A/N: Hey guys! I'm back and with the final chapter as I promised. I know a lot of you were like "to hell with that scholarship! You suck!" lol. Love you too.
I really want to thank
Miley101 who took her dear time to type "please" about a million times for me to write the next chapter. Seriously though, my hand would have been out of order if I typed it up that many times.
Moongirl12121 for reviewing, like, every chapter (I really love you!)
Sierra Brashaw and Tora Lynn for pointing out my mistakes and giving out advice on how to improve my next chapter.
Inu-gami-sama for being a wonderful 11 year old reviewer.
RAWRMeansILoveYou123 for complimenting me on how well I keep the characters in character (I really like your pen name by the way!)
And all of my other reviewers ( I know I left out a lot of you guys )
I remember that one of the reviewers asking me how I came up with the name Myori. It means peacock in my language.
I know there were a lot of grammatical mistakes and some of you even pointed out some of the silly mistakes I made, such as 'how Kaede was still alive'. It made me ponder about it for a while too. Lol. Let's just say she's trying to make it into the guiness book of world records. As for my grammar, you guys really don't know what a few years of staying in India could do to your English. Anyways, on with the last chapter!
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in the story except for Sarto, Myori and Shinto and the other villains I added. Boy, that's quite a few characters.
"Inuyasha, do you think that they could have gotten this far?"
"I'm not quite sure." Inuyasha replied. "Their scent is fading quickly."
They went on further and they reached a steep hill. The rocks seemed loosely packed and it would be easy to slip and fall.
"I don't think they could have passed through here", Inuyasha said before turning around.
"But don't you think it's a good idea to go down and check?" Kagome retorted as she neared the edge. The forest seemed to end there and the land continued as a plain.
"No, I think Inuyasha is right", Miroku chimed in. "Koga's lair would most probably be within the forest premises. Besides, those two wouldn't be able to get down from here."
Miroku's statement made sense and as Kagome turned as well, the rock below her foot crumbled to the ground, causing the miko to fall backward with a cry. She started to roll down, meeting quite a few sharp rocks.
"Kagome!" Inuyasha was after her in moments. He caught her hand just as her head hit a large boulder, knocking her unconscious. He held her in his arms, carrying her up. Sango was at her side in seconds as Inuyasha laid her on the ground. Her head was bleeding and her ankle showed signs of swelling meaning it was sprained. Sango took out the red cloth that was tied to her waist and held it to Kagome's forehead in order to stop the bleeding.
"Sango, you should take her back to the village. Miroku and I will continue", Inuyasha said.
"She's going to be okay, right?" Shippo asked with a concerned expression.
"Don't worry, Shippo. She'll be fine. Let's get going", Sango reassured.
Inuyasha carried Kagome to Kirara, laying her on the cat demon's back. Sango got on behind her. Shippo got on Shinto and as Kirara took off, Shinto kept pace with her by running directly beneath her.
When both Inuyasha and Miroku lost sight of them, Inuyasha headed back into the forest with Miroku close by. As Inuyasha went in deeper into the forest his ears perked up suddenly as his nose caught a scent.
"What is it, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked the half-demon as he saw the look on his face.
"I think I found them", Inuyasha replied. "But with their scent is….."
Myori and Sarto were looking straight into the eyes of a tall and rather muscular man. He had course auburn hair that complimented his tan skin. There were claw like black markings on the side of his face. A sword that resembled a fang, much like Inuyasha's, was held in his hand. His eyes burned an impressive hue of red. But he wasn't really the object of what was causing them fear. It was the beast that stood beside him, snarling visciously. It looked similar to the one that attacked Myori the day she was running away from Koga except that it looked a bit smaller in size.
"I think we ran into a tasty couple don't you think, Yoshia?" the demon said, placing his hand on top of the beast's head.
Sarto and Myori took a step back, their eyes wide with panic.
"Do you think we should run for it?" Sarto whispered.
"Not before answering a few questions", the demon answered instead, startling the young boy. Sarto had forgotten how sharp a demon's hearing was.
"What do you want?" Myori gathered up the courage to confront the youkai though she could feel her palms beginning to break into a cold sweat.
