Hey everyone!! I said I'd get this in by Monday, and since it's Sunday
evening now, I guess I'm keeping that promise, ne? And I'm now being
physically threatened, so, out of fear of my life, I give you...
THE NEXT CHAPTER!!
And they're still not mine...
Also, some people were asking about Souta's dream... He was sad because she was stuck in the modern era, while her friends (Shippou, Kouga, and Koshu) were stuck in the feudal era. And he felt that the reason she stayed was because of him (Souta). So he basically tells her that if she has a choice between staying or going, he'd rather her go and be happy than stay and be miserable.
And I'm sorry this took so long to put up, ff.net was being a b*tch, and wouldn't let me do ANYTHING!
~~~~~~~
Ch. 16 A Mother's Wisdom
Shippou woke up before Kagome, as usual, and looked over at her sleeping figure. His thoughts went back to the night before, when Souta had told her that Shippou liked her. A smile spread as he remembered her response: "I think I like him, too, Souta..."
Sitting up, the kitsune scooted closer to her bed, watching her face as she dreamed. (A/N: Am I the only one who "scoots"? I remember Inuyasha doing that in Ep. 3, when he "scooted" away from Kagome...) He couldn't help but think how peaceful she looked when she slept, and moved his hand towards her face, brushing his fingertips lightly against her cheek, as though trying to see if her skin was as soft as he remembered it from when he was a kit. Careful not to let his claws scratch her, he simply sat there, stroking her face lightly.
It wasn't until her cheek stretched under his fingertips that he focused back on her whole face again (and not just the cheek), and noticed that she was awake and yawning. Before he could pull his hand away, her mouth closed, and he found himself looking into blue-gray eyes, still shining from her sleep. Then she realized what exactly she was looking at, and they both froze, a blush creeping up their faces. Silently, they were both wondering the same thing...
'Who's blushing more? Them, or me?'
With this thought, they both proceeded to blush more. They probably would have sat there for another hour or so in embarrassment if they hadn't heard the front door slam closed, followed by Souta's yells of "Mom's home!!" Shippou fell back, using his arms for support as he almost fell over, and Kagome moved to get out of bed, only to get her legs tangled in the sheets and fall down. The young fox moved forward to catch her, and she ended up with her face pressed against his shoulder, and his arms under hers.
Of course, this only caused them to blush darker, but Mrs. Higurashi's voice floated up the stairs to keep them from falling into another embarrassed silence.
"No, Grandpa! You're not supposed to try and run them off!! They're Kagome's friends!!" Kagome began to laugh, and Shippou grinned as he imagined the miko's grandfather running around with wards and seals in his hands, declaring that he would banish the evil demons.
Kagome, still laughing, untangled herself from the kitsune and sat up, looking towards the door in amusement, apparently waiting for two wolf demons to come charging into the room. When nothing happened, they both looked at each other nervously. Then they heard it. "HEY! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TRYING TO DO?!"
The young priestess rolled her eyes and sighed. "I suppose we should go down there and help them, before I end up without a grandfather, and they end up with some seals stuck to their faces." She moved to stand, then grinned mischievously, and leaned forward and kissed the unsuspecting youkai lightly on the lips before standing and walking out of the room, still wearing her pajamas.
Shippou sat there for at least another 5 minutes, trying to comprehend what had just happened.
~~*~~
Downstairs, Kagome was surprised at herself, but was shocked out of her thoughts when she saw Kouga and Koshu hiding behind Kagome's mother, peeking from behind her at the old man who was currently being stared down by a VERY annoyed woman. He and the wolves turned to see who had come into the room, only to be greeted by a younger version of the irritated mother. Needless to say, Grandpa went to his room to put his seals up, promising not to attack them, and Kouga and Koshu moved to fight over who would get to go into the bathroom to shower first, each one peeling wards off the other.
And two satisfied women went into the kitchen to have a "girl talk", and make breakfast.
Shippou had yet to move, except to blink once or twice.
~~*~~
After breakfast, Kagome washed up and got dressed for the day, remembering to save some hot water for the kitsune who was in her brother's room at the moment, playing a re-match against Koshu, Kouga and Souta once again cheering them on and giving pointers.
