Chapter 34: Instincts

Everyone around the camp was deep in conversation. They were discussing Naraku and all that he had done over the years.

Kouga was listening then turned his head slightly so he could pick up a certain sound and smell. "Inukoro is back." He stated, almost disappointed that he had returned.

All eyes were on Inuyasha as he emerged from the forest into the clearing. They all heard him mumbling and growling to what ever it was in his hand.

The moment Inuyasha was close enough to the fire to shine light on the object in his hand, he lifted it and turned for everyone to see. Hanging from Inuyasha's hand by a mass of black and white fur was a ball of pink cloth, black and white hair and golden eyes.

"CHIISAI!?" Shouted Sango, Miroku, and Shippo. They all looked at the tiny hanyou surprised.

Ayame looked at them then to the black and white bundle. "Chiisai? Who's Chiisai?"

Inuyasha glared and growled at the child. "She's mine and Kagome's daughter. The youngest of three…Where are your brothers?"

"I left them at grandmas."

Glad that she was the only one out in the forest, Inuyasha placed her on the ground. "Now, why aren't you back with your-" He was cut off and stunned to see Ayame adoring the little girl.

"You're so adorable, I bet your parents are proud. Look at that hair. I bet you're really smart huh…" rambled Ayame as she looked over Chiisai.

"WAIT A MINUTE!! Ayame, she's in trouble and we need to get some information out of her. So BACK OFF!" Inuyasha tried to protect his daughter from the rambling wolf girl, at the same time what he said was true. He sighed heavily then sat down on the ground. "Ok Chii, tell us why you're here and how long have you been in the forest?"

Chiisai noticed her father was getting nervous when his leg started to bounce. She placed a finger to her lips and thought. "Well I wanted to find Okasan so I left grandmas this morning and I've been heading in mama's direction since."

"This morning!" repeated Inuyasha threw gritted teeth. "We aren't that close to the village!"

"I know. You've guys have gone far but you should have been to Okasan by now." Chii looked at everyone surprised by their slowness. "Are you guys not walking in a straight line?"

"In a straight…a straight…" Inuyasha got frustrated and flustered over the simplicity of the child's solution.

Sango decided now would be a good time to interrupt, before Inuyasha accidentally blew up at the child. "Chiisai, do you know where you mother is?"

"Hai." Chii said happily and pointed between Inuyasha and Miroku into the forest. "She's in that direction."

"Are you sure? How do you know?" surprised, Sango questioned her further.

"I feel mama in that direction. She's sad and misses us, she calls to me. So that's the direction I go. I think by tomorrow night we should be there." Chii continued to smile happily. "Ano…Otousan, I'm hungry."

Sango quickly gave the child a bowl of stew and watched her eat.

An hour later Chiisai was cuddled up with Shippo and a large Kirara, all fast asleep. Everyone who was still awake was watching the young hanyou pup.

Miroku was first to break the silence. "I can't believe she made it this far in one day and unharmed. Lucky kid!"

"Well look who her parent's are!" replied Sango. "Both Kagome and Inuyasha have survived through what most humans would have died from just the fright. She's resourceful, determined and has her fathers temper."

"Hey!" interrupted Inuyasha.

"She's so cute!" muttered Ayame dreamily. She then looked at Kouga with hopeful eyes. "When can we start having pups?"

Kouga remained silent as he looked over the sleeping pup that was a combination of Kagome and the mutt. 'They're mated for life now. They have pups…Kagome will never be mine. NEVER!' Seeing the little girl made Kouga realize he had defiantly lost Kagome. "I'm going for a walk."

Ayame watched shocked as Kouga stood and promptly left the camp. She then downcast her face and fought back tears. "I guess he's not fully over Kagome yet."

"Give him time." Sango told her reassuringly and smiled.

Miroku cleared his throat breaking up the intense atmosphere. "By the way Inuyasha, I assume you didn't know about the connection between the children and Kagome."

"Of course not!" barked Inuyasha loudly, then he made a pouting face and sulked. "If I had, I would have asked for their help at the beginning."



Sango sighed heavily then moved over to her bedroll. "We should get some sleep. If what Chiisai said is true and we reach Kagome tomorrow, it might get interesting."



"I agree." Miroku nodded and started to follow Sango.

*SLAP*

Miroku sat twitching a few feet from Sango, a large red hand print across his face. Sango glared back at him, hand raised for another slap. "I don't think so!"

