Hi there, sorry for the long wait I am in the middle of taking test for the end of my semester. Thank God Summer Break is in a few more days I'm sooooo sick of school! So hop you enjoy my latest chapter!
And like I've said millions of times this story was written in my 7th grade year (I am in 9th grade now) so I've tried to edit it as best as I can!
I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA! ONLY ME AND MY BFF OWN YURI!
Chapter 23: Working Things Out
The group arrived back from their trip but there was nothing better than home. And in speaking of home the feudal companions requested heading back to their own time. Kagome's grandpa came back the day after the rest of the gang got back. Let's just say that everyone didn't give him a nice welcome home. This also leads to everyone noticing that she didn't have the cast on! That gave a ruckus on Kagome and Mayu's part, like mother like daughter.
"Arigatou have a splendid day," Mayu waves goodbye to the man that delivered a replacement for the mirror that broke. The old mirror remains were now in the trash along with its 'secret' history.
Sango at the time was leaning against the entry doorway watching the man walk away as well. The man made her think deeply about how much different this time was compared to her own. The man had lost an arm.
And yet people still think of him as useful…
"Is everything alright?" the mother wonders.
Sango snaps out of it, "oh yes," she wraps the robe around her tighter as she had her pajamas on. A cough surfaces out of her burning, raw throat, "it just amazes me how he's still working with only one arm."
"Why is that?"
"Well (she clears her throat) it's just that one time I met a villager who only had one hand, his name was Koichi. The village that he lived in didn't offer him any jobs because they thought he was useless with only one hand, just some waste. His family was dead and he was by himself, defending what little he had. I was there to exterminate a powerful demon and while battling it half the village got destroyed."
Mayu asks, "what about that man, did he survive."
It became hard to continue to swallow, "the demon used Koichi's body for itself. I tried everything to force the demon out of Koichi's body but…nothing."
Mayu gasps in horror in blanketing her hand over her agape mouth. It makes the exterminator tear out of her deep thoughts, "Gomen, I didn't mean to-"
"Oh, don't worry it just makes me worry about Kagome, how your time is so different and…magical," she explains with caution, "over there all the women, what they do and live for, is to just clean the house, cook the food, and take care of the children. They have such a narrow pathway in choices compared to here. One time Kagome said that one of the girls her age had to marry a man that she barely knew. And because her parents thought that he was a good match for her. And dangerous demons pollute your world as much as humans do, lurking in almost every corner."
Sango sighs but still brings a bright beam, "I understand what you mean, but Kagome is strong and I know her enough to know that she is capable in handling the path that she has chosen. She's also a miko though; she can venture out a lot more than what other women can. Men obey and respect her cause they know what her purpose is."
"Really, I'm glad, brings me some peace of mind," Mayu takes a deep breath into her nose, her chest rising and falling.
"Kami, I wish I can do that," the slayer brings out some sense of humor in seeing Mayu breathe through her nose. Poor Sango's muzzle had become too stuffy that she couldn't breathe without making an unpleasant clogging noise. Mayu laughs.
"Besides she'll have Inuyasha with her."
"I know…I trust him with my daughter more than anyone else. I know he'll protect her as much as she'll protect him. They have a strong bond…" the two beings stroll down the hallway from the door frame, "I'll have to tell them soon."
"Tell who?" the young slayer questions.
"Not only has Kagome decided to stay with Inuyasha but Yuri is also going to be living in the Feudal Era. I think of her as much of a daughter as Kagome. Even if she was adopted by us. I'll have to tell the news to my father and Souta. Souta already knows about Kagome," the mother had a depressed facial expression on her mug. She cups her hands together in praying for their safe jurney.
Sango wanted to hug her but she didn't want her to catch the fever as well. All she could do was break out a few more heavy, treacherous coughs. It was easily noticeable as Mayu puts the tips of her fingers to her sweating forehead. She didn't have to surface her palm on her cranium to tell how hot she was, "You're burning up sweetheart! What about I make you something to drink that'll help you. You can take it with you and lay back down."
It was no decision but an order of worry and concern, "ok, do you have any herbal tea?" questions the sick female in her unusual very weird tone of voice.
"Sorry, but no, you don't mind warm milk do you? I'll put some cinnamon in it to liven up the flavor."
