Chapter 1:

Make a Wish and Pay the Toll

Kagome forced a smile to her face as she looked around at her haggard companions. It wouldn't do to be all gloomy now, after all, would it? They'd finally done it—they'd finally completed the Sacred Jewel. Her spirits lifted… but at the same time her heart twisted painfully in her chest. They'd finished their mission. They'd destroyed Naraku and his incarnations, and at last the shards were together. They could go back to their lives now.

But that was just the problem—what were their lives now? Sango still hadn't found Kohaku—Kagome guessed she'd go on searching for her brother. Miroku was free of the curse; he no longer had any reason to hold back his feelings for the slayer, so perhaps he'd join her. Shippou… she would gladly adopt him if the well would allow her passage between the two eras to continue, but would it? Would she be able to continue to travel from the Feudal Era and back, or would the well seal as soon as her wish was made?

What would she do if she couldn't come back? Her life in the present day was meaningless now—seven years had passed since she first fell down the well. She'd finished high school by some miracle, but had obviously had to forgo university in favor of completing the Jewel and defeating their nemesis. She'd given up so much for this, and although saving the lives of every human on the face of the earth might have been a bit more important than the future of one insignificant earthling, she still felt cheated. Shouldn't she at least get some recognition for this? She'd saved the world, for crying out loud, and where did that leave her? Twenty-two, no work experience, no college education to speak of, and bad grades in high school. Where was her happy ending?

She looked up from the Sacred Jewel in her hands, and her eyes met Inuyasha's. His arm was wrapped around Kikyou. Kagome winced at the sight of the woman's wounds. Even with that clay body, she wasn't going to make it long. The souls she held within her were already escaping. Inuyasha sent Kagome a pleading look that left her with a lump in her throat. She swallowed and averted her eyes.

She had long since given up on Inuyasha as a love interest. She wasn't an idiot, and she knew true love when she saw it. She'd have been a fool to try and get in the way of that. Kikyou and Inuyasha were meant for each other. But that didn't mean she could completely erase her feelings, even if they were unrequited. She'd given up on it ever happening, but that didn't stop the twinge of jealousy she felt towards the undead woman in Inuyasha's arms. I wish he'd hold me like that.

She shook her head, clearing it of those thoughts. You're supposed to be celebrating, Kagome, not bemoaning your lack of a love life! She cleared her throat and looked up, determination in her gaze. She knew what she had to do—she'd known for a long time. Seven years was plenty of time to think about what to wish for.

"I—" She swallowed again when her voice came out weak, praying for strength. "I don't know if I'll be coming back."

Sango's eyes widened in shock, her hand flying to her mouth, and Kagome saw Shippou begin to tear up, but she went on anyway. "The well… It only works through the power of the Jewel, and if the Jewel is gone there'll be nothing to sustain it," she said.

She approached Sango and pulled her into an embrace. "Good luck in finding Kohaku. I truly wish you the best. You're like the sister I missed out on when Souta came out male." She gave a weak giggle into her friend's shoulder, and Sango choked out a sound halfway between a laugh and a sob. When Kagome pulled back, she saw tears in the slayer's eyes. She pursed her lips, wiping them away with her finger. "Don't cry for me, Sango," she whispered sternly. "You're supposed to be the strong one here."

The older girl nodded, but her tears didn't stop. "Be safe, Kagome."

"I will," she said with a smile. "Be happy, Sango."

She moved on to the monk beside her, pulling him into a hug too. "If you even try to grope me to lighten the mood, I swear I'll kill you," she murmured in his ear.

She felt him chuckle, his hands remaining in an appropriate position on her back. "Wouldn't dream of it. Don't forget to keep training."

"I won't." She lowered her voice so Sango wouldn't hear. "Sorry I won't be there for the wedding."

His eyes widened. "How did you know I was planning on asking her?"

She drew back, her eyes sparkling. "Women's intuition, I suppose?" Her eyes narrowed and her voice lowered again. "Cheat on her and I'll torture you in the afterlife."

He laughed nervously. "Don't worry about that."

