InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Walk of Destiny ❯ It's All Over ( Chapter 18 )

~ I don't own Inuyasha. That's final, like this chapter! ~

 

 

 

 

 

 

Walk of Destiny

By angelwings1

Edited by Kelli G

 

 

Chapter 18 ~ It's All Over

 

It was strange, to say the least. Only a second before, Sango could see the field blaring with light, black figures dancing about amongst the golden flames; then, a blinding flash of white, possibly pink, had consumed the gold, and a great uproar could be faintly heard in the wind.

Then the light had snuffed out, along with the hundreds of voices.

She was terrified at what it could mean.

“What do you think?” Miroku whispered beside her.

She shook her head slightly. “Don't know, but I think whatever it was that just happened, Kagome had something to do with it.”

He wearily rubbed his eyes. They had been up for nearly thirty-six hours straight, only sleeping every so often in shifts. The battle had started five hours ago, and they had not left the top of the hill, as it was the best spot to watch the shadowy fight.

There was no way to tell where Kagome and Inuyasha were. The flames might have given light to the field, but the battle was still miles away. Every so often they would imagine that they had seen something, but they were never certain if it was the miko or their hanyou.

“What should we do?” she murmured, edging closer to her love, feeling his warmth in the biting wind. “It might be over.”

He nodded and tucked her against his arm. “Possibly. But if it isn't, and we let down our guard, we might have to deal with a full-frontal assault. We need to wait until there's more light.”

Sango's hopes quickly began to die. It would be at least another five hours before even a glimmer of sunlight came over the distant horizon. By then, Kagome and Inuyasha could be dead ... if they weren't already.

“Can't we even send scouts?” she persisted. “Surely one or two people can get by undetected if the battle is still going! If either's side won, then we'll know.”

Miroku glanced behind him, studying the villagers behind him. Most of them were wide awake, watching the field with just as much concern as they were. Only a few, mostly those that were completely exhausted from traveling such great distances, lay asleep.

His eyes turned back to the dark field, his own fears churning in the pit of his stomach. “We have to protect this village in Kagome's stead, no matter what. A scout could be captured, and who knows what might happen then.”

“But what if they're out there?!” Sango nearly shouted. “What if they're out there bleeding to death? They might be all alone, unable to help each other, and dying because we're too scared to go to them!”

“Sango,” the monk pleaded, “you know we can't risk all these people for our friends.”

She ducked her head, slightly ashamed and furious at the same time. “But they're our family, Miroku. They would help us no matter what, and you know it.”

His grip on her tensed. “Don't try to make me feel even more guilty. I'm feeling just as badly about this as you are.”

“Maybe it would help if I go.”

The couple turned to the young slayer, surprised to see him standing nearby when he was supposed to be checking the perimeters. They were even more surprised by his words.

Suddenly, the idea didn't seem so appealing to Sango anymore. “I'm not sure that's wise, Kohaku.”

“Sango, I know I've only been with all of you for a few weeks,” the boy replied calmly, “but I have grown very close to Kagome, and would do anything for Inuyasha.”

“I just got you back,” Sango replied desperately. “If you got captured or hurt, I would never forgive myself.”

He smiled sadly. “Would you forgive yourself if Kagome and Inuyasha died when I could have prevented it?”

Sango's face paled, but she persisted. “I'll go with you, then. It's only right.”

“But I haven't been left in charge,” Kohaku replied. “Kagome left because she knew you and Miroku could handle things.”

“Both of us don't need to be here,” she replied hastily. “Miroku will be—”

“He needs you here,” he interrupted, just as quickly. “There are too many demons here for just Miroku, and if I stay just to help him ... well, it was hard enough doing my rounds without a fight breaking out. A lot of the demons here remember I used to be with Naraku, and they don't care if I was brainwashed. I killed their kin.”

“Kohaku,” she pleaded, taking a tentative step away from Miroku and towards her brother. “You're not responsible for that.”

“But it happened,” he stated coldly. “No one can deny that.”

Sango couldn't respond. Her heart constricted at the loneliness in his voice. She knew the experience had been hard on him, almost unbearable, but she needed him to understand that she had suffered, too. She had spent four years coping with the murder of her family, following her brother, protecting her friends from his blood-stained hands, seen his eyes staring at her without even a glimmer of recognization. The day his eyes had lit up and focused on her face, she thought she had passed into heaven. She would always be close to the others, but no one could replace her brother, her best friend since childhood, and the only family she had left.

“I can't lose you,” she whispered, tears filling her eyes. “It would kill me.”

Kohaku quickly took her clasped hands in his, taking a deep breath. “Miroku needs to hold up the barrier, and he needs you here. Let me do this, sis.”

“Better yet, let me go with him!”

The trio turned simultaneously towards the voice, surprise once again washing over them as Kouga strode over. Kouga had been faithfully tending to his pack since arriving at the village, but the strange light must have attracted his attention.

“I might not care if the filthy mutt dies,” Kouga said, smirking, “but I would go through hell's fires for Kagome.”

Kohaku gave the wolf demon a small, grateful smile before turning once again to his sister, pleading with her silently.

She glanced uncertainly at the wolf. She knew she could refuse her brother's request and he would respect her decision, but she couldn't bring herself to do so. She might have spent the last four years guarding him, but he had grown into a man in less than the blink of an eye. The day he awoke from Naraku's spell was the same day he had stepped over the threshold from boy to man. Naraku had stolen his youth.

He was a man, and therefore shouldn't need her blessing, but he was still kindly asking for it.

“Go,” she said softly, her eyes dropping briefly before locking on his own once more. “Just come back ... please.”

Kohaku's gaze didn't falter in the least as he clasped her hands more tightly. “I will. I promise.”

An hour later, the pair slowly crept towards the darkened field. The moment they passed through the barrier, an argument had erupted between them. Kouga was more than a little anxious to get to Kagome; he was desperate. He couldn't catch her scent, or the scents of the other thousand occupants in the field. He knew what it might mean, but he wasn't about to accept it, not until he saw Kagome. Kohaku had tried to calm the wolf demon, insisting that if they rushed headlong into the battlefield, they might be entering a trap. Naturally, Kouga had boasted that he would be quick enough to get in and out before he was ever noticed. Kohaku did not agree. He pointed out that it was unlikely Kouga, being so attached to the miko, would be willing to leave her and return for his assistance, especially if she were in the midst of battle.

By the time they were nearing the end of their argument, they had arrived at the edge of the field, and fell silent in horrified amazement. Whatever they had expected to find, it certainly hadn't been this.

“What happened?” Kouga wondered aloud, leaning forward to inspect the nearest still figure. Without thought, his hand reached out to the bat demon's face, and he flinched as his fingertips brushed its cold surface. “They've all been turned to stone.”

Kohaku's stomach dropped at the wolf demon's words, and he began to hastily examine another demon, one that lay on the ground nearby. From the awkward way he lay, his neck appeared to have been snapped, killing him instantly. Kohaku's heart began to speed up, and, glancing around him, he noticed that all those that still retained their flesh were already dead.

“Just like the cave,” he whispered scanning the shadowy field.

Kouga attention went from the endless sea of frozen demons and humans to the boy. “What cave?”

“What do you know about Midoriko?” Kohaku replied, drifting towards the wolf.

“The famous priestess?” Kouga asked with interest. “The one who made the Shikon Jewel, right?”

The slayer nodded, passing by a pair of winged cats. "The people in my village watched over the cavern where her body lay. A hundred demons were also there, and every one of them, as well as Midoriko, had been petrified.”

Kouga nervously eyed a frozen priestess. “How did it happen?”

“She created the jewel,” Kohaku said quietly.

Kouga stared at the boy, his heart thundering.

“She risked everything,” Kohaku continued, avoiding the wolf demon's eyes. “She believed that she had enough purity to cleanse the demons, but there were too many, even for her. So when she had no more strength, she locked all of their souls away inside the Shikon Jewel, threading all of their powers and strength together.”

Kouga's heart felt as if it were cracking. He didn't need to hear the last few words to know what the slayer was getting at: “Their bodies had been turned to stone.”

He was already shouting her name by the time Kohaku had turned to look at him. Every fiber was begging for her, silently pleading with the heavens and whatever gods there were to have her suddenly appear before him.

It wasn't long before he sensed her on the edge of his awareness, and he was surprised he hadn't noticed her earlier. He grinned with relief, and struck towards the direction his heart pulled. She was alive.

In the back of his mind, he was aware of the boy's footsteps dogging his, and the faint call of his name, but his focus remained on the warmth of the girl ahead. It was calling to him, swallowing his every instinct. He couldn't think of anything but the feeling pooling in the pit of his stomach. It fueled his limbs, driving his blood to work in overtime. His sole mission was to get to that heat, which grew hotter the closer he got.

The endless walls of gray figures flew by. With the wind flapping in his sensitive ears, he could almost believe he was flying through a flock of birds. The whirling motion briefly shook his attention, and he grew lost in his race between the hundreds of stone columns.

“KAGOME!”

Suddenly, the gray ocean parted, and the wolf demon stopped in a fairly clear portion of the field. Eyes wide, Kouga stared at the handful of frozen figures in front of him.

A pair of demons, a female jackal and a face dragon, were to the far right. Both of their eyes were set on the crouched figure of the dog demon he had once crossed paths with. The wolf murmured the noble's name, surprised to see him. He had forgotten the guy was one of the Blood Four. What made the picture even more startling, then, was the fact that he appeared to be standing in opposition against the other two. His stance was clearly defensive, and his fangs and claws were bared in a silent snarl. What was going on here?

Even though he had only met Sesshoumaru a few times, he knew enough about the demon to realize the strangeness of the scene. He wondered what could possibly lead the dog demon to bite his fellow's hand.

Kouga studied the dog demon curiously, looking for some hint to the noble's secret. He noticed, then, that Sesshoumaru's still gaze was not on his opponents, but instead was looking over his own shoulder, directly at Kouga.

The wolf ruffled awkwardly under the intense gaze of the silent man and he slowly turned. He became aware that Kohaku had reached him, and was staring intently at something behind him. As the wolf demon's gaze followed, he realized the warmth was resonating from the same spot.

Later, he could never recall when his feet started moving towards her, or when, exactly, he became certain that it was her. His eyes settled on her back, the cold silence filling his ears. He became aware of the human behind her, his dagger high, but his mind stayed fixated on her and her alone.

As he approached her still form, her name slipped from his lips. He circled her quietly, needing to see her face. His eyes widened as he recognized her one-of-a-kind smile.

“No,” he heard himself say, his strength slipping out of him at the very sight of her once-rosy cheeks, condemned into the same lifeless gray of the others. His eyes raked over her, noting the hanyou's shirt, and then the gaping hole in her chest. It was nearly hidden by the snout of the huge dog demon, frozen in mid-lunge, but the missing place in her chest was painfully obvious from his viewpoint.

“She did it,” Kohaku whispered, dropping to a knee below the hanyou's chin. Kouga stared helplessly as the slayer slowly lifted the perfect pink orb for him to see.

 

[8888888]

 

Her mind was fuzzy, but she could definitely feel the icy chill against her back, biting into her skin. Kagome grimaced at the wind sweeping over her prone form, and tried feebly to curl into Inuyasha's shirt, hoping it would protect her from the cold, as it had done a number of times before. The half-conscious girl became confused when her fingers couldn't feel the long sleeve covering her arm. Her eyes fluttered open, but she couldn't distinguish anything in the darkness.

The shirt was forgotten as Kagome struggled to remember what had happened.

She had reached for Inuyasha…

Then she had closed her eyes, and something had clicked open. She had heard the wind rushing past her ears, and a sweltering heat had burst from the depths of her pores.

There was nothing after that.

