InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Every Heart ❯ Chapter 12

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Disclaimer: The Inuyasha concept, story, and characters are copyright Rumiko Takahashi and Viz Media. This is merely one girl’s dream of life after “The End.”


Kagome looked with apprehension towards her mother, who had made a comfortable seat on the bench below the Sacred Tree. She had been expecting this, almost dreading it. She knew her mother wouldn’t let this situation go unquestioned. They hadn’t really talked since she’d returned from the feudal era a few weeks before, and as supportive as her mother was, Kagome also knew she was concerned. What mother wouldn’t be?

“Mama,” she greeted her, sweeping the sleeping Buyo off the bench. The cat gave an unhappy yowl at being suddenly disturbed, reluctantly settling down between Mama’s feet and closing his eyes again.

“Kagome,” her mother returned. “I think it’s time we talked about this.”

“You’re wondering why I didn’t register at the university,” Kagome stated, already knowing the answer to her unasked question. Her eyes slipped down to stare at her shoes.

Mama put her arm around Kagome’s shoulders. “I’m concerned about you, dear. You haven’t really spoken about the past since returning here. You sat out beside this tree and cried for three days straight, then announced you wanted to take archery classes.” She paused, thinking carefully about how she wanted to broach the subject. “Your quest is over, no?”

Kagome shrugged. “Yes, our original quest ended. We defeated Naraku and completed the jewel.”

“Then you’ve done what you set out to do? What reason would you have for returning?” her mother asked, forming the words with the gentlest tone possible.

Kagome sighed, reaching for the jewel around her neck. “My business isn’t finished there. The jewel is still with me, and is still drawing me back there.”

“Is the jewel the only thing connecting you to the past?” Mama questioned.

Kagome’s hair fell over her face; she squeezed the jewel as she contemplated the answer. “No, Mama. I love Inuyasha, and I don’t know how to continue on without him.”

Mama wanted to point out that she existed perfectly well without him for the first fifteen years of her life, but wisely held her tongue. This was the first time Kagome had admitted these feelings to her, and she felt a wisp of nostalgia at the declaration. How well she remembered her own passionate feelings for her late husband.

“What will you do when you can no longer pass through the well?” Mama asked, her hand dropping from her daughter’s shoulders.

Kagome shook her head. “I don’t know,” she replied, looking up at her mother. “I can’t choose between here and there, between Inuyasha and my friends, and my family.” She paused, biting her lip. “I don’t want to face that decision just yet.”

It was Mama’s turn to sigh heavily. “I won’t tell you what to do, Kagome. I wish I could tell you to forget Inuyasha and your other friends, to stay here, to register at school, and to lead a normal life. I know you could never do that; not after all you’ve seen.” Her eyes began to mist over a bit. “When you came home that first time, covered in blood and bruises and determined to go back, I wanted so badly to stop you. You never get over that feeling of wanting to protect your children from all the horror of the world.”

Kagome’s eyes widened and she looked back up to see her mother’s teary face. I had no idea she was so scared for me, she thought. She let me go, only stopping to make sure I took first aid care with me.

“I’ve done my best, trying to stay out of your business,” her mother continued after a moment. “And you’ve always kept me up to date on what you were doing. But when you came back this last time and said nothing, I feared the worst. I’m still afraid, Kagome. If you go back, will you ever return?”

Kagome threw her arms around her mother and hugged her tightly. “I could never leave you forever, Mama,” she replied. “You and Sota and Grandpa, you are my family and I would miss you terribly. That’s one of the reasons why I haven’t made a decision, why I’ve continued to lead this double life.”

Mama nodded. “Fair enough.” She glanced up into the bare branches of the Sacred Tree, a sense of calm wafting over her, as if riding in on the breeze. “And the other reason?”

Kagome pulled away and lifted the jewel. “The jewel has been purified since Naraku’s demise, and it’s given me powers I cannot yet control. That’s why I came back; I was putting my friends’ lives in danger with my incompetence.” She pulled off the protective pouch that held it and gazed at it thoughtfully. “I know the ultimate control of the jewel will come with strengthening my archery skills.”

