Chapter 26

Authors Note: I think this is going to be the last chapter guys I hope everyone has enjoyed my story and looks forward to more! I also have an fictionpress account on if you wanna check out my stories! o;

That night had been so cold and light snow had covered the ground. It was strange but it was remotely peaceful. Kikyou had visited Rin and Kohaku to let them know that she was alive and well. The two had burst into tears, clinging to her happily. Sesshomaru was more then relieved, he had smiled. A real smile.

Kaede had died that morning though, as the son rose high in the sky Inuyasha was the first to know. He his face had tightened by the smell and his eyes had bolted open in fear. He raced towards Kaede's matt bead and he shook her gently. "Kaede! Kaede-baba! Kaede!" But his words were lost in the crisp morning air. The others stirred staring towards Inuyasha, as he looked to them over a shoulder. "Kaede…she's dead…" Inuyasha whispered.

The others bolted up racing towards her side. The old lady was cold and her eyes closed peacefully, a smile on her wrinkled skin. There were tears in Kagome's eyes as she stared towards her in disbelief; Sango had covered her mouth with a hand as Miroku bowed his head in prayer. Shippo had broken down into tears, and Inuyasha looked around in disbelief.

"She was…just alive…" Inuyasha whispered. "Last night…she was…she was talking"

Kagome shook her head in disbelief, as they reported the news to the fellow villagers. Tears strung on many faces as they carried Kaede to the top of the hill. Inuyasha and Kagome leading the way, and it went in a chain as such. Inuyasha and Kagome walked up front, followed by Sango and Miroku, (Shippo on the shoulder), followed by the village men carrying Kaede on a burial stretcher. And then the rest of the village whoever had found themselves capable to attend.

The men laid the stretcher down next to Kikyou's grave as the men began to dig. Kagome and Sango taking a seat on the left, Miroku and Shippo on the right, there heads hung low over Kaede's body. The only sound was the sound of the village men's shovel sinking into the cold hard ground. Inuyasha stood in front of Kaede's body, staring towards the villagers and then towards Kikyou's grave.

"Kaede-baba…" He whispered softly. The hanyou looked like he might cry, like he needed too. But the tears never came. He stared towards Kikyou's grave softly, his mouth opening to speak, his throat seemed terribly dry.

"Within these two days" Inuyasha said a bit choked. "We have lost two priestesses"

The villagers stared in confusion all attention focused on the hanyou. Kagome looked over her shoulder, the village men stopped digging to stare and listen.

"Yesterday…we announced that Naraku had been destroyed. Everyone was so over-joyed that…no one even came to ask how. No one was wounded if you look around at us. Kagome, Miroku, Shippo and I have not a single wound on our bodies. The only one, who has a wound on their body out of us five, is Sango and it is a small stomach wound compared to the other wounds we've suffered with Naraku. "

Inuyasha paused as he watched a slight murmur rise from the crowd, everyone looking at one another as if 'that's right' and 'that's true'. Inuyasha raised a clawed hand for silence everyone stopping immediately.

"We also know…that Kikyou had been resurrected to an Ogre named Urasue. Well, with unexplainable reasons…she was reborn. Now now! Don't misunderstand; I'm not referring to Kagome. She was literally given life again, she was alive and there's no doubt about that. She helped and bleed just like she had before. But…when Naraku came…and the final battle took place. Kikyou…once again…was the only one who had to sacrifice anything. Only Kikyou had to die."

The silence came again and he heard a few sniffs, a few of the women crying and children as well. Inuyasha looked down helplessly and then his golden eyes meeting everyone elses.

"We told Kaede last night. Kaede was…happy. Kaede was a great priestess, women, and sister of this village. She will never be forgotten as well as Kikyou. The two will be reunited once again and I think… that's what Kaede really wanted, inside her old body…was a child as timid as the one she had been many years ago. A child who earned and only wanted to be and what was best for her elder sister…Kikyou. Let's not mourn for them…" He said the last part slowly. "Let's rejoice that they are together again."

Everyone was silent and then one little clap was heard. Inuyasha turned around and noticed Kagome was clapping, tears running down her face, Sango joining in, then Miroku, Shippo, The village men, the women, until the point everyone was clapping and applauding.

