Stand By
Chapter Two
Miroku and Sango live on the other side of town with their two sons Hayashi and Mori. There they have built a rather large house with five rooms, and a connecting forge. All the villagers bring their swords and other things there; in the fast growing community he's the only blacksmith for miles around, not to mention one of the best in the domain.
We're headed over there. That is, Inuyasha and I. Shippou is still playing with Michiko and Kikyou decided to stay behind to pick herbs with Souta. She loves her children very, very much. It hurts me to see Kikyou pick up Souta and walk around with him on her hip, even if he is six-years-old. It hurts to think that I could be strutting around the house with a son on my hip; a son that would have been Inuyasha's and my own. But he chose Kikyou, and Kikyou will be his wife till death do they part.
I can't help but bite my lip as Inuyasha and I walk down the main road of the village, the dirt packed down from so many horses and people walking over it constantly. It will become muddy in the rainy season, which has fortunately just passed. Everything is so miserable and muddy when it rains after the cold days.
Kikyou is my friend. I'll tell anyone that freely. She's my friend and she will always be my friend, but I still look at her and remember her as that sham woman walking across the land while the group and I searched for the shards of the Shikon no Tama. I see her taunting me even as I tried to be nice, happy for Inuyasha's sake that she was always alright. Then she would turn around and try to drag him off into hell, or lead him into a trap that benefited Naraku.
She wasn't cold anymore. She wasn't ice, nor did she have the desire to kill anything. She didn't want revenge or to kill Inuyasha; she wanted peace, to settle down and raise a nice family.
Guess who with.
I'll say again that I like Kikyou as a friend; definitely not as close as Sango or Miroku, nowhere near my love for Inuyasha, but maybe just as much as my friends from the future. I can sit down with her and laugh, can stay with her without wanting to tear her vocal chords out. She's the perfect wife for Inuyasha; always submissive and forgiving, so quiet and demure.
Kikyou and Inuyasha have been married for nine years, since the completion of the Shikon no Tama. After that they had their daughter, Michiko, and two years later Souta followed. Naraku was defeated after only ten months of wandering and fighting, but during that time it seemed to be an eternity.
It took us another two months to round up the rest of the shards. During that time, Inuyasha still controlled me; I was still bound to him by the Jewel. Even after that, he still held me in his grasp, because you are never truly free if you love someone. He holds me in invisible bonds even to this day, as I stare at my scuffed shoes walking down the dirt road. You probably can't see the bonds; I think at times only I can.
Sango and Miroku are both well aware that I still love Inuyasha; that I always have. I think that Shippou knows it too, but Kikyou doesn't, nor do Michiko, Souta, or any of the villagers. I keep it well hidden.
"Kagome…" Inuyasha suddenly stops and grabs my arm. "I… You are happy, right?" His violet eyes are dancing, like they always do when he asks me this. He has asked me this before many, many times. Every time my heart flutters and soars, like it is now.
Maybe he's regretting his choice? Maybe he loves me, not Kikyou. Maybe he's going to run away with me, so we can start our own family. It wouldn't be strange; we're still relatively young…
But then, as always, it hits me that it wouldn't work, no matter what. He has a family, a beautiful wife and two loving children, a good job (which is demon exterminator) and a nice spot in the world, something he's always longed for. I would always think, as I am thinking now, that I'm just second best. Even if it does turn out in the end for us, I'll always be wondering…
I smile lightly, trying to hide the storm of emotions behind a mask that I've perfected over the years. "Of course Inuyasha… Why wouldn't I be? I have a life that I love, I can see you and Sango and Miroku, I can be a mother to Shippou; all that without having to give up anything from my time."
He looks down at the ground, releasing my arm and kicking the ground with his, as always, bare foot. I find it interesting that he still refuses to wear shoes, even with his soft, human feet (or that's what he called them at first, even if they are calloused enough to be as tough as leather). "Okay Kag. Whatever you say." He replies that same reply, the one that always leaves me hanging, the one that makes me think that he does not believe me, the one that makes me wonder even more…
The rest of our walk continues in silence, my gray eyes not noticing the beautiful late spring day anymore, my ears not listening to anything besides the thunder of my heart and the roar of my ears. Can Inuyasha hear it? I pray to the gods he can't as I adjust my black t-shirt, the one where the picture of a pink and violet Shikon no Tama lay scattered. Sometimes I look at it and wonder if I could somehow manage to pick of the pieces of my shattered hopes and dreams like I used to pick up the pieces of the Jewel…
"Inuyasha! Kagome!" A masculine voice yells out, Miroku's voice. I look up from the ground, breaking out into a huge grin. His face is covered in soot, the flames of the forge crackling. Trails of sweat line down that face of his, easily noticed because of the black ash. I wave him off when he comes close to hug me, watching as his face becomes confused before a wave of laughter overcomes him.
