Waiting. This is all what he did for the last six months.
He sighed as he switched his weight from one foot to the other.
He waited for her to return. It has been six months since they defeated Naraku and the shikon no tama. Six months since he has last seen her. And he hated every second of not being near her, after he finally realized what he feels for her. But he knew that he wasn't the only one who loved her. Her family was crying as they emerged through the well for the last time. And she was so happy to see them, after being sealed inside the jewel for three whole days while being manipulated to make a wish. And then the well closed, separating him from her.
Most of the time he hung around Kaede's hut, much to the old mikos dismay. He was getting on her nerves, always looming around with the look of a dead mans face. So one day she shooed him to Miroku's and Sango's improvised home, as they were in the middle of building a house for their soon-to-be family. They married about a month ago. It was nothing special, just a little ceremony at the village shrine. He was truly happy for them, they deserved happiness. He wished his dearest and only friends only the best, so he wouldn't want to disturb their new found happiness with his melancholy. So he avoided them, but now he was waiting outside of their half constructed house. He hated waiting.
„Would you look at that! Hoshi-sama, there is a dog in front of the door.", he heard the demon slayer snicker.
His ears twitched as he turned around to see the young woman emerge from the door. She looked relaxed, at peace - happy. Thinking about that made him smile a little bit. She had it more than rough. Losing almost her whole family and friends to Naraku's evil schemes. But now she doesn't have to fight anymore, Naraku was dead and her brother alive. Now she could start a family with the monk.
„Oho! Inuyasha, my friend! Finally showing your face here. We haven't seen you since the wedding. Been pinned to a tree again?", also the monk popped out of the door.
He held a hammer in his hand, he most likely was working on the house.
„We could have needed your half demon strength two days ago when we were putting up the roof. My back is still sore, you know.", he remarked grinning.
„Keh! I was busy.", he lied as he fully turned around to them.
„But now I can help."
Sango handed him a hammer while smiling at him.
„Shippou said he will be back this week. Apparently he finished his last examen for the month. Soon he will be a strong kitsune, I only hope he won't play any tricks on us.", Sango mused as she glazed the baseboards with resin.
„That little runt is a few decades to early to trick me.", the half demon tried hard not to smash his own thumb while nailing the floorboards.
„You're sure? You were his favorite victim.", the monk laughed.
It's true that the young fox primarily targeted Inuyasha back in the days of the jewel hunt, but now most of the time Shippou was away too train.
„That's true.", Sango said.
„By the way, what brings you to our humble home after you avoided us for a whole month? If you're here for money we can't be of any assistance."
Sango looked sharply at her husband. They knew the last year wasn't easy for the hanyou, losing the two persons who were closest to his heart. First he lost Kikyou, the first woman he ever let into his heart and then Kagome vanished, the one who healed it. They tried to talk to him, to console him but he always shrugged it of and ran away. He still mourns both losses. He might sometimes be tactless jerk but they knew he doesn't want to bother them with his sadness, so they waited for him to come to them and talk.
„The old hag chased me out of the hut and told me to find myself something to do. So I thought you might need some help.", the half demon answered slightly annoyed.
„I don't need money or that kind of stuff."
„What a shame, I kind of was hoping that you could be my business partner, you know, now that Sango and I soon will have some expenses.", he smiled at his wife.
She averted her eyes and blushed while softly touching her stomach. Inuyasha's head snapped around. She didn't smell any different. Do pregnant women even smell different?
„It's still early and we are not quite sure if I'm with child but I feel a little nauseous in the mornings and get dizzy quite often.", she smiled at him.
Now he felt like a jerk. He ignored the two while Miroku and a pregnant Sango were building a house for god's sake.
„Congratulations. But what kind of business?", he smiled at the woman before turning to her husband.
„You see, after I hunted Naraku almost my whole life I required some expertise in demon extermination. Naraku might be gone but they are still dangerous demons out and about so I thought about making a business out of it.", the monk grinned cunning at his white haired friend.
„You never change.", scoffed the half demon.
They were interrupted by the sound of footsteps at the entrance. The trio turned around and saw Kaede entering the house.
„ So I see that you cheered up this mopping mutt."
„What do you want old hag? First you kick me out and now you are chasing after me?", Inuyasha crossed his arms in front of his chest and scowled.
Kaede sighed. Slowly the half demon was being himself again, she just doesn't know if this was good or bad.
„Foremost I came to examine Sango to make sure that, if she is is with child, she doesn't overexert herself. Also I have some news that might be interesting for you, Inuyasha."; the old miko said as she sat down next to Sango.
Inuyasha looked intrigued. There was nothing that would be interesting for him. Naraku was dead, the jewel purified and Kagome was...
Kaede hold Sangos wrist feeling her pulse while her other hand felt her forehead. Miroku watched carefully as his wife got examined.
„You're all good Sango. Your healthy and so might be your baby, but don't overdo it. Leave the heavy work to your husband.", the miko smiled at the demon slayer and patted the back of the young woman's hand.