"Myori, I don't think that's such a great idea", Sarto advised shakily, but still admiring her daring nature.
"I was wondering whether you knew a certain half-demon by the name of Inuyasha", he asked, taking a step forward menacingly.
"Myori, don't say-" but Sarto was cut off.
"What do you want with my father?" Myori replied fiestily. Sarto groaned. It would have been better if she just shut her mouth up.
"My, I think I've found myself the jackpot, Yoshi", the demon said ending the sentence with a low growl. Yoshi looked as if he were ready to pounce upon them the second his master gave the command.
While Myori stood there eyeing him down, Sarto grabbed her wrist and pulled her with him as he turned and sprinted. Myori nearly tripped as she tried to catch up with him. The demon that still stood behind them narrowed his eyes and gave the order his beast was so eagerly waiting for "kill them."
"Why can't you just keep your mouth shut?" Sarto scowled as they ran.
"How can I when he was asking about my father?" Myori replied.
"You really are half witted", Sarto retorted.
When they heard a roar behind them, they didn't even need to turn back to guess what it was. Sarto knew it was a futile attempt to escape the hungry looking beast which was already at their heel. Myori's heart raced. Why the hell was that demon after them? It was hopeless. It wouldn't be too soon before it caught them. She felt her legs tiring and tears started to sting her eyes. She didn't want to die yet! Atleast not before seeing Koga for one last time and apologizing to her father. After she set out on the journey she had considered her mother's words. She knew that her father went through some rough times since his childhood. He was only trying to shield her from the same fate. He was only worried that Koga may not turn out to be the correct person for her. Maybe if she had reasoned with him in a better manner, things wouldn't have gotten this far.
Another deep roar jerked Myori out of her thoughts. It was close now. So close she could practically feel it breathing down her back. Just then her foot hit an unseen branch that seemed to emerge from the dirt and she tripped, falling straight on her face.
"Myori!"
She heard Sarto's cry as she turned around in time to see the tiger demon pounce and she shut her eyes, covering her face with her arms.
"Don't you dare lay a nasty paw on my daughter!"
"Daddy?" Myori uncovered her face to see Inuyasha jump over her to cut through Yoshi, who gave an eerie howl before collapsing beside Myori.
"I'm relieved to see that both of you are okay", Miroku said before casting a death glare towards his son. Sarto knew he was in for a lecture when they reached home. Myori picked herself up, her eyes transfixed on the hanyou that was standing in front of her defensively.
"Daddy, I'm-"
"Well, well, well. That is quite a reunion."
Inuyasha's grip on tetsusaiga tightened. "Who the hell are you?" he growled.
"Koga, I have a message for you."
"What is it, Hae Won?"
"Ayame is coming."
Koga, who was lying on the floor, sat up immediately. "When?" he asked with a concerned frown.
"Hey, Koga! How are you? Did you miss me?", came a voice as if an answer to his question.
(A/N: I've never really watched the Inuyasha episodes with Ayame in it, so she may not be in character)
The female wolf demon entered the cave and gave Koga a tight hug, who made no effort to return. She was the last person he wanted to see at the moment.
"I didn't think you were going to return from the northern lands. Didn't you say that you had affairs to attend to?" Koga asked.
"Oh, those are all taken care of. Now we can marry at last", she replied with a broad smile.
Koga looked away from her eyes. Marrying Ayame? This girl was pestering him ever since he could remember. It was true she was a worthy wife. None of the demonesses of his clan could match her bravery and zeal. But still, he knew where his heart belonged. If it weren't for Inuyasha, he would have never let Myori go. He didn't want her being torn between her father and himself.
"Why are you so silent?"
Koga felt Ayame's eyes on him, but didn't turn his face to meet her gaze. This was getting complicated. How was he supposed to explain all this to her? Or should he just forget about Myori and marry the demoness? No, that sounded highly impossible. He could never forget her and since that was the case, he could never make Ayame happy after they married.
"You reek of that tiger demon", the angry half-demon half shouted at the youkai. "What do you guys have against us?"
