Chapter 16: The Sacred Amulet of Protection
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but the storyline is mine.
Author's Note: It's been a realllllly long time since the last chapter, and I apologize profusely for that. School is really heavy this semester. Way too much reading and not enough time to do it. And don't get me started on the papers and writing assignments! takes a deep breath and recollects self Just a quick note, someone noted in a review how something in one of the chapters resembled something they read in another story (I think it was about Kagome's barrier)—anyway—I just want to make it clear that I haven't come across that before, but I don't claim it to be OH SO ORIGNAL. So…that's that. AND… I want to take a moment to say THANK YOUUUUUU to all my reviewers. I totally appreciate that people are reading my stuff period, and liking it to boot! That gives me warm fuzzies. Hahaha XD ….But anyway, yeah, you might have noticed by now that some of the stuff the characters are doing is a bit OOC, but well, I have to make some adaptations, right? Right. : ) So….here's the new chapter! Yay:D Please review! I love hearing feedback, so anything you have to say will be of help. (Note: that doesn't include retarded flames that have no sort of constructive commentary. K? k.) Thanks for reading! azami
Last time: "Well, how would you like to meet your cousin then?" Kagome asked. Rin's eyes grew wide, her mouth forming an O-shape.
"I have a cousin? Really?" she cried excitedly.
"Mmmhmm," Kagome replied, grinning. "You see, I have an adopted son, just like Sesshomaru has you. He's a young fox demon who's parents were killed. He joined our group a few years ago, and since then he's said that Inuyasha and I are like his surrogate parents." The child stared back at her, even more wide-eyed.
"Wow! That's wonderful! You took in a poor demon child who lost his parents…that's great! I want to meet my cousin!" she exclaimed, almost cheering. Kagome laughed and took the girl's hand again. They set off for the village, chattering away. Kagome glanced over her shoulder, hoping that Inuyasha and Sesshomaru would soon follow. She could only hope that this promise Sesshomaru had spoken of was sincere, and that they weren't currently at each other's throats.
As they traveled back to the village, Rin shot question after question at Kagome, hardly letting Kagome answer before she asked the next one. Kagome chuckled as the spirited young girl skipped along side her, clutching to her hand. She told Kagome of how much she looked forward to getting to know her father's family, and especially the prospect of having other children to play with. "This is gonna be so great!" she chirped happily.
Kagome looked up and saw that they were quickly approaching the village, seeing the children of the town gathered in a large circle near Kaede's hut. Suddenly a large blast of green fire-like smoke spouted upward from the middle of the circle of children. Kagome looked down at Rin and saw that her eyes were wide with curiosity. Kagome smiled and led Rin closer to the group of children.
"Oh Shippoooo, could you come here please?" Kagome called sweetly, seeing all of the children turn their heads in her direction. They quickly scattered, leaving a somewhat perplexed Shippo in the dust of their departure. He looked up and saw Kagome.
"Kagome! You're back!" he called, running toward her at full speed. He jumped up into her arms and hugged her. Smelling the air and the hair of his surrogate mother, he detected an unfamiliar human scent. He looked downward to see a bright-eyed young girl staring up at him.
"Hi!" she said, grinning fully. Shippo raised an eyebrow and looked to Kagome, then back at the girl.
"Shippo, this is Rin, the daughter of Inuyasha's brother, Sesshomaru," Kagome explained. Shippo looked at the girl again.
"Hey! You're Sesshomaru's kid? Is he even nice enough to have kids?" Shippo asked, not quite thinking about what he was saying.
"Lord Sesshomaru is the best father a girl could ask for," Rin spoke up, confident in her support of her adoptive father. Kagome went to intervene but was quickly cut off by Shippo's return.
"Hey, wait a sec, if you're Sesshomaru's kid..and he's Inuyasha's brother…and Inuyasha is kinda like my dad…then…you're my cousin!" Shippo said, figuring out the link between him and this outspoken little girl. Suddenly, he began to grin widely, and jumped down from Kagome's arms.
"Yes!" Rin exclaimed, throwing her hands up in excitement.
Shippo took hold of her hand and began to drag her off, "C'mon Rin! I got stuff to show you! Since we're cousins you can see some of my secret stuff!" Rin giggled, nodding and following along with Shippo.
