InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Remnants of the Spider ❯ Letting Go ( Chapter 12 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Lady Sianna 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Drama / Adventure / Action | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 10.19.2009 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.5K | Visits: 321 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Drama / Adventure / Action | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 10.19.2009 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.5K | Visits: 321 | Status: Work In Progress
Remnants of the Spider
Letting Go
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‘It’s a beautiful day.’ Kagome thought as she breathed in the fresh air. A small melancholy smile settled onto her lips as she sat in the cool shade beneath the Sacred Tree. A small basket of herbs sat nearby, all but forgotten as the miko allowed her thoughts to drift.
It was over. It was really over. Sometimes it was so hard to believe that just three weeks ago, she, of all people had succeeded in destroying Naraku for good. She could still remember when she had purified him by wishing on the jewel. She could remember dying, and meeting the spirit priestess called Masuyo. She could remember waking up in Inuyasha’s arms.
Kagome wrapped her arms around herself. He had held her so tightly. He had been so worried that he’d lost her forever. Her lips twisted wryly. But he hadn’t lost her. The ironic thing was that it was she who had lost him. The moment she had made her wish, she had lost him forever.
Once she had finally convinced Inuyasha that she was okay, and that he needed to let her go, she had immediately looked for the other miko. Kikyou’s body had not been far from her, so Kagome went to her right away. Masuyo had given Kikyou’s soul to her, but when she awoke in Inuyasha’s arms, there was nothing in her hands. She had ignored the questioning looks on the faces of her friends as she kneeled down next to the elder miko. Much like she had done when she’d retrieved her own soul, Kagome had placed her right hand on Kikyou‘s chest. This time she hadn’t needed to concentrate. Her hand immediately began to glow, and she soon felt the warmth of Kikyou’s soul leave her own body.
She’d watched in amazement, as color returned to the miko’s cheeks. Soon her chest began to rise and fall, as air filled her lungs for the first time in over fifty years. Kagome absently noted Inuyasha’s rapt interest, as he too stared down on the other miko. After a moment or two, thick dark lashes began to flutter. Her lids lifted, revealing her deep brown eyes. For the first time since Kagome had known of her, those eyes sparkled with life. The sadness, the hate, the betrayal and even the confusion that had resided there in her second life, were all gone.
A light breeze tousled her hair a bit, and Kagome brushed the errant strands away from her face. She remembered when Kikyou had turned to look at her. “You…you saved me.” the elder miko had said. Before she could ask the question that Kagome could see shining in her eyes, Kagome answered, “I think… I was supposed to all along. Besides, it wasn’t right what Naraku did to you. It’s only fair that you get a second chance, right?”
The miko’s brows had drawn together slightly, and she gave a small, slightly hesitant nod. Kagome had then risen to her feet, taking in the astonished golden eyes of the hanyou. For the first time since she had known him, he had actually been speechless. “I umm… should probably leave the two of you alone.” she’d told them, before taking her leave. The moment she walked away from them that morning, was the moment she truly realized that it was time to let him go. It hurt. She could never deny that, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as she thought it’d be. She surmised that somewhere along the line, she must have prepared herself for this eventuality.
At some point while she had been with Inuyasha and Kikyou, Miroku regained consciousness, and when she got to him, Sango was cradling his head in her arms and crying tears of joy. Apparently, her involvement hadn’t been required to revive the monk; just Kikyou. Kagome sighed. It had been the final part of her test. Masuyo had tested her to see if she would go back on her wish, but Kagome had not. The final test had been for her to personally return Kikyou’s soul, thereby vanquishing any hope she might have had to be with Inuyasha, but at the same time proving the selflessness of her wish. It hadn’t been so difficult, really. In fact she hadn’t even given it any thought. It was the right thing to do after all. But when she stood there that morning and watched Sango with Miroku, and Inuyasha with Kikyou, she couldn’t help but feel just a little bit lonely.
After Kagome made certain that everyone was okay, she went to the Bone Eater’s well. From the very beginning, she’d wondered what would happen to it once the jewel was destroyed. She kneeled down, placing her arms along the lip of the ancient wooden structure, before resting her head on her arms. A small sigh of relief escaped her lips when she felt the familiar magic thrumming strongly within its depths. For a long time she just sat there. She knew she should go and get cleaned up, but she just needed a moment alone. The dried blood on her clothing was beginning to irritate her skin, and she dared not to even touch her hair. She would have expected herself to cry, though she didn’t know if it would be tears of joy over defeating Naraku, or tears of sorrow over losing Inuyasha.
In the end, she didn’t cry at all. She just sat there. What was probably only a few minutes later, she felt the familiar pull of youki behind her. Inuyasha…
“Kagome…?”
But before he could say anything, she rose to her feet and turned to him. She closed the short distance between them, and wrapped her arms around him. The hanyou was obviously surprised, but he soon returned her embrace. “We’ll talk later.” she told him. She pulled back and looked into his eyes. “Go to her, Inuyasha. She needs you.”
