"Kagome, release me." He replied, prying her hands off. "It must be done."
Tears leaked from her eyes. "No. Please don't. I'll do anything."
Sighing, the hanyou turned to face her, grasped her hands in his, and kissed away her tears. He drew her close as she sniffed. "You are simply being overly emotional due to your pregnancy. Speaking of which, you are to return to our chambers soon. You should not be on your feet so late in the pregnancy. Kiyoshiyuki." He called to his incarnation.
The new child came forth, grabbing Kagome's shoulders and pulling her away from Naraku. "It will be fine, Kagome-sama."
Naraku smirked cruelly as he approached Kohaku's chambers. "Kohaku," he called, voice low and sultry.
"Naraku." He greeted, the now 15 year old boy stood from the corner he'd sat in, swinging his sickle around boredly.
"Kohaku," his eyes flickered briefly, "it is time."
The boy's eyes dulled. He nodded, lifted his sickle, and drove it into his back.
"Kohaku!" Kagome cried, watching as he withdrew the jewel shard and fell lifelessly to the floor.
Naraku retrieved the jewel shard, then started to leave the room. Before leaving, however, he grabbed Kagome's face and kissed her, "Some must die inorder for one to prevail. Kiyoshiyuki, see to it that she returns to our chambers. I am off."
Kagome scurried over to Kohaku, pulling him into her arms. "No. Sango is going to be devastated."
"Kagome-sama, it'll be fine."
"No! It won't! I failed him! I failed her." She growled loudly. "It's moments like these that make me hate that foul male!!!!" She buried her face in Kohaku's shoulder.
Kiyoshiyuki narrowed hsi eyes. He could not stand seeing his Kagome-sama upset. With a determined look on his face, he squated beside her and the boy. "Kagome-sama."
Kagome slowly looked up at him. "What?" She asked brokenly.
"Can you heal his wound?"
She blinked. "Of course." Enveloping his body in her energy, she closed her eyes and concentrated on his back. "There. But with him dead..."
"I'll save him."
"Could you?" She beamed.
Oh, it felt so nice to have her attentions on him for once. "Yes." He wouldn't, nor could he let her down. His pupils dialated as he waited for the soul carriers to arrive to take the boy away. He swiped through them all, as in a way that Tensaiga would, and smiled as the boy reabsorbed the soul.
Kohaku sputtered as he came back to lips, his skin regaining its color. His eyes fluttered open, wide, curious. "Kagome? I was dead."
"I know. Kiyoshiyuki brought you back." She grinned broadly.
He blushed. "I couldn't have done it without you."
Kohaku sat up slowly, waving off his nausea. "Thank you both. You've freed me." He embraced Kagome tightly, his face nuzzling against her shoulder.
"I'm glad you're alright." She whispered.
"I'm better than alright...How is Sango?"
"S-sango?" She started. 'So he remembers?' "I don't know." She whispered. "I haven't seen the tachi in over five months. I haven't even managed to contact them."
He nodded. "I know. But how was she last? I can't seem to remember."
Kagome smiled. "She was well. She and Miroku, the monk in our tachi, are in love. They plan to marry soon."
"I'm glad."
"Look, Kohaku, I'm not sure what Naraku wil say of this. So, um, I'll simply tell him you woke up. Act like you're still in his control, okay?"
"Of course."
Kagome took the hand Kiyoshiyuki offered, and stood, stroking her round stomach lazily. "Kiyoshiyuki, will you help me to bed? I'm not feeling so..." Cringing as a cramp hit in her lower stomach, she fell into his arms.
He nodded, a small smile on his face. "I'd do so gladly."
*With Inuyasha and the others*
Sesshomaru's brow ticked. He was going to lose his mind in a mere moment if the halfbreed didn't, "Stop it!"
Inuyasha jumped at his elder brother's outburst. "What the hell, man?!"
"Cease that annoying tapping, or I will sever every damn finger from your hand."
"Jeez. Ain't you supposed to be Mr. Calm? Besides, I'm worried about Kagome." He kicked at the snow under his feet.
Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes, looking away. 'The miko.' Absently, his hand rose to his shoulder. The bruise hadn't faded. Was it because she was a miko? He growled. He hated being confused.
"Why the fuck do you keep touching your shoulder? You do it a thousand times a day. Let me see."
"Take one step near me, and you will be cut down before you realize."
"Whatever. It's buggin' me, so I'm takin' a look." He stepped forward, jumped up to avoid Sesshomaru's whip. "Damnit, you prick! I just wanted to see."