The half demon grew impatient as his leg began to wiggle but he didn't want to disturb this little family moment between Miroku and Sango. They really going to be a family, huh.
„Kaede-sama, you said that you have some news for Inuyasha. I would request to tell him or else he will punch a hole in the new floor.", Miroku noticed the growing impatience of his friend as he tried to calm him down with patting his shoulder.
Kaede turned to the men.
„ A man came from a village in the east.", she began „About six months ago the man saw a strange light erupting from a mountain.", all three listened carefully. Six months ago they defeated Naraku, was there still danger around? Maybe a detachment of him miraculously survived.
„A strange light? Like demonic light?", asked Sango.
„I don't think so. The mountain he is talking about was Mount Azusa.", concluded Kaede.
Inuyasha looked at her with furrowed brows. Mount Azusa. That's where Kagome got the longbow with whom she destroyed Naraku. She told him that the spirit of the mausoleum was testing her while looking in to her heart. It used the small speck of darkness in her heart - Kikyou.
„What could this mean, Kaede-sama?", Miroku also looked like he was intrigued.
„Actually that is not all. Apparently a day later he saw something like a shooting star flying towards the mountain glowing in a bright light. I came to the conclusion that this might have been the bow of mount Azusa returning to the mausoleum as Kagome vanished from this era.".
Sango looked at Inuyasha. He has sunken deep into his thoughts. So the bow returned. Thinking about it he last saw it when he was with her the final time. In the modern era. He relived this scene over and over again in the last months but he never thought about the bow. It was a mighty weapon but only powerful mikos like Kikyou or Kagome could use it to its full potential. But how did it get back to the era of the warring states? Was it also affected of the well closing, returning to the time it belonged?
„What do you think Inuyasha?", asked Miroku „Should we check it out?".
„Keh! So the bow returned, so what? It's not like it will eat some humans at night. Let's leave it be.", the half demon lay down on his side resting his head on his hand.
Where would be the gain if he looked for a stupid bow he couldn't even use? It's not like Kagome herself would wait at the mountain or something... right?
„Inuyasha you might not understand but this bow might be a tool to reopen the bone eater's well.", Inuyasha sat up abruptly looking at the old woman.
Miroku and Sango looked at him. There might be a way to reopen the well?
„Wha- This is not possible! The well reacted to the jewel shards, how can a bow open it?", the half demon looked on the ground.
Kagome came to this time with the power of the shikon no tama and vanished with it. The power of the well resonated with the jewel so that Kagome could destroy it.
„You may have seen it yourself the power this bow holds.", Kaede looked at him with a serious face. She meant it.
Inuyasha remembered Kagomes shot when she aimed for Naraku the final time.
„The arrow... disappeared... but Kagome-chan never looked surprised. So she could use the bows power?", Sango thought about loud.
„To always hit the mark. The bows true power.", mumbled Miroku.
„So what if we get the bow. Kagome isn't here! She can't fire it!", Inuyasha got frustrated. There was no possible way this could work. And thinking about this small ray of hope that emerged in his chest made him angry. He would wait for her... waiting... waiting.
„Inuyasha don't get frustrated so easily.", Kaede scolded him, he let out a small growl but tried to calm himself.
„The bow and Kagome have a bond and a bow with the power to always hit the mark could be the one thing that opens the well. My spiritual powers might not be as great as my sisters or Kagome's but maybe the bow will help us in order to it being reunited with its true wielder.".
„That sounds like a plan. When do we depart?", asked Sango standing up.
Miroku looked at her surprised before also standing up.
„Just a moment my beautiful wife, but you are pregnant. You heard Kaede–sama, no adventuring for you.", he regretted his words right after he saw her face.
„Oh, this is how it's rolling now.", she hissed.
Miroku cursed himself for his wording.
„First you marry me and then you knock me up with a child and now you think you can decide over me? That's not going to happen, Hoshi-sama. I will go with you. I also want to see Kagome-chan again.", she stemmed her arms on her hip and looked at him like she was ready to tackle him to the ground.
The monk sighed.
„Okay, under a few conditions."
„Conditions?"
„Sango, please. I'm only thinking about you."
Inuyasha watched the lover's quarrel and wished to disappear. Was it like this for the others when he and Kagome had an argument? Thinking about her made him look away from the married couple to the old miko.
„Is there really a slight chance that the well will reopen?"; he asked her.
„There is no guarantee but at the moment this is the best shot we have."
He clenched is fist. There was a way. The chance might be small, but maybe he could see her again. He doesn't have to wait anymore.
„We will wait for Kohaku to return, so we can take Kirara with us and be faster.", Sango said seemingly given in to the conditions.
„When will he be back? He is gone for like a month. I last saw him at your wedding.", Inuyasha looked at Sango.
After Naraku was dead Kohaku took of to train to be a stronger demon slayer and helping people in need. He only came back when he doesn't have a job or when he needed some advise from his sister.
„He should be back any day now. He never stayed away longer than a month.", Sango said.
Inuyasha sighed. So more waiting for him. But it wasn't like the bow would run away from them, they got time