“Kagome, I…”
“It’s okay Inuyasha, really.”
For a long time, they simply stared into one another’s eyes. ‘Please, Inuyasha. Please just go. Don’t worry about me. I just want you to be happy.’ she though over and over again, trying her best to will him to understand.
“Kagome…”
“I’m gonna go home for a little bit.” she broke in. “I need a bath, and I want to tell my family that we finally defeated Naraku. I’ll be back later today to tell you guys what happened, okay?”
She loosened her embrace, and gave him a light pat on the shoulder. Then without waiting for an answer, she turned away, and headed back to the well. Even though she knew he was still there, she would not turn back to look at him. This was hard enough already. She would not watch him walk away from her… not again, never, ever again. She took one deep breath and seated herself on the lip of the well. Still he had not gone, but she refused to turn back. Before she could second guess her decision, she pushed off the edge and dropped into the well.
She’d gone home and spent some time with her family, telling them the tale of how they’d finally defeated Naraku. She omitted the whole ‘getting killed’ thing. Somehow she didn’t think her family would take that well. She ended up staying longer than she had intended, but that was okay. Inuyasha wouldn’t come after her anymore.
When she came back, she explained to everyone what had happened to her. She told them about Masuyo, and explained about the wish. It would have been nice if Sango’s family could have been revived as well, but apparently, it was not to be. At least the demon huntress still had her brother, and Miroku.
It took about a week, but everyone sort of settled into their own routines. Sango and Miroku returned to the demon slayer’s village, and began making repairs. Kagome had been sad to see them go, but it wasn’t so bad. The village wasn’t far away from Kaede’s so that they could still visit fairly often. The people of the neighboring villages had been so happy to have them back, that they had graciously offered their help in restoring the village.
Shippou, who had been so terribly disappointed about being left out of the final battle with Naraku, had become immersed in his kitsune training. Apparently, there was an academy a few villages over, where he had been learning… well, what ever it is that kitsune learn to do as they get older. He was determined to become a powerful warrior one day.
Then there was Kikyou. The reunion between her and Kaede had been strange, almost uneasy. Kaede had been just a girl when Kikyou had died. Then, when she returned to the land of the living, she was not truly herself. And even then, she had not spent any real measure of time with her “younger” sister. The women obviously still loved one another, but they were practically strangers now.
After staying with her sister for just a couple of days, Kikyou decided that it would be best of she moved to a new village. In her first life, Kikyou had cared for this community. Now that she had a new life, it was time for her to move to a new place. Besides, in these difficult times it wouldn’t be fair to have two powerful priestesses caring for the same village.
As it happened, one of the nearby villages was in need of a priestess. Kikyou had agreed to reside there and aid their people, on the condition that Inuyasha would welcome to visit as he pleased. Having heard tales of his heroism, and his role in the demise of Naraku, the villagers readily agreed.
As for Inuyasha himself, the hanyou seemed a bit restless these days. For years they had either been hunting jewel shards, or chasing Naraku, or both. Now that the jewel was destroyed, and the wretched hanyou was defeated; it was almost as if he didn’t know what to do with himself.
He spent a lot of his time helping Sango and Miroku in the demon slayer’s village. He spent some of his time in Kaede’s village. But mostly, he spent his time with Kikyou. Kagome sighed, and tried not to focus on the small twinge of pain in her heart. She wasn’t certain of the nature of their relationship now, but they had been in love once. Now that Kikyou was herself again, it was only to be expected that they would pick up where they’d left off from, she supposed.
A purple blur at the edge of Kagome’s vision drew her from her melancholy thoughts. Without looking over, she retrieved her basket, and sat it in her lap. As she waited for Miroku’s approach, she began absently removing stray pieces of debris from her hakama. After high school, she had taken to wearing mostly jeans and tee-shirts. Now that she spent most of her time in miko training, she decided to dress more appropriately for the part. Still, she refused to be mistaken for Kikyou. So instead of wearing the traditional red and white, she wore a black hakama, and a shorter sleeved white haori.
She knew she should probably go home for good, but she just couldn’t tear herself away from this world. She wasn’t ready to be away from her friends here. Besides the well still allowed her to come and go as she pleased so, she would continue to do so.
She told her family of her decision to stay and complete her training with Kaede. The fact was that the miko was getting older. She wasn’t getting around the way she used to, and since Kagome had already been training for a couple of years, it would be a lot easier for the elder miko to simply finish training her, than it would be to train someone who was totally inexperienced.
Already the young miko’s training had come a long way. She knew nearly as much about spells and potions as Kaede did, and she was much more familiar with her powers. It wouldn’t be long before Kagome could start training another miko to take care of the village. After that, Kagome wasn’t sure what she would do, but at least Kaede would be able to retire. It was a luxury most women of this time were not afforded, but the elder miko deserved it. Besides, she was having a lot of aches and pains as of late, and it would be good if she didn’t have to work so hard anymore.
