A Gift From The Past

A/N: I'm sorry for not updating, but am back to editing this fic. Thanks for being so patient, and not coming after me with pitchforks. Please enjoy!!!

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Inu Yasha's voice caught in his throat. He could not believe the sight that stood in front of him. His knees began to shake and so did his voice when he uttered a single word. "Father."

Inu Taisho glared at his youngest son. "Inu Yasha." He growled. "Please repeat the name that you just called Kagome."

Inu Yasha stared at his father for a minute before asking, "What?"

"Which part of the request did you not understand, son? I asked for you to repeat the name that you just called Kagome. Is the problem that you have a short memory span and cannot remember, or are you such a coward that you cannot come out and say it to someone who will confront you about it." Inu Taisho asked. His golden eyes narrowed as he watched Inu Yasha's eyes dart to Kagome. Inu Taisho gently guided Kagome to stand behind him, and gave his son a warning growl. "Answer me, boy."

Inu Yasha could feel his face burning up. He growled back at his father and raised his chin. "I called her a tramp."

"I see. And why do you call her such a vile name?" Inu Taisho asked.

"Because, she rutted around with Sesshomaru and I heard the monk and Sango talking a few nights ago. She also got knocked up." Inu Yasha smirked, his arms crossing over his chest.

"Well, this just goes to show that instead of having one bastard son, I actually have two. Your mother would be so ashamed of you, Inu Yasha. Kagome spoke the truth to you. Sesshomaru's blood beast took control and decided that it had to take Kagome. Kagome never consented. And yes, you heard correctly, she is pregnant." Inu Taisho told him. His eyes roamed over the crowd and finally came to rest on his eldest son. "Do you have anything to say for yourself, Sesshomaru? After all, it was your beast that did the damage."

Sesshomaru made his way through the crowd. He stopped in front of his father and looked him in the eye.

"I don't know how it came to be that you stand before us, but yes, I take full responsibility for the beast's actions. I am aware that Kagome is pregnant, and I will take care of both her and the pup." Sesshomaru said, his eyes sliding down to where Kagome stood.

Inu Taisho nodded, but felt a tug at the back of his haori. Kagome made him lean down to her and whispered, "I don't want anything from him. Please, just make him leave me alone."

Inu Taisho sighed and whispered back, "Kagome, I cannot do that. The pup needs to know his father, even if he is a bastard. Sesshomaru will need to get him ready to take over as lord. I will be with you to make sure that he doesn't do anything that you do not wish to happen. But, please, trust in me. I will help you make the best decisions for you and the pup, ok?"

He felt Kagome nod against his arm and then straightened to look at his sons. "Let me say that I am ashamed to know that you both share my blood. Inu Yasha, you are nothing more than a coward, and to say such things about a woman who loved you unconditionally is totally unacceptable. Sesshomaru, I don't care if it was your beast that did the crime, you should have stopped it before it went that far. I think that is a weak moment on your part. The only child of mine that I am proud of is Kagome. She has taken this experience and become stronger."

"What do you mean, your child? Kagome is human, and not of your blood." Inu Yasha snapped, his frustration with the situation beginning to show.

Inu Taisho turned to Kagome and took her hand. He guided her in front of him and reached around her. He unclasped the hook that held her cloak on her body and allowed it to slide off her. Kagome kept her head down and watched the material fall to the ground. All around her she could hear the youkai comment about her silver hair and tail. The stupid appendage seemed to have a mind of its own and refused to be still.

Finally, she raised her head and turned to look at Inu Taisho, who smiled down at her and brought her to him. He lifted his gaze towards his youngest son and said, "As you can see, she is no longer human. I have given her my power and because of that, she is inu youkai. But the fact that she is a miko means that the pup that she carries will have both mine and her power. Combined, the pup will be the strongest youkai alive, and I will be damned if I allow him to turn out to be like either of you. Kagome, face Sesshomaru, please."

Kagome gave him a pleading look, but when she saw the expression on his face, she sighed and did as she was told. She raised her eyes to the face of the youkai who had taken her innocence, and she began to shake. Inu Taisho felt her fear, and said, "Look at the seeds that you have sown, son. She fears you, and you have given her nothing but good reason. Tell me, what are you going to do for the woman who carries your pup?"

