Revised and Adapted 9/3/2010
Chapter XXVI: Love's Commitment
The next day came all too soon and still no one knew about Midoriko departure or about Inuyasha and Kagome's decision. They were all gathered in Kaede's hut, even though Sango and Miroku's hut was bigger.
As they set around the fire they wondered where the Hanyou and the Miko could have gotten too. They had said they were going to return to Kaede's to sleep but they had never showed up.
At the moment Shippo was fidgeting next to Sango who had Shokuro in her lap. He was worried. He hadn't even gotten to really see Inuyasha or Kagome because of his exam and he was getting antsy. He was convinced that they would not return as it had seemed the last few times.
He snuggled into Sango a little more, really being too big to do such things but doing them anyway. She grunted and held Shokuro's squirming form tighter as he tried to get away from his mommy and move over to play with his sister who was with his daddy.
The little boy frowned when Sango wouldn't let go and let out a cry that sorely matched that of a wounded animal. A little startled Sango let go of him and he ran out of her arms passed Rin and Sesshoumaru. He didn't make it all the way there, however.
Sesshoumaru reached out and grabbed the child by the back of the shirt. He pulled him to eye level with a sour look on his face.
The hut froze.
In the arms of the demon lord, the child had stopped breathing and only stared with big wide eyes. It was obvious that he was afraid but that didn't faze Sesshoumaru at all. He held Shokuro and grunted lightly at the fear in the boys eyes before setting him in his lap and holding him by the back of the neck lightly, gently.
He pressed down a bit and Shokuro whimpered more out of fear than any real pain then as quickly as he had pressed he let go and looked the child in the eyes.
"Obey your Okaa-san." He said simply to the small boy.
Shokuro looked at him with big eyes and nodded. "Yes, Sess-sama…"
Sango stared with wide fear filled eyes as Sesshoumaru released her son and pushed him back in her direction. Miroku was quick to step in and grab the child though. He moved away his hair so he could see his neck. She heard his sigh and saw how his shoulders visibly relaxed when he noted the still smooth and unharmed flesh.
Sesshoumaru looked between the two bored and then looked down at Rin only to meet her disapproving eyes. She glared at him and pointed at Sango who was holding onto Shippo for dear life. The fox was coughing and trying to explain to Sango calmly that he needed to breathe but was failing miserably at it.
His eyes traveled back to Rin after taking in the sight of the mother and the young kit. And when their eyes met he realized he was in trouble. Her glare was hard and unwavering, something that he wasn't used to with many human women besides his brothers mate, and the little whelp Mika.
The gaze seemed to make him cower but he tried to hide it until Rin snatched out a hand and tugged his ear down to her lips.
"You will not do that to Sango's children at the moment. She is already on edge as it is so don't you go disciplining them like you would a puppy! That's not how you discipline children but dogs."
He looked at her with confusion and even a trace of hurt that startled her a bit, and then he turned away and looked at Shokuro who was playing with Mika like nothing had happened.
"I don't understand? That's how my Okaa-san used to discipline me. That is how a pup needs to be disciplined, by scuffing them. It isn't meant to hurt them but it gets a point across."
She blinked and put a small hand over her stomach. The baby moved under her fingers and a foot or hand pushed against her hand, then kicked or punched. It caused a slight smile to come over her and haunt her face but then disappear as the thought of her children being 'scuffed' entered her mind.
"You're going to do that to our child, a hanyou child? That's not the same as a full demon child like you were."
At first he decided to just say yes but then he turned and saw the look in her eyes. She looked afraid in a way and almost shocked that he would ever do such a thing to his child. He gulped as invisibly as he could but the adults in the hut and Rin still caught it. Sango grinned and let go of her death grip on Shippo as her grin turned maniacal.
"Yes Sesshoumaru, tell us would you really ever do that to a defenseless pup? Your own defenseless pup?"
A bit of sweat rolled off of Sesshoumaru's face and he glared at Sango out of the corner of his eye. The woman was causing trouble for him and there was nothing he could do about it at all.
