Baby's First
-x-
-By:FallenFan77
Author's Note
Sort of as promised, it has been a long day for me. I kept adding more for this chapter, so I hope you like it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, but I do own Makoto, Kisara, Naoko, Jirou and Izayoi.
-x-
Kagome cradled Izayoi in her arms, gradually moving her arms side to side to rock her daughter to sleep. She smiled lovingly at the sight of Jirou gurgling as Makoto stood on his tippy-toes to look at his brother. Kagome knew that they were bonding already and were going to be close when they'll grow up.
Dog ears twitched at the small, soft sounds his brother made, causing Makoto to grin widely. A lock of his silver hair fell over his shoulder and brushed Jirou's face. The infant's nose began to twitch and soon he sneezed quietly. Jirou's chocolate eyes widened and tried to reach the strand of hair, but couldn't fully grasp it in his hold.
"Jirou," Makoto said as he laughed when his little brother cooed up at him. He brushed his brother's floppy ear with his finger and let out a louder laugh.
Kagome placed Izayoi in her wooden bassinet and walked over to her sons. "I'll be making miso soup, sweetie, so call me if Izayoi wakes up, okay." Makoto nodded to his mother and continued to play with Jirou. Kagome smoothed out her hakama and walked out of her children's room.
Jirou carried on with his gurgles and lazily sucked on his knuckles. "You look a lot like chichiue," Makoto told him, patting Jirou softly on the head. The infant's tiny eyelashes fluttered and turned his head to the side, as if he understood what he was saying.
"But you have hahaue's hair and obaachan's eyes." He continued to say. In his mind he remembered the elder woman he had met when Kisara and himself fell through the well his mother spoke of. "Hahaue gets that smile from her, and it is very pretty and warm. Obaachan has curly hair, but it very short. I think it looks nice," Makoto stated, recalling on how his grandmother from the future looked like.
The inu-pup glanced towards his brother, wondering if Jirou was listening. Yet the infant was concentrated on his brother's silver hair more so than him speaking. "Then there's hahaue's jii-chan. He's old and has a pointy beard. He tried to stick an ofuda on my forehead, but he doesn't have any spiritual power in him. I like him." Makoto said.
At that moment, the infant stopped trying to grab a hold on Makoto's strand of hair, and focused his eyes on him. Makoto grinned,"Souta-ojichan is really nice, he told me that I look like chichiue too. Maybe you can meet them one day, but since Izayoi is sick I don't think we can."
Kagome rested her head and weight on the door frame of her children's room. Using the little amount of time until the water boiled, her hands clasped together as she listened, smiling as her son described her little brother with as much detail as he could. Maybe someday we can.
-x-
Jinenji stared at the half-dog demon in surprised, he never thought he'd see him again.
"Yes, it has." He turned his head when there was a small cough coming from the inside of his home then another following suit. "It's been difficult." Inuyasha looked in the direction he was looking at and his brows lowered when he realized the look on Jinenji's face.
Inuyasha gazed down at the ground and knew what it meant, Jinenji's mother was sick.
"What brings you here, is a friend of yours ill?" Jinenji questioned, wanting to change the topic quickly. Yet his words brought the attention of a young half demon who poked her head out from behind her father. Inuyasha placed a hand over his daughter's head.
"My youngest daughter is sick and those herbs you gave Kaede-babaa six years ago finished. It helped her but now the warmth is coming back, and we really need those herbs," Inuyasha said, watching as Kisara blinked up at Jinenji.
The hanyō nodded his head and asked what times of herbs they were, being as there were many for different types of illnesses. Inuyasha stared at his daughter, waiting for her to answer his question.
Kisara smiled cheekily and played with her fingers in a state of shyness, and explained what the type of herb appeared and its purposes.
Jinenji gazed at the younger half-demon and noticed how she resembled a young girl he had used to know. Listening to the young half-demon Jinenji then shook his head, facing her father as Inuyasha let Kisara walk around and view the nearest row of herbs. "I don't have any more of those herbs, but there are located at the base of the hill on the other side of the forest. They are the only herbs there so it shouldn't be difficult."
