Chapter 10: A Life Worth Living

Fire illuminated the small hut as Sango looked over Mimiko. She hadn't stirred since Inuyasha had brought her back.

"Are you sure?" Miroku asked darkly.

"What do you mean 'am I sure'? Of course I'm sure. Do you think I would make this up?" Inuyasha inquired apparently troubled.

Miroku was silent a moment. "No." He sighed heavily. "I know you wouldn't."

Kie who'd been quietly propped against the wall couldn't keep silent any longer. "What's going on?"

His father's eyes cast over him tellingly, the fear and desperation he felt was extremely apparent on his face.

"You can tell me." Kie said with a noble tone. Miroku nodded.

"It's time you new." Miroku took a seat next to his son and took a moment to think. "You know very well about the Shikon jewel. Your mother and I have told you the story a many times, so, I'm sure you know how powerful it is."

Kie began to feel uneasy. He had a feeling that life was somehow going to be much more complicated after tonight.

"When Kagome, Mimiko's mother, came down the well the first time," the aging monk continued, "she carried the jewel in her body without even realizing it. A demon ripped it from her side and somehow it was broken into thousands and thousands of pieces." Miroku looked to Sango sitting by the teenage girl's side and then to Inuyasha, who stood against the doorframe with his arms crossed just listening to the story.

"Yes…and…" Kie nudged his father back into reality.

"I'm afraid it's happened again." Miroku whispered.

Complete and utter silence fell over the hut. No one moved…not one person made a sound.

Kie realized the importance and the danger of having the Shikon jewel broken again. He knew how much power it contained and dangerous it would be for one shard to fall into evil hands.

"We have to get it back." He stated breaking the tension of the disgustingly quiet room.

"Good luck." Inuyasha laughed. He stood up straight and stretched. "It took us years to get the jewel back the first time around." He looked at Kie seriously, his eyes seemingly on fire. "Do you know how many people died for us to put the jewel back together again?"

The boy shook his head.

"Thousands."

Kie swallowed hard. So what if some people had to die? Would it be such a loss to have the jewel restored to in entirety? Wouldn't it be worth it to save the world despite a few mortals?

"Still." Kie stood up to face Inuyasha. "I think it's best that we take it upon ourselves to restore the jewel. Like you said Inuyasha, you've done it before. Sure, it may take a long time but at least everyone would be safe? Right?" His eyes traveled to his mother and the sleeping, or rather unconscious, Mimiko. Sango turned away from the conversation. This couldn't be happening again.

000

Another day went by and Mimiko still hadn't come to. Sango didn't leave her side, just waiting for her to wake up. Inuyasha especially, even though he wouldn't show it.

The only talk was over the re-shattered jewel and how they planned on getting back. Since Naraku was gone there was no eminent threat to get it back immediately but the group knew that the longer they waited the more trouble they were going to run into.

"When do you think we'll be able to start looking?" Kie asked filling his bowl with more soup. Sango had only strayed from her nursing duties long enough to make a small pot of stew.

"I'd say as soon as Mimiko is well enough to walk." Miroku said in a frank manner. He gracefully brought is bowl up to his mouth sipping the soup quietly trying to hide his look from that half demon sitting to the side of him.

"Why would she come with us?" He asked after a moment of thought.

The monk looked to the young apprentice seated across from him and then back at the hanyou. "Because she's your daughter. She'd be great help." Miroku was beginning to think he going to get himself into trouble for suggesting it.

"She's not coming with us." He said simply. The silver haired being slurped his soup in an immature manner and put his bowl down in front of him.

"Why can't she come?" Kie asked being persistent.

"Because she'll be safer if she doesn't." His voice was tinged with annoyance.

"Inuyasha, she could be the difference between finding the jewel and not." Kie set down his bowl, frustration rising. "I understand that she'd be safer but it would be safer if we all didn't go. I guess I don't understand why you won't let her travel with us even if she could but immense help." Kie waited for a response from his family's trusted friend but he said nothing.

The youth stared at the half-demon intensely. He wanted Mimiko to help them; he had this feeling that she would be able to do more for the jewel than any of the rest of them could.

She had power. Amazing power but she hadn't discovered it yet. Kie wasn't anywhere near the end of his training and he could sense her strength. That had to count for something and he'd be damned if he was going to let a spirit such as Mimiko's go to waste.

"Inuyasha…give me a reason. If you can support your not wanting her around than maybe I'll stop fighting for her but-,"

"Kie stop bugging me." Inuyasha growled.

"No, I'm not going to stop bugging you until you tell me."

"Kie…" Miroku warned.

"Dad, you can sense it too. It wouldn't be fair if she didn't go."

