Author's Notes: Well this one came out faster than I expected, and I pledge right now that I will still keep true to the characters (even though I think I was a little OOC in the past paragraph of "To Protect the One I Love" but since you all out there didn't seem to notice, who's to complain? Now on with the story!
The Light Beginning of a Far Darker FutureThe little kitsune cub moved his ear next to the woman's stomach and listened carefully.
Boom.
Ba-doom. (A/N: Don't laugh these are my sound effects!)
"I can hear it!" He exclaimed with a smile. Looking up at the woman, he pointed to her womb. "I can hear it moving Kagome!"
The miko giggled. "Let's call it a "he" from now on, even if we don't know for sure."
"Why? It could be a "she"." Inuyasha, hanyou extraordinaire, commented as he entered the hut to sit next to his mate.
"Oh, come on, Inuyasha. You want a boy so you can teach him to fight and hunt, just like you." Kagome tried not to laugh as the dog demon nuzzled her neck and took a deep inhale of her unique and pleasant scent.
"Not true. I'll love it either way." He replied.
Shippo crossed his arms and said under his breath. "Well we all know that's a lie."
"What'd you say, pipsqueak!?" Inuyasha pounced on Shippo and gave his head a noogie.
"Ahh! Somebody save me!"
Kagome couldn't help but laugh at the two.
Just then, Kaede came in with an empty pale. Immediately both boys stopped wrestling and turn to look at the aged miko. "Would either of you children care to fetch some water from the well for me?"
Kagome raised a hand. "I'll go!"
"No." Inuyasha stood up, having the kitsune by the tail, and dropped him on the floor with a thump. "I'll go."
"But Inuyasha…" She protested.
Coming up to her, he put a hand on her shoulder. "I won't risk you or the little one."
"But I can handle it!"
"No."
"Osuwa…" She was cut off by an intense kiss to the lips. The effect was immediate and Kagome closed her eyes in bliss.
Pulling away, Inuyasha smiled at a job well done and took the pail before leaving.
Finally recovering, Kagome looked around and pouted. "Darn it, I hate when he does that!"
From Inuyasha Forest a group of lizard youkai and their leader – a human looking youkai, stood overlooking the small village below. The youkai were more humanoid in the face than most except for their yellowish bulging eyes and dark green skin. On their fingers they had gecko-like suckers and strong crocodile tails swaying behind them.
These creatures hissed amongst themselves restlessly as their leader stood still.
This man had small devilish red eyes and short black hair. He was clad in black and red armor and had a large no-dachi – or great sword – attached to his back. "Silence." He spoke to the youkai. "Be patient and wait until I begin battle with the mutt. Then go and capture his mate."
"You know, you really should take it easy, child, with only a couple days left." Kaede stirred her water mixture. Off to the side, Shippo was helping by tearing up various herbs and adding them to the pot.
"I know, but it's not like I can't walk by myself or anything." Kagome sighed and leaned back. She unconsciously started rubbing her stomach softly as she began to hum a lullaby she remembered her mother humming for her all those years ago.
The soothing sound reached napping Inuyasha's ears and he smiled to himself. But while she was humming, another sound reached his ears too. It was Sango and Miroku and what they were talking about wasn't good news. Casually, Inuyasha stood up and instinctively put a clawed hand on the hilt of his precious Tetsusaiga. His ears strained to hear their words.
"Inuyasha?" Kagome heard him get up and knew that look. "What is it?"
"Nothing, I'm just going to go for a walk." He eyed Shippo and the fox youkai nodded before heading out after him.
Kagome grabbed her bow and quiver. "I'll go too."
"No, you stay here." He said. On his way out, another woman of the village came in with her baby on her back.
"Ano, is Kagome-sama here?"
"Yes, please come in." Kagome said. Reluctantly she knew she would have to stay. Ever since she and Inuyasha had made the village their home, she had taken up some of Kaede's responsibilities in the village as head miko and since she had made sure to bring all of her medicine with her from home, she was able to cure a few things that otherwise would be incurable.
Inuyasha moved the flap aside as he and Shippo greeted the couple as they came by. Strangely, Sango was clad in her armor with hiraikotsu on her back. Kirara was standing besides her mistress in her full form. "What's happening?"
Moving a little ways away from the hut so Kagome couldn't hear their conversation, the taijiya began. "There's a powerful jyaki that's taken residence in the forest for the past few hours, but when Miroku and myself went to check it out, we found nothing."
