InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Butterfly Kisses ❯ Butterfly Kisses ( Chapter 1 )

Butterfly Kisses
An Inu Yasha Fanfiction by Besa

- - - - * * * - - - -
There's two things I know for sure
She was sent here from heaven
And she's daddy's little girl
- - - - * * * - - - -

"Come on, Chiyo, we need to leave." A tall figure with long, dark hair dressed all in black stands on a hill in the pouring rain, tugging at a little girl's hand. As he looks down at the freshly dug soil at his feet, tears fill his midnight-blue eyes just like memories fill his mind. The girl's voice draws him from his both distant and recent past.

"Daddy, when will Mama be coming back?" He makes a futile effort at wiping away the tears as he kneels down to her level.

"Chiyo . . . " the man's voice breaks as he draws his six-year-old daughter into a hug. "Chiyo," he starts again. "You may not understand this now Chiyo, but Mama is never coming back. We need to take care of each other now, Chiyo." His eyes are both gentle and sad as he draws back and looks at the girl who has begun to sob. His hands remain on her shoulders, a comforting gesture. "But we won't be alone. And Mama won't ever truly leave us. Not really. She's here in spirit, watching over us." Chiyo's eyes light up a bit as her tears slow. She understands.

"Sort of like a guardian angel." Her father stands. He looks down; she, up. "Right, Daddy?"

"Something like that." He smiles a ghost of a smile at her. It is the closest thing he can reach at this point.

"Hey, Inu Yasha. We should probably be leaving now, the caretaker says he's going to lock the gate soon." Another tall figure comes up to the new grave, bearing an umbrella, which he holds over the girl. "Say, Chiyo, would you like to walk back to the car with me?" She nods. As they pass Inu Yasha, the man puts his hand on the other's shoulder and locks blue with his own violet eyes. "You should use this time to say your good-byes."

"Thanks, Miroku." Inu Yasha tells him. Miroku removes his hand, only to run it through shoulder-length ebony hair that is held back in a ponytail.

"Just don't do anything stupid, like try to kill yourself." Miroku points down the path, where Chiyo has continued with the umbrella. "You still have her to take care of, you know."

Inu Yasha growls. "Don't worry." His eyes become unfocused as he unconsciously rubs at the fabric over his heart. The blue orbs snap back to Miroku's gaze. "I learned the hard way, last time, to let go of the past. I know now I have to live for the future."

"That place you rub is where Lady Kikyo shot you both when she sealed you, and during the last battle with Naraku, isn't it? You will forever carry a mark there, for she was a powerful miko both in life and death, but I'm afraid the scarring has run deeper than that. And your wife's death has not helped."

"Yes," Inu Yasha sighs, "but as you said I need to live for Chiyo now." His eyes harden. "Leave, I don't want anyone to hear this." Miroku nods, then walks down to catch up with Chiyo and futilely try not to get any wetter than he is. When the two are at the bottom of the hill, Inu Yasha watches as they get into a red car parked along the roadway that winds through the cemetery. Inside the car, he knows, waits Miroku's pregnant wife Sango and Chiyo's adoptive brother Shippo. Turning back to the grave, he falls to his knees.

"Oh, Kagome, Kagome. Why the hell did you have to leave me?!?" Inu Yasha lowers his head, tears of rage and sorrow dancing along the bottom lids of his eyes. "Come back, bitch! Come back where you belong, at my side forever. You promised. . . . Why? I don't want to say good-bye to you." He fingers a set of navy blue and off-white prayer beads that encircle his neck. Because the mistress of the spell is gone, they no longer contain any power over him, but they make him feel connected to his beloved. Inu Yasha drops his head to the ground, and his voice takes on a pleading tone. "Kagome, we beat Naraku together. I sent Kikyo back to her rest so I could be with you. We swore we'd be together forever, and yet, it was only for a short while. These past seven years, and the shard-hunting ones, were the best of my entire hanyou life. What I wouldn't give to go back to a few months ago . . . Hell, I just want to hear your voice one last time, even if it's for 'sitting' me. I'd give up the whole damn Shikon no Tama to see you again, to smell your scent, raspberries and lavender. I'd die a thousand deaths to hold you once more, Kagome. I may not have always been the nicest guy, nor the easiest to put up with. And I probably wasn't the greatest husband. Your time will always amaze me Kagome, I'm not sure if I will ever fit in here. Too much of me is still wild, yearning for the vast forests and open grasslands that were here in the Sengoku Jidai, but are now lost to time.

