Acceptance by Flutter of Feathers

Acceptance

Disclaimer: Pft...surely you know by now that no one owns Inuyasha. BUT ONE DAY...JUST YOU WAIT...!

AN: Well this is kinda my first/second fic. My 'first' fic was stupid...very stupid. Curses to my first fic. However, this fic will be great! I'm shooting for extra long chapters...so, yeah. Please R&R...constructive criticism, of course...help me out. ^___^

"..." --dialogue...of course.

Italicized text--thoughts/flashbacks ^___^

Chapter 1: Acceptance

Kagome awoke with a start, the bead of sweat that trailed her pale skinned cheek plopped onto her sleeping bag and roused her out of her reverie. The final battle with the infamous hanyou that had cursed them all was finally at their doorstep...dropping a heavy weight of fear and dread onto their shoulders. Should they succeed in finally ridding the world of Naraku's spawn and his existence, they would be considered the greatest heroes in all of Japan's history: a wayward lecher monk, headstrong taijiya, foul-mouthed hanyou, and of course, the outspoken and selfless miko.

*Flashback*

Kagome and the rest of the wayward team made their way up the slope that would take them to the shard she had detected earlier. Inuyasha had been none too gentle concerning her out-of-touch and dazed state...but, she couldn't help it...

What would Inuyasha do with the completed jewel? She couldn't help but question herself about Inuyasha's motives. Would he become the full-demon that he had always longed for...or use it for other reasons?

This had been on her mind for a significant amount of time after the group had a run-in with the infamous wind sorceress, Kagura...

"INUYASHA! OSUWARI!" The trees would have shaken if Kagome had yelled any louder. Her frustrated outburst had broken the tension of the morning, and everyone turned to look at the very disgruntled hanyou that was now lying in his own personal crater. Kagome had yelled as Inuyasha made to grab Testusaiga to slaughter the seemingly unarmed and unthreatening Kagura.

"Oi, wench, what the hell did you do that for?!" Inuyasha retaliated. He would never understand the young miko that graced the Sengoku Jidai with her futuristic mannerisms. She resembled Kikyo, the one he had sworn to protect just 50 years ago. It seemed like a blink of an eye to the hanyou, but he would never forget the seemingly infuriating betrayal that he had suffered. However, he moved past that in order to focus on the real problem at hand...Naraku.

Sango stepped forward in front of the Kagome, to block her from the line of fire...should there be one. Kagome was her dear sister...someone she would protect with her life...risk anything for...and do anything to make happy. "Kagura", her strong voice elevated over the rising tension that had settled into the clearing, "state your business with us...you are not exactly an ally."

Kagura shifted her eyes over the diverse people, and held their gaze. "Actually, taijiya, I am here as an ally. I have some valuable information concerning Naraku." Kagura continued to spill the beans pertinent to the desired demise of Naraku. Each member of the shard-hunting troupe listening attentively while concocting their own strategy of battle...formulating Naraku's weaknesses...and wondering what the future holds.

*End Flashback*

This event had stirred the nightmare that Kagome had just woken up from. Wiping the sweat off of her brow, she looked around at her companions, each one curled up on a blanket around the fire. She couldn't believe that she would dream anything so sordid and horrible about her dear friends. Kagome was family to them...and they were family to her. But, her nightmare had crushed any happiness felt when she learned that Naraku's demise was imminent.

Blinking rapidly, she tried to flush out the disturbing images...Miroku being inevitably sucked up by his growing kazaana...Sango being horrifically split in half by her hiraikotsu, Inuyasha falling on his sword once he saw Kikyo crumbling into dust after her souls were sucked into Kanna's mirror. Of course, Kagome was still struggling with Kirara, trying to fend off Naraku's offending tentacles and his rancid minions at the same time in order to obtain the other Shikon shards and protect her adopted son, Shippou. Kirara had soon been punctured in the chest by Naraku, Kagome's last defense besides her dwindling spirit arrows.

She reached back and into her quiver...she had no arrows left!

Oh no...Shippou! Being ever selfless even in the shadow of the valley of death, she watched Naraku seized the opportunity to crush the skull of the little kit in order to move onto the main kill...Kagome.

A bloodcurdling scream escaped from the ruby red lips of the once bubbly and happy miko. "SHIPPOOOU!!" She scrambled against Naraku's tentacles that held her sobbing and trembling body away from the body of her kitsune son. Her eyes clouded over with the grief that no one should have to face in any lifetime. She had lost her family. Her family.

Ever since the well had randomly stopped working, leaving a very distressed and lonely Kagome in the Sengoku Jidai, she had considered her companions, whom she had only known for two years, her family. Her love interest, son, sister, and brother were lost forever. She would lose this battle...and let everyone in future posterity down.