"We fear they may be hiding behind a barrier." The monk followed up.
Inuyasha narrowed his piercing golden eyes. "Sounds like our guy might be making his move." Even since their previous enemy, Subaru, had mentioned 'Naraku's one and only true son', Inuyasha had been very careful in keeping a close eye on Kagome at all times.
Suddenly Inuyasha heard whistling coming and dodged his head an inch to the side, narrowly missing the ninja star aimed at his head. It landed quietly on the doorframe of the Kaede's hut.
Spinning around, the five saw the youkai standing on another of the hut's roof.
"Shippo!" Inuyasha barked.
The kitsune cub nodded. "Right." Without being told, he retreated back into the hut to guard Kagome.
"So who the hell are you?" Inuyasha questioned, having yet to draw his sword. With the youkai so close to the other humans of the village, he didn't want to be rash and risk injuring any of them.
"Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to let you fools in on my little secret." He said. "I'm sure you remember your nemesis, Naraku? I am his second generation."
Inuyasha ground his teeth and growled deep in his throat. "His son!? But how? And with who?"
Laughing the man replied, "You don't think Kagura's only purpose was to irritate you guys do you? No, she proved useful for a greater – higher purpose: me."
This made everyone gasp.
"Of course, she herself has no memory of such an occurrence since he still had control of her heart at the time. He raised me in secret until his…untimely demise. I am Yamatsu!"
"Well, I've heard enough." Inuyasha pulled Tetsusaiga from its sheath and it transformed into the great dog fang. "Leave now and I'll let you live. I don't have a score to settle with you – so don't make me change my mind."
"For the death of my father," Yamatsu pulled the great sword from his back, "I do have a score to settle! Attack!" From behind him, dozens of lizard men bombarded Sango and Miroku, while Inuyasha rushed to face off with Yamatsu. Come to me you mutt. But the time you find out my real purpose, it will be too late!
Inside the hut, Shippo gathered the women and pushed them into the back room. "We've got trouble, so you guys better stay here!"
"Trouble? From who?" Kagome questioned. There were footsteps on the roof and everyone tensed up. Kaede still held the woman's baby close and kept her eyes open for any sign of the intruders.
From up top, three landed in front of the back door and hissed at their prey. Shippo thought quick and erected a foxfire shield around everyone.
"Take this!" Kagome fired one of her powerful purity arrows at the youkai. It struck the middle one and he vaporized. One of the side ones spit something out of his mouth and it splattered on Shippo's shield.
"Ewww!? What is that!?" Whatever it was, it was slowly eating through the cub's little shield. "Get it off! Get it off! Get it off!"
The second youkai began spitting and together a hole formed in his shield that grew bigger and bigger.
Kagome fired another arrow but the lizard men dodged to the side of the doorway. Counterattacking, they spit more of their acidic saliva and one hit Kagome's hand. She cried out and dropped her bow, clutching her hand in pain.
Shippo narrowed his eyes and launched himself at his adversaries. (A/N: Go Shippo!)
Outside, Sango jumped high into the air. "Hiraikotsu!" Her powerful boomerang cut three lizard men in half. Kirara swiped with her paw and batted another aside. "That makes twelve for us!"
Miroku threw four ward papers and they landed on the foreheads of his enemies. They busted into green flame and disappeared. Turning with a wink and a smile, he said, "Twenty-one!"
Inuyasha, on the other hand, was crossing swords with Yamatsu and they were presently at a stand off, each blocking and trying to press the attack at the same time. "What are you doing here? And why now?" The hanyou demanded.
"For the revenge of my father. Isn't it obvious?" Yamatsu commented, his voice not strained in the slightest.
"No, in fact, I don't think that's why you're – here – at – ALL!" Pushing with the final effort, Inuyasha shoved his enemy back and tried to kick his midsection, but Yamatsu was too fast.
He back flipped out of the way and smirked. Maybe this mutt isn't as stupid as I thought.
"Naraku wasn't one for revenge. He was always out to better himself by using others. So what are you getting out of this, son of Naraku?"
"Kitsune top!" Shippo fired his top at the last lizard man and he was grounded into the dirt until he disappeared in a puff of foul smelling green smoke.
"Enough!"