"Naraku is dead. The Shikon no Tama has been purified. The well stopped working. And yet, my life is incomplete. You are not here, Kagome, half of me is missing. There could never be another. Though I feel as though that when you were alive, I never quite told you how I felt enough times. You said that my eyes and actions told you, but there was always a bit of sadness in your own eyes. The times my mouth formed the words were few and far between, and I want to remember you smiling. But now as I sit here, I feel as if I'm only half alive without you. I am not whole; part of me is gone. You complete me.

"You once asked me if you were a replacement for Kikyo. I told you that you were different. Kikyo is Kikyo. Kagome is Kagome. And I knew that Kagome was the one I would give my life for. Kagome was the one I trusted with my secrets. Kagome understood, and accepted me for what I was then, and am now. I love you, Kagome. I always have. And no matter what happens, I always will. I can't for get you Kagome, it hurts to even try. Please, wherever you are, don't forget about me. I couldn't bear it. Remember, please. I love you. . . ."

Inu Yasha looks up, reaches into the pocket of his trench coat, and pulls out a slightly battered red rose. The symbol of true and everlasting love. He places it by her gravestone. As he does so, a breeze comes up, only just strong enough to disturb the downward journey of the light rain. Its scent is that of lavender and ripe raspberries, and the wind caresses Inu Yasha's face. The breeze seems to carry upon it a slight laugh, like tinkling bells. It plays with his hair as it wraps around him in an emotion-filled embrace. Sadness. Joy. Apology. Love.

"I could never forget you, Inu Yasha. And I will always love you, now and forever. But please, be at peace, for my sake. . . ." Inu Yasha wonders if he is imagining her sweet voice whispering to him, but isn't quite sure. An image appears in his mind of when he first met her, when he was still pinned to the Goshimboku, woken up by her scent after fifty years of an enchanted death-like sleep.

----

"I am not this 'Kikyo' person! My name is Kagome! Ka. Go. Me."

----

'Ka. Go. Me. How could I ever mistake you for Kikyo? You were, are, so different. Your strength, your fire, they drew me to you.' Another image, mirroring the one in his head, appears. But this time the girl is now a woman, and she is kneeling next to him.

"Kagome," Inu Yasha breathes, shocked and almost speechless. "What're you. . . !" She shushes him with a soft and gentle kiss, tears running down her cheeks. She leans back, picks up his hand and holds it to her cheek.

"Please forgive me. I'm sorry, oh so sorry, Inu Yasha." The figure disintegrates in a small burst of sparkles that resemble the woman's tears. Inu Yasha holds his hand at the spot it touched her cheek. He still feels the warmth of her hand, and the tingling where her lips chastely pressed against his.

- - - - * * * - - - -
As I drop to my knees
By her bed at night
She talks to Jesus
And I close my eyes
- - - - * * * - - - -

"Inu Yasha's been up there for a long time," Sango remarks in the car. "Chiyo, do you want to go. . ." she turns to the back seat. "Chiyo? Chiyo?! Shippo? Where did you get to?!?" Sango frantically opens the car door, ready to run after them. Only Miroku's hand from beside the car stops her.

"Relax, Sango. They're going up to Inu Yasha. They'll be fine," he soothes.

"No, they won't!!" Sango says vehemently, turning to face Miroku in his embrace. She slumps against him and buries her face in her hands. "No, they won't be fine. Not now. Chiyo doesn't quite understand that she'll never see her mother again, but she will soon. She'll not grow up with many memories of her mother, and Inu Yasha will never remarry. Dog-demons mate for life. And Shippo - poor little Shippo! - this is the second time he's lost his mother. You know what it's like; we all do. Even Kagome herself, for all her cheeriness and happy attitude, knew what it was like to lose someone dear to her. For her it was her father. Inu Yasha was orphaned when he was young. Kikyo, whom he loved, shot him with that enchanted arrow, and even after death and resurrection still hunted him. Kagome was the first person he had learned to love again after his horrible childhood. Now she's gone. None of them are going to be fine now, nor any time in the near future. This will take time. Inu Yasha, Shippo, and Chiyo will need to stick together, to stay a family. Eventually, they should be able to think back without pain. That is what we need to look forward to. To moving on. We can only wish it will happen. I hope it will happen. I sure hope so."

