Summary:
Inuyasha thought he could be with both, but he soon learned that separation only goes so far before decisions are made about what true love is and finally finding happy endings with a little help from the Shikon Jewel.
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NO DAYTIME TELEVISION!
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Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but I do own all the twists to this story and any other random comments that I choose to throw in.
Two to Love
Ch. 6
A Long Road Ahead
"I'm sorry dears, but Kagome has left early this morning." Mrs. Higurashi looked sadly at the young couple that stood before her. "She left a note saying not to worry and that she would return soon."
"Can they stay Mom, please?" Souta pleaded with his puppy eyes as he tugged gently on his mother's sleeve. She looked at her son and sighed, giving in, "I suppose they could, but it really is up to them."
"We can stay for the afternoon, but not for the night." Sango spoke softly as she glanced sympathetically at Kagome's brother. 'He appears to be so similar to Kohaku, and yet...so different.'
"Be these whiper-snappers demons?" Kagome's grandfather swung his cane dangerously in Miroku's direction.
Miroku raised his hand in authority to silence the older man, "There is no reason to fear, Sir. I could even provide you with the proper demon wards for your shrine if you would like it."
"Demon wards eh... Yes I do believe I have some of the like kin. Come along monk, I'll give you a tour of this old shrine while you can show me some of those demon wards you have there. Now hurry up; I'm not getting any younger waiting."
As the two walked away, Mrs. Higurashi turned to Sango with a polite smile gracing her features, "Its Sango right?"
Sango stared into Mrs. Higurashi's crystal orbs momentarily before she adverted her gaze elsewhere to give her a composed nod. "You must be frightfully hungry. The last time we had a guest from the feudal era come from the well, he wolfed down every bowl of ramen in the entire house!"
"That's definitely Inuyasha." A faint smile appeared at her lips as Sango followed the older woman into the house. "So that's his name is it... and to think that I finally get Kagome off of her oden infatuation and this...what was his name again dear?"
"Inuyasha..." offered Sango as her brilliant grin returned to its proper place. Kagome's mother seemed so like her own, that is before she died.
"Yes, that's right. Well anyways, this Inuyasha has been claiming our ramen supply for months, but I tell you the queerest thing happened after Kagome left. I suspected that they had had some kind of argument, so I went to the market and returned with about ten pounds worth of ramen. Usually Kagome will take it with her as an apology for whatever, but after I found her note this morning, I noticed that she left her backpack and all the ramen here."
"That is strange." Mrs. Higurashi nodded and handed Sango a brightly colored apron with beautiful flowers sprinkled over the design. "Would you mind helping me with lunch Sango? I'm quite curious as to what you would eat in the feudal era and perhaps I could teach you some tricks of my own"
Sango's face felt hot as she directed her eyes to the ground. "Kagome usually does all the cooking, and I only know how to prepare rice."
"I wouldn't worry about that dear." The older woman winked at her companion. "Your hands are as good as mine, and I have enough skill for the both of us." (author's note I love this line!)
Tying the apron around her slim waist and pulling her hair into its famous ponytail, Sango proudly followed Mrs. Higurashi into the kitchen.
"Learning is on honor, but teaching is a privilege." Mrs. Higurashi tied a pink apron around her own waist and smiled gently at her new pupil. "A privilege that few catch the advantages of."
Being dragged around by a guy who was still new at this whole human thing was not one of Kagome's strong points. In fact, it was enough to drive anyone with half a brain completely insane. Not only had the couple been wandering around the same forest for hours, but Kagome was beginning to suspect that Inuyasha was completely clueless as to where they were supposed to be going.
"Inuyasha will you please let go of my arm. You're cutting off my circulation here."
Inuyasha glared back at her with an irritated glare in his eye as he eased his grip on her slightly. "Well if you would just walk faster, then I wouldn't have to drag you the whole way there now would I?"
Kagome had had it with his stupid arrogant pride; She was tired and it was time to set up camp. Wrenching her arm free of his grasp, Kagome put her hand on her hip and said, "Inuyasha... SIT!"
Silence filled the clearing as Inuyasha remained standing in his previous position which put poor Kagome in a state of confusion.
"Uh...please sit?"
Glancing back at her, Inuyasha simply shrugged his shoulders. "Will you hurry up already? That old trick won't work anymore on me Kagome. The prayer beads are on my demon half, not me."
"What?! But... I... you...?!"
He turned to face her to back his words with the evidence he knew to hold true. For the first time since the wish, Kagome really looked at him and saw the changes that now made him who he was.
Stepping toward him, she laid a hand gently on his broad shoulders before leading up to peck him on the cheek. It was not filled with lust, but a sign of her affection and love to him.
"You are different. It was just now that I saw it for the first time." She saw his blush, but turned away from it and walked on ahead of him.
There was more alteration in Inuyasha than Kagome actually saw or felt. There was a change inside him, an old battle scar, which was healing at the simple gesture placed on his right cheek.
"Kagome I... well I just wanted to say..." She paused momentarily to look at him as he began to stutter, trying desperately to sort out his emotions.
Kagome was not blind; she saw Inuyasha stare at his feet and watched as his cheeks returned to their previous red color. "Inuyasha, do you want to set up camp?"
