AN: YAY!!!! I've finally finished the last chapter!!!! A thousand thanks to my best friend Jessie for helping me find out what a Japanese wedding was like! (Or the reception anyway…) AND A THOUSAND AND ONE THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO HAS PATIENTLY WAITED FOR ME TO PUT THIS UP!!!!!!!
Thanks to Young Priestess, Tsume Yamagata, Victoria, Mimi Nakamura, and Lady Adelia for reviewing!!!!!!!
Now, without any further delay, the last chapter of And so the story continues…
The ceremony itself was over in no time at all. Both brides and grooms found that once it was really over, not only was being married not such a scary thing, they felt surprisingly the same. To Kagome and Sango, it seemed as though one minute they were helping each other into their own beautiful shiromuku, and the next, the ceremony was over and they were sitting on the stage at the reception. For Miroku, however, the ceremony took forever. If you're thinking that he wanted to bolt the whole time, you're quite mistaken. A lecherous monk does not so easily forget his ways, and before you jump to conclusions, Miroku wasn't thinking of anyone or anything but Sango, if you take my meaning. Inuyasha was the only one for who time ran normally.
"Kagome," an old tired voice snapped Kagome out of her daydreaming, "Kagome, pay attention. Don't you realize that they're talking about you out there?" Kaede scolded Kagome. Since any older couples that any of them knew either had one person dead or both people, Kaede was acting as Nakoudo by herself.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Kaede-baba." Kagome smiled her heart-warming smile and turned to watch the guests make their speeches.
Inuyasha, who had been watching Kagome the whole time, was in complete awe. I suppose the situation was finally catching up with him. Of all people she could've picked, why me? What makes me so worthy of her? She could've gone off with Koga when I still refused to admit I had any feelings for her, and she could've just ditched the entire time travel thing and stayed in her own era with that Hojo guy. Why did she continuously put up with ME?
"Inuyasha? Is something the matter?"
"No."
"Are you sure? 'Cuz you were giving me some weird look just now..." Kagome eyed her husband suspiciously.
Inuyasha smiled a genuine smile that was seen by few people before Kagome. Yep. She's the same weird girl I dragged back down the well all those times. "I'm sure! Okay, stupid?" Inuyasha smiled again to show he was only joking about the stupid part.
"Okay… if you say so…" Kagome looked at him reluctantly. If he tries anything, I'll just sit him; I've still got that… but wait! He can try anything he wants now! I forgot! At that almost Miroku-like thought, Kagome blushed, causing Inuyasha, and eventually Kagome herself to start laughing hysterically.
On the other side of the stage, however, conversation was slightly different.
"Sango, please, I'm BEGGING you! Can't we just please, PLEASE leave now? We're really not needed here anyway…" Miroku protested for the hundredth time, wanting to "retire to the bedroom."
"Miroku! Is this the only reason you married me?! I'm beginning to think that my first impression of you really WAS right after all!" Sango's face had been getting redder and redder as Miroku continuously begged her to leave the reception early and attempting to play footsie with her under the table.
"Sango, please?? Can't you see I'm dying here!? I've been holding out for so long, waiting for you, and now that I actually have you, you're making me wait longer?!?"
"Do you really love me? It sure doesn't sound like it!"
"Sango, I do love you. That is WHY I am so eager to leave now!!"
"Miroku, that is the worst-"Miroku cut her off with the most adorable puppy-dog face you could ever imagine.
"Please don't be mad at me, Sango…"
Sango looked at Miroku's pathetic face and smiled, "Now how could I be mad at some one with a face like that?" she asked, and then promptly gave him a short but sweet kiss, "We'll leave within the hour, I promise."
True to Sango's word the reception ended, and surprisingly well, too. First off, Kaede didn't have to be Nakoudo by herself after all. Kagome's grandpa showed up after all and volunteered to help, seeing that he simply could NOT let such a pretty lady sit up on the stage by herself. The two of them hit it off pretty well. Sango and Miroku managed to escape most of the good-byes and snuck off to their make-shift room in a large local house. When Inuyasha and Kagome finally escaped the crowd, it was after dark, and most of the crowd had left already anyway.
