Disclaimer: I do not, nor have I ever owned Inuyasha. It's a sad truth….
Summary: It had been fourteen years since he'd seen her. It'd been fourteen years since her name had been mentioned in his house. Then one fateful day, Inuyasha's past catches up with him. With the help of his daughter, can Inuyasha recover the love that was once lost? Or, after that long wait, is it possible that the love has been lost forever?
(Author's Note: Mieoko and Niko are my own characters)
Chapter 1: Her Birthday, and The Past
She sat on her window sill. The sun was setting and it left a warm glow throughout her room. In her hand were several sheets of paper. She looked out her window at the setting sun. A small breeze blew past her, and rustled the papers in her hand. She looked down at the papers. She tucked some of her loose hair behind her ear and stared thoughtfully at the paper. They contained the last words her mother had for her; it was her mother's good bye letter.
Her mother had died giving birth to her. She couldn't say it was her fault. Her mother knew she was going to die. She had been too sick to have a child, but she had wanted to leave her father with someone to love him and take care of him.
Her mother had known as soon as she found out she was pregnant that her life was going to be cut short. She had felt bad knowing that she wouldn't be able to be there for her daughter, so she got a brilliant idea of leave her daughter with letters. These letters were to be given to her on her birthday until her thirteenth birthday.
Every birthday that she could possibly remember started with her mother's letter. She could care less about the rest of the presents that were offered her on her birthday; it was all about the letter.
This year was different from the past years. This year would be the last year she'd receive a letter on her birthday. She didn't know what to expect that morning when she was handed her letter, but she never would've expected what she read.
"Kanna, dear," an older voice called from the doorway. She looked up. It was her nanny, Kaede.
"Yes nana?" Kanna said, folding her papers in half.
"It's time to get ready for bed," Kaede said smiling at the little girl.
"Aw," Kanna whined. "Do I have to?"
"Yes sweetie," Kaede said going to her drawers to pull out Kanna's pajamas. "Your father's rules, nothing we can do about that." She started picking up the toys that were all over Kanna's bed.
"Aw, Come on nana," Kanna continued. "It's my birthday though!"
Kaede sighed. "Okay," she began. "I have to go get something from a neighbor, and then I have to clean the mess in the living room." Kanna grimaced. "When I finish I expect you to be in bed." Kaede got up and left. Kanna just smiled. Kaede was absolutely the best person in the world.
Kanna sat on her window sill and watched Kaede walk down the block. She looked back down at the papers folded in her hands. She got up and made her way to her bed. She lay on her stomach and began re-reading the letter.
It read:
Dearest daughter,
It is now your thirteenth birthday. Happy Birthday Baby! You must be so big now! I know you've made your father very proud. You've made me proud too, my precious little girl. Well I shouldn't say little, you're a teenager now! Time goes by so fast don't you think? Before you know it you'll be driving and have a family of your own. For the past twelve years you've been getting a letter from me. All of my previous letters contained advice about life, what to do, what not to do. This letter, my last letter, will be different though. This letter will be a story, a true story. I think you should know the truth about your father, myself, and a young lady by the name of Kagome Hirugashi…
Kanna stared at that name for a while. It sounded so familiar to her. Then it hit her. She ran to her desk and began looking for the magazine she'd received in the mail two days prior. She found it and read the cover. It read: Kagome Hirugashi's Secret to staying in Shape. Kanna ran back to the letter that she had left on her bed. Did her mother mean that Kagome? Did her dad know Kagome Hirugashi, one of the world's most beautiful models?
She continued reading:
I want you to know that what Kagome did was the ultimate sacrifice. It was my fault. Had I never decided to go to that college, I never would've ruined the happiness of a young girl. You see, I was introduced to Kagome a year and a half before you were born. She was going to help me around the school. She was my guide. She introduced me to all of her friends: Sango, Miroku, Kouga, and Ayame. Lastly she introduced me to your father. I fell in love with him from the moment I met him, but I could see that Kagome already loved him. She never admitted it, but it was obvious that they both loved each other. You could see it in their eyes, and the way they fooled around with each other, it was obvious that they were deeply in love…
"Kanna," she heard her father's voice called out from down stairs. "You'd better be in bed young lady!"
"I am!" Kanna called back as she scurried around her room trying to get everything ready. She crawled under the covers just as her dad opened the door.
"You're getting faster," Inuyasha said as he sat on the edge of her bed. He pulled the covers off of her head and smiled. Kanna refused to say anything. She had her eyes shut tight and her lips pressed hard, but a smile was slowly creeping onto her face. "Good night pipsqueak," Inuyasha said throwing the covers over his daughter's face. "No lights after ten, got it?" He got up and walked out of her room.
"Good night, dad," Kanna called after her dad. She heard him chuckle and smiled. As soon as she had given him time to go down the stairs, she grabbed her flashlight and returned to her letter.
She read:
Kagome and Inuyasha met during their first year of college. They both were studying to be veterinarians. It was actually very cute considering your father is part dog. It was very amusing. They were both part of the kendo and archery club, and they quickly became friends. Had you met them, you would've thought that they had known each other since they were children…
"Inuyasha," he heard someone call from behind. "Wait for us!" He turned to see Kagome and her dog, Mieoko, running towards him and his dog Niko.
"Kagome," Inuyasha moaned playfully.
"What," Kagome said putting on her best child face. "Do you not want us around?" She gave Mieoko's leash a small tug, signaling him to give Inuyasha a cute whine. The two, owner and dog, gave Inuyasha their best puppy eyes. Inuyasha just rolled his eyes.
"Yay!" Kagome said throwing her arms around Inuyasha's neck. "You do want us around!" She petted his silky white hair. "You're such a good boy."
Inuyasha gave her a playful growl, but Kagome just laughed and backed away.
"Oh," she laughed. "I'm so scared!"
"You should be," Inuyasha said in a playful voice. "Sick her boy!" He said to Niko. His dog barked playfully and jumped onto Kagome.
