Hanyou Krys: Here's chapter 4, quickly as requested.
Dragon's lover: O.o right… I'll go stand over here now.
Eikos Butterfly: It's only getting sadder and you will have to read to find out. ^_^;
MJ: eep! I'm updating! I'm updating! Don't make me suffer they wrath!
Future Repercussions
Chapter 4
"So…what happened to Inuyasha and Shippou?" Kagome asked timidly.
"Well I told you I didn't hear from them from many years after Sango and Miroku died, but I did my best to keep tabs on them. It was midwinter probably…a decade or so later. When Inuyasha turned up on a rainy night."
Flashback: 15 years after Kagome left feudal era
The thunder clap light up the sky and roared over the land. The rain was coming down in heavy sheets. Inuyasha clutched Shippou, wrapped in his red top, tightly to his chest as he ran. Inuyasha's legs hurt from injury and fatigue, and his chest clenched painfully for air. Shippou's breath was shallow and blood ran freely from several deep cuts. Inuyasha cursed himself. He had left the kit alone to hunt down a meal and returned to find him standing his ground against a small army of demons. If he had taken just a little longer…he could never have faced Kagome again. Never.
Inuyasha's feet carried him up the steep mountain path that would take him to the wolf den. He had yet to rely on the pack for anything, but was never as grateful for a place to go as he was right now. He entrance was just ahead. He glanced over his shoulder; the demons were still on his heels. He howled.
Kouga and the pack came rushing from the cave. In an instant wolves and wolf demons were rushing past him to attack his pursuers. It was a short battle, and soon the bodies of the demons lettered the ground.
"Brother, what is going on?" Kouga asked. Stepping up and supporting Inuyasha. The dog demon could only gasp for breath and shake his head in reply. "Prepare food and water." Kouga ordered. Several wolf demons hurried to do his bidding.
An hour later, Kouga sat across the fire from Inuyasha as the half-demon inhaled all the food in reach. Kouga noted that he was thinner then he remembered and with the way he was going at the food, he probably hadn't eaten in days. Shippou, now bandaged but still wrapped in Inuyasha's shirt, lay in his lap asleep.
"Brother?" Kouga questioned. Inuyasha swallowed the last of his food.
"Thank you, brother, for your hospitality, but there is more I must ask of you." Inuyasha said looking at Kouga with more seriousness then he had seen in years.
"Name it." Kouga said simply.
"I need you to take Shippou, and meet Kagome. No matter what happens, I need you to take care of them for me."
"What?"
"Swear to me, you will do this." Inuyasha persisted, "Swear on your territory, the lives of your pack, Tetsusaiga, and any and all love you ever had for Kagome. Swear!"
"I swear Brother, on all that and more. But tell me what is going on." Inuyasha looked down at the sleeping kit in his lap and swallowed hard.
"I know why they killed Sango and Miroku, and why they are after Shippou and myself." He said softly and ran his fingers through Shippou's hair. "They are after Kagome and the jewel."
"Who?"
"I don't think they have a specific leader, just a bunch of rouge demons working together. They want to know when she will come through the well. The only ones who know that for sure were Sango, Miroku, and the three of us. They tried to get it out of Sango and Miroku through torture but they kept quiet, at the cost of their own lives and the life of their pup." Inuyasha closed his eyes and sighed. "Now they are after me. Shippou's slowing me down with his youth and inexperience. I can't take him with me hunting yet and look at what happened when I left him at camp." He paused again and gave Shippou a sad look, "Kouga, brother. You didn't travel with us much and I think maybe that they may not come after you. I can't stay here, they will come for me. Please take care of Shippou and Kagome for me."
"I will." Kouga promised, "Don't worry, I will raise Shippou as my own and keep Kagome safe. They will never want." He stood and took Shippou from Inuyasha's arms, removed the red shirt, and tucked the Kitsune in with his own cubs.
"Thank you." Inuyasha stood and looked down at the sleeping cubs. He leaned and kissed the kit on the head, before pulling on his top, and walking back out into the rain. "One more thing," he called over his shoulder, "don't try to make contact with me. I don't want to give away Shippou's location."
