DISCLAIMER. I DON'T OWN INUYASHA. Though I wish I did! This is sort of a sequel to Autumn Night. Most of my fanfiction will work off that one. So if you haven't read it, please do so things make sense. (:
The night of the new moon, also known as the night Inuyasha despised the most. But thanks to Kagome, he now had a safe place to go this night, and people that loved and accepted him. Inuyasha had Kagome, he had Sango, Miroku and Shippo. Inuyasha had the protection of the village. He was home, and he was safe.
Kagome and Inuyasha both sat on the futon, Inuyasha's lap lay comfortably in her lap. Her hands ran through his hair slowly and gently, almost brushing the ebony locks with her fingers until they felt like silk through her fingers, and it was addicting.
His eyes were beginning to droop, Kagome smiled and kissed the top of his head, humming slowly. Inuyasha groaned slightly as it was becoming near impossible for him to keep his eyes open, he could feel himself drifting.
"…'Gome, you know I don't sleep on this night…" She kissed his head again, "Come on honey, you're safe here. I'll be right here when you wake up in the morning… Shut your eyes koishii…" His eyes continued to flutter open and close, then finally shut. After what seemed like fifteen minutes, his breathing had evened out, he was asleep.
Kagome smiled and carefully maneuvered his head from her lap to the pillow, well in mind not to wake her sleeping love. She shrugged off her priestess kimono, slipping on a silk sleeping gown Kaede had made her as a welcome home gift, along with a knee length silk robe to throw over. The red robes fit her comfortably.
She was about to crawl over to her koishii when she heard a rustle outside the hut. Her head snapped up to the door, glancing nervously at Inuyasha's sleeping form. No, no, no… Not tonight… No demons tonight… I finally got him to sleep…
The rustling continued, Kagome groaned, reaching to grab her bow and quiver of arrows that lay ready at the futon's side. She was going to check things out, hopefully Inuyasha wouldn't wake while she was gone. Kami help her if he figured out she was warding off demons at night so that he could sleep.
The movement continued to her left, her eyes snapped to her peripheral vision, and caught what looked like a human. Or demon…
She ran towards her left, diving straight into the woods, and regretted it immediately. If it was a demon, then it had definitely heard her, and knowing she was a miko, she was a prime target. And at her current position, there was way too much foliage to the demon's advantage. She needed to get to a clearing.
She took off running. Her bare feet scraping at the twigs and rocks on the forest floor. Kagome nearly gasped in relief as she saw the clearing of the Goshinboku, nearly doubling in her speed to get to the tree. She broke into the clearing at speeds that would make Inuyasha proud, and as she reached the tree, Kagome spun around and notched an arrow, aiming at the woods.
What she saw, was not what she expected.
There stood a woman, robed in a pink outer kimono covered with soft lavender flowers down towards her feet. Her dark ebony tresses cascaded down her slim form, reaching down to nearly her ankles. Her bangs covered her eyes slightly, but there was something familiar about this woman, Kagome just couldn't figure it out.
She lowered the bow slightly, keeping the arrow notched out of anxiety of her location. The woman approached her slowly, her footsteps very slow, but very sure. Kagome shook slightly from the crisp autumn breeze.
"Who are you?"
The woman continued to approach her until she was a mere five feet from Kagome. Her head lifted slowly, to reveal a striking beautiful lady. Her face was young and flawless, her skin pale and smooth of that of a porcelain doll. Her eyes were a shining and solid chocolate brown, and they shone as soft as Kagome's mother's.
"Hello Kagome."
Kagome shook again, this was getting to her, she was becoming frightened. How did this woman know her? She had never seen her in her entire life!
"Who are you, and how do you know my name?"
The lady smiled softly, shaking her head slowly, "You are the mate of the young hanyou, Inuyasha," Kagome began to blush, "And the young priestess that protects the village that resides among this forest. You defeated the demon Naraku alongside Inuyasha and your fellow companions." She smiled again, "You are a great young lady, dear Kagome."
Kagome lowered her bow all the way, removing the arrow, slipping it back in the quiver. "How do you know so much about me? Who are you?" She stepped forward, taking Kagome's hand, and squeezed tightly. "I have watched you since you came to this era. I know all about your former life 500 years in the future. The moment you came to this tree," She admired the tree with some sorrow in her expression, "I have watched you."
Kagome listened to the woman with undivided attention. There was some softness in this woman, some sweet love that seemed to draw Kagome towards her. The woman chuckled slightly, "I remember these woods, even this tree." Tears welled up in her eyes, but she continued, "I used to hold my son under this tree, comfort him when he cried. Show him love when no other would."
The softness in her eyes was contagious, Kagome listened to the woman, she seemed so… Sad. "He was so young, he was exposed to such hate… My poor baby boy…"
The lady squeezed her hand again, then pulled her into a warm embrace. Kagome was startled, but slowly let her arms slip around the woman's slim waist. After a few moments, the lady pulled back, brushing Kagome's bangs from her eyes.
"You have a beautiful face. It's no wonderful my boy found you.."
Kagome's heart stopped.
"Y-You're… You're… Lady Izayoi!"
Inuyasha woke from his slumber with great confusion. Kagome was no one to be found around the hut. He stood quickly and ran outside, scanning the area around him, panic filling his system through and through.
"Looking for Kagome?"
