"I'm with You"
Days had passed since Nauki had thrown herself in front of Inu-Yasha to save his life. In that amount of time, Inu-Yasha had had to deal with the skeletons he kept in the closet. Kagome had her job fixed for she had to keep Aya and Oda from seeing their sister. Oda was more curious to why Nauki was hurt-for he thought demons to be ruthless and invincible. Aya, on the other hand, was concerned.
"Mama, is Papa, o.k.," Aya asked as she helped her mother wash clothes in the river.
"He's worried, Sweetheart." Kagome scrubbed Nauki's kimono for the fifth time trying to get the blood out.
Aya stared off, her hands stopping. She saw a bird flying above the water. "Is my sister going to die?"
Kagome stared at her daughter. Aya had Inu-Yasha's hair color, but mainly resembled Kagome in every other way. She had never heard Aya refer to Nauki as being her sister. It struck her.
For a moment, Kagome lost her voice. She went back to washing. "I don't know, Aya. I seriously hope not."
***************************************************************************
Nauki lay unconscious on the floor with Inu-Yasha watching over her. He had not left her side in days; afraid that she would slip from him again. The positive outcome of her fate was slim.
He watched her sadly.
They had managed to clean her wound a few hours after she had went into shock. It had taken all of their effort to wrap the bandage around her without hurting her. Kagome had left to go explain what had happened to Nauki to the twins.
Inu-Yasha crawled over his daughter, laying on her gently, shielding her from the world. He did not want to share what remaining life she had left, with anyone. Inu-Yasha laid his head on her chest, his ear up against her heart.
Her heart was beating slowly, her breathing still shallow. Inu-Yasha closed his eyes. Worry encased his mind. He hadn't slept well in days. "I miss you, Little One."
Exhaustion finally set in. He quietly fell asleep, his dreams overtaking him. However, they were not the dreams he was expecting.
(He was standing in a field of wildflowers, the sun overcast. Looking around he saw dandelion seeds being blown in the wind. The area was unfamiliar to him.
He felt someone tugging on his sleeve. Inu-Yasha looked down to see Nauki's eight-year-old face looking up at him. Her eyes weren't sparkling like they normally did.
Inu-Yasha stared at her, not able to move. He realized what was happening. When Nauki was eight-years-old, he had started to treat her differently. It was right after he had asked the Caliba stone where Nauki belonged.
He felt like he couldn't breathe again. Inu-Yasha couldn't move, either. He wanted to hold her, to tell her how he felt.
Nauki reached into her heart. She pulled out a prayer bead necklace. It was the same that had been put on him by Kaede years ago.
Without emotion, the girl put the necklace around her neck. She stepped back a few feet looking at him sadly. He didn't know what to do.
Nauki was symbolizing that she was a part of him. Before he could explain his feelings to the child, she ran from him.
He watched as she lept in front of a large tree. Inu-Yasha knew the scene well. He started to run after her. He was moving at lightening speed, but Nauki was in slow motion.
Inu-Yasha heard the arrow coming out of nowhere. It shot through Nauki's chest, pinning her to the tree. Instead of glancing up, her form faded.
Inu-Yasha stood not able to move. He knew that if he turned around, he would see Kikyo, or Naraku disguised as her. Something in the back of his mind told him to turn around.
When he did, he saw himself holding the bow. He had shot Nauki, not Naraku. Inu-Yasha did not understand why he was holding the bow.
"It is because you did not want her when you found out who she was."
Inu-Yasha turned around again. Standing behind him was Kaede, as a child, about the age of seven.
"What is going on," he asked, his own voice sounding unfamiliar.
"She cannot tell you any other way how she feels, or what is to be," Kaede said.)
Before he knew it, the dream vanished. Inu-Yasha opened his eyes. He didn't realize he had fallen asleep. Raising his head, he checked Nauki. She was still the same.
Carefully, he nudged her chin wanting her to open her eyes. "Nauki, please look at me," he begged.
She couldn't move, nor could she hear him. Nauki was lost ot a world of darkness. It was the same atmosphere as the demon world where she had came from. The girl figured she was being sent back.
Inu-Yasha felt drowsier the more he looked at her. He shook his head trying to stay awake. "Nauki...," he called gently as he touched her face.
Lowering his head, Inu-Yasha fell asleep again. He couldn't stay awake for some reason. Another dream rushed in on him, slamming his mind into another world.
(There was an endless river in front of him. A large boulder was near. Nauki sat on the top, her long hair blowing behind her.
Inu-Yasha lept upwards, landing behind her. She was the same age that she normally was. He breathed slowly, afraid she was going to get shot by another arrow.
"Why did you leave me," Nauki asked through her tears.
Inu-Yasha walked a few feet towards her, his hand outstretched. Lightly, he touched the back of her head. "I didn't leave you, Little One."
Nauki's crying got worse. "Yes, you did. I can't hear you anymore."
Inu-Yasha gasped as the pain came from his chest. He looked down to see that his heart was bleeding. Touching his chest, he found out that it wasn't just his blood, it was Nauki's also.
He looked back up at her. She was turned around. An arrow was sticking out of her chest. For some reason, he knew she couldn't remove it.
He sat down behind her, trying hard not to pay attention to the pain.
"I can't hear you anymore," Nauki repeated. She wasn't referring to his voice, but his heatbeat. Inu-Yasha had closed himself to her when she was eight.
He became angry at himself for letting things get worse over the years. The emotions in his eyes told Nauki he was sorry. He opened his mouth to say something, but wasn't able.
Nauki was used to it. She lowered her head in defeat, the arrow going deeper into her body. She grimaced, but beared the pain.
(I know you care not by what you say, but by what you do.) The message ehcoed in his mind. Inu-Yasha grabbed hold of the arrow, holding it firmly.
Nauki looked up at him wondering what he was doing. "What are you doing Inu-Yasha," she asked with Kikyo's voice.
He gritted his teeth, growling as he held the arrow tightly. "I'm NOT Inu-Yasha! I'm your father!" The second he said it, the arrow glowed. It disappeared much like when Kagome had broken Kikyo's spell.
Nauki looked up at him again. She had a surprised look on her face. Inu-Yasha was crying in front of her. Something she had never seen before.
He was breathing hard as the tears flowed down his face. Inu-Yasha leaned forward, wrapping his arms around her tightly. "I love you, Little One," he said half in joy, half in sorrow.
"You...love..me?" Nauki wrapped her arms around his waist as she laid her head on his shoulder. She scratched lightly at his arm.
He didn't want the dream to end. It was more real to him than reality itself. For the longest time, he sat on the boulder holding his daughter.)
"Inu-Yasha," Kagome called. She shook his shoulder lightly. He opened his eyes slowly to look at her. He glanced around the room making sure he was in the same place. His forehead was covered in sweat.
"Are you alright," she asked as he got up.
"Yeah, I think so." Inu-Yasha leaned down quickly, staring at Nauki. His breathing increased when he remembered the two dreams he had had. He touched her face gently.
Nauki moved her head in the direction of his hand. She couldn't move much, but she could hear him again. His heart was fully open once more, as it had been when she was three years-old.
"She's stable," Kagome said as she watched the relief come across his face.
