Back to You
By: SilverLunarStar
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Disclaimer: I hold no ownership rights to Inuyasha. I am just a fan who loves to write about my favorite couples. This story was inspired by Backstreet Boys' song, "Back to Your Heart." Hisao, Kazue, Sorano, Tadashi, Xiao Long and Xing are characters of my own imagination.
Author's Note: Ack! Yes, ANOTHER Kagome-goes-back-to-her-time-because-she-discovered-Inuyasha-and-Kikyo-kissing-even-though-it-wasn't-his-fault. Yes, it also includes Kagome-leaving-and-not-seeing-Inuyasha-for-a-really-really-long-time. Although, I hope I added a slightly original twist to it. If I didn't, I hope you still enjoy it! Oh, by the way, it's SOMEWHAT similar to my fic Not Everything Ends in Happily Ever After, but only a little.
Reason for Posting: Today marks thirteen years since the manga first came out!
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Amber orbs suddenly opened and they looked straight ahead, taking note of a Soul Collector. Inuyasha hesitated, looking towards Kaede's hut before he jumped off the tree and landed on the ground gracefully, running deeper into the forest.
Unknown to him, not everyone inside the hut was asleep. Higurashi Kagome quietly unzipped her sleeping bag, laid Shippo in it, grabbed her bow and arrows, and walked in the direction the hanyo took off. 'Why can't she just leave him in peace…?' Her thoughts trailed off as she saw the couple…kissing? She gasped, tears cascade down her cheeks.
Inuyasha was finally able to push Kikyo away from him and, as soon as he did, he smelled familiar salty tears. He turned around, startled. "K-Kagome?"
Kagome looked up at him with sorrow-filled eyes. Before turning around, she mouthed, "Sayonara," and fled.
Growling, he turned to the undead clay-pot. "I told you already, I can't go to hell with you." His amber eyes blazed with anger.
"So, you do prefer that useless, sorry excuse for a miko." She sneered and tried to attack him. All she was able to do, though, was snap his rosary.
"She's a better miko than when she first started…and she'll be even greater with her whole soul back." With that, he extended his claws, destroying the clay pot that was meant to be Kikyo. Hundreds of souls soared in the air, going back to where they truly belonged. 'She would have dragged all those lost souls to hell,' he realized.
One soul remained.
He looked at it curiously. 'Why hasn't it…?' It went near him and, as warmth fills his entire being, he understood. 'This is Kagome's soul. Demo, why hasn't it gone to join with her?' He didn't notice that quite a while had passed since Kagome left, until his other friends suddenly appeared by his side.
"Inuyasha, what's going on?"
"What did you do?!"
"Oto-san, why did okaa-san leave?"
That single inquiry froze his soul. "N-nani?" He stared at Shippo.
Shippo looked at a pale Inuyasha. He'd never seen the hanyo this way! "S-she, she came into the hut and grabbed her bag. She said she was going back to her time, but she didn't say when she was coming back!"
Without another thought, Inuyasha dashed to the well. When he arrived, he immediately jumped into the well. However, unlike most times where he'd end up in the future, he looked up and still saw the night sky instead of the ceiling of the well house. He climbed back up, shocked.
When everyone else arrived, they found him leaning against the well, staring at nothing. His pupils were dilated and his breaking was harsh. It almost seemed as if he were hyperventilating.
Miroku and Sango were at a loss of what to do as they understood that Inuyasha wasn't able to travel to Kagome. Surely she hadn't left them for good? She probably just needed some time to herself.
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Over four months had passed since Kagome left Sengoku Era. During this time, Inuyasha and company had an obviously difficult time gathering the rest of the Shikon no Kakera. When Kagome left, they only had five more left. They have only gathered two. The first one was curiously found the day following Kagome's departure. Kagome's soul-piece, which was still floating aimlessly about, with nowhere to go, was absorbed into it. It's still residing there, waiting for its owner to return. Even though it'd been a while, they still hold hope. Inuyasha himself carried the Shikon no Kakera, his only link to Kagome residing within it.
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Kagome was doing just as bad, if not worse, than her friends from Sengoku Era were. She had sprinted off without thinking. Although she should have been used to these little meetings between them by then, it had hurt worse this time more than any of the others. He had promised her he'd take her as his mate a couple of months before she discovered them and then he… After a few days at home and a talk with her mother, she realized she should have given Inuyasha a chance to explain. She always acted so irrational! A week later, she tried to go back, but the well wouldn't let her. She panicked and checked if she still had the Shikon no Kakera. She did, but…she couldn't go back.
Even after half a year, she tried at least once a week. If she had thought that last time was too long away from Inuyasha, now… Her heart thumped, painfully. 'What if he decided to mate with Kikyo instead?' She wouldn't be able to bear it.
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Five years had now passed for those in Sengoku Era. Inuyasha, Shippo, Miroku, and Sango had been able to collect the five remaining shards. Before collecting the last one, they had had to defeat Naraku. It was a tough fight; there was a moment when Inuyasha's friends were sure he was going to give up. Their friend had been nothing but an empty shell since his intended mate's departure. There were too many close calls that wouldn't have been close at all if Kagome had been there, but, thankfully, they all made it, no worse for wear. They were sure that the only thing that kept him going was the single Shikon no Kakera holding a part of Kagome's soul.
Sometimes, even now, after Naraku's demise, they heard the inu-hanyo's pain at night. His dreams plagued him. Shippo would tell the two other adults that he would smile some nights and others he'd howl as if he'd been stabbed with a hot iron. They constantly asked the kitsune if he ever went back to the well, but he'd shake his head. The inu-hanyo had not gone back since he tried one last time; it seemed, after Naraku's death. The white-haired male had thought that, by reuniting the last remaining pieces of the Shikon no Tama together, it would somehow activate the pieces Kagome held. It was not so, though…
After that, he just…resigned himself. Once in a while, he'd help out Miroku or Kaede with one thing or another. That's how he led his life now. Even Sesshoumaru, his brother, was worried. It was not right for a youkai or hanyo to be separated from his (intended) mate. The inu-youkai was surprised his brother had lasted this long at all. Maybe he still retained some sort of hope…
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Inuyasha wondered if his friends knew he could hear them. They had been with him for so long and knew a lot about youkai and hanyo alike, that they should know by now that their hearing was very sensitive. He could hear them whispering their worries, wondering if he was ever going to snap out of his overwhelming misery, remain so for the rest of his days, or simply put an end to it. While the last thought was tempting, he wasn't stupid. He'd never be able to forgive himself if he ended his life. He still had Shippo to look after, even though he was more of a teenager now, in human standards, and more than capable of handling himself. Plus, he so did not want to meet Kikyo in hell, thank you very much. Another reason why he wouldn't end his life was because he still held some…hope, however minuscule. Glancing at the now five melded shards that held Kagome's soul, he was sure there was a reason why it was still here and simply didn't faze away or something.
