InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Miko's Wish ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

Sesshoumaru made his way towards his lands, his thoughts plagued with the death of the girl. He couldn't understand why it bothered him so. She was, after all, only a human. But as he examined his thoughts more, he came to realize that it was her bravery that had caught his attention.

 

Even throughout all of his encounters with the girl, she had always stood her ground, protecting what was hers. And in this instance, it had cost her life. He paused for a moment, bowing his head a bit as he lifted one last thought to the girl.

 

`Kagome, you have earned this Sesshoumaru's respect, even in death.'

 

He continued his journey home, knowing that Rin would be anxious to see him. Kagome reminded him so much of his ward. Both were resilient creatures, and that was why they mingled so well with their youkai company. But he knew that Kagome did not waste her life, giving it to protect the jewel, which she had been fated to watch over.

 

He switched his thoughts to the work that he had to do once he returned to his lands, no longer wanting to think of the girl and her demise.

 

~~~~~*~~~~~

 

Inuyasha remained in the clearing for some time, Kagome's battered body draped over his lap. The afternoon sun beat down upon him, the cheerful chattering of birdsong continuing around him, unaware of the grief resonating through the hanyou.

 

He lowered his head, nuzzling her hair. The smell of her death intertwined with her normal scent, leaving him nothing but an empty feeling inside. Another pain of guilt washed through him, knowing he should have done more to protect her.

 

Inuyasha was brought out of his musings when Kirara rubbed up against his side. He looked up, noticing the pained look in her eyes. She had lost her closest friend as well, and knew that the fire neko was grieving too.

 

“We should get back to the village and prepare for their burials” he replied softly, squeezing Kagome's limp body one last time before gently placing her on the ground.

 

He walked over to his friends fallen forms, draping their bodies over the back of Kirara before returning to Kagome's body. Lifting her up bridal style, the two survivors made their way back to the village.

 

 

As they approached Kaede's hut, Shippo greeted them. He gasped when he caught the scent of Kagome's blood, also noticing what Inuyasha carried. Inuyasha remained silent as he walked past the stunned kit, slipping into the empty hut.

 

He gently placed her body on one of the mats, just as Shippo rushed into the hut. He threw himself on top of her body, sobbing erratically.

 

“She…she promised she would come back” he wailed. “Why did she have to leave me alone?”

 

“I'm sorry Shippo” replied Inuyasha. He then escaped outside, trying in vain to run away from the reality of the day.

 

 

 

Inuyasha ran for how long? He didn't know. The scent of Kagome's blood was soaked into his clothing, so no matter how far he ran, he was still plagued with her death. He came to a stop in a small clearing, taking a seat on a nearby rock as he continued to mourn. He was so caught up in his grief that he did not notice the approach of another.

 

“Inuyasha?”

 

He spun around, meeting chocolate brown eyes.

 

“Kikyou? What are you doing here?” he questioned as he rose to his feet.

 

“So what I have heard is correct, judging by your appearance. Naraku has been destroyed, the girl losing her life in the process.”

 

Inuyasha nodded his head, tearing his gaze away from his former lover.

 

“So what is it that you intend to do now?” she asked, her gaze not once wavering.

 

Inuyasha thought on it for a moment, not sure himself. With Kagome and the others gone, there really wasn't much left for him.

 

Sensing his indecisiveness, she decided to pose a solution to his problem.

 

“Nothing binds you to this world any longer. Come with me Inuyasha. Join me in hell as you have promised before” she explained as she approached him, placing a cold hand upon his cheek.

 

 

Inuyasha considered his options. Kikyou was indeed the only thing left for him, and he did promise to be with her once Naraku had been destroyed. He lifted his gaze, locking it with hers.

 

“I will. But I need to see to the burial of the others” he replied.

 

“I understand. I will meet you at the God Tree when the sun rises. Bury your past here and all shall be forgotten.”

 

Kikyou returned her hand to her side, turning back towards the woods. Inuyasha watched her leave, resuming his seat on the rock. He felt guilty for accepting Kikyou's offer, knowing that Kagome would not want him to die, but what else did he have?

 

He remained in the clearing for some time, not looking forward to the job at hand.

 

 

~~~~~*~~~~~

 

 

Kagome slowly made her way back to consciousness, pushing herself into a sitting position. She gazed around the field that she lay in, unsure of where she was. Her attention was redirected behind her, though, when a masculine voice met her ears.

 

“It seems you too have joined us in the afterworld.”

 

Kagome spun around, disbelief flooding her being. She jumped up, embracing her two friends that she had watched die a gruesome death. Joy soon gave way to a feeling of guilt as she looked upon them.