Sango grimaced. "Sesshomaru, will you please just let him see it? He's starting to get agitating."
"Starting." Sesshomaru scoffed. Inuyasha was born agitating.
"Just show me!" Inuyasha withdrew his heirloom sword, lunging at his brother.
Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes, matching his younger brother blow for blow with Tokijin. They met for a fourth time, and the wind blew Sesshomaru's hair behind him.
Inuyasha dropped his sword, gaping at his shoulder. "Wow."
"Wow what?" Miroku leapt up, rushing to his side. "What's that?"
"It's a courting mark...Kagome's courting mark."
"Really?" The remainder of the group rushed to see. "Wow."
Sesshomaru growled, turning away from them. He'd thought the same thing when he'd seen it, but he soon realized it wasn't. "It is not a courting mark from your miko."
"Then what is it?"
Instead of answering, he strolled out of the woods, the others on his tail, and headed toward the nearest youkai village.
The humans, and Inuyasha, went stiff as they entered the village behind him.
Suddenly, there were feminine cries, "Lord Sesshomaru!!!!!"
Demonesses tore out of their homes, surrounding him. Each one vying for his attentions. "Look at me, milord! Doesn't this kimono look divine! Would you like to be shown a good time, milord?!"
"Wow." Miroku drooled.
"Is it like this wherever you go?" Inuyasha inquired.
"More or less." Sesshomaru replied. He lifted a hand, brushing his hair away from the mark on his shoulder.
The demonesses all paled at once. The closest one to him, who happened to be touching his arm, went up in flames. She shrieked and fell to the ground, writhing until she was pure ash.
"What the hell?" Inuyasha whispered.
"It is a mark," Sesshomaru began, "that ensures that no other female may touch me besides her."
"So...y-you're saying it's a..."
"Mark of the favorite." Kikyo muttered softly. She'd learned of these when she was growing up.
Sango suddenly grinned. She covered her face to keep from laughing. "She marked him as her plaything! Oh kami!" She fell to her knees laughing.
Inuyasha was the next to crack up. He collapsed on the ground. "Oh, oh, oh man. The great Sesshomaru! A plaything!"
Sesshomaru glared intensely at them both, silencing them. "I will have the miko's head for this stunt."
"Miko?" A demoness whispered. "That the mark of a horribly stong demoness."
"Kagome isn't that strong." Inuyasha snorted.
"Kagome?" The entire group took several steps back in fear.
Sesshomaru arched a brow. 'They fear her?'
"Kagome's no one to fear." Shippo grinned.
"You don't know her well, do you?"
He narrowed his eyes. "She's my second momma."
"So you've seen? When she splits in half? One of her halves attacked the village not more than two months ago. It took forever to repair the damages. The other raced after it, trying to calm it. But then that half made her angry. They fought and set the entire village aflame." The demoness tapped her chin. "Come to think of it. One of them had tears in her eyes as she was dragged away by the other."
"Keh, well, that's Kagome for you.'
Sesshomaru rolled his eyes at his half-brother. "Girl." He called, not caring which on answered him. "Was there a man with her? A hanyou, with black hair and crimson eyes."
"Yes, milord! I assume they were a couple. He kissed her, which made the two halves seperate."
A growl errupted from Sesshomaru's throat. That halfbreed had touched what was...not his. Straightening, he ignored the lookes he received. "Which way did he travel?"
"Um, toward the north, milord."
Sesshomaru nodded, turned swiftly, then started off, the rest of the tachi behind him. They walked silently until Rin spoke.
"Sesshomaru-sama?"
"Hn."
"What is a plaything? Is it a toy?"
He growled when he heard laughing, his lip curling into a snarl.
"Yup. Sesshomaru is Kagome's toy." Inuyasha chuckled.
"Can you be my toy too? Does that mean I can comb your hair whenever I like? Can I pick out your kimonos like I can for my doll, Tori?!"
Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes. "Jaken is your toy."
The imp squawked. "Milord!" He was hushed with an icy glare.
"My, how cold you are, Lord Sesshomaru." Naraku taunted as he hovered before them.
"Naraku." The group seemed to growl together.
"Where is Kagome?" Inuyasha asked.
"My Kagome is resting."
Kagura, who hung at his side, stared at Sesshomaru in shock. She screeched. "That's impossible."
Naraku glared at her. "What?"
"Th-that mark on his shoulder...It belongs to your wench."
"Impossible." Naraku spat, turning to look at Sesshomaru.
Sesshomaru smirked arrogantly. It would be too fun to burst the hanyou's bubble. "I beg to differ."
