A New Adventure Awaits

Thank you to all that have Favorited, Reviewed, and Followed our story so far! Hope you enjoy it!

I'm back. My Nii-sans are away from home at the moment, so there shouldn't be any more interruptions for a while.

Are you still interested in my Oka-san and Otou-san's story? You are? Good. Then lets start from the beginning, shall we?

It all started with a well…

Kagome, Sango, Miroku, Inuyasha, Kirara, and Shippo all watched the flurry of activity before them in awe.

They had just returned from the final battle with Naraku. After three long, difficult years, they had finally done it. The Inutachi, along with the help of Kouga and Sesshomaru, had finally managed to destroy Naraku and his minions and were very relieved at the fact that everyone fighting on their side had made it out alive. They were all equally happy that Kagome was still there with them.

After completing the Jewel, it was absorbed back into the Time-traveling Miko's body, never to be seen again. They had all feared that once it was complete, she would disappear back to her time, and were all thrilled that, that had not been the case.

However, apparently, news traveled fast because it had been less than two days since Naraku's defeat, and yet the whole village of Edo was busy at work preparing a feast both in their honor and in celebration for the fall of the evil Hanyou.

Lights were being strung up, vegetables were being harvested, Hunters were scavenging the forests for wild game, streets were being cleared of debris, and many fires were being used to cook various kinds of stews, soups, and meats. Never had any of them seen the village happy and abuzz in such a way.

After a few minutes, the haggard and tired group of five shook themselves from their daze, and slowly made their way towards Kaede's hut. Once there, they were greeted by Kaede, who happily ushered them towards the welcome sight of ready bedrolls and a large pot of soup. After they had their fill, the group all allowed themselves to fall into blissful sleep. They would all be needing it in order to deal with the celebration that was to occur the next night.

Sure enough, daybreak brought with it the sounds of people rushing about trying to finish with preparations for the anticipated party, although the celebration itself wouldn't commence until dusk.

The Shard hunting group all pitched in to help. Inuyasha and Miroku helped with the heavy lifting, Kirara and Shippo helped by climbing trees so they could hang more lights, and Sango and Kagome helped to cook the many dishes that were to be served that night.

By sundown, the party was ready to begin. Soon, everything was in full swing, and everyone in the village was having a grand time. Kaede had even loaned Kagome and Sango some of her old Kimono to wear.

Kagome's Kimono was a beautiful royal blue, which helped to bring out her icy blue eyes. Adorning the sleeves and along the bottom hem, were amethyst purple leaves, which looked to be swirling and dancing in a soft breeze. The obi was a gunmetal grey color, which also helped to bring out the silver ring that surrounded her pupils. Her waist length, raven colored hair was pulled up into a half ponytail, which had been braided. The village woman that had done her hair had also woven little glass beads into the silky locks. When the lights hit the beads, they glittered in a way that would make one think of twinkling stars in the night sky. She wore no makeup, but, in the eyes of many, it wasn't needed. Kagome was a beauty in her own right and didn't need the help of artificial colorings such as rouge or lip coloring.

Sango's Kimono was a vermilion red, which helped to bring the red out in her cinnamon colored eyes. It also had dark gold petals flowing from her right shoulder, moving diagonally down her front, and ending along the hem of her left leg. Her obi was a charcoal black color. She decided against putting her hair in its usual style, instead leaving it down and flowing in the gentle midsummer breeze. She too had forgone makeup, allowing her natural beauty to show.

Miroku, Inuyasha, and Shippo wore their usual outfits, though they had all been thoroughly washed, scrubbed free of dirt, stains, and dried blood. Any and all holes were also patched to perfection, thanks to the skilled hands of the local seamstress.

Everyone partied well into the night. It was nearing midnight before a tired Kagome finally decided to take a short walk to clear her head before retiring for the night. By then, most everyone had drank themselves silly, and although it was entertaining to watch a drunk Sango hang all over and equally wasted Miroku, she couldn't help watch in slight jealousy. While she was ecstatic that her friends would finally get the chance to be together, without the threat of Naraku and Miroku's wind tunnel looming over their heads, she couldn't stop the small pangs of loneliness she felt every time she looked upon the happy couple.