“And when this happens?” her mother asked, her attention drawn to the shining white orb.

Kagome faced her. “I have to go back and figure out how to wipe it off the face of the earth. It’s the only way to end the vicious cycle.”

“Why do you have to go back in time to do that?” Her mother brushed a lock of hair away from Kagome’s face.

“The jewel was constructed with the souls of a miko and a youkai. Kikyo’s death brought an end to the otherwise inherent cycle of its possession between humans and demons. The jewel drew me back in time, and only then did it come out of my body. It is my destiny to destroy it.” Kagome gave a small, wry smile. “It also links me to Inuyasha. After all he’s been through, it’s only right that he be there when it’s destroyed.”

Her mother hugged her close again. “I’m afraid, so terribly afraid for you, dear. But I won’t stop you.”

Kagome smiled into her mother’s shoulder. “Thanks, Mama. And I promise I won’t leave you, if given the choice.”

“I already lost one person I loved, when your father died,” her mother replied. “I don’t want to lose another one anytime soon.”

I wish I knew for certain what the future holds for me, Kagome thought. Will it come down to a choice between my family and my love for Inuyasha?

“Master Miroku, are you certain?” Hachi asked, his concern clear on his face. He looked past Miroku to the boy, Kohaku, who was calmly chopping wood near the village square.

“Yes, this is for the best,” Miroku answered him. “Go back to Kaede’s village and inform Inuyasha that we will be staying here indefinitely. He and Kagome are welcome to join us, of course.”

“Of course,” Hachi repeated, still gazing at the solemn, silent boy. “How is Lady Sango?”

Miroku sighed, his eyes clouding over for a moment. “She has accepted the situation. Kohaku is staying at their family’s hut, and we are staying nearby. She is concentrating on creating weapons from the youkai remains.” Ever since Kohaku had run screaming from her embrace, Sango had been nearly as silent as the boy. Miroku was concerned about her, but happy she had focused her attention somewhere other than her disastrous reunion with her brother.

“Mm,” Hachi mused. “Lady Kagome’s presence would perhaps soothe her?”

Miroku nodded. “Perhaps. It is their choice to come or not, of course.”

“Lord monk, I have finished gathering the firewood, as you requested.” Kohaku bowed to Miroku, his face and voice somber as he announced himself.

“I’ll take my leave, then,” Hachi said, turning away from his dear friend. He didn’t miss the sad look Miroku gave his young charge, however, before turning his back.

Hachi left the enclave of the demon-slayers and transformed into his travelling form. The air was growing colder as winter drew near; he could almost feel the snow settling in the bottom of the clouds. He knew it was in his best interest to find Inuyasha and the others soon, especially if they decided to join Miroku and Sango in the village.

He travelled with haste, making good time back to the village where the group had stayed for most of their quest to find the jewel shards. He spotted Inuyasha relatively quickly, and descended for a landing. The hanyou was in the forest near the village, his silver hair a dead giveaway from the sky, even as he hid behind a large boulder on the forest floor.

“Master Inuyasha!” he called, raising an arm to capture Inuyasha’s attention. Said arm was almost shot off by an arrow, which whizzed perilously close before being buried in the trunk of a nearby tree. “Gah!”

“Nice shot, Rin,” Inuyasha said, emerging from his spot behind the rock about fifty feet away. The girl beside him beamed at the praise before scampering off to collect her arrows.

“You wouldn’t really shoot the messenger, would you?” Hachi asked, his voice near a screech.

Inuyasha laughed. “Of course not, Hachi. It’s good to see you again. Do you bring news of Miroku and Sango?”

Hachi nodded. “They have found Kohaku,” he replied.

Inuyasha stared at him. “I take it from your expression that this isn’t good news?”

Hachi shrugged. “The boy doesn’t remember a thing, poor soul,” he said sadly. “It’s most interesting; he made his way back to his home and is living there in relative peace. How many of us could do that if we’d wiped out our entire population?”

