InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Truth's Tears ❯ White Blossoms ( Chapter 13 )

Disclaimer~ All rights for Inu Yasha belong to Rumiko Takahashi. The legend of the Dragon King belongs to the people of Japan, and we hold no rights to it. This fiction is only for entertainment purposes. And if any part of this fan fiction resembles another it is purely coincidental.

Chapter Thirteen ~ White Blossoms

Shippo paused briefly with his story and gazed down and the older Kagome, tears came to his shadowed eyes. With a laugh, he wiped away his tears and turned his emerald gaze to Taro. He collected his thoughts and opened his mouth to voice them, stopping suddenly when a tired voice broke the silence.

"Shippo?"

His reflexes as lightening fast as ever, Shippo flew to her side cradling her fragile hand within his own.

"Kagome, It's me."

Kagome released a long-suffering cry as she reached out to hold the young man that sat beside her.

"Oh Shippo, my little Shippo!"

Taro watched as the fox youkai embraced his mother. They were crying. And whether they were tears of happiness or tears of sorrow, Taro didn't know.

"Mother? How are you feeling today?" He asked tightly.

Kagome's eyes darted over Shippo's shoulder and widened. Carefully she pulled away from Shippo's embrace and opened her arms to her son.

"Taro?"

With a half smile Taro nodded his head as he moved into her embrace, kneeling beside Shippo.

What happened next startled and broke something within Taro, his mother laughed. Her soft, sweet voice bouncing lightly off the walls and soothing his soul. Her frail arms wrapped around his shoulders while she giggled lightly.

"So I take it you believe my story now that Shippo is sitting beside you?"

Taro rolled his eyes and smiled, "Ya, mom, I believe you."

Kagome released him from her hold and with a weary smile she spoke softly, "I am a blessed woman; for now I have both of my boys kneeling beside me."

Her true smiles had always been rare, so rare in fact, it was hard for Taro to stop the flutter of joy that welled up inside of him while he placed a light kiss on her forehead.

"I love you, mom."

Kagome smiled again as tears flooded her weary eyes. Her forgotten hand rose and cupped her son's cheek, "Oh Taro."

The moment was ruined as a soft knock sounded and Kagome's doctor entered.

"Miss Higurashi, Mr. Higurashi," the doctor simply nodded at Shippo as he lifted his clipboard from underneath his arm.

Taro didn't know why but for some reason his mother's doctor had always sent a chill down his spine. He had mentioned it to his mother before but she had simply waved it off with a gentle grin.

"Miss Higirashi, it's good to see that you are awake. Your lab work has come in and I would like to go over it with you." The doctor's voice was soft and yet stern at the same time.

Shippo took that time to stand and excuse himself from the room, a strange smile playing on his lips. Taro merely shook it off as he listened to the medical terms that flowed from the stoic doctor's lips. The news was not good, his mother's prognosis was bad, it seemed as if she had contracted a very rare and very lethal form of marrow cancer. Taro's insides froze up as he listened to the shell of a doctor tell them formally that his mother only had mere days to live.

Anger and denial rose up within him as he stood and glared at the doctor, "Your lying! I want a retest, a second opinion!"

Kagome's tired eyes sparked at her son's behavior as she spoke sternly, "Taro, sit down. You know as well as I that this is the fourth test they have done on me. The results are the same, and no matter how much it hurts my time is ending."

Taro was furious. His mother wasn't a quitter and yet there she laid, her hands primly crossed before her and telling him it was over.

"Mom, no! I don't believe it! I won't! There has to be something we can do to stop this, a cure somewhere that no one has tried yet. I won't let you give up!"

Kagome's stern expression softened as she reached out and clutched Taro's hand.

"Taro. I've known this was going to happen for a long time now. Even if a cure could be found, it would be too late." Even as Taro felt the sadness brim, her gentle smile calmed him.

"I'm ready, Taro. I miss your father, don't fight this child, everything will be fine."

Taro felt the tears spring to the corners of his eyes as he fought the urge to weep. No, he would not, he would be strong, he would learn to accept the fate his mother had chosen.

Taro turned and faced his mother, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead he spoke softly, "I'll see you later, mom. I've got things I need to do."

Kagome nodded as she smiled lightly, "I understand. I love you Taro."

Turning back around, Taro glared at the doctor before he left the room. He knew it wasn't the man's fault, but at that moment it was easier to blame him than accept the fact that his mom was dying.

Kagome waited till her son had left before she raised her dimmed eyes to the doctor, a weak smile touched her lips, "I don't have that long, do I?"

Her response was another emotionless answer, "Hours at the most."

With a soft sigh, Kagome smiled faintly toward her doctor, "I miss him, I hope he's waiting for me."

Silence was her answer as the tears she had tried to hold back sprung to her eyes. Her face lowered to her lap as Kagome released the emotions she had been holding back for far too long.

"Inu Yasha..."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Taro stormed out of the hospital, his mother's home his destination. Maybe, just maybe there was something there that could help him. The jewel perhaps? Reaching within the folds of his jacket, Taro pulled out the only item he hadn't left behind.

His mother's diary.

The old and tattered book was a final link he needed, within its yellowed pages he was almost positive he'd learn the answer.

Taro stopped walking, deep in thought while he carelessly flipped through the frail pages when something caught his eye. A flower. A small white blossom that had been carefully tucked within the spine of the book.

With a slight frown, Taro lifted the delicate blossom from the book and gazed critically at it. Why on earth had his mother kept this? He turned his attention back to her journal and gazed at the entry that the flower had been saving.

