InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Dashed Hopes ❯ The Sunset Shrine ( Chapter 20 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

::Dances an odd little victory:: On ff.net, I have over 100 reviews! Whoot! Squee! Ok...I'm done now.

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Disclaimer: (Ummm, nope! No witty comments today!) I do not own Inuyasha.

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Dashed Hopes

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--- Last Chapter ---

Kagome was going to say those three words, and then disappear forever, and life would go back to normal.

As normal as it could get excluding a great secretary, best friend, mother figure, and grade-A arguer.

And...

...Inuyasha...

...Was right.

“I’m going home.”

--- End of Last Chapter ---

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Chapter 20: The Sunset Shrine

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Kohaku and Rin, unaware of the impact of those words, went back to the TV show and Sesshoumaru continued on his paper.

Souta and Shippou sat with goofy smiles, all happy.

But the other three weren’t doing as well.

“Home?” Sango squeaked.

“Home,” Miroku echoed dully.

Inuyasha winced like he’d just been slapped.

Kagome tentatively turned back to her three friends, unaware of their reactions.

“Um...that’s not all...”

Inuyasha glared at her. ‘Not all? How much more can there be? She’s used us, became part of our lives, and now is leaving! What else could that bitch do?’

“I...was hoping...”

Miroku starred desperately at her, trying to wordlessly tell her not to leave. Sango felt tears prick her eyes, but she held them back, she hardly ever cried.

And Inuyasha...just kept glaring.

“That you...”

Sango glanced up to look her friend in the eyes.

“...Would like...to...”

“Yes?” Sango urged.

“Come with us?!” Kagome finished in a rush.

Inuyasha opened his mouth to start screaming when the words hit him.

Go with?

“You could come and meet my other friends and family and I can show you the shrine, and I can find someway to repay all of you.”

Sango currently couldn’t stop smiling. Neither, it looked like, could Miroku.

Inuyasha was too busy practicing his fish impression.

But thank Kami for Sesshoumaru.

“No thank you, Rin and I need to go to the D-O-C-T-O-R.”

Kagome slightly smiled at the way the grim man carefully spelled out ‘doctor’ like any true parent.

“Um...Souta, Shippou? Would you mind?”

“...We can see mom? And Kohaku could come and see the Go-shinboku Tree?” Souta asked.

“Uh huh, if Sango doesn’t mind.”

“Kag-chan! I’d love to go, Kohaku too! Thank you!” Sango bolted out of her chair to hug the relieved Kagome.

“Well, I’m going. All the better that Sango’s going too,” Miroku grinned.

“Thanks, it means a lot you two, that you’d like to come!” Kagome gushed.

Inuyasha, still in fish mode, just watched.

“Er-Inuyasha?” Kagome turned gently to him. She was hoping that he’d say yes, it really made her happy that Miroku and Sango wanted to go.

For the longest time, she’d been worried that when her problems were gone, that Inuyasha would kick her out of The Company, his own company, and his house.

And with his angry expression and silence, she took the wrong meaning.

Her bottom lip trembled slightly and a hurt expression crossed her cloudy blue eyes. Slowly she began to turn away from him.

“...Wait...” Inuyasha started, brain just starting to work again.

“Uh huh?”

“...Are you saying that you’re...not going to just leave?”

“Yes,” Kagome said slowly, completely confused.

“Feh,” Inuyasha crossed his arms and Kag starred blankly at him.

‘I’ll take that as a ‘Sure, I’d love to Kagome’.’

Inuyasha’s cheeks reddened as relief swept through him.

Kagome didn’t want to leave.

Well she did...but not in the way he’d been losing sleep over....

...Not that he’d actually lost sleep over it, but still. She wasn’t deserting them after all!

‘That’s it, I’m never jumping to another conclusion ever again,’ he silently vowed.

Jumping to conclusions seemed to make him look like he cared. Which was not why he was worried about this. ‘I was worried about how Miroku and Sango would handle this!’

Sure...

...That’s it, Inu-babe.

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Kagome hummed a slightly depressing tune as she folded her small amount of belongings.

“Kagome?”

“Yes Souta?”

“When are we going to leave?” he asked gently.

