Hello!
I had a bit of dilemna when posting this chapter. Allow me to explain...

The main reason was choosing a name for the child! Yes the time for the birth has come! O.. P
So, I've decided it would be a girl (seeing as I want a girl of my own, one day D). I got a few suggestions
from you guys, but decided on these as my top 5.

Rae
Tanpopo
Kisa
Megumi
Narue

I really liked these particular names.

Rae - You might recognize this from Sailor Moon.. I was obsessed with SM for a while, and I while I really liked the character Usagi, I didnt think the name fit this. So I picked Rae).
Tanpopo - From a manga I read titled Imadoki, Nowadays. Tanpopo means dandelion. The character in the manga was quite cute I i think since I loved the character so much I had to pick the name as a top one.
Kisa - This name comes from a character from Fruits Basket. Though I've only seen one episode with her, I really liked the character. She was silent because of being teased so much at school (or something along those lines) and then Tohru manages to warm up to the girl and get her to talk.
Megumi - This name is just a random name I found whilst looking through the manga preview books I got from Free Comic Day, down at a comic store in downtown Toronto. It was actually in an ad for a manga I havent read and cant remember the name of.. I loved the name the moment i saw it..
Narue - I found the same way.. though it is also the name of one of the main characters in Love Hina.

Sorry I'm going on and on. I should just stop and let you read. Just thought u'd like to know the process of selection and the history behind the names. Read on and you'll find which one I actually chose.

Enjoy!

Chapter 12 - Birth of the Chosen One

It had been nearly eight months since Kagome had learned of the next step in the prophecy. She had discussed it with her friends and they decided that they'd just have to wait. The scroll had refused to reveal anything else, so she'd given up for now.

Kagome had gone back to school, but after about a week she'd quit.

She just couldn't take it.

And it wasn't as though education would be able to help her anymore. She'd argued with her mother and said that there'd be no point in continuing.

It wasn't like algebra would help her defeat Naraku.

Or that biology might help her find a way to get back to Inuyasha.

Ha! She'd thought. She'd almost felt like laughing in her mother's face. But she'd figured it was just those raging hormones. They made her do such strange things.

Meanwhile, Kagome's grandfather had come home from the hospital, cured of whatever he had been suffering from.

He wasn't to pleased when he found out that a monk with a wind tunnel in his hand had been sleeping in his room. Kagome had moved Miroku up to the attic.

And he really hadn't taken too well to either Kirara or Shippo. At least not after finding out they were youkai. Then he'd thrown magic scrolls at them trying to rid them of evil spirits. Eventually Kagome had gotten very tired of him and threatened send an arrow of purification at him if he didn't shut up. Another random act of anger.

Those hormones were really getting to her.

About two months after Kagome quit school, which would have been mid March, Miroku had finally proposed to Sango. She'd blushingly accepted and the two were now officially together. But Sango tried not to talk about it too much in front of Kagome. She knew how much her friend was suffering.

For the next couple of months, Kagome helped out around the shrine, looking after the garden and the different buildings. She seemed content enough. She always put on a happy face when talking with any of her friends.

But deep down inside, she was dying. Her heart was broken. Each morning, before anyone awoke, she crept out to the well and jumped in it, hoping that somehow it had been unsealed. But it was always the same. She couldn't get through.

In August, Kagome's mother had forced her to go to the doctor. She'd insisted that she get an ultrasound, but that's where Kagome had drawn the line.

"I'll go," She'd told her mother, "But I do not want an ultrasound." She'd had a lot of time to think about it, and guessed that the child would have ears, just as it's father did. She was already dreading the birth.

What would the doctor say? She knew that the longer she could put it off, the better. So she'd had a standard check up. He'd informed her that the baby would be born sometime in late September.

Overall the summer had been pretty good. She'd had lots of visits from Yuka, and only one from Eri and Ayumi. Luckily, her mother had answered the door and told them she was sick again. They'd left, and hadn't come back again. Kagome had guessed they'd gotten the idea that she didn't really want to speak to them… Even if it seemed a little harsh. She'd talk to them… In time…

It was the second weekend of September, and a very nice day, so Sango decided that she and Kagome should eat outside for dinner. They packed a picnic and sat under the Sacred Tree.

"Beautiful day, isn't it?" Asked Sango, munching on a dumpling.