She smiled and moved on to Inuyasha, who was still seated and holding the injured Kikyou in his arms. Kagome squatted so she was eye-level with him. His golden eyes flickered between her and her fading previous incarnation desperately. "Kagome—"

She shook her head to stop him. "Don't worry." His eyes widened in understanding and she took a deep breath. "I love you Inuyasha. You're my best friend, and I owe you my life… I'll never forget that." She offered a small smile. "Don't get into too much trouble, okay? And if you're still around in five hundred years, drop by sometime."

His voice was slightly hoarse when he answered. "Of course. I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too." Her eyes dropped to the woman in his lap. She'd been travelling with them for three or four years now. While their relationship couldn't be considered completely benevolent, they weren't at each other's throats anymore, like in the beginning. She sighed at the blank look she gave her. "Just do me one favor, Kikyou: Don't make me regret this."

Kikyou's blinked in muted surprise when she realized what Kagome was about to do, but before she could respond she'd already moved on to the last and smallest member of their group. Kagome and Shippou stared at each other for a full five seconds before he launched himself into her arms with a pitiful cry. She squeezed her eyes shut and buried her nose in his soft fur as he burrowed into her neck, his tears leaving a patch of dampness on her skin.

"Why do you have to go, Mama?" he sobbed. "I don't want you to leave me already!"

She bit her lip to hold in her own tears. "I love you Shippou. You're my son—nothing can change that—but I don't belong in this world, in this time. My home…" She stopped herself. Was the future really her home anymore? It didn't feel like it. Her brow furrowed. "I'm still looking for my home," she whispered so only he could hear.

"No, Mama! Your home is here," he said frantically. "You can stay here forever and ever and—"

"Shippou," she interrupted softly, drawing back to look in his eyes. "I've already done what I came here to do. Who knows?" She laughed. "Maybe someone else in another time and place needs me more now? Who am I to forsake them?"

"But—"

"Shh," she said, holding a finger to his lips. She kissed him on the forehead. "I love you more than anything else in the world, but it's time for me to go now."

He pressed his lips together to keep another sob from breaking loose and nodded, and she hugged him one last time before handing him over to Sango. The little kitsune snuggled into the slayers arms as Kagome stepped back from the group. She gripped the Sacred Jewel tightly in her fist. It pulsed brightly in what could almost be excitement. It knew. The time had come.

The black-haired priestess put on a brave face as she gave her group one last, sweeping look. A single tear broke through her barrier, sliding down her cheek and landing on her collarbone. "Goodbye."

And then, cupping the pink globe between her hands and closing her eyes, she wished.

-oOo-

She opened her eyes to find herself in a blank, white space. She blinked several times, thinking she might be dreaming. Where am I…?

"Welcome, young Wanderer," came a soft voice from behind her.

She whirled, her heart thudding in her chest. She stiffened at the sight of the white figure before her and hid the Jewel behind her back. "Who are you?" she demanded. "Are you after the Jewel?!"

The figure tsked lightly. "Touchy, touchy," it said, its multiple voices overlaying to leave its words with an almost metallic edge. "And here I was nice enough to offer a word of welcome."

She frowned, bewildered. "Welcome? To where?"

It laughed, and she resisted the urge to shiver at the strange, sharp aura that assaulted her own: like sandpaper whispering against a glass windowpane. "The Gate, young Wanderer," it said, gesturing behind her. "The Gate of Truth."

She turned slowly, her eyes widening to saucers at the huge wooden door behind her. "How—what—?" She gulped, her eyes tracing the carvings scripted upon the door. "How did that get there?"

"It was before, or didn't you notice?"

She looked back at the white shadow, her forehead pinching in confusion. "I don't understand…"

"It is of no consequence," it interrupted. "That is not why you are here. You have a request to present before Truth, do you not?"

"You mean…" She held up the Jewel in front of her for it to see in lieu of an explanation. It's eyes gleamed and the grey outline of oversized teeth appeared on its face.

"Finally, someone who can pay the toll," it snickered.

"T-toll?"

"A life for a life… a soul for a soul." It sneered. "Equivalent Exchange."

She tried to ignore the harshness of its words, instead straightening. "The Jewel for a wish."

It smirked. "Precisely. Come." It held out a white hand surrounded by that same black aura.

She hesitated. Come on, Kagome, buck up! This is what you have to do. Steeling herself, she forced herself to put one foot in front of the other until she reached the shadow. It was smaller than her, the size of a young child, and seated on the white plane before her, but its less-than-frightening appearance didn't do anything to calm her nerves. The dark smoke that rose from the shadow brushed against her senses, probing her for weaknesses, impurities.

Her eyes narrowed in a silent dare as she held out the Jewel, placing it in its palm. Her fingers brushed against its skin and she flinched at the electric shock that passed through her. She snatched her hand back, rubbing it to soothe the pain, and stared at the shadow. "You—what are you?" she questioned.

It grinned at her. "Truth," it said simply, closing its hand around the Jewel.

She shook off the uneasiness that settled in her stomach at that. "What do you mean?"

It tsked again. "So many questions! It is no wonder you are a Wanderer. They are always so… inquisitive. No matter. Your questions will be answered in time. But first, young Wanderer, we will see to that wish of yours."

She saw the outline of too-wide eyes shift to the Jewel clasped in its palm. They widened further after a few moments, its smile shrinking slightly. "A pure wish?" It looked up at her, and she fought the urge to turn tail and run away at its angered tone. "Your wish is to bring back the life of the one you hate most?"

She shrank at its words, wanting to look away in shame but finding her eyes glued to the figure that called itself Truth. "You want to save someone who tried to kill you? You want to aid her even though she is the one you envy most?" it said, accusing her of all the anger and jealousy she'd felt towards Kikyou but never let anyone know about. "You would deny yourself your own wishes to fulfill hers? You would help the one who lives only because your own soul was split in two? You hate her, don't you? You've hated her since the first time the half-demon spoke her name instead of yours, the first time he mistook you for her, haven't you? And yet you'd wish her back into existence?"

The eyes narrowed at her as it put in its last jab. "You would gladly relinquish your claim on him simply because he prefers Kikyou to you?"

She winced visibly at its words. Guilt and pain flooded through her. It was all true. Kikyou had tried to kill her. She did envy her, and she was still pretty pissed off over the whole, "I'm your superior incarnation; give the rest of my soul back to someone who can actually use it" thing. But there was something this Truth had wrong, and she held onto that with her last bit of will. "No."

The leer that stretched its lips to an almost painful degree made her jaw tighten. "Just as I thought. No human could possibly make a pure—"

"I'm not glad," she interjected.

Truth stopped short. "What?"

"I'm not glad," she repeated, her voice more strong, more sure. "I am not glad that I have to leave," she said. "I am not glad I'll probably never see any of my friends again. I'm not glad that I only have half my soul, and I'm certainly not glad I am handing over the only man I've ever loved to his bitchy ex-with-issues."

The tears she'd held back for her friends' sake pricked her eyelids and gathered around her eyes, blurring her vision, but she plowed on. "You know what though? That won't stop me. I knew from the get-go my time was limited, and I've had seven years to prepare for this day. I was brought there to destroy the Jewel in your hand, and I will do it—have no doubt of that. It's my job, my purpose, and if you think that after all I've gone through I'd screw up and have to redo everything all over again, well, you don't deserve to be called Truth."

The shadow gaped at her. She hastily wiped away her tears and glared at it defiantly. "Now hurry up and bring her back—for real this time, too. Actual flesh and blood, not just clay. I suspect Inuyasha's getting pretty worried at this point."

Truth continued to stare at her for several moments before it burst into laughter. The thousands of voices within in joined not-quite-perfectly, grating against her ears as the sound bounced around the empty space. She gritted her teeth and stood her ground as it finally calmed. The urge to clap her hands over her ears to shut out the noise slipped away. "You are a feisty one, aren't you?" it said, grinning from ear to ear.

Still smiling broadly, it tossed the Jewel in its hand into the air. Kagome watched as it slowed and turned, falling back into the opened mouth of Truth. She cringed internally as it licked its lips. "Delicious. Never could resist a soul or two a few centuries after its expiration date. Does help with the flavor, you know?" She remained silent, and it laughed again. "So easy to tease, young Wanderer! But I digress. Come."

It rose to its feet, turning from her and walking away. Kagome wavered for a half-second before following behind. "Where are we going?"

"You will see."

After a few minutes of walking along, they came upon another door. Gate, Kagome corrected herself as she stared up at the massive structure before her. This one was also carved intricately, but with a noticeably different design. She felt her eyes widen when she saw what was engraved in the wood: demons, slayers, monks, priestesses, villagers… this was the door to the Feudal Era! She stepped forward, her hand brushing the surprisingly warm wood in the center.

"The well?" she whispered. "Why…?" Her eyes lifted and her jaw when slack in shock. There, rising above the well, was a girl dressed in a familiar modern school uniform, her long hair swirling around her in invisible wind. Her eyes were open and lacked pupils or irises of any sort, giving her the eerie blank gaze of a marble statue, and lying in her hands was a small circle from which the entirety of the artwork seemed to radiate.

"The Sacred Jewel," she said in wonder. "How… why am I engraved into a door—erm—Gate?"

"Your first assignment has been completed, young Wanderer," answered Truth. It reached up, opening the doors, which lead on into pure, starless night. As Kagome watched, the surface of the darkness seemed to ripple, lightening until it showed her friends, exactly as she'd left them. Her heart broke at the sight of Sango crying into Miroku's shoulder, Shippou bawling even more profusely into her neck. She took an inadvertent step forward, but was stopped by Truth's voices. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," it advised. She halted abruptly, glaring over her shoulder at it.

"Then what's the point of letting me see them?" she hissed. "Is this some sort of sick prank of yours?"

"Humans. So stupid!" said Truth. It moved around her, extending its hand and dipping its fingers into the scene above the image of Kikyou in Inuyasha's arms. The surface undulated because of the disturbance, but the people inside seemed to be unaffected. Kagome watched as Kikyou's form glowed a bright blue. Inuyasha's eyes snapped open in panic as the limp, injured woman was lifted into the air by some unknown force, blinding light and strong winds flowing around her.

The others turned to watch in awe as her wound mended itself. A strong pink light flew out of her at the same time an equally strong blue one appeared in the sky. They met, swirling together for several moments like a binary star before the pink one departed and the blue one sank into Kikyou's form. Her eyes flew open as the lost souls seeped out of her, jetting off into the sky one-by-one to the rest they had been denied in order to sustain the clay miko.

The wind calmed and said miko stared around her in apparent surprise as she was placed gently on her feet. Truth withdrew its hand from the image, its hand now glowing a bright pink and hundreds of tiny blue lights threading their way into the veins of his forearm.

Kikyou's jaw dropped when she saw Inuyasha, and the rest of Kagome's friends' jaws dropped when she spoke. "What the hell, Inuyasha?" the priestess snapped. "How did you break my seal?!"

"Kikyou?" he said, gaping at her.

Her now flashing eyes narrowed. "And what's with that bruise on your face? I thought I told you not to get into any more fights!" Kagome watched in thinly veiled astonishment as the priestess put hands on her hips. "You have a lot of explaining to do, Inuyasha, starting with where you put the Sacred Jewel."

Sango, Miroku, and Shippou watched, gape-mouthed, as Inuyasha broke into the hugest grin they'd ever seen on him. "Kikyou, you're back to normal!" The trio plus Kagome stared at the half-demon as he embraced the priestess, who immediately flushed bright red.

"What—what are you doing?" she demanded, flustered. "Inuyasha? You better start talking right now!"

Kagome couldn't hold back a giggle as the scene faded and the doors swung shut. "Oh my gosh, that was too funny! Suddenly I'm not so worried about Inuyasha anymore." Her eyes saddened. "I wish I'd known she wasn't such a bitch for real when I had the chance. We might have gotten along."

"You wouldn't have," responded Truth, regarding its pink hand boredly. "Her soul had moved on; you were merely lending her a bit of yours to support her body and her memories."

Kagome cocked her head to the side. "But I thought we shared a soul?"

It sniggered. "Humans," it said, as if reminding itself, "Always so imaginative." It held up its glowing hand. "Although Kikyou was able to live with the aid of your soul, her own had passed on. She was simply memories and a life force. This soul is your own; it was created when you were born and will belong to no other."

"But I thought—"

"Incorrectly," it finished. It moved closer to her, not giving her a chance to inquire further, moving its glowing hand to press against her chest. She felt something inside of her shift as the pink light slipped into her. Tension in her chest she hadn't even noticed before relaxed and she sighed in relief as Truth pulled its hand away, smirking.

"Leave it to a Wanderer to make a pure wish that winds up with their gain in the end."

