A/N: Okay, this idea just ambushed me one day while I was reading fanfiction online. I was skimming through the most recent Inuyasha fics when I suddenly thought, 'Hey, wouldn't it be cool if this happened?' I thought it was a good idea so I typed it up and here it is for all you readers to enjoy! Be warned, this is very fluffy/bordering on angsty, so if you cry easily have lots of tissues on hand.
Disclaimer: Dude, I'm not even eighteen yet. How am I supposed to own Inuyasha, a world famous fawsome anime? Use your brains, people.
To Wish Upon A Jewel
Kagome looked around her, at everyone that was standing in the clearing where the well was located. Everyone who had helped her over the long years fighting Naraku was now here with her. Inuyasha, of course, sullen as always. Kaede, who was quite old now but still quite healthy. Sango and Miroku, who had finally realized that they were meant for each other and whose wedding was scheduled next month. Koga and Ayame, who had not quite gotten together yet but were at least closer than they used to be. Kilala was there too, and Myoga was on her back. Even Sesshomaru, Rin, and Jaken had shown up for this event. And what an event it was.
They had finally defeated Naraku, after three years of fighting. Kagome was twenty years old now, no longing a teenager fumbling through adolescence but a young woman, ready to make her own decisions. She had managed to scrape through high school with good enough grades to graduate, and had decided to postpone college until her work in the Sengoku Jidai was done. They had managed to gather all of the Shikon jewel shards, except for the ones Naraku had in his possesion. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru had agreed to put aside their differences for the final battle, and though it was fierce, they emerged victorious.
Now the jewel was completed, and it was time for Kagome to make the wish. As she looked around at all of her friends that surrounded her, she realized just how far they had all come. The fight against Naraku had put them all through so much. So many lives lost, and so many hearts broken. But through it all, they had had each other, and now Kagome saw that it had been enough. Everyone now had a bright future, free of fear.
But as soon as Kagome thought that, she realized that not everyone had a bright future. She didn't know what Inuyasha was going to do now. Ever since she had awoken him from Kikyo's spell, all he had done was search for the jewel shards to become a full demon. He had never talked about what he would do if he couldn't do that. Kagome got the feeling that even he didn't know what he was going to do now.
"Kagome, it is time for ye to make yer wish," said Kaede. With one last look at Inuyasha, Kagome closed her hand around the jewel and made a decision, saying her wish out loud.
"I wish...that Inuyasha was happy."
For a split second, she saw shock on Inuyasha's face, and then...nothing.
She was floating in darkness. It wasn't unpleasant, but she didn't particularly like it, either. It was just...darkness.
You have made your wish, said a voice. It sounded strange, as if more than one person was saying it, but the voices were perfectly in sync.
I have, she answered, and her voice also sounded strange.
Are you certain that you wish for the half-demon Inuyasha to be happy? the voice (voices?) asked her.
I am, she answered. She wondered who, or what, the voice was.
We are the spirits inside the Shikon no Tama, the voices told her, as if they had read her mind. Which, Kagome realized, was probably what they had done. We are the four souls that you wished upon. Do you want to see the effects of your wish?
Yes, said Kagome. She wanted to see Inuyasha happy, see the smile that he had so rarely shown to her...
Very well, the voices said. Kagome had a strange feeling of weightlessness for a moment, and then the darkness lifted.
She was standing by the Goshinboku, where she had first seen Inuyasha all those years ago. And Inuyasha was standing under it...in his human form?
"Inuyasha!" Kagome called, walking towards him. He didn't turn around, or even show that he had heard her. "Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, worried. She lightly touched his arm. Or at least, she tried to. Her hand went right through him.
"Aah!" she yelled, jerking her hand back and making sure that it still existed. "What is going on here?" she asked no one in particular.
He cannot hear you, the voices - the four souls - said. Or see you, or feel you.
"Why?" Kagome asked.
This is the result of your wish, the four souls told her. You wished for Inuyasha to be happy, and he is. He and Kikyou did not fall for Naraku's trick. Inuyasha never tried to steal the jewel, and as a result Inuyasha used the jewel to become human and live with Kikyou.
"No!" said Kagome. "I don't believe it!"
It is true, said the four souls. If you would like to take back your wish, you may.
Kagome thought about this. One part of her screamed to take back the wish, that she loved Inuyasha, that she deserved to be with him, not Kikyou! But another part of her argued that this was exactly what she had wanted. She had wanted Inuyasha to be happy, to be able to have a life besides killing and fighting. And now he had it.
"Can I have some time to think about it?" she asked finally.
You may, the four souls answered. When you have made your decision, call us back. But remember, nothing you say or do will affect anything here.
"All right," said Kagome. "Thank you."
