Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters.

Chapter Sixty-Five: Bad Omens

Inuyasha stood still for a few seconds, staring at the trail the two women had left behind when they headed West, before he snapped out of his daze, driven by a bad feeling that didn't want to leave him.

He ran to get Tessaiga and then filled a bag with what little they would need if they didn't stop on the way, all while ignoring his sons, who followed him without understanding what was going on.

"Dad," Muteki tried again, "why did mom act like that? Why were you reluctant to leave her alone? It's just-"

"Stop wasting time, boy." The half-demon finally looked up at both of them and noticed how they were dressed. "Go get ready; I want to leave in five minutes." And that said, he returned to his former task.

"But, Dad!" Toga protested. "Five minutes?"

"Four," reiterated Inuyasha, who was now finding his way out. "I'm going to go retrieve Kirara from Sango and Miroku; if you're not ready when I return, I'll leave you here, and it won't do you any good if I, then, find out you came alone anyway." He threw them both a dirty look, and they froze, only to nod contritely half a second later.

"Good," Inuyasha continued. "Now… Move!"

Upon reaching his friends' hut, he struggled again; of course, Sango and Miroku had never been the type to stand still and not ask questions.

The half-demon swooped into their home like a tornado, announcing, without explanation, that he was going to borrow Kirara. The nekomata seemed to sense the urgency immediately and she jumped on his shoulders, purring to let him know it was okay with her.

With Miroku and Sango, however, it was a different story; they slowed him down for what seemed like days and not seconds to him.

"What do you mean you have to leave urgently? Where's Kagome? Did something happen to her?"

"And what should we tell Shippo when he returns? Are the boys going with you?"

"But Kagome's okay, is she?"

Inuyasha finally snapped and, looking up at the ceiling, said, "Goodness gracious, yes, but I'd like to keep something from happening to her. She just left with Kimi, and I need to get to her as soon as possible." A moment later, he was outside again.

"Kimi? But, Inuyasha... wait!"

"Is this about Rin?"

Miroku tried in vain to chase after him, but his friend had already disappeared.

The monk sighed and shook his head. As much as he had improved, Inuyasha remained a bit reckless, and he still underestimated the power of explanations in certain situations.

He just hoped that everything would be okay.

After a few seconds, he heard Kirara's battle cry, and as he lifted his face to the sky, he saw their faithful companion in flight with Muteki and Toga on her back.

He could very well imagine Inuyasha, at their feet, keeping the pace running.

He turned around and went back into the house, where Sango looked at him apprehensively.

"Everything will be fine," he told her to comfort her. But he couldn't help thinking that such a hasty departure didn't inspire any good omens in him.

And while father and sons were running towards West, Kagome was trying with all her strength to help Rin give birth, obtaining an unexpected result: Sesshomaru losing his mind and attacking her.

At that precise moment, his mother was trying to reason with him, paying particular attention to where he had placed his claws. She wanted to limit Kagome's injuries as much as possible, and the way things were going, she wouldn't come out of that confrontation unscathed.

"Sesshomaru, what are you doing?"

He ignored her.

"Sesshomaru," Kimi repeated, her tone rising. "Sesshomaru, the girl is not to blame. It could have happened to anyone. If it wasn't for her by now, you might have lost Rin too. Use your brain!" It was evident that, towards the end of her speech, she had begun to lose her patience. Most of all, she could see how Kagome was increasingly running out of air.

The miko had tried to push the demon away by scratching his wrists, but in response, Sesshomaru had only tightened his grip, permanently blocking her airway.

Kimi blew the precautions and ran over, yelling at her son to stop. "Sesshomaru, you're choking her; stop this immediately!"

"I don't care," came the icy reply that shocked his mother and would have taken Kagome aback as well if she wasn't currently busy trying to breathe. "It's her fault, too."

At that point, Kimi looked at him as if she no longer recognized him and then partially understood what was going on in her son's mind. However, there was no time to waste, and she had to make sure he released the young woman as soon as possible.

"Sesshomaru, son," returned the softer, but at the same time authoritative, voice, "if you don't let go now, you will end up killing your brother's mate."

At those words, the dai-youkai's eyes widened and he froze. A moment later, he snapped back, loosening the grip he had trapped her in.

