I do not own Inuyasha. Not mine. Never will be.
Voices in the Upper Air
(From "Karamos")
Turn, turn, my wheel! Turn round and round
Without a pause, without a sound:
So spins the flying world away!
This clay, well mixed with marl and sand,
Follows the motion of my hand;
Far some must follow and some command,
Though all are made of clay!
… … … … …
Turn, turn, my wheel! All things must change
To something new, to something strange;
Nothing that is can pause or stay;
The moon will wax, the moon will wane,
The mist and cloud will turn to rain,
The rain to mist and cloud again,
To-morrow be to-day.
… … … … …
Turn, turn, my wheel! All life is brief;
What now is bud wilt soon be leaf,
What now is leave will soon decay;
The wind blows east, the wind blows west;
The blue eyes in the robin's nest
Will soon have wings and beak and breast,
And flutter and fly away.
Longfellow
She woke slowly. Her limbs and whole body was heavy with exhaustion and her eyes were blurry from dreams. She felt him still curled around her, his hand resting protectively against her abdomen, his face buried in the hair at the nape of her neck. She smiled faintly, but didn't move. It wasn't often she woke before her mate and so she took the dreamy moments between the moment she had opened her eyes to the moment she was certain would come when he would sense her waking in the quickening of her heart and breathing. She ached to look on his sleeping face and run her fingers through his hair as he enjoyed doing to her to wake her, but, for that instant, she was transfixed with how tightly they were pressed together and how he rested with his lips barely touching the skin at the ridge of her shoulders where her neck began.
She closed her eyes and tried to imagine his sleepy expression and how the silver mane she loved to braid and comb when they were alone must have been curtaining along his jaw over his throat. She felt his embrace tighten and realized he was beginning to wake as well. She turned to face him just in time to see his tired, amber orbs open half way, blink, and then open fully as they focused on her entirely. She brushed a silver strand from his face and smiled. "You remind me of a little boy when you wake up."
"Oh?" He asked. His voice was deeper when he first woke. Heavier and laden with remaining weariness.
She nodded, and then kissed him gently, wrapping her arms around his neck. "The warrior is still sleeping when you first open your eyes. I only see the boy who loves me."
He smiled and returned her kiss fervently, breathing her in. "I wish I could sense it… Our child."
She trembled, caressing his jaw. "If I knew how to let you, I would. But the barrier is so strong, I'm afraid to try and lower it in case it's somehow connected to the child."
"I know and understand. I cannot help but wish." He pulled her tightly against him, then rolled onto her, resting his head against her chest, listening to the thrum of her heart. He sighed and wrapped his arm around her as her slender fingers began to run through his scalp, the tips of her nails gently touching. "I feel weak when you do that."
"I feel weak when you kiss me, so we are even." She said, smiling as she again ran her fingers through his hair. He tightened his embrace and closed his eyes, allowing himself to snooze. He'd only fallen asleep a measly hour before she'd woken. He hadn't even meditated, but had spent the night watching her dream deeply. She felt his breathing even out and his shoulders relax as sleep reclaimed him. Her fingers danced briefly along his jaw, then rested on his shoulders.
I might not be able to allow you access to our child without fear, but I can traverse my own energies now that I know where they lay. Miroku's actions allowed me a glimpse of where and how to find the child. She closed her eyes and began to meditate. With an ease that had eluded her before Miroku's investigation, she slipped into the first level of white energy coursing along every well of power in her body. Slowly, taking her time as she memorized the trick of traversing her charkas, she made her way to the well located in her belly. She slipped into the surging star of white light and easily through the barrier to where she knew her child was resting. At the center of the white was a swirling star of pink, black and white power that was contained physically in the tiny body forming in her womb. She caressed the energy gently and felt him respond. Yes. It was a boy, she was certain of that. The little baby boy recognized her and curled into the warmth of her touch. I wish I could show you to your father, little one. He loves you so much. He's looking forward to meeting you soon.
The tiny life throbbed in agreement. He was still too small, too young to understand speech, but he could understand the love she sent to him from both her and his father.
She smiled spiritually and physically, caressing her son's soul once more before gradually pulling away. The child began to panic and so she returned to him, comforting him. Before she even could think about what she was doing, she connected a fracture of her bond with Sesshomaru to the child's spirit. When he was born, it would remain, only breaking the day he bonded himself to his own mate. As she pulled away, he remained calm and settled within her spirit and body again without protest.
