Author's Note: So here's the next story. I'm glad I got it up soon. I'll try to work quicker but I don't know. Prom's in a month and we're cracking down on tests. But I'm getting to the good part. YAY! I'M SO GLAD! FINALLY!
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha...
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Chapter 36: Am I That Horrible?
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"Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved."
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The sun rose slowly over Tokyo, sending sparks of flame to hit the morning dew that lingered upon the small stems of grass. Brilliant rays of light shone through the open window as a young woman hummed to herself in the bathroom. Today was the day she would have to spend the whole day with her grandfather and train, practice for things that she was bound to do, but didn't train for weeks on end. Kagome had a smile on her face as she walked out of the bathroom. Even though her situation with her destiny may seem misfortunate and unfair, there was still that spark in her that grew, from when she was a child, to believe that this was the right path. She believed that what she was doing was the right choice and she enjoyed every minute of her life; whether it be training or laughing; she enjoyed having her powers. It was surreal to have powers like the ones she had, yet dangerous at the same time. In the end, Kagome was just thankful that she was given her gifts for her family.
A knock came at the door and Kagome turned her head, her hands still braiding her long, raven hair. "Come in."
The door opened to reveal her grandfather, dressed in his monk attire, one that he hasn't used for a long time. Jiisan stood, his hands at his side, in a pair of gray hakama pants with a black kimono underneath and a black haori over. He looked so wise, so full of life in his old age. It was charming, as Kagome smiled even bigger at her grandfather's appealing look that matched the meaning of their day.
"Ready, Kagome?" he asked, voice filled of old age, but eyes as wise as the years he has been a priest and monk at this ancient, family shrine.
Kagome nodded, finally finishing her braid and straighten out her traditional red and white miko robes. She placed her hands at her side and stood straighter, a beautiful butterfly comb decorating her hair and her beauty, adding a sense of propriety, but also, it was a habit for Kagome to wear the comb that her father had bought her, while she trains. "Yes, Jiisan."
Jiisan nodded his approval and turned around, walking downstairs with his granddaughter at his heels. He was excited, in the least, with their training this morning. Pride filled his old veins in the knowledge that his granddaughter was a miko, a powerful and successful one at that too, and that he will witness some of her powers. Jiisan smiled to himself. He had agreed to help train Kagome while she remained at home, and considering the length of time since he actually did train with his spiritual powers, he was anxious to start this training. Of course, they have been doing some training with sutras and shooting bow and arrows, but that was about it. Now, Kagome will actually use her miko powers into attacks, shields, and even weapons.
Walking outside, the two made their way in the open area near the Goshinboku, its shade blessing the two. Kagome walked closer to the tree and turned around to face her grandfather.
"Okay, Jiisan. What would you like to do?" she asked, excited on getting back to her miko powers. She felt giddy inside and she was yearning to release some of her energy.
Jiisan held his hands behind his back and thought about it for a moment. He turned around, making sure they had no visitors in the shrine. He didn't want anyone to witness his granddaughter's powers, not yet, it was too soon. "Okay. Warm up first, Kagome. I want you to center your spiritual powers into a ball. Can you do that?"
"Yep." she simply said with a happy smile. Kagome then bit her lip in anticipation and nodded her head. The wind played with her hair, as it grew silent, the smile on her face disappearing in the wind. Kagome concentrated, face as calm as the sea, but her aura was rapidly stirring, bringing forth a new wind with it. Jiisan watched with interested eyes, certain that his granddaughter was the hope for the future.
Suddenly, the wind picked up a bit more, the Goshinboku speaking to them, its branches swaying to make noises as voices to those who were knowledgeable enough to hear. Kagome remained motionless, that is, until her hands began to move up, coming straight in front of her breasts and stayed there. Her left palm arched above her right palm, making a shape of a circle, Kagome concentrated the flow of her powers into her palms, feeling that warm sensation burning her fingertips. It felt right, so nice and natural. Kagome, however, didn't smile, wanting to keep into her task. Then, a bright blue light glowed on both palms and shots of blue lighting were seen, coming from her palms to meet in the center of the circle. The lighting combined and made a tiny ball, brilliant blue that glowed and radiated with miko energy. Jiisan watched, silently, as the ball grew bigger, and soon, it was almost touching Kagome's palms. Above all, he was impressed. It took her such a short amount of time to get her miko powers under control and combined into one area. Her ball seemed like such a good weapon, which made Jiisan think of many other ways they could spend their day training.
The wind had finally died down and Kagome opened her eyes, revealing a small flicker of light blue deep within her chestnuts, waiting to be released with power. Kagome smiled at her grandfather and then as fast as the wind had died, it came back quickly and took away the ball of energy that was confined within her shield of palms.
"Good." Jiisan said, nodding his approval but unable to hide his astonishment.
"Thank you, Jiisan," Kagome said, bowing to her grandfather out of respect. Kagome was pleased with herself that she was able to go past her grandfather's expectations.
"I see that your years at the Naiku Shrine have really improved your powers."
"Yes."
Jiisan nodded. "Very well." He walked over to a small shrine nearby and went in, leaving Kagome to her thoughts. She waited patiently, wondering what her grandfather was getting within the shrine. She could still feel her palms with warm heat and it made her realize that she needed to let some of her miko powers go. Kagome remembered that this morning, she didn't wake before sunrise to release her miko energy into the land, mostly because she knew she would be training today.
Jiisan came out with two swords. Kagome arched her eyebrow but remained poised in her same spot. He walked back to his spot, a few feet from Kagome, and made eye contact with his granddaughter. "Tell me, Kagome… what weapons can you put your miko powers into?"
"Only arrows. My Brothers have taught me to put it into other weapons like katanas, staffs and swords, but I could never master it."
"What do you mean by 'master'?" he asked, wanting to understand everything about her 'cans' and 'cannots' so he can teach her.
Kagome clasped her hands in front of her. "I can put my spiritual powers into the weapons, but it only remains there for a short amount of time. Maybe, say… two minutes. I could never make it remain there any longer, no matter how much my Brothers taught me. I just don't think that I can do this," she said truthfully. Many times did her Brothers teach her to concentrate on her powers into a sword, and many times did she fail.
