The skies took on the somber mood that Miroku had left them in after his departure; days became overcast and windy more often than not. A heavy coldness filled the air, and before they knew it thick white flakes began falling from the sky and coating the ground in a frozen blanket. Despite everything that had happened, the world continued to turn and one season moved on into the next.

Kaida's generosity was what saved the village that winter, they had just enough food in storage to keep them fed and alive throughout the cold months of darkness. This did little to raise their spirits though. The surrounding woods looked even more desolate than before; trunks and tree branches were dark skeletons desperately reaching for the sky. No birds called from the branches, no life teemed about the roots; the wilderness was suppressed in a deep and lonely silence.

How could the village keep going, if the world around them seemed to remain in death's grip?

As the months turned, so did their thoughts towards fear and apprehension. It seemed as if there was no end to these cold and darkened days. After everything they had survived, would they at last be finally subdued by starvation and frost?

When it seemed as if the winter was endless, a day finally came that brought in a warmer breeze. The snow melted, water rushed to the streams and rivers, the ground became soggy and moist. One morning, in the early dawn, a villager cried out in shock and wonder and the rest of the village came running to see what had startled him so.

Buds. Tiny buds had begun to spring on the trees surrounding the village.

Against all odds, the forest was returning to life.

The buds grew bigger, until a sea of green filled the tree tops. Grass grew on the forest floor, small creatures flitted about on the ground, and bird song filled the air. Spring had come at last, and with that the first real steps towards true recovery began.

The fields and rice paddies were once more filled with villagers hard at work. Kaida's samurai had left them a store of seeds to begin work with, it was now up to the village to provide food for themselves. They were determined to be completely self-sufficient once again before the next winter arrived.

It was near one of these rice paddies where Sango and Ronuku watched their children play with Risu and Kirara around a bush.

"Can't catch me!" Risu taunted the twins by batting their noses with his tail and diving away into the foliage. Kirara chirped in amusement and followed the children closely.

"I still can't believe they're walking around like that already," Ronuku said, amazed as he watched Aizou quickly toddle and stumble after the squirrel's tail, Ryu giggling in excitement as he batted at Kirara's nose, "They just got here, how are they growing so fast?!"

"It has been a year," Sango gently reminded him, "They were born last spring."

"I know but…That just feels crazy," Ronuku shook his head, "It still doesn't feel like it's been an entire year yet."

Ronuku had wanted to celebrate the twin's first birthday properly, but to his dismay no one knew when their actual birthday was. Everything had been so hectic back then, no one had been paying attention to the date when they were born. Kagome's best guess was that it had been near the end of March, but that became difficult to explain as the Gregorian calendar did not yet exist in Japan.

Even so, Kohana and Kagome took it upon themselves to make sure that a feast was prepared in the twins' honor. There may not have been any cake or presents, but Sango and Ronuku returned to the hut one night with their children and were surprised by the smiling faces of their family and a huge fish dinner. Kohana, Kagome and Ronuku had to lead the rest of the group in singing 'Happy Birthday', and the three of them would forever remember just how funny it had been to see the confused looks on everyone else's faces.

"It does seem strange that that much time has passed," Sango mused as she picked up Aizou before the child could fall over again, "And yet…it almost feels like everything…it was another lifetime ago."

Ronuku sensed that there was a depth to her words, Sango wasn't merely speaking about the past year, but he couldn't decipher her meaning. When Risu loudly announced that he was hungry and dove off to see if his kits had any food, the young parents decided it was time for lunch as well and picked up their children before walking back to Kaede's hut.

"The villagers said they're going to start building more huts soon once the rice is all planted," Ronuku commented as they passed a several workers, "I'm sure that Kaede's ready to have all of us out of her hair."

"Hmm," Sango's answer was noncommittal and withdrawn, she seemed lost in thought as she watched the workers tending their fields.

"…You have any idea where you want our hut to be?" Ronuku tried again, readjusting his grip on a squirming Ryu who was trying to chew on his father's thumb, "I'm up for anywhere really, although if our hut is too close to a tree then Risu might have an easy way to sneak in when we're not looking and stuff his face with our food."

"I hadn't thought about it much." Sango was still distracted, she didn't even respond immediately when Aizou started tugging on her hair.

"Hey, is everything okay?" Ronuku asked, his expression becoming worried as he leaned over and disentangled his wife's hair from their daughter's grip.

"Huh? Oh, yes everything's fine," Sango thanked him and handed the baby a piece of cloth to play with, "I'm sorry, I was just thinking."

"Something bothering you?"

"I…well…" She glanced at the rice paddy again, "I'm just kind of amazed at how quickly this village was able to rebuild itself. There wasn't anything left of it, everything was completely destroyed, and now…it's almost as if Naraku never even happened to these people."

Her expression became wistful, and Ronuku suddenly knew where her mind was wandering.

"Do you wish that your village could have been rebuilt?"

He regretted the question as soon as it slipped out, but Sango knew him well enough not to take offense at the bluntness of it.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't," a sad smile played on her lips, "But it couldn't have been done. This village had enough people left to bring it back; Kohaku and myself are the only two left from ours, we couldn't have done all of this by ourselves."

"But you still wonder about it, don't you?" Ronuku asked as they kept walking, "What it would have been like if your village had been rebuilt?"

"Of course. It's hard to look at these villagers and not remember people I knew, and think of how they would have done things differently. I still miss them, but I'll be all right," she took Ronuku's hand with her free one and smiled at their children, "I'll be happy as long as we're together."

Ronuku believed her, but he still couldn't help but notice the sad look that would cross his wife's face whenever she saw a group of villagers working together.

