A Father's Embrace
Chapter Thirty-Nine
A New Addition
It came as a great relief when Kagome, Miroku, and Sango emerged from the tunnel. After an hour of traveling through the dimly lit and confined space of the cave, the bright, open daylight was a warm welcome. After their eyes adjusted to the mid-day sun, they took a look around to get their bearings straight.
As Maiki and Kazuki had discovered the day before, the present trio immediately noticed that the valley was completely surrounded by mountains, just as they had remembered it from twenty-something years back. Trees were scattered sparsely throughout the lush, green valley. The gently blowing wind whispered through the tall blades of grass. The scenery was serene, and being cut off from the surrounding world, it was like a private paradise.
Kagome knew that Shippo was very lucky indeed to be able to call a place such as this 'home.' If only he hadn't gone and screwed it up so royally.
"What do you know. Shippo was right," Miroku stated, causing the two women to turn towards him.
When they did so, they found him examining the surface of the rocky mountain wall they had just emerged from. The tunnel was completely invisible to the naked eye, completely impenetrable by the strongest might. Just as the fox had stated, the tunnel would appear to be nonexistent behind the illusion of a solid rocky wall.
"So, where should we look first? By the river perhaps?" Kagome inquired.
"That's probably our best option right now," Sango replied. "So let's head that way."
Just as they turned towards the south, a subtle flare of yoki washed over them. Immediately, the trio turned towards the direction of the source, looking up into the sky slightly to the north. Though the sun didn't help them much, they were still able to distinguish the obvious shape of a dragon flying towards the northwest. And on his back were two individuals. Two very distinguishable individuals.
"That's Shippo," the monk stated. "What's he doing? I thought he was headed back to the village..."
"Kazuki!" cried the exterminator. "Kazuki was with him!"
The miko seemed a bit worried. "But where's Maiki?"
"Don't worry, Kagome-sama. I'm sure she's safe. I'm certain that Kazuki knows where she is. We'll just follow them."
Kagome nodded, and the trio took off running after the dragon, running towards the northwest.
"We're being followed," Koryu replied calmly to his passengers. It was the first time any of the three had spoke in several minutes.
"Where?" Shippo asked as he stretched out his senses, attempting to locate the pursuers.
"They travel by foot, a couple hundred feet behind us."
Shippo and Kazuki simultaneously looked back, trying to get a visual on their stalkers. Barely, they could make out three forms running through the tall grasses of the valley. It was the giant weapon strapped to one figure's back that revealed their identity.
"Mother," the exterminator apprentice muttered under his breath, but it was loud enough for those with yokai ears to have heard it.
The kitsune knew that if one of the people below was indeed Kazuki's mother, then the identity of the other two were a given. "Koryu, swing around and pick them up."
"I cannot do that."
Shippo turned to look at the back of the dragon's head with an angered look. "Why not? I told you to get them."
"And I said I cannot do that. Did you already forget? My loyalties no longer lie with you, Shippo. Soten-sama is my only priority right now, and I must return to her quickly if you say she is in danger."
Kazuki watched helplessly as the distance between he and the group on the ground grew greater. So close to reuniting with his parents, yet so far away, he had to do something. He spun his head around to the front once more as well, an idea in his head.
"But Koryu! Those are my parents, and Kagome-san! If Soten is in trouble, they can help!"
Though the dragon showed no visible signs of recognition, the name Kagome rang an immediate bell in his head. He remembered the miko who acted as a mother to Shippo in his youth. The strange young human woman who, despite being a miko, showed no preconceived prejudices towards yokai. She had even done a good job embarrassing Soten all those years ago by coddling the yokai child and repeatedly cooing the word 'kawaii' to her. A grin tugged at the dragon's mouth at the memory.
"If that be the miko Kagome, then is it safe to assume that her companions down there are her monk and exterminator friends?"
"Yes! Those are my parents, Miroku and Sango."
