Chapter 9: "You Need To Relax!"
"I WON"T GO!"
"Kagome, be reasonable. You need to get away and relax. Staying here and so close to the well is driving you crazy." Stated her mother.
"I won't go and leave Inuyasha. I'm staying right here until he gets back." Kagome sat on the couch defiantly, arms crossed, head turned away.
"Please, think of the baby. You need to be relaxed and calm for when she or he decides to come. You can't be doing the baby any good by running for the well house every day." Added her mother.
"I'm not going…That's final!"
Her mother stood and glared down at her daughter. "I'm gonna make some tea, then we'll talk some more!" She turned and walked into the kitchen.
"Kagome, you know Inuyasha doesn't want you to be like this. Didn't he fall for the happy, warm girl, not the depressed, cold one?" asked Sango as she looked at her friend hopeful that Kagome would agree to their plan.
"I'm still not going!" Kagome shook her head and glanced over to see her mother enter with a tray of filled tea cups and set them in front of everyone.
"Ok everyone, drink up!" Megumi took her cup and started to sip, watching her daughter through slitted eye lids.
*CLINK*
"What the? What happened?" asked a panicked Sango as she leaned over her now unconscious friend.
"She's fine, I put a mild sedative in her tea…Now hurry up stairs and get your guys things. Pack Kagome and Shippo as well. Yuka is on her way with her mom's minivan. HAYAKU!" ordered Megumi as she ran around packing other things for them. The house was in udder chaos for the next ten minutes.
~***~
"Uhhh….What happened?" Asked Kagome as she slowly woke up. She placed a hand to her aching head and kept her eyes tightly shut.
"You fell asleep. How are you feeling now?" Sango told her from across the room.
"Ok I guess." Kagome slowly opened her eyes to look at her friend. Her eyes then shot wide open and she struggled to sit up. She looked around the room, shocked. "What…How….Why are we in Hokkaido?"
"We're here so you can relax before the baby is born." Sango told her as she handed Kagome a glass of water.
Kagome took the glass and glared evilly at Sango. "How could you! I wanted to wait for Inuyasha at home not here." So many emotions were filling Kagome she didn't know what to do. Anger, desperation, longing, loneliness, sadness, and mistrust, only to name a few. Unfortunately, she acted on anger. She threw the glass of water at Sango, hitting the wall behind her. Then desperation and loneliness set in as her eyes started to glass over with unshed tears. "How could you? I felt closer to Inuyasha at home. How could you do this? LEAVE ME ALONE!!!" Kagome shouted at Sango then collapsed into her pillow crying heavily.
Sango quickly and quietly retreated, closing the door behind her.
"She's not very happy is she?" asked Shippo from the couch, next to Miroku and Yuka.
"No she's not." Sango shook her head sadly. She then looked up at Miroku. In an instant she ran across the room and fell to the floor in front of him, wrapping her arms around his waist, and started crying. "Promise me you'll never leave me! Promise me you'll never abandon me no matter what the reason!"
Miroku stared down at the girl, stunned and shocked. "Sango?" He then realized where her fears came from and placed a hand on her head to comfort her. "I promise Sango. Besides, you would probably smack me for even suggesting something like that."
With wet, sad eyes she looked up at the monk with a faint smile and nodded in agreement. Sango then continued to hold him tightly.
"Sheesh, are men even worth the trouble they cause." Yuka questioned aloud but to herself.
Shippo snickered at Yuka's comment then went to find some food.
~***~
Inuyasha sat in front of a small fire. "Old habits die hard, huh Kirara."
"Meew."
"Before Kagome came into my life, I only built fires to cook my food. Now I build one almost every night." He sighed as he leaned his head back against the tree and looked up at the stars. "We need to hurry up and find this Lady Hakai so we can return home. Don't you agree?"
"Meeeeeew!" replied Kirara from her comfortable spot on Inuyasha's lap. A very faint sound had her at attention. She jumped from Inuyasha's lap and fluffed out. "Rrrrrrrrrrr."