"NO!" he shouted just a little too loud and to fast leaving Kagome to begin to blush along with him. "What I mean is... we're almost to the castle."
"Oh" She eyed him for another moment before turning and leisurely walking away. She only had to go three steps before Inuyasha caught her hand.
"You're going the wrong way."
Inuyasha placed his hands on her cheek and around her narrow waist as he bent his to plant a soft kiss on her lips. Kagome felt her knees go numb as she first flinched at his touch before welcoming his kiss. She kissed him back with just enough pressure for him to know that she did care, but not enough as to deepen the kiss further.
'This is what love is like. It is perfect bliss without the fear of lust.' Kagome thought as she gently pulled apart from Inuyasha's lips and took his hand. "Show me the way." Her eyes bore deeply into his, "I'll go wherever you take me."
With her cool palm resting against his own warm one, Inuyasha led the way through the forest's tangle of trees and underbrush to the base of a rocky fortress.
"This mountain is called the peak of partiality. Funny name when you consider what's on the top, Naraku's castle. It's a dangerous place. His servants will follow all their orders, but they walk like the dead just risen from the grave."
"It looks like a whole day's climb from here." Kagome whispered; although he was a head taller than she, Kagome knew that Inuyasha could here her. She squeezed his hand gently before exiting from the forest's protection into the setting sun.
"Let's go, together."
Hand in hand, the couple freely walked along their way into the unknown and the setting sun. The road ahead would be long and hard, but together they could to anything and conquer anyone including Naraku.
On the other side of the well...
Grudgingly, Miroku followed the senior citizen around another tedious trip around the ancient shrine while plastering a number of his best scrolls in irrelevant positions by the elderly man barking endless orders at him. Sighing, Miroku found his mind drifting as Kagome's grandfather went off on another dull story about the shrine's various statues and relics.
"You see now the relevance of the leopard's ear in proving a good harvest of wheat and grain—place another scroll on that beam—the leopard's eye, however, can be put to much more use if used properly in raising sheep or cattle. This is because the ancient people were lucky enough to attract Shoro, the goddess of beasts, into accepting their offerings, and in return she brought the people a riddle from which they may gain the power to travel to the realm of the dead an unlock th..."
'The old windbag already told me this story at least eight or nine times!' Miroku heaved a sigh, 'This was not how I planned to spend my morning'
"Am I boring you, boy?"
"Not at all, Mr. Higurashi, I was just thinking to myself about where those insidious smells could possibly be coming from."
The older man's expression brightened instantly, "Ah, good thinking lad. That stench my boy is coming from the ancient purple claw of a fire demon. It has been inherited through my family for generations. There is a story behind it about an ancient hero who..."
'I was hopping that he would say that it was lunch."
Her face was held in a manner that her emotions were undetectable and her weakness placed invisible by her stature and demeanor as her feet found their way along the mountain's winding road. Kikyo's eyes narrowed as words fitted themselves into sentences, retuning to her memory.
She remembered a small child bedding her in a dream to return to Naraku's castle. At first, Kikyo dismissed the ridiculous idea, but when several of Naraku's puppets bid her return, she agreed as long as she could travel freely without any spies.
Seemingly satisfied, the Naraku's servants let her be and the young miko went on her way. Eventually her feet led her up to the winding mountain path.
The sun was beginning to sink over the edge of the horizon, a sure sign that her servants would return to her side with abundant souls to replenish their mistress with.
It was nearly dark before Kikyo finally gave in to her tired feet and summoned her demonic servants to her. When they had refilled her hungry spirit with the souls that it had desired, they lifted her off her tired and worn feet drifting to the top of the peak to Naraku's dwelling.
Sneaking a quick glance at the world spinning wildly beneath her, Kikyo spotted two shaded figures timidly approaching the base of the mountain. Although she could not put together their individual faces and personal features, Kikyo could tell that they were both marked with sleek jet black hair, and one of the two was dressed solidly in a bright red kimono.
She watched the couple unmoved and expressionless as they disappeared from her steady gaze as Kikyo turned her eyes upward to see the looming castle growing larger as the distance between them closed.
Heaving a sigh, Kikyo steadied herself as her dedicated servants placed her gingerly on the dank sludge on which the castle resided upon. The instant the sandals touched the sour earth, the gates of the castle unbolted and the massive doors slid open.
An icy breeze tickled her cheek before urging her forward with which Kikyo grudgingly complied. The frosty draft left her the instant that she had crossed the threshold and the gates had clicked shut.
Directly in front of her was another set of doors, but this time they were decorated finely with intricate patterns and designs. Long shadows were cast against the walls making it possible to conceal oneself and pass through the fortifications completely unscathed and undetected.
Presently, the doors were parting slowly like a curtain on a stage establishing the opening of the first act in a play. The curtain was gone to the side as a lone figure approached from the shadows.
Through the dim light, Kikyo made out Kagura's distinct form stepping forth from the darkness that loomed around her. "Ah Kikyo... Naraku and Inuyasha are waiting for your arrival. Allow me to escort you; after all, I doubt that you will remember where the den is from your last visit on your own."
Bowing slightly, Kagura retreated back into the dark lair, leaving room for the priestess to follow. Kikyo touched her bow lightly with her index finger before following the wind sorceress down the dark, winding passage.
The stage was set and the show — was just beginning.
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