Koryu didn't reply to that, didn't make any immediate acknowledgement to the teenage boy's pleas. But when it seemed like he was going to continue straight onwards to Soten's castle, he suddenly hooked his body sharply to the left, turning back towards the trio on the ground.
"They're coming round," Miroku replied between ragged breaths.
The pace with which they needed to keep up to the dragon had nearly exhausted the three humans. When the ladies of the group looked up, it was a relief to see the dragon heading towards them. They slowed to a stop, catching their breaths as the dragon swooped down to land some ten yards in front of them. The flapping of the beasts giant wingspan stirred up the grass around them. They shielded their eyes from the winds until the dragon settled down up on the ground and neatly folded his wings at his sides.
"Kazuki!" Sango cried out, running towards the boy on the dragon's back. Kazuki slid off Koryu to greet his mother who scooped him up an a tight bear-hug. "Oh, thank the heaven's you are okay!"
"Ugh, Mother! Do you have to?"
By this time, Miroku had joined his wife and son, ruffling the boy's hair like he used to do when he was a child. "Of course he's okay. He is our son, after all. We taught him everything we know about survival. Was there ever a reason to be worried?"
The elder exterminator shot a glare at her husband. "Excuse me, Hoshi-sama, but you were just as worried as I was! Don't pretend that you weren't scared to death either!"
"Oh, yes," the monk nervously chuckled. "How could I have forgotten?"
Hating to break up the reunion, Kagome looked to the teenager with pleading eyes. "Kazuki-kun. Please tell me. Is Maiki okay?"
The boy glanced at the miko before turning his head towards the northwest. "She should be. I left her with Soten at her estate. Maiki should be perfectly fine."
Kagome seemed a bit more at ease, though it would probably take visual confirmation of Maiki's well being to completely reassure the miko. At that moment, Shippo suddenly buckled at his knees, nearly falling over. He rested his hand on Koryu's side to balance himself. His eyes were unfocused, glazed. His flesh was a sickly, white pallor, much lighter then even the fairest skinned yokai. Beads of sweat dripped from his hairline. He could feel jolts of pain lashing through his body, though he was uninjured and healthy.
"Shippo! Are you okay?" Kagome fretted, having been the first to notice the fox's sudden shift.
He panted slightly, but managed a weak reply. "I'm fine, Kagome... It's not me, it's Soten... We have to get moving... Something's happening to her..."
"Everyone! Quickly! Climb on my back!" Koryu ordered. With his mistress in peril, he needed to get to her as quickly as possible, regardless if Shippo and the others came with him or not.
The women and teen scrambled onto Koryu's back while Miroku helped the ailing Shippo before climbing on as well. Barely giving his passengers time to hold on, the dragon lifted off into the air, flying as fast as he possibly could. Kagome watched over Shippo, concerned for his well being. Very slowly, he seemed to be getting better. His eyes had regained their focus, and he wasn't sweating as badly as before. But he still seem a bit weak. If Shippo were in this bad of shape from simply experiencing Soten's pain through their bond, then Kagome could only pray that the thunder yokai would be okay.
It wasn't too long before they arrived in the courtyard of Soten's estate. By the time they arrived, Shippo had regained enough strength to stand on his own, though Kagome and Miroku stood at each side should he suddenly collapse. The fox tried to reassure the humans that he was okay, tried to convince them that he wasn't experiencing any pain at the moment, tried to politely decline their assistance. They would hear none of it.
After Miroku and Kazuki struggled to pull the heavy front doors open, they all made their way inside. Koryu, in his shrunken form, darted through the foyer. Sensing his mistress's yoki, he heading towards the dining area in the back of the castle. Shippo followed after him as quickly as he could. Just as he traversed the doorway into the dining room, another jostle of pain sprang through him, though this one not nearly as severe. As the cramp subsided, he lifted his gaze, eyes finally landing on his mate whom he had not seen in months.
His jaw nearly fell to the ground at the sight of her.
Laying on the cushions where Maiki has left her, Soten held her hands on her distended belly. She took slow, deep breaths, regaining strength after her last contraction. She turned her head to the side, bleary eyes meeting those of her mate.
