The Lucky Ones
Chapter Thirty-Three
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The Lucky Ones
By Terri Botta
Disclaimer: I don’t own
Inuy. So. Sole copyright belongs to Viz and Rumiko Takashi. I’m poor so don’t
sue.
Rating: R for later chapters.
Pairing: Inuyasha/Kagome,
Miroku/Sango
Summary: Sometimes Fate hands
you a gift you never thought you’d ever get, and it’s up to you to accept it
for what it is.
Feedback to:
tci100@psu.edu
Website: http://www.wordsmiths.net/Botta
*******
Chapter
Thirty-Three
Kagome knew it even in the darkness of the den. Her eyes snapped open as she
sensed the coming morning, and she quietly roused herself from the blankets
which was no small feat because Yukio was cuddled against her as usual and
Inuyasha’s limp arm lay draped across her waist. Her adult hanyou made a small
sound of protest when she pulled away but did not wake, then she placed Yukio
against him and he settled down again with a small sigh. The toddler didn’t
even twitch when she moved him.
she left the den as silently as she could and made her way to the stream.
jewel,’ she said to herself, pulling the yukata close to her body. ‘No
thoughts of doubt or fear must touch me today. The jewel must be as untainted
as I can make it.’
bracing chill woke her up completely as she submerged herself in it. Washing
quickly, she made sure she was completely clean before getting out of the
stream and drying off on the bank. It seemed odd to her not to dress in her
school uniform anymore. She’d been wearing one form or another of it for so
long that to suddenly be without the familiar sr sur suit felt wrong to her. In
deference to that, she had chosen a white dress with blue trim that had a
similar crew-neck and a blue scarf. This she wore with her normal cable socks
and brown loafers, and, of course, Inuyasha’s necklace which she rarely took
off for anything other than bathing. The blue beads and silver hair nestled
against her skin just above her heart and tangled with the chain that held the
Shikon no Tama.
she closed her eyes and brought forth her love for the hanyou, using it to calm
her and help her focus.
‘Only
pure, good thoughts today,’ she reminded
herself. ‘I love Inuyasha. Inuyasha loves me. We will spend our lives
together ie hoe house he will build. Our son will grow up big and strong, and
never know the pain and hardship his father suffered.’
around to face the intruder.
a deep frown, staring at her.
trying to slow her pounding heart.
jewel. Anything could have come upon you unawares while you were otherwise
engaged. It pains me to see that the lessons of the past have not been learned.
If he had not left me alone that night, Naraku would have had no chance to
attack us both separately,” the undead miko continued.
irritation. “If I remember correctly from what I was told, he left you because
you spent the night in the shrine praying and he wasn’t allowed in,” she
countered, defending her lover. “Was he supposed to just sit outside the doors
where you had shut him out like an obedient dog?”
Kikyou’s eyes and she smiled slightly, seemingly pleased by Kagome’s immediate
defense.
as his,” Kikyou amended.
do, if you’d let him stay with you, he’d have been glued to your side,’ she
thought dourly.
that he left you undefended at a time when your protection is crucial.”
uendeended? One scream from me and he’d be here in a heartbeat,” she replied.
face never changing. “That is provided you had a chance to scream. Your… den is
close by?”
miko knowing the exact location of her and Inuyasha’s safe haven. She crossed
her arms and nodded. “Close enough.”
there?”
conversation was going. “Yes. And Yukio was with us too.”
‘Carnal
pleasures? Is that what you think lovemaking is? If you do, I feel so sorry for
you Kikyou.’
made love last night, the answer is yes, we made love.”
“That alone should have stripped you of your miko powers.”
answered, drawing up some purifying energy and running it into her hands for
the older miko to see.
purity has anything to do with miko power. Tsubaki still had power and she was
evil. You still have yours and you’re dead.”
harshly as it had sounded and she winced. “I’m sorry. That didn’t come out the
way I wanted it to.”
truth.”
doing here? I thought you and Kaede would be setting up the ceremony and
purifying the shrine.”
The houshi is assisting her. I came to see if you were performing your duties
as guardian of the jewel,” Kikyou replied.
out by the insinuation that she might not be doing what she was supposed to.
actively purifying the jewel.”
bauble around her neck, then focused on the other necklace she wore.
‘Does
she recognize Inuyasha’s hair?’
to taint the jewel today.”
if you’d stop insulting me and Inuyasha,’ she thought dourly, but said
nothing. ‘Or maybe… maybe she wants me to get angry and taint the jewel.
Maybe she’s not really Kikyou. Maybe she’s a youkai in Kikyou’s form!’
see if she could tell if it was really Kikyou, but the thread was slapped back.
Wincing she stepped away, ready to defend herself or scream for Inuyasha if
need be.
she blurted.
“So he told you of our special word.”
handshake and everything. Just answer the damn question or I’m gonna scream
loud enough to wake the whole village.’
of Inuyasha’s mother or I’ll scream.”
knowledge of your special word. I would have no way of identifying you.”
Tama.”
stolen Kagome’s form and the jewel,” the undead miko replied reasonably, her
mouth curled into a wry smile of amusement.
stolen Kikyou’s form,” she countered.
both of you should know that because you don’t have any youki,” came a third
voice, tired and a little irritated.
the ha com come walking out of the trees. He was naked from the waist up and
carrying Yukio.
happily.
were shape shifters, we could most likely mask our youki,” Kikyou answered.
to Kagome, putting an arm around her as Yukio hopped into her embrace.
mimic her scent. But you can’t mimic the scent of me all over her,” he said,
then turned to her. “Pup had to go out.”
