Disclaimer - It's not mine. It never was.
A/N: Sorry for taking so long to update, everyone. Things are getting busy here and I'm about to go batty. Anyways, hope you enjoy this chapter, and I'll try not to take so long when I update again. Later. A.A.
A Wedding
The next morning broke clear and beautiful for the village. Kagome was up at the crack of dawn due to the fact that she had barely slept all night. When she was able to drift into an uncomfortable sleep, her mind was filled of pictures of Inuyasha and Kouga, fighting to the death. It always ended with her, sitting on the ground holding a small baby in her arms, and the bodies of the wolf prince and the hanyou lying beside her covered in blood. As her eyes searched over the occupants of the hut, she felt her heart wrench. Sango and Miroku were lying side by side across the room, cuddled together and sleeping peacefully. She watched them for a few moments, noting how the monk had a protective arm around the exterminator's small waist. Eventually she decided to take a walk in the village to clear her mind.
It was still early, and very few of the villagers would be up and going at this time of the morning.
She got out of her bed and silently walked to the front of the hut, careful not to rouse the sleeping kitsune also in the room. She stepped out into the cool morning air and shivered. Winter was on its way, that much was for sure. She stated walking, and before long, she found herself standing at the Bone Eater's well. For a while, she just stood there, caught up in her thoughts about Inuyasha and Kikyou, but most importantly, about her unborn child. She sat down on the side of the well, her back to the rising sun.
"You should not be out this early, Lady. You will catch a cold." came a strong female voice from the wood's shadows. Kagome turned towards the voice and smiled when Kuarasama came out of the morning shadows.
"Thank you for your concern, Kuarasama. But what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with your pack?" Kagome asked, finding it odd that the demoness was this far away from her family members.
"I need to speak with you about Lord Kouga, Lady Kagome." Kuarasama said softly, sitting on the ground in front of the girl.
"Kouga? Is something wrong?" Kagome asked quickly, fright rising in her throat. She suddenly remembered her dream from the night before, and she panicked. "Is he hurt? I'll kill Inuyasha myself if he's done anything to Kouga!!" The demoness chuckled, but shook her head.
"He is fine, Lady." she answered, smiling up at the girl. "However, Inuyasha is what I came to speak with you about." Kagome flinched at the sound of her ex-lover's name, but said nothing.
"Go on." Kagome prompted uneasily, not really wanting to talk about him.
"Lady, the child you carry is not Lord Kouga's, is it? It is the hanyou's, is it not?" she asked forwardly.
"The child is Inuyasha's, yes. I do not deny it." Kagome answered curtly.
"What are you going to do?" Kuarasama asked again. She could tell that the girl was uncomfortable with the conversation topic, but she needed answers.
"Inuyasha wants only to see the child one time after it is born. After that, he has forfeited all rights over to me." Kagome said slowly, forcing her eyes not to water.
"That is what I wanted to speak with you about, Lady. Will you rear the child in your home, or in ours?" Kuarasama asked. Kagome seemed to think about the question for a while, but she finally shrugged, signifying her confusion.
"I don't know. I am afraid that I will have to raise the child in this era, seeing as how demons are not very welcome in my time."
"The child needs to be raised with its own kind, Lady." Kuarasama said. "Demons need to be with their own kind."
"Inuyasha will NOT raise this child!" Kagome said fiercely, glaring at the demoness. "And I highly doubt Sesshoumauro will take the child in considering it will be three-quarters human."
"I meant that the child should be raised with demons, Lady. The child will be part demon, even though it is a very little amount. The child will need people similar to itself. Even you, as its mother, realizes that you cannot teach it everything it will need to know about our world. Even you, who have spent a considerable amount of time in our world, still do not know of all of our customs and beliefs." Kuarasama said gently. "Lord Kouga has already said he will help when needed." Kagome shook her head and rolled her eyes.
"Kouga would adopt me into your pack if I'd let him." Kagome answered with a small smile and a shake of her head.
"Why don't you? What's stopping you from becoming a member of our family, Lady? Truth be told, you are already Kouga's intended, if only in name." Kuarasama said slowly.
"Intended? What does that mean?" The miko asked. She was not sure she liked the sound of that too much.
"Lord Kouga wants you to become his mate." the demoness explained. "He loves you deeply, Lady Kagome. And it is rare for a full blooded demon to ever find true love. Kouga has found it with you, and he wants to keep it."
"Does he really love me, though? Or is this some kind of come uppance to show Inuyasha up one last time?" Kagome asked, looking down at the ground. She wanted to believe that Kouga loved her, and wanted to look after her. But her recent problems with Inuyasha were eating away at the confidence she had with the handsome wolf prince.
"No, Lady. Unlike the hanyou, Lord Kouga's intentions are pure and honest. He would make you his mate now, but because of recent turns in events, he is waiting." The woman said. Kagome looked a little confused at what Kuarasama had said.
"Waiting for what?" Kagome asked. "I don't understand."
