Author's Notes: Hi, everyone, sorry for taking so long, but I went on another vacation. I know, shame on me, right? But it was for a good cause; we went to a beautiful southern wedding in North Carolina, and I got to see some wonderful colleges while down there, including Wake Forest and The College of William and Mary. I also got to experience Washington, D.C. for the first time in my life, so it was very exciting.
This chapter, sadly enough, is the second-to-last chapter of the story. That means, for those of you who are like me and need things spelled out in detail, that there will only be ONE MORE CHAPTER after this one. It breaks my heart, and yet also fills me with pride at how popular it has become, and how popular my 'Confessions Trilogy' has become as well. It has exceeded my wildest dreams, and I have all of you to thank for that. So thank you. And don't worry, there will be plenty of sappy stuff coming in the final chapter, so just keep your eyes dry until then, okay? Enjoy chapter twenty-two!
NOTICE: The next story that will be posted, in place of 'Soldiers in a Timeless Battle', will be called 'The King's Mistress'. It's an alternate universe plot, I've already prepared the first several chapters, and am very proud of how it's already starting to develop, so wait for that in the very near future. All the information about it is as follows:
The King's Mistress
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama/Romance
Pairings: Inuyasha/Kagome, Miroku/Sango, Sesshoumaru/Rin
Summary: Kagome comes to court without expecting much more then the fact that she will be married to Kouga, ruler of the north, and vassal to the King. She has accepted the fact that her sister, Kikyou, will be marrying King Inuyasha, and that she will forever more be forced to walk behind her skirts. But all that changes when she catches the eye of Inuyasha himself, casting doubt on his choice in a wife, as well as her choice to accept the life that has been planned for her. Now two sisters, as close and protective of one another as twins and yet the greatest of rivals, will compete for the greatest prize: the love of a King. But only one will wear the crown, while the other will be cast in shadow as nothing more than the King's mistress.
Valese: Thank you so much for all the reviews you sent for my stories. I can't believe it. Every time I looked there were some from you. Thank you!
Northern Phoenix: The idea for 'The Breaking Point' is a lot like the Top Gun movie, which is one of my favorites, but I actually got the idea after going and visiting my uncle at the airbase where he works as a fighter pilot in the U.S. air force. Thanks for reviewing!
Kiri RainShadow: I would be honored beyond belief if you were to do a manga version of this trilogy. By all means, go right ahead. Maybe we could figure out a way for me to figure out what you put together, because I would love that! Thanks for reviewing!
Title: Soldiers in a Timeless Battle
Author: dolphingirl0113
Chapter: Twenty-two
Rating: PG-13 (for language and, at times, sexual implications)
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.
It was colder in modern Tokyo, and as Kagome stepped out of the well she shivered violently, pulling her modest, but thin, shirt closer to her body as she hugged herself tightly with her arms. Her house, usually so warm and welcoming, now looked like a dark castle out of a fairy tale; the kind that everyone on the side of good knew about, and passed every day, but still avoided at all costs.
"Kagome?"
On edge as she was, Kagome felt herself jump a mile in the air as she heard her name, and came back to reality panting in surprise, noticing the strange look on Inuyasha's face as he gazed at her steadily. "Oh, Inuyasha, sorry..."
"Are you okay?"
"What me? Sure..." Her smile was artificial, she knew it as well as he. That was the problem with always being genuine and kind, when you wanted to plaster something fake on your face, everyone noticed.
"You're lying," he stated simply, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes as he casually handed her the large yellow backpack, worn from years of use, that had been such a faithful companion in all her adventures. "When are you going to figure out that I can tell? I'm not stupid you know."
"Oh yeah, you're a real psychic when it comes to people's emotions, Inuyasha," she replied with a giggle, her voice laced with sarcasm. Mentally she counted all the times he had been so clueless as to how she had been feeling, like when he had run off to find Kikyou, or when he had called her nothing more than his shard detector, or how he could say things and then not have a clue that it was offensive.
"Keh," he looked away, his head high. "I'm not sure I like that tone."
"Oh Inuyasha, get down off your high horse and come with me into the house already," she sighed, grabbing his arm and dragging him along.
