Author's Note: Phew! Aren't you all glad I didn't take forever to update again? Sorry that I hadn't on the weekend though. My friend spent the night friday night and we hung out at the mall and other placed on saturday. On sunday I was at a play for our schoo. I was the staff member, or usher, whatever, and so I helped seat people in before it started.
Anyways, yeah. That was my weekend for anyone who cared. Please read and review! Enjoy!
Miru Amai: Yes yes. Must have some drama if not any. Thanksies!....wait, what? Thanksies.... (shrugs) oh what the hell, I like it! lol. Yeah same here. No one touches my chitlins!!! Thanks for your review!
otome-noaidani-zetsubo: Well thank you very much for your compliments! And you even made comic books? Cool! And yes. I'll send the lemon chapter for you after I post this chapter up. I didn't delete it cause I know people who read that story like three months later are gonna be like, "Lemon chapter puh leez!!" So then I'll be like, "Ok, there you are hon!" And then the world is good again! Yes, Kagome has the same lifespan as Inuaysha, but she is not a half demon like he is. I dunno, but that's how it was in other fics I've read and I'm like...ok then. And we all love a little randomness once in a while! lol, thanks for your review!
sweet-girl8270: Oh yeah, gotta go witht he spider demons! lol, they're a classic! Thanks for your review!
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha
Chapter Eight: Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow
The next morning, everyone was up and planning.. well not everyone, mostly the adults were. The children were in the other room, still sleeping. However, Asoka and Taikan woke up a few minutes ago and were about to go to their parents, but didn't since they heard that the adults were discussing something. So they decided to listen from the other room.
Miroku sat down in front of the fire, with his wife, Kaede, Kagome, and Inuyasha sitting around it as well.
Inuyasha and Kaede, since she had knowledge of them also, had told Miroku and Sango about the orbs of Higan. Miroku seemed to have heard of them because the look of realization dawned upon his face.
"I've heard of them before. When I was younger, my guardian at the time, Mushin, told me of powerful spheres, but I had thought it to be only a myth and nothing more. Seems he was right after all if Kikyo and you, and Kaede, had known about them." He said with a hand under his chin in thought.
Kaede looked at the monk, "That's right. My sister and I have been told by our elders of the orbs, but never spoke of them to none of ye for the reason that we did not consider we would need to require them at all."
Inuyasha nodded, "Yeah but now we do require them. One hundred years have passed since they were last used to make one wish for the tiger demon tribe, so their powers are restored now. All we have to do is find them in the south and make a wish..." He sighed," Then, they'll be useless for another hundred years." The hanyou muttered the last part.
"I see." Sango indicated softly.
Kagome nodded in agreement with her, "So uh, Inuyasha, are we traveling there soon?" She asked.
Inuyasha looked at her, "Yes, today."
Asoka jumped and was about to say something but Taikan clamped a hand over his mouth and shushed him.
"T-Today?" Kagome exclaimed, "But what about the kids?"
"No need to worry child, Sango and I shall take care of the young ones." Kaede stated with much kindness.
Kagome's face softened, "Thank you Lady Kaede. I really appreciate that." The old priestess nodded, "Ye are welcome." She responded kindly and stood up, "I'll return shortly." She said and left out of the hut.
Miroku took charge and got the group's attention once more, "Alright, now that we, or more I, know where the orbs are located, I suppose we could leave as soon as possible. However, we must not take matters lightly. There is a great possibility that we may run into that demon that Inuyasha has encountered only once before."
Inuyasha trembled on the inside. He remembered the feeling he got that chilled down his spine just before that demon left him and Rikku alone by the stream. It was full of hate and death. "Yeah, let's start getting things together." He said and the girls stood up.
Sango and Kagome went to make breakfast for everyone. Inuyasha and Miroku just continued to sit where they were and discuss battle moves, what they should bring on the trip, and things like that.
Taikan had finally retrieved his hand from Asoka's mouth. "You hear that Taikan? They're leaving, today!" He exclaimed.
"I know!" He whispered loudly, "Come on, we're gonna ask if we can go with them, we're gonna try to help them fight remember?" He said and dragged Asoka out of the room when the other boy was about to protest about something else.
Inuyasha and Miroku stopped talking when they saw their sons enter the room.
Inuyasha closed his eyes, "So, did you guys get enough info on what we're doing?"
Miroku smirked, "Yes, and did you both really want to come with us so badly?"
The boys froze. After a few moments, Taikan was the first to recover, "Y-You knew we were awake and listening the whole time?" He asked in bewilderment.
"Well yeah, these ears aren't just for framing my head ya know." Inuyasha mumbled.
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"Kagome." Sango said quietly. Kagome looked up from cutting the vegetables. "Yes Sango, what is it?"
Sango sighed and looked at the miko beside her, "Kagome, I know that I won't be able to accompany you and the others to the south, but I really want to. I want to be with Miroku." She whispered and blushed in spite of herself.
"Sango," Kagome smiled and placed a hand on her best friend's shoulder, "He would want you to come and be with you too, but in your condition right now, I don't think he'd want to take the risk of you getting hurt at all out there."
Sango nodded and closed her eyes, "I know, it's just, I'll be worried sick all the time when you all are gone." She looked at Kagome again.
"Don't worry about it Sango, we'll stick together and be alert at all times. You don't have to worry about us. I wouldn't want you to." She said and they both hugged.
