The final battle against Naraku had finally reached it's tumultuous end. Inuyasha and his group had survived except for Shippo, who was struck down when he foolishly attempted to sneak the jewel away from Naraku. The slayer and monk lay in each other's arms covered in flesh wounds, though none bad enough to be considered fatal. Sango was silently weeping over the loss of her dear younger brother, Kohaku with an exhausted Kirara cradled in her arms. Kagome sat a few hundred feet from the battle site unbelieving that it was finally over. She spared a glance at Inuyasha and saw him wince from a particularly painful blow he'd received earlier, then straighten his features so his comrades wouldn't know of his pain.
Sesshomaru and his small entourage were now one member less. Jaken had fallen victim to Naraku's evil ways. The lord of the West unsheathed his Tensaiga and briskly strode to Jaken's side, narrowed his eyes, then placed his famed sword of healing back in it's scabbard. It wasn't that he couldn't heal Jaken, it was because Jaken wouldn't want to be revived. For the small imp, he'd died an honorable death fighting alongside his lord to bring down a sworn enemy. Therefore, Sesshomaru decided to let him be, he'd miss his constant squawking though he'd never admit it. Rin and the two-headed dragon were fine and safe in a secluded glen many miles from where the battle had taken place. With one last glance at the scene before him Sesshomaru turned and head to find his remaining vassal and young ward.
Kouga had assisted in the battle as well along with Ayame. He'd ordered her to stay at the den when she'd shown up to fight along with Ginta and Hakaku. Ayame had refused to obey his orders and quite adamantly insisted Kouga allow her to assist him. He reluctantly relented, though a bit wary of having someone else to look out for during a fight such as the one against the despicable Naraku. Luckily the female wolf demon proved to be more of a help then Kouga had previously thought, and was quite good at distracting Naraku's incarnations Kagura, Kanna, and Hakudoshi while he landed some rather damaging blows. Kouga made a mental note to become more acquainted with Ayame once things had properly settled down again, it seemed as though there was more to her then he'd originally thought.
Kikyo had preferred the sidelines during the battle, taking refuge in the trees, yet still relasing a purification arrow when the opportunity presented itself. The dead priestess was fully aware that if Inuyasha did lay eyes upon her he wouldn't be able to fight his best due to being too distracted worrying about whether or not she was alright.
And now, it was over, it wasn't a game or any sort of dream, it was truly over. Kagome held the nearly completed jewel in her left hand, clutching it to her chest. Only three shards remained for it to be complete. The one from Kohaku's back and the two that Kouga possessed "Kagome, these are for you, do with them as you will" panted out Kouga has he handed the futuristic priestess the shards that had been embedded in his legs. Kagome looked at him with a small grateful smile and whispered a breathless "thank you." She then turned to look at Sango, who nodded her head that yes, it was alright if she used the shard that was Kohaku's to complete the scared jewel at last.
Thus the process began, Kagome concentrated with all her energy bring the jewel to a beautiful pure sparkling pink, just as it had been when first released from Midoriko centuries before. Finally, the jewel had been purified! With an exhausted sigh she called Inuyasha to her, telling him the wish was his to make, and she'd still love him no matter what he wished, but until the wish was made she'd have the jewel in her possession to make sure it stayed pure. However, Inuyasha wasn't paying attention to Kagome, and had spotted a few of Kikyo's soul collectors hovering above a small group of trees. With a small nod of his head he dashed off in that direction desperate to find his past love and see for himself that she really was alright.
"Kikyo" he barely whispered the name as can upon her. "Inuyasha, I see that even though you are aware of my reincarnations affections you still seek me out. Why is that?" the priestess asked in a cold, calm voice. "Because, I've sworn myself to you, and now that Naraku is dead we can be together as we should've been fifty years ago," he replied. "What of the jewel? Will you wish to become human as I desired you to be?" asked Kikyo. Taken aback by this, Inuyasha shook his head no, "if I become human I can't protect you the way you should be, the way I need to protect you." "Oh, if you don't become human then you won't protect me either, because there'll be no future for us, fore I shall always have doubts that you could once again betray me," she spoke with hollow malice in her voice. Kikyo, I never betrayed you. I swear it! I never even dreamed of it," Inuyasha exclaimed grabbing his former love and holding her tightly against him. "Let me go!" Kikyo pushed against him and turned her back, "until you are willing to give me what you owe me and become human, I've nothing more to say to you. Goodbye Inuyasha," and with that she vanished along with her soul collectors into the forest.
