Kagome woke to sunlight streaming through the door to her small room to wash over everything. The soft smell of roses lingered in the room and Kagome sat up slowly. 7 days. It had been 7 days. Inuyasha was better now. She sagged against her pillow in relief. It was over. The pain everything it was over. Inuyasha was safe now. Relieved tears pricked her eyes and she dashed them away quickly. No. She wouldn't let Inuyasha see her cry. He'd see her smiling and happy that he was well again.
"You're awake." Kagome looked up to see Taisrika standing in the doorway. Kagome smiled and nodded.
"Inuyasha!? He's well?"
"Yes. He's waiting for you beneath one of the apple trees. Wait." Taisrika stopped Kagome as she rose to dash out of the room. Taisrika smiled gently. "I don't believe your current garb is suitable." Kagome blinked and looked down at herself then blushed. Her dress was torn into shreds so the cloth that still clung to her covered very little. Taisrika laughed. "Come. We'll get you dressed quick enough."
Taisrika took her wrist and led her to the bathing room. "You have grown older Kagome. And you have so much life and goodness in you. And Inuyasha owes you much." Taisrika smiled and went to a bench and lifted a chest of polished mahogany and gold. "And for that you will go before him garbed as a queen." Taisrika pulled out a gown of soft peach silk, the hem and neck lined in gold. The skirt of the gown was of intricate folds. Kagome reached out a hand to touch the material and it flowed over her fingers like water.
Taisrika smiled and released the gown and after a moment Kagome slipped it on. Taisrika turned and lifted a gold arm bracelet from the chest. On the bracelet was a dragon outlined in diamond filigree. Taisrika unhooked it then closed it around Kagome's upper right arm. Next the lifted out a circlet of gold Sakura blossoms and settled it on Kagome's head.
"There. Dressed as a true Lady Guardian." Taisrika kissed her cheek. "Be strong little sister. You will confer and when you are ready come see me. I will have your packs and a map ready for you."
Kagome nodded and clasped Taisrika's hands then turned and walked from the room. She found Inuyasha where Taisrika had prophesized he would be. He looked up at her and his eyes widened in surprise then shaded with guilt and sadness. Kagome watched this before a cry escaped her and she dashed forward and threw herself into his arms.
"Inuyasha!" She clung to him and she felt a tiny jolt of surprise as his arms closed around her, pulling her closer. "I was so worried!" She hadn't meant to cry but seeing him safe brought the tears unbidden.
"Kagome." His voice was a whisper and she felt his hand on her hair.
She drew back and smiled up at him. "I'm glad your better. But should you be walking so soon. You must be tired."
Inuyasha shook his head. "No. No I feel fine. As if nothing had ever happened at all." He looked down at his clawed hand.
She smiled. "I'm glad."
"Kagome would you...would you walk with me a little bit."
Kagome looked up at him curiously then nodded. "Alright." She looked down at her hand in surprise as Inuyasha reached out to take it gently then back up to him but he had turned away from her and started walking already.
"Kagome." After a few moments.
"Yes?"
"What will you do now?"
Kagome frowned. "Now? Well. We still have jewel shards to collect. So I suppose we'll have to find Shippou and Sango and Miroku." Inuyasha nodded silently without replying. Kagome glanced around and gasped in surprise as the surroundings started to become familiar. "Inuyasha..." He still said nothing and Kagome gasped at the bone eater's well appeared as the trees thinned out. "Inuyasha. This is..."
"I know. Taisrika said this would happen." Inuyasha released her and went to stand infront of the well. "Where we first me Kagome. That first time and I tried to kill you."
Kagome half smiled. "I remember." Expression a mixture of confusion and curiosity.
"Kagome. Taisrika told me something. Something that will change everything." He turned and looked at her, eyes sad. "Told me I have to choose. Now. I have to chose between you and Kikyou."
Kagome felt her heartbreak and tears gathered behind her eyelids. No. Not now! She knew he'd choose Kikyou one day. But not now. She turned her head away as tears ran down her cheeks. "Alright."
Inuyasha looked down at the well. "I thought about it. Kikyou died for me. I loved her. More then anything and I would have done anything for her. It's better for you to go back to your own time Kagome. For you to live your life where you belong. You'd be safe there and the man...the man who loves you there could give you a better life." He turned to look at her again and this time crossed to her and looked down at her.
"That's what I told myself. And it's true...but. But I need you Kagome." Kagome looked up at him in surprise and met his eyes. "I need you here with me Kagome. You chase away the ghosts and the voices that plague me. You smile and...it's so full of faith and happiness and I need that sunshine. Kikyou and I...I still love her. I don't think I'll stop but her place isn't here anymore. It can't be. And my place isn't in the afterlife yet. I know that now."
"I want life Kagome. And no matter what's better I want you. Kagome I..." Inuyasha looked away for a moment then turned and looked down at her and wrapped arms around her and pulled him against her his hair falling across her cheek softly. "Kagome, I love you."