"Why are you here?" she questioned him. Her voice was missing the venom she would have liked to have poured into her words, but that was because of her current weakened condition.
The fox didn't respond immediately. Instead, he slowly stepped towards his mate, still in complete shock. He had had no idea that she was with child. If only he had known, he would have never taken post in Susumu's village. He approached her slowly, one foot after another, until he was by her side where he dropped to his knees. Gently taking one of her pale, limp hands into his, he lifted it to his face, rubbing her knuckles against his cheek.
"Please forgive me," he whispered to her.
Before Soten could speak, Koryu stopped his task of inspecting his mistress's well-being to fly up and into Shippo's face.
"How dare you think you could earn Soten-sama's forgiveness with such an empty act of sorrow! After all the pain you have caused her, you are lucky she is in no condition to fry you where you stand! Keep your filthy, treacherous hands off of her, you scoundrel!"
The dragon slapped the kitsune's hands away from the laboring woman. Shippo didn't stop his mate's vassal. His back, his shoulders, his head, his entire demeanor radiated with defeat. He knew he didn't deserve Soten's forgiveness. Hell, he didn't expect that she would ever forgive him. He knew he was in hot water before. But now, discovering that she had been with child, his child, the entire time... He couldn't help but think that he had failed her. At a time when she needed his strength and support the most, he hadn't been there.
"But, it wasn't entirely his fault," Kagome's voice sounded softly from the doorway.
Had the room's three occupants not been of yokai blood, they would not have even heard her speak. Soten and Koryu glanced towards the doorway, finding their four human guests standing there, all eyes on the yokai couple. All eyes but Kazuki's were that of awe as they took in Soten's current state.
The miko stepped forward meekly, daring to continue on Shippo's defense. "He... he left to protect you and your lands, Soten-chan. He may not have been exactly smart about it... But he did it for you."
Koryu's eyes flared red at her words. "And how could bedding a mortal woman benefit my mistress! Explain that to me, if you know so much!"
Kagome opened her mouth to speak, to reiterate what Shippo had told them only the day before, but another voice cut her off before she could do so.
"Koryu... that is enough," Soten weakly ordered.
The dragon whirled around faster than anyone could follow, and stared at the yokai woman with disbelieving eyes. "But Soten-sama!"
"But nothing," she said sternly before turning her eyes upwards towards her mate. She reached up and cupped his cheek in her left hand. He slowly lifted his head to meet her gaze, his cerulean orbs questioning and uncertain. And to his relief, she gave him a weak smile.
"My dear Shippo," she cooed, "what she says is true, is it not?"
He nodded once to her.
"I now know, you do not have the smell of a strange mortal woman on you. You have been faithful to me after all."
Again, he nodded, feeling a bit more confident. But then her eyes grew harsh and fierce. The tiniest of sparks flitted from her fingertips, just enough for him to feel the heat of the electricity of her jyaki, enough to singe the strands of hair that passed too closely to her hand. Shippo flinched slightly, but remained still otherwise. If he ever wanted to convince his mate that he was truly sorry for his absence, he would have to be submissive to her.
As she stared into his eyes with intensity, she gave him his warning. "Good! And if you ever lead me to believe that you are being unfaithful to me again, so help me, I will see to it that you will never have the ability to create another child again! Understand?"
The fox vigorously nodded his head. "Yes, my beloved."
With that said, the sparks flying about her fingers suddenly died, and she gently took Shippo's hand within her own. She allowed her head to fall back onto the pillow, exhausted from the small display of power. She closed her eyes, and took slow, deep breaths. Grateful that his mate wouldn't skewer him for his truancy, Shippo used his free hand to rub small circles on the top of the hand Soten had placed in his.
With the tension of the situation eased, Kagome finally asked the question that she had been holding in until this point. "Excuse me, Soten-chan, but could you tell me where Maiki is?"