Kuarasama took a deep breath, knowing that what she had to say next would be what Kagome did not necessarily want to hear. The demoness could see the love between the miko and the prince of the tribe; everyone could. The demon in her wondered why Kouga did not go ahead and take Kagome as his mate, and screw what the hanyou had to say about it. But the more rational side, the woman in her, knew that Kagome could only love one man. And at the beginning, it had been Inuyasha that Kagome had loved. Now that the hanyou was gone, the attraction and love between Kouga and Kagome was more apparent, and more free to do its magic without interference. Even though the miko now carried a child within her from the hanyou, Kouga still loved her enough to raise the child as his own. And any demon in the world knew that if a male was willing to take in the offspring of a completely different male, the woman was the reason for it. And Kagome was Kouga's reason for breathing right now.
"He's waiting for you to accept him." Kuarasama said slowly, searching for the right words to express her concerns and feelings. "Demons like Kouga have frail egos, and a strong sense of commitment to the people they love and admire. He does not want to see you hurting. He wants to help you move on and see what is beyond Inuyasha, but he will not do it unless you ask him to. To put it in shorter terms, he is waiting to make sure that you are given time to get over Inuyasha's indiscretion. He does not want to seem pushy, and force himself on you. He wants you to come to him for help, for comfort. He wants you to voluntarily be by his side because you return his love and affections, and not because it is a form of revenge against the hanyou; or because you are on the rebound, so to speak."
"He really does care then?" Kagome asked, bewildered. She knew that Kouga had liked her, but she had not known that it really went that deep. She always thought he pursued her to anger Inuyasha, apparently she had been wrong.
"More than you realize, I'm afraid, Lady Kagome." Kuarasama said. "Every time you come to see the pups, he watches you interact with them. Deep in his mind, he is wishing that you were playing with his children, the children that wants so badly with you. He even told Ginta one time that he would give anything for you to be by his side for the rest of your lives." Kuarasama looked at the shocked face of the miko above her. The old demoness knew that the truth would shock the younger girl, but she was not finished yet. Kuarasama had seen Kouga go through enough Hell while Inuyasha was around. And the more of the truth Kagome knew, the better off they all were. "I'll bet you never knew that Kouga turned down an alliance with the northern tribe because of you."
"Excuse me?" Kagome asked, still trying to fathom all of this. She had known about Ayame's affections for the prince, but nothing of another female. Kuarasama nodded and continued with her story.
"The leader of the northern tribes wished to form an alliance between our tribe and his own. As a show of friendship, the leader sent his youngest daughter to Kouga, along with instructions to mate with her if he choose to." Kagome looked horrified, but only shook her head.
"Did he…" she began. The demoness shook her head, a small smile on her lips.
"No. Kouga did not take the girl, as far as anyone knows. She has stayed with us, as a member of our family, but Kouga never bedded her. And he never did because of you, Lady Kagome. He did not want to loose your respect. And it is disrespectful to a male demon to take another female after he has already decided on his mate."
"So, he gave up the alliance with the northern tribes, because of me?" Kagome asked again.
"No, the alliance is still there, just not as strong as it could have been. Since there were never any children born of Kouga and the northern demoness, the bond is not solidified. Kouga's devotion to you never wavered." Kuarasama said with a smile. Kagome stayed quiet for a moment, trying to figure out why Kouga would put her before the well being of his tribe. It suddenly struck her that Kouga may be the answer to her unspoken prayers, but it all suddenly came crashing down when she remembered her unborn child, the child of Kouga's enemy.
"What about my child, Kuarasama?" Kagome asked quietly. "Even if I did become part of your pack, my child would be looked down upon because it is inu-youkai, and not wolf youkai."
"If you ever did become part of the pack, the child would be raised as the others are, in the ways of our tribe. He or she would be accepted as a part of the family, just like you would." she explained. "Of course I'm sure Kouga would waste no time getting you with child again, after this one is born, but your child would not be turned away because of its parentage. You were marked by the inu-hanyou when the child was conceived. That's all that matters. You had done what was considered proper for a mate to the hanyou; therefore, you did nothing wrong. He is in the fault, not you." Kagome nodded, understanding what she was trying to tell her. She looked at the older woman and almost started crying, but she stopped herself.
"I'm just scared, Kuarasama." she said finally. "I want to believe what you are telling me, but I do not want to be hurt again."
"Trust me, Lady. Kouga would give his life to keep you from hurting. It's because of you he hasn't killed the hanyou already."
"Really?" she said, surprised. "I have a hard time believing that."
"Yes, Lady." the demoness answered. "It's true. You asked him not to kill the hanyou, and he hasn't. At least not yet."
By now, the sun was about to break over the tree tops, and Kagome looked up to watch the light filter through the leaves of the trees. The demoness looked into the forest and sighed. "I must be going, Lady Kagome." she said. "But I beg of you to think of what I have said." She stood and stretched, but Kagome stopped her once again.
"Kuarasama?"
"Yes?"
"What does the rest of the pack think of me? What would be their reaction if I ever did become Kouga's mate?" Kagome asked. Kuarasama smiled and patted the girl on the back before hugging her tightly.
