Disclaimer: If I owned the dancing lint in my shoes I'd be rather pleased
with myself. Do you even need to ask whether I own two very popular
animes?
-^-^-^-^ LAST CHAPTER^-^-^-^-
"Very clever ningen. Though you forgot to supress your scent..." A voice draweled in her ear, causing shivers to go up her spine. Youko had not fallen for her little trick after all then. The claw pressed harder when his voice came back to her, "But tell me, how could a ningen use such magic. Tell me quickly, I have little patience when it comes to what I want." ~*~*~*~* end memory *~*~*~*~
-^-^-^-^ THIS CHAPTER^-^-^-^-
Kagome stood and walked around the clearing, gazing lovingly at the beautiful Makai sky. They had spent lots of time together, fox and she. By the time she had convinced him that he could trust her, she found herself trusting him as well. She had begun to visit him every time she left the feudal era. Their friendship had continued to grow until they both realized that they cared for each other less like friendliness, and more like a crush.
Kagome ran her fingers over the bark of the closest trees. They had never kissed. They were always either uncomfortable or interrupted. She longed to feel his lips on hers. Of course, she would never tell him. She didn't want to risk what they had now just because she couldn't be patient.
She smiled as she remembered the things he had been teaching her. He had just trained her on the basics of fighting and magic. He had told her that she needed to go the rest of the way herself, that that would give her her own techniques. She had still spent most of her time asking him to help her perfect it.
He had given her lots of good advice. One, never let even your friends see your skills unless you are ready for everyone to know. She had loved that one, and she had never really been needed in the fights in feudal era. She loved the way that every time Inu Yasha called her weak, she could be sure she could beat him. But because of his own advice, Youko knew very little about what she could do. True, he knew more about it then anybody else, but he didn't know even half of what she was capable of.
Two, he had taught her that a good lie was sometimes better then the truth. Like telling Inu Yasha and the gang that she went home earlier then usual because she hadn't been getting enough sleep thanks to a certain half dog-demon. She hadn't been such a good liar before she met Youko, but he had helped her out with that too. She found it strange that despite the fact that she had a feeling he lied to her a lot about her jobs, she found it very hard to lie in any acceptable way when she talked to him.
Three, suspect everything, but don't let it change your regular chain of thought. You may guess but it shouldn't affect the outcome of your decisions unless your sure of what you have put at the base of your thoughts.
His trainings and advice had made her a demon in her own right. He had taught her how to center your magic on certain deeds, like running or finding a scent, and that it could increase it's performance. Hence how Kagome could now follow Inu Yasha at a miles distance by following a scent an hour old. True, with this same method she could catch up to Inu Yasha at the same measurements pretty easily, but... where was the fun in that?
She knew that, if given the motivations, she could kill Sesshomaru with only a little trouble, but she didn't want to give up the fudal era yet. As Kagome and Youko had become closer, so had she and Shippo. He had been calling her Oka-san (AN: Right? I know you guys are gonna correct me whether I ask or not, but I thought I'd point it out) for weeks, much to the discomfort of a certain hanyou.
Walking over to the other side of the clearing, Kagome shifted her thoughts to the well. She had learned that it was something like a tunnel, one end the feudal era and one end the modern era. Each of the stars was a stop between the two times, and if you picked one of the stars, you go to a certain time in between the two ends of the tunnel. She had theories that if you could somehow dodge either of the ends of the 'tunnel', that you could go beyond each of the time stops to something further.
Of course, as new stars in the sky die and are born, stars in the tunnel did the same. The well could only work from one point to another. The stars and ends all slowly travel down the time line, hense how when Kagome jumped down the well the second time, she didn't come out at the same time she did her first trip, Inu Yasha pinned to the Goshinbuku and all. All of them moved at the same pace, so one second in the modern time would be one second in the feudal era and everywhere else. Unfortunately, the well only worked from one point in time to another, so, as things roll on, some of the stars are bound to roll off the tunnel. (AN: If I'm confusing you, just ignore me ^-^) Which meant that someday the modern time wouldn't be able to travel through the well anymore. Kagome's only consolation was that it would probably be LONG after she was dead.
