A Future Full of Beautiful Malice

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters associated. This is for pure enjoyment and entertainment.

~Chapter 1: Sakura Blossom Memories~

~~~~~ooOoo~~~~~

She watched the sakura blossoms slowly fall from their branch. Like the everlasting summer, it slowly begins to fade. The changing of the winds and the pedals floating towards their demise told her that the joyful season would soon be ending. One little blossom was more adventurous than his other siblings, cascading towards her direction. She watched him take his final breath into her lap. She picked up the flower delicately in her hand, making sure no damage was done to the beautiful little adventurer. Examining it, it reminded her of the flowers that fell in another time.

But no matter the difference of time, the same flowers fell. The same seasons changed. And the same thoughts she had about that particular time never seemed to die. She thought about that era more than she thought about her present one. She had so many more fond memories in that past. But with it came unimaginable horror and heartache.

She recalled the countless fights between those she called her enemies and those she called her friends. There were countless times of laughter and sadness. But the more she remembered, the more she realized she wouldn't change any of it if she were given the chance to.

Ten years. It had been ten years since the defeat of her worst enemy Naraku. Ten years since she landed back in her own time. Ten years since she had seen her beautiful friends faces. One decade since she had seen his face…

She had tried everyday since then to jump through the well and rejoin them in a reunion filled with open arms, tears, and laughter…but the fates obviously had other plans for her; and in that she never knew what. Till this day she still tries. She would say a few prayers, walk up to the edge of the bone-eaters well, open her heart, and take a leap of faith, only to be reunited instead with the cold hard ground.

So here she sits, under her sacred Goshinboku tree, watching the leaves and the blossoms fall, only ever to remind her that time will keep passing.

~~~~~ooOoo~~~~~

'I wonder what they look like', she thought to herself. One decade can either be a blessing or a curse. Although for Kagome, time and aging was a good friend to her.

She stood up from the tree, putting the little blossom safely in her pocket. She walked around to the other side of the house and stared. She stared at a small red circle surrounded by larger white and red ones. She picked up her quiver and arrows; tossing them over her shoulder, then bent down and picked up her bow. She exhaled a deep breath, took an arrow out of its case and set it horizontally next to the bow. She wound her arm back with her finger pointing straight, guiding her path. She took a deep breath, steadied her eyes, and released. Within the next five seconds, five more arrows followed the path of the first. She exhaled another deep breath, set her bow and empty quiver down, and walked back to the tree.

