The next morning Kaede knocked on their door bright and early. Kagome was already up and dressed while the hanyou slept peacefully. He had tried to pull her back down to him when she began to get up, but as much as she had wanted to stay in bed she was too excited to train. Eventually he gave up his efforts and rolled over once it became clear that Kagome was determined to be on time for Kaede's lessons.
Kagome had always been an engaged student who loved to learn. It wasn't until her time in the feudal era that she started to slip in school. Her poor performance was more due to missed classes than it was a lack of ability or interest. Her three years separated from Inuyasha had been spent filled to the brim with clubs, activities, and of course studying. She spent much of her time with her nose deep in a textbook, or out on the volleyball field.
The more distracted she was the easier it was to be stuck in her time. Her last three years of school had more than made up for her absences. Although, all of her teachers and classmates were shocked at her tremendous recovery and attendance. She took days off here and there to make it less apparent that she had been perfectly healthy the entire time.
Today reignited the feeling within her that she hadn't felt for months. It was an excitement to learn new things. An excitement to try.
The sun had just begun to rise and the women made their way to the clearing behind Kaede's hut. The older miko had targets set up around the area. They looked weathered and as though they had been there for many years.
"Let us begin with the sacred arrow." She started. Kaede pulled the bow off her back and handed it to the girl.
"The sacred bow of Mount Azusa!" Kagome reached for the bow, flooded with the memory of Kikyo's likeness appearing before her and testing her spirit on that day so many years ago. She shuddered at the memory. "I'm so glad you kept it."
Kaede walked her through the motions once again. Kagome had continued to practice archery as a hobby in her time in the modern world, but she was unable to do so in any official capacity because of her Reiryoku. Each arrow held a destructive power greater than what a human should have been capable of. She didn't have a good way to explain that to anyone, so archery continued to be a pastime just for her.
"Kaede, I know the sacred arrow." Kagome gently reminded the woman. "I even continued practicing in my time."
"Aye girl. That is why ye need to use it. Tap into the Reiryoku. Focus on it filling ye up and swirling around. Fire some arrows if ye must. Ye have to be able to control your power, and the best way to do that is with something familiar." Kaede was calm and practiced in her response, as though she had explained this process many times before.
Kagome drew her arrow back on her bow and closed her eyes. As it had so many times before she felt her Reiryoku surround her and flow into the bow and arrow. Holding steady she opened her eyes to look at her teacher.
"Now can ye direct its focus into your mind's eye?" The woman asked.
"How do you mean?" Kagome focused on the Reiryoku and tried to pull up on it, forcing it into her mind.
"Do not force the energy child. Open up your mind's eye and allow the power to flow through ye." Kaede touched a finger to the center of Kagome's forehead. She focused there and felt the spiritual energy gather of its own accord. She released the hold she didn't realize she had there and felt her mind open to the rest of her senses. Her Reiryoku felt as though it splayed out in every direction. She could almost feel what was around her without being able to see.
Just beyond her was a strong energy signature she was able to recognize as Kaede's. It was like she could feel her perception of Kaede with her mind, as though she had recalled a precious memory of the woman. It felt as though their energies could mingle together and manipulate each other as they interacted. She reached out with the Reiryoku toward Kaede and immediately felt herself hit a wall. There was a zap against her senses leaving her blinded for just a moment. Opening her eyes she looked to Kaede.
"Woah. That was a crazy experience." She said, shaking off the feeling of being electrocuted.
The woman laughed back at her. "Ye just felt my spiritual energy barrier. Let's work on honing yours. We will use the same technique so if ye need your bow ye may keep it. If not, join me." Putting the arrows away the two women now sat facing each other on the ground in a meditative stance, eyes closed and minds open.
"I will push against ye, and ye will block me." Kaede explained. She reached out with her Reiryoku immediately butting up against Kagome's strong power. The barrier, while strong, was not enough to keep Kaede from forcing her way through. As it gave way Kagome felt a cold presence move through her, like a door being blown open by the wind.
"Picture a fortress. When the wind pushes against it, it does not yield. It is not until the onslaught of a tornado that the wall may give way and allow the wind to cross its path." Kagome imagined a fortress with its gates sealed tight. She pushed that vision into her power and felt as though she was protected. The new found warmth around her prompted the girl to open her eyes.
Surrounding her was a lilac colored energy field in the shape of a perfect bubble. At her excited smile Kaede eyed the girl, skeptical, before forcing her energy forward and breaking the barrier.
"Damn it." Kagome was frustrated at the intrusion to her senses.
"Who are ye protecting Kagome?" Kaede and Kagome's gazes connected, and she could feel the intent behind her words. Kagome focused for a moment, closing her eyes and she thought of Inuyasha. Her mind filled with images of his smile, the feeling of having his arms around her, and the beautiful moment as she came out of the well. She felt something then in her barrier. It was almost as though the fibers of her energy locked together.