"How did she get stable," he asked, already knowing the answer.
"I'm not sure, but something is telling me that you're the reason she's still here."
Inu-Yasha wrapped his arms around Nauki's neck. The girl moved slightly. He kissed her cheek. He wanted to make sure that she knew he was there.
*I'm with you, Papa, for as long as you'll let me be.* Nauki lightly scratched at his side only to pass out from her weakness.
Inu-Yasha buried his head into her shoulder. "You're with me for all time, Little One," he whispered. He looked back at Kagome who was studying him curiously.
"You know something, don't you?"
"Not anymore than you." Inu-Yasha let go of Nauki's neck, letting her rest. He still wasn't too keen about leaving her side. "Something tells me you're here to relieve me of duty."
"You've been in here for days. You need to go outside, take a long walk. I can watch over Nauki, Inu-Yasha. You seriously need a break." She watched him look down, his mind focused only on his daughter.
"I can't," was his simple reply. He crawled off of Nauki, then sat beside Kagome, still watching the unconscious fifteen year-old.
Kagome interlaced her fingers with his as she watched Nauki also. "Nauki is my daughter as much as she is yours." She felt kind of bad that he only referred to her as his daughter. Kagome had raised her also.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to sound possessive." He glanced at her with a soft expression on his face. "I'm suppose to protect her, Kagome. I feel responsible for what happened to her."
Kagome leaned towards him, resting her head on his shoulder. "The only thing you are responsible for is for letting her love you."
He smiled a little. "I just don't want her to be taken from me. If I leave, she could still get worse."
"That's why I'm here. I know Nauki wasn't suppose to have me for her mother, but I'm greatful that she thinks of me as so." Kagome did love the girl. She knew Nauki had been meant for Kikyo, which kind of bothered her.
He laid his head on hers, thinking. "If I take a break, you have to promise to call me if she gets worse."
Kagome looked up at him. "I promise." She knew how worried he was. Inu-Yasha had never had someone step in front of him before to save him, or experienced anything like what he was experiencing with his daughter.
Inu-Yasha kissed her softly, then stretched his legs and arms. He walked out of the room slowly, then came back quickly, checking to see if Nauki was o.k.
"Would you go outside, or something? She's fine!" Kagome threw a rag at him. He left taking the hint.
Kagome leaned down towards Nauki. She studied her for a moment before checking the bandage around her. Carefully she took the bandage off, then cleaned the wound again to limit the chance of infection.
Kagome found herself thinking absently about what would have happened if Nauki had been Kikyo's daughter. She couldn't imagine the girl walking around wearing a priestess outfit, saving the lives of the villagers when she resembled Inu-Yasha so much. Kagome smirked a little, impure thoughts coming into her mind. *I'm sure she would have raided the whole village. Probably slaughtered all of them if everything had turned out the way it should have. By that time, Inu-Yasha would have still been his old self and would have had time to brain wash her..*
*What am I saying? I shouldn't be thinking things like that! Then again..If Nauki had been born to Kikyo, instead of created from Inu-Yasha's heart, she wouldn't look as she is now. Demon blood is dominant, so I know she would have the features, but in which direction would her heart ly? Kikyo used to be a loving, caring priestess, but now she is revengeful and hateful. She wouldn't hurt a child, but she would harm me in a flash.* Kagome's face soured. *What would she do if she saw Nauki? Or Aya and Oda? Would her hatred rain in on them, to hurt them? Would she stoop to the point of no return, even though, they are children?*
Kagome didn't understand it. *I love Nauki like she was my own daughter. I couldn't imagine her going back to Kikyo.* She dressed Nauki again, putting fresh bandages around her. *Nauki's wound is still bad. At least she is stable, which is a blessing.*
Nauki moved a little as Kagome lifted her up to finish wrapping the bandages around her.
"Shhh..It's alright, Bubbles," Kagome said, not having called her that in a long time. She remembered when she had taken Nauki back to her era, how the girl had reacted to the strange environment.
(Nauki was crying at full force when Kagome stepped inside her house. The girl had no idea where she was, or why she was here. "It's o.k., Nauki," she told her.
Nauki stretched out her hand in the direction of where they had came from. She wanted to go back down the well, back into the shiny light. "P-Papa!" Tears were flowing down her face, her eyes bloodshot from the immense crying she had been doing since Inu-Yasha had gotten hurt.
Kagome knew that if she had left Nauki there, that Miroku and Sango wouldn't have been given any peace. She needed to be away from them for a little while to calm down. "Shhh..He's going to be o.k.," Kagome said, not knowing if she believed her own words.
Kagome started to walk further in the house, Nauki shaking her head at her while she kicked her legs. She almost dropped her. "Nauki, calm down," Kagome was getting slightly aggravated by the girl. She knew it wasn't her fault for having seen Inu-Yasha get hurt.
Mrs. Hiragashi came around the corner from the kitchen. She studied Kagome strangely seeing the girl in her arms. "Kagome, who is this little girl?"
Kagome shifted Nauki around, the small child still crying. "Mom, this is Nauki. She's the little girl that I told you about before, the one that Inu-Yasha adopted." Nauki wouldn't look at Kagome's mother. She was too busy worried about Inu-Yasha.
Mrs. Hiragashi came closer. "Kagome, come into the family room with her."
As Kagome followed, her mother sat down on the floor. She told Kagome to sit down with Nauki. "If you sit down with her, she might calm down. Why is she crying," she asked as Kagome sat down with Nauki in her lap. The girl was still shaking her head.
"She saw Inu-Yasha get hurt. He's wounded very badly." Kagome stared at the floor, her mind fixed on how she had last seen him.
"I see. Nauki's been traumatized."
"P-Papa! P-Papa!" Nauki started to scream as she cried, her face becoming red with anger. She didn't know why Kagome didn't take her back. She didn't want to be here in this strange place.
Mrs. Hiragashi leaned forward, wrapping her arms around Nauki's waist. She pulled Nauki towards her setting her in her lap. Mrs. Hiragashi turned Nauki towards her, holding her head against her chest as she rocked her. "Shhh."
Nauki was still crying for her papa. She didn't know who the lady was holding her. "Papa," she said more calmly, her voice hoarse from crying.
"Mom, how did you know what to do?" Kagome watched as Nauki started to calm down, whimpering softly as she held onto Mrs. Hiragashi.
"When a toddler is traumatized, they feel insecure. You have to make them feel secure, usually by holding them firmly to reassure them that they are safe."
"Nauki's not a toddler. She's six years-old," Kagome said.
Mrs. Hiragashi looked at her daughter. "Baby, she's a toddler. You can tell by how she acts."
"What about her height?"
"She just has a tall father. That's who she got her height from. Look," Mrs. Hiragashi opened Nauki's mouth. Kagome peered in. "She still has all of her baby teeth. You can always tell age by a person's teeth. A child six years-old would have already started to lose those teeth."
"So..Inu-Yasha was wrong?"
"Very. By the way she is reacting to what she saw, I would say that Nauki is just a little over 3 years-old."
Kagome watched Nauki stick her finger in her mouth, sucking on her finger. "She's...just a baby?"