"Ah," Kagome cried, surprised. "Mieoko help me!" Mieoko began to bark happily at Niko. Niko stopped licking Kagome's face and pounced on Mieoko. The two dogs began wrestling.
"Come on, Niko," Inuyasha cheered. "You can kick his butt!"
"Let's Go Mieoko!" Kagome cheered happily. "Let's show them who the tougher dog is!"
Mieoko pinned Niko to the ground. Kagome cheered and Inuyasha pouted.
"Okay," Kagome said pulling her dog. "Get off of him." She picked up the dog's leash and waited for Inuyasha. "So what's on the agenda for today?" she asked her dog demon companion.
"Well," Inuyasha said thoughtfully. "The Kendo club is meeting today at 10:30. Wanna go?"
"Sure," Kagome replied as the made their way to the park. "You're overdue for a good butt whooping."
Inuyasha chuckled. "You don't think you can beat me now do you?"
"Like hell I can!" Kagome said smiling. The two grabbed their dogs and made their way back to their own dorms.
"I'll see you later," Inuyasha said as they parted.
"Mua!" she said as she blew a friendly kiss at him.
"Yuck," he said wiping his cheek. He laughed, "Now I have Kagome germs!"
"Oh," Kagome said with fake anger. "Go away you silly puppy!"
The two parted ways. They had an hour to get ready for the club meeting. Kagome could hardly wait. She quickly changed into her little fighting outfit.
"Gonna go fight with Inuyasha," her friend appeared at the door. It was more of a statement than a question.
"Yep," Kagome said smiling as she went over to her friend and picked the little kitten off her shoulder. "I'm gonna kick his butt today." She snuggled with the kitten and took her to the bed. She placed her down gently next to the sleeping Mieoko.
"Be careful," her friend said as she sat down next to the sleeping dog and the now sleeping cat. "Don't overdue it again."
"Don't worry, Sango," Kagome said going to her bed and sitting next to her. "He won't hurt me. He knows I'm a human." They both laughed.
"Yes," Sango said getting up. "You're right, but still, be careful." She got up and walked out of the room. Kagome followed and closed the door behind her.
"You gonna watch?" Kagome asked, catching up to her friend.
Sango smiled. "Of course I am! I gotta cheer you on!"
"Yay!" Kagome cheered. The two laughed and ran out to go meet their friend.
They arrived at the gym where the kendo club was meeting. Inuyasha was waiting outside by the door. He was wearing his favorite baggy red pants and a loosely fit white t-shirt. The two girls ran over to him.
"Hey Inny," Kagome greeted him. Sango and Kagome laughed at his reaction. His ears flattened against his head and an annoyed expression crossed his face.
"Come on," he sounded annoyed. "We're up first."
"Really?" Kagome sounded surprised. She was even more surprised to find that no one was there. "Inuyasha?"
Inuyasha smirked. "Come on Kags," Kagome glared at him. "Let's see what you got!" He tossed a boken at her.
"You're goin' down, dog-boy," Kagome whispered threateningly.
"Bring it," Inuyasha called.
Kagome charged at him. When she fought against him, she never followed the rules or styles. Her main goal was to beat the crud out of Inuyasha. Inuyasha was fully prepared for her on coming charge. He easily threw her off. Kagome fell and landed on her rear. She got up quickly.
"Inuyasha!" he heard their only viewer called. "Play fair!"
"I know," he whispered.
Kagome charged at him again. He blocked her attacks again. He went in for an attack. He swung his bokken and hit her in the ribs. He had hit her softly, but it was still too hard for her. She fell and stayed curled up on the floor.
"Kagome!" Sango called as she ran over to her friend. "Kagome are you okay?"
She moaned.
"Kagome," Inuyasha whispered.
She moaned again and lifted one hand to shoo him away. Sango and Inuyasha laughed.
"Come on, Kagome," Sango said helping her friend up. "You've had enough for today." She threw Inuyasha a dirty look.
"Sango…" he began but hesitated.
"Sango leave him alone," Kagome said as she managed to stand on her own. "He didn't mean to hit me that hard. It was actually one of the softest hits he's landed on me."
Inuyasha gave her a grateful and apologetic smile.
Sango looked from one to the other and rolled her eyes. "Come on, Kagome," she said grabbing her friend's arm. "Like I said, you've had enough for today." She turned to look at Inuyasha. "Pizza Palace at seven then?"
Inuyasha beamed. "Sure! I'll even take Miroku."
Sango blushed. Kagome laughed. Sango turned and began walking towards the door.
"Bye," she said holding up a hand and waving.
Inuyasha smiled. "See ya, Sang," Inuyasha replied. He turned to Kagome, "Lunch?"
Kagome shook her head. "Can't," she said and Inuyasha frowned. "I have something to do, but I will be at Pizza Palace at seven tonight."
Inuyasha shrugged. "Fine, but you owe me lunch then."
Kagome smiled. "Okay," she replied and turned to walk away.
She heard Inuyasha sigh from behind her.
She kept walking towards the door, but whispered something that she knew he would hear. "After that we can have a rematch."
Inuyasha smiled and called out. "I'll go easy on you!"
Kagome laughed and as she reached the door she turned to look at him. He had his cocky smile on. She laughed and blew him a kiss.
This time instead of wiping it off his face, he outstretched his hand and caught it. He looked at his hand, then at her and smiled. Her cheeks turned a light shade of pink. He put his hand that held her kiss and put it on his cheek.
"I'll see you later," he mouthed and turned to walk out the other door.
Kagome's cheeks were beat red as she walked back towards her dorm. Then she remembered that she was to meat up with the dean.
'Crap,' she mentally cursed herself. She turned and sprinted over to the office building. She burst through the doors of the building. 'Damn,' she thought as she ran. 'His office has to be on the third floor in the building where the stairs are located at one end of a long hall. When they built this building, they so were planning against me.'
