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She Who the Prophecy Foretold	By : SunsetMiko Category: InuYasha > Het - Male/Female > Sessh?maru/Kagome > Sessh?maru/Kagome Views: 29227 -:- Recommendations : 4 -:- Currently Reading : 8
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.

Chapter List
- 18
- 19
- 20
Chapter 19 – One’s Miko Lost is Another’s Miko Gained
Kouga had arrived at the village, but with no good news. He didn’t tell them about his encounter with Sesshoumaru. It would be no good for his rival to know that he feared his older brother, even if the brothers were not on speaking terms. After giving them the news, he decided to return to his den and check in with his pack. Maybe they had found her and the messenger just hadn’t reached him yet. He promised to return later and disappeared in his usual cloud of dust.
The group was far beyond depressed by that point. All that searching and still, no one had found her. They knew Naraku was looking for Kagome as well, but they hoped he didn’t find her first. If he had located her, he would let them know in the most horrific way possible.
“Miroku, why can’t we find her?” Sango burst into tears and threw herself at the monk’s chest. He wrapped his arms around her and, for once, managed to keep his hands to himself.
“I do not know, Lady Sango. I do not know,” Miroku replied, sounding as if he was not far from tears himself. He rested his head on top of Sango’s.
Inuyasha didn’t know what to say. His level of self-loathing had been on the rise every minute she remained missing. He was sitting in the corner of Kaede’s hut with his eyes closed, trying his best to figure out what to do next. He refused to think that she might be dead. He couldn’t believe it. His ears were plastered to his head, trying to block out Sango’s cries. He had never seen the demon slayer so upset, not even when faced with her brother under Naraku’s control. Sango was a strong woman. She did not break down. But there she was, limp in the monk’s arms as she cried her very soul out over her missing sister and it was entirely his fault.
Kaede still sat, silently drinking her tea. No one could understand why she was not more upset. When she spoke, she startled everyone. “Ye should not yet give up hope for the girl. She is stronger than ye know.”
Inuyasha was about to start yelling. He had even opened his mouth, but it snapped shut and his head whipped to the door, just as Miroku’s head popped up.
“She’s here,” they said simultaneously. Sango jumped up, shoved her way past the men and out the door, nearly knocking both to the floor. Once they regained their balance, they, too, went outside, followed calmly by Kaede, holding Kirara. They all stood, faces staring into the sky, as they witnessed the approach of what appeared to be a large, flying inu-youkai. They sensed no danger and merely watched, dazed, as the dog landed and Kagome slid off, holding Shippo in her arms.
Everyone but Kaede was confused. She held a small, knowing smile on her face. They then watched as the large, black dog transformed in a blue cloud to a tiny puppy that then jumped to rest on Kagome’s shoulder. As she approached them, they all were doing their best impressions of fish out of water, as no one knew what to say. Finally, Kirara jumped out of Kaede’s arms and leapt onto Kagome’s unoccupied shoulder. She began nuzzling her neck in hello while adding her scent back to the miko and checking for any stray ones.
Kagome wasn’t quite sure what to say, either. She knew they had been worried sick and she felt so guilty about it. She walked up quietly and handed Shippo to Kaede, who merely nodded her welcome and held the sleeping kit. Kagome then stood in front of her friends and smiled.
“Hi, guys.” Before Kagome could say more she was practically tackled by a once again sobbing Sango. Kirara and Kazue jumped down to avoid getting squashed and walked a short distance away where they proceeded to meow and bark, purr and whine softly to each other in conversation.
Kagome burst into tears as well as she held Sango close to her. “Oh Sango, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to worry you!” She pulled her head back and looked at Miroku, who suddenly snapped out of his daze and instantly had his arms around the two most important women in his life. Kagome then locked eyes with Inuyasha, who quickly looked down, his ears flat to the top of his head.