Sesshomaru desperately wanted to reach out and yank Kagome into his embrace. The urge to stroke her belly was growing unbearable, but he managed to gain some control and said, "I will take her to the western palace and have Yoki care for her and the pup."

Kagome shook her head. "I am not going anywhere with him. Kaede is going to deliver my pup and I am staying here in the village." She looked at Inu Taisho with a look meaning that she meant business.

Sesshomaru, allowed his cool gaze to settle on her, but then nodded once and said, "Then I will bring Yoki here. It is a fair compromise."

Inu Taisho nodded. "It is settled then. Bring on the nurse, and have her come to the hut of the elder miko. Now, if everyone here will excuse us, my daughter and her pup need to rest."

Inu Taisho guided Kagome out of the crowd and was stopped by Inu Yasha's voice. "Don't you want to meet your other daughter? My mate, Kikyo."

Inu Taisho slowly turned around. He stared at the woman beside his son and growled. "That thing is not real. She moves like a human, talks like a human, but is nothing more than bone and dirt. She is living off small fraction of Kagome's soul. This thing that you present to me is not Kikyo. Kikyo was a warm hearted, loving woman. This corpse is filled with Kikyo's hatred, and nothing more. I will never consider her to be a daughter."

Inu Yasha stepped back as if his father had smacked him. Kikyo's breathing became harsh at the insults and she notched an arrow and aimed it at the back of the man who had just insulted her and her love. In a flash, Inu Taisho stood before her and yanked the weapon out of her hands.

"Foolish corpse. Do you honestly think that you could kill me? I am already dead." Inu Taisho growled. "If you ever raise another weapon against my form or at either Kagome or her pup, you will suffer a fate that will deem hell a paradise."

Inu Taisho returned to Kagome's side, and slid the sword back into its sheath. He glanced back towards his son and gave a final warning, "Oh, before I forget, Inu Yasha,” He said, “If you ever raise tetsaiga to an unarmed person again, I will make sure that you lose the right to tetsaiga and I will have it destroyed. Don't think for a second that I won't do what I threaten."

Inu Taisho took Kagome into Kaede's hut. He helped her down to the mat, and told her to rest.. He turned when he detected the wind witch and the slayer come into the hut, and spoke to them as he watched Kagome fall into a slumber.

"I don't want Inu Yasha near her. He is too unpredictable and the fact that he is so cruel to her makes his presence unhealthy for her." Inu Taisho said, his golden eyes narrowing in thought.

Sango and Kagura nodded and watched as the lord slipped back inside the sword. Miroku cleared his throat and stepped in behind the women. His hands gave each of their backsides a warm greeting and they returned the gesture with a couple of hard smacks to the face. Sitting across from an angry youkai and exterminator, Miroku's cheeks held a single hand print from each woman: Sango's on the right, Kagura's on the left.

"Why do you have to be such a pig?" Sango muttered.

"Because when I see such beauty, I cannot help myself. So, it is really your fault." Miroku pleaded.

Kagura looked at Sango. "I could easily dispose of him. All I need to do is whip out my fan."

"No, hentai that he is, he has some good points to him. It is just his hands that are the enemy." Sango said. She tried to hide it, but a small grin started to creep onto her face.

"Well, I wanted to let you both know, Sesshomaru has gone to get the nurse for Kagome. He even threatened Inu Yasha before he left." Miroku smirked.

"Really? What did he say?" Sango asked. Leaning forward, she noticed that Kagura was listening, as well.

"Well, he told Inu Yasha that if he ever called Kagome a tramp or any other vile name again, he would see to it that Inu Yasha learn how to eat with his feet, because he would rip his little brother's arms off. " Miroku laughed, and was soon joined by the two females.

"I am glad that you find that funny, monk." Inu Yasha growled. He walked into the hut with Kikyo in tow. "I want to talk to Kagome." He scowled when he saw that she was asleep, and didn't want to wait in what he had to say to her.

"She is asleep, Inu Yasha. Let her be. It is the least you could do." Sango said, rising to her feet.

"I don't give a damn. Wake her ass up." Inu Yasha insisted. Behind him, Kikyo shifted slightly, as if waiting for some sort of attack.

Kagura stood up and whipped out her fan. "Leave half-breed. Have you not humiliated yourself enough for the day?"