"Okay." She whispered, "I think I'm ready." She felt Kaede's energy push against her time and time again, but her barrier did not give way. Kagome smiled to herself, excited that she had done it. The knowing smirk on Kaede's face brought heat to Kagome's cheeks. She looked away then and noticed Miroku and Inuyasha were making their way into the clearing.
"Hey. Kaede asked us to come-" Inuyasha stopped when he saw the barrier. "Whoa look at that! That's my woman right there." He exclaimed, proudly nudging Miroku with his elbow. Kagome giggled back and rolled her eyes, as Miroku nudged him back.
"I asked these two to come try against your barrier Yesterday. I had faith we would get here. Ye need different kinds of power to practice against." The old woman gestured to the monk from her place on the ground. Miroku stepped over, staff in hand, and pushed against the barrier with his Hōriki. Kagome was able to maintain her barrier with ease as the monk attempted to fight against her.
"I really can't get through. This is a very solid barrier Kagome." Miroku said, impressed.
"Inuyasha give it your all. I'm ready." Kagome narrowed her eyes, feigning arrogance as she focused in on the sound of his voice. Inuyasha perked up at the challenge, feeling Kagome was serious. His ears swiveled in her direction, listening to her steady heart beat.
"Alright. You asked for it" Inuyasha pulled his Tessaiga, the sword glowing crimson. He gathered up as much strength as he could muster, not wanting Kagome to accuse him of going too easy on her. "Red Tessaiga!" He yelled out bringing his sword down. Kagome's barrier faltered for a moment, seeming as though it might give way. She felt the shift and immediately the thought of Inuyasha using the red Tessaiga against Naraku that first time hit her brain. She remembered the hope she felt then, and the bubble corrected itself and held. "Hell yeah, Kagome!" He was so full of pride for her incredible display of power.
"Hah! I did it!" Kagome called out triumphantly, sweat forming on her brow. The exercise had tired her significantly. "Ooh. I think I need a break. And maybe some water." She let down the barrier and layed back on the grass beneath her. Inuyasha sat down next to her and brushed the hair from her face.
"Very good, Kagome." Kaede nodded her agreement clearly impressed. "Let us take a short break to regain your strength and then continue." They practiced the barrier for the remainder of the day. Stopping only briefly to have some lunch with Sango and the girls.
"Kagome, this is a big deal. The Red Tessaiga even worked against Naraku!" Inuyasha mumbled out around his bite of sandwich.
"Yeah I guess. But that was kinda different. Isn't the Tessaiga meant to be used against demons? I'm sure my energy is different enough that it doesn't really recognize the threat." Kagomne looked at Kaede questioning.
"Ye may be right. The Red Tessaiga was forged from a powerful demon barrier. The spiritual energy may yet be foreign to it. It is difficult to say." Kaede somewhat agreed.
"Hey, a barrier is a barrier. And Kagome is so strong already. I wouldn't doubt if she really is that powerful. Without her spiritual powers sealed by Magatsuhi she is as powerful as Kikyo right? If that is the case then Kikyo was the only thing Naraku was afraid of. And Magatsuhi was terrified of Kagome enough to do what he did. Maybe that says enough." Sango mused aloud with a shrug and the rest of the group nodded along. After a moment of thought.
"A brilliant thought Sango." Miroku had an arm around his wife, eating his sandwich with his free hand.
"I think ye may be right. Kagome's power will surely surpass sister Kikyo soon."
"Okay okay." Kagome chided. "I think that's enough theorizing about me for one day. Kin'u, Gyokuto, why don't you tell us about your day!" Gyokuto shrank closer to Sango as Kin'u excitedly recounted their activities.
"Oh! After we picked the flowers-" Sango interrupted her daughter.
"Herbs dear." she corrected lightly
"Right. Herbs." The girl nodded succinctly, "Mom shined her Hero."
"Hiraikotsu." Sango filled in. Kin'u furrowed her brow in concentration.
"Here-rye-coats" The girl tried to annunciate the syllables clearly. "Then we made sammaches!" Kin'u held out a sandwich triumphantly kicking her feet in the air, and then took a large bite. Sango did not correct her on that one, presumably because it was just too cute.
"Well, what a fun day little Sun! My compliments to the chefs." Kagome tilted her sandwich toward Kin'u who touched it with hers.
"Cheers!" She yelled out the new phrase Kagome taught her.
"And you little Moon?" Kagome eyed Gyokuto tilting her sandwich toward the girl. She looked up at Sango for a brief moment before touching her sandwich to Kagome's.
"Cheers." She whispered shyly with a smile. Inuyasha watched the moment full of joy. A few months ago none of this had even seemed like it had the smallest chance in hell of happening. And now, he had all of his favorite people around him enjoying a picnic lunch on a beautiful day. His heart was as full as it had ever been. He leaned over and kissed Kagome on the cheek.