"No. Don't say that. Nothing is impossible. We will just have to work on it harder and longer." Jiisan then walked towards Kagome and gave her one of the swords, taking his into his right hand. "Now, watch." Jiisan then closed his eyes and suddenly, Kagome saw the sword in her grandfather's hand begin to glow white. Her eyes widened in amazement at what her grandfather could do. He was old, yet his powers were still in tact and he could still put them to use. At that moment, Kagome felt such a love and respect for her grandfather that her heart burst with pride. Jiisan then opened his eyes and stared deep within his granddaughter's. "Now you do it."
Kagome nodded, taking a deep breath and concentrating on the sword in both of her hands. She held it in front of her, below her waist, and stared down at it while her aura began to wrap itself around the blade. It moved off the blade with grace, stroking and teasing it, while it sank deep within, remaining in the sword. Jiisan nodded. "Good. Now, you must think about the sword. See it as a human." Kagome listened to her grandfather's words as her eyes began to play tricks on her, trying to obey what her grandfather was telling her. She never took her eyes off the sword, afraid that if she did, she would lose her control and then her grandfather would be disappointed in her. Kagome cleared her thoughts and began to concentrate. "This human needs your help. It's dying and it needs your miko powers to survive. The only way you can do that is if you feed it yours."
"I don't understand," Kagome whispered, her aura still flowing around the sword. The sword was already glowing with her aura, yet, she didn't know if it will stay within the sword.
Jiisan took note of Kagome's concentration. "The sword needs your spiritual powers and therefore, you will give it. Every piece of metal will be covered with your powers. Then, as you finish, do not release your concentration on it until you seal your powers."
"What?" Kagome asked, suddenly realizing that this was harder than she thought.
"Place all thought in sealing your powers into the blade. Talk to it, if it'll help you."
"Talk to my miko powers?" Kagome asked skeptically. She was beginning to think that maybe her grandfather was teaching her something else. Her Brothers never told her to do that and it sounded so weird, and yet, impossible.
"Just try to seal your powers, as if you're blessing or healing the sword," Jiisan said, trying to urge Kagome further. He didn't really know how to explain it, so he just watched as Kagome seemed hesitant, but then began to try. He could see the concentration, the desire to succeed, however, Kagome didn't. Her miko powers spilled out of the sword and the aura diminished into the wind.
"Ugh!" Kagome said, dropping the sword to throw her hands up in the air, already getting frustrated with herself.
"It's all right, Kagome. I never said that you would be able to do it in one try."
Kagome looked at her grandfather with a frown and nodded, wanting to forget about that lesson. She would just have to practice it everyday now so she can finally do what Jiisan could.
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Meanwhile, Sango, Miroku, Kikyo, Onigumo and Inuyasha were at the mall. The five of them wanted to hang out for the weekend and then maybe catch a movie. However, one person had no date or lover hanging on his arm.
"So, Inuyasha… Miroku told me that you were going to do something special for Kagome on her birthday?" Sango asked, turning to her side to speak to him.
Inuyasha looked at Sango shocked, but then glared at Miroku, hanging onto Sango's arm for dear life. He growled, making Miroku scoot closer to Kikyo and Onigumo to get away from the mad hanyou. "I told you not to tell, Miroku."
Miroku laughed and scratched his head. "Ugh… yeah. You see, it just came out without me thinking," he said with a chuckle. He took a nervous glance over to Inuyasha to see that same glare. Miroku gulped. 'I'm in for it.'
"Oh cut it out you two," Kikyo said, watching Inuyasha with interested eyes. "You're taking Kagome out, Inuyasha? Where?"
"Feh," Inuyasha said, pointing his nose in the air and crossing his arms. "Who said I was taking her out?"
Both of the girls' eyes shot up as the only thing they could think about popped into their mind as what boyfriend and girlfriend could actually 'do' without going out of the house. Onigumo suddenly caught in on the girl's shocked features. "Inuyasha, you're not planning on having sex with Kagome right?"
Inuyasha, feeling like the others would never find out his brilliant plan he made for Kagome, almost fell over at the sudden question. He regained his posture but took a moment to soak that question in. 'Who the hell do they think I am? Miroku?' he thought. Inuyasha turned to glare at Onigumo. "What makes you think I had that in mind?"
Kikyo watched as the two boys had their conversation. Her eyes never left Inuyasha's, searching for the truth behind his orbs. Her baby sister had told her several months ago that 'sex' was out of the question. Yet, Kikyo wanted to know, so badly, what Inuyasha had in mind. It was exciting to listen to, yet, a little sad to comprehend, if Inuyasha was actually planning to have sex with Kagome.
Onigumo just shrugged, his hand still holding Kikyo's. "I just wanted to ask. That's what we all were thinking, and Kagome is like a sister to me. I just…"
"I know." Inuyasha said, huffing out a breath and storming away from his friends. Everyone watched as the silver hair made its way through the crowd of people. They all wondered what they had said to make him so mad. Sango then resorted to following him, and so they all tried to follow Inuyasha to wherever it is he was going.
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"Keep going!" Jiisan said, watching as Kagome shot her purification arrows into the target. Her quiver was filled with another dozen of arrows as Kagome continued to spend her miko powers into the arrows and let it leave her body to hit the mark with a glittering pink, symbolizing her powers dissolving to purify the target. Kagome shot, one after the other at her grandfather's wishes. She wasn't getting tired, or at least, not tired enough to fall down. Her fingers were hurting by all the arrows she had to string but this was training, and it wasn't ever easy. Eyes glued to her mark, Kagome shot until she ran out of arrows. She wiped her bangs away from her face as the beating sun reached its peak and began to get warmer by the hour.
Jiisan looked at all the arrows that filled up the red circle. He nodded his satisfaction. "Do you see that? How you let your spiritual powers go into the arrows? It is the same as how you would let your miko powers go into swords and other weapons."
The realization then dawned on Kagome. She stared at all her arrows and sank in Jiisan's words. He was right. Her arrows were filled with purification, meant to purify even the strongest demon on the spot. Without realizing, Kagome was shooting nonstop and letting her powers go without a sweat. Yet, when it came to concentrating on a sword, it seemed harder. 'Maybe it's because I'm so used to using a bow and arrow. I've done it since I moved to the shrine and it's like another pair of arms for me. But, releasing my purified arrows should be the same as releasing it onto swords.'