She ran past the secretary and straight into the office. There were two people there staring wide-eyed at her. She turned red again; she had just realized how messy she looked and how rude she had just been.
"I am so sorry," Kagome apologized as she undid her messy ponytail letting her hair fall. She quickly pulled it back into a neat ponytail. "I was practicing kendo in the gym, and I completely forgot about this meeting."
She heard a hearty laugh. She looked up at the dean.
"It is okay, Kagome," he said laughing. "Allow me to introduce my niece, Kikyou Makato." He waved a hand at his niece. She was standing in front of the chair that faced him. She smiled timidly at Kagome.
"It's nice to meet you, Kagome," she said bowing slightly.
"It's nice to meet you too," Kagome smiled at her. 'She seems to be a girl,' she thought to herself. Kagome turned to face the dean again. "Did I interrupt something?" She asked him.
"Not at all," he said smiling. "We were just waiting for you."
"I'm not sure I understand what you mean," Kagome said looking from him to Kikyou with a confused look on her face.
"The reason I wanted to have this meeting was because I have a favor to ask of you," the dean said, his expression becoming very serious.
"Um," Kagome said unsure. "Okay I guess."
"Would you be so kind as to help my niece around the school?"
"That's it?" Kagome asked a small smile on her face. "That's not a problem."
"Wonderful," the dean said smiling. "I would like you to stay with her for a few days so that she can get accustomed to the way things go around here."
"Sure thing, sir," Kagome said her smile growing a bit more.
"One more thing, Kagome," the dean said his face becoming serious again.
Kagome gave him a wary look. Something about the way he said that made her wonder if she really wanted to agree to what he was about to say.
"She needs a place to live," he gave her a pleading look. "I know you like not having a roommate, but would you mind reconsidering?"
"What?" Kagome said staring at him.
"Please, Kagome?" he was begging. "She needs a place to stay and there's no one else who needs a roommate."
Kagome glared at him. She thought of her dog and Sango's cat that were probably still sleeping on her bed. She didn't have a roommate so the other half of the room belonged to the animals: Mieoko (her dog), Niko (Inuyasha's dog), and Kirara (Sango's cat). If she got a roommate, the animals wouldn't have a place to stay anymore when their owners were out.
"I'm sorry sir," Kagome began carefully. "I don't think that she can move in anytime soon." She watched his expression. She couldn't read it.
"Kagome," he said his voice cold. "You are aware that there is a strict 'No Pets' Policy in the dorms, correct?"
Kagome stared wide-eyed at him. 'Crap,' she thought. 'Does she know?'
"What are you saying?" Kagome asked pretending she had no idea what he was talking about.
He gave her a small smile and turned to his phone. "Ms. Taymi," he said looking at Kagome. "Can you please send our friends in?"
"Right away, sir," she replied. In a matter of minutes the door opened and in bound Mieoko, Niko, and being carried in Sango's arms was Kirara.
"I'm sorry, Kagome," she apologized. "They caught me walking out of your dorm with Kirara." Sango looked as though she was actually going to cry. Kagome could understand why though, Sango loved Kirara just as much as she (Kagome) loved Mieoko.
"You see Miss Kagome," the dean said causing Kagome to turn and face him. "We can overlook this small incident if you can graciously provide my niece a place to stay."
Kagome looked angrily at the dean. She then shifted her angry look at Kikyou. It softened a bit when she saw her embarrassed face and a silly Mieoko sniffing her.
"Mieoko," she called softly. His ears perked up and his tail wagged. He made his way over to her. Niko, who had been sniffing the dean, went over to Kagome as well. She pulled two leashes out of her pocket. Out of habit she carried the leashes with her; she never knew when they would be needed. She put the dogs on their leashes and looked at the dean.
"So what your saying is either I give your niece a place to stay, or me and my dogs have got to go?" Kagome said icily.
"Yes," he said a small glint of victory in his eyes. "If you could do that, I'm sure we could just overlook the fact that you, Mr. Takashi, and Miss Taijiya, here all have pets. Pets which might I add pose a threat to anyone near them."
With his last comment said, Sango and Kagome's anger reached its high point.
"They are not dangerous at all," Sango said; her voice cold sending chills up Kikyou's spine.
"They don't pose a threat to anyone at all," Kagome's voice sounded deadly. Even Mieoko whined. Both dogs had their tails down and the cat had nestled herself between her two giant guardians.
"Never say they are a threat to anyone," Sango warned. With that said Sango walked over to Kagome and took the leashes. She picked up Kirara and made her way to the door. "I'll wait for you outside." She said to Kagome and left without saying another word.
"Uncle," Kikyou finally spoke up. "Please, I would rather not intrude on Kagome. Maybe I could just stay with you and auntie?"
"No," he said firmly standing up and walking over to her. "Your parents wanted me to give you a normal college life, and that includes living in a dorm."
"But…" she began but was interrupted by Kagome.
"Come on," she said walking over to her. "I've heard enough. Just get your stuff so we can go. I don't think the dogs like being tied up outside." That being said, Kagome turned and walked out of the office.
"I didn't think she would ever give in," the dean said returning to his seat. "She is the best student on campus. That's why I wanted you to become friends with her. She will have you fitting in in no time at all."
Kikyou looked at her uncle then at the door through which Kagome had left. She was bothered. It was going to take a while before Kagome would even accept her offer of friendship. Her uncle had just broken any chance she had of becoming friends with Kagome, or anyone else on campus for that matter.
Kagome walked outside of the office building. She was extremely angry. She was so angry she didn't realize at first that someone was standing next to the dogs.
"Well," Kagome's head snapped up and she found herself looking at Inuyasha. "What happened?"
Kagome sighed. "We can keep the dogs and cat," she said smiling at Sango who was looking at her with hopeful eyes. Kagome put a hand on Mieoko's head. "We just gotta clean up their side of the dorm."
"I'll get to work on that," Sango said putting Kirara on her shoulder. "Don't worry about it Kagome. Just go tend to Kikyou."
