The Crucible of Time
By Fujifunmum
Final Chapter
The wondering band of friends returned to Sango's village in silence, leaving an empty cave behind them. Nothing remained of either the Jewel or the ancient battle between Midoriko and the youkai. The only sound had been Kiara's sad yelp of sorrow when Midoriko dispersed, followed by the long dead Miko's echoed whisper, "Stay."
They shared a noonday meal, sharing small words of everyday humor and comfortable family teasing. Their arduous task complete; they were not yet ready to discuss their future. Kagome was strangely quiet until Shippou crawled into her lap, demanding she pet him and scratch his ears.
"Let's pick a house to live in Kagome. You'll like it here, I promise."
Kagome looked down at the kit in surprise. Then she looked at the questioning faces around her. It was clear that they had all assumed that she was staying here in Sengoku Jidai with them. She looked past them to the village. Could she really stay here and help rebuild the village? She looked to Inuyasha; could she stay here and build her life with him?
"Stay," said the kit on her lap, a forlorn look on his sweet face.
"I miss my family back in my time, Shippou. I've spent so much time here in the last few years, I need to spend time with them, too."
Inuyasha looked pained, but said nothing. He wanted to speak to her in private.
They spent the next few days repairing Sango's home and gathering what could be salvaged from other buildings in the village. Miroku and Sango were settling in, drawing Kohaku into the warmth and comfort of their new relationship.
Kagome convinced Shippou to remain with Miroku and Sango while Inuyasha took her to the well. Here he could play with Kiara and help Miroku and Sango. There was nothing left for them at Kaede's village, save the well.
"We'll take good care of him, don't worry," Sango assured her as Inuyasha hoisted her on his back for the trip to the well. Almost as an afterthought she added, "Or you could just stay."
As Sango turned away, she caught a glimpse of the sadness in Miroku's eyes and turned back to stop them, but Inuyasha was already well away. When she turned back to question Miroku, he was already walking back towards their new home. Sango ran to catch him, taking his arm to ask about the concern she had seen in his eyes.
"Seeing is not the same as knowing, Sango. Our friends will do as they must."
Sango felt a new fear in her heart, but knew Miroku would say no more.
Kagome and Inuyasha didn't speak on the way back to his forest. She felt the strength of him beneath her, his hair streaming around her as he sped them back to the shrine, back to the well. She clung to him out of habit, out of need, out of love. He held her securely, feeling her warmth, absorbing the joy of her radiating love.
They sat beneath their tree and finally pledged their love to each other. Quietly, the lovers passed the afternoon together in peace in Inuyasha's forest.
As the full moon lit up the evening sky, he turned to her slowly and said, "Must you go back?"
"Would you be bound again so soon?" Kagome chided him gently, taking his hand in hers and she turned them towards the old bone-eaters well.
Inuyasha's instincts flared. "There's something else. I feel it. There's something else we must do. Let's stay here together under our tree and make sure we have taken care of everything." He tugged on her hand to change their direction, but Kagome resisted.
"We have been over everything a million times Inuyasha. I haven't seen my family in too long." She hesitated, looking at the longing in her hanyou's golden eyes. They were tinged with just a hint of fear. His instincts were tingling and making it impossible for him to ignore them.
"We are your family. "
"Come back with me," she said.
"I won't fit in."
"Come back with me," she said.
"What would I do there?"
"Come back with me," she said.
"Stay."
She shook her head and continued. "We have defeated Naraku. We have released the Jewel. You are unbound. Together there is nothing we can't do."
She touched his cheek. He nodded his assent. They walked in silence to the well, the keeper of his past, and the keeper of her future.
She took his hand. They stood on the lip of the old well structure, taking in the sounds and smells of his forest under the full moon.
Together, they jumped.
The sound echoed for miles. The piercing sound that split the quiet beauty of the Sengoku Jidai night in Inuyasha's forest. It was a new sound, a sound of intense command.
Whenever this sound reached the ears of an Inu youkai or any canine, they raised their head and joined. It was instinctual and imperative.
Inuyasha stood at the bottom of the dilapidated well, looking up at the full moon, leading the canine choir in the chorus of his pain, destined to hear its unending echoes forever after.
Even now, a canine baying at the moon sings of the lost love of Inuyasha.