Kagome was brought out of her revere by two arms encircling her waist and gently pulling her into an embrace. She leaned into the chest behind her, not having to turn or open her eyes to know who was there.
"Youko..." Kagome whispered, being totally comfortable in this position.
"Love..." the voice behind said softly. Kagome could feel his chest vibrating and felt her smile widen. He was purring.. She loved it when he did that.
After a few minutes of holding each other Youko grabbed Kagome's arm and pulled her to the well. Lowering himself to lean against it, he pulled her into his lap. His forehead came to rest on her head as his nose was buried in her hair. His arms were rapped around her waist and his hair fell in a curtain around them. Not that it was needed. The grass somehow found a way to grow into a woven wall around them.
Youko suddenly sobered.
"Kagome?" he wasn't sure where he was supposed to begin.
"Yes," was the soft response from the woman he held. He knew that he cared for her. He remembered being attracted to her right from the beginning. Kitsune tend to love the scent of their own elements, and Kagome smelled of water lilies. When she had stepped from the well he could see her obvious beauty, and he wasn't sure if he should ignore the attraction because she was human. She was also strong enough in magic to evade a lesser and less skeptical youkai, and with some training she could do more.
That attraction hadn't faded when she had ignored her fear in favor of sarcasm to answer his question. "Oh really? Hmm... Us humans with our weak noses tend to forget things like that... He had of course asked her questions like 'how did you get into the Makai,' 'why is your dress so... abnormal'. Her answers went along the lines of 'haven't the slightest' and 'I've been asking the school board that same question for ages...'. She had only fueled his curiosity with those answers, and he loved puzzles.
He had been surprised when he started to see her full potential. But when he saw how eager she was to learn, he had taught her what she should know. When one of his enemies had threatened to destroy all he held dear he had taught her how to use a knife, and how to pick locks. Neither of those skills she seemed proud of, but hadn't objected to learning them. He applauded her for her innocence, but prayed that she would never get caught in a situation where that very innocence could get her killed.
He knew that Kagome hated his work. She didn't like any of the things he loved. She hated the danger, the difficulties. She had told him several times that it would get him killed. He had responded that he'd rather die no other way. Of course, the first time they had said these words Kagome had broken down crying, much to the discomfort and confusion of a certain kitsune.
Youko wasn't sure whether to hate himself or Kagome for his decision, but he had chosen to make this his last job. It was for her, of course. He had chosen the most difficult prize for his last. If he was going to go out, why not go out with a bang.
"Kagome I..." he lowered his voice, and brought his lips down next to her ear, "I've got a job to do coming up pretty soon." He felt her back stiffen against his chest.
"What?" Her voice was chocked, and he pulled her more tightly against him. He ignored her question and went on.
"I'm leaving two days from now," he felt her shoulders shake. She began to push herself up and he hastily released her so she wouldn't hurt herself. He stood up to join her just as she spun around. The sight that greeted him made his stomach turn with guilt.
Her beautiful face was already streaked with tears, her mouth and shoulders quivered. She glared at him, and her hands were fisted at her sides. Her eyes were filled with both grief and rage. She was obviously trying to hide her fear and instead show her anger.
"Why?!" Kagome screamed at him, "Why do you insist on killing yourself?!" Youko looked into her eyes, his guilt eating him inside out. He didn't want to be the one to make her feel like this. He reached up and put a hand on Kagome's shoulder, only to have it knocked away.
"It's the last job I'm going to do, Kagome..." Youko was interrupted before he could start trying to comfort her.
"It may very well be your last!" Youko flattened his ears against the loud onslaught of high pitched words, "Do you want to get your tail shot off? Do you want to lose everything you've earned? Do you want to leave me?!" Youko was surprised at the last one. He had never thought of that. Would she really be that hurt if he left her.