"That's fine, it'll make me sleepy anyway," utters Sango whilst grasping some tissues from a tissue box that she saw on the table. She wipes her pink nose.
"Good you need as much rest as you can," Mayu hurries to the kitchen like her life depended on it, that was Mayu for you.
Kagome came by in meeting her best friend's state, "what are you doing up Sango? You know how Miroku will act if he sees you up like this. You're lucky that he went along with Souta to go get something."
"Relax Kagome, I just woke up and just came downstairs to have a little breather, but instead I ended up having a small chat with your mom. Right know she's making me something to drink to make me feel better," Kagome nods in accepting her explanation and views at the floor. The priestesses' coca eyes narrowed in gloominess.
"You look depressed; has something been bothering you?" the slayer's tone softens.
Kagome snaps out of it, "…I just heard ya'll say about how Mom was going to tell Jii-chan and Souta, it didn't hit me until now, I'm gonna miss them."
Though that wasn't the only thing thriving in her.
Sango smirks very tenderly; she moves a couple strands of delicate hair out of her own face and tugs it behind the shell of her ear, "you can always visit them."
"I know but…" the priestess reveals the miniature deep blue bag hanging on a single thread of leather. The thread dangles as it wraps around the circumference of her thin neck. You could see the twin dead ends of the threads tied together so tight as if they needed one another. Determined to hold on till the end. Sango knew of what was hidden in the tiny coin pocket.
"The jewel is the purpose of why I was able to arrive to the Feudal Era. And I don't think I want to watch over the Shikon no Tama for the rest of my life, guarding it so it won't get into the wrong hands. Like what Kikyo did," she whispers the last past as the teen tucks the jewel back under her shirt. All it leaves is the outline of the necklace under the thin cotton layer.
"You don't have too, and if I was in your position I would make that 'one correct wish' that you told me about and get rid of it once and for all. It's caused too much sacrificing to it keep alive," Sango remarks seriously. The miko bows her head; she felt hopeless.
Sango suddenly feels regret on what she just said, "Gomenosai, I'm just trying to think what would be for the best. But it didn't occur to me that it will also put you through a lot. From Kaede's predictions the Sacred Jewel's final toll will be in closing the Bone Eaters well once you make the wish on it. You won't be able to come back here anymore."
"It's alright; all I hope for is that my choices won't fade into new ones," Kagome speaks wisely. You could tell she had been thinking long and hard about this, "and it's not like it'll be the end of the world. I know I'll meet my family again…either in this world or the next."
This surprised Sango, "Kagome…"
Kagome meant well and Sango couldn't refuse or give her a positive attitude that the well would stay open or one day open again; that she would be able to see her family again. Not after death. But these imagining events won't happen until the Jewel is of no existence to the past and the future. There is still some time in-between now.
Using her arm to block the view of her open mouth Sango then finally clears her throat with a smile still sticking on her lips, "excuse me."
Kagome brought out a smile and it wasn't one of her fake ones either.
"Damn, you got it bad. If I were you I would be laying my ass on the couch with a nice cold smoothie."
"Yuri!" Mayu comes out of the kitchen with a full cup of warm milk, "language!"
Yuri very faintly rolls her eyes in annoyance of still having to watch her language when she was only less than a year from being an adult. She growls, "Anyway here you go," Yuri kindly grabs the mug of warm milk from Mayu and was about to hand it to the sick girl. That's when Kagome brings out a sour face.
Not handing the warm milk to Sango Yuri got distracted by Kagome's reaction. The miko was glaring at the mug, "what? Don't tell me you don't like this stuff?"
Mayu spits out, "she has always refused warm milk and looked at it as if it was poison ever since she was five. Never could get her to drink it again."
The demon exposes a clever smirk over at her warm-milk-hating friend, "well then let's take another try."
Kagome flinches, "heck no!"
"Oh come on it's not like it's going to kill you," Yuri takes a step closer to the miko, "we can do this the easy way or the hard way."
The breed tries to take a swift grip on Kagome's shirt as Kagome makes a bolt to the front door behind Yuri. Having a quick mind Kagome defends herself in saturating her miko powers into her right hand. Yuri freaks as she sees the lady's hand have a mixture of a pink and purple glow coming out of it. The last thing she intended to do was to get her claws purified.
