To Love's End [1/? | R]

[Leia Avenrose]

Disclaimer: Inuyasha, I do not own, nor the characters, and so on and so forth; yadda yadda, bada-bing-bada-boom. The Last Samurai and King Arthur soundtracks are beautiful, not to mention the Inuyasha OSTs 1 to 3, AND the Inuyasha MOVIE OSTs. They have given me much inspiration by just listening to them; the Samurai music fit perfectly for a few scenes, including all the Inuyasha music, just the arrangement of both vocal and orchestra (strange how I felt in place while writing this story AND listening to the music that belongs to the series? such a perfect fit.). The title is from the 2nd Inuyasha OST? the song left me breathless?
Dedication: Ice Princess, Mellie, Lady Casper, Iron Dog, & Noko Marie.





To Love?s End
By: Leia Avenrose
Rating: R



Chapter One ? Simple Prayers

Instantly, she fell to her knees, leaning forward on her hands. Long black locks of once silken hair clung to her skin, matted down with perspiration and blood. Everything had happened in a blur; something she couldn?t even begin to comprehend. Her fingers dug into the soil, black clumps lodging themselves under her nails, staining the tender skin.

Her name ? she had a name, but it was one she remembered not that day.

With brown eyes once deep and rich, full of life and vitality, they stared listlessly, blankly at the ground beneath her hands. Her body ached; all she wanted to do was fall over, curl into a ball and sleep. It didn?t matter if her eyes were open or closed; no matter how many times they would close, she would never be able to wipe that one image from her mind. Her head jerked up, feeling the light touch on her shoulder. Absently she blinked, staring up into the pale golden eyes, and sat back, her legs folded beneath her. Blood was smeared across the ashen skin, and dirt clung to the lips that trembled. The long white hair was filthy and matted down; a pair of triangular ears protruded from the top of the head, colored red and dark gray.

She watched as the figure unknown to her, crouched down in front of her. Hands cupped her face, clawed fingers smoothing the hair out of her eyes, pushing the heavy strands behind her ears.

She?s practically covered in blood, he thought, a stab of fear piercing his chest as his eyes searching hers. Inuyasha brushed his hand over her cheek, his eyes straying on the trail of caked blood that led from her ear and down the side of her jaw.

?The pups,? he said slowly, firmly, seeing how groggy she was, ?did you see what happened??

Her eyes had rested on his lips, watching them move, and as he had fallen silent, the last word naught but a whisper along the edge of her mind, she moved her eyes back up slowly to meet his. Her brow gave the faintest of twitches, almost as if she tried to understand what he was saying. Her hands trembled as they rested above the bulge of her stomach. The attack had been so unexpected and quick; it left her in shock, left her to shake as it was just dawning on her. The girl let her eyes drift off to the side, her head feeling heavy and tipping sideways as if her neck wasn?t strong enough to support it.

?Kagome, look at me!? Inuyasha snapped, his hand gripping her chin, forcing her to look at him. He forced himself to remain calm. ?You?re in shock, all right? Listen to me, I need you to understand; I need to know if you saw anything. The pups, Kagome, where are the pups?? He spoke the last words slowly so that she would fully understand.

Was that really her name? She couldn?t remember anything!

Images were coming to mind; the blinding light of the explosion, the screams, the small voices begging their mother. Who was their mother? What had really happened? She felt a scream bubble in her throat, the one image coming back to mind; why did it keep doing this to her? She didn?t want to remember; she didn?t want to see it anymore! She wanted to beg the man, or beast, or whatever he was in front of her to just take it all way, to end the pain at the back of her head, to end her suffering altogether, but ? she didn?t know who he was. In her eyes, he was just a stranger who had been caught up in what had happened?

?Kagome? licked her lips, her hands clenching into tight fists above her belly. Her eyes grew wide, a wild gleam in them. ?Pups? I see?I saw them,? she started in a raspy voice, straining against the memory as vivid as the burning fires that surrounded them now. ?They ? ran; I tried to ? I tried to warn them??

Inuyasha cupped her face firmly, his eyes roaming over her dirty features. ?You?re safe, Kago??

?No, that ? that?s not my name,? she whispered, her chin trembling. Her hands shot forward, her fingers clutching at the front of his robes. He stared at her, confused, and then shook his head furiously, nearly shaking her by her face. ?I don?t ? know?they?re gone. You don?t understand!? Her voice rose, her tone sounding panicked.