The thunder yokai opened her eyes, and turned her head to look at the miko. She gave the older woman a warm smile, remembering her from her youth. "Maiki is the spitting image of you. There's no doubt you are her mother. You've done well to raise her. I could only hope to raise my own child as well as you have done for Maiki."
Kagome blushed at the compliments. "Thank you. But please, I must know where she is. I must see her. I haven't seen her since she washed down the river. I have to see for my own eyes that she is okay. Please tell me where she is."
"She is a kind, courageous girl. Helping a yokai in distress, putting others before herself. When I first began to feel the pains of childbirth, she insisted on aiding me. So I asked her to retrieve my midwife Yasa. She lives not too far from here--"
"Wait! You what?" Kazuki demanded as he pushed himself forward from between his parents. "You sent her out into yokai infested lands... by herself!"
Soten grew a bit annoyed at the outburst. "Like I said... Yasa does not live far from here."
"But she can't fight off yokai! She's had absolutely no training!"
Miroku placed his hand on his son's arm. "Kazuki, I'm sure Maiki could handle a lesser yokai or two, training or not. Remember, she was able to fight off that weasel and the tiger. She's part yokai herself. She'll be fine. Just have some faith in her."
The boy spun around to protest his father's words. "But she's human now! She won't be able to do anything!"
Kagome's heart plummeted at the news. 'Human? Since when? Oh gods... What if she's not okay? What if... What if she had been attacked? Oh please, let her be alright...' The miko felt as if she were going to be sick.
"Mother! Father! We have to go out and get her! She's helpless out there and--"
"And what?" demanded an angry feminine voice.
All eyes darted to the doorway. Standing there was an extremely peeved, and, to Kagome's shock, a very human looking Maiki. Next to her stood a short elderly tortoise, obviously Yasa. The teenage girl glared at her male counterpart.
"So I'm helpless, eh?" she sneered at him. "Heh! Look at you, taiji-ya-kun. Obviously you failed your mission... can't even exterminate a measly kistune." And as an afterthought, she added, "I knew you wouldn't."
Kazuki gritted his teeth at the girl, regretting that he had even been worried for her for the merest moment. But before he could retort, Kagome sprang into action. With tears streaming down the sides of her face, she ran towards her daughter.
"Oh, Maiki! Thank the heavens you are safe!" She wrapped the teenager in a desperate hug, taking Maiki by surprise, and embarrassing her as well.
"Aw, mama! Stop! You don't have to get so emotional!"
At first Maiki attempted to gently push her mother's hands away, but gave in when she realized it was futile to reject the embrace. Relenting, she loosely wrapped her own arms around her mother, returning the reassuring hug. Meanwhile, Yasa had gone to Soten's side, opposite of Shippo, and began looking over the thunder yokai.
"How are you feeling, Soten-sama?"
"A little tired, but otherwise I'm fine."
The tortoise nodded as she pulled a sack from her bag and began rifling through it for her herbs. Without looking up from her task, she announced, "I need for everyone to leave the room and wait outside. This is a delicate process, and we don't need extra bodies getting in the way. That goes for you too, kit."
Shippo looked mildly surprised, but didn't protest otherwise. Reluctantly, he rose to his feet, but not before planting a kiss on his mate's palm. "I'll be right outside if you need me. Okay?"
Soten gave him a small smile and he turned and headed towards the door. Koryu, still not quite convinced of Shippo's innocence, followed closely behind him. The five humans began to file out of the room behind the kitsune, when Yasa's voice interrupted them.
"Maiki, you stay."
The teenage girl spun around to face the tortoise. "What? Why?"
The tortoise was busy mixing some herbs into water and didn't look up to meet the girl's questioning gaze. "Like I said, this is a delicate process and I will need some assistance."
"Then why don't you have Shippo help? He's her mate after all..."
"That may be true, but because he's her mate, he'll be too nervous and concerned for Soten to be of any help. I need someone who will be a bit more level headed... despite a few bumps and bruises to the skull."
Maiki clenched her teeth at the old woman's joke. "Heh! Funny way of asking me to help by insulting me!"
