"Kagome is that you?" her mother called.
"Yes mama. I'm ready to talk to you now." Kagome replied. "You don't have to stay with me." she whispered.
"I'm staying." He told her. He'd be damned if he was going to spend a minute without her after being apart from her for so long.
"Mama, you've been so understanding. I want to tell you what happened." Kagome said. "A few weeks ago Inuyasha and I became mates. I was going to come tell you as soon as it happened, but we had to go take care of a demon that was stealing children."
"Mates?" her mother asked. Kagome nodded. "Is that like being married?"
"In some ways." Kagome replied. "Inuyasha and I will be only with each other for the rest of our lives, but it is more than that."
"For the rest of your life or his?" her mother asked. "As a hanyou won't he outlive you be many years?"
"That is part of what it mean to become mates. The connection between us, will allow me to live as long as he does." Kagome said. "In becoming mates we became like two bodies sharing one soul. If you could see it, you would know that our auras have become the same. The connection is so strong that if one of us were to die, the other would follow, for no other reason than a broken heart."
"What does all this have to do with you being so upset?" Asami asked, though she already knew the answer.
"It was all a stupid misunderstanding." Kagome replied. "I thought he changed his mind about us and didn't want me anymore."
Asami smiled. "I have something to show you both." she said. Her mother left the room and returned with a very old leather bound book. She laid it on the table before them.
Kagome read the cover out loud. "A Feudal Fairy Tale as told by Miroku." she said.
"What the hell?" Inuyasha asked.
"Inuyasha." Asami scolded, her new son. "Many years ago, before Kagome was born, just after I was married, a man came and gave me this. He said it belonged to me and that it would help me make and important decision one day. I thought it was more than odd and almost threw it away after he groped me, but his words seemed sincere, so I kept the book. I put it away and didn't think about it again until I found out I was pregnant. Early on in the pregnancy I was out on bed rest and decided to read the book. The man had said it was a wonderful story, and it was. Because of it I named my daughter Kagome. Open it."
Kagome opened the book and started to read.
My name is Miroku and I am a Buddhist monk. It is my wish to share this story, in hopes that it might one day help some very dear friends of mine. Though all you will read was not witnessed by me personally, I can guarantee that every word contained within is true. I will attempt to tell you the greatest love story there has ever been and only hope that I can convey to you a measure of its beauty. So I will begin the tale of Inuyasha and Kagome. Two souls that so longed to be together that even time could not keep them apart.
Kagome stopped. "Mama, how?" she asked.
"I don't know." she said softly. "I think you two should read some of this. Of course you can't read it all, since you are still living what is contained in these pages. Kagome this book is the reason that I let you follow Inuyasha to the past and how I have always known that one day you would chose to stay with him. It gave me the time to accept what would happen. Who am I to deny what was so obviously meant to be?"
Kagome returned to the book.
The real story starts many years before I was born, and I depended on Myoga an old flea demon to relate this part of the tale. There lived a great taiyoukai, The Lord of the Western Lands, known as Inu no Tashio. He was a dog demon, with strength and power that was nearly unmatched. He had a son that was nearly as powerful is he, but his mate died. Nearly one hundred years passed, before Inu no Tashio found another. Her name was Izayoi. She was a beautiful woman with a kind heart, but she was a human, and their love for one another was forbidden. Still they could not be without each other, and out of their love came another son Inuyasha.
Sadly while fighting to protect the life of his mate and their hanyou child against the demon Ryuukotsei, Inu no Tashio was mortally wounded, though he did manage to contain his enemy, pinning him with his fang. He lived to name his child and told Izayoi to return to the protection of her own people. Taking with her their infant son she did as he asked. Still the fates were not kind. Izayoi died and a young Inuyasha hardly more than an infant was left to fend for himself.
He was hunted by both humans and demons, who would kill him for no crime other than his birth. Even his mother's family did not accept him. To know how he survived is to know Inuyasha. I doubt my words can truly convey to you the horror of what he faced or what it is within him that kept him alive, though to honor him I will try.
Inuyasha grew up completely alone. When he learned of the Shikon no Tama and its power, he sought to use it to become a full demon. The jewel was guarded by a powerful and beautiful priestess, named Kikyou. The two recognized the loneliness in each other and were drawn together by what they saw of themselves in the other. A measure of love grew between them and Inuyasha, tired of being alone, decided to use the jewel to become human, so he could be with Kikyou, but it was not to be.
