Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha.
Sesshoumaru stared impassively as Naraku's body crumbled into dust, releasing the thousand souls trapped in his body, lighting up the darkening sky. Behind him he heard Rin and Jaken staring in awe at the scene. He heard the Wolf Prince and InuYasha and his pack gasping as if they didn't believe that Naraku was finally gone. And with his sharp demonic hearings he picked up the sound of the clay miko sighing in content; she was finally released from the chains of her mission.
His eyes followed the thousand souls that had been released. They were flowing aimlessly, as if lost, not knowing where to go. Maybe they really didn't know their way to the Other World.
Among the many souls there was one that seemed to glow a bit dimmer, as if mourning in pain.
'His name was Koimizu, which means Tears of Love.'
As Sesshoumaru mused over the name he thought how ironically fitting it was for Koimizu to be named Tears of Love. He had caused the cruelest being ever in existence to cry for love.
'You really loved him, didn't you? Are you crying for him, Naraku?'
Sesshoumaru stepped forward through the weakening barrier that had kept him from moving forward to the scene first. He heard InuYasha and the others following behind him as he stepped into the clearing towards Kikyou.
"Kikyou…" he heard InuYasha say behind him.
Kikyou smiled. "InuYasha…" she said and her voice finally held the love for InuYasha again, the same love it had once held fifty years ago. "I have finally become an ordinary woman."
She turned to fix her attention on Kagome. "Kagome, my time has come," she said as she walked up to her. "Like Naraku I must release the souls I trapped within my body, for I do not belong to the world of the living anymore." She held her hand out to Kagome and revealed the Shikon no Tama that was glowing a muddled pink. "I entrust you with the task of protecting and purifying the Shikon no Tama."
Kagome stared at the clay miko dumbfounded.
'Kikyou…' she thought. 'Kikyou really wasn't evil?'
The thought dawned in on her and she finally understood. Kikyou was not evil. A bright smile crossed her face as she took the Shikon no Tama from the clay miko. "Don't worry, Kikyou. I will take good care of this."
Kikyou nodded, she believed Kagome. Kikyou then faced InuYasha and smiled. "InuYasha," she said. "Do not mourn my death, because I wish for you to be happy." She finally turned to stare at Sesshoumaru. "Let's go," she said to him and Sesshoumaru nodded. He drew Tenseiga and lashed out with it, creating a crack of light within the air in the form of a crescent moon.
It was a portal to the Other World.
"I shall return Kohaku to you, Sango," Sesshoumaru commented and he stepped into the portal, disappearing in the intense light, leaving a stunned and speechless Sango staring after him.
Kikyou too walked towards the crack of light. She turned around one last time to look at InuYasha. "Goodbye InuYasha," she said and then the light swallowed her entire being.
The crack widened and the souls that had been trapped within Naraku's body followed one by one after Kikyou, leaving the mortal world behind. The dimly shining soul that Sesshoumaru had asumed to be Naraku, followed behind closing the line of a thousand souls. Before entering the light it stopped for a moment turning around to look at InuYasha as if saying goodbye to him. Then, as the last soul, it entered the crack before it closed.
InuYasha turned to stare at Kagome and she smiled back at him. Miroku touched Sango's shoulder and she jumped in surprise and turned around to give Miroku a big slap, calling him a pervert. And then the whole group laughed as Miroku winced.
"It's over!" cheered Kouga. Justice had won and Naraku had been punished for destroying Kouga's pack.
As if in agreement Miroku released his right hand from the prayer beads. His Kazaana was gone.
However, Kagome shook her head. "It's not over yet," she said and she held up the pink jewel in her hand. "We still need to find a way to purify and destroy the Shikon no Tama," she commented.
InuYasha nodded. "Kagome is right," he said. "I know what we should do with it." Everyone looked at InuYasha as if he had grown a second head, making the hanyou growl. "I am not a dumb dog!!" he yelled.
Kouga let out a snort. Rin blinked.
InuYasha twitched.
Miroku chuckled. Sango placed her hands over her mouth.
InuYasha grumbled.
Jaken sniggered. Kagome let out a small giggle.