Yukio added with a big smile.
and good.”
Kikyou, looking at her with concerned eyes and it was obvious that he was
wondering what they had been up to. As usual, Kikyou gave nothing away with her
expressionless face.
hesitation.
then looked to her and raised an eyebrow.
think this one wouldn’t know his mother?” he added, rubbing Yukio’s ears.
puppy ears.
hanyou’s senses were fooled,” Kikyou commented.
Inuyasha scowled a little.
“Actually, Naraku never bothered to mask his scent. If I had been more trusting
and not been so quick to believe it was you, I would have figured out that it was
a fake by scent alone. And you should have been able to tell it wasn’t me by
the youki. My youki was never as evil or disgusting as that bastard’s.”
knowing the bad vibes could taint the easily tainted jewel, Kagome stepped
forward and put herself between the two former lovers.
be dragging all of this up right now,” she suggested, grasping the jewel in her
hand.
den,” her lover answered.
grasped her elbow. The gesture wasn’t intimate in any way but it made her
shiver regardless; that and seeing him half-naked always made her heart pound a
little harder, but she knew she couldn’t go with him. She had bathed and now
had to concentrate all of her energies on making sure the jewel was ready for
his wish. Before she could gently tell him he had to wait, however, Kikyou
spoke in a disdainful voice.
desires after she has cleansed herself?”
grew angry.
hurt and upset.
like a mindless animal,” he complained.
stories of your trysts from my sister. Sometimes you disappear into your hovel
and no one sees you for days. Have you so little control over your lusts that
you must sate yourself so often and keep your lover a prisoner in your hole?”
wide. “Wh… what?”
Inuyasha never forces me to do anything I don’t want to do,” she defended.
growing upset and clinging to her more tightly.
He always was. Why do you let him touch you? You are a miko. You should not
taint yourself with his impurity.”
pale. The wounded look on his face broke her heart, and she hurried to reassure
him.
why you’re doing this Kikyou, but it stops right now! There is nothing impure
or tainted about Inuyasha, and he’s not a beast. He’s a sweet, wonderful,
devoted man and I love him. And if you ever loved him as much as he says you
did, you wouldn’t say such horrible things about him.”
is a lowly hanyou; a dirty half-breed spawned by a human and an evil demon. It ben beneath you to even associate with him and his ilk. That includes the child
you now hold.”
teeth, mustering every ounce of self-control she had not to scratch the bitch’s
eyes out. How dare she say such terrible things about Inuyasha and her baby!
She clutched Yukio closer to her, noting that the toddler was trying to make
himself as small and unnoticeable as possible.
Neither Inuyasha or Yukio are beneath me, and I don’t lower myself or dirty
myself by loving them! And there is nothing
evil about my baby!” she argued vehemently.
be done about it. They are tainted by nature and easily corrupted,” Kikyou
countered.
father was evil because he was a youkai,” she replied angrily. “From everything
I’ve heard about him, he was a fierce but fair and kind leader who was good to
the people living on his lands, and he loved Inuyasha’s mother very, very much.
No one who could father a son as loving and devoted as Inuyasha, and forge a
sword like Tenseiga- it’s sole purpose being to raise people from the dead- could be evil.
good and decent people who love and feel pain just the same as we do. Yes,
there are evil youkai out there. I’ve met lots of them too, but you know what,
humans can be just as evil as youkai and they don’t have any demon blood to
blame it on.
who their parents were or what their bloodline is. People should be judged by
what they do and how many people they help. And no one should blame an innocent
baby for being born, hanyou or not.”
eyebrow. “Judged by what they do?” the undead miko repeated. “And what if I
were to tell you that your ‘loving’ and ‘devoted’ good hanyou burned down the
very village he now protects and is directly responsible for the loss of my
sister’s eye?”
guilty, worried look, but that only made her angrier.
one died that day except you and Naraku was responsible for your wounds not
Inuyasha, and that the fire was started by accident. As for Kaede’s eye, if
she’s forgiven him for it then I’m certainly not going to blame him for
something that happened before I was even born. And if you weigh all goo good
he’s done since the village burned down, he’s more than made up for it. He’s
saved hundreds of lives and helped twice that many in the years I have known
him. He might pretend not to care, but he does and he always does the right
thing no matter what. He’s the most honest, loyal person I have ever met and he
would never purposefully take an innocent life.”
‘Except
when he’s transformed… but even then, he only killed the bandits and after that
he refused to transform again. That was the whole reason he went after
he could make Tessaiga lighter and be able to wield it again.’
Kikyou
looked at Inuyasha. “What do you think of this, Inuyasha?”
The adult
hanyou bared his teeth and growled softly. “What are you up to Kikyou?” he
demanded.
“I am
showing her tru true nature.”
“Excuse me,
but I’ve seen his true nature,” Kagome interrupted. “I know exactly what
Inuyasha is and what he is not, and I don’t need you trying to make me think
less of him. Nog you have to say will turn me against him or make me
believe he isn’t what I think he is.”