“Kagome.” the monk called as he strolled up next to her. “Do you mind if I join you?”
Kagome smiled. “Of course not.” she told him as she moved over a bit to make room for him to sit in the shade. The monk easily lowered himself to the ground, and placed his staff across his lap.
Smiling brightly he began, “Sango and I cannot thank you enough for what you have done, Kagome. If it weren’t for you, it is likely that none of us would have survived.”
Kagome blushed and looked away. “I just did the only thing I could think to do. If it weren’t for Masuyo, I wouldn’t be here either.” she smiled. “How are the repairs going in the demon slayer’s village?
“The repairs are nearly completed now. The villagers have been extremely helpful. We never would have come this far without their help.”
Kagome smiled brightly. “I’m so happy for you guys.” she told him as she looked at his right hand. It looked so much smaller without the rosary beads. “Do you mind?” she asked as she reached for his hand.
“Not at all.” he responded as he waggled his brows suggestively.
“Oh cut that out!” she chided as she playfully slapped his arm. His smile brightened as he flipped his palm up for her to see. She ran the tips of her fingers over his unmarred skin, marveling at the absence of the air void. “How does it feel?” she asked quietly. “I mean, you’ve had it your entire life, and now it’s gone. How does it feel to be without the Wind Tunnel?”
The monk looked down on his palm, his expression becoming serious. “Honestly, it is… strange. Don’t get me wrong, I am glad to be free of it. It was endangering my life after all.” he sighed quietly. “But it was also a great source of power for me. In some ways, I feel almost… vulnerable without it.”
Kagome nodded her understanding. “It’ll be okay Miroku. You’re a powerful monk. Even without the Wind Tunnel. At least this way your son’s won’t be born with it.”
The monk nodded in agreement. “Oh, that reminds me. Sango wanted me to tell you that the wedding will take place as soon as the repairs on her family’s home are completed. It was the most damaged, but with the help of the villagers, it shouldn’t take more than a couple of weeks to finish the work.”
Kagome smiled again. “You guys must be so excited! I know I am, and it’s not even my wedding.”
“I must admit that I am quite looking forward to it.” he told her, a lopsided smile forming on his lips. Kagome rolled her eyes as the monk’s violet orbs glazed over slightly. She was beginning to suspect that it wasn’t exactly the wedding Miroku was looking forward to. Perverted monk!
She glanced to her left, and noticed Inuyasha heading in their direction. She instantly rose to her feet. “I should probably be getting back.” she announced to herself more than anyone else. “Kaede is probably wondering what happened to me. I should have been back with these herbs by now.”
Miroku soon rose to his feet, shooting a quick glance between the approaching hanyou, and the now slightly uncomfortable miko. “I should be going as well.” he told her. “Sango is probably wondering where I am.” With a quick bow, he made his departure and before Kagome could move to follow him, a clawed hand wrapped around her arm. Resigning herself to a conversation which was long overdue, the young miko sighed quietly.
“Why have you been avoiding me?”
“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.” she lied.
He gently pulled her back, and turned her to face him. “Kagome, are you… are you mad at me?”
The young miko frowned slightly. “No, I’m not mad at you.” she sighed again, and her shoulders slumped in defeat. “Inuyasha… I suppose I have been kind of staying away from you lately. But I’m not mad at you. I guess I just…” she gestured vaguely, as she attempted to word her thoughts. “Kikyou’s back now and I just wanted to give you your space. I know you still care about her, and I know she still cares about you. I just don’t want to interfere with that.” She looked away from him and began absently picking through the herbs in her small basket.
The hanyou looked at her seriously for a long moment before he finally spoke up. “Kagome… what if… what if I…?”
“You know what?” Kagome cut him off. She turned slightly and placed her basket on the ground, before turning back to him. A shy smile on her lips, she reached forward. Inuyasha’s heart quickened as her small hands came to rest upon his shoulders. Was she about to hug him? To his surprise and disappointment she didn’t. Instead, she curled her little fingers around his rosary and lifted it over his head.
“It’s about time I took this off. Don’t you think?” without waiting for an answer, she continued. “Do you mind if I keep it?”
To his surprise, Inuyasha was not happy that she removed the rosary. For years he had asked her to take it off. He had yelled at her, for making him “sit” and he had cursed Kaede for putting that stupid string of beads on him in the first place. Now that she’d really taken it off, he felt like a part of his heart was being taken away with it. It was extremely symbolic in a way. Inuyasha sighed quietly. She had given up on him. After all this time, Kagome had finally given up on him, and it hurt more than he‘d ever imagined.
For a long time he just stared at the rosary, his mind sifting through various thoughts. “Why do you get to keep it?” he finally asked, his voice quiet and slightly more raspy than usual.
Kagome frowned. “Why would you want to keep it?”