Before replying, the demon glanced at his now dead beast and his eyes burned a darker shade of red.
"My name is Kana. I am the king of the tiger demons and it was you who murdered my eldest son, was it not? And I believe it was this weakling who murdered my other son", he said, glaring at Myori. "I am here to seek revenge for my sons' death and trust me, you shall pay dearly."
"That figures", Inuyasha scoffed. "Keep on dreaming, you old punk!"
Inuyasha charged at Kana, but just as he was about to strike, he dissappeared.
"Where did he go?" Inuyasha stood there a moment, confused.
"I'm right here", said the demon into Inuyasha's ear from behind before lashing out at him, but before he had the chance to strike the hanyou's flesh, Inuyasha jumped out of the way, landing before him swiftly.
"Miroku, get those two out of here!" Inuyasha commanded.
Judging by Inuyasha's tone, the monk clearly understood that this demon was not to be underestimated.
"Come on!" Miroku ushered the two.
"Not so fast", Kana said, lashing out his hand. From his index finger a golden whip like rope extended forward, slamming the trio to a tree trunk at once and tying itself around them and it lost its connection with Kana's finger. The three struggled against the rope, trying to break free, but the more they struggled, the tighter it became and at last they gave up.
Inuyasha gave a low growl. He had to finish this idiot fast. He wanted them out of range for his wind scar, but that seemed impossible now. If he used any of tetsusaiga's attacks, he would end up killing everyone.
"Don't worry, you hanyou. I'll kill them all soon enough", the tiger demon said indifferently.
Inuyasha made no effort to yell back a comment and instead attacked him head on. Kana was definitely too fast, but he knew there had to be some way to defeat him. The battle raged on and swords clashed, yet Kana didn't seem to have a single scratch on his body. Inuyasha was already bleeding in several places. By the looks of it, most of the wounds were quite deep. Inuyasha was panting, his expression still fierce.
"Tired already?" Kana mocked. "Well, I guess that is all that I can expect from a filthy half blood like you."
"We need to help him!" Myori said desperately. She couldn't just stand there and watch her father be torn to pieces.
"But this rope is too tight. I don't think we can break through this", Sarto replied. He too was worried about Inuyasha's state.
"I think I have a plan", Miroku said. The other two looked at him with curiosity. "This rope is nothing but a part of his demonic energy. The sutras should work on it."
"Great. So you got this idea now?" Sarto asked sarcastically.
"They're within my kimono, near my chest", Miroku answered while giving him a glare.
"Let me try to get them", Sarto said as he was bound beside Miroku. He bent over, trying to reach his dad's kimono front to pull out the sutras with his teeth.
Meanwhile, Sango reached the village and stopped before Kaede's hut. She got off of Kirara.
"Kaede, are you there?" Sango called out.
"What is it, child?" Kaede came out of the hut to see Kagome. "What happened? Where are the others?"
"I'll tell you later. Kagome fell down a cliff. She hit her head against the rocks. I think she may have a sprained ankle as well", Sango answered.
"Bring her inside the hut. I will tend to it", Kaede answered.
Sango obeyed and carried Kagome inside, laying her down on Kaede's bed. Shippo sat beside her with Sango. Kaede took out some herbs and ground them together. Both Sango and Shippo watched the priestess as she made the herbal medicine and cleaned Kagome's wounds before gently applying the paste to them. She then tended to her ankle, gently tying a bandage around it.
"Do not worry. She will be fine. Her ankle will heal in a few days", Kaede reassured to the demon slayer and kitsune who were watching her intently. "Now, tell me what happened."
Inuyasha was thrown harshly to the floor by a powerful punch. He was beginning to weaken. Before he could get up, Kana plunged his sword into his abdomen, earning a sharp cry. Inuyasha curled as the tiger demon removed his sword swiftly. His breath became ragged and laboured.
"Daddy!"
Inuyasha heard his daughter cry out. There was no way he could let this continue. He had to protect her. He got up with much effort, using his tetsusaiga as support.
"Sarto, hurry up!" Miroku rushed his son.
"I….almost….got it", Sarto strained his neck as he found the sutras. He finally caught them with his teeth and pulled them out with a triumphant look on his face.
