AN: This act gets back on track to the movie… but with a surprise :-)
Act Nine: Scene One
Inu-yasha and Sesshomaru road out through the streets of Kyoto until they were met by a troop of Imperial Cavaliers, all armed, and ready for a fight.
"Shall we?" Inu-yasha asked.
"Let's." Sesshomaru replied. They drew their swords and prepared to charge them. But then suddenly the Colonel in charge of the Cavaliers held up a white flag. "An interesting development."
"You don't suppose they're surrendering, no our luck's not that good, but something's up."
"No, rather they expect us to." Sesshomaru reasoned. "Let's wait before we kill them and find out what is that they do want." The two of them road forward slowly and came up right in front of the Cavaliers. They both presented an formidable sight to one another. The Colonel coughed and then lowered his hand.
"I am ordered to bring Captain Inu-yasha Butler and any persons that may be found in his company to the Palace of the Emperor." He said to them.
"I see, then we'll go." Sesshomaru said and put his sword away. Inu-yasha did the same and then they followed the soldiers back to the Imperial Palace where Kohaku was expecting them in his dinning room. Breakfast was just being cleared away from the oak table when they came in. The two brothers, together with their swords on their belts, and such stern looks on their faces, approached the Emperor. It was plain to see from the cuts on Inu-yasha's face and hands that he'd been in a battle. His clothes were tattered, torn, and stained with blood. This made many of the woman who surrounded Kohaku swoon.
"Come in my brave fellows." He said all at once as if he were glad to see them. "My this is a pleasant day is it not?" This surprised Inu-yasha and Sesshomaru who were expected a less than welcome greeting from their enemy.
"Forgive us, we were not expecting such a warm welcome." Sesshomaru said as he and Inu-yasha took a seat at the end of the table. Kohaku smiled at them pleasantly and asked them if they wanted anything to eat or drink. "No thank you." They both replied.
"Well, straight to business, I like that. I have brought you hear to speak to you about the incident which occurred last night at the home of my two head tax collectors. It seems that a group of armed men broke in and killed both them and their guards. Members of my personal guard, which I had picked by hand, to insure their safety."
"Your two loyal servants had kidnapped a very dear friend of mine and were going to take advantage of her. I killed your boys all on my own, and I'd do it again, if only to see the looks of agony on their faces." Inu-yasha told the Emperor. Kohaku's face went pail for an instant.
"Yes, I suppose that honor dictated your actions. Such an awful bit of business with Hiten and Manten. I suppose that I should thank you though." Kohaku said.
"Say that again?"
"My great thanks to you for performing me a service." Kohaku said again. "Don't make me repeat myself. I have suspected for a long time that Hiten and Manten were skimming off the tax revenues. I was going to have them killed anyway. It's all so very sordid the way that they've been living suck a lavish lifestyle. Wine, women, and song sort of thing. They have really been quite a disappointment to me." The Emperor Kohauku said. Inu-yasha couldn't believe his ears. Sesshomaru on the other hand wasn't at all surprised. At least, he didn't show any sign of being so. He just sort of sat there without blinking for a moment then looked down.
"I think I'll have that drink now." He said and Emperor's handmaiden poured him one. "So may I assume that my brother and I are free to go?"
"As you wish, but before you go, I would have a word more with your brother." Kohaku said.
"As you wish." Sesshomaru said and got up to leave.
"You're not leaving me!" Inu-yasha exclaimed.
"You're fine, if they had wanted you dead, they would have done it by now." Sesshomaru walked out and left his brother and Emperor to talk. He wasn't at all shaken by the events as they were. He remained calm, cool, and collected throughout the entire ordeal.
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Act Nine: Scene two.
"You and I could do great things together, Inu-yasha. I saw how you slaughtered those men. They were like nothing but paper to your sword. I loved it. The smell of blood and the color it stained the ground. Hiten and Manten were both so wonderfully executed. One with his head removed and the other with his bowels cut out for all to see. So masterfully done." Kohaku said to him.
"What's your point?" Inu-yasha asked, his gut turning.
"I want you to be my General and lead my armies when I invade the other islands. You may not know this but Japan is made up of about four islands and none of them are ruled by one man. I rule this island, the main island, and when I invade the others, I want you as my right hand. You who's heart is as black as night itself. You are truly a demon amongst demons." Inu-yasha was sickened by this little man and his offer. It was the worst thing that he'd ever heard and yet something inside of him wanted to say yes. The thought of being second only to the Emperor himself was quite appealing. The rest made him sick though and he could never murder the innocent the way he'd killed those soldiers back at Hiten and Manten's palace. He wanted to draw his sword and kill this so called Emperor right then and there and bring his blood thirsty monarchy to an end. He knew he would never get out alive if he did though.