You are welcome, the four souls said, and Kagome felt their presence leave, though she couldn't explain exactly how she knew that they were gone. She turned back to Inuyasha.
"So," she said. "You're with Kikyou. Well, I guess you did love her first, and maybe you never even really thought of me that way. Maybe I was just the shard detector, or Kikyou's replacement. I can't really blame you, if you really loved her. I just hope you're happy."
She knew there was no real point in talking to Inuyasha, since he couldn't hear her. It just felt right talking to him. Suddenly he turned and looked straight at her. Kagome's breath caught in her throat. The way he was looking at her...his eyes were filled with love. There was no trace of pain or betrayal in them. He just looked...happy.
"Kikyou," he said. Kagome blinked in confusion, before turning around and seeing Kikyou right behind her. She ran to Inuyasha, passing right through Kagome on the way. Kagome shivered. It was very disconcerting to have someone run through you. She turned to see Inuyasha and Kikyou embracing tightly.
"I missed you," Inuyasha mumbled into Kikyou's hair. She laughed.
"I was only gone for a few hours, Inuyasha! Are you really that dependant on me?" she teased. Inuyasha pretended to look thoughtful for a moment. "Yes," he answered, and captured her lips in a kiss.
Kagome turned away. It was too painful to watch them. She was glad that Inuyasha was happy, but she wanted so much to be the one that was teasing him, the one that he kissed with such feeling. When Kagome watched him and Kikyou, she felt...cheated, was the best word. It felt like she was supposed to be the one he loved, and that Kikyou had stolen him from her.
But then, that wasn't entirely fair to Kikyou, or Inuyasha. If Inuyasha loved Kikyou instead of her, then that was his choice, and she couldn't force him to love her, could she? But then, why did she feel this way?
She was so deep in her thoughts that she almost didn't notice Inuyasha and Kikyou leaving the clearing. Shaking herself out of her thoughts, she followed them to a house near Kaede's hut. A young girl ran up to them. "Welcome back, sister!" she called. This must be Kaede, then, thought Kagome. The young girl was very different from the old woman that Kagome had known, but she supposed that fifty years would do that to a person.
"Um, Inuyasha?" Kikyou said. "Can I talk to you? Alone?"
Inuyasha looked at her oddly, but said, "Sure. Kaede, why don't you go tend to your herb garden?"
Kaede nodded happily and ran off. "Now," said Inuyasha, "what could you possibly want to do, alone?" Kikyou slapped his arm.
"Baka! Wash your mind out," she said. "Come inside. I have something I need to tell you."
Kagome followed them into the house, wondering what Kikyou could possibly want to tell Inuyasha that she couldn't say outside. Inuyasha sat down on the floor, cross-legged, with Kikyou sitting next to him.
"So," he said, putting his arm around Kikyou, "what did you want to tell me?"
"It has to do with why I went out into the forest," said Kikyou. "You know how I said that I needed to do some spells? Well, I did them and..." She paused.
"What?" said Inuyasha. "It can't possibly be that bad."
"Well..." Kikyou grinned up at him. "I'm pregnant."
Kagome would have laughed at the stupid expression on Inuyasha's face, if she didn't have the horrible feeling that her own face was stuck in exactly the same position. Kikyou is pregnant...with Inuyasha's child... That thought kept running through her mind. She was detached from the rest of the world, because her world had just been shattered.
Numbly, she watched Inuyasha laugh and grab Kikyou in an embrace. "I'm going to be a father!" he said. "I'm going to have a kid!" Inuyasha and Kikyou twirled around the room, laughing joyfully. Kagome turned away. It hurt too much to watch them, and their love, and then it hurt that she felt hurt because this was exactly what she had wanted for Inuyasha, so she shouldn't be wishing that it was different. It was very complicated, and Kagome wished that things were simpler so she could have a clear path to follow.
But now she had to make a choice. She could take back her wish, and try to cure Inuyasha's pain. Or she could leave it, and make sure that he never got hurt in the first place.
She could take back the wish, and hope that having her and their friends would be enough to help him. Or she could leave it, and make sure that he wouldn't need their help, because he had Kikyo. All she wanted was for him to be happy. But what would make him happy?
Kagome thought of something. "Can I talk to Inuyasha?" she asked. "Not this Inuyasha, but the one from my world?"
The four souls seemed to be conferring with each other. It is very rare for us to do this, they said, but we will allow it.
There was a flash of pink light, and then Inuyasha was standing beside Kagome. "What the heck just happened!" he practically shouted at Kagome. "Look," she said, motioning at the Inuyasha and Kikyou that were still in the room. Inuyasha stared at them, then turned to Kagome.
"What is going on?" he asked.
