IMPORTANT!: THE SYMBOLS HAVE BEEN CHANGED!!!!!! (the stupid QuickEdit won't let me do the little wavy things or the star whachimits, and so oh well. Now everything has to be ...... GOMEN! I will re-edit this chapter as soon as they get the stupid system fixed.)

Ok, how can I put this?

ME NO OWN INUYASHA OR CHARACTERS!

Epilogue: Kissing Kagome

(A/N: Yep, you read right! EPILOGUE!!!!!!!! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!!!!!! Now, be nice people and don't hunt me down to throw bags of rotten tomatoes at me, and I will get the sequel up ASAP)

.....Inuyasha

I cannot justify my action more than this—I was so close to her, and then suddenly I could hear her heartbeat and smell the sweet, exotic scent that was uniquely hers and see her eyes that were so, so much bluer then I remembered them.

After that it was like all reason flew out the window and for once I was not concerned with doing what would make me look good and wanted only to be close to her, and see what she tasted like.

And so I kissed her.

.....Kagome

Look, I wont lie to you. Inuyasha was a really good kisser and I could feel my knees start to dissolve as he held me and I just went limp.

I admit that I was feeling rather giddy.

Was this really happening? Was Inuyasha really kissing me, or was this just a dream?

It was wonderful whatever it was. But, however wonderful it might have been, it wasn't quite as I imagined it would be. I wasn't in ecstasy.

.....Sesshoumaru

My younger brother was kissing the girl that I had spent almost four days with.

Feh, what did I care? It was not my concern.

Even so, a tingling of unease fizzed in the back of my mind as anger stirred inside me.

Quickly I beat them back until both were crouched, like animals ready to pounce, in the back of my mind, still ready to leap out again if given the chance, but submissive for the time being.

Why?

The girl was certainly strong enough to get herself out of this if she wished it so and that can be the only reason why I am thinking of this at all.

After all, we took care of one another for all that time, and it must be that I have simply not adapted to the change yet.

Strange.

Under normal circumstances I usually change to fit my situation almost instantly.

That could be the only reason that I felt anything though.

.....Inuyasha

I realized, as I held her there, and her aura mixed almost dizzyingly with my own, that I was falling in love with Kagome.

Odd as it may seem, as I realized that a wave of guilt washed over me.

Who was I to be happy when Kikyo, my first love and one whom I still cared about deeply, was so miserable, forced to wander the earth with no reprieve? What gave me the right to be happy when she could not? What gave me the right to love another when she could not?

I started feeling almost dizzy, but no longer from the girl that I held, but confusion.

I loved Kikyo, didn't I?

But, then, didn't I love Kagome?

.....Kagome

After he broke the kiss, I spun away feeling that any second now I was bound to float up above the clouds.

How could I not?

Then I gradually came to a halt, still feeling an exhilarated rush. He loved me! Right? Of course he did; you cannot kiss a person like that unless you did.

As I put my fingers lightly to my still tingling lips, I looked up and found that Sesshoumaru was looking at me.

Suddenly I felt uneasy that he had seen me kiss his half-brother.

Why?

I didn't care what he thought.

Did I?

.....Rin

Kagome-oneechan had just kissed a boy who looked a lot like Sesshoumaru- sama, but he wasn't as good as him. No one is as good as Sesshoumaru-sama.

Sesshoumaru-sama didn't like it though, I could tell. Sometimes it is hard to tell what Sesshoumaru-sama is thinking, but not this time. Sesshoumaru- sama was trying not to look at Kagome-oneechan and he was a little bit more tense then normal and he was looking like he normally did but he looked a bit uneasy if you looked at his eyes and you knew him.

Why did Sesshoumaru-sama care about Kagome-oneechan kissing anyone?

I giggled and buried my face in Sesshoumaru-sama's white silk pant leg as he stood, wrapping my arms around his knees.

.....Sesshoumaru

I felt strangely relieved when the kiss was broken and stood as Rin clung to my legs.

Ah well, first things first.

Gently I shook the child off me and then walked up to the girl, giving her one of the rarest things in the world.

My thanks.