Miroku is no longer the boy he once was. Though he still can't resist a perverted comment or two, not to mention Sango's rear-end, he's grown up. I guess we all have, except, perhaps, Shippou. The monk-now-blacksmith shakes with laughter, his muscular arms holding his stomach, his bare chest glittering with sweat. Inuyasha rolls his eyes as I look over at him, my laughter at something so small and everyday fading into a smile that is one I only wear at times like these, when I forget my problems and think that everything will be alright.
"Miroku!" I hear Sango, my best friend, yell from inside the house. "If you're laughing because the horse clipped poor Yahiko again, I'm going to-" She suddenly stops, appearing in the doorway, leaning against it for support. Her belly is so round that her pink and green yutaka seems to be bursting around the sides. The baby could come at any time now. "Kagome! Inuyasha!" Sango yells, jumping from the top of the stairs and running swiftly. Even for a pregnant woman she's still as swift and as lithe as a mountain cat.
Miroku protests as Sango gives me her usual bear hug, saying something about the baby and inactivity. Sango snorts, letting go, and I can see her hold back a reply, but I also see the way her eyes soften as she gives her husband a glance, her hand passing over the child they made together. Miroku was always overprotective when it came to a pregnant Sango.
"Dear, please, you just saw Kagome off three days ago…" Miroku says, wiping his hands, face, and chest off with an already dirty towel. "It's not like she has been gone away forever."
Sango glares and places her hands on her hips. "Well my husband, you and I both know that the Bone-Gobbler's Well…" She leaves the sentence hanging, not wanting to speak one of our worst fears out loud, in case it might come true. The Bone-Gobbler's Well could just stop operating one day, and I could be stuck in the past for the rest of my life, or kept away from it. I just don't want to think about it; if I were caught in the past, I'll never see my friends or family again. But if I was caught in the future, I would never see Inuyasha or Sango or Miroku again, I couldn't be a surrogate mother to Shippou, I couldn't be any of the things that I was.
Swallowing, I let a smile wash over my face. "Oh come on now, let's go inside."
Sango nods. "Okay Kagome." She turns to look back at her husband. "But first your going to clean up and then go look for our sons; only the gods know where they have gone off to."
"I'll go look for them." Inuyasha volunteers, already walking off towards the forest. Sango thanks him as Miroku yells at his retreating back, "They're probably off near the Goshinboku, playing around with Yahiko!" Yahiko is Miroku's apprentice blacksmith, a determined little boy of thirteen.
Inuyasha waves his hand, not bothering to turn around.
As Miroku walks off to clean himself and Sango leads me into the cabin, all I can think about is the way Inuyasha ran off to find Hayashi, Mori, and Yahiko. Was he scared to stay around me for much longer? Was he afraid that I was going to say something? He always did this after asking the question. Always sulked off, as though he wanted me to say something…
I shake myself and help Sango make tea, her happy chatter about the past three days that I missed. Their mare, Kuro, has given birth to a strong colt and Hayashi named it Raimei, thunder. Hayashi also has been doing well in his training, his preferred weapon is turning out to be a spiked mace. Mori is getting into more and more trouble, wanting with all his heart to start his training a year early just so he can play with his big brother.
Sango says that she hopes the baby in her womb is a girl. "I'm sure that Miroku will be happy. He's proud of the boys, but he wants a girl now. A girl, can you believe it!" She chuckles. "He'll name her Fuji because of the wisteria growing out in our backyard, hoping that she'll be as beautiful, and as strong, as the flowers themselves."
"Sounds like a good name." I reply, grabbing the teakettle off the wood stove, adding the crushed green leaves. Sango hands me some spice to add, and then a long, wooden spoon.
"How was your time in the future?"
I start to stir the hot water, recounting my days. "It was nothing really; though I'm starting to write down our adventures with the Shichinin-tai. Inuyasha won't be too happy to hear that I'm not going to cover up Jakotsu." We both laugh, remembering the dead man brought back to life by Naraku, the one who hated women and loved Inuyasha. "My editor is becoming more and more impatient with me; he's always complaining that I write too slowly, that I shouldn't go gallivanting off every second to who knows where."
Sango laughs, taking down some teacups and setting them out on the table. "If Inuyasha heard him say that, I'm sure that they'd have a little chat." Her smiles fades from her face. "Something's up with Inuyasha and Kikyou. Kagome, I want you to know that things are a bit rocky between them, and have been for a long while."
I frown. "How long? Why are you telling me this?"
The woman, who is only a year older than me, lets her shoulders slump. "I wasn't sure if I should tell you. Sometimes people are mistaken, but this has been going on ever since the birth of Mori and Souta…"
"That long? How could I not notice something important in six years?" My hands are shaking. Do I really want to know? I know, without having to think about it, that my answer is yes. I'm selfish; I'll admit that. If there were any chance of Inuyasha and I being together, I wouldn't hesitate. But only, if only, Inuyasha returned those feelings.
