Chapter Twenty-Four: When the Red Rain Stops
Shippo wipes the tears from his eyes. "Miroku!" He leaps into his arms and cries harder.
Miroku holds him tightly, "I know... its okay.. don't cry anymore Shippo." He pats his back gently.
The little fox looks to him and smiles, "But I'm so happy!"
Sango laughs and helps Inuyasha up to lean against the cold, stone wall of the wolf den. He groans, "Please stop crying Shippo, you're giving me a head ache!" He feels a small tug on his shirt. Inuyasha looks down and smiles. "Hey, you're finally awake." He leans down and kisses Kagome cheek. "I was a little worried that the potion didn't work."
She smiles weakly, "Thank you..."
Koga kneels down beside them, "She the spirit is dead. The curse is broken?"
Inuyasha nods, "Yeah, we can live in peace now..." he mumbles.
"And the poison has left you right? I don't have to run all the way back to the mountains and get more potions do I?" he growls at Inuyasha.
He smirks, "Right." Inuyasha closes his eyes and slowly falls asleep.
Kagome looks to Sango, "I'm guessing he went through a lot just to save me."
Sango smiles, "Yeah, I was told he was poison by these strange demons in the mountains. He was also very tired from running and fighting." she pauses, "I remember Koga telling me he fell through thin ice and into freezing water. So Kagome, I think you owe him." she snickers and walks over to sit beside Miroku.
Kagome laughs to herself, "I do owe him... and I know just how to repay him.." She slowly falls back to sleep beside her love.
After a few months, Kagome returns to her time. She tell her mother everything that had happened. When she finished telling her tale, her mother just smiles and then hands her a letter. "This was left here for you. I was sitting in your bedroom waiting for you to return home. I saw a man with wings set this down beside me. I thought I was dreaming but it is real. So here."
Kagome opens the letter carefully. She pulls out a small note and reads it out loud, "It says: To my dearest Kagome. I'm sorry things between us had gotten so sour. I wish we could still be friends, but as I write this, I know the end is near. I will not live through the night. I know I will die, she will kill me. I hope you will be happy with your hanyou lover. Remember this Kagome, no matter what happens, I will always love you. My heart is in your hands. Love, Nobuo." Kagome sighs heavily and the letter turns into rose petals. She carries the petals outside and lets them blow away with the wind. "You will always have a place in my heart."
Her mother walks outside and stands beside her. She pats her back, "Go back to Inuyasha. He is probably waiting for you to return." Kagome nods and runs to the well house. Once inside she craves a note into the wall with a stone from the floor. She drops the stone then jumps into the well. Her mother walks into the well house and sees Kagome disappear. She turns and sees the note on the wall. "I love you all and I will miss you. Good-bye, Kagome." she smiles and cries softly. "I will miss you too." She covers the well with the lid that was leaning beside it. She places a key on it. A light glows around the well and disappears. "This seal will only be broken by my husband. May his spirit rest in peace." She walks out of the well house and toward the shrine steps. Sota sees his mother and walks over to her. "Hey mom, where is Kagome?"
She smiles slightly, "She returned to her time era."
"What do you mean?" he asks quietly.
"I sealed the well after she left. Your father's spirit is guarding the well, only he can break the seal. Kagome is going to live in Inuyasha's time era. That is the time era is was ment to live in after all." she sits down on the first step.
Sota sits next to her, "But what about her friends? Won't they wonder where she is?"
"They don't know who she is anymore. We are the only ones that remember her. This is because of a spell. I found it in a pile of your father's old papers and drawings. He knew he would die. He knew Kagome would go to the feudal era. He knew everything before it happened." she looks to the sky with a small joyful smile.
Sota thinks it over then looks to her. "How? How did he know what was going to happen?"
She glances down to him, "Because he met an angel. The angel was also a demon."
"An angel that is a demon? How is that possible?"
"His name was Artemis Thorn, he is the knight of heaven. He met your father a long time ago. He and your father had the same enemy, Serenity. They worked together and helped one another out. Well, Artemis found Serenity's mirrors. One of the mirrors looks into the future. Thats when he saw her evil plan, but he knew it was necessary. He told your father about what he saw. Your father just smiled and said what happens, happens. After that, they were separated. Artemis was thrown into another time era. Your father, well he found his way to me. After that, he did everything that was suppose to happen. He remember what Artemis had said and followed everything he was suppose to do. I never told me about Artemis or anything about him dying. Instead, he left his notebook and art do the talking for him. I just never noticed until now."
Kagome walks out of her hut with a new kimono on. She smiles and jumps into Inuyasha's arms. "I'm ready to go now."