“I missed you all so much! I didn’t know I was going to be gone so long. I’m sorry! Shippo told me how worried you all were when I found him.” Slowly, her friends released her and backed away. She was surprised when Inuyasha, who had not spoken or moved towards her at all, leapt into a nearby tree, his back facing her. Kagome blinked, trying to hold back tears. Why was he angry with her? Did he resent her because Kikyo was dead? “Um… what’s with…?”
Miroku cut her off. “Lady Kagome, please come inside and tell us where you have been.” He shook his head gently, silently communicating to the girl that he would try to explain later. She let out a deep sigh, turned, and entered the hut, where everyone sat around the fire pit and watched Kaede prepare tea for them, having laid the still sleeping Shippo on Kagome’s pillow.
Kagome sat as well and then, after glancing at the door one last time, began her tale. They all listened intently as Kagome told her fabricated story. She wished she didn’t have to lie to them, but she was just not ready to deal with a pissed off hanyou who would take everything the wrong way. She would tell them the truth later, when emotions weren’t running quite so high.
When Kirara reentered the hut, followed by Kazue, Kagome introduced her to the group, along with the prepared explanation as well. While no one questioned her, Kagome could feel the inquiry in Miroku’s gaze and knew she would have some explaining to do later. When Kagome looked at Kaede, she knew the old woman did not believe her one bit. She also knew that she would not call her on it. It seemed Kaede knew something she wasn’t sharing, as she still held that same knowing smile on her face.
~ SWtPF~
In a dark, crumbling castle to the south that was hidden by a powerful barrier and surrounded by a low hanging cloud of toxic purple miasma, the sound of a frustrated roar could be heard from the evil hanyou.
He had decided, after his saimyosho spies reported back that they still had not located the miko, to check in on her group. He figured their despair would be at least slightly entertaining for a time, but when the mirror cleared, the sight that greeted him was definitely not of a group in despair. No, instead it appeared to be a group rejoicing and, in their midst, wrapped in the arms of her companions, was the very miko he had been searching for!
It wasn’t right! It couldn’t be right! How could she simply have returned to them? And why had the mirror not shown her location earlier when asked? He could see her there in the village of Kikyo, surrounded by those he had been planning on torturing with her captivity. How was it possible?
Watching her smile as tears of happiness ran down her cheeks, he couldn’t take it anymore. Without thinking, he ripped the mirror from Kanna’s hands before throwing it like a Frisbee into a solid stone wall, shattering the glass so completely that all that remained was dust. The orbs of light, souls that had been trapped behind the mirror’s surface, floated away and the outer decorative ring that had once surrounded the magical surface was warped. Within moments, that too disappeared, seeming to simply dissolve and float away, more dust on the breeze.
Kanna backed away slowly, fearing what would happen to her when Naraku finally realized just what he had done. Kohaku sat motionless in the corner, his back against the cool stone, his eyes blank and empty. Kagura had to hide her face behind her fan as she fought laughter. Really, how was it that no one had defeated him yet? He obviously wasn’t nearly as bright as he let on. When he finally realized what he had done, however, the look in his eyes was so dark and menacing that it wiped the smile right off her face. This wasn’t going to turn out well.
He stood, looking towards the white haired, white clad girl with white flowers in her hair. She was no good to him now. She had been ‘born’ with that mirror and he wouldn’t be able to get another. He wanted to kick himself for his rash behavior, but rather than take it out on himself, he shot a mass of tentacles out towards the little girl whose eyes, for the first time, showed true fear. She made no attempt to move, however, and as Kagura watched in horror, Kanna’s small body was pierced through by the tentacles and dragged back towards their origins. She had to look away, as she couldn’t watch the one she considered her sister being reabsorbed into Naraku’s body, disappearing completely, forever, as if she had never existed at all.
