Inu-Yasha sat down and looked out over the cliff. He felt his eyes become misty, and tried with all his strength to fight the tears. "Why can't I just forget?!" his brain screamed, "Why must I carry these memories of her if all they bring is pain?" He sighed and looked up at the stars. "Is it just an illusion? They don't seem to shine as brightly as they once did." There was a rustling in the bushes, but Inu-Yasha remained unmoved. He no longer even feared death enough to prepare for an ambush. He almost welcomed it. The only thing keeping him from finishing himself off was that voice he had heard six years before. It was the only thing he had faith in. "Who's there?" he asked with a sigh, hoping it wasn't someone to fight. "It's me," he saw a girl of about 13 years of age come into the small clearing. "Why are you still up Rin?" he asked, "You should be asleep."
"So should you," Rin said, "You come out here almost every night," she said, looking up at the stars, then turning her head to look at him "Are you all right Inu-Yasha?" Inu-Yasha hid his tearing eyes from Rin's view, "I'll be fine," he growled, hoping he sounded like his old self, "Go to bed." "I know something's wrong Inu-Yasha, please won't you just tell me about it?" Rin pleaded. Inu-Yasha turned to look at her. There were lines on his face where tears had been streaming, "Of course something's wrong," he said, trying desperatley to look stronger then he felt "I've lost the only part of my life that ever had meaning. Isn't that enough to warant wanting to be alone?" "I...I'm sorry Inu-Yasha," Rin said looking to the ground as though she might begin to cry too. "Don't weep for me Rin," Inu-Yasha said with a sigh, turning to look out over the forests "I'm already dead."
"Inu-Yasha, please don't say such things," Rin pleaded, frightened at what he had become and wishing desperatley that the old Inu-Yasha would return. "Please Rin, just go home, just leave me be and go home," Inu-Yasha begged, sounding on the verge of tears again. "But...yes Inu-Yasha," Rin said finally and left.
Inu-Yasha laid down in the grass and looked up at the stars, silently thinking of Kagome. He remembered every battle, every victory, all the losses, and through it all, love. "Why did they take her from me?" he asked in his mind, "What have I done to deserve all this pain?" He felt his eyes pull themselves closed, though he tried to stay awake his body was to fatigued by sadness and he was quickly overcome by sleep.
Kagome had just come home from her night shift at the hospital. Sota came to answer the door when she came. "Hi Kagome," he said in a quite voice, "Kairos is in bed. How was work?" "It was great," Kagome said, "I finally got that promotion and since I live close they'll just call me when I'm needed so I'll be able to stay home with Kay more." "That's great!" Sota said with a smile, "Congragulations." "Thanks," Kagome said returning the smile, "And thank you for watching her." "No problem," Sota said, "Any time you need me just call. I guess I'll see you later then." "Okay, bye," Kagome said, giving him a hug and he walked out the door.
Kagome went up the stairs and quitley walked into Kairos' room. "My little angel," she thought with a smile as she looked at her daughter, sleeping soundly. She reached out a hand and gently stroked one of her dog-like ears, then leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. "I wonder what she's dreaming about," Kagome thought, standing there watching her for a moment, and then went into her room and got into bed.
Inu-Yasha found himself standing in a field of flowers that seemed to streach on into infinity. There was a comforting warm breeze and the smell of the flowers calmed him. "What is this place?" he asked himself out loud. "Eden," a small girl's voice answered, "Most can only see it in their dreams, but you lived it once, didn't you Daddy?" "When I had Kagome..." Inu-Yasha's voice drifted off. Suddenly he snapped back to reality, "Wait, who are you anyway?" he asked, turning around to face the girl. Before him was a small hanyo with long black hair and hazel eyes. "She has Kagome's face," Inu-Yasha realized. "I'm Kairos Daddy," the girl answered with a smile, "I'm your daughter." Inu-Yasha smiled, but then looking closer realized something strange. She was surrounded by a hazy image, it was hard to see, but Inu-Yasha could tell what it was, "How can the woman she'll one day become be so powerful that it would take the form of her aura?"
"Is all of this...is this a dream?" Inu-Yasha asked, unable to see any other explanation. "Yes," Kairos said, "It's a dream, but I'm real." "How...how can you visit me in a dream?" Inu-Yasha asked, finding himself unable to grasp what was happening. "I don't know, there's lots of things I can do and I don't know why. Mommy says it's because I'm special, but everyone I know makes fun of me," Kairos answered, beggining to cry as she remembered all the cruel things people said to her. "It's alright," Inu-Yasha said, kneeling down and gently wiping Kairos' tears from her face, "I went through the same thing, and I know it's horrible, but you get used to it. And one day you'll prove them all wrong, I promise."
"Thank you," Kairos said, hugging him. Inu-Yasha wrapped his arms around her tightly. "I love you Daddy," she said, and in her soft innocent voice he knew it was true. "I...I love you too Kairos," Inu-Yasha said, instantly feeling the unconditional love that a father has for his daughter. "You can call me Kay," Kairos said with a smile, "That's what Mommy calls me." "Okay, Kay," Inu-Yasha said with a small laugh. Kairos released herself from his embrace, "I have to go now," she said, kissing Inu-Yasha on the cheek. "Wait!" Inu-Yasha said, "When will I see you again?" "I'll come back whenever your lonely and you need me," Kairos said as she faded away into the waking world. Inu-Yasha saw that his body began to fade as well as he awoke from his sleep.
"Good morning Kay," Kairos heard her mother say as she opened her eyes. "Mommy is so pretty," Kairos thought, looking at the sunlight dancing on Kagome's face, "One day I'll be pretty like her." Kagome sat on Kairos' bed and looked down at her. Kairos thought back to the dream she had had, only to realize she couldn't remember it at all, though she felt like she should have. Kagome saw the concerned look on her face, "What's wrong Kay?".
"I remember that I had a dream, but I can't remember the dream at all," Kairos answered with a frown. "Maybe you'll remember your dream later," Kagome said, "If it's that important then something will make it click eventually." "What did you dream about last night Mommy?" Kairos asked. "Your father," Kagome said with a saddened sigh. "Don't be sad Mommy," Kairos said, standing on the bed and hugging her, "You'll see him again." "I know I will Kay," Kagome said with a smile smiling, holding Kairos close to her "We'll both get to see him, some day."
Inu-Yasha walked back to the village with a smile on his face, vividly remembering the dream he had last night. Rin saw him and walked over to him, "I...I'm sorry about last night Inu-Yasha," she said with a frown, "I should have left you alone." "No," Inu-Yasha said, "I was wrong, I was just feeling sorry for myself. I...I really appreciate that you care enough to come out there to talk to me." "So," Rin said, "Are you okay now?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Inu-Yasha said with a smile. "There's the Inu-Yasha I know," Rin thought happily. "Inu-Yasha, not to change the subject, but, do...do you think I'll ever see Sesshoumaru again?" Rin asked, remembering the day those men came and took him, she hadn't seen him since. "I don't doubt it at all," Inu-Yasha said, "I can feel that he's alive, but I do wonder where..."