With that,
she stood next to him, shoulder to shoulder and they faced Kikyou together as a
unified front. She expected Kikyou to look annoyed or even disgusted, but she
wasn’t prepared for the look of calm approval and satisfaction she got instead.
“Good,”
Kikyou said finally after a long, tense silence.
“Good?”
Inuyasha repeated, snorting. “What the hell was that all about?”
“You harbor
no doubts towards Inuyasha in your heart. You have complete faith and
confidence in him. This trust is exactly what you need to keep the jewel pure,
and prevent it from warping the wish,” the undead miko told her.
“So this
was a… a test?” she blurted.
“Yes. I was
testing your commitment to each other.” She looked at Inuyasha. “Did you see
how quickly she defended you and how steadfast she stayed?”
Inuyasha
nodded.
“You needed
to see the depth of her love for you and trust in it. You still harbor fears
that she will someday reject you because you are a hanyou. These fears are
exactly the type of feelings you cannot afford to have today. You have seen her
unequivocal trust and faith in you; now you must have the same faith in her. Do
you understand?”
She felt
the tension flow out of him and saw him relax.
as well as his faith in me.’
“I
understand, Kikyou.”
“That being
said, she still should not go with you, but rather she should come to the
shrine and help with the preparations there.”
drooping, but agreed. “Okay.”
literally peel the toddler off of her claw by grasping claw.
Otou-san.”
little shake. “Oi. None of that, pup. Okaa-san is busy right now and that means
we have to leave her alone. You come with me and be good. I’ll fix us some
breakfast and we’ll see Okaa-san later.”
head. “Noooo.”
little cheek and rub his ears. “Be good for Otou-san.” Then she kissed Inuyasha
on the lips. “You be good too. Think happy thoughts about me and that will help
you stay positive.”
there for me to act on my thoughts,” he complained.
smile. “Every day of my life,” she admitted and gave him another kiss. “I love
you.”
their lips parted. “And I love you, koi.”
Yukio one last rub to his ears. “I’ll see you at the shrine.”
“Okay. I’ll get the pup fed and us ready, and then join you.”
nodded and poured all the love she felt in that moment into it,
did,” she began, hurrying to catch up to the older miko.
other. He and I never did. In my heart, I always believed him to be capable of
deceiving me.”
‘And he
always thought you would betray him like all the others...’
leave you unprotected.”
really had to agree. She should never have left the safety of the den without
Inuyasha. Even though Inuyasha routinely killed any youkai intruders as a
matter of course, and dealt with any youkai seeking the Shikon no Tama with
extreme prejudice, there was always a chance that a new threat had moved in
overnight.
she admitted. “I didn’t wake him when I left the den.”
sleeper.”
feels safe. The first time he fell asleep on my bed he slept there the whole
night and never moved once.”
otherwise did not answer, and Kagome realized how her offhand comment must have
sounded.
you know... lovers. Wayyyy before. He came to my house while I was trying to
study and caused all this trouble. He wouldn’t leave me alone and got into
everything. I tried to get my little brother to entertain him but they ended up
in the bath and Inuyasha came running back because the water was too hot. He
finally passed out on my bed while he was watching me, but only after
aggravating me for hours.”
was a persistent distraction.”
‘Persistent
distraction. Yes, he is isn’t he.’
forget he’s there.”
knew he was there well before he ever moved.”
Kikyou meant, but also knowing that the undead miko was wrong. She heard him
because he let her hear him.
Had Inuyasha been serious about killing Kikyou to get the jewel, she would
never have seen him coming. It was only the fact that he didn’t really want to
harm her that made him break his hanyou silence.
such a conversation with Kikyou, and she found herself biting her lip with
uncertainty as the two of them walked down the familiar path to the vge.
finally. “For me to be with Inuyasha instead of you?”
now. He has a new life with you and the child you are raising. Besides, you are
me. If it were not for the witch Urasue, I would still be inside of you,
sleeping my dreamless sleep. So in that way, he is with me- the me in you.”
of her uncertainty faded as she smiled.
ashaasha says you have been living at the temple Zenko-ji
acceptance there.”
after... or will you stay in the village for a while?”
depend on Inuyasha’s wish and the aftermath.”
pure wish makes the jewel disappear. Midoriko has been fighting the youkai
souls inside the Shikon no Tama for so long. I hope she’ll be able to find
peace and go to her rest,” she said absently, holding the jewel in her hand.
and quiet admiration cross Kikyou’s face as she passed the undead miko and
headed up the tall stairs that led to the shrine.
was strong as they entered the shrine grounds, and she found Miroku and Kaede
deep in prayer.
“We are setting up a barrier that
will, hopefully, keep out any intruders until after the ritual is complete,”
the monk explained when he had finished his prayer.
asked.
nervous until he gets here. Until the jewel is gone it’s still attracting
youkai and men with evil hearts, and I’m worried about what we will do if we
are attacked during the ritual.”
village? With you, me, Inuyasha and Kaede all here, who is left to defend the
village? We’d need a barrier to cover the whole town before it would be safe,”
she said.
Kikyou and the undead miko nodded. “L tha that to me.”
‘Oh
yeah, that’s right. Kikyou is strong enough to make a barrier big enough to
surround the village.’
ending her prayer.