"You flatter me." Inu-yasha managed to say. "But I have no desire for conquest. I only love one person in this world. Kagome is her name. She is my cause. I will do nothing that would bring tears to her eyes and I know that your wars would do so. She hates violence and loves peace. "
"A pity." Kohaku said. "You and I could murder the world together." He smiled at that thought of it. It made Inu-yasha's blood boil with anger yet, he managed to keep his cool. "Will you and your brother at lease consider one thing for me?"
"What?" Inu-yasha demanded.
"I'm suddenly short two Tax collectors. I need new ones. If you won't fight for me, then perhaps you'll govern for me." Inu-yasha thought this offer over for a moment. With this position he might be able to do some good. Maybe even make up for not being able to save Miroku and one day perhaps he could get close enough to the Emperor again to finish him off if he needed to.
"Sure. I'll do it, but I can't speak for my brother. You'll have to ask him yourself." Kohaku did so and by the time the brothers left the Imperial Palace that afternoon, they had struck a deal with the devil.
"Kagome and the others will be safe now, Inu-yasha. You did the right thing in accepting this honorable position." Sesshomaru told him as they road through town.
"They why do I feel as if I've just sold my soul?" He asked.
"The Emperor is a wicked, cruel, evil man. One day he shall meet his end. Don't worry. Karma will seal his fate." This made Inu-yasha feel no better. Only going home and seeing Kagome again would do that. This was indeed a black day, as Songo had said. At least they had managed to save their friends though. At least there was that to comfort them. So much bad had happened though and when they returned to their own home, Sesshomaru went to bed. He was tired and so was Inu-yasha. He sat in the study while the others mourned for Miroku. He had told them of his deal with the Emperor and Kagome had just stared at him. He could tell that she did not completely understand how he could murder the Emperor's tax collectors one day and then take over their positions the next. Like nothing at all had happened.
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Kagome didn't understand how hard it was for Inu-yasha to make that decision or how much he really loved her inside. All that Kagome understood was that her husband was dead and that Inu-yasha had a new job. When she weighed the two, one came up short, and other broke her heart. She cried for days and days until finally she could cry no more.
On the day when she laid Miroku to rest their entire company were gathered together. Her sisters were there, old Keade was there. Eri, Shippo, Songo, Hojo, and even little Souta was there. Sesshomaru and Inu-yasha bore the body out in it's fine casket. Hand carved and imported from the west. His grave was dug in their family cemetery at Edo where her father, Grandfather, Mother, and even Kouga were laid to rest. As they lowered the casket down into the six foot deep whole in the earth, Kagome wept on Hojo's shoulder. He put his arm around her and this made Kagome feel some better. She had given up on loving him a long time ago though. All her child hood fancies, cares, and dreams were gone. Laid to rest with this, her second husband in the cold, dank ground.
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Act Nine: Scene Three.
"Kagome, I'm leaving." Inu-yasha told her after the funeral.
"What?" She asked him.
"I'm leaving to go back to Kyoto and do my job for the Emperor. I don't expect to see you again. I don't expect that you'll want to see me again. I just wanted you to know though, that I wish that I could have died instead of Miroku. I wish that things could be different between us. I wish for so many things but I can't make wishes come true. You don't love me. If you ever did then you don't now. I can see that. One thing that has not changed though is that I still love you. Maybe someday, when you look back on our experiences together, you'll think better of me." Kagome didn't know what to say to Inu-yasha just then. She was feeling so many different things. Grief for Miroku, hatred for the Emperor, and frustration that he would tell now of all times to tell her how he truly felt for her. In the end she said nothing and just stood there while he walked away. He was walking away, she suddenly realized. Why wasn't she going after him? She was frozen, unable to move, and unwilling. No things could never be different between them. Never.
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Act Nine: Scene Four.
For many weeks and then for many months Kagome moped around Edo while Songo and Hojo ran her business for her in Kyoto. Why was it, she wondered, that every man she married seemed to meet with such a tragic end. First Kouga, then Miroku, and any other man she met would probably die too. She was cursed or something. She'd sent two men to their graves. No more than that. So many men had died on her account. Inu-yasha had slaughtered those soldiers like they were nothing then he told her that he'd done it all for her. How could she love a man like that? She did though, deep inside of herself, she knew that she loved him. Nothing could erase Miroku from her heart though. Not the way Kouga had been so easily replaced after his death.
"What are you crying for now child?" Old Keada asked when she found Kagome weeping in the garden.
"I'm afraid of going to Hell." She said. "I've sent so many people to their deaths now that my soul is condemned for all eternity. All I can think about is myself and it's killed two of my husbands. None of this ever would have happened if… I'm going to kill myself!" She declared. "I'm going to kill myself and be done with this miserable life! It's the only way to pay for my sins!" She picked up a gardening tool and pointed it at her chest. She was all set to do it when Keade grabbed the tool away from her.
