Chapter 1: Time

So, this takes place in the middle of Final Act Episode 18 (the famous almost kiss episode). Kagome's powers were sealed by Magatsuhi, rendering her weak and feeling useless. So, she takes some time to tackle her entrance exams. It's basically what happens when Inuyasha doesn't visit her, letting her focus on her schoolwork. Of course, when she doesn't come back on time, the hanyou runs off to retrieve her. But things get complicated when he gets to the Modern Era, and he runs into a surprise he wasn't exactly expecting. That three year gap is happening a little sooner than it was supposed to.

This is gonna be fluffy. Fun. And obviously, is gonna include a lot of ass-kicking because this is Inuyasha for crying out loud! Hope you like!

"Keh, that wench is always late." Inuyasha grumbled, as he speedily made his way to the well, "She's lucky I let her go home in the first place. As if we don't have a mission to complete." He was constantly justifying himself at this point and he knew it. Ever since Kikyo passed away in his arms, he'd been extra anxious to defeat their enemy once and for all. Naraku's existence was a constant itch he couldn't reach. A thorn in his side, and dammit, he needed him to pay for what he did to everyone. What he did to Kikyo. He didn't mean to be harsh on everyone, especially not to Kagome. Because she didn't do anything wrong, and he knew that. She never did anything wrong. She never deserved his attitude.

But he couldn't help it. Not when he craved his revenge. Didn't Kagome understand how badly this needed to happen? Didn't she know Naraku needed to die? Kikyo deserved that much.

Not to mention, if Kagome came back when he wasn't around the well, she was in danger, too. Magatsuhi did something to her powers, sealing them. That meant that, if Inuyasha wasn't there to protect her, she wouldn't be able to defend herself. Which is why she needed to be back on time. He needed to be around for her. He needed to keep her safe. She had to at least know that much.

I'm not gonna spend time thinkin' about what Kagome does and doesn't know. She's already been there a half a day longer than she promised. He thought to himself, the tone of his thoughts somehow still as coarse and rough as his voice. I ain't got no reason to be guilty about dragging her back. Keh, she's the one who's late! He continued to justify himself until he was met with the opening in the forest, where the Bone Eater's Well resided. Where the connection between him and Kagome resided. Not that he really understood it. Not that he ever really tried to. I mean, the logistics of it were something he assumed he would never understand anyways. All he needed to know was that, when he jumped through, he was brought to the weird world that was Kagome's time. Nothing else was questioned.

So, when he stepped up to the mysterious well, the one everyone theorized worked only because of the jewel, the how part still baffling everyone, he paused and looked down. Something felt odd, like there was a shift in the atmosphere. Maybe it was the fact that Kagome hadn't been late coming home since Kikyo's death. Maybe it was because she cared about this mission as much as him, she hurt as much as him. Maybe… he didn't know. Thinking about why the hell his instincts were tugging at his nerves was going to give him a headache. That is why Inuyasha did what he did best, and shoved all his thoughts down as if none of his worries existed, and jumped through.

And in the quick moment as he fell, before he was enveloped by time, he questioned whether or not he would be let through. Doubt pulled at him harshly, pulling his fears out to the surface of his mind. He sucked in all the air he could and held it in his lungs. That's how significant the churning in his gut felt. He assumed the worst right before he got through.

And that's why he breathed his heavy sigh of relief when the winds of time swallowed him and spit him out, his feet landing gently on the ground, the sky above him replaced with the Higurashi Shrine ceiling.

Keh, what the hell has gotten into me. He questioned inwardly, shaking his head, There ain't no reason to be worried. I've been through this damn this a million times and it hasn't failed me yet, Now… I just gotta find Kagome so we can't get back to hunting Naraku. But the biting fear of whatever happened with Magatsuhi kept creeping into his mind. He swiftly leaped out of the well, looking around suspiciously. The inside of the shrine looked a bit dusty, and he couldn't help but sense a sort of stuffiness in the air that made him almost gag.

"What the hell? The place looks like it ain't been cleaned in a while." He asserted, his brow cocked, "Keh, Kagome's grandfather's slackin' on this shit. It's disgusting in here." His nose crinkled as he further observed the room, noticing the sprinkles of snowy specs decorating every single one of the old man's collectibles. What did he call them? His beloved antiques? Can't be that important to him if he can't take the time to wipe this place down. He huffed inwardly, noticing several spiders making their little webs in the crevices, unbothered by the filth.