`Did I do it?' she wondered, shifting to see if there was a weak point in the wall of darkness surrounding her. `I know I tried, but did I actually purify all of the demons?'

A blast of wind reminded her just how cold it was, and again she fumbled for the over-shirt, this time finding it, tugging down on the hem so she could tuck her legs underneath the fire-rat cloth. The wind mounted in speed, and she hastily curled into a ball, fighting against the cold. Her teeth chattered noisily and echoed in the darkness. She was terrified.

`I did like Midoriko and tried to purify them. I was in the field and it was hot, but now I'm in the freezing cold. Why?'

When her shoulders began to quake from the cold, she turned to her side and flattened against the ground once more. She might be lying on what she believed was ice, but it was still warmer hunkering down against it than exposing herself to the frigid winds. She would have to change sides every so often to keep her circulation going properly. At least, that was her best idea. It was hard to think when her body was trembling so violently that her head was bouncing off the ground.

`Dark…cold…That's all I know about this place. Maybe I'm in a freezer?'

She began to rub her arms frantically. `Stop being stupid! This is not the time to joke!' Her body convulsed abruptly, her insides twisting painfully. `It's cold…just like the time with Naraku and the cat demons, but it was never this way. Could it be because I was facing the evil of all the demons in the field? It must not have worked. Why else would I be here?'

It wasn't long before Kagome realized how exhausted she was. Her entire body felt like it was sinking deeper and deeper into the icy ground, but she didn't really care because the deeper she went, the warmer it got. A warning bell rang through her head once she felt her eyelids slipping closed. She knew from the countless movies she had seen that sleeping would mean her death, but she didn't have the energy to fight it. “Cold…” she mumbled as her head dropped to the side. She barely registered her temple hitting the ground.

`Need…to stay awake.'

But it felt so warm. She was on the edge of consciousness when her mind suddenly took control. `Open your eyes!'

Her eyes snapped open upon command, but she still saw only blackness. She wasn't even certain her eyes had opened.

“Cold…”

She tossed her head to the opposite side, hoping the movement would jostle her out of the freezing stupor. `Think. Need to get out of here.' She cringed at another blast of wind.`Okay. The best way out would be the same way I got here. So how did I get here?'

The cold meant she was facing the evil of all the demons, but where exactly was she? If she hadn't purified the demons after all, then that meant—

Her heart began racing away as the thought tickled the edges of her mind. `I couldn't have. Could I?'

The cold suddenly swelled against her, tucking her deeper into the warmth of the ground. It scared her to think it, but it made sense. Had she locked herself away inside her own heart—a new Shikon Jewel?

She swallowed, suddenly feeling wide awake.

There was no way out!

 

[888888]

 

Sango stared silently at the pink jewel, feeling as if she were far away from everything around her. She knew she was crying from the way her companions were watching her with helpless faces, but she didn't heed the sleek saltwater dripping off her chin.

“There's nothing we can do, is there?” she whispered dully.

No one bothered to answer. Miroku and Kouga stared at the floor in burning silence, while Shippo wailed loudly from where he was curled up in a little ball on Sango's lap. Rin nervously tried to comfort the kit and reached for him, only to have her small hand pushed away angrily. Her lip jutted out as she drew her hand back. Tears quickly sprang to her bright eyes, and she hugged Kilala tighter to her chest for comfort.

Kohaku anxiously studied his sister, his sympathy nearly overwhelming him. He knew exactly what it was like to lose those closest to you, to feel helpless and guilt-ridden over their fates. He had barely known the miko and the hanyou, but his heart wrenched nonetheless. He almost wished that he could withdraw from this pain, the way he had when Naraku repressed the memories of his family's murder; yet, somehow, he was glad of the grief, as well. It was only right for them to be remembered.

“No, there's got to be something we can do,” Sango said, more loudly this time, her tears coming faster. Miroku looked up at her pained voice, his eyes full of anguish at seeing his beloved so lost. She ignored the pity in his stare and persisted, “It can't end this way!”

Miroku quickly rose to his feet as she stood, clutching the pink orb tightly in her fist. She thought she had done the right thing by staying with the villagers, but now, with the cold harshness of the Shikon in her enclosed fingers, her only thoughts were how stupid and selfish it had been to stay on the sidelines while Kagome went headfirst after Inuyasha. She should have fought harder against Kohaku and Miroku! She should have—

Sango went rigid as Miroku gathered her into his arms. The familiar feel of his heart beating against her own calmed her whirling mind, and she was able to concentrate on what he was saying.

“Tell me what to do,” Miroku said simply, surprising her with the quiet desperation in his voice. “Tell me what to do and I'll do it.”

She let him hold her for several long moments, and they clung to each other as if they were drowning. She wished she knew what to do. She wished everything could be smoothed over by just going out and killing a few demons, like in the old days. But she knew going out into the field and breaking a few statues wouldn't do any good. Even if they made a wish on the jewel, and actually succeeded in making a pure wish, like Kagome had, it wouldn't bring back their friends.

She hissed a shuddering breath through clenched teeth as a silent sob overwhelmed her. Her free hand fisted into the front of his robes, and she felt the last shred of dignity fade from her as she begged like a child, knowing what she asked was impossible. “Bring them back."

The early sunrise flooded the room with a warming, golden hue, but no one paid the new day any heed. No one wanted the days to turn, to let them think that life could continue without their friends and comrades. Their misery blanketed them all so thoroughly that they never noticed the lone woman stepping inside to join them.

Rin was the first to become aware of the new presence, looking up as the woman's shadow fell over her. Wiping her nose and sniffling loudly, the child welcomed the visitor solemnly. "Hello."

The woman bowed politely, her dark hair sweeping down the sides of her face like a pair of black wings. “Good day to you all.”

The rest of the group turned to look at her, not even bothering to conceal the grief on their faces. They waited quietly for her to rise from her bow, unable to distinguish her face behind her long, dark hair. Her red leggings and white blouse indicated that she was a priestess, but the companions knew she could not have come from among Rashu's army, since they had all been turned to stone.

Even after she had straightened, her unblemished face, with its delicate circles painted on her brow, could not quite be placed, and so they waited patiently for the woman to introduce herself. Sango, after studying the woman a moment more, felt a spark of recognition flare. She was positive she had seen the woman before...but where...?

The priestess' eyes dropped to the slayer's cupped hands, easily locating the sparkling pink jewel.

“So it's true,” the woman murmured, her voice like velvet. “Another jewel has been created.”

Suddenly, something in Sango's mind clicked, and she remembered where she had seen the woman's hauntingly familiar face. “You...you're Midoriko. Aren't you?”

The woman smiled softly as a few of the companions drew in their breath in shock. “Yes. Do you know me?”

Sango nodded stiffly, gesturing to Kohaku as he came to stand beside her. “My brother and I are the last of the slayers who watched over your cave.”

“I awoke to find the village of slayers destroyed,” the priestess replied, sadness in her voice. “Demons did that?”

“Yes.” Sango's voice shook slightly. “The villagers were slaughtered, and my brother was possessed by a powerful demon that same day. I apologize for leaving your cave under the sole protection of your barrier, Lady Midoriko, but I could not give up on my brother.”

“I understand completely,” Midoriko replied, her voice kind and wise. “I was perfectly safe behind my barrier, as you can see for yourself.”

“But how is this possible?” Miroku asked, staring openly at the woman they all had presumed to be dead. “The Shikon Jewel—”

“Was purified,” she interrupted gently, stepping towards him. “The wish cleansed the evil I had captured inside the Shikon, my heart, and allowed my heart to return to my body.”

“Just like that?” Sango said, amazed at her words, and even more amazed that the woman stood before her in the bloom of health and beauty, her rosy skin flushed.

Midoriko nodded with a sad smile, her gaze dropping back to the jewel in the other woman's fist. “It's been nearly a month since I first awoke, and since then I've been reacquainting myself with this era. About a week ago, I heard about Rashu and the late Neekal rallying together an army against the demons. I couldn't believe he would actually go through with something like that, but when I noticed a great darkness gathering towards the east, I realized the rumors were true.”

She came even closer to the group, and they all unconsciously straightened in her presence. They had all crossed paths with lords and nobles, but they had never met a woman who was respected--and feared--by the most powerful demons and humans. It was an honor just to meet her, especially so informally.

Midoriko glanced around the room quietly, scanning the sad faces. “From the looks of it, however, I believe I have arrived too late.”

New tears stung Sango's eyes as the weight of the woman's words fell. A secret hope had begun to bloom in her heart, hope that Midoriko could somehow help them save Kagome and Inuyasha. But the heavy sorrow in the miko's voice crushed Sango's plan before it could fully form.

The slayer took a tentative step forward, and held out the heart of their sorrow. Midoriko stared at the perfect pink orb, not at all surprised. “I felt it last night, but I hoped I was wrong. The Shikon Jewel is a freezing prison I would never wish upon an enemy.”

Midoriko reached for the jewel instinctively, but stopped to look up at the slayer, silently asking for permission. Sango nodded, struggling to hold back her fresh wave of tears. The miko gently lifted the jewel and, as it rose to her face for inspection, the jewel's glow grew brighter.

They all stared, breathless and in awe. If they had had any doubts that this woman was the legendary miko, they fled one and all as the jewel's aura flashed brilliantly, just as the original jewel had whenever Kagome touched it.

“A powerful priestess made this,” Midoriko said quietly. “I'm surprised she wasn't successful. Of course, no one has ever been able to successfully purify an entire army of demons. It's probably an impossible feat.”

“Can you help her?” Sango suddenly exclaimed, surprising everyone in the room. “You've returned. Surely there's some way you can bring her back as well.”

Silence ensued as the powerful woman looked at the slayer. Midoriko's eyes were soft with feeling, but Sango could discern nothing else in their violet depths.

“Please…” Sango whispered, not caring anymore if she sounded weak. She had always been regarded as a powerful woman, a rarity in her age. She rarely, if ever, broke under pressure. Even when Kohaku had been stolen away from her, she found a way to keep going. But this woman was her last chance to save her friends, the people she had fought with side by side, who had protected her time and again. They couldn't just...

Sango desperately tried to keep her panic under control, clenching her fingers until her nails bit into her palms. “You have to. There's no one else.”

Midoriko glanced towards the jewel, her eyes brilliant as stars. Her fingers curled around the orb. “You want me to save the woman who made this?”

Sango nodded as Miroku came to stand by her side. Midoriko glanced at him as well before turning her gaze to the floor, seemingly ashamed. “I can't.”

Despite her efforts at control, a broken sob burst from the slayer. Embarrassed, her hand quickly came over her mouth to muffle her cries. Miroku clutched her to his side, pressing her wet face to his shoulder as he blinked back his own tears. The others hung their heads.

“Only a pure-hearted wish can purify this jewel, and release her from its prison,” Midoriko continued softly, her majestic black hair slipping around her face in a beautiful frame as she bowed her head. “A wish of friendship, wisdom, courage, and love… I might be a good priestess, but I don't even know what wish it was that released me.”

The grand mystique of the famed priestess suddenly dissolved before the slayer and monk, and for a few scant moments, Midoriko looked just like Kagome. Her doubting gaze as she bit her bottom lip was almost a mirror image. It seemed even a legend didn't always know the answer.

“If we could find the woman who made the wish,” Midoriko went on, "we could perhaps---"

“Kagome did it,” Sango interrupted dejectedly. “She wished for someone, someone she loved, someone she thought would never be able to love her completely. She wished for him to be happy, with or without her.”

“A pure wish,” the miko said in wonder. “A wish for someone else.” Her eyes dropped again. “It's the same reason I created the Shikon. I was trying to save my village from the demons.” Her lovely eyes began to mist over. “I suppose it worked, after a fashion. I awoke years later to find my village gone, my family dead, and my one true love buried alongside my sister.”