Mrs. Hiragashi nodded. "Kagome, would you go look in my desk in my room and get that box where I keep all of you and Sota's baby things?"
Kagome came back. She opened the box. "You saved all of our old rattlers and pacifiers?"
"Of course. What mother wouldn't? I remember how you used to love this thing." Mrs. Hiragashi picked up a pink rattler with a duck on it. She shook it at Kagome teasing her.
"Mom, I'm not a baby anymore."
"I know. Lets see if we can find something to comfort her."
"You mean like a teddy bear, or something."
"Exactly." She shook the rattler at Nauki. The girl pawed at it, but didn't want it. She tried something else. Nauki grabbed onto the play keys, but threw them down.
Kagome picked up her old pacifier. It was blue with small white stars on it. She pulled Nauki's finger out of her mouth. Right when Nauki started to cry, she slipped the pacifier in.
Nauki started to suck on the pacifier. She grabbed Mrs. Hiragashi's shirt. "My..Inu..Yassa...," she cried.
"I know, sweetheart, I know." Mrs. Hiragashi rocked Nauki until the girl's eyes started to droop. "All of the crying she's been doing has worn her out more than she realizes."
Nauki fell asleep on Kagome's mom.
When she had woken up, Kagome tried her best to get Nauki to eat. It was near impossible. She sat her at the table in the kitchen, but Nauki wouldn't face her. "Come on, Nauki, please eat. You haven't ate since Inu-Yasha got hurt." She moved the chopsticks towards the girl's mouth, but Nauki turned her head sharply, then shook her head.
"What is going on in here," Kagome's grandfather said. "Hmmm?" He watched Nauki bat the chopsticks away.
"Grandpa, how do you get someone to eat that refuses?" Kagome tried again, but Nauki hit the chopsticks, causing them to land on the floor.
"If she won't eat what you give her, try something else." He watched as Kagome tried, but Nauki only got angrier. The girl knocked the food to the floor, kicking her legs.
"P-Papa! P-Papa!" Nauki started to cry again, yelling to the top of her lungs.
Kagome's grandfather covered his ears. "Who is she talking about," he hollered over the girl's loud yells.
"She's talking about Inu-Yasha," Kagome yelled back.
"Well for pity's sake, take her back to him," her grandfather yelled back as he covered his ears. He needed to get away from the noise.
"Oh yeah, gramps, you're a big help," Kagome muttered.
Nauki continued to kick her legs as she yelled.
*Mama said to hold her when she cries to make her feel secure. This better work.* Kagome grabbed Nauki while she kicked then perceded to hold her firmly against her. She had one hand on the side of the girl's head to hold her to her chest, her other arm was wrapped around her waist to hold her in her lap. Luckily, Nauki started to calm down.
"I wish you would eat, Little One." Kagome laid her head ontop of Nauki's.
Nauki heard her pet name. "My..Inu..Yassa..," Nauki said sadly.
"I know..Your Inu-Yasha.." She looked down at the girl in her arms. Kagome couldn't help it, but she started to stroke Nauki's hair. *She is such a pretty little girl.*
Kagome sat holding Nauki, trying to figure out how to get her to eat, and trying to not think about how Inu-Yasha was hurt. "I hope you're o.k.," she whispered with Nauki looking up at her. Kagome blinked her eyes, a tear rolling down her cheek.
"Mmmm..a..Ma..," Nauki called. She touched Kagome's chin.
"Huh?" Kagome looked down. "I still haven't figured out why you call me that."
"Maybe it's because she knows you take care of her," Mrs. Hiragashi said coming into the kitchen.
"Mom, I can't get her to eat. She's only used to Inu-Yasha feeding her. Nauki normally won't take food from anyone else."
"Well.." Her mother sat down, folding her hands on the table. "What does Inu-Yasha do to make her eat?"
Kagome thought. "He usually bites into the food he wants her to eat, then hands it to her."
"There's your problem. You have to show her it's not going to hurt her." Her mom smiled.
"So if I bite into something, and Nauki sees it, she'll eat it?"
"Try it and find out."
Kagome picked up a biscuit. She bit into it, making sure Nauki noticed. Then she handed it to the three year-old.
Nauki sniffed the biscuit. She analyzed it from every angle. Quietly, she bit into it, chewing the bread in her mouth slowly.
"See?"
"You're a funny little thing," Kagome commented.
Kagome carried Nauki to the bathroom. With Inu-Yasha badly wounded, she was going ot have to take care of the three-year-old for a while Kagome opened the door. Nauki was hodling onto her tightly, her head resting on her shoulder.
"Alright, kiddo. Lets see if you'll take a bath." Kagome turned the water on.
Nauki's ears picked up the sound. She whirled around. Seeing the water frightened her. Shhe was only used to Inu-Yasha caring for her.
Her heart started to race when Kagome kneeled down to put her down. Nauki shook her head, the pacifer still in her mouth. "No, mama," she said, her eyes welling up with tears.
"I know you're only used to Inu-Yasha," Kagome said as she sat her down. "I wish you didn't feel so threatened by me."
Nauki shook her head, touching Kagome's face lightly. *I'm not scared of you. I don't like water.*
Kagome grabbed the box of soap bubbles on the edge of the bathrub. She opened the box then passed half of the box into the water. She noticed Nauki was watching her. "Want to take a bubble bath?"
Nauki tilted her head. She had never seen bubbles before. The white foam of suds was rising over the tub. "Mama," Nauki yelled, pointing.
Kagome turned around. Her eyes widened. "Ah! I think I put too much in!" She turned the water off as the suds towered over the tub. "Oh, well," she sighed.
Nauki poked the suds. A few of them popped. She poked a few more, watching them disappear. She liked this game.
Kagome watched Nauki play with the bubbles. She figured it was o.k. to put her in now. Very carefully, she started to slip Nauki's kimono off without her noticing. "Alright, Bubbles, hop ein," Kagome smiled, feeling rather proud of herself.
Nauki looked down. She growled a little. *You're a very tricky mama!*
Kagome left Nauki's night kimono on as she placed her in the water. She watched her play with the bubbles, smiling a bit as they popped. While she was distracted, Kagome bathed her.)
Kagome placed Nauki back down on the floor. She went to a corner of the room, grabbing one of the blankets they used at night. Walking back over to Nauki, she kneeled down, covering the girl up. She knew it was warm outside, but Nauki's skin was cold to the touch.
As the blanket touched her, Nauki moved her head slowly. She knew someone was there. Lightly, she sniffed the air searching for the person. It was Kagome. Nauki struggled to talk. She wanted her to know that she knew she was there. "M..hh..mmm...ahh...maa," she forced herself to breathe out, not knowing if Kagome heard her or not.
Kagome had just moved the blanket up to Nauki's chin when she heard her. She turned her head slowly. *Did she just call me?* Kagome leaned down, her heart fluttered.
"Mm..hh..mma..maa," Nauki said again, moving her head in Kagome's direction. She knew she was there. Nauki wanted to move so badly, but couldn't. Her limbs felt heavy. Nauki was slipping in and out of consciousness.
Kagome leaned down more, within two inches of her face. She watched her. She wanted to hear her again, to know that she was alright. Kagome stroked her cheek sadly. "Bubbles, can you hear me?"
