AN: The Chapters are going to be slow getting out this month. I have my
SATs on the 24th and my studying has fallen behind because of all the
stupid AP classes I'm taking. The paper I have to write in English is
taking up a lot of my time too. I spent six hours yesterday just making
notecards. I know I really should be more responsible and all that other
crap but studying for the SATs isn't exactly fun.
Chapter 51- Break in Reality
"Aiko," Kouga warned the little ookami youkai.
Aiko smiled sweetly before jumping into the hot spring creating a huge splash that left one very wet Kouga in its wake. "Aiko-chan," Kouga whispered quietly.
"Hai, Kouga-sama?" she replied innocently.
"You're grounded for the next three years."
"Three Years! That's not fair!" she whined.
Kagome and Sango watched the scene with mild amusement from their dry spot on a protruding boulder. Shippou was not able to contain his amusement so discreetly, however. Kagome was five months along in her pregnancy and her stomach had greatly swelled to accommodate the two Inuhanyou pups.
During their stay at the Mountain, they had discovered a string of caverns containing hot springs. With some prodding from Shippou, Rin and Aiko Kouga had gone about hanging torches on the cavern walls.
Inuyasha returned a moment later with Miroku, both men carrying huge plates of food. Aiko smelled food and lost interest in her argument with Kouga.
"That smells good," Kagome muttered when Inuyasha set the plate in front of her.
"Hey, you're going to share that, right?" yelled Kouga, following Aiko's example and jogging up to the small group.
"Depends on how much you beg," Inuyasha replied, sitting down beside Kagome before grabbing an apple.
"Don't be silly," Kagome chided Inuyasha. "Kouga-kun, you're welcome to help yourself as long as you eat off of Miroku-sama's plate and not mine."
"I'm already sharing with Sango, Aiko and Shippou," Miroku pointed out, though he did not reject Kouga when he reached for some food.
"Well I'm eating for three, plus I have to share with Inuyasha, so there. That's practically ten mouths," Kagome protested.
"Are you saying I eat as much a seven normal people?" Inuyasha growled.
"Obviously."
Inuyasha snorted and reached for another apple.
"Aiko-chan!" yelled a new voice. Rin entered the cavern, followed a moment later by Sesshomaru. "Shippou-chan!" Rin continued. "I found another cavern."
"I'm not hanging up anymore torches," Kouga stated firmly, eyeing both Aiko and Rin.
"Will you do it, Niichan?" Rin asked Inuyasha. Rin had opted to call Inuyasha Niichan when she had a problem pronouncing the hanyou's name. It was hard for her to say Inu when she was missing her two front teeth.
Sesshomaru shook his head at the nickname she had given his brother. When he first heard it, he almost killed over from shock. As he spent time around his half-brother, Sesshomaru found however, that most children seemed to adore Inuyasha. The Inuyoukai had concluded it had something to do with his half-brother's puppy ears. Kagome sure seemed to like them.
"I don't know," Inuyasha replied dryly. "What's in it for me?"
Rin put her hand to her chin and thought about it for a moment. "I'll be your friend forever?"
Sesshomaru snorted before sitting down beside Kouga. "Is that not good enough?" Rin asked, feigning hurt.
"It's too good for the likes of him," Sesshomaru muttered.
"Well?"
Inuyasha sighed and nodded. "Fine. I'll hang up the stupid torches, but only for one cavern, you hear? I ain't hanging up anymore torches after that. You'll have to find someone else to do it."
"Yay! Thank you Niichan!"
Inuyasha grumbled something indiscernible under his breath and Kagome had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing.
"Where did you go?" Miroku asked Sesshomaru. He had not seen the Inuyoukai in the last few days. When he asked Machiko where he had gone, the girl had replied that Sesshomaru had business elsewhere.
"To rekindle some old alliances," he answered.
Over the past three months, the hostility between Sesshomaru and Inuyasha had shrunk to widely spaced arguments between two brothers. Sesshomaru would go so far to call Kouga a friend. If he had thought the effects of the spell were bad before, they were nothing compared to the level of current manifestation.