In a split second, Inuyasha had drawn the Tetsusaiga and stood at ready. He heard the faint sounds of someone stumbling and falling and their short, shallow breaths.
Kirara then flared into her fallout fire cat youkai form, baring her teeth and growling viciously.
Inuyasha heard the noises getting closer and closer, and then stop at the tree line. "Who's there?" He waited for a reply…Nothing. He slowly and cautiously walked to the spot where the noises ceased. He carefully looked through the bushes for the possible spy. White, blue and purple on the forest floor caught his eye. Inuyasha moved the branches out of the way and revealed the Tori no Ten he ran into months ago. She was lying unconscious on the ground, badly injured; cuts, scrapes and it looked like one of her wings was broken. "Keh! One last evil creature for me to deal with." Inuyasha scoffed and started to walk away.
"Help……me……Please…I'm not……evil ……Hakai …control ……Tried …to …kill …me……Please…help." Hoseki managed to get out before falling unconscious again.
"I may regret this later." Inuyasha sighed then bent down and carefully and gently picked up the bird like youkai. Using a few first aid supplies he had taken just in case, he tended to the tiny youkai's injuries.
Throughout the night, Inuyasha had kept watch over the small youkai and also kept a look out for any enemies.
"No mistress……don't trust him…He's pure evil…No don't…AHHHHH…" Hoseki tossed and turned in her sleep. She was fighting in her dreams, caused by the fever due to her injuries. "Mistress no….Naraku is beyond evil…Don't….KIIIIAAAAA…"
Inuyasha stared down at the small youkai, shocked. 'Naraku? Has her mistress joined with Naraku? If so, this can't be good…' He sat thinking about his options and possible actions. He could only think of one. He would wait for the Tori no Ten to recuperate so she could give him the details, then he would return to Kagome to talk to everyone about what was going on, plus Kagome was getting close to her due date and he wanted to be there. Inuyasha was relieved when the winged being stopped thrashing and fell into a more peaceful sleep, a good sign that her fever had broke.
~*~
"Huhh…"
"Are you awake little one?"
"Huh?!" Hoseki panicked and sat up, looking around for the owner of the voice. As her eyes adjusted from the blackness of behind her eyelids to the light shining in through the windows. She focused in on what appeared to her to be the room of a cabin, she then noticed a short old woman sitting next to her watching the fire pit. "Who are you? Where am I?"
"I'm Kaede. Your in my home. Inuyasha brought you here for treatment," Kaede stated calmly as she started to crush some herbs.
"Inu…yasha… the hanyou? He's the one that found me?" Hoseki hung her head down and glanced over her body. Bandages everywhere; around her chest, her arms, her legs, and her left wing was in a splint. "How long have I been here?"
"About a week. I tented to your wounds. You should be all healed by now. If you sit still I can remove the bandages." Kaede moved over and started to remove the wrappings. Leaving behind the one around her wing. "Your wing should remain bonded for a little longer just to make sure. I also repaired your clothes." She placed the stack of tiny clothing on the blanket next to the small winged being and let her change.
"Arigato…" Hoseki hung her head even further, shadowing her eyes under her bangs. A few tears dropped from her eyes and landed on the blanket. "Why? Why are you being so kind to me? I might be the enemy."
"It seems that Naraku is your enemy right?"
Hoseki snapped her head up toward the voice that was emitted from the doorway. A man in red with silver hair stood, leaning against the door frame. "Hai, He is."
"He's out enemy too…That makes you an ally." Inuyasha walked over and sat across from Hoseki, staring at her inquisitively. "So…tell us what happened. What about Naraku?"