Inu-Yasha had just came inside when he heard Kagome. He walked to the back room, peeking in. He saw Kagome staring at Nauki, her face sad as she stroked her cheek. Inu-Yasha breathed out slowly.
"I know I heard you," Kagome said to herself. She leaned down farther, wrapping her arms around the girl's neck. She closed her eyes, listening in case Nauki called her again.
Nauki moved her fingers a little, but barely noticeable. She was too weak to try and talk again. The scents around her were fading. Darkness crept over her, swallowing her once again as she fell into the void where her heart and mind were.
Inu-Yasha closed his eyes, lowering his head. Nauki's prescence had never been noted before, until now. He was beginning to think that the saying 'You never know what you have, until it's gone' was true. They had never thought of her as being special, or something spectacular.
He started to think about Sango, Miroku, Aya, Oda, Kaede, and even Shippo. They all meant so much to him. Inu-Yasha was too afraid of his own feelings, and what others would think to ever tell them how special they were. Especially his daughter, Nauki.
When he had found out that Nauki was supposed to be his and Kikyo's daughter, he went into shock. Inu-Yasha had never treated her so bad in his life.
He picked up the stone cautiously, having no idea what kind of effect it was going to have. Miroku had told him that the stone could be asked one question, and one only. If he asked the wrong type of question, the stone would glow a bright purple and shatter. If he asked the right type of question, it would glow a shinning white.
Inu-Yasha tried to remember what a priest had told them when they had retrieved it from a thief. "The stone is very special. It can only be asked one question by the right person. If the question does not benefit the person that is asking it, the stone will shatter and cease to exist. If the person asks the right type of question that benefits others, and not himself, the stone will glow a bright white. The person will be rewarded based on merit. There is a drawback. The stone will answer the question truthfully. It will not always be in the way the person expects, or give the answer the person wants. It is only for those who have questions that cannot be answered by thought, or reason. To ask the stone a question, the person holding it, must ask with his own heart. No other way is acceptable," the priest said.
Inu-Yasha closed his eyes. He knew what he wanted to ask, but was afraid to ask it. There were so many questions that he could ask, but at that moment, none of them seemed worth it. He felt the smoothness of the stone as his mind wandered.
He really wanted to know where Nauki was suppose to be. Inu-Yasha wanted her in his life. He loved the little eight year-old that was back at his hut. His heart started to ache, feeling like he was somewhat lost. *I can ask the stone anything I choose. Why am I so determined to find out where Nauki belongs and who she belongs to?*
He opened his eyes to see the stone glowing white. Inu-Yasha had not uttered a word. He had spoken with his heart, and the stone was answering him back.
Pictures started to fly through his mind. He couldn't figure it out, until he was left with the look of surprise on his face, his heart racing. He dropped the stone. It clinked on the floor. Inu-Yasha could not feel his body, he was going numb.
He slowly walked back to his hut. The pictures started to swarm inside of his mind, blocking out all questions and thoughts of reason. Nothing seemed as it once was. He could not believe it.
When he got home, he saw Nauki playing happily with Aya. She was carrying her five year-old sister on her back, jumping around as Oda chased them. Inu-Yasha stared at them, their innocence shocking him.
Once they saw him, they stopped playing. Aya and Oda ran over to him, jumping at his legs. Oda popped Aya upside the head, stuck his tongue out, then ran off with her chasing him. Nauki was watching him, unsure of why he was staring at her.
Inu-Yasha couldn't move. As he stood there, he felt his heart closing on her. He didn't mean to do it. It just naturally happened. In a way, he felt betrayed. He had wanted to forget the past, start anew with Kagome and his family.
Nauki's bottom lip quivered. She knew that he knew. *My papa doesn't like me anymore...* She lowered her head, shuffling her feet. Nauki felt like she had done something really wrong by surviving. Tears flowed down her face. She couldn't hear him. He had closed himself to her, and she knew it instantly.
He swallowed hard. Inu-Yasha looked the girl over, trying to find Kikyo's features and personality in Nauki. Nothing Nauki did made her seem like his lost love. She did not look like her, or act like her in any way.
Inu-Yasha watched as Nauki nodded slowly. She turned around, walking off from him. That night, Nauki slept in another room by herself. Something she had never done before. Normally she slept right underneath him.
Kagome noticed something was wrong. If Nauki was sad, Inu-Yasha usually would go and find her, give her a hug, and make her feel better. Instead, he was sitting up against the wall, deep in thought. "Inu-Yasha, what is wrong? You are so distant. Why is Nauki not sleeping near you?"
Inu-Yasha looked down, stroking Aya's hair. She had his hair color, Oda his features. Nauki had..everything that was hidden inside of him. The girl was everything that he wanted to hide: love, comfort, happiness-all of the emotions he never wanted others to know he had. Because of those things, Inu-Yasha was starting to resent her.
Kagome crouched, watching him silently.
"She is my daughter, Kagome." He breathed the words out with a newfound alertness.
"Of course she is," Kagome said.
"No, Kagome, she is my real daughter," Inu-Yasha looked at her sadly, not able to explain really what he felt.
"What do you mean? Kikyo is dead," Kagome said, not wanting to believe that Inu-Yasha had probably cheated on her.
"It's nothing like that," he breathed out. "I asked the stone where Nauki belonged. It told me..or showed me pictures of myself..when I was stuck to the sacred tree by Kikyo's arrow. A demon came when I was asleep. It took the wounded part of my soul, and kept it. When you came and lifted the arrow off of me, the part of my soul that was missing, slowly transformed. What it transformed into..is Nauki."
Kagome couldn't believe her ears. "Nauki is a Soul Child, like Kaede theorized years ago?"
He nodded slowly. "She is everything that I wanted to hide, Kagome. All of the innocence and feelings I had bottled up for years...Now they are out.."
Kagome touched his face. "Inu-Yasha, don't treat Nauki like this. She didn't ask to be here. She only wants your love, that's all she asks for."
At that point in time, he couldn't do it. Nauki realized he had changed, and so had she. He had closed himself to her. Nauki, on the other hand, started to figure out how alone she really was. She had no one. Her family was not her own, and she felt betrayed by being taken when she wasn't really wanted.
From that day on, Nauki watched from afar. Everything she did, was on her own. She fed herself, slept by herself, and she rarely talked. The only person she would normally talk to, was Rin. Rin had no one but Sesshomaru. Rin became her best friend over the years as Nauki battled with her loneliness.
*I am so sorry for everything that I have done, Little One. I didn't mean to close you off from me.* Inu-Yasha walked slowly into the room. Kagome glanced up at him, then looked back to Nauki.
"I thought she..called me," Kagome said. She got up, leaning back on her knees.
"She probably did," Inu-Yasha said. He walked closer, his heart deeply saddened. He looked over at his daughter's limp form. Inu-Yasha had been thinking a lot about how he had treated her, and how all of a sudden, she had rushed to protect him, regardless. "Kagome,...do you think Nauki will forgive me for what I've done?"
Kagome turned her head, smiling sadly at him. "She already has, Inu-Yasha."
"Did she say so?"
"No,...but she's still with you. That's how I know."
