A/N: Gomen nasai, minna-san! It sure has been a while since I updated, ne? well, I have been massively busy lately, and believe it or not I've wanted to sit down and write this for some time, but have barely even had time to sleep these days, let alone sit at a computer for five hours and type the ending to my story. But, here I am, forcing myself to! (I hope I can update again on Wednesday night, though I'm not sure how well that'll work out.

First off, I've got my job. I'm working at Claire's and wow, as much as I love it, I have NO time. Seriously, my boss is really nice about letting me have time off whenever I need it, but I can't say, "Can I have such and such Saturday off? I need to write my fanfic…" Haha, no. Plus, it's the holiday season, so we're swamped on Saturdays until after December.

Second, I'm now taking a college class for a credit sponsored by the local community college and it's getting hectic. I have a lot less homework and a lot more "study or fail" stuff. Har har. I love the class though; it's so much fun!

Aside from that, I have a 2nd block class that takes up a large majority of my free time, and then there's band, which I've been practicing like mad for since concert band started. Me and Jessi are going to beat Jill this year, and we're both going to make it into Senior Clinic!

Even though these things mean sacrificing valuable fanfic-writing, manga-reading, and anime-watching time, I'm actually very happy to be doing them. Anyways, because of these, I can't guarantee any time that I'll be able to update until the semesters switch in mid-January, but like I said, I will try to find motivation in my down time to finish this. I only have two more chapters and a possible epilogue to go, so bear with me, onegai!

But just for the record, I still find time for anime… just recently I've gotten into Ouran High School Host Club… ::dies from fluff:: it's so amazingly great! And I'm even more obsessed with Tamaki, as people at my school could tell you, especially Jessi who watches me doodle his name on a regular basis. Occasionally its followed by a "::hearts:: Haruhi" too. Tamaki rocks. Actually, I have a stuffed doggie named Tamaki sitting right here with me and it's all his fault that I'm updating, so be sure to thank him.

To my reviewers!

Thank you all so, so much! I got so many reviews for this last chapter, waaaaay more than I expected, and I have definitely cracked 300, so I huggle you all! You guys are amazing and I would have forgotten about this story long ago if it weren't for the reviews left in my e-mail inbox that I have to see every time I go to delete some more spam from who knows where. So thank you all so much! Because of you, I'm actually going to finish this story, and even revise it! har har…but I can do that at school, so no worries.

Many Thanks To:

MademoiselleGabrielle

'insert insult here'

alittlesecrethidden123

LoonyBin08

Jarvis the hanyou

BlackSuicideAngel

Amaya Mishugosha

Kagome 717

Thanks to those of you who reviewed on several chapters as well.

And Many, Many thanks to Kagome 717 for not only reviewing on several different chapters, but also for being my 300th reviewer! Thank you so much, sweetie! I love you!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha, obviously, and I'm actually glad I don't cuz if I did I'd never get around to writing an ending. ;D I also don't own the song "I'm Taking You With Me", even though it's a totally great song (hopeless romantic XD) because Reliant K does. Seriously, guys, this'll be the last time the song doesn't fit the chapter. I've been looking and looking and have loads of ideas for the rest of the chapters but couldn't find anything to fit this except for "Waka Laka" (which doesn't exactly fit, but I thought it'd be funny), but I really don't feel like messing with spell-check right now.

I made a habit of never making promises

That aren't easy to keep

There you have it, but now I make you one that is:

To keep you here with me

Cause every second that goes by

I feel is just a waste of time

If I'm not with you

If home is where the heart is

Then my home is where you are

But it's getting oh so hard to spend these days without my heart

So I'm taking you with me

Anywhere that I could ever wanna go

For the rest of my life

I want you there with me

And if there ever comes a time

When I should have to leave

I hope you know that I

I'm taking you with me.

Forget-Me-Not

Chapter 36

"Well, that's one way to vanquish a demon…"

I sigh. That took up a lot more energy than I've used before, but it was at least worth it. And would you look at that…we finally get to see the real Kurnai, huh? I smile. "Cool."

"Cool?" And I'm brought back down to reality.

"What'd ya say, Inuyasha?"

"Kagome, you look kinda out of it…are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, yeah…I'm fine Inuyasha…just a bit…tired…is…all…" And with that my vision leaves me.

88888888

Inuyasha's POV

88888888

"Kagome! What happened to her now?" I was panicking now. Not that I don't have every reason to be. I just finished fighting the battle of a lifetime and watched my girlfriend pass out at my feet.

"Well, she did just use a large amount of power, which she obviously isn't used to, having not even used her powers normally more than five times in the past ten years…She's just tired, Inuyasha, so let her rest. I'm sure she'll tell you everything once she has a good sleep." Assari had appeared from the wreckage.