~ SWtPF~
The group ate lunch together, with Inuyasha still refusing to look at Kagome and Sango refusing to let her out of her sight. She didn’t know what she had done to make the hanyou so angry that he wouldn’t even look at her, but she and Miroku had not yet had a chance to talk. Whatever the problem was, it had to be a big one as Inuyasha had never before refused ramen.
As he sat in his tree, he listened to her explanation, relishing in the sound of her voice and her scent, which he had never quite realized were so wonderful before. When he was called for lunch, he refused to come down. He didn’t deserve her kindness and he definitely did not deserve ramen. Instead, he stayed above them, smelling the food, hearing them talk, and missing their companionship more than he had ever thought possible. After having spent so much time on his own, he had somehow become used to the presence of the others now. He was sure that it was Kagome’s doing. But he would not allow himself to join them. He didn’t deserve it and he intended on punishing himself as much as possible, never thinking that his avoidance was punishing Kagome just as much.
Kagome agreed to stay the night with them and then return home to visit her family in the morning. When it came time to sleep, Inuyasha had still not come down from the tree and she was really starting to get worried. She had not gotten a chance to talk to either Miroku or Kaede, though, as the others would not leave her alone.
She found her thoughts drifting to silver hair, golden eyes, and a blue crescent moon. She dreamt of Sesshoumaru, Rin, and the pups, of playing in the gardens, of eating and talking in the dining room, of bedtime stories and quiet conversations. She even dreamt of the feel of his arm wrapped around her, holding her close. Of how it felt as his hot breath swept across her skin and the memory of his lips on her own, even if it had only been a dream. When she woke in the morning, she found that there was an ache deep in her heart, as well as a more private ache somewhere further south. She missed the pups, she missed Rin, but what was most unexpected was… she missed Sesshoumaru… a lot.
~ SWtPF~
When Sesshoumaru returned to the palace, he immediately closed himself up in his study. He tried to concentrate on getting through all the scrolls he had to read, but found he couldn’t focus. Instead, his thoughts drifted to wavy ebony locks and shining blue eyes. He missed her already. He was surprised at just how easy it had been to talk with her about things he had never told another living soul.
He really hadn't intended to tell her so much, but the words came so easily his thoughts seemed to flow straight from his memory to his mouth, and he had no opinion or say in the matter. It felt good, though, to tell someone. Especially her. She really listened to him and she seemed to understand. She didn’t judge. Even after everything she had heard him say and seen him do, she still had an open mind. He found himself even more drawn to her. With her, he could have a confidant. He wouldn’t have to be alone with his thoughts and he knew she would never think less of him for them, no matter what they were.
He sat daydreaming about the girl and listening to the sounds of the palace. It was quiet. He could not hear his pups playing or running through the halls. There was no laughter. Instead, there was a heavy aura surrounding the whole palace, one of sadness and loneliness. His pups, and even the always-happy Rin, were depressed at their loss of the miko’s presence, just as he was. The quiet stretched through the rest of the day as he stayed hidden in his study, letting his mind wander, wondering what she was doing and how she was. He wanted to look at her again, even if only for a second. He craved just one little sniff of her scent.
Once he was sure that everyone had gone to bed, he silently exited his self-imposed prison and followed his feet where they led him. He found himself in the room he had given her, the room that had once been his mother’s. It was the room meant for the Lady of the Western Lands. He lay down on the bed and buried his face in the pillows, breathing in what remained of her scent. One by one, his pups found their way to the room as well, all searching for what little remained of her soothing presence. Soon the bed once again held eight dog demons, but it was missing one very important miko.
~ SWtPF~
When she awoke, it was much later in the morning than she had expected. Sitting up slowly, she looked around the room and found Miroku and Sango were asleep as well. Apparently, they were still exhausted from their searching. She felt a stab of guilt at the thought. She stood up and walked out of the hut quietly, an odd sight greeting her outside.
Inuyasha was sitting on his heels, crouched down in front of Kazue, letting out a series of growls, barks, and whines, while Kazue just looked at him.