At the beginning, he couldn't help but blame Kagome for leaving. How could she think he'd intentionally cheat on her, with Kikyo of all people, after everything that happened? After he cooled off, he realized that he would have jumped to the same conclusions had he stumbled upon a similar scene. How in the seven hells had everything gone so wrong? He wished there was something he could do to make things right again. He missed her so, so much…
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Inuyasha awoke to the smell of jasmine blossoms and…there was another particular scent he could not quite place. Turning, he realized that the flowery smell was surrounding him, as if the owner had just left. Cautiously, he stepped out of the hut.
A black-haired woman was currently hanging a few articles of clothing on a clothes-line, humming to herself.
"Kagome!" he exclaimed, his heart's beats speeding.
Turning around, the young maiden smiled. "Ohayo Inuyasha," she greeted.
Amazed, he rushed to her and enveloped her from behind.
"Inuyasha! What has gotten into you?" she scolded, playfully. All she got was a muffled reply since he currently had his face buried in the crock of her neck, one of his favorite spots, as her scent was always strongest there. She shook her head; her mate was so weird sometimes.
Inuyasha tuned out everything except for the woman in his arms. He started running his hands over her arms, bringing goose bumps to them. When he reached her hands, he twined their fingers for a few seconds, before gliding over her sides. Hearing Kagome giggle made him smile. He brought his arms fully around her and was startled when he felt a slight…bump. 'Nani?!' He expanded his hand to her round stomach.
Kagome's hands joined his. "It's amazing, isn't it? Even after we defeated Naraku, we never thought this would happen, and now, it looks like all our dreams are coming true."
Inuyasha stared at her in wonder as she turned around to face him. 'I-it's impossible, isn't it? This can't be happening.' Oh, but how he wished it was; he wished this could be real with all his heart.
"Inuyasha?" Kagome frowned. "What's wrong koishii?"
"Ore wa, ore wa…" he stuttered, before shaking his head. Even if this wasn't real, he couldn't bring himself to admit it aloud. "Nandemonai," he finally responded. Before she could retort, he brought his lips upon her. He parted from her after a few minutes. "Aishiteru, Kagome," he finally said. They were the words he had wanted to say to her for so long.
She smiled, her brown eyes sparkling. "Aishiteru Inuyasha, itsumo." With that, his wife and mate wrapped her arms around his neck in order to continue their earlier occupation…
Inuyasha woke up, gasping for air. He looked beside him before scanning around, realizing immediately that he was alone…just as it had been for the last fifteen years or so… His heart ached and his amethyst eyes welled up with tears. It's not fair; it's not fair, dammit! He brought his fists down, on the futon. He heard a small creak and he whirled around.
"Inu-oji-san?" the child called out.
"What is it, Hisao-chan?" he directed at Miroku and Sango's third child.
"Are you okay, oji-san?" Hisao walked in.
Inuyasha quickly wiped his eyes, before any of his tears could fall. "I'm fine Hisao, it was just…a nightmare," he finished, hesitantly.
"Rin-oba-chan says Kaede-obaa-san used to say that the best way to get rid of bad dreams is a good cup of herbal remedy," he recited.
The inu-hanyo, currently human thanks to the new moon, smiled. It was a rather small smile, but Hisao knew he was currently witnessing a rare occurrence. His mother said that Uncle Inuyasha used to smile all the time when Aunt Kagome was around. Whenever he would ask about her, though, everyone would get a sad look in their eye, even Uncle Sesshy. She sounded like such a wonderful person, he wished he would have been able to meet her, but she was gone even before he was born seven years ago. His sisters, Kazue and Sorano never met her either. Kazue was born six years after Aunt Kagome left and Sorano was his twin sister, so she obviously never met her either.
"Hisao-nii-chan?" called out a sleepy voice.
Hisao and Inuyasha turned around to see Sorano coming in as well.
"What are you doing out of bed Hisao-chan? Okaa-san said we had to be asleep while the sun's not up, you know that."
"Daijoubu desu, Sorano-chan, your brother was just keeping me some company," Inuyasha came to the boy's defense.
"Okay," she agreed. "May I keep you company as well, Inuyasha-oji-san?"
"Of course," he consented readily. Vaguely, he wondered how many pups he and Kagome would have had by now, but shook his head. There was no use wishing for the unattainable…he glanced at the shard next to his futon one last time, before retrieving the siblings' own futon.
The twins stared at each other. Sometimes they wondered if Aunt Kagome had really left to another world, the one she originated from, or if that was just the adults' way of saying she had died. They hoped not, because then they would not be able to meet her for a long time. She sounded like such a wonderful person and their cousin, Shippo, said she was a great mother; they were sure she would have been a terrific aunt, too.
Inuyasha came back in and noticed the brother and sister were sleeping on his futon. He loved his nieces and nephew deeply, and was particularly fond of the twins, although he wouldn't tell anyone, but it hurt to see them at times. They are a vision of the future he would have loved to have with Kagome. Arranging them, so their feet wouldn't dangle, he laid down on their own futon, sleeping a dreamless sleep.
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"Okaa-san, is there anything we can do?" Sorano asked, tears in her eyes.
Sango, who was in her early forties, laid on her deathbed, her eyes drained. It seemed that all that time chasing youkai around, while good exercise, robbed her of several years of her life. It was parallel to her husband, Miroku, who had died a couple of years ago. The Kazaana had also rid the monk of many years of his life; he died at the exact age of fifty-two. As exhausted as she was, she did her best to smile up at her two daughters and son. Miroku and Sango had wanted to have more kids, but, once they realized their health was failing them, they didn't think it wise.
Either way, Kazue, Sorano, and Hisao were more than she could have ever asked for. There were many times that the possibility of marrying Miroku and having children seemed like a faraway possibility. The Gods granted them with three blessings and they were thankful. There were others who weren't as fortunate… She looked up at one of her long-time best friends.