This makes Yuri back up but her footing got messed up as Kagome accidently trips her. Yuri then tumbles down to the floor; spilling the milk all over the hallway floor and on her.
Not intending that to happen Kagome halts to the door and shouts out, "Sorry Yuri but I need to meet up with Inuyasha," and out she went.
I'm gonna kill her!
"Ah! You're gonna pay for that!" Yuri sits up and sniffs. The youkai sticks her tongue out from smelling the sour milk on her hair, face, and shoulders. A towel then drops on her head out of nowhere, only showing half of her distraught outlook. Not removing the towel off her cranium she views up to see Sesshomaru. He had his inner haori and hakama on and his thick silver hair was rinsed off so that it wasn't leaving a trail of water on the floor. He had just gotten out of the downstairs bathroom.
Yuri is the first to address, "what do you want?"
He straightly vocals out this, "you need it more than do," and heads off.
"That was nice of him," said Mayu.
Sango could believe her eyes and shock, "that was not normal."
"Get use to it cause he has been doing it a lot lately," Yuri proclaims as she frictions the towel on her damp hair. She then stares at Buyo licking the milk off the wooden floor, "at least somebody is enjoying themselves," the fat cat meows in agreeing.
"Where have you been you lazy cat?" Yuri speculates.
"We have a next door neighbor who loves cats. Buyo goes over there more than he does here. Seems like he has some friends over there to hang out with now," explains Mayu.
"You have a freaky cat lover as a next door neighbor," barks Yuri as she finally gets up from the messy floor. Mayu sighs and heads back to the kitchen, "you better clean this up Yuri while I make another drink for Sango. And I don't want to hear an complaints."
Yuri pouts in frustration.
Sango just stands there like if she was dragging herself along through life not knowing what to do.
All I wanted was a drink
Kagome makes a run for it as she hides behind the well house. She knew that when she came back into the house that she'd have to confront an angry demon. Catching her breath she starts to have an eerie feeling that something or someone was watching her. A twitching sound flicks the branches of the trees. She jolts as she turns her back to the well house and views the thicket. The forest had been swallowed by its own shadows from the Sun's radiant light.
"Y-Yuri?" she predicts when a cloak of dark red flashes her like a stop sign. All she could she were the three colors that she grew to love so much. His fierce eyes burn in melting gold.
"Inuyasha," she embraces him with joy. She didn't care how much she hated him at the moment. She didn't want to hate him though; I guess you could say she's just mad at him. The only thing she wanted was just have the feeling of being safe and protected, and only by him. Her petite hands ball up on his upper arms in grabbing a chuck of the enormous sleeves of his fire rat kimono. Her head buries into his chest that only her jet black hair remains. It made her realize how much she missed this. Ever since their little uproar in the hotel they've barely talked or seen each other. Her mood immediately changes. She brings up some tears.
Inuyasha, without a doubt, senses her salty liquid drops and wraps around her like a cocoon. His dog ears bow down, "forgive me."
Sobs come out of her as all he can do is wait. His cheek rests on the side of her soft cranium whereas his silver hair slides off his broad shoulders and curtains over her. His thick bangs swathe his eyes, "stop crying."
She hiccups and back fires, "why do you always tell me to stop crying? Why can't you just let be pour it out! What else do you want me to do bottle it up inside! Like YOU!"
He still held on to her tiny form as he let her scream out her beliefs and profound emotions. He sighs in exhaustion; his ears throbbing from her yells.
"Don't shut me out, don't," she grips the front of his kimono. Her knuckles as white as snow from the pressure. He could hear sadness, fury, fear, and caring mixing together in her voice.
She had never been this outward to him before. And it shocked him more than anything. The half-dog demon's main priority was on her. Kagome's voice began to lose its moist and gentle pattern, "…it…it hurts."
He takes the effort to soothe her by slowly shushing her, "I know…damn it I'm sorry. This is all my fault."
The atmosphere began to settle after a couple of minutes and they just stood there together until Kagome glares up at him. Inuyasha's arms only rope around her waist that he had his lengthy fingers intertwined mutually. Her hands were still in their punching shape but held no threat as she interrupts the peaceful silence, "what did I do wrong to make you so upset."
"It's not really you, it's…me," he says in a grave accent. Kagome saw it into his sun kissed irises that he had been blaming on his own actions.