It was a few days later, when they were out on another walk and still at a loss for where their new hut should be built, when they came across Kohaku and Rin; both looked agitated as an angry villager stared them down.

"He wasn't doing anything wrong!" Rin shouted, glaring at the villager as she stood at Kohaku's shoulder.

"At his age he should know better! You can't just play with those things around here!"

"I'm sorry," Kohaku spoke evenly, "I didn't mean to frighten you, but there wasn't anyone here when I arr-"

"This planting season, there is always going to be somebody walking around the rice paddies!"

"What's going on?" Sango interjected, shifting Ryu to her hip as she marched forward towards them. Ronuku followed closely with Aizou, noticing the way his wife's stance quickly became defensive, as if she were a lioness ready to pounce on whatever person was foolish enough to threaten her younger brother. It was becoming a bit difficult to continue thinking of Kohaku as 'younger' now that he stood a few inches taller than his sister, but that wouldn't stop her from being protective of him.

"Your kid brother thought it would be funny to play with weapons in the middle of the road!"

"I'm sorry that you think that, but it wasn't a game," Kohaku remained calm, though he shot his Sango an exasperated look, "I was practicing with my scythe, it's been a while since I've used it and I wanted to get back to daily training with it."

"Training?! Training for what? What good is flinging around some knife at the end of a chain where you could hurt somebody!?"

"Did you forget?!" Rin shouted again, her interjection distracting everyone from Kohaku's flinch "Last year that knife saved your life!"

"Yes, and he almost ended it just now by accidentally hitting me in the face!"

"Kohaku has been practicing with weapons since he was a small boy," Sango cut in again, her voice tight with restrained irritation, "The demon slayers of our village taught him how to train and practice responsibly, it's part of what we do every day to keep in shape. I don't know what he did to frighten you, but I find it hard to believe that he would accidentally harm someone walking past."

"This isn't a slayer village," the villager snapped, "And if your training is so important missy, then how come you aren't walking around with your weapon, huh?"

Sango's jaw clamped shut. She hadn't touched her Hiraikotsu in months, it was collecting dust in the back of Kaede's hut.

"If you want something to keep you busy, you should grab a hoe and get to work in the fields like the rest of us!"

"Look buddy," Ronuku stepped in, bushy eyebrows furrowed in anger, "Kohaku said he was sorry, and you obviously aren't hurt, so you've got nothin' to bitch about! Why don't you quit wasting air and go do something useful for the village yourself?"

With four against one, the villager was finally cowed. That didn't stop him from grumbling as he left and he threw several rude remarks over his shoulder as he walked away.

"Don't listen to him," Rin immediately turned to Kohaku, "He's just a grumpy old man who doesn't know what he's talking about. You weren't doing anything wrong."

"…He does have a point," Kohaku mumbled after a moment, "This isn't a slayer's village." His expression was trapped somewhere between lost and ashamed. Rin opened her mouth to argue, but couldn't seem to find anything to say.

"Kohaku…" Sango also seemed at a loss, and as she tried to reach for her brother he shrugged her off.

"No. It's fine," the young taijya's words were clipped, "It's probably safer if I just practice in the woods from now own." He turned and sprinted towards the trees before anyone could stop him. Kirara, sensing that he shouldn't be alone, jumped up and ran after him.

"I...maybe he just needs some time to himself," Ronuku offered, feeling useless.

"Kohaku's been in a strange mood since the planting started," Rin said quietly, "The villagers have been asking him to help in the fields, but he's been avoiding them."

"Kohaku was never taught how to work in a field…" Sango explained quietly as she stared sadly into the trees where her brother had vanished.

And neither were you, Ronuku thought, chest tightening at the sight of his wife's forlorn look. She and her brother weren't like the other villagers; instead of rice and farming their upbringing had been weapons and battle. Even if Kohaku had a more gentle spirit than his sister, he had still grown up as the son of the leader of a proud group of warriors. For the two taijiya siblings to try and adjust to living the day to day life of a farming villager must feel like forcing lions to live as lambs.

Later that evening, after their children had fallen asleep and Kohaku as well as the rest of their family had all returned to Kaede's hut for the night, Ronuku caught his wife glancing sadly several times at her Hiraikotsu. A pile of boxes sat in front of it, and he knew that she had spent absolutely all of her time these past several months taking care of him and their babies. Motherhood had taken over the role of warrior, and it seemed that little by little the taijiya was no more.

That's not what she wants.

He knew without a doubt that Sango loved their children, she loved being a mother, but could she really by happy if that was her only purpose in the world? To just let her profession and talent, the practice she'd spent most of her life cultivating, fall to the wayside and be forgotten?

Hours after everyone else had fallen asleep, Ronuku still found himself awake and plagued by these thoughts. He couldn't sleep, not when his wife was so very clearly unhappy despite what she said. For as long as he'd known her, she was always going out of her way to help everyone else often at the expense of her own desires. Even now, after everything she'd done, it still seemed that she couldn't truly be happy. Something was still missing.

He had to fix this.

He sat up and glanced around the room. Ryu and Aizou were sound asleep in their beds; Kirara was curled up between the two of them, but two red slits glowing in the dark revealed that the demon cat was not completely asleep herself. Her ears swiveled in his direction as he moved, and Ronuku knew that his children were being watched over.

"Hey," he turned to his wife and whispered, gently shaking her shoulder "Sango, wake up."

"Hmm?" The taijya's eyebrows furrowed, but her eyes fluttered open after a moment, "What is it?" Her voice was sleepy as she sat up in bed.

