InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Consciousness ❯ Belonging ( Chapter 20 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Belonging



Inuyasha pulled Kagome up from the well. At the top of the well, he stopped and turned to her. “This is it; this is your last chance. You can go home, right now,” he whispered.

Kagome looked at him. “Thank you, thank you for everything, Inuyasha. This is where I belong.”

Sesshomaru and Miroku were standing, with bags in their hands. Shippo came bounding out, headed straight for Kagome. Inuyasha grimaced as he grabbed an armful of bags. “She said a few things,” he grumbled.

Safely standing in the past, Kagome looked at him. “Take care, Inuyasha; the Ramen in those bags will have to last you for a very, very long time.” Giggling, she headed back to the village. Sesshomaru and Miroku glanced at the disgruntled hanyou, as realization dawned on him. “Oi! Wench! That’s not funny!” he bellowed. Turning, he started after her, bags bouncing against his leg. Sesshomaru was intrigued by the mass number of things they had brought back from her time. There were fabrics, foods, odd-smelling things-all manner of oddities that he had never seen, before.

As Kaede’s hut came into view, Kagome slowed her pace. She felt guilty, taking up what little space Kaede had, with her excesses. She stopped, turned to Sesshomaru and Inuyasha, and said, “Do you think we can find somewhere to store all this stuff? I hate to turn Kaede’s hut into a storage hut!”

Sesshomaru turned to look at her. “Take out what you want to leave here. Pack everything else; I will have it sent to the castle where it will be safe.”

Kagome looked at him, with relief. “Thank you, Sesshomaru!”

Kagome headed into the hut to find Kaede and Sango. She would need help sorting through everything, deciding what Kaede would need; this added to the fact that there were several things for her wedding night in those bags.As she walked into the hut, she could hear excited chatter. Sango, Ayame, Kagura, Kanna, Rin and Kaede were working together on long bolts of fabric spread across the floor. “Kagome!” Sango jumped up. Running over to hug her sister, Sango pointed excitedly to the fabric on the floor. “Look!”

Kagome headed over to look at the fabric; there were long sections of gold, white, and red silk on the floor. “What is it?” she asked.

“That is your wedding gown!” Sango exclaimed. “The material was delivered late yesterday afternoon! Everyone denies knowing anything, but I think it was Sesshomaru!”

Sango sighed as she sat down, “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful! I wish I had such beautiful material for my wedding!”

Kagome settled on the floor; she reached over and pulled Sango toward her. “You will; you will,” she said with a wink. “I brought you something.” Miroku and Sango planned to get married next month at the castle after everyone had settled down and Inuyasha and Kagome’s wedding was over. “What did you bring me?” she bounced, just like an excited Shippo over the prospect of candy. “You’ll see! Just as soon as you agree to help me sort through all my bags and sort out what I need to leave here and what I need to send to the castle,” Kagome giggled.

Kaede looked at Kagome. “My child, ye can store stuff here,” she repeated her earlier offer. Kagome looked over at her and grinned sheepishly. “Um… actually, I think I have a little much.” At that moment, Sesshomaru, Inuyasha, and Miroku walked through the hut door and set down the multitude of bags they were carrying. “A bit much? Kagome? I think half of Tokyo is in there,” Inuyasha huffed.

“We’ll get it sorted out right away!” Kagome grinned, pushing the guys back toward the door.

Sango got up and headed for the back room to bring out the bags of items Kagome had been rat-packing into Kaede’s back room. The others folded the material of Kagome’s wedding kimono and laid it on Kaede’s sleeping mat to make sure it stayed out of the fray. Then, they sat down to unpack and re-pack the bags that Kagome had brought with her.

Various soaps, antiseptics, medicines, and ointments were set-aside in a large wooden box for Kaede. Heavy flannel material was passed on to Kaede from Kagome to make sleeping garments and under garments for the coming winter. Kaede gasped as Kagome handed her a heavy down comforter and told her that was to make sure she stayed warm and healthy this winter.

“My child, this is too expensive and beautiful for one as old as I,” she protested.