"Listen, bitch. Don't meddle in my affairs. And what the hell are you doing here anyways?" Inu Yasha snarled, his claws ready to draw blood.

Kagura grinned. "Well, I am a friend to Kagome. And being a friend to her, I will ensure that you not disturb her. Get out." She sneered.

Inu Yasha began to laugh. "You? A friend to Kagome? That is rich. All you are good for, Kagura, was to warm Naraku's bed, and now that he is dead, you are of no use to anyone."

Kagura smirked, and looked over at Kikyo, who paled. Kikyo knew what was coming and didn't know how to stop it. "I never had to warm Naraku's bed, half-breed. Your dead bitch had the pleasure of that task." Kagura replied and began to laugh as Inu Yasha's face paled. He slowly turned to Kikyo for answers.

"What does she mean, Kikyo? She is lying. Right? You would never lay with that monster." Inu Yasha said.

Kagura decided to torment him with her knowledge. She had sensed that all of the other youkai, including that wolf, were right outside the hut, listening to the conversation with eager ears. "Tell him, Kikyo. Tell him about how you would come and spend hours in Naraku's arms. Tell him about the romps that you had in the gardens in the evenings. I cannot tell you the number of times I had to put something in my ears to drown out the sounds of her screaming Naraku's name during her many orgasms. I can also tell you how Naraku knew about various things about you and your companions." Kagura glanced down at the monk and exterminator and cringed at the memory. "Please forgive me, but we were enemies then, however, now I am a friend and share this information gladly. It was Kikyo who told Naraku things about all of you, including about the well that Kagome used to travel home through. It was Kikyo who placed an enchantment on the well so that if Naraku was ever defeated, the well would close, and Kagome would be trapped in this time forever."

Sango jumped up. "How could you?" She screamed at Kikyo. Miroku got up and gave a rare glare to the dead priestess. "You need to leave. If you stay near us, I will personally send you to hell."

Kagura gave her a big smile when Kikyo glanced at her. "Don't even think about threatening me, Kikyo. I won't hesitate to engage you in a battle, and you know that I can easily throw you off. Your arrows are of no use when my winds begin to howl."

Kikyo grabbed Inu Yasha's arm. "We need to talk. It is not exactly as she says." She pleaded, her eyes begging him to understand.

Inu Yasha yanked his arm from her. "Tell me, how exactly is it, then?” He asked, his voice void of emotion. He couldn't believe what he was hearing, but now things made sense. He was a fool, and now, he would have to face the consequences of his actions. He never should have let Kikyo remain in the living world.

When Kikyo didn't answer, Inu Yasha's shoulders drooped. He knew it. She didn't have a defense or excuse. He blindly walked out of the hut and past the other youkai. When he walked by Kouga, the wolf felt a pang of pity for the hanyou, but his attention was brought back to the hut when Kikyo came flying out of it.

Kagura stepped out after her, with her fan opened in front of her body. "Leave here. I will not allow Kagome or her pup to be upset. You have been the cause of her pain for too long. Get out of this village, or I will not be as nice in showing you out, myself." Kagura hissed. She raised her fan and allowed a huge gust of wind to hit Kikyo, throwing the dead miko further away from her. The crowd of youkai and humans stepped away from the miko and watched as she stood up. With tears running down her face, she stared at Kagura.

"Why? He was mine, at last." Kikyo choked out. All of her plans were now gone, and she couldn't believe that the hanyou would walk away from her, as if she didn't exist.

"No, he belonged to the real Kikyo. You belonged to Naraku, as did I. The difference, he held my heart and threatened to kill me if I did not do as he said. You were in his bed, and gladly rutted with him. You were his whore, nothing more." Kagura spat. Then a plan began to form in her mind. She glanced over at Kouga. "Wolf, I am willing to give you information in exchange for a truce. It is information that you will find to be very satisfying."

Kouga growled at her. But thought back to when Kagome announced the witch as her friend. He could not kill her if she were an ally of Kagome's. If he did, Kagome would never talk to him again, and it would kill his chances to be with her. "Fine, I accept. Now, tell me what you know." He snapped.