Before Inuyasha could say another word or do anything else a short gasp was heard within the crowd of people. "It's a youkai!" Someone screamed everyone splitting to the side allowing them to walk through them. "No there's two youkai!"

Inuyasha's hand went to Tetsusaiga, anger burning in his golden eyes, his eyes softening.

"K-Kikyou!"

"How!" Kagome said rising to a stand almost bolting up, her eyes connecting with hers immediately.

Kikyou smiled staring towards them all calmly, her eyes meeting with Inuyasha's, then Kagome's, then Sango's, and then last Kaede.

"Do not question something that is impossible to explain…just like my love's sword had brought me life once more…the fiery pits of hell had rejected me as well."

"You love that youkai? Then you are surely not are miko!" Someone from the village rioted, Inuyasha's ears twitching by the comment.

"For surely you don't know 'your' miko very well." Kikyou said softly staring towards the villagers, "For when I was originally alive…when Kaede was a young child of 12…I fell in love….with a hanyou" Her eyes turned and met with Inuyasha's. "That hanyou…is the one you has just spoken to you…that hanyou was Inuyasha."

The villagers silenced allowing the miko to speak as she looked towards Sesshomaru, walking towards him and taking his hands in hers.

"Love does not choose its own time, and fate doesn't unwind itself for anyone, including myself. Once something has been tangled it can never be undone. I love this man here before you." She said standing up towards Sesshomaru. "My duty as a priestess is to protect you from youkai and to love one is well forbidden. But I have indeed fallen in love with my past lovers brother, as he has fallen in love with my reincarnation."

They stared as she stared back to Kaede, "My sister will not rise again for her time has been long and good here with in the village. To bring her back would only cause her unwilling body to move once more and the death she has been given is a pleasant one."

Sesshomaru remained quiet as his lover turned around to face them once more, her hand never faltering in his. "I don't expect you to forgive or except me for my gracious gift. But I will not be your miko any longer" Kikyou whispered a few shocked looked on their faces.

"I hear by move on, the miko blood within me will always run think, but I can not stay here any longer for all of the confusion I have inflicted upon this village. Do not misunderstand…I will be a miko elsewhere and when you are ever endangered I will find you. But I leave you in very capable hands, your new miko will be, someone who's me…but just barely." She smiled then staring towards Kagome. "Kagome Higurashi"

The villagers clapped violently as Kaede's body was covered and they hussled around Kagome. Kikyou was uncertain if she accepted or not but she knew she had trusted something very important to her in very capable hands. She knew Kagome could to do it…together with Inuyasha, along with Sango and the others.

"Annue!"

"Kohaku? Kohaku!" Sango said bolting up and hugging her brother, she stared up towards Rin noting there was tears in the girls eyes. "Rin-chan…visit whenever you like and Kohaku will as well, just please don't go far" Sango whispered staring towards the girl. Rin nodded. "Arigato Sango-san"

Kohaku kissed Rin goodbye and they moved on. Kikyou, Sesshomaru, and Rin, walked off into the horizon but it wasn't the last time they were seen…

XoXoX

Kagome had decided to take on the responsibility and live within fuederal Japan, her and Inuyasha had four, as Inuyasha would call them 'pups' and they visited present Japan frequently.

Sango and Miroku had two children, one being a girl and one being a boy, twins though. They were married shortly after Kaede's death, and Kohaku stayed along side living with them.

Kohaku was married Rin once she turned 16 which by then he was 22. They had a little girl who learned to call Sesshomaru, 'Uncle Sesshie' very quickly.

Sesshomaru and Kikyou had 3 hanyou's who often visited with everyone else.

Naraku and the shikon no tama was never heard from again, and never even spoken of.

Shippo had disappeared to everyone's demise and was never seen again, and it was heard that Kouga went with Ayame after all.

So to be blank, everyone lived happily ever after….as far as we know.

Authors Note: Good? bad? Guess how many pages this story is! 99! 99 pages I was so close to 100 DARN! Lol. Hope everyone enjoyed it and keeps reviewing my works! I love you all! Lol +hyper+