The hanyou decided that he didn't need to spend another minute in this dump. He'd ask Kagome about it when he saw her, but other than that, he didn't feel the need to dwell on how horrible the shrine looked.

He pushed the door open, having to push it a bit more than normal. Not that it was a problem for him, but the door seemed slightly more stuck than usual. In fact, the door usually required no strength to get open. He could've opened it with one push of his pinky finger if he had wanted to. That was not the case today though. It was like no one had tried to open it in years. But once again, Inuyasha decided not to give it much thought. It was just a door after all.

He walked outside, taking in a deep breath of fresher air. While nothing compared to the freshness of the non-polluted Feudal Era, he still appreciated not having dust sucked up nose. Keh, now to get that wench and bring her back. He stomped forward towards the house, awaiting the moment he would see the young priestess, demand an apology and then head back down the well with her on his back. Yeah, that was what would happen. Worst case, he'd get sat once or twice, but she would eventually come back.

She always did.

He barged into the house, sniffing around for who he could find. Much to his dismay, his nose couldn't pick up on Kagome being near. She had been here earlier, her scent lingering, but she hadn't been back for hours. But, as he continued to breath in everything around him, he realized that Kagome's mother was in the house. To him, Mama Higurashi smelled similar to Kagome, except that, instead of being laced with jasmine, the older woman's was a bit more earthy. Once, when Kagome delved into some tale about a goddess named Mother Nature, it was automatic for the half-demon to picture the priestess's mother because of how natural she smelled.

He wandered through the house until he found himself in the kitchen where the older woman was washing dishes, which was decorated with completely new dinnerware. He assumed Mama Higurashi had just gone shopping or something, but then he realized something else...

Now, Inuyasha wasn't one to dwell on appearances. In fact, he never did. If someone had their hair up, or wore a completely different outfit, it took awhile for the hanyou to realize a difference. But as he stood in the doorway, Mama Higurashi's back facing him, he noticed that her hair was longer. Now, she usually wore her hair extremely short. Ear-length, in fact. But now, her hair rested right above her shoulders, at least an inch or two longer than usual. And when someone's hair was that short, and grew that much longer in the short time since he's seen them, Inuyasha was gonna notice. He wasn't that unobservant. And as his golden eyes focused on the dark locks, he was quick to recognize grey strands mixed up with the black, like aging highlights.

His first thought was that this wasn't Mama Higurashi, but rather someone who smelled like her. Exactly like her. But as he took another quick sniff, he realized that there was no way that wasn't Kagome's mom. No one smells that much like someone else.

His second thought was that her hair was the result of some weird invention in Kagome's time. If they had magic boxes that show moving pictures and metal contraptions that take you from one place to the other while sitting in it, then maybe there was something that grows hair really fast and changes its color. Yeah, that had to be it. Some weird invention grew out Mama Higurashi's hair in less than a few weeks.

Feeling satisfied with himself, Inuyasha took a step forward, "Hey, where's Kagome?" It was a simple question. One that he had asked her before during his trips to the modern era. And yet, he watched as she froze, the small clanging sound of a cup falling from her hand into the sink echoing throughout the room.

Did I startle her that bad? He questioned, confused as to why she looked so rigid at the sound of his voice. He couldn't have scared her into paralysis.

"Uhh… you alright?" He asked cautiously, "It's just me. I'm here to pick up Kagome."

"Inu...Inuyasha?" She slowly turned her body to face him, her eyes transforming into moons on her face, "Is that really you?" Her voice was shaky, as though she couldn't believe that he was right there in front of him.

"O'course it is. Who else would it be?" He raised a brow, unsure of how to feel about the woman's astonishment, "Kagome was supposed to be back earlier, so I came to get her." He said it as though it was something she should have expected, because he really believed it was. To him, it shouldn't have been a surprise that he was here. It wasn't like she he hadn't already given her a few days back home. She never stayed longer than a week. Didn't she know Kagome had to go back with him?

The older woman just stood there for a moment, looking as though she was thinking over what he just said. And he watched her, wondering if she had gone completely crazy. She was breathing quite heavy, the kind of breathing that made the hanyou fear that she might need some medical attention.

She ain't that old yet to be acting senile. He thought to himself, the situation concerning him at this point.

"Hey… uhhh, do ya need to lay down or somethin'?" He was hoping that maybe he could just help her to the couch and find someone to watch over her, like Kagome's grandfather or Souta. But the woman quickly shook her head.

