InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Condition of the Souls ❯ Something to Hope for ( Chapter 16 )

Hey, I'm back. I guess some of you want an answer and an apology for taking so long. I am sorry and here's my explanation. I had some doubts about whether I could write this fic knowing that I disagree with some of the main things that the show is based on. I do not want to promote magic, Shintoism, Buddhism, the concept of reincarnation or anything in the New Age movement. I am a Christian- one who was bought by the blood of Jesus Christ. I do believe that surrendering myself, repenting of my sins and acknowledging Him as Lord and Savior is the only way to go to heaven. Now, I say that not to turn this into a religious debate, but to simply have the disclaimer. I was unsure about whether I could write it, even if it does not glorify those things. But, I have said ok and will continue to write this story. Thanks to all who read and/or reviewed! I greatly appreciate your comments and support. On with the fic!

 

Phase 2

Chapter 16: Something to Hope for

“Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for." - Joseph Addison

(break)

 

Kagome reflects upon the interesting evening as her mind spins in almost disbelief. A quirky smile appears upon her lips as she lounges back on her bed and thinks about the families of her old friends. Still, it is late and sleep overtakes her quickly.

 

When she wakes up, she knows that it is time to go back to the Sengoku Jidai and face Inuyasha. As the thought of him comes to her, she cannot help but remember what occurred in Equilibrium. Her mind flicks back to his heart-broken cry when Kikyo disappeared just beyond his reach. Back then, the reverberations of his pain-stricken voice shook her as she knew that her love was in so much pain and there was nothing that she could do to ease the pang of his grief. I wanted to comfort him and let him know that I would be there for him. I hate to see him in so much pain. Kikyo was put to rest and wished me the best… and yet it is not over, not yet.

 

She sighs and turns over on her side. I can't blame him for thinking that it was my fault. In a way, that is all that he could see. He didn't see the entire story and in his grief, he went back to his protective anger. That state was easier than accepting defeat- her death. His eyes narrowed as he accused me of such treachery. The yellow irises became incredibly cold and then… I remember light rushing into me and waking up at Inutaisho's.

 

Oh Inuyasha! I grieve with you, dear friend and love. I hope that you will understand. Oh God, help me to face him and endure his charges and anger. Help me to bear this burden, God. Help me to show him the truth about what happened and to forgive me and himself and finally move on. Give me the courage, Lord. Suddenly, a renewed sense of purpose and hope fills her heart and she raises her grateful eyes to heaven in gratitude.

 

After taking a shower, packing and eating a delicious breakfast with her family, Kagome grabs her heavy backpack and walks in the direction of the well house. She feels a couple of acorns come down from above. Reflexively, she looks up and smiles as she recognizes the culprits. After a quick glance around the courtyard to confirm that no one but she and her family are there, she beckons for the kitsune youkai to come down. Miyoko and Shippo land gently and quickly on the sun-warmed concrete.

 

Shippo smiles at her gently. “Hello, stranger. We've come to see you off on your journey.”

 

Kagome smiles, but takes her heavy bag off before answering. “Good morning. Thank you for coming to see me. It was wonderful to spend time with you and everyone yesterday. You were very kind to have me over for dinner.”

 

Shippo raises his eyebrow and stifles a laugh. “Well, after all the times that you brought me dinner and candy in the past, I'd say that we are nowhere near even on that. Besides, it is such a pleasure to have you in our home.” His face takes a whimsical look. “I really missed you, you know. It was very difficult not to come here and be with you from the moment that you were born. You do understand why I could not tell you until yesterday, don't you?”

 

She nods. “Yes, I think that I do understand, Shippo. It's not a big deal. I was ignorant most of the time anyways. I didn't even know that you existed yet.”

 

Shippo's smile dims considerably at this comment, but he nods. “Yes, I know. The thought that you wouldn't know me yet was also depressing.” To break the melancholy mood, he gets a sneaky idea and pastes an appropriate sneaky grin on his face. “You know, I got to watch you grow up instead of the other way around. I saw you making a fool of yourself and being generally obnoxious. My favorite was the time when you were two and you thought that running around the shrine naked was an acceptable thing. You kept stripping off your clothes and giggling uncontrollably as your mother chased your around the courtyard. I was hidden and was trying not to fall out of my hiding place or laugh so hard that you would hear me.” Miyoko's face holds a devilish smirk as she looks at the miko.

 

Kagome turns bright red and narrows her eyes at Shippo. “Shippo!” She growls under her breath. “You are so dead if you ever tell anyone that! You too, Miyoko. I'll find a way to construct another of Inuyasha's necklaces especially for you two and discipline you fairly.”

 

Shippo smiles good-naturedly. “Maybe I would deserve it. I didn't watch over you to learn all your most embarrassing moments, although I did see some… I actually protected you from youkai who wanted to hurt you and your family, especially when they sensed your powers and perhaps the Shikon no Tama inside you. I wanted to make sure that you were safe. In the Sengoku Jidai, you were like my mother. Watching you grow from an inquisitive, stubborn child to a lovely, young woman has brought me great joy, although the fatherly feelings confused me at first. But, we already had some troublesome children, so I recognized the feeling.” He reaches over and puts an arm around Miyoko.