When she walked into the kitchen again, her mother was still washing dishes, humming to herself softly. Kagome grabbed a dishtowel and moved next to her mother in order to rinse and dry the plates before stacking them next to the sink. They were quiet for a moment or two, but both knew that a very important talk was coming up, and the courage was slowly being gathered.
"Um, Mom??" Kagome figured she might as well ask, considering Kouga and Koshu DID need to get home soon.
"Yes, dear?" Mrs. Higurashi tried not to smile, she could guess what this talk was going to be about, and had already talked to "the man of the household", and "convinced" him to agree with her. She wasn't stupid, nor was she oblivious to everything. She remembered when Kagome would come home and talk about her friends, and how much she loved it in the past. And when the well sealed, she knew how distraught her daughter had been, even when she tried to hide it. And now, there was a chance that the well might seal again, and they only had one chance. No, she wasn't stupid.
"Um, well... Kouga and Koshu need to go home soon, I think... And, I think Shippou might need to, also..." Kagome's mother didn't miss the fact that her daughter had said, "go home" rather than "go back to their time" or "go back to the past" or even "go back".
"Yes, dear?" She continued to calmly wash the dishes, wondering how Kagome would ask what she knew she wanted to ask.
"Well, I was wondering if I should go too, or stay. I can't decide, Mama... I want to stay here with you and Souta and Grandpa, but..."
"But you also want to be with your friends, and where you always felt needed, right?" She allowed herself a small smile as she watched the young miko's startled expression. Yes, she had known this day would come. At first, she was certain it would be for Inuyasha, but after what happened... No, she knew that now Kagome was going back for herself and her friends. She was proud that her daughter could be strong enough to go back there, where she had suffered for so long from her unrequited love. Yes, she knew about it. She could hear when her daughter cried at night, and knew that with someone as handsome as Inuyasha was, she must have cared greatly for him, and for her to cry it meant that it was not reciprocated.
"Right... Mama, what should I do? I don't want to lose them again, but I don't want to lose all of you..." Kagome had already dropped all pretenses of drying the dishes. Now she just stood there, bracing herself against the counter with her hands, fighting off the confusion and tears that threatened to overcome her.
Mrs. Higurashi sighed and gently took the towel from Kagome, using it to dry her hands before she reached out and embraced her daughter.
"Kagome, Souta told me about his dream, so I know he agrees with me when I say this. You were always happier when you were able to be back in that era. Sure, every now and then something or someone would upset you, but you were truly more... cheerful when you could always go back and see your friends. I know how much they mean to you, and I know how much you enjoyed that time, no matter how often your life was in danger. Although I must say that I was worried on more than one occasion. And before you can ask, yes I did know what you were doing. But I knew you were doing what you wanted, and what you felt was right, and I'll be damned if I'm gonna keep my baby from being happy. And plus, you had Inuyasha and your friends to protect you. And then I noticed your archery was improving, and I could tell you were learning to fight as well. And don't worry about losing us, you could never lose us. We're always there for you, even if it's not physically."
Pulling back and smiling at Kagome's shocked face, the elder woman smoothed her daughter's hair as she looked at her lovingly.
"We will miss you, dear, but we know that were you to stay here, you could never be as happy as you were there. Even the short time I saw you around those three demons, and with Inuyasha before them... You came back to life, Kagome. You would have fooled me into thinking everything was normal, had I not been your mother. I knew something was wrong when you came back that last time. And now, you're yourself again. And I agree with Souta's sentiments. I would rather have you in the past, knowing you're safe, and happy, than here and watching you grow lonely and depressed. Although I would wish for it to be possible for you to visit occasionally. And I would like to see my grandkids someday..."
The miko was so shocked by this confession that she just stared at her mother, trying to think of something to say. "But... what about grandpa?"
At this, Kagome received a hug that rivaled Shippou's from the night before. "Well, sweetie, I ahem... convinced him that his granddaughter's happiness was the most important thing here, and he finally agreed. Although, like me, he wishes he could see your children someday. Especially if it ends up being one of those two younger demons, although it'll most likely be your kitsune friend."
At this, a blushing Kagome leaned back to look at her mother's smiling face, shock evident as she forced her mouth to work again. "Wha... but... how...?"