“It appears that we are almost
ready, does it not?” the undead miko replied.
protect the shrine and ensure that the jewel is not tainted by evil before
Inuyasha makes his wish.”
protect the village from youkai attacks while we are occupied here,” Kikyou
said.
three barriers. Yours, the houshi’s and mine. I pray it will be enough. The
jewel has brought evil to everyone who has tried to use it.”
knelt down to begin creating her barrier around the town. Kagome watched her in
fascination as she drew on her miko powers and wove the threads of her energy
to make a shimmering shield that grew steadily to encompass the shrine, the
surrounding forest and the village.
hope to be so powerful...’ Kagome thought, a small pang of jealousy
touching her heart. She shoved it away quickly, but Miroku picked up on it.
that you cannot. It is merely a matter of desire and training. Kikyou also
embraces her holy vocation whereas you do not. That is the only difference
between her abilities and yours,” the monk explained.
barrier like that,” she replied.
ever tried?”
Kikyou-sama’s were honed in protection. That
is why she builds barriers
and you concentrate on
offensive tactics. I have no doubt that you could create a barrier as strong
and large as Kikyou-sama’s if you had to.”
faith in her. “Thank you, Miroku.”
but the truth.”
Kaede’s barrier protects the shrine. What does your barrier do?”
and fear. All those who feel Inuyasha is a hanyou who will ask to become a full
youkai, or those who harbor ill-will towards him, will be refused entry into
the inner circle. We are trying very hard to protect the jewel from being
tainted,” Miroku answered.
for the umpteenth time that morning and swallowed hard. Did she harbor any
doubts inside her? She felt down into her heart and sighed.
‘No. In
my heart, I know he will do the right thing.’
this morning.”
and nodded. “It is as pure as I have ever seen it. Has Inuyasha shared his wish
with you?”
us, ne?”
his secrets. It makes him think he has one up on us.”
Then he pulled a small dokko from inside his robes and held it between his
palms. Kagome knew he was praying and pooling his power into the holy object.
Using the dokko instead of his Houriki allowed
him to set the anchor for the barrier in much the same way the ‘Living Buddha’
had done on
the small object. He could then set the dokko wherever he chose and it would
hold the barrier in place without him having to be in physical contact with it.
The thought
made Kagome smile. Miroku wouldn’t want to be preoccupied with keeping the
barrier up while Inuyasha was making his wish. The houshi was too inquisitive
not to witness something which would likely be a momentous event. In truth
probably half the village would have shown up for it if Kaede and the village
headman had not agreed to keep the ceremony a secret from the majority of the
villagers. Oh, they’d see the barrier of course, and probably come to the
shrine to see what was going on, but the headman had already placed guards at
the shrine entrance. No one who did not belong was going to get onto the shrine
grounds before the ceremony was over.
When all
was said and done, there were three consecutive barriers, each smaller than the
other and all linked to holy objects that powered them. The first was Kikyou’s
village barrier. The second was the barrier Kaede put around the entire shrine
sanctuary. The third was Miroku’s barrier that covered just the heart of the
shrine. Anyone wishing to witness the ceremony up close would have to pass
through both barriers that protected the shrine itself. Once Inuyasha arrived,
they would stand in the er oer of the shrine together and be surrounded by
Miroku, Kikyou and Kaede who would pray for the purification of the jewel until
the end. It was a bit of overkill, she had to admit, but with the Shikon no
Tama involved, she didn’t know if such a thing as overkill was possible. The
jewel had been used for such evil, destruction and death, that she was glad to
see the great lengths that were being taken to protect the purity of it.
was being left to chance. Nothing was getting through. Nothing was going to
interfere this time.
With the
preparations made and the stage set, all that was left was to wait for
Inuyasha. Sango and Shippou arrived shortly after Miroku finished his barrier,
and it pleased Kagome to no end to see them pass through it without so much as
a flicker from the shield.
complaining and teasing, they trust Inuyasha completely. Do they know how
strange and wonderful that is? A kitsune and a taijiya trusting and considering
a hanyou as one of their own. Inuyasha should be so proud.’
“Ohayo,”
she greeted as the two came to join her and Miroku. The houshi smiled at his
wife and she smiled back.
“Kagome-e-e!”
Shippou cried happily and hopped into her arms.
“Shippou-chan.
Sango-chan,” she said, smiling at them.
“We saw the
barriers go up and knew it was almost time,” the fox kit explained.
Kagome
nodded. “We are waiting for Inha nha now.”
Sango was
dressed in her full taijiya armor with hiraikotsu slung across her back.
“I came
prepared to defend the shrine from youkai, but it looks like my services won’t
be needed,” she said.
Kagome
grinned at the slight note of disappointment in her voice. Sango was itching to
get back to ‘work,’ but so far she’d had little opportunity to practice her
craft. Inuyasha was usually so swift and thorough in keeping the village
youkai-free, present company excluded of course, that very little ever got past
him. The last time Sango had used hiraikotsu it was
to bring down a carrion-crow and that was a bit like using a
cannon to knock out a mosquito.
“Don’t
worry, Sango-chan. You’re still welcome here. I know Inuyasha will be happy to
see all of you here to support him. He’ll be so proud to know you believe in
him and trust him so much.”
“Well, we were there almost
from the beginning. It’s right that we be here at the end,” Sango replied.
“I was the
first one to join your group!” Shippou enthused.
She smiled
and scratched his head. “I remember Shippou-chan.”