Kagome nodded and said, "We should eat outside more often, while it's still warm out." She yawned and stretched out her arms. "I'm so tired." She said, yawning again.

"Well, I'm not surprised, look at you." Sango laughed, pointing at her stomach. Kagome grinned and took a sip of her soda, when she heard someone call her name.

"Higurashi!" Called Hojo, waving.

Kagome moaned and looked down.

"Kagome, who's that?" Asked Sango, looking at the boy as he walked over.

"Guy from school…" She mumbled. Sango nodded in understanding, Kagome had explained to her about school.

Kagome put her hands over her stomach, in a poor attempt to cover it, and looked up, faking a smile.

"Konbanwa, Hojo-kun." She greeted.

"Hello." He said looking at Sango.

"Hi." She replied, quietly.

"This is my friend… Sango-chan. She's been staying with us… She's an…uh…exchange student from… Beijing."

Phew… That was close. Luckily, a few weeks before, they had gone shopping to get some new clothes for Sango and Miroku.

"I thought I'd come by to see how you are. You missed last year's exams, and when you didn't show up this year, I thought something was wrong. How've you been?"

"Uh, well…I'm…fine…" She trailed off, noticing his very surprised look. She tried to avoid his gaze by picking up her chopsticks and looking at her food, with sudden interest.

"What happened?" He asked, stunned.

"Oh… Uh…W-well… Yeah…Uh I'm, uh, pregnant." She smiled nervously and bit her lip, awaiting his comment.

"I never… I never would've expected…" He began. "Who… Who is the father?"

Kagome stared at him a moment, unable to answer. She sighed and leaned back, staring at the branches of the sacred tree.

"Hojo-kun…" She said. "It doesn't matter…"

He stared at her, confused.

"Well… I hope you are… well…" He stood, feeling awkward and unwanted.

Kagome was about to say something when she suddenly dropped her chopsticks and held her stomach. She felt a pain in her stomach.

"S-Sango-chan…" She stuttered. "Get… Ow! Get my mother… We need to g-go to the hospital."

Sango hopped up and dashed into the house.

"Higurashi…" Hojo said, bending down. "Can I do something to help you?"

She shook her head, her faced screwed up with the pain. Sango came running back outside with Miroku.

"Kagome-sama!" Shouted Miroku. He knelt down, pushing Hojo aside. "You need to stand up. Your mother's waiting in the… uh… the c-car…" Miroku and Sango had both been in the car before, but it was still a very new concept of travel to them.

Sango held out her hand and helped Kagome up. Together, the three walked to the front yard, leaving Hojo to stare in disbelief.

They drove to the hospital and Kagome was admitted very quickly. The doctor had been in to check on her and told her that everything was going fine and it would be a while longer.Sango and Miroku had to sit outside in the waiting room. Souta and Shippo had arrived shortly after, with her grandfather, who seemed to be getting along with Shippo a whole lot better lately.

She laid in the bed and looked over at her mother. Who was resting, her eyes closed.

"Mama…?" She asked.

Her mother jumped up, alert as ever and then noticed Kagome lying on the bed. She began to chuckle quietly and said, "Sorry… You woke me. Did you need something?"

Her eyes filled with tears as her mother held her hand, and tried to soothe her.

"I-I want Inuyasha…" She cried.

"It's ok… I'm sure you'll see…" But she stopped talking, for she couldn't find the words. She too had her doubts that they would ever see him again.

Kagome began to cry harder as the doctor walked back in the room. Her mother took a tissue from the table and dried her eyes.

"Ok, Higurashi-san," He said, checking monitors around her bed and writing things down on a clipboard. "I think you're ready."

Kagome didn't really remember much of the next few minutes. All she could remember was pain. Pain beyond imagination. And then silence. She heard crying and the doctor and a nurse whispering in hushed tones. They were motioning toward the baby.

"Uh…Date of birth Saturday, September 15, 2001." The doctor started, walking toward Kagome listing off more information to the nurse, who was scribbling it down on a sheet of paper.

"Well… It's a girl. But…" He said, handing the bundle of blankets toward her. "Well… You'll see."

Her mother helped her to sit up so she could look at the baby. She pulled back the pink blanket and saw the most beautiful and pure face. Then she noticed what the doctor was talking about.

