Authors Notes: IM BACK! Mwahahahaha, did anybody miss me? Well, I must thank my boyfriend, who also happens to be a techie junkie. I love him….A lot. Hes sweet and smart and cuddly! Okay, that's enough of that. My computer is fixed….With two more hard drives added into it. More space for music, image edits and of course my stories. This might be a little odd, since its been so long since Ive written on this, so please forgive this authoress!
Falls On Me
Chapter 12-Untitled
"Sango," Kagome said in a happy whisper when she was (finally) put down. The new mother was holding two of the babies while Miroku held a third.
"Hello Kagome, no need to whisper, they're awake," Miroku told her as he rocked a baby gently. Kagome peered at the two small babies when suddenly a small, chubby hand reached out and tugged on a lock of hair that had fallen from behind her shoulder.
"That's Maru. She seems to like you Kagome," Miroku chuckled.
"About Maru. Thank you Kagome, for everything that night," Sango said as she contentedly rocked her child. Kagome nodded. When she pulled her hair away the little girl began to wail. Kagome quickly picked her up out of reflex and began to rock her gently. The baby immediately quieted.
"I'm sorry," Kagome said with a blush when she noticed Sango and Miroku's stunned stares.
"Don't be. She's cried quite a bit the past couple of days, and she only stops when she's being fed or when she falls asleep," Miroku told her.
"Oh. It's kind of weird, a girl being named Maru," Kagome commented.
"Not really. It's usually used as a boy's name, or part of a name, but I think it's perfect," Sango said as she cooed down at Kohaku, who lay in her arms.
"And then there's your little namesake," Miroku said as he showed Kagome the little child that was named after her. Kagome felt tears well up in her eyes.
"Oh Kagome I'm sorry-" Miroku began.
"No, I'm so happy. I'm happy Sango pulled through okay, and that all three children are okay. It's so wonderful. My mom once said giving birth was messy and painful, but that it was worth it, because having children is the only truly divine power we mortals have, and now I know how right she was," Kagome said as she smiled down at little Maru who's eyes were the normal grey of a newborn, and her hair a fuzzy coating of black on her head.
"I still think it's strange Kaede got their genders wrong. She has never been wrong in this area before," Miroku said thoughtfully.
No one had an answer. Save Anei, and he wasn't about to say anything that might shatter the happy scene unfolding before him.
"Who is that?" Shippou asked as he tugged on the bottom of Kagome's kimono.
"This is Maru," Kagome said as she sat and let Shippou and Rin look at the baby.
"She looks funny," Shippou said. Right after the comment had slipped from his mouth the little baby sneezed right into his face.
"Bleh," Shippou commented as he backed off. Rin however, was enchanted by the sight of the small child in Kagome's arms.
"She is pretty," Rin said. "Her eyes look like yours."
"Most babies have pale eyes their first few days of life. Soon they fade into the color they inherit from their parent's," Kagome said with a small smile at Rin.
"So your momma's eyes were the same as yours?" Rin asked.
"No, I inherited my father's eyes," Kagome said with a sad smile. It was really all she had left to remember him by here in this time. In her time there was a framed picture of her whole family before her father had died. But that was in her time. Sadly, she was beginning to forget his face. If only she had the picture to remind her.
"Rin is sorry you are sad," The little girl said with sincerity.
"I'm not sad Rin, I'm very happy. Now, Sango looks like she wants another nap. Let me give Maru back to her and we'll go have some lunch out in the garden," Kagome suggested. And Sango did indeed look tired. Miroku too.
"Here you go," Kagome said as she handed the child over to Sango, who took the child. Kagome then ushered Rin and Shippou out of the room with Anei following behind. Rin and Shippou both delighted in the fact they would be having a lunch with her, and they chattered happily.
"Most of the Lords left the day after the birth. Seems having a powerful miko in the castle made them less than comfortable. Few stayed, but Okibi is among them, and she was inquiring about your health," Anei said.
"Oh, why did they leave so suddenly? It's not as if I hid the fact I was a miko the entire time," Kagome said.
"I think it was the impressive amount of power that shook the entire castle during Sango's birth that scared them. It was hard for rumor not to spread when there were several who saw it," Anei chuckled.
"I still don't know what happened," Kagome sighed.
"Lady Okibi thinks your powers reached out to your friend and healed her, and that you transferred some of your energy into her so that she would be able to have the last child," Anei explained as they took another turn.
"I guess. I don't know, it's kind of scary," Kagome told him.
