Yes, it's me again. I've decided to write an epilogue. See that? It only
takes one person to make a difference. So there.
Note: Last time, there was a star (*) next to where Inu Yasha comments on his ears. It's because I was going to say that they look more like kitty ears to me, but I forgot. Eh.
Inu Yasha: They look like dog ears, baka! *bonk* Steffie: Inu Yasha-kun is mean to me! Waah~
Disclaimer: I still don't own Inu Yasha or associated characters. Damn.
"stuff " = spoken 'stuff' = thought (since italics doesn't seem to work here)
Epilogue
The words seemed to dance rings around his head. He felt like home? But that meant that she had forgiven all his mistakes. All the times he'd screamed at her to cover up how he felt, so that she would never know and break his heart.
It meant that she loved him.
"Kagome... I'm sorry."
She stared up at him in surprise. Why was he sorry? Was this his way of telling her that he had finally chosen Kikyo over him once and for all?
"Wait. Before you say what I know is coming, I want to have my say first."
She took a deep breath. She had to tell him now, or she never would. If it stayed inside, it would eat away at her. 'I don't care if I feel at home with him. You can't always go home.. You can't always be warm inside.'
She pulled away from him, rain soaking through her shirt and plastering her skirt to her legs. Suddenly, it all seemed much too heavy for her and she sat down heavily in the mud. She heard him take a step toward her, but shook her head. She didn't want his comfort if it was empty.
"I love you, Inu Yasha. I love you for who and what you are. In all this mess, the only time I feel like I have somewhere I belong is when I'm in your arms. But. I know I can't have that. It's not mine and that... that's ok. I can't live with that, but it doesn't matter."
She was going to start rambling, she knew it. 'I don't care! This isn't some last effort to get him to love me. This is me saying... I'm saying goodbye.'
"If you want Kikyo, fine. I can't make you love me. I know it doesn't work that way. But, I won't help you find the shards anymore. I won't help you be with her, it's stupid. I know if I tried I wouldn't be able to give you up in the end. I wouldn't be able to hand over the Shikon no Tama so that you could change."
Panting, she put her hands on the ground. Mud squelched between her fingers. Her arms shook and her whole body trembled.
Inu Yasha stared at her, his heart breaking. She thought he loved Kikyo? 'I've broken her... she was willing to give herself to me and all I did was tear her apart.'
"Kagome, listen to me. The Kikyo that I loved is gone. As soon as you were born, she ceased to be altogether. You are a completely different person. What's walking around now is a memory of what she was.. no, it's not even really that. It's a memory of her last thoughts of me. How could I love that? Yes, I ran to her. I was so scared of loosing what I thought was the love of my life again that I ran to something that wasn't even her."
He knelt beside her and tried to take her into his arms. She shoved him away and sat in the mud, staring at him. What must she think of him now? He sat in front of her feeling himself sink into the mud. The only thing to do now was continue.
"But, slowly, I began to realize that maybe she hadn't love me, really. She had seen someone that she could use, someone that could rid her of her burden. I don't know if she meant it that way at the time or not, but that's how it was. Kagome, I don't love her anymore."
What was he saying?
"Why tell me all of this now? What's changed that you have to say these things to me?"
She tried to search his face, but the rain made it hard. He didn't love Kikyo? Then why bother with the Shikon no Tama at all?
"Because suddenly your love is too much to lose. I thought that if I didn't tell you how I felt, I wouldn't get hurt in the end. Gathering the shards.. I want to continue, but I don't want it anymore. If Naraku gets it, he may try to hurt you, or make me hurt you.."
"I'm not Kikyo! I love you enough to know the difference between a demon that can change his shape and you!"
She was screaming. She was on her feet again, yelling at him over cracks of thunder.
Inu Yasha slowly got to his feet. He knew she wasn't Kikyo. She was nothing like her and that was one of the things he loved about her. He was shocked by her words. Kikyo hadn't known the difference between him and Naraku, but she did.
"Kagome.. I love you."
It was all she could do to remain standing. The words had pierced her like an arrow. He loved her? He had kept it from her for fear of a broken heart? She took a step towards him, searching for the truth in his face.
He opened his arms to her. For a moment, he was afraid she was going to deny him. Then she was running, she was his Amazon again, and she flew into his arms.
