"Oh, wow! I can't believe Sesshomaru proposed"! Kagome clasped her hands in delight as her entire body grew tense. With an ever-widening smile and growing excitement in her voice, the priestess continued to speak. "This is so exciting!"
"Kah! What're ya so excited about?" A gruff and unamused voice bellowed from Kagome's side, commanding the attention of every eye within the small hut. The hanyō-turned-husband sat in his signature pose, arms folded beneath crimson cloth as golden orbs all-but rolled to the back of his head. "If you ask me, we should be feeling sorry for the poor girl. She's actually marrying that bast-"
"INUYASHA, SIT!" Kagome's command reverberated throughout Kaede's humble dwelling, inspiring InuYasha's eyes to widen in terror. All at once, the onyx beads around his neck began to radiate an eerie shade of purple. In the next moment, the half-demon crashed against the dirt floor in a near-instantaneous compulsion. A cloud of dust expanded from the outline of Inuyasha's now paralyzed body, causing a thick haze to momentarily envelop the enclosed space. The mystery remained as to how, exactly, the rosary forced its victim into such a state of submission – whether by brute force or simple divine intervention. However, it mattered little to those who knew Inuyasha. The oh-so satisfying results were simply not worth questioning.
Across the room, a soft giggle chimed from Sesshomaru's bride-to-be. With each passing moment, Rin's porcelain cheeks morphed into a gentle shade of red.
"It's okay, Kagome." She flashed an innocent smile, the kind proven capable of disarming even the most stony of hearts. "It's enough that everyone else is happy for me!"
"Aye, child." Kaede nodded, eyes icy yet radiating an air of tenderness towards her ward. "Trouble yeself not with the sentiments of this foul creature."
"Wha'd ya say?!" Almost immediately, Inuyasha lept to his feet, fangs bared with an intensity that matched that of his claws. "You miserable old hag! Why don't ya say that again!?"
"SIT!"
Once again, the hanyō found himself against the floor. Frustration boiled into rage as he recovered his footing and stood, stiff-legged, before Kagome.
"WILL YOU KNOCK IT OFF, ALRE-" The room suddenly fell silent as Inuyasha's attention diverted elsewhere. His amber orbs darted towards the ceiling, focusing on nothing in particular as his pointed ears began to twitch. Though Kaede's small hut had grown rather crowded, everyone present seemed content to offer the hanyō the silence he required – save for one.
"They're fine, Inuyasha." The group's collective gaze shifted to the entryway, landing on a familiar and unamused demon hunter. "Shippo's a full-fledged demon now. He's more than capable of protecting them." Sango's familiar voice was firm, yet gentle – one that Inuyasha had grown to trust.
A subtle grunt bellowed from the back of the hanyō's throat as his body began to relax. Suppressing his paternal instincts, Inuyasha reluctantly returned to his place at Kagome's side.
Outside, two young hanyōes stood barefoot amongst an ever-green expanse of grass and assorted crops. As if encouraging him to catch up, the pair desperately and eagerly waved their companion forward. The girl stood noticeably taller than her younger brother, a byproduct of their three-year age difference. Though she bore her father's characteristically thick ivory locks, the liquid mocha hidden beneath her bangs mirrored that of her mother. In stark contrast, the boy's hair displayed a combination of ebony and ivory – a vibrant union that had resulted in a light, ashy brown. Under the shelter of delicate lashes, pure remnants of his father glistened in the form of precious amber. For a brief moment, Shippo found himself taken aback by the sight.
"Man, I still can't believe an idiot like Inuyasha was able to make such cute kids".
Many things had changed in the decade that followed Naraku's defeat – including the fox demon himself. At the natural age of seventeen, his once-small form had grown to a height that rivaled (and eventually surpassed) Inuyasha's. The auburn waves that previously rested upon his shoulders now fell towards the floor, even while tied back. Years of rigorous training and unyielding examinations had rendered strong definition to his naturally slender frame – a look that granted him the affections of humans and demons alike. All efforts to win his heart, however, had proven to be an exercise in futility. For none could compete with the children that Shippo had come to refer to as his niece and nephew – the targets upon which his attention remained ever-fixed.
Though his outward appearance had morphed into something worthy of envy, precious little had changed about the fox demon. The playful spirit and gentle heart that Kagome had come to cherish lived on in Shippo, and the illusionary magic at his disposal had proven indispensable in the art of entertaining children of all races. These simple truths, coupled with the knowledge of Shippo's innate bravery, granted the young mother brief periods of respite from her responsibilities – free from worry and hesitation. Despite verbal insinuations to the contrary, Inuyasha's shared sentiments on the matter were undeniable. For nothing short of absolute faith could have soothed the fiercely defensive demonic blood that boiled within him.
"Inuyasha…" A familiar warmth graced the heated hanyō's skin as Kagome's hand found his own. "…it's okay." The empty spaces between Inuyasha's clawed fingers instinctively surrendered, intertwining with his beloved's in a single, effortless movement. The smile that awaited his amber gaze was kind, silently radiating a reassurance too pure to ignore.
"Yeah..." Taking in the determined yet smiling faces that surrounded him, the hanyō's stiff body finally relaxed. "…Guess you're right," he cooed, eyes momentarily closing as he inhaled. Satisfied that her husband had calmed down, Kagome returned her attention Sango.
"By the way, where's Miroku gotten off to?"