 

“Kagome, what is the matter?” Miroku asked, noticing the change.

 

“I'm so sorry. If only I had done something sooner” she replied softly as tears bubbled up in her eyes.

 

“Kagome, its not your fault” Sango soothed as she embraced her friend.

 

Kagome buried her face in Sango's shoulder, letting the tears soak into her kimono.

 

“She is right, Kagome. It was our time to die” explained Miroku.

 

“Besides, look who is here.” Kagome looked up, gazing in the direction in which the Tajiya pointed. Next to a stream sat two figures, one which she recognized as Kohaku.

 

“See, we're all together now, Kagome. You needn't worry about us” Sango explained.

 

But the cheerfulness finally came to an end when a slap sounded through the air.

 

“Even in death you are still a lecherous monk!” Sango snapped before she left the two to join her father and brother, fuming the entire way.

 

A small giggle escaped Kagome, watching as Miroku nursed his bruised cheek. He then gave Kagome a sloppy grin before making his way back to Sango. Kagome watched her two friends, a sense of peace flooding her. It still bothered her that they had all died, but at least they were happy and could take a rest from the atrocities that they had been through. But her attention was redirected as another person approached her.

 

The woman seemed familiar, but Kagome couldn't place exactly where she had seen her before. She was slightly older than herself, and possessed a graceful air about her. Kagome stood her ground as she waited for the woman.

 

The woman saw the questions in her eyes, and waited for her to speak as she gestured for her to sit. Once Kagome was comfortable, she took a seat next to her on the soft grass, gazing into the flawless blue sky.

 

“Who are you?” Kagome asked, breaking the comfortable silence.

 

The woman smiled lovingly upon her. “Someone who owes you a great deal.”

 

Kagome remained dumbfounded. She didn't think that she had ever met this woman before, so what had she done for her?

 

Seeing the confusion etched across her features, she decided to clarify her answer.

 

“Without you, I would not have been released from my prison. By wishing on the jewel, you have freed me from my suffering.”

 

If Kagome had looked dumfounded, she was even more so.

 

“Midoriko?”

 

The woman nodded her head in acknowledgement.

 

“But how? I didn't make a wish on the jewel” Kagome stated as she began to fidget.

 

“But you did. You wished to be strong. Strong enough to protect others.”

 

Kagome's eyes widened as the memory of her last words floated to her mind. She realized that she must still have held the jewel as she muttered the wish. But she hadn't meant to use it in such a way.

 

“Well, I guess it doesn't really matter now that I'm dead and all” she replied.

 

“Actually, my dear, your work is far from done. There is much more for you to accomplish” Midoriko explained as her smile dissapeared.

 

Kagome looked towards the older woman in shock, not sure what she was implying. Noting the look, Midoriko decided that she had better explain the best she could.

 

“There are dark times ahead, and I fear that you may one of the only beings that will be able to stop it. But to express my gratitude, I will bestow a gift upon you when the time is right. But you should be heading back.”

 

“What do you mean? What will happen?” she asked, not understanding how she would play a part in the whole mess.

 

But her questions remained unanswered as she began to fade away. She turned one last look at the couple that had come to mean so much to her. A tear slid down her cheek as Midoriko's last words echoed in her mind.

 

“Do not worry about those two. Be assured that their next lives will be filled with happiness and joy.

 

 

~~~~~*~~~~~

 

 

Sesshoumaru quietly made his way towards his home, the sliver of moon high in the sky. Not wanting to deal with his servants, he entered his chamber through the one window that entered his room. Once inside, he headed towards his ward's room.

 

He stood right outside of her room, and judging by her breathing knew she was asleep. He walked in silently, taking a seat next to her bed. As he gazed down upon her angelic face, his thoughts once more disturbed by the lifeless eyes of Kagome. Her once rosy cheeks paling from death, her lips parted ever so slightly as her blood seeped from her.

 

Once again he questioned himself, wondering what it was that kept him mulling over the girl. He didn't have any attachments to her, and had never really talked with the girl. Sighing mentally, he stood from his seat, determined to bury himself in his work to banish all thoughts of the miko.

 

 

~~~~~*~~~~~

 

 

Kagome jerked to a sitting position, gasping for air as if she were taking her first breath. When the burning had finally subsided, she gazed around the room, recognizing it as Kaede's.

 

“That was some dream” she muttered to herself as she stood.

 

She jumped when an ear-piercing scream resonated through the hut, causing her to cover her ears. When she located the source of the scream, she relaxed a bit as she approached the kit that was now huddled in a corner.

