InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Consolation Prize ❯ Consolation Prize ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
Standard Disclaimer: Me own anything? Please.

Consolation Prize

She studied the night sky, back resting against one of the many trees surrounding the small glen adjacent to the nearby village. The night's stew lurched in disagreement within her belly as she heard the soft rustle of steps among the drying grasses of early autumn. Turning slightly she relaxed as she noted the soft smile of the slayer before she crumbled quietly into a sit beside her.

"Miroku is keeping Inuyasha busy."

Kagome's brow arched in question when the slayer's smile widened into a grin, "Kaede's ears will not be the same tomorrow after Inuyasha gets finished relaying the particulars of today's battle"

Kagome smirked and turned her gaze back to the stars, "neither will Inuyasha's ego."

The girls sat in companionable silence as the night's creatures scurried, eager to forage and return to safe dens, and burrows without being discovered. Sango was the first to break the silence, "What's going on Kagome?"

The raven haired beauty turned and smiled at the slayer by her side, the last two years had witnessed the deepening of their relationship to that of close knit sisters and neither was able to, nor wanted to, keep anything from the other, "is it Inuyasha?". Sango moved closer to the quiet girl, shoulders touching as both sat feet draw up, knees wrapped in their arms and heads turned toward each other.

"Yea" was the troubled reply.

If the moon had been full, Kagome would have been able to see confusion roiling deep with the cinnamon eyes of the other girl, "tell me."

Kagome's smile was sad as she looked back at the stars and began to talk, the slayer attempted to study her features in the gloom as Kagome spoke "Ever heard of a consolation prize, Sango?"

Unwilling to interrupt now that Kagome had begun speaking she shook her head slowly.
Kagome didn't see the gesture her eyes never dropped from the heavens as she continued, "A consolation prize is the one you get when you don't get first prize. It's a 'sorry you didn't win but here's something anyway for your troubles' prize."

Understanding the definition but not having a clue what Kagome was talking about she remained quiet and listened.

"Consolation prizes aren't usually the best prizes, more times than not they're little things that you toss in a box somewhere and try to forget because they are constant reminders that you failed; you didn't win."

"Did something happen at your school, Kagome?" Unable to bear the sadness on her friend's face Sango wrapped her arm around Kagome's shoulder to comfort. She knew how hard Kagome worked to juggle the shard hunting, her home, and school but it had never occurred to her that Kagome would not succeed. Never.

"It's not me, Sango" Kagome turned and smiled sadly at her friend, "it's Inuyasha."

Startled Sango straightened and looked at Kagome; of all the things she had expected this was the furthest from her thoughts, "Inuyasha?"

Silence dropped again as Kagome turned back to star gazing and drew the now quietly confused Sango along with her. A light breeze rustled dead leaves, and played among the tops of stiff grasses as the girls sat in silence.

"He told me he loved me" broke that silence and Sango's face jerked toward Kagome's in happy surprise. Except, Kagome's expression had not changed from the sad smiling perusal of the heavens.

"That's wonderful, Ka…"

Kagome placed her palm over her friend's mouth and shook her head, "You're right it is wonderful, Sango. Except..."

"Except?" Sango muffled against Kagome's hand and leaned closer.

"Except I need to be first, not the consolation prize." Her eyes searched the slayers wanting an answer to be there and finding only confusion. She felt the slayer sputtering against her palm and dropped it rubbing the moistness on the grass next to her.

"Kagome, this is Inuyasha."

"Yes," she watched her hand rub against the coarse grass "and there was a time I would have been ecstatic at a declaration from him, if he had chosen me. But he didn't have to, did he?"

She turned toward the slayer her voice earnest, "Don't you see Sango, I'll never know whether he would have chosen me first, or whether he would have chosen Kikyo." She watched Sango bite her lower lip about to speak but forestalled her "Did you know when Kaou held him hostage in the village of the flowers; he gave him an offer of following Kikyo in death. Inuyasha told me."

