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The Sins of the Father	By : whirleeq Category: InuYasha Crossovers > General Views: 13327 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: The characters of InuYasha are not mine, they are property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 4
- 5
- 6
Chapter 4:

~Sengoku Jidai~

The newly formed group of shard hunters had settled in for the night in the
old Miko's hut. It had been a hard day for all of them, and the silence among
them was telling. Inuyasha had learned the truth of what had happened fifty
years ago, and Miroku had come face to face with the one who had cursed his
family line. The two of them were lost in thought, contemplating the enemy that
had made himself known to them.

Kagome herself wasn't prone to talking much, as she was still fuming from Inuyasha's
actions. Believing her to be in mortal danger, he had pushed her into the well
and then blocked it. In fact, if it weren�t for Shippo, she would probably have
never been able to return.

Inuyasha paced the floor in front of them, seething with barely repressed rage
as the old miko attempted to calm him down enough to see to his injuries.

"I'm fine, Kaede-baba. Let me be," the hanyou said, as he pulled away
from the old miko.

Kagome lay on her futon roll, curled in upon the little kitsune kit that was
cuddled against her chest. She met Inuyasha's eyes briefly, and had to turn
away from the guilt and pain she saw there.

"Kagome... I didn't mean to... I just don't want you to get hurt. You shouldn't
have come back, Kagome. This Naraku - you could die at his hands, and I can't--"

Kagome interrupted him with a sigh. The little kitsune in her arms tensed, as
she propped herself up on her elbows.

"Inuyasha, you baka. If Shippo hadn't tried to come for me, you would probably
be dead right now."

"Keh. Whatever, wench. I can take care of myself." he said, as he
avoided her eyes.

Kagome sighed. She was used to the hanyou�s attempts to hide his concern for
her behind harsh words.

"Don't call her a wench, you mutt! You're just mad because you know she's
right!"

Kagome couldn't help but smile at the little kitsune who always came to her
defense - even when it was unnecessary.

"I'll call her whatever I want to, runt."

And without another word, he left -- presumably to find a tree to sleep in for
the night.

"Kagome?"

Kagome eyes lingered on the doorway for just a moment before she heard the soft
voice coming from the kit in her arms.

"Hai, Shippo."

"Are you mad at me? Did you not want to come back?"

His big green eyes were filled with moisture, and Kagome pulled him tightly
against her in an attempt to reassure him.

"Iie. You did the right thing," she said, as she gently ran her fingers
through his hair. "I wanted to come back, Shippo. I am proud of you for
what you did. You are so very brave."

The words were intended to reassure him, but instead they triggered his tears,
which fell upon her chest in a torrent.

"I just... I just... Kagome-san... okaa-san... don't leave me..."

"Hush, Shippo. I would never leave you," she said automatically, as
she placed a kiss on the top of his head. She was awed that he called her his
okaa-san, and she was warmed by the sentiment.

And then she felt very sad for a moment. Shippo once had a mother and a father
- both of whom were taken from him violently. All because she had shattered
the jewel.

Eventually, his sobbing slowed, and he raised his big green eyes to look at
her once more.

"Okaa-san?"

"Hai, Shippo?"

"I would never let him leave you there. No matter what, I will always try
to come for you."

"Shhh... I know you will, baby. Now sleep."