Reaching out with hawk-like speed, he pulled Kagome into a harsh embrace. She struggled weakly, but her efforts proved futile when Youko didn't even move. She kicked out, pushed away from his chest, but he stayed firm. He put his lips to her ear and began to murmur comforting sentences.
"Never... I'll never leave you... I'll be back... I promise... I promise never to leave you..."
After a few moments of this Kagome began to calm down, and slowly melted into his embrace. Her sobs grew louder and her tears stained his clothes.
"I... I don't want you... to... leave me, Youko..." Kagome stuttered between sobs.
"I won't. I promise," Youko suddenly began to pray that this was true. If this was how she acted just because of the prospect of loosing her, then how much would he hurt her if he did get himself killed?
After about an hour Kagome's sobs began to fade and her breathing evened out. Youko repositioned her and watched her sleep. He had told her many times that he cared for her. That she was more to him then any of the gems he stole. That was very true, but it didn't tell her the extent of his feelings. He knew she was a ningen. Knew she was a strange mage of some sort from a different time. Knew that she wouldn't kill an innocent for all the world. She was the exact opposite of everything he thought he would look for in a mate. She was clumsy. Almost never serious. A little immature. She preferred to pay for whatever she took.
But she cared for him none-the-less. She was an angel in personality, and yet she cared for the devil that was him. He had always expected that he would merely deal with his mate as the only way to pass on his genetics and the heir to his title. He knew that his mate would most likely not care if he died one day, as long as her and her pup had his wealth and his army. He had never dreamed that he'd find someone who cared nothing for either of those, and who would grieve if she lost him. Maybe that in itself was why he had never thought he would have one. She was his weakness. And Youko Kurama didn't have a weakness...
~*~*~*~* the next morning *~*~*~*~
Youko woke up abruptly and the first thing he noticed was that light was peaking up behind the trees. What he noticed next made him jump up. Kagome was gone. He looked around the clearing, only stopping when his eyes fell upon the white note atop the well's rim.
A note.
Youko walked over and picked it up, scanning the outside of the paper with a fiery gaze. Why didn't she wake me up to say good-bye?! He opened up the note and began to read.
Dear Youko, I'm having some problems with your decision. I need some time to... well, figure things out. I'm sorry I didn't wake you up, but you looked so angelic sleeping, I didn't want to disturb you. I'll be back before you leave... promise... Remember, I'm keeping my promise, you had better keep yours...
---Higurashi, Kagome
Youko stared at the words within the note fore a few seconds. He wasn't sure of her feelings from the note. She seemed a little disturbed at first, then gracious, and then angry. Maybe those were the things she needed to 'figure out'....
~*~*~*~* Modern times *~*~*~*~
When Kagome got home, she crept up to her bedroom and collapsed on her bed. She felt her tears come once again, but this time no sobbing ripped from her throat. She knew that she wouldn't be able to take it. If Kurama died, she wouldn't have a heart to mend. It wouldn't only break, it would shatter and burn, melt and be grinded to dust. She knew she loved him. It would hurt all the more to know that he returned at least some feelings, but didn't return simply because he couldn't. And he never would.
Kagome stayed in the same position on her bed, crying her heart out, till noon. Here is when her mother came to put some folded clothes in her room. She had jumped at first, surprised to see her daughter, and then she shouted a greeting. As soon as Kagome sat up though, rubbing her red, swollen eyes, her mothers smile disappeared and she hurried to her daughters side.
"Hunny! What's wrong?" An idea came to Ms. Higurashi, and her heart suddenly stopped beating, "Nothing happened did it? Nobodies hurt..."
"No, momma, nobodies hurt..." Kagome whispered, voice raspy.
"Then, what's wrong?" Kagome looked into her mothers middle-aged face. The laugh -lines. The worry-lines. The perfect picture of a mother. One arm was wrapped around her daughters waist. Eyes filled with confusion and worry. Kagome couldn't help it, she launched herself at her mother and latched her arms around her neck. Sobs wracked the poor womans chest as she hugged her mother.
