Demon Spawned Brats
Even as Shippo climbed out of the well he knew that Inu-Yasha would kill him for being here. It was lucky that Inu-Yasha didn't know he could get through the well on his own. Even now Kagome and Inu-Yasha were supposed to be the only two who could pass through the ages, back to the feudal time. He supposed it was because once, a while ago, when they had still been hunting for shards he had gotten hurt. Kagome who also been hurt was hovering over him, her own wound still bleeding. As she had cried over his unconscious body her tears and blood had mingled with his. Maybe it was that blood that had fallen into his wound, still flowing through his body that granted him safe passage.
Shippo peered through the kitchen window at Kagome. She was now a woman in her thirties, married to Inu-Yasha, with two kids. She barely looked twenty. Kaede had never quite explained it to him but it was something about Inu-Yasha's blood mingling with Kagome's and the two being bound to each other's life. The demon blood in her would give her a demons lifespan.
He would never understand Kagome's choice however. When the shards had all been gathered Kagome and Inu-Yasha had decided they didn't want him to turn human. That wasn't what he disagreed with though. Inu-Yahsa could only return to this age once a month when he turned all-human. What Shippo couldn't understand was why she refused to live in the feudal ages. Why would she choose to raise her children away from their father? He knew she loved Kaede like a mother, and Sango and Miroku like brother and sister. She had loved him like you love an adorable kid, or now like a best friend. Why the stubbornness?
Shippo changed his illusion to one of a teenage kid and went to ring the doorbell. Although he checked up on her often he hadn't spoken to her in nearly ten years. Not since her last visit to his time. Right after her first child had been born.
"May I help you?" Kagome politely answered the door.
Shippo took instant note of the leather pouch that she wore around her neck. He could feel the jewel's answering pulse to his swift probe. "It's been a while, Kagome." He said simply and reached forward to touch the leather necklace.
She gave him a penetrating glance then hazarded a guess, "Shippo?"
"Kagome." He acknowledged.
"Gods Shippo, it's been so long!" She pulled him into a rough embrace. "Come in." She led him into the kitchen. From the glass door you could see a boy and girl out in the yard playing. Or rather the girl was chasing the boy in shrieking in mock anger as he dashed from her grip. "My children. Kagosha and Asha."
"Yes I've heard about them." He had thought their hair was white. That was what Inu-Yahsa had said. It was defiantly black though. "Now tell me how did your kids end up with black hair and not white?"
Just then the door slammed open. "Mother that little monster is driving me nuts." Kagosha fumed. "I swear he's a little demon." Kagosha watched as her mother's eyes bulged and so did the strangers eyes… a very handsome teenage stranger. She pretended not to notice though.
"Honey this is an old friend, Shippo. I used to… baby-sit for him." Kagosha politely shook the other's hand. "Please just endure your brother and I'll speak with him later."
Kagosha stalked back outside supposedly fuming. Really all that had just been a cover to meet the stranger. Why would he be visiting an old baby- sitter anyway?
"I'm sorry about that." Kagome apologized. "Anyway they both inherited Inu- Yasha's white hair and golden eyes. I wasn't sure what to do so I talked to Kaede and learned to place a small illusion on them."
"You haven't told them." It wasn't a question.
"No."
"They resemble you, you know."
"Yes." Kagome stared at her children. Even without the illusion Kagosha would have been a replica of her mother. She was sixteen and if you had put Kagome at sixteen again they would've been twins. Asha clearly had some of his mother's features but took after Inu-Yahsa more strongly. "Any day I expect them to grow fangs and ears. I was so relived when they didn't"
"They might yet." Shippo cautioned.
"What do you mean?" Kagome spun looking panicked.
"They will some day be protectors of the Shikon jewel. No doubt Kagosha has your priestess powers, Asha will inherit the Fang in a likewise fashion. The jewel might be protecting them. If they are ever threatened by danger they will no doubt transform to the half-demons they are."