"Come with me, let's step outside for a sec."

"What about the kids?"

"Kirara's got them," he pointed to the cat who twitched her tail in affirmation, "Plus I think Inuyasha and Sesshomaru are out patrolling the woods again. They'll be safe if we step out for a few minutes."

Her concerns assuaged, Sango stood up and followed him outside. There was a cloudless sky, the bright half-moon and the stars softly illuminated the nocturnal world around them. Despite the warmer days, the air was still cold at night, and Sango stepped closer to Ronuku. He led her around the back of the hut and far enough away that he was sure their conversation wouldn't wake anyone else up.

"I'm sorry for waking you up like this," he said, feeling guilty as she shivered against him, "But, I…I just couldn't get it off my mind." He cursed himself for acting impulsively, realizing that he probably could have waited until morning. But it would be harder to speak with her alone during the day, the babies would be awake, Kaede might need something, their friends were around…

"Sango, let's do it."

"Hmm, right now?" She asked, stifling a yawn.

"Er…I meant, let's rebuild your village."

"…What?" Her eyes widened. She was awake now.

"I've been thinking about it. We can't stay in Kaede's hut forever, but let's be honest, neither of us knows how to farm. I'm sure the villagers would teach us but…that just seems like a waste, doesn't it?"

"This isn't about that guy who heckled Kohaku, is it?"

"I mean, a little, but not just that."

Sango was staring at him, her eyes narrowed in as she tried to search his face for some sign of jest.

"I'm serious!" Ronuku took her hand and met her gaze with her own, "Completely serious. Sango, you are the most talented fighter I've ever met. You have a gift, Kohaku too, that was passed on to you by your family, and your village…your ancestors. You guys slay demons, do you realize how cool that is? You can't just let something like that disappear forever."

"I…" Sango frowned, "It's not that easy. Kohaku and I are the only ones left…"

"There's also Kirara. She's been with the slayers for generations, hasn't she?"

"Well, yes, but…"

"The three of you are carrying something very special, and it'll only survive if you pass it on. It might not be who they end up as, but I want Ryu and Aizou to have the chance to inherit their mother's legacy. Sure, maybe we can train them to fight here, but…I don't think this village is where they can reach their full potential."

"…It's not that easy," Sango repeated, her frown deepening, "The village has been abandoned for…years…there's too much work to be done, we can't do it on our own! And think of yourself! Ronuku, do you remember how many times you got sick this past winter?"

She wasn't wrong. Before The Ordeal, Ronuku maybe suffered a single cold once every other year. For the first winter in his life he got sick more times than he could count; waking up in the middle of the night coughing so hard that he couldn't breathe, muscle spasms so violent that he was left immobile for hours…

They both knew that it wasn't some freak illness. His mobility might have returned, but his body had been permanently damaged. Neither of them mentioned the fact that he very clearly had less than half of the muscle mass he'd had a little over a year ago.

But he was damned if he was gonna let his weakness stand in the way of this.

"That was winter, I haven't had a single cough since the weather warmed up," He countered, "And I didn't say we'd build it in a day. We'll take our time with it, one step before the next. If you think I'm pushing myself too hard you'll let me know, and I'll take it easy. Promise."

"Okay but…You, me, Kirara, Kohaku and our children…that's not a village Ronuku."

"Who said it'll just be us? We'll invite everyone else!"

"Everyone?!"

"Okay, so maybe not the villagers…but like. Recca and Domei and the rest of their gang. Kaede's been letting them stay in this village while we fought Naraku, but none of them are happy here and they're all restless to learn how to fight. Don't you think any of them would make good slayer material?"

"Well…I suppose if they set themselves to it…"

"Risu and his family will come, I know they will. Yeah, they're demon squirrels, but they can help us scout the area and look for supplies."

"Yes I suppose they will but…Inuyasha and Kagome?" Sango asked, "You don't think they'd want to leave this village do you?"

"They might not," Ronuku admitted, "Kagome's been training under Kaede a lot these days…But that doesn't mean we won't invite them. They'll always be welcome no matter where we go. And of course, there's Kohana and Rin and Futeki. I think they might come."

"Ronuku," Sango's hesitancy had been easing, but she had flinched at Kohana's name, "I'm sure Kohaku would be happy if Rin comes, but…Kohana can't fight anymore. What would she get from coming with us that she can't get here?"

"Well, a slayer's village needs a weapon maker, right? Kaida taught Kohana how to smith, she even made her own sword."

"Can she still do that with only one arm?"

"Well…it's not like the other one's missing. And besides, even if she can't do it, she still knows how. We can use whatever knowledge we can get."

"Maybe," Sango was skeptical, "But if she can't protect Futeki then I doubt she'll go."

"I know someone who might be able convince her, I'll talk to him."

"But…all right, let's say all those people do come, that still isn't a village!"

"Like I said, we're not going to build it in a day. I think it will grow as we work on it, we'll invite other people we meet along the way to join us as well. Naraku and the jewel may be gone, but there are still demons out there who are preying on humans…I'm sure there might be a few people we can find who want to learn how to protect their families or save others. You can teach them Sango, you can share what you know to a whole new generation of demon slayers.

I know it won't be the village you lost, and…nothing and no one is ever going to replace them. But what they made doesn't have to be gone forever. You can build something new Sango, and I'll be with you every step of the way. We can do this."

Sango bit her lip. She glanced away, towards the night sky, and he noticed she wasn't shivering anymore. A long moment passed, punctuated by the hooting of an owl and a sudden chill breeze that caused the newly formed leaves to dance among their branches. The new life that had returned to the forest couldn't be silent, and when his wife turned back to him Ronuku saw in her eyes what he had been looking for:

Hope.