The vile, loathsome, thief Onigumo, later know as Naraku, had fallen in love with Kikyou and given his soul to demons, so that he could become one and visit his revenge on Kikyou and Inuyasha for falling in love. He tricked them, turning them against each other. Kikyou ended up dead, the Shikon no Tama burned with her body and Inuyasha ended up pinned to the sacred tree for 50 long years.
500 years in the future a girl was born. She was the reincarnation of Kikyou and possessed unmatched spiritual powers as well as the sacred jewel. She was born with it inside her body. Her name was Kagome. Kagome possessed something even more rare than the jewel or her powers, she carried with her a pure spirit. On the day of her 15th birthday she was pulled into the past through the bone eaters well by a demon known as Mistress Centipede.
Kagome read on. The words retold perfectly what had come to pass, how they all came to travel together, and how slowly all witnessed the change happening between Inuyasha and Kagome. Kagome felt the tears come to her eyes as she read about the times Inuyasha ran off to be with Kikyou.
I often wondered what might have happened if Kikyou had not been resurrected, I suspect both Inuyasha and Kagome did the same. Kagome always amazing, cared only about the happiness of one whose life had known so little joy, and she sat by silent as her heart was broken, to spare Inuyasha more pain. I never could understand how he failed to recognize what was right before him in Kagome.
She wanted to stop reading. It was hard to relive all that had happened, but she continued. Finally she arrived at the battle with NarakuMiroku laid out the events of the final fight with amazing detail.
Sango and I made our way to where Kagome was sitting on the ground. She wasn't aware of it but she radiated such power in her pain. We could feel it. Her sorrow, her fear. It was overwhelming. Sango started to ask the one question whose answer we all feared, but didn't finish, afraid to make it true. Was Inuyasha dead? By all rights the answer should have been yes, but Kagome shook her head.
I have always believed that he stayed alive, held on to this world for her, because she had called out asking him to stay. He had to have felt her need. Inuyasha's wounds are something I will never forget. How Kagome managed to put aside her grief and fear and dressed them, I will never know. I suppose she was able to because he needed her. When we arrived at Kaede's hut, they were both unconscious clinging tightly to each others hand.
Kagome had done the impossible. She had saved him with the power of her love. We always knew Kagome was powerful, but it was limited because she was untrained. Kagome out of sheer desire alone, transferred the very essence of herself, her own life's energy into Inuyasha, giving him the strength to live long enough for his demon blood to heal his wounds. For nearly a week they lay there.
It was then that I first saw the truth. The depth of her love for him could never be explained in something so trivial as words. Her sacrifice touched my heart in a way I never thought possible. We had always known what neither would admit, that they loved each other, but not that they were connected so deeply. I knew in that instant that they would do anything for each other and that as long as they were together anything was possible.
"He was right." Inuyasha said quietly.
"About what?" Kagome asked.
"That day with Naraku, I was ready to die. When you said you needed me, I decided to try harder to live, for you." he told her.No one spoke until the silence became unbearable.
"So mama." she said. "Have you read the whole thing?" Asami nodded. At the same time, both Inuyasha and Kagome flushed. If Miroku was telling the story, what must he have said about the more intimate details of their relationship. "Mama, uh Miroku is a lecher. You can't believe everything he says."
Asami laughed out loud. "I assure Kagome. He was very vague when it came to your private lives, thankfully. The only detail he ever gave was as he said told only as a testament to Inuyasha, though I think he was exaggerating."
"Probably, the damn lecher." Inuyasha grumbled.
"I mean three days is a long time. Is that even possible." Asami laughed. Both Inuyasha and Kagome looked at each other with wide eyes and red faces. Neither could look at her mother.
"I am going to kill that monk." he growled.
"Perhaps I should make some tea." Kagome said. She had to get away from her mothers questioning gaze. She might let Inuyasha follow through on his threat. Her mother had read that, her mother of all people.
Inuyasha felt Asami's eyes on him. He shifted uncomfortably. "Kagome, do you need some help?" he asked in a pleading sort of voice.
"I didn't think..." her mother started. "Why don't I leave you two for a moment?"
Inuyasha relaxed some when Asami left the kitchen. He got up and went over to Kagome. He put his arms around her waist as she lit the stove. "Inuyasha, when we get back you have my permission to give Miroku a good thump, even though I can't let you kill him." she said. "I can't believe he would put that in there. I mean my mother...I can't even think about it."
Inuyasha buried his face in her neck and kissed her softly. "It's all I can think about." he growled.