‘What is he doing?’ Kagome silently asked the inu.
‘He is trying to talk to me. It really is quite funny. He is asking where I came from. I don’t think he believes your story of just finding me.’
‘So you understand all that noise?’
‘Yes my Lady, I mean, Kagome. He is speaking in inu. He seems to be getting frustrated, because I refuse to answer him.’ Kagome let out a little laugh at this, causing Inuyasha to jump up and spin around.
“Oh… Hey, Kagome. I think there’s something wrong with your mutt.” Inuyasha had not intended to be caught, especially not by the girl he was currently avoiding like the plague.
“Oh? And why is that? And Kazue is not a mutt. Be nice, Inuyasha.” Kagome watched as his ears lowered once again.
“The thing won’t answer me. She’s either deaf, or mute, or just plain stupid.”
“Did you ever think that maybe she’s just stubborn, like you?” Kagome giggled at her own joke,= and walked past him to take a seat on a log nearby. Kazue immediately leapt into her lap and made herself at home.
“Kagome,” Inuyasha started with his voice soft and questioning. “We need to talk.” He figured it would be better to get it over with quickly. At least at the moment he didn’t have much of an audience. No one needed to witness his words.
“Okay, sure, Inuyasha. What is it?” Her voice gave away her nervousness, but at least he was talking to her, which was better than nothing.
He let out a huge sigh, took a deep breath, and began. “While you were gone, I was with Kikyo. I should have been here waiting for you and I wasn’t. Then Sesshoumaru tried to attack her and she escaped. I searched and searched for her and when I found her, she told me that Sesshoumaru was after her, that she healed some villagers that had been attacked by his guards, and he had taken offense. I bought it and promised to protect her. When he showed up again, we fought and then he touched my head and I saw… you will not believe what I saw.”
‘You might be surprised,’ Kagome thought to herself while petting Kazue once again.
“What did you see, Inuyasha? You should know by now that I’ll believe you. I always do.”
‘I just wish I didn’t have to lie to you. If only you would understand.’
Inuyasha felt a pang of guilt at her words. How many times had he lied to her to go see Kikyo? “I watched Naraku and Kikyo curse who, I guess, were Sesshoumaru’s pups, basically sentenced them to death. And then they kissed and it was awful. At first, I didn’t believe it, but from the way Kikyo looked, I knew it was true. I… I begged him to kill her.” Inuyasha looked up into Kagome’s eyes, his filled with pain. “I begged him to kill her… and he did.
“Then, before he left, he touched me again and I saw everything. I saw everything Kikyo ever said or did to you, all the times I refused to believe you, all the horrible things I have said to you, all the times I put you in danger or let you get hurt because I abandoned you to go to her. And then there was the pain. You never told me about the pain. You told Miroku. I saw him helping you, but you never told me. I want to say you should have told me, but I probably wouldn’t have believed you then, either. I was blinded by her. I’m so sorry. I’ve failed you so many times. I don’t know how you can even stand to look at me, let alone stay my friend. I don’t deserve you. I have never deserved you.”
Kagome looked at him, taking in the sad, tear filled eyes, the lowered ears, and the slumped shoulders. His entire appearance screamed defeat. He stared at the ground, unable to look at her.
“Inuyasha, I’m sorry she’s gone, but I’m not sorry that you can finally see clearly. I have always understood how hard it was for you, for her to be alive but not, for her to love you and hate you at the same time. I know you were confused and I forgive you. I had already forgiven you. I love you too much not to. You will always be my friend.
“Please Inuyasha; don’t beat yourself up over this. Move on and find a way to be happy. It hurts me to see you so sad. Don’t worry. I will never leave you. I will always be your friend. You know that, right?” She leaned forward, and looked up into his face, trying to catch his eye. “I forgive you. Now you need to forgive yourself and move past it.” She held her arms open to the teary eyed hanyou and he flew into her, knocking her over the log she was seated on, flat onto her back. Kazue barely avoided being flattened between them. Kagome wrapped her arms around Inuyasha and held him as he buried his face in her hair and cried.