Kagome turned slightly to him and tilted her head in thought. “Tomorrow. Tomorrow we shall leave and see Mama again, I promise.”

Souta smiled.

“Thank you, Kagome,” The young boy stood up and hugged his sister who hugged him back.

“For what?”

“For keeping me. Most sisters would never have liked to stay with their little brothers, but you’ve stayed with me for four years! And you’ve protected me, I like it when you protect me, Kagome.” He confided quietly.

“I’d never leave you Souta.”

“I know. I’m going to go pack and help Shippou. Bye!” Souta went back to his normal self and skipped out of the room.

Kag turned back to the exciting task at hand...

Packing.

Whoot!

Can you say ‘party’?

Resuming the haunting melody, she filled the tiny suitcase slowly and surely.

-Knock- -Knock-

“Yeah?” Kagome called over her shoulder at the person tapping on her door.

Inuyasha walked and collapsed in a poofy chair beside her bed. “Hi.”

“Hello, Inuyasha.”

“Watcha doin?”

“Packing.”

“Why?”

“So I’ll have clothes.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t want to run around the shrine naked.”

“Why? I wouldn’t mind. And neither would Miroku, I’m sure.”

“Inuyasha!” Kagome whirled around, blushing, to face the chuckling man. “Out!” she ordered while pointing towards the open door.

“Feh,” he huffed and began to move towards the pointed direction.

Half way out he heard her speak again.

“Thank you.”

“Huh?”

He turned to find Kagome looking sincerely at him.

“Thank you for helping me out when we only first met.

Thank you for watching over the boys.

Thank you for giving me a chance at work.

Thank you for coming to my rescue.

Thank you for saving me.

Thank you for standing by me.

And most of all...Thank you for being there, Inuyasha.”

“Uh...sure...”

Kagome smiled. And the thought crossed Inuyasha’s mind that maybe, just maybe, this was her first true smile in four years. The first one not forced or faked or made for others but not for her self.

And she gave it to him.

“No...”

“What?” Kagome asked, her smile faltered slightly.

“Thank you.”

And without an explanation, he was gone.

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“This love has taken its toll,

She’s said goodbye, too many times before.

Her heart is breaking in front of me,

And I have no choice, cause I wont say goodbye anymore.”

-Click-

“Inuyasha!”

“What?!”

“I liked that song!”

“Bite me!”

“EWW-INUYASHA!”

“What?!”

“I’m not kinky, why’d I want to bite you?!”

“Kagome! Its an expression!”

“Oh.”

“Will you two shut it and turn the radio back on?” Souta asked irritated from the backseat.

“And I really...

...Really...

...Didn’t need to hear that ‘bite me’ comment.”

“Shut up Souta.”

“Feh.” He huffed back.

“Oh great! I’m a trendsetter,” Inu remarked at Souta using his word.

-Smack-

“OW-Kagome!”

“Keep your eyes on the road you idiot! I’d like to live to make it to my shrine. And the radio is going back on.” Kagome scolded.

“Its my car!” Inuyasha huffed.

“SO?!”

“Feh.” This time from the older male in the car.

-Click-

“First I was afraid, I was petrified,

Didn’t know how I could live without you by my side.

But then I spent many nights thinking how you did me wrong,

And I grew strong-

I taught myself how to get along.

And now you’re back, from outer space!”

-Click-

“The radio is staying off! That song is...weird...” Inuyasha told the female sitting next to him in the passenger seat.

“I like it...kinda...sorta...” Souta put in his two cents from the backseat.

“Feh.” Inuyasha was irritated from the hours in his convertible on the late fall drive. It was not the best choice.

“We should have borrowed the Isuzu jeep from Sango.” Kagome voiced his thoughts.

“Feh.” The boys chorused.

“Don’t you ever get tired of saying that?” Kagome asked, throwing her arms up.

“Not really.” Inu mumbled, finally paying attention to his driving. He could see the black SUV up ahead that carried Miroku, Sango, and Kohaku.

Shippou was currently asleep in the back of the silver vehicle.

“Sheesh, I think I’m going to go insane before we reach Kyoto!” Kagome grumbled while leaning back into the leather interior.

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“Wow!” Sango breathed.

Miroku nodded silently, at a loss for words.

