Author's Notes- LOTS of thought in this chapter, and a heck of a lot from InuYasha at the end. This chapter has a scene that parallels the manga, although not exactly as well.

I got a review asking how Kagura could exist without the Shikon no Tama. I have an explanation regarding that, no fear. However it won't be revealed until the tale of Naraku's defeat is told.

There are a lot of mysteries in this story that won't be fully revealed until the Shikon no Tama is recovered from Kagome's body and the tale of Naraku told. I will explain it all though.

With that, read, enjoy and please take the time to review.

Note- All chapters revised 4/21/06

The Beginning of Tomorrow

Chapter Five

A Second Chance

By Kelly O'Connor

"Ease him very slowly Mama, he's got enough burdens already," Kagome's words echoed in Mama Higurashi's head as she continued to stare outside at the Hanyou lounging in the sturdy branches of the Goshinboku. From what she could tell in the dark, InuYasha looked extremely tense in his position.

Mrs. Higurashi sighed and looked to her daughter. "Kagome," she began, "Come into the kitchen with me, I do want to speak to you about all of this." Kagome nodded in agreement, and followed. "I'd say we have a lot to talk about," she began as she turned the stove on, opening a bag of rice and emptying it into a pot on the stove. "Did you and InuYasha already eat Kagome?" Mrs. Higurashi inquired.

"Well yes, InuYasha ate… quite a bit of Ramen," Kagome mused.

"Well good, he's already accustomed to one modern thing then, prepackaged food." She smiled and began stirring the pot after adding water. "In any case, Kagome, I'll go ahead and make this. Considering the situation, he may be hungry again. Souta, Jiichan and I ate something on the way home." Kagome briefly looked down to her own stomach.

"I know I'm hungry. I let him eat the Ramen I made for myself in addition to his own." Kagome grinned sheepishly. "He really liked it." The older woman laughed lightly.

"That's good," Mrs. Higurashi exhaled and averted her eyes directly to her daughter, "Kagome," she ventured, "First thing is first, what exactly do you plan on doing now that you've discovered you have these Miko abilities?" The dark haired girl's eyes widened a bit.

"I really don't know Mama," she shook her head, "It's not like I know how to use them or what I could use them for." Kagome paused, "In all the legends I read as a child or Jiichan told me, Miko would use their powers to rid the world of evil youkai or heal people… but of course there is nothing for me to do with them now. Let alone anyone to help me learn how to use them."

"But you've already been able to use them for something. I think it isn't by chance that you were the one to be able to unseal that boy," Mama smiled assuredly. "After all, if only one with abilities such as your own could release InuYasha, do you think it could truly be a coincidence that you were born into the shrine he was sealed at?" Kagome looked puzzled.

"Mama, do you know something I don't?" She inquired.

"I don't know much of anything at all, less than you in any case," she shrugged and turned back to stir the pot of heating rice. "I just think that perhaps, you may find that you have a connection to InuYasha that you don't realize yet."

"Mama, you've been talking to Jiichan too much."

"And you just found a Hanyou from Sengoku Jidai pinned to the tree in our front yard Kagome," Mrs. Higurashi paused, "There is such thing as fate Kagome. Perhaps yours is tied to this boy in a way you do not know yet." Kagome flinched a bit and bit her lip, none too excited about having her fate permanently tied to a loud-mouthed teenage boy.

"Mama," she began, "You were so accepting of this situation. I mean I can understand Souta, but you just agreed to it all and were even optimistic about it… just like that. I mean, you know the legend behind InuYasha don't you?" Mama Higurashi nodded.

"Of course I know the legend. I heard it twice just yesterday when Jiichan was passing out those fake Shikon no Tama."

"And you're okay with this?" Kagome gave her a surprised look. Mrs. Higurashi dropped the ladle she was stirring with for a moment.

"I trust you Kagome," she stated simply. "You've never done anything to make me not trust you. I know that I can trust this boy because you do." Kagome nodded in resignation.