"Oh momma! I... I love him... I fell in love with a doomed man!" Kagome felt her mothers arms wrap around her and pull her closer. Shushing her daughter in a ginger way.
"Shhh, hunny, what are you talking about?" So Kagome told her. All the way from finding the secret of the well to the future of the love of her life. How he had said it was his final job, so that meant that this was the one. He was going to die. And she was going to lose him.
Her mother was silent. She felt for her daughter. "You are a braver girl then I ever could be, Kagome..." Kagome looked at her mother with questioning eyes.
"Why do you say that?"
"Because you let yourself fall for the one who needed it most, even though it would hurt you," Kagome felt guilty now. Her mother thought that she had fallen for him because he needed it.
"I didn't fall in love with him because I thought that he needed it most mother, it was just an accident that I fell for him..." Kagome whispered. A slow smile came onto her mothers lips.
"Then why did you ever go back to him a second time?" Good question... Why did I go back?, "You may not have even realized it at the time hunny, but I know you. You went back to give somebody what they never dreamed they'd have. A friend who didn't care about his material possessions. You didn't realize that it would go as far as it did, but you put your heart on the line anyway."
"No, mother... I just let myself love him because I was able to convince myself I could change things," Kagome whimpered.
"Maybe you did," Kagome was confused by her mother. She had always known that her mother was a lot different then the mask she put on. Maybe she was wiser. Maybe she was desperate. But right now she was just going on a dizzying tour to nowhere.
"What are you talking about?"
"Never underestimate what a change in someone's heart can cause. He would have died two days from now, if you where there or not. But you changed his life. And maybe... just maybe you change the next one," her mother whispered, "You've given a cold man a heart. A warrior some piece. You've given a life that would usually be red with blood the colors of memories. You've helped him in more ways then anyone else, and you should be proud of that." Kagome found herself feeling better. Ms. Higurashi stood up from the bed and walked over to the door. Before she could exit though, her daughter spoke up.
"Mom?" Kagome smiled, though her mother was facing the opposite way, Kagome had a strange feeling she knew about it, "Thanks."
-^-^-^-^ LAST CHAPTER^-^-^-^-
"Very clever ningen. Though you forgot to supress your scent..." A voice draweled in her ear, causing shivers to go up her spine. Youko had not fallen for her little trick after all then. The claw pressed harder when his voice came back to her, "But tell me, how could a ningen use such magic. Tell me quickly, I have little patience when it comes to what I want." ~*~*~*~* end memory *~*~*~*~
-^-^-^-^ THIS CHAPTER^-^-^-^-
Kagome stood and walked around the clearing, gazing lovingly at the beautiful Makai sky. They had spent lots of time together, fox and she. By the time she had convinced him that he could trust her, she found herself trusting him as well. She had begun to visit him every time she left the feudal era. Their friendship had continued to grow until they both realized that they cared for each other less like friendliness, and more like a crush.
Kagome ran her fingers over the bark of the closest trees. They had never kissed. They were always either uncomfortable or interrupted. She longed to feel his lips on hers. Of course, she would never tell him. She didn't want to risk what they had now just because she couldn't be patient.
She smiled as she remembered the things he had been teaching her. He had just trained her on the basics of fighting and magic. He had told her that she needed to go the rest of the way herself, that that would give her her own techniques. She had still spent most of her time asking him to help her perfect it.
He had given her lots of good advice. One, never let even your friends see your skills unless you are ready for everyone to know. She had loved that one, and she had never really been needed in the fights in feudal era. She loved the way that every time Inu Yasha called her weak, she could be sure she could beat him. But because of his own advice, Youko knew very little about what she could do. True, he knew more about it then anybody else, but he didn't know even half of what she was capable of.
Two, he had taught her that a good lie was sometimes better then the truth. Like telling Inu Yasha and the gang that she went home earlier then usual because she hadn't been getting enough sleep thanks to a certain half dog-demon. She hadn't been such a good liar before she met Youko, but he had helped her out with that too. She found it strange that despite the fact that she had a feeling he lied to her a lot about her jobs, she found it very hard to lie in any acceptable way when she talked to him.