After years of heartbreak from watching Inuyasha chasing after Kikyo, Kagome had finally given up on having him in a romantic sense and decided that her friendship with him was more important. Inuyasha, for his part, had felt guilt over hurting her but he just couldn't get over Kikyo. He had feelings for her, but he also knew that his love for Kikyo would always get in the way of his feelings for Kagome, and she didn't deserve that.

One long, heartbreaking conversation later, the two had decided to let any romantic notions towards each other go, so they both could hopefully find the happiness they deserved. Now, many months later, they were closer than they had ever been. They thought of each other as brother and sister, and Kagome was glad for that.

However, sometimes she couldn't help but wonder if she would ever find the one she was meant to be with. She knew now that it wasn't Inuyasha like she'd hoped so long ago. She just couldn't help but feel slightly left out. Miroku and Sango had each other and were currently making plans for their wedding, which was soon to occur. Inuyasha was planning to court Kikyo and thanks to a spell Kagome had found in her grandfather's old storage shed, once they mated, Kikyo would once again be completely alive.

Kirara had recently mated to another Nekomata and was expecting. Kouga had finally fulfilled his promise to Ayame and mated her a year prior, and was now the proud father of a set of twin boys. Why even Kaede had recently met an older man that she was showing an interest in. The old Miko had finally decided to retire from her profession and live out her days in peace. Now that peace also seemed to include the man, Hideki, who was trying his hardest to convince Kaede to allow him to wed her.

Though she would never admit it, seeing everyone else so happy and content in their lives now, made Kagome feel almost like a third wheel. She felt that now that the threat of Naraku was gone, she wasn't needed anymore. Don't get the wrong idea, she loved her friends and it wasn't anything they were doing in order for her to feel this way, it was just that she felt out of place. Everyone else would soon be moving on and living their happily-ever-after, but here she was stuck in a seemingly endless drift. Yes, she had her son, but it just wasn't the same. She was the one stuck watching her friends fall in love and get married. Watching as they settled down to start their own families. The one always on the outside, looking in.

Silently, she wondered when it would be her turn. Her turn to meet the man of her dreams. To find the one that would love her unconditionally and allow her to do the same. She wanted to fall in love, settle down, and have more children.

She loved Shippo like he was her own, and always would. He was her world, and whoever she ended up with, would have to accept him as well. They were a package deal. She would never allow anything, least of all a male, to get between her and her son.

The fact that Shippo wasn't born of her body didn't mean she would love him any less once she gave birth to her own children. In fact, knowing that they chose each other to be mother and son created strong feelings in and of itself. A child can't choose their biological parents, but to know that you and a child love each other enough to pick you as their parent(s), creates a special bond unlike any other.

That is why Pack is so important to demons. Just because they are blood, doesn't make them Pack. Pack is chosen. They decide to add you to their Pack, or family, as was the human equivalent. That alone formed an unbreakable tie between each and every one of the members, as each member must agree before allowing someone new into the group.

Nevertheless, she secretly wished to fully experience motherhood. Her mother had once told her that there would never be a stronger bond than that of a mother and her children. The feeling of that child growing inside you, the knowledge that you created a living being within your own body. Welcoming that child into the world and seeing that little face for the first time. It was unlike anything else in this world.

She wanted that. All of it. And what's more, she wanted someone there to help her create it. A husband, a lover, someone to spend the rest of her life with. Be they Human, Demon, or Half, she didn't care. Whoever he was, she would love him wholeheartedly. Call her selfish, but she wanted her own piece of happy ever after.

Until then, though, she wouldn't take what she did have for granted. She would find happiness in the knowledge that she was loved by her friends on this side of the well, her family on the other side of the well, and her son, whom she would die for.

Shaking herself out of her thoughts, Kagome looked up to realize that she had somehow managed to walk herself back to Kaede's hut. Walking inside, she could hear the faint snoring of Kaede off to one side of the dark hut. Moving quietly, in order to keep from awakening the sleeping woman, she moved to the far corner of the hut, where Shippo was asleep on her futon.