On the top of the little girl's head were two fuzzy black ears. It had amber eyes, just like Inuyasha, and thick black hair… Well thick, for a new born.

But what a normal person would call flaws or imperfections, she saw as beautiful. It was her baby. No, their baby. Nothing could stop her from reaching Inuyasha now. Nothing could! She saw hope when she looked at the face of her sleeping child. She suddenly had more courage and hope than ever before. Anything was possible.

She smiled joyfully, as tears of happiness fell down her face.

"What will you name her?" Asked her mother quietly, a big smile on her face.

Kagome looked at the child's sleeping face and whispered, "Megumi."

------

Several weeks passed since Megumi had been born. They'd left the hospital, a day later. The doctor had continually asked if she'd like him to remove the ears and she'd continually declined. She'd also noticed the disapproving stares from nurses and other patients. They all thought she was the typical teenage mother. As soon as the boyfriend found out she was pregnant, he took off…

'But it not like that!' She wanted to scream. 'You don't understand!' But she didn't. She kept quiet and tried to avoid their gazes. It was hard enough with him not being here. She didn't need this.

She was happy to be back home. At least here she had trustworthy friends and family who understood her.

Her mother helped her with the baby, taking care of her when Kagome needed to get out. But it wasn't a hard task. Overall, Megumi was a very well behaved baby. She was quiet and liked to play. The only problem they'd noticed was that she'd grown claws very quickly. They had to be careful when playing with her, because like her father, Megumi's claws were very sharp. Very soon after, her hair had grown to about shoulder length. It was very thick and black as night. It wasn't hard to see her resemblance to her parents.

One day Kagome was sitting on the couch with Sango and Miroku, holding the baby, while watching Souta and Shippo play Nintendo.

Megumi was happily playing with Kagome's finger. She was squeezing it and pulling on it, very fascinated.

"Kagome-sama?" Asked Miroku, who was sitting contently beside her, with Sango resting her head on his shoulder.

"Mhm?" She answered, her eyes fixed on Megumi.

"I, uh, don't want to interrupt…or anything… But perhaps you should take a look at the prophecy?" He suggested, innocently.

Kagome froze, as she remembered the prophecy.

I completely forgot! She thought. She stood up quickly and shifted her arms, getting a better hold on Megumi, who had closed her eyes and was going to sleep.

"Yeah… I should go get it… It'll be able to tell me the next step now!" She said excitedly. She walked up the stairs, slowly, so as not to wake the baby. But as soon as she was in her room, she laid the sleeping Megumi in the crib and rushed to her desk.

She picked up the piece of parchment, which she had discarded there months earlier. She sat down at her desk and studied the paper.

What do I have to do again? She wondered. Oh yeah! I have to ask.

She felt sort of silly asking a piece of paper something, but then she remembered that it wasn't just a piece of paper, there was the spirit of a priestess within it.

"Well…uh… Show me the next step?" She asked eagerly.

Words appeared on the page as before. They read,

Though still badly wounded, the hanyou will assemble forces of the most unlikely individuals. Together, they will set aside their differences in order to crusade against the dark one. Though this attempt, in theory, will seem adequate, it will fail miserably. For without the chosen one, the dark one will never be overthrown.

"Stupid paper!" Kagome muttered, throwing it onto her desk. "What can I do here? I cant even get through the stupid well! How is Megumi supposed to do it?" And then Kagome realized something. "If Megumi is the 'chosen one' and she is the only one who will be able to overthrow Naraku… We'll have to wait years until she can help! She'll need to be older! And who knows what'll have happened by then!"

Kagome looked at the paper as tears of frustration watered her eyes. And even when Megumi is older, Kagome thought, how will she be able to get through the well to help?

Kagome stood up and walked to her bed. She collapsed onto it and closed her eyes.

I'll never get to see Inuyasha again…

It seemed all the energy had drained from her as she drifted into sleep.

But when Kagome had cast aside the paper, she didn't realize that it hadn't finished the step yet. As she laid on her bed the scroll revealed one more thing.

Six years it will take. Six years of hardship and endless battles for the hanyou.

But he will live.

And through a miracle of the jewel, father and daughter will be reunited.

Hoped ya enjoyed it!
And see. I told you everything would be ok!
Ijust cant stand the thought of an unhappy ending. I'm such a sappy person D

-Kellai-chan-