"I don't see why I had to come," he fussed, releasing his arm from her grasp and settling to walk at her side. "This should be between you and your mother...I want nothing to do with it."
"I thought you said you knew how I was feeling," she chided.
He looked confused. "I do."
"Then you should know that right now I am extremely nervous, and you should also know how intimidating this conversation is for me."
"Why the hell is it difficult?"
Kagome whirled on him, her eyes deadly. "Because I'm about to tell my mother I want to break my promise to her and drop out of college, baka! Because I know she's going to be extremely disappointed, and that's the one thing I can't stand to see on her face! Does that answer your question?"
Inuyasha was cowering now, as he always did when Kagome was in a foul mood. "Y-yeah, sure, I get it," he replied hastily.
"Kagome? Sweetheart, is that you?" Mrs. Higurashi called from the kitchen window, and the glare on Kagome's face instantly disappeared to be replaced by one of her warm smiles. Inuyasha shook his head, marveling at her mood swings. Was it her time of the month again? He would never understand women.
"Yes, mama, I'm home with Inuyasha!"
"Keh, who else would you be with?" He muttered, in return receiving a little jab in his side.
"Well come on inside then, I'm just starting dinner!"
"Okay!" Kagome took Inuyasha's hand, and he realized just how sweaty it was. She was really that nervous?
The house smelled of flour and sugar, and boxes lined the hallways, labeled with a large black pen, some saying 'ornaments', others reading 'ivy', and others still saying things like 'Santa's', 'snowmen', and 'nativity'.
Kagome acquired a puzzled expression as she and Inuyasha entered the kitchen. "Mama, why are the Christmas decorations out already? It's only November."
Mrs. Higurashi stood up from where she was putting something in the oven, flour on her cheek and a smile on her face. "Oh, well, I figured that since we're going away on a short holiday in another week, meaning it will be December when we get home, it would be nice to come home to the decorations being up. I know how much you love the decorations, Kagome, so I want them up for the full month this time."
Kagome smiled. "Thanks."
Her mother turned back around and grabbed a mixing bowl, pouring in different ingredients, from eggs to sugar to flour, absentmindedly stirring as she spoke. "You two were gone for a long time. What exactly have you been up to?" She gave Kagome a meaningful look. "It's going to be hard to make up all your school work, you know."
Kagome looked away uncomfortably, and Inuyasha stepped in to try and save her. "She's had a busy couple of weeks, Mrs. Higurashi, so maybe we don't need to mention school for the moment."
The older woman shrugged. "Whatever you say. So tell me, what have you been up to, Kagome?"
Kagome looked down at the table and studied her hands, which were somewhat dirty since she hadn't washed them yet that day, but had still managed to help Miroku prepare a place for the garden they would cultivate in the spring, while Sango had sat on the sidelines, complaining about how she wanted to help, but couldn't.
Where did she begin? How in the world could she possibly hope to explain what had taken place on the other side of the well? Some moments it was too bizarre even for Kagome to understand, and she had lived through it. But then again, her mother had been able to stand the concept of her daughter using an old well to travel through time, marrying an ill-tempered hanyou complete with silver hair and dog ears, and having a group of friends that consisted of a demon exterminator, a lecherous monk, and a kitsune. What was the harm in telling her one more bizarre piece of information?
"Well mama," she began with a chuckle, "I hope your mind is open right now, because you're not going to believe what happened."
Kagome staggered back, staring in shock at the child before her. It couldn't be...it just couldn't be! Where a moment before a man had stood, now a child lay in his place. But she couldn't deny that he had the same sandy blonde hair, now only falling to his shoulders in curls, his eyes that same stunning jade-green. And yet something was missing in those eyes...something she couldn't quite put her finger on.
The boy rose shakily to his feet, reaching almost to Kagome's chest, and looked around with a confused expression, first at Kagome, then in turn at Sango, Miroku, Nancy, Kikyou, and Kaede. But when his eyes came to rest on the two brothers, Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru, he staggered back with a little whimper, his eyes wide with fear. "Wh-who are you?" He stammered. "Where am I?"
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Keh, don't play that innocent trump card, baka. You think that just because you look like that we will forget everything you've done?"
The child stammered, clearly unsure of what to say or how to respond. "I-I don't know what y-you're talking about. I've never seen you before."
