Revealed Feelings

Three months later…

“You’re tardy.”

The shinigami cast his eyes to the ground below in utter humility, bowing his head low to keep his mistress from distinguishing his countenance. “I apologize, Lady Sayurhi; I was engrossed in my trivial matters to the point where I was suffocating. It seemed that the more I worked, the more the importance of this meeting lessened.”

His mistress scoffed. “Such ignorance considering the fact that this ‘meeting’ is fairly important, and I could easily kill you for being late.”

“Once again, I apologize.” He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, suddenly fearing for his life.

Sayurhi leaned against the trunk of a nearby tree and folded her arms at her stomach. A frown was pressed to her lips. “Don’t be so formal; you’re giving me a headache. Also, to make sure you understand the lengths I had to go to, I want you to know that the hanyou and his beloved miko are much stronger than you make him out to be. As if turns out, the both of us both underestimated the girl; instead of wishing selfishly, she wished for the Shikon no Tama’s destruction. I should’ve thought of this outcome…”

“I see. The hanyou must be slain, then. I assume that the demon hunters have been notified?” Sayurhi shot him a sharp glance and he recalibrated his words. “So, the demon hunters are en route, ne? This will prove to be very entertaining.”

“I just hope they hurry up and get rid of her; the two of them will pay for allowing Naraku to perish.”

She paused to sweep her eyes over the shinigami’s physique. Her frown deepened at the sight. He wore black leggings that paused at the boots that went up to his mid-calf, and his tunic was burgundy with blood encrusted in the fabric. His black hair was disheveled, his crimson eyes narrowed, and his skin was ashen.

 “What trivial matters did you have to attend to?” she added suspiciously, noting his diverted expression. Her dark eyes sparkled with wonder.

“A battle was raging near here, so I decided to step in. Blood has such a wonderful taste, does it not?” He unsheathed his blade and demonstrated the blood that stained the tip. The air became contaminated with the overwhelming odor of decay. “How humans can cause such bloodshed in a matter of minutes always eludes me, yet it is the glint of evil in their eyes that amuses me.”

“Interesting.”

He shrugged. “I was simply doing my job; you cannot scold me for finding amusement in it.”

“No, I don’t believe I can. Sheath your sword; the smell of blood disgusts me.” He sheathed the sword with a mumble of frustration. Sayurhi narrowed her eyes. “Are you certain you have the audacity to complete this task, Nicroga? You seem too nonchalant at the moment, and I see signs of failure in each step that you take.”

The shinigami’s expression became grave. “I implore you not to call me by such a foul name; it is exasperating to hear. Please, do not use it again while I am in your presence.”

“Why do you deny yourself your true name?”

“Does it matter?”

“No. No, I do not believe it does. Just remain focused on this task, or else it will result in your death.”

“Of course, my lady; I know that the demon hunters will not fail in their job. In fact, I paid them a high amount of compensation to make sure that it is done correctly.”

“Anything to get the job done. That hanyou and his mate will learn the true meaning of suffering in due time, especially now that they have a child on their hands. Just you wait, Inuyasha and Kagome; you won’t be so happy in life until after you’ve defeated me. And defeat will not come easily.”

..::OO::..

Bitter winter winds slashed at the world below, the storm overhead gathering its fearful power. Droplets of rain moistened Kagome’s inflamed skin and pushed the residue of sanity out of her mind as her limbs continued to move her forward. A surreal blanket of mist coated her vision, causing it to become blurry and incoherent. In comparison to a doll, she would not differ by much. Her arms hung from their sockets like hoses, her legs taking each step forward as if she was wading through molasses, and the rest of her body followed mechanically. Her eyes held a distant look to them as they stared straight forward; it was almost like she was looking at something that could not be seen by the naked eye.

Moisture seeped through the thin fabric of her clothes and caused her body to tremble with cold. The wind bit and tore away at her skin, and caused tendrils of wet ebony hair to fall into her eyes. The pain in her stomach nearly forced her to her knees; the child within her was kicking, as if it wanted to get out right then and there. With determination she continued towards her hut, tears slipping down her porcelain cheeks.

Since Kaede’s death, she had been aiding the village women in their pregnancies. She knew of the dangers of giving birth in the feudal era; things didn’t go as smoothly as they did in her own time period. But she had never anticipated the outcome of this one woman’s birthing, and even now she was still stung with grief. The woman had cried and screamed as she pushed, tears leaking from her eyes. Kagome had helped to the full extent of her abilities, but it was not enough to play fate; the baby had been born not breathing. She recalled the tears that had streamed down the woman’s face when she realized it. Despite the fact that she was exhausted, she had latched onto her lifeless child and sobbed endlessly, moaning that the kamis were displeased with her. Kagome could only watch through unseeing eyes as the woman clutched the child to her chest. When the father had entered the room, he, too, found tears in his eyes, and demanded that Kagome leave the hut immediately. She had left without argument.

