A Father's Embrace

Chapter Thirty-three

Facade

Kagome paced worriedly in front of Yuki's hut. The sun had set long ago, yet she could not find sleep. Not when Maiki was out in the middle of nowhere in Feudal Japan with scores of yokai running amok. The only good thing going for the miko was the sudden disappearance of the terrible thunderstorm that had existed in the direction where the teenagers had gone. Kagome strode over to the left side of the hut and suddenly stopped, looking up into the night sky. The moon, almost half lit, hung brightly in the sky.

'I just knew that something like this would happen. I should have just taken Maiki and gone back through the well and never looked back. We should've looked for a way to hide her features in the modern era. There are ways to do so. A little hair dye. Some contact lenses. Some hats or something... No one would've known what she is. But no. I had to chose the hard way. I'm so stupid! Coming out here when I know it's dangerous! I can't even keep Maiki safe... I'm so stupid and weak and helpless...'

Her throat tightened in a choking knot as hot tears filled her eyes. Staring at the moon, it became blurry through the puddles of liquid forming in her eyes. She blinked, sending the drops down her cheeks, and when she reopened her eyes, her vision became clear once again, until more tears replaced the ones she had just expelled. She tried hard not to cry, but her self-damning thoughts made that task impossible. She sobbed silently, holding in her pain, but that only made her plight worse. She dashed her hand across her face, wishing the tears away. Her efforts were futile.

"Excuse me, miss? Are you the miko who came in with the monk and exterminator today?" asked a timid, young, masculine voice from behind her.

Kagome immediately stifled her sobs. She pulled a handkerchief from her skirt pocket, and used it to soak up any of the residual moisture on her face. She turned to face him, hoping that with the moon behind her, he wouldn't see the evidence of her dismay written on her features.

"Yes, I am she."

The boy smiled slightly, having successfully found who he had been searching for. "I am Akio, a messenger from the headman, Susumu-sama. He has heard of the arrival of you and your companions to our village and has learned of your troubles. He wishes to speak with you, and see if he may be of any service."

Kagome bowed. "Thank you. My friends and I will see him first thing in the morning."

A look of shock crossed Akio's face. "Forgive me, miko-sama, but Susumu-sama insists upon your immediate presence. I have been instructed to take the three of you to his residence. If I fail to do so, I shall be severely punished."

She blinked perplexedly. 'At this time of night, the headman wishes to see us? Is it really that important to see us now She decided she had no choice but to comply. After all, she did not wish punishment upon the boy just because she refused to oblige a simple request. "Okay then. Let me wake up my friends and we'll be on our way."

Akio bowed to her as she strode into the hut. Kagome was not surprised to see that Miroku and Sango were still awake, worried over their missing son.

Koryu landed gracefully in the courtyard of Soten's castle. He crouched down low enough so that his three passengers could dismount from his back with greater ease. Maiki and Kazuki had little difficulty climbing down considering it was their first time ever riding on a dragon. Maiki was grateful once her feet touched solid ground. Never before had she been so far from the ground. Kazuki had rode upon Kirara plenty of times, so he had been accustomed to being so distantly separated from the earth.

Soten slowly and carefully eased herself down onto the stone-laden courtyard. The teenagers noted that it seemed as though she had a hidden injury, one that she was taking care not to irritate any further or expose to her 'guests.' However, her cautious movements were not commented on. Kazuki and Maiki had each silently decided that it was better not to point out a possible vulnerability to their 'host', unless they wished her to become offended or cross with them.

Once Soten had both her feet firmly planted on the ground, Koryu was suddenly engulfed in a puffy, gray cloud. Less than a second later, the cloud faded and in place of the massive reptile was now a tiny lizard about the size of a small dog.

Maiki blinked, rubbed her eyes, and stared at the small dragon once again. "He's a snake with wings?" she mumbled.

Koryu gave her an irritated look. "Don't misjudge me because of my current form," he replied. Maiki noted that his voice had changed as well, becoming a much higher pitch than before. "I merely take this form out of convenience, so that I can fit comfortably inside Soten-sama's home."