"Why?"
"It's what I did to you," he starts to get mad. She could see that as clear as day, "and I can't seem to forgive myself."
"But what's reminding you of this?"
He backs away to view at her fully and without permission swiftly snatches the medal handle of her zipper and unzips her jay blue hoodie. The hanyou – in demonic speed – roughly drags the hoodie down her shoulders that it spooks her and lets it dangle down her elbows. Pulling up one of her short sleeves his miko could see the evidence like a sore thumb. He points at it like if it was something deadly, "this!"
The proof was five tiny lines of scars on her forearm. The front of her arm held one lonely scar as the back of her arm claims four that went down vertically one by one. The same was for her other arm as well. Kagome remembers these markings vividly and she doesn't hide them.
The scars went back to Kaguya's Castle. When princess Kaguya was casting a spell that was turning Inuyasha into his full demon form. And since Kagome was the only one to prevent him from turning it caused him to pierce his sharp nails into her flesh.
"To you it may seem that I'm making a big deal out of this but you're not the one who did it with your own hands. Everytime I think about it I want to kick my own ass for it," he barks in fisting his clawed hands. Her hanyou takes one of his bare foots backwards again and angles his body that half of him was out of her view. The young man follows his sight to the natural ground. The invisible aura that Kagome senses around him spreads in aggressiveness. The wind picks up.
The female gazes at the person who was not human but neither was he demon in all his glory as a breeze ripples his baggy crimson clothes that only exposes his naked feet and hands. His long white mane floats; the bulky strands of hair that hang on the side of his face tickles his lips.
Words linger out of his lips, "what if I'm wrong, what if I still can't protect you when I turn into a fully fledged demon? When I can't control myself," the teen then came in front of him so suddenly that she couldn't even remember how she got to standing in front of him.
"I'm afraid that when I transform to myself I'll see your blood tainted on my hands again like that time when we were finding Naraku in our final battle with him…" she remembered that time also; it left a scar as well on her left shoulder. Then she sees scarlet lines roll down his fists from his nails drawing blood, "but the next time I'll see you… I'm scared you'll be…" she immediately comes up to him and grabs his injured hands.
"Inuyasha, stop, your only hurting yourself!" she unravels his bloody hands and sees deep gashes on his palms. It made her weakly gasp from how much blood managed to spill out from this lethal claws.
"But I deserve it!"
"No you don't. It's not your fault," she sketches over his soaked hands again.
"Yes it is," he jerks his hands from her touch. His jerk only made her come closer to him though.
Stop…please.
Kagome then arches her neck up to check on him and cups her hands on his cheeks. Her abrupt movement startles him but he rapidly reverts back to his gloomy depression. He definitely was a sad puppy and locks his eyes shut, "You stupid wench I don't get you. How come you still stay with me in knowing the greatest cause of your death is right in front of you. Why?" he tightens his throat as he tries to steady his voice.
With all the problems that I inflict on her she wouldn't want to stay…who would want to anyway?
Kagome thought hard to say her answer, but she also knew that every second that flew by would make his doubts towards her grow. She didn't want him to suffer…nothing had to be perfect. She desperately wanted him to trust her as she trusts him. Her brows scrunch mutually as she doesn't hesitate to spit it out, "I am not going to break my promise! I know it's something that I might not ever understand or grasp but…I'm not leaving you!"
He leans his face on one of her hands to make more contact. Gold meets coffee as they stare into one another. Inuyasha could look at those lush, dark orbs forever. To him he could read her eyes like a book as they were easy to see her soul through them.
Next was not what he literally expected at the slightest as she speaks out, "and also because of this," she tip toes up to connect their mouths.
Hopefully it will get through that thick head of his. Almost reaching to a five second kiss he waits until she breaks it. It's not like he wasn't complaining. Getting back on her heals she felt awkward just standing there. Together they break out a blush. Lifting his spirits up the inu-hanyou tweaks his triangle ears in softy chuckling inside is mouth in seeing her reaction. He goes back to reality though, "you're willing to do that."
"If it…" she stops in embarrassment.
"If it what?"
"If...," she turns her head away.
"Kagome?"
