Through Blood and Fire

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. He belongs the brilliant Rumiko Takahashi!

Chapter 5: Farewells

Kaede got up and left the hut. All eyes were now on Kagome. Kouga leaned closer to Kagome, pulling her face up to look into his eyes.

“Kagome, my love. You can’t honestly be serious about this?”
“Kouga, you know I love you. More than anything. But this is what must be done.”
“Doesn’t she have some other family in the Americas that can take of her?” asked InuYasha.
“She does have other family in the United States, but they don’t want her.”
“Why not?” asked Miroku.
Kagome was about to tell them she didn’t know why, but then she remembered the very last letter she got from Nico. It was three years ago. Kagome had written to her, telling her about all the stupid things her grandfather did. Nico wrote back and told her to be thankful. Even though her grandfather seemed completely off his rocker at the time, at least he wanted Kagome and loved her for how she was. Then Nico went on to tell Kagome about how her visit with her mother’s family went. It was her grandmother’s side, the Houma native Americans. Uncle Keichi had to force them to see her and then when she got there, they told her that they could never accept her because she was only half native American and thativative blood was still mixed with Choctaw. They were ashamed of her and her Japanese and Choctaw heritage and it would be best for everybody if they would forget that the other existed. She would be dead to them. Nico said that she ran home crying. She told Kagome that at least they had the decency to actually tell her this to her face, even though her father forced them to see her. Her grandfather’s family, the Choctaw native Americans, refused to see her and even threatened to call the reservation police if she ever set foot on their land.
Kagome couldn’t believe that someone would treat their family like that. She was instantly sorry for everything she had ever said about her grandfather and was thankful to have the crazy old coot. Kagome wrote back and told Nico to burn the letter for good karma. Nico never wrote back after that. Kagome had written a couple of more times but then she was dragged down the well and never heard from her dear cousin again after that.

“Do you remember when I was telling you about America and it’s natives?”
“Yeah. The Native Americans or Indians as they mistakenly named by some explorer.” said Sango, proud she’d remembered the little history lesson.
“Do you also remember that hardships they red red because of those explorers and others who were trying to settle the American continent?”

They all shook their heads in understanding.

“Well because of their awful history, they distrust and resent anyone who is not a full-blooded native American. Nico’s mother was a native American and her father was Japanese. That would make Nico half native American. The only other people the native Americans hate more than non-natives are half-natives. Her family in America won’t take her because she’s a half-breed and because both halves hate the other.”

Kagome looked up and saw everyone starring at her in shock.

“I can’t believe someone would refuse to take care of their family because their a half-breed,” came Sango’s reply.
“I could.” The pain in InuYasha’s voice was very audible. He, too, was a half-breed. Half human and half dog demon, inu youkai as dog demons were called. His father had been one of the most powerful demons to ever live and his mother was a mere human, cast out by her family because she mated with a demon. He had constantly been subjected to cruelty by humans and demons alike because of it. His own brother used to try to kill him because he was a half-breed. Of course it didn’t help InuYasha hated Sesshoumaru because he was a full-blooded demon, the off-spring of their father’s previous mate. They fought constantly. Thankfully though, both had matured a lot and have even been able to bury their bloodied past and tried to move on as brothers and not enemies. Sesshoumaru even helped with hunting the jewel shards.
Everyone knew Inw InuYasha felt about the subject, so Kagome quickly changed it. Moving on with the rest of her visits purpose, she turned completely and faced Kouga.

“Kouga, my love. You know you mean the world to me. I couldn’t imagine my life without you. But I must. Before I continue, know that no matter what, you will be the only man I have ever loved so truly and deeply. That is why I release you of your promise to me. It is not fair of me to keep you chained down like this. You need someone who can be your mate and give you pups now.”

Everyone just stared, open-mouthed at Kagome. Could she have really just said that. Even Shippou had silenced his crying for that announcement.

“What? Kagome what are you saying?”
“I’m saying you don’t have to wait for me anymore. I want you to find someone else who can be with you now.”

Kouga took Kagome’s hand in his and pulled her close.