"Okay," she said nodding, and then laughed in disbelief, "Okay, let's try this."

"You mean it?"

"Yes," she nodded again, "We'll ask everyone and see what they think. Kohaku…he might have a hard time going back, but I think that building something there might be good for him. I'll have to talk to him about it, I won't go if he's not comfortable with it."

"Of course."

"It's like you said though, one step at a time, right? I'll talk to Kohaku, you can start asking the others, and that will be our first step. We'll decide where it goes from there."

"Mama, watch me!"

"I am watching, but Futeki, please be careful!"

The little hanyou's tail wagged as he grinned down at his mother from the branches of a tree, sunlight dappling his silver hair through the swaying leaves. Kohana was smiling outwardly, but her pulse was racing. Futeki wasn't like other children his age, his energy and strength far surpassed that of any human child; it often took more than simple children's games to keep him entertained. He'd also experienced a lot more in his short life than many people did in their entire lifetime, this seemed to grant him the courage to act upon any whim that came to him. The demon blood in his veins made no secret of itself, and it was plainly obvious that this child would one day be a formidable warrior.

But he was still her baby. He was still part human, and at four years old humans were delicate.

It was impossible for Kohana to not worry.

"Futeki, it looks a little high up there, come down to a lower branch!"

Her command fell on deaf ears, his tail had already stilled as he stared down at the sparkling water beneath him. His pupils became dark slits against his amber eyes, fangs bared, muscles tense; in that moment he was more animal than human. A wildness seemed to possess his heart, it often dictated his actions more than thought.

His eyes, they aren't red though, Kohana assured herself, he's not in a demon state, he's just acting on instinct. She was constantly on alert, searching for signs that her son's demonic blood was taking over and erasing his human soul, but ever since they'd been reunited she hadn't seen any sign of it. Even so, she did not take the warnings lightly. It was her husband's reluctance to speak of the subject that told her only an incomprehensible miracle had allowed her son to be here today; by all accounts of last year's battle he should have lost himself to his blood and died a mad raving beast.

Kohana wasn't about to question a miracle, but unfortunately neither she nor Sesshomaru knew what steps to take next to ensure that Futeki could be protected from himself. For now, the best they could do was watch and make sure he wasn't in a position where he needed to defend himself or be injured.

She wasn't sure if an accidental tumble from high up would trigger his blood, but she didn't want to find out.

"Futeki," Kohana called again, "I asked you to come dow-"

With a sudden snarl, the boy leapt from the tree and crashed into the pond below. A spray of mud and water flew out; Kohana shrieked and barely had time to lift her right arm to shield her face. In an instant her kimono was soaked and dirty.

"Futeki!" She shouted angrily, more worried for him than her clothes, but her fear subsided when she saw her son's snowy crown above the water. In the little hanyou's jaws a fish nearly as big as his head flailed wildly; there was a sudden crunch, and as a wave of blood spilled down Futeki's chin the fish became still.

Kohana wondered if other mothers might be horrified to see their children like this. Perhaps in another lifetime she might have been herself; but as her son trotted out of the pond, coated completely in mud, pond scum, and fish blood, she couldn't help but feel a surge of pride for the boy that dropped the fish at her feet and grinned up at her.

"Did you see Mama? I caught him!"

"Yes," Kohana knelt to his level, laughing as she ruffled his soaked hair, "You sure did."

"He's huge!" Futeki flung his arms out to emphasize, "I bet this fish could feed the whoooleee village!"

"Ah, well…"

The bloody fish head stared up at them, covered in her son's slobber on top of all the other fluids.

"…We'll get him cleaned up," Kohana assured him, pulling out a dirty cloth to wipe some of the blood from his face. Predator or no, the fact that he thought to feed others brought her some peace. "But first we've got to get you cleaned up."

"Do we have to?"

"Yes. Kaede won't want us tracking all of this mud into her hut, and this pond water smells awful! Besides," Kohana noticed her child's crestfallen expression and leaned forward with a grin, "Doesn't the mighty hunter want to look his best when he shows off his prize?"

"Hunting is messy," Futeki countered, "Why does a hunter have to be clean?"

"Your father manages it."

"How?"

"That's something you'll have to ask him." Some parts of Sesshomaru were still a mystery to Kohana. Wearing white was a bold choice for someone who traipsed through the forest and tore enemies apart with sword and claw, yet he still managed to look absolutely pristine all of the time.

"Now come on, let's find something to wrap your fish in and we'll head back to the villag-"

She'd lost her son's attention again, but this time he was looking past her towards the path they took to get here. His nostrils flared, and by the time Kohana even heard someone approaching her child had already identified who it was and dashed off to greet them.

"Uncle Ronuku!"

"Hey, Futeki!" The bushi called out and laughed as the little muddy hanyou circled his feet excitedly, "What are you guys doing all the way out here?" His surprise wasn't unwarranted, they were out in the woods a bit of a distance from the village.

"Fishing!" Futeki exclaimed, "I caught a real big one for everybody to eat! Do you wanna see it?" Before Ronuku could answer, the hanyou quickly dashed back to Kohana and danced on his feet until his uncle arrived.

"Wow, that is a big fish," Ronuku nodded towards Futeki, "You caught this by yourself?"

"Yep! Mama saw me do it!"

"Oh yeah? Catch another one and show me then!"

"Wait," Kohana's eyes widened, "Futeki, n-"

"Okay!" In the blink of an eye he had turned and leapt back into the pond, sending another spray of water and mud into the air. As Kohana got hit again, she turned and glared at her brother who was now also coated in pond scum.

