Well, maybe Sesshy will play a bigger part than I had plan. I began writing
the chapter and I thought, hum, that could work, so Sesshy will be here
longer than I planned. Who knows, I might even pull Kikyou into the mix.
Chapter 47- Clouded Day
Inuyasha sat on the roof of Kaede's hut watching the sun as it rose over the forest. Kagome and the rest of the Pack, including Rin, were asleep inside Kaede's hut. Sesshomaru and Jaken were at the edge of the forest, walking aimlessly through the trees.
The only sounds were the steady breathing of the occupants of the hut. There were no birds singing or dogs baying. Even the horses in the stables were silent. Inuyasha shook his head at his own uneasiness. There was no sign of danger if one didn't take account Sesshomaru. Inuyasha couldn't help a grin at the thought. He never thought he would live to see the day when Sesshomaru was not an immediate danger.
Inuyasha heard Kagome turn restlessly in her sleep and jumped off the roof, giving the sun one last glance before disappearing into the hut.
Sitting down by Kagome's head, Inuyasha pushed a lock of her hair off of her sweating forehead. She groaned restlessly and turned towards Inuyasha. "Kagome," Inuyasha said softly. "Kagome . . ."
The miko woke in a rush of panic and fear. Kagome could feel her body bathed in sweat, her nightclothes sticking to her body. Her breath came rapidly and she had to struggle to get herself under control. "Kagome?" Inuyasha repeated, taking her in his arms.
Kagome slumped against Inuyasha and gave a sigh a relief. "Inuyasha," sighed Kagome, burying her face into the cook of his neck.
"What's wrong?" he asked, stroking her hair away from her face.
"I had the most awful dream," she replied, holding back tears.
Inuyasha could feel Kagome trembling in his arms. He waited until she had calmed down enough to talk. "You want to tell me about it?"
Kagome looked down at her hands and fiddled with the wedding band on her ring finger. "They took away the babies," she whispered quietly, closing her eyes when a tear fell.
Inuyasha wiped away the tear with his thumb and rested his head on the top of Kagome's head. "No one is gonna take away the pups, Mate. I won't let them."
Kagome sighed and nodded, finding reassurance in his words. "I just have this feeling, Inuyasha, like something awful is going to happen."
Inuyasha was silent for a moment before he replied to Kagome's fear. "Whatever it is, we'll get by okay. We always do Kagome, so don't worry about it."
Shippou stirred beside them and Kagome reached out to take the kitsune in her arms. Shippou awoke to Kagome stroking her fingers through his hair. "Morning," he said, yawning.
Kagome smiled and hugged him to her. Shippou took a deep breath of Kagome's scent and sighed, contented. "You okay, Kagome?" asked Shippou when he noticed the slight trembling of her hands.
"Yeah," she replied, wrapping her arms around Shippou's torso. "I just had a bad dream, that's all."
"It wasn't like that test we had, was it?" asked the baby kitsune.
Inuyasha's arms tensed slightly with the memories of the Kami's test. "A little bit," said Kagome, shuddering.
"Best we be on our guard," said a new voice.
The trio looked over to see Sango sitting up in her bedding. "Sango- chan," exclaimed Kagome, "How long have you been awake?"
"Not long," replied the demon exterminator. "Will we be setting out for another shard hunt soon?"
Inuyasha nodded. "Tomorrow. We've been getting lazy about finding the rest of the Shikon no Tama."
Miroku sighed beside Sango and his hand unconsciously moved towards her. The demon exterminator swatted it away, waking the houshi in the process. "Morning," he sighed, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
"Morning, Miroku-sama," replied Sango, eyeing him wearily.
"Did I miss something?" Miroku asked, noticing Kagome's pallor.
"She just had a bad dream," replied Inuyasha.
Rin was the last to awaken, yawning loudly and rolling towards Miroku. "It's too early," muttered the little girl, glaring at the sun.
Miroku laughed and smoothed down Rin's hair. "You would not be so tired, Rin-chan, had you just gone to bed earlier."