“Keh,” he began quietly as he turned away from her slightly. “I’m used to having it, is all. I just don’t see why you should get to keep it.”
Kagome smiled then. “I have an idea.” she held the string of beads taut and offered him a small section. “Here, cut the string.” she told him. The hanyou gave her an odd look, but did as he was told. Using a sharp claw, he severed the string. The young woman then offered him a different portion of the rosary, and had him cut the string again. She smiled at him brightly as she gave him half of the string of beads, and kept the other half for herself. The hanyou watched as she tied off her portion of beads, slipping them onto her wrist when she was finished. She then took his portion of the beads and did the same.
“Kinda like a friendship bracelet.” she told him as she offered the beads back to him. He stared at her for a long time before he finally took the beads. Kagome’s smile brightened. “In my time, sometimes really good friends wear similar bracelets like this in order to show their friendship. They’re not usually made of magical rosary beads, but the idea is the same.”
“Friendship huh?” he asked after studying the bracelet for a moment.
Kagome nodded. “You do still want to be my friend, don’t you?”
The hanyou studied the beads as he considered what this truly meant. What ever feelings he may have had, might still have for her, he knew it didn’t matter anymore. She was telling him that they would always be just friends. The sense of loss he felt at this moment was palpable.
Even right now, at this very moment he wasn’t entirely sure what sort of relationship he wanted with Kagome. All he knew, was that he wanted her to stay in his life forever. Did he want to be just her friend? His ears lowered slightly. Probably not, but at this point, friendship was all the miko seemed prepared to offer.
“Keh.” he finally managed as he slipped the beads around his wrist.
A small mischievous smile broke onto her lips. ‘I wonder if it still works.’ she thought. But then looking at her own wrist, she decided not to chance it.
Kagome looked back up at him, a soft smile on her lips. There were a few more things she needed to say, but she wasn’t really sure how to begin. Finally, she decided to just dive right in.
“H-how’s Kikyou?” she asked suddenly, surprising the hanyou slightly.
Inuyasha looked away from her then. “She’s fine. She’s… happier than I’ve seen her in a long time. It‘s like she never died, you know?”
Kagome nodded. There were so many questions she wanted to ask, but she didn’t want to prod. “This is a difficult time for her. She’s starting a whole new life. She needs you now more than ever.”
The hanyou did not answer. Kagome was probably right but…
He suppressed a small gasp, when he felt one of the miko’s arms wrapping around his waist. Her basket still in her left hand, she embraced him with her right arm. The same arm on which she wore her portion of the rosary. As she looked up at him with shimmering brown eyes, all of her emotions shone through for him to see. Sadness, acceptance, resolve, hope… and love. “You guys are so lucky. You get a second chance. Most people never get that. I think… the two of you will be very happy together.”
And then she let him go, both figuratively, and literally. Inuyasha watched in helpless silence as she turned and walked away; leaving him alone in the shade beneath the Sacred Tree.
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The light rustling of grass was the only sound which signaled the presence of a small group of travelers. At its fore, there was a silver-haired inu youkai; to his right, a diminutive kappa youkai and to his left, a dragon demon with a young girl sprawled over its back, and several traveling bags hanging over its hips.
Naraku was gone. There was no reason for the girl to remain with him any longer, Sesshoumaru told himself as he took in the sleeping countenance of his ward. Rin was growing older. She was not yet an adult, but she was growing and changing. She was beginning the journey into womanhood; a state of affairs that he, Sesshoumaru, was not equipped to deal with. She had remained in his company for far too long already and it was time that she returned to human society.
He could not deny that this occurrence was somewhat difficult for him. He had developed an attachment to the child. In a strange way, she was almost like a daughter to him, yet he could keep her no longer. It was imperative that she begin living among her own kind. Not for the first time, he considered the young miko, Kagome. She would have made an acceptable mentor for Rin.
In spite of the girl’s obvious flaws; her strange manor of dress, her unusual speech patterns and her infuriating insolence, the miko had not been a bad person; for a human anyway. It was unfortunate that she had died. Rin would not be pleased to hear of it. She had apparently liked the woman.
The inu lord brushed his train of thoughts aside. It mattered not. The woman was gone. The elder miko, the one called Kaede would have to do. Rin seemed to care for her as well. The woman was not likely to live for much longer, but perhaps she would remain alive long enough to see his ward into adulthood. If not, he would have to find another. Loathed as he was to admit it, Rin’s happiness bore weight with him, so he would not abandon her completely. He would visit the village periodically to see how she was progressing, until such time as he deemed it unnecessary to continue.
Soon, Sesshoumaru and his traveling companions crested a small hill, and crossed the border into Inuyasha’s forest. The wind shifted bringing a familiar set of scents to his nose. The first, being that of his brother. But mingled in with the hanyou’s scent, was that of a human female. The inu lord’s brows drew together slightly. The miko? It was the scent of the young miko called Kagome. He was certain of it. How was this possible? She had died three weeks ago, and yet her scent was fresh, as if she had been in this area only moments ago.
