InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Hanyou Reborn, Kagome's Change of Heart ❯ United At Sunrise ( Chapter 19 )

“You look worried?” Sota observed. Kagome glanced at him, as she reached up to tuck a stray curl behind her ear. A moment of silence passed between them and the whispers of the guests voices drifted toward them with the breeze. The tent that hovered over their head ruffled and Kagome glanced again at her brother.

“I’m fine,” She told him. Sota half smiled, as a sigh passed her lips.

“You know Inuyasha was worried too” Kagome cocked her head in question. “Yeah, he’s scared everyone’s going to run screaming when the sun comes up.”

“I knew it I-,” Sota stopped her, holding up a hand.

“I’m gonna just tell you what I said to him,” He continued. “As long as you have each other, what does it matter if anyone else accepts this marriage. You’ll be happy as long as you’re together. Besides you have Mom, and me”

Kagome laughed lightly, her lips twitching into a smile as she reached for her brothers hand. He flushed slightly as she gave it a squeeze and grinned at him.

“You’re right, thanks Sota for your words of wisdom”

The small moment they had shared quickly ended as their mother shuffled into the little tent, her eyes, cheery and already brimming with tears. She rushed over to Kagome and wrapped her arms around her giving her a squeeze.

“You look beautiful,” She whispered in her ear. Kagome laughed as her mother pulled back to place a warm hand on her cheek. “Really, I’m so proud of you”

“Mama-,”

“Sh ush, just except my words. Now I’m heading down the aisle first, then Sota is walking you to the altar,” Her mother said. She smiled and went to give Sota a hug.

They had asked an old friend of their Grandfather’s to witness the vows. He was a monk, and an avid follower of ancient history, just like their grandfather. Kagome’s mother had insisted upon it, knowing that he would be the best person to witness the vows. The ceremony was just a simple reading of vows on a small beach, just before sunrise. The only witnesses were their few trusted guests, all close to the family, or part of the family. The monk was only there to make things legal, but he hardly had any role besides that.

“Now you two, let me look at you,” Their mother continued, stepping back to gaze at them. She wiped at her stray tears and smiled brilliantly.

“Perfect, just wonderful. I can’t believe how much both of you have grown,” She sniffled, and Kagome reached out to pat her mother’s cheek, wiping away a stray tear.

“Mama, it’s okay. Now go on, the ceremony-,” Her mother nodded and took one last moment to hug them both, whispering her praise before she turned and left the tent.

“She’s gonna cry the whole time, isn’t she?” Sota asked. Kagome smiled, as she reached for her bouquet of white roses that rested on a small gray stand.

“Yeah, but it’s okay, because they’re happy tears” Sota chuckled at that and then Kagome grabbed his arm, wrapping it around her own. Sota pushed open the tent flap, and they stepped into the open.

The salty breeze assaulted her senses the small confines of the tent had kept them at bay. But she reveled in it, taking a deep breath, before her eyes found their way down the aisle, to rest on the man that held her heart. She felt a smile grace her lips at the sight, his face was slack in awe, his lips slightly parted in an oblivious way. She winked at him and he snapped to attention, closing his mouth, a shy smirk quirked the corner of his mouth. The wind blew past them again, and the make shift lighting shook from there posts on the wooden poles, the candles hidden inside the lanterns shuddering then calming to a neat flicker. Kagome tightened her hold on Sota’s arm as they started down the bamboo aisle, which had been her mothers idea, so that her dress wouldn’t drag too much in the sand, and be ruined. The ruffle of her dress was lost against the sound of evening waves, the calm of the beach setting her guests at ease.

Sota glanced up at his sister, as her hand trembled against his arm, her knuckles turning a pale white with their tight grasp. He reached up with his free hand, to grasp her fingers, offering them a small squeeze. Kagome glanced at him, her grip falling lax as she smiled. They came to a pause at the small wooden archway that was decorated by white roses, the old monk nodding to them. Sota gave Kagome’s hand one more squeeze as her pulled her arm from his and left her side to stand beside his mothers. The old monk looked between the couple before them, both of them gazing into the others eyes, the world becoming oblivious to them. He cleared his throat, startling them from their revery, before he continued in a serene tone.

“These two before you have come today to join together in marriage, I am here only as a witness for they have both wished to speak their own vows to testify their love and commitment,” He glanced back at the pair, his eyes resting on Kagome, before he nodded for her to begin. Kagome smiled, her fingers clenching around the stems of her flowers, her gaze finding Inuyasha’s. She found strength in those violet deeps and took a cleansing breath before starting.