Before she even opened her eyes, she felt herself being watched. Her mate's weight had shifted and so she was prepared for his gaze on her. But it was not the look she had expected. She thought she would see curiosity, worry, perhaps even frustration that she could reach their child while he could not. But none of that was there. His eyes only spoke wonder and love.
"I… I feel him now." He whispered. His face, voice, eyes were so animated with intense surprise and joy that she didn't recognize him at first. "How… How did you manage this?"
She trembled and felt herself begin to cry. She caressed his face and shook her head. "I don't know. It only… It only made sense. He was so afraid when I began to pull away. I couldn't leave him alone, so I left a piece of us with him… It was on instinct."
He began kissing away her tears. Since the first moment he had drank away the salty expression of her emotion, he had felt it was right to do. It was almost as if they tasted of her intense emotions and, by taking them into him, he shared everything with her. He found her lips and kissed her tenderly. "Thank you. Even if it was not intentional, thank you for giving me this. Thank you for giving me our son."
A soft, breathless cry slipped past her lips and he smelled the salt returning. He returned his lips to the corners of her eyes dutifully in turn. "Thank you for wanting me to have him… For loving me so much, for protecting me, for holding me so close and… For letting me see you. You are so beautiful, Sesshomaru."
He smiled and kissed her fervently, savoring the taste of her mouth. "You understand, Kagome. You see my soul and you love me. I had forgotten how important that was." His eyebrow quirked slightly in jest as he gaze deeply into her azure eyes. "And, as far as I know, warriors are not beautiful. You, miko, deserve to be known for beauty."
She blushed and smiled timidly. "You, then, my love, are striking and salient, if I am not allowed to give you beauty."
"Fine words." He murmured with a twinkling gaze. He sighed and again rested his head against her chest, breathing her in deeply. Even without the scent of their child growing within her, he found himself content with the gift of being able to sense his son as he grew through their bond. Her fingers began to weave through his hair again and he felt as if he were melting. "You realize I am
not getting up so long as you continue."
"Is that a promise?" She asked, fighting back a laugh, but not hiding it from the tone of her words.
His chest rumbled in mirth as he climbed up to claim her lips. He nipped along her jaw gently, feeling her shiver. "You once said that if I kissed you over the span of a day, you would never tire of my lips. Would you like to test your theory?"
He felt her blush heat and deepen against his lips. The sensation sent a surge of delight through him. He nipped along her throat and felt her shudder as a gasping cry slipped from her lips. "Was that a yes, my love?"
She smiled and ran her fingers through his hair, grasping just slightly at the nape of his neck. "It was indeed." She breathed, then moaned softly as he, again captured her lips, beginning their happy experiment.
The heights by great men reached and kept
Were not attained by sudden flight,
But they while their companions slept
Were toiling upward in the night.
LongFellow
He landed in the gardens in his nine-tailed form and curled under a tree until he felt ready to approach Sango or Miroku for help. He hadn't any clothing that would fit. He had been naked when he'd left the previous evening and simply refused to deal with anyone but the ones he thought of as his family. Inuyasha would make fun of him. Kagome was… Busy. Lately she was always busy in the mornings, though, in his current state with maturity slowly settling into his psyche, he couldn't blame her or Sesshomaru. That only left Sango and Miroku, but he knew they might even scoff at his current situation.
He raised his head as a thought came to him. Kaede would help him, certainly, and not say a word of scorn or make him feel laughed at. He was miserable in his new forms. He missed being a child, but he couldn't fight nature. Certainly Kaede would understand that and help him without judgment.
He flew to her window and gently pawed open the frame before slipping into her room. The old woman was still sleeping. At least he thought she was still sleeping until she began to speak.
"Shippo, if ye wanted to speak to me, ye could have knocked on the door rather than climbing through the window."She sat up and looked at the kitsune in his adult, nine tailed form. He was about chest height with Inuyasha when standing and was a golden red hue with fierce yet glimmering emerald eyes. "Ahhh, I see. This is what has happened, pup. Well, come here and shift to your human
form while I go and find ye something to wear."
Once the elderly miko had turned, Shippo shifted and wrapped a blanket around him. "Thank you, Kaede."
The old woman smiled and looked back at the child-man who was sitting on her mattress. He was incredibly handsome with long rusty hair that shone like bleeding gold in the light and those same emerald eyes. His build was lithe and lean and his face had lost most of the roundness it once had, replaced with a prominent jaw and cheekbones and a well-defined brow and nose. "There is no need for thanks, child. I know ye need help and ye are family to this old woman. Rest yourself there. Ye look as if ye have not slept all night."