She didn't need to look at the target to see where her arrows went. She knew all six arrows were all closely huddled in the middle of the smallest red dot.

~~~~~ooOoo~~~~~

Her time away from the feudal era didn't stop her from practicing. She didn't focus on hand-to-hand combat because she was never very good at it to begin with. She figured that her deadly aim combined with her Miko energy was all that was needed to take down an opponent. She could use her energy at will, allowing her to heal the injured and damage the deserved. She felt that if she stopped her training, she would lose the only part of the past she had left. And she never, ever, wanted to forget the past. Even if she never saw them again, she would at least remember who they were and what they accomplished together.

'I wonder how tall Shippo is'. The little Kitsune she knew could be a young handsome man by now. The demon slayer she considered her best friend could be married to the Monk, her other more lecherous best friend. They could have kids. They were probably already married. She had always wanted to attend their wedding, helping Sango with her hair and especially her nerves. Seeing as Sango always confided in Kagome, helping her walk down the aisle was supposed to be her job.

'I wonder how 'he' is doing'. 'He'…whom she had thought about everyday for the past ten years. Not a day had gone by where he didn't grace her mind with his presence. Although she had to admit, her feelings for him had faded within the past decade. It is said the heart grows fonder over time, but how much time exactly? Isn't there a point when the time has become too long? True, she had never stopped loving or caring for him. But the pain of being away from him had dulled, to an almost non-existent hum in the back of her subconscious. And that scared her. She didn't want the pain to subside. If it did, she was afraid she would lose him forever. But how can you hold on to someone who is so far in the past and incapable of physical reconnection?

"Maybe I should just let the past be the past and move on…"

'Ahh! What am I thinking? I can't believe I just said that!'

But as much as she hated to admit it, the left side of her brain was using correct logic. How was she to know if she ever would see them again? She was holding on to this thread of the past for too long, never knowing what was to happen. But that thread had been broken. It was broken the moment she stepped foot in her own time again. She needed to stop dwelling in the past and look forward to the future. Her future. No one else's. But how could she just forget all of this? She had been through so much; it would take her entire lifespan to forget. She didn't know what do. A constant inner battle with herself had become normal. But today she needed to put an end to it, even though she didn't want to…and she really didn't want to.

"Time travel is such a mind fuck," she said unknowingly out loud.

"What was that dear?" An innocent voice said from behind.

"Oh! Hi mom. I didn't know you were standing there; I'm just watching the leaves and flowers fall. I hate that summer has to end already."

"I know dear..." she looked at her daughter with a hint of worry. Her mother had certainly aged ten years, but still remained healthy as a horse, and Kagome thanked Kami for that. She moved towards her daughter and sat down next to her leaning against the tree, making sounds of aging as she fully settled in. "You know sweetie, I miss seeing him too." Looking at Kagome she lightly brushed some hair from her face and took her cheek in her palm.

"Kagome let me tell you something…" She looked at Kagome for an answer and when she didn't receive one she returned her hand to her lap and continued. "When your father died, I didn't know how I was going to make it through. You were only six at the time and I was pregnant with Sota. But what kept me going, was you." She slowly stood up, straightened her shirt, and offered her hand to Kagome, who in turn took it, and they began walking. "But Kagome, my dear, you have to understand that not only was the pain of losing your father helped by caring for you and Sota, but it was also helped by the memory of him. I want you to know, that there is a point in time when moving on from the past is something we all must do. But the most important thing to remember is that we will never forget, the good or the bad. The memories of the past will help guide us to our new beginnings." She smiled at her daughter and stopped walking. Kagome looked at where they stood, and smiled back at her mother. They both kneeled down in front of two small stones. The one on the right read,

My Dearest Son, my dearest husband, my dearest father.

May I greet you with open arms in the next life

The one on the left read,

To my grandchildren:

What you are, I once was, what I am, you will become

They both bowed their head and said their silent prayers to their lost loved ones. Kagome looked back up at the two identical stones, softly placed a hand on each, and stood up. Her mother followed her motion and looked at her, "See Kagome? The circle of life is not meant for sorrow, because death is inevitable. What is important is that you don't dwell on what you can't change. The world is waiting to see what your next move is sweetheart, just make sure it is the right one." Kagome nodded and her mother placed a hand on her shoulder. "I promise that you will never forget those that made an impression in your life, and neither will they," she said to reassure her.

"Thanks Mom," Kagome stated with a small serene smile.

"Now, enough with the heavy. Sota just arrived with Kerena when I was coming outside to get you for dinner and they have some good news to tell us."

"Okay, I'll be inside in a second," she said.

Her mother nodded and returned back inside to finish preparing dinner. Kagome started to walk towards the sacred tree but stopped. She then changed direction and started to walk towards a building. She went inside the room that housed the bone-eaters well and slowly made her way towards the edge. She peered down in the black abyss. No thoughts were crossing her mind, only action. She bent her knees, prepared herself, and then…. She let the sakura blossom from her pocket slide off her palm. It floated slowly, plunging down deeper into the well until it was engulfed by the darkness. When she could no longer see it she hopped down from the edge, made her way to the door, and turned around to look back.

"I am going to move on, but I know that I will never forget you."

And with those words she made her exit out of the building to a home filled with delicious smells and happy faces, unbeknownst to her a small tendril of blue light was shining from deep inside the crevice of the well.

~~~~~ooOoo~~~~~

A/N: This is my first fan fiction ever, I have wanted to write one for a while with all of the beautiful and creative stories out there so i'm giving it a go. Constructive criticisms are much appreciated, but please do not put my writing down for I wish to continue this story. It is going to have a lot of adventure, a good plot, sadness, happiness, explicit material hence the rating, and some other things you will read along the way so i hope you stick with me :) Enjoy the first of many chapters to come. (Oh and the lines that read "What you are, i once was, what i am, you will become) is from a painting along time ago called Trinity with a virgin. I absolutely love the message it gives, although it is a simple message it still does the job and thought it would fit inwith this chapter and story.