"You two be careful now, and stay out of trouble!" Kagome called to the two youngsters.
"Yeah we will! Don't worry Kagome!" Shippo called back, Rin waving at her.
Kagome smiled to herself. It was nice to see them both so happy. "Kagome-chan, you're back!" She turned and was greeted by a waving Sango.
"Hey Sango! What's up?" Kagome greeted her best friend.
Sango rolled her eyes, "Oh nothing, just dealing with Miroku insistance that we need a practice honeymoon." Kagome in turn rolled her eyes at the thought of Miroku's lustily motivated attempts.
"Yep, sound like Miroku alright," Kagome returned. She craned her neck, looking off in the distance, as if she was trying to spy something in particular.
Sango looked at her, raising an eyebrow. "Kagome? What are you looking at?"
Kagome's faced reddened a bit, "Oh.. nothing! I'm just…a little…nervous…" She looked in the distance again, her mouth twisted into a deep frown. Sango began to look as well, though she had no idea what she was looking for.
"Nervous about what?" Sango asked, still attempting to follow Kagome's gaze.
"Well…we met up with Sesshomaru and I brought Rin back here to meet Shippo…and well…" she said sheepishly.
Sango's eyes widened, "You mean you left Inuyasha and Sesshomaru alone together!" Kagome laughed nervously, nodding, equally feeling the horror that had just crossed Sango's face.
" Uh huh…Sesshomaru said that there was something he needed to talk to Inuyasha about…I just hope that they can contain their hatred for each other long enough to talk it out…" Kagome said nervously, looking again in the distance.
With Sesshomaru and Inuyasha…
"So, little brother, it seems you've finally accepted the responsibility of becoming a man," Sesshomaru said, a slight smirk coming to his lips. Inuyasha glared at him contemptuously.
"What's that supposed to mean?" he shot back, eyeing his older brother.
Sesshomaru chuckled. "Well, it's quite obvious that you've taken the miko as your mate. Am I wrong?"
Inuyasha's face grew red with anger as he clutched the handle of the Tetsaiga. "Why you…I'll kill you if you try talkin' about Kagome like that! That's none of your damn business!" Sesshomaru raised a hand, waving off Inuyasha's attempt at a threat.
"I have no desire for games right now, Inuyasha. Surely you're aware of what the bond of you and the miko means?" Sesshomaru asked, his face still holding that condescending smirk.
"What's it to ya anyway?" Inuyasha snapped. "This ain't got nothin' to do with you!"
"Oh, but it does, more than you know, little brother. As I've told you, I made a promise to Father, and I intend on keeping it."
"Since when do you give a damn about what happends to me? Whatever promise you made, you can forget about it! I don't need your 'help'." Inuyasha turned away, crossing his arms over his chest indignantly.
"I didn't say that I care of what befalls you, please do not be mistaken on that. I still think you are a loathsome little brat who has no conception of what your position means, and unlike yourself, I choose to uphold the honor of the bloodline we share," Sesshomaru said coldly, turning away from Inuyasha. Inuyasha's face grew red with anger, once more.
"I oughta-" he grumbled, balling his hands up into tight fists. Sesshomaru laughed.
"Always so eager for a fight. You know, Inuyasha, this tendency in you is directly relative to your weak human blood. Perhaps if you stop behaving like a complete degenerate and listen to me, like a good boy, for more than a few moments, we might be able to get this over with more efficiently," Sesshomaru eyed his angry younger brother, somewhat enjoying keeping him on the edge of his seat. He knew the hanyou wanted to know of this promise he had made so long ago, but at the same time wanted to go head to head with his brother.
"Get on with it then! You're wastin' my time!" Inuyasha retorted, still slightly red-faced. He was quickly growing tired of Sesshomaru's little game, knowing that his brother was attempting to take control of the situation by dragging things out. He hated the pompous air he carried, and lashed out against it every chance he got.
"Well then…as you are aware, the union between you and the miko has long been destined, and the importance of this can't be easily understood by those with simple minds, " he smirked, casting a glance at Inuyasha, whom looked wildly angry, but remained silent. "Father had a hand in the protection of the Shikhon no Tama, and vowed to the goddess Jingu that he would see to the protection of it while it remained in the middle realm. The night before you were born, the goddess visited Father, telling him of the plot the humans had to kill you and your mother. She warned him that he must see that you remain alive, no matter the cost. Father, of course, took this as his duty…his duty to his love, and his son," Sesshomaru began, his voice dropping off slightly. He looked onto the horizon, pausing before he began to speak again.