"I can understand that. What has Okibi and myself interested, not to mention Sesshoumaru, is the fact that the light was different. Well, not the light, but the energy, the feel of it. Usually a miko's powers are more towards purifying. That's usually made into an offensive weapon, but the energy that night. It drew us all in, and it wasn't will ill intent," Anei tried to explain. His words couldn't ever explain what he had felt. Usually he would fear any sort of energy from a holy person, as his powers came from Hell, but when Sesshoumaru had broken open the doors, Anei had been there, and he had hung back at first. But the light had been soothing, welcoming, and healing. He had been drawn to it. Okibi had expressed that she too had been drawn to it. Sesshoumaru had merely been interested, which probably meant it had drawn him as well.
"Oh," Kagome said. It was clear she didn't understand at all. "I want to go back to the priest as soon as possible. I don't want to end up hurting someone or something," Kagome said with a sigh, just as they came to the door to the kitchens.
"Aiji! I heard you talking, come in here. Ah, you're looking fit. Good, good. That was quite a display you put on a couple of nights ago, but it sure did cut down on the amount of food I had to cook, so who am I to complain?" Airon teased as she hugged the girl. Kagome giggled and they began to chatter as Anei watched.
"Oh, and Sesshoumaru wanted to talk to you. Says he found something of yours," Airon said.
"Okay. You know, I still don't get it. How is it you and Sesshoumaru talk so much? More than he talks to me," Kagome said.
"It's easy. I'm his godmother. He doesn't have much of a choice. I watched that boy grow up and he may be cold and sometimes seem heartless, but he has what counts. I'd have smacked him by now if he didn't," The cook harrumphed.
Kagome giggled. "I don't think I can picture anyone smacking Sesshoumaru."
"Oh really? I heard from someone that you did some smacking yourself. First time he's ever gotten kicked there too," Airon joked. Kagome turned a rather rosy shade. Would no one let her forget that incident?
"But here's some food for you. Come on now, sit down, you still need to rest," Airon said as she put several plates of food on the small table in the kitchen. Kagome sat and began to practically devour whatever was put in front of her.
"I don't know why I'm so hungry," Kagome said with a blush.
"It's because of your powers. As a miko, you have a certain amount of power, a certain type," Okibi said as she walked in.
"Lady Okibi," Kagome began.
"She's become a regular around here in the kitchens the last couple of days," Airon explained as the phoenix sat down and accepted a cup of tea.
"As I was saying, your power feeds off of your personal energy. But once your energy is depleted, your power begins to feed on your body, increasing your metabolism to a point where all the food you eat becomes energy," Okibi explained.
"I see. So if I begin to run out of energy, the power uses my body's nutrients and sugars as a source?" Kagome asked.
"Yes."
"What happens if she runs out of anything for her power to use?" Anei asked solemnly.
"She will die," Okibi answered.
Sesshoumaru growled with frustration. The source of his vexation was his clothing oddly enough. Unless of course, you took into account it had been steeped in the scent of Kagome.
He couldn't escape her anywhere it seemed. His study smelled of her from her past visits, and the memory of her challenging him there. His own bedroom had been invaded by the scent of her arousal, and the scent had not abated in the least it seemed. Add that to the memory of her…Display during meditation and he could barely stand to sleep there. The only escape he had thought he might have was the garden despite it's current state. He had gone out there to the willow tree where his mother was buried, and only to see the necklace holding the shikon jewel on the gazebo.
Everywhere there seemed to be a reminder of her. And her aura had embedded itself into the entire castle when she had released her power a few nights ago to save Sango. His mind was troubled on that subject.
How could such a small girl hold such power? She had not had the shikon jewel the night of the birthing. And yet still she had used an amazing amount of power. Something he had not seen from a human before. Not even many youkai held such power!
"A pretty puzzle indeed," He said with a sigh. Involuntarily he let his mind be jerked back to the memory of her hips thrusting with an imaginary partner, calling out his name during meditation.
No woman had ever affected him so. And his brother's wife!
It was tradition for a single man to take his brother's wife if his brother died, but there had never been a heard case of a man lusting after his brother's wife. The thought disturbed him. When he admitted he lusted after the miko he didn't know, only that he did. Perhaps it had been when he had gone to an okiya and gone through several geisha, all trained in the arts to give pleasure to a man. Yet none had pleased him. He had left the place behind, along with several well sated geisha, but his lust had not changed. His body still demanded the innocent miko.
So it could not be blamed on the fact he had not had a woman in some time.
He had gone over her appeal as he had lain in his bed last night, trying to find the reason his body responded so strongly to her when he didn't want it to. And then it had hit him as he had turned to lay on his side. Her scent was all over his pillow, and it had invaded every pore.
Arousal had definitely been there. But something else that had caught his attention before. He hadn't given it any credit then.
Innocence.
