No More Decisions
Part 2, "...fact turns to memory...memory turns to myth...myth to legend...and the girl moves on..."
Author's Notes: I know it's unfair to work on this when I have so many other ones that haven't been updated since...forever, but I really like this one. Plus, the reviews were great. :) Besides, I'm still riding the wave of my Inu-Yasha addiction so I'm having fun. I, also, have a strong belief that if it wasn't for the jewel and everything, Kagome would be just another ordinary schoolgirl. Hopefully, I can contribute something while I'm still on this. Send all comments and criticism to silverflame_maiden@hotmail.com.
Disclaimers: Inu-yasha and all of it's characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi, Viz and anyone else that it rightfully belongs to.
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Somewhere in the village of Kyo a woman screamed in her home. The mid-wife stood near to deliver the child and her husband paced outside as her best friend wiped the sweat from her forehead.
"Shhh...it'll be okay, Nami-chan, it'll be okay, shhhh..." the woman said to her crying friend.
This went on for another sixteen hours until a baby's wailing cry was heard from the inside of the house. The pacing husband who seemed to have aged a decade in those hours smiled in anticipation as the mid-wife carried his child out in her arms.
"Congratulations, sir," she said, "It's a boy."
"What about my wife?" the merchant asked, looking into the house.
The mid-wife just shook her head sadly and looked away.
The man nodded in acceptance before turning to his wiling baby boy. Even now, the boy had a small tuft of deep, black hair.
"What shall you name him, sir?" the mid-wife asked.
Looking down at his son and hearing the sobs coming from the house, the man knew right away.
"Inuyasha," he said.
The woman gasped, "Like the half-breed?"
"Yes, like the hlaf-breed."
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"Come on, Shippo, it won't hurt," the girl said as she struggled with the little fox-demon.
"But I don't want to tape my ears back!" he cried out, protesting all the way. Sighing, Kagome let him go and put the hand without tape in it, on her hip.
This was going to need a bit of persuasion to work.
"The schools don't allow anyone to wear hats or bandannas so I have to tape your ears back and hide it behind your hair. You already know that! You wouldn't want anyone to know your a demon and relinquish you or anything, do you?" the schoolgirl asked in frustration as she looked at the clock on the table near her bed. At this rate, she was going to be late for school and so was Shippo. She really couldn't afford any bad marks on her grades. For some odd reason, she seemed to have missed out on a lot of school lately.
"I don't get why I have to go to school at all, Kagome! I'll just stay at home until you come back," the fox-demon pouted.
"This isn't your time, Shippo," the girl said, exasperated, "You can't expect to grow up and make a living just by being a demon. You have to get a proper education. Now, come here or I'm not going to talk to you again."
"Fine," Shippo said as he walked over, dragging his every step. Kagome almost pitied him. Almost.
With a few light tugs here and there, she managed to tape Shippo's ears flat at the top of his head and comb his rough, reddish, fox-like hair over it. Next, she proceeded to stuff his fluffy, little tail into his pants.
"There," she said, letting him go, "Now, I'll walk you to your school and I'll pick you up later."
"Kagome?" the baby demon asked as she tugged him along.
"What?"
"If I be good...you'll take care of me, right...you won't turn me over to the humans?" he asked in that little boy voice of his that managed to quiver ever so slightly.
Looking down into his sad face, Kagome couldn't keep her angry facade on for much longer.
"Yeah," she said, smiling softly. "Don't worry, Shippo. I'll always take care of you...and one day...I'll find a way to get you home..."
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"Inuyasha?" the soft voice inquired below the tree.
"What?" the demon growled out.
"Aren't you ever going to forgive me? We both made mistakes and I am sorry. Can't you see that?" He had never heard her to be so humble, so degrading and humiliating of her own self. She was always such the self-assured, distant miko. Maybe he should have made it easier for her and he knew that deep within his heart that he wanted to. Yet he couldn't. He couldn't bring himself to look her in the eye and forgive her...because that would mean forgiving himself...and he could never do it. All the ifs rang in his head. If he hadn't confessed his feelings to Kikyo. If he hadn't vowed her his life and love. If he had chased after Kagome that time that mattered. If he had told her how much she meant to him. How much he needed her to be by her side.
"Kikyo...go away..." he mumbled as he turned his face to the moonlight again.
There was one more thing, though. One more thing that he was afraid of, though he would never admit it. He was afraid that if he looked in Kikyo's beautiful, achingly familiar face and forgive her...he would feel something. That would be the worst betrayal of all. To betray Kagome. Again.
"Inuyasha, it was her choice. None of us made her leave. She didn't-" here the priestess immediately stopped, mindful of the demon's feelings.
The white-haired Inuyasha's face scowled as he looked down at her, "Go ahead and say it. She didn't want to be here. She didn't want to be near me. She didn't l-"
Here, his angry eyes glittered with something before being hidden away again. With an angry growl, he jumped up and did what he seemed to be doing a lot lately. He ran.
Tears glistened in Kikyo's eyes as she watched him fly away.
"She doesn't need to love you, Inuyasha. I do," she whispered.
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The old man walked around to the old chalkboard in the room. Picking up a white piece of chalk, he started to draw a symbol on the board. Behind him, he heard a pencil being tapped idly. Smiling to himself, the old man could just picture his grand-daughter sighing as she looked wistfully out the windows to the bright garden. Her powers in the magical world was so great, if only she chose to exert it! After the incident with Inuyasha and the well, the family found it best not to tell Kagome about what happened. 'Best let her find out on her own' his daughter had said. Hmph! Even he in his old age knew they were all trying to keep the girl from dealing with the demons again. Not to say that he could blame them.