Kimi didn't know what brought him to his senses, but it had probably been enough to remind him who the woman in front of him was. It was as if until a few seconds before he had only seen Kagome as miko, as the simple human who had helped Rin give birth but had failed to save his daughter. The same one on whom he had tried to place the blame that was his in a vain attempt to feel freer and, instead...

Sesshomaru continued to back away, staring at his open palms, no longer recognizing himself until he collided with the desk. It was as if he had only then regained control of his body and was disgusted with his own actions as if he didn't believe he had sunk so low.

At one time that would have been normal for him; had he not, after all, tried to kill Kagome more than once before? Still, the act no longer suited the Sesshomaru he had become, and he was sickened by it.

He turned his back abruptly, leaving his mother to deal with Kagome, who was now on the ground coughing, trying to get large gulps of air. Red to purple patches were already forming around her slender neck from the excessive pressure the demon had exerted.

Kimi tried to help her up, but she had never been in a situation like this before and didn't know how to help. Kagome, recognizing the demon's discomfort, shook her head to tell her there was no need.

Her head was still spinning, but she was definitely thankful that things hadn't gotten worse. She couldn't believe everything that had just happened. She continued to keep her gaze down and cough as Kimi turned to her son again.

"Don't you think you have better things to do than pick on a human?" Now that there was no longer any danger of his claws severing anything vital, Kimi had no qualms about scolding her son. "I thought there was something more important for you to take care of instead of accomplishing something you would regret and start a fight that we certainly don't need right now." Then, in a tone as sharp as ever, she finished her lecture by choosing words she knew would have a particular effect on him. "Right now your mate needs you, and you're here accusing your brother's of something no one had the power to stop or change."

The feelings of guilt returned to the nth degree — even more so given the big mistake he had almost made in trying to smother them — and their weight almost threatened to bring Sesshomaru to his knees, he who had never bowed to anyone.

"Get her out of my sight," he hissed, aware that he wasn't yet that clear-headed; he wanted to avoid any more accidents. The lethal tone might have suggested that he would have hated just resting his eyes on her figure, but in reality, his was an attempt to safeguard the miko.

The mother shook her head and finally helped Kagome leave the room despite the discomfort because the young woman was still having trouble standing to her feet. In addition to the attack she had just been the victim of, one had to consider that it had been a long night for her during which she had not closed her eyes and had used up every bit of energy she had.

Now she was exhausted and also terribly frightened. She was starting to feel the physical but also psychological weight of all that had happened in less than a day, and she had no idea how she would get back to her rooms.

Plus, she was already thinking about how Inuyasha would react once he reached her. And she'd been the one to suggest leaving on her own, begging him to stay behind so the kids could travel with him.

Going back, though, she knew she wouldn't have done it any other way. If even upon her departure she had remembered what was going to happen, she would not have asked Inuyasha to accompany her. She would never have abandoned her sons, even if they were more grown-up now, not after the times they had been forced to leave them in the village.

In the meantime, though, she was in that situation and thinking about what could have been made no sense. She had been attacked by Sesshomaru, and she hadn't even had the courage to summon what little reiki she had left to respond; even then, she had been afraid to attack the demon to whom she was now attached, despite the differences in character and the frequent fights.

Now she had to think about getting out of this predicament and avoid fainting on the way.

Nevertheless, when Kimi suggested that she accompany her personally, given the state she was in and the absence of her guards — they had arrived so quickly last night that no one had alerted Kichiro and Osamu — Kagome refused, reminding the demoness that Sesshomaru needed her more. Implausible words, on second thought, because Sesshomaru never needed anyone. Still, recent events had proven otherwise.

But Kagome would pay dearly for those last words as well, in more ways than one.

She slowly walked down those corridors that were now, after so many years, so familiar that she could walk with her eyes closed. And, in fact, her mind was so clouded by her own troubled thoughts that she was paying little or no attention to where she stepped. She had almost reached the royal wing and had barely registered the louder-than-usual hubbub caused by last night's events when she sensed a familiar aura, one that always made the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

Suddenly more lucid but still aware of her state, she straightened her shoulders and didn't have to wait long before she heard someone address her from behind. The tone was mischievous, mocking, and exuded so much self-confidence that Kagome felt bile rise in her throat in disgust.