Rin's face showed distaste before she stuck out her tongue at the houshi. Kagome giggled at the scene and Sango smiled fondly. Before more could be said, however, Sesshomaru made his appearance.
"Inuyasha," said the Inuyoukai, "Could I have a word with you?"
In one fluid motion Inuyasha had gently deposited Kagome and Shippou on the bedding and stood to follow his brother outside.
"What?" asked the Inuhanyou.
Sesshomaru jumped to the roof of the hut, waiting patiently as Inuyasha followed in suit. "Look," commanded the Inuyoukai, pointing to the fleeing birds within the forest. Everything had become uncommonly silent.
"What is it?" asked Inuyasha, studying the eerie silence.
"Something is heading this way," replied Sesshomaru.
"Would that be a good something or a bad something?"
"Bad," stated Sesshomaru, visibly tensing, "Most definitely bad."
"Do you know what it is?"
Sesshomaru glanced at his brother before shaking his head. "No, I know of nothing that could clear the forest of all creatures without a sound."
Inuyasha growled before leaping off the roof and reentering the hut.
"Inuyasha?" asked Miroku.
"Get your weapons. Something is coming." Inuyasha glanced around the hut. "Where's Kaede?"
"She stayed at one of the villager's house last night to watch over one of the sick children," replied Sango.
"Shippou," said Inuyasha, "You and Rin go find Kaede."
"What are we going to do?" asked Kagome.
"We're going to go meet this thing before it gets here."
Outside Sesshomaru was ordering Jaken to watch over Rin. Inuyasha glanced at his brother before they both started walking towards the forest. Kagome and the others followed close behind Inuyasha, each uneasy with the dog demon's behavior.
Sesshomaru paused just beyond the forest's edge. Inuyasha moved to stand beside his brother. A figure was emerging from the woods.
Kagome tensed when the figure stepped out of the foliage. Sango glanced over at the miko and saw fear clearly written across her face.
"Kagome?" asked Inuyasha, glancing back at his mate.
"That's him, Inuyasha. He's the one that wants the pups."
Inuyasha looked back to the man. He stood no taller than six feet; his black hair pulled back in a braid that fell to the ground. His eyes were a deep and piercing black.
The man looked at Kagome and laughed.
Chapter 47- Clouded Day
Inuyasha sat on the roof of Kaede's hut watching the sun as it rose over the forest. Kagome and the rest of the Pack, including Rin, were asleep inside Kaede's hut. Sesshomaru and Jaken were at the edge of the forest, walking aimlessly through the trees.
The only sounds were the steady breathing of the occupants of the hut. There were no birds singing or dogs baying. Even the horses in the stables were silent. Inuyasha shook his head at his own uneasiness. There was no sign of danger if one didn't take account Sesshomaru. Inuyasha couldn't help a grin at the thought. He never thought he would live to see the day when Sesshomaru was not an immediate danger.
Inuyasha heard Kagome turn restlessly in her sleep and jumped off the roof, giving the sun one last glance before disappearing into the hut.
Sitting down by Kagome's head, Inuyasha pushed a lock of her hair off of her sweating forehead. She groaned restlessly and turned towards Inuyasha. "Kagome," Inuyasha said softly. "Kagome . . ."
The miko woke in a rush of panic and fear. Kagome could feel her body bathed in sweat, her nightclothes sticking to her body. Her breath came rapidly and she had to struggle to get herself under control. "Kagome?" Inuyasha repeated, taking her in his arms.
Kagome slumped against Inuyasha and gave a sigh a relief. "Inuyasha," sighed Kagome, burying her face into the cook of his neck.
"What's wrong?" he asked, stroking her hair away from her face.
"I had the most awful dream," she replied, holding back tears.
Inuyasha could feel Kagome trembling in his arms. He waited until she had calmed down enough to talk. "You want to tell me about it?"
Kagome looked down at her hands and fiddled with the wedding band on her ring finger. "They took away the babies," she whispered quietly, closing her eyes when a tear fell.
Inuyasha wiped away the tear with his thumb and rested his head on the top of Kagome's head. "No one is gonna take away the pups, Mate. I won't let them."
