Chapter 25
The following morning, Kagome wakes up to find herself alone in the bed. "Inuyasha?" She asks around the room as she puts on her green floral robe over the kimono and sandals. She walks down to the dining room to find it strangely empty. She sniffs the area but she couldn't pick up her husband's scent. Her unconsciously wraps her arms herself, as she walks all over the castle grounds, and still no sign of him. 'Maybe he went into town.' She thinks as she can see that the town is back to normal thanks to her brother Sota becoming their new king.
Just having her brother back after not knowing him at all is one thing to take in. But having him to become the next king is another. Sure they're royal for sure, but had no idea about them being siblings in the first place. Not just that, Sota was in high school when Inuyasha and his friends Miroku and Kohaku went down there to retrieve him. Even though he's young, he can still get advice from their mother. It's hard to have Queen Ai to renounce her title, but she is okay with that. She knew this was going to happen sooner or later. And it did.
"So much has changed." Kagome smiles as she walks around town. She can tell that everyone is not afraid of her, being a half-demon. They just knew she's there for them. "Kagome!" A voice calls out to her. Kagome turns to see Soten running up to her. "Hey there, Soten." Kagome kneels down to her level. "Hey, no time to talk. I have to take you somewhere." Soten grabs her hand and does her best to guide Kagome through the crowds. "Where are we going?" Kagome asks the little thunder girl. "Sorry. It's a secret." Soten turns to face her. Soon enough they were out of the town area. So far they're back in the forest. "Why is this a secret? Does Inuyasha know this?" Kagome raises her suspicious, trying her best to figure it out quickly. "Sorry. I haven't seen him since last night. I've been told to bring you to the location."
Kagome looks up ahead to see a huge willow tree as its long weeds of leaves gives away a sight of privacy within its curtains. "This is where you need to go in." Soten tells her as she pants for using so much of her energy. Kagome silently sniffs the area. So far she can only smell the scent of nature around them. "You wait here, Soten. I'll be gone for long." Kagome sternly tells her as she turns around to see she zaps in lightning and disappears into the sky. "Ok, I didn't get dragged out here to be all alone." She groans as she walks carefully towards the tree. She lifts a few branches to get through and is amazed what's inside.
She finds herself in a natural spring with its waterfalls coming from the hill in the background. Not just that, wild flowers bloom within the peaks of sunlight. "Oh my. I never thought this would be here." She said to herself as she wanders further in. "That's because it's not." A new voice tells her. Kagome turns around to someone sitting on one of the tree branches. "So this is where you've been, Inuyasha." Kagome crossed her arms. Inuyasha leaps off the branch and lands gracefully in front of her. "You can thank your mother when we get back." Inuyasha looks around themselves. "I have to admit that is something I'd like to come to every other time we're visiting your family." He honestly smiles, admiring the beauty of the place.
"Really? I never knew much about what's around town. I guess being coped up in that tower for a long time must've not let me know more about it." Kagome kneels down to the flowers, smelling its fragrance. "This is the place where your parents met actually." Inuyasha tells her so far. "So I guess Soten wasn't kidding when she told me it was a secret. But then something bothers me." Kagome stands back up. Inuyasha kneels down to pick a flower and puts it in her hair. "And what's that?" He asks her while he does it. "How was it that I couldn't pick up your scent around the castle or the village?" Kagome asks him seriously this time, eagerly trying to get the bottom of it. Inuyasha widens his eyes as he pulls out something from his robe. "Oh, you can thank this thing." What he pulled out was a bottle of some sort. "What is it?" Kagome takes the bottle as she looks at it closely to read the label. "Nothingness. A fragrance that reduces someone's scent. Hmm, well I guess that's why you didn't want me to find you when I woke up. Not bad for having me go on a wild goose chase." She gives the bottle back to him. "Nah, it was something I wanted to try out, but because of that incident I had to wait till it was over so I can do it." Inuyasha explains to her.
Kagome stands back up. "So this is where my parents met?" she walks around even further until she comes to the waterfall. As she dips her hand in the clear water, she somehow felt something. Inuyasha sees the water beginning to glow and then enveloping Kagome. Soon enough the glow disappears all together.
"What was at of that about?" Inuyasha comes to her. Kagome looks at her damped hand. "I have no idea. All I did was dip my hand in and then all of sudden I felt a certain warmth." Kagome honestly replies as she stands back up. Inuyasha doesn't want to say anything else, so they decide to head back to the castle.
When they reach back, the gates were already opened for them. "Oh Kagome. Where have you been?" Ai runs up to her, scared that she lost her daughter already. "It's okay, mom. I was with Inuyasha. Why would you be so scared about me leaving?" Kagome assures her with a hug. Ai giggles, "It just make me think that whenever you leave, I get this feeling that I'd lose you forever." Kagome never saw that coming. Never in her life would her own mother would feel that. "You miss dad already do you?" Kagome figures it out so far. All Ai does is nod in sadness. "Mom I know how hard it is for us to lose him. But I know something that might cheer you up." Kagome smiles as she places her hands onto Ai's shoulders. "And what would it be?" Ai asks her daughter curiously. "It's not a 'what', it's a 'where'." Kagome corrects her question. Kagome turns around to see Inuyasha nods to let her know it's time.
Kagome takes Ai to where she was taken earlier that day. "Kagome, I think I know you're taking me." Ai said as they come to the entryway of the willow tree branches. Kagome nods as she opens the branches to let her first. That's when Ai realizes the area. "This is where your father and I met. This was our secret place." Ai's eyes begins to water, which alerts Kagome immediately. "Mom, you okay?" She runs to her side. Ai nods, "I'm fine, just reminiscing this place." She assures as she walks up to the same waterfall that Kagome went to. Kagome observes her mother's actions. Ai places her hand in the water, and so enough the glow that surrounding Kagome does the same to Ai. "I knew you'd be here." A familiar voice speaks around them.
Soon enough the glow that engulfed Ai begins to take form. In front of them Hige appears. "Hige." Ai covers her mouth in shock. Kagome just blinks her eyes, thinking that it's an illusion. "Oh Ai." Hige embraces her quickly. Thinking that she's not needed here, Kagome begins to step back, "Don't go, Kagome." Hige stops her. "Father…" Hige stops her with his hand. "I need you to do me a favor." He tells her gently yet seriously. "What is it, daddy?" Kagome asks automatically. "I need you to go back to the castle and bring Sota back with you. I'd like to speak with him." Kagome just smiles and does what she is told.