Author's Note: It isn't over quite yet. Actually, there are 50 chapters... I just ended up using this chapter introduction earlier than expected.
A Distant Promise – Mini-Chapter # 46
A distant promise.
Since returning from the feudal era, she had finished high school and entered college. She had seen the demise of an old relationship, and the birth of a new, completely unexpected love. Time might wear down mountains, but a distant promise of hope always seemed to lie in the future.
Today, she wanted to show this to Inuyasha too, freeing him from the past. He should not feel attached to her by responsibility or obligation, when there was a beautiful half-demon waiting for him patiently, hopefully, in the background. Kagome would not repeat Kikyou's mistakes.
Sesshoumaru had come too. Unfortunately, so did Shippo. Kagome could feel the blackmail material mounting by the second. In fact, even her roommate, Mariko, had been interested in joining the weekend trip to a hot-springs resort. Somehow, the idea of Kagome actually finding a steady boyfriend still managed to amaze the girl. The blue dress had fried a circuit in her brain, and Mariko insisted that she needed to meet this charming, young man.
Mischievously, the kitsune had suggested that she dress up, taunting Inuyasha with what he could not have. As she shot down this idea, Kagome was astonished when the inu-youkai suggested that she offer relationship counseling, in case Inuyasha had not noticed the young hanyou girl yet. Between the two of them, these demons made her want to pull out her hair.
So, after slipping out to the front desk, she told them to send Inuyasha to the second-floor lounge. Now, all she needed to do was chase Shippo away with a stick, and the plan would be perfect. Perhaps her taiyoukai could help with this. He did employ the fox, after all.
"Sesshoumaru?" inquired Kagome, sliding through one of the shoji screens in the lounge.
The dog-demon never even looked up from his newspaper. "Don't worry," he intoned calmly, "Shippo is gone. Probably not far enough, but I reminded him that he was still in trouble for waylaying my son from Europe."
"Hehe!" With a chuckle, she bashfully rubbed the back of her head. Well, then. Perhaps it annoyed the white-haired demon too, watching the kitsune hover over them like the king of gossip. "Thank you."
Sitting at the table with Sesshoumaru, she stared nervously out the window. He slid one hand across the divide and stilled her fidgeting hands, touching their backs with his claws.
"Sorry," murmured Kagome. "I just feel anxious, because I want him to be happy."
"Tell him that, then."
And that was how Inuyasha found them, when he pushed his way into the room. Violet eyes widened at the sight of his elder brother sitting across from his old sweetheart. Since their initial meeting at the onsen, Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru had barely exchanged ten words.
Suddenly, Kagome wondered if she had bitten off more than she could chew, by inviting Sesshoumaru to come to this meeting.
"Kagome," greeted the ex-hanyou cordially, maintaining his distance. She patted the seat beside her, but he did not approach. There was distinctly only one name mentioned in his greeting, as well.
"Hi, Inuyasha." Clearing her throat, she looked at Sesshoumaru and then down at her hands. This was incredibly awkward. Oh! If only she could return to the days in which they argued, she screamed 'Osuwari!' and then marched away, triumphant. That made everything easy.
"I wanted to say that I know about Makoto-chan," she smiled. "And I think she seems really nice. What do you think about her?"
Dumbfounded as any male would be, when faced with such dialogue, Inuyasha stared. "Wha…" stammered the dark-haired boy. "She's nice enough, I suppose. What's that got to do with anything?"
Since the conversation was quickly going nowhere, Kagome decided to take a leaflet from Sesshoumaru's notebook of suggestions. "Well, she likes you," announced the priestess firmly. "And I want you to be happy, more than I want you to be with me."
Wide-eyed, Inuyasha walked across the room at last, gazing down at her as though she had grown two heads. This made her feel terrible, since she didn't recall being so mean and demanding during their relationship that he should doubt her expression of goodwill. But still, progress was progress. At least he was close to Sesshoumaru now.
The taiyoukai did not appear to enjoy the delay, however. Or perhaps it was the abject stupidity that showed in his half-brother's face at that moment. In any case, nudging her leg with his foot, he brought her back to focus on the situation at hand.
"Besides, I like Sesshoumaru," she added with a big smile, hoping to make this news sound as positive as possible. The sincerity behind her words was obvious. She really did like him. Her choice was official, now. Seeing him in the modern era, it was a vision of Sesshoumaru in his middle-aged years, behaving 'nicely' toward people. Well, as nicely as he could, in any case. The grin on her face softened and deepened, at this thought.
On the other hand, the look on Inuyasha's face immediately darkened, and he faced his elder brother. "What the fuck is this supposed to be, you bastard?"
"Inuyasha!" shouted Kagome, rising from her chair and putting her palms down on the table. The ex-hanyou ignored her, in favor of glaring daggers at his sibling.
Sesshoumaru placidly finished her explanation. "I believe the miko is trying to convey that she cares about you as a brother," he uttered unevenly, his voice trailing off at the end.
"And perhaps…" The last few words in the phrase seemed impossibly difficult to finish, but the taiyoukai persevered resolutely. As Inuyasha opened his mouth to object strenuously, the white-haired dog-demon managed to strip all the wind from his sails. "Perhaps…" concluded Sesshoumaru, "She has a great deal to teach… others about this subject, as well."
It looked a little bit like their companion might have been submerged in the ocean without warning, before he passed out after forgetting to breathe for too long.
"Ah?!" squealed Kagome, kneeling down on the floor. "Inuyasha? Are you okay?"
An incoherent mumble was her only reply.