She gently slid him over to one side and slipped in beside him, smiling softly when he instantly snuggled his way into her arms. He nuzzled her chest, enjoying the extra warmth she provided.

'What was I thinking? I am forever grateful for moments like these, and just Shippo alone is enough for me. As long as I have him, I will always be happy.'

With that last thought, the young Miko fell asleep, that loving smile still upon her face and her earlier thoughts forgotten.

The next day, after everyone was up and moving about, Kagome decided to go home and see her family. She hadn't seen them for nearly two months now and wanted to let them know that Naraku and the jewel were no more.

She had decided to take Shippo with her, and formally introduce him to her family. With the help of Kaede, and surprisingly Kikyo, she had devised a way to allow him passage through the well. Together, they had made a bracelet, using her hair as the string to connect the two of them, much like the one Inuyasha's subjugation necklace had created.

However, that wasn't the only use for the bracelet. The wooden beads also had prayers and spells painstakingly etched into them that would both protect Shippo from harm and allow him to call her in times of need. That way, if they were ever separated, and he was in trouble, Kagome would instantly know, allowing her to get to him as soon as possible.

Now, with her friends surrounding them as they stood in front of the well, Kagome and Shippo said their goodbyes. No one knew if she would be able to return, and just as a precaution, Kagome would jump in first, then if she could, she would return, grab Shippo and go back again so he could meet her family.

While her friends and son watched in trepidation, Kagome took a deep breath, before jumping into the well. Halfway to the bottom, the familiar blue lights surrounded her, easing her decent. Once her feet touched the bottom, the light faded and she looked up to see the wooden roof of the well house looming above her. Immediately, she climbed up the ladder that she had placed in the well a few months into her travels. Once at the top she turned, closing her eyes tightly. As she jumped down the well again, she prayed as hard as she could that it would still work. When her feet touched the ground, she looked up, sighing in relief to see a clear blue sky and the joyous faces of her friends above her.

Inuyasha jumped down to help her up. When he reached her, Kagome was surprised when he pulled her into a tight hug, nuzzling her neck and taking in her scent, as if to burn it into his memory. What astonished her even more, was the fact that she could feel his shoulders shaking, as she returned the embrace.

"I was so worried it wouldn't work. Kami, but I'm so glad it did. I don't want to lose you, Kags." He whispered, his voice cracking a little. She could feel a hot liquid sliding down her neck, and it warmed her heart, knowing in that moment that Inuyasha cared for her. The man who hadn't, in all the time she'd known him, ever shed more than one tear, was now crying from the sheer relief of knowing that she was still allowed to travel back and forth between times.

Not trusting her own voice, Kagome just tightened her arms around him even more, burying her face in his chest as her own tears of relief and happiness burned a trail down her face.

After a moment, Inuyasha managed to pull himself together enough to pull away from her and clear his face of any evidence from his lapse in control. He softly reached up and wiped the tears from her face as well, before giving her his signature lopsided grin that had one fang poking out. She returned it with a smile of her own as he gently grabbed her waist, and with one leap, they landed on the grass in front of the well.

Inuyasha stepped back so that her other friends could all rush her, pulling her into a large group hug. They all laughed and cried with the joy of knowing that they hadn't lost their friend/mother, quite literally, to time.

Long minutes later, they all pulled apart. Kagome, who was now holding Shippo, gave a happy wave before once again jumping back down the well.

However, much to her confusion and terror, instead of the familiar blue light, they were surrounded by a lavender purple light.

"Mama? Is everything ok? What's happening?" Shippo asked, becoming nervous after scenting his mother's unease.

"I-I don't know, Shippo. Normally the light is blue. I don't know why it's purple. It also never takes this long. We should have been in the future by now." She said truthfully, as she rubbed soothing circles on his back. Suddenly, they saw a woman appear, dressed as a warrior Miko. As soon as Kagome saw the four petals tattooed on the woman's forehead, she knew who was standing before them.