"When was the last time you saw Kagome…?" She quickly asked, meeting his gaze with a certain seriousness glazed over his eyes that he had never seen before.

"Keh, I see her almost everyday. It's only been a few days since she came back for some exam or whatever." He crossed his arms over his chest now. "Hope ya don't think that I let her wander around my era without me. She'd be demon fodder if she did."

Doesn't this woman know by now that Kagome is always with me when she comes to my time? Why is she asking as if I didn't see her before she came back here? It occurred to him that maybe the woman was really unaware of what Kagome was doing in the Feudal Era, despite the fact that he's made it quite clear that he protects her.

The woman stayed still, her gaze falling to the floor. He could tell she was thinking heavily about the situation, for what reason he didn't understand. But he let her take a minute to collect her thoughts, even though he couldn't help but feel uncomfortable with it. He let out a deep breath, looking around with hopes that she would come to her senses soon.

The awkwardness only intensified for him the longer she stayed silent. He figured something was up, but he assumed it was with the mental state of Kagome's mom. That was it. She was sick or something. In fact, the skin on her face was getting quite pale, and her fingers were fidgeting at her side a bit. Was it involuntary? He hoped not. And he thought about how irresponsible it was to leave her alone, as he couldn't sniff anyone else around.

"I think you should sit with me for a bit." She said suddenly, pointing to the living room, "Kagome will be home soon, I believe."

Inuyasha cocked a brow, but his insides urged him to go with Mama Higurashi, like a conscious whispering in his ear. He would feel better once she was sitting, anyways. And it's not like he had anything better to do. Still, he wasn't exactly excited about this development, having little interest or idea on how to deal with what was happening right now. It was downright bizarre, how she was acting like she was looking at a ghost instead of the man who frequently came around. The man she made dinner for and who watched over her daughter.

They sat, the lines on Mama Higurashi's forehead growing deep, like the stress was creating ridges, pinching at her skin. Her lips were pursed together, too, as she gathered her words and organized them in her throat before even thinking of letting any out. He noticed how her gentle, frail hands clasped together on her lap as her shoulder hunched slightly.

"Inuyasha, I don't know much about how the well. All I know is that it took Kagome back into some distant, crazy world. Your world." She looked at him, her eyes swirling with empathy and gentle warmth, "And I know she loved it. That's why, when the well closed, she was devastated. She… she didn't understand why, and I couldn't help her figure it out either. Just as quickly as it accepted her, the well closed up on her."

"Kagome thinks the well is closed?" He wondered outloud, "Keh, I don't know how she got that idea in her head. It works just fine. I had no problem getting through."

"No, Inuyasha. Listen, the well did stop working." The woman placed a hand on his shoulder, the look of sympathy growing stronger, "It's been closed for three years. I didn't understand why you came in so casually when you did, but I think I get it now. I don't know how or why, but only in this era, three years have past since she's seen you."

And just like that, Inuyasha felt his whole body lurch, eyes widening while some pressure began to build on his bones. K-Keh, three years? What the hell is this woman going on about?! It's only been a few days! He thought to himself, mind racing to try to debunk what he was just told. It felt odd, like his peripheral was becoming blurry and all he could see was this woman's gentle face staring at him with nothing but sincerity.

She… she does look a little different. Did she have those wrinkles around her eyes before? And… Dammit, why does she look a little thinner!? His thoughts were scrambled in his head like a mess that just wouldn't clear up. Like a spill of words dripping non-stop. No. That's crazy. How could it have been three years here and only days from where I was. It makes no sense. He found himself just shaking his head at her, his eyes narrowed, but not at her. He stared off into the distance to avoid picking out everything about this woman that was just so damn different.

"Keh, it's only been a few days. Not years." He responded, his voice slightly more coarse than usual, "Where is everyone, anyways? You seem a bit sick. Maybe someone should get ya some help."

Mama Higurashi squeezed his shoulder a bit harder, "Inuyasha… Kagome will be home soon. But she is three years older than you remember. And she was heartbroken when she couldn't go through the well. I… I'm not sure how she is gonna respond."

"She's gonna respond like normal because it's only been a few days." He insisted, "Now, where's Souta? And Kagome's grandfather? Someone's gotta be around to help you." He stood up and began sniffing around again, but all he could determine that Mama Higurashi was the only one in the house. In fact, while Souta's scent was faint, like he'd been around recently, Gramps' scent was completely missing. It was as though the old man had been gone for days at least.