Inuyasha looked on, as his last remaining friend's life left her slowly. There was nothing he could do, nothing any of them could do, as much as he would have done anything to save them. The same feeling of helplessness came upon him; he had felt like this several times when Kagome had left. When Miroku died, that feeling came back full-force. He knew there was nothing he could do then and there's nothing he could do now, but that doesn't stop his clashing feelings him. Death was an irrefutable foe; no one could beat it.
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Kazue was no longer with them. A year after Sango had passed away, she had met a kind human male. Inuyasha almost had a fit. This weak human take care of his niece? However, as Tadashi continued to court her and he noticed her happiness, there was no way he could refuse when, a few months later, Tadashi he asked for her hand in marriage. It was a painful and joyous all in one.
Less than a month later, everything was prepared. After the ceremony, she looked for her silver-haired uncle. Just as she thought, she found him away from the crowd, leaning against a tree, observing everyone else. "Inuyasha-oji-san?" she called out.
Startled, he shook his head and looked at his oldest niece. "Nani?" he asked.
"Arigato." She smiled.
"For what?" He shrugged.
Kazue knew how hard it was on him, when those he loved left him. She felt guilty that she had been able to find happiness when Inuyasha, who had been like a second father to them all, but there was no way she couldn't have followed her heart. She only hoped that he forgave her and that he would be able to find happiness one day too.
Inuyasha was startled when she felt his eldest niece hug him. She was never as affectionate or as close to him as her younger siblings were, but he loved her too. Returning the hug briefly, he parted from her and told her, "Go and be happy."
With tears in her eyes, she nodded. She turned around and saw her husband standing a ways away. Smiling, she rushed to him and he took her in his arms. With one last look at her uncle, she went to say goodbye to her baby brother and sister.
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Hisao, Sorano, and Inuyasha had travelled for three months. The youngsters were now eighteen, since the past full moon. Although men and women were always after the twins, trying to court and seduce them, they always ignored them, preferring to stay with their uncle.
Inuyasha felt guilty every time this happened. He felt as if his niece and nephew didn't settle down because they felt they needed to stay and take care of him. He was the adult, dammit! However, no matter how much he tried to talk to them about settling down and having a family of their own, they would always rebuff the idea.
Hisao was nothing like his father. While he loved women, he wasn't much of a womanizer. In fact, he was rather shy. Miroku must be rolling in his grave! The human females always seemed to throw themselves at him, but he always rejected them, politely, of course. His mother had taught him to always be courteous to women, no matter how…loose they were.
Sorano, on the other hand, was the opposite of her shy twin. She was pretty outgoing and had quite a temper. While she didn't think men were the scum of the earth, after all her father and uncles proved as much, the ones she had encountered were nothing to brag about. Human males were usually too frightened to approach her, not because of Inuyasha, although he played a huge role, but because of her temper.
'She would have gotten long great with Kagome…' He shook his head. He hadn't thought of her in a long time. 'Keh, who am I kidding? She's always in my thoughts…'
Sorano and Hisao looked at their uncle sadly. Why did Aunt Kagome have to leave? A few years ago, Sorano had gotten pissed off at her. She didn't care that she never knew her, but how could she leave Uncle Inuyasha like that?! It was a resentment that was always there, but, as time went on, she realized that she couldn't have known the well would seal.
After Sango had died, Inuyasha had moved in with them to take care of them all even though they were basically deemed as adults. In fact, according to their time, they were all supposed to have settled down with families of their own. The adults never cared, they would settle down when they felt like it, which was exactly what Kazue did a few months ago.
She decided it was her time to settle down and have a family of her own; the fact that she found an open-minded human male was surprising and pleasing to, not only herself, but the rest of her family. There was no way she would have settled down with anyone who wouldn't accept her mindset or her uncle. Kazue had disclosed this much to her siblings.
Sorano was smiling, thinking about their latest visit to her sister's. Kazue told them she missed them and missed taking care of them. She was hoping to have kids as soon as possible. It would be so cool to have nieces and nephews! She would love to be an aunt!
"Minna-san!" a voice called out, out-of-the-blue.
The pack of three was confused; it seemed to come from everywhere!
Sorano figured it out first. "Shippo-kun!" exclaimed Sorano.
Shippo appeared with a pop. "Konnichiwa!" he greeted his family.
The three were happy, even though Inuyasha wouldn't show it completely. "Gaki," he grumbled. He looked at his adopted son up and down, making sure he was alright.
"Konnichiwa oto-san," he greeted formally, bowing.
The hanyo scoffed, but they all noticed his half-smile.
Shippo, Hisao, and Sorano chatted gaily. The three had always been close. Shippo had been like an older brother to them.
'Although I used to have a crush on him,' Sorano remembered. She rolled her eyes. How creepy had that been? Thankfully, she got over it quickly enough; Shippo was a great partner-in-crime and older brother.
Inuyasha looked at his son, niece, and nephew. 'Oh Kagome, how I wish you were here to see them…'
Nightfall came swiftly enough. Inuyasha needed some time on his own and, since Shippo was there, he felt it was safe enough to leave them on their own for a couple of days.
Once her uncle left, Sorano turned to Shippo. "Did you find a place?"
Shippo nodded solemnly. "Are you sure you want to do this? You know this is dangerous; a lot of things could go wrong. They're tricky."
"I know! You've told me millions of times and we grew up with these lectures, but I have to!" she exclaimed in frustration.
Shippo settled his hands on her shoulders. "Calm down Sorano-chan. I know, I know, demo you're not doing this."
She looked up in rage.
"We're doing this." He turned to Hisao; the human nodded.
Sorano smiled, but was surprised when tears started welling in her eyes. Out of all of them, she had been the least to cry. Even as a baby, they always told her she was a quiet child. She wasn't sure why, as a baby, that was so, but when she got older, she felt that she needed to be strong for herself and those she cared for. "In the morning," she declared.
The two males nodded at her. They all settled a safe distance from the fire, still letting its flames warm them on the cool night, and fell into a peaceful sleep.
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Knowing Inuyasha could find them easily, they packed up a little after dawn and left, with Shippo leading.
It surprised them all when they didn't travel as much as they thought they would. A couple of hours after lunch, they came to a shabby little shack.
Sorano looked at it doubtfully. It seemed really unlikely that… She suddenly felt a strange aura within the vicinity. 'Looks can be deceiving.'
Shippo and Hisao looked at their sister/cousin, waiting for her to take the initiative.