Spinning around, everyone saw another lizard man holding the woman that had come earlier from behind. "Any one of you moves and I'll bite her. Just a drop of my poison will be enough to kill her."
"Let her go." Kagome demanded.
"Agree to come with usssss, miko, and ssshe will be freed." He flicked out his tongue, making the woman scream in fear.
"Fine, but let her go!" Kagome shouted. Suddenly from behind her, two more lizard men dropped down from the roof and grabbed each of her arms.
"Kagome!" Shippo made a move forward.
"Stop, Shippo!" She said. Eyeing the cub, she told him, "Everything will be fine. Don't worry."
As the miko was pulled backwards away from everyone, the lizard man holding the woman threw her down and ran out the front. When he was clear of the hut, he saw his master – locked eyes – and nodded before running into the forest.
"I'm afraid this has been enough for today, hanyou." Yamatsu sheathed his sword. "Until we meet again!" He turned and followed what was left of his force into the forest.
Inuyasha gasped and took a step to follow when Shippo's shout drew his attention.
"Kagome! They have Kagome!"
"Kuso!" Inuyasha turned back and ran off into the forest.
As the two lizard men harshly pushed Kagome deeper into Inuyasha Forest, she growled and slapped their hands away when they tried again. "I'm sorry, but if you don't start treating me nicer, your boss is going to have your heads!"
Her words made the youkai look at each other in confusion.
Crossing her arms she continued smugly. "I happen to have been kidnapped on quite a few occasions and I know for a fact that whoever leads you wants me alive rather than dead," She glared at them as she slammed her fists on her hips. "So BACK OFF!"
"Well, if you've already been through this before, that saves time for us." Yamatsu came into view and smiled. "Kagome I presume?"
"Well DUH! Otherwise you wouldn't have gone through all this trouble now would you?" She rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed. After so many years of knowing Inuyasha and traveling to Feudal Japan, she was sick and tired of always being kidnapped!
"Very true, and if I'm correct, the fruits of our labor will be well worth it." He reached a hand forward, making the miko tense up, and slowly touched her stomach.
Instantly, Kagome slashed with her arm and put a deep gash in the youkai's arm before jumping back. Inuyasha had given her the small dagger to protect herself with when the time came. She always wore it now in a special sheath on her upper arm. "Touch me again and I can guarantee you won't be getting your hand back." She narrowed her eyes at him, daring him to try.
Yamatsu look at his wound and flicked the dripping black blood aside. "Its good to see you aren't a complete moron, miko. But if you are counting on your hanyou to save you, you're mistaken."
"Oh? And why's that?" She asked.
Yamatsu smiled. "Because, my dear, you are within an illusion barrier. If that mutt of a youkai comes near here, he will neither smell nor see anything but the rest of this forest. You are helpless."
This made Kagome smirked. "I am never helpless." Then without warning, Kagome took the blade to her injured hand.
"Stop her!" The youkai commanded.
But before the lizard men could react, she pulled the blade across her skin and spilled her blood all over the forest floor. With a flick of her wrist, she splattered her capture with it too. "Let him ignore that."
In an instant, Yamatsu's eyes shrunk in temporary madness and he savagely backhanded the miko across the face, sending her reeling to the floor. "You bitch!" He spit the blood that had landed in his mouth onto the floor.
Inuyasha, who had been searching the forest frantically for any trace of his mate, sniffed the air again. "Damn it! I can't find any trace of her!" He exclaimed. Looking all around him, the forest went on forever as usual, but no sign of his miko was present. "Come on, Kagome. Give me a clue. Tell me where you are."
Suddenly, his nose caught scent of her blood and it was directly in front of him. "But…" Then he remembered.
"There's a powerful jyaki that's taken residence in the forest for the past few hours, but when Miroku and myself went to check it out, we found nothing."
"We fear they may be hiding behind a barrier."
Smirking, Inuyasha tightened his grip on his sword and it changed from steel white to hellish red. "Well, in that case." Jumping up he slashed at what seemed like thin air and the sight before him warped and became an entirely different clearing in the forest. And in the middle of the clearing, he saw Kagome get backhanded by Yamatsu and fall to the ground. "Kagome!"
Yamatsu gritted his teeth and cursed to himself. "We shall retreat for now." He told his followers. "The brats aren't even born yet, but they will be powerless until years later. We will have another opportunity." He turned and ran off before Inuyasha could get to him.