The kit
looked contrite for a moment. “I tried to steal your shards and tricked
Inuyasha into getting his hand stuck under a statue.”
“You were
trying to avenge your father. Both Inuyasha and I understand why you did what
you did.”
Sango sat
down next to her and hugged her knees, a wistful look on her face. “It seems
like so long ago. Naraku possessing Kohaku and forcing him to kill Chichi-ue
and the others, and me, then blaming it on Inuyasha and sending me out to kill
him. He should have killed me then.”
“Inuyasha
wouldn’t have done that. He knew you were being tricked by Naraku.”
Sango
frowned and looked down. “Before I met Inuyasha, I never would have believed that
a hanyou could be good at heart, but… but he’s taught me that many of my views
about youkai were wrong.”
“Me too!
I’m a youkai!” Shippou added.
Sango
smiled at the kitsune. “You too Shippou.”
“Inuyasha has
taught us many things about the nature of hanyous and humans,” Miroku commented
sagely. “And you, Kagome-sama, have taught us many things about accepting
people as they are, and about the power of love.”
She blushed
under the praise. “I didn’t do anything special.”
“Inuyasha
wouldn’t think so. I think he thinks your love for him is nothing short of a
miracle,” Miroku told her. “It will destroy him if you are forced to return to
r owr own time after the Shikon no Tama is gone.”
Kagome
winced and shivered. “Kikyou believes the well will close and I’ll be trapped
here. But… but there is a chance that I’ll have to go back to my time and stay
there,” she admitted.
“You’re
very special Kagome-chan. I hope… I hope you will always be with us,” Sango
said.
“Yes. We
don’t want you to leave Kagome,” Shippou agreed.
She hugged
the kit. “I hope I will be here with you too. But I don’t want the well to
close either. I want things to stay the way they are.”
Miroku
sighed. “I think all of us wish for that at one time or another.”
Kagome
nodded, trying very hard not to let her fears seep into the jewel. She knew it
would use anything it could, and she wasn’t about to help it any.
thought. ‘He should have finished feeding
Yukio by now.’
“Where is
Kohaku?” she asked suddenly.
“He is
watching Miyoko. He hates the Jewel and he knows it. The Shikon shard in his
back was what allowed Naraku to control him all that time, and he doesn’t want
to be anywhere near it. He did tell me that he hopes it disappears from this
world forever so it can’t hurt anyone else,” Sango replied.
Kagome
nodded that she understood. “I hope so too.”
“Will
Inuyasha be here soon, Kagome?” Shippou questioned.
“Yes. He
had to feed Yukio and get dressed. Then he was going to come to the shrine.”
The fox kit
fidgeted. “I hope so. I’m getting anxious.”
She smiled.
“I know, Shippou-chan.”
“It looks
like everything is ready,” Sango noted, looking around.
“Yes.
Kikyou has put up a barrier around the village. Kaede’s barrier protects the
whole shrine, and Miroku’s keeps anyone who has any doubts about Inuyasha or
harbors dark thoughts about him out of the center,” she explained.
“It
certainly seems like you have everything under control,” Sango said.
“We hope
so,” Miroku replied. “The Jewel is very sensitive and easily influenced. We are
trying very hard to protect it from corruption as much as possible.”
“I don’t
think you can be too careful at this point,” Sango agreed.
“Well, you
should be proud. You and Shippou passed through Miroku’s barrier without any
trouble. That means you both trust Inuyasha very much,” Kagome pointed out.
Shippou
crossed his arms and huffed, looking very much like Inuyasha in that moment,
“Yeah, well, I suppose Inuyasha is alright. Even though he is a meanie most of
the time.”
She giggled and petted the
kitsune’s hair, earning her a happy smile.
Suddenly
the shield gave a little “ZAP” noise and she swiftly turned her head to see
Myouga bouncing just outside of it as Kirara in her kitten form joined them.
The firecat mewed and sat next to Sango as Kagome frowned.
Inuyasha. Why does this not surprise me?’
Rising to
her feet, she walked over to the edge of the barrier.
“What? You
can’t come in Myouga-jiichan?” she asked innocently, watching the little youkai
shake off the aftereffects of getting zapped.
“Kagome-sama!
You are looking well today! I came to see the ceremony with Inuyasha-sama.
Would you let me in?”
She looked at
the others who all looked back at her with amused expressions.
“I can’t do
that, Myouga-jiichan. The barrier is keyed to keep out anyone who doubts
Inuyasha.”
Myouga
hopped up and down angrily. “How can you say such things, Kagome-sama? Long I
have been Inuyasha-sama’s faithful servant!”
She
narrowed her eyes. “Oh really. So I guess we just imagined you running off
every time Inuyasha got into trouble.”
The
flea-youkai stopped hopping and looked dejected.
“It is true
I run away, but that is because I am an old man and no good at fighting. I
would just be a burden to Inuyasha-sama if he had to worry about my safety.”
probably would worry about Myouga’s
safety. Regardless of his cowardly actions, he is still pack and Inuyasha would
protect him.’
“Ahh, I
see. How noble of you,” Miroku replied smoothly.
“Yes, yes.
So you see I do trust Inuyasha-sama. Please let me in.”
“I am
sorry. My barrier is very specific. If you cannot pass it is because you have
doubts in your heart. We must protect the jewel from being tainted. If it keeps
you out, it is because you are a danger.”