“Could we put the jewel back?” Kouga asked suddenly. He edged nervously towards the powerful woman, very much aware that she could purify him with barely an effort. “If we put the jewel back in Kagome—somehow—would everything go back to the way it was?”

They all anxiously leaned forward. Midoriko nodded, very slightly.

“It would release her, and everyone else, but at what cost? The girl who made this jewel knew what she was doing,” she replied. “She did this knowing the consequences, and to release her, along with all the demons, would undo what she risked her life for. Are you sure you want to do that?”

“Yes!” Sango exclaimed, wiping her face hastily. “There's no other way—”

A brilliant flash stopped her in mid-sentence, alerting everyone to the Shikon's presence once again. Looking down, it was evident that the orb was shaking violently.

 

[8888888]

 

Some time earlier, Kagome had finally decided that lying down, though warmer, was not helping her in the least. She might be stuck inside the Shikon Jewel, but she wasn't about to just accept the situation.

Grudgingly, she got up, and began to walk straight into the wind. Her hair flew wildly behind her, and it vaguely occurred to her that it would take her a good week to get all the tangles out. Wrapping her arms tighter around her body, Kagome squinted against the strong wind.

Maybe she could find a wall and try to break through. It was a feeble idea, but at the moment she couldn't think of much else. Ten minutes later, with her teeth chattering louder than her echoing footsteps, Kagome began to wonder just how big this new, dark world was.

Could it be miles wide?

When her head slammed into something hard and unyielding, Kagome realized the wall was a lot closer than she'd thought. Grumbling softly from her new spot on the ground, Kagome rubbed her head angrily. “Darn it. Could've warned me somehow...”

Slowly getting to her knees, her aching fingers slid up the icy wall. She squinted, trying to see if the wall was wood or stone. It felt perfectly smooth and slightly curved under her fingers, and no warmer than the freezing ground. All she could see was empty blackness.

Leaning closer, she realized cold air was still blasting against her face. Curious, Kagome covered the spot on the wall in front of her face in hopes of blocking the source of the wind. Amazingly, the wind continued to blow, ignoring her hand entirely.

“S-strange,” she hissed, between the chattering of her teeth. Next, she pressed hard against the wall, testing its strength. She didn't feel it waver under her weight in the slightest. Out of other options, Kagome began to walk along the wall, one hand sliding along its surface as a guide. She knew if the wall made a circle around her, there was little chance she would remember where she had started.

A blast of air forced her to wrap her arms around her body again. She scowled angrily, deciding to give up on following the wall. Her eyes squeezed shut, wanting nothing more than to block out the hellish nightmare she found herself trapped in.

`For once, why couldn't I just get what I wanted?'

The wind continued to roar in her ears.

`Am I really that pathetic for wanting one little bit of happiness? Don't I deserve it?'

It was so unfair. Her family, and the future she had once called her present, had been taken from her. Now she wasn't even allowed the past.

Her fingers slowly tightened into a pale fist, and slammed painfully against the ice wall. A racking sob echoed in the dark as her knees nearly buckled. She suddenly didn't care if she fell deeper into this darkness.

“I thought I could do it,” she whispered, half-wondering if anyone, even God, cared about her anymore. “I thought that just once I could actually make a difference. That I could save him, stop this stupid war, and live happily ever after.”

Her knees finally gave way, and the tired woman sank to the ground. “Destiny was right. I was never meant to have a happily ever after. I was going to lose no matter what I did.”

The air grew remarkably colder, locking her joints in ice.

“If it has to be this way,” she mumbled, eyes closing, “then let him live. Let him have his happiness. I didn't care what happened to me then, and I don't care now.”

Her body slowly sank deeper, falling into something she could only describe as a slowly warming glow. The end must be near.

“Let me die, or sleep in here forever. I was never meant to be in this time, anyway.” Her eyes closed in defeat. “It's over.”

She felt her hair slide over her face, and the wind seemed to disappear.

“All I ask,” she whispered with the last of her energy, “is for him to wake from the spell he's under, and for the village to survive.”

 

[88888]

 

Everyone gasped in astonishment as the Shikon Jewel suddenly overflowed with a brilliant white light, overtaking even the tiniest of shadows. The wooden hut rattled loudly, and the entire foundation rocked beneath their feet. Midoriko stared wordlessly at the tiny object, surprised at how viciously it fought against her hold. A small part of her knew what was happening, but she still couldn't seem to believe it.

Only when her fingers could no longer feel the small jewel in her grasp, and the last of the white glow shrank from sight, did the miko truly accept that Kagome had succeeded.

Slowly, the group woke from their daze, and glanced nervously around the room.

“What just happened?” Kohaku asked, looking at her empty hand.

Midoriko gave him a dazzling smile, and hurried for the door.

 

[88888]

 

Kagome's eyes slowly opened to see a very familiar face looking down at her. With a mischievous gleam in her eyes, Destiny smiled down at the miko sweetly. “Took you long enough.”

Kagome merely blinked. Her body seemed to weigh a ton, and she didn't seem to have an ounce of energy left with which to move it.

“What are you doing here?” Kagome asked, as she attempted to see where 'here' was.

Destiny shrugged. “Thought this was where I should be.”

Kagome blinked again, finally able to focus on her surroundings. She definitely wasn't in that dark place anymore, but she also wasn't in the field. It didn't take very long for her to recognize the wooden, box-like enclosure. There was light filtering down from above...

“No way!” She jerked up suddenly, forgetting how tired she had felt moments before. There was no mistaking it. She was definitely in the well of her family's shrine.

“I can't be back!” she exclaimed, gripping the ladder with a ferocity that surprised the little girl.

“Calm down, Kagome,” Destiny pleaded, grabbing the miko's arm.

She whirled on the child, tears of frustration in her eyes. “Calm down?! I'm back in the present! Why am I back in the present, Destiny?!”

“Please,” the girl whimpered, tugging on the miko's shirt. “If you just calm down, I'll explain.”

“Oh, you're going to explain,” Kagome growled. She had had enough of this little mystery child. She angrily yanked the girl closer by the collar of her yellow kimono. All her anger and fear had finally mounted to an unbearable point. Destiny was the key to this whole mess. The girl had been appearing to her since Naraku had first shown interest in getting through the well.

“Why did you ever come to me?” Kagome seethed, searching the child's emerald eyes. “It has something to do with the Shikon, doesn't it?”

Destiny rolled her eyes. “The Shikon, the Shikon, always the stupid Shikon!”

A painful tightness began to throb in Kagome's temples, and she began to desperately wish she could toss a set of prayer beads over the girl.

“Can we please talk of something other than the Shikon?” the girl grumbled, seemingly unfazed by the miko's withering glare. Kagome's fingers curled deeper into the folds of the kimono. She was about to snap. All of her nerves were stretched tight as rubber bands, and she only needed one last pull to break them. Her mind was barely keeping her anger in check, her inner voice yelling at her to calm down before she hurt the girl.

Taking a deep, steadying breath, Kagome slowly closed her eyes and released the child. Destiny studied her carefully, not the least bit afraid.

Kagome stared pointedly at her. “Just leave me alone.”

Destiny blinked. “I can't.”

“Why not?” Kagome snapped, looking away. She was tired of this whole mess.

“He wanted this.”

Kagome's eyes squeezed closed. She was tired of riddles, tired of running in circles. Her hands fell limply to the dirt. It was soft, as if it had been dug up recently.

“He wanted you to be happy.”

“Happy?” Kagome repeated, uncomprehending. She didn't care who “he” was. All she knew was...

“I'm not happy,” she laughed darkly. The tears were pooling under her eyelids, and she was tempted to let them fall. “How did I get here?” she muttered, pressing her back against the well. “Before, I was someplace dark…and freezing cold...” Her memory was hazy, as if she had just woken from a dream.

“I was in the Shikon Jewel,” Kagome said softly. Destiny didn't respond, instead watching her with an anxious expression. “But how did I get out?” Kagome took hold of the rungs and began to hurry up the ladder. “And why was I brought back to this time?”

Her head soon crept over the well's lip, and she noticed bright light slipping out from under the closed doors. Kagome hastily swung her legs over the side and crept towards the doors. What did this mean for her? Was she stuck in this time? Would she never see the others again?

Her fingertips slowly slid down the old wood, and her eyes closed against the tears as they curled around the familiar handles.

“What time is that?” Destiny's small voice asked from the bottom of the well.

“The twenty-first century,” Kagome said softly, and jerked the doors wide open. Almost immediately, her hands flew to her mouth.

This wasn't the shrine. And it wasn't the feudal era, either.

Slowly, she stepped to the edge of the tiny island the building rested on, looking out across the surrounding lake at the lush forest. It was a vibrant green, one so rich in color that the only place she could think to compare it to was Eden. The sunlight spattered the forest floor like winking golden diamonds, tempting her to come closer. It was so peaceful.

As she slowly overcame her surprise, Kagome frowned in puzzlement. `What is this place?'

Her eyes strayed to a place in the grass just beyond the sunspots. It was a perfect spot to relax, right beside a clump of red ferns. All the weariness in her pulled on her shoulders, and she felt a desperate need to sit down. She wondered if the grass was as soft as it looked. Maybe if she just sat down for a few minutes…

She suddenly realized that her foot was cold. Looking down, she realized she had unconsciously taken a step into the water. She shook her foot, irritated that her sock now clung uncomfortably. `Darn it.'

Looking up, her eyes went back to the forest. She suddenly wanted nothing more than to feel the grass against her cheek, and her hair tangling in its green fingers.

She shook her head, trying to get out of her daze. She carefully studied the forest. What was it about this place that made her so eager to let her guard down?

`Well, if that's the vibe I'm getting, that's exactly what I'm not going to do!'

Her eyes swept along the edge of the lake, looking for a path, a building, anything other than another tree. When she had made a full circle and still saw no signs of human life, Kagome froze. Whirling around in a quick one-eighty, Kagome realized the well, the shed, and Destiny had vanished as if they had never been.

`How...?'

She glanced frantically in every direction, praying that she would spot the small child. Destiny was the only way back to the others. How was she supposed to get back without her?

Kagome bit her lip nervously as she noticed, for the first time, the small hills of grass poking out of the waters of the lake, like so many stepping stones. They were almost exactly the size of her feet. Was she supposed to follow Destiny into the forest? What if this island disappeared, too?

Minutes dragged before Kagome finally decided that sitting in the middle of the lake wouldn't get her back to the feudal era any faster. Her best idea was to find out where she was, not to lose sight of her personal island, and pray she could get back to her friends--and him.

Tentatively, she hopped onto the nearest hillock of grass, glancing behind her as she did so. Her island was still there.

Its presence encouraged her, and she hopped across three more of the 'stepping stones' before taking another peek. Seeing that the island was still visible, her cheeks flushed, and she felt like a child who was afraid her mother would desert her. Kagome hurried to the edge of the lake before she could stop herself, and quickly turned for a final look at her island. Still there.

Shrugging, Kagome began to circle the small lake, never daring to go more than a few feet from the edge. The trees appeared to be endless in every direction, and Kagome wasn't the least bit eager to journey out of sight of the lake. She didn't need to add getting lost to her list of problems.

Yet, almost against her will, her feet slowed to a stop, and her eyes stared at a tempting clump of grass. She couldn't resist the urge, and finally crossed the line into the forest's shadows. Her thoughts became fuzzier with every step she took. Her vision began to blur, and each step was taking more and more concentration.

The sound of the trees shifting made her suddenly aware of how quiet the rest of the forest was. She didn't even hear any birds. Muzzily, she peered up into the trees to see if there even were any and, in doing so, failed to notice an upturned tree root. She tumbled to the ground, rolling on grass that was every bit as soft as it had looked. Dazed and disoriented, Kagome numbly wondered how mere ground could feel so perfect. She instinctively rolled to her side and pulled her knees up to her chest, ready for a well-deserved nap.