What was the meaning of this?
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Letting Go
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‘It’s a beautiful day.’ Kagome thought as she breathed in the fresh air. A small melancholy smile settled onto her lips as she sat in the cool shade beneath the Sacred Tree. A small basket of herbs sat nearby, all but forgotten as the miko allowed her thoughts to drift.
It was over. It was really over. Sometimes it was so hard to believe that just three weeks ago, she, of all people had succeeded in destroying Naraku for good. She could still remember when she had purified him by wishing on the jewel. She could remember dying, and meeting the spirit priestess called Masuyo. She could remember waking up in Inuyasha’s arms.
Kagome wrapped her arms around herself. He had held her so tightly. He had been so worried that he’d lost her forever. Her lips twisted wryly. But he hadn’t lost her. The ironic thing was that it was she who had lost him. The moment she had made her wish, she had lost him forever.
Once she had finally convinced Inuyasha that she was okay, and that he needed to let her go, she had immediately looked for the other miko. Kikyou’s body had not been far from her, so Kagome went to her right away. Masuyo had given Kikyou’s soul to her, but when she awoke in Inuyasha’s arms, there was nothing in her hands. She had ignored the questioning looks on the faces of her friends as she kneeled down next to the elder miko. Much like she had done when she’d retrieved her own soul, Kagome had placed her right hand on Kikyou‘s chest. This time she hadn’t needed to concentrate. Her hand immediately began to glow, and she soon felt the warmth of Kikyou’s soul leave her own body.
She’d watched in amazement, as color returned to the miko’s cheeks. Soon her chest began to rise and fall, as air filled her lungs for the first time in over fifty years. Kagome absently noted Inuyasha’s rapt interest, as he too stared down on the other miko. After a moment or two, thick dark lashes began to flutter. Her lids lifted, revealing her deep brown eyes. For the first time since Kagome had known of her, those eyes sparkled with life. The sadness, the hate, the betrayal and even the confusion that had resided there in her second life, were all gone.
A light breeze tousled her hair a bit, and Kagome brushed the errant strands away from her face. She remembered when Kikyou had turned to look at her. “You…you saved me.” the elder miko had said. Before she could ask the question that Kagome could see shining in her eyes, Kagome answered, “I think… I was supposed to all along. Besides, it wasn’t right what Naraku did to you. It’s only fair that you get a second chance, right?”
The miko’s brows had drawn together slightly, and she gave a small, slightly hesitant nod. Kagome had then risen to her feet, taking in the astonished golden eyes of the hanyou. For the first time since she had known him, he had actually been speechless. “I umm… should probably leave the two of you alone.” she’d told them, before taking her leave. The moment she walked away from them that morning, was the moment she truly realized that it was time to let him go. It hurt. She could never deny that, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as she thought it’d be. She surmised that somewhere along the line, she must have prepared herself for this eventuality.
At some point while she had been with Inuyasha and Kikyou, Miroku regained consciousness, and when she got to him, Sango was cradling his head in her arms and crying tears of joy. Apparently, her involvement hadn’t been required to revive the monk; just Kikyou. Kagome sighed. It had been the final part of her test. Masuyo had tested her to see if she would go back on her wish, but Kagome had not. The final test had been for her to personally return Kikyou’s soul, thereby vanquishing any hope she might have had to be with Inuyasha, but at the same time proving the selflessness of her wish. It hadn’t been so difficult, really. In fact she hadn’t even given it any thought. It was the right thing to do after all. But when she stood there that morning and watched Sango with Miroku, and Inuyasha with Kikyou, she couldn’t help but feel just a little bit lonely.
After Kagome made certain that everyone was okay, she went to the Bone Eater’s well. From the very beginning, she’d wondered what would happen to it once the jewel was destroyed. She kneeled down, placing her arms along the lip of the ancient wooden structure, before resting her head on her arms. A small sigh of relief escaped her lips when she felt the familiar magic thrumming strongly within its depths. For a long time she just sat there. She knew she should go and get cleaned up, but she just needed a moment alone. The dried blood on her clothing was beginning to irritate her skin, and she dared not to even touch her hair. She would have expected herself to cry, though she didn’t know if it would be tears of joy over defeating Naraku, or tears of sorrow over losing Inuyasha.
In the end, she didn’t cry at all. She just sat there. What was probably only a few minutes later, she felt the familiar pull of youki behind her. Inuyasha…
“Kagome…?”
But before he could say anything, she rose to her feet and turned to him. She closed the short distance between them, and wrapped her arms around him. The hanyou was obviously surprised, but he soon returned her embrace. “We’ll talk later.” she told him. She pulled back and looked into his eyes. “Go to her, Inuyasha. She needs you.”
“Kagome, I…”
“It’s okay Inuyasha, really.”