She put the water on the stove and tried to walk away, but he held onto her tightly. He whined at her attempts to free herself. "You don't even smell like me anymore."
"Later." she whispered and leaned back against him, just enjoying his arms around her.
Asami looked in the kitchen and saw them standing together leaning against the refrigerator. Soon Kagome would seal the well and pictures would be all she would have to hold onto. She grabbed her camera. She was relieved that Inuyasha had his eyes closed. Taking his picture before had caused quite a commotion as the flash temporarily blinded him. She took the picture
Kagome stepped away from Inuyasha. She went to stand by her mother as the picture became clear. As the edges appeared she was afraid that it didn't turn out. None of the kitchen could be seen. It was as if a light had been shining around them. Inuyasha looked completely at peace and Kagome looked perfectly contented.
"You two belong together." her mother said softly. "I would like to ask you both a favor."
"What is it mama?" Kagome asked.
"Would you consider getting married here? Nothing formal, just Souta, your grandfather and I." Asami asked. "I always dreamt of seeing my daughter marry."
"If Kagome wants to." Inuyasha said.
Kagome looked at him with wide eyes. She jumped up and threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you." she said.
He hadn't expected her reaction. "Did you think I wouldn't marry you?" he asked.
"I just...I didn't think you would." she replied.
"It was obviously something you wanted. You could have asked." he told her. Inuyasha walked away from her and went back up to her room.
"Go on." her mother said.
Kagome opened the door to her room. "I'm sorry. I thought you would think it a stupid human thing." she said.
"Did you think what we did was a stupid youkai thing?" he asked.
"No." she replied.
"Oh, but baka InuYasha would." he said.
She sat on the bed beside him. "Please my sweet koinu, don't be upset with me now. I'm sorry. I should have asked you if it was important to me and known that you would care. This is so new, being able to talk to you like this." He put his arm around her. She knew she was wearing him down. "Honestly I hadn't really even thought about it. I've been so worried about what I was going to do. Please koinu."
"All right my koishii. I forgive you." he whispered.
"You called me your koishii." she said.
"You called me your koinu." he replied. "Did you not like that I called you that?"
"I was just surprised. I like it." she told him. "Will you come back downstairs now?"
They stayed with Kagome's family for a few days before going back through the well.
As Inuyasha leapt from the well with Kagome in his arms, he smelt a familiar scent. "That damn wolf is coming." he replied. "Why can't he take a hint and stay away?"
He growled pushing her behind him. He turned to her and was about to say something, but she spoke first. "I will." she said softly.
Kouga came out from among the trees, so Inuyasha didn't have a chance to think about how she could have known what he was telling her before he got a chance to say it. He stopped several feet away from Inuyasha. "Where's Kagome dog shit?" Kouga asked. Inuyasha was growling protectively. "What's your problem? If I didn't know better I'd say your mate is nearby, but that can't be. Who would allow a half breed mutt like you to mark them."
"I would ." Kagome said stepping out from behind Inuyasha, just enough so Kouga could see her.
"Why didn't I smell her?" Kouga asked stepping closer. "She smells just like you mutt face. What did you do to her?"
"He didn't do anything I didn't want him to." Kagome said. She hoped that if she could keep Kouga talking to her that Inuyasha wouldn't kill him.
"You can't be serious." Kouga replied. "You are my woman Kagome. Just because he protects you doesn't mean you have to stay with him. I will protect you." Inuyasha started to move toward Kouga, his growling growing louder. "Quiet, before I teach you some manners."
Kagome put a restraining arm on Inuyasha. She pulled over the collar of her shirt. "Kouga, I was never your woman. Inuyasha is my mate, and I love him." she told him.
In one quick movement Kouga stepped forward and pulled Kagome's shirt to the side ripping to, so that it was falling off of her. Inuyasha leapt at Kouga. Kagome knew that nothing short of a sit would stop him after Kouga had done that, but she didn't want to that to him. He was only protecting her and Kouga had crossed the line.
The wolf and the dog were fighting ferociously. "Damn you mutt face." Kouga yelled.
Kagome was worried that they would kill each other. She screamed. They stopped fighting to look at her. "Stop, both of you. Inuyasha please don't." she said.
Inuyasha walked back over to stand beside Kagome. He pulled her torn shirt back up onto her shoulder. The intimate gesture infuriated Kouga. "If I kill you dog turd she will be free to be mine."
