I hold no claim in anything involving Inuyasha, the movie I'm ripping this fic from, and the song Mad Season by Matchbox 20.

A/N: really short chapter – this was actually part of ch21 but I thought ch21 should stand alone…so I cut that out and inserted this as ch22, and tried making it longer.

So why ya gotta stand there
Looking like the answer now
It seems to me - you'd come around
I need you now
Do you think you can cope
You figured me out - I'm lost and I'm hopeless
Bleeding and broken - though I've never spoken
I come undone - in this mad season

- Mad Season by Matcbbox 20

Chapter 22: Mad Season

Inuyasha dribbled the ball hard. He was starting to get frustrated. Why couldn't he simply aim for the basket? He had been playing a one-man basketball game to relieve some frustration. Instead, he was getting more and more aggravated. If he weren't shooting an airball, he would hit the rim of the basket. However hard he threw the ball, the ball never seemed to go inside the basket net.

When he had enough, he threw the ball as hard as he could with the ball only hitting the board with a loud, echoing thud. Inuyasha yelled in frustration. "Fucking ball!" he shouted.

"I told you I hate it when you swear," a stern voice from behind spoke up. He instantly turned around. Izayoi was standing by the doorway, leading inside the house. She was giving Inuyasha a cold glare, similar to Sesshoumaru's. Inuyasha hissed an apology. Izayoi sighed out loud. "Give me the ball," she instructed. Inuyasha gave her a puzzled look but retrieved the ball then handed it to his mother. Izayoi dribbled the ball slowly, in a feminine manner. She took a shooting stance and aimed the ball to the basket. The ball went it. "See, you have to aim good in order to get it right," she told Inuyasha with a smile. "It is just like life, honey."

"Huh? Whatcha mean, mom?"

"Let's compare life to shooting the ball, shall we?" she took the ball once more to shoot it again. After concentrating for seconds, she shot it and made the basket – again. "See. You have to think deeply before deciding how to shoot it. You just don't throw the ball and shoot it without analyzing the situation."

"And how does that compare to life, mom?" he snickered; refusing to digest what Izayoi was trying to say. After all, his mother never played basketball like he did during his high school years.

Izayoi faced him. "Because in life, you have to analyze the situation first before deciding what to do with it. You simply don't jump at it and cross your fingers that it will turn out okay. Sometimes, you hold your own destiny."

Inuyasha scratched his head. "Hey mom. I think you're forgetting I'm not Sesshoumaru. Please cut short with the riddles," he threw the ball once more. It never even reached the rim. He closed his eyes, controlling himself not to swear in front of his mother. "You're saying in life one has to think long and hard before doing any action, right? Well, that's not like me," he scoffed. His type was to do the thinking while taking some action at the same time. Just like how he agreed with his engagement with Kagome; or how he confessed his feelings to Sango without thinking of the small important details. "And why are you all of a sudden lecturing me about life?"

"Because these past two months, you've been nothing but gloomy and on-edge. Kagome told me you didn't attend a marriage conference she set up."

"Well, Kagome went. What's the use of me going then? She can simply tell me what B.S. they talked about there!"

Izayoi shook his head. "That's not how it goes, my sweetie. Marriage involves a give-and-take relationship. It seems to me Kagome is the only one giving and giving."

"Did she say anything she wanted me to give her?" he asked with an ignorant expression, making himself sound clueless of what Izayoi had said. Of course he knew what his mother meant. He bent down to pick up the basketball and stared at it.

His mother's analogous concept of the basketball to life made him think. If he couldn't even make the basket, how else could he do the right thing in life?

"Tell me, mom. What were you really gonna talk to me about? I don't think you came out here to really shoot some baskets with me? There's always a purpose in this mother-son talks we kept having," he shot the basketball once more, this time concentrating a bit longer on his aim. The ball reached the rim, only to bounce out. Once again, he failed to make the basket. What a life!

"You're a big boy now, Inuyasha. A man, technically. But I don't think you're doing the right thing, for your sake that is," Izayoi finally decided to stop beating around the bush. "I don't think you want to get married. Not just yet. Or maybe, not with the right woman?"