"Inu-Yasha is half-demon though. Doesn't that mean that they are only ¼ demon, or something like that."
"It takes more than two generations to thin demon blood, I'm afraid." Shippo gave her a sad look. "Is it worth it?"
"Worth what?"
"Them. This." He gestured. "Is a life in your world worth never seeing Inu- Yasha. Worth your kids being raised without him? Come, live in our world with Kaede, Sango, Miroku, and me. Even Myoga misses you. Kaede was like a mother to you but you never visit her. She won't live much longer. You never visit her and she loves you like a daughter. Please come back." Shippo pleaded.
"No. I can't. I can't put them through the dangers we went through. I can't put the jewel in that kind of danger. Every demon in a hundred mile radius would be after it. I can't protect both my children and the jewel. And if I what if I have to decide? Protect the jewel, or protect *MY* children?"
"Your daughter is beautiful. She's just like you. I would've loved her if you hadn't been like a mother."
"Shippo what are you suggesting? You're a few decades older than her."
"And Inu-Yasha is closer to a centaury older than you." Shippo paused. "My disguise won't hold much longer." Then in the way of demons he disappeared through the window.
Even as Shippo left Kagome was pushing the discussion out of her head. But the words still rang in her mind. 'Is it worth it…'
That night Kagosha and Asha were walking towards their grandparents. Kagosha kept thinking about the look on her mother's and Shippo's face when she had said 'demon'. What had she said… what had they been talking about?
"Kagosha? Kagosha we're here. Hello… Kagosha." Asha's hand tugged on her finally bringing her back to life at large. "Hey Kagosha, lets go play in the old well. Come on." Asha dashed off in the direction of the well.
"Asha. Asha get back here right now you annoying little demon spawned brat!" Kagosha yelled then ran off after him.
"I'm gonna jump in!" Asha didn't wait to see if Kagosha had followed him.
With a huge sigh Kagosha jumped in after him. She braced herself for the ground, but it didn't come. She kept falling and then…
~THUMP~
Kagosha landed next to Asha. "You brat. Come on."
They got up began to climb out.
"Ummmm. Kagosha where are we?" Asha instinctively grabbed for his sisters hand.
The two stared at the surrounding forest wondering what had happened to their grandmother's house and the shrine.
"I don't know, Asha." She replied as her hand closed around his.
Suddenly in this forest, Asha seemed so small Kagosha felt the need to protect the annoying little brat. "Come on, Asha. Here's a path, it looks like."
They stated walking but instead of coming out of the woods they were wandering farther into the heart of the wood. Asha grabbed at his older sister, whimpering softly at the dark surrounding forest.
MROWWWWW
Asha and Kagosha jumped at the sound. MROWWWWWW. Kagosha peered into the brush a little.
"I think something's in there!" Kagosha bent and bushed aside the branches. Inside was a kitten strangled by the tight branches. MROWWWWW. "Ok I'm gonna get you out of there. Just hang on." Kagosha muttered. She reached in and with gentle hands un-tangled the kitten. She pulled it out and held it up looking at its strange markings. It was a female; mostly black with a weird white symbol drawn on it's back.
"It's ok." She crooned to the poor thing, then reached into her pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. "Here, let me help you." Kagosha gently cleaned off the dirt and mud, smiling at the now purring kitten. It didn't seem too healthy though.
"Can I pet it?" Asha asked in an amazed sounding voice.
"Sure, gently, like this." She guided Asha's hand to the kitten. As they both touched the kitten at the same time though an amazing thing happened.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "What's going on?" Asha asked. Around them everything had gone dark then lighted up into a scene.
"I don't know? Is that… Mom?" Kagosha watched the scene unfold.
"Yah and I think that's Dad!!!!" Through this illusion of time and space, Kagosha and Asha saw their heritage in the Shikon Jewel. They met Kaede, Sango, Miroku, Myoga, and Shippo.