For a long time, they simply stared into one another’s eyes. ‘Please, Inuyasha. Please just go. Don’t worry about me. I just want you to be happy.’ she though over and over again, trying her best to will him to understand.
“Kagome…”
“I’m gonna go home for a little bit.” she broke in. “I need a bath, and I want to tell my family that we finally defeated Naraku. I’ll be back later today to tell you guys what happened, okay?”
She loosened her embrace, and gave him a light pat on the shoulder. Then without waiting for an answer, she turned away, and headed back to the well. Even though she knew he was still there, she would not turn back to look at him. This was hard enough already. She would not watch him walk away from her… not again, never, ever again. She took one deep breath and seated herself on the lip of the well. Still he had not gone, but she refused to turn back. Before she could second guess her decision, she pushed off the edge and dropped into the well.
She’d gone home and spent some time with her family, telling them the tale of how they’d finally defeated Naraku. She omitted the whole ‘getting killed’ thing. Somehow she didn’t think her family would take that well. She ended up staying longer than she had intended, but that was okay. Inuyasha wouldn’t come after her anymore.
When she came back, she explained to everyone what had happened to her. She told them about Masuyo, and explained about the wish. It would have been nice if Sango’s family could have been revived as well, but apparently, it was not to be. At least the demon huntress still had her brother, and Miroku.
It took about a week, but everyone sort of settled into their own routines. Sango and Miroku returned to the demon slayer’s village, and began making repairs. Kagome had been sad to see them go, but it wasn’t so bad. The village wasn’t far away from Kaede’s so that they could still visit fairly often. The people of the neighboring villages had been so happy to have them back, that they had graciously offered their help in restoring the village.
Shippou, who had been so terribly disappointed about being left out of the final battle with Naraku, had become immersed in his kitsune training. Apparently, there was an academy a few villages over, where he had been learning… well, what ever it is that kitsune learn to do as they get older. He was determined to become a powerful warrior one day.
Then there was Kikyou. The reunion between her and Kaede had been strange, almost uneasy. Kaede had been just a girl when Kikyou had died. Then, when she returned to the land of the living, she was not truly herself. And even then, she had not spent any real measure of time with her “younger” sister. The women obviously still loved one another, but they were practically strangers now.
After staying with her sister for just a couple of days, Kikyou decided that it would be best of she moved to a new village. In her first life, Kikyou had cared for this community. Now that she had a new life, it was time for her to move to a new place. Besides, in these difficult times it wouldn’t be fair to have two powerful priestesses caring for the same village.
As it happened, one of the nearby villages was in need of a priestess. Kikyou had agreed to reside there and aid their people, on the condition that Inuyasha would welcome to visit as he pleased. Having heard tales of his heroism, and his role in the demise of Naraku, the villagers readily agreed.
As for Inuyasha himself, the hanyou seemed a bit restless these days. For years they had either been hunting jewel shards, or chasing Naraku, or both. Now that the jewel was destroyed, and the wretched hanyou was defeated; it was almost as if he didn’t know what to do with himself.
He spent a lot of his time helping Sango and Miroku in the demon slayer’s village. He spent some of his time in Kaede’s village. But mostly, he spent his time with Kikyou. Kagome sighed, and tried not to focus on the small twinge of pain in her heart. She wasn’t certain of the nature of their relationship now, but they had been in love once. Now that Kikyou was herself again, it was only to be expected that they would pick up where they’d left off from, she supposed.
A purple blur at the edge of Kagome’s vision drew her from her melancholy thoughts. Without looking over, she retrieved her basket, and sat it in her lap. As she waited for Miroku’s approach, she began absently removing stray pieces of debris from her hakama. After high school, she had taken to wearing mostly jeans and tee-shirts. Now that she spent most of her time in miko training, she decided to dress more appropriately for the part. Still, she refused to be mistaken for Kikyou. So instead of wearing the traditional red and white, she wore a black hakama, and a shorter sleeved white haori.
She knew she should probably go home for good, but she just couldn’t tear herself away from this world. She wasn’t ready to be away from her friends here. Besides the well still allowed her to come and go as she pleased so, she would continue to do so.
She told her family of her decision to stay and complete her training with Kaede. The fact was that the miko was getting older. She wasn’t getting around the way she used to, and since Kagome had already been training for a couple of years, it would be a lot easier for the elder miko to simply finish training her, than it would be to train someone who was totally inexperienced.
Already the young miko’s training had come a long way. She knew nearly as much about spells and potions as Kaede did, and she was much more familiar with her powers. It wouldn’t be long before Kagome could start training another miko to take care of the village. After that, Kagome wasn’t sure what she would do, but at least Kaede would be able to retire. It was a luxury most women of this time were not afforded, but the elder miko deserved it. Besides, she was having a lot of aches and pains as of late, and it would be good if she didn’t have to work so hard anymore.