Inuyasha crossed his arms and 'keh'ed like usual. "But I must warn you, there are demons residing there. One had shown up and…poisoned my ma." Letting his arms fall to his sides, Inuyasha growled silently,"Damn. Well, I better get them." He walked around Jinenji towards Kisara.
The young inu-pup looked at her nose when a butterfly had propped itself on it, giggling in fascination she noticed her father going near her. "Look papa, a butterfly."
Smiling at how she acted, Inuyasha watched her attentively. He enjoyed seeing the pure look of childish behavior like any other human child had, and the glint of happiness in her eyes. It was something he never showed when he was her age.
Inuyasha let a sigh when he gazed at the sun that was lowering down only a fraction,"Kisara, I'll be right back. You say here with Jinenji. Papa is going to get some more herbs, okay."
Kisara watched the butterfly take off and perch on one of the nearest planted herbs by her and scratched her head. "Papa, can't I go too?"
Shaking his head in disagreement, Inuyasha stooped down,"I gotta do this by myself, I don't want you getting hurt." Or worse, he added mentally when he reminded himself of the poisonous demons that lurked about the hillside. "So you'll stay here until I get back."
Small dog ears lowered and Kisara nodded. "I'll be okay papa, I won't go off, mama already told me not to."
Inuyasha took one last look at his daughter and ran off hastily.
Kisara stood there and watched her father's red-clad outfit disappear in the distance. She felt someone staring at her and it caused her to gaze up at her father's old friend,"My name is Kisara. I heard all about you from my mama, she said you were very nice and helped her a lot! You even saved Sango-obasan's nekomata, Kirara."
Jinenji bowed his head down and nodded,"I helped her learn more about the medicinal plants."
"Mhm!" Kisara grinned happily at him. "My mama told me all about them, even Kaede-hiiobaachan, but she said that you know so much of them too when you used to teach her." Kisara walked toward Jinenji, but then was confused as to why he had moved away from her.
Not minding the action, Kisara shrugged to herself. "I came here with my papa so that I can help my sister." She paused and tapped her chin,"You don't think there is an herb to quiet babies from crying all the time, do you? My sister and brother cry so much when they are awake. Mama and Papa says that I use to do that too. Even my onii-chan did so and he would tease me about being a crybaby."
The inu-pup crossed her arms when the words left her mouth as she thought about it.
Jinenji stared at the girl in curiosity, she was a combination of both Inuyasha and Kagome. The kindness and fiery look of her parents mixed in her oceanic eyes and he couldn't help but wonder if he was ever going to a parent. He knew it was difficult for him; not only by blood, but by appearance as well.
The women in the village feared him for what he was and he was going to live alone. His mother was deathly sick and was going to leave him by himself. He admired his mother's strength and how she never minded the cruel words that were said and yelled in her way.
"Jinenji-san?" His thoughts vanished when he felt little hands touch his scarred arm. Jumping away from the tiny contact, Jinenji cowered away, flinching from both the way she had said his name and look. He hated pity and that one emotion that would make him angry inside. A few villagers would express it in front of him when they'd visit his field and hear about his mother.
Another cough sounded from inside the hut and he rushed inside to his mother's side. "Ma…" Jinenji whispered as he tried to gaze down at his mother who raised a hand up to him. "Son," the elder woman retorted with a smile that broke his heart. He didn't want her to go yet, not now. She had to stay alive just until he could find a way to save her.
"Is there someone giving you trouble? I heard voices and I can go give them a piece of my mind," his mother said, her eyes narrowing in the direction the door flap.
Shaking his head once, Jinenji hunched over and sat next to her makeshift bed,"A friend of ours came, the half-demon, Inuyasha from long ago."
His mother winced when she moved around and smiled at her son. "I see, so that dog came after all these years. He isn't alone, is he? There was another voice I heard. Is it that girl you found to care for, the one that traveled with him?"
Jinenji picked up a ladle with water and held her head up so she could drink. "I'll find a healer for you ma." The elder woman moved the ladle aside, her face screwed up in irritation,"Bah! Such nonsense! I don't need a healer to help me. I will be fine on my own." She patted him on his hand and turned her head away. "You'll see…and you still didn't answer my question."
