A/N: FINALLY! I'm getting off my lazy bum and actually writing the sequel to Goaku: The Five Deadly Sins of Anywho, here we go! I'll see you at the end of the page!
Disclaimer: As you know perfectly well, I don't own Inu-Yasha. It is owned by the incredible mangaka Rumiko Takahashi, who is also lucky enough to live in Japan! Pffft. Some people have all the luck…
Goaku II : The Souls of the Innocent
Ichi- Life Afterward, the Beginning
By Aiko
Two years. Two whole years it had been since the defeat of her mortal enemy. Two years, and it seemed as close as yesterday. Two years, and it seemed as far away as a microscopic speck on the horizon. Two years.
And yet, Kagome mused to herself, from her comfortable spot on the right side of the king-sized bed she shared with Inu-Yasha, it all seemed like such an unbelievable fantasy. It was so clearly different from her now very normal life. So different from—
Her introspective thoughts were interrupted by a loud snore, the sound of which rivaled that of a jackhammer, erupting from the man upon whose bare chest she had rested her head.
"AHHHHHHHHHHH!!" Startled, she immediately shot upright and screamed at the top of her lungs.
A snore was stifled as Inu-Yasha was torn abruptly from his slumber. His eyes were wide open, and he took a somewhat offensive stance. His glance shot to Kagome. "What?! What is it? What happened!?"
Kagome had her hand to her chest, and was breathing rather heavily. She calmed down quickly. "Oh…don't worry about it, it was nothing! You're so jumpy!"
Inu-Yasha sank back into bed and glowered slightly at her. "Hmph. As if my wife's screaming isn't something to be jumpy about!"
The woman beside him looked deeply touched. "Aww…look, I'm sorry, hun. Your snoring startled me, that's all. Your detective instinct is kicking in again. Always expecting the worst!" She smirked a bit, knowing that it was his instinct that usually kept them out of danger.
Inu-Yasha sighed a little. "Yeah, I guess so…Hey! Since when do I snore?!" He grimaced defensively.
Kagome scoffed playfully. "Ha! Since forever!" She then proceeded to imitate the very sound. It was a very good impression, actually.
The once half-demon frowned slightly and said, "Yeah…well at least I'm sleeping when I make noises. It's not like I do it on purpose!"
Kagome looked indignant. "What's THAT supposed to mean!?"
Inu-Yasha grinned. "Oh please! You DON'T notice the sounds you make when you eat? Anyumyumyum!!!" He saw fit to do as Kagome did, and copy her, although his impression wasn't nearly as accurate.
The bottoms of Kagome's eyes were lined with shimmering tears. "Well," she started, as she headed toward the door of the bedroom, "I'm sorry you had to marry a…an eating noisemaker!" And with that, she ran into the bathroom.
Inu-Yasha cocked an eyebrow. He was thoroughly confused. "A what?"
"No," Sango said, walking down the stairs with an irritated expression plastered on her face, and an anxious Miroku in tow.
Miroku followed a step behind, practically resting his chin on her shoulder. "Please?"
Sango continued to look straight ahead, virtually ignoring him, save for the occasional, "No."
The persistent pervert did not falter. "Please?!"
Sango heaved a sigh and responded, "No," as she descended the last step of the staircase.
Suddenly, the head of a two-year-old boy poked around the corner, and joined the man, chorusing, "Puh-LEEEEASE?!?" Although, from him, it sounded more like, "Puh-WEEEEASE?!?"
Sango pouted and looked over her shoulder at her husband. "Oh, you're EVIL."
Miroku kissed her quickly on the lips, patted his son on the head, and winked as he made his way to the table. "I know."
With that, she hoisted the two-year-old up, and rested him on her hip. She carried him into the kitchen.
The little boy peered up at her with warm brown eyes, his tuft of somewhat messy black hair partially obstructing them. "Mommy! Ca' you pwease make me an' daddy some chocka chip pack-akes, pwease?"
Sango practically melted. "Oh Kohaku…I'm sorry, I…" She looked down at him. He looked up at her with an innocent charm, unknowingly pleading.
She sighed in defeat, narrowing her eyes at Miroku, who smiled and waved at her. "Oh fine!" she mumbled, as she set Kohaku down on his dad's lap, heading over to the stove to start cooking.
The boy clapped happily. "Yay! Tank'oo, Mommy!"
As Sango fired up the griddle and mixed the batter, Kohaku, with the help of his age-appropriate attention span, wandered off to watch his favorite morning TV show.
Miroku, meanwhile, took the opportunity to seize his wife by the waist, spin her around, and pull her into a surprisingly passionate kiss. All while she was holding the spatula, no less. Pretty impressive, wouldn't you say?
Sango couldn't suppress a wide grin from snaking across her face, and that all-to-familiar blush from tinting her cheeks. "Miroku!" she said, smacking his hand as it lay in its all-time favorite position on her rump. "What has gotten int---Oh yeah." She stopped that thought short, realizing that it was THE Miroku Bouzu she was talking to here.