Kagura's face broke out into a wide grin. "It was Kikyo who told Naraku about your shards. Apparently, she followed Inu Yasha and his friends and was there to witness Kagome blurt out that you had shards. She then witnessed your claim over Kagome and your hatred of the dog. When she felt that she had enough information, she told Naraku, and that is when he sent out word that somewhere in his palace were shards. It was because of Kikyo that your brothers were led to the palace in the first place."

"I am going to kill you bitch!" Kouga screamed, as he ran at Kikyo. However, he was tackled by Inu Yasha, who threw the wolf to the ground. Kouga's pack mates helped him up and he glared at the dog.

"If anyone is going to take her life, it is going to be me." Inu Yasha announced. He could not deal with the turn of events, but knew that this mess had to come to an end. Kikyo had to return to the dead, where she could rest in peace.

Kikyo had managed to get to her feet, and called for her soul collectors. "You will have to find me first, Inu Yasha. Killing me won't be that easy, and I won't be taken down without a fight." She spat.

Inu Yasha shook his head and softly said, “I never should have let you walk away from us that day at Urasue's. I should have put my sword through your body and freed Kagome's soul. She knew what you were, and yet, let you keep that small piece of her, just to make me happy, and I repaid her by stabbing her in the back, time and time again. It's over, Kikyo.”

He watched as her soul collectors surrounded her, and tears streamed down her face. “If this is what you wish, so be it.” She replied, her voice cracking with emotion. “I'll be waiting for you.”

Inu Yasha turned to Miroku, who had stepped outside with Sango. "I am going after her. I won't be back until she dies by my hand."

Miroku nodded in understanding. "I see. Good luck, Inu Yasha." He said, sticking out his hand for his hard-headed friend to shake. “May Buddha be with you and watch over your until you return.”

Inu Yasha nodded. He looked behind Miroku and saw a very sleepy Kagome walk out, with her sword firmly attached to her back. He wanted to walk over to her, but he was too ashamed of himself to go over to her. Hell, he didn't deserve to look upon her, much less talk to her.

Kagome rubbed her eyes, and looked around. "What is going on? I heard Kouga screaming, and then I heard Kikyo mention something about a fight. Did something happen?" She asked, and yawned, showing her sharp fangs in the process.

Kagura walked over to Kagome's side and placed her hand upon her slender shoulder. “Inu Yasha has decided to leave the village, Kagome.” She explained, not bothering to go into the details.

"Leaving? Why?" Kagome asked.

"I need to find Kikyo. We have an issue, and until it is resolved, I can't come back here. Just know that you are in my thoughts, and have my gratitude for everything you have done for me, and for standing by me when I least deserved it." Inu Yasha said. “I don't deserve any of your loyalty, but know that you have mine and from this day forward, I will never speak to you in the ways that I have over these last few months. I am sorry, Kagome.” Inu Yasha said, his eyes never meeting hers, but he knew that she had heard his words, and hoped that one day, she could forgive him.

Stepping up to him, she stared at him until his eyes finally met hers, and she softly asked, “Do you mean it, Inu Yasha?”

The hanyou nodded, and stepped forward, not wanting to leave the village without showing her how he felt.

“Every word.” He said, and shook his head. “You were right, you know. Kikyo should have been laid to rest, but I just could not let her go. But, I think that I am now ready.”

Kagome regarded her friend with soft eyes. She would never kick him when he was down, but she couldn't let him leave without showing him that she still loved him, at least as a friend. She stepped forward, and wrapped her arms around his waist, surprising the hanyou, who looked over to where their friends were standing.

Miroku grinned at him, and motioned to him to return the hug, and then proceeded to stroke Sango's backside, before being knocked out by the woman.

Hesitantly, he wrapped his arms around her, his head resting on the top of hers, and closed his eyes. He had hurt the one person who had accepted him, loved him, and now, that person was offering him forgiveness, and for that, he was grateful.

Kagome opened her eyes and saw her friends and the other youkai smiling, but then, Kouga's face turned from happy to horrified. Kagome felt someone grab her upper arm and yank her away from Inu Yasha. She would have fallen back, but Sesshomaru had let go of her arm and wrapped his arm around her waist, and brought her to his body.

"I told you, half-breed, that you are not to touch her. Do you need me to inflict pain to get that command through to you?" Sesshomaru growled. He felt Kagome's body shaking in his arm, and held her closer, not noticing that she was whimpering in fear.