"No, it isn't Kagome. His daughter's sick, ma. He came for the herbs by the hill-side and it is the only one that can help. And he brought his oldest daughter, Kisara along."
Speaking of the inu-pup, he turned to look at the door flap and noticed a little figure sitting on the outside. The girl was guarding the door as if protecting them from harm. He also heard her muttering words and sounded like a lullaby or a song, but it wasn't one he has heard of before.
"Jinenji, why don't you give the girl company, she must be lonely out there. I will be sleeping. Now you go on." His mother said, sighing when she closed her eyes and felt her son bring up the makeshift blanket to her chin.
The half-demon moved and gave one last look at his mother before going out of the hut to let her sleep.
Kisara looked over her shoulder when she noticed Jinenji stepping out and stared at her when she stood up with her hands behind her back. Jinenji shifted his gaze to the row of herbs and presumed his work.
The young inu-pup watched as him do his task and worked like Kaede-hiiobaachan always did. Kisara moved from foot to foot and tapped her fingers on her arm in thought. Soon, she marched over and sat near him. Looking up at him she said,"Um–Is it okay if I pull out the weeds, Jinenji-san?"
The familiar words froze him in place and with wide eyes, Jinenji looked down at the girl. "Ah…sure," he retorted, the same words he had told Kagome when she told his mother she was going to help.
Kisara rolled up her sleeves and began to help him, smiling when she pulled out the roots and noticed a little worm on one of the herbal plants. Kisara began to breathe in and out deeply and then opened the palm of her hand as the creature wormed its way onto her open palm.
She grimaced when she felt its slimy skin on her hand and quickly placed her hand on the ground and let the earthworm go its merry way. Shuddering, Kisara shook her head and continued her work. "Jinenji-san," she said. It was silent as they worked and she didn't like the silence at all. She saw him looking away at towards the direction she saw her father go. Eyes watering at the light she saw zip up in the sky and fade, Kisara's bottom lip quivered. "Papa…"
Jinenji inclined his head when he noticed the light and the young half-demon speak.
-x-
"Damn it, it reeks of corpses and poison," Inuyasha muttered, covering his nose with his sleeve. He grinned when he came across the herbs and quickly, yet softly took a handful and placed it inside his robe of the fire rat.
His ears twitched when he heard sound behind him and Inuyasha turned around to challenge the demon. Although, as if the noise was from his mind, there was no demon standing abaft. Growling in irritation to wanting to finish the demon off and return to his home with his daughter, Inuyasha took a step back and kept his senses on high alert.
"Where are you…" Inuyasha grumbled under his breath, scanning the clearing as his hand shot to the hilt of his sword. He jumped to the side when a demon zipped passed his head and collided with another that was behind him.
"There ya are." He smirked and noticed that these demons appeared a lot like the parasite chrysalis that attached itself on Shippou. They buzzed and flew up into the air in a group. Inuyasha brought out tetsusaiga and brought down the mighty fang to unleash the wind scar.
These parasites didn't seem to cower and fly off like the ones he had faced in the past. Inuyasha reared his arms back and prepared for whatever attack would be directed at him.
Dodging the deadly stingers that were at the end of their bodies, Inuyasha clawed at one when it came too close. What the hell? He wondered when he slashed them with tetsusaiga. Everytime he destroyed one, more would appear and gather up.
Apparently to distraught and caught up with fighting the ones above him, one managed to drive its stinger onto his left shoulder. Inuyasha growled and hastily while clawing it off and tearing it apart. His eyes traveled to his bleeding shoulder and lowered tetsusaiga when his arm became immobilized. "Damn!" He shouted.
The parasites surrounded him and the buzzing accumulated. Inuyasha's ears pressed to his skull, burrowing themselves to keep the bothersome noises. I ain't going to be defeated by measly bugs!
Dipping his claws in his injured shoulder, he smirked as he powered his yōki through them. "Blades of Blood!" He bellowed and let the crescent like shapes of blood snap the parasites in half, clearing a small path for him to escape.
Turning his head over to see whether or not the parasites followed, he was relieved to find that they didn't move from their location at the hill-side.
