Accursed Radiance 

There was something about the night that offered Inuyasha some solace. He watched the full moon climb into the opaque sky with intense eyes, wrapping the robe of the fire rat tighter against his body. His thoughts were swimming laps in his mind, mainly about his pup becoming an heiress. He abhorred the idea with a passion. But, then again, he didn't want his pup to endure the hardships he faced in life; just the thought of his pup being beaten and violently mistreated sent his mind reeling. He clenched his hands into fists. His pup, his daughter, would never be treated like that as long as he was still breathing. She had Kagome, right? And Kagome wouldn't stand for such dishonorable actions. 

The thought brought a smile to his face, his anger ceasing. Kagome would die if it meant that the pup would have a good childhood; he, too, would see to that. He could already see her, hazel eyes vibrant with fury, as she scolded the villagers for their cruel deeds. She would get onto their hides for doing such evil things, he thought. She would give them no mercy, and that's what will keep our family alive.  

It was still hard for him to get over the last word: family. Inuyasha, a hanyou with tainted blood, who was shunned by his half-brother and mistreated for his entire life, had a mate and a pup on the way; in other words, a family. And it was all thanks to Kagome. 

Kagome was the spark in his life; his only reason for existing. She had removed the thunderstorm that had been suspended over his head, the entity raining doubt and producing lightning that sliced through his soul. Now, it was replaced by sunshine and love, doubt no longer captivating his heart. She had saved him from the deepest, darkest hole of depression, and now she was his; his to love, his to protect, his to comfort. And she returned his love faithfully, promising to stand by his side and to love him unconditionally. Even on the darkest of nights, her love for him prevailed, and it seemed as if the sun was forever shining; nothing was dark in the presence of Kagome. 

"Inuyasha?" 

Inuyasha jumped in his perch in the Sacred Tree, unsure if he had heard the angelic voice below beckoning him. He peered through the darkness with uncertain eyes, and cursed when he found the dim outline of his mate. Before she could address him again, he had scooped her up and jumped back onto the branch, pulling her into his lap and into his warmth. 

"You shouldn't be out here, koi," he scolded gently. "It's cold out tonight." 

"Yeah, I've noticed." She laughed and snuggled closer. "I was a little frightened. I woke up to see that you had disappeared, and I got worried. So, I came out to find you." 

"Feh. I'm fine; there's no need to worry about me, Kagome."

 She sighed. "Yeah, I know, but you seemed a little…weird…after Sesshomaru's visit. Are you sure you're okay?" 

"The guy wants to take my pup away from me; no, I'm not okay." He felt her stiffen in his arms, and he drew her closer, burying his nose in her neck to calm her. "There's no need to worry, though; Sesshomaru may be cruel and heartless, but he does keep his word. The pup will be fine, Kagome."

 "Then, if you're so confident about it, why are you out here all alone? You know you can talk to me, right?" 

"Of course I know! I'm not stupid. I just…needed some time to think." 

"Oh," she said quietly. 

"I was just thinking about what you mean to me, and how good of a father I'm going to be to our pup," he confessed, laying a hand on her stomach. "I honestly don't think I'm ready." 

She laid her hand over his own, a smile on her lips. "The fact that you're worried about it proves that you're going to be a great father, Inuyasha; don't doubt yourself. I know you're going to be a great father no matter what happens. If I can believe in you, then you can believe in yourself, too." 

"How can you be so sure?" 

"Because you're Inuyasha, the son of the great Inu no Taisho and the gentle Izayoi; you're brave, strong, and protective, and you can face any challenge thrown at you with that defiant glint in your eye; you can do anything you set your mind to." She paused and laughed at her last sentence, rolling her eyes. "I cannot believe I just said that."

 Inuyasha grinned. "Yeah, but it sure made me feel a little better." 

"I…wish Kaede was here. I could really use her advice…"

 "What about your mom?" 

Her eyes grew sad. "I can't do that, Inuyasha; I promised myself that I would live my life here without forcing her to get involved. Besides, I haven't seen her in months." 

"You need someone to talk to. What about Sango? She's pupped, too." 

"She's got enough to worry about; I don't want to get her stressed about me, too." 

Inuyasha pondered for a moment. "Well, you have me, right? Can you count on my support?"

 "Definitely. Why do you ask?" 

"Then that's all you need. You're going to be fine, Kagome; I know it. Just, keep on being you, okay?" 

She smiled. "Okay." 