"Let her go, Sesshomaru. Can't you see that she is scared of you?" Inu Yasha bellowed, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

Sesshomaru looked down at Kagome, and slowly released her. He glanced over his shoulder and said, "Yoki. Take Lady Kagome into the hut and get her out of those rags. The mother of my pup will not have such a material caress her skin."

A green eyed youkai stepped forward and had a friendly smile on her face. She was clearly older than Sesshomaru, and had a grandmotherly feel about her. She placed her arms around her new lady and gently moved her away from the angered lord. She could feel the young woman shaking and she eased her into the hut, and then returned and retrieved the boxes of items that she had brought.

Once back in the hut, she looked through the garments, and finally settled on a dark blue kimono made from pure silk. She make Kagome stand still and eased the kimono that she had been wearing off of the pregnant woman's body. Yoki helped Kagome into the new kimono and then made her sit so that she could do her hair. When Yoki was finished, Kagome's long silver hair had been pulled into a long braid with dark blue ribbon threaded through the braid. Yoki nodded at her work and sighed as she realized that now, she had another pup to look forward to.

She stood up and helped Kagome to her feet, and then led her out to where Sesshomaru and Inu Yasha were still shouting at each other. Both males stopped when Yoki cleared her throat.

"My lord, the lady is ready for your inspection." Yoki said, bowing and then gently pushed Kagome forward, despite the fear in Kagome's scent.

Sesshomaru's eyes looked Kagome up and down, and he allowed a smile to play upon his lips. He nodded his head in approval. "Very good, Yoki. She is beautiful."

"Of course, she is, asshole." Inu Yasha growled. “What in the hell did you expect?”

"Do not take that tone with me, half-breed." Sesshomaru sniffed. “I will redeem myself in our father's eyes with my actions, but what will you do to redeem yourself?”

Upon hearing the mention of Inu Taisho, Kagome spun around, catching herself before she lost her balance, and went back into the hut to grab her sword. When she had it in her hands, she went to stand by Kagura.

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed at the sight of his pup's mother holding a sword. Never again would she have to worry about protecting herself. That was his job, now. "Kagome, you are in my protection, now. You do not need that sword. Hand it to me." He said, his hand stretched out to receive the sword.

Kagome shook her head. "The sword stays with me. It is mine, and my pups." She said, her tone nervous. Despite her training, she doubted that she could defend herself against Sesshomaru, should he decide to take it from her.

"You mean 'our' pup, Kagome. Yours and mine." Sesshomaru corrected. “We will watch it grow, together.

Kagome took a deep breath. Her shaking became more evident as she looked into the eyes of her rapist. "No, I meant it as I said it. The pup is mine. I want nothing from you." She insisted. She inwardly cringed at how weak her voice sounded.

Sesshomaru's blood beast was screaming within his head for her submission. Instead, he stepped towards her. "Kagome, we will speak about this later, when we are alone." He said, his tone softening. He recognized that she was beginning to panic, and he knew that he needed to sooth her, not intimidate her.

"I am not going to be alone with you, Sesshomaru. Please, let me be." Kagome said. She noticed that he had taken a step forward, and she took one back.

"You do not have a choice. The pup is my son and I have rights to him. Come here, Kagome. I will not harm you." Sesshomaru said. He took another step towards her, his hand held out to her. She winced when she heard that his voice had taken on a harder tone.

Kagome shook her head. She knew that he was about to lose his temper. But she was so scared, she kept stepping back every time he stepped forward. She hugged the sword to her chest, her eyes wide with fear.

Sesshomaru began to growl, telling her youkai that his youkai was displeased. It only got louder when he noticed that another youkai had stepped up behind Kagome and dared to place his hands on her shoulders.

"Leave my intended mate alone, Lord Sesshomaru." Kouga said calmly. He had seen enough. He would not allow this self-serving bastard to bully Kagome.

"Prince Kouga. You do realize that I won't hesitate to kill you for touching what belongs to me." Sesshomaru growled, and flexed his claws in anticipation of the oncoming battle.

Kouga gently turned Kagome to face him and looked intently at her neck, inspecting every inch of it, until he was satisfied with his search. He straightened up with a grin on his face and announced, "She is not yours, Lord Sesshomaru. She is unmarked, and therefore, not taken. At least, not yet. A problem that I will remedy."