Her mother laughed and hugged her again. "Simple. He was almost staring at you over breakfast, and I recognize that look. That was how your father used to look at me, and I'm willing to bet that all those times I saw you glancing at him was how I looked when I was younger, and in love with your father." She smiled and kissed her daughter's forehead. "I went to the store last night when I was at your grandfather's 'exorcism', and got as much Ramen as I could, and a bunch of over things I thought you might need to go back. I also bought you a new backpack, this one's made specifically for hiking, so it should be able to last for a long time."
Finally, it was too much for Kagome, and she collapsed into her mother's arms, sobbing uncontrollably. She lifted her head only long enough to see Souta and her grandpa coming towards her, arms outstretched.
They all stayed there, hugging and crying and talking, long after the dishwater had gone cold.
~~*~~
They had all heard Kagome's sobs, but Souta had told them that he would be back, and for them to stay there. Kouga and Koshu growled at hearing someone order them around, but Shippou merely nodded quietly, knowing that Souta would know what was going on, and wouldn't tell them to stay there unless it was serious.
So now, they sat in Souta's room, the game paused, as they listened to Kagome cry, and smelled the scent of her tears, which was drifting faintly up the stairs. The fox had had to block the door a few times, and had once had to physically hold off the two wolves. Finally, when he had Kouga pinned and Koshu underneath his father, both snarling at him angrily, he got fed up and bared his fangs at them as he growled.
"Bakas! Souta's her younger brother! He knows what's going on! He told us to stay, which means we're meant to stay here! If they need us to come downstairs, then they'll call for us! Just be patient! I thought all the great leaders were endowed with vast amounts of patience. Sesshoumaru is more patient than you are! Hell, even INUYASHA was more patient than you are!"
Shippou hit the mark he was aiming for. Kouga would always tried to keep himself from being compared to the hanyou, wanting the only thing in common with them to be Kagome or their friends. When the half-demon was alive, Shippou might have found himself at the wrong end of a set of claws, but now, it would just make him stop and think. Which is exactly what the kitsune wanted him to do.
"Fine, we'll wait for him to get back. But I fully intend to ask him what happened." Shippou merely nodded at Kouga's reluctant agreement and let them both up, moving back over to the deserted video game.
"So, Koshu, I bet I can beat you at least 5 times before Souta gets back." The two younger demons found themselves back at the console, fighting each other with a vengeance, and the pack leader ended up sitting in his usual place, on Souta's bed, watching his son and friend's characters on the screen battle it out.
It wasn't but 4 battles later, on their fifth one, which they claimed as a tie-breaker 'again, that's what they said the last time', Kouga thought, when the door opened to reveal a red-faced Souta, whose eyes still looked slightly puffy from crying.
Immediately, the controllers were dropped, and Kouga was already standing in front of the young human before he could blink. "What happened?" the demon asked, worried that something was wrong with one of his closest friends.
Souta sniffled slightly, then looked up at them, smiling sadly. "You're going home tonight, after dinner, all of you." All three demons took a step back in shock, and Shippou couldn't help but feel slightly hurt, thinking that they no longer wanted three demons in their home. His heart twisted slightly, but it was Koshu who finally broke the silence.
"You're right, I suppose. We have been quite a... burden to Kagome and yourselves. I apologize for all the trouble we caused." This had everyone staring at the young wolf prince oddly, including Souta, who stifled a giggle before grinning at them.
"No, you misunderstood me. When I said that all of you were going back tonight, I meant Kagome, too. She's going with you." NOW all the three demons just started in wide-eyed, slack-jawed shock at the boy before them. "But watch out, Mom's making Oden for dinner, which means Kagome's not going to hear a thing you say until she's done eating, and if you try to get some before her, expect to be stabbed with her chopsticks. She's territorial like that. And - HEY! I wanted to see some of those matches! Come on, you have to start all over now so I can watch!!"
And so they played games while Kagome packed and called her friends for the last time, inviting them over to her house for dinner. Unfortunately, one of those friends included Hojou. After all, she did want to say goodbye to ALL her friends, and he WAS one of them... But how would he and the demons react to each other?
Could she keep them from killing Hojou if he did something stupid?? She hoped so.