"Stop this at once, Kagome. Don't you know how much grief the others would feel for you when you're gone?" She asked. "You're right, you are selfish and you are probably never going to mean anything but misery to any man who comes into your life. You must still go on living though. If not for yourself, then for the people who love you." Kagome looked at her, tears streaming down her pail face. She knew that old Keade was right. There were people who loved her and there was something that she loved more than anything. She loved Edo. Edo which had nourished her as a child, Edo which had sheltered her after the war, and Edo which she had fought for with all her might. Yes, Edo, that's what she had to live for now. That's what she what she had to restore in order to ever be happy again. She had lost sight of that until now but her vision was clearing. She would go back to Kyoto, run her businesses, and one day she would restore Edo to it's former glory. It would be the same, just the same, as if there had never been a war.
"You're right Mammy Keade." Kagome said, her spirits lifting. "I've got to go on living. I will go on living. Miroku, Kouga, and even Inu-yasha would want me to. Oh, thank you for stopping me!" She hugged the old woman and then ran back into the main house. She had to pack her things, she had to get back to Kyoto, and she had to get back on her feet again. There was someone who loved her back there and someone who she loved back there too. She had friends there and she had family there. Kagome wasn't about to let a little thing like death lick her. Not when she'd lived through wars and famines and evil Emperors. She would go this very day to fine that awful Inu-yasha and tell him just how she's felt about him all this time.
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Act Nine: Scene Five.
Needless to say, Songo and Hojo were quite surprised to see Kagome's buggy pull up with Eri and Keade, and Shippo dragging off bags. There was a pleasant smile on Kagome's face and she was acting like nothing at all had happened.
"Kagome, you're feeling better?" Songo asked as the two old friends embraced.
"Feeling much better now, thank you for asking." Kagome said. "Hojo, you're looking well, you must tell me of all that's been going on with the Mill and the store, and with Inu-yasha." Songo and Hojo both wondered for a moment if maybe the grief had gone to Kagome's head and she'd lost her mind. She was acting like things were all as usual and she had just buried Miroku a few months ago .Once she was settled back into the house again, Kagome had Keade prepare supper, and then they all talked about the local gossip like they had only been away from each other a few weeks.
"You know that fellow, Mr. Creed who ran the foreign bank, well he was arrested for assaulting that woman, Kikyo in the middle of the street. Can you believe that, in the middle of the street he had her running for her life, and his pants down around his ankles, chasing after her, and trying to… "
"That woman, she makes me so mad." Kagome said just then. "She deserves whatever she gets. I don't want to talk about all this, I want to talk about old times, and about business. You know I've decided to completely restore the old house at Edo. It shall be a grand Palace again, just as it was before the war. I intend to replant the fields of wild flowers, raise horses, and … What's the matter?" She asked them. They were all looking so grim at her.
"It's not that we don't fancy you doing all these things, Kagome." Hojo said to her softly. "It's just that it's still a little soon, don't you think, for us to be making plans like this after all that's happened? I mean Miroku's only been dead for a few months, and though he's left you with quite a sum of money, it's hardly enough to restore an entire estate with."
"Hojo's right, Kagome, it's just too soon to be thinking about such things. Give it some more time and grieve before you take on a project of this caliber." Songo agreed. Kagome couldn't believe them.
"Oh I see, so Miroku's dead, so I should just give up, huh? Well sorry bubs, I'm not licked yet, and it'll take more than a few minor inconveniences to keep me down. I'm going to restore Edo and nothing is going to stop me." She told them. "I learned something from all this, and its that we all only get one shot, and then when that's over with, we're dead. I won't die, not now, not while I've still got so much life left in me. I thought about killing myself but that's just not in the cards!" She declared.
"By golly, you're right!" Hojo said raising up from his seat. "Kagome, life goes on, and I want to buy you out!" He stated.
"What?" Both Songo and Kagome asked him.
"I want to buy you out of our partnership." He said. "I want to buy this house and I want to stand up on my own two feet for once. I've been living in the past up until now. I've been letting others support me all my life and now it's time for all that to come to an end. I want to make something of myself, sink or swim, I want my own life. Kagome, I want to buy you out!"
"And I want to let you!" Kagome shouted and climbed up on the table with Hojo arm in arm. Songo just threw up her hands and surrendered. There was no reasoning with either of them so she got up on the table with them and just stood there for a moment.
"When are we going to get down?" She asked.
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Act Nine Scene Six.
Kagome's buggy came to a halt outside of Sesshomaru's home outside of town. She'd waited all night long for morning to come so that she could come see Inu-yasha and tell him exactly how she felt about him. She climbed down and had everything worked out in her head. She would go in, say hello, then she would wrap her arms around him and kiss him. She wouldn't even wait for him to stay hello, she would just kiss him. She wanted to kiss him and she wanted for him to kiss her back. They had done enough fooling around with one another's affections. Now she was finally going to tell him that she loved him and wanted to be with him. There was just one problem though. Inu-yasha was not there, as she soon found out.