 

Miyoko pulls away in indignation. “Troublesome, Dad? Sheesh, I bet that you were troublesome too.” Exasperated, she sighs and shakes her head. Then, she looks up at Kagome and grins. “Dad, I bet that Kagome will have stories to embarrass you and I can't wait to hear them. Then I'll have some more ammunition in my artillery.” She sticks her tongue out at her father and crosses her arms over her chest.

 

Shippo and Kagome look at each other and then Miyoko before bursting out laughing at the young youkai's outburst. Their laughter piques the interest of Kagome's family as they come outside to see what the commotion is. Kagome's mother, followed closely by the two males, slide open the door to see who the company is. Immediately, the three of them come out, as they see two red-haired humans, as the kitsunes are hiding their youkai attributes. Kagome sighs at this, since she just got the courage to go back and face Inuyasha. She brightens inwardly knowing that at least her family knows the basic story.

 

Kagome beckons to her family. “Mama, Souta, Jii-chan! Come here and I'll introduce you to some special friends of mine. This is Shippo and his daughter, Miyoko.”

 

Kagome's mother gasps in excitement. “You mean to tell me that this is your little cuddly friend from the past?” She appraises him quickly. “He doesn't look little or cuddly to me. He looks human.”

 

Kagome nods. “Yes, they look human, but they are kitsune youkai.” Jii-chan was about to pull something out of a pocket. Kagome glares at him. “Jii-chan! These are my friends and although they are youkai, they will not hurt you. So don't you dare try and vanquish them!” The older man scowls, but obeys his grandchild's request.

 

Souta smiles happily. “Hey! So you're another friend of Inu-no-nii-chan? That's so cool! What do you look like when you are not hiding your appearance? Do you have fuzzy ears? Can I see?”

 

Shippo laughs. “No, I'm youkai, not a hanyou like Inuyasha. I do have a red bushy tail though. So does Miyoko here, although hers is much more becoming if you ask me.”

 

Miyoko frowns. “Dad! Stop that!”

 

Kagome's mother laughs. “I guess some things are just universal across species. Teenagers will be teenagers.” Shippo nods and heartily laughs.

 

Both Kagome and Miyoko exclaim “Mom” and “Dad” respectively at this comment. Then, they shake it off. Kagome informs her family that Shippo is from the present time, not the past and that is why he is older and has children.

 

Kagome's grandfather looks around warily. “You mean there are youkai walking around the city right now? Lots of them?”

 

Shippo replies, “Well, there are a fair amount of youkai roaming around, but we keep to ourselves and live normal lives. People have no idea that we are youkai and it works well enough that way. Those who could not adapt to the changing times have, for the most part, passed on and it makes things easier on the remaining members of both species.”

 

“That's true.” Jii-chan nods solemnly, but still looks a little perturbed.

 

Souta, however, looks incredibly intrigued. “So there are many youkai running around? Can I meet some? Please? I'll be very good. Can I go Mama; can I?”

 

Kagome's mom looks doubtful, but Shippo nods his head that he will answer the question. “Souta, not all youkai like humans. Some are angry that they must hide who and what they are. How about this for a deal? I will introduce you to my family and some of my youkai friends. You still need to be careful in dealing with youkai. Do you understand?” Souta nods. “Good.”

 

A brief moment of silence passes and Kagome takes it. “Um, this is wonderful and all, but I need to get back to the past now, ok?”

 

Shippo nods. “That's right. Time to get back. You know, I'd give you a hug, but I think it would freak everyone out and reveal some of the future that they cannot know.”

 

“I know, Shippo and don't worry- I will weigh my words carefully. I won't tell them about your future.”

 

Miyoko smiles at her new friend. “I probably shouldn't hug you either for the same reason. Do be careful and take care of my dad. Keep him out of trouble.” Shippo scowls at that comment for a moment.

 

Kagome warmly smiles. “You can count on it.” Her family waves her goodbye, but as she heads towards the well, Shippo stops her.

 

“Kagome, why are you going towards the well? What about the pendant?”

 

Kagome sweatdrops. “Right. I knew that.” She turns around and walks to Goshinboku in order to get the rest of the spell. Her family and Miyoko have never seen her talk to the tree or travel through time that way, so they stare at her in awe. Hearing about it is not the same as seeing. Seeing is believing, so they say. So with help from the tree, she disappears in a flash of light and appears in front of the tree in the Sengoku Jidai.

 

The first thing that she does is straighten herself and prepare herself for whatever may come. She hears a couple of people yelling and running through the woods. She can hear Miroku and Sango calling out to Shippo. “Shippo, she's probably not back yet!”

 

Shippo, being in the lead, reaches Kagome and leaps into her arms without a thought. “Kagome!! I missed you so much. I kept wondering when you would get here. You were gone so long. Inuyasha came back without you and then he disappeared again and came back again, but you weren't with him. I figured that you had a test or something, because he sure was grumbling about you the second time that he came back.”