Three months had passed since figuring out her own pregnancy. Now six months along, she was almost afraid of what would occur during her own child’s birth. She had seen many women lose their newborns, and the idea of losing Inuyasha’s child was simply absurd. She was afraid; she was afraid that she would lose the one that symbolized their love, and that Inuyasha would never forgive her. Sango’s birthing had gone exceptionally well. To her and Miroku’s astonishment, she had given birth to a healthy set of twins: two girls they named Mara and Kara. The former demon slayer had been exhausted after the birth, and she was still recovering. A grin almost reached Kagome’s lips as she recalled how careful Miroku was when holding the two little bundles of joy.

But when he had passed them over to Inuyasha was truly the biggest laugh she had ever gotten.

His eyes had filled with such wonder as he stared at the wrinkly aliens in his arms, and he had to have them removed before he did the unimaginable: steal the twins and learn how to care for a baby, which was something he was not completely used to.

By now she had reached the hut. A silhouette appeared through the rain, and Kagome’s body halted in its trek to await its approach. The silhouette eventually became more visible as it neared, and she realized that it was only Inuyasha, an anxious expression on his face. He was a red blur as he moved towards her, eyes filled with concern.

 “Kami. What are you doing out here like this, Kagome?” he demanded, removing his haori and wrapping it around her frail body. “This isn’t good for you, or the pup. Now, let’s get inside before you catch a cold; I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

She simply nodded her consent and allowed him to lead her towards the hut, not caring about the direction her feet were going. Once inside, her hanyou mate fretted about her being in the rain all alone, pupped, nonetheless. She listened through deaf ears, her eyes staring into space. She couldn’t bring herself to respond; the last birth had taken its toll on her sanity.

She broke out of her reverie when Inuyasha grasped her hand and gave it a squeeze, his eyes peering through hers.He cupped her cheek with his hand, concern shining in his amber orbs. “Are you okay, Kagome? You seem sad…and distant. Did something happen?”

Kagome swallowed, answering in a raspy voice, “Yeah, something horrible happened. The woman’s baby was born not breathing. Its dead, Inuyasha, and there was nothing I could do to help ease her pain.”

She broke into a sobbing fit then, her tears dampening Inuyasha’s shirt. Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her and attempted to console her, but nothing aided her troubled soul; she was simply broken internally, and there was nothing her could do but hold her. He rubbed her back in slow circles, murmuring sweet nothings to calm her down. Eventually her sobs turned into hiccups, and then she was encased in sleep.He never felt so helpless.

When Kagome cried, he wanted to give a slow, painful death to the culprit. But when it was simply an act that caused tears to come to her eyes…he felt powerless. All he could do was offer comfort, and hope that she came out of her depression okay. Still, it hurt him to see her like this.

He laid her down on the futon, wrapping the blanket around her to return the heat that was lost during her adventure outdoors. Her skin was ice cold to the touch, and he was frightened for her health. The rain did nothing to help his mood. It pounded against the roof of the hut like a regiment of marching soldiers, and he cringed with each sound that reached his ears. They were sensitive now that his mate was hurt emotionally, and the only thing that kept him from hiding her in their hut for the rest of her life was his honor; he would protect her, right? Why should he worry about the outside world when he vowed to be by her side?

“Inuyasha?”

Her strained voice heaved him out his trance into reality. Her voice was hoarse from crying, and it hurt his ears to hear.

But, instead of addressing it, he simply asked, “Yes, Kagome? What is it?” as gently as he could.

“I’m scared,” she admitted in a whisper, her voice betraying her conscious state; it was obvious that she was half asleep.

“Why are you scared, kobito?” he pressed, hoping to gain some insight into her troubled mind.

“I’m scared that something will go wrong with our pup’s birth, and you won’t want to be with me anymore.”

Shock grasped him at that point, his eyebrows raising simultaneously and his eyes widening. “Kagome, how could you think that?”

“I’m so scared; I don’t want to disappoint you, Inuyasha…,” she whispered before lapsing into sleep once again, drawing the blanket closer to her body. Her breathing became even once again. A single tear streamed down her cheek.

Tears stung at his own eyes then, and he stifled a sob, wiping away her stray tear with his thumb. Oh, Kagome, he thought, anguished by her revealed feelings. He squeezed her hand. I never knew you felt that way. I guess I was too caught up in my own feelings to even consider your own; I was so overjoyed by your pregnancy that I couldn’t even think straight. How could I be so disrespectful to you? How could I ever ask for your forgiveness? I don’t know what I can do to calm your fears.

“Never again will you feel alone, Kagome,” he vowed softly, golden orbs sincere with his pledge. “I promise.”