Taking in a deep breath, she walked forward. 'This is for Inuyasha-oji-san,' she thought as she knocked on the door. As many magic-dwelling places do, the door opened seemingly on its own. Once they entered the shack, a voice resonated throughout the small place.
'A selfless creature, are you not?'
The three whirled around, baffled by the voice that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. It was similar to the trick Shippo had used on them yesterday, but this sounded like nothing had ever heard before. While it was rather creepy, they felt they were in no eminent danger and relaxed somewhat.
'That's where you're wrong. You're always in danger in the house of a sorceress.'
Now they realized why it was so strange. The voice echoed from within their own heads!
'What a smart bunch. Usually the ones that discover my whereabouts are rather dim-witted.' "Well, we shall see how smart you really are."
The siblings and cousin took in the woman that finally appeared before them. She seemed like a normal human at first glance. However, they were not at all deceived and, once they stared at her for a while longer, they realized she had many features that were not at all like a mortal's. Her long hair, looked like a basic chestnut, but it gleamed silver even with the dim light, her eyes were almond-shaped, pupils narrowed like a cat's, and the irises changed color every minute or so, she was rather petite, but her aura made it seem as if she took up a lot of space, her nails were about half-an-inch long and claw-like, and, what caught their attention the most, was that she had a long, white, fluffy tail.
'She's an inu-hanyo,' they all realized at once.
"Intelligence is something I've always admired because it's so rare." She smiled and looked them each in the eye.
They blushed and did their best not to look away until she had.
"So, I assume you're here for a reason, ano…?"
"You don't know our names?" Hisao asked.
She laughed. "I'm a magic-wielder, but I'm not psychic."
Hisao blushed and apologized. "Ore wa Hisao, descendant of Monks and Demon Exterminators, of the Inuyasha Village."
Shippo went next. "Ore wa Shippo, descendant of the akai kitsune, adopted by Inuyasha, descendant of the deceased Lord of the West."
The sorceress quirked an eyebrow as she heard the interesting introduction. She looked at Sorano now.
"Watashi wa Sorano, descendant of Monks and Demon Exterminators, of the Inuyasha Village, niece to Inuyasha himself, twin of Hisao," she added.
"Well, all of you certainly have interesting backgrounds; apparently all of you are linked by Inuyasha, who has a village named after him? That's quite an honor." She paused. "I'm called many names, as, I'm sure many of us who use magic are. You may refer to me as Xing, I believe the translation for that in Japanese is Hoshi, demo I prefer going by my rooted Chinese name, if you don't mind. Now, enough about my pride in my heritage, it's time to get down to business. What are you here for?"
Sorano took in a deep breath. "We're here for a very selfish reason, actually. I don't mean to offend, but I don't think I'm selfless at all. I want my uncle's happiness and I will do anything to get it because it makes me miserable to see him as he is. The only problem is I don't know how to word my request…"
"Why don't you tell me the root of the problem, then?" she suggested. As intimidating as she sometimes portrayed herself to be, she did so because she wanted to show that what she did was serious business. She loved helping people more than anything in the world, but would only do so if there request was pure enough. Even then, there were always consequences and limits to what she could do. She conjured some seats for all of them.
As Sorano, Hisao, and Shippo explained how their uncle/father had been since the disappearance of his intended mate years ago, she realized that this pack would be in for a lot more pain than they had already been through. Once they got to the fact that Higurashi Kagome was from the future, she knew there was only one thing she could do, but first… "I understand the suffering all of you have gone through and I sympathize; you have gone through many hardships and, I will be honest, should you chose the only solution I have for you, you will be in for a lot more pain. However, in the end, if you do exactly as I tell you, you will be able to reunite Inuyasha with his mate and you'll finally be able to meet her for yourself." She looked at Shippo. "Or, in your case, be reunited with your mother."
They held their breaths. "What must we do?" Shippo asked.
"First, you will have to bring Inuyasha here. Once he is present I will tell you what I can do and everything you must do after that. Once I do my part, you're all on your own, together. If, for any reason, you should choose to part from each other… I believe it's best I wait to tell you until you've brought Inuyasha here." She stood up. "There are rooms for each of you through this doorway where you are more than welcome to stay tonight. Tomorrow morning you can go and look for Inuyasha; bring him back here. Once all of you are here, I'll explain all."
The three thanked her and took her up on her offer.
She shook her head. 'They're a bit too trusting. If I had been an evil sorceress they'd be dead before the sun rose. Hmph, Kaede-san must have told one of them about me… Man, my reputation's going to be tarnished.' She snickered and held in a laugh when she heard them gasp in surprise at the ample amount of space. 'Looks can be deceiving.' With that, she went to her own resting quarters.
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Inuyasha was baffled when his niece, nephew, and son found him and asked him to follow them. They were acting strange. When he asked him what was going on, they wouldn't say.
Sorano was shocked when they arrived at the shack in less time than they had the day before.
Taking in his surroundings, the Inu-hanyo grew uneasy, but followed his family into the small shack.
"Magic makes you uncomfortable, doesn't it?"
Inuyasha whirled around.
Standing before him was an inu-hanyo, demo…
"I'm Xing, descendant of an Inu-youkai and a sorcerer. Do you know why you are here Inuyasha?"
He stared at her for a while. He was fidgeting, the magic infused within this place overbearing, but this woman was peaceful. He'd heard a lot about sorceresses and how they manipulated those who came to seek them. This one, however… He turned to his niece.
Sorano looked down. "Last year, I asked Shippo to help me look for a sorceress that Kaede-san once told Rin-san about. On our last visit, she told me about her. I knew you would never let me go on my own, so Shippo did most of the work. He came to tell me that he'd finally found her."
"Why did you want to find her?" he asked.
"I…" she faltered. What if this hurt him? She couldn't bear it if she hurt her uncle, who had been like a second father to them in many ways. Shaking her head, she took in a deep breath. "I want to reunite you with Kagome-oba-san," she finally said.
Inuyasha froze. It had been almost thirty years since the miko-from-the-future had disappeared to the other side of the well, back to her time. He had pertained hope during the first five years or so. Once two decades had gone by, that hope had diminished. The well had not reopened and she had not come back. He knew he'd never see her again; after all, hanyo usually have a lifespan of four hundred years, give or take a few years and she lived five hundred years into the future. It was impossible, unless… His head snapped as he finally understood.
"Hai, I've been seeking the sorceress so we could…extend our lifespan or freeze our aging, as she put it."