 

Kagome smiles at her friend. “I missed you too, Shippo. I wish that I could explain everything that's happened quickly, but I fear that it is rather complicated.”

 

At this point, Miroku and Sango catch up with Shippo. They both call out to Kagome and run towards her. Miroku helps Kagome with her bag and almost stops to investigate her rear, but she glares at him and drops her heavy bag on his twitching hand before he has a chance to exhibit lecherous behavior. He sighs and picks up the bag as Sango engulfs Kagome in a hug. “We were so worried about you. We had no idea if something happened to you. Inuyasha came back a couple of times without you. After his most recent appearance, he's been more obnoxious and rude than usual. He seems pretty angry with you…”

 

Kagome lowers her head. “Yes, I know that and I will explain. I must say that he doesn't know the whole story about what happened and got confused.”

 

Sango grumbles, “There's a surprise.”

 

Miroku nods his head. “That's true. It's not new; it's just taken to a new level.”

 

“Guys, I can't completely blame him for it. It's just… oh I'll explain everything soon. Let's get back.”

 

Miroku agrees. “Yes, let's go. I want to put down this bag as soon as possible.”

 

On the way back, Kagome tells them about Nozomi and what she learned and the pendant. She told them about Inuyasha leaving with Kikyo and how she went back to Inutaisho's instead of coming back here. Next, she told them about Kikyo, the pendant, Equilibrium and Inuyasha. By the time she was done outlining her time away, they had been back in the village for more than a little while. When Kagome was done telling them, she goes to find Kaede, but finds Sesshoumaru instead. He is looking out the window and does not acknowledge her presence until he says, “She is out delivering a baby.”

 

Kagome looks at him. “Hello, Sesshoumaru. How are you? Thank you for telling me where Kaede is.”

 

“It saves time to tell you than for you to go through all your pathetic human greeting rituals.”

 

Seeing Sesshoumaru made Kagome think for a moment. She feels as if there is something that she has to tell him, but for the moment, she cannot remember. She walks through what happened to her since she left to see Nozomi. Then it came rushing back and she feels as if Nozomi is in the room with her, repeating the conversation with her:

 

“I saw enough to understand your feelings and to be sure that this Sesshoumaru is the one to whom the message belongs. So tell him the following: Everything is not as it seems. The more that you fight, the more that you become entangled in the fabricated web of pain and hatred.”

 

“Wait- what does that…”

 

Nozomi cuts her off. “Please just tell him. All will become apparent with time.”

 

“How did you know?”

 

“I know that it's essential to completing our mission.”

 

Kagome sighs with resignation. Ok, Nozomi, I'll deliver your message, but I hope that he won't hurt the messenger! “Sesshoumaru, when I was back in the far past, my counterpart Nozomi gave me a message for you. She told me to tell the Lord of the Western Lands- and I know that she means you- the following: Everything is not as it seems. The more that you fight, the more that you become entangled in the fabricated web of pain and hatred. She also said that it is important for our mission. I've delivered the message and please remember that I am merely passing the thought along.”

 

Sesshoumaru keeps his cool, but inwardly feels annoyed that this person, this human, who lives so far in the past, has an opinion on how he should live his life. First he must endure trials from his deceased father and now this nonsense. He nods, but does not openly acknowledge the message more than that. Kagome backs off, feeling relieved that he did not get angry at her. Still, she gets a feeling that Sesshoumaru will consider the message more than it appeared a moment ago. She walks out of Kaede's hut and goes to find her friends and to face Inuyasha.

 

Sango finds her first. “Hey girl, how are you holding up after everything that happened?” The beautiful taijiya leads her out away from where everyone can hear.

 

“I'm alright; I guess. Inuyasha's been upset with me before.”

 

“He always forgave you before, too. He will this time too; you'll see.”

 

“I don't know if it's as simple as that. Kikyo is really gone this time. She won't be coming back.”

 

“But she was trying to tell him not to blame you for it!”

 

“You know Inuyasha and his selective hearing and selective memory. Besides, he was in a state of shock and grief. His natural reflex is to reach out with anger and it was easy to point that towards me.”

 

Sango almost whispers, “Do you think he'll understand with time? Do you think that he will see the truth?”

 

Kagome sighs. “I hope so. I dearly hope so. It was Kikyo's wish as well, so maybe that will help. We shall see.” Kagome looks down at the sapphire ring on her right hand and plays with it. “All I can do now is hope for the future.”

 

Sango places her hand on top of her friend's and looks in her eyes. “I have hope, too.”

Kagome lightly smiles. “And that may be enough.”

(break)

 

Random note- you know the definition of species is a group that can interbreed and create viable offspring? I knew that before but was reminded while taking biopsych. According to this definition, humans and youkai would actually be two different parts of one species, because hanyou are obviously viable offspring. I could write the story this way and I know how to do it, but it'd be too confusing.

 

Anyways, enough for the random notes and disclaimers in this chapter… I'll be back soon (I mean it this time.) with Chapter 17: Many Waters!