Arigato Rekka-Chan for allowing me to use her lemon fic 'One Moment' as a background for this fic. I agree that something might have happened between Shuten and Nasuti while he was staying at her house. At the end of 'One Moment' Nasuti remembered that Shuten had told her that he couldn't give her any children. Well, I couldn't help but pull a 180 on that line. Enjoy.
Prologue
Nasuti stood in front of the full-length mirror in her bedroom. She was by herself in the big two-story mansion except for Byakuen, but the tiger was outside in the woods somewhere.
The Troopers had moved out of her home and into the Youjakai. The five young warriors believed that it was too dangerous for them to stay in the Nigenkai. The Troopers and the Ma Sho were beginning to get along better with each other, and getting over their grief from Shuten's death.
Nasuti was still grieving over him and she did not regret the time they had spent together; the night she had given herself to him. Nasuti loved Shuten more than anything. She missed him so much since he died over two months ago. It also had gotten quiet in her home since the Troopers left. But the phone call she received from the doctor confirmed her suspicion that it wouldn't stay quiet too much longer.
"You were wrong, Shuten." Nasuti smiled, placing her hands on her flat belly where the new life was growing. "You were wrong."
____
"No," said Anubis.
"Yes," Kayura said.
"You're kidding," said Rajura.
"Not kidding."
"Nasuti is pregnant?" asked Naaza.
"Just a little over two months pregnant." Kayura informed the Ma Sho. "I can tell."
"How?" Anubis asked.
"No, baka," said Naaza. "Not 'how'. Who? One of the Troopers?"
Kayura shook her head. "No, I already asked them what kind of relationship they had with Nasuti. They were a little suspicious when I asked, but it wasn't anything physical."
"So who's the father of Nasuti's baby?" asked Anubis.
"He did wear a yoroi," said Kayura. "But, unfortunately, he's not with us anymore."
Rajura started to smile. "Shuten."
Kayura nodded.
Naaza raised an eyebrow. "Shuten and Nasuti were together?"
"Well, think about it," said Anubis. "The Troopers were here in the Youjakai over two months ago, and during that time Shuten was staying with Nasuti at her house. That must have been when they were together."
"I didn't think that any of us could have children," said Rajura.
"Apparently we can," said Naaza. "Or Shuten was the lucky one. Do the Troopers know?"
"No, I didn't tell them." Kayura said. "Pregnancies are difficult, from what I understand. Seiji's mother had a hard time when she was pregnant with him and he was born prematurely. That's why he's prone to illnesses. Nasuti doesn't need the stress from us popping in and out of her house constantly, and I think she would be very upset if we brought her here. I'm going to talk to her about Shuten's baby tomorrow."
"She's not afraid of us anymore," said Anubis. "Why would there be a problem?"
"Nasuti is carrying Shuten's child." Kayura looked straight into his eyes. "It's all that she has to remember him. She'll probably be afraid of us taking the baby away from her. And I wouldn't be surprised when the child is old enough; it would be able to wear Shuten's yoroi. That possibility has no doubt crossed Nasuti's mind."
"So when do we tell the Troopers?" asked Rajura.
"For now, I think it's best if we keep quiet about the child until after it's born." Kayura said.
____
The next morning, Kayura appeared in the dining room at Nasuti's house. "Nasuti," she called.
"I'll be right down." Nasuti's voice came from upstairs. A few moments later, Nasuti entered the dining room.
"Are you all right?" Kayura asked. "You look a little pale."
"I'm fine," said Nasuti. "Breakfast didn't agree with me."
With you or with the baby? Kayura smiled.
"Would you like some tea?" Nasuti asked.
"Hai, arigato," Kayura said. She followed Nasuti into the kitchen and sat at the table.
"So how are the Troopers?" Nasuti asked as she made the tea.
"Getting adjusted to the Youjakai," Kayura said. "They're still a little unnerved when the people there bow to them when they walk by."
Nasuti laughed, gave the cup of tea to Kayura, and sat down. "So what else is new?"
"Oh, nothing much," said Kayura. "Other than the fact that you're pregnant."
Nasuti gasped and looked at Kayura. "How did you know?" Nasuti asked quietly.
"I can tell," said Kayura. "And Shuten is the father, isn't he?" Nasuti could feel her face turn crimson. She lowered her head and nodded. "It's all right, Nasuti." Kayura touched the other girl's arm. "I'm very happy for you."