“Nonsense Kaede!” Kagome smiled. “You are like my grandmother, it means the world to be able to give you something.”

“Thank ye, Kagome,” she bowed her head.

Together, they unpacked several more bags, repacking what Kagome would not need here in the village. Her clothes for the night of the wedding were left behind in Kaede’s room. Some soaps, her first aid kit, and one heavy bag were also left behind.

Turning to Sango, as they came to several of the final bags, she reached in and pulled out a thick bolt of deep purple velvet. The material was heavy and finely made. “This is for you Sango, for your wedding dress,” Kagome said quietly.

Tears welled up in Sango’s eyes. Looking at the material, she knew Kagome had probably taken a great deal of time to select and spent too much money. “Kagome, you shouldn’t have! You should have been spending time with your mother!” she admonished.

“I did. We went shopping together. We thought, since the weather would be turning cold before your marriage, you would appreciate something heavy and warm to wear for your wedding,” Kagome said.

“Thank you, Kagome!” Sango reached over, pulling Kagome into an awkward hug.

Together the group of girls finished repacking all the items to be sent to the castle. When they finished their task, Kagome got up and went in search of Sesshomaru.


*****


Finding Sesshomaru on the outskirts of the village, she headed straight for him. He was talking with one of his guards. “Excuse me, Sesshomaru, when you have a moment,” Kagome said softly.

Sesshomaru nodded. As he finished his conversation with the guard, he turned his attention toward her. “What may I do for you, Miko?” he asked.

“We have finished repacking the items to be sent to the castle,” she replied.

“Good, I will have one of the men gather it up; we will have it taken back tonight,” he said. Looking at her, he knew there was something else on her mind. “Is there something else you wish to discuss, Miko?” Looking at him, she wasn’t sure what to say. She knew what she wanted to say; however, the fear of what would happen if he knew he was there in the present scared her.

He looked at her. He knew that there was more she wasn’t telling him. “Miko, if you know something of our future, do not tempt fate,” he said in a low rumbling voice. She looked at him, surprise registering in her face. “Oh!” was all that she was able to squeak out. He turned his attention toward the edge of the village. Just on the outskirts of the woods, his company had set up their makeshift camp. He knew that with the wedding coming that there were things that needed his attention. “Miko, I wish I could offer you more privacy for your wedding; however, we have set up a marriage tent at the edge of the village,” Sesshomaru stated as he turned to walk away.

Her curiosity being adequately piqued, she headed toward the edge of the village slightly up from Kaede’s hut. There, she found guards securing the area around a makeshift tent. Heavy tarps were draped upon a large wooden frame; the ground was being cleared of debris, and the area was being scoured. Sentries were looking for loopholes in their defenses. A large cart, draped with furs, canvases, and silks stood to the side of the shelter being built. Kagome gasped as she realized that Sesshomaru was doing this, for her, for Inuyasha, for them.

The wedding was tomorrow evening. Kagome had much to prepare and very little time in which to do it. Sesshomaru had warned her. He had told her he would not wait long, if he allowed her to come to the village to be wed. Sighing, she turned and went in search of Inuyasha. She suspected she knew right where to find him.


******

Inuyasha looked down at the approaching girl. This was it. The decision was made. Tomorrow was their wedding. He would have what he had wanted for so long.

When she was closer, he jumped down and grabbed her, pulling her up into the tree with him. He could see the guards, circling out away from the tree, taking up posts. Watching. Waiting.

He sighed as he settled back against the tree.

“You ok?” he asked.

“Yeah, I think I am. I’m sad. Yet, I’m so happy right now. Our wedding is tomorrow. Our friends and family are here with us. Everyone of you is so dear to me,” she said, settling back against him.

“Are you ready for the wedding?” he asked.

“Nope! Not at all!” she giggled. Turning slightly so she could see him, she smiled. “No one is really ever ready for a wedding!”

Her logic amazed him. He never did understand her. He had quit trying.

