Chapter 12 - winter's gentle snow

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The werewolves stood, stock still, as the stared at the dead couple.

"Oh. . . my. . . God. . ." Sango finally choked out, falling to her knees as tears began pouring down her own face. "They. . . they. . ."

"They passed. . ." Kouga whispered breathlessly, his eyes wide in astonishment as he stared at the nightmare before him.

"PASSED?!" the were-girl screeched, having to use all her self control not to attack the pack leader. "WHAT THE frackING HELL DO YOU MEAN, PASSED?! THEY'RE *DEAD* DAMMIT!"

"They passed," repeated a calm, melodic voice.

`Wha- - -?!'

The pack whipped around just in time to see a woman emerging from the woods, a silver glow around her as the trees bent out of her way. Her hair and robes billowed majestically behind her as she walked, fading into the night.

"Moon Goddess. . ." the wolves whispered as one, falling to their knees in an instant.

But the goddess paid them no attention.

Silently gliding past the wolves, the scent of roses following her, she stopped in front of Kagome and Inu-Yasha, dead in each other's arms.

"M-M-Moon Goddess?" Sango asked quietly, positive that she was breaking some kind of rule, but not caring, "Did they. . . did they really. . pass?"

The goddess said nothing as she silently raised her hands. As she did, the two teens floated a few inches away from each other, landing softly in their mixed blood, straight, still and stiff.

"Inu-Yasha, Kagome. . ." the deity smiled gently, her voice echoing through the field, "your love has passed the test. Kagome, you went through both physical and emotional pain, showing that love is never easy. And Inu-Yasha, you trusted Kagome enough to let her kill you. Love must always be trusting. For without trust, one falls easily to the glamour of lies and deceit."

The goddess lifted her hands again, only this time, the pool of blood underneath the pair rose, twisting and swirling into two small, typhoon-like ribbons; wrapping themselves around the boy and girl before entering their bodies- and their blood stream.

"I get it. . ." Miroku whispered, more to himself then anyone else. "Their blood had to be shed in order for Kagome to become a wolf. . . It needed to combine. . ."

"What?" Sango breathed, nonplussed. "But didn't that already happen when she offered her blood to-"

"No. She'd need the wilderness for the wolf to accept her, and without the wolf, the wilderness would tear her up from inside. But they never mentioned how you received the wolf portion of the blood- this is the way. Their blood mixed when it was spilt, so some of Inu-Yasha's wolf blood now runs in Kagome's veins."

"And vice versa?"

"Yes. But it doesn't matter- Inu-Yasha's already got human in him anyhow."

The couple then observed the goddess in silence with the rest of the kneeling pack; unsure of what to say anymore- or how to feel.

Bringing her arms up a little higher as the astonished clan watched, the goddess raised the wolf and her daughter a few inches off the ground, dangling them like puppets on strings.

Still smiling, the deity then touched her lips to her palm, sending both boy and girl air kisses. When the rose scented breeze touched their bodies, their wounds were instantly healed. The knife still lodged in Kagome's heart disintegrated like mist, and their pale skin became flushed with life- even Inu's bruises disappeared.

"Breathe," the goddess commanded gently, flicking her wrists and causing twin balls of silver light to form in her palm. Flying directly into Inu and Kag's hearts, the pair opened their eyes and gasped for breath as soon as the orbs touched them.

"Wh- what?" Kagome whispered in confusion as both she and Inu-Yasha were gently brought back to earth, their feet touching the ground lightly. "We're. . . alive?"

She turned to face an equally amazed Inu-Yasha, pools of happy, crystal liquid slipping down her cheeks. "Inu-Yasha!" she gasped, twirling around. "We're alive!"

He beamed at her and opened his arms, laughing as she pounced on him, knocking them both to the ground.

They were alive.

They were healed.

They were together.

*


The pack and the goddess watched the lovers happy reunion in a smiling silence.

"Well, I must go now," the goddess murmured softly, turning to the pack. "Treat my daughter well."

Kouga's eyes widened. "You mean- she- the human- she?"


"One, she's now a wolf. Two, yes. She is my daughter- and I saw how you treated her." The deity narrowed her midnight blue eyes. "So I'd buck up if I were you, Kouga-kun."

Grinning gently at the rest of the wolves, the rose-scented wind blew softly around the goddess, white petals flying into existence as she suddenly disappeared- and the moon returned high in its proper place in the sky.

Kouga stared in blank horror at the spot of earth where the goddess had been-

Until the rest of the clan burst into laughter.

"Shut up!" he snarled, face pinking as he pouted. "Just shut up!"