"What do you mean he's gone over seas?" She asked Sessomaru when he told her.
"Some business for the Emperor, he dared not refuse, not when it meant your safety." He informed her.
"What do you mean?" She demanded to know.
"I mean, dear Kagome, that the only reason he took the position offered to him, was because he was pressured into it. He never would have become a grinning laky for that odious man if not for the fact that he believed it to be in your best interest. Who knows what the Emperor would have done if he'd refused. If I'd refused."
"You don't mean that you work for the Emperor now too?" She asked him.
"Yes, I'm afraid that I do." Sesshomaru said. "I must admit that I felt the same as Inu-yasha. The Emperor is too powerful a man to refuse such a position as head tax collector. Had we, you might not be alive today, and your precious Edo would be burned to the ground. That is why you're here isn't it?" He asked her sternly. "Your home is in danger again and you're trying to save it?"
"Nothing is the matter back home." She said truthfully. "I only wanted to see Inu-yasha and tell him that I'm available now. I can't wait forever to catch him when he's not with Kikyo, or when I'm between husbands."
"I see, then would you consider marrying me?" Sesshomaru asked her then. Kagome could have slapped him for joking around like that.
"You're joking right?" She couldn't believe him.
"I'm serious" He told her, taking Kagome in his arm. "I've felt that you're the only woman for me since the day we've met. Unfortunately my brother has always felt the same way. Now that he's not here, and you're available, I believe I may as well take my chance. Have you never thought about marrying simply for fun?"
"Marriage fun, fiddle dee dee. Fun for men you mean. Besides, I don't want to marry Inu-yasha, I just want to be with him. I'm tired of burring husbands. If you haven't noticed, I've buried two so far, and that's not exactly an attractive feature." Sesshomaru smiled at her.
"My dear Kagome, if you haven't noticed, I'm trying to say that I'm in love with you too. I'm rich, powerful, and available. Who knows when Inu-yasha will be back and he might have one of those western women with him. I'm told that they are very attractive." Kagome hadn't thought about that. Inu-yasha had told her that he was leaving, and that they would never see each other again. He thought she would stay at Edo though. He hadn't known that she'd come all the way to Kyoto to see him. Oh what should she do? Sesshomaru decided for her when he dropped to one knee and used his thumb and forefinger to remove a ring from the finger next to them. Having only one good arm, he was used to doing tricky things like that, and he was double jointed so that made things easier.
"What's that for?" Kagome asked him
"This is my mother's wedding ring" He replied, slipping it onto her finger "For you, Kagome, my dearest Kagome. An honorable proposal of marriage made at what I consider a most opportune time."
She didn't know what to say. What could she say. He was down on one knee and he'd place such a wonderfully decorated gold ring on her finger.
"Sesshomaru I…"
"You've been married to an inexperienced boy and a pervert. Why not try a man who knows how to treat a woman? Marry me and I shall always take care of you. I'll restore your precious Edo to it's former state. You'll never want for anything so long as I live." He stated. Kagome looked at the ring again and thought of Inu-yasha. She was awfully fond of Sesshomaru but… she loved Inu-yasha.
"Okay." She said at last. "I'll marry you Colonel Butler but only because of your money. I will make no pretence of loving you the way I have with my last two husbands."
"I'm not asking you to." He said, raising up. "Just kiss me once, like I know you've kissed my brother. Maybe you haven't actually locked lips with him but I know you've done it over and over again in your mind. I want to feel those lips of yours on my face, just once, like you mean it." He embraced her and kissed her passionately. Of it felt so good, Kagome thought, for a man to be kissing her again. It was just so good. Even if she didn't love him. She'd never married for love anyway and this time she could have fun with it. She could be married to a war veteran and a wealthy one with a high paying government job. Something like that just doesn't come along every day.
"Oh Sesshomaru, will you take me on an expensive honeymoon, and will you buy me lots of pretty things, and will you treat me like a queen?" She asked him, her mind filling with all the childish notions which she'd been robbed of up till now.
"I shall buy you whatever you like and with great pleasure." He said. "We'll go on a cruise around the world for our honeymoon. We'll visit foreign lands and see wonders which none have seen before." He told her. "Just say the word and I'll send for a Priest today."
"Oh, I've had one of those marriages already." She said to him, taking his hand in hers. "I want a real wedding with all my friends and family there. I want a white dress, cake, flowers, and wine. I want it all and I don't care what people think." They both laughed and Sesshomaru agreed. He would pay for it all and then maybe his ill gotten gains would finally bring him and Kagome a bit of happiness. They were both still too young to be living life so recklessly.