Miroku feigned a pout and looked offended. "Hey! Can't a guy be romantic once in a while?"
Sango laughed playfully. "Yeah…as long as that guy's not you!" Which was a straight-out lie, as she herself could prove from the boxes upon boxes of love letters and dried bouquets (from when they were dating) she kept in the attic.
He continued as if she hadn't said anything, coiling a lock of her hair around his pointer finger as she turned to flip a pancake. "I was just thinking that today is the second anniversary of when we first met!"
Sango stopped as she laid another pancake on the forming stack. She raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"
He let the hair go and lifted himself onto the counter to sit beside her as he spoke. "Granted, it wasn't under the best of circumstance that the stunning Ms. Sango Yuushin entered the office of the charming Mr. Miroku Bouzu and fell instantly in love!"
"First of all," she started, turning off the burner and setting the syrup container on the table, "it wasn't YOUR office, it was Inu-Yasha's, and secondly, I didn't fall INSTANTLY in love with you, I was repulsed by your…forwardness." She put a special emphasis on the last word.
Miroku began to set out the forks and plates, laughing as if she were completely out of her mind. "Anyway, however it happened, I just thought it was reason to celebrate!"
Sango set the stack of pancakes on the table, looking to him curiously. "And how are we doing this, exactly?"
The man smiled broadly. "I'm treating my extremely gorgeous wife to dinner at the prestigious Amai Yume beachside restaurant. Whaddaya say?"
Sango's eyes lit up momentarily. She then frowned. "I've got a slight issue with that."
"Wha—" Suddenly, his inquiry was cut short by a loud wail coming from another room.
Sango left the room and came back with a small baby girl it her arms, holding a bottle to the little one's mouth. "What about Kohaku and Takara?" she asked, motioning toward the child in her arms.
Miroku laughed as he placed a pancake on each plate, motioning for Kohaku to come in and eat. "Come on! You don't think I haven't thought that through? I asked Rin to baby-sit for us! She did such a great job with Kohaku last time! She said she'd love to. Here." He took Takara in his arms, allowing Sango to sit down and relax.
Last time, when Sango was in the hospital having Takara, the couple hurriedly hired Rin, Inu-Yasha's brother Sesshoumaru's adoptive daughter, to watch Kohaku. The news of her return delighted the little boy.
Kohaku grinned gleefully through a mouth of chocolate, pancakes, and maple syrup. "Wimz gumma watsh bee an' Tukawa chuday?"
Sango looked questioningly at him. Miroku laughed.
"Kohaku, what did Daddy say about talking with our mouths full?"
The two-year-old swallowed the mush in his mouth and repeated, "Win's gonna watch me an' Takawa today?"
"Oh! She is, sweetie! Did you guys have fun last time?" Sango smiled widely at her son.
After nearly licking his plate clean, Kohaku replied, "Yeah! Me an' Win had wotsa fun, an' denn dis man Shippou came aftew Win talkded ta him on da tellaphone. He was weawwy nice!"
The brooding mother stiffened. "She invited a boy over? Imagine what might've happened, Miroku!" she said warily, as Kohaku became interested in some legos in the next room.
Miroku sighed, placing the empty bottle on the kitchen table. "Don't worry about it, hun. This is Shippou we're talking about here! We've known him for a while! It'll be all right." He got up to put Takara back down, kissing his wife on the top of her head as he passed.
Sango mumbled almost miserably, as she headed upstairs to get ready for work,
"I hope you're right…"
"See ya later, Baa-chan!" yelled a familiar, yet somewhat grown voice, as its owner bolted out of the house, backpack in hand.
"Farewell, lad," returned Kaede, as she rolled her eyes at the breakfast nook. 'Will he EVER be on time?' thought the aged woman.
He slung on of the straps over his shoulder and made a break for the retreating school bus. "HEEEEEEEEEEEY!" he screamed at the driver, dashing madly down the middle of the road, causing cars to swerve and run into curbs.
Finally, the immense vehicle came to a stop at the corner, and Shippou caught up, hunched over with his hands on his knees to catch his breath.
"C'mon," came the gruff voice of the driver, "We ain't got all day, ya know."
"Okay, okay!" came the irritated 15-year-old's belligerent reply as he stepped onto the bus and looked for a seat.
As he advanced slowly down the crowded aisle, he stumbled over the sandaled foot of a girl his age.
She giggled. "Come on, mister macho man. You can sit here. I mean, you can't fall on your butt if you're already sitting on it!"
Shippou blushed slightly at his slip up, and plopped down next to Rin. "Feh. I only pretended to trip to humor you."
Rin folded her arms across her chest and stared skeptically at him. "Oh reeeally."
Shippou stared back at her, bugging his eyes out in exaggeration. "Yes, reeeally."
Rin hmph'd. "You know, you sound nothing like me!"
Shippou grinned somewhat deviously at her. "Yeah, I know."