“I don’t deserve a tenshi like you. You are my angel, my savior, and you are my first and best real friend. Thank you, Kagome. Thank you,” he whispered in her hair as he cried. He hadn't really cried since he was a child, since his mother died, and it was long overdue. Kagome simply held him tightly, allowing him to get it all out while softly running her fingers through his hair and gently stroking his furry little puppy ears.
Finally, he realized their position and moved off of her, pulling her to her feet. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?” he asked as he checked her over while swiping the tears from his face with his sleeve.
“No, you didn’t hurt me. I’m fine.” She found herself once again swept into his arms.
“I promise, I will never let you down again. I will protect you, Kagome. I swear it.”
“Okay, Inuyasha. How about I make you some ramen?” She watched as his eyes lit up and his ears perked up and she smiled. “You are so easy to please sometimes.” He followed her into the hut and watched as she silently stoked the fire before placing water on to boil. While they waited, the others started to wake. She watched as Sango shifted slightly before bolting upright and searching the hut. When her eyes landed on Kagome, she let out a sigh of relief. “Yes, Sango, I’m really here.”
“Thank Kami! I thought I dreamt it all. Oh, Kagome, I was so scared! I don’t know what I would do if I lost you!”
“Well, you don’t have to worry about it. You are my sister and my friend and I would never leave you. I promise.” Kagome added the dried noodles to the boiling water while looking over at Miroku, who sat up and was studying her oddly. “Are you okay, Miroku?” Kagome asked him with pleading eyes.
Thankfully, he got the message. “Yes Lady Kagome, I am fine, thank you. I am just glad that you have returned to us, safe and well. Ah, and Inuyasha, I see you have finally joined us.”
The only response from the hanyou was his usual, “Keh.”
Shippo perked up at the smell of food as Kagome added the flavor packets and dished out the noodles for everyone. Inuyasha and Shippo both tore through their ramen like starving animals while Kagome watched, laughing quietly.
“Where’s Kaede, Inuyasha?”
“Went to check on a sick kid,” he replied through a mouth full of noodles.
“Will you be returning home then, Lady Kagome?” Miroku asked with a small smile.
“Yeah, I need to let them know I’m okay and get some more ramen, too, apparently. You’d think I’m the only one who feeds those two!”
~ SWtPF~
Hiromi was once again checking her gazing crystal. Kagome would be coming home today, but she had not yet met all three requirements. She could not give her daughter her gifts until she had. She wasn’t quite sure what to do, because she couldn’t tell Kagome what she needed to do. Her daughter had to do it on her own.
Until then, she would have to act as she would be expected to if her daughter had been missing. She couldn’t tell Kagome that she knew she had been fine and well because then she would have to tell her how she knew, and Hiromi was pretty sure motherly instinct would not be an acceptable answer. She prayed to the Kamis that Kagome would fulfill her last requirement before returning home. She didn’t think she was that good of an actress!
~ SWtPF~
Sesshoumaru woke in a room not his own and it took him a few moments to realize where he was and why. Then, it all came flooding back. She was gone and he had come here seeking her scent. Apparently, he had not been the only one, he noticed, as he found all his pups in the bed with him.
He needed to figure something out and he needed to do it soon. If he couldn’t function without her, how could he expect them to? No, he had to find a way for them to remain in her presence. If she couldn’t stay there at the palace with them, then they would have to stay with her. Then it hit him. He would propose an alliance and a merging of the packs, with the excuse of wishing to assist in defeating Naraku. It would not be a lie, after all. Naraku did need to pay for his treachery against his pups.
He rose slowly from the bed, so as to not wake his sons, and went to the library. He had a few things he needed to look into before he could leave.
- 18
- 19
- 20
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She Who the Prophecy Foretold