"Well, I did it to Inuyasha when he was little, after his mother died."
This was new information to everyone.
"He was about five years old at the time and I only watched him for about two months before he ran off."
They nodded, it sounded like something the half dog would do and Sesshoumaru wasn't one to lie.
But just in case Sango made a mental note to ask Kagome if Inuyasha had ever told her anything about it and if Kagome didn't know to ask Inuyasha. She knew that the man would open up to her but it would most likely be easier to get Kagome to do it. Kagome had a gift for getting inside the dog-demons mind.
"It always worked with him."
"Well what about our child, will you do it to him?" Rin was growing defensive and protective of her stomach. "It is your child, do you want to hurt your child?"
The little boy Aoi beside her was fidgeting and moving towards Yutara in an attempt to avoid her anger but wasn't doing a good job of it. Waves of frustration were coming off of Rin and flowing into everyone in the hut. She was stressed and her feet were swollen and she was getting strange marks on her stomach and breast, which were also much bigger in size now.
Everything was out of proportion for her and making life very difficult.
"Rin, you don't understand, this is how Inu's learn, Hanyou or not if the child isn't disciplined in this way it will go astray. It is just a light hold. Look," he pointed at Shokuro. "even the human child feel nothing."
"Isn't there another way?"
"For human's maybe but for hanyou's no,"
Sesshoumaru looked away from her as the voice answered her question from the entrance to the hut. There stood Inuyasha, Kagome in front of him leaning back into his arms as they stood in the door frame. He was leaning against it slightly and smirking.
"If you don't scruff a pup they think they're Alpha and walk all over you." Inuyasha grinned and pushed away from the door frame with Kagome. They moved to the fire where Kagome placed herself in his lap. She was shaking and had Inuyasha's haori around her shoulders.
"Kagome, child!" Kaede said in a panicked voice as she took in Kagome's state. She was wet and appeared frozen, her skin very white.
No one heard Sesshoumaru sigh in relief in the background as all attention was taken from him and put on the white and pasty Kagome.
"I tried to get her to come to the hut but she wouldn't and she screamed when I tried to make her." Inuyasha mumbled as he drew her closer to him and they huddled together.
Kaede took the time to look at him and realized he wasn't much better than Kagome. He was shaking and his hair was damp along with his white top that was sticking to his skin. They were both frozen and wet and stupid.
"Where were you two last night?"
"We fell asleep at the shrine." Kagome said through her chattering teeth as Sango came up behind her and put a blanket on her and Inuyasha. The two said 'thank-you' nearly silently then both grabbed the front of the blanket and drew it around them.
"It's a staircase away!" Shippo said as he jumped beside them with a glare. "You couldn't walk down a staircase to come inside where its warm?"
Sesshoumaru took the time to sniff the air discreetly. They had not mated again but he could tell they had both had a rather fun night.
Miroku coughed into his hand and said something about getting some stew cooking to warm the two stupid people up and then left the hut quickly heading for his own.
"Who knows Shippo, I don't even really remember falling asleep to tell you the truth."
Shippo didn't buy her answer but kept quiet as Miroku returned with a frozen container of soup.
Kagome blinked when she saw it and was reminded oddly of the well, and her family on the other side of it.
"Kagome it's time for Breakfast, you better come on down!"
She thought of her home, of her pink bed and her pink blanket and her pink walls. She had such a girly room back them as a teenager.
She thought of her uniform, with the short skirt and the green tint. To this day she even wore a greenish kimono because she liked the color on her best. Inuyasha enjoyed her in red also, she had found out only recently.
She thought of the other modern things she missed like toilets, bathtubs, showers, and sinks. She thought of kitchen stoves, western beds, microwaves, and refrigerators. She thought of her CD collection and of her favorite movie stars and celebrities. One of her favorite bands was "Do As Infinity," she really wished she could hear them play just one more time.