“Do you need me to do anything?” he asked. Knowing that it was futile to try to dodge any responsibility for the impending ceremony, Mya had warned him to do whatever was asked and to offer his assistance with the wedding. She assured him that it would make his life easier. He wasn’t sure how, but Mya never steered him wrong when it came to Kagome.

“As a matter of fact….” Kagome started as she began listing off things he could do.

The day flew by, as they both worked quickly to make sure everything was ready for the festivities the following night. Before either of them realized, it was time for dinner. Everyone gathered near or in Kaede’s hut for the late evening meal. Plans for the next day were discussed, ideas were passed back and forth, and decisions were made. The group headed toward their beds, all exhausted from the extra work of the day.


*****


The morning dawned bright and clear. Kagome awoke with a start. She could hear voices outside Kaede’s hut, escalating to an angry pitch. She could hear Inuyasha’s gruff voice followed by Sesshomaru’s softer sneer. The voices were too muffled to distinguish the topic of the whole of the conversation.

Kagome slipped out of her blankets and headed for the door just as Sango came charging inside. “Kagome!” Sango chirped. “Where are you going?”

“Outside, to see what those two demons are bellowing about,” she replied.

“Oh, no you don’t!” Sango threw at her cheerfully. “You are not going anywhere this morning!”

“Sango!” Kagome moaned. “They’re going to kill each other!” She could hear the voices outside escalating further. Loud enough now that she could start to decipher exactly what was going on outside between the two quarrelsome brothers.

“You just leave that to us. We’ll handle them,” Sango said as she offered up a bowl of morning stew and headed back for the door. “STAY here, Kagome!”

Kagome sighed and sat back down to eat; as she settled on her sleeping blanket, the hut door swung open again. This time, framed in the door was a very angry Tai-Youkai. Sesshomaru stood just inside the door for a moment. Glaring at Kagome, he strode into the hut and headed for Kaede’s back room.

“Sesshomaru?” Kagome inquired, glancing at the angry demon.

“Hmpf,” he muttered as he walked into the back room.

Kagome set her stew down and followed him. She stood in the doorway and watched as he sorted through the belongings stored in the back room and pulled out a package wrapped in a dark muslin wrapper. Spinning around, he stopped and glared at her, while she blocked the door.

“What is going on?” she asked.

“Your mate is an idiot,” he sneered.

“Hmmmm, I thought something was new,” she said, a smile lighting her face. “What is he doing?”

“He’s demanding he be allowed to stay with you today. That will not happen,” he stated quietly. Lightly shrugging his shoulders, he added. “The baka will wear the ceremonial garments appropriate for this type of ceremony.”

Kagome sighed. She had to agree with Inuyasha. They had been traveling together for more than four years; neither of them felt the need to follow tradition and be separated prior to the wedding. Kagome had already protested the wedding veils. It was ridiculous; Inuyasha had seen her face, and they already knew each other. She understood and respected that traditions were different here, than they were in her time. She just did not feel obligated in this case to follow tradition.

Sesshomaru and Sango, unfortunately felt differently. They had announced last night, after everyone had settled down, that Inuyasha would be separated from Kagome until the wedding. Kagura and Kanna, as well as three of Sesshomaru’s guards, had stayed close to Kagome. Late into the night, Inuyasha could be heard raging at his brother.

Sesshomaru quirked his brow, and she heard his knuckles crack as he started to move past her.

“Now, I have some business with that baka,” he sneered as he moved past her.

Lightly placing a hand on his arm, she looked up at him. “Just make sure not to do anything permanent.”

“Hmpf” was her only reply as he strode out of the hut.


*****


Sango strode into the hut with Ayame, Kagura, Kanna, and Kaede in tow. “Let’s get this thing started, shall we?” Sango said as they began laying out layers upon layers of fabric. Kagome sighed. She knew when she was defeated, so she sat back and let her mind wander. They would do what they wanted, and she knew her input was only wasted breath.





Disclaimer again…

I don’t own Inuyasha, its characters, or its story line. That joy belongs solely to Rumiko Takahashi.
I’ll let you know which characters I own as I go along.