“Kagome, there is no one else I want. You are the only one I love. The only one I have ever loved. I will gladly wait for the rest of eternity for you if that is how long it takes for us to be together.”
“Kouga, trust me. It’s better this way. You’ll be happier if you finally find a mate who can settle down now.”
“But Kagome. I love you. I only want you.”
“I love you too, Kouga, but I have made my deci.”
.”

Kouga couldn’t believe his ears. He let go of Kagome’s h and and stood up. He looked down at the floor and started to cry.

“If that is what you want, Kagome.”

He turned and ran from the hut, leaving Kagome in tears and everyone else in shock. Kagome couldn’t hold back anymore. She began to sob. Sango shot up and was at her friends side in an instant, comforting her. InuYasha sat down next to Miroku.
“Why don’t you just tell your cousin to fuck off. Can’t you see what this is doing? It’s tearing our pack apart.” InuYasha had had enough. He never really had a family and he considered their little group his pack. His family. Him, Kouga, Kagome, Sango, Miroku, Shippou, Kaede and even his brother Sesshoumaru and his newly found little sister Taki. They were a pack, a family, and this Nico was causing it to fall apart. He hated her for it.

“I can’t do that Inu-Chan. I made a promise to her a long time ago that I would always protect her and never leave her alone. I must keep my promise.”

Kagome pushed out of Sango’s arms. She stood and walked to the door. She turned to the others.

“I must go now. It’s getting late and I still have much to prepare in anticipation of Nico’s arrival.”

InuYasha stood. “Fine, if you want to go and leave us and forget us, then just go and maybe you shouldn’t ever come back.” he walked past her, out of the hut and bounded off in the direction they last new Sesshoumaru and Taki to be in.
Sango stood and walked over to Kagome who was crying a fresh set of tears. Miroku also came and stood next to Kagome. Shippou leapt onto Kagome’s shoulder. They walked out into the afternoon. Kagome bid Kaede farewell and Kaede wished for her a safe return. Then they made their way to the well. When they reached it, Kagome took Shippou in her arms and hugged him tightly.

“Please come back soon mama. I’m going to miss you so much.”
“I know Shippou. Kouga will take care of you as well as Miroku and Sango.”

She gave Shippou to Miroku after giving the hentai monk a quick hug. She then turned to Sango.

“Don’t listen to InuYasha, Kagome. Come back as soon as you can. I will miss you dear friend.”
“I will miss you too, Sango. I will come back as soon as I can.”

The demon slayer let go of her miko friend and stood next to the hentai monk holding the little kitsune youkai. They all watched as Kagome climbed over the edge of the well and looked back one last time with tear filled eyes before she jumped in.
After traveling through time, she sat at the bottom of the well from the future, and cried until she thought she drowned in her own tears. She heard her grandfather at the top. She finally got to her feet and climbed out. Her mother was there with her grandfather. Her mother quickly grabbed Kagome and wrapped her in a comforting hug as her grandfather began sealing the well. It began to glow blue then red then a soft pink. When the lights finally diminished, Kagome’s grandfather took a step back and declared that the well was sealed.

“It is done, Kagome. Although I thought I felt another power coming from somewhere.”
“Thank you grandfather. You may have felt Kaede’s miko powers. I asked her to seal the well from the other side as well.”
“But Kagome. That would mean you will never be able to return,” stated Ms. Higurashi.
“I know mother. That was my intent all along. I could never go back now, even if the well was not sealed off. I could never go back and face Kouga with another mate. It would hurt to much.”

Kagome began to cry again and exhaustion set in. Ms. Higurashi walked her daughter back up the house and put her to bed. Kagome’s grandfather walked out of the shrine, closed the doors, and locked them tightly. He then put a powerful spell on the shrine, powerful even for him, that would allow none to enter. Then walked towards the house. On his way he hid the only key to the shrine in a secret compartment of the god tree and sealed it. He began to cry for his granddaughter knowing the burden of the choice she had made and all she had given up for family. He was proud of her and at the same time he pitted her. Maybe one day she would be able to move on. He walked into the house and headed to bed. He could hear Kagome crying all night and he cried too.