She thought of her bra's too, oddly enough. She missed the undergarment and the way it supported her. Now she wore what other women wore to support their breast—wrappings. They were difficult to put on and for the first three months she had to wear the darn things Sango had to put them on for her. It was really hard to put them on.
Another thing she really missed were her underwear and pads and tampons. Life just wasn't the same during your period when there were not pads or tampons or even modern underwear. She laughed to herself thinking of the great commercial she could make.
"Buy tampons, some people didn't used to have the option."
She missed the food in her world also; the fried foods at McDonalds and the soda's and chips. It was something she knew even her friends here missed. Miroku missed the tea she always brought for him, Sango missed the fancy cooking herbs she brought from America, and Inuyasha and Shippo missed ramen.
She missed how quick it was to make ramen. It took forever to make stew over a wood fire but ramen, boil some water and stick it in a cup.
Slowly Kagome registered the soup being offered to her from Miroku and she took it, holding it under her nose like her mother had taught her. The steam soothed her throat and warmed her cold face. She felt Inuyasha shift beside her and mumbled around some stew in his mouth.
Whatever he had said she didn't want to know about but she had the sneaking suspension that it had been something about ramen.
"So where is Midoriko?"
"Inside me." She said without hesitation as she attentively took a little bite. It burned her tongue and tears sprung to her eyes before Inuyasha handed her some water and worried over her for a minute or two till she calmed down.
"How is she inside you?"
"She went back to the afterlife like she said she should. She had said if she stayed here the strain on my body and Mika's body would have been too much for us. She did leave me with some parting words though."
Sango's downcast eyes turned upwards and looked hopefully in Kagome's direction.
"What did she say?"
"She told me that—," she stopped and looked at the happy little Mika on the ground between Miroku's raised knees. In front of her was her brother playing a hand clapping game with her. The two looked so small, and innocent. "—that we need to protect Mika and that I will not train her. Instead, to protect her we need to kill Akkanka."
Sango seemed to come to terms with something then and stood up, her eyes closed tight and her fist clutched at her side. She started to walk out of the hut but was stopped by Miroku's soft voice.
"Where are you going, Sango-koi."
Without turning around she gave her short reply. "I only have a year to train."
With that Sango started her exit but was stopped once again by a soft voice, but this one was almost sad—haunting.
"Sango?"
She turned around at the sound of Kagome's voice. She had set down his stew and stood up to walk over to her and when she reached her she took her hand into her and smiled in the same way she smiled at her mama.
"Kagome-chan?"
"I have a favor to ask, before you go."
She nodded for her to go on. With a pause Kagome looked back at Inuyasha for confirmation. He smiled and nodded happily.
"Wait and start training tomorrow."
"Why?"
"Because I need someone to stand in for me."
"A stand in?" Sango looked at him confused.
"I need you to stand for my mother, and Miroku to stand for my father—like I did at your wedding."
The hut went silent and Sango looked as if she was about to faint as did Miroku.
"You want me—to be—be—your mother?"
"Yes, it would mean the world to me Sango-chan."
Sango nearly fell to the ground but Inuyasha jumped from his seat and caught her. His golden eyes were hopeful as he asked. "Will you?"
"Yes! We would both be honored!" Sango hugged him fiercely and then pulled Kagome into her embrace. The two women began to dance up and down. "You're getting married!"
"I'm getting married!"
Sango began to cry the first happy tears she had in a very long time.
It was then that Kagome realized just why Inuyasha wanted this to happen, right now, despite all the problems it might or might not cause. This small thing, this insignificant event that should have happened so long ago, was the only thing that could make Sango smile.
The hut became an array of many excited voices all talking at once. They talked about what to do, about what Kagome and Inuyasha needed to wear, about what Sango and Miroku needed to wear and it was then that Inuyasha stopped stalling and looked at his real brother.
"Sesshoumaru?"
The demon raised an eyebrow at his brother.
"I know it's beneath you but will you stand in for Otou-san?"