Inuyasha felt his composure slipping. The girl was beginning to go frantic in his arms, and on top of that, her memory seemed to have been misplaced. He leaned forward, his arms slipping around her, and being careful, he pulled his mate against him, cradling her in his lap. ?It?s going to be all right; we?ll find them,? he assured her softly, tightening his grip. He lifted a hand, slid his fingers through her hair, and held her head against his chest.

?Inuyasha!?

The girl flinched at the calling voice, whimpering, and turned her face into chest.

Inuyasha lifted his head. A tall man swathed in thick robes of black and dark purple was accompanied by a slender woman dressed in a black clinging outfit, the front flap made of pink; they dodged past the charred corpses of the deceased crop workers as they ran towards him. The hanyou sighed quietly. Slipping an arm under Kagome?s knees, the other supporting her back, he stood off the ground to meet his companions. Kagome kept her face buried into his chest, her fingers clutching at his shoulder.

The maternity gown she wore, a loose kimono made of soft fabric fit specifically for her body, was torn along the bottom. The cut on the left side went up just past her knees. She had lost a runner; her sock ripped open, exposing slender, small toes. The long sleeves of her kimono carried several jagged cuts, the ends slashed off at the elbows, the threads of gold and white hanging limply along her belly.

Sango and Miroku came to a stop just in front of them, both breathing heavily and both supporting light injuries. Inuyasha glanced them over, and then set his jaw, his eyes resting on the monk. ?They?re gone.?

Sango furrowed her brow, and looked around quickly, doing a one-sweep over the carnage that lay among the fields. ?They can?t be gone,? she breathed in disbelief, her eyes widening.

?They?re gone, Sango.?

She looked back to Inuyasha, frowning, and tightened her grip on the large weapon leaning against her back. Miroku squinted as he, too, looked around the fields. ?Do you think it?s possible that Sesshomaru is involved?? he asked, looking back to his white-haired friend.

Inuyasha shook his head, his eyes troubled, but his face calm. ?No, he wouldn?t go as low as to pull some cheap trick like this. He wouldn?t harm everyone else just to get to the pups.?

Sango chewed the inside of her cheek. How can he be so calm? His children are missing! she thought angrily, worriedly. ?How ? is Kagome?? she voiced out loud, her eyes straying on the small woman cradled in his arms.

Miroku tilted his head, looking to the girl as well. Inuyasha shook his head, holding her closer as her grip on his shoulder tightened. ?She?s in shock; we need to get her wounds treated. Is Kaede?? He couldn?t finish; he didn?t want to think that anything bad had happened to the old hag. He had grown quite fond of her over the years.

Miroku nodded, forcing a smile. ?She?s safe. She was nowhere near where the main attack had taken place. We just came back from being with her; she?s tending to the injured in the village as we speak.? He began to move away, the golden hoops of his staff jingling. Sango watched after him, then watched as the tall hanyou brushed past her.

?How ? how far along is she again?? she asked, falling in step with Inuyasha. Sango shot a glance from the corner of her eye to the girl, and felt her heart go out to her as she saw the bloodied fingers tighten their grip on the male?s shoulder.

?Seven months,? Inuyasha absently replied, his tone quiet but gruff.

Sango nodded and said nothing more after that. As they came to the gates, Miroku talked with the guards at the entrance, asking the details of the injured and of the damage done to the village. Their answers were grim. Inuyasha strode past them, heading straight for where the crowd of people was standing. He lifted his face somewhat, sniffed at the air, and then lowered his nose, sniffing along the top of Kagome?s head. She lifted her face from his chest, looking somewhat startled. Inuyasha nodded curtly, his eyes still straying on the blood from her ear.

?Kaede will look after you, Kagome.? He continued to speak slowly, watching as her eyes focused on his lips, then up on his. ?Nothing will happen to you; you can trust her.?

Sango reached out, grabbing Miroku by the sleeve. He turned to look at her, then ducked his head close as she murmured, ?Do you think there was a plausible reason behind this attack, Miroku??

?What do you mean?? His hand lifted, and callused fingers brushed gently at the small abrasion on her jaw. Sango furrowed her brow in thought.

?Kagome is with her third child. All this time, Miroku, we?ve been living the peaceful life that we?d always wanted. With Naraku long defeated, what else could go wrong?? She shook her head, her eyes troubled. ?Sesshomaru wouldn?t do something like this, and you know that. As Inuyasha said, he wouldn?t harm everyone else just to get to the children.?

?Sango,? Miroku began, his hand sliding to the back of her neck. He pulled her against him; she went willingly, burying her face into his chest. ?It?s been four years since we defeated Naraku. And the Sacred jewel is safe, you know this??