"Ew!" Kin'u and Gyokuto shook their heads and laughed at the display of affection.
"Hey now! One day you'll find someone to love and we're going to 'ew' right back at ya." Inuyasha said it teasingly.
"I will never love anyone!" Kin'u said, crossing her arms and closing her eyes defiantly.
"And if you don't, that's A-okay with me." Miroku laughed at his daughter, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.
The rest of their lunch continued with pleasant chatter. As they began to pack up their meal Sango took Kagome aside.
"So..?" She nudged Kagome a little, implying she wanted details. Kagome looked back questioningly and Sango gestured toward the garnet ring on her finger.
"Oh! I can't believe I didn't tell you yet! I was so distracted with training." Kagome trailed off running her thumb over the vines on her ring, a gesture that was already becoming familiar. "Last night he told me he wanted to marry me." The girls practically squealed, jumping up and down for a moment.
"I knew it wouldn't be long!" Sango said with a victorious fist pump into the air. "That man loves you more than air." Kagome shook her head smiling.
"And I him." she agreed. "Oh and that's not all. He said he wants to… mark… me?" Kagome blushed at the words, her friends eyes going wide. "It's an Inu yokai tradition?" She looked to Sango for confirmation.
"What, really?! I wasn't totally sure if Inu hanyou did the marking ritual. We covered some of that in our study of demons with my family. I know that the yokai are compelled to mark once they've chosen a mate. Some even call it an obsession."
"Really?" Kagome mused for a moment. "What all do you know about it?" Kagome prodded.
"Well, it's permanent for one thing, and you will probably take on some of his power. I'm not sure how that will impact your Reiryoku. You may want to ask Kaede." Kagome shook her head vigorously at that.
"No way! I will not be covering that with Kaede."
"Hey, the woman single handedly birthed my children. I would trust her with my life, and have!" Sango put her hands up in mock defense. "Regardless, I have also heard that the mark doesn't hurt. In fact it sounds like it does the opposite of hurt, if you know what I mean." Sango raised her eyebrows at Kagome suggestively.
"Sango! Oh my god." Kagome brushed a hand over her face in embarrassment. This conversation was becoming too much.
"When are you having a ceremony?" Sango asked.
"We hadn't really talked about it. I think we both agree as soon as possible though."
"Oh 'soon' is my middle name! I've. Got. This." She punctuated the words. "You won't even have to lift a finger, Kagome! And the girls will love more fun things to do around town. Let's see.. We'll definitely need wood. I think I can make a pergola. And draping cloth. I can match the colors of the ring!" Sango was mostly talking to herself as she started making a mental list of copious items. She counted on her fingers as she went.
"It really doesn't need to be a big deal." Kagome said, trying to dissuade her.
"Nonsense! It's not every day your best friend comes back from another time and gets married to the love of her life, Kagome!" Sango yelled it a little louder than she intended. "Shoot, sorry." She whispered ducking her head. "I'm just so excited. And I am even more excited to have you back." She pulled the girl into a bone crushing hug. "Now go tell Kaede so I can pull her into my schemes." Inuyasha appeared by her side then, an arm finding its way around Kagome's waist.
"Inuyasha, I'm planning your wedding." Sango said cheerily as she walked away toward Miroku and their kids.
"Hah." He laughed, "What was that about?" He asked.
"Just Sango being Sango." She wanted to say it with joking annoyance, but instead it came out reverent. She had missed her friend greatly.
The following weeks went quickly. Kagome re-adjusted to life without her modern amenities, and her hut with Inuyasha was feeling more and more like a home. The days passed pleasantly as she and Inuyasha shared the time with Sango, Miroku, and their girls.
Shippo came and went as he advanced in rank at fox demon school and made friends with the other fox demons there. He spent more and more time with his peers and significantly less with his old friends. They loved to watch him grow and truly felt that his life was at its best point since before he lost his father. He was connecting to a community of people just like him. On nights when he stayed in town he slept at Kagome and Inuyasha's, much to Inuyasha's dismay.
Kagome's training with Kaede was going smoothly, and she was consistently surprised at how quickly the girl was catching on to her teachingings. So far she had learned to control her spiritual power and produce strong barriers. She was learning to reach out with her mind's eye and locate her enemies without sight.
She had even learned to make her own Shikigami, which took the form of a small fox that often rested on her shoulder. It was Kagome's way of having Shippo around when he was busy with his friends and school. Currently her fox, who she called Lotus, flitted about her shoulders and buried itself in Inuysasha's hair as they laid next to each other on their mat. The sleeping hanyou nuzzled his face against Kagome.
"Put it away, Kagome." He whined into her neck.
"You know I can't sleep past the sun anymore. Blame Kaede" She whined back at him. "Come on! Entertain me." She ran her fingers through his hair tugging on his ears slightly, a movement she knew would rouse him. He growled lowly, the vibration running through her body.
