By: Inuyasha4ev
Chapter 8
THE EPILOGUE
"Houshi Miroku." The dean announced, grinning widely as the lech headed up onto the stage. "You graduated at the third highest position this year and in years. Thank you for attending Kyoto University."
The lech grinned, accepting his diploma. It had been six years, leaving him 25, and as perverted as ever. He wrapped his arms around the woman, groping her behind. "No, thank you for allowing me." The slap that followed resounded in the building followed by laughter. He chuckled, stroking his thin mustach as he strolled down the stairs, his wide eyes turning to watch the female who was to follow him.
"Houshi Sango. You have graduated at the second highest position. I thank you for attending, and I wish you good luck on your marital journey with the perverted Miroku." Laughing, the dean embraced the younger woman who giggled and replied,
"I pray that your luck assists me, Tsubaki-sensei." Sango ran down to her husband, tossing her arms around him as they switched the tassles on their caps.
The dean, now known as Tsubaki-sensei, grinned, turning to the audience. "Our next graduate is well known throught the campus. Teachers adore her, as do students. Males fawn over her. She has graduated with the highest GPA in years. She's our valedictorian, Higurashi Kagome!" She turned to her young prodigy, unable to stop smiling as she heard the roaring in the stadium.
Kagome smiled as she took her diploma, grinned, and embraced her teacher with a light kiss to the cheek. "Thank you, Tsubaki-sensei." She turned to the crowd and waited for everyone to quiet down. Once all was silent, she began her speech, "Staff member, students, visitors, family, and friends, I thank you for attending such a worthy occasion. I have never seen any people work so hard as I noticed my classmates and friends doing." She took a deep breath. "Generally, valedictorians like to drawl on and on about many unimportant things, but I, as most of you know, am not the general. I am original, so bare with me. Life is original. No two people's lives are exactly the same. Where as some live fairly wonderful lives, others live lives that are full of pain and struggle. Though I myself admit that my life has been nowhere near perfect, I will not complain about it. I've come to deal with my pain, the pain that I often felt that I'd have to deal with alone. Remember, you are never alone. Whether you find your comfort in a pet, a parent, a friend, or a rather annoying spouse," Kagome winked at her mate, "you can find peace, security, and contentment. Even within someone you think you may hate." Kagome indirectly acknowledged Naraku. She hesitated, thinking for a second. "I've been thinking. Or shall I say wonder, why I wanted to attend college so badly. A part of me only wished for the experience. The parties." She paused for cheering. "Not to mention the guys. But that was immediately cut out when I sealed the lifelong deal with my mate." She smirked. "And then, I began to think that perhaps I only wanted to go to college to be with my friends. But that wasn't the case either. I want to use my degrees to help people, hence my psychology degree. I wish to work with children especially, the very reason for my two other degrees, though not my last, Child Pyschology and a Bachelor's Degree to teach. As a child, I found myself..." She hesitated, gnawing on her lip, "blinded by an unknown source. The feelings I felt..." She tried her best to hold back her tears, "back then, I never wish for any child to feel. For I know that not every child will be blessed enough to have their sight returned as I have. I want to be there for them when they feel that they can turn to no other. I, myself, have three children already, and I know how kids don't talk to their parents about certain things. Well... I don't know first hand, I'm easy to talk to." She paused again for laughed. "But I've seen them run to me instead of their fathers." Kagome grinned. "I simply wish for them to know that keeping their emotions bottled up within will not help them, and that there is help. So, to conclude, I give my thanks to Tsubaki-sensei as well as my other senseis for helping me through out these long, stressful, tiring years of juggling between college, children, family, friends, and a stubborn, greedy mate and husband. I'd like to thank my children for forcing me to get up at four in teh morning to prepare for school. Koharu, Setsuko, and Seiji, mommy loves you." She laughed softly. "I thank my parents, Higurashi Nao and Kiyoko for placing me in this world and doing all that they could to make me happy. Takahashi Inutaisho, or as I call my beloved godfather, Tai-papa for also being there. My elder brother Sota for loving me the way that he does, and my best friends, short tempered Takahashi Inuyasha, lecherous Houshi Miroku, and man stealing Houshi Sango." She grinned. "I wanted him so badly Sang, but you took my Roku-kun away."
Miroku grinned broadly, about to run to Kagome until Sango caught him by the collar on his gown. "Sorry, Kagome, he's mine."
Kagome sighed. "Ah well. I still have my gorgeous mate, Takahashi Sesshomaru, whom irritates me often, whether it's complaining that I'm not spending enough time with him, doing this to me, " she pointed to her protruding stomach, "or being too darn sexy for women to look away. But luckily, he's smart enough to know to keep his eyes on me." She giggled. "And last but not least, for some reason, I feel that I should thank Onigumo Naraku. If it weren't for him, I suppose I wouldn't be as strongwilled as I am now." Sighing contenly, Kagome said, "I suppose my speech has come to an end. So with these final words, I bid you good day," She gasped suddenly, her eyes widening, "Tsubaki-sensei, would you cause an ambulance because my water just broke?" She asked with a nervous smile directed to the older woman.
Tsubaki jumped, thrilled. "Oh! Of course, Kagome!"
"Kagome." Sesshomaru mumbled, getting up and rushing to the cringing woman, "Love, are you alright?" He asked, sniffing lightly.
"I'm in pain, Sess." She whispered back, burying her face in his neck. "The baby is nearly a month late. What if something happens?"
"You'll be fine. I promise you. Perfectly fine." He growled when his mate howled in pain. Lifting her bridle style, he snapped, "Where is the ambulance?!"