'Kagome! She always wanted me as I was, whereas Kikyo never did. Have I made a mistake? Is it too late to correct it? I know she loves me and I love her also Maybe she can see a future with me as myself; a half-demon. Yet, I've vowed myself to Kikyo and I owe her so much, but my promise to avenge her has been fulfilled ' Inuyasha thought. 'I guess I should see that she's not injured in any way, along with the rest of them.' Gathering his thoughts, he bounded back in the direction from which he came stopping when he finally reached his friends. Gasping he looked around noticing the Kagome was gone along with her scent and every trace of her. "Where's Kagome?!" he questioned Miroku and Sango who were now sitting up bandaging each other wounds as he picked up the sacred jewel from the ground. "She's gone" answered Sango has tears fell from her eyes. "I lost them both my two best friends. First Kohaku then Kagome," the slayer wept. "What the hell do you mean she's gone?!" yelled Inuyasha. "It's just as Sango said, lady Kagome is no longer here" interjected Mirkou. "I see that, but what I want to know is why," seethed the half-demon. "The jewel took her away, once the purification was completed she slowly faded away until she was nothing more then a shadow and finally she was gone. I'm guessing it took her back to her era so she can continue her life as it should be," Miroku answered. "Her life should be here. With me! With us!" Inuyasha growled as he took off in a full run for the well that connected the two eras to one another.
'Kagome I'm coming for you' he thought jumping inside the well, only to find that the passage was no longer open. "Why?!" he moaned, "why now, just as I know who really loves me, she's taken from me. Fingering the jewel he realized what his wish would be, and this time he was certain it was the right one. Jumping out of the well, jewel now held tightly in his hand he raised his fist above his head saying, "alright you damn jewel time for you to hear my wish! I wish to be able to live until Kagome's time and tell her that I love her. If nothing else, grant me that!" The jewel glowed an unearthly pink and disappeared, with a soft female voice replying, "With a wish made of love the jewel is truly pure and no longer needs to remain in this world." Inuyasha nodded his head knowing that the voice from the jewel was that of Midoriko.
Walking back to his remaining friends, as he approached Inuyasha quietly announced that he'd made his wish. "What was it?" asked Miroku and Sango in unison while Kirara cocked her head to the side and gave a faint "mew." "I wished to live until Kagome's time to tell her that I love her," he spoke quietly. "A noble wish indeed, Inuyasha," replied Miroku. "What of the jewel?" asked Sango. "It's truly gone. Midoriko spoke to me from the jewel saying that since it was a wish based on love the jewel was now pure as it has first been and no longer needed to remain here in this world. So, I guess that it really is finally over," he sighed. 'Now to wait until I see my Kagome again.'
500 years in the future
"Oh Inuyasha, I hope you're alright. I hope you didn't go to hell with Kikyo and that you made the wish you wanted. More than anything else though, I hope you know how much I love you," said Kagome to herself as she walked up the driveway to her home at the shrine. Two silver dog ears twitched as they heard the words spoken by the young priestess. 'So my wish wasn't in vain' thought Inuyasha happily. Deciding that now was as good a time as any he ran up to her and said "Kagome, I must tell you something." Shocked she quickly asked how and why he was there, after all the well was no longer working. Putting his finger to her lips to silence her, he looked into her eyes and finally said, "Kagome, I love you," and placed a short but sweet kiss on her soft lips. Once this was said his body started to turn to dust and he realized his wish had been fulfilled, and it was only the power of the jewel that had allowed him to live this long, now that his wish had been granted he could no longer remain in the world of the living. With a small smile to his love he thought, 'well atleast I finally told her, she knows the truth about my love for her.' As Inuyasha completed his final thought a gust of wind blew by taking with it the dust that remained of his body. "I love you too Inuyasha, I love you too!" cried Kagome as it sank in that he was truly gone, and that she was loved by him just as she'd always hoped. 'We'll meet again someday and be together, in our next lives, I'm sure,' Kagome told herself, 'and until that day, know this Inuyasha, none other will have my heart as you do.' With that she turned and walked inside the house, confident that one day they'd meet again.
The End