"Liar!" Inuyasha spat, and the boy jumped back. The hanyou started to move forward, picking up his sword, but found Kagome quickly step in front of him, her arms outstretched.
"Inuyasha, stop it. I think he's telling the truth."
He blinked. "What? You honestly don't believe this lie, do you Kagome? He's clearly trying to take advantage of this new development. But just because he's a child doesn't mean he isn't still the same Sukiono we were just dealing with."
Kagome sighed patiently. "Inuyasha, I really think he's telling the truth. I think he doesn't have a clue where he is, or who we all are."
"He was just trying to kill me, Kagome!" The hanyou almost sounded desperate. "And now you want me to just let him go?"
"No, I want to ask him a few questions. Can't you just trust me? Please?"
The word trust seemed to deflate his anger slightly, because Inuyasha lowered his sword and looked away. "Just be careful, alright? The last thing we need is for your stupid sense of pity to be getting us all killed."
Kagome bristled at his gruff tone, but brushed it aside, knowing it was just his nature. In all honesty, she was doing better then usual, getting him to calm down at all.
Slowly, she turned around and walked back toward the boy, who had been watching the scene with a mix of curiosity and fear. "Sukiono?" Her voice was soft and gentle. "Are you okay?"
He stepped back, but tripped, and landed on his rear. "How do you know my name?"
"You don't know who I am?"
"No, I said that already." The poor boy was clearly confused, and Kagome could see that the innocent, lost look on his face was not a lie. No one could possibly fake such innocence. It was a child's innocence, the kind that, once a person was grown up, was never seen again, and could not be replicated, even by the greatest of actors.
"Do you know where you are?" She asked, trying a different approach, sitting down on her knees so she was more at his eye level, and less intimidating.
He looked around, clearly thinking before he answered her question. Finally, after a few minutes, he shook his head.
"Okay," She smoothed her hands over her legs and looked up to meet his eyes directly. "Then tell me what you do know...what you do remember."
"You mean you want to know about me?"
It wasn't quite what she was going for, but Kagome decided that, considering how frightened he was, she'd better just go with it. "Yeah, tell me about yourself."
He nodded and lowered his eyes to the ground as he started speaking, suddenly shy. "My name is Sukiono, and I'm nine years old."
"It's nice to meet you, Sukiono," Kagome reached out and put a hand on his arm, though he jerked away on instinct. Her smile didn't even falter. "My name's Kagome. So tell me, where are you from?"
"Everywhere."
"You don't have a home?"
"I travel with my mother." His eyes darkened in pain. "Or, at least, I did."
"What do you mean?"
He sniffled. "The last thing I remember was seeing her...she was on the ground, in the middle of a burning village...she...she was...was..." He broke down and started bawling, and Kagome, out of instinct, pulled him to her, feeling his little body quivering in her arms.
As she stroked his soft curls with her hand, she felt all the pieces of the puzzle coming together. Sukiono had memories only up until the moment when he had met Naraku, and his life had taken such a tragic turn for the worst. Her arrow must have been what brought about the change. After all, the arrow would purify a soul of its evil, leaving behind only the good, so that if a soul were all evil, like Naraku's had been, it would vanish completely, but if it still held some good, it would linger. So, if that was the case, Sukiono had been returned to his state of innocence, the day his mother died, but before he had met Naraku, so that he was still good at heart.
Granted, Kagome had never seen something so drastic happen with the purity arrow. She was accustomed to fighting demons with no sense other then to destroy, and who were killed instantly. Or she had used her arrows to dissipate venom, such as in Kouga's case that day when Kagura had tricked him into fighting Inuyasha to the death. But never before had she seen one of her arrows revert someone back to a younger time in their life. Then again, she thought with a half-smile, she had never dealt with a person as conflicted as Sukiono before.
By now, Sukiono was sniffling, rather then sobbing, and he pulled his head out of the crook of Kagome's shoulder to meet her gaze, his innocent green eyes, now red-rimmed from tears, full of questions. "I must have fallen asleep," he remarked simply, "Because the last thing I remember is kneeling beside my mother." He acquired the look of someone who had a brilliant idea. "Is that how you know my name? Did you come and take me away? Did you save me?"