"…InuYasha didn't kill Kikyou," she stated after a moment of silence, "When I unsealed him, he thought I was Kikyou for some reason when he first saw me." Mama's brows rose slightly and Kagome continued. "But when I told him that Kikyou was dead and he had killed her, he gave me the most stunned look. His eyes were full of hurt, like someone had just shot him through the heart with an arrow all over again." Kagome paused, "And I realized… that those eyes weren't of someone who had betrayed, but of someone who had been betrayed themselves."

Mama Higurashi continued stirring the rice and motioned Kagome to continue. "He was looking away from me at the city. Obviously he had no idea what was going on, and when I looked at him I realized that I wanted to help him… because he looked so lonely. The legend made him out as some kind of monster Mama, but from what little time I've spent with him I know… he's hardly that. He's just a boy, a lost, confused, and lonely boy." Kagome exhaled and closed her eyes for a moment. "Albeit, still obnoxious."

"Then perhaps you're just the person he needs to get through this Kagome," her Mother put in, "Perhaps you, Kagome were given those powers so you could give this boy a second chance at life."

"After five hundred years?" Kagome questioned. Mrs. Higurashi laughed.

"No one ever said life made sense dear," Mama replied. Kagome nodded and glanced out the window.

"What is he supposed to do Mama?" The schoolgirl ventured, "It's not like there's any way for him to live a normal life."

"We'll give him all we have to give him. We can give him all a person really truly needs to get through life happily," the older woman continued wisely, "A home, a family, people who care about you… we can give InuYasha all of those things Kagome." She paused. "He may seem standoffish, but like you said… he's lonely. We'll make him happy Kagome; we'll give him what really matters in life." Kagome beamed brightly at her mother.

"Thank you Mama," she replied and walked over to wrap her mother in a hug. Mrs. Higurashi smiled gently and returned it with a motherly embrace. Mama pulled away after a moment and gasped, quickly grabbing a few bowls and a set of chopsticks down from the counter.

"I made rice because I know that's something he'd be familiar with," she paused, "I'm very sorry about earlier. I got excited, and well… seeing Souta so happy with InuYasha." Mrs. Higurashi's mouth quirked in an amused smile, "He always has wanted a big brother, hasn't he?"

"Yes, Souta has," Kagome replied. "I think InuYasha will be fine given time, but for now… I'm going to try not to force much new on him."

"Good idea," Mama handed Kagome two bowls of rice and two sets of chopsticks. "But in the meantime, it's getting very dark out. Why don't you go get that boy out of his tree and bring him inside for the night? He can't very well be sleeping out there." Kagome nodded, took the two bowls of rice in her hands, and made her way out to the Goshinboku.

"Hey you!" Kagome called up into the tree once she was outside. InuYasha looked down from his perch, giving her a slightly irritated glare.

"What's with the food?" The Hanyou asked annoyed.

"My mother made it for us, come down and eat with me," Kagome invited. InuYasha's eyes widened in surprise. "Unless you're still full from the Ramen that is." InuYasha "Keh-ed" lightly and deftly leapt from the tree landing next to Kagome. He immediately began scooting away a bit.

"What's up with you?" Kagome raised her eyebrows at him, "You were acting more hospitable earlier."

"Bah- it doesn't matter," InuYasha grabbed the bowl of rice and chopsticks and began eating.

"Sorry about earlier, my Mother tends to get excited about things," Kagome paused, "I don't think she realized you were overwhelmed."

"Hmph, who said I was overwhelmed? I was just getting annoyed with your family." Kagome gave him an aggravated glare.

"You were overwhelmed, and don't brush this off on my family annoying you," she replied sternly, "My mother, family, and I are going to do everything in our power to make you happy InuYasha. So why don't you try to be a little more friendly, okay?"

"Keh, why should I?"

"Because we're all you have, and we want to help you," she paused, "I told you this before."

"Your grandfather hates me," InuYasha argued. Kagome shrugged.

"He'll get over it InuYasha, he's just… like that with a lot of stuff." The schoolgirl took a few bites of rice. "You'll need to come in for the night InuYasha. Mama will let you sleep on the pillows, and soon… I'm sure we'll even get you your own room to sleep in."

"Pillows?" InuYasha questioned, unfamiliar with that particular piece of furniture.

"The soft thing you sat on when I introduced you to my family... err zabuton," she clarified. InuYasha scowled.