"You know," Miroku whispered in Sango's ear, making her shiver slightly. "What with Kouga getting his @$$ whooped by the goddess, Inu-Yasha and Kagome being alive and Kag becoming a werewolf- I think there is cause for celebration."

"Oh really?" Sango beamed, turning to face him with a blush on her cheeks as he wrapped an arm around her middle. "And how do you propose we do that?"

"Like this," he murmured, gently pressing his lips to hers.

*

The pack stood in a circle for the third time, only now- Kagome was included. Standing next to Inu-Yasha, her hand linked in his, the couple glanced at each other from the corners of their eyes as Kouga babbled on about the Moon Goddess.

"Happy to be a wolf?" Inu-Yasha whispered, pride ablaze in his amber orbs.

"Hell yeah," Kagome giggled. "It's amazing, even like this. I can smell things I could never smell before, I can sense things- it's so wonderful!"

"I'm glad you like it," the silver hared teen chuckled, squeezing her hand lightly.

"Are you two paying attention over there?!" a peeved Kouga yelled at the lovers.

"No!" they bellowed back before turning to each other again.

"By the way, Inu-chan," Kag giggled softly, eyeing him playfully. "There's one thing I haven't had a chance to do that needs to be done."

"And what's that?" the werewolf raised an eyebrow.

A smile on her face, Kagome reached over and began rubbing Inu's ears, amused when a soft purr seemed to escape him.


"I thought you were a dog," she joked, kissing his cheek. "I didn't know dogs could purr."

"This is a content growl," Inu-Yasha fought lazily back, nudging his head a bit deeper into her hand.

"Whatever you say, love," Kagome smiled. "Whatever you say."

*

"It's time to take our true form once more!" Kouga roared. "And-"

"SHUT THE HELL UP, KOUGA!" the pack bellowed as one, already slipping out of their clothes on the cliff.

Kagome was slightly uncomfortable, being so- so- so NAKED in front of everyone, but no one else seemed to mind. They all acted as if it was nothing.

`Which to them,' Kag reminded herself, `it is.'

As she folded her clothes and hid them next to Inu-Yasha's, she watched Miroku get slapped by Sango with mild interest. `I bet he's having a hell of a time.'

"All right," Kouga announced once more to the pack of awaiting wolves. "It's time to complete the trial. Kagome, as tradition, you must transform first."

The girl glanced at Inu-Yasha out of the corner of her eye, nervous.

What if she couldn't do it?


"You *can* do it," Inu whispered reassuringly, as if reading her thoughts.

Nodding and taking a deep breath, Kagome took a step in front of everyone else, allowing the cool moon light to wash over her naked body.

`Please,' she thought desperately, her hands clenching into fists, `change. . .'

And she did.

Gasping in surprise, she felt her body begin to shift and grow and shorten- all at once- her muscles pulled taut, her senses honed, her thoughts animalistic. And then she was suddenly on all fours, inside her new, silky ebony coat of wolf skin.

Turning around with a yelp of joy, she ran over to the transformed Inu-Yasha, Miroku, and Sango, who all barked their happiness. Sango took a moment to flounce around her best friend, yipping about how worried she had been- ignoring Miroku as he obviously stared, but finding herself too distracted to continue when said man began eyeing other females. Seeing his chance, Inu-Yasha nudged Kagome gently in the shoulder, alerting for her to follow.

*

Leaping through the brambles of the woods, racing and howling, the pair eventually emerged in the flowerless summer field Inu-Yasha had visited before- thinking about Kag. And now she was here with him.

He doubted he had ever been happier.

Kagome sang in merriment as she- quite suddenly- pounced playfully on Inu-Yasha. Unfortunately- or fortunately- however they chose to look at it, he hadn't seen it coming- thus sending them rolling a ways down the gently sloping landscape. As they tumbled together through the grass, they threw their heads back; crying their praise to the Moon Goddess who was by now slowly sinking in the sky.

And though she'd already done so much for them, she did do one thing more.

When the pair began to slowly transform back into their human state, the field burst into bloom with the fabled summer blossoms, carpeting the lovers in sweet smelling flowers.

Laughing from their exploits, Kagome smiled up at Inu-Yasha as the sun slowly began to rise; tracing the boy's face with her fingers as the bright rays made his tanned skin glow. She would have been content to stay like this forever- - - but then she remembered something.

"Inu-Yasha?" she asked softly, a question nagging at the back of her mind.

"Yeah?" he replied, flopping next to her in the field and propping his head in his hands as the nightlights of Tokyo slowly began flickering out.

"You knew. . ." she began carefully. "You know. . .I was going to have to kill you. . . didn't you?"

He was silent for a moment. "Not really. At the last few moments, I sensed it, but that's all."

"You would have had time to escape," Kagome murmured softly, plucking a flower and twirling it between her hands.


