Note: The continuing song of “Still” by Alanis Morissette. Plus a second song “Dreaming of You” by the late Selena, to depict Jakotsu’s separation from his beloved Inuyasha and of how much he wished for him to meet their son, Iyakotsu.

~ Eight Months Later, Setsuna Village ~

A strange, pregnant, raven-haired woman started to gasp harshly, then she started screaming bloody murder. She grasped her large, swollen belly as another contraction hit her hard like a ton of bricks. “Someone help me!!! My baby’s coming! Oh, OWW!!!! I’m dying, my baby’ll die!!! Someone help me, please!!!” She hollered, her voice rather deep and husky. She screamed some more as her water broke, splashing everywhere as it erupted down her legs. Several people in the local restaurant helped with her and lead her to the shrine where her child will be delivered. “Just hang in there, Miss Akoushi. You and your child will be alright.” One of them coaxed her. Akoushi was unable to use her feet to help carry her to the shrine. The gripping pain in her entire body made it impossible for her to even try.

“We’re here, Miss Akoushi. You can do it, the worst part is over with.” One of her carriers told her. But even with no pain, Akoushi bonked him on the head. “You idiot! The worst part is YET to come. OH!!! Hurry, get me inside, my baby wants out!!” She shouted. They continued carrying her inside until they sat her down on a comforting futon. The shrine’s priest and his priestesses entered the room. “Alright Miss Akoushi, spread out your legs so we’ll deliver that baby out in no time.” He said. “No wait!! Could you use a cesarean instead?! Please, just do so!” Akoushi demanded. The priest nodded and got to work. He placed a blanket over a rail and hover it in front of Akoushi, so she wouldn’t see what they’re doing.

She felt a certain spell used on her, to both numb her lower body and to ease her awareness so she’ll feel no pain while they’re cutting open her stomach to reach the baby. Akoushi relaxed herself as her entire body went completely numb, the pain finally leaving her. But what everyone in this village, very unbeknownst to them is that this woman is no woman at all. Her real name isn’t even Akoushi. She is in fact one on of the dreaded Band of Seven, Jakotsu. He used a false name, disguised himself as a woman and came to this small village of Setsuna, in order to hide his mysterious pregnancy. He was even careful to have a C-Section instead of a normal birth so nobody will discover his true self. Hiding himself isn’t easy as the pregnancy was difficult on him.

Jakotsu woke up several hours later, to find that he had passed out during the operation. He was startled at first, but he saw that everyone who helped with his delivery was nursing him back to perfect health. Jakotsu felt on his belly, no longer swollen. But it had a large scar across his abdomen, of where the operation took place. Then he remembered that the scar took place of something. “My baby, where’s my baby?!” He demanded. “Calm yourself, Miss Akoushi. Your child is safe. Congratulations, you have a son.” The priest proudly told him. Then one of his priestesses brought over a cute little bundle, wrapped up in a warm blanket. Jakotsu could see a tuft of shiny white hair atop of the baby’s head.

The baby gurgled a bit as he was put into his ‘Mother’s’ arms. Jakotsu rained tears all over his face as he held his son in his arms. The baby’s eyes were close, as if he were sleeping. The very top of the child’s head was covered in the blanket, like a bonnet. Jakotsu unveiled the whole head and gasped as he looked over it. The baby had Inuyasha’s white, soft, pointed dog ears, soft pink inside, and very short fur on the outside. The white dog ears were soft to touch, but they were very sensitive. Jakotsu gently touched the dog ears, which were so sensitive, the baby woke up. He opened his eyes, which were each two colors on each eye. One golden, the other dark. The priestesses in the room gasped as they saw the child’s eyes and ears. They were shocked to see that this child was a hanyou. Nobody, not even the priest dared to ask Jakotsu/Akoushi who the child’s father was.

They left the room to allow Akoushi to be alone with her child. They closed the door tight, so nobody will disturbed them. Jakotsu rocked his baby boy in his arms. Crying with both joy that he has a son, but with sorrow because his beloved wasn’t here to see their beautiful son. He moaned Inuyasha’s name as he hold the only part that he has left of him. “I’m so sorry little one. Hopefully one day, your father will find us and there won’t be any threats among us. Just so you know, I still love your father very much, That’s why I left him. Because I care about his safety as much as yours.” Jakotsu tearfully said. Tears fell from his eyes and onto the baby’s small face. Jakotsu kissed his forehead, getting a light smile and cute breathing sound from his son. The baby then yawned and closed his eyes gently. “Iya….kotsu. Iyakotsu! That will be your name. Named after your father and I. I’ll love you forever, Iyakotsu, my little angel.” Jakotsu whispered. “Hopefully your father will find us very soon. I hope he knows that I still love him.”