"Good! Now bend over and touch them to the rope", Miroku ordered.
Sarto did as told and with a great flash the rope around them broke free. Kana narrowed his eyes.
"You lot are despicable", he spat.
"Look who's talking", Inuyasha retorted. The hanyou knew that it wouldn't take much time for other demons to appear. The air was thick with the scent of his blood and it would be a feast for the hungry demons.
Miroku ran forward to help Inuyasha but he halted him.
"Miroku, this is my fight. You take care of those two. I can handle him myself", Inuyasha said firmly.
"You sure talk a lot for a half dead guy", Kana mused. He then disappeared out of sight again and reappeared behind Inuyasha just like the previous time. He drew his sword back and plunged it once more into his back. Inuyasha screamed in agony.
"No!" Myori's eyes brimmed with tears and she ran towards her father in an attempt to save him.
"Myori, stop!" Miroku shouted after her.
Koga stood up abruptly causing Ayame to look at him in confusion.
"What is it?" she asked him.
"I smell blood", Koga answered. "Something is going on out there."
"Koga, it's just some demons feeding. Why get so worked up about that?" Ayame said casually.
But Koga knew it was something more. This blood scent wasn't of just some worthless demon. He knew this scent very well. It was Inuyasha's. His body went rigid with alarm. What was Inuyasha doing out here and what happened to him? And his next thought made his heart pound like crazy. Was Myori with him as well? He took off without uttering a word. Myori stared after him and placed her hands on her hips.
"Well, that was certainly rude", Ayame said out loud. "Does he always behave this way?"
"Well", Hae Won started, scratching the back of his head thinking whether to tell her or not. "He met this girl recently."
"A girl?" Ayame turned around suddenly with a frown. "What girl?"
"Inuyasha's daughter", Hae Won answered hesitantly. "He actually kidnapped her to get revenge because Kagome married him. But things turned out differently than he expected them to."
It took a moment for Ayame to catch what Hae Won was trying to say and when she did, her face contorted with anger. So that was why Koga didn't receive her as she expected him to. He was in love with another woman. How dare he? Without further comment she took off after him as well.
"Oh boy. Now you did it, Hae Won", came a voice from one of the clan members. Hae Won sighed. He was so finished when Koga came back.
Koga knew he was nearing the battle area. The scent of blood was getting thicker and so was his fear for he sensed Myori's scent as well. She must have come looking for him. This was all his fault.
Myori threw herself at Kana, wrapping her arm around his neck in an attempt to strangle him. The youkai pulled his sword out of Inuyasha who collapsed to the ground in pain. Miroku and Sarto stared in shock.
"M-Myori, get out of here", he gasped.
Kana threw her off effortlessly and she fell back onto the ground. Her eyes showed nothing but sheer determination. The tiger demon raised his sword to strike. Sarto's eyes widened and Inuyasha struggled to get up.
"Run, you idiot!" Inuyasha yelled. Myori made no attempt to escape. There was no way she was going to leave her dad. Miroku rushed forward with his staff, blocking the sword before it could swing downward towards Myori. Kana smirked.
"Do you really think you can stop me?" the youkai threw Miroku straight into a tree easily. The monk was knocked out cold even before he fell to the ground. It all happened in a matter of seconds and now even Myori stared in shock.
"Now, back to you", Kana said and raised his sword again. Just as he was about to strike a gust of wind blew in the form of a small tornado right in the middle of the battle area. The dust settled down to reveal the familiar wolf demon.
"Koga!" Myori was on her feet with joy.
Koga took a look around. The monk was knocked unconscious and the boy he had previously seen with Myori was beside him. Inuyasha was drenched in blood and breathing heavily on the ground. Above all, a tiger demon was standing before him, a sword held in his hand.
"Who are you?" Koga questioned, getting ready into a fighting stance in case the villain tried to attack. By the looks of it, he seemed like a formidable enemy.
"Why should I respond to a low life like you?" Kana answered arrogantly.
"He's after us for killing his sons, the tiger demons", Myori replied.