“Kagome.” the monk called as he strolled up next to her. “Do you mind if I join you?”
Kagome smiled. “Of course not.” she told him as she moved over a bit to make room for him to sit in the shade. The monk easily lowered himself to the ground, and placed his staff across his lap.
Smiling brightly he began, “Sango and I cannot thank you enough for what you have done, Kagome. If it weren’t for you, it is likely that none of us would have survived.”
Kagome blushed and looked away. “I just did the only thing I could think to do. If it weren’t for Masuyo, I wouldn’t be here either.” she smiled. “How are the repairs going in the demon slayer’s village?
“The repairs are nearly completed now. The villagers have been extremely helpful. We never would have come this far without their help.”
Kagome smiled brightly. “I’m so happy for you guys.” she told him as she looked at his right hand. It looked so much smaller without the rosary beads. “Do you mind?” she asked as she reached for his hand.
“Not at all.” he responded as he waggled his brows suggestively.
“Oh cut that out!” she chided as she playfully slapped his arm. His smile brightened as he flipped his palm up for her to see. She ran the tips of her fingers over his unmarred skin, marveling at the absence of the air void. “How does it feel?” she asked quietly. “I mean, you’ve had it your entire life, and now it’s gone. How does it feel to be without the Wind Tunnel?”
The monk looked down on his palm, his expression becoming serious. “Honestly, it is… strange. Don’t get me wrong, I am glad to be free of it. It was endangering my life after all.” he sighed quietly. “But it was also a great source of power for me. In some ways, I feel almost… vulnerable without it.”
Kagome nodded her understanding. “It’ll be okay Miroku. You’re a powerful monk. Even without the Wind Tunnel. At least this way your son’s won’t be born with it.”
The monk nodded in agreement. “Oh, that reminds me. Sango wanted me to tell you that the wedding will take place as soon as the repairs on her family’s home are completed. It was the most damaged, but with the help of the villagers, it shouldn’t take more than a couple of weeks to finish the work.”
Kagome smiled again. “You guys must be so excited! I know I am, and it’s not even my wedding.”
“I must admit that I am quite looking forward to it.” he told her, a lopsided smile forming on his lips. Kagome rolled her eyes as the monk’s violet orbs glazed over slightly. She was beginning to suspect that it wasn’t exactly the wedding Miroku was looking forward to. Perverted monk!
She glanced to her left, and noticed Inuyasha heading in their direction. She instantly rose to her feet. “I should probably be getting back.” she announced to herself more than anyone else. “Kaede is probably wondering what happened to me. I should have been back with these herbs by now.”
Miroku soon rose to his feet, shooting a quick glance between the approaching hanyou, and the now slightly uncomfortable miko. “I should be going as well.” he told her. “Sango is probably wondering where I am.” With a quick bow, he made his departure and before Kagome could move to follow him, a clawed hand wrapped around her arm. Resigning herself to a conversation which was long overdue, the young miko sighed quietly.
“Why have you been avoiding me?”
“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.” she lied.
He gently pulled her back, and turned her to face him. “Kagome, are you… are you mad at me?”
The young miko frowned slightly. “No, I’m not mad at you.” she sighed again, and her shoulders slumped in defeat. “Inuyasha… I suppose I have been kind of staying away from you lately. But I’m not mad at you. I guess I just…” she gestured vaguely, as she attempted to word her thoughts. “Kikyou’s back now and I just wanted to give you your space. I know you still care about her, and I know she still cares about you. I just don’t want to interfere with that.” She looked away from him and began absently picking through the herbs in her small basket.
The hanyou looked at her seriously for a long moment before he finally spoke up. “Kagome… what if… what if I…?”
“You know what?” Kagome cut him off. She turned slightly and placed her basket on the ground, before turning back to him. A shy smile on her lips, she reached forward. Inuyasha’s heart quickened as her small hands came to rest upon his shoulders. Was she about to hug him? To his surprise and disappointment she didn’t. Instead, she curled her little fingers around his rosary and lifted it over his head.
“It’s about time I took this off. Don’t you think?” without waiting for an answer, she continued. “Do you mind if I keep it?”
To his surprise, Inuyasha was not happy that she removed the rosary. For years he had asked her to take it off. He had yelled at her, for making him “sit” and he had cursed Kaede for putting that stupid string of beads on him in the first place. Now that she’d really taken it off, he felt like a part of his heart was being taken away with it. It was extremely symbolic in a way. Inuyasha sighed quietly. She had given up on him. After all this time, Kagome had finally given up on him, and it hurt more than he‘d ever imagined.
For a long time he just stared at the rosary, his mind sifting through various thoughts. “Why do you get to keep it?” he finally asked, his voice quiet and slightly more raspy than usual.
Kagome frowned. “Why would you want to keep it?”
“Keh,” he began quietly as he turned away from her slightly. “I’m used to having it, is all. I just don’t see why you should get to keep it.”