Xing nodded. "If I were to extend your lifespan, your bodies would become old and frail. It'd be easier to freeze you as you are."
"What's the catch?"
"You're very suspicious, aren't you?" Xing smiled. "The payment required is that the first child Kagome-san bears be named after myself."
All was silent.
"For Kami's sake, it was a joke. Magicians do have a sense of humor; apparently a poor one. I ask for nothing, but that you follow my instructions. When you first make contact with Kagome-san, you must be certain that it is after the well closed, this is very important; you can't tamper with the timeline."
"Hasn't Kagome-oba-chan already done that, by traveling five hundred years before her time?"
"Iie, all that has happened was meant to happen. Even Kagome-san leaving," she added. Before Inuyasha could protest, she continued, "If Kagome had stayed, Naraku would have been defeated much sooner and your parents would have gotten married earlier than it was. You two may have not been born had that been so." She looked at the twins.
The pack stared at one another and they all wondered just how different things would have been.
"Once she left, she wasn't meant to come back. That's why the well closed; she had done her duty." She looked at Inuyasha. "She helped you assemble a pack."
Inuyasha frowned. 'What good is it to have a pack without a mate?'
Xing continued. "The next is also very important, maybe the most important. You have a part of her soul, correct?"
He nodded.
"This was not meant to happen, but it's also the only reason you are going to be able to accomplish what you seek. Once Kagome-san is born, the soul will start to reject its current residence in the Jewel, as it will sense its owner. It must not be allowed to. As Kagome-san is born, she will have her full-embodied soul. If the piece of soul you have attaches itself to a fully-souled Kagome-san, it could mean an early demise or worse, living with a piece of soul that is hers, but not at the time."
The pack looked at each other, confirming that they all understood.
"It will be difficult to get the soul piece to bide its time. It would be best if you were as far away from Japan as possible when it's time for her birth." She breathed it. "The last catch, as you put it, is but a precaution. I need to know that you carry out what you were set to do. I will give you until the twentieth birthday of Kagome-san; that will give you seven months after Kagome-san is unable to return. Once Kagome-san is reunited with her soul, your frozen-time will be unfrozen."
The male Inu-hanyo stared at her suspiciously. She was quite giving for a magical wench.
Xing grinned. "Not everyone who has the gift of magic and sorcery is evil. I'm sorry if you have ever met up with such beings, but, just as there are good and evil youkai, hanyo, and ningen, there are light and dark magic wielders."
"Ano, Xing-san?" Sorano hesitated.
"Hai?"
"I thought you said you weren't psychic!"
Xing laughed. "It's called research Sorano-chan. There are a lot of rumors of your uncle and your family; I just needed to keep an ear open." She sobered.
Inuyasha, Shippo, Hisao, and Sorano also became serious.
"Are you ready to take on your task?"
They all nodded.
Xing knew they were and led them to a separate room that had already been prepared for the ritual. 'I wish you all the best of luck,' she thought, as she began.
---------
Inuyasha was startled out of his sleep. The Shikon no Kakera pulsed relentlessly. 'Oh shit.' His eyes widened. 'Kagome.' He exited his room and went to his son's and nephew's. "Shippo, Hisao, we have to go." He shook the two, before heading to the closet and taking out their luggage sets.
Groggily, the two got up. "Oto-san?"
"Kagome has been born. We've got to go, now!" He cursed; they had been careless. They should have left at the beginning of the year, but work and school had delayed them. Reaching Sorano's room, he knocked and waited a minute before opening the door. He hesitated. Sorano has grown accustomed to this town, the closest to Kagome's home-city they had ever dared to stay. After all, they had had to make sure they left no traces of themselves over the centuries. Nearing his niece, he gently touched her shoulder and she was up like a bullet. "Oji-san?"
"It's time."
Sorano bit her lip. She knew it was coming. The only reason they were still here the year of Kagome's birth was because of her.
"Sorano-chan?" he questioned lightly. Staring into her dark orchid eyes, he realized what she was about to say, but let her say it herself.
"Oji-san…watashi wa, watashi wa…" She struggled. After almost five hundred years of accompanying her uncle, cousin, and twin, this was the hardest decision she ever had to make. "I want to stay," she finally choked out.
"Are you sure?" he asked, seriously.
Even though she was saddened by the separation, she knew what she wanted. "Hai," she responded.
He nodded. She had one more year of high school left and, even though she had gone to school multiple times, he knew the real reason she wanted to stay. As much as he wanted to stay with her or have one of the boys stay, he knew he had to let go. She had been faithful to her family for five hundred years. "We'll probably go stay with Kazue's great, greats in the States," he informed her. "I'll keep sending a check for the condo-"
Sorano shook her head. "I was thinking of moving into a smaller apartment. I don't think I'd be able to stay in this big place by myself."
Inuyasha frowned. He didn't like leaving his niece alone, but he had to realize that she had lived for five hundred years and she knew how to take care of herself, even if she took of others (them) better. "Just, just…be careful."
The five hundred year old, give or take a few years, girl finally smiled. "I will, but same goes for you, Shippo, and Hisao."
"Hai, hai." He paused. "You do know you're going to have to tell your cousin and brother yourself, right?"
"Aw damn…" They were not going to take it lightly.
She was right. Once Inuyasha had gone to pack himself, she started packing too. She had been looking at this one place that was near the current high school she went to and thought it was perfect if she ever decided to… She had never, in the past half millennium or so, been separated from her family and she hadn't had any intentions to do so, but…
Her cell phone beeps and vibrates, letting her know she had just received a response to the text she had sent out a few minutes ago.
'Woman, do u no what time it is? :P I can't believe ur fam is leavin on such short notice, but im glad u decided to stay. Ill c u soon!'
Just as she had finished reading this, another beep and buzz occurred. Opening the new text, it read, 'Let me no if u need any help moving in2 ur new place. I hope ur fam has a safe trip.' She blushed. This was what she loved about Xiao Long the most, he was always so considerate.
She replied quickly at told him to go back to sleep, before heading to the living room to break the news to her cousin and twin.
---------
Fifteen years had passed since Sorano's family moved to the States. Eight years ago, she finished her Master's Degree in counseling. She decided to focus on children thirteen and under because she still looked like a teenager and the elder teens had no boundaries with her. Adults thought her to be nothing but a child. She sighed. 'I kind of can't wait to start aging normally again.' After living for over half a millennium, things were getting a little dreary. At first, all that kept her going was the thought of finally meeting the aunt she never knew. Sixteen years ago, she found a new meaning in Lu Xiao Long, her long-term fiancé – she had no intention of getting married until her uncle had reunited with his intended mate – and an ookami-hanyo.