"Why would I want to escape?"

She treated him to a `duh' expression, tossing the blossom away again. "Because I was going to kill you!"


"But I trusted you. I still trust you," he replied gently, brushing a strand of her hair from her face.

"You trusted me enough to murder you?" she whispered, a blush finding its way to her cheeks again.

"Yes."


She smiled softly. "I love you."

He grinned back. "I love you too. More then life itself."

"Bad pun," Kag glared playfully, laughing as she gently punched his shoulder.

"But true," he growled huskily in her ear as he nuzzled her.

And the two became mates in the field of summer flowers, under the soft glow of the early morning, autumn sun.

*

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One Month Later


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*


"I'm baaaaaaack!" Kagome sang cheerfully as she entered the apartment, kicking off her shoes with absolutely no grace. But that was a lot more than could be said for others- A small "eep!" and the loud `thud' of a body hitting the floor was heard as soon as she opened the door, she noted. A body named Miroku, in fact, judging from the voice that said "Ow!"

"Kagome-chan!" Sango squeaked happily, pink in embarrassment as she peaked at Kagome from over the back edge of the couch. "I- er- didn't expect you back so soon!"

"I can see that," Kag smirked as she leaned casually against the door frame, crossing her arms over her torso as she watched Miroku crawl "stealthily" towards his room.

"So what'd your mom say?" Sango asked, getting off the sofa and fixing her hair.

Kagome smiled. "She said I can stay here!"


"Really?!" Sango gasped, thrilled. "You can live with us?!"


Kag nodded happily, clapping her hands in excitement. "She said it'd be a good experience in preparing for collage dorms."


"This is wonderful!" Sango cried, spinning Kagome around and causing them both to laugh.

"One problem, though," Kag mentioned casually as they calmed down. "Where am I gonna stay?"

Sango waved a hand. "I already took care of it. They're building an extension room in a week. It'll be ready for your use come Christmas!"

"Really?"


"Yep!"

"But where will I sleep until *then*?" Kagome then questioned, already sensing Inu-Yasha walking up behind her.

"You can stay with me," he whispered in her ear, nuzzling her neck as he wrapped his arms around her middle.

Kagome giggled and blushed, kissing him on the nose. "Thanks for the offer."

Sango made a gagging noise in the back of her throat, turning away as she threw her arms helplessly into the air.

"Oh, please," Inu-Yasha glared, rolling his eyes. "You think I enjoy hearing your and Miroku's little `sessions' on the couch?"


Flushing dark red, the chestnut haired female shut up and stalked away, muttering about stupid male werewolves under her breath.

"Thanks for letting me stay here with you guys," Kagome beamed as the couple sat down on one of the couches. "It would get kind of difficult to sneak out every full moon, and Grandpa would probably try a few exorcism spells on me or something."

Inu-Yasha chuckled. "Stupid old man."

"Hey, he's still my grandfather," Kag warned.

Oh- crap. "Sorry," Inu pouted cutely, his ears drooping.

"Aww!" the were-girl gushed, rubbing his ears and kissing him on the nose. Bwahaha- one crisis diverted! The silver locked boy mentally congratulated himself as they sat in silence. Then-

"Why don't I have doggy ears like you?"

Inu-Yasha was slightly taken aback, but snickered all the same. "You want them?"

"Well, no. . . it's just, you've got them `cause you're half were-wolf, right?" She shuffled uncomfortably, feeling a bit stupid.

"Yeah. . .?"

"Well, aren't I only half then, too? I mean, it was your blood I took in. . ."

"Nope. You're full werewolf. Halfs only happen when a werewolf and a mortal mate."

"Ooo, luck you, you're special!" Kagome giggled, instantly perking up as she leaned into Inu-Yasha- all but purring as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Not as special as you, mate," he whispered in her ear, making her shiver in delight. But as they brought their lips together in a passionate, hungry kiss, Miroku walked in.

"Oh, get a room," he grumbled, stalking off into the kitchen looking depressed.

"You're just jealous that you're not getting any with Sango!" Inu-Yasha teased, causing Kag to smack him gently over the head.

"I might have if Kagome hadn't walk in right at that moment. . ." the black haired werewolf pouted, before getting knocked out by an embarrassed Sango.

"PERVERT!" the girl screamed, whamming her boyfriend continuously over the head with the plate she had been holding before tossing it aside and grabbing the lamp off of the coffee table. "IS THAT ALL YOU EVER THINK ABOUT?!"

Kagome and Inu-Yasha rolled their eyes and cuddled together, letting the familiar sound of Miroku getting beaten up carry them off to sleep as the first gentle snows of winter began to fall outside the window.

~*~

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