Miroku's only response is to hold his wife tighter and bury his face in her hair.

- - - - * * * - - - -
And I thank God
For all of the joy in my life
Oh, but most of all
- - - - * * * - - - -

"Daddy?" Chiyo asks. It seems to take Inu Yasha out of his trance. He looks back at his daughter and sees Shippo standing a bit further back than Chiyo, but still wearing the same worried expression. He has grown much in the ten years since Kagome invited him on the quest for the shards. He is a teenager, and takes protecting his adoptive sister quite seriously. Although, Shippo still has the Kitsune spirit for tricks and mischief, which he has considerably improved in, in recent months.

Inu Yasha stands and picks up his daughter. "I'm sorry for leaving you alone for so long, Chiyo." He nods at the boy. "C'mon Shippo. Let's go home." As they walk back to the car, Inu Yasha reflects that, as much as it pains him to say it, home is still home even if Kagome is not there with them.

- - - - * * * - - - -
For butterfly kisses
After bedtime prayer
Sticking little white flowers
All up in her hair
- - - - * * * - - - -

When they reach the Higurashi Shrine, Inu Yasha carefully picks up a sleeping Chiyo, and carries her to her room, Kagome's old room. He tucks her into the bed, and just stares at her for a few minutes, running his hand through her hair. 'Please, whatever Gods there are out there, please let me keep Chiyo. You teased and tempted me for most of my life; giving me a taste of true happiness and then snatching it away when it is needed most. But now I'm begging you to let me keep my daughter, don't take her away as cruelly as you did Kagome. Please.'

A single tear falls down his cheek as her contemplates the girl in front of him. Her eyes flutter partway open as he watches, and she sits up to rub her hand against his cheek.

"Why're you crying, Daddy?" she asks sleepily. Inu Yasha hastily wipes the wetness from his eyes and cheeks.

"Nothing, Chiyo. It's nothing you should worry about."

Chiyo smiles, an unknowing replica of her mother's smile. "Okay, then," She replies as she kisses him on the cheek, then snuggles under the covers. "I love you, Daddy," the small girl calls as he turns to leave the room.

"I love you too, Chiyo," Inu Yasha replies. "Goodnight, sweet dreams."

"Goodnight." Chiyo's voice trails off as she succumbs to the lure of sleep once again.

Inu Yasha stands at the doorway and turns off the light. 'Please.'

He walks downstairs, where Shippo waits in the kitchen. Sango and Miroku have already gone to their home, a small one-bedroom apartment close by. "Shippo?" Inu Yasha questions, surprised to see him still up. "Are you alright?"

Shippo simply goes over and hugs him. "I want Kagome back!"

Awkwardly, Inu Yasha tries to comfort him by patting him on the back. "Don't we all, kid. Don't we all. . ."

- - - - * * * - - - -
Walk beside the pony, Daddy
It's my first ride
I know the cake looks funny, Daddy
But I sure tried
- - - - * * * - - - -

Weeks and months have passed since Kagome's funeral. Shippo has gone back to school, Inu Yasha has resumed his job, and life has slipped back into a rhythm for the small family, though the beat is a bit different then before. Chiyo seems to have come through the ordeal with little emotional scarring, although Inu Yasha believes it is too soon to tell.

"Daddy, Daddy! Look at me! I can ride!" Inu Yasha warily keeps both eyes on his daughter as she wobbles around the park on her training-wheel bedecked bicycle - a present from her overindulgent grandmother. She has caught on to riding the bike rather quickly, having inherited excellent balance from her father's demon blood. But despite this, Inu Yasha insists on having either himself or Shippo watch over her riding at all times, at least until Chiyo gets a little bit older.

"Yes, Chiyo, I can see you. Just keep your eyes to what's in front of you!"

- - - - * * * - - - -
Oh, with all that I've done wrong
I must have done something right
- - - - * * * - - - -

Chiyo crawls into Inu Yasha's bed during the middle of a storm, one night.

"What's wrong, Chiyo?" She cuddles close to him, and he places an arm over the shivering body.