"Kouga do really think that I could be with you if you killed Inuyasha?" Kagome asked. "Maybe you really are the baka wolf that Inuyasha says you are."
Neither Kagome or Inuyasha anticipated Kouga's reaction to her remark. Kouga reached out and slapped Kagome hard across the face. "I guess you are just the mate of a dog turd now." he said.
Tearing her shirt had made Inuyasha angry enough to kill Kouga. When he had hit her, something inside Inuyasha snapped. Even the power of his fathers fang was not enough to hold back his youkai blood. Inuyasha transformed sprang at Kouga, who only barely managed to dodge Inuyasha's claws.
Kouga didn't know what had happened. The mutt had turned into a full youkai, and he knew he was no match. At first Kouga tried to run, and then he tried to attack. Finally he settled for using all his energy to avoid Inuyasha's attacks.
Inuyasha was relentless. He pressed Kouga never slowing never giving him an opening. After a while Kouga fell. Inuyasha tore him into pieces. For once the smell of wolf pleased him. He went to his mate. She had four long scratches down the side of her face. He cleaned them until he could no longer smell wolf on her.
With her shirt torn and having been laying in the snow Kagome was freezing. Inuyasha kissed her and tried to get her to wake. At last she opened her eyes. Her entire body was shaking. He began rubbing her all over to give her warmth. He took her in his arms and started kissing her. His instinct ruling him.
"Inuyasha." she said weekly. "Stop. You have to change back. I am not afraid of you. I love you and I need your help." She lifted a hand and caressed his face. She watched as he battled with himself, as amber tried to fight its was through the red of his eyes. "Please koinu, I am so cold." she whispered weakly. Her eyes fell closed.
"Kagome." he said shaking her gently. "You have to wake up. Come on koishii, you can do it. Wake up for me."
She opened her eyes again and smiled, he had controlled the demon within . "Inuyasha." she said softly.
"Stay awake for me koishii. I will have you next to a warm fire before you know it. Just don't fall asleep." he said.
Inuyasha tore off the remains of her wet shirt and wrapped his haori around her. He raced her to Miroku and Sango's. Talking to her and making her answer, forcing her and begging her not to give up.
He bounded inside the house, causing Sango to cry out. "Miroku take Shippou to your room." he ordered. "Sango please help me."
They all took in the situation quickly. Sango came to Inuyasha's aid. She helped him remove the rest of her wet clothes and brought blankets to wrap her in. He held her close to him. Slowly her body stopped shaking and she opened her eyes..
"Thank you koinu, for loving me." she said softly.
"As if I could do anything else my koishii." he told her
Miroku and Shippou came out of the other room. "What happened?" Miroku asked.
"Kouga came as we exited the well. Kagome told him that she was my mate and tried to show him the mark. He tore her shirt and we started to fight." Inuyasha told them. "She screamed to get us to stop and asked me not to fight him. Kouga threatened to kill me and she said that he was just a baka wolf like I thought. Then he hit her." Inuyasha growled at the thought.
Kagome reached up and touched his face. "It's all right." she said softly.
"Then I transformed. It was different this time. I knew I had changed. I remember killing that filthy wolf, but I still didn't have control over my instincts." he said.
"You transformed even though you had Tetsusiaga and weren't injured?" Sango asked.
Inuyasha nodded. "Also I don't feel bad about how much I enjoyed killing him. Then I went to Kagome. She was soaking wet and shaking." He stopped. How could he tell them that he was going to mate with her right there to warm her until she stopped him?
"He kissed me." Kagome said, "and I woke. I told him that to help me he had to change back. I could feel myself slipping into darkness. Suddenly he was back beside asking me to wake. For him I did."
"I put my haori on her and brought her here." he finished.
"You controlled your demon half with the power of you will alone." Miroku said.
Inuyasha hadn't thought about that yet. He guessed it as true in a way. What had really brought him back was his love for Kagome. "I'm so tired." Kagome said. "Can I sleep now?"
"Inuyasha why don't you and Kagome use my room." Sango said. "Miroku and I will take Shippou when we go into the village to help Kaede."
He nodded and took her into the other room. He touched her face gently and kissed her lightly on the lips. "You can sleep now my koishii." he said softly. Kissing her again. This time she hungrily kissed him back.
Kagome pushed his undershirt off his shoulders. "I would rather feel your warm body against me." she whispered. Inuyasha heard the others leave. He removed his clothes and joined her under the blankets. "Be with me now."