"...The well has been sealed. It's been four days now and each day nothing has changed, I can't go back. I have resigned myself to the idea that I will never be able to see him again.

Mom is doing her best to comfort me, but things have gotten more complicated. I'm pregnant. I know I am. Maybe only a month or two, but far enough along to know. I hope it's a boy. If it is I'm going to name him Taro, our first born son.

I miss you all so much, I hope you guys lived a happy life..."

Her words were spotted with old tears, smearing the ink where they had fallen all those years ago. Taro's eyes closed briefly as he massaged his temple before opening his eyes and gazing toward the sky. He almost wished that the skies would just tell him what he wanted to know. With a heavy sigh, Taro returned to his march toward his car, the small white blossom carefully re-tucked back in its place.

Bright green eyes watched as the young man stepped into his car and drove off. A soft smile touched his lips as he removed a cherry sucker from his pocket and smacking his lips around the cherry flavored treat.

Sighing lightly, Shippo gazed upward and smiled.

"Well guys, Kagome's going to be joining you all soon. I've watched over her like I promised, now it's your turn. Take care of her."

And with a wink and a wave farewell to the heavens, Shippo wandered away from the hospital. He had already said his goodbyes to his mom after promising to finish her story to his brother.

Shippo laughed suddenly, "Oh man, wait till you learn who your dad really is. You're going to freak out."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It was late afternoon by the time Taro finally wandered up the steps to his mother's old home. The sun hung low in the horizon sending flares of orange and red across the sky.

He was tired.

He was tired and angry.

Hell, he was tired, angry and freak'n hungry.

"God, I've got to get me some food." Taro mumbled to himself as he continued his half-hearted trek up the million and one stairs that led to the old shrine.

Taro stumbled when he saw lights coming from his mother's home.

"What in the hell?"

His energy returned with the sudden spike of adrenalin that surged through his system. Hundreds of thoughts that followed with the idea of burglars swam through his mind, strange men digging through his mother's belongings, taking her history away from him for money.

"Ah, hell no!" Taro cried out as he burst through the front door. His fists clinched tightly at his sides, ready to beat the living crap out of whoever even thought of the idea of messing with his mom's things.

"Taro! Why don't you take off your shoes and come sit down. I cooked us a bite to eat."

Taro's black expression pinked.

"Shippo?!"

The said man poked his red head around the corner and smiled.

"Though I would surprise ya! Did it work?"

Taro couldn't help but roll his eyes, "Ya. I was ready to beat your face in, thinking you were a burglar."

Shippo's laughter washed over Taro's tense nerves as he smiled. Then Shippo said something that caught him totally off guard.

"You remind me of your father more and more every day."

Taro felt his blood run cold.

"You knew my dad?" He mentally slapped himself, `that was a stupid question.'

Shippo laughed again at the annoyed look Taro gave himself. "Ya, I knew your pops. He was a very....well...interesting man." Shippo bounced back into the kitchen and quickly pulled bowls from the cabinets and grabbed a couple of chopsticks.

"Here, it ain't much. But it's better than nothin right."

Taro smiled and bowed his head in thanks then proceeded to dive head first into his bowl.

Shippo smirked again but kept his comment to himself as he raised the rice to his lips and ate slowly.

They ate in silence. Both lost to their own thoughts. It wasn't until Taro helped Shippo clean the kitchen that they settled in the living room when Shippo spoke.

"Your mom wanted me to finish her story." His bright green eyes gazed solemnly ahead.

"She wanted me to tell you everything you need to know." At this point Shippo directed his gaze to Taro. It was only then that Taro actually could see how old the youkai beside him was. In that moment, Shippo looked ancient, his normally bright eyes dimmed and his face furrowed with worry lines.

"It doesn't get any better does it?" Taro asked softly.

Shippo smiled, "For a bit it does but then again every true fairy tale has a bitter ending.

That was your mother's life, she lived a fairy tale. She fell in love, loved till her heart ached, and in the end lost everything."

Shippo stopped, his eyes back in the past in the days his mom had shared with him. With a long ago look to his features Shippo started with the story.

"Listen carefully, Taro. You mom was a vibrant woman, she loved with every ounce of her being. It was impossible for her to love anyone less than that. Inu Yasha was her light, her joy her purpose but when he died she had to move on. She loved him terribly but even she knew it was hopeless to love a ghost." Shippo's _expression was tense, "I will never understand what she saw in your father. He was arrogant, crude and frankly," here Shippo smiled with his memory, "he was the best thing that happened to her."

"Shippo? Who was my father?"

To this Shippo merely laughed, "That you will find out in time. As for now, there's still more you need to hear."

Tbc......

A/N~

Mystic: *looks around* okay, its clear!

Inca: what in the world are you doing?

Mystic: *sitting on the floor hiding under the desk pokes her head out and whispers* "shhhh! I'm not suppose to be on the computer!"

Inca: *sweatdrops*.....um?

Mystic: *giggles* it's a long story

Inca: I don't want to know

Mystic: *glares* fine, I won't tell you then!

Several minutes pass in silence

Inca: ...

Mystic: ....

Inca: *fidgets*

Mystic: *cleans her nails*

Inca: OKAY! What happened?

Mystic: *laughs evilly* wouldn't you like to know.

Inca: ARGH! *turns and looks at readers* Just stay tuned for the next chapter....

Mystic: *giggles* OH and don't forget the Pepsi donation!

Lots of hugs and kisses to our last remaining reviewers. *sniff sniff* we love you guys!

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