Tsubaki tried to run to Sesshomaru through the ruckus and confusion as people began to panic and race around. Suddenly, she was bumped and fell to the ground unconcious.
Kagome whimpered after sitting through the pain for fifteen minutes. "Sess, it's coming. She won't wait any longer. I can feel our girl pup. She's ready. I can't give birth hear." She panicked.
"You can." He stroked her head. "Come, I'll take you to a more secluded room and we will find out what to do." He carried her out, calling for his family to fallow him. Once they were alone in a closed room, he sat on the carpeted floor, holding Kagome between his legs. "Kiyoko, you have birthed a baby, correct?"
"Of course, Sesshomaru. I can help my baby. Hold in there, Kagome." She removed Kagome's gown and raised the dress she had worn beneath it. "Okay, love, when I say push, push, baby."
Kagome nodded. "O-okay, momma."
"Okay, take some deep breaths...push."
Squeezing Sesshomaru's hand, Kagome cried out, "Aaaaaaaagh!!"
"Push!"
"Aaaaagh!"
"I see a head, Kagome. Stay strong, baby. Push!"
Kagome gasped for air. "Aaaagh!"
"One more time."
"Please. Momma, I can't." She shook her head. "I just can't do it."
"Kagome, come now. Push again. Just once more. Push!"
"Aaaaaaaaaagh!" Kagome screamed, loud and long, crushing Sesshomaru's hand.
Sesshomaru leaned over his mate to cut the umbilical cord, watching as everyone left to follow Kiyoko who would wash the pup. "You did well, Kagome." Upon feeling his matting mark sizzle, he looked down to find her scarcely breathing. "Kagome..."
"I couldn't..." Kagome rasped. "I couldn't push more, Sess...It hurt."
He frowned. "But you're fine now...Right, mate?"
Kagome smiled softly, her chest hardly rising or falling. "Hn." All movement within her ceased.
Sesshomaru winced as his mating mark told him what had become of his mate. "No." He whispered, hugging her close. "No. I will not accept this. Wake up." When he didn't move, he should his head furiously. "Wake up, Kagome!"
Hearing the outburst, the adults rushed back to the room, beating on the door. "Sesshomaru, what's wrong?"
"She won't wake up. She won't breathe. Why the hell won't she breathe?" He asked softly, angry with himself.
Koharu looked to his younger half siblings. The twins look as on edge as he did. "Setsuko, Seiji, do you feel that?"
Seiji nodded. "There's something wrong with momma." He grabbed his sister's hand as well as his elder brothers and they ran towards their mother's scent. Reaching the room where their mother was, he sniffed, eyes watering. "Mommy!" He kicked the door. "Let me see my mommy!"
Koharu and Setsuko did the same. "Let us see her! Daddy/Sess-papa!"
Inutaisho sniffed, not believing what he smelled. "Move." He boomed, watchng everyone clear the way before he kicked the door open, revealing Sesshomaru.
He was smiling down at his mate, tears of pain running down his cheeks as he cradled her to him. "The irony of it all. I allowed my beast to talk me into mating a human, and she has died, as they all do." He stroked her face. "And she's as beautiful a radiant as before, only colder. Much colder. Gome...why have you left me?!" He asked angrily, crushing her even closer to him.
Inutaisho dropped to his knees. His nose had been right. No, it could've been. Kagome couldn't die. She was mated to Sesshomaru. She was like a demon...but she wasn't one. She was still only a human. His god daughter, his sweet Kagome, was gone. "It can't be, Sesshomaru."
"It is. She left me. And it is my fault for pupping her so often."
Kiyoko wanted to tell him that it wasn't his fault, that it was just Kagome's time. But when she opened her mouth, all that came out was a wail of a sob as she buried her face in her shocked husband's chest.
"Momma!" The children ran to her, hugging her limp. "Mommy, you can't go. We need you. You're sposed to be here forever."
Sota looked down at the pup in his arm. Her eyes were wide and full of tears as she reached out to Kagome. "Y-y-you c-can't go to K-Kag, right now."
"Ayn!" She cried, reaching for her mother.
"Father...the tensaiga?" Sesshomaru asked hopefully.
"Does not work on beings with spiritual powers as strong as Kagome's."
Sesshomaru couldn't bare to think of a future without her. "You will awaken for me." Sesshomaru whispered, kissing her softly. "You will awaken soon."
"Ayn!" The newborn cried, reaching for her mom. "Ayn!"
Sota sighed. "I should at least allow you to touch her." He sat down near Kagome, holding out the small pup.
"Ayn!" The pup cried happily, placing her hands on her mothers chest and jumping from Sota's arms, attaching herself to her mother.
"Come now, girl pup. You can't just lay on her." Sota told the small girl, trying to take her back, only to be rejected by Kagome's barrier. "She can't make an barrier...can she?"
The girl pup squealed with happiness when she felt her mother's chest rising under her. "Ayn!"
Kagome opened her mouth. "Try to take my girl pup away from me again, Sota, and I'll make another."
"Gome!" He grinned. "I thought! No! I know you were! How?!"
Kagome winced, turning in her mate's arms. "Girl pup. Aura mix with small amount of mine left. Still tired. Go away. Too much light. And room reeks of tears. Shame on you people, thinking I am weak."
Sesshomaru smiled down at her. "You gave us a worry."
"Really?" She laughed musically, but softly. "Then shame on you more for worrying. Were I completely dead, I'd be angry with you for that. I'd come back to haunt you all."
"And I would love that." Sesshomaru leaned down and kissed her. "Do not dare to leave me again, Takahashi Kagome."
"I'll try not to, Takahashi Sesshomau." She grinned, drifting back off to sleep.