Three, suspect everything, but don't let it change your regular chain of thought. You may guess but it shouldn't affect the outcome of your decisions unless your sure of what you have put at the base of your thoughts.
His trainings and advice had made her a demon in her own right. He had taught her how to center your magic on certain deeds, like running or finding a scent, and that it could increase it's performance. Hence how Kagome could now follow Inu Yasha at a miles distance by following a scent an hour old. True, with this same method she could catch up to Inu Yasha at the same measurements pretty easily, but... where was the fun in that?
She knew that, if given the motivations, she could kill Sesshomaru with only a little trouble, but she didn't want to give up the fudal era yet. As Kagome and Youko had become closer, so had she and Shippo. He had been calling her Oka-san (AN: Right? I know you guys are gonna correct me whether I ask or not, but I thought I'd point it out) for weeks, much to the discomfort of a certain hanyou.
Walking over to the other side of the clearing, Kagome shifted her thoughts to the well. She had learned that it was something like a tunnel, one end the feudal era and one end the modern era. Each of the stars was a stop between the two times, and if you picked one of the stars, you go to a certain time in between the two ends of the tunnel. She had theories that if you could somehow dodge either of the ends of the 'tunnel', that you could go beyond each of the time stops to something further.
Of course, as new stars in the sky die and are born, stars in the tunnel did the same. The well could only work from one point to another. The stars and ends all slowly travel down the time line, hense how when Kagome jumped down the well the second time, she didn't come out at the same time she did her first trip, Inu Yasha pinned to the Goshinbuku and all. All of them moved at the same pace, so one second in the modern time would be one second in the feudal era and everywhere else. Unfortunately, the well only worked from one point in time to another, so, as things roll on, some of the stars are bound to roll off the tunnel. (AN: If I'm confusing you, just ignore me ^-^) Which meant that someday the modern time wouldn't be able to travel through the well anymore. Kagome's only consolation was that it would probably be LONG after she was dead.
Kagome was brought out of her revere by two arms encircling her waist and gently pulling her into an embrace. She leaned into the chest behind her, not having to turn or open her eyes to know who was there.
"Youko..." Kagome whispered, being totally comfortable in this position.
"Love..." the voice behind said softly. Kagome could feel his chest vibrating and felt her smile widen. He was purring.. She loved it when he did that.
After a few minutes of holding each other Youko grabbed Kagome's arm and pulled her to the well. Lowering himself to lean against it, he pulled her into his lap. His forehead came to rest on her head as his nose was buried in her hair. His arms were rapped around her waist and his hair fell in a curtain around them. Not that it was needed. The grass somehow found a way to grow into a woven wall around them.
Youko suddenly sobered.
"Kagome?" he wasn't sure where he was supposed to begin.
"Yes," was the soft response from the woman he held. He knew that he cared for her. He remembered being attracted to her right from the beginning. Kitsune tend to love the scent of their own elements, and Kagome smelled of water lilies. When she had stepped from the well he could see her obvious beauty, and he wasn't sure if he should ignore the attraction because she was human. She was also strong enough in magic to evade a lesser and less skeptical youkai, and with some training she could do more.
That attraction hadn't faded when she had ignored her fear in favor of sarcasm to answer his question. "Oh really? Hmm... Us humans with our weak noses tend to forget things like that... He had of course asked her questions like 'how did you get into the Makai,' 'why is your dress so... abnormal'. Her answers went along the lines of 'haven't the slightest' and 'I've been asking the school board that same question for ages...'. She had only fueled his curiosity with those answers, and he loved puzzles.
He had been surprised when he started to see her full potential. But when he saw how eager she was to learn, he had taught her what she should know. When one of his enemies had threatened to destroy all he held dear he had taught her how to use a knife, and how to pick locks. Neither of those skills she seemed proud of, but hadn't objected to learning them. He applauded her for her innocence, but prayed that she would never get caught in a situation where that very innocence could get her killed.