This is so damn confusing! Kagome needs to get back so I can just take her and leave. The voice in his head did its best to be reassuring, to sound confident that what just poured out from Mama Higurashi's mouth like an acidic waterfall burning his skin was all a lie. This woman was old. She had something wrong with her. That was the only explanation. The priestess was going to come back looking the exact same because she was no different from when he last saw her.

"You have to listen to me." She urged on, her heart filling with the desire to comfort him out of his denial, but her mind wandered to her daughter. The daughter who grieved the loss of her friends and had to rise out of one of the darkest pits she had ever been in. "No one is home, Inuyasha. And I may be old, but I'm not going crazy. Three years have passed. Three long years."

"That old man's gotta be around here somewhere. He's never gone for too long." The silver-haired man grumbled moreso to himself, no longer paying attention to what she had to say, "And Souta is too young to be out this late."

"Kagome's grandfather… he passed away last year." The older woman spoke softly as she recalled the death of her father-in-law, her features momentarily being twisted up by her mournfulness. The half-demon felt his attention being sucked back to her, like gravity pulling a planet into orbit. The air was suddenly thick in his throat, forcing him to gulp it down.

That… That must be why the shrine house is so dirty. He ain't around to take care of it anymore. The revelation felt like a ton of bricks hitting him in his gut. And every part of him scrambled to debunk it, struggling to find any flaw in what was happening. But as he went through everything she said over and over, he couldn't do it. It all made sense. Every change in the house, all the changes he could see in her. The abandonment of all the little trinkets that old man loved. It all added up.

"...And Souta… he's 12 now. And he stays late at school to study." Mama Higurashi continued on, noticing the way every muscle within the half-demon had tensed up, "Kagome… she graduated and works part-time at a shelter. After she met you, I don't think she would ever be fulfilled if she didn't dedicate herself to a good cause…"

"Kagome." It was all he said. It was all he could say. He was too busy trying to make sense of everything to produce any more words. She had one of those jobs, now? She had talked to him about how, after she was done with school, she would get a job. And how she hoped she would be able to find a job she loved. And he had brushed it all off, because why would she need to figure out where to work when it was clear that she loved helping people in the village as a priestess? But now she had a job. And it wasn't being a priestess in Kaede's village. It wasn't what he had been so sure about.

"There must have been a flaw with the well." The older woman asserted, "I'm sorry. This must be the last thing you expected when you came through. But Kagome will be back any moment. This is going to be very shocking to her… You stay here. I'm going to wait for her at the door."

He didn't say anything as Mama Higurashi stood from her place on the couch and slowly walked away from him, leaving him to his racing mind, his whole being in a disarray, feeling like every part of him had been carelessly scattered on to the floor. Like fate itself had disturbed the fabric of which he lived. How could it be that, on this seemingly normal day, everything normal about his life was flipped around? Why was it that he couldn't seem to keep anything good for too long without a complication muddling it up? Kagome was apparently an adult now, someone who established her life without him.

Keh, even if this is all true and the well spit me out three years later than usual, Kagome will always be Kagome. She'll still wanna defeat Naraku. She'll still want to… to come back. He allowed his hopes to wash over him, even if it was just so the shaking doubts would cease to plague his aching mind. But no matter how hard he tried to remain confident in that, he felt like a castle build on sand. One that always washed away as soon as any tide came through. One that was always left behind for something better built.

It didn't take long for him to smell her, or at least he didn't think it had been that long. It was possible that he had been lost in his thoughts for seconds or maybe an hour. He couldn't tell. All he knew was where she was, walking up those steps to her home. One she came back to for three years without him. He quickly jumped back to the possibility that Mama Higurashi had gone completely insane, but some part of him knew that wasn't the case. Not with the shrine, the house looking different, and the weariness of older age present on Kagome's mother's features. He knew it had to be true.

He heard the door open in the room next to where he sat, and he heard the hushed voice of the older woman. She was telling Kagome that something had happened today, and that she should come and see. He wondered if Mama Higurashi talked so quietly to keep Kagome calm, or because she thought he wouldn't hear, but his ear continued to twitch in their direction as he wondered how Kagome would react.

"Mama, what's going on? Are you okay?" His head popped up as Kagome's voice flowed from her lips, sounding smoother than before. A few days earlier, the hanyou would have compared her voice to pure sunshine in the sense that it was the happiest voice he had ever heard. It was always like rainbows had poured out of her mouth when she talked, her lungs a breeding ground for an unconditional jubilation that he could never begin to understand. But now, she sounded like moonlight, like the calmer, deeper royal blend of colors the sky took before getting too dark. Like stardust was dripping from her lips.