And as the little kitsune in her arms finally slept, she let her own tears fall
upon his slight form and made a silent vow to protect him.

~~~

~Tokyo, 2012~

As the sky continued to darken, two figures were wrapped in an almost desperate
embrace on the lawn in front of the Higurashi home. They were oblivious to all
but the other, each needing a measure of comfort only the other could provide.
Their bodies were so entwined that a passerby might make the assumption that
the two were lovers. That was not the case, although the depth of feeling each
one had toward the other was just as strong, if not stronger.

"Okaa-san..."

"Shhh... Shippo-chan... I�m here, baby."

"Okaa-san... how I have missed you... missed your scent. Is it really you,
okaa-san? Or am I dreaming? Onegai, tell me this is real."

"Hai, baby. I am here. Shhh..."

Shippo rested his head against Kagome's shoulder, inhaling deeply of her scent
as she clung to him, absently running one of her hands through the back of his
hair. After a moment the two fell to their knees on the soft grass, and Kagome
pulled Shippo more tightly against her as she started to sway back and forth
in a rhythm meant to comfort. She had often held him like this in the past --
sometimes when he had somehow managed to get hurt, but most often after Inuyasha
had picked on him. Such embraces were usually followed by one of Kagome's big
bright smiles that could warm the heart of an ice demon.

This time, when the two finally ended their embrace, there was no big bright
smile from Kagome. Instead, Kagome looked as if she would most likely burst
into tears again at any moment.

And when he saw that her gaze was locked upon the silver locket that lay upon
his chest, he knew why.

"Shippo... why?" she asked, her eyes bright and filled with questions
-- but not accusations. At least not yet. Shippo had loved Inuyasha as well.
Kagome could not for one minute believe that he would have defiled his mentor's
grave without very good reason. She sat back upon her haunches and clutched
his hand in hers, as the kitsune took a deep and shaky breath.

"I needed it to work the well. Kagome... okaa-san... I need your help.
My son--"

He swallowed, and Kagome could see the rise and fall of the lump in his throat
as he turned from her to look at the man slumped against the side of her house.

Kagome rushed over to examine the red-haired samurai that Shippo had called
'son'. He was obviously half human, and for a moment she wondered who Shippo
had taken as a mate. The man was in a catatonic state. His eyes were half open,
and flashing from violet to gold, but they weren't really seeing anything. He
was covered in dried blood, and she pulled open his haori, looking for a source.
She didn't find one, but she did locate a few bruises. Nothing life threatening,
however, and what she found was already healing.

He had a large cross shaped scar on one cheek, and that confused Kagome. As
a hanyou, he shouldn't have scarred -- even if the injury had happened on his
human night, it would have healed the morning after. The only way such a scar
would remain is if the hanyou subconsciously wished it to remain. She made a
mental note to ask Shippo about it once they managed to stabilize him.

Kagome rapidly came to the conclusion that there was no obvious medical reason
for his current state. Therefore, she closed her eyes and used some of her miko
energy to focus on the condition of his soul. She was able to detect both types
of his energy, but instead of working in tandem, they were fighting each other
- each one attempting to dominate the other, and destroying the soul in the
process.

"Shippo, what has happened to him? His reiki and youki are fighting each
other. That's why he's not responding - he's battling his very nature. If this
continues, he will destroy himself. Shippo? What's going on? Why does he not
have control?"

She looked at Shippo and for the first time noticed the guilt in the kit's eyes.

"He does not know that he's a hanyou."

"Nani? Is he not your son? How could he not know what he is, with you being
what you are?" she asked, her lips pursed in confusion.

"He does not know that I am his father either. Shinta here was raised by
humans."

Kagome stared at him for a moment. She had so many questions for him, she didn't
even know where to begin.

"Kagome, I will explain, I promise. But for now, is there anything you
can do for him?"

"Perhaps. What caused him to revert to this state, anyway? Can you at least
answer that? It will help me determine how to go about helping him."

"Hai. Shinta... someone he loved was raped and murdered on his human night.
He was in such turmoil that when his strength returned, the youkai took over.
The blood that he is soaked in is the blood of the officials who attempted to
restrain him," he said, shaking.

"It is all my fault, Kagome. He was attacked because of me..."

Kagome could see that Shippo was quickly retreating into his own head from the
weight of his guilt, but she needed him in the here and now.

"Shippo. You can tell me the circumstances later. Like you said, right
now we need to take care of Shinta," she said as she grabbed his hand and
squeezed it in a small show of support. "Now, obviously you got his youkai
under control somehow."

"Hai."

Kagome continued to hold his hand as she resumed her clinical assessment of
his son.

"So the question of why he is in this state remains. From what you've said
so far, Shinta was not aware of his youkai heritage. Therefore, he's probably
repressed the fox, or at least he's had it subconsciously under control for
most of his life. Not too difficult as an adult, but how did he manage to control
the bloodlust during puberty?"

"He was an assassin during the Meiji restoration," Shippo said, his
grip on Kagome's hand tightening slightly.

"Shogunate?"

"Iie. Ishin Shisi."

"Of course. They won, did they not?" Kagome said under her breath,
as she tried to fathom the puzzle of Shippo's son.

"So this was basically the first time his youkai took control, ne?"

"Hai. At least, I believe so. It is my understanding that after the war,
he became a wanderer and repressed his more volatile nature. The sword he carries
now also indicates this," Shippo said, pointing to the sword tucked tightly
in his son's obi.

Kagome drew the katana from its sheath, noticing that a hint of red appeared
in Shinta's eyes as she did so.

She examined the blade with unmasked wonder.

"A sakabato? I have heard of such blades, but have never seen one. And
you say he used to be an assassin? This speaks much of his present character."

"Hai. When I subdued his youkai, he was mortified by the death surrounding
us, and he begged me to take his life."

"Oh, Shippo," Kagome said, the tears rising again as she gave his
hand a quick, reassuring squeeze.

"Iie. Don't, Kagome," Shippo said tightly, fighting tears of his own.

Kagome nodded, and placed the sakabato back in its sheath, the wheels in her
head turning as she tried to comprehend the workings of the man before her.