The demon hunter smiled in return, lowering her oversized boomerang to the floor as she released an audible sigh.
"He insisted that a proper wedding ceremony could not be performed without Master Mushin's purified sake, so he's gone to retrieve it." Slowly, she made her way to the center of the room, heeding the call of the dying fire's soothing flames. "He should be back in a few days."
"Be ye not concerned that this may be a mere excuse for the monk to engage in drunken foolishness?"
Sango's eyes momentarily widened in response to Kaede's sudden (albeit, justified) inquiry, however composure quickly returned to her face.
"I'm sure that's part of it, but he's had to help me a lot recently." With two thirteen-year-old daughters, a ten-year-old son, and a fourth child pushing her abdomen ever-outward, Sango's independent spirit had been forced to recede in the name of sanity. Relying on others (a once-foreign concept) was now a variable necessity in her day-to-day life. "I don't mind letting him relax once in a while," she cooed, hands gently caressing her swollen stomach. "Besides, it's not as if he'll try anything lecherous with Master Mushin."
The collective chimes of Rin and Kagome's laughs filled the room, inspiring a soft giggle from the demon slayer. In truth, Miroku's surrogate father had always led a rather solitary existence – one that posed very little risk of unexpected feminine companionship. Thus, the young father-of-three was able to seek refuge in his former home at his leisure.
As the moments passed, the atmosphere of the small hut gradually settled into one of contented silence. With a gentle smile illuminating her face, Rin began to take in the scene before her. A soft, near-inaudible exhale escaped her dainty nostrils as she momentarily closed her eyes and began to speak.
"I've been thinking, everyone…" Suddenly, every eye came to rest upon the bride-to-be. Slowly, Rin continued, taking care to meet the gaze of each companion as she spoke. "…that I'd like all of you to participate in the ceremony." Palpable confusion and surprise ensnared the room, leaving only the distant symphony of the children's laughter to accompany Rin's humble words. "When I lost my family to those bandits, I thought that I'd have to spend the rest of my life alone. But then, Lord Sesshomaru appeared." The corners of Rin's mouth began to stretch further apart, broadening her innocent smile as she continued. "Even in his weakened state, I could tell that he was strong – powerful, even. In fact, his eyes were completely red the first time he looked at me." Briefly lost in images of her past, the young woman allowed a soft laugh to escape her lips. "He snarled and bared his fangs in a most menacing way. Yet I found myself walking towards him rather than away. I was drawn to him for reasons that I didn't understand." Mocha orbs slowly ascended to the ceiling as Rin focused on nothing in particular. "Looking back, I think I saw myself in Lord Sesshomaru – someone beaten, broken, and alone. But there was also a strength in him that I lacked. I wanted so badly to take refuge in that strength – to follow and learn from the beautiful man who wielded it. Surely, if I became like him, the world wouldn't be such a scary place."
"Ah, come on Rin!" InuYasha's disgruntled voice permeated the atmosphere like rough sandstone as he barked his sincerest sentiments. "Sesshomaru only looked like that because I kicked his ass! He ain't so tough! If you really wanted to learn from somebody, you should'a found me and Kago– "
"SIIIIIIIIIT!" Kagome's voice grew louder now, piercing the air at a volume that threatened to rattle the very marrow from InuYasha's bones. Divine intervention once again brought the hanyō to the floor; however his punishment was far from over.
"SIT! SIT! SIT! SIT! SIT! SIT! SIT!" With every command, InuYasha's paralyzed frame burrowed deeper into the floor. A near-perfect outline of his body quickly took shape as thick clouds of dust mushroomed through the hut. Only when she ran out of breath did Kagome finally cease her disciple. Though she appeared relieved, the same could not be said for her husband. A series of unintelligible whimpers fell from InuYasha's open lips as his body began to tremble.
"It…hurts…"
"Alas, InuYasha…" Kaede shook her head as she coolly commented on the hanyō's actions. "…It appears ye still have much to learn." Laughter erupted from within the hut, carrying with it the contented chime of Rin's voice. Slowly, the joyful noise moved outward, dancing along the gentle breeze until it reached the ears of a nearby Demon Lord.
Hidden within the leaves of an inconspicuous tree that outlined the village, Sesshomaru allowed himself to smile.
"Rin. Only you."
Author's Notes
* I'm SO SORRY that it took so long for me to update Shisaiga. Since my last post, a number of things have happened (it would probably take a year to explain everything) that required my attention, time, and the consumption of my dismal savings. But, I'm back and ready for action! I'll be (attempting) to post new chapters biweekly, and I'm SUPER excited to share everything that I have planned for these characters! I'm so incredibly honored that my readers are enjoying the story so far, and I pray that it does not disappoint as I continue! I also want to reassure you that I WILL continue (and eventually complete) Shisaiga. I'm not someone who is capable of leaving things unfinished. There may be periods of time where I go M.I.A. because I have to adult, but I will always return! *que Bryan Adams* In the future, I'll be sure to inform you if anything happens that will require me to postpone a post! Thanks a million for your loyalty to Shisaiga and your understanding! Take care, my loves!
* Constructive criticism is always welcome, but PLEASE be respectful. And know that, at the end of the day, I may not heed your advice. This is my story, and I intend to move it in the direction that I see fit. If you find the plot, the values therein, or my writing style offensive to your sensibilities, it's not my problem! Shisaiga is going to be very unique, and I intend to keep it that way!
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