At that point, given her condition, she wondered if she would ever have the chance to see Inuyasha again and receive his lecture.

"Well, well, look who's here. Miko-sama, you look particularly fatigued; would you like some help, by any chance?"

Kagome tried to wear an intimidating and, more importantly, brave expression, but Noboru read what was behind her feeble attempt. Not that it had taken much strength since it would have been obvious to anyone that she was on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion, let alone facing an enemy who had never hidden what he would gladly do to her over the years.

In fact, the scornful laughter that followed confirmed that she was truly in trouble and only a miracle could save her.

She prayed to every known God that someone would notice them and run to her aid. And in the meantime, perhaps a little trick up her sleeve could be found.

"Noboru," she said only in response, after straightening her shoulders more and raising her face.

The dog demon took a step forward and stopped again, keeping some distance between them. He slid his malevolent gaze down her entire body, lingering on the purplish marks on her neck and her rumpled and somewhat dirty robe, signs of the exertions she had just experienced. He laughed again.

"Oh, really fatigued, I'd say. Have you had any particular trouble this night? Where is your dear mate? Don't tell me he left you all alone in this condition!" he exclaimed in mock outrage. "Nor are the faithful guards with you. A real annoyance," he hissed with another step forward.

In turn, Kagome attempted to make one back without him noticing. It was difficult, but the very aura he gave off repulsed her. She didn't want to be close enough to him to be able to smell him or his breath on her.

"I can manage on my own," Kagome replied, just as dismissive and carrying on her confident pose, despite feeling trapped every second that passed and knowing she wasn't fooling her opponent.

"I really must have gotten the wrong idea all these years, then. I could have sworn I never saw you wandering the halls of this castle alone." As he spoke, he kept sliding his gaze over her in ways that were not at all pleasant and left her feeling dirty.

"I didn't think you cared enough about me to focus on my movements, Noboru," she retorted.

"Come now, miko-sama, what do you take me for? Of course, I take an interest in you and your children," he reiterated with a wicked glint in his eyes. "Then again, it's like you're part of my family. I could have sworn I heard the pups call my sister Obaa-chan; who knows what their real grandmother would think of this interesting development. So I wonder if they can call Kimi that, why not consider me their uncle, too? I resent that, Kagome-sama. I thought we would have a chance to discuss this family situation." He brought a hand to his chest just for show.

"My children, fortunately, can recognize for themselves who is worthy of such a familiar title and who is not," she clarified.

An angry grimace crossed the demon's face, and Kagome realized she had gone too far if her goal was to stall him as long as possible. She wasn't trying to make him angry, just to keep their conversation going as long as possible, hoping that, in the meantime, someone would come to her aid or at least she could build up some energy.

As it appeared, however, the grimace disappeared, and a moment later, there was the usual scornful smile on Noboru's face again. "Really," he pronounced slowly. "I see... and tell me, Kagome-sama, are you happy with your results? You managed to take your place into this castle without any effort, you gained the favour of the woman whose mate your mother-in-law stole." He laughed again as if the irony of it was suddenly all too clear to him. "You gave birth to hybrids."

Kagome recoiled, wincing as she felt the disgust with which that last word had been spoken. She didn't even have time to wipe the shocked expression from her face before Noboru could see it and laugh. Still, she didn't even care if he understood how much that adjective had affected her because anger took over soon after. No one had the right to call her children that, not a coward who had attacked them in the most underhanded ways and had approached her now that he knew she was exhausted.

Her face hardened, and even just the determination, the desire to make that being understand that he could not use such words to address her family, gave her some strength back. She wanted to remind him that she wasn't going to let herself be thrown off so easily, let alone by a despicable person like him that addressed Muteki and Toga in that way.

Under normal circumstances, Noboru wouldn't have dared to approach her so audacious because he was well aware of her spiritual powers and what damage she could do to any demon. Now, however, he must have been quite pleased with his good fortune, meeting her like this, tired and still powerless. The only thing Kagome could keep doing was let him talk and put off the moment when he would want to get his hands on her. Because Kagome did not doubt it, Noboru wouldn't sit still for too long. In those instants, it was as if he enjoyed playing with his prey, provoking her, well aware that he had her in his grasp.