Kagome gave Sango a small smile. Inuyasha untangled the two leashes.
"I'll take Niko back with me so he won't be a nuisance," he rustled his dog's fur. "I'll see you at dinner." He gave her a dazzling Inuyasha smile and she blushed.
"See you later guys," she said smiling at them both, her cheeks still a light shade of pink. They both turned and walked away. Kagome sighed and faced the office building. There Kagome saw Kikyou standing by the doors of the large building. She had her purse in her hand but no suitcase full of stuff.
"Come on," Kagome said rather reluctantly. She gave Mieoko's leash a small tug, letting him know that they'd be leaving soon. He lifted his head lazily and saw the approaching figure. He could sense Kagome's dislike of this person, so he let out a low growl. The approaching figure stopped and looked worriedly at the dog.
"Don't worry," Kagome said and looked down sternly at Mieoko. "Be nice," she said icily. She looked back up at Kikyou. "Come on," she said trying to give Kikyou a convincing smile. "There's a lot to see and so little time." She could see the worried look as she went up to Kagome. Mieoko was still very intimidating to her. "Don't worry; He'll be on his best behavior." She looked down at the dog. "Right?"
Kagome turned and dragged Mieoko away. Kikyou followed.
"I'm so sorry, Kagome," she said quietly. She was looking down at the ground. "My uncle… I just never thought… It was so wrong… He never should've…. I'm sorry." She struggled for words. It was obvious that she was embarrassed by her uncle's behavior.
"Don't worry," Kagome said looking over at Kikyou, "As long as Mi, Nick, and Ki-Ki, are okay then alls good."
Kikyou looked over at her and smiled. "Thanks," she said lifting her head.
Kagome frowned inwardly. She was actually beginning to like this girl. That was a problem, but she'd deal with that later. For now she would just deal with it…
I could really tell she was having a difficult time trying to be nice to me. I couldn't help but feel horrible. I was ruining Kagome's life. I was also hated by her friend and your father. Those were my initial thoughts. I was determined to become friends with Kagome no matter what…
"Kanna," she heard Kaede from the doorway. "You really have to go to sleep now, sweetie."
"Okay nana," Kanna replied. She put the letter underneath her pillow. She would have to finish the letter tomorrow.
"Good night Kanna," Keade said as she closed the door.
"Night," Kanna yawned and within seconds she was dreaming with her mother, her father, and Kagome…
-&-
Kanna yawned and covered her face with her pillow. The sun was peeking in through her curtains. He doggy ears twitched as she heard the movement going on down stairs. She knew it was time to get up.
She sat up and looked around her room. She ran her fingers through her raven colored hair. At that particular moment, Kaede walked in.
"Good morning, Kanna," she smiled and went over to her window. Kaede pulled them open.
"Ah," Kanna complained as she let herself fall back onto her pillow. "I hate mornings."
"Yes," Kaede chuckled. "I know you do." She picked up a toy that had fallen from Kanna's bed. "Would you like breakfast up here today?" she asked the child.
"Um," Kanna said thoughtfully sitting up. "Sure, I'd like that." She turned to face Kaede. "Would daddy allow that?"
A sneaky smile appeared on Kaede's face. "Your father isn't here."
Kanna understood and smiled. Her father was going to be out of town today so it meant fun time the whole day. Kaede left and Kanna stretched. She remembered her mother's letter under her other pillow and she got it out.
It read:
My uncle had told her to give me a tour of the campus, and that's what Kagome did. She dragged me around for the rest of the day pointing out every little detail. I think even poor Mieoko was tired by the time we reached Kagome's dorm room…
"Well," Kagome said unlocking the door. "Home sweet home," she took Mieoko's leash off as she opened the door and he bounded in. "Mi," she said as she hung her stuff on the coat rack. "My bed only." Mieoko looked up at her with his confused eyes. "That's Kikyou's bed now," she said in answer to his silent question. She turned to look at Kikyou. "Make yourself at home. I have to get ready."
Kikyou went in and sat on the bed opposite Kagome's. She looked around the room. On Kagome's bed there was a pile of posters and pet toys. Kagome saw her staring at them.
"They were all originally on your side of the room," Kagome explained. "But Sango cleaned them up so you could decorate your half however you want."
"Oh," Kikyou replied simply.
"Well," Kagome said grabbing her towel and change of clothes. "I'm gonna take a quick shower." She looked at Mieoko. "Be good." Then she walked out the door and down the hall to the showers.
Kagome returned to find that Kikyou had changed clothes and was sitting Indian style on her bed. Mieoko was watching her carefully. Kagome's phone startled all three of them.
"Hello?" Kagome said as she answered it. She listened, a small smile creeping onto her face. "Sure, bring him over. I'm sure Mieoko will be happy to see him." She smiled mischievously. "No, problem," she hung up the phone and smiled at Kikyou.
"What?" Kikyou asked.
"Inuyasha is coming over," she smiled. "He's bringing his dog, Niko." Her smile grew when she saw the look that came on her face. She was scared. "You don't mind staying with the two dogs right?"
"Well," Kikyou began. Kagome smiled; she knew Kikyou couldn't say 'no'.
"Great," Kagome said smiling. "You'll like them a lot." She jumped on her own bed next to Mieoko. "I think Sango will probably bring Kirara too."
"Well, Kagome…" she said looking at her. Then there was a knock at the door.
"I think that's him," she jumped down from her bed and opened the door. Standing there was Sango and Inuyasha, their pets trailing behind them. As soon as the door opened, they ran in and jumped on Kagome's bed.
"Well," Inuyasha said smiling, "They're gonna have fun." With that said he grabbed Kagome by the hand and tugged her out of the room.
"Have fun," Kagome called as she closed the door.
"Bye," Kikyou whispered as she watched the door close. All three animals were watching her intently.
--
"Did you see the look on her face?" Sango laughed as the group sat around the table. "She was completely mortified."