Nasuti placed her hands on her belly. "This is all that I have to remember him by." A tear ran down her cheek. "It would have been nice..."
Kayura placed her hand over Nasuti and closed her eyes. "Very strong," said Kayura, removing her hand. "Just like Shuten."
"What's the real reason that you're here, Kayura?" Nasuti asked nervously.
"It's very clear that Shuten is the father of your baby," the sorceress pointed out. "And since it is Shuten's child, it might be possible that the child could wear Shuten's yoroi."
"No!" Nasuti backed away. "The Oni yoroi belongs to you, Kayura. Shuten gave it to you."
"That doesn't mean that I can wear it forever," Kayura said. "Shuten gave his life to free me, but he is supposed to wear the Oni yoroi. His child must take his place."
"You're not taking my baby away from me." Nasuti crossed her arms protectively over her abdomen. "This is all that I have from Shuten. Giving me a child is the greatest gift I could ever have."
"That was never my intention." Kayura stood up. "I have no doubt that you and Shuten loved each other or the two of you would not have been together. But your child might be able to wear Shuten's yoroi."
"Will you see my child as Shuten's child?" Nasuti asked. "Or will you see Shuten?"
Kayura looked at her in shock. "How can you say that?"
"Because you, the other Ma Sho, and the Troopers are still upset over Shuten's death. Yes, I am carrying Shuten's baby. But you and the others won't see my child. You'll see Shuten."
"Nasuti, we would never think like that." Kayura said. "We only would want to protect your baby. We owe it to you, and we owe it to Shuten." But Nasuti wouldn't listen and shook her head.
Kayura sighed and pulled a silver locket out, placing it on the table. "Naaza made it," she said. "Rajura put the designs on it. When you look inside, you'll see what Anubis put in it. Just the three of them and me know about your baby, and that Shuten is the father. We won't tell the Troopers until the time is right." Kayura disappeared.
Nasuti stood for what felt like hours. Finally, she walked over to the table, picked up the locket, and opened it. Inside was a hand-painted picture of Shuten. Nasuti started to cry and held the locket to her heart.
____
Touma appeared on the driveway of Nasuti's house. It had been almost five months since he and the other Troopers moved into the Youjakai. They felt bad that they hadn't been visiting Nasuti. But Touma was the first one of the Troopers to be able to teleport out of the Youjikai without any help from one of the Ma Sho or Kayura.
He ran up the driveway to the porch and rang the doorbell. A woman in her mid-thirties opened the door. "May I help you?" she asked.
"Is Nasuti here?" asked a very shocked Touma.
"Who?"
"Yagyu Nasuti," Touma said.
"No, I'm sorry," said the woman, "No one lives here by that name. Although the previous owner was called Yagyu-san. She didn't tell me what her first name was."
"When did she move out?"
"About a month and a half ago. By the way, what's your name?"
"Hashiba Touma."
"Hold on for one moment." She closed the door and came back a few moments later holding an envelope. "She said if anyone had any of the names on here to give this to you."
Touma took the envelope from her. "Arigato," he said and bowed.
"Sayonara," she said returning the bow and closed the door.
____
"I love all of you. Nasuti." Touma finished reading Nasuti's letter.
"Why would she just take off like that?" asked Shu.
"Beats the hell out of me," said Touma. "I went to the real-estate agent Nasuti used, but even they don't know where she is."
"That's not like her," said Ryo.
"Any ideas why she would just leave?" Seiji asked.
"You're living here," suggested Anubis.
"What?" Shin asked.
"Think about it," Rajura said. "Time flows the same. But here in the Youjakai, you'll only age one year every one hundred years. Every time we go visit Nasuti, she'll be older while we're still the same as we are now."
"True," said Ryo. "But just to disappear like that without even telling us that she was leaving?"
Naaza shrugged. "Nothing we can do about it now. She's gone."
____
Later on, Kayura and the Ma Sho met up while the Troopers continued to explore the Youjakai. "You know the only reason why Nasuti took off is because she thinks we'll take the baby from her," Anubis said.
"Of course," said Naaza.
"Why else would she disappear?" Rajura asked.
"She's just making this more difficult," said Kayura. "I tried to tell her that we only want to protect her baby. Now she's gone." She looked at the Ma Sho. "We have to find her and her child."