"We're not taking a vacation Kie." Sango explained with serious tone.

"I know that! Trust me, I'm fully aware of how dangerous this is going be. I just feel like she needs be here! Inuyasha, you're her father…"

"DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE DIED FOR THAT JEWEL?!" Inuyasha bellowed finially reaching his breaking point. He grabbed Kie by the front of his Kimono and held his face close to his own. "DO YOU?!"

Kie taken aback stared with wide eyes. "Yes." He nodded slowly and respectfully.

"I don't think you do." Inuyasha whispered roughly through barred fangs. "This is not going to be fun. This is not going to be easy. You are going to see things on his journey that will haunt you the rest of you life." The glowing gold eyes in front of him led Kie to believe that everything he was saying was true.

A knot in his stomach that he didn't even know was there suddenly made it's presence known. The half-demon let go of his cloths and he sat back down still heated with anger but more in thought.

Inuyasha was right. It wasn't going to be easy and for the first time since the problem had arisen…he was afraid.

"Who was yelling?" Mimiko's quiet voice came from the corner of the room. She whimpered sitting upright, a sharp pain shooting through her right side. Leaning to lay a hand on her wound she let her eyes travel over the few people in the warm hut.

The girl's cheeks were flushed and Sango bade her to lie back down.

"No, what were you talking about? I've had the strangest dream about the Shikon jewel. What's going on?" The girl's ebony locks fell over her shoulders in a tangled mess but no one paid mind to it.

Inuyasha locked eyes with her and swallowed hard. "Mimi, you have to go back home." He watched her eyes get wide with fear but spoke before she had a chance. "The reason you had that dream was because the jewel is broken again. It was inside you…just like your mom and when that arrow hit you, it shattered the jewel."

There was a moment of silence as they waited for Mimiko to talk.

"Why would have to go back?" She whispered.

"Because it's dangerous. We don't want you to get hurt." Miroku spoke in his friend's defense. Inuyasha gave him a thankful look.

"I can handle it." Mimiko followed up quickly.

"No, Mimi…you know so little about this time, and you can't fight…"

"Yes I can!" She stopped him. Tears began to form on the corners of her lashes. "I can use a sword…I taught myself and mom taught archery." She waited for there reaction but there was none. "And as for not knowing about this time…I'll learn! I'm smart; I catch onto things quickly. Mom did okay…she had to learn too." Her voice remained strong even though she was breaking down.

She got up slowing, catching herself on the wall nearest to her when she stumbled. Carefully, she made her way over to her father, Miroku and Kie with Sango right behind her.

"Please…you can't send me back."

"Mimi…" Inuyasha whispered.

"No, you don't understand. I want to be here, I want to be with you." She pleaded her, voice finally cracking. "Finally, I have a life worth living. I've never been worth anything and now I'm here and I'm a someone's friend," she looked to Kie with sweet tear filled eyes and smiled. "And I'm someone's family." She said looking back to Inuyasha. A single tear rolled down her cheek.

She took a deep breath and still no one said a word. Moments passed and not a sound was uttered.

"There's nothing for me back there. A house I can't keep. People I can't face. Bills I can't pay and…" she trailed off letting another tear drop. She look at the man with the same eyes as her and choked back a sob. "A funeral I can't plan."

Sango placed a hand on her shoulder for support and looked at Miroku with sad eyes.

Kie wanted nothing more than to take her hurt away.

Inuyasha blinked back the forming tears of his own before anyone had a chance to notice them.

"Mimi…" She looked up. "You have to promise to be careful. And you have to listen to me; to all of us." His daughter nodded furiously. Her eyes shone with hope. "It's going to take every single one of us…including you."

She stood there for a minute before gently wrapping her arms around her father's middle and burring her face into his kimono.

"Thank you." She whispered so that only he and his acute senses could hear. "You don't know what you've done for me."

And that was true. Inuyasha had no clue was the future was to hold for his offspring or what she would hold for the future.

THE END.

A/N: Okay guys…end of part one. I really hope you all liked it well enough to keep reading the series! -Laughs hysterically- But now is where all of you come in. I want my next story to be as close to the show as possible, which means they are going to meet a bunch of people on their journey. This is your chance to be part of the story! I'm going to need two characters to join the traveling group and a bunch more to serve as "walk on roles". Each chapter of the next story will serve as one 'episode' if you catch my drift. And don't worry. Kagome will play a role in her daughter's and Inuyasha's life still; and Shippo will come back as well, so don't worry.

Okay…well, get me those OC's! And review!

Critiria for other characters:

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Character: (what are they like? Do they have any quirck we need to know about?)

Brief physical description:

Brief background: (Has anything tramatif happened to them? Who's their family? Yada, yada, yada…)