Kagome sighed and nodded, finding reassurance in his words. "I just have this feeling, Inuyasha, like something awful is going to happen."
Inuyasha was silent for a moment before he replied to Kagome's fear. "Whatever it is, we'll get by okay. We always do Kagome, so don't worry about it."
Shippou stirred beside them and Kagome reached out to take the kitsune in her arms. Shippou awoke to Kagome stroking her fingers through his hair. "Morning," he said, yawning.
Kagome smiled and hugged him to her. Shippou took a deep breath of Kagome's scent and sighed, contented. "You okay, Kagome?" asked Shippou when he noticed the slight trembling of her hands.
"Yeah," she replied, wrapping her arms around Shippou's torso. "I just had a bad dream, that's all."
"It wasn't like that test we had, was it?" asked the baby kitsune.
Inuyasha's arms tensed slightly with the memories of the Kami's test. "A little bit," said Kagome, shuddering.
"Best we be on our guard," said a new voice.
The trio looked over to see Sango sitting up in her bedding. "Sango- chan," exclaimed Kagome, "How long have you been awake?"
"Not long," replied the demon exterminator. "Will we be setting out for another shard hunt soon?"
Inuyasha nodded. "Tomorrow. We've been getting lazy about finding the rest of the Shikon no Tama."
Miroku sighed beside Sango and his hand unconsciously moved towards her. The demon exterminator swatted it away, waking the houshi in the process. "Morning," he sighed, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
"Morning, Miroku-sama," replied Sango, eyeing him wearily.
"Did I miss something?" Miroku asked, noticing Kagome's pallor.
"She just had a bad dream," replied Inuyasha.
Rin was the last to awaken, yawning loudly and rolling towards Miroku. "It's too early," muttered the little girl, glaring at the sun.
Miroku laughed and smoothed down Rin's hair. "You would not be so tired, Rin-chan, had you just gone to bed earlier."
Rin's face showed distaste before she stuck out her tongue at the houshi. Kagome giggled at the scene and Sango smiled fondly. Before more could be said, however, Sesshomaru made his appearance.
"Inuyasha," said the Inuyoukai, "Could I have a word with you?"
In one fluid motion Inuyasha had gently deposited Kagome and Shippou on the bedding and stood to follow his brother outside.
"What?" asked the Inuhanyou.
Sesshomaru jumped to the roof of the hut, waiting patiently as Inuyasha followed in suit. "Look," commanded the Inuyoukai, pointing to the fleeing birds within the forest. Everything had become uncommonly silent.
"What is it?" asked Inuyasha, studying the eerie silence.
"Something is heading this way," replied Sesshomaru.
"Would that be a good something or a bad something?"
"Bad," stated Sesshomaru, visibly tensing, "Most definitely bad."
"Do you know what it is?"
Sesshomaru glanced at his brother before shaking his head. "No, I know of nothing that could clear the forest of all creatures without a sound."
Inuyasha growled before leaping off the roof and reentering the hut.
"Inuyasha?" asked Miroku.
"Get your weapons. Something is coming." Inuyasha glanced around the hut. "Where's Kaede?"
"She stayed at one of the villager's house last night to watch over one of the sick children," replied Sango.
"Shippou," said Inuyasha, "You and Rin go find Kaede."
"What are we going to do?" asked Kagome.
"We're going to go meet this thing before it gets here."
Outside Sesshomaru was ordering Jaken to watch over Rin. Inuyasha glanced at his brother before they both started walking towards the forest. Kagome and the others followed close behind Inuyasha, each uneasy with the dog demon's behavior.
Sesshomaru paused just beyond the forest's edge. Inuyasha moved to stand beside his brother. A figure was emerging from the woods.
Kagome tensed when the figure stepped out of the foliage. Sango glanced over at the miko and saw fear clearly written across her face.
"Kagome?" asked Inuyasha, glancing back at his mate.
"That's him, Inuyasha. He's the one that wants the pups."
Inuyasha looked back to the man. He stood no taller than six feet; his black hair pulled back in a braid that fell to the ground. His eyes were a deep and piercing black.
The man looked at Kagome and laughed.