When she had first met Xiao Long in school, she knew there was something 'off' about him. In less than a week, she found out he was a Chinese kuro ookami-hanyo who had moved into Japan a decade ago. He was a little over fifty years younger than her uncle and had been travelling all over Europe after he got tired of his birth country. They hit it off almost immediately, once he realized she wasn't going to run off screaming, fearing his heritage.
It wasn't until they had a few years together that she told him her secret, however, that she really was only a few decades younger than himself, not centuries as he had imagined. She told him the full story of her family and he held her close as she shed the tears she always held back.
A bit hesitant, he asked what would happen if they didn't reunite with Kagome by her twentieth birthday.
"We'll be nothing but dust," she answered.
He hoped that he had imagined the wistfulness in her tone.
Now, almost two decades later, she was still with her high school sweetheart. In less than three weeks, they would officially have sixteen years together.
Xiao Long understood why she wanted to wait for them to get married and complied with her wish. After all, he had waited for the perfect mate for centuries, a few years more wouldn't kill him, no matter how much he wanted to mate legitimately.
She smiled as she continued to window shop, looking for an anniversary present for her fiancé.
"Kagome-chan, Kagome-chan!" she heard a girl call out.
Sorano's head snapped in the direction of the voice. She saw four girls on the other side of the street.
A girl with waist-length black hair responded. She seemed rather flustered, as if she had just been caught in a lie.
It took everything in her not to gawk. So this is the infamous Higurashi Kagome. After waiting for, what seemed like, eons to meet her, she was but a few yards away. 'If only…' She took a step, but quickly caught herself. 'Iie, I need to wait.' She cast a longing look at the teenage girl, before she dashed away.
As soon as she got home, she took out the long-distance calling card she had bought at the local store and called her uncle. She chattered away about how she had seen her and how pretty she was, prettier than she had ever imagined. It wasn't until Inuyasha responded, in a sad, reminiscing tone that she shut her trap. 'Watashi no baka.' She couldn't believe how inconsiderate she was being. Even though she had never met the woman, she held such a need to know her. Her uncle, on the other hand, knew the woman and had intended to make her his mate as soon as possible, until fate tore them apart by a simple misunderstanding. Before she could apologize though-
"Yokata Sorano-chan. Arigato for letting me know that Kagome is still safe and sound. I'm happy you were finally able to see your oba-san."
Sorano smiled, tears in her eyes. "Hai oji-san." She paused for a few seconds. "Ne, how are Sesshoumaru-oji-san and Rin-oba-san doing?"
Inuyasha laughed internally at her feeble change of subject. "They're doing just fine, as are your cousins. Hisao has been miserable without you, though."
The girl frowned at this. She hadn't seen her twin since he came to visit six years ago. When he first told her he was coming to visit, she was nervous. It had been nine years since she had last seen her brother, what if he had changed? She carried this worry with her as she went to the airport to pick him up. Once she automatically spotted him through the throng of people exiting from the same flight, her concerns fled. Even though the twins had not seen each other for a while, they had been through lifetimes together; surely the two had changed during their separation, but the one thing that remained constant was their loyalty to each other and their pack. Snapping back to the present, she responded, "Well you tell Hisao that better get out of that mood and go find himself a good girl to take care of and that can take care of him." 'Onii-chan no baka.'
The inu-hanyo chuckled. "Hai, hai." Knowing the time limit on the card was about to expire – those things really didn't last as long as one would hope – he added, "You take care of yourself too, Sorano-chan. If anything happens to you, Xiao Long will be in some deep shit."
The ningen laughed, rolling her eyes. "I'll let him know oji-san. Ja ne."
"Ja."
A pair of arms wrapped around her waist and a chin rested on her shoulder. "You miss them a lot, don't you?" Xiao Long whispered into her ear.
"Hai, demo, Inuyasha-oji-san can't be near Kagome-oba-san until she has fulfilled her part in Sengoku Era." A sudden sense of appreciation overwhelmed her being. Here she was, with the man she was meant to be with while Inuyasha was separated from his intended mate. Pivoting in his arms, she wrapped her own around him. "Xiao Long, don't ever leave me!" She sobbed.
Xiao Long was startled. Sorano rarely cried so it always took him by surprise. However, he did the same as he did the few times before and held her close to him, letting her know that she'll always have him. "You don't have a choice," he teased her.
Through her tears, she smiled and kissed him.
---------
Kagome's twentieth birthday was fast approaching, but the young miko was in no mood for celebration. It had been almost seven whole months since she had last been to Sengoku Era. She stopped trying to get in about a month ago. What was the point anymore? No matter how often she tried, the well would not transport her back.
Exiting her dorm room, she made her way to the campus of Tokyo U. After a couple of months of moping around, her mother made her apply for all the closest universities and, even though she had been absent quite frequently during junior and high school, she was accepted – she had all the requirements and passed the test, after all. She was surprised when she was also awarded with a scholarship that covered tuition and books. Since Higurashi Etsu, her mother, had saved up as well, they decided it was best she live closer to the university as it was cheaper than travelling there five times a week.
After attending that day's classes, she headed home. Just as she was about to exit the English department – those darn general classes – someone crashed into her.
"Summimasen!" the small girl apologized.
Kagome smiled. She was an adorable girl, around her age, but about four inches shorter. She had a cherub face adorned with a slightly pointed nose and a pair of lovely orchid eyes, which had just widened drastically. "Daijoubu desu, ano…" She looked at the girl, confused by her reaction. She was gapping at her. 'Do I know her from somewhere…?' she wondered. She thought to her previous classes, but was sure, no matter how large the classes were, that this girl had not been in any of them. 'Why does it feel like I have, then?' She connected her chocolate eyes with the girl's own orchids. 'She reminds me of-'
"Sora-chan! There you are! I've been waiting for you for half an hour!" A man with long, black hair and blue – was that silver she also spotted? – suddenly appeared.
"Gomen ne Ryu-kun, demo the counselor kept me in longer than I thought." The girl hesitated, as she looked from Kagome to Ryu. Finally, she turned fully to her. "Please pardon me for bumping into you. Eto…I'll treat you to lunch, as an apology, if you wouldn't mind."