"Father! Kagome! Come inside and eat your lunch!" Mrs. Higurashi called from the house. Jiisan turned to see his daughter waving at them with her apron on.
"Coming Mama!" he said, turning around to face Kagome. "Come, Kagome. Let's go get some lunch and we'll come back. In the meantime, think about what I said." Jiisan turned around and walked back towards the house, while Kagome stripping herself free of her empty quiver and laid it on the ground with her bow. She stood up and took one last look at the target, then followed her grandfather's footsteps.
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Footsteps could be heard walking down the carpeted hallway, empty with no one around. Doors filled the long hall, closed with its occupants inside having meetings or doing their job. Sesshomaru held a manila folder in his hand as he took long strides down the hall towards his father's office. His face was its usually self, however, inside, his mind was in turmoil and his thoughts were racing. 'Why now? What are they up to?' he thought, trying to find a conclusion, but hasn't been succeeding since the past ten minutes. Growling to himself and getting even more frustrated, Sesshomaru decided to stop thinking about it. He would wait for his father to read the news.
The secretary outside his father's office just bowed her head without even having to ask if he has an appointment with the president. Sesshomaru didn't glance at her as his hand met the solid wood of the door, knocking two times.
"Come in." At the muffled sound, Sesshomaru twisted the handle and walked in, closing the door behind him and making his way towards his father's desk. Inutaisho was currently signing some papers, one hand holding the paper down while the other was signing away his money or something else that was valuable for business.
"Father. I have news," Sesshomaru said, his deep voice catching the adult's. Inutaisho finished signing and then dropped his pen, his golden eyes reaching towards his son's height.
"What news?" Inutaisho asked, looking down to see Sesshomaru's clawed hand slide the manila folder on his desk. Inutaisho immediately took the manila folder and leaned back into his chair, his mind wondering at what kind of bad news the company could be having now. Usually, Sesshomaru would never bother him during work unless it was urgent or something that his son felt should be discussed with the both of them. He knew Sesshomaru. He was capable of doing anything by himself and that was one thing that Inutaisho valued in his son. Opening the manila folder, Inutaisho's eyes suddenly took interest in the bars and text that was written in plain black ink, but meaning a thousand words.
Sesshomaru took a seat, finding his father's presence easing and now he could finally get some of the questions dealt with, since his father was here. He waited quietly while his father read everything, flipping through pages to look at all the collected data that Sesshomaru's staff had deviously gathered.
After a few minutes, Inutaisho closed the folder and set in on his desk in front of him. His eyes, holding interest but swirling with confusion, looked at Sessomaru's calm eyes. "When?"
"Two days ago. My men had told me that there was little movement within Daiyamondo Corporation so I agreed towards their desire to investigate. Those are what they had concluded."
"And they are sure?" Inutaisho asked, resting his elbows on either arms of the chair to be clasped in front of him.
Sesshomaru nodded. Another moment of silence was spent, the two inuyoukai trying to piece the puzzle.
"Why now? After all this time? The sudden loss of investment. The quietness they have been erupting. At such a time of the year, with the Cherry Blossoms coming to season, all companies are seeing rises with the boom in the tourist industry and elsewhere. So why do they show such negative progress?" Inutaisho asked, his eyes set on the closed manila folder.
Sesshomaru kept his eyes fixated on his father's, even though it wasn't directed at him. "I was thinking the same, father. I do not see the point in the company decreasing in their funds. There has to be something stirring."
Inutaisho nodded, his eyes now gluing to Sesshomaru. "They are planning something. Knowing them, it cannot be good. Find out what it is, Sesshomaru."
Sesshomaru nodded and stood up to leave, walking towards the door and silently closing it. There were new problems on the horizon and with the silent movements at Daiyamondo, something was bound to happen. Sesshomaru resorted to getting back to his office and calling up his employees, planning to give them new orders.
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Inuyasha walked out of the mall and into a small garden area. The mall they were in had a comfort zone for the shoppers to relax or let their kids play in the field of flowers and trees for a while. It was on the backside of the mall, just like several other malls in Tokyo. Inuyasha walked towards a bench under a huge Willow Tree and sat down, one leg crossing the other at the ankle as he relaxed. However, he suddenly growled, as he smelt the familiar scents of his friends that he desperately tried to avoid.
"You know, when people walk away from others, it usually means that they want to be left alone," Inuyasha said matter-of-factly. He was aggravated already and he just wanted to leave the damn mall. 'If only that good-for-nothing Miroku kept his mouth shut!'
"Well, sometimes those people who walk away are walking away from their fears and needs the people they are leaving to comfort them," Kikyo said, leaving her boyfriend's side to sit next to Inuyasha's left. Sango and Miroku sat to Inuyasha's right as Onigumo stood next to Kikyo's side of the bench.
"Feh, who told you that?" Inuyasha asked, not bothering to look at Kikyo.
Kikyo smiled and looked out at the little kids playing in the field. "My baby sister."
Inuyasha's ears perked at the mention of who it was, although the name did not come out. Kagome. He suddenly realized that he was missing her, and that she was missing from their little group. Early this morning, Kikyo had told the others that Kagome was busy today with homework and she wouldn't be joining them. Inuyasha never got to talk to her because she was taking a shower so they began their day without his girlfriend.
"Inuyasha?" Sango asked, trying to catch his attention. He did not look at her, but Sango saw his ears twitch her way and she held in a giggle at those cute triangles. "What's bothering you? I know that something we said got you like this. Now tell me."
Inuyasha smirked. "I don't take orders from girls."
Sango glared at him and was about to whack him for that, but Onigumo's voice beat her first. "Was it because of what I said?" he asked, knowing it was exactly the right answer.
No response came from Inuyasha. He really didn't want to talk about it. He just wanted to be left alone. Obviously, Miroku couldn't keep his mouth shut and now everyone knows. Inuyasha didn't want to give out any more information about anything else, let alone on what he's feeling.
Kikyo sighed and slapped his leg. "Oh come on. Tell us. What's bothering you? Are you mad that we found out your plans for Kagome?"