Inuyasha stared at his mother, long and hard. He was surprised. He didn't know whether he was more surprised Izayoi said it to him; or she took longer to say it to him. Either way, she was dead right. Inuyasha walked to where the ball had dropped and sat on it. A sarcastic grin played across his face. "And here I thought wedding jitters are for women only," he snorted. "Moommm," he called out to his mother in an almost pouty, childish manner. " I am so confused. I don't know what to do!" he finally gathered the confidence to convey his raw emotions to his mother. If there were any person who would be able to help ease the confusion and doubts a bit, it would be his mother.

"Is there anything you want to tell me that made you this confused; that put you in the position of doubting your soon-to-be union with Kagome? Is there," she paused to clear her throat. "Is there anyone that made you feel this way?"

He slowly nodded. "It's Sango," he barely whispered, hoping somehow the slight afternoon breeze muffled the words, or the name for that matter. Why was he embarrassed to say he had – still do – feelings for Sango? He was afraid once again.

"I thought so too," Izayoi said after a moment's pause. Indeed, she heard the muffled words. She suspected this situation long before Izayoi even met Sango, back when she started to get small hints about another girl. When she finally came face-to-face with the woman, even hiring her as the party planner/florist for her party, she understood why Inuyasha, or any other man, would fall in love with Sango. The woman, in Izayoi's opinion, was not hard to like. Sango was smart, sweet, and successful in what she does; she was also demure, proper and a very respectful person. Surprisingly, she possessed a fighter attitude mixed with her very feminine ways.

"I told Sango that I think I love her," Inuyasha suddenly said. It really surprised Izayoi a great deal. She thought her son was only contemplating on his battling emotions. Inuyasha really did things based on instinct and guts. She should be happy he was trying to take some incentive in dealing with his dilemma. Telling the woman he – thinks- he was falling in love with was really gutsy.

Yet, Izayoi couldn't help but feel it was wrong. Shouldn't Inuyasha be discussing it with Kagome, perhaps try honesty to the woman and himself for once? "I see," was the thing she could only think of saying despite all questions swarming in her head. "And how did she, Sango, react to your proclamation?" she asked, afraid Inuyasha's answer might tarnish her good impression on Sango.

Inuyasha looked down on the ground, as if more interested balancing himself on the basketball than answering the query; but he gave way to her mother and answered anyway. "She, in a way, rejected me. Told me to straighten out how I feel before she gives me an answer. I'm not sure what she really wants me to do. I guess, she just wants me to clear my head," …of Kagome, he added to himself.

Izayoi nodded, hiding a smile. Sango just won her full respect. Izayoi had noticed the girl hold deep, sincere feelings for his son; for Sango to 'reject' someone she truly cared for was beyond amazing. She was simply born and bred with golden morals.

"Tell me directly what is it that makes this situation all complicated," the mother stood in front of the son. Izayoi's face turned completely serious. All she really wanted was to make things easier for her loved ones, especially her two sons.

Inuyasha was hesitant to divulge his worries, fears and doubts to his mother. He had always been a 'mama's boy', yet he was never that generous in sharing his emotions and thoughts to Izayoi. But the fact he was getting tired of being in the dark these past months, he really needed someone to share his woes. He took a heavy sigh. "When Sango questioned me if I will be able to break my engagement to Kagome, I couldn't answer her. I'm not sure what to say. A part of me wanted to immediately call up Kagome and tell her wedding's off; but then, another part of me just couldn't. I don't want to betray her," he said.

"Do you still love Kagome?"

"Mom, you know I did – I still do in a way," he responded sincerely.

Izayoi sighed. If only she could give Inuyasha the right answer to make things easy for him… If only she could find the perfect words to help him ease his troubles… But she could not. She did not know what to say or what advice she could give him. Izayoi hated the fact she could not help her son in his problem. Inuyasha was on his own this time.

Before she could offer him any kind words, one of the maids came out and approached them.

"What's up, Shura!' Inuyasha greeted her.

"Sir, there's a phone call for you from a Mr. Miroku Satori," she informed him.

'A phone call from Miroku?' Inuyasha questioned internally. He immediately stood up. "I'll take it in the library," he replied while already taking quick, long strides inside the house.

Why would Miroku call him?

He needed to know fast!

A/N: Also, once again, thanks for all those who reviewed the last chapter. I'm still having writer's block so this is not an entirely good chapter. I just thought Izayoi should be the voice of reason to Inuyasha. I'm aware I'm not giving Inutaisho the recognition he deserves (I'll give him more exposure on my other fic. Oh well!)

Despite the short chapter, I hope you all would be kind enough to leave a comment. thank you once more.