"The booms scare me," she whimpers. Inu Yasha smiles.

"Then let me teach you a charm that your mother had for thunderstorms. . . "

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To deserve a hug
Every morning
And butterfly kisses
At night
- - - - * * * - - - -

"Daddy, did I tell you that I love you, today?"

"Not yet, Chiyo, but I know you will."

"I love you, Daddy."

"I love you too, Chiyo."

- - - - * * * - - - -
Sweet sixteen today
She's looking like her Mama
A little more every day
- - - - * * * - - - -

Still a bit sweaty from kendo practice, the raven-haired teenager wipes her forehead with the back of her hand as she finishes climbing the shrine steps. She quickly crosses the distance between the steps and her house, sliding open the door almost noiselessly.

'That's funny,' she thinks, noticing that her shoes aren't the only ones at the entryway. 'Why are there people at home? Daddy never said anything about --'

Chiyo gasps in surprise as she steps into the living room. Before a bright camera flash nearly blinds her, she catches sight of streamers hung from the ceiling and balloons strewn about the floor, . As the spots clear from her vision, she is swept into a crushing hug by her older brother.

"Happy birthday, Chiyo!" shouts her ten-year-old 'cousin,' Aiko; a sentiment that is soon echoed by the rest of those assembled.

Inu Yasha smiles at the look of bewilderment on his daughter's face. The past few weeks have been hectic for him, arranging the party, finding her present, sneaking Shippo home from college and generally keeping all his special plans a secret. But all of it has been worth it. Because Chiyo is worth it.

Said girl finally is able to focus on the grinning, red-headed man in front of her, tongue tripping over its own questions. "Oh my -- this is so -- how the -- Shippo, weren't you off in America?!" Finally, Chiyo can form a coherent thought. Shippo nods, chuckling deeply at Chiyo's almost accusatory tone.

"Well, I was, but --"

"Papa and Uncle Inu brought him home!" Aiko interrupts, beaming up at her cousins, the braided pigtails at the back of her head bouncing with her enthusiasm. Chiyo looks over at the two cohorts.

"Is it true, Daddy? Did you and Uncle Miroku really get Shippo home just for my birthday?"

Luckily for Inu Yasha, Miroku saves him from answering. "Partly, Chiyo. We thought it would be a nice surprise, and since he had a vacation week anyway. . . Here he is."

Shippo puffs out his chest. "Yep! Here I am!" Chiyo pokes her elder brother in the stomach, causing him to pretend to gasp and wheeze.

"Arrogant. Pompous. Conceited."

"Hey!"

Further sibling verbal sparring is avoided, however, when the lights dim. Chiyo's grandmother and Sango come out of the kitchen bearing a huge two layer vanilla cake with chocolate frosting. All join in singing "Happy Birthday" to Chiyo, even her great-grandfather in his scratchy voice, with Aiko's loud, high-pitched trill leading them on.

- - - - * * * - - - -
One part woman
The other part girl
To perfume and make-up
From ribbons and curls
- - - - * * * - - - -

After cake has been served, each of the family members presents their gifts to Chiyo, one by one. A new bike from Grandmother. A set of paints from Uncle Souta. A small jewel charm from Great-grandfather. A beautiful kimono from Uncle Miroku, Aunt Sango and Shippo. A story written in a messy hand from Aiko. . . Items from the heart, given with love. Inu Yasha saves his for last, and, after admiring the other presents, finally places a long, thin package in Chiyo's hands.

"What's this, Daddy?" she asks, puzzled. He smiles.

"Come with me outside, and I'll show you."

Chiyo follows her father onto the shrine grounds in the fading twilight. Momentarily her eyes are caught by the ancient covered well they pass, a place she was taught to stay away from at an early age.

Inu Yasha stops at the base of the tall Goshimboku, staring up at the large spot halfway off the ground, the only place on the tree where bark does not grow.

"Daddy?"

"Have you ever heard the legend of the Shikon no Tama, Chiyo?" he asks without moving his gaze.

"The Shikon no what?"

"The Shikon no Tama." Inu Yasha turns to face his daughter, dark eyes laughing at her confusion. "Obviously not, then. Do you want to hear the story?"

"Daddy, what does this have to do with my birthday and," she hefts the package, "my present?"