"Tiger demons?" Koga thought back and realization dawned upon him and he smirked.. "You believe that this girl is the one who killed your son?"
Kana frowned at Koga's question. "What are you trying to get at?"
"Why, I didn't think that your nose was so poor. It was I that killed your son. Not this woman", Koga replied. "Show your wrath upon me if you can. Not on a defenseless girl."
Kana growled. "You are wrong. This girl's scent was on my son's body. She will die!"
"If you lay one filthy hand on her, I swear I will tear you to shreds and make you beg for mercy!"
Just as he said that line a female wolf demon appeared at the scene. She stood there astonished. She never saw Koga this worked up before. She looked across the ground to see a female inu standing. Was she the one Hae Won was talking about? Koga didn't even seem to recognize her presence.
Inuyasha saw the change in Koga's behaviour as the tiger demon mentioned Myori. He wasn't the same immature demon he had known him to be. He seemed, if possible, even more protective of Myori than he was.
"Is that so?" Kana took his fighting stance.
They both charged at eachother and Kana used the same trick he used on Inuyasha. He disappeared right before Koga could strike him and reappeared behind him.
"Game over", Kana sneered.
"Not quite", Koga retorted. He surprised Kana by turning around swiftly and plunging him to the ground by holding his neck. Koga was the perfect opponent for Kana as he matched him in speed. Kana kicked the wolf demon off of him and coughed as he stood up, taking a step backward. It didn't take long for the two of them to engage in battle again. Inuyasha looked on in awe as the two of them were nothing but blurs as they fought.
"What's going on here?" Ayame asked as she saw Inuyasha covered in blood.
"You should just stay out of the way", Inuyasha said leaning back into the tree trunk. Ayame gritted her teeth. Stay out of the way?
"Hey, you, watch out!" Sarto grabbed Ayame's wrist, pulling her out of the way as Kana's sword came flying downwards. It seemed that Koga unarmed him finally. The sword plunged into the ground. If that had hit Ayame, she was sure to be a gonner.
"Um…thank you", Ayame said to the young man who just saved her life.
"No problem", Sarto said, returning back to try to wake Miroku up and succeeded
"What did I miss?" Miroku asked as he sat up, rubbing his head. Then he caught a glimpse of Koga in the midst of the battle. "How in the world did he appear here?"
"Miroku, I want you to get out of range. I'm going to use the wind scar", Inuyasha told the monk as he got up slowly.
Miroku gave a nod and signalled Myori to come with him. Myori gave a last glance at her dad who was looking at Koga before joining Miroku and Sarto, who grabbed Ayame's wrist again, pulling her with him
"You don't want to get in their way. Trust me", he said.
Myori made no attempt to hold back and the four of them ran out of sight back towards the village. Myori couldn't help but feel fear. What if her dad didn't return? No, she shouldn't be thinking like that at a time like this.
Inuyasha felt raw pain eating him from the inside out. It as difficult just to stand and he was losing blood fast. He needed to use the wind scar before he collapsed. He focused his senses so that he could see the demonic energy.
"Koga!" he called out to the wolf demon. "Out of my way!"
Koga stopped the fight for a moment to look at Inuyasha who was holding tetsusaiga up. He had seen that stance before and knew what Inuyasha was about to do. He immediately removed himself from the area making Kana confused for a second, but that was all Inuyasha needed.
"Wind scar!"
Inuyasha cut through the streak and the tiger demon gave a howl as the wind scar cut sharply through his body. When it was over, half of the trees in the forest were blown away, leaving giant and deep claw like marks on the ground. Inuyasha then collapsed but Koga caught him before he touched the ground.
"I never thought this day would come", he said as he shifted Inuyasha to his back to carry him back to the village.
As the four reached the village, they heard a loud howl as if a creature was in terrible pain. Myori tensed. What was happening back there?
"What is the connection between you and Koga?" Ayame asked finally.
Myori blushed before looking at her saying, "what is it to you?"
"What is it to me? I'm supposed to be his fiance", Ayame retaliated.
Myori stood there in sheer shock. His fiance? Is that why he rejected her? Sarto and Miroku looked at eachother and sighed. Why were women like this?
