AN: Oh, wow, my first author's note... Anyways, I just wanted to mention a couple things. I started writing this fic over a year ago, before I started keeping up with current manga chapters, so think of it as picking up after the anime. This is my first true attempt at writing fan fiction, so forgive me if it starts out a bit rough. Thanks and happy reading!

-M.R.-

Prologue/Chapter 1

Ashes to Ashes; Dust to Dust

'I can't believe it's been three years.' Kagome fingered the Shikon no Tama which hung from the thin chain around her neck. She stood outside her home in Tokyo admiring the ancient Goshinboku. 'Three years tomorrow, since I met InuYasha; two weeks since we defeated Naraku.' She smiled as she shifted her backpack slightly, though not as heavy as before, the large pack was filled with treats for her friends in the past.

The battle with Naraku had been fierce. With the help of Sesshoumaru, and Kouga they had managed to defeat the evil hanyou. In the end, it was Kagome's sacred arrow, InuYasha's Adamant Barrage, and Sesshoumaru's Dragon Strike that took his final breath. When they had finished, there was nothing left, but a pile of ash.

Their only tragedy was Kohaku. He couldn't live without the jewel shard embedded in his back, and when Kagome had to remove it, the young boy was finally able to rest in peace. Sango was able to truly mourn her loss, when the group held a proper burial for him in the old taijiya village.

Miroku's wind tunnel vanished, he no longer had to worry about the void swallowing him, and having the same fate he watched his father suffer. Miroku and Sango were planning on settling down to begin their life together. Sango had promised him when Naraku was dead, and their journey was over that she'd marry him. And so she was staying true to that promise, after all, she couldn't deny the one she loved with all her heart.

Kagome smiled when she thought of her friends. They deserved to be happy. They had each lost so much in their young lives. Then there was little Shippou. He had started staying with Kaede. The elder miko was like a grandmother to him, and most of the village kids accepted him as their friend. The kit seemed truly happy with his new home.

Finally, there was InuYasha. Wasn't he the whole reason she'd found herself staring at the sacred tree to begin with? The loud, violent, overprotective hanyou had grown close to her heart over these past three years. Turning away from the tree, Kagome shifted her pack again. 'I wonder what he's doing now.' She thought to herself, as she walked to the mini-shrine which held the well, and her link to the past.

:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:

Sango, Miroku, Shippou, and Kirara were sitting on a hill, near Kaede's village. The sun was just beginning to set, and the four companions were reveling in the beauty of the sunset.

"Miroku, where is InuYasha?" Shippou asked, curious of where the inu hanyou ran off to.

"Yeah, do you think he went to see Kagome?" asked Sango, as if just now noticing he'd went missing. The truth was, he'd been gone for a while now. He just raced off without telling anyone, not that it was out of the ordinary, just odd.

Miroku sighed. "I wish that were the case, my dearest Sango, but I believe I saw some of Kikyou's soul gatherers near the forest." He looked out in the direction of the dense trees. "It seems he's gone to see her again."

"InuYasha can be such an idiot. Why does he keep doing this to Kagome?" Shippou asked, shaking his head.

:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:

"InuYasha, do you not care for me any longer?" Kikyou questioned the hanyou, as she reached out to stroke his cheek. She knew her reincarnation had returned. She sensed her presence nearby….probably watching.

"Of course, Kikyou, I'll always care for you. You'll always be special to me." InuYasha answered as he ignored the touch. Her hand was cold on his skin, unlike another girl he couldn't seem to keep off his mind. 'Kagome…'

:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:

Kagome crouched further down behind the bush, she was using as her hiding place. As soon as she'd stepped out of the well, into the Sengoku Jidai, she'd noticed InuYasha wasn't waiting for her, as she had hoped he would be. Looking in the direction of the Goshinboku, she immediately had a sinking feeling she knew the whereabouts of InuYasha. There, right in the vicinity of the old tree, were Kikyou's soul gatherers. Ever since Naraku's death she worried more about InuYasha, each time he ran off to see the undead miko. Wondering if he would return to her, wondering if this would be the time she'd lose her love forever to Kikyou, who she feared still wanted the hanyou's death. She stubbornly held back the angry tears as she watched the two. Hoping to escape, before being found spying, she quickly got to her feet and ran toward Kaede's, she thought about going back home, but decided she didn't want her mother to see her like this.

Moments later Kagome reached Kaede's hut. The sun had set, and her friends were gathered around a small fire inside. They knew something was wrong as soon as the young woman ran into the hut. 'She must have found InuYasha.' Miroku thought to himself, as Sango stood up to meet her friend.

"Kagome, what happened? What's wrong?" Sango asked, a worried look crossing her face.

