Life will go on
Pairing: Sesshoumaru/Inuyasha
Disclaimer: The characters of InuYasha are not mine; they are the property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
WARNING: This is about male pregnancy (possibly) and male/male relationships which includes incest. I'm letting you know now what the relationships WILL contain. So, if you are AGAINSTsuch pairings, please find something else more to your liking, you have been warned.
Flames will be ignored
Notes: This chapter is not beta-read. Please excuse any mistakes made by me.
Notes: I have to apologize for taking such a long time to update, but I had writer's block and then my laptop had a nasty virus. So, here is the long await update.
Specialthankyouto:Rationality, KAYBOP1, Devil-wit-wings, DINKA SAYURI ROYAL, Kathlean Yuki, The Stunning Lies of Lullabies, LastxExile, Empress Satori, Jester08, DemonGoddess061, Mitts, Princess Sin, koishii-tenshi, and to those who have read and didn't review thank you for reading thus far. I hoped you enjoyed it.
oOoOoOo
Chapter 4: Sounga
After nearly destroying the palace because of their misunderstanding about their relationship and making up with each other, Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha's lives were back to normal. Well, as normal as it could be for them anyway.
The young Taiyoukai had taken to being away from home for extended periods at a time—visiting the human villages on his and his mate's land. Several years had past since their father's death and it was still hard to accept Toga's passing, but Sesshoumaru in time, would come to terms with the enormous void that his father left. He just couldn't say the same for Inuyasha. The second son of Inu no Taisho took his father's death extremely hard, which led to him miscarrying another litter of pups. And this was quite worrisome to Sesshoumaru and the healers.
The Western Lord made a silent vow to himself that he would not put his mate through any more added stress. Frankly, Sesshoumaru's decision was absolute; Mizuki would be their only heir.
Another challenged that was presented to Sesshoumaru was his mate and adopted daughter. Both, he realized, were becoming prickly from being in the palace. He had expressed great concern (not that anyone would point out his open display of emotions) over the increase of youkai activity in recent months.
Sesshoumaru wanted to make sure that they (Inuyasha and Rin) remained safe within the walls of the Western palace, hence the unspoken lock-in orders. But after his mate thoroughly told him off for keeping him like a prisoner within his own home was unacceptable, Sesshoumaru gave them permission to visit Kagome and to retrieve Mizuki. At the last minute, though, Rin changed her mind, wanting to spend some time alone with Sesshoumaru.
For some unknown reason; however, Sesshoumaru couldn't shake the feeling of uneasiness once he saw his mate down the well.
oOoOoOo
As Toga's last Will and Testament, he bequeathed Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha with Tenseiga, Sounga, and the black pearl. The pearl was immediately placed in Inuyasha's right eye for safe keeping. Unbeknown to the young hanyou, Tetsusaiga was nestled in the dark depths of the Great Dog Demon's tomb.
Tenseiga was handed over to Sesshoumaru, per Toga's wishes, which didn't settle too well with him. Sesshoumaru asked (later Inuyasha would remind him that he 'demanded') for the whereabouts of Tetsusaiga. Neither Toutousai nor Myouga stuck around long enough for Sesshoumaru to garner an answer from them.
And Sounga…
That sword along with its sheath, Saya, disappeared with the sword smith and flea. They thought that it would be best for everyone's health that Sesshoumaru shouldn't be allowed to wield such a dangerous weapon. He had already acquired Tokijin (that sword, in Toutousai's opinion, was pure evil), but Sesshoumaru wanted the power of his father—he wanted Sounga and Tetsusagia.
The three retainers, conspired that Saya and Sounga be placed in the Bone Eater's well for at least seven hundred years. By doing this, it would give Sesshoumaru time to mature until he was ready to claim the sword as his as well as cool down by being denied the very thing that he coveted.
Unfortunately, Sesshoumaru's temper didn't taper off. If any, the taiyoukai's anger grew, which lead to him discovering where Tetsusaiga was hidden; and the fight that lead to Inuyasha severing off his mate's left arm.
oOoOoOo
Kagome was at school during her physical education class when Inuyasha flashed by—taking the volleyball with him, muttering, "I'll protect you, Kagome!"