Days had passed since Nauki had thrown herself in front of Inu-Yasha to save his life. In that amount of time, Inu-Yasha had had to deal with the skeletons he kept in the closet. Kagome had her job fixed for she had to keep Aya and Oda from seeing their sister. Oda was more curious to why Nauki was hurt-for he thought demons to be ruthless and invincible. Aya, on the other hand, was concerned.
"Mama, is Papa, o.k.," Aya asked as she helped her mother wash clothes in the river.
"He's worried, Sweetheart." Kagome scrubbed Nauki's kimono for the fifth time trying to get the blood out.
Aya stared off, her hands stopping. She saw a bird flying above the water. "Is my sister going to die?"
Kagome stared at her daughter. Aya had Inu-Yasha's hair color, but mainly resembled Kagome in every other way. She had never heard Aya refer to Nauki as being her sister. It struck her.
For a moment, Kagome lost her voice. She went back to washing. "I don't know, Aya. I seriously hope not."
***************************************************************************
Nauki lay unconscious on the floor with Inu-Yasha watching over her. He had not left her side in days; afraid that she would slip from him again. The positive outcome of her fate was slim.
He watched her sadly.
They had managed to clean her wound a few hours after she had went into shock. It had taken all of their effort to wrap the bandage around her without hurting her. Kagome had left to go explain what had happened to Nauki to the twins.
Inu-Yasha crawled over his daughter, laying on her gently, shielding her from the world. He did not want to share what remaining life she had left, with anyone. Inu-Yasha laid his head on her chest, his ear up against her heart.
Her heart was beating slowly, her breathing still shallow. Inu-Yasha closed his eyes. Worry encased his mind. He hadn't slept well in days. "I miss you, Little One."
Exhaustion finally set in. He quietly fell asleep, his dreams overtaking him. However, they were not the dreams he was expecting.
(He was standing in a field of wildflowers, the sun overcast. Looking around he saw dandelion seeds being blown in the wind. The area was unfamiliar to him.
He felt someone tugging on his sleeve. Inu-Yasha looked down to see Nauki's eight-year-old face looking up at him. Her eyes weren't sparkling like they normally did.
Inu-Yasha stared at her, not able to move. He realized what was happening. When Nauki was eight-years-old, he had started to treat her differently. It was right after he had asked the Caliba stone where Nauki belonged.
He felt like he couldn't breathe again. Inu-Yasha couldn't move, either. He wanted to hold her, to tell her how he felt.
Nauki reached into her heart. She pulled out a prayer bead necklace. It was the same that had been put on him by Kaede years ago.
Without emotion, the girl put the necklace around her neck. She stepped back a few feet looking at him sadly. He didn't know what to do.
Nauki was symbolizing that she was a part of him. Before he could explain his feelings to the child, she ran from him.
He watched as she lept in front of a large tree. Inu-Yasha knew the scene well. He started to run after her. He was moving at lightening speed, but Nauki was in slow motion.
Inu-Yasha heard the arrow coming out of nowhere. It shot through Nauki's chest, pinning her to the tree. Instead of glancing up, her form faded.
Inu-Yasha stood not able to move. He knew that if he turned around, he would see Kikyo, or Naraku disguised as her. Something in the back of his mind told him to turn around.
When he did, he saw himself holding the bow. He had shot Nauki, not Naraku. Inu-Yasha did not understand why he was holding the bow.
"It is because you did not want her when you found out who she was."
Inu-Yasha turned around again. Standing behind him was Kaede, as a child, about the age of seven.
"What is going on," he asked, his own voice sounding unfamiliar.
"She cannot tell you any other way how she feels, or what is to be," Kaede said.)
Before he knew it, the dream vanished. Inu-Yasha opened his eyes. He didn't realize he had fallen asleep. Raising his head, he checked Nauki. She was still the same.
Carefully, he nudged her chin wanting her to open her eyes. "Nauki, please look at me," he begged.
She couldn't move, nor could she hear him. Nauki was lost ot a world of darkness. It was the same atmosphere as the demon world where she had came from. The girl figured she was being sent back.
Inu-Yasha felt drowsier the more he looked at her. He shook his head trying to stay awake. "Nauki...," he called gently as he touched her face.
Lowering his head, Inu-Yasha fell asleep again. He couldn't stay awake for some reason. Another dream rushed in on him, slamming his mind into another world.
(There was an endless river in front of him. A large boulder was near. Nauki sat on the top, her long hair blowing behind her.
Inu-Yasha lept upwards, landing behind her. She was the same age that she normally was. He breathed slowly, afraid she was going to get shot by another arrow.
"Why did you leave me," Nauki asked through her tears.
Inu-Yasha walked a few feet towards her, his hand outstretched. Lightly, he touched the back of her head. "I didn't leave you, Little One."
Nauki's crying got worse. "Yes, you did. I can't hear you anymore."
Inu-Yasha gasped as the pain came from his chest. He looked down to see that his heart was bleeding. Touching his chest, he found out that it wasn't just his blood, it was Nauki's also.
He looked back up at her. She was turned around. An arrow was sticking out of her chest. For some reason, he knew she couldn't remove it.
He sat down behind her, trying hard not to pay attention to the pain.
"I can't hear you anymore," Nauki repeated. She wasn't referring to his voice, but his heatbeat. Inu-Yasha had closed himself to her when she was eight.
He became angry at himself for letting things get worse over the years. The emotions in his eyes told Nauki he was sorry. He opened his mouth to say something, but wasn't able.
Nauki was used to it. She lowered her head in defeat, the arrow going deeper into her body. She grimaced, but beared the pain.
(I know you care not by what you say, but by what you do.) The message ehcoed in his mind. Inu-Yasha grabbed hold of the arrow, holding it firmly.
Nauki looked up at him wondering what he was doing. "What are you doing Inu-Yasha," she asked with Kikyo's voice.
He gritted his teeth, growling as he held the arrow tightly. "I'm NOT Inu-Yasha! I'm your father!" The second he said it, the arrow glowed. It disappeared much like when Kagome had broken Kikyo's spell.
Nauki looked up at him again. She had a surprised look on her face. Inu-Yasha was crying in front of her. Something she had never seen before.
He was breathing hard as the tears flowed down his face. Inu-Yasha leaned forward, wrapping his arms around her tightly. "I love you, Little One," he said half in joy, half in sorrow.
"You...love..me?" Nauki wrapped her arms around his waist as she laid her head on his shoulder. She scratched lightly at his arm.
He didn't want the dream to end. It was more real to him than reality itself. For the longest time, he sat on the boulder holding his daughter.)
"Inu-Yasha," Kagome called. She shook his shoulder lightly. He opened his eyes slowly to look at her. He glanced around the room making sure he was in the same place. His forehead was covered in sweat.
"Are you alright," she asked as he got up.
"Yeah, I think so." Inu-Yasha leaned down quickly, staring at Nauki. His breathing increased when he remembered the two dreams he had had. He touched her face gently.
Nauki moved her head in the direction of his hand. She couldn't move much, but she could hear him again. His heart was fully open once more, as it had been when she was three years-old.
"She's stable," Kagome said as she watched the relief come across his face.