Inuyasha spun around, an older man was leaning against the wall of the hut. He wore a simple haori, almost an exact replica of Kagome's jii-chan's. His hair was short, and slightly matted against his head. His arms were crossed against his chest, his eyes shut revealing the crows feet on his eyes.
"Who the hell are you?"
The man shook his head, a small chuckle released from his throat, "My, my, my Inuyasha, have you no patience?"
Inuyasha's blood was pumping, his heart racing, his mate was no where to be found. And of course, the girl had chosen his human night to disappear! And now this ass was sitting here pushing his buttons, was he asking for a beating?
"Do you know where Kagome is?"
The man opened his eyes, cerulean orbs were revealed to Inuyasha's violet. There was a light in those eyes, almost a childish giddiness hidden behind them as he smiled at Inuyasha. "Why, yes I do."
Inuyasha sighed in relief, and waited for the man to tell him. But he did no such thing. Instead, this man stared at him with a small smile, and ran his hand through his hair nonchalantly. Inuyasha was ready to explode.
"Goddammit! If you know where she is then tell me!"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk… Inuyasha, Inuyasha, Inuyasha… Is that anyway to talk to your mate's father?"
Inuyasha blood froze.
"Y-You're… You're… Mr. Higurashi?"
Kagome stood frozen as realization hit her hard. She was speaking to Inuyasha's deceased mother! A smile lit up on her face, "Lady Izayoi!" She gave Izayoi a respectful bow, only to have her chin lifted gently by her. "My dear child, I fear this is all the time I have left. I just…" She kissed Kagome's forehead, "I needed to meet my boy's girl… And I can say with full honesty, he couldn't have found a better girl."
Kagome blushed, Izayoi reached to her own neck, pulling a thin silver chain necklace from her. Kagome admired the necklace, it looked like a simple sterling silver chain you'd find at a jewelry store in her era, though she knew how rare that was here.
Izayoi pulled a ring from her finger, slipping it onto the chain, before reaching and clasping around Kagome's neck. "I want you to always remember that your mother-in-law, as you say in your era, loves you almost as much as her own son." Izayoi kissed Kagome's forehead once more, before walking in the direction of the rising sun.
Kagome watched, tears streaming down her face.
No wonder Inuyasha misses her so much… She's so loving, so understanding, it hurts even me to watch her go…
Mr. Higurashi stared at the dumbfounded hanyou. Inuyasha stood in the presence of Kagome's deceased father, who he had just treated extremely disrespectfully. For once, Inuyasha felt shame for his actions.
"M-Mr. Higurashi… I apologize for my behavior."
Mr. Higurashi smirked slightly, walking forward to Inuyasha. He fought the urge to flinch, something about this was eating at his core… Mr. Higurashi stood in front of Inuyasha, grasping his hand, shaking roughly.
"I'm glad, Inuyasha."
The young hanyou stood confused, Mr. Higurashi chuckled. I kept my eyes on Kagome ever since the damn cancer took my life seven years ago," Inuyasha's eyes softened as he remembered when Kagome had to him about that ordeal, "And you, despite your first actions towards my daughter…"
Inuyasha averted his eyes a moment then met Mr. Higurashi's again, "You are definitely the best man that has ever been in her life, besides me. You love her, and cherish her, and I couldn't ask for more than that. Thank you, Inuyasha."
"I now know my daughter is in capable hands, and I believe that you deserved to know the relief of your mate's father."
Inuyasha's chest swelled with pride, that a soul of the dead was thankful enough to show himself to Inuyasha, just to thank him. It was, an amazing feeling.
Mr. Higurashi pulled a ring off his finger, slipping it on to Inuyasha's with a perfect fit. Inuyasha admired the ring. It was solid silver, and engraved on it were swords clashing, and on the inside, it read, "Forever together". Mr. Higurashi patted his son's head, "Thank you, Inuyasha."
And with that, Mr. Higurashi continued his path into the rising sun over the horizon. Inuyasha felt almost a sorrow of his own as the only man that ever seemed like a father, even for a moment, left forever.
No wonder Kagome loves him so much. He's a great man.
Kagome ran back through the forest, the sun was rising, Inuyasha would be waking. If she didn't get there before he-
"Kagome! There you are!"
Crap…
"Inuyasha! Hehehe… Uhm, I was just going for a morning stroll through the woods." Inuyasha surveyed her apparel and raised an eyebrow as he spotted her bow and quiver. "A stroll… In your sleeping gown… With your bow and arrows… At sunrise…"
Kagome stared at her feet, lowering her head. "Let's just say, I had an interesting night…" Inuyasha was about to retort, when he spotted the necklace she wore.
He stepped forward quickly, taking the ring at the end of the necklace in his fingers, staring at it with immense confusion. "Where… Where did you get this…?" Kagome hugged Inuyasha suddenly, holding him tightly to him.
Inuyasha stood frozen and confused, but he hugged back his beloved. Kagome sobbed silently, pressing her lips to Inuyasha's ear, "Your mother… She's lovely…" Inuyasha's eyes softened. She saw Mother… And I saw her father… He hugged her tightly, kissing her head, "And your father, is amazing…"
LA FIN! Hope you guys liked it. It was a little long and if it drags on please let me know. Still getting into the writing phase again, and I'm a little rusty. Soooooo… R&R s'il vous plait. (: