The sun roared red as it passed over the horizon, throwing purples, pinks, and oranges across the clouds of the sky. It was a chilly evening, forewarning of the cold months that were close at hand. A light wind picked up and blew down the valley, and his ears twitched around. Something felt amiss as he crossed into the shadow of the woods he called home. The cold eased a bit, but only from the warmth of the forest.
They called home. He reminded himself. The wind shuffled the trees above him and he could not throw the feeling that something was wrong. His steps quickened unconsciously and the wind held a scent he could not place.
In the distance he could see a small wooden cabin, with candles burning in the windows. Out in front he could see the movement of people and smiled inwardly, relaxing a bit. They were shadows of his family and he chastised himself for allowing worry to take hold on him. After all, their mother had defeated one of the most powerful demons that he had ever known. He stopped, watching the shadows of his loved ones playing in the distance and leaned against a tree, allowing memories to come back to him.
That's right, he thought. After all that training and anguish that he had gone through and after years of hunting, he had been powerless in the end. He and the others that traveled together to defeat Naraku had only been able to watch as she was the only one that had the power to stop him.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried, kneeling next to her falling love. He was conscious but far to wounded to move. Tears bore little rivulets down her face as she looked to each of her fallen friends they all were badly wounded by the hands of Naraku. He hung above them, laughing. His last attack had devastated them, and though she was the last left standing she was not without her share of the scars.
"Give me the crystal. You can't do anything you weak girl. Your precious friends are going to be dead soon. Save yourself a painful end by giving the rest of the crystal to me." He said in his dark voice, laughing at her pain with every word.
"No.." She defiantly whispered and touched Inuyasha's face and hair lovingly, choking through the tears. His eyes remained open and he watched her face, clinging desperately to consciousness. Opening his mouth he tried to talk to her but found that no sound would erupt from his throat. Finally after minutes of gathering every last ounce of strength he was able to move his arm. He placed it on hers and she began to cry harder. He could feel his heart slowly tear into pieces as he watched her. His desire to protect her was tearing him in half.
"Kago…" He managed and she pressed her fingers to his lips. She leaned down and kissed him lightly. Pulling back she touched his face again, tears slowing, and her eyes flashed with pain and sadness, but there was a fire, a dangerous flare behind it all. He knew what was coming, and Naraku did not.
"It will be better soon." And she pulled his hand to her slightly swollen belly. "We will all be safe and together soon. Don't waste any more energy, you'll need it later."
He watched her eyes and saw her own heart breaking. He watched the desperation rising in her and he wished that he had the strength to protector her again. He was utterly lost that he could not save her like he always swore he would.
She smiled so lightly and so suddenly that he almost didn't realize that her facial features had changed. Taking his hand in hers she kissed it very lightly and whispered into his fingers. Inuyasha knew without doubt what she was going to do. He had felt the small jewel in her hands, and he also knew that it was complete. He didn't know how she had managed to get the last piece from their enemy, but he could sense that she had done it.
Kagome stood and turned to face the man that he destroyed her friends. The wind that blew the battlefield whipped about her stronger then before, throwing her hair all around her. She glared at Naraku and then brought her hands together before praying. She wished as pure and simple a wish that one had ever known. She wished that her friends would be alive and that poor Naraku would find it in his heart to forgive Kikyo and be healed of all his hatred. Lastly she offered the stone her love of Inuyasha and her life as trade, She wished that if the end of her life meant that everyone else would live she would gladly give it up.
The stone began to glow and a white light began to grow, eventually enveloping the whole group. Kagome lifted her head, looked to Inuyasha, and before the light enveloped her completely she said, "I will always love you Inuyasha, always. Nothing will ever change that. And if I forget who you are and what happened here… I will find a way back to you."
"Papa!" Called a small girls voice and it snapped Inuyasha out of his memories, almost in time to be caught off guard by a small girl with long black hair jumping into his arms. He smiled and hugged his daughter close to him. She giggled and pulled at his ears like always.
"Hey now, that hurts!" He said pulling his daughter back. He pulled gently on her human ears and she made faces at him. He laughed and put the girl on his shoulders. "Where are your brothers?"
"With Uncle!" She cheered and Inuyasha looked ahead. He could see his brother instructing his two boys in the clearing in front of the house. "Papa? Uncle won't teach me how to fight."
"I know, soon he will. Soon we both will my princess." Inuyasha said and moved forward again. The chill in the air left him as he moved farther into the forest. The feeling that change was at hand had not left him but it was easier to push aside as he approached the warmth of family.
His two boys were arguing with Sesshomaru as he approached. Sessho looked as dark and calm as ever but Inuyasha could tell that the boys were starting to get to him. The small twinge at the corners oh his mouth gave everything away. Inuyasha opened his mouth to stop the boys when Sesshomaru looked up and ended the lesson before he could.
The boys moaned but Inuyasha stepped in, "Go on. It's starting to get dark; you have a few more chores before bed. You don't want your mother to be angry do you?"
The boys grunted resistance but a sharp look sent them on their way. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru nodded their welcomes, as always. The two sat together on the steps of the house and Inuyasha let his daughter down to finish her nightly works. The two sat together in silence for a short time, it was always this way. Their relationship had come a long way over the years but they still needed time to re-accustom themselves to each other after time apart. Inuyasha finally gathered his thoughts about the trip together and began telling his findings to his brother.
