The Scent of Despair
Written by Catrina Winner
Author's Note: Well, please enjoy the next chapter, and, of course, review! I'll try to get at least two more chapters out before finals week, but school has jumped into a huge priority because finals week is coming closer and I really have to keep my grades up. Heck, don't we all? Anyway, please enjoy the next chapter and review!
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Chapter Seventeen
The morning dawned over the large, sprawling hut where Kagome slept. She opened her eyes to the blinding sunlight and winced. The bright colors before her swirled into place, and she heard a tapping at the door. A moment later, Sango peered in with a large smile adorning her features.
"Kagome!" she greeted, kneeling near the waking girl. Slowly, Kagome sat up, yawning hugely and looked towards Sango. The Miko's hair was in disarray and her clothing was wrinkled, but there was no evidence she was upset about losing her connection to the time from which she came. After giving her a moment to stand and stretch, Sango passed her an elaborately decorated kimono to wear. The girl smiled warmly at her and changed, pulling her hair into a bun behind her head. The two women turned and exited the room.
After taking a comfortable breakfast between the two of them, Kagome decided to venture outside, further along the lake, to explore the area that may just have become her new home. Sango agreed with her, but chose to remain behind, feeling that Kagome was in the mood to be alone. Just before she stepped out the door, Kagome paused and looked over at Sango.
"Oh, Sango… Have you seen Inuyasha anywhere? I haven't seen him since last night…" she trailed off. Sango shrugged, not recalling the necklace and her promise broken. Kagome smiled brightly again and pushed open the screen, heading out into the bright morning.
The sun's rays burst in her eyes, reflecting off the lake, which the house was positioned to have a perfect view of from any angle. The water sparkled and lapped against the shore joyously. The sky was clear of clouds and everything whispered that there was something special in the air, a new beginning. Kagome smiled and trailed her fingers over the top of a group of purple flowers. With a yawn, she wandered around the lip of the lake and found a comfortably shaded area that blocked the house from view. She pushed her sandals off her feet and let them dangle into the water. The water was cool and crisp, proving it would be the kind of day Kagome was waiting for, the one to begin to forget the life she had led before.
Her parents were gone, her little brother left behind. There was nothing that attached Kagome to her world anymore. It was a sad thought to ponder, but the Miko understood she was never to return to her world again. There must have been too strong of a connection between she and Inuyasha to even allow her out of this time.
With a blush, Kagome leaned back on the cool ground. She covered her eyes with one of her arms to block about the bright sun. Everything was going in a new direction, and Kagome wasn't sure if she was going to be able to keep up. As the Miko and protector of the now purified Shikon Jewel, she would be welcome to remain in this village and live out her days in a more peaceful setting. Perhaps, instead of getting her own residence, she could just stay with Sango and Miroku, help care for their children. She nodded to herself, shifting to find a more comfortable niche in the ground. It took her a moment to realize that her feet were no longer in the lake and was now, in fact, sitting on the ground near something warm. She opened one eye and shifted her arm so it still blocked the light but allowed her to see down her body near her toes. There was a large bit of red cloth, something she would probably recognize anywhere. She sat up quickly, the name of her beloved bursting from her mouth,
"Inuyasha!"
The dog hanyou was staring off into the distance, a bemused look on his features. There was something within that expression that put Kagome on warning. She was unsure of what was about to happen, but had an idea that it would become another twist in her life. He inched closer to her until he was by her side. He reached down and lifted the charm away from his chest so Kagome could see it. The rock with the etching on it caught the light and sparkled.
"I know what it means," he said. Kagome swallowed and blushed scarlet. Inuyasha waited a moment for her to jump in and deny something, but, when she didn't, he continued, "You're… stuck here, aren't you?" Kagome nodded; still unbelieving that he had discovered the necklace's secret meaning. She was finally able to form a question.
"How did you know… what… who told you?" Inuyasha shrugged, but his eyes flickered towards Sango's new home, informing Kagome silently of the one who had slipped. She sighed, but let her eyes trail over his features, signaling him to continue. There was a long, uncomfortable silence as Inuyasha mustered up all his strength to ask the single question that would dictate his life forever.
"Would you…" he paused, the red on his cheeks brightening to a shining tint, and tried to choke out the words. A moment later, they came out so quietly Kagome had to strain to hear them, "pleasebecomemymate?" Her face flamed a color even darker then his, but she finally let her emotions win her over. The tears she had pushed back last night appeared again as she threw her arms around Inuyasha and sobbed. The hanyou wasn't sure if this was an acceptance of his proposal, but he decided to believe it was. They remained there for a long time, the sunlight streaming down around them in their hidden cove.
As Kagome started to pull away, she felt Inuyasha's arms tighten around her for a split second and he whispered something into her ear that she couldn't catch. There was a sharp pain on the area where her collarbone and neck met, and the feeling of warmth leaving her. Then, it was gone, and Inuyasha released her. Kagome immediately inspected her new body art, which was just a few marks from the hanyou's teeth, pressed far enough into her skin to leave a scar. It was not bleeding, sealed over with some strange substance. She looked over at the blushing dog demon and gave him a funny look, not understanding the reason behind the mark.
Inuyasha shrugged. "It's an intent claim, which will show any other demon that you're going to be mine," he said, still very quietly. Kagome tilted her head to the side, still not understanding his meanings.
"I thought that I was already yours," she replied. Inuyasha blushed deeper and motioned to the sky. It was bright, and completely cloud free. She gave him another questioning look, then noticed the sun and its position. The finalization of wedding ceremonies popped into her head, and, finally, understood what he was trying to get across to her. This proposal he had given to her was like the marriage ceremony, and the "intent claim" mark was her ring. All that was left was the wedding night, and the sun was already creeping up towards noon.
Kagome blushed more strongly then ever, and leaped up. She bowed towards Inuyasha, her mind flitting back to what her mother would say about this new incident. Probably never let her return to this time again… then again, she wouldn't have to worry about that anymore. Pushing her feet into the sandals she had left near the lake's shore, Kagome smiled at Inuyasha.
"All right, then, Inuyasha, I'll see you… tonight…" she pressed a hand to her cheek, trying to erase the red there. "But, first, I want to go back to the well, and… say goodbye… Make peace with the spirits, I guess."
The dog demon didn't reply, simply stared off into the distance. Kagome didn't press him, just stated out loud that she would be in this exact place when night fell, and turned to head to the well again. Before she left the clearing, Kagome bent down and plucked a few of the purple flowers she had been admiring before. She might as well bestow them upon the spirits she would be forever leaving behind. After tonight, there would be no turning back.
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Don't worry! This story is going to remain PG-13. Just wait until you hit the second of our three plot twists. It's a tough one, I promise you. Angst time! Yeah! All of you will probably hate me for it, but, remember, happy ending in store! I'd like to take a moment to apologize for taking so long to get another chapter out. To be honest, I didn't realize that so much time had passed. Personally, I thought only a few weeks had passed until a friend pointed out that it's been a few months. So, from that… Can you imagine how busy I've been? Yeah, really. Well, PLEASE REVIEW. And realize that, no matter how long the wait, (hopefully not too long) this story WILL be finished. I promise all of you that I will, someday, complete it. There you go! See? So don't worry if I seemingly vanish. Oh, and sorry this is so short too.