Myouga
started hopping again. “That is not possible! I am Inuyasha-sama’s faithful
servant!”
“Is that
so?” Inuyasha’s voice commented dryly.
She looked
up to see him approaching, Yukio in his arms. He was dressed in his usual
fire-rat clothing but today it looked different on him. Today it looked regal,
like the fine robes of the shogun, and she realized that it wasn’t so much the
clothes but how he was carrying himself. His hwas was up as he walked, his ears
forward, and his steps were steady and self-assured as if he knew exactly his
purpose in life and what he was supposed to do. He looked older, finer and more
majestic than she had ever seen him- even with their son in his arms, and the
mid-morning sun sparkled off his silver hair and glowed in his golden eyes. In
short, he took her breath away.
“Inuyasha-sama!”
Myouga cried. “I must beg your forgiveness. The barrier will not let me in.”
“Really?”
the adult inu-hanyou answered.
Yukio
blinked down at the flea-youkai. “Jiji!”
“Yukio-sama!
Rude as ever,” Myouga scolded, then let out an “Urk!” as Inuyasha stepped on
him. “Oh, I feel so crushed…”
“Keh. Well,
at least if you’re here it means you’re not afraid for your life so that does
make me feel better,” Inuyasha said, passing through the barrier to stand next
to her. “Kagome,” he whispered lovingly, and her name was a benediction.
“Inuyasha,”
she replied, smiling at him.
“Okaa-san,”
Yukio said, and she nuzzled him.
“Hello,
baby. Were you good for Otou-san?”
“Yes.”
“That’s
good. Now, Okaa-san and Otou-san are going to be very busy very soon, and
you’ll have to be a good pup.”
Yukio
nodded. “Otou say I stay with Kirara and be quiet.”
She tickled
him and gave him another smile. “That’s right. And it’s very important that no
matter what happens, you stay with Kirara and be a good pup. Okay?”
For a
moment, Yukio looked worried and he chewed on his fist, but nodded. “Okay.”
The others
stood and gathered around.
“Inuyasha,”
Miroku greeted with a little bow.
“Miroku,”
he answered.
“Are you
prepared for this?” the houshi asked.
Inuyasha
looked at her, his face serious and mature. “Yeah, I’m ready.”
“Let us proceed
then,” Miroku replied.
Inuyasha
nodded, then looked to Kirara who mewed and then transformed into her full
firecat form. Yukio went without protest when his father gave him to the
firecat and she took him to stand next to Sango and Shippou as his parents
moved to the center of the shrine grounds.
Kagome and
Inuyasha faced each other and Kikyou, Kaede and Miroku came to stand around
them in a triangle. Within the perimeter of the innermost barrier, Sango,
Shippou, Kirara and Yukio bore witness. On the outside of the third shield but
still on the shrine grounds, waited the rest of the spectators: Myouga, the
village headman and three of his guards. Inuyasha gave her a reassuring smile.
“Nervous?”
he asked.
She smiled
at him. “Not now that you’re here.”
“That’s my
Kagome. She always has such faith in me. She’s what allows me to be so strong.”
Around
them, the two mikos and the houshi began to pray, surrounding them with
purifying energy. Kagome took the Shikon no Tama from around her neck and offered
it to Inuyasha.
“I love
you. I trust you,” she told him.
He gave her
a tender smile, his eyes soft and swimming with emotion as he lifted his hands
to cup her own, placing the jewel in the cradle of their palms.
“Thank
you,” he whispered.
She nodded
and waited for him to make his wish.
“I’ve given
this a lot of thought,” he began. “I have no need to be a full youkai because
you’ve taught me how to accept myself as a hanyou. I have no need to be human
for the same reasons. Besides I don’t want to be a youkai or a human, I just
want to be me. All I really want is to live in peace with you in the house I
build and raise our pups, and I don’t need a wish on the jewel for that.
“The more I
thought about it, the more I realized that I don’t want anything from this
jewel. It’s done nothing but bring evil to anyone who’s ever used it, and no
one has ever tried to use it for good. Even those who might have had noble
intentions in the beginning, had those intentions twisted by the youkai souls
in it. What I really want from this thing is for it to go away and stop
bringing pain to everyone who touches it. And that’s why I chose the wish that
I did.”
He paused
after his explanation and there was a moment of tense silence, then he took a
deep breath, wrapped their hands around the Shikon no Tama and began to speak
loudly and clearly.
“I wish for
Midoriko to win her battle with the youkai souls inside this jewel, and for her
to bless my mating with Kagome so that we may be together in love for as long
as we both shall live.”
He stopped
speaking and the jewel began to glow pink, then pure white, the light growing
brighter and brighter until it was too bright to see and they all had to shield
their eyes. At some point Kagome and Inuyasha realized that the Shikon no Tama
was no longer in their hands and a brief panic ensued.
“Inuyasha!
The jewel!” she cried.
“I know.
It’s okay.”
She grabbed
for him, blinded by the bright light that engulfed them and she felt him wrap
his arms around her.
“I’m here.
I’ll always be here,” his voice comforted.
“And peace
be with you both,” came a new, strange voice.
The light
faded and the group saw that a new figure had joined them. She was translucent
and dressed in ancient armor.