Shippo smiled half way with the quirk of his lips. He hadn't, but he didn't admit that to the elderly woman who had turned to find him suitable clothing. He sighed and looked down at his clawed hands. They were so large compared to the ones he had possessed only the previous day. They are my hands. They are the hands that were so small yesterday. That Shippo is gone now. He is me now. I need to adjust to this.
He reached down and took hold of his tails, petting them gently. The nine looked more like one, but if he wove his fingers through the thick, silken fur, he could count all of them. The action sent shivers down him. He felt himself respond as each responsive nerve ending in each of his tails overwhelmed his mind with pleasure. His mind jumped back to the first and only time he'd pulled his father's tail. He'd nearly had his throat torn out. Though, in retrospect, Father saying "You'll understand why when you are older" just about covers it… I never could have guessed why it made him so angry. Well… I suppose we learn something new every day.
The door to Kaede's room opened and she entered with a dark colored hakama and haori in her hands. They were made of a heavy, sturdy material and reminded him vaguely of Sesshomaru's guard's vestments. On further examination, he discovered that was what they were, in fact. "Thank you." He said softly. His deep tenor voice was still foreign to him. It sounded smooth and warm enough to be his own, but it was not the child's voice he'd had for centuries and so it surprised him every time he spoke.
Kaede nodded and turned as he dressed, then helped him with his hair, tying it back with a leather strap. It was not like Sesshomaru or Inuyasha's hair. Not even like Kouga's. Shippo's hair was curly and long, reaching just past his waist. Leaving it free would cause a massive tangle that would take hours of help to free, and so it was wiser to hold it back with something. "There ye are, child. Now, either go and get yourself breakfast or sleep. Ye look like the walking dead."
Shippo smirked and nodded. After giving Kaede a tight hug, he stood and walked back toward his bedroom. He found it odd that he was so tall. His father had even been shorter than his current height. He was only a few inches shorter than Sesshomaru and towered the same distance over Inuyasha. No more curling into Kagome's hair, certainly. Or riding in her backpack. But then again, I'll be able to keep up with everyone. He stopped dead in his tracks as he ran into a shorter form dressed all in red.
"Hey! Watch where the hell you're going!"
"Sorry, Inuyasha." He replied, the corners of his lips curling in amusement.
The hanyou looked up and met Shippo's gaze, quirking his brow. "Hell no… It couldn't be."
"I keep telling myself that."
"How the hell did you get taller than me, Shippo?" Inuyasha groused. He knew full well that Shippo would shift and age at some point. He hadn't been expecting this, though.
"I grew."
"No shit. Does Kagome know?"
Shippo shook his head and pushed one of his curls behind his ear. "She usually isn't up by now."
"That's debatable."
"I mean she isn't out of bed."
"Also debatable."
"Damnit Inuyasha! You know what I mean."
"Yeah, well… Had to see you squirm since I doubt I could easily reach your head to hit you properly any more. You know if you don't tell her, she'll be pissed."
"I'm not going to go pounding on their door."
"They might knock back."
"For Kami's sake! She's like a mother to me! Would you quit already!?"
Inuyasha fought back a laugh. "Ok, fine. At least slip a note under the door."
"That says what? 'Hi Momma, I got big! Here's a picture of me yesterday and one of me today.' That's ridiculous."
"You know she loves your drawings."
"I give up." He said, disgusted as the hanyou simply stood there, laughing at him and taunting him. He pushed past Inuyasha and walked purposefully toward his room. "If you see anybody, tell them what happened and let me sleep. I haven't slept all night."
"How many tails did she have?"
Shippo stopped and winced, tensing visibly. Did he have to bring that up? "Mind your own business, Inuyasha. I'm going to sleep."
