Ch. 9

me: hello! I'm sorry I haven't been updating... please forgive me?

Kikyo: I wouldn't forgive you, if I were a reviewer.

me: that's why you're not a reviewer, stupid.

Kikyo: ...feh

me: lol. By the way, this is the last chapter, but there is going to be an epilogue.

InuYasha poked his head into the well. It seemed fine now. He quickly jumped in, expecting to feel the usual strangeness he felt when he went to Kagome's era.

But it didn't come. There was no time shift, no feeling of falling forever. It was just...normal.

Don't tell me...she plugged it up? Is she hurt? What happened?? And what was the red flash? InuYasha had too many questions to answer at once. He bit his lip, his sharp fang drawing crimson blood, a salty taste filling his mouth as he searched for the answers. He sat heavily on the cold floor, and put his head onto his knees. If only he hadn't yelled at her so much. InuYasha gingerly poked the wall of the well with his claw. It seemed flimsy, for some reason. Mindlessly, InuYasha tugged at his rosary.

I was so mad, the day that wench, Kikyo's sister, placed this curse on me. She told me that I would never be able to get it off, until all the shards were gathered, or until...

...until one of our worlds was unreachable. Permanently unreachable. The rosary is useless if Kagome can't control it, that's why. I remember her words like it was yesterday, because I recall thinking that I'd just plug up the well next time Kagome went home. These old beads are drawn to Kagome, they'll return to her. If Kagome really did do something to the well, it's the only way I'll know for sure.

Carefully, InuYasha began to pull the blue and white beads from his neck. He was sweating quite hard. It was unexplainably hot. They clinked as he moved them, and got caught in his pale hair. He untangled them, and suddenly yanked them clear off his head. It took a moment to register in InuYasha's mind that they were off. He blinked four times, then looked again. They were still resting in his hand. It was actually quite odd. A few months ago, he would have given anything to get them off.

Now, all he wanted was to feel them back on, resting against his skin like they had for so many months. He wanted to feel the familiar tug that always accompanied him when he tried to remove them. Hell, he wouldn't even mind being 'sat' if it meant that Kagome was back.

But she wasn't. And she never would be. Never again. It was almost ironic, that's what it was. The woman he had despised for a good month and a half, was now the one he missed the most. He didn't think he had ever missed anyone like this in his whole life, except perhaps his mother.

"Lost another mortal, haven't you?" InuYasha thought aloud. He knocked his head against the well, not even feeling the painful tingle. This was a horrible feeling, one he had never felt before. In fact...

He hadn't even felt this bad about Kikyo, now that he thought about it. He was angry, and surprised, but not all that...sad. Of course, he had felt some remorse, but it was nothing compared to this. For all he knew, Kagome could be dead. And that was worse, not knowing. All he could think of was the times that he had yelled at her for not coming back soon enough. The times that she had 'sat' him, for being so stupid. And then, Miroku and Sango would convince him to go check on her, and he would, but in secret, of course. It happened almost once a week. The hanyou reflected on separate memories. This feeling...it was stronger than anything he had ever felt for Kikyo. Even when she was alive, InuYasha had never felt like this. It was mind-numbing, horrible but great. Was this the "true love" Miroku was always talking about?

Heh. I'm listening to something Miroku said. I must really be losing it. That monk loves every girl he can get his greasy hands on.... but... it did seem like the monk looked at Sango differently. It wasn't usually the look he had when he asked woman to bear his children. It was pretty different. Like he wanted to be with her, not because she was just some woman that traveled with them, but because she was her. It was confusing to think about. Did he have the same feeling for Kagome that Miroku did for Sango? Or was it just the fact that she was gone? I suppose that's a question that will never be answered. InuYasha stared at the rosary in his hands, then lay it down. He didn't have anything else for her. InuYasha coughed slightly, his eyes shining. Then, against his will, a single tear dripped from his eye onto the rosary. Disgusted with himself, InuYasha spat, shook his head and hopped out of the well.

The fire was almost gone. The well was a mere memory. It was almost too much to bear. Kagome watched as the firefighters blasted the last flame with their hose. Her mother, Souta and Grandfather were standing by the ashes. From the window, Kagome could see her mother thanking the firefighters, and her Grandpa shaking his head in misery. Souta was next to his mother, looking confused. Gradually, the firefighters departed, and the family headed toward the house. Kagome met them at the door.

"I think I'm going to go sit by the ashes, mom." Kagome said quietly. Her mom nodded. There was no use in asking questions.