However, if he thought Kagome would be so easily defeated, if he thought she would throw in the towel just because conditions were unfavourable to her, he was sorely mistaken. It was obvious that he didn't know her; he had never even bothered to inquire about her, assuming she was just a small and weak human. For being what many called a 'strategist', he sure was pretty stupid.

Sending him back an equal grin, more confident after those thoughts and with a strength given by her newfound determination, Kagome replied, "I don't know what definition you have of certain words, Noboru, but I assure you that I am very content with the life I lead, yes. I have a mate who loves me, beautiful sons, and here in the West, a family and friends who appreciate me for who I am."

Noboru gritted his teeth, angry that the priestess wasn't responding to his taunts the way he had planned. He could see her: she was tired and struggling to maintain whatever mask she had on, she was very fatigued, and she certainly wasn't a problem for him. He could do anything he wanted with her, and she could offer no resistance to him. Still, she persisted in answering him in kind and did not succumb or acknowledge his superiority; she was afraid but insisted on holding her head high and standing up to him.

It made the blood boil in his veins.

All this meant was that it was time to stop playing. If it didn't give him the satisfaction that way, he would seek it differently.

His smile widened, and he bared his fangs at her. "It will mean, Priestess, since I am also part of the family, that it's your duty to give me a way to appreciate you."

Inuyasha couldn't know for sure how long it had been since they had left nor how much longer it would need, only that they were still too far away for his liking.

Rationally, he was aware that they were now closer to the castle than the village, but every inch of forest in front of him was an obstacle; not seeing his brother's vast green lands in front of him proved that he was still too far from Kagome.

The omen that had been hanging over him since his mate left was growing darker and larger, oppressing him and preventing him from seeing things clearly.

Before his eyes appeared only the various and terrible scenarios that his traitorous mind showed him, and in all of them, Kagome was in danger.

He couldn't understand why he had let her go so easily, how he could have let her go off on her own.

There were so many things that could go wrong. And he had abandoned her anyway.

He took a moment to look up and spot his sons riding Kirara, who was flying as fast as she could — but not fast enough. Had he left with Kagome, he would have been forced to leave their two boys alone, and since they had taken stubbornness from both him and his mate, he knew they wouldn't have stayed home. They would have found a way to get to the castle, and equally, he would have lacked peace of mind thinking of them travelling that distance alone.

He growled in exasperation. Why did things have to be so damn difficult? Why did he always have to worry so much? Why did that feeling have to weigh down his chest?

He took another run-up, jumped even higher, and then, he turned to the Nekomata again. He knew she was already making a great effort, and he was also grateful for the help she had always given them in the direst of situations, but he couldn't help himself. "Faster, Kirara, faster."

She did not protest nor slow down. The urgency in Inuyasha's tone was enough to scare both her and the two boys with her.

They arrived at the border not long after, whatever Inuyasha thought, and the guards at the outer walls immediately let them pass. Any greeting died in their throats as soon as they sensed the anxiety and haste coming in waves from the half-demon. Within minutes they reached the inner ones around the castle. Only then did Inuyasha allow himself to slow down.

Kirara landed next to him and let Muteki and Toga come down before transforming back and curling up around the neck of the older brother.

Inuyasha, meanwhile, had already ordered the other guards to open the gates for him and waste less time on useless chatter and pleasantries. He didn't even turn around to talk to his sons, already knowing that they would continue to follow him without a word and that they were well able to keep up with him.

However, he had barely had a chance to cross the walls when it happened.

An inhuman scream suddenly echoed throughout the palace and was accompanied soon after by the burst of an aura that Inuyasha and his sons knew all too well.

The half-demon froze for a moment, feeling the chill penetrate his bones, and the feeling that had oppressed him for the whole journey became real. At that moment, for the first time in many years, he had the terrifying feeling that he had not made it in time.

A second later, he had sprinted in the direction of those screams before everyone else around him could really realize what was happening.

With terror in his soul, he prayed that everything was just a bad joke and that he still had all the time in the world to spend with his mate.

A/N: Here's another cliffhanger but I'll be updating the story next week so I won't make you wait too much. A lot of things are happening but I promise we'll deal with everything without leaving loose threads; give time to time. After all, this story has a HEA.

Until next time!