mask.
Kagome saw the bodies and turned away.
-"Do you think it was whatever we encountered last night?"
-"I don't know"
-"We should get back and let Inuyasha and Miroku inspect it, let them do the burial" Sango said already feeling the urge to get away from the place.
Sesshomaru and Kagome looked at each other and she made her way to Sango, leaving Sesshomaru behind.
She took her hand again.
-"Hey, are you okay?"
Sango didn't say anything, but her head said no.
Sango could feel the tears burning her eyes, fastening her steps.
/\
-"Now you hold your sword, and open your legs, flex them and keep your back straight"
Inuyasha indicated the two kids in front of him, who copied his stance while he was holding Tessaiga.
They held sticks instead.
Rin kept loosing her balance and Shippo curvinh his back.
He saw the three figures making their way to them, Kirara straightened up making her way to Sango, she picked it in her arms and walked towards Miroku.
Kagome handed Inuyasha the mask.
-"I think you should go see for yourselves" Kagome said looking at Sango behind Inuyasha's head.
-"Are you okay?" Inuyasha asked her.
She shrugged her shoulders.
The image of the silent village and the bodies laying around was going to leave a print on her mind that night.
-"I guess...just go and we'll talk later, I will go talk to Sango" Inuyasha nodded and Miroku followed him as they made their way to the trail of scent Kagome had left mixed with blood.
-"What are you two doing?" She heard Sesshomaru say to the two kids in what it seemed like fighting position, with sticks.
-"Inuyasha-sama was teaching us how to hold a sword!" Rin said without breaking her concentration.
-"Well it's good but your feet need to be pointing out, so you can hold your balance"
Sesshomaru continued to pull Tenseiga out of it's scabbard, taking position holding the sword close to his chest, and Kagome admired the movement.
Both kids tried to imitate him, Shippo straightening his back and Rin no longer tumbling.
She laughed a little and turned to find her friend sitting gown, with lost eyes stroking Kirara.
-"Hey" Kagome said sitting next to her, the sun was starting to descend "how are you?"
It took a moment before Sango responded.
-"You would think it would be easier, seeing the same thing over and over again, I feel terrified, and when I try to be brave, I just feel like running, every time"
-"Do you miss him?" Kagome asked but she already knew her answer.
-"Every day" a single tear ran through her cheek.
Kagome was trying to find the words she was going to say next, admiring how Sesshomaru corrected the children in the new position he was teaching them.
Kagome took Kirara off her friend's lap and embraced her, hugging her tightly.
-"I love you Sango"
-"And I love you too Kagome"
Kagome wanted to tell her, but she would wait until Miroku was with her so they got the news together.
/\
When Inuyasha and Miroku got back, the kids were already sleeping, Sango and Kagome were sitting next to each other in front of Sesshomaru, there was a weak fire between them.
The strange thing was, everybody was silent.
Nobody really knew what to say.
Kagome searched in her mind for the place she had seen that mask before, or maybe she was just making things up trying to get a hint.
-"Sango, Miroku...can I talk to you?"
Kagome said when Miroku sat down next to Sango, holding her hand.
-"What is it?" Miroku asked concerned and Kagome started to sweat, not really knowing what to say, she had practiced the words in her head but wasn't sure how they were going to come out.
-"Kagome?" Sango asked her again.
-"Well you know how you've been sick lately right?" Kagome started and Sango nodded, oh Kami, how was she going to tell them?.
Sesshomaru felt how Kagome was nervous, he tried to conceal his smile at her attempts.
-"Yes?" Sango said getting worried.
-"I think...no, I know..."
-"Kagome?" Miroku pressed further.
-"You're pregnant" she let out feeling tense.
Time seemed to freeze, as Kagome saw the shock plastered on her friend's face.
-"How do you-" Miroku started.
-"Inuyasha, he knew but he didn't want to tell you"
-"Why?" Miroku asked Inuyasha who was sitting next to Kagome.
-"I didn't want to worry you..." Inuyasha said but at the moment, Miroku stood up holding Sango's hand and hugged her, lifting her from the ground.
-"We're having a baby!" Miroku almost screamed and Kagome shushed him pointing at the kids.
Sango started to cry, and Kagome got up to hug her, Inuyasha hugged Miroku patting him on his back.
-"Are you okay?" Kagome asked her friend, Sango nodded.
In between cries she managed to say yes.
Sesshomaru was standing behind Kagome and he moved his way to Sango, holding her hand between his.
-"Congratulations Sango" he said with a smile Kagome had never seen before.
Sango was still in shock from the news so she hugged Sesshomaru.
He looked at Kagome and she simply shrugged her shoulders laughing.
All the worry and the doubt of the day washed away by this perfect moment.
/\
A/N: whew okay, to the person reviewing this story, you have no idea how happy it makes me! This is my first fic ever, I'm glad you caught up on the characters and honestly I just wanted to make something different, five years have passed and it's impossible for a bunch of teenagers and young adults to not have some type of character growth/development.
I also made a huge mistake last chapter when I said Inuyasha was holding Tenseiga instead of Tessaiga, I was half asleep when I wrote it and didn't came back to check it, also, that comment on demon's age really got me thinking so thank you for the insight.
If you are kind enough to leave a review I would appreciate it so much!
Till next time :-)