Of course, Inuyasha was a little better at voicing his thoughts on the Sunset Shrine.

“Shit!”

The boys skipped around the three’s legs happily while Kagome stood starring at the sky high steps and welcoming arch of her home.

Tears pricked her eyes.

She was home.

She was finally home.

Spinning on her heel, the tears instantly dried; she linked her arm with Inuyasha’s and began to drag him upward. Souta pushed and shoved the other couple while Shippou yanked Kohaku along.

After successfully getting the four stone statues back to life, the small family raced up the seemingly endless flight of steps.

“Kagome?!” The four called after her rapidly disappearing body.

And then they began to climb up after her.

Huffing and puffing, Inuyasha made it to the last step in time to watch the happy reunion.

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“MAMA!”

“KAGOME!”

“MOM!”

“SOUTA!”

“HIGI-BACHAN!”

“SHIPPOU-CHAN!”

“JIISAN!”

“CHILDREN!”

Inuyasha watched as the three adults and two children ran at a breakneck speed towards one another and collided into one giant group hug.

It was a mass of arms and faces as they pulled each other into hugs and kisses and sweet words.

One big happy family.

“Oh Mama!” Kagome yelled as she sobbed into Mrs. Higurashi’s shoulder and the mother patted her daughter lovingly on the head.

“Kagome, dear! We’ve missed you so! Kouga told us you were doing alright and you called, and we were so happy!”

“Oh, Mama! It was horrible. He-and then-of course Naraku-and you should have heard him-SPLAT!” Kagome babbled incoherently.

“Shh! It’s all right dear. What went splat?” Mrs. Higurashi asked, slightly confused.

“I, um, think I can clarify.” Inuyasha said hesitantly, rubbing the back of his neck.

Mrs. Higurashi tilted her head and looked at the young man carefully.

Inu got the strange feeling she was sizing him up.

She stepped forward...

...And Inuyasha winced...

...As she...

... Hugged him.

“Thank you for taking care of my daughter! We owe you so much!” The woman gushed and Inuyasha stood stunned.

Then the elder female detached herself and crushed the panting Miroku, Sango, and Kohaku (who’d just arrived) into individual hugs.

“Mama?”

“What, Kagome, dear?”

“I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you too.”

Kagome sighed.

Jiisan gave her a noogie from behind and the boys hugged Mrs. Higurashi, and the reunion was over.

As they headed inside for tea, Mrs. Higurashi called something over her shoulder back at Inuyasha.

“Now what went splat?”

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“So far, from Kagome, I’ve gotten: He, and then, of course Naraku, and you should have heard him, SPLAT. Did I miss anything?”

“Nope, that sounds right, Mrs...” Miroku trailed off, unsure of Kag’s real last name. You see, he kind of forgot.

“Naoko Higurashi.”

“Mrs. Higurashi.” Miroku finished cheerfully, feeling at home at the shrine.

“So what, exactly, does it all mean?” Mrs. Higurashi raised an eyebrow.

Inuyasha twitched his nose. “I can try.”

“Go on.”

“--He-- pushed me off the top of a forty story building. --And then-- Inuyasha (me) came and attacked Naraku. --Of course Naraku-- fought back, --and you should have heard him-- as he, too, went off the roof. He hit the ground with a --SPLAT-- sound.”

“Oh, I see,” Mrs. Higurashi said gently while tilting her head and gently holding the palm of her hand to her cheek in thought.

“How’d you know?” Kagome asked incredulously. ‘How’d Inu know what I was saying?’

“I was there, wasn’t I?”

“Oh...yeah.” Kagome nodded and went back to her rice cake.

“So Naraku is gone?” Her mother asked, her doe brown eyes wide.

“That demon is gone?” Jiisan echoed.

“Uh huh. He’s gone.” Kagome nodded and lovingly eyed her brother and son who were cuddled with her mother.

“Then we should be grateful.”

“Yes, Mama, we are.”

“So,” Mrs. Higurashi clapped her hands. “Where will you four be sleeping tonight?”

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I always liked Kagome’s mom.

Two more chapters left, the next one is called ‘Stay With Me’. Sounds promising, no?

By the way, the name I gave Kagome’s mom, Naoko, means ‘honest’.