"Kagome, quick, get on my back before the rest of them find us," Inuyasha whispered.
"Where're we going, Inuyasha?"
"You'll see…"
Kagome carefully climbed up on the hanyou's back, doing her best to keep her kimono from riding up. Once secure, Inuyasha bounded through the forest. Kagome, though anxious to see where they were headed, couldn't care less if she were to stay exactly where she was for the rest of eternity. She had always enjoyed riding on Inuyasha's back, but she never thought that she could enjoy it this much.
~*~
All too soon for Kagome, Inuyasha stopped and jolted her out of her daydream, telling her that they had arrived.
"The Go-shinboku?" Kagome looked at the humongous tree in amazement.
"That's right." Inuyasha smiled at Kagome, he knew she remembered. "I wanted to give something to you, and this seemed like the perfect place." Inuyasha reached into the front of his kimono and pulled out a small gold and pearly white object.
"The Shikon no Tama?! When did you get this done?!"
"Here, it's for you, my wedding gift to my bride." And with that, Inuyasha handed Kagome the jewel. But it was no longer on a chain of shells, but embedded in a beautiful gold one. "A couple weeks ago, I had Sota and your mom take it someplace in your era to fix it up."
"It's beautiful, Inuyasha!"
"You deserve it."
Suddenly, a bright pink light shot out of the jewel. "Kagome! Kagome, hold on! Don't leave!" But when the light subsided, Kagome was no where to be seen.
~*~
"Where am I? Where's Inuyasha?!" Kagome began to panic, not only was she not in the forest, she wasn't at home in the shrine either.
"Do not be afraid," A beautiful voice from nowhere calmed Kagome.
"Who are you? Where are you? Where am I?"
"Do not fret. You will soon return to the forest." Kagome frantically looked for the source of such a calming voice. Then, as if by magic, a beautiful woman shimmered into being. "I am Midoriko, and we are in a dimension where only the souls of powerful priestesses can exist. That is why Inuyasha could not have possibly been here."
"Midoriko?!"
Midoriko smiled. "I am here to not only thank you, but to ask you to thank Inuyasha as well. With the combination of your selfless love for each other, the Shikon no Tama has been purified completely and your wishes have been granted."
"Our wishes?"
"Yes, yours and Inuyasha's mutual wish: To never be separated again. From this day forward; your soul, which has longed for Inuyasha before you even knew of his existence, before you were even born, and Inuyasha's soul, that which bonded with your soul in the form of Kikyo, and renewed that bond within your own form, will never have to go through the pain of being separated by death again."
"So, even though Inuyasha's lifespan is longer than mine, I won't die before he does?!"
"Precisely, that is your wish."
"What about the jewel? What will happen to it now?"
"The jewel itself will still exist, but the power within the jewel has been consumed by your wish and will no longer exist." Midoriko paused and smiled, "I must go now. Once again, thank you." And with that, she disappeared, and Kagome similarly felt herself be transported back to the forest.
~*~
"Kagome!" Inuyasha ran up and embraced her upon her return, which to Inuyasha's eyes looked the same as her departure. "I thought I had lost you."
"Inuyasha, you will never have to worry about losing me again." Kagome smiled and returned the embrace. "The Shikon no Tama has been purified and Midoriko thanks you."
Inuyasha let go of Kagome and held her so he could see into her eyes. He stared deep, intent on discovering the meaning behind her words, and in no time at all, he realized he already knew, and smiled. "Kagome?"
"Hmm?"
"I love you."
AN: I hope you liked it! I was really proud of myself when I finally finished it (last night at midnight ^_^V)! And I apologize if it got kinda cheesy at parts… but hey! At least I got it done, ok? I'm not sure if I'm gonna make an epilogue, so if you want me to, vote for me writing an epilogue in your review, okay? Well, see ya 'round!
-Lirael1