I turned and watched the dragon blow a burst of energy over the hill and almost laughed as the petty demons went scurrying away in all directions. Stupid weaklings. The only work well in numbers…but my attention is brought back to the dragon.

"Hey Assari…what's with that?" I point to the dragon, but he answers first.

"How rude. I should have thought it would be obvious. I am Kurnai."

"But Kurnai was black. He was destroyed just now."

"Oh, that one. Yes, he was a bit troublesome, wasn't he? But I assure you, I am the real Kuragari. I'm sure the priestess will explain everything to you later, but for now, we should probably head to a better shelter than this."

I hoist Kagome up on my back like I used to all those years ago…funny…it doesn't seem like it's been that long at all anymore. But, the battle's finally over, and it's about time to start again.

88888888

Kagome's POV

88888888

As I wake up, I notice everyone is sitting around me. It's strange. Everyone's here and unharmed. Even my daughter sits next to me, looking better than ever. I smirk as I see her head resting on Tame's shoulder.

Everyone's fine. Even after all this…so much more than Naraku ever was and yet not close at all to the number of fatalities we saw all those years ago…but then I notice more than a few strange faces among the crowd. It seems the angels have all taken human shape for the time being.

I notice one, however, who stands out from the crowd. Yup, he's exactly the same as he used to be. I smile and sit up…and latch onto him. "It's nice to see you again, Daddy."

He looks shocked, probably that I remember what he looked like. After all, he disappeared about six months after Souta was born. But he's the same as he was back then, and I finally realized that he's been right there, watching from the start. I never had two fathers, it was always Tarento.

"You just saw me yesterday, Kagome." He smirks. "But I suppose it's nice to know that my daughter misses me this much…"

"And what about me?" I turn to see Inuyasha giving me the cutest little puppy face I've ever seen! (The sad thing is, I doubt he was doing it on purpose.)

"Of course I missed you too Inuyasha. But I thought you'd be too embarrassed to have me latch onto you in public like this…" I giggled as I watched him try to respond, and leaned over to kiss his cheek. "You know you're cute when you pout?"

"I'm not cute."

"Whatever you say…" I then turned to Sango.

"And I'd hug my wonderful daughter, too, but it seems she's too caught up in her new-found love life." I giggle as I watch her blush. "And how old are you, Sango? Shouldn't I be preventing this apparently serious relationship before we have six-year-olds becoming parents?" At that, everyone laughs, especially at the look Miroku is getting from his wife…and then at the slap that sounds throughout the hut.

"Ah, Sango, it's been too long…"

"Shut it! I won't have you encouraging my children to be like you!"

We laugh again, glad we can all finally relax.

88888888

A Few Hours Later…

88888888

The night continued on in much the same way. We joked and ate and completely forgot the events of the past couple months. It was…nice. And simple and fun. Soon, however, the kids were in bed, and many of the angels had left to seek shelter for the night, finding the small hut to be too cramped. I found myself, however, finally speaking face to face with Kurnai, just outside the hut. We were quiet for a bit, and I could almost see Inuyasha sitting just on the other side to the wall, listening to our conversation, or lack there-of.

"Shall we take a walk?"

I nodded. As we left however, I could hear Inuyasha shuffling to his feet and I added as an afterthought, "And we should go alone. I can take care of myself after all." I could almost hear the grumble-mutter coming from my 'protector', but nevertheless, he stayed put.

As we distanced ourselves from the village, he spoke again.

"I should thank you for releasing me."

"I suppose you should."

"And I should apologize for the trouble I caused you…"

"That too…"

"I guess everyone just wanted me dead."

"Well, I suppose that would have been the ideal solution. It certainly would have been a lot easier on my powers. But no one deserves to die without reason."

"I'm sure you had plenty of reasons."

"Not as many as you might think." I stop walking and look up at his human face. It's beautiful. Just like when I saw him before—same short hair, bony complexion, and dark eyes—although his hair was now blonde instead of black. "Sure you killed a lot of people, and almost killed my daughter and my boyfriend's brother's girlfriend on several occasions, but I've seen worse, y'know."

"Worse?"

"Your destruction wasn't nearly as bad as Naraku's."

"But I created Naraku."

"You didn't. The darkness did. The darkness that is dead. It consumed you, and that's nothing against your character as an angel. You simply lost your control for a bit. It happens to everyone, no matter how powerful we are. At least you confronted it."

"How?"