Sesshomaru's growls became more vicious and his eyes began to bleed red. He brought his hand up to tokijin and unsheathed it. Kouga, sensing that a battle was about to take place, moved Kagome over to where his men Hakkaku and Ginta stood.

Kagome's eyes began to tear up and she watched the youkai who claimed to love her, stand against the youkai who had raped her. She glanced down at the sword in her hands, and made a decision.

When Sesshomaru came towards Kouga, the wolf jumped and got out of the way of the evil sword. After trading blows for several minutes, Sesshomaru finally got Kouga into a vulnerable position. He smirked at the prince and raised his sword above his head. Kouga's eyes grew wide as tokijin came down upon him, and was stopped right above his nose. He saw that another sword had stopped the blade's death blow, and he looked up at the wielder. Kagome stood at his side, and had her sword underneath Sesshomaru's, protecting him from the killing blow.

Kagome had made it in time to save her friend, but the strain of holding up the tokijin was taking its toll. She pushed it away and allowed her blade to fall to the ground, and then allowed her tired body to slump to the ground in a silver and blue heap. Inu Yasha helped Kouga up, and stared at the sword.

"Kagome, where did you get that sword?" He asked, his voice quiet. Not even tetsaiga could have protected Kouga from a blow like that, but this sword did it, and held no damage, meaning that the sword was just as, if not more, powerful that tokijin.

"Lord Totosai gave it to me. He said it was a gift from Lord Inu Taisho for me and for MY pup." Kagome answered proudly, and then took in a deep breath in an effort to calm her thundering heart.

Inu Yasha's eyes traced its beauty. "What is it called?" He asked, his eyes following the images that were carved onto the blade.

"Lord Totosai calls it Youkai Claw. It is supposed to be stronger than both tetsaiga and tensaiga, and apparently, it can defend against tokijin, as well." Kagome replied. She kept a wary eye on Sesshomaru, and flinched when his cold eyes settled on her.

Sesshomaru directed his attention towards Kagome. His anger was rising, but he struggled against it, not wanting to give her yet another reason to fear him. "Kagome, go to Yoki. Now." He ordered, his voice hard.

Kagome shrunk back from him and the anger in his voice and he sighed. This was not going the way he had hoped. He immediately softened his voice and tried again. "Kagome, please go to Yoki."

The older nurse came to Kagome's side and took her arm. She led her back to where Kagura stood and whispered to Kagome, "Please, he is trying to keep you from harm. He is trying to make amends with you, and is doing it the only way he knows how. This battle is between the males, and it is Lord Sesshomaru's right, as your pup's father, to chase away unwelcome males."

Kagome watched as Kouga and Sesshomaru stared at each other. She could feel her fear welling up in her gut and knew that it would be a matter of time before it exploded. She did not like what she was seeing. Both males were growling at each other and both of their eyes were now red. With a howl, Kouga shifted to his full demon form, a large black wolf with blue eyes. Sesshomaru shifted into his inu form and both demons stood eye to eye.

Kagome leaned over to Yoki and asked, "What are they doing? Why are they in their youkai forms?"

Yoki glanced at her pregnant charge and whispered, "Both males believe themselves to have a legitimate claim to you. Tradition states that if there is a dispute over the rights of mating or territory then it must be resolved in full demon form."

Kagome stared at her for a moment before turning her attention to the males. She watched as they snarled at each other. The other youkai had moved to give the participants room to fight in and they all watched with eager eyes to see the final outcome.

The battle had been fierce, but Sesshomaru had finally got Kouga onto his back. Before Kouga could flip back to his feet, Sesshomaru's mouth went to the wolf's throat. Kagome's eyes widened in fear as Sesshomaru prepared to bite deep into her friend's neck. She started forward, and felt the stirring of Inu Taisho's power, but froze as an unfamiliar pain shot through her body. She opened her mouth to scream at Sesshomaru to stop, but the sound she made was unlike any she had ever heard. Another sharp pain hit her and she closed her eyes, sure that Sesshomaru would take that moment to kill her friend. It was the gasp of the crowd that made her open her eyes.

'Oh no.' Kagome thought. 'Please, no.'