Inuyasha sighed. "You guys aren't leaving, huh?" he asked, hopefully looking into all of their eyes but seeing the answer clearly written. 'Shit!'
"We're not leaving until you tell us why you got so riled up and stormed out of the mall like that." Sango said, getting comfortable on the bench because she knew it might take Inuyasha some time to open up. She knew him as a guy who didn't open up easily to others. No matter how close to him they were. Onigumo then spoke, wanting to get the stubborn guy to tell them what was bothering him.
"I know it's something that I said. All I said was that Kagome was like a sister to me. Did that make you mad?" he asked, propping one foot up on the empty space at the end of the bench. He rested his hands on his knee as Inuyasha's face remained still, spacing out at the kids running around. Onigumo sighed defeated.
Kikyo then turned away from Inuyasha. "Were you really thinking about having sex with her?" she asked seriously, wanting to know the truth.
Inuyasha put his leg back on the ground, relaxing a bit with his legs spread apart. He sighed, knowing that they would keep asking until he answers. "No."
Sango then whipped her head towards him. "Really?"
Inuyasha glared at Sango. "Yes, 'really'? Why? Are you that surprised that I'm not a horny bastard?" he asked, anger flaring in his eyes.
Sango flinched at his words and shook her head. She felt Miroku rub her arms but to no avail did that help to soothe the way she felt when Inuyasha said those words. It didn't hurt her. It hurt her to see the affect that the words had on him. "I didn't mean to…"
"Forget about it. Now can you guys leave?" he asked, hoping they will finally leave him alone in peace.
"Are you afraid?" Kikyo then asked, silencing the others in their attempt to start asking their own question. She wanted to know something else, deeper than just being 'afraid'. There was something in Inuyasha's eyes that made her believe he was hiding something, not just something, but a feeling.
Inuyasha didn't answer, not wanting the others to see his soft side. 'Dammit! Why can't you guys just leave me the fuck alone!' he thought, getting pissed at their damn nosiness.
"You're afraid, aren't you?" she said again, trying to put some sense and piece things together since the hanyou wasn't helping. "You're afraid that you might hurt her." The others remained silent, not wanting to stare at the two, before they might ruin the moment. They just spaced out at the scenery before them while their ears listened eagerly.
Inuyasha smirked, not looking at Kikyo. "What makes you think that, Kikyo?"
"Because I can see it your eyes."
Inuyasha's body froze. Kikyo was just like Kagome, well, maybe not exactly like her but the two did act the same at times. Kagome could read him like a book and it seems like she was teaching Kikyo how to do it too. Or maybe was he just so damn obvious to the whole world? Maybe. Kikyo nodded her head with a smile after thinking about what her boyfriend had told Inuyasha back in the mall.
"Onigumo had asked you about having sex with Kagome and you said 'no'. Then, he said that he thought about Kagome as a sister, and like all brothers, they want their sister to be safe and unharmed. You're afraid that you might hurt her." Kikyo then felt wheels turning in her head. 'No. That's not it. There's more, I just know it… but what is it?' she thought frantically.
Inuyasha sighed, a bit of sarcasm leaking through his voice. "I'm a half-demon, Kikyo. I was bred from an inuyoukai and a human. Not most people like my kind. We are usually shunned by all. Who would want to bed a hanyou?"
Kikyo gasped, the others widening their eyes but keeping silent to themselves. "Inuyasha! What makes you think that? Who told you that?" she demanded.
Inuyasha smirked. "Forget it. Even Miroku had told me that Kagome was like a sister to him and he said that he was just making sure that Kagome wouldn't get hurt. That was exactly what Onigumo was referring to. He was going to say that 'Kagome is like a sister to him and he was just looking out for her best interests'." Inuyasha flinched on the inside, the others not knowing how much it hurt to say that. He knew that Kagome deserved better than him, yet she wanted him, and he wanted her. However, everyone thinks that having sex with her is so wrong. Why did they all question him about? Was it really that wrong? Of course it was, for a tainted hanyou to mate with a pure angel was as wrong as Hell.
Kikyo looked sympathetically at her friend, deep within his own thoughts. 'Poor guy…' "Inuyasha… we all are looking out for Kagome's safety, just like you. Out of all of us, you're probably the one who is more concerned about her than any of us. Right?" she asked, trying to put some pride and happiness back into him.
Inuyasha didn't answer, just listened. Kikyo then continued. "Listen. My sister always told me not to judge a person by their appearance. So I haven't. You may be a hanyou, but to us, you're just a regular person."
"Then why the questions?" Inuyasha suddenly asked, his voice filled with anger. Kikyo was toying with him, talking to him like a baby or some kind of therapist, and he didn't like it at all. The tone of her voice was as if he needed help, mental help, which was not the bloody case. "Why the damn questions if I'm going to fuck her or not? Why the hell do you guys care? It's none of your fucking business! Unless you don't like the idea that I want to fuck her to begin with!" he said, getting angrier by the minute.
Kikyo tried to shush him since there were kids around. But, he dismissed her hand, not wanting her to touch him. Kikyo quickly tore the hurt look from her features and tried to soothe the hanyou. "Inuyasha… it's nothing like that. The questions are what any other sister or brother would ask. It's natural. We only care about Kagome and her well-being. That doesn't mean that we're judging you and don't trust you."
"Well then stop asking the fucking questions!" he yelled. Inuyasha stood up and began to pace in front of the bench. He felt squashed between the others and didn't like the confinement. His arms crossed and eyes staring at the ground before him, he walked back and forth, trying it ignore their presence.
Sango began to speak, wanting to get this over with because it seemed to be aggravating him. "Inuyasha… of course we trust you. We didn't mean to make it seem like we didn't. It's just… Kagome doesn't seem like an ordinary girl," she said, Kikyo's eyes roaming to the ground at the mention of the fact. "And we just want her to be happy. She is happy. Because of you and we couldn't be happier. Yes, we shouldn't even be asking you about such things and we're sorry." she said, hoping that the words got through to him. However, before they could find out, Inuyasha's phone rang and he stopped pacing to unclip it from his belt.
"Yeah." he said pressing the button to talk through his walkie-talkie.
"Hey, Inuyasha," everyone heard, making it out to be Koga's voice. "Where are you?"
"At the mall with the gang."