"Thanks," she said acidly. Ronuku laughed and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Sorry, I didn't think he'd just go for it like that."

"Children often act first and think later. A process that you should long be familiar with by now."

"I said sorry!"

"Yes, you did," Kohana sighed, "it's fine. Futeki needs to burn off some more energy anyway, it'll be better if he does it out here away from the villagers. Where are your little ones?"

"Taking a nap at the moment. Sango's resting with them while she can, the hut's pretty quiet at the moment since Kagome took Rin and Kohaku to go look for herbs."

"I knew Rin was going with her," Kohana mused, noting that the young girl had taken an interest lately in plants and gardening, "I didn't realize that Kohaku was going too."

"Rin asked him to come."

"Ah," Kohana's eyebrows lifted momentarily, before her mouth curved in a sly smile. Ronuku wore a similar look, but neither of them voiced their musings as Futeki returned once more with a bloody fish dangling from his jaws.

"Look at you," Kohana exclaimed proudly as her son lay the second fish next to the first, "At this rate you really will be feeding the entire village!" Futeki smiled up at his mother, tail wagging gleefully. She patted his head once more before glancing around the surrounding forest.

"Okay, Futeki," her voice lilted indicating the start of a game, "We need to find two really biiig leaves to wrap these fish in so that we can take them home. Do you think you can find those for me?"

"Yep!" Futeki prepared to leap again, but his mother caught his arm.

"You have to stay where I can see you, and no chasing any birds. Understood?"

"Yes, mama."

"Okay," she patted back, "Get to it then!" The young boy nodded happily and dove off into the underbrush, careful to make sure his snowy tail stuck out and was visible against the green.

"Jeeze," Ronuku mumbled, "When did he get so…big? It doesn't feel like it was all that long ago he was just a little guy you carried around everywhere."

"They grow fast," Kohana said, a wistfulness suddenly weighing down her heart, "Though I suppose you don't need me to tell you that, you've seen how much can happen in just one year."

"Yeah…it's crazy," Ronuku shook his head, "You look away for just one second, and it's like they're an entirely different person. They can't even lift their own heads, and then suddenly they're crawling and talking and…Does it ever slow down?"

"…No, it doesn't," Kohana mused, "Not for anyone. It's more obvious with kids, but I think that adults can change just as much in a year."

"A year ago we were training with Seiko."

Silence followed the statement. A long moment passed, punctuated by the leaves quietly rustling in the breeze above their heads and the soft lapping of the water. Both of them were certain that the other was reliving the same uncomfortable memories.

"…Do you think their village survived?"

"They…they were never in any direct danger after we left…right?" Kohana's eyes narrowed, searching through her untrustworthy mind. She didn't recall heading back towards that village after they had…left.

"Uh well…" Ronuku scratched the back of his head and swallowed, "I meant with them like…opening up to the world again after the barrier was down and all that stuff."

"Oh, that." Thus was proved the unreliability of her memory as she had completely forgotten about their original plight "I don't see why not. I mean, look at what this village came back from. If Seiko pushed her people like she pushed us, I don't think there's any obstacle that would hold them back."

Kohana had absolutely no desire to return to that village and find out, her heart and all the buried memories shied away from it. Too much darkness had come from what they accomplished there. Still, there was a part of her that hoped that Seiko and her people had made it, a part that no doubt belonged to Hisae.

"Humans are pretty resilient," Kohana added, eager to lighten the mood "After all, we know what this area eventually becomes right? I wonder what part of Tokyo this forest will be. Maybe whatever huts we decide to build will still be standing someday, as part of a museum or something. Have you and Sango picked a location yet?"

"Er well, that's actually why I was looking for you."

"Oh?" Kohana glanced at Ronuku and noticed his frown.

"Has uh…hasn't Sesshomaru talked to you about it?"

"Uh…well," Kohana glanced to where Futeki was still rummaging through the leaves. She sighed, unable to conceal her own frown, "No. Sesshomaru is…I think he's getting ready to leave soon."

That was another topic she preferred not to think about, but she couldn't deny the inevitability of it. Sesshomaru's absences were growing more frequent and lengthy as he wandered further and further away from the village. He'd left two days ago saying that he needed to run an errand and had yet to return.

"This past year has been hard," Kohana explained, "I mean…Sesshomaru's stayed by my side through everything, but a human village isn't a place for him. He doesn't say it, but I know he's not happy here, and he's put aside everything he'd been working on to take care of me…I know that he'll come back no matter where he goes, but he can't stay still in once place forever. Futeki, Rin and I will have to have someone build us a hut on the edge of the forest. Somewhere he can stay when he's with us and not be at the center of all these people."

"Dammit!"

Kohana blinked, and then stared at Ronuku. That hadn't been the response she'd expected.

"That's not…ugh," Ronuku folded his arms and snorted, "I asked him to talk to you, but apparently your Lord Fluff was ignoring me."

Kohana raised an eyebrow.

"Talk to me about what?"

Ronuku shook his head, and Kohana had the sense that he was trying to gather his thoughts before he spoke. Which was an odd scene to behold in itself.

"Sango and I are leaving."

"What?" Both of Kohana's eyebrows shot up, "Wait, you…you guys aren't staying here?" Her stomach dropped, and a sudden wave of sorrow she was not expecting welled up inside her.