The priestess never felt so embarrassed in her entire life. Kagome's school mates all gapped at her, wondering if they heard the same thing, which they did, but Kagome wasn't going to let on that they did. Instead she clutched her stomach, stating, "Oh, Gramps, is forcing us to take sips of vinegar. Uh-oh! I think I may have had too much."
Without looking back, Kagome swiftly left the playing field, by the time she finished changing her PE clothes, the school bell rung signaling the end of a long day.
Inuyasha waited for his friend outside the main doors of school and to his delight he saw his pup walking along side with Kagome.
Although Mizuki was still a youngster (by inuyoukai standards), she was the height and size of a fifteen year old human female. She was quite intelligent and strong, due to her demonic blood, but Mizuki was also quite empathetic because of her half-human mother. In addition to Mizuki's growing compassion, it also helped that her grandfather had a fondness for life as well.
However, when she saw her father viciously attack her mother, nearly killing Inuyasha, Mizuki fled the palace grounds, not wanting any of the servants or heaven forbid, her father, informing her that her mother was dead. Mizuki went to the one place she knew that her sire couldn't follow and that was to modern day Japan. When Mizuki to showed-up at Kagome's family shrine in tears; Kagome had feared the worse. She called Dante and Vergil, explaining to them what happened. They somehow managed to get legal papers for Mizuki in order for her reside on this side of the well.
Being the little curious pup that she was, she ventured to the Bone Eater's well (silently following after her mother one day) when Inuyasha jumped in. It startled her, when Inuyasha was engulfed in a celestial blue beam.
She looked down the well and saw… nothing. Her Kaasan was gone! Now worried, she had no time to go get her Otousan. And after fifteen minutes of arguing with herself, Mizuki leaped over the wooden sides of the well.
Of course, she had her eyes closed when she jumped; therefore she didn't see the annoyed looked on Inuyasha's face. Come to think of that moment, Mizuki realized that her Kaasan had been waiting for her.
That seemed so long ago, she thought. She would never have new adventures with her mother or fight along side her father. She was never going back home—ever—it was just too painful to live in the palace knowing that one parent killed the other.
Little did Mizuki know that Inuyasha fought back using her grandfather's fang—injuring Sesshoumaru to the point of near death.
Walking with her head down, Mizuki bumped into someone with a rock solid chest, causing her fall flat on her ass.
"Ow!"
"You know, Mizuki, you really should hold your head up when you walk. Sesshoumaru would have your hid if he saw that."
Intense golden orbs widen at the voice. It couldn't be—her father killed him.
"Ka-Kaasan?"
"Well, don't look so surprised to see me. What'd you think? That I would just leave you here with Kagome," Inuyasha said.
"Otousan… he… you… I thought," Mizuki fumbled over her tongue not sure how to articulate her thoughts.
"Eh… what? You thought Sesshoumaru was going to kill me? Jeez, have some faith in me," Inuyasha chastised.
"Gomen, Kaasan," she replied, properly reprimanded, embarrassed for assuming the worse and thinking ill of her sire.
Walking up to his pup, Inuyasha pulled her into his arms. As soon as he did that, the tears started flowing.
"I thought… I though Otousan was going to take you from me," Mizuki cried.
No matter how hard Inuyasha tried to deny that fact, he didn't voice that he had feared the very same thing; he thought as he thrashed about in Sesshoumaru's suffocating grip to take-in precious air into his lungs that he would surely perish until the unthinkable happen, Sesshoumaru plunged his poison claws into his abdomen.
Never once did Inuyasha mention to his mate that he was pupped at the time of their big fight. He just didn't have the heart to tell Sesshoumaru that he inadvertently caused Inuyasha to lose their pup. The young Western Lord carried that burdened on his shoulders alone. And it would do no good to have Mizuki afraid of her father.
Fighting back his own tears, Inuyasha replied whispering in her furred triangle ear, "Everything is fine now, Mizuki. No more tears please." He rubbed her back, consoling his only pup.
"Hey, guys," Kagome said interrupting her friends' bonding moment.