"You never gave into evil. Otherwise, you wouldn't be here. It's impossible to take good out of someone like Naraku, who didn't have a single shard of virtue in his entire being. You, on the other hand, never submitted to the power. You may not have been in control, but you were always there, which makes it quite simple to separate the two essences. If you had been completely corrupt, our powers wouldn't have succeeded in dividing you and we would have just had to resort to plan two."

"And what was plan two?"

"To kill you, obviously. It's a good thing that wasn't necessary, now isn't it."

I smirk up at him.

"Thank you. Really. No one else would have spared my life for a second."

"But I'm Kagome. Not anyone else. So I guess you don't have to worry. But really, I should be thanking you."

"And why is that?"

"You see, had you never become evil, I wouldn't have even been born. And if there were a Higurashi Kagome alive, she definitely wouldn't have would up falling down a well and falling in love with the adorable yet temperamental hanyou she found there. And even if all of that had happened to me, I never would have been able to come back here after running away."

"I didn't know you ran away."

"Well, I'm not exactly proud to admit it or anything, but yeah, I did run away. And no matter how much I wanted to, I could have never returned if it weren't for you."

"And why is that?"

"I was only able to pass through the well because I had a duty here in this time—a duty to destroy Naraku and save the world from your darkness. I completed the first and ran away. Because I thought it was the Shikon no Tama that allowed me to pass through the well, I always assumed that I could never return, having left the jewel here, with Inuyasha. But San, my mother, kept the path open for me so I could return, solely to confront you. I don't know how the portal will work from now on, but regardless, you deserve my thanks."

He looks down at me. "Well, I guess that makes us even."

I scoff as I turn on my heel. A few steps away, I turn my head back over my shoulder, smirking at his shocked expression. "I guess it does."

88888888

A Little While Later…

88888888

After we returned to the hut (and an extremely worried hanyou), Kuragari bid farewell to us for the night. My night, however, was not over yet, as I still needed to speak with Inuyasha. After all, I knew he had questions. So after a quick check-over on the kids, I left Rin in charge of them as Inuyasha and I snuck out of the hut. We walked aimlessly throughout the forest, and after a long, yet peaceful silence, he finally spoke.

"So…what happened? During the battle, I mean. You were so…different."

"Well, I did what Kaji told me to do. I closed my eyes and next thing I know I'm inside the jewel."

"Inside?"

"Yup. Kikyo and Midoriko explained that when the guardians of the jewel die, their souls remain in the jewel to continue watching over it."

"So what happened to them?"

"Well, I guess since the jewel was finally purified, they were able to move on and rest in peace."

"So…Kikyo's really dead now."

"Inuyasha…she's been dead. For a long time."

He sighs and nods. "So anyway, what happened inside the jewel?"

"We talked. They explained about the powers we possess and how to use them, and what we could do to create several different outcomes. I told them the stories I know about what Kurnai was like before he left the angels and they agreed that it was better not to kill him.

"We would leave the jewel and combine our powers in an effort against Kurnai that was sure to succeed. Upon hitting him, the blast of energy would not kill him, but simply separate his good and evil into two separate beings for a few moments. During that time, we would seal the darkness into the jewel and I would purify it, therefore destroying the threat Kurnai held over the world."

"And it worked?"

"Well, obviously. Kikyo and Midoriko vanished, Kurnai is no longer evil, he healed Sango, and the jewel is finally gone. All's well that ends well, right?"

"But it's not over yet."

"What'd'ya mean?"

"Well, Kurnai's gone, but not everything's been pieced together yet."

I sigh in relief.

"What was that for?"

"For a second, I thought you were gonna be all corny and say our love story's just beginning, or something else corny like that."

"Hey Kagome?"

"Yeah?"

"What's core-ney?"

"Never mind. Inuyasha, you can be so clueless sometimes." I laughed at the pout I received from him. "Ne, Inuyasha…?"

"Hmmm?"

"Look where we are."

He looks around for a second and finally notices Goshinboku. We smile at each other.

"Regardless, it seems everything is finally going to turn out okay, huh?"

I reach up and kiss him quickly, and as I pull away I whisper to him.

"It sure will."

A/N:

Well, yet another chapter comes to a close. Don't worry, there's still more, and it's all planned out! Oh, and with the most adorable ending…I'm getting mental images already::squee!:: Anyways, I'm done for tonight. I'll talk to you all soon! Please review! :D

Translations:

Most of these only appeared in the A/N at the beginning, but I should include them anyway as I know I've included a lot more Japanese than I usually do into my a/n.

Gomen Nasai-

I'm very sorry

Minna-san-

Everyone

Onegai-

Please

Ne-

"Ne, Inuyasha?"- "Hey, Inuyasha?"

"…been a while since I updated, ne?"- "…been a while since I updated, right?"