InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Be Careful What You Say ❯ Chapter Nineteen: Fun and Games ( Chapter 19 )

Chapter Nineteen

A/N: I don't own Inuyasha. It has been a while. I hope that this chapter meets with your approval. Enjoy.

Toshiro walked the halls of his manor. He had not slept much the night before, but he felt refreshed. He had come to many decisions in the night and knew that by the end of this day he would be both loved and hated. 'Comes with the territory.' he thought. The responsibiltiy of being the clan leader was heavy and had unpopular decisions. He thought back on the evening and the scene he overheard.

Flashback

Toshiro was walking the halls. He couldn't sleep with the decisions that he had to make. As he passed a door, he paused. He heard muffled sobbing. He realized that he was in the guest area and that he was in front of the room for Kagome. He started to enter when he heard a voice. He stopped and listened.

"Kagome, please! I can take you away from here! We could be gone from the compound and they would never know we were gone until tomorrow!"

"No, Inuyasha! I gave my word! sob"

"Inuyasha, Sango and I don't like this either. But if we run from this, we will ruin her honor. Do you want to do that?"

growl "Blast it , Miroku! I don't want to see her wed to someone she doesn't know, much less love. I swear, I'll kill anyone who lays a hand on her!"

"NO! I made this promise and I will keep it!"

"Feh! You sound like you want to do this!"

sob "How can you say that!? The only one I want is you, but I gave my word!"

very loud growl and the sound of a fist going through the wall

End flashback

Toshiro frowned. That hanyou could ruin everything and all his planning would be for nothing. He would have to watch Inuyasha closely.

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Toshiro called the clan together in the great hall. He looked over the assembly. His gaze fell on an odd group. Kagome was holding the little kitsune, Shippo. Inuyasha stood behind her, one hand on her shoulder, the other on the hilt of his sword. Toshiro frowned at that. He wasn't sure he believed Sango and Miroku about that sword controlling Inuyasha's changes, but, better safe than sorry. Besides, he had more than enough ninja present if the hanyou misbehaved. Miroku stood next to Inuyasha, on his sword side, Toshiro noted. Probably to keep him from drawing it. Sango stood next to Kagome, but not in front of Miroku. Toshiro almost smiled at that. From what he had seen of the houshi, he wasn't to be trusted behind any young woman! Kirara was at Sango's feet. Kaede was next to Kagome, her arm around the girl's waist. She was whispering something to Kagome, probably words of encouragement. Surprisingly, he noticed that Nagura was standing with the group, too. He was on the Inuyasha's other side and he had a hand on Kagome's other shoulder. This time Toshiro did smile. A father's place was with his child during a time like this. He decided that he had kept everyone in suspence long enough. He cleared his throut, and began to speak.

"Assembled family and friends. We are gathered here to welcome a new sister into our house." Toshiro smiled. 'Let the games begin!' he thought. "Sango!" he called. The demon exterminator looked up at him in surprise. "I offer you a place in my family, as a new daughter to my eldest son, Nagura. You are without family and it would please me greatly if you would accept." Nagura was as shocked by this announcement as was Sango! Neither had seen this coming!

'Next!' Toshiro smiled again. "Kagome! You have already accepted the proposal of adoption. My son, Nagura has expressed the desire to be your father. In this I agree completely and would urge you to greet your new father and sister!" Sango took on an even more surprised look as she realized what the elder had said. Kagome would be her sister in truth if she accepted the adoption!

'I haven't had this much fun in years!' "Kagome! You are now my granddaughter and,as I understand it, you have an adopted son. Shippo, you are now my great-grandson!" Toshiro laughed aloud when he saw Shippo's ears stand straight up. "I have no doubt that with your kitsune abilities, you will make a fine ninja, someday!"

The looks on the faces of the assembly were priceless. Looks of shock, wonder, happiness, and confusion were there. Unfortunately, there were also some looks of anger there, from the last announcement. 'I will need to address that now, before it gets out of hand.' "I see that some of you don't like my last addition to the family. I say to you, get over it! Sango's clan has shown that youkai can live with us in peace and partnership with Kirara. Shippo is a fine lad, and will do well in this family! Treat him as one of your own!"