Kouga had also grown closer to Inuyasha and his Pack. Miroku found he quite enjoyed the ookami's company and was a good drinking companion. Kouga could take his Sake better than most, almost as good as Miroku himself.
"What's that mean?" Kouga asked.
"I am calling on the favors many of the clans owed my father," Sesshomaru began to explain. "I have asked them for support."
"And what did the clans say?" Inuyasha asked curiously.
"They will fight with us, of course. Many remember father well and feel the need to see us through this War."
"Us?"
"You're not as despised as much as you would like to think, little brother," Sesshomaru informed him.
"Really? Hmm, I must of miss that while fighting for my life for the last ten, twelve years before I was pinned to the tree," he replied sarcastically.
"But they didn't go out of their way to kill you, now did they? Besides, your reputation precedes you and they are convinced you are worthy of your youkai blood."
"Forgive me if I'm not jumping up and down with joy."
Sesshomaru waved a hand in the air to dismiss Inuyasha's sarcasm. "Just accept their help without too many insults and you might even convince them you are their better."
Kouga snorted at that. "I know a thing or two about the Inuyoukai clans and that is they're all as proud as hell, prouder than even the Ookami youkai. They would never admit anyone is better than them, especially an Inuhanyou. No offense Inuyasha."
"None taken. I quite agree."
"I never said they would admit it. Just let them see you unleash Kaze no Kizu once and they'll be convinced alright."
"You weren't convinced," Inuyasha pointed out.
Sesshomaru conceded. "Not in the first two battles. You didn't unleash the Kaze no Kizu until our third battle over Tetsusaiga. That was also our last battle over father's fang."
"I say we worry less over Inuyasha impressing the clans and more over defeating our foe," announced Kagome, ending the topic of discussion.
"We'll beat them, no contest," said Aiko, climbing into Kouga's lap after finishing off Miroku's food.
"Yeah!" agreed Rin enthusiastically.
"Yep!" Shippou nodded from his place beside Kagome.
"We must not be too confident," Sango warned the children with a slight smile. "We do not want to underestimate our enemy. That would be fool hardy indeed."
^_^
Kagome yawned and leaned against the wall behind her futon. Inuyasha was stretched out across the futon, his eyes closed and hands behind his head. The couple were enjoying a rare moment of quiet, something both hanyous had come to welcome.
"You tired, Kagome? Maybe you should go to sleep," Inuyasha asked when he heard his mate yawn.
"Kind of. I don't want to go to sleep just yet, though."
"Why not?"
Kagome shook her head before lying down next to Inuyasha, placing her head on his chest and wrapping her arm around his torso. "I slept more than half of the day, yesterday. I'm starting to get lazy."
"I'm sure it just has something to do with the pups," Inuyasha murmured, bringing down his arms to wrap around Kagome's waist and the other to rest on her extended stomach.
"They'll be born next month," she whispered quietly.
"Mm," her hanyou replied.
Kagome smiled when she realized Inuyasha was falling asleep. With a small smile, she reached down and pulled the blanket around both Inuyasha and herself before closing her eyes and giving herself to sleep.
^_^
Shuri looked down over the Mortal Realm and grimaced. To him, it was such a disgusting and wasteful place. So many souls that could be put to use yet refrained from doing so by the laws that bound him to his House.
Of course, there was a loophole to those hated constraints, a loophole he took advantage of whenever possible.
Chiyo had reared her unwanted head again. Shuri could not understand why that tyke would not simply give herself to the darkness and give up her existence. She exhibited the traits due to the Inu Clan, but her stubbornness knew no bounds.
He would have to finish it. His sister may have been too softhearted to take away Chiyo's life, but he would not hesitate.
Looking over the small army that had assembled in Chiyo's Mountain, Shuri made another inference. He would have to bring reinforcements. But from where? He could not bring his minions with him to the mortal realm due to new restrictions issued last century. He was barely able to summon the Fire Pit Snakes.