"I..." Kagome screwed up her features and looked away, biting her lower lip. How did she answer that? Finally, with a soft, faraway smile, she sighed and gave him the most honest answer she could under the circumstances. "Yes, Sukiono. We saved you."
Standing outside and gazing down the giant stairs leading up to the shrine, hugging a warm wool sweater around her body, Kagome smiled at the uniquely beautiful site of Tokyo all lit up with lights. Granted, now she preferred the quiet of the Feudal Era, but a part of her still was, and would always be, the city girl who had existed before she had fallen down the well and met Inuyasha.
The sound of clattering dishes resounded from inside, telling her dinner would soon be on the table, and Kagome knew it would only be a matter of time before Inuyasha would drop a dish or something and wail for help. But for the moment, she was content just to stand and be alone in the silence of the night.
Her mother had listened to and accepted the story easily enough. In fact, she had taken it as easily as a woman hearing about her daughter's day at school, which had almost been disappointing for Kagome. But then, what else could she expect? To Mrs. Higurashi, Kagome's stories were just that: stories...things she would never experience, and so she just couldn't fathom any of it. To her, it was just like reading a novel; thrilling, and almost real, but not quite.
But for Kagome, it would always be real. For the rest of her life, she would remember the feeling that first time when she was pulled down the well, shocked when she didn't hit the ground, but ended up in an entirely different time and place. She would never forget the twinge at her heart when she first saw Inuyasha, pinned against Goshinboku and sleeping peacefully. That twinge, she thought ruefully, had turned into rage and quarrels for a long time, but at the same time she loved him more for it.
She could never forget all the times he had come to her rescue, his hair flying out behind him, his sword brandished, a look of absolute devotion and protection (that he didn't even know was there) on his face as he stepped defensively in front of her.
She couldn't forget the feelings of absolute fear every time she had looked death in the face, and still come out of it all alive. The pain in her heart whenever she saw Kikyou, silent, beautiful, powerful Kikyou, come between her and Inuyasha, always managing to close off a portion of the hanyou's heart and call it her own.
Sango's beautiful smile and her fierce courage as she continued to fight to save her brother Kohaku, only to have him die in the end just as he was free. Miroku's unending smiles even as, every day that Naraku existed, he faced certain and gruesome death at a young age. Shippou's laughter and joy every time he took down the smallest of foes. Kouga's bright, shining blue eyes, so fierce and intense and yet soft at the same time. Her friends, all of them...they had a bond forged through pain, suffering, and joy. No...she could never forget.
And even Sukiono, with his stunning green eyes, would always be a part of her memories of this time and this place. He had caused her to lose her first baby, and she had forgiven him for that. He had attacked her husband, and held her captive, and she had forgiven him for that as well. And now, because of her forgiveness, he had a chance at a new life...
Inuyasha grimaced as he stared at the small boy currently sitting alone on a nearby patch of grass with no where to go and no one to love him. "No, absolutely out of the question."
"Inuyasha..."
"No, Kagome!" His voice was hard and cold, but he couldn't help it. This time, she was just asking too much of him. "I'm sorry, normally I can go along with you, but not this time. This time I can't. Perhaps you have forgiven him, but I have not."
Kagome looked over her shoulder at Sukiono before turning her pleading eyes back to her husband once more, everyone else standing around them, waiting to see what would happen. "Please, Inuyasha, he's not the same person he was even this morning. Now he's just a lost little boy whose last memory was of his mother's dead body. We can't turn him away on his own."
The hanyou clenched his fists, trying desperately to contain his temper, but feeling it slowly slipping out of his control. "What he did, Kagome, to you, to us, to...our baby..." He shook his head. "No, I'm sorry, but no. We cannot take him in with us and raise him as though he were our own. I will not accept that boy as my son."
Kagome looked hurt, and he hated it when she got like that, but this time he was going to remain firm. "I'm not asking you to take him in as your son, Inuyasha," she replied, "Just that we give him a place to stay."
"Don't you get it?" He finally snapped. "I said no! I said I can't do it! I said that for once I need you to be the understanding one, and see things from my point of view!"