"When you were born, Father asked me to promise to look out for you, to be sure that you stayed alive and well. Of course, I had my reservations, as I wanted nothing to do with you, and felt that Father had betrayed the Inu-Yokai clan by mating with a human, but all the same, he was my father, and above that my leader. I knew that I was bound to keep this promise. Over time, it became more than obvious that we loathed one another, and I surely did take as many opportunities as possible to kill you myself. However, I was bound to this promise. I doubted that you would ever be able to hold such a post as the mate and protector of the guardian of the Shikhon no Tama, but you have proved me wrong. The miko has come to love you and taken you has her partner, and to her, I am already indebted. You see, Inuyasha, regardless of how you and I feel toward one another, I must join forces with you in your quest to destroy Naraku, as it has become my own quest. Perhaps it's time for us to settle this matter between us." Sesshomaru turned to Inuyasha, staring at him intently.
Inuyasha glared back, not trusting his brother for a moment. "Yeah, so you're bound to this promise, big deal. What's so special about it? You make it sound like you have some kind of important role in this."
Sesshomaru moved his hand to the inside of his kimono, withdrawing what looked like a small wooden box. Inuyasha watched him cautiously, suspicious of his every move. Sesshomaru opened the box, revealing a small red jewel laying amongst a bed of silk. "Have you any idea what this is?" he asked.
Inuyasha marveled at the bright shimmering glow that emanated from the jewel, leaving him to only shake his head in response.
"Do you still have the amulet that your mother instructed you to give to the miko?" he asked. Inuyasha shook himself from the daze.
"How'd you know about that?" he asked, surprised.
"Bring it out," Sesshomaru instructed. Normally, Inuyasha might've exploded when being given an order by his brother, but this time his curiosity led him to comply without struggle. He pulled the box from his haori and opened it. He looked down at the emblem of a dragon that had been carved out from jade and then set in shinning silver. He noticed that the eye of the dragon was a hole about the side of the small stone his brother had just revealed to him. He looked up at Sesshomaru.
"You mean?" Inuyasha asked, not completing his question. Sesshomaru held out his hand, motioning for Inuyasha to hand him the amulet. Inuyasha hesitated at first, but then relented, handing him the box. Sesshomaru took the box, and then took the small red jewel between the tips of his claws, gently setting the jewel into the eye of the dragon emblem. When the two pieces connected, the amulet began to give off a faint glow. Inuyasha's eyes widened, uncertain of what exactly was happening. Sesshomaru then handed the amulet back to Inuyasha, giving a slight nod.
"Now, you must give this to the miko, and be sure that she always wears it. The jade from which this amulet was carved was taken from the jewled armour of the goddess Jingu, and provides a form of protection to the guardian of the jewel. But beware that no one else wears it, for a fate far worse than either of us could imagine will befall them," Sesshomaru said firmly. Inuyasha took the amulet, gazing at it as it cast a warm glow on his face. He'd never seen anything quite like it, but somehow knew to heed his brother's warning.
As Inuyasha marveled at the amulet, Sesshomaru turned and began walking in the direction of the village. "I am going to the village to check on the welfare of my child," he said, over his shoulder. Inuyasha looked up, blinking several times. Silently, he fell into step behind his brother.
Back at the village…
Kagome had begun to prepare a meal, still anxiously awaiting the return of her mate and his brother. She stirred the pot of miso soup that simmered over the fire, trying to distract herself from the nervous feeling that fluttered in her gut.
"Lord Sesshomaru! You're here!" she heard the voice of Rin call. Kagome hurried to the door of the hut, and saw that Inuyasha and Sesshomaru had reached the village. Neither showed signs of having been in any sort of scuffle, letting her breathe a heavy sigh of relief. She walked outside, heading directly for Inuyasha.
"I hope everything's okay," she thought, speaking her worries only in her thoughts.
Inuyasha looked up, seeing that Kagome was coming toward them. He could hear what she was thinking and smirked slightly.