"Well, it's kinda like you said. Sesshomaru isn't happy in this village, 'cause he's a demon right? Sango and Kohaku aren't happy either. They were raised as demon slayers and this whole…farming thing. It's not who they were made to be, you know? We wanted Ryu and Aizou to have the same opportunities that they had, so we're going to rebuild the slayer's village."

"Just the three of you!?"

"Nope. Recca, Domei, and the rest of those boys are coming too, and Risu and his family have agreed to help as well."

"I ah…I see…" Kohana glanced away to hide her expression and she swallowed, "It…it's gonna be…different around here then." She hadn't realized it until now, but she had assumed that everyone would stay together. Sesshomaru's absences were difficult to bear, but they were never permanent. Miroku's departure last fall though had been tough on all of them, but for Ronuku and Sango to leave too…

Now that Naraku's gone…do we have nothing keeping us all together?

"See, that's why I came to talk to you," Ronuku said, "Sango and I want you to come with us."

"What?" Kohana looked back at him and blinked profusely to scatter her growing tears, "Why?"

"Well, we're inviting everyone really. Sango and Kohaku are the only two original slayers left, so in order to pump up their ranks we're making it open for anyone who wants to join us."

"Ronuku...I…Thank you, but I can't be a demon slayer," Kohana's bit her lip, glancing briefly at her useless left arm, "I can't fight anymore…"

"I know you can't," Ronuku's were blunt but not unkind, "that's not why I'm asking you. See, I'm thinkin' that with Recca's gang and others who join us along the way, we'll have plenty of people who can become slayers. But they're not gonna make it very far if they don't have any weapons or armor. That's where you come in."

"Me?"

"Well yeah, Kaida taught you how to make weapons right?"

"Yes, she did." Kohana frowned, recalling her lost sword that had disappeared for good in the aftermath of everything, "Yeah I made weapons, but I haven't made anything since Futeki was born and…a forge still requires both hands. I don't think I could do it like this…"

"But you still know how, right?"

"Well, yeah."

"Then you could teach someone!" Ronuku's face was bright, it was clear that he was pretty optimistic about this whole venture of his, but that didn't dissuade the growing doubts in Kohana's heart.

"It…it would be hard to teach if I couldn't show someone how to do it myself…" She looked at her mangled left arm again and clenched her right fist, "And…that village is going to take a lot of work just to get it functioning again. I don't think I would be much use for building…or hunting…"

...I'm not really much use for anything.

She'd been telling herself these past several weeks that her excursions into the woods with Futeki were to keep him busy and out of everyone's hair, but deep down she couldn't completely deny the other reason. Sango and Kohaku weren't the only ones struggling in a farming village. Not only did Kohana not know what to do either, but she also lacked the physical requirements in order to help in the rice paddies or tend the gardens. Hiding in the woods with Futeki was a good excuse to not have to face anyone and apologize for not helping.

And when Futeki's grown…what will I do then?

Her child wasn't going to need to be mothered forever. What purpose would she have after that?

"A-and besides, what about Futeki?" She added, desperately seeking to escape her thoughts, "How can you be sure he'll be safe there? Aren't you worried about Ryu and Aizou?"

"Of course we are!" Ronuku's optimism finally seemed to waver, but he wasn't giving up, "It…I mean, for the first few months we're not sure what we'll face but…Is there anywhere in this era that isn't at risk from demons or bandits or something? Once it's complete, I think that that a village full of trained demon slayers will be the safest place for them!"

"I don't know…" Kohana glanced away again and frowned. The demon slayer's village had been wiped out once already, but Naraku and the jewel were gone…but did that mean there weren't any other demons or malevolent forces out there who were capable of repeating the act? If she were able to protect her child on her own the prospect might not seem so frightening, but if they were attacked there wasn't a whole lot she could do…

Kohana shook her head.

"I'm sorry Ronuku," she said quietly, struggling to keep the sadness from her voice, "I'm just not sure…"

"Well…think about it," the bushi's expression had fallen, but there was still determination, "We're not leaving for a week or so, so there's still time for you to join us if you change your m-"

"Papa!"

Futeki's exclamation startled them both, and they looked over in time just to see a small flash of white dart out from the bushes. The little hanyou didn't have far to go, Sesshomaru had appeared out of the forest and was approaching them, Ah-Un trailing behind. The taiyoukai greeted his son with a warm nod, and continued walking towards his wife. Kohana's face lit up at the sight of him, but before she could say anything he spoke.

"You should reconsider his offer."

"I uh…" Kohana blinked, "How did you know about it?"

"Because I asked him to talk to you about it!" Ronuku interjected, "So you were listening to me when I spoke to you!"

Sesshomaru ignored him.

"Kohana, what sort of future could possibly lie for you in this place? Your arm can no longer be used as an excuse to cling to weakness."

"I..." Her eyes widened, and a healthy shade of indignation colored her cheeks, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Do you presume that I haven't noticed?"

"Noticed what?" Kohana's voice rose slightly in pitch, "That I struggle getting dressed every day, or that it's taken me months to figure out how to cook without dropping half of it all over the place?! Look, I know you managed perfectly without a left arm, but at least it wasn't always hanging useless and in your way!"

"Uh, guys," Ronuku coughed, "I'm just gonna go stand over here with Futeki…"

Both of them ignored him.

Sesshomaru approached her and grabbed the limb in question, raising it until her left hand was at face level between them. Kohana winced, not because it hurt, but because her sleeve slid back and exposed the ugly damaged flesh. Everything past her mangled elbow was horrible to look at.

"I've seen you trying when you think no one is looking," Sesshomaru spoke quietly, "Close your fist."

Kohana's mouth gaped, but she shut it quickly and glanced away, her blush growing stronger.