A moment of silence followed as the two gazed at the moon. Inuyasha glanced down to see Kagome watching it with wide eyes, the luminescent glow illuminating her skin. She seemed mesmerized by the sight, and it caused a smirk to tug at Inuyasha's lips. She looked so beautiful under the moon's influence; it was almost as if she was surreal. To convince himself that she was truly there, he hugged her closer, noting the shivers that wracked her frail human body. 

He placed a chaste kiss on her forehead. "You're drooling." 

Scoffing, she playfully punched his shoulder. "Am not."

 "Kagome, are you scared?"

 "What do you mean?" 

"About having the pup…Are you scared?" 

She paused, thinking it over. At last she said, quietly, "Yeah, I guess I am a little frightened. I mean, I'm still at the tender age of eighteen; in the feudal era, that means that most girls should already have, like, three kids. But, in my time, it's different. I'm a little scared of motherhood, and how the pup will respond to me. I guess I'm as scared as you are about parenting, Inuyasha. But…I'll get over it eventually, right?" 

"I don't think anyone gets over it, Kagome. But, we'll manage; we're both as stubborn as heck, so we'll be just fine."

 "I hope you're right, Inuyasha," she replied sleepily. 

They remained outside until Kagome fell asleep. Inuyasha carried her home in his strong arms and dumped her gently on the futon, wrapping a blanket around her still form. He kissed her forehead and laid a hand on her stomach, pleading that she wouldn't stir and subdue him for touching her inappropriately. He swore that he could feel the pup responding under his fingertips. 

"You're going to be happy, Inume," he whispered. "You're going to be perfect. And, you're going to love your mother; she already loves you very much. Please, don't hurt her like I fear you will. I'm…afraid for her, and for you, my precious Inume." 

He laid down beside his mate, his back to her, and slowly fell into the depths of sleep. Unknown to him, though, Kagome had heard every word he had uttered, and smiled at his idea of protecting her and the pup. He's going to be a fine father, she thought. I know he'll be fine; he's my Inuyasha, after all.

 ..::OO::.. 

Morning sunlight filtered into the room, encasing the sleeping couple in bright radiance. Inuyasha was aroused from his sleep first. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he cast an anxious glance at his wife and found her fast asleep, her breathing even and almost silent. He smiled and tossed a log into the fire, stretching his aching muscles and releasing a yawn. His ears detected a slight giggle from the futon. 

"What's so funny?" he murmured without turning, grinning. 

"You yawn funny; that's all," Kagome said, sitting up. 

"Oh? Well, you sleep funny. You kept talking in your sleep last night; thought you'd never shut up." 

Her cheeks turned pink. "What did I say?"

 "Nothing that I could understand." 

She sighed, obviously relieved. "Good. So, are you hungry?" 

When she started to get to her feet, he gently pushed back down on the futon and wagged a scolding finger in her face. "Oh, no you don't. I'm cooking today." 

"Since when do you cook?" 

"Since my mate got pupped." He placed the pot over the fire and dumped the contents of his intended meal inside. He could smell Kagome's confusion on the air current and stifled a laugh. "Surprised?" 

"Yeah," she mumbled dazedly. "But, seriously, Inuyasha; I'm more than able to make our meal." 

"Not pupped, you aren't. Now, lay back down and get some rest; I'm perfectly capable of making breakfast." 

Kagome lay back down with a sigh, pulling the blanket around her aching body. She had to admit, it was nice of Inuyasha to make her breakfast. She simply grinned when he asked where the spoon was, and he didn't object when she got up to help him find it. Eventually, breakfast did get made, and the two settled down to eat. Kagome took small bites, the morning sickness still lingering. However, Inuyasha's very presence seemed enough to calm her queasy stomach, and she finished the whole bowl of porridge before she knew it. 

"Looks like you're feeling better," Inuyasha noticed as he took her bowl from her hands. 

She shrugged. "More or less." 

He was about to respond when frequent knocking outside silenced him. Warning Kagome with his eyes to remain where she sat, Inuyasha pushed back the reed flap to greet Sango, whose eyes were as wide as plates. 

"Sango, what's wrong?" he demanded, noticing how she was panting heavily. 

She held her fist forward, and then removed the concealment of her fingers to show him what was inside. On her palm, shimmering and radiant as ever, was the Shikon no Tama, the object that had been purified after Naraku's defeat. 

"No…" Inuyasha whispered. "Not that accursed thing…" 

Will that jewel ever be out of our lives? he wondered, retreating a step backwards. Kami. Now that that thing is back, what will happen to us now? What actions will take hold of us from this point on? I should've known that my happiness would be short lived…