She takes the courage to face him whereas her coco eyes were sincere. Black hair swings in the air, her appearance swallows into his shadow, and a small docile voice comes out, "if it means being with you. I don't care what the cost is, risky or not. Nor of what villagers will think of me…," she gallantly intertwines her petite hands with his along their hips, "I want to stay by your side for as long as I can until you tell me to go."
The half-demon felt like something hit his chest and blew all the oxygen out of his lungs. Did he hear her right? He repeats her last sentence over and over in his head. What did she fully mean by that?
'I want to stay by your side for as long as I can…'
Did she mean forever?
Their hands didn't separate. Biting her lower lip she awaits for his response. Really, he didn't know what say at this point. He never really imagined that this would actually be happening. Besides he is what every one of the villagers would call him a filthy half-breed. That never stopped Kagome from accepting who he was though.
"W-what do you mean by that?"
Her stomach churned, she was kind of hoping that he would get what she 'officially' meant and to have to explain any further. She nervously swallows gently and whispers so quietly that only he could hear with his demonic hearing, "I want to live in the Feudal Era, with you."
Controlling himself in being on the verge to blinking uncontrollably he was beginning to imagine that this is just a dream and in any minute he'll wake up and this never happened. This all just in his head, right? This can't happen to a hanyou….or can it? He rolls his voice over his tongue, "you want to live with me?"
She nods.
He breathes out his breath that he had been holding. He had the urge to just burst out a big smile, but he would only do it if Kagome was smiling but she wasn't. She had extreme excitement, nervousness, jitters, and eagerness on her face as she glares at the ground. Staring at her shoes he tightens his grip on her hand in acceptance of her offer. It made her shoulders crunch slightly to her head in not knowing how to handle this new experience that she was going through. Though he had gone through this once with Kikyo; agreeing to turn human for her and live with her in the past it still wasn't that easy for him either. Why did this feel harder though?
"Are you sure?" he knew what would become of this.
"Yeah, I have thought a really lot about the sacrifices I'll have to make."
He fiercely snatches the fabric of her hoodie on her arms and crashes her chest to his. Her hands land on his chest from his fast pull and could see a good view of the rosary on him. His claws then tenderly seize her upper arms. His face surfaces to her midnight black hair. She wasn't scared of him. What he just did would have cared anybody from his fast movements and gripping claws.
But not her.
His claws, fangs, and unbelievable strength are made to kill and yet she thinks of them as one of the things as to why she loves him. No matter what form he takes she always thinks he's beautiful the way he is. Not to mention the dog ears that she adores.
"Then from now on I swear; I promise…I'll keep you safe. Whatever it takes…," Inuyasha muffles in her hair and then shifts his face so that his cheek rests on her dark locks. She smells of that magnificent lavender scent that he craves.
Kagome sweetly smiles, "I trust you…"
Knowing that everything had been settled and planned it drifts the priestess back to where the conversation had started. And she wanted to get some things out of his mysterious mind of his, "Inuyasha."
"Huh," his attention went to her.
"What did you mean when you said 'sort of' back at the hotel when I asked if I did anything wrong to upset you?"
"Because ever since the movies you always wore short sleeves and I could see the marks I did to you long ago and it keep on boiling my anger higher the more you wore short sleeves," he simply explains in slouching his broad shoulders.
"Oh, I'm sorry…" she wonders, "…but didn't act all tense when we were at the pool."
He slightly sighs at her detailed questions.
Why does she have to be so specific!
"I was human at the time Kagome. It was night time and I had human vision – and compared to demon vision it is very useless and poor – so I couldn't see the scars as well as I could. That was one thing that gave me some peace of mind that night."
Folding her arms with an attitude she huffs a pout, "are you saying my vision is useless and poor, it's perfectly fine."
"Keh," he parks his hands on his hips. He seemed kind of off without his sword in making that pose, "for a human that is."
He was always the one with the last call in an argument.
Inuyasha's ear twitches in indicating that he could eavesdrop something off in the distance. Knowing his precious moments with his beloved would end soon. He turns toward the sound, "Looks like Souta and the lecher are back."
A feminine laugh is heard in the background by his side.
Some Inu and Kag fluff! I love to these arguements! So I should post the next and the LAST chapter sooner than last time!
NEXT UPDATE: THE FINAL CHAPTER
PLEASE REVIEW!