AN: Please Review! :-P'
Act Nine: Scene One
Inu-yasha and Sesshomaru road out through the streets of Kyoto until they were met by a troop of Imperial Cavaliers, all armed, and ready for a fight.
"Shall we?" Inu-yasha asked.
"Let's." Sesshomaru replied. They drew their swords and prepared to charge them. But then suddenly the Colonel in charge of the Cavaliers held up a white flag. "An interesting development."
"You don't suppose they're surrendering, no our luck's not that good, but something's up."
"No, rather they expect us to." Sesshomaru reasoned. "Let's wait before we kill them and find out what is that they do want." The two of them road forward slowly and came up right in front of the Cavaliers. They both presented an formidable sight to one another. The Colonel coughed and then lowered his hand.
"I am ordered to bring Captain Inu-yasha Butler and any persons that may be found in his company to the Palace of the Emperor." He said to them.
"I see, then we'll go." Sesshomaru said and put his sword away. Inu-yasha did the same and then they followed the soldiers back to the Imperial Palace where Kohaku was expecting them in his dinning room. Breakfast was just being cleared away from the oak table when they came in. The two brothers, together with their swords on their belts, and such stern looks on their faces, approached the Emperor. It was plain to see from the cuts on Inu-yasha's face and hands that he'd been in a battle. His clothes were tattered, torn, and stained with blood. This made many of the woman who surrounded Kohaku swoon.
"Come in my brave fellows." He said all at once as if he were glad to see them. "My this is a pleasant day is it not?" This surprised Inu-yasha and Sesshomaru who were expected a less than welcome greeting from their enemy.
"Forgive us, we were not expecting such a warm welcome." Sesshomaru said as he and Inu-yasha took a seat at the end of the table. Kohaku smiled at them pleasantly and asked them if they wanted anything to eat or drink. "No thank you." They both replied.
"Well, straight to business, I like that. I have brought you hear to speak to you about the incident which occurred last night at the home of my two head tax collectors. It seems that a group of armed men broke in and killed both them and their guards. Members of my personal guard, which I had picked by hand, to insure their safety."
"Your two loyal servants had kidnapped a very dear friend of mine and were going to take advantage of her. I killed your boys all on my own, and I'd do it again, if only to see the looks of agony on their faces." Inu-yasha told the Emperor. Kohaku's face went pail for an instant.
"Yes, I suppose that honor dictated your actions. Such an awful bit of business with Hiten and Manten. I suppose that I should thank you though." Kohaku said.
"Say that again?"
"My great thanks to you for performing me a service." Kohaku said again. "Don't make me repeat myself. I have suspected for a long time that Hiten and Manten were skimming off the tax revenues. I was going to have them killed anyway. It's all so very sordid the way that they've been living suck a lavish lifestyle. Wine, women, and song sort of thing. They have really been quite a disappointment to me." The Emperor Kohauku said. Inu-yasha couldn't believe his ears. Sesshomaru on the other hand wasn't at all surprised. At least, he didn't show any sign of being so. He just sort of sat there without blinking for a moment then looked down.
"I think I'll have that drink now." He said and Emperor's handmaiden poured him one. "So may I assume that my brother and I are free to go?"
"As you wish, but before you go, I would have a word more with your brother." Kohaku said.
"As you wish." Sesshomaru said and got up to leave.
"You're not leaving me!" Inu-yasha exclaimed.
"You're fine, if they had wanted you dead, they would have done it by now." Sesshomaru walked out and left his brother and Emperor to talk. He wasn't at all shaken by the events as they were. He remained calm, cool, and collected throughout the entire ordeal.
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Act Nine: Scene two.
"You and I could do great things together, Inu-yasha. I saw how you slaughtered those men. They were like nothing but paper to your sword. I loved it. The smell of blood and the color it stained the ground. Hiten and Manten were both so wonderfully executed. One with his head removed and the other with his bowels cut out for all to see. So masterfully done." Kohaku said to him.
"What's your point?" Inu-yasha asked, his gut turning.
"I want you to be my General and lead my armies when I invade the other islands. You may not know this but Japan is made up of about four islands and none of them are ruled by one man. I rule this island, the main island, and when I invade the others, I want you as my right hand. You who's heart is as black as night itself. You are truly a demon amongst demons." Inu-yasha was sickened by this little man and his offer. It was the worst thing that he'd ever heard and yet something inside of him wanted to say yes. The thought of being second only to the Emperor himself was quite appealing. The rest made him sick though and he could never murder the innocent the way he'd killed those soldiers back at Hiten and Manten's palace. He wanted to draw his sword and kill this so called Emperor right then and there and bring his blood thirsty monarchy to an end. He knew he would never get out alive if he did though.
