-1Kagome stood looking at the locket. She took a deep breathe and opened it, and inside was the pictures of her and Inuyasha. This was the same locket that she had given Inuyasha before Kaguya's castle. She had thought it was lost when the battle ended with Naraku. The new addition of the family crest must have been added for her, and inside also was a lock of silver hair and a lock of black that was similar to hers but not the same. Both tied with a deep red ribbon. Tears flowed to her eyes as she closed the locket and pulled it over her head. She tucked it under shirt and placed a hand over where the pendant landed above her heart.

Turning Kagome started towards the village to spend a couple days with the friends that had been traveling with her. The last time they would be together. And their last parting fastly approaching.

Chapter 9

Saying Goodbye

Kagome woke during the night with a deepening sad feeling. She looked around old Kaeda's hut. Shippo lay curled up with Kirara next to Sango. Miroku was leaning against the wall with his staff with a peaceful expression on his face. Tomorrow would be one of the hardest days of her life. Kagome was leaving this era the time that she had found herself falling in love with. The fresh air, the small village that would be soon over taken by the forest that stood nearby, the old priestess Kaeda who was a grandmotherly type lady, Sango her sister and demon slayer friend, Miroku a perverted monk and a great listener when you needed to talk, and Shippo the small fox demon that played pranks and made everyone laugh. The worst possible thing would be that she was leaving Inuyasha for good. Well, not really, she knew that because where his grave was was near enough to the shrine grounds that she could easily find it by stepping behind the God tree in her time about five meters and she would be in the woods that surrounded the grounds on three sides. That's why she had never noticed his grave before because it wasn't in plain sight. She would know better now. She would be near enough to visit him daily.

Yawning, Kagome stood and walked out of the hut to get some fresh air and to relieve herself some. She stared up into the beautiful sky. Reminiscing about how their group would stop during long adventures to just watch the stars and how they would never do it again. Kagome stood up adjusting her undergarments and walked back towards Kaeda's hut. Her hand went up to the spot which once held Inuyasha's mark. Yes, he had actually marked her at her request. Koga has come on to strong one of the last times he visited their group and Kagome felt that with Inuyasha's mate mark on her Koga might back down. Which was fine with Inuyasha after Kagome and him once discussed that he had gone to far. Inuyasha was almost to pleased to give Kagome the mark even though it had disappeared now. Leaving her available again. Kagome was still very fragile behind her saddened exterior.

Kagome's friends all knew that Inuyasha was not only fond of Kagome but held a deep seeded need to protect her. That seemed to follow him from his own grave. Some incidents that came from after his death were more than mere coincidences. No, only Miroku and Sango understood the love that two shared. How this love not only transcended time but even from death itself. They understood all too well that Kagome needed to go back to her time. That some how Inuyasha would come to her there. They also believed that he would make her love him all over again. They were saddened by their own thoughts of losing the heart of their group, but the head was already gone and it was time for the group to disband. They would not hold her back. They loved that much to let her go.

Kagome stepped back into the little hut and slipped back into her bag as she breathed a tired sigh. She hoped she hadn't woken someone up. She stared at the ceiling of the hut until sleep over came her and took her back to her dreams that came before the lost of her love. Miroku peeked at her through half closed eyes to see that she was trying to get back to some normalcy without the hot tempered hanyo. He silently prayed to the Buddha that Inuyasha would find his way back to Kagome. While he waited for some indication that she was asleep before he slipped back into his light manner of sleep.

As the sun peeked in on our small group sleeping around the hut the first to stir was Old Kaeda who had over the years been use to getting up at first light to make breakfast and make her rounds. Today was no exception though she wanted to be more available to the group for Kagome's sake. This being the last day that she would be with them. As Kaeda was finishing making breakfast Kagome and Sango started to stir with Miroku being the last that woke aside from Kirara and Shippo who the adults tried to be quiet allowing the to sleep a little longer. Kagome and Sango decided over their whispered breakfast to visit the hot spring one last time. Which after Miroku would met up with them for walk through the forest to visit the God tree and have lunch. During the afternoon hours Kagome wanted to spend some time helping Kaeda gather herbs and play a little while with Shippo. After which she would met everyone at the well to say her final goodbye's and slip back through the well to her time.

Kagome's final day went without a hitch until it was time to say goodbye for good. As the small band of friends stood near the well hugging and saying the tearful good byes a demon with a long cat like tail and stripes black as the night and fur orange as the sun itself came out of the woods at them. "Give me the Shikon Jewel. I know you have it." He hissed. Kirara turned into her large neko yokia form. Sango prepared to throw her hirokosa at the demon. Kaeda laid an arrow into her bow and Miroku pulled out some of his charms.

"Kagome leave now. Take the jewel. Seal the well. We will take care of this demon. You must continue to protect the jewel." Miroku stated as he being the closest to Kagome shoved over the edge into the depths of the well. Where she fell into the time slip. Landing in her time. She cried softly for a few minutes as she pulled herself together. Climbing up the ladder that had been placed there years ago, Kagome came to the top and took the boards and placed them over the top of the well. She then called upon the Kami's to help her seal the well using the chant and the ofunda's that Miroku had made for her. Kagome sealed the well from the demons that could come from another time for the Jewel that hung under the neck of her outfit.

That's when it hit the most looking at the sealed well. Kagome realized that she couldn't go back no matter what. The warring states era was gone out of her reach. Her friends and companions were five hundred years in the past while she was stuck in the present by herself. Well, not completely by herself she still could find Inuyasha's grave. After crying for what seemed like an eternity Kagome finally found the strength to stand on her two legs and make her way out of the well house toward the house that stood at the back of the property. There Kagome slid the door open and announced her arrival home.