"Go Dad!" Asha cheered during the battles.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And in a second they had seen it all.
"If Daddy's a demon and Mommy's a priestess, what does that make us?" Asha asked, his little lip quivering a little.
"I don't know." Kagome replied. "1/2 religious, ½ demons with morals I guess." Then she began to laugh hysterically. The whole absurdity of the situation struck her. Asha watched, as her laughs became bitter tears for all the changes in the last hour. As her mind summarized the details:
There's another dimension behind her grandmother's well
Her father is a demon from the other dimension
Her mother is a priestess who looks young threw a magical artifact
She and her brother are half-demons
"God's no wonder Mom and her friend …( 5) the hot teen Shippo is a demon that is years older than her… damn)… freaked out when I called you a little demon." Kagosha looked at Asha and jumped. What was I thinking crying I front of him? I need to keep calm for his sake. "It's ok Asha. Did you do that?" she stroked the kitten. Then she got a wonderful idea. "Asha, I need you to do something. I need you to take care of the kitten for me, ok. Can you do that?" Asha nodded and she smiled. That would give him something else to think about anyway.
Kagosha took Asha's hand and helped him get up. Then she led him onto the path and back in the direction they came.
"Keta-Lara, where are you? Come on Keta-Lara don't hide from me!" a voice called from the distance.
"Come on let's hide Asha." Kagosha started to lead him off the path. Something told her that meeting that person would not lead to any good. She barely got a step before a white blur landed in front of them.
"Going anywhere?" a young male voice interrupted. The speaker looked about 18; he had long white hair, golden slit eyes, red stripes on each cheek, and a moon on his forehead between his eyes. "Who are you?" he demanded imperiously.
"Travelers, we're lost." Kagosha cursed the slight tremor in her voice. "Who are you?"
"I am the son of the demon Lord Sesshoumaru, Deladgahu. I'm in a hurry but it would look bad if I let you live. So I'll kill you quickly I think." He raised his claw and it swept down towards Kagosha.
Even as Shippo climbed out of the well he knew that Inu-Yasha would kill him for being here. It was lucky that Inu-Yasha didn't know he could get through the well on his own. Even now Kagome and Inu-Yasha were supposed to be the only two who could pass through the ages, back to the feudal time. He supposed it was because once, a while ago, when they had still been hunting for shards he had gotten hurt. Kagome who also been hurt was hovering over him, her own wound still bleeding. As she had cried over his unconscious body her tears and blood had mingled with his. Maybe it was that blood that had fallen into his wound, still flowing through his body that granted him safe passage.
Shippo peered through the kitchen window at Kagome. She was now a woman in her thirties, married to Inu-Yasha, with two kids. She barely looked twenty. Kaede had never quite explained it to him but it was something about Inu-Yasha's blood mingling with Kagome's and the two being bound to each other's life. The demon blood in her would give her a demons lifespan.
He would never understand Kagome's choice however. When the shards had all been gathered Kagome and Inu-Yasha had decided they didn't want him to turn human. That wasn't what he disagreed with though. Inu-Yahsa could only return to this age once a month when he turned all-human. What Shippo couldn't understand was why she refused to live in the feudal ages. Why would she choose to raise her children away from their father? He knew she loved Kaede like a mother, and Sango and Miroku like brother and sister. She had loved him like you love an adorable kid, or now like a best friend. Why the stubbornness?
Shippo changed his illusion to one of a teenage kid and went to ring the doorbell. Although he checked up on her often he hadn't spoken to her in nearly ten years. Not since her last visit to his time. Right after her first child had been born.
"May I help you?" Kagome politely answered the door.
Shippo took instant note of the leather pouch that she wore around her neck. He could feel the jewel's answering pulse to his swift probe. "It's been a while, Kagome." He said simply and reached forward to touch the leather necklace.
She gave him a penetrating glance then hazarded a guess, "Shippo?"
"Kagome." He acknowledged.