He warmed her heart with his love and her body with his own. It was good to be in each others arms, each seeking assurance from the other that they were both still alive. After Kagome fell asleep in his arms. He let himself sleep with her.
Sometime later Sango and Miroku returned. They had asked Shippou to stay with Kaede, so they could talk. "Sango, what do you make of what happened today?" Miroku asked.
"I would say that both Inuyasha's transformations have to do with his love for Kagome. You should have heard them." Sango sighed. "She calls him her koinu and she is his koishii. I think he was doing more than kissing her in his youkai form."
"Do you mean that he was going to..." Miroku left the rest unsaid.
"Most likely. Did you ever think he would change this much?" Sango asked.
"I don't know, but it is amazing what the love of a woman can do to a man." Miroku said, taking Sango's hand.
"If you two are done talking about me and Kagome now, could you keep it down." Inuyasha said from the doorway. "I don't want you to wake her up."
"Sorry." Sango said.
"Yes, my apologies Inuyasha." Miroku added.
"Oi monk, I almost forgot." Inuyasha said, coming over to him.
"Yes Inuyasha." Miroku asked.
Inuyasha punched Miroku, hard enough to knock him out, but not hard enough to do any lasting damage. Sango knelt beside her unconscious hentai houshi "Inuyasha why did you do that?" she asked. "You're lucky Kagome isn't awake."
"He deserved it. Besides Kagome said I could." Inuyasha smirked. "That lecher of yours is going to tell Kagome's mother that we spent three days mating our first time together."
"Kagome's mother...Three days. Is that possible for a human?" she asked.
Inuyasha realized then what he had done. It was because of him that Sango and Miroku knew. He hadn't thought about how they could of found out. "It is for Kagome." he said proudly.
"How did he tell her mother?" she asked.
"He wrote a book about our quest and about me and Kagome, and it was given to her mother before she was born. I can only assume that it was handed down through the generations to be given to her in the future." Inuyasha said. "Be sure and tell him when he wakes up."
The next day Kagome was feeling much better. At breakfast she saw Miroku's swollen and blackened eye. Inuyasha's smug look was all she needed to see, to know what happened.
"Kagome did you really tell Inuyasha he could hit me?" Miroku asked, sounding a little hurt.
"I sure did." she replied. "He wanted to kill you, but we I convinced him that one good thump would suffice."
"I am going to see my brother." Inuyasha announced abruptly.
"I'm coming with you." Kagome said.
"No you're not." Inuyasha replied. "I am going alone. I will get him to lend me Ah-Un to come back for you. It is too cold for you to have to sleep outside overnight."
"All right." she agreed. He smiled. Maybe she really was going to stop fighting with him all the time. He hoped so. It was nice not to be angry with her.
"And promise me you will stay inside while I am gone." Inuyasha said.
"I promise. Hurry back." she whispered.
"I will." He told her and then he left, out into the snow.
Inuyasha traveled all day and all night. There was no use stopping. He knew he wouldn't be able to fall asleep without her. Early the next afternoon he reached his brothers house. Luck was with him. Sesshomaru was home.
"Where is you miko?" he asked.
"I will get to that, but I must ask you something." Inuyasha replied. He told Sesshomaru what happened with Kouga and Kagome. "Is there anything you can tell me about this?"
"I'm afraid not." Sesshomaru told him. "I don't know what it is to be hanyou. I wouldn't waste too much time worrying about it. You were able to control it and you protected your mate. That is what is important. You will take Ah-Un to bring her here. Humans are so frail and weak." Inuyasha growled. "Calm down. I was not insulting your mate. She is among the best as far as humans go."
Inuyasha backed down and left to get Kagome.
Kagome hadn't slept at all the night before. She missed Inuyasha's arms around her. She felt alone while he was gone. She hoped he would be back soon. As the day drew to a close, she had given up hope that he would be back before the morning. She went and laid down to rest, even though she couldn't sleep.
As she laid there thinking about Inuyasha his familiar shape appeared in the door. She jumped up and ran into his arms. "I missed you. I couldn't sleep at all." she said.
"I didn't even try." he replied. "Rest now. We will leave in the morning."
"Inuyasha, do you think we should take Shippou with us?" she asked. "Rin would probably like having him around, and I feel like we've been neglecting him."
Inuyasha supposed that she was right. He knew the kitsune saw him and Kagome as his surrogate parents. "Fine. The kid can tag along, but he's not sleeping in our room." Inuyasha said.
A/N: Once again thank you to those who reviewed and I hope you continue to enjoy my story.