"How did she get stable," he asked, already knowing the answer.
"I'm not sure, but something is telling me that you're the reason she's still here."
Inu-Yasha wrapped his arms around Nauki's neck. The girl moved slightly. He kissed her cheek. He wanted to make sure that she knew he was there.
*I'm with you, Papa, for as long as you'll let me be.* Nauki lightly scratched at his side only to pass out from her weakness.
Inu-Yasha buried his head into her shoulder. "You're with me for all time, Little One," he whispered. He looked back at Kagome who was studying him curiously.
"You know something, don't you?"
"Not anymore than you." Inu-Yasha let go of Nauki's neck, letting her rest. He still wasn't too keen about leaving her side. "Something tells me you're here to relieve me of duty."
"You've been in here for days. You need to go outside, take a long walk. I can watch over Nauki, Inu-Yasha. You seriously need a break." She watched him look down, his mind focused only on his daughter.
"I can't," was his simple reply. He crawled off of Nauki, then sat beside Kagome, still watching the unconscious fifteen year-old.
Kagome interlaced her fingers with his as she watched Nauki also. "Nauki is my daughter as much as she is yours." She felt kind of bad that he only referred to her as his daughter. Kagome had raised her also.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to sound possessive." He glanced at her with a soft expression on his face. "I'm suppose to protect her, Kagome. I feel responsible for what happened to her."
Kagome leaned towards him, resting her head on his shoulder. "The only thing you are responsible for is for letting her love you."
He smiled a little. "I just don't want her to be taken from me. If I leave, she could still get worse."
"That's why I'm here. I know Nauki wasn't suppose to have me for her mother, but I'm greatful that she thinks of me as so." Kagome did love the girl. She knew Nauki had been meant for Kikyo, which kind of bothered her.
He laid his head on hers, thinking. "If I take a break, you have to promise to call me if she gets worse."
Kagome looked up at him. "I promise." She knew how worried he was. Inu-Yasha had never had someone step in front of him before to save him, or experienced anything like what he was experiencing with his daughter.
Inu-Yasha kissed her softly, then stretched his legs and arms. He walked out of the room slowly, then came back quickly, checking to see if Nauki was o.k.
"Would you go outside, or something? She's fine!" Kagome threw a rag at him. He left taking the hint.
Kagome leaned down towards Nauki. She studied her for a moment before checking the bandage around her. Carefully she took the bandage off, then cleaned the wound again to limit the chance of infection.
Kagome found herself thinking absently about what would have happened if Nauki had been Kikyo's daughter. She couldn't imagine the girl walking around wearing a priestess outfit, saving the lives of the villagers when she resembled Inu-Yasha so much. Kagome smirked a little, impure thoughts coming into her mind. *I'm sure she would have raided the whole village. Probably slaughtered all of them if everything had turned out the way it should have. By that time, Inu-Yasha would have still been his old self and would have had time to brain wash her..*
*What am I saying? I shouldn't be thinking things like that! Then again..If Nauki had been born to Kikyo, instead of created from Inu-Yasha's heart, she wouldn't look as she is now. Demon blood is dominant, so I know she would have the features, but in which direction would her heart ly? Kikyo used to be a loving, caring priestess, but now she is revengeful and hateful. She wouldn't hurt a child, but she would harm me in a flash.* Kagome's face soured. *What would she do if she saw Nauki? Or Aya and Oda? Would her hatred rain in on them, to hurt them? Would she stoop to the point of no return, even though, they are children?*
Kagome didn't understand it. *I love Nauki like she was my own daughter. I couldn't imagine her going back to Kikyo.* She dressed Nauki again, putting fresh bandages around her. *Nauki's wound is still bad. At least she is stable, which is a blessing.*
Nauki moved a little as Kagome lifted her up to finish wrapping the bandages around her.
"Shhh..It's alright, Bubbles," Kagome said, not having called her that in a long time. She remembered when she had taken Nauki back to her era, how the girl had reacted to the strange environment.
(Nauki was crying at full force when Kagome stepped inside her house. The girl had no idea where she was, or why she was here. "It's o.k., Nauki," she told her.
Nauki stretched out her hand in the direction of where they had came from. She wanted to go back down the well, back into the shiny light. "P-Papa!" Tears were flowing down her face, her eyes bloodshot from the immense crying she had been doing since Inu-Yasha had gotten hurt.
Kagome knew that if she had left Nauki there, that Miroku and Sango wouldn't have been given any peace. She needed to be away from them for a little while to calm down. "Shhh..He's going to be o.k.," Kagome said, not knowing if she believed her own words.
Kagome started to walk further in the house, Nauki shaking her head at her while she kicked her legs. She almost dropped her. "Nauki, calm down," Kagome was getting slightly aggravated by the girl. She knew it wasn't her fault for having seen Inu-Yasha get hurt.
Mrs. Hiragashi came around the corner from the kitchen. She studied Kagome strangely seeing the girl in her arms. "Kagome, who is this little girl?"
Kagome shifted Nauki around, the small child still crying. "Mom, this is Nauki. She's the little girl that I told you about before, the one that Inu-Yasha adopted." Nauki wouldn't look at Kagome's mother. She was too busy worried about Inu-Yasha.
Mrs. Hiragashi came closer. "Kagome, come into the family room with her."
As Kagome followed, her mother sat down on the floor. She told Kagome to sit down with Nauki. "If you sit down with her, she might calm down. Why is she crying," she asked as Kagome sat down with Nauki in her lap. The girl was still shaking her head.
"She saw Inu-Yasha get hurt. He's wounded very badly." Kagome stared at the floor, her mind fixed on how she had last seen him.
"I see. Nauki's been traumatized."
"P-Papa! P-Papa!" Nauki started to scream as she cried, her face becoming red with anger. She didn't know why Kagome didn't take her back. She didn't want to be here in this strange place.
Mrs. Hiragashi leaned forward, wrapping her arms around Nauki's waist. She pulled Nauki towards her setting her in her lap. Mrs. Hiragashi turned Nauki towards her, holding her head against her chest as she rocked her. "Shhh."
Nauki was still crying for her papa. She didn't know who the lady was holding her. "Papa," she said more calmly, her voice hoarse from crying.
"Mom, how did you know what to do?" Kagome watched as Nauki started to calm down, whimpering softly as she held onto Mrs. Hiragashi.
"When a toddler is traumatized, they feel insecure. You have to make them feel secure, usually by holding them firmly to reassure them that they are safe."
"Nauki's not a toddler. She's six years-old," Kagome said.
Mrs. Hiragashi looked at her daughter. "Baby, she's a toddler. You can tell by how she acts."
"What about her height?"
"She just has a tall father. That's who she got her height from. Look," Mrs. Hiragashi opened Nauki's mouth. Kagome peered in. "She still has all of her baby teeth. You can always tell age by a person's teeth. A child six years-old would have already started to lose those teeth."
"So..Inu-Yasha was wrong?"
"Very. By the way she is reacting to what she saw, I would say that Nauki is just a little over 3 years-old."
Kagome watched Nauki stick her finger in her mouth, sucking on her finger. "She's...just a baby?"