"He was betrothed to me a long time ago", Ayame continued. "I've watched him for many years, but I've never seen him in such a state as today."
Myori looked at her confused. "What do you mean?"
"Koga was never so protective of anyone. But today, the look in his eyes was different. I am his fiance and I have the power to make him marry me, but that would accomplish nothing but misery for the both of us", Ayame said. "I think I know who he would be better off with. Besides, I think I will find a better husband myself."
Myori looked at Ayame's face. She gave her a genuine smile. She couldn't believe it. She was actually willing to leave the one she was engaged to even before she was born.
"You're back!"
Sango came out with Kagome, who put an arm around her for support. Kaede stood beside them. Kagome was limping slightly, but she looked relieved to see that Myori and Sarto were safe. Myori ran to give her mother a hug who returned it gratefully.
"Where is Inuyasha?" Kagome asked.
Myori turned around as she heard rustling and to her horror, she saw her Koga carrying her father who seemed to have lost consciousness.
"What happened to him?" Kagome looked as if she was ready to have a heart attacked.
"Bring him inside", Kaede said hurriedly to Koga, who brought Inuyasha into the hut. He laid him down on the same bed that Kagome had laid on previously. "The rest of you, please stay outside."
Koga stepped out and Kagome obeyed Kaede reluctantly. The wolf demon seemed unsure of what to do as he saw the expression on Myori's face. It was only then did he seem to notice Ayame who was standing beside the female inu.
"When did you come here?" he asked.
Ayame only glared at him. "I see there has been a lot going on since I went to the northern lands."
Koga looked away. Myori heard what they were saying, but kept silent. She was worried more about her father at the moment.
"I think I should leave", Koga said, but paused as he saw the look on Myori's face as she turned her head abruptly towards him. It was a mixed expression of hurt, sadness and fear.
"I don't think so", Ayame retorted. "We've got matters to settle."
"What?" Koga was puzzled.
Kaede examined Inuyasha after she removed his haori. He had already lost a lot of blood and his breathing was shallow. She took out some cloths to stop the bleeding and called Miroku in to help her. The rest sat outside in silence, anxious about Inuyasha's condition. Even Koga made no effort to return to his cave.
"I need you to hold this cloth to his wound. The bleeding needs to be stopped", Kaede told the monk.
Miroku did as told and Kaede ground up some herbs as always and applied it to his wounds, gently smearing it over the cuts. Inuyasha stirred and his eyebrows furrowed as if he was in pain. Kaede carefully bandaged the major wounds after applying the medicine to them. Inuyasha woke as she finished bandaging him and looked around.
"How are you feeling?" Miroku asked.
"Where's Myori?"
Miroku sighed. He should have guessed that he would ask about her first. Inuyasha tried to sit up, but a sharp pain tore through his abdomen causing him to hiss and fall backward. Miroku caught him and gently laid him back.
"You shouldn't be up for a few days. I'll call her in", Miroku said and went outside.
The moment the others saw Miroku come out, they all stood up in unison and waited for him to tell what Inuyasha's condition was.
"He's fine but he shouldn't be up for a while", Miroku reassured and then looked at Myori. "He wants to see you."
Myori immediately went inside the hut and when she saw her father, she felt relief flooding her. She sat down beside him, not knowing how to start. Should she just say sorry? No, she dragged the situation too far to let it go with a single apology. It was her fault that her father was in this state.
"Myori", Inuyasha was the first to speak. His voice was weak, yet stern. "I'm sorry."
"What?" Myori said out loud in surprise and confusion. Why was he apologizing to her? Wasn't she the one to apologize? "Daddy, I think I'm the one who should apologize. All of this was because of me."
Inuyasha's eyes softened and he took her hand in his before kissing it lightly. "I should have understood you better. I think you were right about Koga."
Myori smiled with joy. This meant that he was agreeing to let her have a relationship with Koga.
"Myori, all I wanted to do was protect you", Inuyasha continued. "But I guess I didn't know that I was building a cage around you instead."
"No, daddy", Myori replied as she held his hand tighter. "I've never felt that way. I've always felt free around you. I love you, daddy."