End Flashback
"That was the last time I ever saw Inuyasha. I did as he asked: Raised Shippou as my own, didn't try to make contact, and made sure you made it out of the well safely." Kouga finished. He looked up at Kagome to see the tears running from her eyes. He pulled out a handkerchief and passed it to her. Kouga waited quietly for the tears to ebb.
"Then what?" She asked quietly. Kouga licked his lips.
"You would have been proud of Shippou. He grew up to be a great Kitsune, and not a bad wolf either. To help conceal him, he used his powers to disguise himself as a wolf demon. He got really good at it, one time kept the cover up for over three weeks." He paused and gave her a big smile, "I was never more proud then when he came and asked for Ami to be his mate." Kagome's eyes got big. "I said yes of course and they where wed at the next full moon." Kouga's smile turned sad.
"It wasn't long after that when things got rough again. A wolf pack is always at it's weakest when it's leader is out, they become disorganized and don't know who to take orders from. That's why we have laws against having turf wars during the council meetings." He caught the confused look on Kagome's face, "Every fifty years, all the leaders of the wolf demon packs get together to discuss laws, territory bounders, and what in going on in the world. Anyway, I left a wolf named Tori in charge like always. Tori was a good wolf, no dreams of power, I never had to worry about him usurping my authority while I was gone. But he was a poor leader in a fight. In hindsight it was a poor decision on my part, but I didn't know that until I got back.
Flashback: 55 years after Kagome left the feudal era
Kouga had been feeling uncomfortable sense he left the council meeting two days ago, but now that he was drawing close to home, the feeling was growing. It was a foreboding feeling as if something unpleasant awaited him. Unconsciously he picked up speed. Soon the smell of fresh blood caught his nose.
Moment's later Kouga burst through the trees into the small clearing. His breath caught in his throat and his heart wrenched. His pack lay before him in a bloody mess, most so badly beaten they were unrecognizable and far beyond saving. Those who weren't dead were dying. It didn't take him long to find Tori among the bodies. His second in command was one of the few still breathing, but it wouldn't last.
"Tori, what happened? Who did this?" Kouga screamed. He was loosing his pack again and he'd be damned if the one responsible get away.
"Lord Kouga… you've returned…" Tori said between each rasped breath, "I am… sorry I… failed you… my Lord." He stopped to cough, splattering blood on Kouga as he did. "They came…my Lord."
"Who came, Tori, who?" Kouga asked franticly
"They came… for Shippou… Lord." Tori coughed up more blood, "They… took Ami…as well Lord… that way." Tori gestured towards the forest. Kouga squeezed his eyes shut and pulled the wolf demon into a tight embrace as his breath shallowed and his body was racked with another cough, "Go Lord…before…it is…too late."
"I will avenge you." Kouga promised before taking off in the indicated direction. He listened to the world around him trying to find some clue of where they were. His nose was so clogged with the smell of blood it was of no use. He wasn't sure how he got to the clearing, but what awaited him was nothing less then a nightmare. Ami and Shippou hung just as Sango and Miroku had only their blood was fresh and still freely flowing.
Kouga fell to his knees and howled to the heavens. He had lost every thing; his pack, his mate, his cubs, and he had failed in his promise to his brother.
End Flashback
"I buried them all myself." Kouga finished sadly, "But I know this, Shippou never gave up the secret, and I am proud of his for that. From then on I lived much the way I'm sure Inuyasha did; never staying in one place too long, never really sleeping only lightly dozing, and hunting for my every meal but too afraid to build a fire to cook it on. I had friends in other packs that helped as much as they could, but I didn't want to put other packs at risk. Soon I found a series of caves, like this one, that I rotated between." Kagome was beyond tears by now; all she could do was stare in stunned silence. Kouga stood and walked to the spring. He returned with a glass of water and watched her drink rather mechanically. "Perhaps we should take a break; rest, bath, and continue this later." He suggested.
"No, please Kouga, I want to know about Inuyasha." She whispered. Kouga nodded and sat down again.