Her eyes were already closing when she felt something press against her back. Kagome sluggishly picked her head up off her sweet-smelling pillow, and found a pair of enormous red eyes staring down a white snout.

Her nap was instantly forgotten as Kagome jerked up. For one joyous moment, Kagome thought it might be Inuyasha, but then she realized that this dog demon was much bigger, maybe even bigger than Sesshoumaru. His coat was much longer as well, with curling locks of hair trailing from his heels, and tangled waves framing his face and chest like a mane.

Heart pounding, Kagome scrambled backwards on the heels of her hands. The demon followed, pressing his nose right into her face. His nostrils flared to the size of tires, and Kagome balked when he inhaled deeply enough for her hair to tickle his nose. How could he have snuck up on her? He stood taller than most of the trees, and he was—

She stopped. She couldn't sense him. He stood two feet away from her, but she couldn't feel any life pouring off of him. It was as if he were nothing but air.

What was going on?!

The demon's bright eyes narrowed and, to Kagome's great relief, he took several steps back. He kept his gaze focused solely on her as he drew back, however, as if he were afraid to let her out of his sight.

Maybe there were more demons. If she wasn't able to sense him, it was very likely there were others she wasn't aware of. Perfect time for her powers to blink out on her...

To Kagome's astonishment, the demon's jaws parted, and a warm baritone voice came out. “You are the one he protects? I wouldn't think a miko as powerful as yourself would need his protection.”

Kagome gaped at him in astonishment. Only the most powerful demons were able to speak while in their full demon form. "Who are you?" she blurted out.

He regarded her gravely, as a king might stare down at his subject. “A long time ago, I was Inuyasha's father.”

Kagome gasped.

“I only knew my son for a few minutes,” he went on, with something like a sad smile on his canine features, “but that was enough. I did not hesitate to die for he and his mother.”

Kagome froze as her mind put two and two together.

“I'm dead,” she mumbled, all the energy evaporating from her body. “Aren't I?”

“Yes,” he replied, not unkindly.

“And this place,” she continued, sounding very calm for someone who had just died “...this is heaven?”

He blinked at her, seemingly startled for a moment. “This is the place between heaven and earth. It is where the souls wait for their turn to be reincarnated.”

“Reincarnated?” Kagome started as another thought occurred to her. “You mean, I wasn't worthy of heaven?”

His huge eyes brightened, and Kagome wondered if he was laughing at her. With what Kagome would almost call a very familiar smirk, the dead Lord of the West turned towards the deeper confines of the forest. She thought he was going to leave her as he started into the trees, but he glanced over his white shoulder and said, “Walk with me, Kagome.”

She wondered vaguely how he knew her, but all she really cared about was finding out how to get back. Silently, she followed the demon into the unknown, staying well behind him as they went.

She was slightly uncomfortable around him. It wasn't just the fact that he was one of the strongest demons who had ever lived; he was also Inuyasha's father. Nervously, she wondered what his feelings towards her were. Was he happy that Inuyasha had found friendship with her? Did he know that she loved his son? And, if he did, did he approve?

His red eyes turned to examine her as they walked, making Kagome stand a little straighter. He smiled at her reaction. “Come walk beside me, little one. I care to know the one my son has so graciously favored.”

`Favored?' Kagome blushed. She dared not hope what that could mean. She would hate to be disappointed.

She quickly hurried to walk next to his shoulder. He stared at her for several moments before speaking. “It is easy to say you are confused.”

`Definitely.'

She glanced up at him shyly. “How did it happen, exactly?”

He looked down at her, and her face became redder. “Dying, I mean. I thought I was in the Shikon Jewel earlier. How did I get out?”

“Put your soul to rest, little one,” he answered softly. “You didn't die.”

She frowned, confused. Didn't he just say a second ago that she was dead? “Then how can I be here? Why am I here?”

“You were called here,” he answered serenely.

Kagome's frown deepened. “Meaning?”

“You are the second person ever to purify a horde of demons,” he replied, eyes set forward again. “You also purified a Jewel of Four Souls. What you have done is a miracle.”

“So what?” Kagome answered, flushing slightly. “Why was I brought here?”

He regarded her evenly. “I'm explaining. Let me finish, please.”

“Sorry,” she mumbled, turning even more red.

He nodded at her apology. “You are the first and possibly the last person to purify an army of both demons and humans.”

Kagome suddenly came to a halt, then scrambled to regain her position beside him. “What do you mean, demons and humans?”

He stopped abruptly, and Kagome found herself directly in front of the enormous white dog. His head lowered slowly to her level, and he stared deeply into her eyes, making certain she understand the enormity of his next words.

“You have known for a long time, Kagome, that humans are no different from demons when it comes to morality,” he said gently, watching her carefully. “Both can be selfish and murderous. The only difference is in the measure of their strength. Great power can corrupt anyone, and demons are no different. It's easy to believe you can own the world if you are powerful enough to keep it under your control. We believed that humans, along with the rest of the world's inhabitants, belonged to us, that we could do whatever we wanted with them.”

`Sort of how people in my time look at animals,' Kagome thought. ' We're the important ones, and they're the lower beings, because we have the power.'

“I cannot deny that I believed those lies,” he continued. “It's hard to change your mind when you are raised believing something.”

“But you met Inuyasha's mother,” Kagome interrupted softly. “That's what changed your mind.”

“Isayoi was a beautiful woman,” the great demon said wistfully, a softness in his eyes. “I happened to see her one day as I was surverying my lands, and I was instantly drawn to her. In short, I was charmed by her beauty, and soon grew to love her for her heart. At the time, I was mated to Sakura, and I had fathered Sesshoumaru two decades earlier. I think it was hard for him, watching me drift from the teachings his mother and I had so viciously beat into him. He must have thought me quite the hypocrite.”

“You hit him?” Kagome asked, shocked.

“It wasn't uncommon for demons to strike their offspring,” he replied matter-of-factly. “It was thought that it made the young into stronger adults. But now, looking at Sesshoumaru, I wish I had never stolen his heart. I wish he could have found what I did, what Inuyasha did.”

Kagome's face grew hot, sensing the statement was directed towards her. Inuyasha had changed a great deal since the first day they met, and she was secretly proud of the fact that she had managed to soften his heart a little. But she doubted he loved her like Inuyasha's father had loved Isayoi.

“Anyway,” Inuyasha's father continued, “it wasn't long before I realized there was an absolution above demon and human, something that set our two kinds as equals. Once I had realized this, I took Isayoi to be my soul mate.”

He said the last part firmly, completely proud of his choice. Kagome smiled warmly, thinking of Inuyasha for a moment. She was proud of her love for him, too.

“When you pushed your heart out last night,” the dog demon said, “you didn't just affect all of the demons, but all of the humans, as well. Mind you, humans have more purity in their hearts than most demons, but they all possess some measure of evil within them. Every being is born with evil in their heart.”

Kagome lowered her eyes thoughtfully. “That's why I failed to purify everyone. I had selfish desires. That cold darkness I was in earlier didn't have anything to do with the demons' auras; that was inside my own heart.”

He nodded gravely. “Your soul is not as dark as most, but you are still not a stainless being. Therefore, your heart was transformed into a jewel, lying in wait for someone to break the seal.”

“But how can the seal be broken?” she questioned. “If everyone is impure, then how can we find someone pure enough to break the Shikon's seal?”

He smiled softly. “I believe it has something to do with love. Love comes from the purest, most unselfish depths of our hearts, after all, so the love between two people is probably the only force pure and strong enough to unbind the jewel's prison.”

Kagome's heart sped faster. `Inuyasha.'

He regarded her silently. Kagome had a feeling he already knew the extent of her relationship to his son. He waited several moments, letting her absorb everything he had told her before continuing.

“Your wish broke the first Shikon, and your love for him and your people broke the second.”

Kagome began to wonder if her face would ever turn back to its normal color. Coughing nervously, she said, “So, I did succeed in purifying everyone. Is Inuyasha okay?”

The lord laughed gently, sounding like a cross between a bark and a cough. His pearly mane shook and the light caught its sheen, blinding Kagome for a moment. “Always thinking of everyone but yourself, eh, little one?”

Stepping forward, Kagome completely ignored the statement. “What happened? Is he still a full demon? Or did he go back to a hanyou? He hasn't been turned into a human, has he?”

“Hush,” the dog demon soothed, nuzzling her cheek with his snout in a comforting gesture. "Inuyasha is fine. You saved him.”

All of her tension evaporated at the words. Her eyes closed as she sighed, her relief intense and overwhelming. “Thank God.”

He chuckled, and he gently pushed her forward with his snout. “We have to hurry. There is someone we must see before you leave.”

Kagome struggled to stay on her feet. He didn't seem to realize how strong he was; he'd nearly knocked her over. “I'm leaving?”

“You're only here for a visit.” His chuckle vibrated against her back as the flat of his brow pressed her on. “Hurry, little one. She's waiting.”

“She?” Kagome's mind whirled. She didn't see anyone else in any direction for miles. “Who's waiting?” she asked again as he came back to her side.

He didn't answer, merely picking up the pace instead. Kagome almost had to jog to keep up. She kept her gaze forward, picking out the rocks and roots that would easily trip her clumsy feet. She doubted he would leave her if she fell behind, but she didn't want to eat dirt in front of Inuyasha's dad.

They hadn't been traveling for very long before they were forced to push through a clump of dense brush, coming face to face with the last person Kagome had expected to see. The forest suddenly felt very cold.

“Kikyo,” she whispered.

The former priestess, for the first time ever, smiled at her reincarnation. “Hello, Kagome.”

She looked exactly the same as Kagome remembered her, except that her hair was loose and she wore a white kimono now instead of the distinct robes of a priestess. Still, despite her familiar appearance, Kagome couldn't help gaping at her in shock. Why would Kikyo request to see her?

“You must hurry, Lady Kikyo,” Inuyasha's father reminded them, interrupting their little staring match. “I'll stay and wait for her to return while you speak with Kagome.”

“Who's going to return?” Kagome asked nervously, not the least bit eager to go on, alone, with Kikyo. They had never been on good terms, and even though the miko appeared to be friendlier, she wasn't particularly eager to find out if it was all a show for Inuyasha's father's sake. “Why was I brought here? And who brought me?”

“Those questions will be answered later,” he said patiently as he turned back to the time traveler. “Right now you must go with Lady Kikyo. She wishes to speak with you.”

Kagome looked at the priestess, wondering at the slightly pleading look in her eyes. What did they have to talk about? The only thing the two of them had ever really discussed was Inuyasha, and she definitely didn't want to hear Kikyo's dying wish for her to keep away from him.

“Well…” Kagome hesitated, looking between the two. “What exactly do you want to talk about?”

Kikyo's eyes sparkled, and the gigantic dog demon didn't hesitate as he walked back the way he had come. Kagome watched the woman approach anxiously, suddenly wishing she were hundreds of miles away. The woman bowed her head, then faced Kagome with something like resolve.

“I know we've never spoken on good terms, but please understand, I have only the best of intentions,” Kikyo said, her tone subdued.

`Best intentions? Yeah, right,' Kagome thought bitterly, studying the former miko for signs of sincerity.

Kikyo glanced at her as if she had heard the girl's inner thoughts, and Kagome quickly looked away, embarrassed.

“I was jealous of you the moment I found out you were alive,” Kikyo began, her voice sounding oddly forced. “I died unfairly. I lived only a short while, and yet my heart was full of sadness.”

Kagome stared off into the distant brush, already feeling the twinge of jealousy. They stood perfectly still next to each other, finding it easier to handle the situation without looking at one another.