She had done more then almost anyone else I had ever known to help me, and so had earned it.

Finally I turned after a polite bow of the head, I set off hunting down my retainer as I heard Rin crash through the brush after me, already singing cheerfully.

Still, I could not shake my unease and even anger at the memory of my brother kissing the girl.

Why did I even care?

.....

In the trees above, unnoticed by the entire party, a small creature crouched on a branch, taking everything in with its huge deep violet eyes. Long ears twitched as the black thing took in information.

In shape it resembled a cat, but had hugely elongated ears—not unlike a rabbits. It had a coat that was a sooty black and did not gleam, but seemed to drink in the light instead, not reflecting any of it. It was an eerie effect, and the closest thing to it would be a deep pit that went far enough down there was only blackness.

Finally, as the group disbanded, it turned and lept off after one, jumping lightly from tree to tree, never disturbing so much as a leaf.

Unknown to him, Sesshoumaru was being followed.

The Beginning

] heh heh heh heh heh. Becha thought that it would end differently, huh? I swear, making my life more difficult seems to be a new hobby.

For those of you who are thinking WHAT?!?!?!?!? I thought that this was going to be a Kag/Sess pairing!, fear not. Look for the sequel, Wheel Turning, to be coming out shortly.

YES, THIS WILL, I REPEAT, WILL TURN INTO A SESS/KAG! I DID NOT ADVERTISE FALSLY. You can actually see how I am setting it up in the ep.

IMPORTANT!: For those of you who are feeling the urge to hunt me down and do something exceedingly painful, just remember DEAD OR INCAPACITATED AUTHORS DO NOT WRITE SEQUELS!!! Just remember that, please!

Ja ne! emeralddarkness

PS, Wheel Turning might take a little while to come out, at the moment I am hitting a blank idea wise (I know what I want, just not how to get there) and if I keep banging my head against a wall, it will probably leave a dent. ;

Gomen!

Reviewer Responses: (THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING!!! Your reviews have been unimaginably helpful in getting the last bit out... and holy cow, there were a lot of 'em!)

Sukera- Well, I updated, but I think that I left you in an even more evil place...

migele- Now you know why a triangle. Ehe. AND YES, THIS WILL TURN INTO A SESS/KAG!!!!!

inu-youkai 911- I'm glad that you like my style! PS. I know that it is not a tail. I belive that it is truly a keel. Confused? Don't worry, it is a mark of rank. See, in ancient Japan, there were a lot of different ranking symbols. Having longer hair was one of them, ( this distinction existed even within families, for example, Hiten's long braid vs. Manten's short ponytail, Sesshoumaru's well-kept lengths vs. Inuyasha's diseveled locks. But if you need more, look at the length of Kouga's hair as apposed to the rest of the pack) but another was animal fur. The pelts of various animals worn around the waist (ex, Manten with his fox pelt, Kouga with his wolf "skirt") show a more outlanish, aggressive leadership. Pelts worn on both shoulders (ex, Shippo's vest) show ranks slightly above peasents. However, the pelt of the wolf-hound (VERY rare back then in those parts) worn only on the right shoulder was ment only for the highest ranks and skills. My theory is that his pelt is his father's. The only reason that I wrote it as tail is that it makes thing simpler. Less explination needed. That answer your questions/comments? Just review if you spot something else.

antisocial mint- Now you know, and for the last time THIS IS AND THE SEQUEL WILL BE SESS/KAG!!!!

dragonpixie14- Yea, I know.

Missyeru- Wow. I thought that everyone would be able to figure that one out. She knew because Inuyasha could stick his hand in the cave. It was only an idea, but when Rin managed to get out...

angelfan2000- Ok, I did. Trust me, the sequel will be like this one, only a bit more fluffy, that is, IF I CAN EVER FIGURE OUT HOW TO WRITE ROMANCE!!!

The Black Kat- Muahahahahahahahaa! More cliffies!

Jade- Ummmm, I think that all of your questions have at this point been answered...

Sayori-chan- Well, now you know what happened. By the way, it's sweet of you to say that I can write romance, but really, I already know that I can't.