Inuyasha had an arm around Kagome. The two were laughing their head off. Sango sat next to Miroku. The two were very close, but Miroku didn't dare put his arm around her.
"I feel kinda bad for her though," Kagome said thoughtfully. Everyone stared at her then their whole table roared with laughed.
"What have we missed?" Said a familiar voice, they all looked up and saw Ayame and Kouga standing there.
"Pull up some chairs and join us," Kagome said still laughing. They filled them in on Kagome's new roommate.
"You left her with Mieoko and Niko?" Kouga asked shocked. Kagome nodded sheepishly.
"You should give her a call to make sure she's okay," Ayame said.
Kagome looked at her and rolled her eyes. "Fine," she pulled out her phone and dialed the dorm. "It's ringing," Kagome announced.
"Hello?" Everyone at the table watched her silently, but still smiling. "Yea, it's me, Kagome," there was silence again. " Ha," Kagome laughed. "Do me a favor get the new girl," Kagome said. "Thanks."
They all waited while the person went to get Kikyou…
"Hey there," Kagome said cheerfully. She was quiet for a bit. "Great," Kagome said smiling. "And how are you doing?" She waited, shock becoming evident on her face. "Really?" she asked unconvinced. "That's great," her friends noticed her lie. She was never a good liar. "Well," Kagome said wanting to hang up already. "We'll be back soon. Take Care now, bye bye." She flipped her phone closed.
"What's wrong?" Miroku asked.
"Well," Kagome said, "She's not intimidated by Mieoko anymore."
"What do you mean?" Inuyasha asked looking down at her.
"She's befriended Mieoko and Kirara," Kagome replied.
"What about Niko?" Sango asked.
"He stays as far away from her as he possibly can," Kagome replied with a smile. "She says that he growls at her if she gets to close." They all laughed.
The rest of the night went uneventfully. They ate, cursed at the evil professor, Naraku, and laughed. It was around midnight when they finally decided it was time to leave the pizza place. They walked down the sidewalk, the whole group smiling and laughing, Kagome next to Inuyasha, Sango next to Miroku, and Ayame next to Kouga.
"Wanna go catch a movie?" Inuyasha whispered into Kagome's ear.
She looked up at him then at her friends. She smiled, "We could all go and sit in a dark movie theater, eating chocolate kisses."
"I like that idea," Inuyasha whispered back.
"Hey guys," Kagome said as she stopped and turned to look at the group. "Shall we go catch a movie?"
Sango looked at Kagome and smiled. "I'd love to, what about you Miroku?" She smiled at him and he gulped.
"Sure," Miroku said putting an arm around Sango's waist. He pulled her close and whispered, "I'd love to."
"Save it for the movies," Ayame said laughing. "Let's go."
"What movie?" Kouga asked.
The girls all smiled. "Anything that's out," Kagome replied.
They made their way over to the movies. It ended at half past two in the morning. The boys went to the girls dorm to drop them off.
"Let's drop Kags off first," Inuyasha said as he carried the tired Kagome on his back. She buried her head in his silvery hair.
"Aw," she said, her voice muffled. "Do we have to?"
"Yes," Inuyasha said, a smile evident in his voice. "I wanna meet this Kikyou person in person."
"Fine," Kagome sighed. She was too tired to argue with him.
They arrived at Kagome's room. Before Kagome could even hop down from Inuyasha's back, the door was opened. The whole group stared at the girl standing in the doorway. Only Kagome getting knocked down by Mieoko and Niko bought them out of their somewhat trace.
"Are you okay?" They all asked as Inuyasha helped Kagome up.
"I'm so sorry," Kikyou apologized. "See, they woke me up and went to the door. I should've been more careful, I'm so sorry."
"I'm okay," Kagome said as she brushed invisible dust off her butt. Then she remembered, "Let me introduce you." She said everyone's name and pointed. "That's Sango, he's Miroku, he's Kouga, she's Ayame, and him," she pointed at Inuyasha. "He's Inuyasha."
Kikyou bowed slightly to each of them as they were introduced. She blushed slightly when she met Inuyasha's gaze.
"Well," Inuyasha said smiling at both ladies. "We must drop our other lady friend's at their rooms. " The group waved good bye to Kagome and she walked into her room with Mieoko at her side.
Kagome plopped herself on her bed and Mieoko joined her. She was tired. It had been one long day. Her friends had made it worth it though.
"So Kagome," Kikyou said sitting on her bed. "How was your evening?"
Kagome sat up. "It was great! We had pizza at the Pizza Palace then we went to catch that new movie." She flopped back on her bed.
"That Inuyasha guy," Kikyou began. "Is he… is he your boyfriend?"
Kagome sat up so quickly that her head spun. "What!"
"Is Inuyasha your boyfriend?" Kikyou asked again. She was getting a kick out of this.
"Well," Kagome began, her blush extremely evident on her cheeks. "We aren't really together… he's my best friend." Kikyou didn't believe a word of it, but she let it drop. "I'm kinda tired," Kagome said. "Good night."
I could tell she was lying to me. She didn't want to admit her love, so I wasn't going to push it. After that night, Kagome seemed to warm up to me a bit. The school year seemed to go by pretty quickly. It was March of that year that your father asked me out on our first date…
Inuyasha was sitting on Kagome's bed watching her work. He normally did this when he had nothing to do. He could sit there for hours watching her work. Today, though, he had something on his mind.
"Kagome," Inuyasha said hesitantly.
"Hm," Kagome acknowledged him.
"You're a girl, so you'd know…" Inuyasha was struggling to get to his point.
"Yes, I am a girl, but what am I supposed to know?" Kagome asked without looking up at him. She kept working on her report.
"Where would a girl want to go for a real date?" Inuyasha asked.
Kagome laughed. "That depends on the girl," Kagome said. She looked at him and held in a laugh when she saw who red his face was. "Who is it?"