He knew that Kagome hated his work. She didn't like any of the things he loved. She hated the danger, the difficulties. She had told him several times that it would get him killed. He had responded that he'd rather die no other way. Of course, the first time they had said these words Kagome had broken down crying, much to the discomfort and confusion of a certain kitsune.
Youko wasn't sure whether to hate himself or Kagome for his decision, but he had chosen to make this his last job. It was for her, of course. He had chosen the most difficult prize for his last. If he was going to go out, why not go out with a bang.
"Kagome I..." he lowered his voice, and brought his lips down next to her ear, "I've got a job to do coming up pretty soon." He felt her back stiffen against his chest.
"What?" Her voice was chocked, and he pulled her more tightly against him. He ignored her question and went on.
"I'm leaving two days from now," he felt her shoulders shake. She began to push herself up and he hastily released her so she wouldn't hurt herself. He stood up to join her just as she spun around. The sight that greeted him made his stomach turn with guilt.
Her beautiful face was already streaked with tears, her mouth and shoulders quivered. She glared at him, and her hands were fisted at her sides. Her eyes were filled with both grief and rage. She was obviously trying to hide her fear and instead show her anger.
"Why?!" Kagome screamed at him, "Why do you insist on killing yourself?!" Youko looked into her eyes, his guilt eating him inside out. He didn't want to be the one to make her feel like this. He reached up and put a hand on Kagome's shoulder, only to have it knocked away.
"It's the last job I'm going to do, Kagome..." Youko was interrupted before he could start trying to comfort her.
"It may very well be your last!" Youko flattened his ears against the loud onslaught of high pitched words, "Do you want to get your tail shot off? Do you want to lose everything you've earned? Do you want to leave me?!" Youko was surprised at the last one. He had never thought of that. Would she really be that hurt if he left her.
Reaching out with hawk-like speed, he pulled Kagome into a harsh embrace. She struggled weakly, but her efforts proved futile when Youko didn't even move. She kicked out, pushed away from his chest, but he stayed firm. He put his lips to her ear and began to murmur comforting sentences.
"Never... I'll never leave you... I'll be back... I promise... I promise never to leave you..."
After a few moments of this Kagome began to calm down, and slowly melted into his embrace. Her sobs grew louder and her tears stained his clothes.
"I... I don't want you... to... leave me, Youko..." Kagome stuttered between sobs.
"I won't. I promise," Youko suddenly began to pray that this was true. If this was how she acted just because of the prospect of loosing her, then how much would he hurt her if he did get himself killed?
After about an hour Kagome's sobs began to fade and her breathing evened out. Youko repositioned her and watched her sleep. He had told her many times that he cared for her. That she was more to him then any of the gems he stole. That was very true, but it didn't tell her the extent of his feelings. He knew she was a ningen. Knew she was a strange mage of some sort from a different time. Knew that she wouldn't kill an innocent for all the world. She was the exact opposite of everything he thought he would look for in a mate. She was clumsy. Almost never serious. A little immature. She preferred to pay for whatever she took.
But she cared for him none-the-less. She was an angel in personality, and yet she cared for the devil that was him. He had always expected that he would merely deal with his mate as the only way to pass on his genetics and the heir to his title. He knew that his mate would most likely not care if he died one day, as long as her and her pup had his wealth and his army. He had never dreamed that he'd find someone who cared nothing for either of those, and who would grieve if she lost him. Maybe that in itself was why he had never thought he would have one. She was his weakness. And Youko Kurama didn't have a weakness...
~*~*~*~* the next morning *~*~*~*~
Youko woke up abruptly and the first thing he noticed was that light was peaking up behind the trees. What he noticed next made him jump up. Kagome was gone. He looked around the clearing, only stopping when his eyes fell upon the white note atop the well's rim.
A note.
Youko walked over and picked it up, scanning the outside of the paper with a fiery gaze. Why didn't she wake me up to say good-bye?! He opened up the note and began to read.