"So, let me see if I've got all the facts: your son Shinta has been raised
by humans, ignorant as to his true heritage. While his appearance is no doubt
exotic compared to others, he looks human and so he would have no reason to
think he was anything but. I'm sure he's had human nights, but he likely would
have rationalized the sudden losses of his speed and strength to illness or
something similar."

Kagome looked Shinta over carefully, noticing for the first time his sinewy
and well defined upper body.

"During his childhood, someone taught him swordsmanship, and he learned
well enough to serve as an assassin. Soon after he reached puberty, a war broke
out. This gave him an opportunity to satisfy the bloodlust that occurred while
his body changed. Thus, he kept the demon at bay and Shinta is none the wiser."

Her gaze shifted to his handsome face, and she briefly raised her hand to caress
the X shaped scar on his left cheek.

"Sometime during or after the war, he received this scar. It is symbolic
to him for some reason, and he subconsciously prevents his youkai blood from
healing it. Perhaps it�s a symbol of his guilt, because after the war, he traded
in his katana for a sakabato."

Kagome glanced briefly at the sword tucked into his obi before she continued.

"He wandered from place to place, perhaps to escape his past, until he
met someone that he grew to love. That someone is attacked and violated during
his human night. Because he was unable to protect her, he's overcome with guilt,
desolation and rage, and as the sun rises, so does his youki."

Shippo nodded, fascinated by Kagome's fairly accurate summarization of his son's
life. It matched well with what he already knew, and he felt a measure of comfort
in knowing that he had indeed brought his son to the right person -- perhaps
the only one who could and would help.

Kagome took a deep breath and continued.

"After many years of being repressed, the youkai inside of him takes control.
Shinta does not fight it, having lost the will and ability to do so. Thus, the
youkai goes on a rampage, maiming and killing anything that approaches it. When
the youkai is satisfying its thirst for blood, you appear and manage to subdue
the senseless demon. You succeed in temporarily putting Shinta back in control
of his body. Shinta sees the carnage surrounding him, and finds himself covered
in blood. Horrified, he begs for death. When it doesn't come, he retreats into
himself, overwhelmed with despair. Thus, his youki and reiki engage in a battle
neither can win, destroying what remains of his soul in the process."

"Hai. I... I could not do it, Kagome. He is my son... but he is in so much
pain."

"Hai, Shippo. I would not have been able to do it either," Kagome
said, lowering her eyes in compassion.

"Can... can you do something, okaa-san? Can you bring him some measure
of peace?"

"Hai, Shippo. I can try. I will give his youki something else to fight,
and make an appeal to his reiki. Hopefully, it will bring him back to us."

Kagome focused on her miko energies, bringing just enough to the surface to
engage Shinta's youki without causing him harm. She glanced over to Shippo,
whose eyes were filled with a wild hope.

"Shippo... you have to understand that if this doesn't work, it might make
it even worse."

"Hai, okaa-san. I know. But you must try."

Kagome took a deep breath, and gently placed her slightly glowing hand against
Shinta's forehead.

"Shinta. Are you there? Onegai, come back to us."

The reaction was immediate, and Kagome found herself staring into a pair of
bright violet eyes. He reached for her, trembling, and gently wrapped his hand
around her wrist.

"Tenshi," he said in a throaty voice, "This unworthy one is unfit
to receive your touch." He gently pulled her hand from his forehead, as
his eyes glanced over her shoulder at Shippo.

"You should allow the youkai to take this unworthy one to hell, that you
should," he said softly, and let her go.

Once the contact between them was severed, he started to shake. Kagome had enough
experience as a trauma nurse to know that he was going into shock.

Shippo, from behind her, whined in agony.

"Dear Kami, how could it not have worked?"

She turned and grabbed him, holding him to her, even as his son went into convulsions
on the ground before them.

As he sobbed against her chest, she thought of her options. Shinta was far too
overcome with despair to respond to any appeal to his human side. Her only chance
at saving him was to make an appeal to his youkai.

She shuddered. It would require a blood bond - a bond that was normally only
shared between mates. And it was very likely that the youkai would demand her
submission in that way.

Still, a blood bond between a powerful miko such as herself and Shinta would
definitely appease his youkai enough to put him back in control, but the consequences...

Could she even do such a thing? She certainly wouldn't have ten years ago, when
the loss of Inuyasha was so fresh in her heart and mind.

But now... now she was older, and while she still ached for Inuyasha, her grief
had slowly dulled to the point where she could consider a physical act with
another.

And that is all that it would be.

Perhaps that was the very reason the well brought Shippo to her now. Because
at any other point in her life, she wouldn't have even considered it.

But still, even if she could accept it, how would Shinta react when he returned
to himself? Would he hate them both for their manipulation? His grief was palpable...
almost like...

Almost like hers was when she made that last trip through the well.

And suddenly she thought of Shippo, and how she made a promise to protect him,
even if only to herself. She had failed miserably, as was evidenced by their
present situation. But perhaps this was her chance to redeem herself with her
son. The son that she never should have left behind, never should have run from,
despite her overwhelming need to escape.

She wasn't there to protect him for most of his life. But she could protect
him from losing his son.

Kagome met Shippo's eyes and made her decision.

"There is another way..."

~~~

A/N: HAHAHA evil cliffie :). I just love evil cliffies :). Anyway, I know this
seems to be moving slow, but I'm big on character development and flow. Thanks
again for the reviews, and keep them coming! The more I get, the faster I write
:).

Japanese Words:

Sengoku Jidai - Japanese warring states era
Ishin Shishi � Imperialists
� those who fought to restore power to the Emporer, and against the Tokagawa
Shogunate during the Meiji restoration.

baba - old woman; hag

baka - idiot

hai - yes

iie - no

okaa-san - mother

hanyou - half demon

reiki - (human) spirit energy

youki - demonic energy

katana - sword

sakabato - reverse blade sword

onegai - please

youkai - demon

nani - what?

tenshi - celestial being; an angel

Kami - God/Gods
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The Sins of the Father