Journey's End
a/n: I do not own Inuyasha. A note: these chapters are not very long at all. More like a cross between drabbles and ficlets.
Monologue One – Keito
It's hard watching her go. Every time she came back I hoped she would tell me that she was back for good, that they had finally beaten Naraku and that the jewel had finally been completed. I guess I never thought that when the jewel was completed she might have to stay. I guess I just never asked enough questions about it to really know how deeply intertwined the jewel and my daughter were.
It has been three long years since Kagome fell down that well. That day all of our lives changed, not just Kagome's. That was the day my fifteen-year-old daughter was forced to grow up. That day she met Inuyasha, who might be the love of her life; and Kaede, who is the other mother in her life. I wish I could have met the old priestess who had taken care of Kagome since she fell down the well. Then she met Shippo, whom she talks about like a mother would a son. There's Sango, the sister Kagome never had; and Miroku, who is like a mischievous older brother. I will never meet these people in person, but I know them just as anyone I have met, thanks to Kagome. She told their tales and regaled their stories, recounting battles and jokes they told. These people are Kagome's other family, the family one binds without blood. She loves them just as much and just as well as she does us. In this way, through this connection, they have become my family also. Like having relatives that live far away, that we never get to see.
Then there is my son-in-law, Inuyasha. No, he is not really my son-in-law, but that is what I allow myself to call him in the recesses of my mind. He's the man I hope that one day will be my son-in-law. He takes better care of Kagome than anyone could ever know. He watches out for her, even when no one else would think to.
He has those cute, fuzzy ears, and when gets wet he shakes like a puppy. Kagome always gets this look in her eyes, like these traits are so precious to her. Indeed, they probably are. No one else she knows can claim to be in 'puppy love' and actually mean it in a literal sense. My Kagome has a most unique suitor indeed.
I have known for quite some time that they were in love. I think I knew before they did. Moms know these things, you see. The way her eyes shone when he would come back for her, the way his eyes widened every time he saw her as he came out of the well; those little signs add up to so much more than either of them could have guessed.
I was not always happy with Inuyasha. The first time Kagome came home in tears, crying about something Inuyasha had done, I wanted to hate him. After all, he had made my little girl cry. But Kagome cries so easily it is hard to tell if something is actually serious. But every time she came home crying, Inuyasha eventually came to her to apologize. He was always there when she needed him most, and I know now that he always will be there for her. I am grateful.
When Kagome told me they had finished the jewel, I was excited. But then she told me that purifying the jewel may result in her having to stay in the feudal era permanently. They do not know for sure, but it is a safe bet. I know that it is Kagome's destiny to see this through to the end, but that does not make it any easier to accept. She could maybe stay here while they make the wish, but then she will have no way of knowing if she will ever see Inuyasha again. Could he wait over five hundred years to see her again? The pain in her eyes when she told me of that option made me realize that to her, it is no option at all. She wants to stay with her friends, and with the love of her life. If she stayed her while they moved on, it would more than likely kill her. I cannot say I blame her. If it were her father, I would do anything to be with him.
So what if I never get to be mother of the bride? So what if I will never hold children borne by her? My daughter will be happy. And isn't that what every mother wants for her child?
So, I have always hated it when she goes to the feudal era, because it may be her last wave to me, her last smile for me, the last sight of her running feet that I see. I hate it because it is unknown. But I will grin and bear it because of this one fact: she's got Inuyasha. With him, my girl will always be fine.