He sobers slightly. "Everything, Chiyo. Everything. If it weren't for the Shikon no Tama, your mother and I would never have met."

"Really? So let me get this straight," Chiyo shoots Inu Yasha a suspicious glance. "You're saying that this 'Jewel of Four Souls' or whatever brought you and Mom together? You never said your parents were religious fanatics like Great-grandfather."

He chuckles, shaking his head. "No, you're right about that. Your grandparents from my side definitely weren't as superstitious as your Great-grandfather is. What I mean is that your mother and I were, are, intricately connected to the Legend of the Shikon no Tama. We are part of it, and it is part of us."

"I don't believe you," Chiyo states flatly. "Come on, Daddy, generally, legends and tales like this would take place thousands of years ago."

"Only hundreds, actually."

"Huh?" Inu Yasha's smile widens.

"The story of the Shikon takes place only hundreds of years ago, not thousands. In fact, it began in the 1300s, but that is long before your mother or I came into the story. But I guess, I should start with the truth about myself, Chiyo, and go into the rest later. I was born in the year 1460, during what is now known as the Muromachi Period of our history." He smirks. ". . . Of course, if you're as good in history class as your mother was, you should know that already."

Raising an eyebrow, Chiyo questions skeptically, "Are you trying to tell me that you're over five hundred years old, Daddy?" Inu Yasha waves off the query.

"Of course not, Chiyo. I'm only thirty-seven, give or take about fifty years."

Chiyo's other eyebrow raises to join the first. "Daddy, that's a long period of time to be unsure of."

"Don't worry, you'll understand." He takes one more look at the Goshimboku. "The other thing you should know is that I'm not fully human. And neither are you."

- - - - * * * - - - -
Trying her wings out
In a great big world
But I remember
- - - - * * * - - - -

"Daddy," the girl's voice carries a slight note of hysteria. "What do you mean you're not fully human?!" Inu Yasha shrugs.

"Exactly what I said."

Staring at him, Chiyo remarks, "You don't look any less human than, say, Uncle Miroku."

"Looks aren't always everything, Chiyo. You've probably heard that enough times in school. And it's true. See?" Inu Yasha makes a small slashing gesture with his hand. The color in his hair bleeds away, only silvery-white remaining. His pupils slim down to mere slits as the midnight blue irises morph into amber. Human ears turn pointy and slither up the side of his head, reforming into the shape of a dog's ear, lightly furred. Nails become thicker, stronger, and sharper. Chiyo gasps. This is not the father she knows.

"Is this your. . . true form?" she questions, hesitantly.

"Yes. This is my real body, nearly identical to how I looked when your mother met me. I am clearly not human, but am a hanyou; my mother human, and my father being a demon. Now that you know, I should tell you the events leading up to my meeting your mother."

"Alright, Daddy." Settling against the roots of the tree, Chiyo motions for her father to begin his tale.

- - - - * * * - - - -
Butterfly kisses
After bedtime prayer
Sticking little white flowers
All up in her hair
- - - - * * * - - - -

"So, Kikyou shot you with an enchanted arrow that was supposed to kill you? Is that how you got your 'give or take fifty years?'"

"Yes." Inu Yasha fingers the set of ever-present beads that encircle his neck. "So fifty years after I was sealed instead of killed, your mother woke me from my slumber. Now I guess I can be a sort-of twisted Sleeping Beauty. After all, her spell was supposed to be death, too." Chiyo giggles.

"That's just strange, Daddy. But what happened to Mom to make her come to your time?"

Inu Yasha frowns, thinking back. "Once, she told me that it was the morning of her fifteenth birthday that she was pulled back in time. Souta was scared of the well house and wouldn't go in to find Buyo, that fur ball. She had walked in and found the cat, when a demon with the head and torso of a woman, but the body of a centipede, broke through the well seals and grabbed her, pulling her back in time in the process. Soon after, I ended up killing that demon to save her, though I know I was thinking more along the lines of 'get the Shikon no Tama' then 'save the girl.'"

"Is that how you got the prayer beads?" Inu Yasha grimaces at the memory of eating dirt, though is thankful for not being able to kill Kagome as he would have liked to at the time.

"Yes. May I continue now?."