The hanyou was glad for the break. Inuyasha hadn't seen his friend or his pup in over two years. Now taking in Kagome's appearance, he noticed that she grew a little bit—looking more like Kaede's older sister, Kikyo. Kagome was now seventeen, almost finished with High School and preparing to go to college. Inuyasha was proud of Kagome's accomplishments.
Together, the three of them left the campus grounds, heading for the shrine, unaware of the danger approaching them.
oOoOoOo
Running home from school, Souta skidded to a stop when he saw his mother and grandfather walking into a storeroom. His grandfather was holding a long rectangular box.
"Hey, Gramps! Wha'cha doing?"
"Hello, Souta. How was school today?" Mrs. Higurashi asked with a bright beaming smile on her face, happy to see her baby boy back home.
"Hi, mom. School was school. What are you and grandpa up to?" he asked.
Mrs. Higurashi opened the storeroom's sliding wooden shoji as she spoke with her son.
"We're going to clean our family heirloom," she said.
"The Murakumo sword—it's been in our family for several generations," the elderly priest replied with open pride.
He placed the box down and turned to get some cleaning materials. "There is so much rust on the blade now that it can't be removed from its sheath," he added, hoping this time he would be able to dislodge the sword.
Souta was studying the engravings on the sheath. "Hey, doesn't this symbol mean 'fang' not 'Murakumo'?"
Giving it some thought, Mrs. Higurashi had to agree with Souta. "That would mean Red Sounga," she answered, but couldn't say anything else as Souta cried out in fright.
"Ahh! The sword tried to bite me!"
Giggling at her son's antics, she said, "Souta, the sword doesn't bite."
She and Grandpa turned around just in time to see 'something' snap at Souta's fingers as he attempted to lift the sword from the velvet lined box.
Suddenly without any warning, the sword levitated into the air. A spirit materialized asking if there was a strong demon near-by. But they knew there was none; Inuyasha was no longer with them to aid in the request.
This didn't bode well for them—at all. Why? The sword took to the air out the open doors and out of sight.
Gramps was so devastated at the lost of their heirloom, he was nearly in tears. "Our sacred family treasure!" Mrs. Higurashi chuckled as Souta shook his head in exasperation.
oOoOoOo
The sun was setting as Kagome, Inuyasha, and Mizuki crested over a hill casting the scene around them in various shades of orange as the natural light begun to fade. As they slowly trek through the park, Inuyasha stopped, sniffing the air. He growled, motioning for his pup and friend to get behind him. Inuyasha gripped the hilt of Tetsusaiga when another sword flew up to him.
"Hey, what the hell is this?"
"Well, well… if it isn't Master Inuyasha and Lady Mizuki."
"Inuyasha, wh-what's going on?" Kagome asked, still hiding behind Inuyasha.
"Kagome, you remember Saya?" Inuyasha replied then turned his attention back to the sheath. "What are you doing here, old man?"
"There's no time to explain, quick—you MUST take possession of Sounga before it breaks free of my seal."
Shock was something people couldn't often associate with Inuyasha and now that he was, the hanyou was left speechless. Inuyasha snapped out of his stupor as Sounga rattled violently within Saya's grasp, desperately struggling to free itself.
Unfortunately, Saya couldn't maintain its hold on the demonic dragon sword. The blade flipped out of its sheath—embedded itself in the soil when it landed in a soft patch of dirt a few feet away from them.
The trio gasped as the environment around them decayed and rotted before their very eyes.
"Can you see this?" Saya solemnly asked, heartbroken at Sounga's release. "This is what's to become of these lands if a human gets hold of Sounga."
oOoOoOo
Humming softly as she followed behind her father, Rin took to plucking flowers on the edge of the forest. She crafted a small wreath from the variety of flowers that she gathered to place on top of her head. She already made one for Sesshoumaru. Rin quietly contemplated, smiling as she worked.
Completing her halo, Rin started on another only to run into Jakken, who stopped a few paced from the Taiyoukai.
She looked up at his unmoving form. "My lord?"
Sesshoumaru didn't hear the worry in his adoptive daughter's voice as he filtered through the various smells from miles away. He glanced down as Tenseiga rattled violently against his hip.
That scent…
oOoOoOo
Once the world was back to normality, Inuyasha approached Sounga.
"Kaasan, please don't," Mizuki begged of him not to touch the sword. She could sense wickedness emanating from it.
