To clarify – this is not a direct sequel of To Hell. It does continue after To Hell, and is effectively a continuation of the events in it. This Fan fiction, however, does not require you to read To Hell to understand it.
This story (and its predecessor, To Hell) both diverge from the Inuyasha manga at about chapter 552 – in case you were wondering.
Kagome stood, silent in disbelief at what they had accomplished. It had taken 3 years and numerous battles. They had had to kill him twice to do it, but they had finally done it.
Naraku was dead.
Kagome surveyed her group. Inuyasha, Sango, Koga, and the recently resurrected Kagura stood in various states of exhaustion. Miroku sat on a nearby rock, staring at his now Kazana-less right hand. Shippo, along with Rin, stared past the protective bulk of Kirara. Sango's brother, Kohaku, stood nearby the trio. The only other one still actually standing was Sesshomaru, and he wasn't looking to good.
Kagome turned her attention to a tree not to far off. Protruding from its trunk was a single arrow. In between the arrow shaft and the tree trunk was a small, shining purple sphere.
It was The Shikon jewel, now pierced by one of Kagome's sacred arrows.
Kagome walked up to the tree and carefully pulled out the arrow. The jewel fell to the ground with a soft thud. Kagome let out a sigh of relief.
"Thank goodness it didn't…"
Crack.
Kagome looked down at the jewel at her feet. She could just make out a small fracture down its middle.
"No! No! No! No!"
Her plea's had no effect on the jewel as the fracture slowly spread and the jewel cracked.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome yelled out as she watched the jewel.
Inuyasha bound over in three steps. "What is it? Is something wrong with the jewel?"
"You could say that." She said as she pointed to the jewel. Inuyasha's face paled as he saw the jewel fracture and slowly begin to break apart.
"No!" Inuyasha jumped for the jewel in a desperate attempt to contain the shards. The shards simply phased through his clenched fist as they flew off in every direction.
Inuyasha and Kagome simply stared off into the horizon as the last shard flew away.
"Kagome! Inuyasha!" Inuyasha and Kagome turned around to see Sango and Miroku rushing towards them, Shippo not far behind. "We saw the light show. What happened?" Miroku asked as they reached the pair. He looked around. "Where's the jewel?"
"About that…" Kagome hesitated. "It kind of…Shattered again."
Sango, Miroku, and Shippo just stared at her. Sango was the first to speak again. "It …Shattered? Where are the fragments?"
Kagome gestured to the horizon. "Scattered with the …." She paused "…Wind."
Kagome was staring intently at spot where the arrow had imbedded itself. She leaned over at stared into the small hole.
"Guys!" Everybody else leaned over and looked into the hole. Deep inside, deep within the darkness, one could just make out a hint of purple.
Miroku heaved a heavy sigh. "Here we go again."
As the groups went their separate ways, Kagome noticed who was with her group – or, more specifically, who wasn't.
"Sango?"
"Hmm?" Sango replied as she turned to face the miko.
"Where's Kohaku?"
"He's gone off to train" Sango replied. "to become a better Taijiya."
"That make's sense…" Kagome replied as she watched Sesshomaru fly off towards the west, Kagura flying along side on a massive feather.
"Thanks for the help!" Kagome called out to him as he flew off. All she got in return was a deathly glare.
"Don't waste your breath Kagome." Inuyasha remarked as his brother began to shrink against the horizon.
"Now, Inuyasha." Miroku retorted. "She is only trying to be thoughtful. Your brother did help us defeat Naraku."
"Thoughtful?" Inuyasha repeated, raising an eyebrow. "You mean like how she helped Koga after he kidnapped her?"
The monk hesitated. "When you put it that way…"
"Exactly." Inuyasha finished, looking quite smug at winning his argument with the monk.
Kagome, meanwhile just let out a sigh before taking a look at the jewel shard. "Here we go again."
"Indeed" Miroku said, stepping forward to look at the shard. "It seems that fate has conspired against us in achieving are long time goal."
"The result, therefore, of our present enquiry is that we find no vestige of a beginning, no prospect of an end" Inuyasha said calmly as he stood next to Kagome.
Everyone simply stared at the Hanyou.
"What?"
"Where on Earth did you hear that?" Miroku asked, incredulously.
"I read it in one of Kagome's books." He replied calmly.
"You can read?" Shippo asked just as incredulously.
"Why you!" Inuyasha dived at the kitsune, his moment of philosophical brilliance over.
Kagome watched for a moment before subduing Inuyasha in her usual way.
"Sit."
"gah!" Inuyasha yelled out as he crashed into the ground.
As Inuyasha extradited himself from the ground, Kagome simply looked at the group of four before her. She'd been traveling with these people for well over a year, and yet she couldn't imagine life without them. She had been worried how she would get through the well without the jewel but, like Miroku said, the jewel seemed to have other plans.