"Gods Shippo, it's been so long!" She pulled him into a rough embrace. "Come in." She led him into the kitchen. From the glass door you could see a boy and girl out in the yard playing. Or rather the girl was chasing the boy in shrieking in mock anger as he dashed from her grip. "My children. Kagosha and Asha."
"Yes I've heard about them." He had thought their hair was white. That was what Inu-Yahsa had said. It was defiantly black though. "Now tell me how did your kids end up with black hair and not white?"
Just then the door slammed open. "Mother that little monster is driving me nuts." Kagosha fumed. "I swear he's a little demon." Kagosha watched as her mother's eyes bulged and so did the strangers eyes… a very handsome teenage stranger. She pretended not to notice though.
"Honey this is an old friend, Shippo. I used to… baby-sit for him." Kagosha politely shook the other's hand. "Please just endure your brother and I'll speak with him later."
Kagosha stalked back outside supposedly fuming. Really all that had just been a cover to meet the stranger. Why would he be visiting an old baby- sitter anyway?
"I'm sorry about that." Kagome apologized. "Anyway they both inherited Inu- Yasha's white hair and golden eyes. I wasn't sure what to do so I talked to Kaede and learned to place a small illusion on them."
"You haven't told them." It wasn't a question.
"No."
"They resemble you, you know."
"Yes." Kagome stared at her children. Even without the illusion Kagosha would have been a replica of her mother. She was sixteen and if you had put Kagome at sixteen again they would've been twins. Asha clearly had some of his mother's features but took after Inu-Yahsa more strongly. "Any day I expect them to grow fangs and ears. I was so relived when they didn't"
"They might yet." Shippo cautioned.
"What do you mean?" Kagome spun looking panicked.
"They will some day be protectors of the Shikon jewel. No doubt Kagosha has your priestess powers, Asha will inherit the Fang in a likewise fashion. The jewel might be protecting them. If they are ever threatened by danger they will no doubt transform to the half-demons they are."
"Inu-Yasha is half-demon though. Doesn't that mean that they are only ¼ demon, or something like that."
"It takes more than two generations to thin demon blood, I'm afraid." Shippo gave her a sad look. "Is it worth it?"
"Worth what?"
"Them. This." He gestured. "Is a life in your world worth never seeing Inu- Yasha. Worth your kids being raised without him? Come, live in our world with Kaede, Sango, Miroku, and me. Even Myoga misses you. Kaede was like a mother to you but you never visit her. She won't live much longer. You never visit her and she loves you like a daughter. Please come back." Shippo pleaded.
"No. I can't. I can't put them through the dangers we went through. I can't put the jewel in that kind of danger. Every demon in a hundred mile radius would be after it. I can't protect both my children and the jewel. And if I what if I have to decide? Protect the jewel, or protect *MY* children?"
"Your daughter is beautiful. She's just like you. I would've loved her if you hadn't been like a mother."
"Shippo what are you suggesting? You're a few decades older than her."
"And Inu-Yasha is closer to a centaury older than you." Shippo paused. "My disguise won't hold much longer." Then in the way of demons he disappeared through the window.
Even as Shippo left Kagome was pushing the discussion out of her head. But the words still rang in her mind. 'Is it worth it…'
That night Kagosha and Asha were walking towards their grandparents. Kagosha kept thinking about the look on her mother's and Shippo's face when she had said 'demon'. What had she said… what had they been talking about?
"Kagosha? Kagosha we're here. Hello… Kagosha." Asha's hand tugged on her finally bringing her back to life at large. "Hey Kagosha, lets go play in the old well. Come on." Asha dashed off in the direction of the well.
"Asha. Asha get back here right now you annoying little demon spawned brat!" Kagosha yelled then ran off after him.
"I'm gonna jump in!" Asha didn't wait to see if Kagosha had followed him.