He laughs and kisses her cheek, "Okay then, lets go." They walks down the dirt path to Miroku's and Sango's newly built hut. Shippo sees Inuyasha and Kagome then runs inside to tell the others. Inuyasha waves to Miroku as he walks out. "Hey monk!"
He smiles and helps a very pregnant Sango down the steps. "Hello there love birds!" he grins.
Sango winces slightly, "Hello Kagome, Inuyasha." She walks over and hugs them tightly. "Only two more months until the baby is born. How about you Kagome:
Kagome blushes slightly, "A couple of weeks." Inuyasha smiles happily and kisses her.
Miroku laughs, "I see, well I am very happy for you both." he wraps his arms around Sango. She smiles and looks to Shippo. Miroku notices her glance, "Oh well, I guess we should go to the spring festival now. Shippo looks a little bored."
Shippo leaps onto Inuyasha's shoulder, "Lets go!"
Inuyasha takes Kagome's hand and walks beside her. He smiles at Sango, "So what are you going to name your child Sango?"
She looks to her stomach, "If it is a girl, it's going to be Kasumi or Suki. If it is a boy, it will be Koishii."
Kagome smiles, "I bet Miroku is hoping for a boy." They laugh together knowing that he does. The group walks to the village and sees everything glowing. Lanterns hang from trees and poles. A large fire is in the middle of the village where people are telling stories. Children run around chasing each other. Kaede walks up to them and bows her hand. Kagome hugs her, "Hello Kaede. Its nice to finally see you again."
Kaede hugs her back and smiles, "Yes, its nice to see you as well. So how is the baby coming along?"
Inuyasha squeezes Kagome's hand, "Great, she has had no trouble at all. Well, she did get sick a few times, but she is okay now."
"Thats good to hear. I am guessing Miroku and Sango are doing well." she glances over to the couple dancing around. "Anyway, why don't we just go and enjoy the festival." She turns and walks over to the other villagers. Shippo jumps off of Inuyasha's shoulder and joins the children playing.
Inuyasha smiles at Kagome and kisses her again. Kagome blushes, "My goodness, you are acting weird today. What do you want?" she smirks.
He grins wickedly, "I think you can figure that out." He pulls her over to a woman making noodles. "Show her how to make ramen please."
Kagome laughs and stands beside the woman, "Here, I'll show you how to make ramen. Its Inuyasha's favorite." The woman smiles and lets her make the ramen.
Hours pass and the festival continues until later that night. Inuyasha sits down by his favorite tree. Kagome sees him and sits down next to him. "Are you okay Inuyasha? Have too much ramen?" she giggles.
Inuyasha takes her hand, "No.. I was just thinking back to everything we have been through."
Kagome leans her head on his shoulder, "Oh? Is that so? You seem to think about that a lot now, why is that?"
He smiles and closes his eyes, "It just reminds me of how much I love you and how lucky I am to have you beside me. I never thought we would ever be able to be together. Yet, here we are." Inuyasha takes a deep breath and sighs.
"I never thought we would be together either... " she pauses and thinks to herself. "In fact, I thought for sure you would runaway with Kikyo or something." Kagome bites her lip and regrets saying that woman's name. "But you know, what happens, happens. I'm glad the way things turned out. Even though Sumiko will never be born. Nobuo died by Serenity's hands. You were almost killed, as was I. But because of all of those things, we are together now. We should just be happy and live life." She stands up and holds out her hand, "Lets go back to the festival. Lets just live life and enjoy the moment of peace."
Inuyasha takes her hand and stands up. "Yeah, we all know a new evil will raise and we will have to fight." He walks toward the festival with her. He smirks, "Oh Kagome, I just remembered something." Inuyasha laughs to himself.
She gives him a weird look, "What is it?"
"I never did get you a new book bag, remember?" Inuyasha kisses her cheek and runs away before she can hurt him.
Her eyes go wide, "Oh my gosh! I completely forgot about that! Hey! Get back here! You owe me a book bag mutt!" Kagome laughs and chases after him playfully.
Miroku and Sango were watching for a distance. The monk smiles, "To think that once she was just a child talking to a sacred tree that just happened to have Inuyasha's soul within it. She had promised to return to him one day, she did. She promised to stay by his side, well she did that too. Now matter what stood in her way, she always found a way back to his arms. Not even time could pull them apart."
Sango places a hand on her stomach, "Yeah, nothing can separate those two. " she pauses. "Hopefully, that applies to us as well." They kiss and then walk out of hiding. They cheer on Kagome to catch Inuyasha.
A man sits on a branch watching the group play together, "What a pleasant happy ending." He laughs and opens his wings. "I'll be watching over you and your children. I will be your guardian angel, my dear Kagome." He disappears into a white mist, leaving a small lunar flower on the branch.