Inuyasha looked her in the eye and when his gold eyes met her chocolate colored ones, he immediately dropped his head.
"It's Kikyou," he said quietly. He refused to look up at her.
Kagome stared. She felt her heart breaking. Had he seen her face and eyes, he would've seen so much pain there. Thankfully for Kagome, he didn't look up and gave Kagome time to compose her face. After a few moments, he finally looked up. Her expression was unreadable.
"Well," Kagome said when she thought she was able to finally speak. She put on a thoughtful face. "I really can't help you there, Inny. Kikyou and I have completely different opinions on what we like. She may prefer a more fancy dinner. I can't name a good one because I don't know any."
"Oh," Inuyasha said sounding a bit let down. "Thanks anyway Kags."
Kagome was a sucker for Inuyasha's sad face. "But," she said closing her book. "We can look around town for a good restaurant."
Inuyasha looked up at her. "Really?" He smiled. "Thanks Kagome."
They spent the whole day looking for a restaurant that I would like. In the end Kagome made the perfect choice for a restaurant. It was called Heaven's Guard. It was my absolute favorite restaurant ever! You should have your father take you there. Well, that night was the best night of my life. Inuyasha asked me to be his girlfriend and I guess that was when the changes began to happen. Kagome became distant to everyone.
Kagome sat on her bed listening to music. Exams were around the corner and she desperately needed to study. Sango had told her to take a break, but Kagome had refused. Her phone rang and she looked to see who it was. It was Sango.
"Hello Sango, dear," Kagome said turning down the music and throwing a pillow at Mieoko to shut him up.
"Kagome?"
"Yes," she said.
"Well, we're all sitting here, and well, we're kinda missin' you."
"Aw," Kagome replied putting on a kind voice despite the fact that she was pissed at her. She couldn't understand why she was mad though. "I miss you all too! I have so much work to do though," she lied. She had basically memorized the whole book.
"Come on Kagome," she sounded like she was begging. "Please come. We're going to the mall right now. Say you'll meet us there."
'Damn,' Kagome thought. 'There go my plans for the day.' Kagome had indeed planed to go to the mall.
"Kagome?" Sango's voice interrupted her train of thought.
"Huh," Kagome said.
"Meet us there?" Sango asked.
"We'll see," Kagome replied. "Good bye, Sango." She hung up before Sango said her good bye.
Sango on the other line seemed a bit upset.
"Well…" Inuyasha prompted,
"She said 'we'll see'," Sango replied.
"That's a 'no'," Miroku said to himself.
"How would you know that?" Inuyasha questioned. Everyone in the car leaned as close as possible to him.
"Because," he said smiling. "Whenever she didn't want to do something Inuyasha wanted, she'd always say 'we'll see'."
Sango, Ayame, and Kouga nodded in agreement.
"Feh," Inuyasha retorted. "She never said that."
"Well," Sango began. "What about the time when you two were at the mall, and you wanted to go to that car show…"
"Shut up," Inuyasha interrupted her.
The group laughed at the glaring hanyou. They were right though. When Kagome said 'we'll see', it always meant 'no'…
-&-
"Here's your breakfast Kanna," Kaede said as she placed the tray of food in front of her. "Put the letter down and eat."
"Aw," Kanna laughed as she put down the letter. "It's mother's best letter."
Kaede smiled at her. "Enjoy your breakfast," she said and walked out of the room.
Kanna grabbed the remote for the TV and turned it on. She didn't bother to see what was on, she took a bite out of her breakfast and continued reading…
-&-
Kagome lay on her back staring up at the ceiling. She knew that Sango and Miroku would understand that she wasn't going to go.
"I still want to go shopping," she whispered into the air. Mieoko lifted his head and looked at her. "Now what can I do today?"
She sighed. 'Another boring day in the life of Kagome Hirugashi.'
That night, after a fun filled day of shopping, Inuyasha took me out to dinner. It was an incredibly nice restaurant. When we arrived there, I was surprised to find everyone there as well. Even Kagome was standing there. I was completely jealous of her. She looked absolutely gorgeous in her black dinner dress, and I looked so plain.
"Kagome," Kikyou said staring at her. "I didn't know you were going to come."
Kagome looked down at her hands. "I wasn't planning on it."
"We had to drag her over here," Ayame chirped in.
"Thank you," Kikyou said smiling. "I'm glad you dragged her over."
"Come on," Inuyasha said opening the door, "Our table is waiting."
They all walked in. Kagome walked in last. She was still debating whether she should turn and leave right now or whether she should stay and find out what Inuyasha wanted.
There was an uncomfortable silence as we waited at the table. I sat next to Inuyasha, Sango next to Inuyasha and Miroku, Ayame sat next to Miroku and Kouga, Kagome sat next to Kouga and myself. When our food did arrive, we ate in silence. Kagome then excused herself and gave us a reassuring smile. I got up and followed her…
"Kagome," Kikyou walked into the powdering room. She found Kagome sitting on a cushioned seat reapplying her makeup.
Kagome looked up. Surprise crossed her face when she realized it was Kikyou who had called her name.
"Oh," Kagome said looking away, "Hello there Kikyou."
"Are you mad at me?" Her question caught Kagome off guard.
"Excuse me?" Kagome asked.
"Are you mad at me?" Kikyou asked again, taking a seat next to Kagome.
"What in the world could make you think that?" Kagome asked.
"I don't know," Kikyou said looking down at her hands. "You just…"
"I just," Kagome prompted.
"You just seem so distant," Kikyou finished her statement. "When we first met, you always were going out with your friends. You eventually included me in your outings. You always were smiling and having fun." She now looked Kagome in the eyes. "Then when Inuyasha asked me out, you slowly started going away, claiming you were to busy, or saying you just didn't want to."
"Kikyou," Kagome interrupted.
"Let me finish," she said holding a finger up. "You never want to hang out with friends anymore. Sango is upset about it." Her face was pained. "What did I do to make you become distant from everyone? What did I do?"