"Yamatsu, you bastard!" Inuyasha saw him leave and decided it was more important to make sure Kagome was okay. Sheathing his sword, he knelt before his mate and stroked her bruising cheek. "Kagome? Are you okay?"
She moaned, but slowly opened her eyes. "Inuyasha. I knew you'd come."
He smiled in relief, "I always will."
Later on…
"Damn it woman! Can't you get passed one day without hurting yourself!?" He berated as Kaede wrapped Kagome's wounded hand.
Sweatdropping, Kagome knew he was just worried sick about her. "At least it's on the same hand."
"Besides it could've been a lot worse." Sango commented by Kagome's side.
"And as far as I can tell the child is unharmed." Kaede added.
"All right! All right! I get it already!" Inuyasha shouted. Why did it seem everyone was against him these days?
Miroku stepped forward. "At least now, we know Naraku really did have a son."
"THAT was Naraku's son!?" Kagome exclaimed.
Inuyasha flexed his claws at the big-mouthed monk, and Miroku laughed nervously before taking a seat on the other end of the room. Turning to Kagome, Inuyasha knelt before her. "Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to you."
Smiling she nodded. "I know." Standing up, she looked at Shippo. "Does my little hero want to walk me down to the hot spring?"
The kitsune cub nodded enthusiastically and climbed up onto her shoulder. "Let's go!"
Kagome patted Inuyasha on the head and said, "We'll be back in an hour." Then she left the hut to bathe.
Inuyasha sighed and plopped back down on the ground. "There's only one thing he could be after." He commented.
Miroku nodded. "Kagome's child."
"Well the event is rare enough, but as its mother is a miko and its sure to inherit Inuyasha's strength, it would've been sooner or later darkness would've begun hunting down the poor soul." Kaede said in sadness.
"So, he wanted to steal it right when Kagome gave birth." Sango caught on.
Miroku looked at his wife. "But now that his attempt has failed, he'll no doubt try again after it's born."
"INUYASHA!!"
The dog demon was on his feet in an instant upon hearing the cub's outcry. When he came out of the hut, followed by everyone else, his canine sight saw his mate on her knees on the floor with her head bowed. "Kagome!" He and the gang rushed to her side.
"She just fell all of a sudden!" The cub reported.
"Kagome, what is it?" Inuyasha asked. She was clutching her stomach in pain.
Through gritted teeth, the miko said. "I-It's coming." Another contraction. "Oh Kami, it's coming!"
Two hours later, Inuyasha was pacing back and forth in front of Kaede's hut along with Shippo and Miroku. Sango was inside playing midwife under Kaede's strict supervision. Kagome was yelling and crying and it pained Inuyasha's ears so much. What hurt him more was the fact that he couldn't do anything about it.
When the crying stopped and all was silent, Inuyasha's ears strained to pick up any other noise coming from the small hut. After a few minutes, Sango came out with sweat on her brow, but a smile on her face. "You can go in now."
Slowly, Inuyasha crept inside and his eyes opened wide when he saw Kagome exhausted but happy. In her arms was not one baby, but two! "Inuyasha?" She said in a scratchy voice. "You have twins."
Inuyasha's face was one Kagome would never forget. He looked once again like a lost child, entering an entirely new world. He crept to her side and looked curiously at what he and his mate had created with their love.
Lifting one arm, she handed him one of the small bundles. "Meet Shiori." The baby girl cooed and snuggled into her father's warmth. "And Shaoran." The baby boy was already asleep in his mother's arms.
Inuyasha finally smiled and ran a gentle clawed hand against his daughters's cheek. "They're so soft."
"Well don't go using them to practice your kazu no kizu or anything like you did my trees back home, but they're all yours." She smiled.
Inuyasha smiled back and nuzzled his mate's nose. "Ours."
Author's Notes: Well, did I go OOC? (Out of Character?) Or was everything as sweet as I had hoped? I thought it fitting they name their daughter after the hanyou that had given them the weapon, in a sense, to defeat Naraku's barrier. (Later on the series for those of you who don't know) As far as I know, Yamatsu doesn't mean anything but I liked the sound of it. I made it up out of the thin air, so let's hope I haven't pissed someone off or anything with it. Oh and for those who didn't know: Kuso means "shit!" and shikuso is "dammit!"
I hope I captured your hearts once again and check for updates weekly. Ja ne!