"Hey you two. I see you made it back okay," she said, forcing a smile.
Inuyasha nodded, "Yep. Everything's fine." She looked at him in the eyes, connecting her to him directly.
"Don't worry…I'll explain later," he thought, attempting to quell her fears. She nodded in response, then drawing her arms around his waist in a sweet hug. He returned the brief embrace, placing a kiss on her forehead.
Sesshomaru scowled inwardly at the show of affection between the two, but kept his expression blank. Though he might never admit it, he somewhat envied his younger brother and the life he had. He was surrounded by a loving mate, a child that adored and looked up to him, and caring friends that did everything they could to support and protect him. He then felt a slight tug at his kimono, causing him to look downward. Sesshomaru was greeted with the beaming face of Rin. He felt himself smile inwardly, but still did not reveal his true feelings. Again, he was staunch about not letting others in on what he was thinking or feeling, but he did have a sense of purpose because of this young child to whom he had become a parental figure.
A short while later they all sat down to eat, talking merrily and discussing the events of the day. Shippo and Rin giggled quietly together, sharing secrets in a way that only young cousins could share.The mood was warm and welcoming, so much so that even Sesshomaru seemed to relent a bit, agreeing to try some of Kagome's cooking. To his surprise, he found what she called "ramen" to be very tasty indeed, and quickly developed a taste for this newfound wonder.
As everyone ate and talked, Inuyasha took the opportunity to pull Kagome aside. He looked at her, attempting to use their thought-exchange abilities to communicate, unheard by the others. "I need to talk to you, alone," he said to her, his words forming only in the bay of her mind.
She nodded, getting up from her seat, and heading toward the door. Inuyasha followed quickly, glancing back to make sure that no one followed. Once outside, he turned to Kagome, whom looked back at him with a curious expression. He took her by the hand and led her along, still not speaking.
"Inuyasha? Is something wrong?" she asked, looking at the back of his head as he pulled her along by the hand. He remained silent until they reached the sacred tree. He stopped there and turned to her.
He then pulled the small box from his haori, and held it out to her. "I've been meaning to give you this for awhile, but until recently, I didn't know how important it was…but…this is for you."
Kagome blushed, taking the box into her hands. Though Inuyasha was now her mate, she was still growing used to this sort of exchange between them. She opened the box, revealing the shinning amulet that lay inside. Her eyes widened as she marveled at the beauty of the jeweled piece, running her finger tips gently over the surface of the meticulously carved dragon. When she touched it, a warm sensation ran through her body, causing her to feel serene and safe. "Thank you…it's…it's beautiful," she whispered.
Inuyasha shifted uncomfortable, slightly embarrassed, "Here, let me help you put it on." He took the necklace from the back, circled it around her neck, and clasped it around her neck. She smiled, straighting it against her chest.
"Thank you," she said, leaning up and kissing his cheek lightly. His cheeks went flush as her lips brushed his cheek.
"Uh…yeah…about it…it's supposed to protect you. It's got to do with this whole Alpha-Omega thing," he mumbled. "I dunno…Sesshomaru can explain it better than I can. I'm not good with words." Just then, she wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her cheek against his chest. He smiled slightly, taking her into his arms, pulling her closer to him still. "Now this I can handle…" he whispered, and she giggled in response. They stood there, bathed in the moonlight beneath the sacred tree, exchanging the kisses that only true loves know.
From a slight distance, someone watched them closely, smiling maliciously. " That's right…take it all in now, lovebirds. Soon…soon you shall see my true wrath…" whispered the voice of their watcher.
Now we have it that Sesshomaru is joining forces with Inuyasha and the others, and Inuyasha has given Kagome this special amulet. What sort of magic does this strange amulet possess? And…Ack! Someone's spying on Kagome and Inuyasha! Who is it? Naraku? Kikyo? Someone else whom has yet to enter the storyline? Guess you'll hafta read next time to find out! PLEASSSSSSEEEEE REVIEW! Thanks! ;) azami
Secondary note: I'll try to get another chapter out this week! I'm sorry it takes so long between chapters. College work keeps me really busy! Oh…and I apologize for any inconsistencies in the storyline. If you happen to spot a really blatant one, please email me and point it out (by email, not review, though truthful reviews are welcome :D).