This time when Shuri looked down at the Mortal Realm he did not grimace.
He smiled.
Chapter 51- Break in Reality
"Aiko," Kouga warned the little ookami youkai.
Aiko smiled sweetly before jumping into the hot spring creating a huge splash that left one very wet Kouga in its wake. "Aiko-chan," Kouga whispered quietly.
"Hai, Kouga-sama?" she replied innocently.
"You're grounded for the next three years."
"Three Years! That's not fair!" she whined.
Kagome and Sango watched the scene with mild amusement from their dry spot on a protruding boulder. Shippou was not able to contain his amusement so discreetly, however. Kagome was five months along in her pregnancy and her stomach had greatly swelled to accommodate the two Inuhanyou pups.
During their stay at the Mountain, they had discovered a string of caverns containing hot springs. With some prodding from Shippou, Rin and Aiko Kouga had gone about hanging torches on the cavern walls.
Inuyasha returned a moment later with Miroku, both men carrying huge plates of food. Aiko smelled food and lost interest in her argument with Kouga.
"That smells good," Kagome muttered when Inuyasha set the plate in front of her.
"Hey, you're going to share that, right?" yelled Kouga, following Aiko's example and jogging up to the small group.
"Depends on how much you beg," Inuyasha replied, sitting down beside Kagome before grabbing an apple.
"Don't be silly," Kagome chided Inuyasha. "Kouga-kun, you're welcome to help yourself as long as you eat off of Miroku-sama's plate and not mine."
"I'm already sharing with Sango, Aiko and Shippou," Miroku pointed out, though he did not reject Kouga when he reached for some food.
"Well I'm eating for three, plus I have to share with Inuyasha, so there. That's practically ten mouths," Kagome protested.
"Are you saying I eat as much a seven normal people?" Inuyasha growled.
"Obviously."
Inuyasha snorted and reached for another apple.
"Aiko-chan!" yelled a new voice. Rin entered the cavern, followed a moment later by Sesshomaru. "Shippou-chan!" Rin continued. "I found another cavern."
"I'm not hanging up anymore torches," Kouga stated firmly, eyeing both Aiko and Rin.
"Will you do it, Niichan?" Rin asked Inuyasha. Rin had opted to call Inuyasha Niichan when she had a problem pronouncing the hanyou's name. It was hard for her to say Inu when she was missing her two front teeth.
Sesshomaru shook his head at the nickname she had given his brother. When he first heard it, he almost killed over from shock. As he spent time around his half-brother, Sesshomaru found however, that most children seemed to adore Inuyasha. The Inuyoukai had concluded it had something to do with his half-brother's puppy ears. Kagome sure seemed to like them.
"I don't know," Inuyasha replied dryly. "What's in it for me?"
Rin put her hand to her chin and thought about it for a moment. "I'll be your friend forever?"
Sesshomaru snorted before sitting down beside Kouga. "Is that not good enough?" Rin asked, feigning hurt.
"It's too good for the likes of him," Sesshomaru muttered.
"Well?"
Inuyasha sighed and nodded. "Fine. I'll hang up the stupid torches, but only for one cavern, you hear? I ain't hanging up anymore torches after that. You'll have to find someone else to do it."
"Yay! Thank you Niichan!"
Inuyasha grumbled something indiscernible under his breath and Kagome had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing.
"Where did you go?" Miroku asked Sesshomaru. He had not seen the Inuyoukai in the last few days. When he asked Machiko where he had gone, the girl had replied that Sesshomaru had business elsewhere.
"To rekindle some old alliances," he answered.
Over the past three months, the hostility between Sesshomaru and Inuyasha had shrunk to widely spaced arguments between two brothers. Sesshomaru would go so far to call Kouga a friend. If he had thought the effects of the spell were bad before, they were nothing compared to the level of current manifestation.