Kagome looked at her. "You did nothing," she lied. She wasn't about to tell her that she had stolen the man she loved. "You have done absolutely nothing. I'm sorry for seeming distant, it was unintentionally done."
Kikyou looked over her face. She tried to see if she was lying or telling the truth.
"Kagome…"
"Really," Kagome said putting her makeup back in her bag. "I'm fine." She had taken her keys out from her bag to put her things back in. Kikyou took her keys and looked at the picture that was on them. It was a picture of Kagome and Inuyasha. He was carrying her on his back. Kagome had the side of her head against his silvery hair, and her arms wrapped around his next. They were both laughing; they were both happy.
Kikyou looked up to see Kagome watching her with sad eyes. "I'm sorry," she said handing Kagome back her keys. "Here."
"Thanks," she said taking her keys back. She held them in her hands looking at the picture. "It was spring break last year," she said and Kikyou watched her carefully. "Sango, Miroku, and I decided it would be fun to get away. It took some convincing, but we finally got Inuyasha to go. Inuyasha and I were on our way back from an intense water fight. He was carrying me back on his back because the sand was a bit to hot for me." Kagome laughed a sad laugh. "As we got closer to the others, two things happened. One, a small crab got to close to Sango and pinched her butt, two, Miroku got slapped in the face." Kikyou let out a small chuckle. "It was the first time in his life that he actually hadn't deserved that slap. It was so funny, thus," she said showing the picture to Kikyou, "the reason we're laughing."
"Who took the picture?" Kikyou asked, not understanding how it could've been taken.
"I'm not sure," Kagome whispered looking back at the picture. "I received it in the mail a few days after that."
"No offence," Kikyou said. "That's kinda creepy."
Kagome laughed. "I guess it is." She put her keys in her bag and stood up. "Shall we go back? They're probably worried about us."
"Miroku would probably come in here to look for us," Kikyou said smiling.
"The sad thing is," Kagome said shaking her head. "He probably would."
They both arrived at the table still giggling and were both surprised by the relieved faces their friends had.
"Glad you're both back," Inuyasha said as the two girls sat down. He looked the two of them over as though making sure they weren't scratched up or anything.
"What'd you think?" Kagome asked smiling. "We'd get into a cat fight or something?"
Kikyou laughed. "Seriously guys," she said. "What did you think we were gonna do?"
"I don't know," Sango said looking at the two. "There was just so much tension between you two."
They both looked at each other and just shrugged it off.
The rest of the dinner went better. We all laughed and talked more. Kagome seemed to be more like her old self that night. Until…
"Guys," Inuyasha said tapping his wine glass with a fork to get everyone's attention. "I wanna say thanks for joining us tonight." He looked at Kagome, "It means a lot to me." She smiled at him. "The reason I asked you all to join us tonight for dinner, was because I wanted to share this moment with you." He now looked at Kikyou. "You know I love you, right?"
"Yes," she replied with a small smile.
"You know I would do anything for you, right?"
"Yes," she replied again, her smile growing.
"Would you be willing to spend the rest of your life with me?" He pulled out a small box from his pocket. "Kikyou," He opened it to reveal the most beautiful engagement ring ever. "Will you marry me?"
Several things happened at once. Kikyou and Kagome let out small gasps. Ayame clapped her hands together. The two boys stared in shock at Inuyasha. Sango looked at Kagome. She saw shock followed by sadness, then a fake smile appear on her face.
Kikyou looked at everyone before giving her answer. She looked at Kagome last.
I saw so many different emotions in her eyes. She looked like she hated me. Her eyes held betrayal in them. Lastly there was such sadness. I looked over at Sango who was watching her intently. Then I looked and Inuyasha. Despite how much I loved Kagome as a sister, I loved Inuyasha, and I really wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. I felt torn, but one look into Inuyasha's eyes and I gave him my answer…
"Yes," Kikyou replied. "Yes!" She threw her arms around his neck. "Of course I'll marry you!"
"Congrats," came a small voice from behind her. Everyone looked at Kagome; she was smiling. "You two were meant for each other."
Sango let out a sigh. Ayame excused herself. Those two knew how much pain Kagome was going through, watching Inuyasha and Kikyou hold each other.
"Thanks Kags," Inuyasha replied smiling at her.
Kagome looked down at her hands. "It getting late," she looked up and smiled. "I'd better get going." Kagome stood up and said her goodbyes to everyone. She walked out the door; everyone just watched her. A shiny, new, black BMW pulled up in front of the restaurant and she climbed into the driver's seat as the valet boy got out.
"That's her car?" Inuyasha asked surprised.
"I did know she had a car," Kouga said.
"She came in that?" Miroku asked.
"We wouldn't know," Sango said. "She was here before everyone else." She got up. "I think I'm going to go too." She gave Miroku a kiss and walked out.
She got up and followed her best friend. The days following our engagement where rough on us. Kagome completely avoided me when we were in our dormroom, and she stayed as far away from Inuyasha as she possibly could. I was finally able to catch her one day in the room. She and Sango were talking…
"But Kagome," Sango protested. "You can't!"
"I'm sorry Sango," Kagome replied. "I already have my plane tickets." At that moment the door opened and Kikyou appeared in the doorway.
"Hey," she said smiling at the two. They returned the smile. Kikyou went and sat at the desk and pulled a few books out. "I hope you don't mind if I study for my exam tomorrow."
"Not at all," Kagome said. "We wouldn't want you to do badly because of us."
"Thanks," Kikyou said and the other two continued their conversation.
Sango looked at her friend. "Please don't go."
"Sorry Sango," Kagome gave her a sad smile. "It all been taken care of already. Next term I will be attending Colombia University in New York."
"In New York!" Sango shouted. "Why so far away?"
Kagome gave her friend a sad smile. "I miss home," Kagome said simply. "I miss my family."
"But Kagome," Sango protested again. "You can't just leave us all here."