"Inuyasha..." Kagome didn't know what to say. She was hurt, to be sure, and disappointed. But, seeing the look on his face, she could see that for once he was not going to budge even one inch. So, lowering her head in defeat, she nodded. "Very well, he won't come and live with us."
Her expression and tone broke his heart, and Inuyasha found himself reaching out to touch his wife's shoulder, desperate to see her looking happier. "Kagome, please don't be mad at me..." But she shrugged out of his touch and looked away, causing him to lower his hand back to his side and sigh, knowing that eventually she would forgive him. After all, she had to realize that every man had his limits, and he had simply reached one of them.
A long silence stretched out in and around the group of friends and companions as they all stared, first at Sukiono, and then at each other. It seemed that no one wanted to take charge of the boy, save for Kagome (and she had been overruled by her other half), but at the same time, no one wanted the guilt trip of leaving him without a place to go and be safe.
"I'll take charge of the boy." Everyone started and turned with shocked expressions toward the owner of the voice.
Kagome blinked in surprise, though she knew her eyes were starting to shine with gratitude. "Kikyou?"
The older miko had her usual expressionless façade in place, though her eyes darted towards the boy to her left several times. Finally, the corners of her mouth curved up into a slight smile. "Perhaps it can be my way of atoning for the things that I did to bring all this about in the first place."
"You've done nothing wrong, Kikyou," Inuyasha interjected, his voice gruff. "You were a victim as much as I."
But Kikyou shook her head. "It is true, Inuyasha, that you were a victim of Naraku's wrath the entire time. Your only crime was ever having loved me." Kagome couldn't help but flinch slightly at the reference, though no one seemed to notice. "But I, on the other hand, can only play the helpless victim card for so long."
"Kikyou..."
She held up her hand for silence, and Inuyasha obeyed. "It may be true, Inuyasha, that I was tricked into betraying you just as much as you were me. It may be true that I was resurrected from my grave against my will. And it may be true that I was hunted by Naraku even after everything that had come to pass, simply because I was the shell of the woman I once was. But beyond that, I created much of my own suffering."
Her smile turned sad, and she glanced at Kagome. "Think of all the times I had ill-will towards you, Kagome. How once I even tried to kill you." She looked back at Inuyasha. "And how often I goaded Naraku into a rage by taunting him for the fact that he was not a full demon." She shook her head. "I was foolish, and stupid. I thought I was immune to his rage because he still carried the heart of Onigumo, who would have never harmed me, however much he hated me for my existence."
Glancing over at Sango and Miroku, she nodded as though agreeing with something in her head. "And I so often disrupted your plans and your quest, because I would taunt Inuyasha and make him feel guilty for loving another. No," She shook her head again, "I am not only a victim. I have much to atone for. And that is why I will take care of Sukiono."
Kagome watched her incarnation carefully, as though she would read her thoughts exactly. "Kikyou, are you sure? I mean, you would be inheriting a boy, along with all the problems of raising him."
"Not to mention the fact that he's been traumatized by the memory of his mother being killed," Sango added, clearly remembering Kohaku, and how he chose to keep the shard in his back, under Naraku's control, for so long, simply because he didn't want to remember what he'd done to his family. She sighed. "That in of itself will be hard enough to deal with."
Kikyou nodded. "All this I know already. Gideon and I have talked about having children of our own someday, so I know he will be a willing parent. He is a good man, and I know he will raise Sukiono as his own son, in time." She cocked her head. "In all honesty, it should be him, since he is really the only one, excluding Nancy, among us who has no ties to Naraku, and no bitterness that extends toward that monster's son."
The point made sense, but clearly everyone was still unsure. Kikyou had, up until only a year earlier, been a walking shell, carrying within her the souls of the dead in order to remain alive. Taking a husband was a big enough step. Could she handle a child, and a grown child at that, so suddenly?
As if sensing their doubt, the miko straightened her shoulders and walked over to where Sukiono was still sitting gazing up at the sky, though in reality he seemed more lost in thought than anything else. He didn't see her approach, thus he jumped slightly when she placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Kagome?" At first, he made the same mistake as everyone else with the two, but then, seeing Kagome behind the strange woman, he shook his head, realizing his mistake, and looked confused. "Who are you?"