"Welcome home, Kagome."
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Steffie: I need tissues!
Note: Last time, there was a star (*) next to where Inu Yasha comments on his ears. It's because I was going to say that they look more like kitty ears to me, but I forgot. Eh.
Inu Yasha: They look like dog ears, baka! *bonk* Steffie: Inu Yasha-kun is mean to me! Waah~
Disclaimer: I still don't own Inu Yasha or associated characters. Damn.
"stuff " = spoken 'stuff' = thought (since italics doesn't seem to work here)
Epilogue
The words seemed to dance rings around his head. He felt like home? But that meant that she had forgiven all his mistakes. All the times he'd screamed at her to cover up how he felt, so that she would never know and break his heart.
It meant that she loved him.
"Kagome... I'm sorry."
She stared up at him in surprise. Why was he sorry? Was this his way of telling her that he had finally chosen Kikyo over him once and for all?
"Wait. Before you say what I know is coming, I want to have my say first."
She took a deep breath. She had to tell him now, or she never would. If it stayed inside, it would eat away at her. 'I don't care if I feel at home with him. You can't always go home.. You can't always be warm inside.'
She pulled away from him, rain soaking through her shirt and plastering her skirt to her legs. Suddenly, it all seemed much too heavy for her and she sat down heavily in the mud. She heard him take a step toward her, but shook her head. She didn't want his comfort if it was empty.
"I love you, Inu Yasha. I love you for who and what you are. In all this mess, the only time I feel like I have somewhere I belong is when I'm in your arms. But. I know I can't have that. It's not mine and that... that's ok. I can't live with that, but it doesn't matter."
She was going to start rambling, she knew it. 'I don't care! This isn't some last effort to get him to love me. This is me saying... I'm saying goodbye.'
"If you want Kikyo, fine. I can't make you love me. I know it doesn't work that way. But, I won't help you find the shards anymore. I won't help you be with her, it's stupid. I know if I tried I wouldn't be able to give you up in the end. I wouldn't be able to hand over the Shikon no Tama so that you could change."
Panting, she put her hands on the ground. Mud squelched between her fingers. Her arms shook and her whole body trembled.
Inu Yasha stared at her, his heart breaking. She thought he loved Kikyo? 'I've broken her... she was willing to give herself to me and all I did was tear her apart.'
"Kagome, listen to me. The Kikyo that I loved is gone. As soon as you were born, she ceased to be altogether. You are a completely different person. What's walking around now is a memory of what she was.. no, it's not even really that. It's a memory of her last thoughts of me. How could I love that? Yes, I ran to her. I was so scared of loosing what I thought was the love of my life again that I ran to something that wasn't even her."
He knelt beside her and tried to take her into his arms. She shoved him away and sat in the mud, staring at him. What must she think of him now? He sat in front of her feeling himself sink into the mud. The only thing to do now was continue.
"But, slowly, I began to realize that maybe she hadn't love me, really. She had seen someone that she could use, someone that could rid her of her burden. I don't know if she meant it that way at the time or not, but that's how it was. Kagome, I don't love her anymore."
What was he saying?
"Why tell me all of this now? What's changed that you have to say these things to me?"
She tried to search his face, but the rain made it hard. He didn't love Kikyo? Then why bother with the Shikon no Tama at all?
"Because suddenly your love is too much to lose. I thought that if I didn't tell you how I felt, I wouldn't get hurt in the end. Gathering the shards.. I want to continue, but I don't want it anymore. If Naraku gets it, he may try to hurt you, or make me hurt you.."
"I'm not Kikyo! I love you enough to know the difference between a demon that can change his shape and you!"
She was screaming. She was on her feet again, yelling at him over cracks of thunder.
Inu Yasha slowly got to his feet. He knew she wasn't Kikyo. She was nothing like her and that was one of the things he loved about her. He was shocked by her words. Kikyo hadn't known the difference between him and Naraku, but she did.
"Kagome.. I love you."
It was all she could do to remain standing. The words had pierced her like an arrow. He loved her? He had kept it from her for fear of a broken heart? She took a step towards him, searching for the truth in his face.
He opened his arms to her. For a moment, he was afraid she was going to deny him. Then she was running, she was his Amazon again, and she flew into his arms.
"Welcome home, Kagome."
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Steffie: I need tissues!