~~~~~~~~~
Well, there's your chapter! I hope you liked it!! Until next chapter, Ja ne!
THE NEXT CHAPTER!!
And they're still not mine...
Also, some people were asking about Souta's dream... He was sad because she was stuck in the modern era, while her friends (Shippou, Kouga, and Koshu) were stuck in the feudal era. And he felt that the reason she stayed was because of him (Souta). So he basically tells her that if she has a choice between staying or going, he'd rather her go and be happy than stay and be miserable.
And I'm sorry this took so long to put up, ff.net was being a b*tch, and wouldn't let me do ANYTHING!
~~~~~~~
Ch. 16 A Mother's Wisdom
Shippou woke up before Kagome, as usual, and looked over at her sleeping figure. His thoughts went back to the night before, when Souta had told her that Shippou liked her. A smile spread as he remembered her response: "I think I like him, too, Souta..."
Sitting up, the kitsune scooted closer to her bed, watching her face as she dreamed. (A/N: Am I the only one who "scoots"? I remember Inuyasha doing that in Ep. 3, when he "scooted" away from Kagome...) He couldn't help but think how peaceful she looked when she slept, and moved his hand towards her face, brushing his fingertips lightly against her cheek, as though trying to see if her skin was as soft as he remembered it from when he was a kit. Careful not to let his claws scratch her, he simply sat there, stroking her face lightly.
It wasn't until her cheek stretched under his fingertips that he focused back on her whole face again (and not just the cheek), and noticed that she was awake and yawning. Before he could pull his hand away, her mouth closed, and he found himself looking into blue-gray eyes, still shining from her sleep. Then she realized what exactly she was looking at, and they both froze, a blush creeping up their faces. Silently, they were both wondering the same thing...
'Who's blushing more? Them, or me?'
With this thought, they both proceeded to blush more. They probably would have sat there for another hour or so in embarrassment if they hadn't heard the front door slam closed, followed by Souta's yells of "Mom's home!!" Shippou fell back, using his arms for support as he almost fell over, and Kagome moved to get out of bed, only to get her legs tangled in the sheets and fall down. The young fox moved forward to catch her, and she ended up with her face pressed against his shoulder, and his arms under hers.
Of course, this only caused them to blush darker, but Mrs. Higurashi's voice floated up the stairs to keep them from falling into another embarrassed silence.
"No, Grandpa! You're not supposed to try and run them off!! They're Kagome's friends!!" Kagome began to laugh, and Shippou grinned as he imagined the miko's grandfather running around with wards and seals in his hands, declaring that he would banish the evil demons.
Kagome, still laughing, untangled herself from the kitsune and sat up, looking towards the door in amusement, apparently waiting for two wolf demons to come charging into the room. When nothing happened, they both looked at each other nervously. Then they heard it. "HEY! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TRYING TO DO?!"
The young priestess rolled her eyes and sighed. "I suppose we should go down there and help them, before I end up without a grandfather, and they end up with some seals stuck to their faces." She moved to stand, then grinned mischievously, and leaned forward and kissed the unsuspecting youkai lightly on the lips before standing and walking out of the room, still wearing her pajamas.
Shippou sat there for at least another 5 minutes, trying to comprehend what had just happened.
~~*~~
Downstairs, Kagome was surprised at herself, but was shocked out of her thoughts when she saw Kouga and Koshu hiding behind Kagome's mother, peeking from behind her at the old man who was currently being stared down by a VERY annoyed woman. He and the wolves turned to see who had come into the room, only to be greeted by a younger version of the irritated mother. Needless to say, Grandpa went to his room to put his seals up, promising not to attack them, and Kouga and Koshu moved to fight over who would get to go into the bathroom to shower first, each one peeling wards off the other.
And two satisfied women went into the kitchen to have a "girl talk", and make breakfast.
Shippou had yet to move, except to blink once or twice.
~~*~~
After breakfast, Kagome washed up and got dressed for the day, remembering to save some hot water for the kitsune who was in her brother's room at the moment, playing a re-match against Koshu, Kouga and Souta once again cheering them on and giving pointers.