Kagome walked outside and sat by the black ashes. She stared at them sadly, her eyes filled with heavy tears. Surprisingly, she didn't regret it at all. It was just something that had to be done, for her own good. Kagome closed her eyes, remembering the first time she had met InuYasha. He had yelled at her, of course. But as time went on, she began understanding him. Then, they had met the tiny kitsune, Shippo, the tough demon hunter, and the lecherous monk. Together, they would defeat the evil demon, Naraku.

Now that all seemed like a very long dream. Something you would read about in a manga, not something that would happen to you in real life. Because in real life, you didn't fall in love with half-demons. You didn't fight against an undead priestess. No one used gigantic boomerangs, or had a demon cat. People didn't have holes in their hands, either.

But...they did. They were her friends, and she had deserted them. Kagome sobbed into her hands as the memories came rushing back.

InuYasha discovering ramen.

Sango slapping Miroku as he rubbed her behind.

InuYasha arguing with Shippo, and attempting to twist his head off.

The tiny toad, Jakken, and the little girl, named Rin, who traveled with InuYasha's brother, Sesshomauru.

Sango hitting Miroku when he hit on other girls. Would those two ever realize their feelings for each other? Kagome would never know.

And most of all: InuYasha turning bright red whenever anyone hinted about him and Kagome. How he would grumble and kick at the ground. How he would sulk up in his tree. She'd never see him do that again.

And...I never got to tell him that he shouldn't be ashamed to be a hanyou. I never told him lots of things. I never told him...that I was in love with him. Now he'll never know how I truly felt. He'll go on with his life, and he'll think I deserted him. And I never told him that his mother never meant to desert him! She died, InuYasha. It wasn't her fault. She loved you more than anything in this world. You meant so much to her...and to me. But now you'll never know.

Kagome cleared her throat. "InuYasha..." she whispered into the ash. "I know you can't hear me, but I want you to know that you were my first real love. And I'll never forget you, and no one can take your place. And I'll go on with my life, because I know you wouldn't want me to dwell." she laughed slightly. "You'd say I was being ridiculous, then you'd call me a wench and retreat into your tree, like always. But just remember me, too. Even if you did love Kikyo, just leave a part of your heart open for me. Because I have a part of my heart open for you, too. And...don't worry about small things, like being a hanyou. Because they don't matter to me, and they shouldn't matter to you either..." Kagome blinked hard. It felt good to get it out. She spoke to the ground once more.

"And please, InuYasha; tell Miroku to be true to himself and to not be so uptight. Be nice to Shippo-chan, and don't hurt him, like you usually do. And tell Sango-chan that she should let herself go once in a while, and love." Kagome cried a little more, thinking about her friends. Her tears splashed onto the ashes, clearing them. A tiny blue spot caught Kagome's eyes, and she cleared the ashes away to see what it was.

"Ohhh..." She lifted a dirty blue and white rosary from the ash. It was InuYasha's, no doubt. She laughed, looking at it, recalling the times she had 'sat' him. She remembered the glares and the angry words. "He must be glad to be rid of it." smiled Kagome, dusting it off. She would keep this, as a constant reminder of her adventures in the feudal era of Japan. Slowly, she got up and walked toward her house, pausing to look back once. Never again would she see the fields of the Sengoku-Jidai.

But..was never again really so bad? After all, she had her memories, and the rosary. She had the dirty yellow backpack, the packets of ramen inside. And as long as she had those, he couldn't really be gone, could he? Being sad wouldn't bring the well back. Nevertheless, a final tear slipped from her eye. A tear for InuYasha.

InuYasha looked back one last time. The well was normal, but she was gone. His only true love.

"Kagome...I know you can't hear me, but...just know that I did love you, like you loved me. And I'll always remember you. Knowing you, you would have told me not to sulk, and you would have sat me until you were satisfied. So, I'll listen to you, this time." He turned and walked a few more yards, then looked back again. "Goodbye, Kagome."He drew in a shuddering breath, and smiled, despite himself. It was all going to be all right. And with that, he walked into the deep forest, his footsteps growing softer and softer until they were gone. Merely a memory in the sad forest.

And the well would still stand. It was considerably weakened by the burning, but for now, it stood. The well was the witness. It had seen InuYasha and Kagome confess their love for each other. It had seen the fights, the tears and the laughter. It had seen so much, but could say none. But it did know. It would preserve the memory of the young love that had once traveled back and forth through time.

For eternity.