"Shit. Run to a radio or something. 96.4 just announced that they're gonna play our song."
At the mention of it, everyone took a quick glance at each other and began to run back into the mall, trying to find a radio. In the food court, there was the radio station blaring from the speakers and they all crowded next to the wall where one speaker was erecting. Ears intently listening with anticipation, they all waited for the song.
"So as again, we have Mayonaka with their brand new hit 'Let Me Be The One'!" Suddenly the beat of the song came on and Inuyasha's voice was heard, igniting an excitement deep within the two singers listening with heart-filled glee. The girls giggled and held onto each other excitedly while the song kept playing and they moved to the beat, some of the shoppers turning their way and listening to what made them move to. There were some heads in the food court bobbing up and down and nodding their approval, which didn't go unnoticed by Inuyasha. He turned towards the others with a huge smile on his face, his fangs gleaming bright.
"You guys did it," Kikyo said, hugging Inuyasha and then hugging Miroku, Sango doing the same to both of them. Onigumo then gave both of them a handshake and all smiles were met from each other, their conversation they had vanished from all thoughts.
"I'm going to tell Kagome," Inuyasha said, turning around without another word to leave the mall and head towards the Shinto Shrine.
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The sun was on the horizon, sending its last glows through the streets of Tokyo. The Goshinboku's shadow was stretched towards the stairs of the shrine, blanketing the ground in its arms. Kagome stood in its shade, practicing on another lesson that Jiisan was trying to teach her. She held her hands on either side of her, palms facing up, eyes closed. Power emanated to her palms, showing sparks of blue lightning shooting upwards, arching back down to look like the shape of a rainbow. Kagome concentrated, trying to make her miko powers come onto her palms and into solid, ball-like objects.
Jiisan watched, waiting for his granddaughter to make her energy balls. He was hoping that she could succeed this easily; however, that was not the case. They have been practicing all day and beads of sweat began to form on her forehead, tracing lines down her face. Jiisan knew that he should stop her, but as her mentor, he had to be strong and continue with the lesson.
Kagome took deep breaths and finally, energy balls appeared on each hand. She opened her eyes to reveal those light blue sparks deep within her tired orbs. Kagome looked towards her grandfather expectantly, waiting for the next instructions.
"Good. Now, throw them at the pile of stones." Jiisan said, nudging his head towards the two stacks of stones they had made. Kagome nodded and slightly turned so she could be facing the stones. Her eyes darted towards the base as she tried to find the best way to knock over the stacks. Nodding to herself, Kagome took a deep breath and took a step back, trying to find her strength to throw the energy balls with enough force to knock them over. Pushing her weight back, Kagome brought her right hand behind her first and then brought it forward, leaning her weight with it and watched as the ball went flying. The light blue energy ball hit one pile of stones but only made the top half fall down. She then frowned and threw the one in her left hand towards the other pile, and again, only the top falling.
"Good." Jiisan said, turning back around to see Kagome wiping sweat from her face. Jiisan decided that he should stop for the day. The sun was sinking and Kagome needed a bath, and he could see it in her eyes, as she looked disgustingly at her sweaty hands. He smiled. "Let's call it a day, Kagome." he called.
Kagome looked up and smiled. "Okay, Jiisan." she said, happy that it was all over. The day had gone on a different path than she had expected. In the beginning, Kagome had thought that it would be easy and fun, considering the fact that she hadn't been training for over a year. However, since she had such a long time of not practicing, her body was not ready for a long day of training, which took its toll on everything. Kagome felt like collapsing and just lying on the ground for the remainder of the night, not sure if she could walk into the house, up the stairs and then take a bath. She felt sweaty, sticky and stink; the three S's that she doesn't like. Kagome walked towards her bow and quiver, picking them up to put them back in the shrine. "You go on, Jiisan. I'm going to put these back… and the swords." Jiisan nodded at Kagome's back and walked back into the house, his old bones finally being able to sit down and relax.
Kagome placed the weapons back and then walked out of the shrine house, closing the shoji, and headed down the stairs. However, before she took a few steps, Kagome heard her name being called out by a familiar voice, one that she would always recognize.
"Kagome!" Inuyasha said, running from the shrine stairs. Kagome was graced with the sight of her boyfriend running towards her, his silver hair flowing behind him in the wind, making her see him as some kind of hero. She blushed at the thought, wondering if she was having delusions of a young girl with fantasy dreams. Kagome smiled and briskly walked towards Inuyasha, trying to meet him halfway, although it wasn't necessary since he could run pretty fast. As the two came closer, Inuyasha finally stopped and took a few breaths, obviously not tired from the huge stairs he had to climb.
"Kagome did you… what are you wearing?" he asked, suddenly recognizing her attire. His eyes were only fixated on her eyes, seeing that they were only directed towards him, the way it should be. Inuyasha looked Kagome up and down and took in her weird robes, one that he only saw in the books that he had in his library at home.
Kagome suddenly realized that she was still dressed in her miko robes, which brought forth nervousness. Inuyasha looked expectantly at her, and she couldn't resist his golden eyes. She gulped and tried to seem as confident as ever. "I was just trying them on. I got stuck with them and I had to help my grandfather with shrine duties the whole day," she said smoothly, hoping that Inuyasha fell for it. It wasn't a complete lie… right?
Thankfully, he did, mostly because his excitement of the band's song being on the air was in the front of his mind right now. "Anyways… guess what?" he asked, grabbing both of her hands, one in each of his, as he rubbed his rough thumbs against the back of her hand. Kagome smiled at his tenderness and excitement while she found hers bubbling at the surface.
"What?" she asked, hoping that she didn't have to guess.
Inuyasha smiled, a huge smile that again showed his fangs. "We finally made air. 96.4 played our song just a few minutes ago," he said, trying to control his excitement.
Kagome's eyes bulged as she sank it all in. "Really?" she squealed, and watched as Inuyasha nodded. "Oh my gosh!" she said, jumping up to hug Inuyasha around the neck. Inuyasha squeezed her back, lifting her off the ground to twirl them both around, loving the closeness he could have with her. Inuyasha buried his head in her hair and took in her scent, even though he could smell her sweat. He still loved her smell. Inuyasha stopped spinning and put her down, letting the both of them settle out of their dizziness. He wanted to hold her forever, missing her for the whole day while being out with the rest of the gang instead of spending time with her.