InuYasha growled.
"Of course you're not a dumb dog," said Shippou, mocking his surrogate father. "You're even dumber than that!" And Shippou got a well deserved bonk in his head.
"Kagome," said InuYasha, becoming serious again. "Let me become human." The group became silent. InuYasha didn't really mean that, did he? Right?
Kagome stared at InuYasha hesitantly. "InuYasha…" she asked. "Are you really sure about that?"
InuYasha nodded. "Yes," he answered. "It's the only way I know to destroy the Shikon no Tama." His eyes dimmed for a moment. "Besides… Kikyou would have wanted us to do that."
THE OTHER WORLD:
On the other side of the crack Kikyou's body had instantly melted away releasing her soul along with many others from their clay prison. They floated away from Sesshoumaru each on their way to find their own peace. And Sesshoumaru sheeted his Tenseiga and headed forwards, following his own path. It didn't take long for Sesshoumaru to find Kohaku's soul.
"Kohaku," Sesshoumaru called out and Kohaku's soul drifted towards him, shining brightly, as if happy to see him. Sesshoumaru kneeled down in front of the soul and reached out his hand. "Kohaku…" A small genuine smile cracked through Sesshoumaru's icy mask as he touched Kohaku's soul. It was warm, much warmer than he had expected it to be, and it felt nice.
"Kohaku," said Sesshoumaru softly. "I have failed to tell your sister of how much you love her. I neglected my promise to you." The soul underneath his hand turned a bit dimmer and colder as if the news had saddened it.
"Kohaku," Sesshoumaru continued. "Don't you wish to tell her yourself how much you love her?" In response the soul warmed again, but the dimness stayed. It seemed to be asking Sesshoumaru how it could tell Sango of its love for her now that it was dead.
Sesshoumaru got up and drew out the Sword of Life. "This Sesshoumaru will use Tenseiga to bring you back to life," he answered. The soul drifted back and forth, as if confused. Hadn't it been impossible to save him using Tenseiga?
But when Sesshoumaru swung his sword Kohaku was struck by a force of life, and in a blink of an eye he was brought back to life. He looked down at his body and then stared at Sesshoumaru dumbfounded. "How…?"
Sesshoumaru knew.
The moment Sesshoumaru had taken the Shikon shard out of Kohaku's body, the boy had died his first death. Though he had been revived by the Shikon shard once, it had never been a complete revival, because Kohaku had never truly died to begin with. Technically speaking Kohaku's revival with the Shikon shard was what one would call a life extension. As a result, Sesshoumaru had not been able to use Tenseiga on Kohaku to give him life while he was still in the mortal world, but once past to the Other World Sesshoumaru was perfectly capable of reviving him.
Sesshoumaru didn't bother to explain this to Kohaku though. Instead he merely sheeted his sword back and lifted the boy in his arm. "Do not ask me questions. Your sister is awaiting you." And Sesshoumaru transformed into a ball of light that sped towards the exit of the Other World. (1)
KAEDE'S VILLAGE:
During the time that Sesshoumaru was away, InuYasha and his pack had parted with Kouga, who had gone back to collect his own pack in order to reminiscence the deaths they had suffered at the hands of Naraku. Along with Rin, Jaken and Ah Un InuYasha's pack had returned to Kaede's village, waiting for Sesshoumaru's return.
During the time that they waited, Kagome had performed a ritual on InuYasha and the Shikon no Tama with the help of Kaede, and the results had been baffling to Rin and Jaken. It had been their first time to witness InuYasha as a human.
It was at this point that Sesshoumaru returned and, having followed their scent, he had gone to Kaede's village. When he came to the village the staring eyes of the villagers met his gaze. Naturally this annoyed him to no point, but what bugged him even more were the gaping eyes of both his retainer Jaken as well as InuYasha and his pack.
"Y-you… Kohaku… wha?" InuYasha looked at him as if he had just molested the boy.
If Sesshoumaru had been anyone else, he would have rolled his eyes at his brother's unintelligent response. However, he really was Sesshoumaru and thus refrained from doing so. As he slowly took in the appearance of his brother's human form, he said, "InuYasha, I wish for a favour."