?In Kagome?s body?? Sango pulled back slightly, staring up at him. ?I don?t even want to think about who would come for the Sacred jewel now, of all times. It?s not safe inside of her, Miroku. And I can?t even believe you were with this idea from the start.?

Miroku sighed. ?It was the only way, Sango, you know that. Even I knew that. It belongs inside of her; it?s apart of her. Take it out, and you might as well cut her very heart out.? His tone was angry.

?Yes, I know, but we can?t always be around to protect her! We don?t even know who else knows about her and the Shikon jewel merging back as one!? Sango burst out. She was ready to just about cleave his head from his shoulders, she was that furious with him. The guards shot her a frown in their direction, startled by the rising voices.

?Okay, okay,? he soothed, leaning down to brush a kiss over her creased brow. Sango sighed heavily, stepping into him, her free hand clutching at the front of his robes. ?I know you?re worried about her. I am, too,? he continued in a soft voice. ?We just have to accept her choice; it was better this way.?

Sango nodded, and the pair stood in silence a moment longer. Miroku pulled away and took her hand, forcing a calm smile to his lips. ?Things will be fine; we?ll find the children, and we?ll keep Kagome safe. You have my promise,? he murmured, tugging lightly on her hand.

Together they moved towards the old hut where the elderly Kaede lived, passing the destroyed houses, the cart that carried the dead, flimsy blood-soaked clothes covering them. The children didn?t play in the streets that day; more then half of them were lying in that very same cart. Mothers sobbed brokenly over their lost charges, some collapsing to their knees as the cart passed them, their faces buried in their hands, their shoulders racked by sobs. Some even staggered forward to clutch at the small hands that hung out from under the sheets limply.

Sango tried not to look; she tried to think for her friend inside the hut. Kagome's children were missing, and if negative thought pushed its? way forward; they might as well be dead. That was something that, despite the carnage and death surrounding them, she didn?t want to think about just yet.

===============================================

Drawing her knees up as best as she could, she sat back huddled against the wall. Her arms were clutched around her legs, her face buried against her right arm. Her ear throbbed, but that was incomparable to the searing ache in the rest of her body. She knew he was next to her, his arms folded over his chest, his eyes hooded and watching her from where he was leaning against the wall. She only pressed her face harder into her arm, trying to block out the sounds of sobbing women coming from outside.

Kaede watched the pair in silence, her hands clasped behind her back. With her shoulders hunched, she shuffled slightly, moving to the stove and looked out the window. ?Inuyasha,? she called quietly, not taking her eyes from the sight outside, ?a word with ye a moment.?

Inuyasha furrowed his brow, his attention still on the girl against the wall. Instead of going to the old woman, he stayed where he was. ?You can help her, can?t you?? He watched with mild interest as Kagome released an arm from around her legs and absently rubbed a hand over the top of her stomach, but kept her face pressed into her other arm.

Kaede looked over to him, suppressing the soft sigh. She saw the longing in his eyes, the frustration, and although the girl had clung to him, had seemed to trust him, the girl was different now and it angered him. ?Nay,? she murmured, shaking her head and moved away from the window. Sadness filled her eyes, while blood still stained the white sleeves of her robes.

?What do you mean ?nay??? Inuyasha suddenly snapped, jerking his attention to her.

She held a hand up. ?This is something she will have to face on her own.? Her eyes shifted to the girl, and she tilted her head to the side, a thoughtful look on her weathered face. ?Ye might be best to take the girl to her family, Inuyasha. They will be of more help to her.?

?You know I can?t,? he growled hesitantly, his clawed fingers stroking along the leather-worn handle of Tetsusaiga. Dark golden eyes moved back to rest on the girl.

Kagome had lifted her head, watching the two in front of her. ?A ? family?? she asked. Inuyasha and Kaede both nodded, both watching her. Kagome frowned, looking down to her stomach, and stroked her hand along the front. She stretched out her legs in front of her, leaning her head back against the wall, and closed her eyes, her hand still stroking over her stomach. ?I have a family then?? she questioned without opening her eyes.

?Yes, Kagome. You have a family.? He was trying his hardest to suppress his annoyance and anger in front of her; he didn?t want to scare her.

?Don?t ? call me that,? the girl spoke sharply, opening her eyes to stare at him. He had moved to her side, crouching down.

?That?s your name.?

?It?s not!?

?It is!? Inuyasha insisted stubbornly. He had failed in protecting his family; he had lost his pups?he wasn?t about to lose Kagome.