Hoseki glanced at Inuyasha shyly then looked at Kaede then she looked at the fire. "Naraku showed up and offered my mistress ultimate power, youth and eternal life if she would help him. Hakai accepted, if he could help her find the Child that defies time." Hoseki noticed Inuyasha twitch a few times at the mention of the child and decided to take a mental note of it. "Naraku convinced Hakai that she didn't need me anymore and he tried to kill me. He thinks I'm dead right now……Even though I was a slave to Hakai she always took care of me, despite the fact that I tried to escape numerous times at the beginning."
"Well your free now." Stated Kaede.
"Not exactly. I still have my controlling charm on." Hoseki showed them the leg with the chain links dangling from her ankle. She was scared pale when she saw Inuyasha draw a sword and it transformed into a much larger one. He then positioned the blade just right and pushed down quickly, severing the link, letting it fall from her ankle. Hoseki stared at the newly released restraint surprised. "Arigato, problem is, I don't have anywhere to return to. All my family is dead."
"How long were you a captive?" questioned Kaede as she started to brew some tea.
"Going on 357 years…I think. I was taken as a child from my home, my parents were killed and I was sold off to Hakai. I tried to escape several times but she always caught me. After about the 12th time Hakai put the chain on me and it controlled me. If I wasn't back after a certain amount of time she could have it overpower me and force me back. Tori no Ten's are gentle, giving creatures by nature. I could never hurt anyone…So Hakai would force me……I would cry every time, still do." Hoseki clutched the blanket in front of her tightly. Tears fell from her eyes as she looked up at Inuyasha with pleading eyes. "Please don't send me back. I'm begging you!...I can clean, cook, heal. Let me help you in some way, please!"
Inuyasha was surprised by her eagerness and came up with a solution. "You know where Hakai and Naraku are hiding right?" He saw her nod and continued. "You don't have any problems with me killing them right?" He was pleased when she shook her head. "Very well, you can join us. But my wife will be the one to decide if you're as pure of heart as you say. She's a miko so she'll know."
Hoseki shook her head happily. "No problem's there. I have nothing to hide." She said with a huge smile. She then eagerly took the tea and food offered to her by Kaede.
~******~
"I WON"T GO!"
"Kagome, be reasonable. You need to get away and relax. Staying here and so close to the well is driving you crazy." Stated her mother.
"I won't go and leave Inuyasha. I'm staying right here until he gets back." Kagome sat on the couch defiantly, arms crossed, head turned away.
"Please, think of the baby. You need to be relaxed and calm for when she or he decides to come. You can't be doing the baby any good by running for the well house every day." Added her mother.
"I'm not going…That's final!"
Her mother stood and glared down at her daughter. "I'm gonna make some tea, then we'll talk some more!" She turned and walked into the kitchen.
"Kagome, you know Inuyasha doesn't want you to be like this. Didn't he fall for the happy, warm girl, not the depressed, cold one?" asked Sango as she looked at her friend hopeful that Kagome would agree to their plan.
"I'm still not going!" Kagome shook her head and glanced over to see her mother enter with a tray of filled tea cups and set them in front of everyone.
"Ok everyone, drink up!" Megumi took her cup and started to sip, watching her daughter through slitted eye lids.
*CLINK*
"What the? What happened?" asked a panicked Sango as she leaned over her now unconscious friend.
"She's fine, I put a mild sedative in her tea…Now hurry up stairs and get your guys things. Pack Kagome and Shippo as well. Yuka is on her way with her mom's minivan. HAYAKU!" ordered Megumi as she ran around packing other things for them. The house was in udder chaos for the next ten minutes.
~***~
"Uhhh….What happened?" Asked Kagome as she slowly woke up. She placed a hand to her aching head and kept her eyes tightly shut.
"You fell asleep. How are you feeling now?" Sango told her from across the room.
"Ok I guess." Kagome slowly opened her eyes to look at her friend. Her eyes then shot wide open and she struggled to sit up. She looked around the room, shocked. "What…How….Why are we in Hokkaido?"
"We're here so you can relax before the baby is born." Sango told her as she handed Kagome a glass of water.