"You flatter me." Inu-yasha managed to say. "But I have no desire for conquest. I only love one person in this world. Kagome is her name. She is my cause. I will do nothing that would bring tears to her eyes and I know that your wars would do so. She hates violence and loves peace. "
"A pity." Kohaku said. "You and I could murder the world together." He smiled at that thought of it. It made Inu-yasha's blood boil with anger yet, he managed to keep his cool. "Will you and your brother at lease consider one thing for me?"
"What?" Inu-yasha demanded.
"I'm suddenly short two Tax collectors. I need new ones. If you won't fight for me, then perhaps you'll govern for me." Inu-yasha thought this offer over for a moment. With this position he might be able to do some good. Maybe even make up for not being able to save Miroku and one day perhaps he could get close enough to the Emperor again to finish him off if he needed to.
"Sure. I'll do it, but I can't speak for my brother. You'll have to ask him yourself." Kohaku did so and by the time the brothers left the Imperial Palace that afternoon, they had struck a deal with the devil.
"Kagome and the others will be safe now, Inu-yasha. You did the right thing in accepting this honorable position." Sesshomaru told him as they road through town.
"They why do I feel as if I've just sold my soul?" He asked.
"The Emperor is a wicked, cruel, evil man. One day he shall meet his end. Don't worry. Karma will seal his fate." This made Inu-yasha feel no better. Only going home and seeing Kagome again would do that. This was indeed a black day, as Songo had said. At least they had managed to save their friends though. At least there was that to comfort them. So much bad had happened though and when they returned to their own home, Sesshomaru went to bed. He was tired and so was Inu-yasha. He sat in the study while the others mourned for Miroku. He had told them of his deal with the Emperor and Kagome had just stared at him. He could tell that she did not completely understand how he could murder the Emperor's tax collectors one day and then take over their positions the next. Like nothing at all had happened.
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Kagome didn't understand how hard it was for Inu-yasha to make that decision or how much he really loved her inside. All that Kagome understood was that her husband was dead and that Inu-yasha had a new job. When she weighed the two, one came up short, and other broke her heart. She cried for days and days until finally she could cry no more.
On the day when she laid Miroku to rest their entire company were gathered together. Her sisters were there, old Keade was there. Eri, Shippo, Songo, Hojo, and even little Souta was there. Sesshomaru and Inu-yasha bore the body out in it's fine casket. Hand carved and imported from the west. His grave was dug in their family cemetery at Edo where her father, Grandfather, Mother, and even Kouga were laid to rest. As they lowered the casket down into the six foot deep whole in the earth, Kagome wept on Hojo's shoulder. He put his arm around her and this made Kagome feel some better. She had given up on loving him a long time ago though. All her child hood fancies, cares, and dreams were gone. Laid to rest with this, her second husband in the cold, dank ground.
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Act Nine: Scene Three.
"Kagome, I'm leaving." Inu-yasha told her after the funeral.
"What?" She asked him.
"I'm leaving to go back to Kyoto and do my job for the Emperor. I don't expect to see you again. I don't expect that you'll want to see me again. I just wanted you to know though, that I wish that I could have died instead of Miroku. I wish that things could be different between us. I wish for so many things but I can't make wishes come true. You don't love me. If you ever did then you don't now. I can see that. One thing that has not changed though is that I still love you. Maybe someday, when you look back on our experiences together, you'll think better of me." Kagome didn't know what to say to Inu-yasha just then. She was feeling so many different things. Grief for Miroku, hatred for the Emperor, and frustration that he would tell now of all times to tell her how he truly felt for her. In the end she said nothing and just stood there while he walked away. He was walking away, she suddenly realized. Why wasn't she going after him? She was frozen, unable to move, and unwilling. No things could never be different between them. Never.
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Act Nine: Scene Four.
For many weeks and then for many months Kagome moped around Edo while Songo and Hojo ran her business for her in Kyoto. Why was it, she wondered, that every man she married seemed to meet with such a tragic end. First Kouga, then Miroku, and any other man she met would probably die too. She was cursed or something. She'd sent two men to their graves. No more than that. So many men had died on her account. Inu-yasha had slaughtered those soldiers like they were nothing then he told her that he'd done it all for her. How could she love a man like that? She did though, deep inside of herself, she knew that she loved him. Nothing could erase Miroku from her heart though. Not the way Kouga had been so easily replaced after his death.
"What are you crying for now child?" Old Keada asked when she found Kagome weeping in the garden.
"I'm afraid of going to Hell." She said. "I've sent so many people to their deaths now that my soul is condemned for all eternity. All I can think about is myself and it's killed two of my husbands. None of this ever would have happened if… I'm going to kill myself!" She declared. "I'm going to kill myself and be done with this miserable life! It's the only way to pay for my sins!" She picked up a gardening tool and pointed it at her chest. She was all set to do it when Keade grabbed the tool away from her.