“I was a priestess, as you know,” the woman continued. “Everyone knew that was to be my destiny, even when I was very young. My powers were surprisingly strong by the time I was only twelve, and I was enslaved into my holy destiny when I was barely fifteen. No one ever saw me as a girl, with dreams and desires. I was a girl who would turn around a village, bring hope in a time of war. No one ever considered that I might want to be just an ordinary woman, someone who would till the fields and raise a family.”

Kagome knew exactly where this was going.

“Even though he never realized it, Inuyasha made me feel like I could be more than a priestess.”

“I thought I could finally have everything I'd ever wanted...but then Naraku tricked Inuyasha and I into believing we had betrayed one another. I was filled with so much hate. I felt as if everything had been stolen from me.”

Kagome thought back to the times she had seen Kikyo and Inuyasha together, and realized she, too, had felt this way.

“Then I was brought back to life, and I found you with him. You had the life I had always wanted. You were allowed to be yourself completely. You weren't forced to be a priestess, but you chose it. You were able to love a half-demon completely, without any of my own reservations or prejudices.”

Kagome slowly turned, coming to face the woman she had fought against for so long. She looked like a porcelain doll in her white kimono.

“I wanted you to understand,” Kikyo whispered, her eyes holding within them a warmth and sincerity they had never possessed when she had walked as one of the undead. “I wanted you to understand why I hated everyone, even Inuyasha. You were allowed a second chance, while I was to be left with nothing. You may be my spirit reborn, but my life ended fifty-four years ago. I will never be able to regain the past. Inuyasha realized that.”

Kagome stared outright at her, unable to hold back the question that jumped from her lips. “He did?”

Kikyo smiled, and genuine happiness reached her dark eyes. “Why else did he wish for me to pass on, instead of live again?”

Kagome had no answer. Kikyo went on eagerly. “Over a month ago, you purified the Shikon with a wish for his happiness. You never considered what it would take to make him happy. He wished for your own happiness, Kagome.”

Heart beating at a million miles an hour, Kagome could do nothing but regard her in shock. “W-what?”

“He wanted to be with you,” Kikyo said gently. She seemed to be slightly uncomfortable in divulging Inuyasha's innermost desires, but she obviously thought that Kagome needed to hear this. “But he didn't want to ask you to leave your time. More so, he felt responsible for me, and didn't feel it was right to simply walk away to be with someone else, especially when he felt he had no right to ask you to stay.”

Kagome fidgeted under the woman's intense gaze, feeling a bit sorry that Kikyo had learned of all this. It had been enough of a blow for Kagome herself whenever she was reminded that Inuyasha still cared for Kikyo. She could only imagine how Kikyo felt...

“That's why you were able to purify the Shikon, Kagome. No wish is unselfish. Even yours bent to the selfish desires of another. The wish became unselfish when you both wanted nothing more than the happiness of the other, a wish made from only the deepest of love.”

Kagome's heart felt close to bursting now, and her face was scarlet. “He loves me?” she whispered, still not daring to believe it.

Kikyo nodded, seeming genuinely excited, to Kagome's astonishment. She latched her hands onto Kagome's own, startling the girl. The former miko leaned over with the brightest smile Kagome had ever seen on her face and said, “I don't have his love, but I don't care. He gave me himself during that short time we had together. It's strange, but...I feel like I don't need it anymore. Here in this place, I'm not a priestess or the protector of the Shikon Jewel. I am merely myself And that is enough.”

Kagome studied the woman very carefully, not really believing her. “That's it? You don't care about...us...anymore?”

Kikyo chuckled softly, regarding the forest once more. “I told you it was strange,” she said. “Here, I am at peace. I don't need his love anymore to feel…complete.”

Watching the former miko's softened features, Kagome was suddenly filled with a new respect for Kikyo. She wasn't lying when she said she was happy. She might not have given them her blessing exactly, but she was right; it was enough.

“Thank you,” Kagome told her, and meant it.

Kikyo turned back to her and smiled. “You're welcome.”

Kagome couldn't help grinning back at her. All the anxiety she had been harboring against the other woman had vanished as if it had never been, and she thought how perfect it would be to have a snapshot of the moment. They were in the perfect setting, too. The light even glanced off of Kikyo's ebony crown like a halo. Kagome inwardly wondered if she was as pretty as her ancestor, or if Kikyo saw her as pretty.

“I am afraid time grows short, ladies.”

Kagome turned, surprised to see Inuyasha's father standing a few yards away, his white hair swaying in the breeze. Kikyo seemed less than pleased at the sight of him, which surprised Kagome anew. Kagome didn't think she would ever see the day when Kikyo would be sad to see her go.

Kagome nodded and walked silently to where the white dog demon stood waiting. As they turned to leave, Kikyo's soft voice reached her ears. “Kagome, can you give Inuyasha a message for me?”

The girl turned. "Of course."

“Tell him,” Kikyo said shyly, “that I'm very happy for him.”

It almost sounded as if she had wanted to say, 'for both of you,' but had lost the courage. Kagome had never thought of Kikyo as being afraid of anything.

“Sure,” Kagome agreed, her eyes soft. Their gaze held for a short breath before Kagome finally let go, taking the last steps to the demon's side. She couldn't help taking a final backwards glance at Kikyo, however. She wasn't too surprised to see only sunlit forest. Ironically, Kagome was sad that she was gone.

“We need to be leaving, little one,” Inuyasha's father said gently, nudging her with his nose.

With tears beginning to glisten in her eyes, Kagome mumbled an apology and quickly followed him into the array of shadows. She blinked rapidly once they had stepped fully into the darkness, surprised by how black the woods could be in the middle of the day. Afraid she would lose sight of the giant dog, her hand hastily grabbed onto a hank of his coarse white fur.

“Where are we going?” she asked nervously. She could barely see her hand against his white fur, and the darkness was deathly quiet. Even if it was silly, she was afraid of speaking above a whisper.

“I am bringing you to one last place before you return to my son,” he answered briefly. She guessed he was concentrating on navigating them through the forest.

“I'm going to see him again?” she asked excitedly, her heart nearly bursting. She suddenly wished desperately that she could see the noble's face more clearly.

She heard him chuckle next to her ear, and wondered how he was able to find her so easily without bumping her. “You didn't think you would stay here forever, did you?”

“Well, no,” she answered quickly, feeling a bit foolish. “But I am standing in a spiritual realm, after all!”

“Kagome.” Her name left his lips tenderly in the dark, reminding her, strangely, of how her mother would say her name sometimes. “I know Lady Kikyo has already requested your help, but might I ask for it as well?”

She automatically tried to see his expression, but gave up after a few moments. “Absolutely,” she said.

She felt a bit of the tension in his shoulder relax beneath her fingers. He hesitated for a moment before continuing on their way, the darkness somehow becoming thicker with each step. “Pass a message to each of my sons.”

Well, telling Inuyasha would be simple enough, but Sesshoumaru was a different matter. She was still a bit apprehensive about what had happened between them earlier. Nevertheless, Kagome nodded her assent. “Sure.”

The demon lord's discomfort was almost palpable. “Tell Inuyasha that...I wish I could have done more for him.”

Kagome wondered how Inuyasha would react to that. He had never had anything good to say about his father. She believed the half-demon was bitter at having been left alone and unable to defend his mother. She hoped he would be willing to listen to her; she didn't think the huge demon deserved anger from both of his sons.

The noble took a deep breath. “And tell Sesshoumaru, I am glad he found something to protect.”

Her face grew hot once again as she remembered how Sesshoumaru had stood between her and the Blood Four. She was glad the darkness hid her from the noble's knowing eyes.

“I'll tell them the next time I see them.” She did her best to keep her voice from sounding suspiciously uneven.

“Thank you,” the demon lord said simply.

Suddenly, all the hairs on the back of Kagome's neck stood up. The ground felt unnaturally leveled, and the faded outline of a wall appeared, blocking her way. She just barely stopped herself from running headfirst into it, realizing, in the same moment, that Inuyasha's father had vanished, along with the forest. Whirling around, Kagome squinted and saw an identical wall had sprung up behind her, boxing her in. Seeing the ladder on her right, Kagome knew she had returned to the well.

With nowhere else to go, the girl shrugged and began climbing the twelve feet to the top. Since there was no view of the sky, it was possible she had returned to the twenty-first century, though she supposed it could be another dimension. Pulling her knee over the edge and straddling the well's rim, Kagome stared intently at the pair of doors outlined in sunlight.

Where had fate placed her now? She had passed through time and mortality. Surely she could take whatever they decided to throw at her next.

With renewed faith stirring inside her, Kagome opened the doors without fear, her only thought that Inuyasha was waiting for her. She hastily flung an arm over her eyes as she stepped through the doorway. The light wasn't ridiculously bright, just unfamiliar.

Kagome blinked rapidly at the sudden tears that filled her eyes. The house, the God Tree, the new garden—it was all there. Her hands shook at her sides as she noticed her mom's car down in the driveway. She guessed it was some time in the afternoon. Souta and Grandpa would be home.

Kagome stood uncertainly, unsure of herself for a moment. What was she supposed to tell them? Did it matter that she had nearly died purifying an entire army? Was anything she had done so important?

Her eyes locked on the back door of the house, half-expecting someone to burst out and find her. Seconds passed into minutes, and Kagome vaguely wondered if she was dreaming. Or had she woken from a dream? She looked at her clothes and sighed in relief when she saw Inuyasha's red overshirt. All the exhaustion and blood loss must have fried her brain.

“Kagome?”

Her eyes slid closed as she heard her brother's voice, relishing the high-pitched squeak. She didn't realize how badly she had missed him.

When she looked up, he was staring back at her from the corner of the house. A shovel was in his hand, and fresh dirt was matted to his knees. With tears streaming down her cheeks, Kagome lifted up a hand in greeting. “Hey.”

“Kagome's back!” he screamed at the top his lungs, dropping the shovel and barreling towards her. Old memories of the two of them as children flashed through her head, and she wondered how she had endured being without him for so long. He crashed into her, and they hugged each other until they were both breathless, Souta exclaiming the entire time, “You're really back!”

“Yeah," she said quietly, tucking his head under her chin. She stared at some point on the ground as her emotions raced wildly. She was so glad to be home, to hold her brother close, and to know that she hadn't lost them. She would never regret staying in the feudal era, but she had missed her family terribly.

Even so, the warmth of their reunion was swiftly fading to cold apprehension. Inuyasha's father said she would see Inuyasha and the others again. Did that mean the well was open? If she went through it, would she still be able to come back? Would she have to choose between her two homes again?

“Kagome? Is that really you?”

Her grandfather stood in the open back door, clutching the frame for support with a wrinkled hand. Kagome smiled through her worries and pulled away from her brother. Her grandfather hobbled over to his granddaughter as fast as he was able, his face alight with joy. She met him halfway, and he enveloped her in as large a hug as he could manage. His arthritis didn't make it easy for him to stretch his short arms around her lithe frame, but he didn't care how many pills he would need later to dull the pain. His oldest grandchild was back when he had thought her dead. When they had first found the letter in the garden over a month ago, he had one of his many panic attacks, and had been bedridden for several days. Souta had barely left his room, no matter how much his mother encouraged him to go out and see his classmates. They had all missed her terribly.

Angrily, he grabbed his granddaughter's arms and pushed her back so he could look her in the face. “Don't you ever do that again!”

Kagome's eyes dropped for a moment as she realized how worried he must have been. “I didn't really have much of a choice,” she answered truthfully.

His frown slipped into a weary grin. “We should've known you'd get sick of that demon's attitude eventually.”

Kagome shook her head and hugged her grandfather again. She inhaled deeply, the scent of incense and candles imprinted on his robes. He was probably doing a lot of praying to their ancestors lately. She couldn't recall him ever smelling so musty, at least not since her father had died.