"She would not dare."
"Ah, but she did."
Naraku's face turned red with rage. "Kagura, kill him!" With that, he disappeared in a whirlwind of miasma.
*With Kagome*
"Oh, kami, where is Naraku?" Kagome arched her back in pain and winced.
Kiyoshiyuki stroked her hair, wiping sweat from her face every now and then. "Hm. It's rather early for contractions to be starting. Perhaps they are only stress contractions. You have been stressing a lot lately."
She clutched his hand tightly, crying out. "Where the hell is he?!"
"Don't worry. I'm here." He lowered his eyes to her lips, before sealing his own over the,.
"Wha?" Kagome's eyes grew wide. She jumped when the door flew open, and Naraku stormed in. "Nara-ugh." She fell to the side as he backhanded her.
"Get out!" He ordered Kiyoshiyuki, grabbing the male by his kimono and slinging him out of the room. He punched Kagome across the cheek.
Kagome cried out from the mixture of the pain in her face and the pain in her stomach. "N-naraku, I didn't kiss back."
He gripped her neck tightly. "How dare you?! I allow you to live here! I confess my feeling to you! And you repay me this way!"
She ripped his hands from his neck, wincing at the raw feeling on her scratched, chafed neck. "Naraku, you're going to hurt the baby."
"Damn the baby?! How do I know if the fucking bastard in mine?!" He ripped off her kimono and ripped at the flesh on her stomach. "I'll kill you! You and your bastard child!"
"What?!" She cried, kicking at him. "Kiyoshiyuki!"
"He will not hear you. THe fool is unconcious. Not only that, but a barrier is around this room." He continued to attack her until his rage had calmed slightly, and she was left batter, bruised, and bleeding on the futon. Glaring coldly at her, he kicked her roughly in the side. "I want you out. Albeit, you'll drop dead from bloodloss and miasma poisoning before you get too far. When I return, if you are here and breathing, I will be force to crush you more. To think I felt anything toward you, you sick little bitch."
Kagome groaned, rolled on her side, and sputtered up some blood.
He kicked her again for good measure. "Get the fuck up! I want you out!"
Kagome spat up more blood, then forced herself up. She stumbled past him. "Naraku, my love," she glared, "I don't know what pissed you off, but you're losing the best thing to happen to you, you pathetic excuse for a living thing." She trekked through the mansion in search of Kohaku. "K-kohaku." She called lowly as she reached his room.
"Kagome?" He shot to his feet when he saw her swoon. "What happened? Is the baby alright?"
"Naraku attacked me for some bizarre reason." She choked out. "The baby should be fine. I placed a barrier around it. That bastard...he banished me. I have to leave soon."
"And I'll come with you!" He announced. "Besides, someone has to hold you up."
"Thank you, Kohaku."
*With the Inutachi*
"Hurry it up!" Inuyasha cried, running as fast as he could. Kikyo had sensed a jewel shard, and as they got closer, Kagome's scent grew stronger, as well as the scent of her blood.
"AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
The sound of her loud cry made everyone push harder. They all froze as they reached a clearing, where Kagome laid nearly naked, bleeding, and on the ground. Beside her, shaking her roughly was,
"Kohaku!" Sango sprinted forward, but ran into a barrier. "Wha? Kohaku!"
"Sister." He whispered, then turned back to Kagome. "Calm down, Kagome. It's Sango."
"S-s-s-san...san..." She let out a deep breath, dropping her barrier as her blood soaked the ground around her.
"Kohaku!" Sango embraced her brother tightly.
Inuyasha let Kikyo off his back, trudging toward Kagome. "K-kagome, Kohaku, what happened?"
He shook his head. "Naraku attacked her."
Sesshomaru squated near the miko. "Miko?"
A barrier suddenly rose around her. "Don't."
"Kagome," Kohaku muttered, "it's alright. They mean no harm."
She whimpered, shaking her head tiredly. "They'll hurt him."
"They won't."
She lifted her snow-covered face, crimson eyes observing the people around her. "You promise? You won't hurt him?"
Inuyasha frowned. "Him? Who?"
"Promise you won't hurt him."
"Sure. I promise. Whatever. Now, who is he?"
"Kohaku?"
The smiled as she dropped her barrier, reaching over to help her up.
Kagome ever so carefully removed her babe from inside her tattered mussed his inky black hair with a small smile, handing him over to Kohaku. "My baby, my son, Kakudan (special)." There, she passed out, so she did not see the shocked faces that stared at her.