Looks like the insanity that is my life is going to continue. Kagome thought to her self as the group continued to make its way back to the village. She couldn't help but smile.
"I told you, I'll only be gone for a few days." Kagome informed Inuyasha for the hundredth time as she packed her oversized backpack. He'd been bothering her ever since she said she was leaving.
"I still don't understand why you have to go." Inuyasha asked as he watched her pack.
"It's the first day of school Inuyasha!" She retorted venomously.
"you're not even there most of the time!" Inuyasha yelled back. "You spend most of her time here!"
"I'm going Inuyasha and that's final!" She yelled back as she closed the pack before walking out of the hut. I swear, he is the most irritating person I have ever met…
Her opinion, however, didn't last past the well. Just as she was jumping into the well, she was stopped mid-air by arm catching her around the waist.
"Hurry back, okay?" A unmistakable voice whispered into her ear. She could feel her heart pounding at the sudden proximity as much from the surprise of being grabbed.
He let her go as suddenly as he had grabbed her, causing her to drop through the well. Kagome took a minute at the bottom of the well to straighten her self out. Stupid Inuyasha… As she climbed out of the well however, something else he had said popped into her head.
"You spend most of your time here!"
He has a point…. She thought as she walked into the house. "Mama, I'm home!"
"Hello dear! I was just making dinner." Her mother responded. " How did the battle for the fate of mankind go?"
"Great I guess…" Kagome replied as she sat down at the table next to her younger brother.
"'you guess'?" Sota said "either you beat him or you didn't"
"We did defeat him, but…" Kagome trailed off.
"But...?" Sota continued as he stared at his sister.
"The jewel shattered again."
"So I'm guessing you're going to be time hopping a little longer?" Her mother asked.
"yeah…." Kagome replied vacantly.
"Is something the matter Kagome?"
Kagome turned to her mother. "No everything's fine!" She paused. "It's just… Something Inuyasha said…"
"Did you have another fight?" Her mother asked.
"Hah!" Kagome couldn't help but laugh. "If only it was that simple."
"Then what was it?" Sota asked. Anything involving Inuyasha always piqued his interest.
"He said that I spend most of my time in the feudal era, so going to school is a waste of time."
"Okay." Sota said "we knew that already – big deal. What make's this time any different?"
"Sota!" Kagome's mother chastised her brother.
"What?" Sota replied. "If it was me, I wouldn't even bother going to school. I agree with Inuyasha on this one."
"You always agree with Inuyasha, you freaking fan boy." Kagome responded. Be he does have a point…
"Well then, why don't you?" Kagome's mother said, causing Kagome to shift her attention.
"What?" Kagome asked
"Why don't you stay in the Feudal Era?" her mother proposed.
"I can't do that!" Kagome replied, surprised that her mother would propose such a thing. ' I have to go to school!"
"But you're rarely here." Her mother responded. "I think your boyfriend might have a point."
"I know…" Kagome replied, blushing after her mother referred to Inuyasha as 'her boyfriend'.
"never in a thousand years, ending up with unnatural…"
"Unnatural grandchildren, yes we know father." Kagome's mother cut him off before turning back to Kagome. "It's you're choice Kagome – choice what you want."
"But" Kagome faltered "But, but…"
"You'd still be able to travel through the well, right?" Kagome's mother asked. Kagome nodded. "Then what's the problem? The well won't work forever, dear. Which side would you rather be stuck on – this side, or with Inuyasha?"
Kagome shuddered at the idea of never seeing Inuyasha again " I should probably tell my friends everything."
"Phone's over there, sweetie." Kagome's mother said, pointing of the her left as she went back to cooking. Kagome walked over to the phone and started dialing. I can't believe I'm even considering this…
Kagome turned to her mother"you know they're not going to believe it."
"I don't believe it." Yuka said as she sat next to Eri and Ayumi. With Hojo sitting slightly detached from the trio.
I thought as much… Kagome thought as she stood up. "Follow me."
The four of them followed obediently, curiosity having the better of them. Kagome led them out of the house and down into the well house. All four of them stared at her like she was crazy as she climbed up onto the lip of the well. "What are you doing?" Eri asked.
"Just stay here, okay?" she ordered before dropping down the well. After none of them heard a thud, they rushed over to the well to take a look inside. As the peered down into the inky darkness, they saw no sign of their friend.
Hojo turned to the girls "Where did she go?"
Fifteen minutes later, the four of them were sitting on the steps in the well house when a bright light began emanating from the well. They all watched in amazement as up from the well floated Kagome and a silver haired, red robe clad young man.
"Okay, we're here, now why the hell did you drag me here?" Inuyasha asked Kagome angrily before he noticed the four people staring at him. "What are you staring at?"