“Who would have ever thought we would end up here, to be truthful I had, had my doubts. If I think back to the first time we met, I can say that if I had been able to see the future I would have denied what it showed. It’s funny how much we disliked each other, hated even, in the beginning, and now look, here we are standing under the stars about to begin a new chapter of our lives together.”

“But I don’t think we could have found this peace with each other, if it hadn’t been for our journey here. That long journey we took to find ourselves and our real feelings. I must admit we took the long road, up hills, and through swamps. But here we are none the less. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. Inuyasha, I am so glad I stumbled across you all those years ago. There were those times when I had thought it could have all just been a dream, and sometimes it was a nightmare, but still I can’t help but wish to do it over again and again. You really are my whole life, and I’m looking forward to every moment we spend together after this. Because I love you so much, and want nothing more then to have you as my family, my world.”

Kagome heard her mother sniffle, and she blinked her eyes against the tears she felt behind her lids. Inuyasha was watching her with those eyes of his, and he reached forward to place his hands around hers, their warmth making her blink once more. He didn’t speak for a moment or two, his gaze on her own, until he let out an inaudible sigh. The sun was just rising, the light creeping across the sea water, and edging across the sand to them. He didn’t speak as he felt the change stir in his blood. Inuyasha watched the reflection of his face in her eyes, his hair changing from dark to light. His ears shifted from the sides of his head to the top, elongating and taking the form of a canine’s. There was a collective gasp from the guests, as his eyes twitched that sound sounding loud in his sensitive ears. His now golden eyes narrowed slightly at the strong scent of fear permeating the sea air around them, but he didn’t let his gaze fall from Kagome’s calming brown.

“Kagome,” He started quietly, his attention split between Kagome and the tension that was building. He was trying hard not to pay attention. The word’s Sota had offered him repeating in his head. He nearly growled at the sound of someone standing quickly, their chair collapsing to the ground with a muted thud, and the swishing sound of footsteps through sand.

“Go on Inuyasha, let us hear what you have to say,’ Mrs. Higurashi encouraged. Inuyasha looked over at her, and smiled at his soon to be mother-in-law. She returned it, then glared out at the few people there, giving them a look to keep in their seats. She turned back to Inuyasha giving him a firm nod of her head and he looked back to Kagome, missing the hurt glimmer in

Mrs. Higurashi’s eyes as she gazed at the empty seat of her own father-in-law.

“Trusting people, whether human or demon, was never something I was good at. And I never did fully trust anyone, until I’d gotten to know you. It was strange, this feeling I always got around you, this security that I had never felt with anyone. In more ways then I’d like to admit you’ve saved me. You’ve always shown faith in me and trust, and have always been able to forgive me for all the things I‘ve done to you, or said to hurt you. You were the one who brought me back from the brink of losing control. You’ve always been the person who came back to pick me up after a hard fall, or offer me the comfort I never deserved.”

“When you left me, those few years ago I died. I was dead to everyone, even our closest friends couldn’t drag me out of my slump. It was only you who made me feel alive, made me laugh or smile, and I know why. It’s because you accept me. You don’t care if I’m human or demon, or caught in-between. You only see me as me, and nothing more. You’ve always accepted every part of me, good, bad, or annoying. And I love you so much that not even five hundred years time, not even a thousand, could keep me from being with you. And I just hope that whatever years we have together, are always the best and that’s all that I can ask for. All I want, is to spend my life with you.”

Inuyasha smiled fondly, reaching up to cup her face in his hands, his thumb moving across her cheek to wipe away the black trails her tears had left, after falling unnoticed. Kagome bit her lip to keep from sobbing, leaning into his warmth, her lips quirked in a benign smile. The monk smiled at the pair, and cleared his throat again. He held out his hand to them, in his wrinkled palm were two silver wedding bands. Inuyasha and Kagome accepted them, taking turns placing their rings on each other, before they turned back to the monk, who smiled.

“And so the legends hold true, even in this time. Never would I have thought to be a witness to the joining of a human and a demon, and I am honored to do so. You may now kiss the bride.”

Kagome laughed and lunged forward her arms wrapping around Inuyasha’s neck as she captured his lips with hers. Inuyasha couldn’t suppress the grin that tugged at his mouth as he leaned in, wrapping his arms around her back.

To the side Kagome’s mother was fully crying now, her sobs and sniffles silent as she tugged Sota to her side, squeezing him tightly around the shoulders. Sota for his part rolled his eyes, his mind already on the reception, and the wedding cake.