Sango, having been watching the exchange, along with everyone else, stepped forward to attempt to diffuse the situation. "Excuse me, kame-sama, but perhaps I can be of assistance. I have helped our village miko with child birth a number of times and--"
"Thank you, but it won't be necessary. Maiki is all the help I'll need."
The girl's jaw dropped. "You'd turn down someone with experience? Are you crazy?"
Stirring her concoction, the tortoise finally looked up at the teenager. "Crazy? No. However much experience our taiji-ya has does no good to you, Maiki. One day, you may need to know what to do if someone should need assistance with childbirth. And now is as good of a time as any to learn."
Maiki didn't know what to say. In her own opinion, there was no reason for her to learn how to be a midwife. In the future era, in her time, doctors and nurses took care of birthing mothers. Unless she wanted to go into one of those fields, she didn't need to know this sort of thing. But there was no way she could explain that to Yasa. As far as the tortoise knew, Maiki was from this era, where doctors were rare and nurses didn't exist. And to someone like Yasa, it made perfect sense to teach a young woman how to assist with childbirth, as she would most likely come across many women who were pregnant over the course of her lifetime.
"What are you all waiting for?" the turtle inquired when no one had left the room as of yet. "Go on, all of you! Out!"
At the old yokai's orders, everyone, except Maiki, exited the dining room. The teenage girl hesitantly went to Soten's side, kneeling down in the spot Shippo previously occupied. Yasa poured a portion of herb-water into a saucer and handed it to Maiki.
"Hold this for Soten while she drinks it."
Maiki did as she was told, holding the saucer with her left hand in front of Soten's lips. She slid her right hand behind the thunder yokai's head, gently lifting it up. Soten brought her own hands up, gently resting them on Maiki's hand while she sipped the liquid. When it was finished, Maiki softly returned Soten's head to the mat.
"What will that do?" the teenager asked of the elder yokai.
"That will help her regain some strength and dull the pain later on. I see you brought out plenty of clothes earlier. Very good. We'll be needing those. In a bit, I'll need you to bring out some more hot water. But for now, we just wait."
Outside the dining room, long seconds slipped into minutes, and minutes slipped into hours. Conversation was minimal at best. The human occupants had found themselves watching Shippo. The fox was a nervous wreck, worrying for his mate, so they kept a close eye on him to make sure he would be alright. At one point, Kagome suggested that he get some rest, but he had politely refused.
Every so often, the kitsune would freeze, tense up, and stare with wide eyes at the closed door to the dining hall. After a few minutes, it would pass, and he would resume pacing once more. To the humans of the room, they knew the reason for his occasionally tense moments. Though Shippo was no longer directly experiencing Soten's pain each time she had a contraction (because he was no longer so far away from her), he still could sense when she was feeling pain.
They weren't sure exactly how many hours had passed, but by their guess it had been close to six, when Shippo had stopped in front of the door, resting his hands upon it and remained there. Miroku, who was sitting to the fox's right, had a view of his face, and could see the beads of sweat rolling down his flesh. He realized, that this must be it. He gave a silent nod to the remaining three humans, all of which were seated at the opposite side of the foyer and had Shippo's back to them.
Every minute from that point on felt like an hour. But finally, after nearly an hour, Shippo relaxed a bit and the door slowly slid open. Yasa revealed herself to everyone, as she dried her hands with a fresh cloth.
"Shippo-sama, you may come in and meet your son. The rest of you may see the babe in a few minutes after we've cleaned up a bit."
The kitsune followed the tortoise into the dining room, his eyes immediately falling upon his mate where she lay comfortably on the cushions. In her arms was their newborn baby as he gently suckled from one of her breasts. He barely spared a glance to Maiki, who was busy collecting dirty cloths and other supplies. Shippo rushed to Soten's side, falling to his knees, eager to make sure she and the infant were alright. He breathed deeply through his nose, sniffing out any danger, and was relieved when he found none.
Soten's warm, happy eyes met his relieved ones. "Would you like to hold him?" she asked.