Never before had innocence excited him. In fact, he found those who wanted an innocent for the sake of innocence to be rather disgusting.But then, he had never encountered innocence in an adult. Especially not in a woman. Instead he had only encountered deceit and ambition. He was a powerful man and women wanted the power. He was merely a tool in their plans. Granted no woman would ever refuse him, he was still a tool. Sex was something they would try to use to control him.
But Kagome was different. She didn't even acknowledge him as having the potential for power, otherwise she would have had him kill her husband by now.
So…
Her attraction was that she was a novelty. Plain and simple. And novelties wore off. He tried to calm the inner beast by saying such. It hadn't helped. Now he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. He couldn't, wouldn't, ask his servants to come in and clean the room, using anything possible to get rid of her scent. It would be an embarrassment to him, not to mention very hard to explain. And though he explained nothing to no one, he still didn't want rumors to start. Granted he wanted more than anything for Inu Yasha to come at him full force so he could kill him with a clear conscience and not lose his lands.
It was a damnable situation.
Suddenly he heard a knock at the door to his study and silently swore. Not Yome again. She had tried twice since the birthing night to seduce him. It was becoming a hassle. Then he noticed the scent.
"Sesshoumaru?" Kagome said as she poked her head in.
"Come in," His voice seemed just as apathetic as his face did.
"Airon said you had something of mine," Kagome told him shyly as she came in.
"Yes," He said as he stood and walked over to a large chest. He opened it, undoing the magic seal, and then dispelling the barrier around the second, and finally opening the magic seal on it.
Kagome was still standing and got a glimpse of the several small boxes and scrolls within the second chest. But Sesshoumaru pulled out a tiny box and abruptly closed the lids.
"Here," He said as he thrust the box at her, then walked back to his place at his desk. Kagome opened the box. However there was a slight problem.
"It's empty," Kagome stated.
"What?" Sesshoumaru asked. He was sure he had gotten the right box. And there were no empty boxes in the chests.
"It's empty," Kagome said again as she showed him the box.
Calmly, though he was raging inside, he walked back to the chests and opened them. Then he slowly and surely went through each box, and removed the priceless scrolls of his clan to look beneath them.
No mistake. The shikon jewel was gone.
Who had been able to get past the seals and barrier. It required the chakra of the Taisho clan. Only he could do it…And one other.
"We have to find Inu Yasha," Sesshoumaru stated.
"What's wrong Sesshoumaru?" Kagome asked, her eyes wide with confusion.
"Someone stole the shikon jewel, and Inu Yasha is the only one besides myself that can get past those seals and barrier," He told her as he began to walk towards the door.
"Wait!" Kagome said as she caught up to him.
"What woman?" He snapped, letting a sliver of his anxiety show.
"Will you, will you kill him?" Kagome asked.
"If I have to," Sesshoumaru said honestly.
And Okibi would judge that. She was the one who could take his lands away from him should he prove to kill Inu Yasha without having to.
"Perfect," Yome's mother, So, said. Shimi had gotten Inu Yasha to do his job well, and now all that she needed to do was get rid of Inu Yasha, the miko, and Sesshoumaru would be pressured to take a mate. And at this moment, who better than the woman who would help him find out about the miko's affair?
"Anei, where is Inu Yasha?" Sesshoumaru asked as he walked down the corridor. Actually, stalk would be a more apt description, at least to the miko who walked behind both men.
"He was seen up and about this morning with his mistress, but Mako says he went back to his rooms. Shimi ordered sake for some sort of celebration," Anei said. Kagome's eyes widened. Why would Inu Yasha steal the shikon? Would he make the futile wish to be a youkai? Would he use it to increase his powers.
As they headed to her old room she had once shared with Inu Yasha, she began to hear a crashing sound and angry yells. Shimi's voice could be heard, screaming.
Kagome began to run ahead, but Anei grabbed her by her shoulder.
"Kagome, this is not the time for rash action," Anei cautioned. Kagome felt fury growing within her. She knew he was right, but it was her duty to guard the jewel. If she hadn't lost it in the first place like some preschooler they never would have gotten into this situation.
Unfortunately, her powers reacted and Anei drew his hand back with a slight hiss of pain, his emerald eyes wide.
"I will not act rashly, but this is my duty. I am the guardian of the shikon jewel," Kagome said, doing a good imitation of Sesshoumaru. Then she ran ahead of them towards the room where things could be heard breaking.
"I think you rubbed off on her," Anei growled. Sesshoumaru said nothing, he as already ahead of Anei, right behind Kagome. He was reflecting on the calm look in her eyes when she had spoken to Anei.
Kagome was changing. Dramatically.
Authors End Notes: I will b posting every few days now, I swear it on my newly fixed computer(that now has three harddrives mwahahahaha!). So please forgive me for the lack of updates everyone, I am extremely sorry. I'm already working on the next chapter. Please, please forgive me. And please, please reveiw!