"When I wished that you were happy, this is what happened," said Kagome. "This is a different world. Here, you and Kikyou never fell for Naraku's trick. You used the jewel to become human, and you married Kikyou. She's just told you that she was pregnant."
Inuyasha was speechless for a moment. "Well then, why am I here?" he asked.
"The four souls that reside inside the jewel gave me a choice," Kagome explained. "They said that I could take back this wish, and make another if I wanted to. I just wanted to know...whether you would be happier here, with Kikyou."
"Why do you care so much?" he asked. If the situation had been less serious, Kagome would have been surprised at how gentle his voice sounded, compared to how rude he was always acting. But now, it nearly brought tears to her eyes.
"Because," she said in a near whisper, "because I've always loved to see you smile, and I've always wanted you to be happy. And when you kept going back to Kikyou, it broke my heart and it made me smile at the same time, because it meant that you didn't love me back, but it also meant that you were happy, so I was happy too."
She looked up at him, and though there had been heartbreak in her voice, there were no tears in her eyes. "I just want to know if you would be happier here, with Kikyou, and a family. Because if you would, then I won't take the wish back. I just want you to be happy."
"Kagome..."he said. "Kagome, maybe I would be happier here. But I don't know. Part of who I am has been shaped by what happened all those years ago. That person over there," he gestured to the Inuyasha now talking with Kikyou, "that person isn't me. He may have my name, and my appearance, but he isn't me. I wouldn't be happier here, because I wouldn't be me. I would rather stay in our world, with you."
Kagome looked up at him, eyes shining. Funny, when she's talking about how I broke her heart she doesn't cry, but now that I tell her I love her back she starts getting all teary... "You mean it?" she asked in a small voice. Inuyasha wrapped her in his arms. "Of course I mean it," he said. "I love you, Kagome, and I couldn't be happier than when I'm with you."
She smiled. "All right, then I guess I'll take the wish back."
Very well, said the four souls. What will you wish for instead?
"I don't know," said Kagome. "I suppose I could wish for a lifetime supply of strawberries that were always ripe..."
"I know," said Inuyasha. "Wish to age at the same rate that I do, so that you won't die hundreds of years before I do."
"Okay," said Kagome. "I wish to age at the same rate that Inuyasha does, and to die when he does, so that we may live our days together in love."
Your wish has been granted, said the four souls. You will now return to your proper places, and the Shikon no Tama will lose its power.
There was another flash of pink light, and then darkness.
Kagome woke up to find herself in Kaede's hut. She sat up, and saw Sango kneeling by Inuyasha. When she saw that Kagome was looking at her, she immediately got up and rushed over to her. "You're awake!" she said. "We were all worried about you. You just collapsed after the wish, and then about an hour later Inuyasha collapsed too. It's been about two hours since that, and we've been worrying this whole time! What happened?"
Kagome laughed at Sango's babbling. "Don't worry, it's fine," she assured her friend. "Long story short, the wish didn't have the same effects as I'd expected, and the jewel let me change my wish. I wished to age at the same rate as Inuyasha does."
At the sound of his name, Inuyasha stirred and woke up. "Whassamatter?" he asked in a sleepy voice. Kagome laughed. "Not really a morning person, is he?" she commented.
"Kagome, you traveled with him for three years, you shouldn't act so surprised," Sango said. "Well, you were still out for three hours, and that can't have been very good for you. I'll leave now and let you get some rest." She quickly stood up and left the hut. Kagome strongly suspected that her friend's departure had more to do with leaving Kagome and Inuyasha alone together that with letting them get some rest. But right now, she didn't really care.
By this time, Inuyasha was wide awake and sitting up. He reached over and pulled Kagome into his lap, ignoring her (halfhearted) protests and tucking her head under his chin. "I have a question for you," he said. "Why did you wish to die at the same time as me?"
"Silly," she said. "That should be obvious. It was so that I would never have to live without you." She snuggled closer to him and sighed in contentment. "Are you happy, Inuyasha?" she asked.
He looked down at the girl in his arms. She was twenty now, but her innocence made her seem so much younger. She was pure, and beautiful, like an angel. My angel, he thought. "Yes," he said aloud. "I am now."
"Good," said Kagome. "Then so am I." She drifted back into sleep, happy for the moment, because for three years, ever since she met a certain hanyou, she had had only one wish.
And now, with the help of a small jewel and four souls, her wish had come true.
A/N: You know, this is very different from what it started out as. At first the whole weird alternate world thingy was a test to see if Kagome really wanted Inuyasha to be happy, even if it was with Kikyou, but then I decided it was stupid. After several hours of toying with it (and a complete rewrite of the second half) I got this. If you don't like it, then it's your fault for reading 2789 words of a story that you didn't like. And it's one forty in the morning where I am, so if you don't mind, I'm going to bed now. Don't forget to review. G'night.