Summary: After Naraku is destroyed and the jewel is completed, Kikyou makes one final wish before parting to the afterlife.
Couple: Inuyasha / Kikyo
Author's Notes: I know I completely stole the episode title, but anyway. xP I hope you like it. This is my second Christmas gift to you all. XD
Disclaimer: Inuyasha, Kikyo and Kagome are not mine. They respectfully and rightfully belong to Rumiko Takahashi, their creator.
- Farewell Kikyo, My Beloved -
The dead miko, also known as Kikyou, protector of the Shikon no tama, the woman who fell in love with a hanyou, was currently wandering about the Sengoku Jidai. She was in search of Inuyasha. She had to tell him something very important before she left. Where was she going, you asked? To the afterlife.
You see, it had been two years since Naraku had been destroyed. Kagome was now in her own Era completing school and going to college. Miroku and Sango were living on their own and happily married. Inuyasha and Shippo along with Kirara and Kohaku had their own hut and were leaving...er, somewhat peacefully. Mind you, does Inuyasha hitting Shippo over the head while Kohaku and Kirara try and break them apart from their bickering count?
Yes, Kikyou has been watching him. She could never take her eyes off him even when she was alive. She loved him too much to let him go, but in the end she knew she had to.
In all of her pondering, Kikyou found herself at her younger sister's village, the village where they grew up and where Kikyou died. She wandered about until she found Inuyasha, Shippo, Kohaku and Kirara. She hid behind the Goshinboku and watched them joke around. But it appeared as if a new face was with them today. The girl was very tall for her age, had chocolate brown eyes and black hair. She wore foreign clothes as if from another Era. It couldn't be Kagome, could it? But as someone said the girl's name, she knew it was true.
"Kagome nee-san, do you know when Sango nee-san will come and visit?" That was Kohaku who had spoken, who was busy playing with Shippo and Kirara. The boy had been revived by Sesshomaru (only because of Rin's pleas to let him live, as well as Sango's) using the Tenseiga on him. But since Sango and Miroku were having their own little life at the moment, Kohaku asked if he could stay with Inuyasha, Shippo and Kirara. So here they were.
"Sango-chan said that she and Houshi-sama would pay a visit this week and bring the kids," Kagome replied as she sat down next to Inuyasha, who grinned. Sango had been pregnant with two twins, one boy and one girl. Their names were Ai and Kaze and they were both one year old. Sango had gotten pregnant quite quickly after the final battle. Miroku couldn't control his urges any longer.
Inuyasha sniffed the air, and Kikyo knew she had been sniffed out. Inuyasha indeed did get up from his spot. "Inuyasha, where are you going?" Kikyou heard Kagome ask.
"I'll be back soon," was his only answer and he began walking behind the Goshinboku. Luckily, Kohaku had begun talking to Kagome again, so she wouldn't see where he was going.
"Inuyasha...I see you've decided to pursue me once again." That was Kikyou's greeting.
The hanyou merely nodded. "Why were you watching us?"
"I've just wanted to come and say goodbye," that was her reply.
"Goodbye?" Inuyasha asked. "Where are you going?"
"Somewhere far away, Inuyasha," Kikyou replied. "I can't say where, but I wish to ask you this one simple request."
"What is it...?" he asked almost hesitantly.
"Will you join me when the time is right?" she asked.
'When the time is...' Inuyasha's eyes widened. "You're going to kill yourself!"
"That's quite impossible," Kikyou stated. "Since I am clearly already dead. No, Inuyasha. I am merely going to free all of the souls from my body letting them go where they desire in this world or the next."
"But..."
"Inuyasha, will you join me? When you're ready?"
Kikyou could see his ears drooping to the ground in sadness. A small smile appeared on her face as she walked over to him and kissed him lightly on the lips for one final time. "Join me, my love. When the time is right for you." With that, the souls began pouring out of Kikyou's body, which started turning into dust.
"Kikyou!" he exclaimed fearfully.
"It's alright, Inuyasha," Kikyou whispered soothingly, placing her hand on his shoulder as it too turned to dust.
Soon, there was nothing left but Kikyou's ashes, which he brought back to the village.
"Inuyasha, what's that you've got?" Kagome asked as soon as she saw the bottle in his hands. "Hey... are you alright?" she asked upon seeing the expression of sadness on the hanyou's face.
The hanyou nodded mutely. "Yeah. So is Kikyou." He replied before heading off in his destined direction; Kikyou's grave. "Now she's at peace."
Kagome didn't quite understand his meaning, nor did Shippo or Kohaku. But then realization suddenly dawned on her. "Oh Inuyasha..." she whispered, knowing how sad he must be feeling right now. 'Be at peace, Kikyou-sama. Watch over him, please.'
Inuyasha made his way to Kikyou's gravesite and placed the bottle inside it after making a whole in the ground of the soil. Kaede was observing him and walked over. "Inuyasha, what have ye there?"
"Kikyou's ashes."
"So... she has finally passed on..." Kaede said mournfully as she watched Inuyasha place her older sister's ashes inside the grave in their rightful resting place.
The hanyou nodded. "And when the time is right, I'll be by her side for eternity."
-Owari-
A/N: I hope you liked that! It was kind of sad, wasn't it? Anyway, I'm a huge Kikyou/Inuyasha fan so I really hope you liked it. Please review and tell me what you thought of it!