"Stupid InuYasha!" she muttered, walking past her friend. Kagome sat down, and hugged her knees to her chest.

Looking at the girl, Sango could easily tell she was upset. Not really knowing how to comfort her, she sat down beside her and gazed into the small fire.

"I'm sorry Kagome." she finally replied. "If I'd known he was going to see her, I would have tried to stop him with Hiraikotsu. If it makes you feel any better, I can still go after him for you." Sango said with a slight smile, hoping to cheer Kagome up, just a little.

Kagome almost giggled. "That's ok; I just want him to be happy." She tried to put on a smile, but failed. Her friends knew she was still hurting.

"I understand." Sango said with a nod. Miroku was sitting back watching the exchange between the girls. He didn't really know what to say to comfort Kagome. He knew of her feelings toward the hanyou. Hell, everyone who'd seen them together knew how she felt,except, said hanyou himself.

Kagome sighed. "I'm just afraid he won't come back, I've been ever since we defeated Naraku. With him gone, Kikyou has no reason to be here, and she still wants InuYasha to die with her." Kagome's frown returned.

:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:

As InuYasha backed away from Kikyou's touch, he knew he had been caught. He picked up Kagome's scent, which was permeated with anger and tears. It took all he had not to run after her once he sensed her presence.

Sesshoumaru stood behind Kikyou, unbeknownst to her. She was too engulfed in her thoughts InuYasha spending the eternal afterlife with her, and the fact that Kagome had seen them, to notice a second youkai presence. It could've also been that within the past few days, since Naraku's demise, she'd felt weaker. She knew her time left here was short.

InuYasha stepped back, merely seconds before Sesshoumaru's Tenseiga lashed out at the resurrected priestess. She felt no pain, but let out a silent scream as she felt a sudden loss of energy. All the borrowed souls within her clay body lifted to the Heavens as they could now rest in peace. Kikyou's makeshift body dissolved to dust and soil, and fell to the ground. And her loyal soul gatherers vanished into thin air.

InuYasha looked to his brother and gave him a silent nod of 'Thanks' before they both turned away to go about their own business.

'Now, there's only Kagome.' the hanyou thought to himself. InuYasha knelt down to gather up what remained of the once undead priestess. Of course it had hurt to witness what he'd asked his half-brother to do, but it had to be done. Kikyou was no longer of this world, and someone else now held his heart.

His thoughts were interrupted when a light glow caught his eye. Believing it was a stray soul gatherer at first, InuYasha put his hand on the hilt of Tessaiga. Upon approach he realized it was another soul, but this one, unlike the others, was not headed for the clouds.

"What the hell?" InuYasha muttered, as he approached it.

"Goodbye InuYasha and thank you. I'm free, again." The solitary ball of light hovered before InuYasha. "Take care of her."

'Kikyou… Forgive me.' InuYasha answered mentally as he watched the soul begin to move again. He continued to follow it all the way to Kaede's hut, where he watched it merge with the now sleeping, form of Kagome. He stared wide-eyed as he realized that Kagome's soul was whole once again; the small portion that Kikyou had managed to hold onto, was now back in Kagome where it belonged.

Kaede also saw this. She was the only one still awake, as she had been caring for some sickly in the village, she had only recently returned to the hut.

"InuYasha, I take it my sister has been put to rest again."

"Yeah." InuYasha replied. He reached into his haori and pulled out a small bundle. "Here. It's what remained of Kikyou, thought you might want to put it back in her shrine."

"Thank ye InuYasha. Now my sister can truly rest in peace again." With a sad smile Kaede took the small bundle from InuYasha and left the hut to place the soil back in Kikyou's shrine where it belonged.

InuYasha settled himself in a corner, away from the rest of the group. Sitting crossed legged, with Tessaiga propped against his shoulder; he relaxed a bit and began to think.

'Kagome…' He let a small smile grace his lips. 'She looks so beautiful. Soon, maybe I'll tell her.' He mused, as he watched the sleeping girl across the room. His smile faded. 'What if she doesn't feel the same?' He sighed. Why did things like this have to be so confusing? 'If she doesn't feel the same, it's only because she deserves better than a lowly hanyou…' He growled quietly in frustration. He thought about all the time he and Kagome had spent together. Then there was the time in Kaguya's castle. Hadn't she said she loved him as a hanyou? That was just before she kissed him. It was a beautiful kiss, which had brought him back to sanity.

InuYasha smirked as the memories of Kagome's kiss flooded his memory. He leaned his head back against the wall, and within minutes was having dreams of the girl he loved.

Shortly after Kaede returned to the hut and went to sleep herself. Everyone seemed to be having a truly peaceful sleep, for the first time in a long time.