InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ JOURNEY ❯ Chapter 20 ( Chapter 20 )

Disclaimer: All characters pertaining to the show InuYasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. I am not making any money from this...the only thing that I am getting out of this story is the satisfaction of knowing that other people enjoy my writing. All original characters are my creation and belong to me...as does the plot and storyline.

 

 

Chapter 20

 

They all went to Lodge Grass on the Crow Indian Reservation the first week of May. Nathan met up with his father. Charlie was happy to see Raymond again, although his health was deteriorating. Kagome donated several items as prizes for the competitions. Kagome entered herself in the shawl dance competition. There were a lot more people there than in the previous year. Nathan was competing in several of the competitions.

 

Kagome went out to compete at around noon on Friday. While she was out dancing, she heard a couple of motorcycles roar in. She wanted to look, but she forced herself to ignore them. She told herself that there was no point in getting her hopes up. She placed third in the competition, winning a thirty-dollar gift certificate at one of the booths. After she was finished, she changed into something more comfortable than her traditional costume. She put on jeans and a leather halter-vest that was made out of thin, soft pigskin and was cut low in the back. She tugged her boots back on and went to collect her gift certificate.

 

About an hour later, Nathan competed in a hoop-dance exhibition, for which he placed first. He won a painting that someone had donated. He brought it back to Kagome's booth, thinking how much it looked like Kagome. Raymond and Charlie were watching Kirei play.

 

 

There was a masked dance later in the evening, so Kagome and Nathan donned their custom made masks and headed back to the arena. Nathan joined the group of men who were circling the arena choosing their partners. Kagome saw Nathan pick a teenage girl in a blue dress. Kagome looked up as a man stopped in front of her. He was wearing tanned buckskin breeches. He was not wearing a shirt, and Kagome couldn't help but thinking that he had a handsome chest. He held out his hand to her and helped her to her feet. If she had looked farther, she would have noticed that his hair was a dark silver and was pulled back into a low ponytail.

 

“This feels familiar,” they both thought as she took his hand. He looped his arm around her waist as they began to dance to the beat of the drums. He could see tears slip from beneath her mask, as he slowly spun her around. He placed his hand against her cheek and wiped the tears from her face. It was as if a jolt of electricity ran through their veins when he touched her, and it made Kagome nervous. She pulled away from him. They continued to dance until the final drumbeat signaled the end. Kagome pulled away from her partner and began walking from the arena. For no apparent reason, he followed her.

 

They walked in silence, both looking straight ahead. Kagome was carefully ignoring him, though she knew he was only a few feet behind her. A group of riders on horses pranced past them forcing them to step to the side. But as Kagome neared her booth, a snake crawled across the path in front of the horses. Kagome watched in horror as one of the horses reared up, throwing its rider. Kirei, who was chasing a puppy, came running out into the path of the rampaging horse.

 

“KIREI, IIE!” Kagome screamed as the horse barreled toward her daughter. Kagome threw off her mask and ran for her, but she knew she wouldn't reach her in time. Her grandfather ran out and threw himself on top of Kirei just as the maniacal beast bore down on them, shielding the child and taking the blows himself. Kagome's dance partner ran to aid them as everyone gathered to help. Kagome dropped to her knees in front of them, rolling her grandfather over to get to her daughter, who was now wailing uncontrollably. Kagome scooped Kirei into her arms.

 

“Mama,” the little girl cried as she began to calm down and she played with the red beads on her mama's choker. Kagome inspected her face and head for any cuts that might be hidden beneath her auburn hair. Kagome hugged the child to her as if there was no tomorrow.

 

Raymond put his hand on her arm. “Is she alright?” he asked weakly.

 

“I don't know...I think so,” Kagome replied as she looked at her grandfather.

 

“Good, then my job is done,” he said as he closed his eyes peacefully.

 

“Jiichan, No!” Kagome wailed as her grandfather passed over. Kagome threw her head on his chest. Kirei hugged her grandfather and began to sniffle.

 

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Kagome's dance partner stood over them in disbelief. He recognized the old man as Raymond Gray-Eagle, Kagome's grandfather. When Kagome had taken her mask off, the movement of her hair had revealed the feathers tattooed on her left shoulder. His heart had almost melted. That was Kagome's tattoo. Then when the little girl had called her `mama', his heart stuck in his throat. She had a daughter. That, he thought, meant that she had found someone else and started a family. He watched as she threw her arms around one of the men kneeling beside her. “That must be her husband,” he thought. Then the little girl waddled over to him and tugged on his pants, wanting to be picked up.

 

Kagome looked at her daughter, and then she looked up at her dance partner as he bent down to pick up the child. Her face paled as their eyes met. Her eyes were large and filled with what could only be described as fear. “Iie...This can't be happening...” she gasped as her lips began to tremble.

 

The little girl lifted his mask with her tiny hands. He looked at the little girl, and then he looked at Kagome, whose face was almost white. He looked back at the child, and when he saw her eyes, he was taken aback. They were golden, the color of honey - like his.

 

“Sesshomaru…no,” she managed to choke out, but she couldn't manage to say anything else. Kagome stood and tore her daughter from his arms and raced away, leaving everyone standing over her grandfather as the ambulance arrived with sirens wailing.

 

 

TBC...

 

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