She shot it a look. "Why do you keep calling me 'Wanderer'? I have a name, you know."

"As do I," it responded, "But the use of names in the Between is unnecessary."

She stepped back from the Gate, glancing around at the white plane it called the Between. "The name fits," she murmured. She looked back at Truth when she didn't see a door obviously marked with busses and skyscrapers. "How do I go back to my time?"

Truth grinned again, and her heart sank at that look. A dark chill threaded its way up her feet and into her stomach. She didn't even have to listen to know what was coming. "The Gate to your dimension has closed," it said. "You are a Wanderer—you can never enter the same Gate twice, and every time you pass through the Between you're returned to the state you were in the first time you came."

She crossed her arms, refusing to break down—that would be giving this asshole just what he wanted. When she made her wish, she had been just as prepared to never see her mother, grandfather and brother again as she had to never see her friends again. She could mourn her loss later. "Then what, am I supposed to stick around with you for the rest of my life?" she said sarcastically. "Sounds kind of boring to me."

It smirked. "Oh believe me, it's no bore at all," it said. "But as much as I'd love the company, you are needed elsewhere, young Wanderer." There were dark twin sparks where its eyes should have been. "But I'll make you a deal, okay? Bring me back fourteen corrupted souls and I'll rebuke your status as Wanderer. I'll even throw in some tips for the road if you promise to get it over and done with in less than three years."

She frowned suspiciously. "Give me one reason I should trust you."

"I am Truth," it answered simply. She faltered at that answer. Good point. She shook her head.

"What happens if I don't finish in three years?"

The black aura around it darkened malevolently, and she braced herself against the assault on her own. "You'll just have to pay the toll then, won't you?" it simpered. "Don't worry—I'm sure you'll manage. You won't be alone."

Kagome stared at Truth for a long time, debating this inwardly. Three years wasn't that long at all. Hell, she'd backpacked around Japan for seven just to piece together one stupid piece of rock! But there was something about the way the shadow looked at her, almost as if it was daring her to say no, to say she wasn't capable of doing something like that, that gave her pause, made her want to prove that she was capable. Her expression hardened. "Fourteen, you say," she said slowly. "I think I can manage. What sort of tips were you thinking?"

The smirk that spread across Truth's face made a chill run down her spine. "Don't fail me, young Wanderer," it said in its cold, metallic voice. "The toll is great."

She smiled, but there was no warmth in the expression. "I won't be paying any toll," she responded. "And that's a promise."

It laughed as a creaking sound echoed behind her and she turned, forcing herself to remain calm as another carved door that hadn't been there before swung open, revealing a huge, grey eye that was noticeably turned on its side. She fought down a cry of panic as hundreds of black hands reached out, latching onto her arms and legs and pulling her forward.

"Good luck, young Wanderer," came Truth's mocking voice from behind her. "Don't dilly-dally around too long."

Then the hands wound around her, pulling her into the darkness, and the Gate of Truth swung shut behind her.

Thanks for reading!

Disclaimers:

I do not own Inuyasha or Fullmetal Alchemist, but I do own this story, and if you steal it I will get really pissed off at you. Any similarities between this and other fics is purely coincidental and if you accuse me of stealing, I will also get really pissed off at you. (I am rather easily pissed off.) Please bear in mind that there are bound to be likenesses between mine and other IY/FMA or FMA fics because I'm planning on following the FMA storyline (manga/2009 anime version), at least in the beginning, before Kagome messes up everything (hooray for crossovers!), so if it's related to the order of events, well, please don't bother bringing it up, okay?

This fic is rated T. I reserve the right to heated makeout scenes and excessive swearing/violence, and I also reserve the right to up the rating at any point if I so chose. I honestly don't think that'll happen; nevertheless, be prepared. The genres I chose (humor and romance) are the ones I thought most accurately reflected this particular fic, but that doesn't exclude the possibilities of tragic endings, awesome adventures, and friendship. They just aren't the focus. The reason I didn't mark a particular pairing is because I'm not sure of that particular aspect of this fic yet, and I doubt I'll mark it even after this is finished. Where's the fun in reading something if you know the ending anyway?

Updates will come and go as I see fit. I may mess around for months at a time just to put out a filler chapter and randomly go on hiatus right after a cliff-hanger, but I will finish this story. Eventually.