"Sorry," Maiki muttered.

The now-tiny dragon flew over to his mistress and they headed towards the castle entrance. Kazuki and Maiki followed behind them at about ten paces back. They both quietly regarded their new surroundings, finding them to be far less hostile than they would have pictured a yokai's home to be. Though they couldn't see too much outside since it was after nightfall, the silver of the moon illuminated the flower beds on either side of the courtyard. The moonlight bathed the plants in a blue glow, nicely accented by the pulsing of fireflies as they performed their waltz on the soft breeze in the air. The image was surreal, as if taken from a rare work of art.

They soon reached the front doors. To Kazuki's surprise, not a single servant was present to open the doors for Soten. Typically, a ruling yokai would have dozens of lesser yokai on hand to wait on their masters and mistresses. But for some reason or another, it seemed that servants were absent in Soten's home. The yokai pulled the right-hand door to the side with a heave, seeming to have a bit of difficulty doing so. She managed to get the door open all the way before Kazuki or Maiki had the opportunity to offer her help. Once the door was open, she took a few deep breaths before turning to her guests. Apparently, her mysterious condition was a bit more inhibiting than she first let on.

"Welcome to my home," she replied between slight panting breaths.

Kazuki and Maiki both bowed out of courtesy and crossed the threshold. Koryu entered next, followed by Soten. As the yokai attempted to shut the door, Kazuki was ready to interrupt her this time and grabbed the door for her. She looked a bit irritated at first, that a human would be so bold as to assist a yokai. Maiki, too, was surprised at his generosity. To the junior exterminator's dismay, the door was much heavier than it appeared to be, and he was having a bit more difficulty with it than Soten had been. He managed to get it closed, however, and they all headed on their way.

The foyer was quite large. The walls expanded to the height of two stories. Four doorways lined each side of the foyer, and at the end, were two more doors. Above each door, a torch ignited by blue flame illuminated the interior of the building. On the walls, intricate paintings were hung, and occasionally, there would be a finely crafted sculpture resting upon a pedestal against a wall.

Soten led the teenagers to the end of the foyer, heading towards the last door on the left wall. Sliding the door open revealed a long hallway with two doors on each side. The far end of the hall turned towards the right. They were taken to the middle door on the right. Soten and Koryu entered the chamber casually, as if they didn't care whether or not their company followed.

When Kazuki and Maiki entered the room, they found that they had been taken to a study. Bookshelves lined the far wall. The wall to the right was decorated by maps of the region. And to the left, was a low table and several seats around it. Soten paced over to the table and began unfastening her armor. While she did so, Koryu hovered to a seat and settled himself down onto the cushion. The teenagers followed suit, waiting for Soten. The yokai woman stripped herself of the gray armor, and allowed it to fall to the ground with a thunk.

When Soten turned to face her guests, their eyes visibly widened at what had been hidden from them until now. Without her armor to hide behind, the obvious roundness of her belly was exposed. Maiki's jaw nearly hit the ground in shock.

"You're pregnant," she whispered. "Not just pregnant... but very pregnant."

Akio led Kagome, Miroku and Sango to Susumu-sama's hut. The errand boy used a poorly lit torch to lead the way. Despite the poor lighting from the torch, the moonlight assisted with their trek across the small village, and after a few minutes, they reached their destination. Like always, the headman's hut was larger than the rest of the huts within the village. The boy stopped when he reached the door to the hut. He bowed to the miko, monk and exterminator.

"This is as far as I can go. Susumu-sama is inside, beyond the door to the left."

They each bowed in return to the boy, thanking him for his assistance before they headed into the dark hut. As each one entered, a great sense of uneasiness filled them. Kagome looked to her friends, to see if they had felt what she was currently feeling. Sango met the miko's gaze.

"You feel it too, don't you, Kagome-chan?"

The younger woman nodded. "Yoki... coming from the door Yuki told us about."

Sango grimaced. "I don't get it. Why didn't we notice all this yoki before we entered the hut?"