Kagome even tried to get him not take the sword in hand, "Inuyasha, maybe-"
"Look, you've seen what my father's sword would do to this world if a human gets their paws on it. I'm not taking that chance. 'Sides, Sesshoumaru is the only one alive who can handle this thing anyway. I'm just gonna take it to him, k? Promise no heroic stuff out of me today. He would tan my hide if I did something stupid."
Inuyasha couldn't mess up now, no with him being pupped again. Even though, he was few weeks into his gestation, Inuyasha hadn't mentioned a thing to his mate.
Yet the fates continue to sabotage Inuyasha at every opportunity. He grabbed hold of the hilt and was immediately trapped by Sounga.
"You are his son," it said with some amusement. "You are not strong enough to wield me."
Not bothering to comment, Inuyasha pulled Sounga from the ground and ran through the city. He ran until he jumped into the well.
Kagome stumped her foot—clearly upset with Inuyasha. Picking up the discarded sheath, the miko asked it if it could contain the sword again. Saya explained that it would be difficult to do so, but it should manage. However, Saya couldn't guarantee how long it could keep Sounga imprisoned.
With that set as a plan and their only plan, Kagome and Mizuki quickly set off for home again.
oOoOoOo
On the other side of the well in Feudal Japan
Shippou waited patiently for his friend to return. He reminisced about Inuyasha rescuing him from the Thunder brother's after they killed his father. With nowhere else to go, Inuyasha plead his case to his mate. Sesshoumaru had scared Shippou but he didn't allow his fear to over take him, which would be considered a weakness to one's enemy.
The lord of the Western Lands gave Inuyasha's request much thought (a whole week to be exact) before granting Shippou approval to stay. From time to time, he traveled with Inuyasha to Kaede's and Shippou often stayed in the village of Inuyasha to aid the aging priestess with some of the heavy labor that she was no longer able to do or when the other villagers weren't available.
He was already in the village when he saw Sesshoumaru and Rin accompany Inuyasha to the well. Shippou knew straight away what that meant; Inuyasha was going to bring back Mizuki.
So, here was Shippou, waiting anxiously for Inuyasha.
Shippou jumped up at the slight rumble then the flash of crimson radiance with Inuyasha reappearing, but something was not right with him.
Growling, the hanyou snapped, "Get away, Shippou!"
"What's wrong, Inuyasha?" the young kit demanded, transforming into a floating ball to get away from being killed. Inuyasha swung his sword wildly almost slicing his head clean off his shoulders.
The fox's heard another sinister voice commanding his friend's actions.
"I want blood! Give me a human a sacrifice!"
And that's when angry red eyes spotted the mortal mother with her child—Inuyasha ran off after them.
"Wait, Inuyasha! Come back!" Shippou yelled, but the half-demon took no notice of him.
By the time Shippou caught up with Inuyasha, the village was empty; however, it was heavily tainted with blood. His other friends, Sango and Miroku with Kirara in her larger form, were facing off with the crazed Inuyasha.
Inuyasha cornered the mother and her screaming infant in an abandon hut. They were huddled behind some wooden crates that were probably used to transport vegetables at one point in time, but now lay discarded in the dilapidated storeroom.
The chilling voice prompted the hanyou once more. "What's wrong, Inuyasha? Kill them! KILL THEM!" Inuyasha was fighting with himself but by the looks of it, he had lost the internal struggle as his sword arm came up for the final blow.
"Stop, Inuyasha! Return to your senses!" Miroku yelled, closing his eyes, unable to bear witness of such a horrible barbaric act.
The monk was splayed with blood.
Not wanting to open his eyes, Miroku didn't want to see the deaths of the mother and child, but he forced his eyes to gaze upon the carnage. To his surprise, it was Inuyasha's blood that he was covered with.
The hanyou bit into his arm—ferociously tearing at the vine-line tendrils that were wrapped around him; forcing him to maintain a solid grip on the sword.
"Get 'em away!" Inuyasha snarled through clinched teeth. He was fighting with himself, stumbling out of the shed into the open.