"Alright Kagome, thank you. Now let's get this food ready before the boys attack us for it." She giggled and soon Kagome followed after.
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"Yes!" Taikan exclaimed and punched the air with his two fists in triumph, "Yeah! We get to go!" He high-fived Asoka.
"Now hold on Taikan." Inuyasha spoke up, "We just agreed you could go, but I don't know how your mothers would feel if you came with us."
The boys' cheering suddenly faded and they both looked slightly depressed.
Miroku looked at them, "You know, we shouldn't be letting you come with us at all. But we are considering it since you are both almost teenagers now and have good fighting experience. There may be a chance that we will need your help in a battle."
"That's right." Inuyasha said. "Don't think this is some kind of vacation or anything, we're really gonna need your help if worse comes to worse."
Taikan and Asoka immediately stood up straight and puffed out their chests in attempts to seem tougher, "Don't worry Father; we'll help you no matter what. And we won't mess around." Taikan promised and Asoka nodded enthusiastically in hopes to cinvince them more.
"Breakfast is ready!" The girls called from the kitchen area.
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"Absolutely not!" The girls said in unison once they knew what the boys were getting at before they even asked if they could come along.
"But Mom!" Asoka and Taikan said at once, by this time all the kids were awake and watching the conversation in interest as they ate their breakfast.
"Miroku what were you thinking? He's just a boy!" She shouted at him.
"Sango, you haven't let them finish. We would not just bring them into danger as you'd think. They could really be of assistance us out. They already know the basics of combat and they are nearly teenagers." Miroku said to her in a mysteriously convincing voice.
"I suppose." Kagome mumbled, then spoke louder, "Well, Taikan is a hanyou, I'm sure he'd be able to go." Kagome considered.
Sango sighed and kneeled down in front of her Asoka. She suddenly felt the feelings she had years ago when she was trying to protect Kohaku from Naraku's control. She guessed now that this is why she felt so over protective of Asoka at the moment, "Asoka, are you sure you want to do this? I'm sure there'll be at least a couple of demons to fight on the way there and back. Are you up to that?" She asked him softly.
He nodded seriously, "Mother, I'm positive. I remembered everything you taught me about fighting and I practiced everyday, and also from you, Father." He said and glanced at the monk's smiling face. He looked back at his mother "So, I am up to it. And if it means helping you, I'll do anything." He finally said to her and lowered his head. Of course he'd do anything for his mother. He loved her very much, and because she was in a fragile condition right now, he with Miroku's help protected her often during the past few months.
Sango smiled and had tears in her eyes, "Then you can go." She immediately hugged him to her tightly, "Just promise me you'll be safe." She whispered.
"I promise." He whispered back.
"And you can too, Taikan." Kagome said and hugged him around the shoulders from behind. He looked up at her, "Thank you Mother." He said politely.
By the time everyone had gone just outside the hut to say goodbye, the kids started crying and hugged their parents and older brothers.
"We'll be back soon, we promise." Inuyahsa said and knelt down to kiss his daughters' foreheads and gave them hugs, as did Kagome.
"But Daddy! Who will yell at us in the morning for not taking a bath?!" Rikku cried.
"And whose gonna tell us bedtime stories about how you won Mom over the wimpy wolf?!" Cried Sanae.
"And whose gonna tell us that we're too young to know anything at all?!" Cried Kaden.
Kagome and Inuyasha sweatdropped. She interjected, "Girls, girls! We'll only be gone for a little while; also Sango, Shippo, and Kaede are going to take care of you. So don't worry." Kagome said and hugged them as Inuyasha looked so heartbroken at leaving his daughters behind like this.
Miroku's children weren't holding up so well either.
Teishin was just crying against Sango while Keiko was just having a crying fit, "D-Daddy, I don't want you to go! Who's gonna make Mommy mad when you're gone?!" She cried and hugged Miroku tight around his middle. He hugged her back just as tightly and sweatdropped at her last comment, "I'm sorry Keiko, but as Lady Kagome says, we'll be back soon." He pulled back and kissed her forehead, "So please don't cry... And don't worry, I'll be back to make Mommy mad some more." He grinned stupidly.
Keiko calmed down to sniffles and nodded, "O-Ok."
Inuyasha and Kagome hugged their girls again as Sango and Kaede watched from a few feet away and smiling sadly.
"Be good for Kaede and Sango, ok?" The hanyou said softly. The girls nodded and made faint sniffles. Teishin hugged Miroku, "Goodbye Father."
Sango sighed and looked down. She was upset that she couldn't go. But Miroku had told her before that he wouldn't want her to since all the traveling could risk her health and Sango didn't want to seem like she didn't care at all about her baby. Of course she did, but all she wanted now was to be with the man she loved.
She turned around to go inside, but someone stopped her. Miroku hugged Sango from behind, his arms around her shoulders and waist, "Sango, I'm sorry, but I wouldn't be able to bear it if anything awful happened to you. Please understand."
Sango hugged his arms, "I know, and it's alright now. I understand. I just want to be with you is all."
"We will be when I return, so don't worry." He turned her around and kissed her.
"Ew!! Mom, Dad stop!" Keiko and Teishin exclaimed and made disgusting faces. Miroku and Sango just kept going though... for an unbelievable long time.
And so, after all the gloomy goodbyes were said and done, Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku, Asoka, and Taikan all hit the road and on their journey toward the south.