"Be calm, young ones. There is nothing to be afraid of. This is the Kamis' doing." The woman said just as Kagome opened her mouth.

"M-Midoriko?" Kagome stuttered questioningly. The woman nodded, smiling.

"Yes, I am Midoriko. I must thank you, Miko Kagome, for completing the jewel and allowing me to rest once and for all. However, before I can move on the Kami have requested that I come to you. You see, your journey isn't quite over yet, my dear."

"What do you mean? The Jewel is gone, isn't it? It went back into my body. Is it because there wasn't a wish made on it?" Kagome asked, worriedly.

To her relief, Midoriko shook her head, grinning. "Not at all, Little One. The jewel ceased to exist the moment it entered your body. No wish was actually needed. As soon as it was made whole again, and the taint was completely purified by your powers, the scales were tipped. Your purity gave me enough power, and simultaneously weakened Magatsuhi and the other demons enough, that I was able to overpower them. Without all four souls, the jewel just could not remain in such a solid form. Thus, it is no more."

Here Kagome went to speak but was stopped when the elder Miko raised her hand. Midoriko continued, although now her face was set in a serious expression.

"However, all that power, all my power, cannot just disappear. It had to go somewhere, and by the Kami's decision, that power became your power. In essence, you are now the embodiment of the Shikon no Tama, and all the power it carried. You were chosen by the Kami themselves." Kagome was flabbergasted. She honestly didn't know what to think, or how to feel about any of this.

"Chosen by the Kami? For what? And not to sound rude or ungrateful, but why do I need so much power? And what do you mean, my adventure isn't over yet?" She asked, trying to stay calm. Shippo just listened quietly as she held him. He didn't know what to make of it either.

"All will be revealed in time, Dear One. For now, just know that you will be sent to another era. Further into the past. You are too right a wrong. Someone died before their time, and the Kami have chosen you to correct that mistake and fix the past. Do not worry about changing time by saying or doing the wrong things. If you do it correctly, both eras as you know them will change anyway. For the better. The Kami want you to change it, so do not fret. There will be hard times ahead, and it is for that reason, among others, that the Kami have allowed you to take on the power of the Jewel." Here Midoriko paused for a moment before continuing.

"I must warn you, you will undergo some changes. Among them, you will notice that time no longer affects you. That is because you are now immortal, and as such, you are unable to be killed. This is partially due to the power you now hold, but also because the Kami felt that since the well will close upon your arrival, it would be cruel to make you completely sacrifice your friends and family for the sake of the Kami. You will live to see them again, so please do not let the sadness of their loss overwhelm you. It was fate that had you all meet, and that won't change. Even though the next time you see them their lives will be different, once you return to the time in which you knew them from your first adventure, they will all receive the memories from their... first life, for lack of better wording, that you know now. However, you will find happiness in this new place you are being sent to. In time, you will have everything your heart desires. But that is exactly what it will take; Time. So please be patient and do not give up hope. Stay strong, stay true, and you will have everything you could ever wish for."

Kagome nodded. "I understand. I will do as the Kami ask to the best of my abilities. But how will I know who it is I'm supposed to save?" She asked.

Midoriko chuckled. "Oh, you'll know. I must be going now, Kagome. Our time here runs short. Your destiny awaits." And with that, the warrior Miko was gone, and Kagome's feet finally touched solid ground.

Looking up at the vine-covered walls of the well, Kagome took no time in ushering Shippo onto her back and climbing up to the top. Once there, she stood, looking around at the familiar clearing, which was suddenly unfamiliar to her. Standing there for a moment to take it all in, Kagome noticed that everything just looked… younger, wilder. She idly wondered how much further into the past the Kami had sent them. Feeling a small pull to the right, the Miko moved Shippo back into her arms so she could carry him. She squared her shoulders and started off in that direction.

Overwhelmed, though she was, Kagome was never one to run from her destiny, and she certainly wouldn't start now.

Too bad she didn't know exactly what she was getting herself into.