Toshiro took a deep breath. 'Now comes the hard one!' "Miroku!" The houshi looked at the elder in surprise. He didn't expect to be called on! "I have a task for you. My granddaughter Kagome is to wed a man of my choice today. It is my desire that you marry her....."he paused,"to the man that I have chosen." he finished. 'That was evil. But I couldn't resist. I wanted to see the looks on their faces! The glare that Inuyasha gave Miroku was deadly!' "By the way, this is not a request, so you cannot refuse."

"Kagome. Come here, my new granddaughter." Kagome looked at her friends and then approached Toshiro. Inuyasha could be heard growling. Kagome looked back at him and shook her head to get him to quit. He didn't but he did reduce the volume. Sighing, Kagome continued until she was in front of Toshiro.

"Kagome. It is custommary for the bride to recieve gifts before her wedding. I have a gift for you, before I announce who your intended is." Toshiro reached down beside him and picked up a box. He presented it to Kagome. "Open it." he said with a smile. Kagome slowly untied the ribbon that held the box shut. Taking a breath, she opened it. What she saw inside made her gasp and turn pale. Miroku laid a hand on Inuyasha's arm to keep him from going to her. She looked at Toshiro. The old man looked at her and smiled gently, "It is also a tradition that the groom make something that shows his love for the bride." Tears came to her eyes as she understood what he was saying. "Go to him."

Kagome turned and rushed back to the man she loved. As she threw her arms around him, he put his arms around her on reflex. As Inuyasha held her, Miroku gently took the box from Kagome's hand and looked inside. He broke into a wide smile and showed the contents of the box to Sango, then Kaede, and finally Shippo. All broke into smiles as they saw what was in the box. Finally, Miroku showed the box to Inuyasha. Nestled inside was the carving of Inuyasha and Kagome that he had done what felt like years ago.

Inuyasha looked at Toshiro in astonishment. Toshiro looked back and laughed. "I would like to announce the wedding of my granddaughter Kagome Higurashi and Inuyasha, son of the previous demon lord of the western lands." Inuyasha looked at him in shock. He hadn't told him that! Toshiro grinned back at him. "An old man has to have some tricks up his sleeve." he said.

After the noise had died down, Toshiro looked out over the clan again. 'And now for the last.' "My family, I have made a decision. I am stepping down as clan elder." The room exploded with protests. "No. It is time for new blood to take over. Nagura, as my eldest son, you will be the new elder of the clan. I am going to leave for a while and travel. There is a village about three days from here that I would like to live in." A look of shock finally appeared on Kaede's face. "It has been many years since I visited that village and I left something precious behind. I'm going back to see if I can find it again." Then he smiled, the look on Kaede's face was enough to let him know that he would.

The end or should I say beginning?

A/N: All done! I hope that you enjoyed this romp. And I hope that you will like my other stories. 'The Pain of Being Alone' has been posted and I have a new one called 'Reunion' in the works. Here is the prologue to it.

Dusk was falling when the messenger arrived at his lord's manor. He went straight to the audience hall after throwing the reins of his horse to the groom. The lord looked up as his servant entered. The man approached the figure at the head of the room and dropped to one knee.

"I bear news, my lord."

"Speak, Daremo."

"I spoke with several of the villagers in the area. There can be no doubt. The rumors we have heard are true. He has returned from the dead. Some of the men that I spoke with even saw the event."

"You have done well, my servant. Now, go get some rest. I will be needing you in the morning."

The lord waited until his servant had left before rising. He left the hall and went to a smaller room in the manor. An elderly woman looked at him as he entered. "Mother, he is alive."

The old woman closed her eyes and bowed her head. When she looked up, she had tears in her eyes. Her voice shook with emotion as she spoke. "Send for him, my son. I want to see him before the end of my life."

The lord nodded in agreement. "I will send Daremo in the morning with letters of invitation, both formal and informal."

The old woman smiled as she wiped the tears from her face. "I will send a note, as well. He will not refuse me."

The lord smiled as he turned to leave. He paused at the door. "Mother? Should we tell her?"

The old woman frowned. "No. Not at this time. I wish to see him first and get a chance to explain. Maybe he will accept it, unless he inherited father's temper."

The lord laughed at the last. "Good night, mother. I will get your note in the morning. Please get some rest."

'How will I rest?' she thought after her son left. 'He is alive! He is alive! Oh please, Inuyasha! Come home, son of my sister, come home!'

Hope you like the teaser! Yes, I know I'm evil. My daughters tell me this often.