“Midoriko,”
Miroku breathed, recognizing the spirit.
“Midoriko?”
Kagome repeated, shrinking in Inuyasha’s embrace.
The spirit
looked at the hanyou and gave him a soft smile. Kagome felt Inuyasha shiver
under the mild gaze.
“Inuyasha.
It seems that you have grown in the years you have searched to complete the
Shikon no Tama. No longer do you wish to become a full youkai,” the ancient
miko said.
“Bah! I’m
strong enough as it is, and that jewel never brought anyone anything but misery
and pain. If I’d wished to become a full youkai, I know I would have lost
myself and run rampant,” he answered truthfully.
The spirit
nodded, her eyes wise and approving.
“In all my
years of fighting, in the centuries of my chosen imprisonment, always those who
possessed the jewel wished upon it either purity or power. None have ever
wished it love. It seems that a ‘lowly hanyou’ has finally found the true key
to the jewel I created so long ago. It was never about purity or power. Those
things are fleeting and cannot last. But love. Love is eternal.”
Inuyasha
did a double take. “Eh?? But I didn’t. I wished for you to win, that’s all!”
The ancient
miko gave him a sardonic smile. “Are you sure? Did you not also wish for me to
bless your union with your beloved so that you might, as you said, ‘be together
in love for as long as we both shall live’? Is that not a wish in and of
itself?”
The hanyou
sputtered, but Kagome was catching on. “So you mean…?”
Midoriko
nodded. “The youkai souls would have their say, and theirs is to grant you both
the same life.”
“So I’ll
live as long as Inuyasha?”
“In a
manner of speaking, yes.”
“But that’s
not what I meant!” Inuyasha argued.
Kagome
turned to him, hurt. “You mean you aren’t happy that I will now live as long as
you will, and we can grow old together because I won’t die centuries before you
do?”
The hanyou
looked trapped between a rock and a hard place. “That’s not what I meant
either!”
“Whether
that was your true intention or not, that was how your wish was interpreted.
Now that the jewel is gone, there is no taking it back,” Midoriko said.
“It’s gone?
Is it really?” Kagome asked hopefully.
The ancient
miko nodded. “The Shikon no Tama is no more.”
Kagome
clapped her hands happily. “Oh! Oh, I’m so glad. You can go to your rest now
and find peace.”
“That is
one of the paths that lay before me.”
Midoriko
looked at Inuyasha, her eyes wise and gentle. “However, there was another wish
you wanted to make, but you had to make a choice because you could only make one.”
The hanyou
swallowed hard and nodded, but stayed silent.
“You wished
you could see your first love restored to a living body so that she would not
be forced to subsist on the souls of the dead.”
Inuyasha
lowered his gaze and nodded slowly. “Kikyou… Kikyou deserves better than a life
like… that.”
“Inuyasha…”
both Kagome and Kikyou breathed in unison.
Midoriko
turned to the undead miko. “We are sisters, you and I,” she said. “Our souls
were cut from the same cloth. Both of us were dedicated to a life of service
and sacrifice, with no thoughts for our own needs and desires. Forever alone we
were, kept apart from others because we were different. Both of us were
betrayed by evil men who sought to possess us. There is no one who knows your
heart better than I, my sister, my twin.
“I am not
ready to go to my rest. I offer you then, the whole of me within you. In doing
so, the last of my power shall become yours, and both of us shall live again in
one body.”
“You
suggest a merger?” Kikyou replied, blinking.
Midoriko
nodded. “To do so you would have to release the souls that do not belong to
you, but I would replace them with mine and the purified remainder of the
youkai souls within me.”
Kikyou
touched her chest. “I would live again?”
“We would
share the body in eternal life. Forever together and never alone.”
“I…”
“Kikyou…”
Inuyasha whispered.
“Yes,” the
undead miko replied, answering the spirit’s question.
The ancient
miko smiled and nodded. “So be it.”
Kikyou closed
her eyes as Midoriko became a bright, glowing ball of light, which then flew
into Kikyou’s chest. Kikyou’s body jerked from the impact, then countless souls
burst forth from her form, streaking off in every direction. One came straight
at Kagome and slammed into her, making her gasp and fall to her knees.
“Kagome!”
Inuyasha cried, kneeling beside her and taking her into his arms as she
recovered from the shock.
“My soul…
my soul is whole again…” she panted, clutching her chest.
“Are you
alright?”
“Yes.”
They turned
their attention to Kikyou, who was now floating several inches above the
ground, encompassed in a brilliant glow. She remained suspended there for
several moments, then she landed softly and sank to
the ground, the glow fading.
“Kikyou?”
Inuyasha asked nervously after a minute of tense waiting.
Dark eyes
opened and the miko slowly sat up. She seemed confused and looked at her hands,
then touched her chest over her heart.
“Our heart
beats,” she said.
“Kikyou-sama?
Midoriko-sama?” Miroku questioned, offering a hand.
“We are
here.”
“Kikyou-onee-sama?”
Kaede added.
“Kikyou is
no more. Midoriko is no more. We are one. We have merged. We are… Midorikyou.”
“Midorikyou,”
they all breathed.
Slowly,
with Miroku’s help, the miko who had once been Kikyou rose to her shaky feet.
Inuyasha, still on the ground holding Kagome, looked up at her with a mixture
of deep sadness and bittersweet joy.