Kagome smiled then. “I have an idea.” she held the string of beads taut and offered him a small section. “Here, cut the string.” she told him. The hanyou gave her an odd look, but did as he was told. Using a sharp claw, he severed the string. The young woman then offered him a different portion of the rosary, and had him cut the string again. She smiled at him brightly as she gave him half of the string of beads, and kept the other half for herself. The hanyou watched as she tied off her portion of beads, slipping them onto her wrist when she was finished. She then took his portion of the beads and did the same.
“Kinda like a friendship bracelet.” she told him as she offered the beads back to him. He stared at her for a long time before he finally took the beads. Kagome’s smile brightened. “In my time, sometimes really good friends wear similar bracelets like this in order to show their friendship. They’re not usually made of magical rosary beads, but the idea is the same.”
“Friendship huh?” he asked after studying the bracelet for a moment.
Kagome nodded. “You do still want to be my friend, don’t you?”
The hanyou studied the beads as he considered what this truly meant. What ever feelings he may have had, might still have for her, he knew it didn’t matter anymore. She was telling him that they would always be just friends. The sense of loss he felt at this moment was palpable.
Even right now, at this very moment he wasn’t entirely sure what sort of relationship he wanted with Kagome. All he knew, was that he wanted her to stay in his life forever. Did he want to be just her friend? His ears lowered slightly. Probably not, but at this point, friendship was all the miko seemed prepared to offer.
“Keh.” he finally managed as he slipped the beads around his wrist.
A small mischievous smile broke onto her lips. ‘I wonder if it still works.’ she thought. But then looking at her own wrist, she decided not to chance it.
Kagome looked back up at him, a soft smile on her lips. There were a few more things she needed to say, but she wasn’t really sure how to begin. Finally, she decided to just dive right in.
“H-how’s Kikyou?” she asked suddenly, surprising the hanyou slightly.
Inuyasha looked away from her then. “She’s fine. She’s… happier than I’ve seen her in a long time. It‘s like she never died, you know?”
Kagome nodded. There were so many questions she wanted to ask, but she didn’t want to prod. “This is a difficult time for her. She’s starting a whole new life. She needs you now more than ever.”
The hanyou did not answer. Kagome was probably right but…
He suppressed a small gasp, when he felt one of the miko’s arms wrapping around his waist. Her basket still in her left hand, she embraced him with her right arm. The same arm on which she wore her portion of the rosary. As she looked up at him with shimmering brown eyes, all of her emotions shone through for him to see. Sadness, acceptance, resolve, hope… and love. “You guys are so lucky. You get a second chance. Most people never get that. I think… the two of you will be very happy together.”
And then she let him go, both figuratively, and literally. Inuyasha watched in helpless silence as she turned and walked away; leaving him alone in the shade beneath the Sacred Tree.
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The light rustling of grass was the only sound which signaled the presence of a small group of travelers. At its fore, there was a silver-haired inu youkai; to his right, a diminutive kappa youkai and to his left, a dragon demon with a young girl sprawled over its back, and several traveling bags hanging over its hips.
Naraku was gone. There was no reason for the girl to remain with him any longer, Sesshoumaru told himself as he took in the sleeping countenance of his ward. Rin was growing older. She was not yet an adult, but she was growing and changing. She was beginning the journey into womanhood; a state of affairs that he, Sesshoumaru, was not equipped to deal with. She had remained in his company for far too long already and it was time that she returned to human society.
He could not deny that this occurrence was somewhat difficult for him. He had developed an attachment to the child. In a strange way, she was almost like a daughter to him, yet he could keep her no longer. It was imperative that she begin living among her own kind. Not for the first time, he considered the young miko, Kagome. She would have made an acceptable mentor for Rin.
In spite of the girl’s obvious flaws; her strange manor of dress, her unusual speech patterns and her infuriating insolence, the miko had not been a bad person; for a human anyway. It was unfortunate that she had died. Rin would not be pleased to hear of it. She had apparently liked the woman.
The inu lord brushed his train of thoughts aside. It mattered not. The woman was gone. The elder miko, the one called Kaede would have to do. Rin seemed to care for her as well. The woman was not likely to live for much longer, but perhaps she would remain alive long enough to see his ward into adulthood. If not, he would have to find another. Loathed as he was to admit it, Rin’s happiness bore weight with him, so he would not abandon her completely. He would visit the village periodically to see how she was progressing, until such time as he deemed it unnecessary to continue.
Soon, Sesshoumaru and his traveling companions crested a small hill, and crossed the border into Inuyasha’s forest. The wind shifted bringing a familiar set of scents to his nose. The first, being that of his brother. But mingled in with the hanyou’s scent, was that of a human female. The inu lord’s brows drew together slightly. The miko? It was the scent of the young miko called Kagome. He was certain of it. How was this possible? She had died three weeks ago, and yet her scent was fresh, as if she had been in this area only moments ago.
What was the meaning of this?
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