Then just as rapidly, Inuyasha's golden orbs changed to dark crimson, jagged lavender facial markings appeared—his demonic side was taking over. A phantom voice resonated around them, "I will send you all to Hell!"
Inuyasha raised Sounga above his head, circling the blade to create a violent, swirling vertex tornado was slowly building until a purple-black funnel materialized.
"That sword he possesses—that's Sounga—it belonged to his father," Myouga whispered with incredulous eyes from atop of the monk's shoulder. There was no possible way that Sounga should be here. He carefully studied Inuyasha. Where was Saya? Of all the things for Inuyasha to get his hands on and if that wasn't enough the tell-tale wisps of vapor rose from the demonic blade.
"Oh, no! It's the Dragon Twister! Everyone run for cover!" he cried, tugging on Miroku's ear hoops. He, Sango, and Shippou with the woman and infant jumped on to Kirara's back just in time.
"DRAGON TWISTER!" Inuyasha released the attack—it devastated everything in its path, meandering through the land for miles.
From the air, the group of friends saw the terrible power of that sword.
"Unbelievable," Miroku said in awe.
"It has incomprehensible power," Sango muttered. "I've never seen anything like it."
"The Dragon Twister—the attack of a dragon from Hell. Its power surpasses that of the Backlash Wave."
"Myouga, how did Inuyasha get a sword like that? I thought he only had Tetsusaiga," Miroku inquired. "It doesn't make any sense."
Pondering the question, Myouga replied with a slight shake of his head, "I don't know."
oOoOoOo
Sesshoumaru found his mate several hours after detecting Inuyasha's scent. He gritted his teeth in anger as he saw what was in Inuyasha's possession.
"Don't tell me that another one of father's swords choose you as its master," Sesshoumaru accused. He tried to keep the distain from his voice but he couldn't.
"How should I know, I would gladly give you the damn thing, brother; but it seems you're gonna have to take by force though."
The Taiyoukai stared at his mate. Something wasn't quite right with Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru noted. Inuyasha was unresponsive to him. The hanyou, it seemed, didn't recognize him. Did Sounga overpower his mate? He could not allow the sword to remain in Inuyasha's ownership. He knew that in time Sounga would kill his brother. He would loose his mate—that was not an opinion.
Without having time to react, only seconds to spar, Sesshoumaru unsheathe Tokijin to block Inuyasha's on-coming strike.
The swords clashed, igniting the field they were standing in.
"Sesshoumaru… do you long to possess me." Sounga chuckled—this was its type of conflict. "When our blades clash, Sesshoumaru, I will know your every thought."
"Shut up, you stupid sword! No one's listening!" Inuyasha shouted, exasperated by Sounga's ego.
The oldest of the pair was pushing back until Sounga decided that play time was over. "Use my power, Inuyasha," Sounga said as it poured more of its strength into the hanyou.
Again Inuyasha's scent change causing Sesshoumaru to gasp. Inuyasha was transforming against his will—not good!
oOoOoOo
Traveling swiftly up the steep slope, Kagome was on her bicycle with Saya strapped firmly on her back. While Mizuki carried Kaede as Miroku and Sango followed behind on the Kirara. Poor Shippou was barely holding on to Miroku's robes as time of the essence.
In the distance, they heard the sounds of a raging battle.
"Oh, that must be Inuyasha and Lord Sesshoumaru," Toutousai exclaimed.
"Toutousai! You're aware of the situation?" Myouga asked excitedly, hoping to resolve this matter.
"Inuyasha has possession of Sounga," Saya informed Toutousai.
"Inuyasha? He doesn't have nowhere near the strength to control Sounga. Oh, this is a dilemma."
"Toutousai, why would you make such a dangerous sword," Kagome asked, wondering how the sword-smith make something that no-one could handle.
"I didn't make it, the Great Dog Demon already had it in his possession when I came into his services," Toutousai replied.
Running along side her friend, Mizuki didn't slow down. "Kagome, Kaede said that we have only one opportunity to subdue Mother."
Nodding her head, Kagome felt bad for what they were about to do but she didn't see any other way. She hoped that Inuyasha would forgive her.
oOoOoOo
"Two blood brothers fighting to the death, or should I say mate. You know had your father listened to me, he wouldn't have met such a miserable end," Sounga snidely commented to the Taiyouaki.