Kagome let go of Inuyasha and looked up into his eyes, seeing such intense gaze being shot back at her. "I'm so happy for you," she said with a huge smile. Such love and happiness was directed at him, which made Inuyasha filled with pride even more in knowing that his girlfriend was pleased with him. However, that thought had brought forth a new desire in him, one that he was waiting for the right moment to say.
"Kagome," Inuyasha said, bringing her waist closer to his as he swayed them a bit, loving the way the wind played with his ears. Kagome watched as their tresses mingled together as one, and she waited, eager to hear what he was going to say. Inuyasha took a deep breath and looked into her chestnut orbs.
"Would you like to go on a date with me?" he asked, just like a gentleman.
Kagome giggled at the tone of his voice, but she smiled anyways, loving the idea. "Of course. Tonight?"
Inuyasha shook his head, a smirk gracing his features making Kagome wonder what he was up to. "Not tonight. In three weeks from today."
Kagome made an 'o' with her mouth and nodded her head as she hugged Inuyasha and laid her head against his chest. However, as she began to think about it, and let it sink in to register what three weeks exactly was, Kagome jerked her head back to see Inuyasha smiling at her with humor in his eyes. "My birthday?" she asked meekly.
"Of course your birthday. It would be the perfect time. It is your sweet sixteen, right?" Kagome nodded, biting her bottom lip in anticipation. She was turning sixteen and somehow, probably from Sango or Kikyo, Inuyasha found out and decided to take her out to dinner. She was so excited and wished that the days would fly by fast so that she can finally have that dinner with him. Kagome smiled and tiptoed; Inuyasha getting the hint, bent down to capture her lips in a loving kiss. Both of them, unfamiliar with saying it, showed it with their lips and the passion they put behind it. Kagome wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed herself against him, wanting to be in his arms forever. However, they were interrupted by Kagome's mother calling for her as the sun had finally sunk beneath the horizon.
"Kagome. It's time to come inside now." Mrs. Higurashi called. She watched as the couple broke away and she smiled, awed at how much affection the two showed for each other. She just wondered if they even voiced their feelings for each other. After a few minutes, Inuyasha turned around and began to walk towards the stairs. "Good night, Inuyasha!" Mrs. Higurashi called as she waved at him. Inuyasha waved back and made his descent down the stairs as Kagome went next to her mother. The two smiled at each other as Kagome walked into the house, Kira following her as they made their way into the kitchen.
"So… what was that all about?" Kira asked excitedly, wondering how the two were doing in their relationship.
Kagome smiled even more. "Inuyasha's going to take me out to dinner for my birthday," she said happily, trying to control her urge to jump around and scream it to the world.
Kira arched her eyebrows with a smile. "Wow. I wonder where he'll take you."
Kagome just shrugged, turning around to do a little twirl. "I don't really care. As long as I can spend some time with him."
Kira watched as her daughter did a little hum to herself and she began to feel her motherly protection kick in. That look, that act, the same as how she had felt when she met Kagome's father. The same way she was before she fell in love with the man and gave herself to him, placing her life in his hands. Kira soon turned serious, hoping that Kagome would hear her out. "Kagome. We need to talk."
Kagome soon stopped twirling and looked at her mother worriedly. "What's wrong? Is the dinner bad?" she asked innocently, wondering what her mother was so serious about. 'Maybe she doesn't want us to go to dinner…'
Kira shook her head. "No. It's just… I want to talk to you about… sex."
Kagome's eyes shot out and she began to giggle. "Mama. I don't think that Inuyasha has that in mind," she said, her hands to her hips.
"You'll never know, sweetheart. At this age, a teenager's hormones are going crazy and one thing can lead to another. I just want to talk to you about this before it happens unexpectedly and I won't be there to help you." Kira said, a little sad and reluctant to let her daughter experience the life of a woman. Kagome was still young and she didn't want her having sex until she was married. However, considering how the beginning of her life went, Kira was a mother who had to give her child up for ten years and was now given a chance to be with her child again. That meant the world to her, and she was willing to do anything to make Kagome happy. 'At the price of her virginity?' she asked herself. Kira sighed.
"Mama, don't worry." Kagome said, sitting across from her mother.
"I know. I just, always wanted you to get married before you had sex…"
"Who said I wanted to?" Kagome asked, interrupting her mother's sentence.
Kira smiled at her daughter sitting across from her. Her eyes were hiding a lot more than a mother would ask for, and Kira wanted to make sure that Kagome knew she did have a mother who she could talk to. "I was a teenager once, Kagome. Do not think that you can get by with me. Maybe with your friends… but not your mother."
Kagome suddenly frowned at her mother's words. She was right. Lying to her mother was futile, especially with something like this. Kagome looked down at her hands nervously, wondering if what her mother said was actually true. "Inuyasha's not like that, mama," she said quietly.
"He is not who I'm concerned with right now. I know Izayoi. I know that she has brought up Sesshomaru and Inuyasha with best interests, and she taught them of the old ways. They have all the qualities that men back in the feudal era would have: courage, honor, strength, and even when it comes to be, respect for women. Even Inutaisho has taught his sons these ways," Kira said, bringing back a new memory of the past. Kagome listened, wondering how close their family actually was to the Takahashis. Kira then stared into her daughter's eyes, worry and fear evidently clear. "I just don't want him to take advantage of the moment."
"Mama, I told you, Inuyasha's not like that." Kagome said, defending her boyfriend.
"Well… what about you?"
Kagome froze, her eyes frozen on her mother's in shock. 'Me?' She didn't know that her mother was trying to imply this in their conversation. 'Do I want to… No. Of course not!' she thought with a blush. Kira didn't let that blush go unnoticed and soon, even her heart was beginning to clench. Her daughter was growing up and she had to let it go, but at such a young age? Sixteen was still young, and Kira knew that Kagome was having second thoughts on having sex, even though she wouldn't voice it. There was just something in her eyes, in her actions, that unveiled her hidden self, even for a brief moment of time. Kira frowned at her daughter, wondering what else she hid, even from her family.