When she walked into the kitchen again, her mother was still washing dishes, humming to herself softly. Kagome grabbed a dishtowel and moved next to her mother in order to rinse and dry the plates before stacking them next to the sink. They were quiet for a moment or two, but both knew that a very important talk was coming up, and the courage was slowly being gathered.
"Um, Mom??" Kagome figured she might as well ask, considering Kouga and Koshu DID need to get home soon.
"Yes, dear?" Mrs. Higurashi tried not to smile, she could guess what this talk was going to be about, and had already talked to "the man of the household", and "convinced" him to agree with her. She wasn't stupid, nor was she oblivious to everything. She remembered when Kagome would come home and talk about her friends, and how much she loved it in the past. And when the well sealed, she knew how distraught her daughter had been, even when she tried to hide it. And now, there was a chance that the well might seal again, and they only had one chance. No, she wasn't stupid.
"Um, well... Kouga and Koshu need to go home soon, I think... And, I think Shippou might need to, also..." Kagome's mother didn't miss the fact that her daughter had said, "go home" rather than "go back to their time" or "go back to the past" or even "go back".
"Yes, dear?" She continued to calmly wash the dishes, wondering how Kagome would ask what she knew she wanted to ask.
"Well, I was wondering if I should go too, or stay. I can't decide, Mama... I want to stay here with you and Souta and Grandpa, but..."
"But you also want to be with your friends, and where you always felt needed, right?" She allowed herself a small smile as she watched the young miko's startled expression. Yes, she had known this day would come. At first, she was certain it would be for Inuyasha, but after what happened... No, she knew that now Kagome was going back for herself and her friends. She was proud that her daughter could be strong enough to go back there, where she had suffered for so long from her unrequited love. Yes, she knew about it. She could hear when her daughter cried at night, and knew that with someone as handsome as Inuyasha was, she must have cared greatly for him, and for her to cry it meant that it was not reciprocated.
"Right... Mama, what should I do? I don't want to lose them again, but I don't want to lose all of you..." Kagome had already dropped all pretenses of drying the dishes. Now she just stood there, bracing herself against the counter with her hands, fighting off the confusion and tears that threatened to overcome her.
Mrs. Higurashi sighed and gently took the towel from Kagome, using it to dry her hands before she reached out and embraced her daughter.
"Kagome, Souta told me about his dream, so I know he agrees with me when I say this. You were always happier when you were able to be back in that era. Sure, every now and then something or someone would upset you, but you were truly more... cheerful when you could always go back and see your friends. I know how much they mean to you, and I know how much you enjoyed that time, no matter how often your life was in danger. Although I must say that I was worried on more than one occasion. And before you can ask, yes I did know what you were doing. But I knew you were doing what you wanted, and what you felt was right, and I'll be damned if I'm gonna keep my baby from being happy. And plus, you had Inuyasha and your friends to protect you. And then I noticed your archery was improving, and I could tell you were learning to fight as well. And don't worry about losing us, you could never lose us. We're always there for you, even if it's not physically."
Pulling back and smiling at Kagome's shocked face, the elder woman smoothed her daughter's hair as she looked at her lovingly.
"We will miss you, dear, but we know that were you to stay here, you could never be as happy as you were there. Even the short time I saw you around those three demons, and with Inuyasha before them... You came back to life, Kagome. You would have fooled me into thinking everything was normal, had I not been your mother. I knew something was wrong when you came back that last time. And now, you're yourself again. And I agree with Souta's sentiments. I would rather have you in the past, knowing you're safe, and happy, than here and watching you grow lonely and depressed. Although I would wish for it to be possible for you to visit occasionally. And I would like to see my grandkids someday..."
The miko was so shocked by this confession that she just stared at her mother, trying to think of something to say. "But... what about grandpa?"
At this, Kagome received a hug that rivaled Shippou's from the night before. "Well, sweetie, I ahem... convinced him that his granddaughter's happiness was the most important thing here, and he finally agreed. Although, like me, he wishes he could see your children someday. Especially if it ends up being one of those two younger demons, although it'll most likely be your kitsune friend."
At this, a blushing Kagome leaned back to look at her mother's smiling face, shock evident as she forced her mouth to work again. "Wha... but... how...?"