Her eyes opened of their own volition, and saw her mother smiling at her from the doorway, seeming not at all surprised by her daughter's sudden reappearance. Fifteen years instantly disappeared, and Kagome ran to her mother, crying like a four-year old. “Mom!”

Burying her face in her mother's shoulder, Kagome let go of everything she had been holding in. Mrs. Higurashi stroked her daughter's hair lightly and whispered soothing words in her ear, and it was as if she'd never left. It felt so good to be in her mother's arms, as if everything could be fixed simply because her mom was there.

After four hours of storytelling and a few cups of herbal tea, Kagome sighed contentedly, listening to her brother and grandpa laugh over an incident that took place last week at the supermarket. Her mother smiled affectionately at the two, offering another cup of tea to her daughter. Kagome basked in the warmth of her family, happy to be with them again...but knowing there were other people waiting for her...people who still thought she was dead...

Kagome nervously leaned forward, bringing her hands into her lap. “I'm so glad I was able to come back. It wasn't fair that I never got to say goodbye.”

The room was instantly silenced. Kagome met their confused gazes with a look of quiet determination. Souta glanced at his mother before saying, in a small voice, “You're not staying.”

Kagome gazed back at him, her face set. “No.”

Her grandfather and brother began protesting at the same time, each doing their best to talk over the other.

“Your place is here!” her grandfather stated, slamming both palms loudly against the table.

Her brother was on his feet, betrayal shining in his eyes. “You just got back! Why do you have to go?”

Kagome anxiously looked at her mother, knowing that if she disapproved, too, she wouldn't have the strength to leave. But her mother only nodded, understanding and sympathy in her eyes.

Blinking rapidly, Kagome turned back to her brother and grandfather. They stared at her intently, ready to object to anything she said, so instead of using strategy, she answered them with honesty.

“I love him.”

Their eyes grew wide, and her mother sighed happily. No one needed to know who she was talking about, or worry that she was overreacting. They all secretly knew the one thing that would keep her in the past. Still, their understanding didn't stop it all from hurting so much.

“You promise to visit,” her brother insisted. Kagome regarded her brother quietly, noticing for the first time that he had changed into a young, slender preteen while she had been passing through dimensions for the last four years. There was no way she was going to miss out on his first serious love, or his need for her sisterly shoulder.

“I don't want to leave all of you,” she said, fighting to keep her voice calm, her hands twisting at the material of her jeans. “You will always be able to hear from me if I get stuck in the past again, but...I don't want to go on with my life, never knowing what's happened to all of you. I don't think I could live like that. I will do everything possible to come back to you. Never doubt that.”

“We never would.” Her mother got to her feet to stand by her son. Placing a hand on his shoulder, Mrs. Higuarshi eased her son back to his seat on the floor. “We just want you to be happy, wherever you are.”

Kagome blushed as she looked down at the table. “I know he loves me. He hasn't told me yet, but I know he does. That's all I ever wanted.”

“Well, that's enough for us,” her mother said firmly, coming to stand beside her nervous daughter. Kagome quickly looked to her brother and grandfather, and felt a great rush of relief as the two men nodded grudgingly. She didn't deserve these people.

With a small grunt of pain, her grandfather leaned across the table, taking her soft hand in his wrinkled one. She stared down at the blue lines stretching across his knuckles, her heart warming.

“We do want you to be happy, Kagome,” he whispered, just as Souta came around the table and hugged her around the neck. She wrapped an arm loosely around her brother, looking back at her aging grandfather. His eyes weren't as bright as they used to be. She wondered, with a stab of fear, how much longer her grandfather had to live. He had always been strong and energetic for his age, surpassing other senior citizens with the amount of work he regularly did around the shrine, but his health had greatly deteriorated in the last two years. She could feel the lack of strength in his grip, the tremble in his hand. She guessed he had a few years left, possibly five if he was lucky.

She was terrified to think that he might leave her before she was married; she had always just assumed that he would be at her wedding. An image of Inuyasha flashed in her head, and she hastily brought that train of thought to a screeching halt. She shouldn't think so far ahead. Even though she now knew for certain that Inuyasha loved her, they were far from admitting it to each other.

“Souta, why don't you help your grandfather to bed, and get him his medicine. I need to talk to your sister for a moment.”

After her son nodded and began to do as she bid, Mrs. Higuarshi smiled at her daughter. “Why don't you come for a walk with me, Kagome? The evenings are wonderfully cool this time of year.”

Kagome's eyebrows shot up, and her brother gave them a sidelong glance before disappearing down the hallway with their hobbling grandfather. Her mother's reassuring smile made her stomach drop like a rock. Her mother never wanted to take a walk with her unless it was to escape her brother and grandfather's eavesdropping. And when had her grandfather started taking medication?

Kagome nodded hesitantly, her nervousness growing as she obediently stood and followed her mother towards the door. The flush of summer overtook her the moment she stepped outside. She almost lost herself in the scent of flowers from the garden and the heat of the waning sun. Disregarding her daughter's hesitation, Mrs. Higurashi walked towards the God Tree, head bowed. Kagome was back by her side in a few short steps. She snuck a glance at her mother and noticed a lingering sadness in her smile. Kagome was hardly surprised. What mother wouldn't be sad that her oldest child was leaving her...again?

“Kagome,” her mother began, halting beneath the pink umbrella of the God Tree. “Are you sure about your decision?”

Kagome frowned. “Mom, you know I wouldn't do this unless I was sure.”

Her mother's brown eyes rose to the tree's branches. She seemed to look beyond the petals, at a distant point Kagome couldn't see. Mrs. Higurashi had known all along what Kagome's answer would be, but she still wanted to hear her daughter's confidence spoken. She wouldn't be able to move on without that small bit of proof.

Tears filled her brilliant eyes, and the sunset's red glow caught in their watery reflection. Mrs. Higuarshi turned to her daughter. “Let's hurry, before it gets too dark.”

“Hurry where, mom?” Kagome asked innocently, following her mother towards the shrine's steps.

“There a few things I need to tell you,” her mother answered, taking the steps swiftly enough that Kagome was hard-pressed to keep up. “When we found the letter in the garden, I feared we would never see you again.”

The sadness that bled from her words made Kagome feel guilty for never being able to come back home. She was preoccupied with Rashu and the demons, true, but perhaps she could've tried harder to find a way back...

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, her mother turned right and hastened down the sidewalk before continuing. “I promised to tell you everything if you came back to us.”

“What do you mean?” Kagome asked, looking at her mother expectantly.

Mrs. Higuarshi stared straight ahead. “I never told you the whole truth about your father.”

Kagome could only stare. A person could only absorb so many shocks in one day, right?

“His death was hard on me,” her mother said. “We'd only been married for seven years, and then...we found out he had cancer.”

The last word seemed to reverberate through Kagome's head.

“There was a lump on his back,” she continued, her words growing softer with each passing breath. They passed two blocks, three. “For a few months, he struggled back and forth between work and chemotherapy, but it was too much, too fast. I was forced to take back my job at the hospital as a nurse, and your grandfather kept to the shrine. But even then, two years of being bedridden and constantly visiting the hospital became too much.”
Kagome sucked in her breath, faintly remembering him being gone all the time, and her mother looking exhausted when she came home from school. “Why didn't you tell me?”

“How could we?” her mother whispered desperately, and Kagome's heart broke to hear her mother like this. Her mother was her rock. She knew her that her father's death must have been hard on her, but she'd never heard her sound so lost...

“You were barely four when we found out he only had a few months left,” Mrs. Higuarshi said softly, passing a pair of iron gates. “It was so hard on him, knowing that he was too weak to play with you, that he would never see you grow up. He said he couldn't see you cry over him everyday, so he asked me not to tell you. He wanted to spend his last days bringing a smile to your face.”

Kagome's tears trembled on her chin as the memory of his face slowly developed in her mind, like a yellowed photograph. She remembered his eyes, how dull they had been the last time she saw him. Her hands clenched at her sides as they passed rows of white stones. A gardener glanced at them before turning back to his work. By now, she knew exactly where her mother was headed. Her eyes were fixed on a single headstone, looming several rows ahead.

“It was so hard, watching him fade away from me.” Her mother began to cry, her words slurring together. “He was in so much pain. The cancer had spread, and each day it became harder for him to breath. Do you remember when your father and I went away for a few weeks? Well, that was when he was condemned to the hospital. During that time, I found out I was pregnant.”

They stopped at the ninth row. Her mother refused to go further, instead staring down at her husband's grave, anguish in her eyes.

“I almost didn't tell him,” she confessed. “I was afraid he would feel about guilty leaving me to care for you both. He already felt terrible, knowing he would never be there for his children.”

“But you did tell him eventually,” her daughter stated.

Mrs. Higurashi didn't answer right away, but when she did, she spoke with longing. “Yes. He deserved to know that he would have another child. He was so happy.”

Kagome stared at his grave, her chest heaving. She had always thought it was an accident, a military loss, anything but this great suffering her mother described. No wonder her mother had never been able to talk about it, and her grandfather refused to say anything on her behalf. She remembered being angry with her mother for her silence, and guilt filled her. Why couldn't she have been a better daughter? Her mother had needed her; she should have been there for her...

“He even told me I should find someone new to love.” Her mother's voice had become strangely hollow. “But I've never wanted to. I've been happy taking care of you two by myself. Maybe someday I'll remarry, but for now, I'm satisfied with the way things are.”

Kagome wasn't sure what to think of it all. She was dealing with her father's death all over again, but this time it seemed so much harder to live with. Her parents had been in love, and fate had stolen him from her life, from their lives. But there was no point in getting angry. It wouldn't remove the six feet of earth that covered him.

She wondered if he would have proud to have her as his daughter. Did he see her from heaven? Was he able to watch her pass through time and dimension?

Kagome wiped away such idle thoughts, concentrating on her mother. The woman did not have the demeanor of one who had completed her confession. There was one piece of the puzzle she was holding back; Kagome was certain of it. As if to confirm Kagome's intuition, Mrs. Higurashi's fingers slipped into her own, gently tugging her forward.

As they passed her father's grave, Kagome looked to her mother, confused. She stole one last glance at the place where her father had been laid to rest, before turning to face the graves at the edge of the trimmed yard, where they now stood. The last of the graves were older than the others, perhaps as old as the shrine itself, and kept apart from the others within a battered iron fence. Reaching the last rows, Mrs. Higuarshi crossed into the dozens of looming squares as Kagome watched her with growing apprehension. Kagome had the impression she had been there before, but her grandmother was nowhere near here, and her father's parents were in another graveyard all together. She couldn't recall when, if ever, she had visited this part. Who did her mother know that rested here?

“When you first disappeared, I was terrified,” her mother began again, her eyes carefully studying the names on the headstones. “But after we found out what happened, I never kept you from going to the feudal era.”

Kagome looked at her mother through the corner of her eye as a strange, knowing feeling churned in her stomach. She glanced at one of the graves; it's occupant had died in the 1500s. These were people from the feudal era. Her eyes grew wide as she thought she recognized an enormous, flat stone near the center. Was it really Kaede's?

Suddenly, Kagome realized where this was going. “Mom, when did you find these?”

“A month after you first disappeared,” her mother replied, finally coming to a complete stop.

Kagome hesitated for a moment before daring to look down at the grave. There were several spider cracks crossing over the words, and the stone was so worn that it was difficult to read most of the writing. Yet the single word radiated from its face, only the first two letters rubbed away: `—gurashi.'

Kagome frowned. “Mom, that could be anyone. It's probably one of our ancestors.”

“Maybe,” her mother said, shrugging. “But I doubt there are many Inuyasha's around.”