Kikyou acquired a soft, almost motherly look as she smiled, her dark eyes kind. "My name is Kikyou." She indicated an empty place beside him. "May I sit with you?"
He looked at where she was pointing for an instant before hesitantly nodding his head. "Sure," he replied, watching her carefully as she elegantly sat down on her knees, her hands in her lap, and together they watched the sky for a moment, listening to the birds, the group behind them holding their breath in anticipation of what was to come next.
Finally, looking at the boy beside her, Kikyou hesitantly put her arm around his shoulders and he, surprisingly, leaned against her for some much-needed comfort in a world where he was so suddenly alone. She reminded him of Kagome, who had been kind, so that meant she couldn't be all bad, right?
"May I talk with you?" Kikyou asked gently, her voice soothing.
"About what?"
"What do you want to talk about?"
Sukiono screwed up his features into a pout, his eyes watering. "I don't know. I don't really want to talk about much of anything right now. All I can think about is my mother."
Kikyou nodded. "Well, that sounds perfect then."
He looked confused. "What does?"
"Your mother. Tell me about your mother."
That was the perfect thing to say, because at the thought of speaking about his mother, who he had adored so much, Sukiono's eyes lit up like jewels, and a smile came to his face as his eyes dried up. "She was very beautiful, with hair kind of like yours, only darker."
Kikyou chuckled. "Darker then mine? Is that possible?"
"Yes," he replied, very serious, so she nodded.
"I see."
"And her eyes were violet. She was always smiling..."
The two conversed easily now, about Sukiono's mother, leaning closer together as time went by, their heads together like two little children discussing some secret they didn't want others to know. And in that moment, everyone heaved a sigh of relief and turned to start walking back towards the village. In that moment, Kikyou made the first step down the road that would, in the end, grant her a son.
A loud crash, followed by a desperate Inuyasha crying out "KAGOME!" caused her to blink out of her thoughts and glance back towards the house with an exasperated sigh. He broke a dish almost every time he tried to help set the table, simply because he wasn't used to handling plates and bowls that were so easily shattered. He usually cooked dinner on a spit and ate it right off the stick...which was just a little too unrefined for her tastes, so that would have to change.
Entering the house once more, she could smell the turkey her mother had fixed for the evening, along with the fresh rolls. Everything she ever cooked was fresh and homemade, so, in the case of food, Kagome was very picky because she had been so spoiled growing up.
"What broke this time?" She asked as she walked into the kitchen, seeing a small bowl in about four pieces on the ground, Inuyasha just above it, his ears drooping.
"I'm sorry, Kagome," he whined, "I didn't mean to. Please don't say the word."
She giggled. "Inuyasha, its fine. Don't you think we're used to this by now?" She indicated the broken bowl. "Mama has bought several extras since you've started helping around the house. So don't worry about it."
"Oh, okay, well, if you say so," he spoke as he took a seat at the table. Souta and Kagome's grandfather were apparently away at some school function that evening, leaving them alone with Mrs. Higurashi, so once dinner was served and they were all sitting at the table, she had no way to avoid the dreaded conversation any longer. And yet it still took a hefty kick in the shin, courtesy of Inuyasha, before she could muster the courage to say anything.
"Mama, um, there's something I need to talk to you about."
Mrs. Higurashi calmly put down her fork, which had just placed some turkey in her mouth, and folded her hands on the table. "Kagome, are you pregnant again?"
"WHAT?!" Both she and Inuyasha exclaimed at the same time, bright red. "NO!"
"Oh, alright then, what is it dear?"
Kagome knew it was a sad day when she wished that she, as an eighteen year old, would rather tell her mother she was pregnant then tell her she wanted to stop going to school. "Well, um, you see, I've been thinking about this for a long time and, well..." Her hand had started shaking, and she noticed that she had the attention now of both Inuyasha and her mother. She laughed nervously. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, um..."
Inuyasha snorted with impatience and slammed his fork down on the table. "Oh for heaven's sake," he snapped. "Kagome wants to stop going to her lessons. There I said it, was that so hard?"
Mrs. Higurashi opened her eyes wide in surprise. "Your lessons? You mean college, Kagome? You want to drop out of college?"
