InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A new beginning, a new hope ❯ the decent proposal ( Chapter 5 )

Back in the hut where all four were comfortably seated beside the warmth of a little fire set up in the middle of the room, Kagome still found herself feeling rather awkward about the atmosphere around her. With Inuyasha, Keiko and Sesshoumaru all gathering somewhat in a circle, it felt like a little family reunion, well, almost like one. One obvious difference was that no one spoke to another and on top of that, the miko could sense a distinct foulness of moods lingering heavily between the two brothers. She let out a contented sigh. There was at least one person who was buoyant and jubilant. The kid was jovially unwrapping a package and hugging and tugging on a little pink teddy bear that she found within the paper bag.

 

“Mama, Mama, look what Rin got me this time?” she chirped gleefully, flinging the toy in her little palm.

 

Her innocent little remark caused the demon lord to turn his head almost instantly, shooting a bemused glance at the odd looking object now swinging to and fro in the air.

 

This time? He mused. So, they have been seeing the girl on a regular basis. For some unknown reason, this brought to the demon lord an enormous sense of solace.

 

“Yes, dear, now go play with your bear. Return to your room now. Mama and papa need to talk to uncle for a while. Okay?” Kagome gave the little hanyou a clipped peck on her forehead and pushed her through the adjoining room despite her persistent high-pitched whines.

 

After making sure that her daughter would not be easily taken as a captive, the miko finally shifted to face the youkai lord. She knew that she could no longer attempt to stall time for Sesshoumaru's patience would eventually run out. Five years. It was as good as it could get, understanding fully that they were treading on thin ice even right from the beginning.

 

“She is happy, Sesshoumaru, I mean, Rin-chan. She is far away but she's healthy and doing well. You need not…,” Kagome paused, utterly shocked by the sight before her.

 

Sesshoumaru's eyes were closed tightly with the strange mix of agitation and alleviation. He appeared as though he was about to speak.

 

“I'm glad,” he whispered, “she's … alive.”

 

Kagome had difficulty still, getting use to touching on such sensitive and private conversation topic with her brother-in-law. The fact that they were remotely coming close to talking was weird enough, knowing how he had despised her relationship with Inuyasha in the past. She suspected that the youkai lord had probably exhausted all options and was totally at wits end. Of course, the other possibility was that he cared for the girl enough, to the magnitude that he would lower himself, his dignity, just to locate her. Somehow, Kagome found herself praying fervently that it was so, for Rin's sake, it'd better be.

 

 

However, there're still so much that the demon lord had to accept and frankly, the miko still did not have the slightest hint how to fill him in. She was in the knowing, of course, she had to start somewhere.

 

“Sesshoumaru, you have to know this. Rin… she has forgotten about you,” Kagome began steadily while carefully observing his reactions.

 

Seeing the demon lord's deepened bewilderment and hurt, she felt an urge to correct herself.

 

“I mean, she does not remember a thing about the past. Her memory had been removed. A spell was cast…” she was already regretting even before she finished her statement.

 

“You! So that's it! You were the ones who did this. I just knew it.” Sesshoumaru exploded in fury for one second, then paused as though deep in thoughts and sat down once again murmuring the last bits of his sentence as if to himself. “The girl wouldn't have been so heartless. She couldn't be. I know her.”

 

Sesshoumaru understood his own disposition fairly well. He needed their assistance and thus, he could not afford to indulge himself in a temperamental out-burst. Too many queries remained unresolved. Where is the girl now? Why didn't he pick up her scent anywhere nearby even though he was sure they were in contact with her only a short while ago? The girl had forgotten about him, about them? Could she have perhaps taken another mate? It HAD been five years.

 

The miko was also not taking any chances with the lives of her newly formed family.

 

“We didn't force her. She asked to forget and so we merely helped her,” she added.

 

“But … why?” Sesshoumaru shook his head in confusion.

 

This time, someone else was overly eager to hurl a rebuttal, “Kah! I'm sure you have a pretty good idea WHY!”

 

“Inuyasha!” Kagome gave the hanyou a hard push, causing him to yell out in anguish, while immediately forcing an embarrassed smile. This conversation was already grueling and her husband was obviously not helping to make matters simpler. “We do not know the details but at that time, the girl had seemed rather depressed to me.”

 

Indeed, Inuyasha was right this time. The demon lord did have a good idea why; Kagura's devious speech to the girl, his own indecision and his refusal to answer her last question for him. However, he decided that this was not the time for such self accusations.

 

He will find her. He will speak to her and make right all the wrongs. Everything then go back to the way it used to be, wouldn't it? Somehow, for some unknown reasons, Sesshoumaru had an intuition that things would not be that smooth sailing.

 

“I wish to see her.” He spoke calmly.

 

“You wish to see her? Haven't you ruin the poor girl's life enough already?” that all-too-familiar voice bellowed from behind him with renewed annoyance.

 

Kagome swiftly silenced the hanyou with her murderous stare.

 

“Sesshoumaru, answer me honestly. You love her, don't you,” she just had to ask; she needed to confirm that she would be making a right decision.

 

The youkai lord did not give an answer. He merely nodded, his eyes drifting closed.

 

The miko felt for his plight, how he had seemed to have been tormenting himself for these few years. Perhaps, this was adequate punishment bestowed upon her brother-in-law already. Moreover, who are they to judge whether the two should meet, knowing fully well the degree of intimacy in their relationship. Her thoughts trailed to another sweet figure in her mind, Sota. His interest and love for the girl though never put into real words were as clear to everyone in the family as any spoken declaration. She found herself utterly torn between the two.

 

And the well, now that's another headache. The miko still had absolutely no idea how Sesshoumaru could pass through to her time. But if Inuyasha can, why not Sesshoumaru? She decided to take a step at a time.