 

“Be gone spirit. Leave her body alone!” he yelled as he puffed up his tail to make him appear larger.

 

“Shippo, what in the world are you talking about. It's me, Kagome” she replied, confused by his actions.

 

“It…it can't be…you're dead” he stuttered out as hope began to twinkle in his eyes.

 

“What are you talking about. I…”

 

The sentence died in her throat as she gazed down at her blood soaked blouse.

 

“It wasn't a dream…” she muttered as she sat back down on the futon, her grief returning from the loss of her friends.

 

“Kagome? Is it really you?” Shippo asked as he took a few steps towards her.

 

Kagome smiled warmly at him, before outstretching her arms. “It is Shippo. I don't really understand it myself, but I'm not dead.”

 

Shippo bounded into her arms, nuzzling into her neck as his tears soaked into her hair. Kagome patted his head, hugging him back.

 

“I'm sorry Shippo. I didn't mean to make you worry” she replied.

 

“I didn't know what I was going to do! Inuyasha brought you back and you were dead!”

 

Speaking of the hanyou, she noticed that he wasn't there. “Shippo, where did Inuyasha run off to?”

 

Shippo pulled away from her, wiping the tears away from his face. “I don't know. After he brought you back he left again and hasn't been back since.”

 

“Well, I'm sure he'll be back soon enough. Would you like to join me for a bath? I am absolutely filthy.”

 

“Sure thing Kagome.”

 

 

After they had gathered what they would need to bathe, the two headed out to the hot springs near the village. Kagome wondered what his response would be to her revival. Would he be happy? Or would he be upset with her that she used the jewel's wish.

 

All thoughts were banished though as the hot springs came into view. The pair took off in a run, Kagome stripping off the ruined clothing as fast as she could. She had never felt so dirty in her life, and could not wait to wash the grime off.

 

 

 

~~~~~*~~~~~

 

 

Inuyasha sped towards the village, not looking forward to the task ahead of him. But he knew it had to be done, and he felt it should be by his hand that his companions were buried.

 

When had reached the outskirts of the village, he paused in his steps as a soft humming reached his ears. Thinking that one of the village maidens had taken a trip to the hot springs, he started to make his way around it, not wanting to startle whoever it was.

 

But as he resumed walking, familiar voices floated in the air, causing him to pause once more.

 

`Impossible' he thought to himself.

 

But as he listened, there was no mistaking. It was Kagome. He rushed in the direction, sliding to a stop in front of the hot spring. He stared with disbelief at the sight before him, Kagome and Shippo bathing.

 

Kagome finally noticed his presence, shrieking in embarrassment. She plunged her top half under water as she glared daggers at the hanyou.

 

“Could you have at least waited until I was done bathing?” she yelled at him.

 

But Inuyasha continued to gawk, his mind not wanting to comprehend what was before him. Kagome noticed this, and after a few more tries of trying to get him to turn around, she did the only thing she could.

 

“Sit.”

 

Once he was no longer able to see her, she jumped out of the water, wrapping her towel around her body. She chuckled at his muffled curses, but the amusement soon left her when she noticed the grief that he still held in his eyes. He surprised her when he advanced on her, locking her in a tight hug.

 

“Is it really you Kagome?” he asked, still not sure if it was only an illusion.

 

Kagome nodded her head, resting her check on his chest. They remained that way for a while before Inuyasha pulled away.

 

“But how?” he asked as he continued to hold her, unsure if she would disappear.

 

“I'm not really sure, but I think it has something to do with the jewel. I'm sorry Inuyasha, but it seems that I made a wish on it unknowingly” she replied as she cast her eyes to the ground.

 

He remained silent for a moment, causing Kagome to worry even more in fear that he would take the news badly. But to her surprise it was quite the opposite.

 

“Kagome. I don't care what happened to the jewel. Just as long as you are alright” he explained as he lifted her chin to look her in the eyes.

 

Kagome couldn't keep the tears from coming, Inuyasha using his free hand to wipe them from her cheek.

 

“We should be getting back. We still have to bury the others” he said sullenly.

 

Kagome nodded her head in understanding, leaving his side to retrieve her belongings and the kit who had been patiently waiting.

 

Once they had said their final farewells to their friends, the trio escaped into the small hut that had become their temporary home. Kagome immediately lay on her futon, the day's exhaustion, both physical and mentally, weighing heavily upon her.

 

What surprised her was that Inuyasha came to lie beside her, wrapping his arms around her protectively. She nuzzled into his chest, relishing in the warmth he offered and his comforting smell. As she drifted off into a dreamless slumber, one statement escaped her lips.

 

“I love you Inuyasha.”