Mrs. Hiragashi nodded. "Kagome, would you go look in my desk in my room and get that box where I keep all of you and Sota's baby things?"
Kagome came back. She opened the box. "You saved all of our old rattlers and pacifiers?"
"Of course. What mother wouldn't? I remember how you used to love this thing." Mrs. Hiragashi picked up a pink rattler with a duck on it. She shook it at Kagome teasing her.
"Mom, I'm not a baby anymore."
"I know. Lets see if we can find something to comfort her."
"You mean like a teddy bear, or something."
"Exactly." She shook the rattler at Nauki. The girl pawed at it, but didn't want it. She tried something else. Nauki grabbed onto the play keys, but threw them down.
Kagome picked up her old pacifier. It was blue with small white stars on it. She pulled Nauki's finger out of her mouth. Right when Nauki started to cry, she slipped the pacifier in.
Nauki started to suck on the pacifier. She grabbed Mrs. Hiragashi's shirt. "My..Inu..Yassa...," she cried.
"I know, sweetheart, I know." Mrs. Hiragashi rocked Nauki until the girl's eyes started to droop. "All of the crying she's been doing has worn her out more than she realizes."
Nauki fell asleep on Kagome's mom.
When she had woken up, Kagome tried her best to get Nauki to eat. It was near impossible. She sat her at the table in the kitchen, but Nauki wouldn't face her. "Come on, Nauki, please eat. You haven't ate since Inu-Yasha got hurt." She moved the chopsticks towards the girl's mouth, but Nauki turned her head sharply, then shook her head.
"What is going on in here," Kagome's grandfather said. "Hmmm?" He watched Nauki bat the chopsticks away.
"Grandpa, how do you get someone to eat that refuses?" Kagome tried again, but Nauki hit the chopsticks, causing them to land on the floor.
"If she won't eat what you give her, try something else." He watched as Kagome tried, but Nauki only got angrier. The girl knocked the food to the floor, kicking her legs.
"P-Papa! P-Papa!" Nauki started to cry again, yelling to the top of her lungs.
Kagome's grandfather covered his ears. "Who is she talking about," he hollered over the girl's loud yells.
"She's talking about Inu-Yasha," Kagome yelled back.
"Well for pity's sake, take her back to him," her grandfather yelled back as he covered his ears. He needed to get away from the noise.
"Oh yeah, gramps, you're a big help," Kagome muttered.
Nauki continued to kick her legs as she yelled.
*Mama said to hold her when she cries to make her feel secure. This better work.* Kagome grabbed Nauki while she kicked then perceded to hold her firmly against her. She had one hand on the side of the girl's head to hold her to her chest, her other arm was wrapped around her waist to hold her in her lap. Luckily, Nauki started to calm down.
"I wish you would eat, Little One." Kagome laid her head ontop of Nauki's.
Nauki heard her pet name. "My..Inu..Yassa..," Nauki said sadly.
"I know..Your Inu-Yasha.." She looked down at the girl in her arms. Kagome couldn't help it, but she started to stroke Nauki's hair. *She is such a pretty little girl.*
Kagome sat holding Nauki, trying to figure out how to get her to eat, and trying to not think about how Inu-Yasha was hurt. "I hope you're o.k.," she whispered with Nauki looking up at her. Kagome blinked her eyes, a tear rolling down her cheek.
"Mmmm..a..Ma..," Nauki called. She touched Kagome's chin.
"Huh?" Kagome looked down. "I still haven't figured out why you call me that."
"Maybe it's because she knows you take care of her," Mrs. Hiragashi said coming into the kitchen.
"Mom, I can't get her to eat. She's only used to Inu-Yasha feeding her. Nauki normally won't take food from anyone else."
"Well.." Her mother sat down, folding her hands on the table. "What does Inu-Yasha do to make her eat?"
Kagome thought. "He usually bites into the food he wants her to eat, then hands it to her."
"There's your problem. You have to show her it's not going to hurt her." Her mom smiled.
"So if I bite into something, and Nauki sees it, she'll eat it?"
"Try it and find out."
Kagome picked up a biscuit. She bit into it, making sure Nauki noticed. Then she handed it to the three year-old.
Nauki sniffed the biscuit. She analyzed it from every angle. Quietly, she bit into it, chewing the bread in her mouth slowly.
"See?"
"You're a funny little thing," Kagome commented.
Kagome carried Nauki to the bathroom. With Inu-Yasha badly wounded, she was going ot have to take care of the three-year-old for a while Kagome opened the door. Nauki was hodling onto her tightly, her head resting on her shoulder.
"Alright, kiddo. Lets see if you'll take a bath." Kagome turned the water on.
Nauki's ears picked up the sound. She whirled around. Seeing the water frightened her. Shhe was only used to Inu-Yasha caring for her.
Her heart started to race when Kagome kneeled down to put her down. Nauki shook her head, the pacifer still in her mouth. "No, mama," she said, her eyes welling up with tears.
"I know you're only used to Inu-Yasha," Kagome said as she sat her down. "I wish you didn't feel so threatened by me."
Nauki shook her head, touching Kagome's face lightly. *I'm not scared of you. I don't like water.*
Kagome grabbed the box of soap bubbles on the edge of the bathrub. She opened the box then passed half of the box into the water. She noticed Nauki was watching her. "Want to take a bubble bath?"
Nauki tilted her head. She had never seen bubbles before. The white foam of suds was rising over the tub. "Mama," Nauki yelled, pointing.
Kagome turned around. Her eyes widened. "Ah! I think I put too much in!" She turned the water off as the suds towered over the tub. "Oh, well," she sighed.
Nauki poked the suds. A few of them popped. She poked a few more, watching them disappear. She liked this game.
Kagome watched Nauki play with the bubbles. She figured it was o.k. to put her in now. Very carefully, she started to slip Nauki's kimono off without her noticing. "Alright, Bubbles, hop ein," Kagome smiled, feeling rather proud of herself.
Nauki looked down. She growled a little. *You're a very tricky mama!*
Kagome left Nauki's night kimono on as she placed her in the water. She watched her play with the bubbles, smiling a bit as they popped. While she was distracted, Kagome bathed her.)
Kagome placed Nauki back down on the floor. She went to a corner of the room, grabbing one of the blankets they used at night. Walking back over to Nauki, she kneeled down, covering the girl up. She knew it was warm outside, but Nauki's skin was cold to the touch.
As the blanket touched her, Nauki moved her head slowly. She knew someone was there. Lightly, she sniffed the air searching for the person. It was Kagome. Nauki struggled to talk. She wanted her to know that she knew she was there. "M..hh..mmm...ahh...maa," she forced herself to breathe out, not knowing if Kagome heard her or not.
Kagome had just moved the blanket up to Nauki's chin when she heard her. She turned her head slowly. *Did she just call me?* Kagome leaned down, her heart fluttered.
"Mm..hh..mma..maa," Nauki said again, moving her head in Kagome's direction. She knew she was there. Nauki wanted to move so badly, but couldn't. Her limbs felt heavy. Nauki was slipping in and out of consciousness.
Kagome leaned down more, within two inches of her face. She watched her. She wanted to hear her again, to know that she was alright. Kagome stroked her cheek sadly. "Bubbles, can you hear me?"