- - - - * * * - - - -
You know how much I love you Daddy
But if you don't mind
I'm only gonna kiss you on the cheek
This time
- - - - * * * - - - -

Chiyo sits still after her father's voice concludes the story; trailing off after telling how the wish made on the Shikon no Tama had stranded the shard-hunting companions in present-day Tokyo, filled with strange, misty half-memories of an unlived life in that era. "So that's how it happened? How everyone met?" She feels slightly light-headed. "Excuse me if I'm a little dazed at the fact that twenty years ago you, Mom, Shippo, Uncle Miroku, and Aunt Sango battled demons in the Sengoku Jidai. Not to mention that you searched for a mega-powerful jewel that Mom accidentally shattered. Do you know if this legend is in any books?"

"Possibly. You can ask your Great-grandfather if you really want to know." The girl looks down at her lap for a moment, before grabbing the almost-forgotten package lying at her feet.

"Can I open my present now?" she asks.

"Yes." Inu Yasha smiles, although it is tinged with a slight sadness that Chiyo is unable to find the source for.

She carefully unties the ribbon and unsticks the tape binding the wrapping paper, revealing a long black box. Grasping the lid at both ends, she pulls the cover off to see a long, slender, wooden bow resting within. She turns to her father, questions in her eyes.

"Daddy?" Inu Yasha pulls an envelope from the box, pressing it into Chiyo's hands.

"Your mother wanted you to have it."

She follows the unspoken request to read the letter, eyes watering as they move over the faded ink that forms flowing script. To my dearest daughter, Chiyo, it begins.

If you are reading this, it means that I have not survived the cancer, and your father has judged you mature enough to tell you the truth about our past. It's not that we have ever lied to you outright, just that . . . certain details have been omitted from our answers to your questions. Please don't be mad about everyone keeping it a secret. And besides, now that you know, you have to promise to keep your mouth closed about it to Sango and Miroku's child, because I doubt that you would be told after he or she.

However, the reason you are receiving this bow, the one I used during my last adventuring days, is because I think you should know how to use it. Yes, you have your kendo, but humor me, alright? Think of it as a present and final request from the woman who gave birth to you.

With lots of Love,
Mother

PS - You will never know how sorry I am to have missed being there for you as you grew up.

Chiyo can barely choke back her tears at these last words her mother left for her. 'Oh, Mom . . . '

Leaning over, Inu Yasha hugs his daughter when she begins to tremble, a gesture of comfort that she returns. He himself is barely able to keep from crying.

"So now you know."

When Chiyo's sobs subside, she pulls away to wipe her eyes and gather up her precious gift. She yawns. "I think I'm going to go to bed now, Daddy," she says as she stands. The excitement of the day, the shocks, and finally all the crying leaving her feeling drained. "Don't stay out too late, okay?" With that appeal and a slight, red-eyed smile, the girl walks back to the house.

Inu Yasha, still in his hanyou form, climbs up to a branch on the Goshimboku. His mind drifts to back to the night one year before, when Chiyo stopped their customary goodnight kiss-on-the-cheek. When he had questioned her about it, she had responded, "Don't you think I'm a little old for that Daddy?" with a puzzled look on her face.

In the present, Inu Yasha sighs.

"You'll never be too old to be my little girl. . . ."

- - - - * * * - - - -
Oh, with all that I've done wrong
I must have done something right
- - - - * * * - - - -

With the retelling of the story of his past comes the memory of every belittling comment, every insult, every small betrayal, every fight Inu Yasha ever had with Kagome. He winces, surprised that she had never given up on him.

- - - - * * * - - - -
To deserve her love
Every morning
And butterfly kisses
At night
- - - - * * * - - - -

Later that night, Chiyo finally hears her father's footsteps from her position tucked under the covers of her bed. "Goodnight, Daddy," she whispers, closing her eyes. "I love you."

Inu Yasha walks past his daughter's room, smiling as he hears her whispers. "Goodnight Chiyo," he murmurs back. "I love you too."

- - - - * * * - - - -
All the precious times
- - - - * * * - - - -

Images of Chiyo at age sixteen, age seventeen, age eighteen, float through Inu Yasha's mind.

- - - - * * * - - - -
Like the wind
The years go by
- - - - * * * - - - -

He stands clapping with the rest of the proud parents after his daughter's salutatorian speech, as she receives her high school diploma.