"Stop this at once, Kagome. Don't you know how much grief the others would feel for you when you're gone?" She asked. "You're right, you are selfish and you are probably never going to mean anything but misery to any man who comes into your life. You must still go on living though. If not for yourself, then for the people who love you." Kagome looked at her, tears streaming down her pail face. She knew that old Keade was right. There were people who loved her and there was something that she loved more than anything. She loved Edo. Edo which had nourished her as a child, Edo which had sheltered her after the war, and Edo which she had fought for with all her might. Yes, Edo, that's what she had to live for now. That's what she what she had to restore in order to ever be happy again. She had lost sight of that until now but her vision was clearing. She would go back to Kyoto, run her businesses, and one day she would restore Edo to it's former glory. It would be the same, just the same, as if there had never been a war.
"You're right Mammy Keade." Kagome said, her spirits lifting. "I've got to go on living. I will go on living. Miroku, Kouga, and even Inu-yasha would want me to. Oh, thank you for stopping me!" She hugged the old woman and then ran back into the main house. She had to pack her things, she had to get back to Kyoto, and she had to get back on her feet again. There was someone who loved her back there and someone who she loved back there too. She had friends there and she had family there. Kagome wasn't about to let a little thing like death lick her. Not when she'd lived through wars and famines and evil Emperors. She would go this very day to fine that awful Inu-yasha and tell him just how she's felt about him all this time.
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Act Nine: Scene Five.
Needless to say, Songo and Hojo were quite surprised to see Kagome's buggy pull up with Eri and Keade, and Shippo dragging off bags. There was a pleasant smile on Kagome's face and she was acting like nothing at all had happened.
"Kagome, you're feeling better?" Songo asked as the two old friends embraced.
"Feeling much better now, thank you for asking." Kagome said. "Hojo, you're looking well, you must tell me of all that's been going on with the Mill and the store, and with Inu-yasha." Songo and Hojo both wondered for a moment if maybe the grief had gone to Kagome's head and she'd lost her mind. She was acting like things were all as usual and she had just buried Miroku a few months ago .Once she was settled back into the house again, Kagome had Keade prepare supper, and then they all talked about the local gossip like they had only been away from each other a few weeks.
"You know that fellow, Mr. Creed who ran the foreign bank, well he was arrested for assaulting that woman, Kikyo in the middle of the street. Can you believe that, in the middle of the street he had her running for her life, and his pants down around his ankles, chasing after her, and trying to… "
"That woman, she makes me so mad." Kagome said just then. "She deserves whatever she gets. I don't want to talk about all this, I want to talk about old times, and about business. You know I've decided to completely restore the old house at Edo. It shall be a grand Palace again, just as it was before the war. I intend to replant the fields of wild flowers, raise horses, and … What's the matter?" She asked them. They were all looking so grim at her.
"It's not that we don't fancy you doing all these things, Kagome." Hojo said to her softly. "It's just that it's still a little soon, don't you think, for us to be making plans like this after all that's happened? I mean Miroku's only been dead for a few months, and though he's left you with quite a sum of money, it's hardly enough to restore an entire estate with."
"Hojo's right, Kagome, it's just too soon to be thinking about such things. Give it some more time and grieve before you take on a project of this caliber." Songo agreed. Kagome couldn't believe them.
"Oh I see, so Miroku's dead, so I should just give up, huh? Well sorry bubs, I'm not licked yet, and it'll take more than a few minor inconveniences to keep me down. I'm going to restore Edo and nothing is going to stop me." She told them. "I learned something from all this, and its that we all only get one shot, and then when that's over with, we're dead. I won't die, not now, not while I've still got so much life left in me. I thought about killing myself but that's just not in the cards!" She declared.
"By golly, you're right!" Hojo said raising up from his seat. "Kagome, life goes on, and I want to buy you out!" He stated.
"What?" Both Songo and Kagome asked him.
"I want to buy you out of our partnership." He said. "I want to buy this house and I want to stand up on my own two feet for once. I've been living in the past up until now. I've been letting others support me all my life and now it's time for all that to come to an end. I want to make something of myself, sink or swim, I want my own life. Kagome, I want to buy you out!"
"And I want to let you!" Kagome shouted and climbed up on the table with Hojo arm in arm. Songo just threw up her hands and surrendered. There was no reasoning with either of them so she got up on the table with them and just stood there for a moment.
"When are we going to get down?" She asked.
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Act Nine Scene Six.
Kagome's buggy came to a halt outside of Sesshomaru's home outside of town. She'd waited all night long for morning to come so that she could come see Inu-yasha and tell him exactly how she felt about him. She climbed down and had everything worked out in her head. She would go in, say hello, then she would wrap her arms around him and kiss him. She wouldn't even wait for him to stay hello, she would just kiss him. She wanted to kiss him and she wanted for him to kiss her back. They had done enough fooling around with one another's affections. Now she was finally going to tell him that she loved him and wanted to be with him. There was just one problem though. Inu-yasha was not there, as she soon found out.