"It…doesn't work," she argued weakly. She glanced back at her husband and saw disbelief in his gaze, alongside the stubborn resolve that he wasn't going to quit until she did what he asked. Kohana sighed, and pursed her lips before she started focusing.

White hot tendrils of pain shot up her arm, the scarred muscles and broken tendons fighting back against her will. Kohana grimaced, but Sesshomaru's expression encouraged her to continue. She bit her lip, a layer of sweat breaking out on her brow, but after a long moment a sudden tremor ran up her arm and her fingers began to twitch.

Little by little the digits began to convulse and curl; after a long moment they finally came together and closed into a weak but round fist.

Sesshomaru released her arm.

"That," Kohana swallowed a scream as she uncurled her fingers and lowered her arm, "That doesn't prove anything. That's still not enough to do anything, let alone work a forge!"

"Your strength returns slowly because there is little here for you to do," Sesshomaru's voice was level, but she heard no malice in it, only patience, "But, as you have just shown, it has not abandoned you." Their eyes met, and Kohana remembered that Sesshomaru had been the one to protect her arm. He'd insisted that forcing her to go through the flames would protect the possibility of her regaining any mobility.

…He was right.

But was it enough?

"It will never be as it was," the taiyoukai conceded, "Do not allow that to limit you."

He turned to Ah-Un's saddle, pulled a wooden box from the side, and presented it to his wife. She raised an eyebrow, but at his insistence she opened the lid and gasped.

"Is…is this why you were gone?"

"Totosai assembled it, the wood is from the same tree that provided Tenseiga's sheath. It will serve you well."

Kohana never thought she would ever think of the word 'beautiful' to describe a hammer, but the description could not be denied of it. The metal head shone brilliantly in the sunlight, the wooden handle was sleek, and at the base of it, right where her palm should go, a small blue crescent moon had been cleverly stained into the wood.

Kohana's right hand reached forward before she hesitated. She pulled back, letting her left shoulder rise to accommodate her immobile elbow. Gingerly, her left hand moved forward until the handle was beneath her palm, and with a slow strained effort, she once more curled her fingers until they completely encircled it. Biting her lip, she pulled her arm upwards.

Her muscles trembled, her arm shook as terribly as a branch in a storm, but with a tremendous effort she managed to lift the handle ever so slightly. It was only then that her right arm, the limb that would use the tool more often, came forward and gripped it as well and fully lifted it from the box. It was heavy, heavier than any hammer that she had ever worked with, but the weight was manageable.

"I…" Kohana tried to swallow the tears that threatened to spill, "I don't know what to say…"

"Can I see it?" There was a tug at her skirt and she looked down to see Futeki's excited face.

"Yes, of course," Kohana knelt and held the hammer for her son to see. The little hanyou sniffed it, his tail wagging with curiosity, as he began to touch it and feel the wood and metal beneath his small fingers.

"My father…He bequeathed the Tetsusaiga to Inuyasha. The sword, the fact that he has a weapon to rely on, is what keeps his demon blood from possessing his human soul," Sesshomaru's voice sounded level, but Kohana detected a concealed tenderness in his words, "I believe that if Futeki were to one day wield a weapon forged by his mother's hand, it might be able to serve the same purpose."

That was when the tears won, the quiet stream spilled over as she kissed her son's forehead. She stood, gripping the hammer with both hands, looked into Sesshomaru's eyes and nodded.

"Given that, how can I say no?" Kohana smiled against her tears, "If it's for him, then I can try."

"Ronuku," she turned to her brother and saw that he was still standing a few feet away from them, trying not to look uncomfortable as he bore witness to what had initially appeared to be a private discussion. He glanced at her, and her smile grew.

"I'm coming with you."

In the end, Kagome and Inuyasha decided not to go. Kaede was growing older and would eventually have to step down and let someone take her place as miko and guardian of the village, Kagome was the only natural choice for this. There was still so much she needed to learn from the elder miko, she couldn't afford to be away from her, and Kaede needed her too. The village was still growing, still healing, some days it seemed that there was no end to the line of villagers that needed aid or assistance.

There was also the Well. Sure it still wasn't working, but they hadn't given up on thinking of ways to fix it. They couldn't do that if they were miles away, hunting demons and having adventures with their friends. Besides, there was sentimentality attached to this place, Kagome and Inuyasha had met in this village after all.

There were too many reasons, too many responsibilities that kept them tied to this village, leaving just wasn't an option.

That didn't make saying goodbye any easier.

Here they all stood again, at the edge of the village on a sunny morning. Kirara and Ah-Un were laden with blankets, food, and supplies, everything that would sustain their friends until they reached their destination. A wave of excitement danced through the air as the forest breeze called to them, everyone was eager to leave and begin the trek towards the new life that awaited them.

Everyone except the hanyou and miko that were staying behind.

Kagome's throat was heavy, her eyes stung and her lip quivered. Watching Miroku leave only months ago had been hard enough, why did everyone else have to go too? She saw it in their eyes though, eagerness, excitement, hope…she'd already found her own purpose in this era, they were doing nothing more than seeking their own. She had no right to stop them, no matter how much it hurt to watch them walk away.

"Please stay safe," Kagome said, "Some of the villagers who have traveled for supplies said that bandits and demons are starting to come back to this area."

"We're a pretty large group," Ronuku assured her, "If anyone tries, they won't have an easy time taking us down!"

"To be honest," Kohana glanced at Recca's group of boys and Risu's family all chittering away and dancing around excitedly, "Given all the noise that they can make, we might be the ones scaring everyone else out there."