Kagome's gaze dropped to her hands, "I asked him if he wanted to go, he didn't answer me, Sango." Dark sorrow filled eyes caught the slayers "he didn't answer, and I think it's because he didn't want to hurt me."

"You saw how inconsolable he was after she died." Kagome's voice trailed off and she turned back to looking at the stars. Sango's heart ached at the sadness and uncertainty plaguing her friend.

"Do I think, he thinks he loves me?" Kagome smiled sadly "Yes."

"Is it enough?" Kagome turned back to her friend "I don't know, I honestly don't know. I've loved him so much for so long Sango, believing he didn't love me, that he loved Kikyo. Even so I knew I needed to be there for him, while in my heart of hearts I wished, prayed, and hoped that one day he would love me back enough to pick me. Now, as much it doesn't make sense, I don't know if I can live with never knowing if I am or ever was his first choice, or if in fact he settled."

Sango hugged her, heart breaking as she heard Kagome's whispered, "I think I would prefer to lie down and die than to be his consolation prize because he couldn't have Kikyo."

Both girls sniffled as Sango whispered "What are you going to do?"

Kagome pulled back and brushed tears from Sango's cheeks, as Sango did the same to hers "I don't know, it's starting to eat me up inside. You know?"

Sango nodded as another tear fell from the corner of her eye to slip down her cheek, "Well I love you."

Kagome laughed softly through her tears and hugged her friend tightly, "I love you too"

Sango stood and held her hand out to her friend, "Come on, let's go do that skinny thing."

"Skinny Dipping?" Kagome asked surprised grabbing her friend's hand.

Sango smirked and tugged her friend up, "Yup, it might be the last chance we get to this year before cold weather sets in, and we deserve it"

She linked her arm through Kagome's and started leading her toward a near by hot springs. "Let's forget baka men for the rest of the night and have some fun. Just us babes."

Kagome's soft laughter - at her friends modern vocabulary - floated back to the empty glen as an owl blinked against the darkness and a tree branch creaked from a breeze that played around the tree tops.

For a long moment no other sound invaded the glen, until there was the softest of jingles as a violet eyed monk stood and pulled an amber eyed hanyou up along with him.

"So is she?" the monk asked turning toward the hanyou.

Startled Inuyasha began to knee jerk an answer until the monk's staff collided with the crown of his head. "Don't Inuyasha, she deserves better. Is she?"

The hanyou looked at the monk then toward the hot springs where the faintest of laughter echoed through the trees. "No."

The monk nodded and started toward the hot springs, "it seems you have a lot of bridges to mend then, my friend."

Deep in thought the hanyou fell in step beside the monk until both men dropped behind dark bushes lining the hot springs and watched their respective lady quietly as the two women splashed and played in the mist capped springs. Inuyasha leaned closer and watched his raven haired beauty – his heart aching at her doubts - as her laughter slipped through the night air.

Somehow he would convince her. There was no other option; together they had faced death, fought demons, Naraku, and over came immense odds, he wasn't about to lose her to the doubts he had in blindness created within her, not now. He couldn't lose, his fingers fisted, he just couldn't.

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Writer's comment: I'm not sure if anyone else was as bothered by this as I was. With all the angst going on in the story surrounding this threesome, I expected a strong resolution to the Inuyasha and Kagome relationship and killing off Kikyo just didn't cut it for me. Too Easy.

Don't get me wrong I am a Kag/Inu cheerleader all the way, but Kikyo and Inuyasha moments were deep. I expected the same depth to the Kagome/Inuyasha moments; I was disappointed.

Based on how the manga in respect to the Inu/Kag pairing, (points up) that's exactly how I would have felt about the whole thing if I were Kagome and had the least little bit of respect for myself and my emotions. No one likes to believe that they're second choice, especially not in matters of the heart. I can't see how Kagome could feel any other way? Can you? Honestly?


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