"yo-yo-you" Ayumi couldn't get her mouth to operate normally. "You came out of the well…"
"Yeah…" Inuyasha replied as if it was normal. "how else would I get here?"
"He's got to be an actor." Yuka theorized, trying to rationalize the sudden appearance of the robed man.
"You saw the well – there was nobody in there!" Eri replied. "Besides, look at those ears!" Everyone turned to look at Inuyasha, and it was then that they noticed two dog-like ears on top of his head. The three girls stepped closer to Inuyasha.
"What do you want?" Inuyasha asked nervously. His head was then suddenly pulled down as two of the girls each grabbed one of his ears and began toying with them.
"wow, they're real." Yuka commented as she continued toying with an ear.
"That's not possible!" Ayumi replied as she walked up and took both ears and began pulling.
"Ow! That hurts! Let go dammit!" Inuyasha cursed as Ayumi just pulled harder. Inuyasha eventually extradited himself from her grasp.
Ayumi just sat on the steps. "They are real."
"So you were telling the truth!" Yuka exclaimed as she stared at Inuyasha.
"So you weren't sick during the school year." Hojo exclaimed.
You could feel the draft from the well house as all four girls let out a simultaneous sigh.
"So… you're actually going to go live in feudal Japan?" Ayumi asked, having regained her equilibrium.
When Kagome nodded in confirmation, Yuka stared at her flabbergasted. "Why would you want to live in Feudal Japan?"
Before Kagome could respond, Inuyasha butted in. "Your going to be staying on the other side of the well?"
"Well, I'm planning on it." Kagome replied.
"Why didn't you tell me!" Inuyasha asked, his voice a mix of angry, paranoid and ecstatic.
"I was going to tell you after I told them everything!" Kagome responded. "I didn't plan on having to use you as – AH!" Kagome was cut of as she was spun through the air by an ecstatic hanyou. "Put me down!"
Inuyasha happily obliged. "This is great! No more stupid test! No more school! No more waiting for you to come back!"
Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi just watched Kagome and Inuyasha for a couple of minutes before they decided to leave.
"Well, good luck Kagome!" Yuka bid before leaving. Eri bid a similar farewell before leaving.
"Kagome" Hojo said as he stepped forward. "I'm happy for you. I wish you the best of luck." He then turned to Inuyasha. "Please take good care of her."
Inuyasha nodded, "that's not goanna be a problem."
Hojo shook his head. "I don't think it will. Until we meet again Kagome." He to then walked out.
"I guess I should be going." Ayumi said as se stood. " See you in the history books Kagome!"
After she had left, Inuyasha turned to Kagome. " So, we leaving?"
"No!" Kagome replied. "I Have to get my stuff first!"
"well how long will that take!"
A whole day, it turned out.
"Hurry up Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled as he stood next to the well house.
"This is the last time you're going to have to wait, so why don't you have some patience!" Kagome shot back as she lugged her bag over. "Inuyasha!"
"What?" He looked up in time to see Kagome's massive bag tossed at him.
"Hold that for a second." Kagome ordered him as she turned to her mother. "I'm going to come back once a month for supplies."
"Sure you are, dear." Her mother replied
"You're goanna come with my sister when she visits right?" Sota asked Inuyasha like a child asking for a Christmas gift.
"yeah, probably." Inuyasha replied nonchalantly.
"All right!" Inuyasha's ears pinned themselves against his head as Sota cheered.
"Quiet down already!" Inuyasha yelled.
"Sorry." Sota replied "I forgot about your ears. Hey, If you and Kagome had kids, would they have ears like yours?"
A blush began to make its way across Inuyasha's face. "Shut up!"
"I should probably get going." Kagome noted as she looked over at Inuyasha and her brother.
"good luck Kagome." Kagome blushed momentarily as her mother softly kissed her on the forehead. "Now, be a dear and send your boyfriend over here."
"Mom!"
"I'm sorry, is he your fiancé already?" Kagome's blush just grew deeper as she headed over to Inuyasha.
"My mother wants to talk to you." Kagome told her 'boyfriend'.
"Uh, ok." Inuyasha walked over to Kagome's mother cautiously, like she might suddenly turn into some demon. "Yeah, miss Higurashi?"
"I just want to wish you and Kagome the best of luck." She said calmly. "I know you won't let anybody harm my daughter…"
"Of course not!" Inuyasha cut in.
"… or any of my grandchildren." Inuyasha nearly gagged.
"Come on Inuyasha!" Kagome yelled over from the well house, she being the impatient one this time. Inuyasha quickly used this as an excuse to leave.
"You ready?" he asked Kagome as he stood over the precipice of the well.
"Ready." Kagome replied. "Wait – what did my mom want?"
"Nothing" Inuyasha replied quickly. "Nothing at all!"
Kagome stared at him a moment before letting out a sigh. "Whatever – lets just go."
And with that they headed through the well.