With a huge sigh Kagosha jumped in after him. She braced herself for the ground, but it didn't come. She kept falling and then…
~THUMP~
Kagosha landed next to Asha. "You brat. Come on."
They got up began to climb out.
"Ummmm. Kagosha where are we?" Asha instinctively grabbed for his sisters hand.
The two stared at the surrounding forest wondering what had happened to their grandmother's house and the shrine.
"I don't know, Asha." She replied as her hand closed around his.
Suddenly in this forest, Asha seemed so small Kagosha felt the need to protect the annoying little brat. "Come on, Asha. Here's a path, it looks like."
They stated walking but instead of coming out of the woods they were wandering farther into the heart of the wood. Asha grabbed at his older sister, whimpering softly at the dark surrounding forest.
MROWWWWW
Asha and Kagosha jumped at the sound. MROWWWWWW. Kagosha peered into the brush a little.
"I think something's in there!" Kagosha bent and bushed aside the branches. Inside was a kitten strangled by the tight branches. MROWWWWW. "Ok I'm gonna get you out of there. Just hang on." Kagosha muttered. She reached in and with gentle hands un-tangled the kitten. She pulled it out and held it up looking at its strange markings. It was a female; mostly black with a weird white symbol drawn on it's back.
"It's ok." She crooned to the poor thing, then reached into her pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. "Here, let me help you." Kagosha gently cleaned off the dirt and mud, smiling at the now purring kitten. It didn't seem too healthy though.
"Can I pet it?" Asha asked in an amazed sounding voice.
"Sure, gently, like this." She guided Asha's hand to the kitten. As they both touched the kitten at the same time though an amazing thing happened.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "What's going on?" Asha asked. Around them everything had gone dark then lighted up into a scene.
"I don't know? Is that… Mom?" Kagosha watched the scene unfold.
"Yah and I think that's Dad!!!!" Through this illusion of time and space, Kagosha and Asha saw their heritage in the Shikon Jewel. They met Kaede, Sango, Miroku, Myoga, and Shippo.
"Go Dad!" Asha cheered during the battles.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And in a second they had seen it all.
"If Daddy's a demon and Mommy's a priestess, what does that make us?" Asha asked, his little lip quivering a little.
"I don't know." Kagome replied. "1/2 religious, ½ demons with morals I guess." Then she began to laugh hysterically. The whole absurdity of the situation struck her. Asha watched, as her laughs became bitter tears for all the changes in the last hour. As her mind summarized the details:
There's another dimension behind her grandmother's well
Her father is a demon from the other dimension
Her mother is a priestess who looks young threw a magical artifact
She and her brother are half-demons
"God's no wonder Mom and her friend …( 5) the hot teen Shippo is a demon that is years older than her… damn)… freaked out when I called you a little demon." Kagosha looked at Asha and jumped. What was I thinking crying I front of him? I need to keep calm for his sake. "It's ok Asha. Did you do that?" she stroked the kitten. Then she got a wonderful idea. "Asha, I need you to do something. I need you to take care of the kitten for me, ok. Can you do that?" Asha nodded and she smiled. That would give him something else to think about anyway.
Kagosha took Asha's hand and helped him get up. Then she led him onto the path and back in the direction they came.
"Keta-Lara, where are you? Come on Keta-Lara don't hide from me!" a voice called from the distance.
"Come on let's hide Asha." Kagosha started to lead him off the path. Something told her that meeting that person would not lead to any good. She barely got a step before a white blur landed in front of them.
"Going anywhere?" a young male voice interrupted. The speaker looked about 18; he had long white hair, golden slit eyes, red stripes on each cheek, and a moon on his forehead between his eyes. "Who are you?" he demanded imperiously.
"Travelers, we're lost." Kagosha cursed the slight tremor in her voice. "Who are you?"
"I am the son of the demon Lord Sesshoumaru, Deladgahu. I'm in a hurry but it would look bad if I let you live. So I'll kill you quickly I think." He raised his claw and it swept down towards Kagosha.