"I know that your feelings for Inuyasha are growing stronger. I just want you to know that I'm here for you, but also, I don't want you to do anything that you might regret, especially now since you're still young. You will be having weights on your shoulders by your wrong actions and too much can be a huge burden. Just… don't do anything you might regret," she said with a sad smile.
Kagome smiled at her mother, her words not making any sense because deep down, she didn't want to believe. "I don't know what you're talking about, Mama. As for the weights, well, I have burdens that do not need to be backed by regrets. Excuse me." With that said Kagome got up and excused herself from the table, going upstairs towards her room to take a bath, skip dinner and the presence of her family. Kira watched her retreating daughter with a sad frown gracing her features.
-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-
Izayoi looked up as her youngest son walked into the kitchen, obviously just getting home and having smelt the food. She smiled at him as he made his way towards the counter across from her. She put her dishtowel down and let the water boil a bit to talk to her son. "Welcome home, sweetheart. How was your day?" she asked, resting her hands on the side of the stove.
Inuyasha smiled and leaned on the counter across from his mother, taking a seat at one of the stools. "The song made air today," he said, still not getting over the fact that his song was playing on the radio for the whole of Japan to hear.
Izayoi brought forth a pleasant smile, overjoyed that her son was excited beyond words. "I'm so happy for you, sweetheart. How are the boys taking it?"
"Okay. We heard it at the mall today," he said, laying his head on his palm.
Izayoi nodded. "What did Kagome say?" she asked, turning her attention back to her boiling water. Inuyasha smiled as he watched the steam rise from the pot.
"I went over her house to tell her and she was surprised too," he said, cutting it short.
Inuyasha then began to think a bit, trying not to make a fuss about the situation. The conversation that he and the others had is coming back to his mind and he didn't want to think about it. His friends might not realize it, but their impressions on him hit him hard. It was true. Everything they thought, the fact that he was afraid. Inuyasha frowned, his eyes glazed as his thoughts led him away from his mother's presence and into his heart. He really wanted Kagome; he wanted her so bad that he could taste her. Taste the sweetness of her skin, the softness of her body, the pure sensation he would get when she… 'NO!' he thought, furious with himself. It was impossible, dejecting, and veil, all at the same time. A hanyou should never be able to touch someone like Kagome. It wasn't right for him to do that, let alone think of such thoughts about her. Inuyasha soon became disgusted with himself. It would never work out between the two of them. Kagome just seemed too pure for him. His heart clenched at the thought of not having her, not seeing her face everyday, just because of how tainted he was and what he was.
"Inuyasha…" Izayoi called, finally catching the attention of the teenager. She watched as Inuyasha focused on her. Izayoi tried calling him, after asking him a question and not hearing an answer. She began to see that he was thinking to himself, however, Inuyasha began to look sad and then mad, which made her worried about what he was thinking. Izayoi shook her head and looked at Inuyasha with concern. "What's wrong, Inuyasha?"
Inuyasha forced a smile and shook his head. "Nothing, mother." With that said, Inuyasha got up from his stool and left. He didn't want to talk about it anymore. There was nothing more to say, nothing more to discuss. It wasn't as if talking about such things could actually make things better and change what was never meant to be changed.
-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-
Such a beautiful place, mist gliding off the ground, sun gleaming down on the land. Kagome hummed to herself as she walked towards her mother, sitting next to the pond. She could make out her mother's figure from a distance and Kagome decided that she should talk to her mother about everything that has been happening, not only about her training, but also about Inuyasha. There was no sense in hiding it. Midoriko always knew what Kagome was feeling and there was no way in getting by with this one. Kagome just hoped that the worst, which she feared, wouldn't come. There was this slight nervousness in her, a fear that her mother would say certain things that would make her heart crush in defeat.
"I was waiting for you." Midoriko's voice echoed to Kagome, her beauty and grace in speaking making Kagome yearn for such propriety and gracefulness that her mother held. Kagome continued to walk closer to her mother, as her eyes never left the back of her mother's head.
"I'm sorry. I just couldn't let my mind rest after today," she said, not telling the whole truth. At least she told most of it. It was true that Kagome didn't go straight to sleep after she finished with her bath. Her mind was wandering and she thought about the dinner she would be having with Inuyasha. Like an excited schoolgirl, she didn't want to give into the darkness because she wanted to dream, dream for just a bit longer.
"You were thinking about him, weren't you?" Midoriko asked, turning away from the water's edge to kneel sideways, turning her head so her eyes could bore into Kagome's, and seeking the truth.
Kagome never left her mother's gaze. She couldn't lie. Not to Midoriko. Her mother would find out and it was inappropriate to lie to her mother. Not like a miko. Kagome sighed, coming to move in front of her mother, all the while, Midoriko's eyes watched her figure. She knelt and rested her hands on her lap, taking a deep breath and getting ready for this long conversation. "Yes, I was."
"Why?" Midoriko asked, her tone darkening.
"Because I wanted to." Kagome avoided her mother's eyes. She didn't want to see them. Her anger was flaring and she knew that by screaming and yelling out all her frustration, it would get her nowhere. But, Hell, she wanted to so badly.
"Because you love him." Kagome flinched at the tone her mother used. She made it seem so vile, so cruel…
"Right?" Midoriko said, catching the teen's attention by raising her voice. She wanted answers and she would get them. This relationship had to stop. If not, things would get out of hand and consequences would be made. Midoriko watched as emotions played across her daughter's face. Now was not the time to be a sympathetic mother. Now was the time to harden up on this girl and set rules that must be obeyed.
"Yes."
"You will not. I told you, Kagome…"
"But why? You told me that you would allow me to love him, and him to love me back. Why are you going back on your word now?" Kagome asked, raising her voice back. Screw propriety, screw the fact that she had to listen to her mother's words and respect her. Kagome was fed up with being so closed… being so… denied of anything that her heart desired. She wanted to love Inuyasha.
"Kagome! You will stop with your interruptions!" Midoriko roared, the sky darkening with the priestess' mood. Kagome frowned and averted her eyes to the water, not seeing the sparkle on it since gray clouds covered the beautiful sky. Midoriko didn't let the clouds escape. She kept them there, her mood feeling darker than the atmosphere. She sighed and tried to calm her raging blood. Things weren't going the way she hoped it would.