Her mother laughed and hugged her again. "Simple. He was almost staring at you over breakfast, and I recognize that look. That was how your father used to look at me, and I'm willing to bet that all those times I saw you glancing at him was how I looked when I was younger, and in love with your father." She smiled and kissed her daughter's forehead. "I went to the store last night when I was at your grandfather's 'exorcism', and got as much Ramen as I could, and a bunch of over things I thought you might need to go back. I also bought you a new backpack, this one's made specifically for hiking, so it should be able to last for a long time."
Finally, it was too much for Kagome, and she collapsed into her mother's arms, sobbing uncontrollably. She lifted her head only long enough to see Souta and her grandpa coming towards her, arms outstretched.
They all stayed there, hugging and crying and talking, long after the dishwater had gone cold.
~~*~~
They had all heard Kagome's sobs, but Souta had told them that he would be back, and for them to stay there. Kouga and Koshu growled at hearing someone order them around, but Shippou merely nodded quietly, knowing that Souta would know what was going on, and wouldn't tell them to stay there unless it was serious.
So now, they sat in Souta's room, the game paused, as they listened to Kagome cry, and smelled the scent of her tears, which was drifting faintly up the stairs. The fox had had to block the door a few times, and had once had to physically hold off the two wolves. Finally, when he had Kouga pinned and Koshu underneath his father, both snarling at him angrily, he got fed up and bared his fangs at them as he growled.
"Bakas! Souta's her younger brother! He knows what's going on! He told us to stay, which means we're meant to stay here! If they need us to come downstairs, then they'll call for us! Just be patient! I thought all the great leaders were endowed with vast amounts of patience. Sesshoumaru is more patient than you are! Hell, even INUYASHA was more patient than you are!"
Shippou hit the mark he was aiming for. Kouga would always tried to keep himself from being compared to the hanyou, wanting the only thing in common with them to be Kagome or their friends. When the half-demon was alive, Shippou might have found himself at the wrong end of a set of claws, but now, it would just make him stop and think. Which is exactly what the kitsune wanted him to do.
"Fine, we'll wait for him to get back. But I fully intend to ask him what happened." Shippou merely nodded at Kouga's reluctant agreement and let them both up, moving back over to the deserted video game.
"So, Koshu, I bet I can beat you at least 5 times before Souta gets back." The two younger demons found themselves back at the console, fighting each other with a vengeance, and the pack leader ended up sitting in his usual place, on Souta's bed, watching his son and friend's characters on the screen battle it out.
It wasn't but 4 battles later, on their fifth one, which they claimed as a tie-breaker 'again, that's what they said the last time', Kouga thought, when the door opened to reveal a red-faced Souta, whose eyes still looked slightly puffy from crying.
Immediately, the controllers were dropped, and Kouga was already standing in front of the young human before he could blink. "What happened?" the demon asked, worried that something was wrong with one of his closest friends.
Souta sniffled slightly, then looked up at them, smiling sadly. "You're going home tonight, after dinner, all of you." All three demons took a step back in shock, and Shippou couldn't help but feel slightly hurt, thinking that they no longer wanted three demons in their home. His heart twisted slightly, but it was Koshu who finally broke the silence.
"You're right, I suppose. We have been quite a... burden to Kagome and yourselves. I apologize for all the trouble we caused." This had everyone staring at the young wolf prince oddly, including Souta, who stifled a giggle before grinning at them.
"No, you misunderstood me. When I said that all of you were going back tonight, I meant Kagome, too. She's going with you." NOW all the three demons just started in wide-eyed, slack-jawed shock at the boy before them. "But watch out, Mom's making Oden for dinner, which means Kagome's not going to hear a thing you say until she's done eating, and if you try to get some before her, expect to be stabbed with her chopsticks. She's territorial like that. And - HEY! I wanted to see some of those matches! Come on, you have to start all over now so I can watch!!"
And so they played games while Kagome packed and called her friends for the last time, inviting them over to her house for dinner. Unfortunately, one of those friends included Hojou. After all, she did want to say goodbye to ALL her friends, and he WAS one of them... But how would he and the demons react to each other?
Could she keep them from killing Hojou if he did something stupid?? She hoped so.
~~~~~~~~~
Well, there's your chapter! I hope you liked it!! Until next chapter, Ja ne!