"Sango," Kagome said pleading. "Really, I don't wanna stay anymore. I am far to homesick. Not to mention I would like to see my father before he dies."
"Dies?"
"Yes," Kagome said. "He has a heart condition, and according to my mother, it's getting worse."
"Oh, Kagome," Sango said, tears forming in her eyes. "I'm so sorry."
"Don't be," Kagome said. "I'm sure he'll be fine, but I just wanna be with him."
"So when are you leaving?" Sango asked.
Kagome frowned. "Mieoko and I are leaving tomorrow afternoon. We will be hopping on a train to Kyoto to visit a friend first, and then we will be heading off to New York."
"Tomorrow!" Sango shouted. "No! No! No! You are not doing that to me!"
"Sango please," Kagome said in a hushed voice. She looked over at Kikyou who was now staring at the two.
"No Kagome!" Sango continued to shout. "You can't do this to me!"
"Sango…"
"You're my best friend Kagome; you're like a sister to me! Now you're just leaving me like this!"
"Kagome," Kikyou said looking at her. "You're leaving?"
"Yes," Kagome said. "As you just heard, I'm going home to be close to my father." She sighed. "Do me a favor you two."
"Anything, Kagome," Kikyou replied.
"Don't tell Inuyasha until I'm gone."
"Why?" Sango said her anger replaced by confusion.
"Because," Kagome said a sad smile forming. "He would do anything to stop me from leaving."
Kagome looked at Sango. "What do you say we go do something tonight? Just me and you?"
Sango snuck a quick look at Kikyou then nodded.
The two left that afternoon and didn't return until 3:00 am. Kagome fell asleep instantly. When I awoke a few hours later, she had already left.
"What do you mean she's not here?" Sango yelled at Kikyou. "She wasn't supposed to leave for another two hours!"
Sango was hysterical. Miroku was doing everything in his power to calm her down, but it wasn't working. At that inconvenient moment, Inuyasha appeared.
"What's wrong?" he asked. Sango immediately tensed up.
She looked at the other two before just shrugging it off. "Kagome's gone."
Inuyasha looked at her confused. "What do you mean 'gone'?" he asked.
"As in she left, Inuyasha," Kikyou whispered. "She was supposed to leave today in the afternoon, but she's gone now."
Inuyasha looked at them all. "When is she coming back?"
"Never," whispered Sango.
Inuyasha stared at her. "When did she tell you she was leaving?"
"Yesterday," Sango said. She couldn't look him in the eye.
"When did you plan on telling me?" Inuyasha struggled to ask.
"After she was gone," Sango replied, a tear rolling down her face. "I'm so sorry, but that's what she asked for."
Inuyasha stared at her. His mind wandered. 'Why wouldn't she tell me she was leaving?' he thought to himself. 'Why would she leave me?' He looked at them all. "I have to stop her."
"No," Kikyou said grabbing him by the arm. "That's why she didn't tell you. She knew you would try to stop her."
"Well she was right," he snatched his arm from her and ran. He ran after Kagome's scent. He could sense the others running after him.
Her scent, as well as Mieoko's, led him to the train station by the school. He watched with dismay as he saw Kagome climb aboard a train and it pulled off before he could get on it. He knew that train well. It was the train to the airport, and the next one wasn't until 20 minutes.
The others caught up to him. They saw him pacing impatiently back and forth. He was growling slightly as well. He didn't say anything as they approached him. They waited in silence until the train arrived. They rode in silence until the reached the airport and Inuyasha set off on a run. He quit running at a human pace so as not to frighten everyone; he was going youkai pace now.
He barged through the airport doors and sniffed. Kagome scent went, 'That way,' he thought. He ran and then he saw her.
"Kagome," he called out. There were too many people, he couldn't run inside the airport. "Kagome," he called her again. She was at the gate. "Wait Kagome," he called once more. She handed the lady her ticket and began down the tunnel towards the plane. "KAGOME!" Inuyasha shouted as he reached the gate.
"I'm sorry sir, you can't go in without a boarding card."
"Please," he begged. "I gotta stop her."
"I'm sorry sir," the agent said. "Please go take a seat or leave."
"Please," he begged again.
"Security," the agent called, and two youkai appeared and grabbed him by the arms.
Sango, Miroku, and Kikyou arrived in time to watch the plane take off. The lady at the counter saw them and walked over to them.
"Is one of you by any chance Inuyasha?" she asked.
Inuyasha who was still being held by security looked up. "That's me."
"Here you go," she said. "I was told to give you this after the plane took off." She handed him a letter. It had Kagome's scent on it. He opened it and read it. A single tear slid down his perfect face.
No one knows what Kagome's letter said. Your father never shared it with any of us, but we do know that whatever the letter said, it touched a weak spot.
We never heard from Kagome again. We saw her on television once. She had landed a part in a movie and was becoming a popular model in New York. Your father never mentioned her again, but when she was mentioned by one of us, such sadness was seen in his beautiful puppy eyes.
It pains me to write this letter to you daughter. It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about her. Kagome was such a kind hearted person, and I betrayed her by marrying the man she loved the most in her life. Kanna, had you met her, you would've loved her as a mother. She knew how to have fun. When you're ready, ask your father what did Kagome's letter say. It's up to you dear to make him happy once again.
Love,
Your mother
Kanna finished reading the letter. Her mother had left her with an important job. She needed to make her father happy. The only way to do that was to get Kagome, but how was a 13 year old girl supposed to that?
"Come Kanna," called Kaede. "Let's go get some fresh air."
"Coming," she replied. She put the letter down grabbed her shoes and ran down the stairs. She needed to think of something. She was going to get those two together whether it was the last thing she did or not.
Authors note: Okay, welcome to the re-write of A Mother's Letter. It'll be much longer than the first one. And it will be, hopefully, better written. I hope you enjoy it. Reviews are loved. I can't promise when the next chapter will be up, but hopefully very soon.
Your's truly,
Orokenshin (aka Inny)