- - - - * * * - - - -
Precious butterfly
Spread your wings and fly
- - - - * * * - - - -

Rubbing away unshed tears, Inu Yasha hugs Chiyo goodbye in front of the gate at the airport. "Be careful over in England, okay?" he asks as he releases his embrace.

"Of course I will, Daddy," she replies, picking up her bag as the flight number is called. The last Inu Yasha sees of his daughter, before she leaves for college in a foreign land, is a waving hand and a smile.

- - - - * * * - - - -
She'll change her name today
- - - - * * * - - - -

Returning home from sophomore year, she greets her father with the words, "Daddy, I met someone special. . ."

- - - - * * * - - - -
She'll make a promise
- - - - * * * - - - -

Staring blankly at the shimmering diamond, he asks, "Are you sure he's the one?"

- - - - * * * - - - -
And I'll give her away
- - - - * * * - - - -

She hugs him, eyes happy and relieved. "I'm so glad you understand. . ."

- - - - * * * - - - -
Standing in the bride-room
Just staring at her
- - - - * * * - - - -

"Daddy?"

- - - - * * * - - - -
She asks me what I'm thinking
And I said "I'm not sure"
- - - - * * * - - - -

'Is there something wrong? Does he think I'm making a mistake?'

- - - - * * * - - - -
I just feel like I'm losing
My baby girl
- - - - * * * - - - -

'I never knew it would be this difficult.'

- - - - * * * - - - -
She leaned over
And gave me
- - - - * * * - - - -

Chiyo carefully walks over to her father, trying not to tread on the hem of her elaborate white gown. She wraps her arms around Inu Yasha.

"No matter what happens, you'll always be my one and only Daddy. No one can take your place in my heart."

- - - - * * * - - - -
Butterfly kisses
With her Mama there
Sticking little white flowers
All up in her hair
- - - - * * * - - - -

Inu Yasha slowly tucks a daisy tiara into Chiyo's hair. Glancing into the full-length mirror in front of them, he is startled at the similarity she has to her mother. Her mother. . . . Catching an extra pair of blue eyes in the mirror, Inu Yasha jerks his head around to see a smiling, raven-haired woman fade to nothingness. 'Kagome?'

He smiles, slightly, and turns back to his task.

- - - - * * * - - - -
Walk me down the aisle Daddy
It's just about time
Does my wedding gown look pretty Daddy?
Daddy don't cry
- - - - * * * - - - -

The processional plays as small flower girls finish their duties. Just behind the doorway, Chiyo turns to Inu Yasha, smiling tremulously.

"Daddy, it's time."

He briefly drops his head, hiding tears from her view. Chiyo notices, however, and lifts his face with her glove-clad hand, wiping away the glistening wetness on one of his cheeks.

"Everything's going to be alright, Daddy."

- - - - * * * - - - -
Oh, with all that I've done wrong
I must have done something right
- - - - * * * - - - -

As they reach the front of the church, Inu Yasha passes Chiyo's hand to her husband-to-be. Her hand squeezes his in reassurance before slipping away.

- - - - * * * - - - -
To deserve her love
Every morning
And butterfly kisses
- - - - * * * - - - -

Father and daughter briefly reunite to lead the second dance, after the ceremony.

- - - - * * * - - - -
Couldn't ask God for more
Man, this is what love is
- - - - * * * - - - -

Chiyo lingeringly hugs Inu Yasha outside the reception hall, before lifting the skirt of her dress and climbing into a blue Mustang convertible. He can barely hear her whispered "I love you," as she heads off on her honeymoon.

- - - - * * * - - - -
I know I've got to let her go
But I'll always remember
- - - - * * * - - - -

A tall figure with long, dark hair trudges wearily up a hill's winding path. It has been so long since he was here last, almost fifteen years.

- - - - * * * - - - -
Every hug in the morning
- - - - * * * - - - -

He stops by a special spot, reaches into his pocket, and pulls out a red rose. It is placed in front of a gravestone.

He reminisces.

----

"I love you, Mama! I love you, Daddy!" Inu Yasha hugs Kagome, and they share a smile.

"We love you too, Chiyo. We love you, too."

- - - - * * * - - - -
And butterfly kisses. . .
- - - - * * * - - - -

- - * Owari * - -