The hut went silent as Sesshoumaru stood slowly. He tried to maintain a bored look on his face but he was failing miserably. With a clearing of his throat the dog lord growled at Inuyasha. Inuyasha let a growl come from him as well.
The human's in the hut had no idea what had been said, although they knew the brothers were talking.
Finally Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha smiled at each other, the conversation in the old demon tongue coming to an end.
"Alpha?" Inuyasha said in Japanese asking for acceptance from Sesshoumaru.
"Beta." Sesshoumaru replied.
Sango looked on with huge eyes. She, knowing the basis of demon culture, realized the significance of what had just been said between the two.
Inuyasha then looked at Rin and with a darling look grinned. "Will you stand in for Okaa-san?"
She looked like she was about to cry and laugh at the same time. "But I'm so much younger than you!"
"You are my brother's mate, that makes you the mother to his father."
"I would be honored," She said with her eyes closed in happiness, it was a trait that had never left her sense her childhood. "Inu-no-nii-chan."
The quietness that had taken over the hut dissipated in a roar of laughter.
-break-
Before noon the whole village and even a couple of travelers knew about the upcoming marriage of the hanyou and priestess. It would be held at dusk in front of the ruins of the ancient tree.
By two o'clock the village women had presented Kagome with a wondrous Kimono fit for a princess. It was a gentle green, in honor of the tree. On the back of the obi a tree was actually represented with little branches and leaves.
The outer part of the kimono had pretty flower on it of every color Kagome could image. Green, red, yellow, orange, purple, pink, blue, lavender, and white.
When it was given to her she cried and put it on with all the love for the man she would wed going into it. The village women told Kagome that kimonos such as this one took on the love of the people who wore them, as if they were alive. The more Kagome wore it, they told her, the more love would be put into the dye, making the kimono a part of her heart.
They also suggested that she use the big outer kimono as a marriage blanket. It was a tradition Sango had also done. Her original marriage kimono was on her and Miroku's futon always when they slept. It was an old superstition that if one always slept with their marriage outer kimono that they would have a long and healthy life together.
Sesshoumaru had disappeared soon after the Kimono was presented to Kagome and didn't return until nearly five in the afternoon. He sniffed out his brother and made his way to the shrine he was standing in, wearing the only thing he owned. The cloths that had grown up with him, bleed with him, and would die with him. They were demon cloths, they, much like Kagome's kimono took on the life of their owner.
"Inuyasha?"
The hanyou turned around and acknowledged his brother then turned back to Kikyo's grave. Sesshoumaru stepped up next to him and looked at the grave as well, in his hands was a small package that caused Inuyasha's nose to twitch.
The scent coming from it reminded him of something, of someone that was deeply embedded in his cloths. For as long as he could remembered that scent had followed him and kept him close and now when Sesshoumaru opened to package, he understood why. As an Inu he knew the scent without having to ever smelt it before.
"Sesshoumaru?"
"This was our fathers. Before you were even born he told me that you should have this when you found your mate."
A rough hand came up and felt the silk of the white Kimono, it was soft, and moved like water under his hand, arousing a suspension of royalty from it. But what really caught his eyes was the symbol of Inu-no-Tashio on its back and the blue background that encased it.
"Koushaku?" He whispered as his hand came in contact with the golden kanji of his title.
"Wear this, for your bride."
Without any thought Inuyasha took the cloth into his hands and nodded to his brother before smiling and looking Sesshoumaru in the eyes.
"I'll wear it with pride—Alpha."
The two smiled at each other before parting ways.
-break-
At six o'clock the village gathered in front of the wreckage that was once Goshinboku. Kagome and Inuyasha stood under it with Miroku and Sango next to Kagome and Sesshoumaru and Rin next to Inuyasha. By the looks of things, it was as if the lord was getting married, everyone was dressed in their finest Kimono's and hamaka's, some of them even dressed in their own original wedding outfits as Sango and Miroku were.