“They’re at the village of the demon-slayers?” Inuyasha asked, surprised.

Hachi nodded. “Indeed. Miroku sent me here to give you an update, and to invite you and Lady Kagome to return there with me.” He furrowed his brow and looked around. “Ah, where is Lady Kagome?”

Inuyasha turned away from him; the girl who returned to his side provided the answer. “Lady Kagome returned to her homeland,” Rin said, her arms full of arrows. “She’ll be back soon, though.”

“Master Inuyasha?” Hachi questioned, eyeing the hanyou’s back.

Inuyasha whipped around. “You notice the distinct lack of youkai in this forest?” he asked through clenched teeth. “Kagome took the Shikon No Tama with her, out of concern for me and the rest of our friends’ lives.”

“Oh, dear,” Hachi muttered. “Master Miroku and Lady Sango will be devastated to hear this news.” He paused as another idea came to mind. “You are welcome to return with me, Master Inuyasha. We are staying at the demon-slayers’ village indefinitely.”

For a split second, Inuyasha wanted to accept the offer. Hachi watched as the wave of emotion rolled across his face before his expression closed again. In the end, he shook his head. “I promised Kagome I’d wait for her, and I will. No matter how long it takes.” He sent Rin back to their hiding spot, with further instructions on how to track prey.

“You’ve taken up training the little girl, eh?” Hachi asked.

“Feh. She thinks my brother is going to return for her and take care of her. I know how he treats people to whom he feels obligated, so its better she learn to take care of herself,” Inuyasha replied darkly.

“Well, I hope your reunion with Lady Kagome is better than Lady Sango’s with her brother,” Hachi said a moment later. “Master Miroku is worried about her, even if he doesn’t say so out loud.”

Inuyasha nodded; he could only imagine the scene. “Hachi, go back to the village and help Miroku take care of her,” he urged, putting a hand to the badger’s shoulder. “Sango is strong, but Kohaku has always been her weakness.”

Hachi knew a dismissal when he saw one, so he merely nodded and walked away from Rin’s line of fire. Should he go back and tell Miroku and Sango of Kagome’s disappearance? Somehow, he didn’t think this news would lift anyone’s spirits…

The dragon sentinel grumbled to his companion; he was growing cold and tired, weary of this seemingly never-ending journey. “Are you certain this is where the miko sent her golem?” he asked, his tone as dark as his expression.

His cohort nodded grimly. “Yes, this is the village. If the jewel is here, I’m sure that hanyou is still sniffing about.”

The dragons descended a bit in the sky, slowing their pace as the village came into view. Neither one sensed the power of the Shikon Jewel; this frustrated one and depressed the other. The sole survivors of Ryûtatsu’s warrior clan, they felt the responsibility to follow up on this lead, especially now, with their leader in such physical disrepair. Of their own volition, they set out on this journey, determined to find out once and for all if the jewel was still of this world.

One of them elbowed the other. “Look, there’s the hanyou that destroyed the miko’s golem,” he whispered. They descended further, floating just above the barren trees of the forest.

“Didn’t they say he had a human girl with him?” the other asked urgently. “Is that her?”

His friend cut him off with a swift slice through the air with his hand. The hanyou’s voice drifted upwards. “…took the Shikon No Tama with her…”

“So the stories are true,” one of the dragons breathed, his eyes lighting with surprise.

“Yes,” his companion confirmed. “And apparently this girl has the jewel with her. We should tell Ryûtatsu, of course, but he’ll probably only tell us to follow her and take it from her.”

“Hm, I don’t want to do anything without him knowing,” the first warrior worried. “You saw what he did to the miko. He doesn’t yet believe the jewel is still around.”

“He will,” the second said resolutely. “Especially now, after the damage that damned mutt did to him during battle. In order to seek revenge, he needs the power of the jewel to heal his wounds completely.”

“Right,” the first agreed. “Let’s head back and tell him of this development.”

The two began to fly higher in the sky, moving westward, over the ocean, to the place where Ryûtatsu was sheltered. This news was sure to please him, and earn them a mighty reward!