Inuyasha watched as the door slid closed and sighed. He leaned against the wall and ran his fingers through his bangs. It wasn't right for the kid to deny his nature, his instincts. Kitsune didn't mate for life and, usually, if what Inuyasha had been told was correct, first pairings didn't usually stick and pups were nearly never sired. Ignoring his instincts could come to haunt him later and that, frankly, worried the hanyou. He's been around Kagome and me too much. She's as devoted as if she were a full Inuyoukai and I'm half blooded and never wavered in my devotion to either Kagome or Kikyo… Or her resurrection. Damn, that's confusing. It's still confusing and I don't even have to deal with it any more. In my mind I always belonged to them both… Because they were the same person. I just didn't understand that until it was too late. But the kid… It just isn't who he is. He ain't ever going to find another like minded kitsune and if he ever decided to bond with a human, he'd have to reestablish the bond every decade or so, or risk losing her… It isn't fair. Inuyasha sighed and stood, resuming his trek toward the kitchen. For the last few days, he'd been having the cooks attempt making something akin to ramen. He'd eaten the last package a few days before and he was craving it fiercely. They were getting closer every day, though he knew they'd never perfect it. At least not for several centuries. He cursed inwardly and turned, looking back toward where Shippo's room was. The kid had been through so much… Inuyasha wished, silently to himself, that Shippo could find some sort of happiness in his life.
As unto the bow the cord is,
So unto the man is woman;
Though she bends him, she obeys him,
Though she draws him, yet she follows;
Useless each without the other.
Longfellow
His eyes fell over the red, silken strands of her hair along its course down the frame of her supple body. Every curve spoke of her vitality, beauty and femininity. The flower in her hair had been removed and crushed in his hands shortly after he had knocked her cold with a single swipe of his tentacle. She looked almost as if she was sleeping, but he knew better. She was like a butterfly smothered beneath a glass that had been filled with smoke.
He knelt beside her and pushed a lock of her hair from her brow. Kouga was a fool if he believed that a deal would be made without incentive. Though the wolf loved Kagome, wanted her, wanted to protect her, Naraku knew very well that his heart also held another. Whether she was little sister, friend, pack member or potential mate made no matter in his mind. Kouga had shown several times that he cared for this girl, this Ayame, and so she made a perfect piece of insurance in case the wolf thought better of his deal with the dark hanyou or, on the off chance that all of this had been a simple rouse to get close enough to make a desperate strike or diversion.
Contrary to the belief of many of his incarnations and, certainly many of his enemies, Naraku was not a fool. However, it was his perceived vanity, cowardice and foolishness that had become his best and most comforting ally. Very few had ever seen through the guise he'd worked so long to build around himself. The few that had were either dead… Or would be soon. He nodded to the mindless incarnation that served as his bodyguard at present that then picked up the unconscious she-wolf and began to carry her back to his newest fortress in the North.
He formed his barrier and flew there, trusting that even if the girl did awake, she would be too weak to fight. He'd forced some of his own blood down her throat, ensuring its toxins left her with a pup's strength long after she was delivered to his fortress.
Naraku landed in his courtyard and walked with purpose toward the guarded shed that was located at the back of the compound. There, he found his incarnations working with the undead potter, Enju, who had been enslaved by Urasue to create clay, undead warriors. Naraku had found the woman and had ensured she was kept alive with a steady flow of human souls in return for her assistance. The woman had been reluctant at first. Reluctant until he had shown her the small group of children he'd gathered from nearby farms and would kill slowly, forcing her to absorb their souls unless she did as he instructed.
She looked up from her delicate work with a scowl. "This is more difficult than working with grave yard dirt and clay, Naraku. This is living flesh you've given me to sculpt, though I shudder to think how you managed such a task."
Naraku smiled maliciously. "Your steady diet of souls had to come from somewhere, my dear. You have several months before they will need to be finished, but both must be complete or I will follow through with my threat."
Enju scowled and looked down at the tranquil face she was recreating from memory. The two were so similar, but it was the subtle differences that she was having difficulty with. The color of their eyes, the severe brow rather than the soft brow. And then he had also demanded they even possess the same scents as their living counterparts. He had supplied the proper herb and oils to attain such a feat, but he was simply so demanding that she found herself wondering if she could complete the living sculptures before the due date she'd only then been given. "Why so soon? Certainly there is a reason."
"There is." Naraku replied, then turned without elaborating further. He smirked and walked toward his room and sat beside the window. There was a reason. A reason he was being so demanding and allowing for nothing but perfection in such a short span of time. He wanted the living dolls to be complete by the time Kagome was due to deliver the child she and Sesshomaru had sired together. The miko would live through what he had planned for her. He would ensure she did, if only so he could complete his final goal. Kouga would be left with his miko and Naraku would have what he desired. His smile took on a sadistic, twisted form. And Inuyasha… Oh, my dear foe, for you I have reserved one final blow before I kill you. For now, all I need do is be patient. I need to wait. In time, I will have everything I need, including the final shards, and my revenge, as well as my final goal, will be realized. All I need to do is wait.