The fox's lips cracked into a lopsided smile as he ever-so-gently accepted the bundle from his mate. The baby fussed a bit when its meal had been taken from him, but quieted when Shippo placed his pinky finger into the baby's mouth. The infant settled down, and opened his teary eyes to look up at the owner of the strong hands now holding him. Shippo's breath was stolen away by the diamond-blue eyes.
He looked over the baby, in complete awe and disbelief that something so tiny, so precious had come from he and his mate. The faintest wisps of raven hair covered the infant's head, and when in just the right lighting, reddish highlights shone from his hair. Like all full-blooded yokai, his ears were pointed, but they looked so tiny, Shippo noted, just like the rest of him. And despite the fact that the child did not inherit the lupine feet of his father, he did inherit the soft, downy tail.
Finally, Shippo looked back up to his mate and whispered, "He's beautiful."
Soten smiled at him. "What will you name him?"
The fox was silent for a moment, looking back down at the child in his arms. And then he spoke. "Yuten." He returned his eyes to his mate. "Because of your strength... while I was gone... was he able to come into this world. And I know he will be just as strong as you are, my beloved."
During this time, Maiki had removed all the soiled clothes and rags from the room, and everything seemed to be in order. Yasa had packed up all her herbs and other items and set her knapsack to the side. She approached the young family.
"Would you like me to invite the others in, Soten-sama? I'm certain they are anxious to meet the new addition."
"Yes, that is fine," the thunder yokai answered.
A moment later, the four humans entered the room, Kagome and Sango being the two who rushed in first. They flanked Shippo, eyes falling upon the tiny child in his arms.
"Aw, Shippo! He's so kawaii!" Sango complimented with a huge grin.
Kagome's face matched the taiji-ya's. "Oh, he's so tiny and adorable!"
The monk approached the fox next. "Congratulations, Shippo!" he cheered, gently clapping the new father on the back. "Have you named him yet?"
The kitsune nodded. "Yuten."
"Ah, a fine name, indeed." Miroku then lifted his flattened, right hand in front of his face, fingertips pointed upward, thumb at his face. He closed his eyes, and quietly murmured a blessing for the new child.
Finally, Kazuki stepped forward to take a gander at Yuten. Though the junior slayer did not say anything, (he wasn't really sure what to say), he couldn't help but admire the tiny child. Shippo watched the boy who had once adored him like an older brother.
The fox grinned, and spoke gently to his son. "Yuten, this is your uncle Kazuki. Say 'hello.'" A slight tug pulled at the corner of the teen's mouth. And then Shippo asked him, "Would you like to hold him, otouto?"
The apprentice exterminator nodded once, and the infant carefully exchanged hands. Having had three younger siblings, Kazuki had no difficulty shifting Yuten into the cradle of his arm. Yuten didn't fuss from being moved around. He momentarily opened his eyes to study the new person holding him before his eyes drifted closed once more. Kazuki offered a finger for the thunder kit to grasp onto, and instinctively, the babe wrapped his chubby pink hand around the digit.
And finally, a smile broke across the teenage boy's face. 'That's right. I am an uncle now, aren't I?' he admitted. 'Don't you worry, Yuten-kun. Uncle 'zuki will make sure nothing bad ever happens to you...'
Yu - strength
A/N: Well, I'd like to apologize for the very lateness of this update. Life had been a bit busy for a while. I had also run into a bit of a writer's block. Go figure... The rest of my lateness can be blamed on a little something called World of Warcraft. Perhaps some of you have heard of it... :p As for how often or when to expect future chapters: I haven't a clue. I'm just going to continue writing as inspiration allows. But fear not, this story will not die. I will see it through to the end. This story will have approximately ten more chapters, and probably an epilogue.
Oh, and I didn't proofread this before posting, as I wanted to get the story updated quicker. So if you notice any spelling or grammar mistakes, I apologize in advance, and if you like, just let me know in a review if you notice something, and I'll fix it. Thanks.