Final Chapter
The wondering band of friends returned to Sango's village in silence, leaving an empty cave behind them. Nothing remained of either the Jewel or the ancient battle between Midoriko and the youkai. The only sound had been Kiara's sad yelp of sorrow when Midoriko dispersed, followed by the long dead Miko's echoed whisper, "Stay."
They shared a noonday meal, sharing small words of everyday humor and comfortable family teasing. Their arduous task complete; they were not yet ready to discuss their future. Kagome was strangely quiet until Shippou crawled into her lap, demanding she pet him and scratch his ears.
"Let's pick a house to live in Kagome. You'll like it here, I promise."
Kagome looked down at the kit in surprise. Then she looked at the questioning faces around her. It was clear that they had all assumed that she was staying here in Sengoku Jidai with them. She looked past them to the village. Could she really stay here and help rebuild the village? She looked to Inuyasha; could she stay here and build her life with him?
"Stay," said the kit on her lap, a forlorn look on his sweet face.
"I miss my family back in my time, Shippou. I've spent so much time here in the last few years, I need to spend time with them, too."
Inuyasha looked pained, but said nothing. He wanted to speak to her in private.
They spent the next few days repairing Sango's home and gathering what could be salvaged from other buildings in the village. Miroku and Sango were settling in, drawing Kohaku into the warmth and comfort of their new relationship.
Kagome convinced Shippou to remain with Miroku and Sango while Inuyasha took her to the well. Here he could play with Kiara and help Miroku and Sango. There was nothing left for them at Kaede's village, save the well.
"We'll take good care of him, don't worry," Sango assured her as Inuyasha hoisted her on his back for the trip to the well. Almost as an afterthought she added, "Or you could just stay."
As Sango turned away, she caught a glimpse of the sadness in Miroku's eyes and turned back to stop them, but Inuyasha was already well away. When she turned back to question Miroku, he was already walking back towards their new home. Sango ran to catch him, taking his arm to ask about the concern she had seen in his eyes.
"Seeing is not the same as knowing, Sango. Our friends will do as they must."
Sango felt a new fear in her heart, but knew Miroku would say no more.
Kagome and Inuyasha didn't speak on the way back to his forest. She felt the strength of him beneath her, his hair streaming around her as he sped them back to the shrine, back to the well. She clung to him out of habit, out of need, out of love. He held her securely, feeling her warmth, absorbing the joy of her radiating love.
They sat beneath their tree and finally pledged their love to each other. Quietly, the lovers passed the afternoon together in peace in Inuyasha's forest.
As the full moon lit up the evening sky, he turned to her slowly and said, "Must you go back?"
"Would you be bound again so soon?" Kagome chided him gently, taking his hand in hers and she turned them towards the old bone-eaters well.
Inuyasha's instincts flared. "There's something else. I feel it. There's something else we must do. Let's stay here together under our tree and make sure we have taken care of everything." He tugged on her hand to change their direction, but Kagome resisted.
"We have been over everything a million times Inuyasha. I haven't seen my family in too long." She hesitated, looking at the longing in her hanyou's golden eyes. They were tinged with just a hint of fear. His instincts were tingling and making it impossible for him to ignore them.
"We are your family. "
"Come back with me," she said.
"I won't fit in."
"Come back with me," she said.
"What would I do there?"
"Come back with me," she said.
"Stay."
She shook her head and continued. "We have defeated Naraku. We have released the Jewel. You are unbound. Together there is nothing we can't do."
She touched his cheek. He nodded his assent. They walked in silence to the well, the keeper of his past, and the keeper of her future.
She took his hand. They stood on the lip of the old well structure, taking in the sounds and smells of his forest under the full moon.
Together, they jumped.
The sound echoed for miles. The piercing sound that split the quiet beauty of the Sengoku Jidai night in Inuyasha's forest. It was a new sound, a sound of intense command.
Whenever this sound reached the ears of an Inu youkai or any canine, they raised their head and joined. It was instinctual and imperative.
Inuyasha stood at the bottom of the dilapidated well, looking up at the full moon, leading the canine choir in the chorus of his pain, destined to hear its unending echoes forever after.
Even now, a canine baying at the moon sings of the lost love of Inuyasha.