 

“You do know that even if you see her, she wouldn't recognize you, ne?” she had to prepare him for the worst.

 

At this crucial moment, a dark chubby shadow emerged from the doorway.

 

“Perhaps I could be of some assistance in this matter,” a low voice rumbled.

 

“Kaede-ba ba, you sure like to make such sudden appearance, don't you?” Inuyasha let out a loud grunt. “So what marvelous ideas do you have THIS TIME?”

 

Preferring to ignore those insolent words, the old miko continued, “You never did allow me to finish my statement the last time. Maybe, you would spare the time now?”

 

Seeing that all the three were awaiting with much more patience and endurance this time, she began again, “As I was saying the other time, the second problem with the spell is with its source.”

 

“Its source? What do you mean by that?” Kagome was anxious.

 

“Yes, the source, the reasons why the girl wishes to forget, she cannot come into contact with it. In this case, it would be the lord himself.” She finished rather solemnly.

 

“And what if she does?” the young miko couldn't stand the suspense any longer.

 

“Her memory would return at the first word spoken by the youkai,” she concluded with much self satisfaction.

 

“Kah! I just knew it! That confirms my suspicion. It is indeed a damn LOUSY spell!” Inuyasha huffed in displeasure.

 

Sesshoumaru found that he had listened quite enough. He stood up and directed his command to the young miko, “That settles it. You shall bring me to the girl this instant.”

 

Struck by a sudden inspiration, Kagome's eyes momentarily lit up with rekindled hope.

 

“Sesshoumaru, I want you to be prepared for some changes, drastic changes actually. The girl has a whole new life, new family, new friends, new motivations and most importantly,” she swallowed hard before continuing, “most importantly, she has someone now who cares for her dearly.”

 

The demon lord's eyes narrowed. His predictions had turned out to be painfully true. The girl does have someone else in her life. Things would not be that easy then.

 

“We can try to bring you to her, though even I don't know how that's possible. You'll understand soon enough.” She took a breath. “But for now, you would have to make a promise. If you truly meant what you said, if you truly love Rin, you MUST make this promise.”

 

Kagome heaved a sigh of relief noting that the youkai lord did not show any form of resilience to her suggestion. So, she decided to lay out some ground rules, and fast, before he changes his mind!

 

“You must not show yourself immediately, at least not without thorough consideration and observation on your part. I wish that you witness for yourself how the girl is now, how well she's doing.” The young miko's watchful gaze did not leave the lord. “Then, you have to decide, whether she's happier where she is now or if she were to return to your side.” She then finished in a much persuasive tone. “If you truly love her, your heart will tell you where she should belong.”

 

“And, please,” Kagome had to give her family significant consideration too. “Sesshoumaru, please do not disturb my family. They're merely helping the girl, taking her in as their own.”

 

There was another long uneasy silence.

 

Sesshoumaru finally gave a silent consent by lightly nodding his head. He hadn't any choice; if that's the only way he would see the girl again. Of course his thoughts were still lingering upon the last words of the miko. Yes, he had admitted he loved her. Perhaps if the girl is truly happier where she is residing now, then perhaps, perhaps it would give him sufficient reason to return empty handed. But can he really be that magnanimous and willingly present his Rin to another man?

 

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The well, we've finally arrived, the miko pondered to herself. The hardest part is yet to come.

 

“Rin, she's down through there,” Kagome pointed and taking into consideration Sesshoumaru's puzzled brows, she furthered her explanation. “This well. It is a passage through time… to my world. My home is five hundred years from your time. And Rin-chan, she's there now.” She finished, a bit worried that the youkai lord might think that they're seriously pulling his leg.

 

Sesshoumaru had expected the worst but he was certainly not prepared to be patronized with such ridiculously absurd nonsense. A world five hundred years from now? A passage way through time?

 

Under normal circumstances, he would have brushed this aside like any poorly represented low class comedy. But the sudden disappearance without a trace, a scent, the miko's constantly strange dress sense. This could only be the reason why. THIS is the answer to the unsolved mystery surrounding the girl. His thoughts were interrupted by the miko's voice.

 

“Inuyasha and I often traveled to and fro but seriously, I don't know if you can. We've discovered that not everyone is able to pass through to the other side.” Kagome was afraid to bring his hopes too high.

 

“Nothing stops Sesshoumaru. If a hanyou and a human can do it, so shall I.” The demon lord sounded confident.

 

“Kah! We shall see about that,” Inuyasha blunted wryly, half hoping that his arrogant brother would fall flat on his face at the bottom of the well.

 

“I have to prepare you. My world is very different from yours. You cannot travel freely. You might need a change of clothes even…” Before she could complete, Sesshoumaru had already disappeared into the well. A radiant display of light was seen and in the next moment, he was gone.

 

Kagome watched in awe while Inuyasha rolled his eyes in resentment, “That egotistical conceited son of a XXX (literally), how the hell did he manage that? It still amazes me, just like that time when he passed through the gate keepers so easily to father's grave site.”

 

“Well, no time for that now. We'd better hurry after him before things get out of control,” Kagome reminded her hubby.

 

“Kah! IT IS already out of control.”

 

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Hi everyone,

 

Just a note for you. At the last portion of this chapter, I've added something from the last few episodes of the Inuyasha series. Sesshoumaru managed to pass through the gate keepers guarding the doorway from this world to the next while Inuyasha and many others had tried and fail. Even Naraku and Kagura were utterly surprised that he was capable of such. But that was because he had the Tenseiga with him.

 

Well, in the case of my story, it is of course slightly different. But on second thoughts, if Inuyasha can do it, why can't Sesshoumaru?

 

Hope you enjoy it anyway…