Kagome's heart soared and she let out a sob and without warning throw her arms around Inuyasha's neck as she cried and clings to him tightly. "I love you too. I love you. I love you Inuyasha!" Her voice soared with her heart. She sank unable to stand under the exhaustion of such joy and Inuyasha sank wither and held her against him and she tilted her face up to him and he looked at her and she stared then finally lifted her hand to bring his mouth down to meet hers.
"You're awake." Kagome looked up to see Taisrika standing in the doorway. Kagome smiled and nodded.
"Inuyasha!? He's well?"
"Yes. He's waiting for you beneath one of the apple trees. Wait." Taisrika stopped Kagome as she rose to dash out of the room. Taisrika smiled gently. "I don't believe your current garb is suitable." Kagome blinked and looked down at herself then blushed. Her dress was torn into shreds so the cloth that still clung to her covered very little. Taisrika laughed. "Come. We'll get you dressed quick enough."
Taisrika took her wrist and led her to the bathing room. "You have grown older Kagome. And you have so much life and goodness in you. And Inuyasha owes you much." Taisrika smiled and went to a bench and lifted a chest of polished mahogany and gold. "And for that you will go before him garbed as a queen." Taisrika pulled out a gown of soft peach silk, the hem and neck lined in gold. The skirt of the gown was of intricate folds. Kagome reached out a hand to touch the material and it flowed over her fingers like water.
Taisrika smiled and released the gown and after a moment Kagome slipped it on. Taisrika turned and lifted a gold arm bracelet from the chest. On the bracelet was a dragon outlined in diamond filigree. Taisrika unhooked it then closed it around Kagome's upper right arm. Next the lifted out a circlet of gold Sakura blossoms and settled it on Kagome's head.
"There. Dressed as a true Lady Guardian." Taisrika kissed her cheek. "Be strong little sister. You will confer and when you are ready come see me. I will have your packs and a map ready for you."
Kagome nodded and clasped Taisrika's hands then turned and walked from the room. She found Inuyasha where Taisrika had prophesized he would be. He looked up at her and his eyes widened in surprise then shaded with guilt and sadness. Kagome watched this before a cry escaped her and she dashed forward and threw herself into his arms.
"Inuyasha!" She clung to him and she felt a tiny jolt of surprise as his arms closed around her, pulling her closer. "I was so worried!" She hadn't meant to cry but seeing him safe brought the tears unbidden.
"Kagome." His voice was a whisper and she felt his hand on her hair.
She drew back and smiled up at him. "I'm glad your better. But should you be walking so soon. You must be tired."
Inuyasha shook his head. "No. No I feel fine. As if nothing had ever happened at all." He looked down at his clawed hand.
She smiled. "I'm glad."
"Kagome would you...would you walk with me a little bit."
Kagome looked up at him curiously then nodded. "Alright." She looked down at her hand in surprise as Inuyasha reached out to take it gently then back up to him but he had turned away from her and started walking already.
"Kagome." After a few moments.
"Yes?"
"What will you do now?"
Kagome frowned. "Now? Well. We still have jewel shards to collect. So I suppose we'll have to find Shippou and Sango and Miroku." Inuyasha nodded silently without replying. Kagome glanced around and gasped in surprise as the surroundings started to become familiar. "Inuyasha..." He still said nothing and Kagome gasped at the bone eater's well appeared as the trees thinned out. "Inuyasha. This is..."
"I know. Taisrika said this would happen." Inuyasha released her and went to stand infront of the well. "Where we first me Kagome. That first time and I tried to kill you."
Kagome half smiled. "I remember." Expression a mixture of confusion and curiosity.
"Kagome. Taisrika told me something. Something that will change everything." He turned and looked at her, eyes sad. "Told me I have to choose. Now. I have to chose between you and Kikyou."
Kagome felt her heartbreak and tears gathered behind her eyelids. No. Not now! She knew he'd choose Kikyou one day. But not now. She turned her head away as tears ran down her cheeks. "Alright."
Inuyasha looked down at the well. "I thought about it. Kikyou died for me. I loved her. More then anything and I would have done anything for her. It's better for you to go back to your own time Kagome. For you to live your life where you belong. You'd be safe there and the man...the man who loves you there could give you a better life." He turned to look at her again and this time crossed to her and looked down at her.
"That's what I told myself. And it's true...but. But I need you Kagome." Kagome looked up at him in surprise and met his eyes. "I need you here with me Kagome. You chase away the ghosts and the voices that plague me. You smile and...it's so full of faith and happiness and I need that sunshine. Kikyou and I...I still love her. I don't think I'll stop but her place isn't here anymore. It can't be. And my place isn't in the afterlife yet. I know that now."
"I want life Kagome. And no matter what's better I want you. Kagome I..." Inuyasha looked away for a moment then turned and looked down at her and wrapped arms around her and pulled him against her his hair falling across her cheek softly. "Kagome, I love you."
Kagome's heart soared and she let out a sob and without warning throw her arms around Inuyasha's neck as she cried and clings to him tightly. "I love you too. I love you. I love you Inuyasha!" Her voice soared with her heart. She sank unable to stand under the exhaustion of such joy and Inuyasha sank wither and held her against him and she tilted her face up to him and he looked at her and she stared then finally lifted her hand to bring his mouth down to meet hers.