Everything began to grow quiet and not even the birds chirped as the solemnest of the Shinto style wedding began. Kaede purified the couple first going through the movements slowly, and spending less time over Inuyasha than Kagome because he would literally be purified if held under the treatment too long. Then the sake was passed around and the groom drank then the bride, then the family until the cup came empty back to Kaede.
It was a crude ceremony compared to what Kagome recognized as a true Shinto wedding or at least what her time called the Shinto Ceremony.
After the ceremony was completed Inuyasha and Kagome as well as Kaede, Shippo, Rin, Sesshoumaru, Sango, and Miroku stayed behind at Goshinboku to have a private moment together. Yutara and Aoi had left to go back to Kaede's hut and Shokuro and Mika were being watched by another village mother.
Inuyasha and Kagome knew the villagers were most likely preparing some kind of festivity but, they still wanted a moment just with them and their family.
"In my world," Kagome began. "There is another tradition when a couple gets married."
Inuyasha and Kagome looked at each other and smiled. "We talked about it," He said. "And we would like to uphold that tradition."
"Go for it." Miroku said with a smile as he placed his hand on his friends shoulder. "In my experience Kagome's world has some great traditions."
"It's nothing like the 'Playboy' I showed you once." Kagome said dryly.
"Play—what?" Sango asked with a look of pure confusion.
"Nothing." Kagome said quickly with a laugh. She had never actually showed Miroku a Playboy but she had told him about the risqué magazine.
Miroku blushed and looked away. Inuyasha looked at Kagome with a frown.
"Is that the magazine with the naked girls?"
"What!" Sango said shocked, Rin and Kaede and Shippo's expressions matching her own.
"Where did you see one?" Kagome asked startled.
"Souta." He supplied honestly.
"That little pervert." Kagome said in a shocked voice.
"In his defense he was like twelve at the time."
"Not a good defense."
"Are you going to uphold your mate's tradition or not?" Sesshoumaru said from his spot behind Rin.
"Yes." Inuyasha said and turned away from them and looked at Kagome, much to the surprise of Sango, Miroku, Kaede, Rin, Sesshoumaru, and Shippo he pulled out a poem.
Kagome, you are my love, you are my heart,
And it is with you that I want to start,
My life with you, yours and mine,
And as we fit and as we grow,
I will stay with you and commit these things for you to know.
I will never waver, I will never fall,
I will never leave you no matter what befalls
And for as long as I live, as long as I breathe
I will never end my devotion for thee
"May this flower not be my last, Japonica, sincerity in commitment. With love and meaning your husband, Inuyasha." He finished and Kagome started to cry.
"Inuyasha." Kagome said as she took his hands and looked at him through tears. "I don't know what to say to top that."
He looked at her and held her hands tightly to his chest. "Just say whatever's in your heart, that's what I did."
"I want to see you smile, I want to hear you laugh, I want you to be happy, I want you to have fun. I want to be there when you're sad, I want to be there when you're mad, I want to be there for everything good and bad. I want to make you happy, I want to make you smile, and I want to hear your laugh."
Inuyasha was looking at her full of emotion.
"I love you." She said. "I love your demon, I love your human, I love every part of you and I always will no matter what." She finished simply.
He bent his head and kissed her soundly. Her words had hit him deeply, she loved every part of him, human, demon, everything. He had never been accepted by anyone the way he was accepted by Kagome. She was the first person to not be afraid of him, the first person to look at him and find him unbelievably attractive because he was a demon, and she had been the person to make him open up, to make him laugh, to make him cry, to make him truly happy for the first time in his life. And he hoped she would continue to do that for the rest of their lives.
Several minutes passed as everyone was quiet, allowing the love between the two to absorb into them as well.
"Inuyasha," Miroku finally interjected. He drew his hand up into a position of prayer. "May the sun not set on your happiness and may clouds never rain on your life."
November 9th, 1587—
Almost nine years after a girl fell down a well and met a boy with dog ears—
They now stood, exactly where they started—
Only now—they were desperately in love—
End of Chapter
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