Kaede smiled faintly at the couple, and shuffled slowly to the door. The two ignored her exit. Inuyasha shook his head and touched a hand lightly to the side of her belly. He stroked along the front, his fingers brushing over her belly button, and felt a smile tug somewhat at the corners of his lips. Kagome watched him, silent, her hand resting on top of her stomach. She didn?t know what to make of him; she didn?t even know his name. From what she had figured out, his friends called him ?Inuyasha?.

?Why do you call me by that?? Her soft voice broke the silence.

Inuyasha lifted his eyes, his left ear twitching. They flattened briefly. ?It?s your name.?

?And you are ? your friends called you??

?Inuyasha,? he cut in, watching her closely.

?I know!? she snapped, and frowned. For a minute she seemed to pout. ?I wanted to say it myself.?

Inuyasha cocked his head to the side, his brow furrowed. ?Then say it??

Her eyes locked onto his. ?Inu ? yasha.? A smile seemed to ghost her lips. He nodded slowly, and continued to stroke his hand across her stomach. Kagome watched him a moment longer, falling silent, then closed her eyes, tilting her head back against the wall. Her hand slid down the front of her stomach, her fingers brushing over the back of his hand.

Before it fell into her lap, Inuyasha caught it, lacing his fingers with hers. ?Rest,? he quietly instructed, shifting to sit next to her against the wall. He draped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her against him.

?I?m not tired,? Kagome mumbled, her head resting against his shoulder. She leaned into him without protest, too tired to care?she knew she was safe around him. She didn?t exact know how she knew that; it was just a feeling; warm and comforting.

?Keh,? he scoffed. Pulling back somewhat, he easily slid an arm around her waist, and his other under her legs. He carefully pulled her onto his lap so that she?d be more comfortable, and almost smiled as he felt her relax into him, her head falling back to rest against his shoulder, her face turned slightly towards his.

Inuyasha looked down, and moved both hands to rest on her bulging belly. The last birth had nearly killed her, he thought, feeling the fear in his heart again for the second time that day. He stroked his fingers over her belly button again, feeling it poke against the thick layers of her gown. She?s so small, so ? fragile, it?s amazing how she was able to give birth to the twins?I don?t want to lose you, Kagome; and I swear it to you, no one will dare harm a hair on the children as long as I?m alive.

[takisha16]

Man! The angst is incredible!!!
On one note, I'm happy your story involves Inuyasha and kagome married! Yay!!!!
Wow, they had twins?!
I bet they would be adorable. Hopefully they will get them back. It's mind bogling how she also had amnesia of some sort. Oh well, at least she still has Inu and her unborn baby...whew...another one.
Update soon, I loove how that head of yours work, such talent.

[Noko Marie]

That title bodes ill...How calm he is in the face of missing twins...And she still appears fond of him...Gee, I wish I knew where you were going with this... :-?

[Mellie]

The angst! Oh my the angst! What can I say besides: The angst of it all! Kagome losing her memory, the lost pups (how cute are they? Can you at least tell me that? *tilts head curiously* Pease? *puupy dog eyes* ), and the attack. It is just all one angsty piece that makes me want to reach out and breathe happily (I'm odd...?) Awesome job. I can't wait for the next chapter!

[ice princess]

Leia, I would give you pills for this, but I happen to love your fanfic diarrhea.

So bend over, I want more! Okay, that's really vile...unbearably disgusting, but ah well, I've said worse. I just can't get over how talented you are. I mean, I don't know anyone else who can crap out so many AMAZING stories, fanfiction or not. And each one is COMPLETELY different. Ho-ly crap, that's all I can say! I'm obsessed with crap! But at least it's your fabulous crap! Which isn't really crap at all as it's quite good! Crap!

Do I need to say that you must update this soon because I'm about to go insane with all of the evil cliffhangers you've littered all over my psyche? I don't think so! Do I need to tell you that I SQUEE like a fangirl over Inu & Kags being married with (albeit *missing* gasp!) pups? Nay! That's right, Inuyasha, I said NAY! Leia, you surely know by now that I adore everything you've written and will write, and this heart-pounding fanfiction smorgasbord is no different!

I, as always, am clueless as to where this is going, but CRAP, I don't really care!!!!!!!!!!!

~ice princess

[Leia Avenrose]

Crappity, crap, crap, crap!

I'll be honest with you; my muse is fickle most of the times, and at the most random times of the day, I'll be struck blind with a single sentence. I have two choices; I either scramble to open Word and get it down before it disappears, or I just ignore it and frown.

This one, I scrambled to open Word, got it down, and once the first line was down, I couldn't stop until after '...blankly, at the ground beneath her hands.', and I just seemed to stop for a few days until I teased Mellie with the opening and went straight into it, and here it is.

I'm glad you're all enjoying it.