Kagome was surprised. "That's alright, it wasn't a big deal."
"Onegai! I insist; I'll feel bad if I don't do something to make it up to you."
"She really will," the male inputted.
"Demo, I was thinking of heading home for the weekend and the train…"
"We'd be more than happy to take you afterward."
She looked at the two helplessly, before relenting. "Hai."
The small girl brightened. "Great! Ano, watashi wa Hoshino Sora."
"Ore wa Tsukioka Ryu," Sora's companion said, simply.
"Hajimemashite Hoshino-san, Tsukioka-san, watashi wa Higurashi Kagome."
They smiled at each other. "So, what would you like to eat?"
"Anything is fine. Thanks again, you really don't have to do this."
"It's our pleasure."
---------
Even though Sorano enjoyed her work as a counselor, she and Xiao Long decided it was best to start over. Applying to Tokyo U, they passed their exams with flying colors. She felt a little bad for those who didn't make it; after all, they had centuries of experience, while others had worked as hard as they could in the few years they had.
She never would have imagined, however, bumping into Kagome here, of all places. Six months ago, Inuyasha had moved back to Japan, but still a good distance away from Kagome's hometown. When she and Hisao had gone to look for their aunt at her home, posing as old classmates from Kagome's high school, they found out that she had moved. However, since it seemed that Higurashi-sama didn't believe their story, they never found out where. It was like destiny, finding her here, attending the same university.
They made their way to the Hard Rock Café, which was located only a few blocks away. They entered the lively place and, when they were seated, she excused herself. "I need to make a quick phone call," she explained.
Kagome didn't know what to do. Ryu was looking, no observing her. Not in a sexual manner, mind you, but it still unnerved her. 'Why did I come with people I don't even know?' She started questioning her own sanity.
Outside, Sorano was calling her uncle. "Oji-san, I found her."
"Nani?"
"She's a student at Tokyo U, oji-san!"
---------
After hanging up with his niece, Inuyasha literally fell on the couch. 'After all this time…' He knew he could have easily gone to Kagome's home himself when his nephew and niece were unable to find her to ask Etsu-san himself where she was. However, he was afraid of the woman's response. What if he was no longer accepted there? What if Kagome had forgotten about him? 'Well, I'm about to find out.'
---------
As soon as he arrived at the Higurashi household, he felt the Shikon no Kakera he always carried with him go crazy. Nearing the house, his ears picked up what was currently taking place. He signaled Shippo and Hisao to lay low.
---------
Kagome didn't know what to think. She already knew she shouldn't have let two strangers into her home, but when they brought her straight here after lunch, she had let her guard down somewhat. They didn't look like psychos and they hadn't attempted to do anything, but once her mother had said, "What are you two doing here? How did you find my daughter?" she snapped. "Just who are you?"
Sora and Ryu – were those even their names? – looked at each other worriedly. What were they supposed to do now? Inuyasha wasn't here yet and they didn't want her to think bad about them.
The shorter girl finally gave up. They were in Kagome's home after all and she had a right to know. "Watashi wa Sorano, I have no birth surname because where I'm from there was no need for such things. We introduced ourselves by our titles. I was- am, the daughter of a Demon Exterminator and Monk. This," she gestured, "is my fiancé, Xiao Long, half ookami-youkai, half ningen."
The miko stood stock still. 'Daughter of-?' She stared into the girl's eyes hard. 'So, that's why she looked familiar.' There was no mistaking those eyes anywhere. "Miroku and Sango's daughter?" she whispered. It was impossible, wasn't it?
However, the girl said otherwise. "Hai."
"Masaka!" she snapped.
"Doushite? Once upon a time you traveled back and forth between Sengoku Era and now. Why can't you believe I'm their daughter? There are other ways, you know. Why is it so hard to believe that a ningen has lived for almost half a millennium?"
Kagome, however, wasn't having any of it. Her aura flared wildly around her. 'Do, do?! How can she be here, but-?' Quite suddenly, her aura seemed to go out like a flame doused with water and down she went. Instead of hitting the floor, however, familiarly strong arms wrapped around her and the last thing she saw- imagined, were two pools of amber staring at her anxiously.
---------
"Maybe I said a little too much?" Sorano said after a long period of silence.
"No, really?" an unfamiliar male voice said, sarcastically.
"Urusai Hisao, this is neither the time nor the place. You didn't do anything wrong Sorano, it couldn't be helped. I should have done more." A hand gripped hers, but suddenly let her go as she applied the same amount of pressure. "She's awakening."
"In-Inuyasha?" she rasped out, unable to believe what her senses were telling her. She could feel his yoki, inhale the familiar, but tainted, woodsy smell, and, once she opened her eyes fully, take in his form, from silver hair with puppy ears, to amber orbs, clothed it…modern clothes with shoes?! Okay, now she knew she was dreaming.
"Kagome," he said simply.
No way could her ears be deceiving her too. She got up stiffly.
He was at her side in an instant. "Careful, you're just getting over a nasty shock."
"No thanks to you," she muttered.
His ears flattened.
Sorano huffed. How dare she say that to her uncle? Before she could say anything, though, Xiao Long stopped her.
"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. Sorano is rather…shy. She's been waiting a long time to meet you and when she finally does, she doesn't know quite what to say so she blurts out whatever she fishes out." He flashed her a grin, exposing his canines.
Lifting a hand, she placed it on his cheek, running it up to his hair, and heading to his ears. As it reached is destination, her heart gave a sudden lurch as she stared into amber pools that looked at her longingly, as if he also couldn't quite believe she was there. "Do?" she asked quietly.
"Waiting. We've been waiting all this time for you to be born into this world, waiting for you to grow up, do what you had to do."
"Demo, it's been more than half a year!" Her hand fell back to the bed. He had probably carried her to her room. She's somewhat amazed that he still knew where it was, unless her mother had directed him to it. A clawed hand went to her chin, lifting her head to face him.
"I know. It's my fault. We lost track of time and, when Sorano and Hisao came looking for you, you were gone. We never imagined you'd be right under our noses, well Sorano's and Xiao Long's anyway."
"So they had no clue I went there?" She stared over his shoulder and to the two…three…four other people in her room.
"Iie, it was quite by accident, really," the only other girl said sheepishly.
Before Kagome could say anything else, something else about Inuyasha caught her attention. Around his neck was a silver chain with a… Her eyes widened. "Is that the rest of the Shikon no Tama?"
