Oh my God! Two chapters left! AAAH! My baby's all grown up! Yes, there are only two more chapters...Kaza's such a grown up now, I can remember when she was born...oh yeah...cause I wrote it! Don't own Inuyasha.
Chapter 20 – Saying Sorry
Inuyasha actually let us rest for three days or so, instead of insisting that we move on right away like we usually do. I think he wanted to make sure the demon was really gone before we moved on. I wasn't too sure if that demon really had been Naraku, but it felt like it. I was so tired, but I was finally happy, finally feeling like my life's mission was accomplished. I knew it when I woke up from unconsciousness to see everyone leaning over me.
"Kaza, are you okay?" Shippou whispered, sounding scared.
I kind of nodded. It was all hazy until Kagome splashed water all over my face, making me abruptly sit up and splutter, "Alright, alright, I'm up, dammit!"
"She's fine." Inuyasha said confidently.
"Is he dead?" I said as my dad helped me stand up.
"Seems so. Haven't smelt, heard or felt anything recently. I think you really killed him, Kaza."
I grinned, making Kirara mew. "So what now?"
They all smiled, a soft breeze wound through the trees, and Kagome said,
"We go home."
So we did.
We said good-bye to Kagura and Kouga, packed up and left the hills the next morning. As we left, Kirara on my shoulder and a traveling pack on my back, I turned around to look back at the field. There was a patch of dead grass where Naraku had died, blackened in the morning light rising beyond the hills. I looked up to my little cave set in the hill and saw Kohaku standing at its mouth. He grinned and waved at me, yelling,
"Good-bye, Kaza, and I'll see you later, ane-ue!"
My mom whipped around, her eyes sparkling, as Kohaku vanished into the cave.
"I'll see you later…Kohaku." She whispered.
I walked up and wrapped my arms around her, and without looking back, we walked out of the hills forever.
A week or so later, we came upon the field were my dad had vanished – and been found again, I guess. We all took turns telling him the story of how we'd all faced Naraku, how I got stabbed, and how we even traveled here in the first place. Miroku was grinning and making jokes the whole time, one hand on my mom's waist. When the grope and the slap came – because you know they did – we got moving again. For some reason none of really wanted to linger – we all just wanted to get home. Inuyasha, Kagome and Shippou were at the front, with my mom and Kirara walking next, and somehow I found myself at the back with my dad.
He looked down at me and smiled. "You really were worried about me, weren't you, if you came and rescued me like that."
"I was. I wanted to have a father."
He looked up thoughtfully. "I had a feeling Sango might have been pregnant, but never really thought about it. But the worst feeling in the world was being sucked up into the sky, losing your mother, and not being able to do anything about it. For years, the last thing I saw was Sango screaming my name beneath me. After that, it all went black. I couldn't remember anything for years…you must've been thirteen or so when I finally got my memory back, and I still didn't even know I had a daughter."
I was quiet for a minute. It was a bit saddening to think he didn't even know that I existed, but then I remembered the other set of winds on that day Naraku was first killed, and I said,
"That other set of winds…when Naraku was killed the first time….that was you, huh?"
He nodded. "I had a Kazaana, too, remember? That's where you got it front."
"But how did you know I needed help?"
"Well…" Miroku said slowly, "I didn't exactly know who you specifically where until I got a good look at your eyes. But I knew from the start that you were someone special and that you needed my help because of how much your shoulder was bleeding."
I sighed, and he motioned to my shoulder. "Let me see it."
I was kind of surprised, but I slid down the shoulder of my yukata anyway. The scar was there, slowly healing so that it looked less repulsive. He ran his fingers along it and I suddenly remembered all the pain that had exploded when Naraku's blade pierced my skin.
"I was so stupid!" I burst out suddenly. "So stupid! I wasn't using any common sense, I was just jumping ahead, trying to get him, I wasn't thinking at all. And it happened again with the bear demon! I was just so RETARDED to let him capture me. I should have known better. And now I've got fatass scar on my shoulder forever and you guys had to come and rescue me. I was so stupid. I'm sorry."
Tears came hot and fast to my eyes, and I blinked as I tried to hold them back.
But my dad came up beside me and wiped a hidden tear from my eye. "We all make mistakes, Kaza." He said gently. "It's a part of growing up and learning who you are. It's nothing to be ashamed of."
"Sure." I grunted. "What's your biggest mistake? It can't be as bad as letting a dumbass bear demon capture you."
"It was much worse." Miroku grinned. "My biggest mistake was falling in love with your mother."
Well, I wasn't expecting that.
And suddenly Naraku's words came back to me from that fight, when our swords were locked and I was so close I stared right into his eyes…You were an accident, Kaza. You weren't supposed to happen at all. Miroku never wanted a daughter, he wanted a son. He doesn't even know you exist – what makes you think he's going to love you if you do find him?
My whole body went deadly cold and I swear my heartbeat slowed. What if Naraku was right?
"I didn't have any business being in love." He continued easily. "I knew I was destined to die because of the Kazaana, so really my only obligation was to get a woman to bear my child so the family mission could continue. Sango had her mission, too, though I guess you don't know – her only goal in life was to kill Naraku and avenge the loss of her family. She came from an entire village of expert demon slayers – Naraku killed them all except her, wiped Kohaku's memory, and made him his servant. She never fully recovered, I think, and all she wanted to do was see Naraku die – preferably by her own hand. So as you can tell, we were the last two people in the world who could have possibly fallen in love."
My throat was frozen. I knew it…I was a mistake, they didn't mean to have me…
"And yes, it was a mistake, because during all those years we were gone, I missed your mother so much it felt like my heart would die…and I'm sure she missed me the same way. But you know…" He looked thoughtfully at me with those eyes, my eyes, and said softly,
"If it was a mistake, it was the best mistake I ever made, because otherwise, I wouldn't have you."
"But didn't you want a son?" I said feebly. I sounded so weak I wanted to strangle myself, but I just had to know.
"Originally I wanted a son, yes. But now I've got a daughter, and she seems to have done a hell of a lot more than a son could have done." He grinned at me and walked a little faster. "Most adults couldn't even have done what you did, Kaza, so why would I want anyone else?"
I jogged a little to catch up with his stride and just smiled to myself as all that coldness just melted away.
Inuyasha turned around and shouted, "Hey, we were thinkin', Kaza. So if you're supposed to be the Daughter of the Wind or whatever, then does that mean Sango's the wind or something?"
"Oh, shut up." Kagome said, exasperated. "Daughter of the Wind is a title. You just wouldn't get it."
"Try me, wench!" He barked. My mom sniggered.
"He's asking for it." She said nonchalantly.
"SIT!"
Miroku raised an eyebrow. "You're being a bit harsh, don't you think, Kagome?"
"He asked for it." She defended. "He's been very annoying lately. I think he deserved a good sit."
Inuyasha, who had just been getting back to his feet, was thrown back to the ground with the added sit.
"KAGOME, YOU BITCH!"
"Oh, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean that last one!"
"SHUT UP!"
My mom and Shippou had collapsed in laughter by now, and as Kagome ran over to help Inuyasha up, I glanced at my dad, who was laughing silently, and I, grinning, went over to help too.
After all, he really didn't deserve that last sit, and we all make mistakes.
I can't believe how close we are to finishing...seriously, I reread the first couple of chapters and then I look at how I wrote this one, and it's amazing how much it's progressed...both in Kaza's development as a character and my writing as well. Anyway, sorry for the wait, but please review and I'll put up the last chapter as soon as I finish it! And I can promise you it'll be good...:) Arigatou!
