{Disclaimer: Inuyasha doesn't belong to me! ::throws a brick at the swarming lawyers outside her window:: So you jerks can't sue! ::Sticks her tongue out and ducks as a flying lawsuit comes through her window. Striking Falcon catches it and commences to put the stomp down on it.::
So there!}
{Author's Notes: This takes place four years (Kagome Time) after "Sango's Seduction."}
"I want you to know I love you. All of you. You will always be in my heart. And Sesshoumaru," she turned to him, his eyes belying the sorrow that was in his own heart at seeing her go.
"Don't ever let Sango doubt your love for her. Don't play games with her. You'll never believe how much it'll hurt her if you do."
He nodded sagely at her wise words. Kagome gave them all one last smile as Inuyasha shoved his way to her through the crowd.
"Kagome! Kagome, wait!"
"Goodbye."
Her voice faded to a whisper as she disappeared.
Redemption
Prologue: So We Meet Again For the First Time
A small girl, probably no older than six, raced through the park. She was sobbing, her hands to her eyes, running into various people. She excused herself quickly and kept going until she ran into a black trouser leg.
"Excuse me, mister," she sobbed.
The trouser leg bent and the man's face appeared before her. "Hey, kid. Watch where you're going."
The little girl wiped her face dry and stared at him. The man blinked for a moment before speaking again: "Hey, don't I know you?"
The girl shook her head, her dark pigtails flying. "No, I don't think so."
"Sorry to ask, but you look so familiar."
The little girl smiled up at him. "Are you a friend of father's? Everyone says I look like him."
The man looked at her, confusion in his violet eyes. "Your father?"
"Yeah, Higurashi Morimoto. You know him?"
The man nodded ecstatically. "You're his kid, Kagome, right?"
Kagome nodded.
He patted her head. "Actually, I'm a friend of your grandfather."
"You know Grandpa?"
"Yeah. Anyway, why are you running into strangers in the park?"
It occurred to Kagome to be afraid of the man. After all, he was a stranger. But for some reason, he didn't feel like one. As a matter of fact, she felt like she knew him. It was then she heard his question, and she started to sob again.
"Hey, don't cry. I tell you what, how about we get some ice cream and sit down? That should make you feel better."
Kagome nodded and held his hand as they walked to the ice cream cart. After a rainbow sherbet cone and a few kiddie jokes exchanged between the two, Kagome felt a lot better.
The man smiled. "Now that you feel better, maybe you can me why you were crying earlier."
Kagome nodded sadly. "My parents are getting divorced. My mom, brother and I are moving to my grandfather's shrine tomorrow."
"Oh jeez, that sucks."
Kagome nodded again. "It's my fault."
The man tilted his head at her curiously. "What makes you think that?" She started to cry again. The man sighed and draped an arm around her shoulders.
"Since Souta was born, all they do is fight. They argue about me, about how I behave in school and how hard it is now that there are two of us."
"Do you make good grades in school?"
"Yes."
"Do you misbehave at school?"
"No."
"Do you obey your parents?"
"Yes."
"And have they told you it was your fault they don't want to be together anymore?"
"No."
"Well, then. That's that." He sat up and tossed his napkin in the nearby trash can.
Kagome continued to sob. "I think everyone would be happy if I were never born."
The man grabbed her arms suddenly, panic in his eyes. "Don't say that!" he hissed. The frightened look in the girl's eyes caused him to blush. He let her go and ran a hand through his eye length, auburn tresses. "Sorry. But you should never say stuff like that. Your parents love you. Plus you never know. Maybe you're destined to do something great."
Kagome sniffed. "Like what?"
He gently tugged the nearest ponytail.*
"Like travel back in time, complete a magic jewel and steal the heart of a demon."
Kagome giggled as the man smiled down at her. "Tee hee. You're silly."
The man patted her head and stood up. "I'll walk you back home. I'm sure you're mother's worried sick."
They left the park and walked back down the road to her house, with Kagome leading the way. She stole glances at the man every now and then as she skipped by his side. 'Wow, he's cute,' she thought as the wind blew back his suit jacket and tie. 'When I grow up, I want to marry someone like him.' As they reached her front steps, Kagome hugged his knee, earning another pat on the head and a tug on her ponytail.
"Thank you, mister. You're so nice."
As she turned to climb the steps, the man behind her blushed. "That's funny. You always called me a jerk before."
"What?"
Kagome turned around, but he was gone. She walked back to where he was and looked down the street. He had disappeared. Kagome shrugged and ran up the steps to her front door.
----
Silver Fox: Here's the prologue. Chapter one starts next Friday.
Inu-chan: Good. I'm glad this started. I'm tired of the S/K stories. I'm ready for some action! I want to be the romantic hero from now on!
Silver Fox: Keep dreaming hanyou.
Inu-chan: Hey! You're cousin's a hanyou!
Silver Fox: Not exactly. She's full youkai, just not exactly a falcon.
Inu-chan: Well what's the rest of her?
SF: {::coming onstage::} Highly pissed off that you'd ask that behind my back. None of your business. Sorry this took so long to come out. Finals screwed me up, but it's here now. The preview to chapter one is below.
Chapter One: Fast Forward
"Drop the disguise, Miroku."
"What are you talking about?"
Kagome sighed. "I've already seen through it. Now drop it."