The inu-hanyo was startled. After Kagome had fainted, the Shikon no Kakera had stopped pulsing and he had forgotten about it in his haste to reach her in time. "H-hai."
"Naraku?"
"Long dead."
She smiled at this. She knew he could do it. She looked at Sorano. "Miroku and Sango?" she asked hesitantly.
"They have been resting in peace for about four hundred and seventy years," he replied somberly.
The ache in her heard, which had slowly been easing once she realized Inuyasha was really and truly here, grew again. 'I never even got to say good-bye.'
Inuyasha wiped the solitary tear that slid down her cheek. This was not how he had imagined their reunion. A lot of shouting and osuwaris? Yup, that was pretty much how it should have gone. No one ever accused him of having much of an imagination, though.
After a small period of silence in which Kagome took the opportunity to send a short prayer for her deceased friends, she turned to the others in her room. So, Sorano and Xiao Long were the real names of the two she met. Not too far from the names they had given her. The other two, however… She gasped as she recognized one of them. "Shippo-chan?!" She took in the tall kitsune standing nearby.
Said redhead smiled. "Hai okaa-san, it's Shippo."
Sensing what Kagome wanted to do, Inuyasha helped her up.
Shippo neared her surrogate mother and stood before her.
He was now a couple of inches taller than her, no longer the tiny youngling he once was. Tears formed in her eyes once more as she thought of how much she missed from her baby's life. Sobbing, she threw her arms around him.
The kitsune returned the embrace, whole-heartedly, and a few stray tears escaped from underneath his eyelids.
A few minutes later, her back was leaning against Inuyasha's chest.
"This is Hisao, he's Sorano's twin," Inuyasha introduced.
Kagome took the young man in. He looked much older than his sister, even if they were twins. While Sorano looked a lot like Miroku, sans hair – hers was a very dark brown, like her mother's, apparently – Hisao looked much like Sango, the same coffee eyes and soft nose. His hair was darker than Sorano's, much like Miroku's had been darker than Sango's by a few shades. Her ached once again. These two, so wished by their parents when they were younger, before the destruction of Naraku, were their aspirations in the flesh. Even though she longed for her two best friends, she was also glad that she was able to see their children, at the very least, even if she had missed out on a lot.
"They also had an older sister, demo she made her own life before Sorano discovered a way to…be with you."
"Do?" she questioned.
"A sorceress aided us. She froze our time to make it possible for us to do so and, obviously, we had to stay away from you until we were certain we wouldn't be messing with what was supposed to happen, lest we change history completely. Demo…"
"Demo?" Kagome panicked. Magicians were tricky, always putting restrictions as they see fit. What could this sorceress have constrained?
"We also had to reach you before your twentieth birthday. We almost got here too late. Gomen nasai." He bowed his head.
Relief flooded her. So it wasn't anything to be too concerned with. Sure, her birthday was less than a month away, but what mattered was that they were here, with her. She turned in his arms and buried her face in his chest. It was then that her forehead bumped with the Shikon no Kakera around his neck. Her pupils suddenly became pinpricks.
Everyone stared as the miko became rigid in Inuyasha's arms. They almost freaked out, until they saw the two Shikon no Kakera the two were holding become one.
The silver chain hung alone around the man's neck, the Shikon no Tama whole after five hundred – was it simply five? – years, on the miko's neck, supported by the single strand of silver hair Inuyasha had given her a year ago. The now purified gem glowed and it threw something into her.
They all heard the sharp intake of breath the young woman drew in.
Inuyasha realized that her soul was trying to reunify with her, but she was struggling. Clapping his hands on her shoulder, he looked into her unfocused eyes. "Daijoubu desu, Kagome-cha, daijoubu desu, it's just your soul. Only yours. It also has been waiting a long time to be with you again."
"Kikyo?" she rasped out, finally asking what she had been wanting to all this time.
The four 'youngsters' looked at one another, before quietly exiting the room, knowing this was a private matter. They had all the time in the world now.
Sorano couldn't help but think, 'Double wedding?' as she shut the door behind her.
He stared into her unfocused eyes. He knew that the clay pot had been the root of the problem and he had forgotten that it had been recent for her; it had been so long for him that he barely even remembered. His whole focus had been for Kagome alone. "She's gone. Before I went after you," he took in a shuttered breath, "Before I knew you were gone, I destroyed her. I had gone to meet her to tell her I couldn't go to hell with her, even after we defeated Naraku and she attacked me. Once I demolished her clay body, all the souls she had stolen left, except one. Yours. It stayed, as if knowing I could lead it back to you. Demo, when I got back to the village and Shippo told me you had gone, I felt…afraid. As if I wouldn't see you for a long time. Because of this, I headed straight for the well. When I jumped in, though, I couldn't get through." His grip tightened. "I tried and tried with no change.
"I kept trying for a long time. After we killed Naraku, I tried…one last time, hoping that, with the rest of the Shikon no Kakera, I'd be able to get through. It didn't happen." Tears finally filled his eyes, even though he had tried so hard to keep them dry. He brought her to him, holding her close once again. Finally, after all this time, she was in his arms again.
Kagome blinked, finally coming around. Feeling her hanyo's sobs reverberate throughout his body and to hers, she wrapped her arms around him as well.
At last, they were together again.
Even if it had been an uneven time for them, those months and years didn't matter.
There was a lot to make up for, to be sure, on both their parts.
Inuyasha established for himself that he had to prove to Kagome that he'd never cheat on her and he'd always protect her.
Kagome set it upon herself to make sure he knew that, from now own, she'd always trust him and that he knew she'd never leave him ever again.
Determined to never let anything stand between them, they sealed their own intents with a kiss, knowing it would be the first of many shared objectives in their now joint life.
The Start of Something Old Coming Anew
-------------------
Kami-sama this came out longer that I thought it would! o.O
I realize that it seemed pretty Speedy Gonzalez, but, believe me, nothing interesting happened during those gaps. This was yet another story that I started a while back and I'm glad I finally got around to finishing it. I really do hope it wasn't too rushed.
I also hadn't planned on Miroku and Sango dying when I first came up with this idea, but I needed someone to die and they were the most convenient…
Hmm…didn't come out exactly what I wanted and I think I strayed from the song a lot… Well, I think it came out lovely, nonetheless. What do you all think?
Look for more fics, coming soon!
Lots of love,
~*Eli