"Riiin…?" came a toady voice from beside the girl.
She exasperatedly yanked her cell phone up and saw Jaken's amphibious face on the screen. "What is it Jaken?!"
The cell phone was a special one given to her by Sesshoumaru to watch her at all times, to make sure she was always safe.
Jaken breathed heavily into the mouthpiece, which he was quite obviously holding WAY too close to his thin, moist lips. "Rin-chan. Are you with that boyfriend of yours again?"
Shippou looked thoroughly pissed off. "ARGH! I AM NOT HER BOYFRIEND!" he shouted loud enough for everyone on the bus, regardless of how loud it was, to hear.
Jaken's tiny screen projection scoffed and looked annoyed. "I'll take that as a yesss. Your father would also like to make sure that you are home by 7:30."
Rin rolled her eyes. "I already told him I'm watching Kohaku and Takara for the Bouzus tonight. I'll be home later than usual. Good BYE, Jaken." And with that, she hung up the phone and thrust it in her pocket.
Shippou smiled slightly. "Sango and Miroku going out tonight?"
Rin nodded. "Yeah. Anniversary of something, I guess."
"Beats me," he said with a shrug.
"Hey," Rin began as the bus pulled to a stop. "Do you wanna help me watch the kids tonight? I'm sure the Bouzus wouldn't mind."
Shippou nodded, walking off the bus. "Sure." He turned back and flashed her a smile just before he ran off to catch up with his group of friends.
"'Oi, MOVE IT!" someone called from behind a dazed Rin who, before she knew it, was blushing in that spot for some unknown reason.
Inu-Yasha sighed as he headed toward the other bathroom to get ready for the day. As he exited the shower, toweling off his hair, he thought about his wife's defensiveness.
'Geez', he thought, pulling on a pair of jeans, 'It was just a joke. Why was she so offended?'
He shrugged. She tended to be a little emotional at times, and often overreacted. This was obviously one of those days.
He exited the bathroom, tugging at the end of his shirt. He peeked into the bedroom, only to find that Kagome had since left the bathroom, and was nowhere to be found. "Kagome?" he called, worriedly.
He ventured out into the living room, and finally found her leaning against the bars of the balcony, watching the morning sky.
He slid the glass door open and slipped out, stepping beside her. "You all right?"
Kagome nodded with a somewhat tired grin. "Yeah. I guess I'm just a little oversensitive sometimes…"
Inu-Yasha laughed in return. "I'll say." But before she could throw a shocked look his way, he put up his hands defensively and said, "Only kidding!"
She sighed. "I don't know what's gotten into me. Eating noisemaker…what was I thinking?!" She laughed at her own silliness. She leaned her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Inu."
He stroked her hair. "Don't worry about it. You're always sensitive around this time of year. Only a month or so ago was the second anniversary of…your mother's death."
Kagome nodded, her eyes shimmering. "I know. I just shouldn't take it out on you, is all."
Inu-Yasha shifted slightly, and turned his wife so that she was facing him. "Look, I'll tell you what. To cheer you up, when we get home from work, you and I will go down to the Oceanside Shops and hang out. Sound good?"
Kagome smiled and threw her arms around him. "Sounds great!" She then perked up, as if something urgent had arisen. "Oh! I'd better get ready for work!"
She quickly ran off to the bedroom to get dressed.
Inu-Yasha called to her, while heading out the door. "I gotta go. I'll see you later! Love ya!"
She called down to him, "All right! Love you too!"
Inu-Yasha arrived just in time. As soon as he pulled up and parked at the police station, an officer came running to him.
"What is it, Hojou?" Inu-Yasha asked, worry tingeing his voice.
"It's nothing too serious, but the boss says we've got to go cover it."
"Hmph," Inu-Yasha grumbled, hopping into the police car on the passenger side, "Leave it to HER to give me petty work."
Hojou turned a couple of lefts, sped down an alleyway, and finally skidded to a halt in front of a drug store.
"The boss said the suspect was spotted here not to long ago…" Hojou said with an air of mystery.
Inu-Yasha wasn't exactly sure who the hell the guy was talking about, but he had no time to contemplate. Hojou thrust a finger in the direction of a shifty and tattered looking girl who crossed in front of the car. "There she is!"
Inu-Yasha and Hojou quickly apprehended her. Hojou put on the handcuffs on the almost willing girl, as Inu-Yasha was set to interrogate her.
The girl was looking downward, so all Inu-Yasha could see was the top of her head.
"Look up, ma'am," he said abruptly.
She slowly lifted her head. Her black, wild hair fell back from her face to reveal two penetrating blood-red eyes.
Inu-Yasha's breath caught in his throat. "Kagura?!"
A/N: And there ya have it folks! Granted, it was kinda short, a touch lovey-dovey, and not-too-action-packed…All right. It sucked. I'm sorry, guys! Perhaps I'll do better next time?! Regardless, I would still love you forever and ever if you left me a little reviewypoo!
;;
Aiko