“Kikyou…”
he whispered so softly that only Kagome heard him.
Midorikyou
looked at the hanyou and his mate.
“We loved
you. We thank you for everything you tried to do for us.” She put out her hands
and they glowed white with power. “We bless your union. May you live in love
and happiness for as long as you both shall live.”
Kagome felt
the power surge into her and was almost brought to tears by it. It wrapped
around her and Inuyasha like a comforting blanket,
then sank into them, making their skin tingle.
'> “The
ceremony is over. The Shikon no Tama is gone. Go in peace,” the miko announced.
As if to
emphasize her point, the barrier around the village abruptly disappeared. It
was then that they realized that a crowd had gathered outside the shrine
grounds, and both Kaede and Miroku dropped their barriers, letting them in.
Inuyasha helped Kagome to her feet, supporting her because she was still a
little wobbly.
“Are you
sure you’re alright, Kagome?” he asked.
She smiled
at him. “Yes, I’m sure.”
“Kagome!”
Shippou cried and hopped onto her shoulder.
“Oi! Be
careful!” Inuyasha warned.
“Oh, sorry,
sorry! Are you alright Kagome?”
She nodded
and smiled at the kit. “I think so, Shippou-chan.”
“Okaa-san!
Otou-san!” Yukio exclaimed as Kirara brought him over to them.
Kagome bent
down and picked up her son, holding him close as he hugged her.
“Otou OkaaOkaa
gone! I scared!”
“But you
were good and stayed quiet, and here we are all safe and sound,” she assured
him with a kiss.
Inuyasha
reached over and rubbed Yukio’s ears.
“I’m proud
of you, pup. You were a real man.”
Yukio
beamed at his father.
“Well, that
was exciting,” Sango said as she joined them.
“I can’t
believe it’s all over,” Kagome admitted. “And Kikyou merging with Midoriko. I
never suspected that!”
They looked
over to where Midorikyou was standing surrounded by Miroku, Kaede, the village
headman and a number of other villagers.
“I think it
was what they both wanted,” Sango commented.
“Yeah, and
now Kikyou is alive again and doesn’t need souls anymore,” Shippou added.
“And your
lifespan, Kagome, that’s wonderful. I had worried for Inuyasha. Inu-youkai mate
for life and they are very loyal. I knew you would die many centuries before he
did and I feared he would suffer from terrible grief,” the taijiya said.
She took
Inuyasha’s hand and squeezed happily. “I know. I was worried about that too.”
“You were?”
Inuyasha asked, surprised.
She looked
at him and smiled lovingly. “Of course. I knew your life would be much longer
than mine, and I kept thinking about how you would have to live without me once
I was gone. Now we can look forward to growing old together. Does that make you
happy?”
He smiled
back, shyly. “Yes. That makes me happy. I… I was resigned to losing you in a
few short decades, watching your hair turn silver like mine, and your face grow
old while mine stayed young. I’m… I’m glad that you will be with me now until
we are both old.”
“Now you
just need to finish that house of yours so she can make a proper husband out of
you,” Sango teased.
“Proper?
Inuyasha will never be proper!” Shippou said, then ducked behind Kagome’s shoulder.
“Oi!” the
adult hanyou growled, threatening the kit.
“Kagome-e-e-e!”
Shippou cried as he tried to run.
“Inuyasha,
osuwari.”
“Gah!” he
gasped as he hit the stone pavement of the shrine.
Yukio
looked down at his father and giggled.<
<
“You may
never be proper, Inuyasha, but I love you just the way you are,” Kagome cooed,
soothing his ruffled pride.
“Keh!” he
snorted as he stood up. His face and mouth said he was angry, but he put his
arm around her which told her all was forgiven.
“So? What
now?” Kagome asked.
“I know the
villagers have prepared a feast. Someone must have told them about the ceremony
because the village was buzzing with activity this morning,” Sango replied. “I
think we will all go back to Kaede’s hut to eat. I should also go get Kohaku
and my daughter.”
“Kagome, do
you… do you want to check the well?” Inuyasha offered tentatively.
She
shuddered. The well. So far, it didn’t look like she was going to get dragged back
to the Modern Era and forced to stay there, but she was half afraid to go near
the well just in case she had to be in close proximity for it to grab her. If
she was going to be tossed back to modern
or trapped in the past, she wanted it to be after she had more time with her
family and friends.
“No,” she
replied, shaking her head. “We can do it later. For now, I just want to be with
you and our life in this time and be happy.”
He smiled
and kissed her. “I love you, Kagome.”
“I love you
too, Inuyasha. So very much. And I look forward to telling you that every day
for the next what… six hundred or so years?”
He gave her
a silly grin and a little shrug. “Nine hundred at least, maybe more. I dunno
how long hanyous live. I never knew one that made it out of adolescence.”
“Well, I
look forward to finding out together.”
“Me too.”
At that
moment, Inuyasha’s stomach growled and they all chuckled.
“C’mon.
Let’s go get that bottomless pit of yours fed,” she teased, taking him by the
arm and gently leading the way.
“Ramen?” he
asked.
“I’ll see
what I can do,” she replied, hooking her arm through his as they walked
side-by-side off of the shrine grounds.
A/N: NO this is NOT OVER yet. Stay tuned. We’ve got a bit
more to go. :)