Kagome rubbed the back of her neck nervously. "Dropping out is such a harsh way of putting it, don't you think?" She tried to make light of the situation. "I prefer to say that I want my life to take a different direction."
"I see," her mother nodded slowly, her face going calm. "And what has brought you to this decision?"
"Honestly?" Her mother nodded, and so she plunged ahead, suddenly very passionate. "I'm exhausted, mama! I'm keeping up two lives, one in the Feudal Era, and one here at home. Whenever I'm over in the past for too long, and want to rest by coming here, I can't because there are always piles upon piles of homework for me to do. And whenever I'm here for too long, I can't rest there because there's so much for me to do to help Kaede and the others defend the village against roaming demons. When everyone there rests, I have to come back here to get my life in order, and then when everyone here rests, I have to go back and fix the problems in their time. I want to be able to rest! Is that so hard for everyone to understand?"
She had presented her case like a lawyer, expecting her mother to object, and was surprised when, instead of an argument, all her mother did was sigh, although there was some frustration being expelled in that simple gesture. "I won't say that I'm not disappointed, Kagome," she began. "After all, you made a deal with me. I knew it would be hard for you to maintain your life with Inuyasha if you married him, and that's why I didn't want you marrying so young."
"But mama, it's hard for me even when I'm not married to him. I would have still wanted to be with Inuyasha whenever possible, and I would have missed my friends."
Mrs. Higurashi put up her hand. "Kagome, the time-travel aspect has nothing to do with it. You could have done it; you did it in high school. You maintained your grades, and you, for the most part, enjoyed what you were doing in both worlds. It's the marriage component that I mean, sweetheart. That never changes, whether you live in the past, the present, or in both worlds at once. The reality is that, when you get married, your priorities change. Suddenly you want to start a family, you want to settle down, you don't want to pursue a career for yourself." As Kagome moved to protest, Mrs. Higurashi held up her hand. "And I'm not saying that's wrong, Kagome, that's how it should be when you get married. You should be more devoted to your family then you are to your individual needs. But that means, in the case of a college student, that they are probably not going to make it to graduation, and I knew that would be the case with you the moment you told me you and he were getting married. Do you understand?"
Kagome looked away, blushing; somewhat embarrassed, knowing her mother had summarized the other reasons (the ones she had purposefully failed to mention) for her wanting to drop out of school. It was true, she was exhausted all the time, but beyond that, she did just want to start a family of her own, and be with Inuyasha all the time.
"I understand," she finally spoke, her voice quiet.
Mrs. Higurashi nodded. "Very well; in that case, I want you to know two things: one, I'm not going to stand in your way if what you really want is to leave school. But the other thing is that I am disappointed, because I had dreams of you doing things with your life that I never had the chance to do because, frankly," At this she smiled sarcastically, "I married young."
Kagome bit her lip, and looked away. What could she say to that?
Seeing she was in distress, Inuyasha hesitantly put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, her cheek against his strong chest and his head resting atop her chin in what had become her favorite position. She loved it because she could smell him, the scent of pine trees and fresh air that she adored so much, and that in of itself made her feel better.
Her mother was disappointed, that was true, and she couldn't blame her. After all, she had made a promise, had broken it, and it would be hard for Mrs. Higurashi to accept the fact that her daughter would not be the next nuclear scientist, like all parents dreamed. But at the same time, she could handle the disappointment, because it was so much better then the disownment she had been expecting. Once again, she had been proven wrong when it came to her mother...once again she had underestimated her mother's love for her.
Besides that, she had friends who would be there for her in the next few weeks, when she would have to make up more lies to explain why she was leaving, and when she would say her final goodbye to her old life, the life she had led before falling into the past for the first time. It would be hard, she now realized...it would be very hard.
But, the greatest thing of all, which overshadowed all of that, was the fact that she had Inuyasha, her husband, greatest friend, and staunchest supporter, to help her in whatever endeavor she chose to undertake next, be that motherhood, or undergoing the full training to become a priestess in the Feudal Era. He would love her until the day she died, and knowing that made Kagome content in a way most people could only dream about. So long as he was always at her side, nothing could derail her spirits. What else could one expect from a woman who was absolutely adored by the man she loved?