Kagura overhears of whatever Jakotsu is saying. She grins, knowing that it is Inuyasha’s son that was just born. The other priestesses and their priest leader were just slaughtered after delivering Jakotsu’s son. She was in disguise since she heard Jakotsu to be pregnant with Inuyasha’s child and came to this village. The bodies lay all over the place, blood ran everywhere. “Does he really think that being apart from Inuyasha will actually keep two of his loved ones safe? He really is stupid, mostly for betraying his own comrades for falling for their enemy. But don’t you threat, Jakotsu. Your son and your dear Inuyasha will see each other soon. Naraku will have plans for the both of them someday. We’ll allow you to live a happy life with him. Inuyasha will find you soon, I promise.” She secretly said to him, though he couldn’t hear her. But she was glad at that way.

Kagura used her powerful wind fan to clear off the bodies, so Jakotsu won’t find them. “DISPOSE GUST!” She whispered loudly, but softly so Jakotsu couldn’t hear her. And with one swing of her fan, the wind blew and the bodies were decomposed in a matter of minutes. Like they were nothing but ashes. Then the whole place was cleaned up, not a drop of blood left. Kagura grinned and threw back on her perfect disguise, a much more younger priestess, showing not a sign of evil on her. She slide open the door to Jakotsu’s room to check on him, or rather pretending to. “Is everything alright, Miss Akoushi?” Her fake voice was sweet and chirpy. Jakotsu was just putting baby Iyakotsu in his basket, where he had already fallen asleep. His small fists were poking out of the blanket he was wrapped in as he slept.

Jakotsu brushed his hair a little, to look more of a woman. “Everything is fine, ma’am. My son just fell asleep a while ago. He’s a blessed angel from Heaven. He’s the only part of my beloved before we departed from each other.” He spoke in a perfect woman’s tone. “I’m so sorry that you had to be separated from your lover. But may I ask of what you just named your son?” Kagura asked. “His name is Iyakotsu.” Jakotsu/Akoushi answered quietly, not taking his/her eyes off the baby. He was beginning to wonder of why the priestess didn’t say anything about his son being a half-breed. ‘Must have been trained to guess it and find that hanyous are not much of threats like true demons.’ He thought. “You get yourself some rest, Miss Akoushi. You and your son will go home in the morning. You’ll be needing some energy to walk home while carrying your baby home.” Kagura told him before departing. Jakotsu nodded and went to sleep himself on his futon, his dreams taking him into a tranquil slumber. Kagura grinned wickedly as soon as she was out of the shrine and flew off in her giant feather.

I see you lie to your country
I see you forcing them out
I see you blaming each other
And I love you still
And I love you still

~ Four Years Later ~

Jakotsu looked back at his terrible days as being a notorious killer in the Band of Seven before being killed and then resurrected. He sat by the window, the breeze blowing in his now more gentle face. His whole lifetime changed forever since he met Inuyasha and fell in love with him. But thinking about him now just pains his heart since he’s not here with him. And having and raising Iyakotsu alone was a complete change in his life. The boy had grew up peacefully and happily. And yet he had no idea that his mother was a male, aside from the fact that he was sort of like a zombie but yet alive enough to live a normal life again.

What amazes Jakotsu is that Iyakotsu isn’t like all other babies, not just because he was a hanyou. He had been a very well behaved and mannered baby and was even better as a toddler. Jakotsu had never changed a diaper or dealt with him crying at two in the morning, nothing. Iyakotsu would crawl to the outhouse himself, which scared his mother. He’d taken him to the local priests and priestesses time and time again to ask if he was all right, since he wasn’t acting like most babies. Jakotsu had seen babies in his time and they needed constant care, changing, supervision, and above all, they did not have self-control over their bodies just yet, but Iyakotsu didn’t have any of that. He was the sweetest, cleanest and quietest baby in the entire town, but his two-colored hanyou eyes set him apart from the rest of the children. So Jakotsu had to home school him since he’s so smart anyway.

Iyakotsu had grown into a cute but handsome young boy, looking a lot like his hanyou father, but with one gold eye and one ebony eye. His white hair had grown over his shoulders, tying it in a ponytail in the same style as his mother. And Iyakotsu’s cute dog ears were so sensitive, that he could hear a cricket chirp a mile away from the other side of town. He could even smell from distances, more powerful than his father could. He was even better at playing Hide & Seek, if anyone ever plays with him. Iyakotsu only has a small dog he named Toku to keep him company whenever his mother’s away. But sadly for the pup, Toku was born blind, he can only rely on Iyakotsu or his own nose and ears to guide him.

Iyakotsu just came into the room, watching as his mother was looking out at the window, his hand supporting his chin. Jakotsu looked different, his hair down and his face looked different without the make-up. His eyes were too busy noticing Iyakotsu looking up at him, too busy gazing out into the sky. Only in his mind, Jakotsu could see Inuyasha’s image, silhouetting with the scenery of Setsuna Village. Jakotsu felt like crying since he missed him, and fact he’s been missing him for the past four, lonely years. He could barely sleep at night, never not thinking or dreaming about Inuyasha, his true love.