He paused in thought.

"Sweetie, just listen to me. I got a… a visitor." Her mother whispered, "Well, he's not here for me, but for you… But before you see him, I just need you to be prepared."

"A visitor? But Mama, I didn't invite anyone." Inuyasha couldn't help but be drawn in further whenever she talked, like a magnet.

"I know. You didn't invite him." The older woman reassured, "...Why don't you just follow me and see him…"

She's coming… do I stand? He wondered, ...Wait! Why the hell am I so nervous?! Keh, I ain't got nothing to be scared of right now. It's Kagome for crying out loud!

But as he heard her agree and the footsteps draw closer and closer, but hopped up to his feet anyways, his eyes frantically darting to the doorway. He could feel all his muscles stiffen up beneath his skin, like he could move no matter how hard he tried.

That's when she walked in.

Dressed in a tighter, high-waisted, red skirt that fell a few inches above her knees. Tucked in was a fitted, white button-down. The outfit accentuated every mature curve she had gained in those three years, yes, every single one.

But that wasn't the only thing that caught his attention. She looked like she was wearing some modern version of traditional priestess garb with the white on top and red bottom. It felt to him like, despite the time that passed for her, she still kept a part of that.

"Inu...Inuyasha?" She stuttered, bring his golden gaze up to her face, the face that had lost almost all of its baby fat, her cheekbones almost professionally sculpted. And those eyes. Those wide-eyes now holding some hint of emotion he couldn't pinpoint quite yet. Her lips were slightly parted as she looked at him with complete awe.

"But how?" She breathed out, almost inaudibly. But he didn't get the chance to say anything as she ran to him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, almost as if she thought he would dissipate if she didn't hold on tight enough.

And he realized that, despite all the differences, holding her felt the same as it did before. She was definitely that Kagome. Time couldn't change that. And the realization sent an intense wave of relief over him as he placed his arms around her waist, gently at first. But he gradually tightened it as he felt her tremble in the embrace. And damn, every second made him feel like he really missed her. And he didn't know why. It had only been days since he'd seen her, so why did he feel like it was him who was being reunited after so long?

Because it just dawned on him that he did miss her. He missed those years. He missed her grow up. Everything Mama Higurashi said was real.

Wordlessly, the older woman walked into the kitchen, leaving the two to their moment.

"Inuyasha… how did you get back here?" There was that voice again. That twilight voice.

He gulped, and pulled away a bit to look at her face, "I… I never had a problem getting through Kagome. But something bad happened."

The inner corners of her eyebrows raised up in worry, "What do you mean?"

"Only a few days have passed on my side of the well." He focused on her changing expression when he spoke, her eyes widening, "I came to bring you back because I thought you were late. But your mom told me… that three years have gone by in your era. I didn't believe it at first, but…" He trailed off as her eyes glazed over with confusion, but she nodded slowly.

"It has been three years…" She paused, taking in deep breaths. "...So, you're telling me… on your side of the well… everything is the same as I left it? Naraku is still out there? Everyone is still in Kaede's village resting?"

He nodded.

"Oh wow…" She bit her lip and looked down. "That's… wow. So, this was like some glitch in time? I thought I was never gonna see any of you again. I thought I would never know what happened to everyone. I thought you were all gone from my life."

"Well… we're not. I thought I was gonna come here and drag your ass back with me. I didn't expect this." He began to wonder if she was still going to go back with him, or if he fit in whatever life she was living in her era. She looked completely overwhelmed, like the revelation had just drained all of her energy. It worried him that she wasn't immediately drawn to going back with him, but instead wore a layer of conflict over her, as though her options were fighting it out in her mind.

"I need to sit down for a minute." Kagome let go of him and went for the couch, dropping down carelessly into a sitting position. Stress marked her features, and she stayed slightly hunched over, biting her lip tentatively as her chest rose and fell beneath her white button down. The rest of her body was stiff, though, like a statue paused in time.

Inuyasha didn't really know what to do. Frankly, this whole change frightened him a bit, not that he would admit it. And all he could think of was to watch her in silence. What could he say anyways? Did he have a right to try to persuade her to come back? From what he gathered, she had grown up a lot. And if she had a different life here, there was no telling if she would be able to give any of it up to go back to fighting demons. What if she was happy?