Inu-Yasha had just came inside when he heard Kagome. He walked to the back room, peeking in. He saw Kagome staring at Nauki, her face sad as she stroked her cheek. Inu-Yasha breathed out slowly.
"I know I heard you," Kagome said to herself. She leaned down farther, wrapping her arms around the girl's neck. She closed her eyes, listening in case Nauki called her again.
Nauki moved her fingers a little, but barely noticeable. She was too weak to try and talk again. The scents around her were fading. Darkness crept over her, swallowing her once again as she fell into the void where her heart and mind were.
Inu-Yasha closed his eyes, lowering his head. Nauki's prescence had never been noted before, until now. He was beginning to think that the saying 'You never know what you have, until it's gone' was true. They had never thought of her as being special, or something spectacular.
He started to think about Sango, Miroku, Aya, Oda, Kaede, and even Shippo. They all meant so much to him. Inu-Yasha was too afraid of his own feelings, and what others would think to ever tell them how special they were. Especially his daughter, Nauki.
When he had found out that Nauki was supposed to be his and Kikyo's daughter, he went into shock. Inu-Yasha had never treated her so bad in his life.
He picked up the stone cautiously, having no idea what kind of effect it was going to have. Miroku had told him that the stone could be asked one question, and one only. If he asked the wrong type of question, the stone would glow a bright purple and shatter. If he asked the right type of question, it would glow a shinning white.
Inu-Yasha tried to remember what a priest had told them when they had retrieved it from a thief. "The stone is very special. It can only be asked one question by the right person. If the question does not benefit the person that is asking it, the stone will shatter and cease to exist. If the person asks the right type of question that benefits others, and not himself, the stone will glow a bright white. The person will be rewarded based on merit. There is a drawback. The stone will answer the question truthfully. It will not always be in the way the person expects, or give the answer the person wants. It is only for those who have questions that cannot be answered by thought, or reason. To ask the stone a question, the person holding it, must ask with his own heart. No other way is acceptable," the priest said.
Inu-Yasha closed his eyes. He knew what he wanted to ask, but was afraid to ask it. There were so many questions that he could ask, but at that moment, none of them seemed worth it. He felt the smoothness of the stone as his mind wandered.
He really wanted to know where Nauki was suppose to be. Inu-Yasha wanted her in his life. He loved the little eight year-old that was back at his hut. His heart started to ache, feeling like he was somewhat lost. *I can ask the stone anything I choose. Why am I so determined to find out where Nauki belongs and who she belongs to?*
He opened his eyes to see the stone glowing white. Inu-Yasha had not uttered a word. He had spoken with his heart, and the stone was answering him back.
Pictures started to fly through his mind. He couldn't figure it out, until he was left with the look of surprise on his face, his heart racing. He dropped the stone. It clinked on the floor. Inu-Yasha could not feel his body, he was going numb.
He slowly walked back to his hut. The pictures started to swarm inside of his mind, blocking out all questions and thoughts of reason. Nothing seemed as it once was. He could not believe it.
When he got home, he saw Nauki playing happily with Aya. She was carrying her five year-old sister on her back, jumping around as Oda chased them. Inu-Yasha stared at them, their innocence shocking him.
Once they saw him, they stopped playing. Aya and Oda ran over to him, jumping at his legs. Oda popped Aya upside the head, stuck his tongue out, then ran off with her chasing him. Nauki was watching him, unsure of why he was staring at her.
Inu-Yasha couldn't move. As he stood there, he felt his heart closing on her. He didn't mean to do it. It just naturally happened. In a way, he felt betrayed. He had wanted to forget the past, start anew with Kagome and his family.
Nauki's bottom lip quivered. She knew that he knew. *My papa doesn't like me anymore...* She lowered her head, shuffling her feet. Nauki felt like she had done something really wrong by surviving. Tears flowed down her face. She couldn't hear him. He had closed himself to her, and she knew it instantly.
He swallowed hard. Inu-Yasha looked the girl over, trying to find Kikyo's features and personality in Nauki. Nothing Nauki did made her seem like his lost love. She did not look like her, or act like her in any way.
Inu-Yasha watched as Nauki nodded slowly. She turned around, walking off from him. That night, Nauki slept in another room by herself. Something she had never done before. Normally she slept right underneath him.
Kagome noticed something was wrong. If Nauki was sad, Inu-Yasha usually would go and find her, give her a hug, and make her feel better. Instead, he was sitting up against the wall, deep in thought. "Inu-Yasha, what is wrong? You are so distant. Why is Nauki not sleeping near you?"
Inu-Yasha looked down, stroking Aya's hair. She had his hair color, Oda his features. Nauki had..everything that was hidden inside of him. The girl was everything that he wanted to hide: love, comfort, happiness-all of the emotions he never wanted others to know he had. Because of those things, Inu-Yasha was starting to resent her.
Kagome crouched, watching him silently.
"She is my daughter, Kagome." He breathed the words out with a newfound alertness.
"Of course she is," Kagome said.
"No, Kagome, she is my real daughter," Inu-Yasha looked at her sadly, not able to explain really what he felt.
"What do you mean? Kikyo is dead," Kagome said, not wanting to believe that Inu-Yasha had probably cheated on her.
"It's nothing like that," he breathed out. "I asked the stone where Nauki belonged. It told me..or showed me pictures of myself..when I was stuck to the sacred tree by Kikyo's arrow. A demon came when I was asleep. It took the wounded part of my soul, and kept it. When you came and lifted the arrow off of me, the part of my soul that was missing, slowly transformed. What it transformed into..is Nauki."
Kagome couldn't believe her ears. "Nauki is a Soul Child, like Kaede theorized years ago?"
He nodded slowly. "She is everything that I wanted to hide, Kagome. All of the innocence and feelings I had bottled up for years...Now they are out.."
Kagome touched his face. "Inu-Yasha, don't treat Nauki like this. She didn't ask to be here. She only wants your love, that's all she asks for."
At that point in time, he couldn't do it. Nauki realized he had changed, and so had she. He had closed himself to her. Nauki, on the other hand, started to figure out how alone she really was. She had no one. Her family was not her own, and she felt betrayed by being taken when she wasn't really wanted.
From that day on, Nauki watched from afar. Everything she did, was on her own. She fed herself, slept by herself, and she rarely talked. The only person she would normally talk to, was Rin. Rin had no one but Sesshomaru. Rin became her best friend over the years as Nauki battled with her loneliness.
*I am so sorry for everything that I have done, Little One. I didn't mean to close you off from me.* Inu-Yasha walked slowly into the room. Kagome glanced up at him, then looked back to Nauki.
"I thought she..called me," Kagome said. She got up, leaning back on her knees.
"She probably did," Inu-Yasha said. He walked closer, his heart deeply saddened. He looked over at his daughter's limp form. Inu-Yasha had been thinking a lot about how he had treated her, and how all of a sudden, she had rushed to protect him, regardless. "Kagome,...do you think Nauki will forgive me for what I've done?"
Kagome turned her head, smiling sadly at him. "She already has, Inu-Yasha."
"Did she say so?"
"No,...but she's still with you. That's how I know."