Beside him, the old man could feel the little fox-demon, Shippo, jump around nervously as he tried to look at the board.
"Now, Kagome," the man said as he turned around.
"Huh?" the girl started, dropping her pencil in her surprise.
Grinning, the old man said, "Pay attention. You're the one that wanted to learn the arts of the magical realms."
Looking doubtfully at the board, the dark-haired girl said, "Why do I have to learn all of this other stuff, though? All I want to do it-"
"I know, I know. Help open to well so Shippo can go home, right?" Seeing his grand-daughter nod in the affirmative, the man continued, "Well, in order to use the magic arts to your advantage, you must first master it. Now, pay attention. This is a six-point circle, how is it different from the four-point circle?"
Looking skeptically at the chalkboard drawing, the girl said, "I don't see how it ccould be a cicrcle at all. If it has points, it can't possibly be a circle. I think you need to get your geometry straight, grand-father."
Shooting a glare at his daughter, the old man turned to the flying demon in the school uniform beside him, "Do you know, Shippo?"
"Yep," he said grinning, "The six-point circle maps the stars and light while the 4-point circle maps the earth and dirt."
He moved just in time to dodge a flying, pink, bunny-shaped eraser.
Turning around, he said, "You know, I like you better when you're asleep."
Sticking her tongue out at him, she retaliated, "And I liked you better when I didn't have to deal with you. Now, pay attention, smarty pants, and take some notes."
"At this rate, I'll never get home," Shippo mumbled.
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The crowd of villagers sat around on the hill, staring at the beautiful priestess as she spun her tale. They did not know where she came from or what she was doing here. They just knew that they all loved and adored her. The Lady Kikyo. Of course, she always traveled with that perverted boy and strange girl with the large boomerang...but they could all ignore that. As long as Lady Kikyo was here. She was beautiful, kind, compassionate, everything that they needed and wanted. She loved them all and they loved her.
Of course there were the legends.
The rumors.
About that strange, white-haired demon that looked so similar to the terrible Lord Sesshomaru. The one that always stuck near to the priestess and traveled with her and the others. The one with the golden eyes. There were strange rumors and legends that people did not know if it was true or not. It was said that the Lady Kikyo was in love with this demon, the son of the Great Demon of the West. That she would shed tears for him because of a betrayal they both endured. Yet, there was another part of the legend. One that baffled them all. It was said by some that the demon Inuyasha was in love with another. A beautiful girl from another world that was the exact image of Lady Kikyo. This girl was very young, barely old enough for marriage. Some even say that she had a child. A little fox-demon. That, of course was purely fiction.
Whatever it was, rumor or fact, everyone knew what happened when the full moon came out.
Everyone would hodl their children close to their hearts because the demon, Inuyasha, will go hunting in vengeance for the girl he lost. Anything in his way would be slaughtered.
Even then, the Lady Kikyo was afraid.
Even then, the Lady Kikyo could not stop him.
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Kagome sighed dreamily as she laid her head onto her desk.
Beside her, a little fox-demon scrunched up his nose and said, "I don't like him."
"Huh?" the schoolgirl moved her head up in surprise, "Who?"
"Hoji or Hoyo or whatever his name is."
"Hojo? Why don't you like Hojo?" Kagome questioned.
Taking off his shoes, Shippo let his tiny legs dangle from the corner of the desk. Because he's not right for you, he thought but could not say, you can't even remember the one that's right for you.
"Just because," he said, shrugging, "He seems...I don't know...weak..."
Laughing, Kagome picked Shippo up and twirled him around.
"Of course he would seem weak to you, oh great mighty Shippo," she grinned. "He's just a human, after all. Now, why don't you list your reasons of not liking Hojo in a bath. Go now, you stink."
Sticking his tongue out at her, the fox-demon jumped out of her arms and ran out of the room.
Still smiling, Kagome walked over to her window and looked down.
It was still there. That tree.
Ever since she had found Shippo in the backyard...something seemed different about that tree. As if she should know something but didn't. Images, really, just seemed to be in her mind. An arrow, a lock of white hair...and a kiss. That was the moment her heart would ache and constrict...and Kagome would lock it all away again. There was heartbreak in the secret that the tree held and she wanted no part of it. Turning away, she closed the soft, white curtain and looked away.
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"Lord Sesshomaru! L-lord Sesshomaru," Jaken cried as he stumbled into his lord's room.
"What is it, insolent fool?" the demon asked as he turned around to face his servant. Something in the boy's eyes made him stop though. Jaken's face was pale, having lost most of it's color, and his body was visibly shaking.
"H-he, the wh-whelp...h-h-he c-ca-"
"What?" the white-haired demon roared of his servant as he jumped up from his seat.
"What your idiot means, brother dear," a dark voice said from the shadow of the doorway. "Is that I've come home for a visit."
The demon lord Sesshomaru turned his golden eyes to the doorway where his most despised enemy and closest kin stood...Inuyasha.
Grinning maliciously, the younger, once half-breed said, "Now, I believe it's time we divided father's lands evenly, 'niichan."
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The years just seem to fly by...
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"Hold on tight, Shippo," the young woman said as she stood in front of the well, her arms outstretched before her. She wore a back pack and the not so little demon beside her did also.
Clutching Kagome's waist tighter, Shippo nodded.
"Ready, set..." suddenly a large gust of wind appeared and a sort of light shone from the well.
"Here we go!" Kagome shouted as she and Shippo jumped into the well.
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