Kagome took the glass and glared evilly at Sango. "How could you! I wanted to wait for Inuyasha at home not here." So many emotions were filling Kagome she didn't know what to do. Anger, desperation, longing, loneliness, sadness, and mistrust, only to name a few. Unfortunately, she acted on anger. She threw the glass of water at Sango, hitting the wall behind her. Then desperation and loneliness set in as her eyes started to glass over with unshed tears. "How could you? I felt closer to Inuyasha at home. How could you do this? LEAVE ME ALONE!!!" Kagome shouted at Sango then collapsed into her pillow crying heavily.
Sango quickly and quietly retreated, closing the door behind her.
"She's not very happy is she?" asked Shippo from the couch, next to Miroku and Yuka.
"No she's not." Sango shook her head sadly. She then looked up at Miroku. In an instant she ran across the room and fell to the floor in front of him, wrapping her arms around his waist, and started crying. "Promise me you'll never leave me! Promise me you'll never abandon me no matter what the reason!"
Miroku stared down at the girl, stunned and shocked. "Sango?" He then realized where her fears came from and placed a hand on her head to comfort her. "I promise Sango. Besides, you would probably smack me for even suggesting something like that."
With wet, sad eyes she looked up at the monk with a faint smile and nodded in agreement. Sango then continued to hold him tightly.
"Sheesh, are men even worth the trouble they cause." Yuka questioned aloud but to herself.
Shippo snickered at Yuka's comment then went to find some food.
~***~
Inuyasha sat in front of a small fire. "Old habits die hard, huh Kirara."
"Meew."
"Before Kagome came into my life, I only built fires to cook my food. Now I build one almost every night." He sighed as he leaned his head back against the tree and looked up at the stars. "We need to hurry up and find this Lady Hakai so we can return home. Don't you agree?"
"Meeeeeew!" replied Kirara from her comfortable spot on Inuyasha's lap. A very faint sound had her at attention. She jumped from Inuyasha's lap and fluffed out. "Rrrrrrrrrrr."
In a split second, Inuyasha had drawn the Tetsusaiga and stood at ready. He heard the faint sounds of someone stumbling and falling and their short, shallow breaths.
Kirara then flared into her fallout fire cat youkai form, baring her teeth and growling viciously.
Inuyasha heard the noises getting closer and closer, and then stop at the tree line. "Who's there?" He waited for a reply…Nothing. He slowly and cautiously walked to the spot where the noises ceased. He carefully looked through the bushes for the possible spy. White, blue and purple on the forest floor caught his eye. Inuyasha moved the branches out of the way and revealed the Tori no Ten he ran into months ago. She was lying unconscious on the ground, badly injured; cuts, scrapes and it looked like one of her wings was broken. "Keh! One last evil creature for me to deal with." Inuyasha scoffed and started to walk away.
"Help……me……Please…I'm not……evil ……Hakai …control ……Tried …to …kill …me……Please…help." Hoseki managed to get out before falling unconscious again.
"I may regret this later." Inuyasha sighed then bent down and carefully and gently picked up the bird like youkai. Using a few first aid supplies he had taken just in case, he tended to the tiny youkai's injuries.
Throughout the night, Inuyasha had kept watch over the small youkai and also kept a look out for any enemies.
"No mistress……don't trust him…He's pure evil…No don't…AHHHHH…" Hoseki tossed and turned in her sleep. She was fighting in her dreams, caused by the fever due to her injuries. "Mistress no….Naraku is beyond evil…Don't….KIIIIAAAAA…"
Inuyasha stared down at the small youkai, shocked. 'Naraku? Has her mistress joined with Naraku? If so, this can't be good…' He sat thinking about his options and possible actions. He could only think of one. He would wait for the Tori no Ten to recuperate so she could give him the details, then he would return to Kagome to talk to everyone about what was going on, plus Kagome was getting close to her due date and he wanted to be there. Inuyasha was relieved when the winged being stopped thrashing and fell into a more peaceful sleep, a good sign that her fever had broke.