"It wasn't a demon. The place reeked of men and the way that the village was destroyed... It wasn't him either. Maybe men dressed as demons." Inuyasha said, answering questions that remained from his journey. Sesshomaru nodded and looked into the woods. Inuyasha laughed inwardly at how dark and brooding his brother remained, even after all hat had happened.
"Where is Kagome?" Inuyasha asked, somewhat suddenly. He looked around as the uneasiness had returned and now he knew it was because he could not catch the scent of his mate. He sniffed the air a few times; there was a smell he could not place again.
"She went to the temple very early this morning." Sesshomaru said without glancing at Inuyasha. The boys suddenly appeared, running quickly with their sister in tow. They looked trouble and winded while she was nearly in tears.
"Papa!" They called and Inuyasha's ear caught worry and concern in their voice. He was instantly at full attention. "Papa! The shrine! It's on fire!"
Like a flash he was on his feet and running through the forest. He hadn't said a word to his brother but knew that his children would be watched carefully. Inuyasha became more and more aware of the smell of burning wood. He had not been overly aware of it before, passing it off as an evening smell. But as he grew closer he knew that he should have been paying more attention. The shrine's wood smelled different then other wood when it burnt.
He burst into the opening and saw the whole shrine a blaze. He took two steps and jumped to the roof. There he found that parts of the roof that had been eaten away by the fire and through one of these holes he jumped down. He landed and called out to his wife and paused. He heard nothing, just the roar of the fire. He moved quickly through the building, leaving the smaller living quarters in which he landed to the open prayer area. He stepped into the room and called out again, becoming desperate.
"Inuyasha!" came a cry from across the room. She sat on the floor of the shrine, her fine black hair messy and singed. Her face was dirty from soot and her leg was trapped under a beam.
"Kagome!" He exclaimed and was beside in an instant, holding her torso close to him and smoothing her hair from her face.
"Fool." He said lovingly and pushed away the tears that made lines down her beautiful face. He shifted and lifted the beams off her leg, throwing them to the sides. He gently lifted her body, "Stop getting into trouble when I'm not home."
"Stop going away and maybe I'll stop getting into trouble." She said wincing slightly at the pain from her ankle. He jumped up through the roof of the building and landed outside, safely away from the fire. He placed her gently on the ground and wrapped his kimono around her shoulders. He watched her for a moment, soaking in her looks.
It was his tradition. He would soak her in when ever he returned; he would see what changed and what didn't and it would remind him of how much he loved her. She stared back, soaking in her husband, and suddenly he kissed her.
It was a deep fierce kiss of possession and longing. He pushed her down into the tall grass that surrounded him and pulled her body as tightly to his as he could. He felt as if he wanted to pull her into him so that they would never have to part. She returned the kiss with desire and need and they lay there in the grass for several minutes trying to pull each other into themselves. When they broke he again pulled her close and gave a soft tension filled mew of a cry. She wrapped her arms around his head and pulled him down to her chest and held him as he shook lightly.
She knew from years of living and loving him that this was as close as he ever comes to crying. That this brief shaking was one of the few times that he was completely vulnerable, and she always had a driving need to protect him then and this time was no different. She hushed him lightly and rocked her body until he stopped.
Finally he pulled back and looked her square in the eyes. She blushed lightly and then blushed again at the thought that he could still make her blush. She eventually glared back at him, meeting his fierce gaze dead on. "You cannot blame this on me; I didn't get myself into it this time. The fire just happened!"
He huffed at her and then his face broke into a long goofy grin. She eyed him suspiciously and he shifted his body weight. Her eyes went wide and she playfully lifted her hands to stop him, but it was too late. He pounced on her and they were kissing again. This time it was a different need and desire they were fulfilling.
His lips left hers and trailed down her soft supple neck to a body that he glorified in. She gasped lightly as he removed the ceremonial kimono that she wore. She was able to pull at his own clothing and soon they wore matching outfits of nothing. The cold nipped at their skin but they didn't notice. They had a desire that would not bend for anything short of the end of the world. Being apart coupled with a near death experience was enough for them to be lost in reuniting.
It took quite a while, but Inuyasha's possession of Kagome's body ended with them entangled in each other arms. She giggled slightly and then suddenly her eyes opened wide. A sly smile crossed her face and she kissed the scar on Inuyasha's hand. He looked at her quizzically as she took his hand and placed it over her belly. A slow smile spread across his face and he kissed her again, tenderly.
They slowly dressed and Inuyasha lifted his beloved mate to his arms. He held her close to his chest and she whispered into his ear. "I get to name this one."
He grunted, "Only if I like the name." She just sighed and he could slowly feel her fall to sleep as they approached the cabin. She mumbled lightly and he snorted a laugh. He turned his head and kissed her forehead gently before whispering, "And if I forget what happened here…"
"I will find a way back to you." She returned in her sleep.
I've been looking for a good ending, something that would fit bu would allow me the freedom to do more with the storyline if I wished. I've started and stopped almost a 100 times, and Ive finally come to this.
Thank you to everyone that reviews. I love to hear of people that like my stuff. I will try and write more.