"Keh, I'll sleep in the tree." Kagome gave him an odd look.

"You can't be sleeping outside, we've got a warm place for you to sleep inside," she argued.

"I like sleeping outside okay? I've done it most of my life!" He snapped in return. Kagome closed her eyes for a moment, ease him into it… Don't rush anything.

"Okay, I understand. I'm sure you need some time on your own anyway," she said in resignation. "Just… I've got to come get you before people start visiting the shrine in the morning, and you can't argue with me about that."

"What are you going to hide me for the rest of my life?" InuYasha asked in anger. Kagome was surprised, he had seemed irritated before, but now he was acting downright spiteful. What exactly was he thinking about when I was inside?

"It's not that! I just want you to get a bit more used to this era InuYasha," Kagome replied unfazed. "Eventually I want you to be able to feel comfortable here, but for now… just please listen to me, there's nothing else for you to do in this situation." InuYasha didn't reply. "I think Mama has already decided you're a part of our family InuYasha. We'll be here when you need us, so please take our feelings and needs into consideration as well." Kagome picked up her empty bowl as well as InuYasha's and yawned. "Just some food for thought, now I'm heading to bed." In actuality I need to do my homework first, but I think I've given him enough mental overload without explaining my schooling. Kagome thought to herself as she walked inside, leaving a pondering Hanyou.

With a sigh, InuYasha quickly leapt back to his makeshift perch in Goshinboku. He leaned his head against the trunk of the tree and closed his eyes, trying to make sense of the whirlwind of thoughts that ran through his head. He'd been exceptionally rude to Kagome a moment ago and he knew why. When I was with her earlier, I let my guard down. I don't care what she says; I have to distance myself from her. She'll just end up getting hurt otherwise. Keh, not that I care but, everyone involved with me gets hurt. I guess that's just the way it is with me. InuYasha looked up to the stars above him, noting how few of them there were compared to back before he was sealed. He wondered where they'd all gone. He'd have to ask Kagome. No, no, it's better for me to be… alone. He exhaled deeply, "Hmph, I'm fine by myself anyway!" He said aloud, but unconvincingly, his voice echoing in his ears.

The Hanyou reflected back on his encounter with Kagome's family earlier. He'd actually felt rather comfortable at times, although he was undeniably nervous. That stupid old man was glaring at me the whole time, but her mother… He sighed to himself, his mind recalling who he couldn't help but notice that woman reminded him of. Mother… The white haired boy closed his eyes as his mind conjured a hazy vision of the human woman who had raised him, Mother was the only person who accepted me completely, but she left me too.

He frowne. Damn, who cares about Kagome's family! After I get used to this stupid world more, I'll leave and find somewhere else to go. He shook his head, But where? It doesn't matter… I have time to figure something out. I can't stay forever. Last time I got close to a Miko… he cut off his thoughts as his mind flashed back to the moment Kikyou had pierced him with that arrow.

Why? He thought to himself bitterly. I made her a promise, and she… betrayed me. Didn't she trust me? Did I trust her? Kagome said that I killed Kikyou, and she mentioned a legend. Is what happened with Kikyou and I a legend? If what I did was supposedly so horrible, why am I here now? Why was she able to revive me? One moment I'm being pierced through the heart with an arrow and the next moment I wake up here. He sighed deeply. Like the blink of an eye, supposedly five hundred years in a blink of an eye. The Hanyou shifted his position and winced a bit, ears twitching. Kagome was right about one thing, sleeping outside would not be pleasant. This time was loud, the strange sounds of large objects moving below the shrine was incredibly frustrating. Not like I'd be able to sleep anyway.

He closed his eyes and resigned himself to just resting, but as he did so a thought tickled at the back of his mind. His mother had once told him that someday he'd find someone or some people that would accept him completely as he was, just like she had. He thought he'd found that with Kikyou, but apparently it was all a façade. She didn't care after all. He flinched inwardly, I always thought that Mother said that just to make me feel better, but when Kikyou came along, I thought maybe she was right. And now…could this be my second chance? InuYasha crossed his arms, Keh, that's a stupid thought, and with that he closed his eyes and attempted to sleep for the night.