Dear Youko, I'm having some problems with your decision. I need some time to... well, figure things out. I'm sorry I didn't wake you up, but you looked so angelic sleeping, I didn't want to disturb you. I'll be back before you leave... promise... Remember, I'm keeping my promise, you had better keep yours...
---Higurashi, Kagome
Youko stared at the words within the note fore a few seconds. He wasn't sure of her feelings from the note. She seemed a little disturbed at first, then gracious, and then angry. Maybe those were the things she needed to 'figure out'....
~*~*~*~* Modern times *~*~*~*~
When Kagome got home, she crept up to her bedroom and collapsed on her bed. She felt her tears come once again, but this time no sobbing ripped from her throat. She knew that she wouldn't be able to take it. If Kurama died, she wouldn't have a heart to mend. It wouldn't only break, it would shatter and burn, melt and be grinded to dust. She knew she loved him. It would hurt all the more to know that he returned at least some feelings, but didn't return simply because he couldn't. And he never would.
Kagome stayed in the same position on her bed, crying her heart out, till noon. Here is when her mother came to put some folded clothes in her room. She had jumped at first, surprised to see her daughter, and then she shouted a greeting. As soon as Kagome sat up though, rubbing her red, swollen eyes, her mothers smile disappeared and she hurried to her daughters side.
"Hunny! What's wrong?" An idea came to Ms. Higurashi, and her heart suddenly stopped beating, "Nothing happened did it? Nobodies hurt..."
"No, momma, nobodies hurt..." Kagome whispered, voice raspy.
"Then, what's wrong?" Kagome looked into her mothers middle-aged face. The laugh -lines. The worry-lines. The perfect picture of a mother. One arm was wrapped around her daughters waist. Eyes filled with confusion and worry. Kagome couldn't help it, she launched herself at her mother and latched her arms around her neck. Sobs wracked the poor womans chest as she hugged her mother.
"Oh momma! I... I love him... I fell in love with a doomed man!" Kagome felt her mothers arms wrap around her and pull her closer. Shushing her daughter in a ginger way.
"Shhh, hunny, what are you talking about?" So Kagome told her. All the way from finding the secret of the well to the future of the love of her life. How he had said it was his final job, so that meant that this was the one. He was going to die. And she was going to lose him.
Her mother was silent. She felt for her daughter. "You are a braver girl then I ever could be, Kagome..." Kagome looked at her mother with questioning eyes.
"Why do you say that?"
"Because you let yourself fall for the one who needed it most, even though it would hurt you," Kagome felt guilty now. Her mother thought that she had fallen for him because he needed it.
"I didn't fall in love with him because I thought that he needed it most mother, it was just an accident that I fell for him..." Kagome whispered. A slow smile came onto her mothers lips.
"Then why did you ever go back to him a second time?" Good question... Why did I go back?, "You may not have even realized it at the time hunny, but I know you. You went back to give somebody what they never dreamed they'd have. A friend who didn't care about his material possessions. You didn't realize that it would go as far as it did, but you put your heart on the line anyway."
"No, mother... I just let myself love him because I was able to convince myself I could change things," Kagome whimpered.
"Maybe you did," Kagome was confused by her mother. She had always known that her mother was a lot different then the mask she put on. Maybe she was wiser. Maybe she was desperate. But right now she was just going on a dizzying tour to nowhere.
"What are you talking about?"
"Never underestimate what a change in someone's heart can cause. He would have died two days from now, if you where there or not. But you changed his life. And maybe... just maybe you change the next one," her mother whispered, "You've given a cold man a heart. A warrior some piece. You've given a life that would usually be red with blood the colors of memories. You've helped him in more ways then anyone else, and you should be proud of that." Kagome found herself feeling better. Ms. Higurashi stood up from the bed and walked over to the door. Before she could exit though, her daughter spoke up.
"Mom?" Kagome smiled, though her mother was facing the opposite way, Kagome had a strange feeling she knew about it, "Thanks."