"I don't know Kagome. Maybe it's because you weren't here when Souta was born, three weeks after Mori. It was horrible, probably the worst fight between Kikyou and Inuyasha I've seen. Kikyou was calling Inuyasha an unfaithful husband for wanting to name their first son after your little brother. Why not her father instead? Why did it have to be Kagome's brother?
"I don't think I've ever seen Kikyou angry before that. Never, not once. I've never seen tears run down her cheeks like that, her face that red. But Inuyasha was just as mad. He didn't take her into his arms like he usually does when she cries. He said he was repaying you for the love your family gave him when he really needed it. That argument brought up all the old wounds."
I was shaking so hard that I thought I would shatter into pieces and fall apart. Sango continued, unaware of the fact that I was so close to screaming and crying, unaware of why I would do such a thing. Conversations turned so quickly, so easily…
"Ever since Kikyou and Inuyasha have had small fights, all over you. It was like watching you and Inuyasha fight over her… And they're all while you're gone. They're all in quiet voices, no shouts or tears anymore. Everyone thinks they're such a wonderful couple, even you. But Kagome, they fight, and boy do they fight… It's horrible! I really don't care anything for that… that bitch, but to see Inuyasha so tortured by all of it… Oh, Kagome, I know it's horrible, but I just want to see that damn witch die!"
Sango is about to cry, and her voice is rising steadily in volume. Neither of us hear the laughing and footsteps of people down the hallway, coming to the kitchen, expecting to see us laughing and picking at the tea. Inuyasha surprises me as he says my name, probably seeing the horrified expressions and eyes near tears.
I drop the teacup in my hands, the clay shattering upon the ground, tea splashing. For a moment I can't move, my hands numb as I gaze into Inuyasha's face. I never expected to see the unhappiness written so plainly there, so easily seen… And then I come back to the earth with an unpleasant bump, seeing the tea. I fall back into my acting, putting a hand to my heart, and saying, "Inuyasha! You surprised me! Sango, forgive me for dropping that cup…"
Sango catches on and says, "It's quite okay Kagome. The towels are up in the cabinet, if you care to get me one so I can clean up…"
I wave her away and set to picking up the pieces of the teacup, taking the towel to wipe away the tea. Inuyasha bends over to help me as the boys go to help Sango sit down. "What the hell was that?" Inuyasha hisses just before Miroku clears his throat and I throw the towel back onto the floor to pick up anything else that I might have missed.
"You surprised me, that's all." I whisper back, hoping he won't see my fake smile and shaking hands. I pull him over to the table.
"Bullshit." He answers as we sit down. But he drops the subject all the same.
Miroku sips his tea before looking at us and saying, "I was waiting till the both of you got here to say that there have been some rumors of a demon to the north."
"What kind of demons?" Inuyasha asks. His knee is jabbing my thigh, but I don't care. We're using, or at least I am, the smallish table as an excuse to sit close together.
"Not sure. Burns, unnatural firestorms… the usual." Miroku shrugs as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "The crops are being burnt and houses are destroyed. It needs to be stopped."
I nod as Sango suddenly asks, "Hayashi, what type of demon do you think it is?"
The nine-year-old boy looks up as though for heavenly intervention before answering, "An elemental demon with control over fire." His magenta colored eyes are wide and his skin bronzed.
Sango seems satisfied with the answer and smiles. "Good job Hayashi." Looking to her younger son, Mori, who seems to be listening intently, is asked a different question. "Mori, why would you're brother think that?"
"Not many demons have control over fire, unless it is their element." He looks over to a cream-colored cat sleeping in the corner, whose two tails are ringed in black. The coal-black ears twitch as if she knows she's being watched, even in her sleep. "Like Kirara!"
Miroku and Sango exchange looks, both proud of their sons. "Anyways, as I was saying, it shouldn't be too hard to find. The lord is willing to pay a lot to anybody who can get rid of these demons. Neither Sango nor Kikyou can go, seeing as Sango is pregnant and Kaede is no longer alive to look after Michiko and Souta."
I have a funny feeling that the reason Kikyou is staying behind isn't only because Kaede is dead… Sango and Miroku could easily look after Inuyasha's children.
"I have to stay here with Sango. Not only do I have many orders to finish, but Sango might have a child any time. So it's up to you and Kagome Inuyasha."
"What if the baby comes while I'm away?" I ask, gesturing towards a large Sango.
"Kikyou can take care of that, I'm sure. You may be better than she is, but she's still a wonderful doctor." Sango says, patting her stomach. Mori rolls his eyes and pinches Hayashi to get a rise out of his older brother. It doesn't work.
"How will we find where these demons are, Miroku?" Inuyasha takes a sip of tea.
"You have a knack for attracting demons Inuyasha, and trouble often finds you." His eyes twinkle and I see Mori pinch Hayashi again, only to have his hand slapped lightly by Sango. Hayashi sticks out his tongue. "If not, I suspect you just have to follow the ash."
Yes… I realize this may seem like a Kik/Inu fic… But please, just hang in with me till the end! It will all turn out you Inu/Kag monsters…