Inuyasha gave a smile and this time, ignoring the pain, he sat up and pulled his daughter into a warm embrace. "I love you too."
This moment meant everything to Myori. She wasn't even thinking about Koga. She never wanted to lose her dad.
"Now, how about you let me talk to Koga?"
Myori raised a brow giving a 'do you really think that is a good idea' look.
"Come on, trust me", Inuyasha read her expression.
The young girl stepped outside and before she could call Koga Kagome, Sango and Shippo rushed in to see Inuyasha. They were no doubt fussing over him and telling him to be more careful. She approached Koga who was standing alone. Ayame seemed to be engaged in a conversation with Sarto.
"Could you stay here for a while longer?" she asked without making eye contact.
"What do you mean by a while longer?" Koga inquired.
"My father wants to talk to you", Myori replied and turned to leave but Koga caught her hand, stopping her in her tracks and making her heart pound suddenly.
"Why did you take such a risk? Why did you come after me?"
Myori spun around with an angry look in her eye. "Do you not know? Or are you playing dumb?"
Koga frowned. "Myori, I'm betrothed. I cannot do this."
"Oh, so you tell me this now?" Myori said sarcastically.
Koga pulled her away from the others so that they were alone and took her into her arms suddenly, surprising her.
"So, um, is this your home village?" Ayame asked Sarto.
"Yeah, Myori and I grew up here", Sarto replied. "We've been really close." He got a distant look in his eye which did not go unnoticed by Ayame. "She used to share everything with me."
"You loved her, didn't you?" Ayame asked. Sarto paused, looking away. He saw Myori going up to Koga and couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy.
"You could put it that way", he answered. Ayame too was looking at the pair and she sighed. "I guess love is always like this."
"That makes the two of us", Ayame retorted.
"You mean, you were in love with Koga?"
"We were engaged. I was supposed to marry him a long time ago, but duty called."
They both then saw Koga taking Myori away from their sight.
"But, I think I can find someone worthy of me", Ayame said with a smile. "I wanted to thank you by the way for saving my life back there."
"Hey, it's no big deal", Sarto returned the smile. "You don't seem half as bad as you look."
Ayame raised a brow. "Is that supposed to be a compliment?"
"You can take it that way", Sarto said. "But I have to say that you are beautiful."
It took a while for Ayame to register that and when she did, she blushed. Koga had never said that.
"Myori, I never wanted to leave you", Koga said in a low voice. "It's just that…"
"Just what?" Myori pulled away, looking into his eyes. "Was it because of that female wolf demon?"
"Ayame?" Koga said. "No, it's not about her."
"Was it because of my dad?" Myori questioned further. Taking his silence as a yes she then realized that Koga didn't want her to be torn between the two of them. "You don't have to worry about that anymore."
"What do you mean?"
"My dad has consented to us being together."
"Are you serious?" Koga couldn't believe it. He never thought that Inuyasha would even consider him.
"He wanted to talk with you."
When Kagome and the others finished fussing over Inuyasha, Koga found the time to talk with the hanyou at last.
"Myori told me that you wanted to talk with me. So, what is it about, dog breath?"
Inuyasha gave a smile. "Still haven't let go of your old habits, huh?"
Koga was taken aback. He expected a rude remark instead.
"I think it is okay for you to take Myori as your mate", Inuyasha said. "But if you do anything to hurt her, I swear I will hunt you down and kill you."
"You don't have to worry about that."
Over the next few days, Inuyasha's wounds healed almost completely. Koga came to visit everyday and so did Ayame, but for a specific person. She and Sarto got along quite well and spent most of their evenings together.
"I think I know what's happening between them", Miroku said with a grin to Sango who just shook her head disapprovingly.
"Don't fill his mind with stupid ideas, Miroku", she warned.
When the time came, Myori's and Koga's wedding was announced and at the same time, Sarto came forward as well to announce that he was officially going to get married to Ayame, stunning everyone including Koga. In the end both Myori and Inuyasha knew they had made the right choice and it kept their bond everlasting and if possible even stronger.
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