"SILENCE!" Sesshoumaru shouted, loosing control over his temper.
In a moment of vivid clarity at the mention of their father, Inuyasha whimpered, his left hand going to his stomach. Wide amber eyes wouldn't accept it! Not again! No!
"I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha said, ashamed before Sounga fully took over his body once more.
"Enough!" Sesshoumaru shouted pushing Inuyasha far back from him, immediately dropping Tokijin onto the ground, and in the same fluid movement unsheathing Tetsusaiga from his mate's hip. He could already feel his hand being scorched by the hilt but he wasn't letting go, his mate's life was at stake and if he wasn't mistaken, their unborn pup as well.
In one artful stroke, Sesshoumaru unleashed the devastating power of the Backlash Wave.
One enormous electrifying bolt of the fang was immense. It wouldn't occur to Sesshoumaru or Inuyasha that their father's fangs would be Sounga's undoing.
By the gods! It burns! Sesshoumaru lament. He would never admit in his life that he was brought to his knees by his father's weapon of destruction—Tesusaiga. The palm of hand was smoldering as his youkai healing ability kicked-in to soothe the injury.
But he didn't have time to ponder or nurse his hand. Inuyasha was after their daughter, Rin was in trouble. He gave chase. Posing his claws for a killing strike, lengthen nails glowed eerily as poison dripped from the tips.
He knew.
He knew without a doubt that Inuyasha would survive being skewered.
He knew without a doubt that the pup his mate carried would perish.
"Damn Sounga to the lowest pit of Hell," Sesshoumaru muttered to himself.
The Great Lord Sesshoumaru gave a sad smirk as he closed-in on his mate—this was how his and Inuyasha family was to be—incapable of producing more offspring to fill their vast home as their father have dreamt of.
oOoOoOo
All around them were boulders and flat land cut from Tokijin and Sounga. The landscape now left in ruin from the dueling inu-couple, forever changing the once luscious terrain.
Inuyasha struggled to regain control but Sounga was demonstrating to be a bit more than he can handle. He slipped back into that void of nothingness.
"Blood! I must have more blood! GIVE ME A LIVE SACRIFICE!"
Leaping through the tree line, Inuyasha stumbled upon Rin and Jakken running for their lives. The human child and kappa saw the crazed gleam in the hanyou's blazing crimson eyes.
oOoOoOo
"Now, Kaede! Do it now!" Kagome shouted, urging her friend to work faster. They needed to make their move. Inuyasha was after Rin, with Sesshoumaru closing in behind him.
The elder priestess worked furiously with her hand movements, chanting a spell. The beads in her lap pulsed as she sat lotus style on the hard barren ground. Once finished, Kaede threw the beads toward Inuyasha, ending the spell.
"Say the incantation, Kagome!"
"SIT!"
oOoOoOo
Something wrapped around his throat. He didn't know what it was nor did he care, all that mattered was pursuing the scent of innocent blood.
Sounga was taken by surprise. "What is that?"
He felt himself being pulled to the ground, but he didn't let it deter him from his prey.
"SIT, BOY!"
Stumbling again, Inuyasha attempted to remain upright; however, it was proving to be most difficult for him. Kagome sprinted toward him shouting something that sounded like a command before she latched onto him, yelling for all she was worth.
"INUYASHA! SIT!"
oOoOoOo
Holding on to Inuyasha, Kagome's spiritual essence infused with beads around Inuyasha's neck pulling down into the ground, creating a gaping crater.
Sesshoumaru watched as his mate was slammed with such force to the earth, he held his breathe as Sounga relinquished its maniacal hold on Inuyasha.
Their victory was short lived as neither Kagome nor Inuyasha moved.
Blood slowly seeped from under Inuyasha, pooling in the imprint of his body. Sesshoumaru recognized the signs—Inuyasha miscarried—again.
oOo TBC oOo
A/N: Well, how was that? I know it's been quite some time since I last update this and I apologize for the delay. But I made the wait well worth it as I typed out eleven pages over the course of a couple of days. Alas, real life intrudes every so often or I would have been finished this chapter. Tell me what you think. Input would be greatly appreciated.
Nemesis