Kouga had also grown closer to Inuyasha and his Pack. Miroku found he quite enjoyed the ookami's company and was a good drinking companion. Kouga could take his Sake better than most, almost as good as Miroku himself.
"What's that mean?" Kouga asked.
"I am calling on the favors many of the clans owed my father," Sesshomaru began to explain. "I have asked them for support."
"And what did the clans say?" Inuyasha asked curiously.
"They will fight with us, of course. Many remember father well and feel the need to see us through this War."
"Us?"
"You're not as despised as much as you would like to think, little brother," Sesshomaru informed him.
"Really? Hmm, I must of miss that while fighting for my life for the last ten, twelve years before I was pinned to the tree," he replied sarcastically.
"But they didn't go out of their way to kill you, now did they? Besides, your reputation precedes you and they are convinced you are worthy of your youkai blood."
"Forgive me if I'm not jumping up and down with joy."
Sesshomaru waved a hand in the air to dismiss Inuyasha's sarcasm. "Just accept their help without too many insults and you might even convince them you are their better."
Kouga snorted at that. "I know a thing or two about the Inuyoukai clans and that is they're all as proud as hell, prouder than even the Ookami youkai. They would never admit anyone is better than them, especially an Inuhanyou. No offense Inuyasha."
"None taken. I quite agree."
"I never said they would admit it. Just let them see you unleash Kaze no Kizu once and they'll be convinced alright."
"You weren't convinced," Inuyasha pointed out.
Sesshomaru conceded. "Not in the first two battles. You didn't unleash the Kaze no Kizu until our third battle over Tetsusaiga. That was also our last battle over father's fang."
"I say we worry less over Inuyasha impressing the clans and more over defeating our foe," announced Kagome, ending the topic of discussion.
"We'll beat them, no contest," said Aiko, climbing into Kouga's lap after finishing off Miroku's food.
"Yeah!" agreed Rin enthusiastically.
"Yep!" Shippou nodded from his place beside Kagome.
"We must not be too confident," Sango warned the children with a slight smile. "We do not want to underestimate our enemy. That would be fool hardy indeed."
^_^
Kagome yawned and leaned against the wall behind her futon. Inuyasha was stretched out across the futon, his eyes closed and hands behind his head. The couple were enjoying a rare moment of quiet, something both hanyous had come to welcome.
"You tired, Kagome? Maybe you should go to sleep," Inuyasha asked when he heard his mate yawn.
"Kind of. I don't want to go to sleep just yet, though."
"Why not?"
Kagome shook her head before lying down next to Inuyasha, placing her head on his chest and wrapping her arm around his torso. "I slept more than half of the day, yesterday. I'm starting to get lazy."
"I'm sure it just has something to do with the pups," Inuyasha murmured, bringing down his arms to wrap around Kagome's waist and the other to rest on her extended stomach.
"They'll be born next month," she whispered quietly.
"Mm," her hanyou replied.
Kagome smiled when she realized Inuyasha was falling asleep. With a small smile, she reached down and pulled the blanket around both Inuyasha and herself before closing her eyes and giving herself to sleep.
^_^
Shuri looked down over the Mortal Realm and grimaced. To him, it was such a disgusting and wasteful place. So many souls that could be put to use yet refrained from doing so by the laws that bound him to his House.
Of course, there was a loophole to those hated constraints, a loophole he took advantage of whenever possible.
Chiyo had reared her unwanted head again. Shuri could not understand why that tyke would not simply give herself to the darkness and give up her existence. She exhibited the traits due to the Inu Clan, but her stubbornness knew no bounds.
He would have to finish it. His sister may have been too softhearted to take away Chiyo's life, but he would not hesitate.
Looking over the small army that had assembled in Chiyo's Mountain, Shuri made another inference. He would have to bring reinforcements. But from where? He could not bring his minions with him to the mortal realm due to new restrictions issued last century. He was barely able to summon the Fire Pit Snakes.
This time when Shuri looked down at the Mortal Realm he did not grimace.
He smiled.