There it was, his name, looming two feet from her relative's headstone. Even more surprising than the idea of finding her own grave was finding his, especially given the fact that he had taken her last name as his own: `Inuyasha Higurashi.'

Her whole body began trembling as she knelt in front of the moss-covered headstone. Her eyes hastily darted to the date, and she gave a sigh of relief when she realized it was set eighty years after the first day they had met. That meant he would live a full life, at least in human years.

“Is this how you knew I wasn't lying?” Kagome questioned, her fingers digging into the shallow crevices of the letters.

Her mother didn't speak, only nodded. Kagome glanced at the other stone. “You think that's my grave, huh?” Kagome studied it carefully, noting that there was no date of birth on this one, only a date of death. It was the same year as Inuyasha's.

The short paragraph under the date was almost nonexistent, so faint were the words. There was no way to be sure it was her grave, unless they exhumed the body...but could DNA survive for that long? She had never been good in biology.

“I knew what would happen once I had found it,” her mother whispered behind her. “Mothers may be wise, but I'm not psychic. Each time you went through the well, I knew there was a chance you wouldn't come back. But when I found Inuyasha's grave, I realized you would be happy there. Most of all, I just wanted you to be able to visit us.”

Kagome hung her head, staring numbly at a crack in the sidewalk. Is that what it all meant? That she would be happy in the past?

“Don't let yourself believe that you don't have a decision to make now, Kagome,” her mother instructed firmly, putting both hands on her daughter's shoulders. “This may in fact be your grave, but it doesn't have to be.”

The young woman nodded from where she crouched on the ground, deep in thought. How could everything suddenly be so perfect, so easy?

Her mother's arms wrapped around her, and Kagome lifted her eyes to the sky. `Did you always know, Destiny?'

“Yep,” the little girl whispered, hidden behind the trees in the orchard, towards the back of the graveyard. She smiled softly through her tears. “I just didn't know it was all so magical.”

Laughing gleefully, the little girl twirled on her toes and began to jog towards the back of the orchard. She had been waiting forever to see that moment. The stories they had told of their hardships during the war hadn't done justice to the real thing. She hadn't really believed in the devotion between the human and the hanyou, but there was no denying it now that she had seen all that.

“Kouhai!”

The girl froze in mid-step, nearly flying into the tall, willowy figure standing in her path. Kouhai smiled sheepishly at the miko's angry face. “Hi, Mom.”

Kagome crossed her arms, trying to restrain herself from throttling her youngest daughter. “I told you to stop crossing through the well! You know how dangerous it is to mess with time.”

“But I didn't go through the well!” Kouhai cried stubbornly, mirroring her mother's stance. “I took dad's rosary.”

Kagome's head dropped into her palms, but the little girl's acute hearing caught her mother's muffled curses anyways. “Forgot about that blasted thing! I should have sealed it!”

Kouhai grinned, proud of herself as she showed off the red beads looped over her wrist. “You told us it was the beads that allowed Dad to travel to your time. You told us they were carved from the God Tree.”

Kagome glared pointedly at her, scaring the smile off the child's face. “And just what did you plan to do with the tree's powers?”

Kouhai nervously rocked on her heels, her black bangs covering her eyes. “It's just…you and dad are always fighting.”

“He and I don't fight that much, Kouhai,” her mother protested.

“Yeah, right,” the girl mumbled wearily. “This morning you were fighting about going to the hot springs for the weekend.”

Kagome instantly turned three shades of red, coughing lightly. “I didn't want to leave all of you behind. I wanted to spend some time with you three before I had to go meet with the wolf tribes. He did apologize later, Kouhai, after you disappeared again.”

The girl giggled nervously, knowing the look that she was getting from her mom was not anything to be excited about. Kagome took an intimidating step forward. “I've passed through seven dimensions looking for you. I've been scared to death!”

“I'm sorry,” Kouhai apologized, vainly trying to blink back her tears. “I just had to know.”

Seeing her daughter's tears, Kagome instantly softened. Dropping to her knees, the young priestess brushed her fingers gently over her daughter's rosy cheek. “What did you want to know, sweetheart?”

Kouhai ducked away from her mother's hands. She didn't like crying in front of her. She was supposed to be stronger than that.

Her mother shook her head in exasperation. Out of her three children, Kouhai certainly acted the most like Inuyasha. She was all about action, and often jumped headfirst into things before she thought them through. Of course, she'd also picked up the habit of putting up a front instead of showing her emotions.

Kagome gently ran her fingers through the girl's black hair, stopping to tweak her dog-like left ear. The small triangle of fur twitched away from her fingers and out of reach, making both Kagome and her daughter giggle.

Before each of her children had been born, she had secretly prayed they would have his ears. She was addicted to his, and when she'd been blessed with three pairs of puppy ears--!

“What was it that you wanted to know?” Kagome persisted gently.

Kouhai's frown slipped as her mother went for her ears again. She couldn't help but laugh when she did that. Her mother's more human antics always got her laughing. They were so odd, just like her pink, round ears. Without thinking, the girl traced the rim of her mother's ear with a long fingernail. Kagome smiled at the adoring gesture.

Kouhai looked up at her mother, finally meeting her eyes. “I had to know that you really did love each other.”

Kagome blinked twice in astonishment, then burst into giggles. Kouhai started, then scowled at her. She hated it when she wasn't taken seriously. The young mother hastily swallowed her laughter, and shook her head fondly at her daughter. “Don't think I would hang around that idiot of a husband if I hated him, Kouhai!”

The little girl's scowl deepened. “Huh?”

Kagome's brown eyes softened. “Sweetie, your father and I might fight every now and again, but we don't let it break us apart. We fought a lot when we first knew each other, but we were still best friends. We've learned to be a great deal nicer to each other since then, and if we do fight, we always apologize to each other later. We work through our problems. We don't let them ruin us.”

Kouhai nervously bit her lower lip, her small fangs protruding slightly. “Really?”

Kagome's grin grew wider as her eyes became distant. “Your father and I have gone through a great deal more than most couples. We've made it for over twenty-three years. We love each other more than we care about some argument.”

Her eyes focused back on her daughter's brilliant green ones. “Don't ever doubt that,” she whispered.

Kouhai was overwhelmed with relief at her words, and the look on her mother's face. She didn't know what the look meant, exactly, but it comforted her anyways. She was suddenly warm all over, and her heart was light. She rushed forward and hugged her mother with everything she had. Kagome seemed surprised, but returned the embrace with just as much feeling.

Several minutes later, a younger version of the same woman left the secluded graveyard. The wife and mother she would become watched her younger self walk away with her mother, their arms over each other's shoulders. Her daughter's small tug quickly pulled her back to her present, and she smiled down at her.

Many years ago, she would never have believed that Inuyasha would actually tell her he loved her, but here was Kouhai, the living proof of their bond.

“Let's hurry back,” Kagome said, pulling her youngest daughter towards the invisible border of time. “Your father is probably having a fit. You took his only ticket to getting through time. He wasn't happy about my leaving without him.”

“Sorry,” Kouhai replied, grinning mischievously. “I didn't want to chance getting stuck in time. I figured the beads would give me better control. You can get through without it, but I'm only half your blood.”

Kagome grinned just before their bodies began to fade into transparency, like air. “What a smart girl I've got.”

 

[8888888]

 

Inuyasha had to blink several times before he realized he was alive. It took two more minutes for him to realize he was back to his hanyou state. Another minute to realize that he was laying on the ground, and that the ground was strewn with bodies.

A few short feet beside him he caught sight of the lifeless, gray eyes of the jackal woman staring numbly at him. He blinked trying to push back the fog in his mind. In a daze, he carefully followed the line of her hair down the roll of her cheek to the sweep of her shoulders and shocking found a pile of ash beneath her breast. The sight jolted his mind as he watched transfixed as her chest slowly crumpled, inch-by-inch, adding to the already large mound.

His heart pounded in his ears like a dull drum as the hanyou carefully lifted his head. His hair was stuck to his cheeks, and he grimaced as the heavy scent of blood filled his nostrils. He slowly began to recall the events of the night before, as if it had all been a particularly vivid dream that he was just now able to remember.

He wished with every fiber of his being that he had been the one to kill Sakura. The other times he had turned full demon, before he'd met the cursed jackal woman, he could never recall what had happened once he had changed back into a hanyou. This time, he could recall every sound, every sensation, down to the taste of sweat on his victims' yielding flesh. The thing that horrified him the most, however, was the hurt in Kagome's eyes when he had failed to remember her. Kagome...

His face grew white, and he frantically pulled himself to his knees. “KAGOME!”

His voice filled the air and then faded, with only the echo for an answer. He staggered to his feet and began running through the piles of bodies, searching desperately for a familiar face. So intent was he on his search, he failed to notice that some of the figures were beginning to stir, the ash wafting off of their bodies.

“Kagome...” His voice choked on her name as, for the first time, he noticed the fuzzy gray ash covering his shirt. He could smell her everywhere around him, soaking the field with her potent aroma. His chest tightened painfully. It was her, clinging to his body like snow. The red stains on his clothes and skin were nothing compared to the ash plastered to his skin, hair, and clothes.

“You're gone,” he whispered brokenly. “There's no way you could have made it.”

He swallowed hard, trying to push down the lump in his throat. His eyes stung as he lifted his face to the calm golden morning. He wanted to believe she was alive somewhere, but...

It was so unfair. How could life be so blasted unfair?! He was finally ready, after decades of punishment, and now she'd been stolen away from him.

He couldn't ask for Sesshoumaru's help this time. There was no body to give life back to. By now, her spirit would already be in the afterlife.

His claws fisted in his tangled hair, and his teeth clenched against the hopelessness rising in his gut. How could everything end like this?!

He had done this for her!

“You get back here, you stupid wench!” he shouted hoarsely, his fists tightening until his claws bit into his palms, hard enough to draw blood. “You get back here, right now!”

The world was hot and feverish, laughing wildly in his ears, and he crumbled under its weight.

“Please…” he whispered, and a rare tear slipped from his eyes, trailed down his throat. “I didn't say you could leave.”

He fell to his knees as the silence mocked him, the gray fuzz clinging to him like a second skin.

“Inuyasha!”

The hanyou's ear twitched at the sound of his name, but he didn't look up. The voice was familiar, but it wasn't her voice, and that was the only one he wanted to hear at the moment.

A stampede of feet came towards him, slowed, and then a pair of hands forcefully whirled him around. His body swung around lifelessly to face the frantic monk.

“Inuyasha!” Miroku yelled too loudly, causing Inuyasha's ears to flatten. “You're back!”

The hanyou nodded stupidly, his eyes dropping to stare at the horde of feet he had heard moments before. His heart lurched at the sight of a pair of red pants, and he quickly looked up. The disappointment nearly crushed him when he didn't recognize her face.

“Who are you?” he grumbled rudely, ignoring his friends' disapproval.

The beautiful priestess smiled. “I am Midoriko.”

The hanyou jerked out of his stupor enough to be surprised. “W-what?”

“I'm Mid—”

His hand shot out and grabbed her around the wrist. The priestess blinked, startled, as the hanyou's gaze grew intense. “You can help her.”

It was the priestess' turn to be puzzled. “What?”

“Kagome!” he nearly shouted, his blood pounding in his ears. “She needs your help.”

“What are you talking about?” Sango asked, vainly trying to calm him.

Inuyasha bared his fangs at the slayer in a snarl, startling everyone enough that they stepped back a pace or two. He didn't have time for their stupidity!

“Kagome needs help!” he barked into their shocked faces. He ripped a fist of gray fluff off of his shoulder.

Miroku frowned. “What are you--?”

“She's—de...” His voice choked on the word that would verbally lock her away in the afterlife. He couldn't bring himself to speak the one syllable, finding it unbearable to even try.