~*~
"Huhh…"
"Are you awake little one?"
"Huh?!" Hoseki panicked and sat up, looking around for the owner of the voice. As her eyes adjusted from the blackness of behind her eyelids to the light shining in through the windows. She focused in on what appeared to her to be the room of a cabin, she then noticed a short old woman sitting next to her watching the fire pit. "Who are you? Where am I?"
"I'm Kaede. Your in my home. Inuyasha brought you here for treatment," Kaede stated calmly as she started to crush some herbs.
"Inu…yasha… the hanyou? He's the one that found me?" Hoseki hung her head down and glanced over her body. Bandages everywhere; around her chest, her arms, her legs, and her left wing was in a splint. "How long have I been here?"
"About a week. I tented to your wounds. You should be all healed by now. If you sit still I can remove the bandages." Kaede moved over and started to remove the wrappings. Leaving behind the one around her wing. "Your wing should remain bonded for a little longer just to make sure. I also repaired your clothes." She placed the stack of tiny clothing on the blanket next to the small winged being and let her change.
"Arigato…" Hoseki hung her head even further, shadowing her eyes under her bangs. A few tears dropped from her eyes and landed on the blanket. "Why? Why are you being so kind to me? I might be the enemy."
"It seems that Naraku is your enemy right?"
Hoseki snapped her head up toward the voice that was emitted from the doorway. A man in red with silver hair stood, leaning against the door frame. "Hai, He is."
"He's out enemy too…That makes you an ally." Inuyasha walked over and sat across from Hoseki, staring at her inquisitively. "So…tell us what happened. What about Naraku?"
Hoseki glanced at Inuyasha shyly then looked at Kaede then she looked at the fire. "Naraku showed up and offered my mistress ultimate power, youth and eternal life if she would help him. Hakai accepted, if he could help her find the Child that defies time." Hoseki noticed Inuyasha twitch a few times at the mention of the child and decided to take a mental note of it. "Naraku convinced Hakai that she didn't need me anymore and he tried to kill me. He thinks I'm dead right now……Even though I was a slave to Hakai she always took care of me, despite the fact that I tried to escape numerous times at the beginning."
"Well your free now." Stated Kaede.
"Not exactly. I still have my controlling charm on." Hoseki showed them the leg with the chain links dangling from her ankle. She was scared pale when she saw Inuyasha draw a sword and it transformed into a much larger one. He then positioned the blade just right and pushed down quickly, severing the link, letting it fall from her ankle. Hoseki stared at the newly released restraint surprised. "Arigato, problem is, I don't have anywhere to return to. All my family is dead."
"How long were you a captive?" questioned Kaede as she started to brew some tea.
"Going on 357 years…I think. I was taken as a child from my home, my parents were killed and I was sold off to Hakai. I tried to escape several times but she always caught me. After about the 12th time Hakai put the chain on me and it controlled me. If I wasn't back after a certain amount of time she could have it overpower me and force me back. Tori no Ten's are gentle, giving creatures by nature. I could never hurt anyone…So Hakai would force me……I would cry every time, still do." Hoseki clutched the blanket in front of her tightly. Tears fell from her eyes as she looked up at Inuyasha with pleading eyes. "Please don't send me back. I'm begging you!...I can clean, cook, heal. Let me help you in some way, please!"
Inuyasha was surprised by her eagerness and came up with a solution. "You know where Hakai and Naraku are hiding right?" He saw her nod and continued. "You don't have any problems with me killing them right?" He was pleased when she shook her head. "Very well, you can join us. But my wife will be the one to decide if you're as pure of heart as you say. She's a miko so she'll know."
Hoseki shook her head happily. "No problem's there. I have nothing to hide." She said with a huge smile. She then eagerly took the tea and food offered to her by Kaede.
~******~