"Come sit next to me, Inuyasha." She moved her gaze up to the hanyou, her eyes looking much deeper than ever. Like he could just walk in there and get lost, which scared him a bit, because if he could get lost, it was because the terrain of her mind had changed. She changed. And he didn't know if he was capable of mapping her down, or if she'd give him the time to. Everything was up in the air. It was unstable, like the constant, jittery static of a sleeping limb. But he went anyways, and he sat next to her while his head frantically searched for something to say.

He had just lost Kikyo, though. He knew that he couldn't lose Kagome, too. And for that reason, he was biting his tongue more than usual. Maybe if this had happened before, he might have brushed off the time lapse like it was nothing, and still made an effort to just drag her back. But now, he was just contemplating the consequences of any move he made. She had already moved on without them, it wasn't like she hadn't learned to live without them. Which meant that there was that possibility that she may just be comfortable letting them all go from her life. And while there was a voice that reasoned with him that Kagome would never do something like that, that she would always want to be around them and help, the pattern of people that never stayed around haunted him.

"Help me out." She whispered, tilting her head a little to the side, "I remember that I had gone to study for entrance exams, and when I got home, my family had gone on a trip to some hot springs. I almost went back out of loneliness, but figured I should be a big girl and study like I was supposed to... But when I was finally finished and ready to go back, the well didn't work. I tried to use my powers to open it up, but I couldn't. And after days and days, I thought it might open eventually on its own. So I'd check every day. But it never did. And I... Well, I thought up so many reasons as to why it stopped. Maybe Naraku got to it. Maybe Magatsuhi did something to prevent me from returning. Maybe it just lost its magic. It killed me."

It killed her... That's right. She was probably worried and confused. Inuyasha absorbed what she said carefully, before mustering up something to say, "...I was going to check on you hours after you left. Everyone was worried that, since your powers were sealed, you'd be unsafe. But I knew you were safer here than in Feudal Era. And I didn't wanna get sat for bothering you because you said those exams were really important. But... keh, I should've. I should've gone anyways. Dammit..."

"Don't blame yourself, Inuyasha." The young woman placed a hand over his, and he felt all of his impulses to curse himself melt away, "This isn't your fault. I should've thought about how having my powers sealed would affect my ability to travel through the well. All that was in my head were my stupid exams..."

"Keh, this can't just be your powers." He quickly added, "Something caused the well to fuck up. Not only could you not make it through, but it changed it so, when I came through, it was three years later than it used to be."

She stayed silent for a bit, before squeezing his hand a bit more, "But what could it have been, if not Magatsuhi?"

"Hell if I know. But I'm going to find out." He squeezed her hand back, fighting the blush that came along with it.

She nodded to herself, her mind seemingly caught up in something else now. Her eyes narrowed at nothing in particular, brows furrowing together as she chewed on the inside of her mouth lightly.

"Would it be possible... for you to stay here for a little bit?" She asked, her tone holding some sort of worry that he might decline. "I just... I have some things I want to sort out, and I'm scared that, if you leave, the well will close again."

So... she doesn't want to lose us all from her life. That realization lifted some of the pressure off of his back, his bones feeling relieved, "Keh, o'course I can stay around a bit. I ain't tryna come back and find you as some old hag."

And that's when a little grin peeked through on the woman's face, her eyes lighting up like a small spark growing into a flame. She could feel her heart perk up, literally dancing beneath her chest as a surge of energy rushed through her. The kind of familiar and yet refreshing energy that made her feel... like she had just found a part of her that she had been missing for so long. A part she tried to convince herself she didn't need.

And it made her hyper-aware of the fact that she was alive.

"Good." Her smile widened, "Now... come with me. I don't know about you, but I haven't seen you in years! I wanna catch up a bit. Is that okay?" She stood up eagerly, her whole demeanor changing to completely excited. And the look on her face was exactly the one she wore at fifteen. The same absolute joy. The same infectious exuberance.

"Yeah, sure." He agreed, standing up with her. Keh, I guess this ain't the worst thing that could happen.

Love it? Hate it? Wanna see what happens next? Let me know! I'm a little conflicted on whether this is a good idea, or if it's completely boring and lackluster. And if you have any ideas, lemme know those too!

I hada tough time writing it, since it's hard to figure out how freaked out or lax Inuyasha would be in a situation like this, but I hope I didn't fuck him up too bad or make him too OOC. I figured he would be worried about losing Kagome since he lost Kikyo. Also, if I messed up anything regarding the timeline, my bad. I haven't watched it in a while.