On the verge of emotional and mental collapse, she stumbled forward, only to be caught by strong arms. She couldn't see the appendages...but they seemed to be the embodiment of the strong musky scent that quickly enshrouded her limp body, comforting her, and quelling her fears. She looked up to see the blurry, fluttering, silver hair of an angel--her own guardian angel had held her close in a cocoon of warmth during her nightmarish sequence. The strong arms epitomizing beauty and grace had also slain the offending hanyou...his shrieks echoing into the woods and bouncing off the oblivious foliage.

Petite cherry blossoms continued to peacefully fall upon the bloody scene as if the nightmare had been an elaborate hallucination...but the blood upon the ground told no lies...

~~Back at camp~~

She had quickly forgotten about the nightmare as she looked around camp. The first to rise was Inuyasha, followed by an annoyed Shippou, immediately starting his rants about being deathly hungry, and the taijiya and monk. Miroku moved to caress the ample buttocks of the taijiya, but was halfheartedly slapped away. Confused, Miroku moved behind Sango and casually draped his arms over her slouching shoulders.

Usually the proud taijiya stood firm and erect against the hardships that many crumbled under, so Miroku saw her distress easily.

"Lady Sango...perhaps you could enlighten me with what is on your beautiful mind?" Miroku cooed. He very well knew what was on her mind...the upcoming battle. It had been plaguing his thoughts, as well as everyone else's, daily since Kagura graced the group with her presence.

"Stop it houshi...you know what I'm thinking about. K-Kohaku...he'll be there! He'll be fighting alongside that damn...HANYOU!" Sango cried as Miroku soon backed off. The woman was pissed. She stomped off, grabbing a confused Kagome that let out a small 'eep!'.

No doubt, they were heading to the hot springs, both women silently stripping before sliding into the welcoming heat of the water. Both sighed in contentment...each one knowing that they had deserved it. This stress had taken a toll on them both, but they let their worries melt away with the steam of the spring. Neither of them was worried about concealed spies seeking out a show from the two nude women...Sango's loud yell contained every ounce of hate she could muster against Naraku...and any youkai...or silver haired hanyous and lecherous monks would do well to stay away.

~~At camp~~

Inuyasha trudged along, looking for Miroku. He had meant to talk to him about the upcoming battle and his future plans...

He had spent a significant amount of time pondering about a certain miko. He knew that he would meet up with Kikyo again...and didn't know how he would conduct himself around her. So, naturally, he was worried about Kagome's feelings. He had promised to protect Kikyo first...but had failed. Now she was an undead..., a hopeless pathetic piece of nonexistence...that yearned to exist in the eyes of a certain hanyou. However, he could not let her go. As long as she had a soul in her lithe, seductive body, he would not forget about the love they shared.

He visibly flushed at his train of thought. Kagome was...well, appealing. But he had always lusted after the fully developed, curvaceous form of Kikyo. In his eyes, Kagome's long spindly legs did not come close to Kikyo's flowing hips and tiny waist. He only made himself in a worse situation as he remembered the images linked to an event at the hot springs.

Mentally kicking himself, he tried to focus his thoughts elsewhere...but was interrupted by the all-too familiar ping of tingly coldness. His hands went clammy as he heard the ear piercing scream of Kagome...and sensed a strong youkai aura.

~~Back at the hot springs~~

"INUYASHAAAAA!!!" Kagome screamed into the cool spring air. The pretentious peacefulness seemed to mock her and her dangerous position. Once Sango had been tossed around relentlessly by the large dragon youkai, it flipped her into its jaws and tossed her out of the battle field...focusing on the quivering Kagome that was still in the hot springs.

"Kuso! The one time Sango doesn't come with her Hiraikotsu in tow...and my arrows! BAKA BAKA BAKA!" Kagome argued with herself, the emotions flashing across her face included fear, anger, and anxiety...she switched back to her querulous state and did what the adrenaline pumping in her ears told her to do.

Run.

She scrambled out of the hot spring in all of her nude glory, and streaked across the clearing. The well...the well! All she had to do was get to the well...it was her haven. She could hide out inside until the dragon youkai got fed up and impatient, then it would leave! If only she wasn't so damn clumsy...

Her bare feet were starting to bleed from the abuse of the merciless twigs and stickers on the forest floor. She cursed at herself. Honestly, the situations she got herself into. One perilous rescue from Inuyasha a week was all her poor, anxious heart could take. But...she couldn't hear him shouting after her. Inuyasha wasn't coming for her... As soon as she had taken off sprinting, her foot had caught on a stray root that stood vaulted up to the sky. She tripped and fell straight on her face, rolling a couple times before she dared open her eyes and stare into death itself. However, before she could feel the pang of the slash that would open her body and expose her innards, she heard the sting of metal being released from a sheath.

She looked up at perfection.

AN: Wow! I'm done with my first chapter, minna-san!! I hope you enjoyed it. Too short, too long? Any misspellings...grammar mistakes? Hate it, love it? Share with me! Review! Rave! Rant! Criticize! Correct! No flames, por favor. =D

-Your humble wittle fanfic writer

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