Even Iyakotsu knows his mother to be missing his father so much, pining for his true love for so long. But yet he doesn’t understand why his mother left his father without ever telling all about him. The small hanyou worries for his male mother at times. Whenever he cries himself to sleep or if Iyakotsu does something that reminds him of Inuyasha, Jakotsu would be like the living dead person he is. Just being apart from Inuyasha was death enough. And he had to let fear conquer over him for the first time of his life. Poor Iyakotsu must be going through hard enough time without his father around to keep his mother alive.

Cuz I'm dreaming of you tonight
Till tomorrow, I'll be holding you tight
And there's nowhere in the world I'd rather be
Then here in my room,
Dreaming about you and me

Right now since its Iyakotsu’s fourth birthday coming up, the boy was wondering if his mother’s alive and well to celebrate it. He’s already going back into his sorrowing daze at missing his love since its around the anniversary of the day they first met. Not that Iyakotsu knows anything about it. Jakotsu just gazed out into the window, out into the scenery, only seeing Inuyasha’s handsome face in his mind. “Jakotsu….” He could hear his beloved whisper his name. A small tear fell out of his eye as Jakotsu wished to really reach out to him. “Inuyasha…my love….” He whispered back. He still paid no attention that little Iyakotsu was piping out from in the next room.

Wonder if you even see me
And I wonder if you know I'm there
If you looked in my eyes
Would you see what's inside?
Would you even care?

But Iyakotsu does know that his mother’s going weirded out with loneness. He saddens for him and goes back to his room. He holds his blind puppy in his arms, Toku gives the boy a lick on the cheek. “I wish my daddy will find us soon, Toku. My mama can’t stand being alone without him.” He said to his dog. Toku only whined since he doesn’t understand human language, even though his master was half of a dog himself. “C’mon, let’s go out and play. My mama needs some alone time.” Iyakotsu reached for Toku’s leash and hook it up to the dog’s collar. “I’m going out to play mama.” Iyakotsu called out. Jakotsu heard him, but kept his back turned and waved a hand to him, only telling him to stay out of trouble and to be back by sunset.

Luckily for Toku, his nose was more helpful whenever his master takes him out for a walk. Iyakotsu walked around town to see a lot of things going on. Toku barely barks at anybody since he can never see. He has nothing to bark about even if he can smell or hear them. Just then, Iyakotsu stopped as a lot of people were busy looking at a new stranger in town. Iyakotsu looked up to see why people were staring at him, this person looked to be stranger than him. He had a busy tail and canine like feet. He looked to be a few years older than Iyakotsu. ‘Is he a half-demon like me?’ Iyakotsu asked him in his mind. He decided on not wondering anymore since he’ll get in trouble again with asking stupid questions to strangers. But as he turned around, the bushy-tailed stranger saw him and called out to him. “Hey you! Little boy with white hair! Yes you, with the dog!” He called out as Iyakotsu turned around. He walked up to him and looked all over him, head to toe.

“My mama doesn’t want me to be talking to strangers. Even though they’re hanyous too.” He told the older boy, rather proudly. “I’m not a hanyou, I’m a full demon. But I’m a kitsune, so I’m a good demon. My name is Shippo.” Iyakotsu balked at the sound of the older boy’s name. Because his mother once knew a small kitsune named ‘Shippo’. “Your name is Shippo? My mama told me that my daddy once knew a little boy by that name.” He sprouted, never letting go of his blind puppy. But Toku never squirmed or fidgeted. “And who would your parents be, might I ask? Because you look an awful lot like someone I once knew.” Shippo puzzled. “My mama said my daddy’s name was Inu…yasha…Inuyasha. That’s my daddy’s name.” Shippo gasped at that name, shock to learn that this little boy is his ally’s son. “And who might I ask, is your mother’s name?”

“Uh….Ja…ko…tsu…My mama’s name is Jakotsu. Why? Do you know who ‘She’ is and do you know where my daddy is? Because mama’s lonely without him. An’ I wanna meet him.” Iyakotsu sprouted in a cute tone, holding his blind puppy close. Shippo only looked shocked to learn that Inuyasha had a son with one of the Band of Seven, instead of having one with Kagome or Miroku. He snapped out of his shocked state when the little hanyou started playing with his fluffy tail. “Um….do you know where you live? I need to have a word with your….*Ahem* Mother.” He asked rather politely. “Okay, but only if you promise not to be mean to my mama. If you know where my daddy is, you have to let her know.” Iyakotsu promised. Shippo nodded and snickered in amusement. The boy must not have any idea that his mother is a male. Iyakotsu took Shippo’s hand and lead the way to his house.