InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Feudal Tale ❯ Epilogue ( Epilogue )

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. That honor goes to Rumiko Takahashi and Viz.

 

Kagome sat at the entrance to her home, watching her youngest sister, Mariko, play with her two children. Takeo was almost three years old, and very proud of his age, especially when compared with his younger brother, Kai, who was still mastering crawling. They were playing tag. At least, Kagome supposed that they were playing tag. Mostly either Mariko or Takeo chased the other, Mariko laughing heartily when Kai tried to keep up.

 

“Hey.”

 

Kagome smiled up at her husband, who had come from his workshop to sneak up behind her and wrap his arm around her shoulders.

 

Together they watched the children tumble through piles of red and gold leaves, which Inuyasha and Takeo had gathered only a day before.

 

“There they go, ruining the piles.” Inuyasha grumbled. “Takeo, you're gonna pile those up again tomorrow!”

 

Takeo turned to his father and moaned, saying something about how it wasn't his fault. Inuyasha ignored him.

 

Kagome pulled her kimono closer around her as the chill caught up to her, and she rose to get Kai off the ground. The child squealed as his mother cuddled him to her chest, and he nuzzled at her breasts.

 

“Hungry, baby?” she queried softly, fiddling with her kimono as she carried him inside. Inuyasha met her at the door and kissed her softly.

 

“He's hungry?”

 

Kagome nodded, stroking the baby's head when he nuzzled harder at her chest. Inuyasha smiled, and gave her a final kiss before pushing her gently into the house.

 

The fading light was just enough to give the room a cozy feel. Kagome settled next to the pot, where a wonderful smell emanated with cooking smoke. Kai latched onto the breast as soon as it was available, suckling hungrily. Kagome rocked him slightly, rubbing his little back and bottom. Takeo ran inside, grumbling at the sight of Kai taking up space.

 

“Okaa, I want to sit with you.” He whined.

 

Kagome made room as best she could, letting Takeo lean up against her side. Kai fussed and kicked one of his little legs out at his brother, clutching to Kagome's kimono with his tiny fists.

 

“Hush, Kai.” She soothed, bouncing him. Her free hand came over to rest on Takeo's shoulder, preventing any retaliation on the elder's part. A few minutes later Inuyasha came back inside from seeing Mariko off to the main village.

 

“You boys weren't giving your mother trouble, were you?” he queried, mostly to Takeo. The boy harrumphed, which prompted Inuyasha to pick him up and toss him in the air, which never failed to get a smile out of the child.

 

“Otou!” he cried, flailing his arms at a particularly high toss, the attempted sternness in the tone failing when he giggled.

 

Kagome cracked a smile watching them, her husband and her oldest son. They brought such joy to her life, one that she thought would never be possible, especially when considering the fates of most in the village.

 

Because most of the male population of the village had been killed off, it was left up the women and the old and young ones to get the rice cultivated so that there was enough to eat. Everyone worked twice as hard and the yield was still a little less than normal. Their good luck was in that most of the heavy eaters were gone, so less than a normal harvest was plenty to feed all the inhabitants and there was still more to pay the taxes and to sell in the city. A couple layabout second and third sons had come from other villages to marry and have homes and land of their own. Overall, three years from the incident the village was prospering, as much as a place under the shogunate eye could.

 

The only damper on the spirit was the news of Kikyo. In the end some of the rumors had been proven right, as it turned out that she was pregnant. However, for reasons not released to the public but released to Sesshomaru's inquiries, Kikyo died six months into her pregnancy. The bakufu never publicly acknowledged why it held her as long as it did, though Sesshomaru did tell Inuyasha that she died of cholera, and not by shogunate orders. Her body was cremated in the jail and the ashes brought to the village, where they were buried behind the family's house.

 

Kagome's grandparents did indeed come to live with her mother, and the house was not as lonely as it had been, which was a comfort to Kagome. With two growing girls and the two old ones it seemed a little more like the place she had grown up in, though it would never be the same without the people it had lost.

 

Kagome was startled out of her musing when Kai released the empty breast and tried to turn himself around to reach the other. She turned him over and gave him the other breast. Pacified, he went quiet as sucking sounds and grunts filled the air. Inuyasha and Takeo were still playing, this time tackle the little boy. It wasn't going very well for Inuyasha, as he was on his back with Takeo trying to hold his arm down.

 

She laughed at their antics, pleased with how well they got along. Her father hadn't cared to be involved with his girls' playing, and while that might have been because he longed for sons, she had a feeling that Inuyasha just liked children. She fondly remembered how he had soothed Mariko and Hana when they lived with them.

 

And he thought that he would be a bad father.

 

She still remembered that little argument, less than a day after she'd given birth to Takeo. Inuyasha had been so frightened by the labor. She could hear him pacing and swearing in the other room, growing increasingly panicked. Then, when the baby had finally come, he had shied away from touching the infant, touching him like glass that would break with the slightest rough handling. He had insisted that he couldn't touch something so wonderful, and Kagome had promptly used a tactic she usually didn't. She started to cry, and Inuyasha appeased her by taking the baby and cuddling the sleeping infant. The look of wonder that filled his face made it all worth the effort to get him into the room in the first place.

That night he had presented her with a gift. She had forgotten about the beautiful little box in the workshop so many months ago, but she remembered immediately when he shyly set it down next to her as she nursed. His cheeks had been pink, and his eyes averted. She laughed remembering it, because his distraction made it easy for her to sneak up on him and plant a kiss on his lips.

 

Inside were several sweet-smelling soaps, enough to make her want to glomp him if her baby hadn't been attached to her breast. She had never had soap during her childhood, as her father chose to spend money on other things.

 

Kai released her breast and put him up on her shoulder to burp him, moving more out of habit. When he was done he sighed and settled down to nap in her arms. She gently placed him in a blanket and removed the lid from her stew.

 

“Inuyasha, Takeo, come eat dinner.”

 

“Hai!”

 

Both skidded to a halt next to her and grabbed their bowls, holding them out as she ladled food into them.

 

Inuyasha's eyes rested heatedly on her, and she blushed. He leaned in to her ear to whisper. “Tonight, love.” She blushed further, shivering at his gentle nibble to her earlobe. “Aishiteru.”

 

“Aishiteru, Inuyasha.”

 

“Ewwww!” Takeo cried, looking up from his stew to see them nuzzling.

 

“Oi.” Inuyasha grumbled, turning to ruffle his son's hair.

 

Kagome giggled. Her family certainly wore her out, but she wouldn't trade them for the world.

 

Alright, the epilogue is done. Finally. Only took me three months. Actually, it took me three months to start, because I basically wrote it in one shot today. I think this wraps it up much better than the last chapter did, because I left some loose ends. Anyways, have a wonderful spring break and a happy spring! - Akihana