"Is that how you want to play it, woman?" His eyes cracked open as he glared at her. "Because I bet I can play rougher than you." He whispered into her ear and she shivered in response. She turned over to face him a bit and tried to catch his lips with hers, but he was faster. Her jaw was wrapped in his hand and he was suddenly on top of her thrusting his hips against her pelvis, providing just enough friction to cause her to moan.
"Inuyasha." She moaned against his chest as he repositioned and released her jaw to suck her earlobe into his mouth. She jumped at the sensation as he slowly trailed kisses down her neck. She pushed her exposed chest up to his face begging for him to move lower. He obliged, pulling a nipple into his mouth and flicking at it with his tongue. The sensation sent lightning strikes through her body and she gasped in return.
He groaned as she wrapped her legs around his waist to increase the friction there. She pushed herself against his hips and enjoyed the feeling of him grinding against her.
Inuyasha slowed the movement of his hips, teasing her with an agonizingly slow pace. She groaned, objecting to the change. He quieted her with a deep kiss and sucked one of her lips into his mouth. They continued this way for a while until he decided to give her more.
He slowly trailed kisses down her stomach, stopping at her right hip and sunk his fangs in. Her hips bucked toward him at the slight pain and she gasped again. His hand flew to her thighs and held her in place and open for him. Her heartbeat picked up from the vulnerable position he had her in. She relished the feeling of being pinned to the floor.
Another bite came down on the inside of her thigh, then another below that. He made his way to the other side and trailed bites down that thigh as well, savoring the feeling of his teeth against her delicate skin. Every sound she made in response to him was addicting, and the vision of her squirming under him only made him want to torture her more.
Her arousal was evident and it flooded his senses, the pain clearly mingling with the pleasure in a way that she couldn't resist. Once he had his fill of her thighs he found his way to the ball of nerves at the apex in between them. With his knuckles he pinched her clit, and the guttural moan that escaped her made him grow even harder, needier for her. He growled in response.
"Is this where you want me?" He asked, grinning up at her from between her legs. His tongue darted out to taste her arousal.
"Yes!" She gasped as the hanyou pulled her entire clit into his mouth and set a bruising pace against her with his tongue. The consistent pressure had her release building quickly after the teasing. She could feel her body heating rapidly as he thrusted his fingers inside of her, curling them toward the ceiling. The motion pushed her over the edge and her body went rigid as she came.
As usual, he laughed in triumph as she came down from the high, enjoying the effect he had on her body.
"Sit up." He commanded, helping her arrange herself on her knees. He stood above her, pushing in close to her face to emphasize his power over her in this moment. She felt her mind cloud with desire as he brushed his cock against her lips. She opened her mouth to take him in, and he pulled back from her.
"Not until I say. I want to watch you wanting it." His eyes were dark as he rubbed himself against her face. He reached down and ran a thumb over her bottom lip, parting them briefly. Her eyes were hungry.
She felt his presence all around her in this position. He owned her desire and she couldn't have been happier for it. When he took control like this she felt it throughout her whole body, especially at her core. As his thumb grazed her lip she thrusted her tongue out and swirled it around the tip. Giving him a taste of what she wanted to do to him. He groaned and pressed himself against her lips again.
"Now." He said simply and she greedily took him into her mouth. She relaxed her throat and took him fully in, proving how ready she was for him. She pulled back and circled her tongue around his tip, flicking the sensitive overhang of the head on her way. His hips thrusted forward and butted him up against the back of her throat. She continued sucking and bobbing until he was a mess of groans. He fisted the hair at the back of her head and set the pace for her, not wanting to lose the control he had already built. He was incredibly close and it would only be a second more before he was lost in release. The feel of her was too tempting to succumb to.
"Lean back." He said pulling hard on the back of her head once he felt he couldn't contain it anymore. His hand picked up where she left off as he came. He shuddered and struggled to keep his yokai at bay, as his claws lengthened and eyes flashed red. He groaned loudly and watched as his cum ran down her face onto her perfect chest. The sight of it was almost enough to get him fully hard again. She held his gaze and waited for him to break eye contact first.
"I've never wanted anyone more than I do you, right now." He said huskily, barely above a whisper. A thrill ran through her, but instead of acting on his desire he grabbed a cloth to clean her off with. He was gentle and loving as he kissed each spot that he cleaned off. She felt the warmth in her chest grow as he cared for her. She felt loved above all else. He cupped her check and kissed her deeply, and the arousal roared to life within her once again.
"Soon." He pulled away and kissed the top of her head. His eyes quickly faded back to white as he regained control of himself. "I love you." He said and ran his now shorter caws through her hair, caressing her scalp.
"I love you." She said it with so much conviction that he felt his chest fill up at the words.