He still clung to the miko's wrist, wracking his brain for some way to save Kagome. He'd never heard of a priestess bringing a soul back from the afterlife. Demons wove spells and curses to gain immortality, but he didn't know if a human had the power to drag a soul from death.

He would need a demon's help, then. Kagura was gone, but there were likely a few demons left who would know how to bring back the dead. He could learn the spell and craft a body from clay, like the witch had done with Kikyo. A small voice reminded him that Kikyo had changed a great deal after she was brought back into the world of the living, but he silenced it, assuming that Kagome was stronger.

Midoriko brought her free hand over his, and Inuyasha looked at her, his wild thoughts halting for a moment. Leaning forward, the wise priestess said firmly, “Inuyasha, the path you are considering is dangerous. Believe me when I say that Kagome would never want you to walk it.”

“Kagome's not here to stop me,” Inuyasha growled darkly, jerking out of her grasp, his mind already made up. “She's not going anywhere without me. Either she comes back, or I follow her.”

Shippo gasped, tugging at the hanyou's clothes to get his attention. “Please don't talk like that, Inuyasha! Kagome—”

“Lord Sesshoumaru!”

Rin's joyful shout startled everyone, especially when they saw the demon noble alive, not twenty yards away from where they stood. Rin huddled over him, offering her tiny shoulder for him to brace himself on. The dog demon looked as if he just might be in need of her assistance. He was covered from head to toe with blood and dirt. His rich, fine clothing was tattered, and his skin was torn wide open in multiple places. When he tried to stand, he was obviously trembling from the exertion, and breathing hard.

Inuyasha's mouth dropped open at the sight of his half-brother, shocked that the idiot had actually managed to survive Kagome's attack. A wave of bitterness nearly choked him. He lived, while Kagome was falling from the sky in tattered pieces. He viciously cursed his brother's luck.

Sesshoumaru took a few shaky breaths, his eyes slowly focusing on the girl by his side. “Rin?” he whispered, his voice hoarse and unbelieving.

She smiled brilliantly at her master, exclaiming excitedly, “Oh, I'm so happy you're alright, Lord Sesshoumaru!”

His golden eyes darted over the field, taking in the scene of both demons and humans shakily getting to their feet. “Kagome?”

Rin didn't speak, looking over at a strangely empty spot yards away, in the center of the bodies and chalky earth. It was strangely empty amidst the chaos that surrounded them.

The group around Inuyasha slowly dispersed from him, staring in awe all around them. It was as if the world were giving birth to the figures, as they each shook off the fuzz clinging to their bodies. They were all silent as they stared at each other, not knowing what to say or think in the aftermath of this strange battle. They glanced at the new arrivals expectantly.

Inuyasha turned away from their pleading eyes, feeling as hollow and lost as they were. How did one pick up the pieces after something like this?

“Inuyasha.”

His ears twitched at his name; she was the only one who said it that way, softly, so that it caught at his heart. He didn't know how to name the feeling he had when he turned, when he saw the wonderful, pearly light. People gasped in fear as the white star descended from the sky. As it inched towards the ground, he could see her form outlined in the light, glowing, beautiful.

Sango took an eager step forward. “Kagome?”

Slowly, the white bled into colors, starting first with the blue denim of her jeans and ending with the top of her long, ebony hair. There were tears in her brown eyes, but they were obviously tears of joy, for her smile grew as she took in the sight of her adopted family. The moment her toes touched earth, the light vanished as if it had never been, and she was just Kagome again.

Inuyasha bolted away from the group before anyone had a chance to stop him. Kagome swallowed back tears as she looked him full in the face. The relief and joy in his golden eyes warmed her heart like nothing else ever had, and she thought she would never stop smiling after this.

Kagome laughed outright when he slid to a stop a foot in front of her. Behind him, the others were waking from their stupor and hurrying to welcome her. There would only be a few seconds before everyone stole this moment from them, and he still couldn't take the last step to embrace her. Kagome quickly swallowed her giggles as he lowered his eyes from hers and flushed. It was obviously all he could do to keep himself from gathering her to his heart. His arms drifted forward hesitantly, and Kagome rolled her eyes, and took the last step for him. In unison, their arms enveloped each other, and Kagome pressed her face into his shirtfront. New tears stung her eyes as she caught his distinct scent beneath the stench of the battle. Inuyasha had difficulty breathing as he felt her small form pressed against him, squeezing her more tightly once his mind caught up with the fact that Kagome was alive and in his arms. He burrowed his nose into her hair, inhaling the scent that never failed to warm his heart.

“KAGOME!”

Suddenly everyone was hugging the miko, crushing the two harder against each other. Kagome laughed as she craned her neck, fighting to see everyone at once.

“Hey!” she yelled over their shouts, tears streaming. She was so wrapped up in her family's excitement that she missed the look he gave her as he watched her. She was all he could see, and in that one breath, he decided that that was all he ever wanted.

 

[888888]

 

Days later…

 

Kagome hurried quickly down the stairway, yelling over her shoulder to Shippo. “Make sure you don't forget that Rin is coming in a few hours!”

“Don't worry!” the young fox called back from the top of the hill. “I would never forget that!”

Leaping over the last few steps, Kagome turned onto the dirt path. She smiled to herself as she jogged towards the forest. Shippo had been moping ever since Rin had left with Sesshoumaru. Kagome hadn't realized just how close the two had become until Rin had promised to come back and visit the young demon. Shippo nearly went through the roof when she'd kissed his cheek. Sesshoumaru had ruffled at the display, and Inuyasha had smirked, but overall it appeared to be nothing more than a harmless childhood fancy, certainly nothing to get all bent out of shape over.

Kagome's smile grew wider as the Bone Eater's Well came into view. The well appeared to be functioning properly again, much to her joy. It had taken nearly a dozen passes through time to put her heart at ease, and when she'd come back to the feudal era the final time, Kagome could've sworn she had heard the words `You're welcome' whispered in her ear.

Passing the stone edifice, Kagome spotted the large tree peeking out through the top of the forest roof. The sun danced in her eyes, and Kagome laughed, throwing out her arms to the empty blue sky. If she stretched her fingers high enough, then maybe she would touch the clouds. She couldn't remember ever being so happy.

She lost count of the minutes it took for her to get there, but she finally arrived under the God Tree. Her eyes darted left and right, noting that the area was empty. Kagome walked to the front of the tree, her eyes drifting to the small notch ten feet up the trunk. In the calm of the God Tree's shadow, Kagome's mind wandered back to that first day.

`What was it like before I met Inuyasha? I can barely remember anything before that.'

Silently, her fingers reached up to touch the deep notch, brushing over the jagged break in the old bark. `This is where the arrow hit, where everything started.' She smiled at the thought.

“Kagome.”

The young woman turned around, grinning at the new arrival. “Hey, Inuyasha.”

The hanyou glanced at the ground the moment their eyes met. His ears twitched, as they always did when he became nervous, and he mumbled a weak, “Hey.”

Kagome bit her lip at his anxiety. “What did you want to talk to me about?”

Inuyasha glanced up at her for a moment before looking away again. “Well…um…”

His hands started tugging at the hem of his overshirt, until he realized what he was doing, at which point he angrily flung the cloth away. Determined, he forced himself to look her in the face. His face began to redden almost immediately. He came a few steps closer to her, and she watched him expectantly.

He had asked to speak privately with her the afternoon they had returned to the village, but the last few days had kept her in negotiations for treaties among the demons and humans. Surprisingly, even Sesshoumaru had agreed to a treaty, albeit one that gave him complete privacy. Being the sole peacekeeper between the two races had cost her a lot of hours. More than twice, she had been discovered dozing during her meals.

When she had come back from the dead, sort of speak, there had been a great mess to get through. The white light of the Shikon Jewel had consumed most of the two armies. There were only a few handful of survivors, being mostly humans. To the survivors of the short war, the outcome appeared oddly, incomplete. Neither demon nor human from the battle wanted to claim victory. Kagome was called upon instead for mercy and refugee when she had been believed to be the next opponent.

To Kagome it was no shock to her to see the scattered demons and humans slowly draw to her. She hadn't known their personal stories, but if the Shikon Jewel had allowed them to live on afterwards than they must have held some amount of goodness in them.

The most shocking, to see come out of the ashy field, was Sesshoumaru. The young miko had stared openly at the only survivor of the Blood Four as he came to her. Rin and Jakin, the latter who was angrily cursing the world for not being allowed into the fight, stood anxiously at his side. The miko and dog lord stared silently at one another, waiting for some conversation to magically begin.

Her chin quickly dropped as the demon lord gave a small nod and walked away. Kagome watched his back, not completed surprised he would go without an explanation, but angry he think he could.

"Sesshoumaru!" she shouted after him, successfully turning his eyes back to her.

"Why did you save me?" she asked, watching for the slightest of movements. "Is it true what they said? About you… loving me?"

His gold eyes didn't waver as Jakin's voice squeaked. She didn't lower at his cold indifference. She had to know.

He blinked once, twice, and then turned back around. She almost thought he wouldn't answer.

"Love is something most demons can't understand" his spoke lowly. "Pride, strength, power, we know those things. I knew it was my chance to take the bigger prize. You might have won the battle, little girl, but I got three new pieces of land to claim."

Her eyes narrowed as he waited for her response.

"I don't believe you love me" Kagome replied softly. "I never really did, but I also don't think you don't know what love is. You've already shown it to someone."

Her eyes darted silently to the small girl who was unaware of the sudden change in the conversation. Sesshoumaru barely glanced at her, but it was obvious his eyes lingered on her smiling face for a hair longer than necessary.

He didn't say anything to the comment and didn't even offer another look to the miko as he turned back and walked out of the field. Kagome smirked, quite pleased with herself. It wasn't everyday she was able to figure out the stealthy demon and call him out on it.

Finally several days later, the last demon had walked out of the village, and each refugee from Rashu's army had found a temporary bed. Kagome had immediately hit the sack, and Inuyasha had waited on the roof over her bed for nine hours.

“The other—” His words got caught in his throat again as he saw her patient expression. He nervously ran a clawed hand through his tangled hair, fighting to remember the words he had been practicing for over six days. “Kagome, you have—”

Abruptly, her hand covered his, and he froze. His eyes widened as she gently clasped it between hers. It felt so different from the other times they had held hands. There had always been that wall between them. Before, when they had looked in each other's eyes, they saw everything they would ever want, but couldn't have.

But now, as her fingers slid between his, it didn't feel like there was anything standing in their way. When she stared up into his eyes, with the warmest smile he had ever seen, it was all so perfect.

“You don't have to,” she said, her voice soft and understanding. Inuyasha's heart squeezed as tears marred her bright brown eyes. Kagome almost laughed at him when she saw the flicker of panic on his face, the same one he got every time she came close to crying.

“I've always known,” she murmured. She didn't know why the words were coming out so easily after four years of pushing, but she was glad of them anyway. She had always known. She didn't need him to say it.

All she needed was him.

Inuyasha looked down at the tears glistening on her cheeks, thinking that, for the first time, he was happy to see them. He didn't have to fight it anymore. There was nothing to prove or overcome.

In one swift motion, Inuyasha surged forward and wrapped both his hands around the young miko's cheeks, pressing his lips firmly to hers. Taken by surprise, Kagome froze. Then the world disappeared as his lips began to move over hers, loving her in a way she never thought possible.

Her mind went racing through the dozens of things that had held them apart for so long, and then hastily went over the hundreds of things that had kept them together throughout it all. Maybe they were destined; maybe there were gods above, weaving her fate with his.

Her eyes slipped closed, and Kagome brushed her fingers down his face, thinking what did it matter if she knew why it had finally come. Slowly, his lips left hers, hovering over her face as their eyes opened.

After four long years, they had finally pulled down the wall between them, and found something worth the risk.