Inuyasha shook his head at the monk's failed attempt to get close to the youkai exterminator. 'What did he expect?! Honestly.' He watched as Miroku pouted over to his bedroll and climbed in, Ayame too was already settled in for the night. Kouga was still out for his walk. When the camp grew silent Inuyasha looked over at the sleeping hanyou pup and smiled. 'I knew you were going to be the most difficult of the three. I just didn't think you were gonna be this stubborn.' He then closed his eyes in a light sleep, letting his ears pick up signs of an intruder.

~***~

Kagome stared out the classroom door at the castle garden. Several trees were loosing their leaves for the up coming winter. She looked up at the clear blue sky lost in thought. 'Inuyasha, what's taking so long?'

"Kagome-sensei, how's this?" A boy of about 5 years handed her a piece of parchment.

She took the offered sheet and looked it over. "This is amazing work Hoku. After so little time you know how to write already I'm impressed. You're very smart. I'm proud of you."

Hoku was ecstatic. His face was one big smile. "Oka-sama always says I'm very bright and I practiced a lot. I want to be a very wise Lord one day."



Kagome smiled down at the boy then ushered him to his desk. "Ok now for math. Did you do your homework?"

"Hai."

"Good…."

~***~

"Keh! Now Ayame knows. That's just great!" yelled a black haired man as he stood outside a small village.

"Inuyasha get over it. There are more important matters right now then your little secret. Besides, you're not the only one with that problem." Snapped Miroku, annoyed with the comments of the now human Inuyasha.

"Yeah, can we go get Okasan, we're almost there." Asked Chiisai, her violet eyes pleading.

Ayame stood stunned, staring between Inuyasha and Chiisai amazed. "So on the new moon of every month you two become human. Amazing!" She looked over the taller hanyou who now had black hair and violet eyes. Then she looked at the tiny hanyou and her black hair with white tips and violet eyes.

"Ya we do, and we're just as week as humans too." Scoffed Inuyasha.

"Unlike Inuyasha and Chii, Kagome and the boys' change on the night of the full moon." Added Sango.

"COME ON!" yelled Chiisai as she started to tug on her father's pants. "Let's go, we're very close."

Without another word, they all followed the tiny child through the darkened town as it prepared for the night ahead. After several minutes they found themselves in front of the village castle.

"Mama's in there." Chii pointed at the great double doors.

"Are you sure?" questioned Ayame, "this is my uncle's house…" Hesitating for a second, she led them all over to the smaller single door to the left of the giant ones. She rang the service bell then waited for a guard. She watched as Inuyasha picked up his daughter nervously.

"Who's there?" came a raspy voice from a crack in the door.

"It's me Ayame of the Northern Wolf Tribe. I've come to see my uncle. I've brought my fiancé Kouga and some other friends." Answered Ayame very diplomatically.

The guard looked them all over from head to foot. Satisfied that they all looked ok and none had the silver hair like his master had mentioned, he stepped a side and let them in.

They all entered, one at a time and followed Ayame toward the building. No one spoke a word.

"AYAME!" shouted a melodic male voice from the house. A man with blackish purple hair dressed in white and purple robes charged from the front door. "My dear, sweet, little niece. It's been so long." He embraces her tightly then looked at Kouga. "Ahhhhh Kouga, it's been too long since I've seen you." He nodded to Kouga then examined the other people behind them. '4 humans, 1 a small child, and 2 youkai…odd companions. Oh well.' He then bowed to the new comers. "I'm Hokkyokusei, nice to meet you."

They bowed in return. Sango, Miroku and Shippo introduced themselves. As Inuyasha was getting ready to do the same, Chiisai decided to go crazy.

She started to twist and wiggle in her father's arms, squirming in an attempt to get free. Finally, she twisted in just the right way that caused her father to release her. Gracefully she landed on all fours. The second her feet touched the ground she was gone, having bolted around the corner of the house.

"Chiisai!" yelled Inuyasha worried.

"She'll be ok. No one will harm her. My son is here as well. She'll be just fine."

Inuyasha kept his eyes trained on the last spot Chiisai had been and mumbled. "That's not what worried me……"

"Come, let's all have some tea inside." Hokkyokusei led them all inside to the parlor.

Meanwhile Chiisai darted around the inside of the castle walls, heading straight to where she felt her mother.

"Okasan……? Okasan……?"

Kagome was sitting on the porch with Hoku over looking the back garden. As she was talking to Hoku about school she thought she heard someone yelling for their mother. She shook it off as her imagination and started talking about science. She heard it again, only louder, and she could have sworn she recognized the voice. She looked up and scanned the garden for the voice's owner.

"OKA-SAN!"

Kagome was flung over backwards by a mass of black and pink that was hurled at her. "Chiisai?"

~******~