"Kagome listen to me…" she tried, softening her voice a bit for the teenager. "I did allow you and him to love each other. I am not going back on my word." Midoriko sighed and gazed at her daughter's forehead since she denied on looking at her. "Listen to what I say, Kagome. You love him, am I right?"
Kagome nodded. She continued to frown at the water. Her mother was going to read her like a book; there was no sense in denying it or trying to hide it. However, Kagome just wondered what her mother was trying to prove.
"What you did today, with your grandfather, I am very proud of you. I know that he is teaching you well and that is all I can ask for." There was a moment of silence as all that could be heard was the water falling into the pond. "However, I cannot dismiss the fact that your feelings for Inuyasha are growing stronger. I did, however, grant you your wish in loving him. I did not grant you the right to make love with him."
Kagome gasped, shocked at her mother's words, but she refused to meet her gaze. Her mother was suggesting that since her feelings were growing stronger, it meant that she wanted to make love with… No. It couldn't be. 'Do I?' That was such a price to pay. "Mother… I don't believe that what you say is true," she said quietly.
Midoriko let a sad smile play on her features, her eyes averting to the light blue flower that grew near her feet. "I, too, denied my feelings for him when I was alive. I did not want to believe that I was falling in love with him. I did not want to believe that I had wanted, or even thought, about such sexual things. To bed, to engage in that mind-blowing dance passed down through ages. I thought to myself that it was false. However, as time went by, I realize that I had wanted it. I wanted his touch, I wanted to feel all those feelings that women get when they experience that bliss." A blush formed on Midoriko's creamy features, giving her the feeling of warmth through this conversation. It was hard to talk about such things, especially since she was forever denied of them. Yet, her daughter was now experiencing them and she didn't want the same thing to happen to Kagome. She didn't want Kagome to go on with life knowing that she couldn't be loved, that she had to follow in her mother's footsteps. It was hard for Midoriko to do this, especially after she was so pleased with her daughter falling in love.
"Mother… I know that I can never hide things from you. But… I, myself, don't even know if I do want to make love with him. But why is that such a problem? I gave my word that I would fulfill my prophecy no matter what consequences I have. Why can't my joining with him be one of the consequences that I must endure?" Kagome asked, finally looking up to her mother's eyes. Midoriko held in her gasp at Kagome's orbs. It was filled with confusion… but most of all, pain. Midoriko knew that all of this would be too much for a fragile heart to bear. So much denial in Kagome's life, and all of it was because of her prophecy. However, what was done, was done, and Fate is fickle thing.
"Do you remember what I told you when I had decided not to bed him? When a priestess beds a man, they lose all of their powers granted to them. That one night of heaven will be your one night of destruction." Midoriko sighed as new feelings came back into her heart, making her remember what she had when she was alive. "Bedding a man gives him complete power of your heart. You are putting your life in his hands, and our lives were not meant to be given away. They are ours to keep and use for the people. This was the decision that I had to bear, and now it is being passed down to you."
Midoriko could see the trouble swirling in her daughter's eyes. And it hurt. "I'm so sorry, Kagome for giving you this burden. But please consider what I told you. I can't have your powers taken away from you because of your love for him, which was denied from you to begin with. I went against the rules and granted you the acceptance to love him, only because you are my daughter and I want your happiness. But… don't ask me to do this. Don't ask me to let you have what you want over the millions of lives that could be saved if you just deny yourself this one heart's desire." With that said, Midoriko left her daughter. She disappeared with the gloomy clouds that loomed overhead. Kagome then stared into nothingness as the sun beamed down over the land and gave Kagome its warmth.
However, she didn't want it. Not anymore. Inuyasha was her only warmth she ever wanted and now, she realized that she could never have him. Or… not completely. Kagome still didn't know if she wanted to make love with him. It was so soon, she was only turning sixteen. However, as she considered her mother's words, and her mama's words, she started to realize that her emotions were erupting and deep down, she did want to make love with Inuyasha. Nevertheless, she wasn't allowed this one gift. All because her powers could be lost by that one sin. 'Why did I have to be a priestess? Why couldn't I be just a normal girl falling in love?'
Normal. What actually defines normal? "I won't…" Kagome said, ever so softly that the wind carried away her words to no particular ear. "I won't lose my powers. I just won't…," she said, as a tear fell down her cheek.
-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-
That day was very exciting for me. For one thing, I got to train with my beloved grandfather. Even through his age, he was able to last the whole day with no complaints. His attention was directed on me and the fact that I needed to achieve greater heights with my powers. He did help me in the end. I thank him every day for his wisdom and love, even though I never got to tell him everything that I wanted to. I still love you, my Jiisan.
For another thing, when he told me that his song made air, my excitement could not have gotten any higher. I was so pleased. So happy. For them, of course. They made their dream come true and the whole of Japan suddenly knew of them. Their band would soon grow to great lengths and all of Japan would scream for them, or at least, that is what I wanted for them. That spotlight for their achievements. To let the world know that they were blessed individuals, even though some still believed that their band was very strange to have such combination of a demon, a hanyou and a human. It did not matter to them. And that, is one thing that I wanted for Japan to realize.
Everyone can live together: human, demon or even half. It does not matter on the race, only their nature towards each other.
I did not want to obey my mother's words. What she said had definitely confused me at first. I did not know if Mama and Mother were actually telling the truth about my want to make love to him. It just seemed too soon, and I'm quite sure that is what he was thinking too. We were only sixteen and yet we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. Is that what love was? To have such an urge to live together happily? However, I did not know if that was what I wanted. Love. Family. Maybe… I did. However, when my mother had told me that I was forbidden from that, my defenses came up and my heart screamed its denial while my mind hurried to prove a point that my mother was right. In the end, things must happen and life still goes on, even if you see it to be a cave of tunnels that has a consequence down every path.
I made my choice…
Mayonaka: Midnight
"Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved." - William Jennings Bryan
Good chapter? Well I'm getting to the next one. I can't wait. This is the one that I was anxious for. Guess what's the next chapter? Common... guess. I won't tell you though, you'll have to wait and see. But I'm excited about it so I'm hoping that it'll get up soon. Anyways, tell me what you thought about this one. Thanks!
-Kaleialohalani