-x-
Kisara hugged her arms as she sat in the hut and stared down at the wooden floor. Her attention moved towards the elder woman who laid on the bed who spoke to her.
"So you're his daughter, after all." She chuckled when she looked at her with her eyes half-lidded. "You got his white hair and you're lucky," she added.
Lucky? Kisara wondered when she got up and walked over to the futon where the elder woman rested. "You got your mother's eyes. I can never forget them either. They held such kindness to my son when she was here."
The inu-pup tilted her head when she noticed a dark spot on the elder's shoulder, it looked like it was punctured with something she couldn't describe. "Obaa-san, are you hurt?"
The elder closed her eyes. "You could say that."
"It doesn't look like a normal wound. My onii-chan got a funny looking piece of wood stuck on his finger, but this looks different." Kisara unconsciously placed her hand over the wound slowly and watched as the older lady seemed to relax.
"What are you doing?" She whispered, but smiled when the pain was going away gradually.
Kisara gasped when she noticed a shimmering pale-blue light on her hand, small sparks of light glowing around it and faded when it spread off in different directions. "I don't know, obaa-san."
The elder woman felt her body being light as a feather when she didn't feel any agony, not even a speck in her body. She sat up slowly and ignored the half-demon's protests. Staring at her shoulder in awe, she focused her attention to Kisara,"I can't thank you enough. My son won't be alone yet, for you gave me more time to be with him."
Kisara rubbed her eyes and yawned. "I…" The girl fell sideways and rested from exhaustion.
Right after, Jinenji entered with Inuyasha following right behind him. Both half-demon's stumbled back when they noticed the both of them. "Jinenji," his mother whispered, getting up to stand and hug her son.
"Ma." Utterly confused and mostly overjoyed at seeing his mother better, he embraced her and let his tears fall. "I'm okay my son, my little boy."
Inuyasha sheathed his now untransformed sword to move towards his daughter. "What the hell happened?" A tint of red flickered in his eyes.
Not paying any mind to his wound, he scooped up his little girl and held her close. "She's just exhausted," the elder woman answered. Inuyasha rose to his feet and gave her a curt nod. "Thanks Jinenji, it was good to see you. Come by the village any time, you too babaa."
The elder woman raised her arm and shook it madly, watching as the half-dog demon walked away from her home. "Why you little!" Jinenji watched as Inuyasha ambled off.
-x-
A lone figure moved slowly through the forest. It was before dusk and they still didn't return. He knew that he was worrying his family that waited for their arrival. Inuyasha shifted his daughter and winced at the pain that occurred in a jolt.
Leaning against the nearest tree, he shook off his kariginu and wrapped his daughter in it when the breeze picked up and the temperature dropped a little.
"Papa, you are back," he heard his daughter say as she picked up her head and looked at him. Trying to not let any expression of pain ease its way onto his face, Inuyasha nodded,"Course I'm back. We have to get back and give these herbs to your sister."
"Papa," Kisara whispered when she noticed a hole in the kosode her father wore, and a little amount of blood on the sides where the hole was.
"Don't worry about it, it's just a scratch." Inuyasha quickly answered when his daughter tried to get a good look at the wound he had. "That never works papa, you always tell mama that and since she doesn't believe it, I don't either." She stated.
Kisara placed her hand over her father's wound and closed her eyes, remembering how she had done it the first time. Like before, her fingers tingled and a pale-blue light shined around her hand, healing the wound and closing it up faster than her father's healing process.
"How did you-" Inuyasha began to say, but noticed his daughter's eyes drift close, and he cut himself off when she yawned quietly. He hoisted her up and let her head rest on his shoulder. "At least we're almost home."
Author's Note
It is really hard to write a chapter on a phone. Spell check is so frustrating and changes words that are already correct! Well, now that that's cleared and this chapter is done at least it isn't bothering me now.
Thank you:
Princess Inume
wild949
RosesandRavens
Cpsullivan2
I don't give a f… about you
Thank you all so much for your reviews, I really appreciate it! It puts a smile on my face to see what you reviewed. Big hugs to all! And also I forgot to thank Natsu Dragoneel for being the sixth hundred reviewer! It means a lot to me! Until next time and it seriously won't be a month when I update. Bye minna-san!