Now, before we begin, I'd like to make it know that this is also published on my Wattpad account. My user name is StaceeMagee. Ain't no plagiarism here, y'all.

I haven't published in a while and wanted to try my hand at this fandom. Concrit welcome, flames summarily ignored.

PS- I don't own Inuyasha or related properties. Just this plot.

"Are you certain, my Lady?" A gravel-filled voice questioned from the priestess's left, hesitant and more than a bit concerned.
Midoriko took a moment to consider the query. While it weighed heavily upon her shoulders, visibly slumping them, the responsibility of this task was paramount to her own desires. The desire to live. The desire to end this fighting.
The desire to love. She felt her breath quicken as Hiro laid his hand upon hers.
'And to be loved.'
It was with this renewed reminder that she was always meant to be a sacrifice, a martyr, that her heart beat doubly and she sighed. Midoriko slid her hand away and continued channeling her reiki.
"Yes, Hiro-san. It is as it is meant to be." Her reply, though quiet, was determined.
No more words were spoken.
It wouldn't be until many years after the priestess Midoriko had created a bauble, the Shikon Jewel, to encapsulate her own soul and the souls of countless demons, that her words would gain their full meaning.
'It is as it is meant to be.'

"Inuyasha!" A bowstring released with an audible twang, racing toward its' objective. Through the smoke filling the village, Kikyo could see her aim was true.
Trudging slowly toward the form pinned to a large trunk, Kikyo reflected upon Onigumo's words. Her raven hair swayed as she shook her head mournfully. She had hoped the man had been wrong, but his eyes had held such conviction, Kikyo couldn't help but take his warning to heart. And now, here she was, collecting the Shikon from the hanyou who supposedly loved her.
Her mouth twisted, half grimace, half smirk as she gazed upon the half demon she had fallen in love with. A stab of pain gripped her, and she was unsure if it was the emotional pain manifesting very physical results, or-
Another stab, this time causing her knees to buckle, alerted her that all was not well. Wryly, she thought, 'I guess this is my reward,' before her eyes closed.
"Kikyo!" Young Kaede's frantic scream was the last thing she heard as the darkness muffled her ears.

When she came to, it was with pain wracking every inch of her body and forceful sobs heaving on her chest.
"Please wake up... Kikyo, please. Kamis, please let her wake..."
"Ka-ed-e," she gasped. Her throat felt like she had gargled with venom and her lungs felt... Full. A large jolt caused her to cough, and she was unsurprised to see a red taint to her spittle as it arced and landed upon her sister's hand.
"Dy-ing?" Kikyo already knew. Tears filled young Kaede's eyes and she shook her head violently.
Her small, slightly freckled cheeks puffed with the force of her denial. "You can't! You can't leave me!" Small fingers fisted in Kikyo's stained robe. For once, she didn't mind the wrinkles caused by Kaede's clumsy hands.
"Sister-" she coughed and used what strength she had for her next words. They were the most important.
"Burn. Jew-el." Innocent eyes widened and turned dull with remorse. Kaede understood now, there was no hope for recovery. There was only hope in Kikyo's request.
head dropped and Kaede nodded, sobbing quietly. "I will."
With her last wish made, Kikyo let the world float away, strength drained. As she felt the pain slip away and peace approach like a gentle current, she sighed.
'It is as it is meant to be.'

"Sit!" A large thud echoed through Edo. The villagers, out and about for their morning tasks, just paused and shook their heads or chuckled under their breath. That hanyou would never learn.
Within moments, a petite figure could be seen approaching from the direction of the Bone Eater's Well. The figure paused momentarily, seeming to stomp a foot, and spun at the crest of the hill.
"And for good measure, SIT SIT SIT!" The feminine voice rang out. Another large boom and two subsequent cries of pain could be heard on the other side of the hill.
The figure seemed to lose a bit of her anger by the time she reached the village. When she realized she had been observed, the young woman blushed and raised her hand to the back of her head awkwardly.
"Kagome-sama," one of the fishermen spoke up, grinning, "Perhaps you could aim closer to the river so we might also reap the benefits of the hanyou's thoughtlessness?" Chuckles and other requests for landscaping had the young lady holding her stomach.
Even the soldiers passing through while traveling to one of the larger cities shared bemused glances. "If my Lady would please, I'm sure the Daimyo would appreciate a new tier to his garden!" They clapped each other's backs and continued haggling with the sword-maker over repairs.
As the laughter died down, Kagome ran her blue gaze over the village. It had grown in the last few years, becoming more of an agricultural center than when she had first arrived.
'Hopefully, we'll finish this soon,' she thought somewhat sadly. The changes here only served to remind her of the changes at home. Souta was already in junior high, and Gramps wasn't doing so hot. She could see the toll the worry over her own adventures in addition to being the matriarch had taken on her mother.
When she had initially gone to the Feudal Era via that ridiculous well- her lips twisted as Inuyasha's words came back, "Why even bother going if you're just gonna be a bitch when you come back?" She shook her head.
She was no longer a fifteen year old girl, that was for sure. No longer that love struck innocent child obsessed with the idea of fairy tail romance. She supposed she had the idiot to thank for that.
He had been her first love. And like any first love, there had to be heartbreak. 'Damn, I'm cynical these days.' With a shake of her midnight tresses, Kagome headed toward Kaede's hut.
It struck Kagome as oddly appropriate that, while the village had changed over time, Kaede and her home had remained much the same. She and the others had tried to convince Kaede to at least have the men come and redo her roof, but the woman was insistent that the intricate weaving of thatch and rope would do.
"It is as it is meant to be," the elderly healer would reply, with a little smile and a sad gleam in her eye. It seemed Kaede said that more and more these days. So much so, Kagome had taken to repeating it in her head like a meditation for strength. A reminder that some things were not meant to be in your control.
Fletcher ill and can't make arrows? It is as it is meant to be - make your own.
Run out of antibacterial ointment? It is as it is meant to be - better get mashing herbs for a poultice.
Kagome reached the door and smiled at the voices she heard inside.
'Heart broken by your best friend? It is as it is meant to be. Get over it and move on.'
Kagome went inside.