"Do you think there's some sort of barrier that prevented us from feeling it?" Kagome suggested meekly.

"Possibly," replied Miroku as he stared at the door. "I really don't like the feeling of this. This could be a trap."

At the monk's words, Kagome started to panic. "I don't think we should go in there then. We should leave. If he wants us, he can come to us. Actually, we should probably leave this village altogether. We should be looking for Maiki and Kazuki anyway. We definitely should go." She turned towards the door, ready to bolt.

"No, wait, Kagome-chan. It would be improper of us to leave. What if this Susumu-sama is possessed by a yokai and needs help? He have to go in there and assess the situation."

The miko's eyes bulged when her hopes for escape immediately melted into fantasy. She sighed, hoping she didn't come across as being a coward. The unease within her was quite tangible, and she wasn't quite sure where this feeling was coming from. In fact, she wasn't sure when exactly she had regained her ability to sense yoki. Over time, she had either lost or forgotten her abilities and, up until now, she was as blind as a bat when it came to her miko senses. She quickly dismissed these thoughts and turned back towards her friends. Without having a reasonable explanation for her odd behavior, she didn't want them to become worried or suspicious.

"You're right, Sango-chan. We should help."

"And don't worry, Kagome-sama. Sango and I shall make sure you are safe should the situation turn bad."

Kagome nodded and then the three headed for the door. They found themselves in a vast, dark room. At the far end of the room, they could barely make out the outline of a figure sitting on a large cushion. He was definitely masculine, and had a tall, thin frame. Other than that, any other defining characteristics were obscured by the poor lighting. However, they could all feel the waves of yoki rolling off of him.

"Houshi-sama. Taijiya-sama. Miko-sama. Please, step forward so I can better see you," a calm, quiet voice called to them.

The trio did as instructed, walking slowly down the length of the room towards the source of the voice. 'Why do I feel like I'm stuck in the middle of the Wizard of Oz or something?' Kagome wondered to herself, attempting to calm her nerves with humor. They stopped when they were about five paces from Susumu.

The headman released a low, self-amused chuckle. "How silly of me. It is still far to dark in here to see your faces. Please allow me to remedy this situation."

Before they could react, the room was suddenly illuminated by torches on the wall behind the headman. The flames were an eerie hue of blue. Everyone except for Susumu blinked to adjust to the new lighting. Kagome was on edge more than ever. This Susumu was either a yokai, or possessed by one, since he was able to use some sort of magic to light the torches.

With their sense of sight now adjusted to the bright interior, the trio scrutinized the headman. He was definitely a lanky fellow. He seemed to be a couple years younger than Kagome, since his light brown hair was only slightly receding. His gray eyes stared back at them, with a peculiar sparkle shining from within. An amused grin spread across his face.

"Ah, that is much better. Much better, indeed! Now I can see you all perfectly," he cheered, his eyes lingering on Kagome a bit longer than she would have liked. "It is of great luck that you all have wandered this way. I have a great favor to ask of you." Here, he paused, assessing their reaction. When their blank faces gave him nothing to assess, he continued.

"As you all have already been informed, the lady yokai of these lands has been quite upset as of late. This has become quite the disturbance to the welfare of the villages in this area. She has a great influence on the flow of water through this region. She allows the land to dry up, killing the plant life which holds the ground together. When the land is barely able to hold onto itself, she creates torrential downpour and flooding, washing away the land. This can't go on for much longer."

"What do you wish for us to do about it?" Miroku inquired.

Susumu released a sigh before answering. "I wish for you to find her, and if possible, placate her. I know it is a lot for me to ask of you, but it is far too dangerous for anyone else to approach her. I beg of you to help this village and those of the surrounding areas."

Miroku and Sango regarded the headman suspiciously. There was something not right with this story. They could tell that there was something wrong with this Susumu. Behind the facade of the headman, was the work of a yokai. Deciding to get to the bottom of the situation, Miroku pulled an ofuda from his robes, an unspoken threat to use the weapons of his trade.

"Tell me, yokai, why is it that you hide behind the mask of this village's headman? And, I'd also like to know why you, yourself, cannot approach the Lady of these lands."

