It was as Kagome had thought.
As Sango adjusted to being the mother of a newborn once more—and a single mother of one for the first time—Kagome helped out as much as she could around the house and with the kids. Inuyasha, too. While sweeping off the porch, Kagome smiled as she watched him romp around with the fleet-footed taijiya kids and the now-and-then four-legged Shin.
Inuyasha was good with children, Kagome decided. It warmed her heart to know that he was—as she’d always believed he would be, pact or no.
Then, as she considered them, these poor fatherless children, her smile slipped. Yes, he was good with them.
He here he was, an unlikely guardian to them all.
Kagome thought of how Kaori had shocked Shin, but she hadn’t shocked Inuyasha. Implicitly, Kaori trusted him, because her mother trusted him. In a way, she had inherited this trust.
What this implied about Shin’s inherent danger in Sango’s eyes—and Kagome’s own mistrust of Inuyasha, who’d been shocked by him early on—wasn’t exactly pleasant to consider.
Now in retrospect, Kagome realized that she’d loved Inuyasha in her mind but not in her heart. She loved the idea of being married to him, but not the reality of it. And if she was so torn up in this way about him, how could she trust him?
Maybe it had happened as a result of all his carrying on with Kikyou. Maybe that sort of intimacy had been taken off the table for her because of that.
Or she’d been too inexperienced to appreciate the distinction.
There were different types of love, and different ways of looking at them. Kagome was beginning to appreciate these distinctions, too.
But in the final analysis, what mattered to her more?
One day, alone with Sango and Shin and Kaori, Kagome asked the question that had been weighing on her heart, “Now that Kaori-chan is born, will you be leaving Edo to join Kohaku?”
Sango blinked in surprise. Kagome had the impression she was giving voice to a question Sango hadn’t yet put to herself in so many words. She blushed.
“I think…perhaps.” Sango raised her eyes to Kagome’s. “Yes, perhaps now we will.”
Kagome nodded. It was as she’d thought—this chapter was indeed coming to a close. What would the next one bring? And where would everyone find themselves? There together—or in some separate chapter of their own?
She saw Sango, now, returning home to her brother and their rebuilt taijiya village. But Kagome couldn’t see herself and Shin moving in this direction. It felt wrong to her, somehow.
And she knew, in her heart, that a parting was at hand.
But with whom?
All that ordinary day, Shin’s ‘word of the day’ had been ‘no.’ He’d been saying it loudly and enthusiastically regardless of whether he approved of something or not. He just seemed to like saying it.
The answer came to her suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, as she was putting Shin down for a nap (“No!”) with a kiss on the forehead that made him giggle (“No!”). It came to her with the force of an epiphany.
It came to her in the form of a memory, which brought everything into focus—
The background plights of her father and her mother, of Inuyasha and Sango, and of Kohaku and Rin, and in the foreground, of her and Sesshoumaru.
Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi
Ohhh seems like she’s gunna go after her man 👀 I’m assuming Inuyasha will head off to the slayer village. There’s not much left for the OG gang in Edo now, minus Kaede, who is probably too old to travel with them to the taija village, but who knows maybe she will! Can’t wait to see what happens next!
YESSSS KAGOME!!! GO GET EM!
This is odd that Kagome waits until now to realize this. What if Sesshoumaru doesn’t want her but decides to keep Shin? Not sure if I’d go search out danger especially with no back up. Sesshoumaru has been gone awhile.
I hope she goes after her man. If he doesn’t want her back then court him properly this time 😭💕
This is interesting. So now they’re planning to start a new chapter of their lives away from Edo. Inuyasha might follow Sango to protect the kids, and Kagome might separate from him with Shin for good. Is it time for them to journey to the West? 👀 I have a feeling they’ll find Sesshoumaru here:
“The land was mine already. Fealty and tribute are what I have won. The displaced inuyoukai will live peaceably within my domain—in the high northern mountains and the white skies above, where our ancestors once roamed together, in ages past.”
It’s what she’s wanted all along anyway – the freedom to roam the ancient lands and discover new things. Kagome and Sesshoumaru both share this love for wandering and adventure. Now she can share it with Shin as she goes hunting for her demon husband XD
“No!” is a good word, bebykins 🥹 Say No to nap times!
“Maybe it had happened as a result of all his carrying on with Kikyou. Maybe that sort of intimacy had been taken off the table for her because of that.”
Relatable 😭 I stopped shipping Inukag very early on in the series when Kikyo was first introduced and Inu kept wandering off to her. IT JUST TURNS ME OFF. Then I was saved when I discovered Dokuga and the Sesskag prompt challenges on livejournal 🤣
I love this story
It seems Kagome’s finally coming to some sort of decision. Whether Inuyasha will go along with it is another matter. He’s still being so mysteriously weird. Does he still think that he’s ‘won’ against Sesshoumaru, and Kagome ‘got the better of him in the end’? Why is this loudmouth puppy the most enigmatic one of the lot? What is his issue? What is his damage? He’s keeping everything tightly bottled up. I can’t figure him out! 😂
What this implied about Shin’s inherent danger in Sango’s eyes—and Kagome’s own mistrust of Inuyasha, who’d been shocked by him early on—wasn’t exactly pleasant to consider.
~
I wouldn’t worry about not trusting Inuyasha. HE hasn’t trusted Kagome since the very beginning, if I recall this scene
~
“Gods, you’re so beautiful,” he rasped out, crushing the full length of his body against hers as he ran a hand possessively over the curve of her hip. “You wore this kimono for me, didn’t you?”
Kagome nodded. Her nails curled beseechingly into his haori as the points of his claws bit into her cheek.
“That’s because you’re mine,” he rumbled. Kagome winced as he increased the pressure of his hold. “If you ever look at another man…I’ll tear you apart.”
“Inuyasha…” she said tremulously. His claws dug deeper into her skin. “…Inuyasha, you’re scaring me.”
His jaw clenched. His eyes gleamed with sorrow even as he made her whimper in pain. “…Good.”
~
It’s truly baffling though, his hot and cold attitude. What does he WANT? He was foaming at the mouth when he saw Miroku and Kagome come out of the hut too, but before that he kept quiet about the mating mark and just accepted her excuse when she said she was attacked by a spider youkai.
Hopefully Kaori’s arrival might mellow him out a bit, but all this while he really doesn’t have an issue with anyone else (if you also discount his inferiority complex against Sesshoumaru). It’s just Kagome who makes him bonkers 😭
shin is always so bouncy and happy ( ´∀`)
i can’t, he’s just so loveableeee~🩷 focusing on his little scenes alone is enough to inject me with a ton endorphins. i can’t believe this sweet pup came from the icy, deadly lord of the west. how does kagome not keel over every time she looks at his cute little face??
I really want to know which part of Shin’s wonderful self resembles the Inu no Taishou. The Western Lady hinted at it, and then I remember Kagome also told Sess she hopes he’ll take after Touga (though that was in a fit of pique so maybe it doesn’t count😅).
From The Chase bonus scene Touga came off as a perverted old man who liked to meddle in his son’s sex life lol. And I REALLY hope Shin doesn’t take after that XDD
Something tells me InuYasha and Sango are going to end up together raising Miroku’s kids. They would honestly be so cute together 😅 Kagome is going to give them her blessing and InuYasha will have no choice but to accept Sesshoumaru then lol Here’s to happiness for all involved