"What do you mean he's gone over seas?" She asked Sessomaru when he told her.
"Some business for the Emperor, he dared not refuse, not when it meant your safety." He informed her.
"What do you mean?" She demanded to know.
"I mean, dear Kagome, that the only reason he took the position offered to him, was because he was pressured into it. He never would have become a grinning laky for that odious man if not for the fact that he believed it to be in your best interest. Who knows what the Emperor would have done if he'd refused. If I'd refused."
"You don't mean that you work for the Emperor now too?" She asked him.
"Yes, I'm afraid that I do." Sesshomaru said. "I must admit that I felt the same as Inu-yasha. The Emperor is too powerful a man to refuse such a position as head tax collector. Had we, you might not be alive today, and your precious Edo would be burned to the ground. That is why you're here isn't it?" He asked her sternly. "Your home is in danger again and you're trying to save it?"
"Nothing is the matter back home." She said truthfully. "I only wanted to see Inu-yasha and tell him that I'm available now. I can't wait forever to catch him when he's not with Kikyo, or when I'm between husbands."
"I see, then would you consider marrying me?" Sesshomaru asked her then. Kagome could have slapped him for joking around like that.
"You're joking right?" She couldn't believe him.
"I'm serious" He told her, taking Kagome in his arm. "I've felt that you're the only woman for me since the day we've met. Unfortunately my brother has always felt the same way. Now that he's not here, and you're available, I believe I may as well take my chance. Have you never thought about marrying simply for fun?"
"Marriage fun, fiddle dee dee. Fun for men you mean. Besides, I don't want to marry Inu-yasha, I just want to be with him. I'm tired of burring husbands. If you haven't noticed, I've buried two so far, and that's not exactly an attractive feature." Sesshomaru smiled at her.
"My dear Kagome, if you haven't noticed, I'm trying to say that I'm in love with you too. I'm rich, powerful, and available. Who knows when Inu-yasha will be back and he might have one of those western women with him. I'm told that they are very attractive." Kagome hadn't thought about that. Inu-yasha had told her that he was leaving, and that they would never see each other again. He thought she would stay at Edo though. He hadn't known that she'd come all the way to Kyoto to see him. Oh what should she do? Sesshomaru decided for her when he dropped to one knee and used his thumb and forefinger to remove a ring from the finger next to them. Having only one good arm, he was used to doing tricky things like that, and he was double jointed so that made things easier.
"What's that for?" Kagome asked him
"This is my mother's wedding ring" He replied, slipping it onto her finger "For you, Kagome, my dearest Kagome. An honorable proposal of marriage made at what I consider a most opportune time."
She didn't know what to say. What could she say. He was down on one knee and he'd place such a wonderfully decorated gold ring on her finger.
"Sesshomaru I…"
"You've been married to an inexperienced boy and a pervert. Why not try a man who knows how to treat a woman? Marry me and I shall always take care of you. I'll restore your precious Edo to it's former state. You'll never want for anything so long as I live." He stated. Kagome looked at the ring again and thought of Inu-yasha. She was awfully fond of Sesshomaru but… she loved Inu-yasha.
"Okay." She said at last. "I'll marry you Colonel Butler but only because of your money. I will make no pretence of loving you the way I have with my last two husbands."
"I'm not asking you to." He said, raising up. "Just kiss me once, like I know you've kissed my brother. Maybe you haven't actually locked lips with him but I know you've done it over and over again in your mind. I want to feel those lips of yours on my face, just once, like you mean it." He embraced her and kissed her passionately. Of it felt so good, Kagome thought, for a man to be kissing her again. It was just so good. Even if she didn't love him. She'd never married for love anyway and this time she could have fun with it. She could be married to a war veteran and a wealthy one with a high paying government job. Something like that just doesn't come along every day.
"Oh Sesshomaru, will you take me on an expensive honeymoon, and will you buy me lots of pretty things, and will you treat me like a queen?" She asked him, her mind filling with all the childish notions which she'd been robbed of up till now.
"I shall buy you whatever you like and with great pleasure." He said. "We'll go on a cruise around the world for our honeymoon. We'll visit foreign lands and see wonders which none have seen before." He told her. "Just say the word and I'll send for a Priest today."
"Oh, I've had one of those marriages already." She said to him, taking his hand in hers. "I want a real wedding with all my friends and family there. I want a white dress, cake, flowers, and wine. I want it all and I don't care what people think." They both laughed and Sesshomaru agreed. He would pay for it all and then maybe his ill gotten gains would finally bring him and Kagome a bit of happiness. They were both still too young to be living life so recklessly.
AN: Please Review! :-P'