Susumu allowed his eyes to close, and a quaint grin crossed his lips. "Quite the perceptive one, I see. Well then, since you already know my secret, I may as well drop the charade."

He lifted his right hand to his forehead, the first two fingers extended, the backs resting across his hairline. A magic leaf suddenly appeared in his hand. Slowly, his form began to shift and change, as he dispelled the disguise. As the transformation took place, all three humans were left in awe. Kagome's eyes widened in shock. Her face paled, as if she had seen a ghost from the past.

If Maiki still had her yokai characteristics, she would have been growling quite darkly. "Your mate did leave you, didn't he?" Soten's silence was confirmation enough. Maiki gritted her teeth. "I can't believe he would do that to his own mate! How could he do such a thing? Especially since you're pregnant!"

Soten unconsciously placed a protective hand over her stomach. Though she was bitterly angry at her absent mate, she refrained from unleashing her anger upon her guests any further. After all, she had yet to ask them of her request. Instead, she took on a bit of a saddened disposition. She seemed to avoid eye contact with the teenagers, choosing to stare at a point on the table in front of her.

"You're right, Maiki. My mate abandoned me shortly after I became pregnant. He ran off with a human woman before I had even the chance to tell him of our child." At this moment, she lifted her eyes to look at Kazuki. Her maroon orbs were terribly pleading, but at the same time, there was an undercurrent of malice to her gaze. "I want you to find my miscreant mate. I care not your price. Do whatever you can, but please find him."

Maiki rolled her eyes with irritation, though the others present did not see this. 'Heh. And why does this not surprise me? Sounds almost like mama and Nanashi all over again. A woman neglected by her husband -- mate -- whatever, but she is unable to cut her losses and drop him before she's hurt any further. She's probably convinced that it's her own fault he left...' "So, I assume you want us to find him and bring him back here?" she replied a bit sarcastically.

Soten turned towards the younger woman. All the pleading in the yokai's eyes had suddenly turned hard and cold. "No," she said bluntly. "I want you to kill him." As an afterthought, she added, "On second thought, I do want you to return him to me. But all I require is his head."

Maiki blinked at the vindictiveness in her voice, taken by surprise. "Okay..." 'Wow... I guess she isn't like mama and Nanashi after all...'

Kazuki swallowed at the sudden change in the yokai's demeanor, but he remained calm and level-headed. He was a moderately experienced yokai exterminator, and was used to hunting and killing lesser beasts, but never had he taken on a higher class yokai before. However, he certainly would not let on that he was inexperienced in this field.

"I accept your request for assistance in this matter," he replied coolly. "What might his name be and may I have a description of what he looks like?"

"Sh- Shippo-chan?" Kagome choked out the name of the kitsune now sitting before her.

The fox-child she had once known had changed so much since she had last seen him. Unruly red-brown hair was now far more tame, tied back into a top-knot that fell to the base of his neck. Cerulean eyes had darkened a few shades, and though they held a look of maturity, there was still the mischievous glean within the deep-blue depths. He had grown up so much, so much taller than she last remembered, though he still seemed to be a few inches shorter than she. He was a bit thin, due to the lithe characteristics of his kitsune heritage, but she could wisely guess that he had strong, ready-to-spring muscles hidden beneath his clothing and armor.

The fox yokai rose to his feet. A bright grin painted on his face. "Yes. It's me, Kagome. All grown up now." His voice was so different now. Gone was the voice of a child, replaced by a deeper, but still light-hearted tone.

A smile grew across Kagome's face as tears pooled in her eyes and threatened to fall down her face. She cautiously approached her long-lost, once-adopted son, as if the image of him before her was an illusion waiting to disappoint her. When she slowly embraced him in a tight hug, she was relieved by the physical contact that proved he was really there in the flesh. They held each other in a silently emotional reunion for several long minutes before pulling away from each other. After seventeen long years of waiting, the kitsune and his adoptive mother had finally been reunited.

Akio - bright boy

Susumu - advancement