"They love you, Kagome." the woman answered truthfully. "In fact, the elders keep wondering what Kouga keeps screwing up that makes you wait. Most of them think it's his fault you aren't already in our ranks." Kagome smiled and shook her head, her cheeks blushing slightly. Kuarasama grinned, but her happiness faltered when she realized that Kouga's father had not approved the joining of his son yet. The Eastern Lord was notorious for keeping his bloodline purely demonic, and Kuarasama was afraid Kouga may run into some problems with his father when the match with Kagome came up. 'Humph, Kouga will be with Kagome. All he has to do is mention the situation between his father and Lady Laniko. That will change the Lord's mind quickly.'
"Thank you, Kuarasama." the miko said with a smile. "Thank you."
"Yes, m'lady." she answered. "Just do not make him wait long, please. He is going crazy as it is, wondering and worrying about the safety of you and the child." With that final thought, Kuarasama reverted to her wolf form and ran into the underbrush of the forest.
Kagome watched as the demoness disappeared into the thick coverings, all the while a smile on her face. Kuarasama's visit had made her feel better. She turned back towards the village and walked more confident, knowing that at least one person still cared for her enough to worry about her and the unborn child.
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Later that same day….
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Miroku and Sango's wedding was to commence at noon. As a treat for the new bride, a few of the younger village women for-went their normal chores for the day and helped Kagome and Sango to prepare for the ceremony. Kagome was to act as sort of a modern day bridesmaid for the exterminator. That honor, coupled with the conversation she had had with Kuarasama earlier that morning helped make her feel better, if only a little. Unfortunately for Miroku, he was banned from the back part of Kaede's hut when the girls drug Kagome and Sango in to get ready.
When it was over with, Sango was dressed in a white kimono and obi that had pink sakura blossoms on the hem and cuffs. Her long hair, usually pulled back into a ponytail, hung loose down her back. All in all, the tom-boyish exterminator was a beautiful woman who was aglow in happiness.
After they were finished with Sango, Kagome was the next one. She was dressed in a dark blue kimono and obi. Like Sango's the hem and the cuffs were lined in sakura blossoms. The village girls were about to comb out her thick, raven locks when Kagome produced two white hair combs from her pack. Sango almost had a fit when she saw them.
"Kagome! Where did you get those? They are absolutely gorgeous!" The exterminator exclaimed.
"They were a gift." she said quietly, remembering when she had went to see the pups in Kouga's pack.
Some of the young women took the combs and looked at them carefully, noting the smooth finish and the strength present in the lines. A soft smile of remembrance crossed Kagome's face, and Sango smiled. The bride to be rescued the combs and sent the village girls out the room. She wanted to speak with Kagome alone. Kagome did not seem to notice when the other girls left, but she broke out of her revere when Sango began brushing her hair.
"Who gave them to you, Kagome?" she asked. "They really are beautifully made." The miko sighed and lowered her head.
"Some of the children from Kouga's pack made them for me, as a present. They gave them to me the last time I visited them." Sango only smiled and took the combs from the girl. She knew that Kagome's fondness for the wolf cubs spilled over into fondness for the leader of the pack, but she said nothing about it.
Throughout the years they had searched for the shards of the Shikon jewel, Kouga had been there to help when they needed him, often times popping up rather unexpectedly. He had almost died at the hands of a bear youkai while trying to protect Kagome after Inuyasha had been knocked out. Even the time when Inuyasha had lost Tetsusaiga and transformed into a monster, Kouga had withstood the assault to stop him from getting to Kagome. It was then that Sango, as well as Miroku and Shippou -and probably even Inuyasha-, realized that Kouga cared deeply for the human girl. 'Soon,' Sango thought, 'Soon she will realize that Kouga does love her. I just hope it is not too late by then.'
Sango pulled Kagome's hair back and secured it with the two combs on each side of her head, leaving some of the hair to hang in the back, down the kimono.
"There." she said with a smile. "All finished." Kagome stood and nodded, grabbing her friends hand and heading towards the door.
"Let's go." Kagome said with a grin. "You don't want to keep Miroku waiting, do you?" Sango's only reply was to blush.
"I can't believe we're finally going to be together, Kagome." Sango beamed. "It's like a dream come true." Kagome gave a light chuckle and hugged her friend.
"I'm so happy for you, Sango. No one deserves happiness more than you and Miroku. No one at all." Sango smiled again and the two girls walked outside to where Kaede and Miroku were standing, along with the majority of the village.
Sango stepped in front of her and slowly began walking down the passage way the villagers had left open for her. Kagome followed, and took her place to Sango's left when she finally got to Miroku's side. Kaede began matrimonial sayings that would forever bond the exterminator and the monk together, and Kagome held back tears of sadness and loneliness.
"No one deserves happiness more than you and Miroku." she whispered quietly. "No one except maybe….me."
A/N - Okay. I'm terribly sorry for taking so long to update. I've been majorly busy. School is a horrible, horrible thing.
Anyway, I hope you guys like these chapters.
Remember to leave me a review telling me what you thought about it.
Later.
A.A.