Sesshomaru 'hmph'd in agreement.

"I'm sure we will make it there fine," Sango said, "Building it all will be the hard part but…once everything is set up, you and Inuyasha can come visit us any time you'd like."

"O-Of course," Kagome nodded, forcing a smile to her face, "And you are all welcome to come back whenever you need to!"

"Keh," Inuyasha huffed, "Just don't make a habit of it! We're pretty busy around here, we don't have time to stop and babysit your asses whenever you feel like it." Normally Kagome would have scolded his rudeness, but one glance at him told her the truth that she suspected. The scowl and bluntness were all a front to cover up his hurt, Inuyasha was just as sad as she was to see all of their friends leave.

"We'll send you a message, somehow," Sango's voice had thickened slightly, "To let you know that we've arrived."

"Thank you," Kagome's lip quivered, "I want you all to be safe and happy, okay?" Sango nodded, as did Kohana and Ronuku. They all stood there, quietly wishing that this moment wouldn't end, but knowing it had to. The first trickle of tears started as Kagome stepped forward to hug Sango and she hastily wiped them on her shoulder.

"I'm so happy for you," Kagome said to her friend, "Your village is going to be wonderful." The taijiya returned the hug, quickly wiping her own tears as the miko turned and hugged Kohaku and Ronuku.

"I'm going to miss watching them grow," Kagome stepped back and glanced at both Ryu and Aizou in their parent's arms, "But I know that they're going to be amazing, no matter what they do. They've got the best parents watching over them."

"They…they won't forget you," Ronuku's voice had grown heavy, "I'll make sure of it. We'll tell them all about their Auntie Kagome, the greatest miko who ever lived!"

"I'm not the greatest," Kagome laughed despite her tears, "But I'd like that." She felt a tug against her hakama and looked down to see Futeki staring up at her with wide horrified eyes.

"Are you going to forget about us?" The little hanyou stared up at his aunt with growing tears in his eyes.

"Futeki!" Kohana chided, but Kagome laughed again and knelt until she was at Futeki's level.

"Of course not," the miko hugged the small hanyou, "Who could forget about you?" Futeki hugged her back, though his tail drooped.

"Hey pup," Inuyasha called out. Futeki stepped back and wiped his eyes, glancing up at the larger hanyou. Amber eyes met amber, and the elder's held an unreadable expression.

"You take care of your mother," Inuyasha commanded softly, "Got it?" Futeki held his gaze for a moment, not fully understanding the weight of his uncle's words, but he nodded as solemnly as a four year old could. The elder hanyou turned his gaze to Sesshomaru.

"And you better take care of both of them," The defiance of Inuyasha's voice didn't quite reach his expression. The two brothers locked gazes, a silent thought passing between the two of them, but neither spoke. After a long moment, Sesshomaru simply nodded and looked away.

"I packed up as many herbs as I could for you and gave them to Kirara," Kagome was speaking to Rin, "Do you have any questions about any of them before you go?"

"No," Rin sniffed, "No I remember what you told me."

"You'll do fine," Kagome hugged the younger girl, "Don't be afraid to ask for help, everyone will want to support you."

"That's right," Kohana nodded to Rin, "We all know you worked with Kaede and Kagome, you'll be a great healer. And besides," she swallowed, "We can always come back any time you need to. Kagome will be here and goodbye isn't…it's not forever."

"No, it's not," Kagome agreed as she hugged Kohana and the two women failed to hold back their tears.

"Goodbye is not forever. We're family. All of us."

More tears were shed, more hugs and goodbyes were passed around, but eventually the inevitable came to pass. Their friends, their comrades in arms, those that they had fought so hard with, suffered alongside, those who had grown and learned so much together…they turned and walked towards their new life.

Kagome and Inuyasha stayed there at the edge of the village, watching as their friend's figures slowly shrank into the distance. The tears fell freely now, Kagome couldn't even try to stop them if she wanted to. Inuyasha's hand slowly slid into hers, his warm grip a comforting assurance that she was not alone in this.

"They'll be okay," the hanyou spoke, his voice rough with emotion. Kagome bit her lip. She closed her eyes and nodded.

"Yes," she said, and returned his grip, "And so will we."

The breeze picked up slightly, the warm air rising around them promising an even warmer summer to come. The two of them stood there side by side, taking comfort in each other's shared grief.

"…It's going to be pretty quiet around here though," Inuyasha commented, the loneliness unmistakable in his eyes. It had taken a long time for the gruff hanyou to trust anyone, to make real friends, and to lose them all at once would be a difficult blow to recover from. Kagome squeezed his hand once more, pouring as much love as she could in the small gesture.

"Quiet for now," she responded softly. Inuyasha glanced at her, eyebrow raised, but she shook her head and smiled.

"Come on," she said, turning back towards the village, "The villagers are probably pestering Kaede by now, she'll need our help." Inuyasha snorted and followed her back to the village.

With all their friends gone to seek their future, it would be dull around here for a little while. The soft fluttering in her stomach, a tiny presence that had barely begun to make itself known, assured Kagome that these days of quiet sadness would not last forever though. Many days lay ahead of her; days of laughter, days of uncertainty, days of sorrow, days of peace…

Whatever the days the future brought them, she and Inuyasha would face them together.

Author's note: I would just like to say a brief thank you to all of you who took the time to read this fic, your support means a lot to me. Also a special thank you to my very good friend who created Ronuku and started this all with me eleven years ago, I could not have done this without him. The end is almost, but not quite here; there will be an epilogue posted in the next month or so, the final end to all of this, so keep an eye out for that!

See you all next time!