He lowered himself and gently placed Kohaku onto the ground, who crossed over and ran into the arms of his awaiting sister. But while their happy reunion pleased him, his next message was of a darker tone. "I wish to leave Rin with you," he said.
Rin looked at her surrogate father in shock. "Sesshoumaru-sama… why?" she asked as the tears started to shine within her eyes. She didn't understand this. Had she displeased her father? Why did Sesshoumaru want to leave her behind?
However, InuYasha understood. Sesshoumaru could not take care of a human girl. There were many things of human life that Sesshoumaru did not understand and therefore Rin would need her own species to surround her in order to be raised into a normal human being.
Reluctantly InuYasha nodded his consent to Sesshoumaru. Rin would understand someday.
"Then I have a favour to ask as well," InuYasha said. He might as well get this over with. "Take Shippou in and raise him as you would raise a son of your own."
"What!?" Shippou cried out in shock. He stared at Inuyasha disbelievingly and even his other pack members looked at him as if he had lost his mind. "InuYasha, what are you talking about!"
"Listen guys," InuYasha did his best to calm his friends down as they became more and more upset with his decision. "I want the best for Shippou too!"
He turned to look at the little Kitsune. "Runt, I really want the best for you," he tried. Shippou stared at him with teary eyes and InuYasha sighed. "Shippou, one day you will need to take over the clan your father has left you and Sesshoumaru is the perfect person to teach you the skills you will need in order to do so!"
He looked up to Sesshoumaru and pleaded for help. "Sesshoumaru thinks so too right?"
But Sesshoumaru merely stared impassively back at him. Ugh, what a great help his brother was!
Shippou sniffed a little. "You really think so, InuYasha?" he asked him hopefully. InuYasha nodded and he desperately hoped that he looked convincing. "But…" continued Shippou hesitantly. "Won't he hurt me?"
Finally Sesshoumaru deemed it to be time to interfere. "I have no such intentions," he spoke coolly. "Why would I injure a weak little child such as yourself?"
Shippou growled at him. "I am not a weak child!!" he yelled. Then, he seemed to realise his mistake and he ran behind InuYasha to hide himself from the scary Lord of the Western Lands.
Believing that he was wasting his time here, Sesshoumaru decided to turn around and leave. "Farewell, little brother," he said. "I trust that we shall not meet again." Quickly Jaken ran forward, followed by Ah Un. They turned around one last time to say goodbye to Rin, who was still standing rooted to the spot.
InuYasha started to growl. His bastard brother was not waiting! Turning back to Shippou he gave the kid a desperate shove. "Go Shippou, or you'll be left all alone!" Shippou turned around and stared at him as tears trailed down his face. "Go!" InuYasha yelled again. "Shippou, you go now, or I'll never forgive you!"
With a final sob Shippou turned around and followed Sesshoumaru, leaving the village behind. The group dissapeared into the shadows of the night. And InuYasha smiled, knowing that Shippou was in good hands and that one day he would be a successful leader of the Kitsune-clan.
But Kagome cried as Shippou left and even Sango let out a depressed sigh.
Miroku knew what was to come. "InuYasha, this will be goodbye, right?"
Trying to be strong InuYasha nodded. "I will take Kagome back to the other side of the well and then we'll probably never see each other again." He smiled at Miroku. "I hope you and Sango will live happily ever after, Miroku."
Miroku nodded his thanks in return. He took Sango by the hand and went to the well, followed by InuYasha and Kagome, leaving Rin, Kohaku and Kirara behind with Kaede. When they reached the well they shared their finally partings and InuYasha took Kagome by her hand, pulling her with him into the well.
And the portal in the well never opened again…
THE END
(1) The exit of the Other World was mentioned in the anime. You know, those episodes about the last Shikon shard being in Inu no Taisho's grave? That's the exit I'm talking about!
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Special thanks to: Dr. Dogma, Ryua Malfoy, Phoenix Archangel, rammruiht, Eclips, MIko2, Mystik Genie, Cold Kikyou, Nick Johnson, sun101