A/N: alright you guys...here you go...you're long awaited chapter. and if you look very closely at the stats, you'll realize this is the last chapter. as in, we've come to the end of our journey in "The Other Life". i hope you enjoyed this as much as I did. I wont keep you up here any longer. plz enjoy (smiles)

oh! another quick thing! i reposted the lyrics chapter, beacuse the lyrics were reading wrong. you dont have to go back, it was just bothering me personally.

Disclaimer: not mine

Summary: Inuyasha is presented with a one-time opportunity – to become a full demon. With his childhood years, not to mention the first ever reason for hunting down the Shikon Jewel in mind, his choice seems apparent – a no-brainer. But there's a catch. Becoming a demon will mean giving up the life he knows now. In fact, only he will remember his life as a hanyou, while others will now only know him as Inuyasha the youkai. Is he willing to give everything and everyone up?

The Final Chapter

Inuyasha didn't get any sleep that night. He didn't even move from that spot. He simply sat there, holding Kagome's lifeless body, murmuring to himself, murmuring to her, murmuring to the night sky. Murmuring about wishing to take this all back. Wishing that he had been the one Naraku had attacked instead of Kagome. Wishing that he could have gotten to her faster to get her out of the way of the attack. Wishing that he were the dead one instead of her.

Then, right after those wishes, a different set came to mind. Now he wished he hadn't wanted to be a youkai so badly. He wished he had listened to Kagome and realized that his life as a half-demon with all of them was much better than a life as a demon all alone. Which, inevitably, was what he was now. He was what every demon was: alone.

And that's entirely my fault, he thought. He chose to be alone. He allowed selfish needs to get in the way of clarity and sense. He wanted to be a demon so bad that it was the reason he hunted the jewel in the first place. So when the opportunity came up, there was no way he could turn it down.

But all that glitters isn't gold. Sure he wasn't ridiculed by either humans or demons anymore for being a creature in between, and it was nice that he and Sesshomaru got along as well. But he and Sesshomaru got along – when the time was necessary – when he was still a hanyou. More importantly, Kagome was there. Kagome was always around to tell him that she loved him as a half-demon, and that he didn't need to be anything else but that. Kagome was more than just the love of his life: she was his best friend, his confidant, his reason staying true to himself. Without her, what did he have…?

Not a fucking thing. That's what. Being a demon just become more and more pointless with every passing minute as he cradled her dead frame. But no matter how much he held her close, and told her that he loved her and needed her, she wasn't coming back. But he couldn't move – couldn't let her go. He would keep holding her, and pretend. He could pretend that everything was alright – that she was gone, but resting – and then he could face reality later.

But reality was catching up with him. Minutes turned to hours, and soon a hazy blue began to streak the night sky. Daybreak was approaching. Kagome's body had long gone cold, and her face had paled dramatically. Inuyasha couldn't look at her anymore, tears burning in his eyes every time he did. He stood up, knowing that he had to return her to her village. As selfish as he desires were – to just keep her forever – the villagers would begin to wonder what became of their priestess. And it was better for them to find her alone and passed, as opposed to her being with him. He wouldn't want them to peg her death on him, even if indirectly it was his fault.

So he kept her close to his chest, and walked, heading in the direction of the place she once called home. The town was still when he arrived. He went straight for her personal housing: the same place the two of them had first made love. He felt unbearable pain in his chest as he put her to lie on the very futon they had shared only two nights ago. Flashes of that night plagued his mind, making his heart hurt even further. He could still see her smiling face as she cuddled up to him, her eyes lowered, then hint of red of her cheeks. He could hear her soft giggle at his playful caress, her encouraging her protests and whines as he prepared to tackle her again.

Now, there would be no more giggles. There would be no more smiles.

He pulled the sheet up to her chin, and briefly admired her pale face. She still retained all her beauty – paling or not – and she appeared to be resting. The village would find her and think her asleep. But ignorance is bliss only while still ignorant. Soon they would discover the truth….

Inuyasha left the village after another moment, going deep into the forest be by himself. But even with the ground he covered between he and the village, within an hour, he could hear the wails and howls of suffering. The sound of small children crying. He could picture Souta, burying his face in his mother's legs as the Higurashi family all wept bitterly together. He could see Shippo breaking down, the same way he did that night Inuyasha told him he was going to be a demon no matter what the rest of them said. His heart went out to Shippo. He could never do right by that kid. He tells the orphan that Kagome would never leave him, and then he has her murdered.

He hadn't realized he was clenching his fists, but now he was doing that so hard that his palms started to bleed as his nails dug into his flesh. He couldn't shake the crazy guilt that was trying to take over him. All of those people, every single person attached to Kagome was in a state, all because of him. He could feel the suffering of each one in his heart. He couldn't block it out. The cries didn't stop. There was no escaping it. There would be no escaping it. Reality caught him. The end.

The wails went on for days it seemed, until the village fell extremely silent. After initial shock and pain, they had decided on lamenting in quiet, as to silently pay their respects to their wonderful priestess. Inuyasha watched from a distance the day they cremated her body. But like the many of those who were watching – Miroku, Sango and their son in tow – he turned away, unable to look anymore. He went back to the same spot where he had been keeping to himself lately. But silent footsteps coming in his directly told him he wasn't alone anymore.

To his surprise, he saw Shippo coming his way, with Sango and Miroku. "Shippo." Inuyasha said, his voice betraying his emotion.

"Hey Inuyasha." Shippo said. His voice wasn't as flat as Inuyasha would have expected, but it certainly wasn't regular Shippo.

"This is Inuyasha?" Sango said curiously to Shippo. Then she looked up at him. "Kagome had told us about a man she met name Inuyasha. But I hadn't expected–"

"Yeah." Inuyasha said. "I get it."

"Inuyasha, you know how Kagome died, don't you." Shippo said, his sentence sounding more like a statement than a question.

He nodded solemnly. When he realize the three of them where waiting for the explanation, he said softly: "She was fighting off a demon named Naraku. He attacked her fatally, and she lost too much blood."

"Was it you who wrapped her shoulder?" Miroku wanted to know.

"Yeah."

The four of them were quiet for a while, collecting their own thoughts. Then Sango spoke up. "I wouldn't be able to explain it, but when I first met Kagome, I felt like I had known her before. I think that's why we clicked so well."

"I felt it too." Miroku said. "That same feeling when I met you Sango."

"I feel like I've known all of you." Shippo added. "But you're right. I couldn't explain why if I tried." The two adults nodded in unison at Shippo's statement.

Inuyasha knew he could. But he didn't have the heart to go through any of that at the moment, still too wound up over Kagome.

"I think…it's Kagome." Shippo said quietly.

"You think what's Kagome, Shippo?" Sango asked.

"I think Kagome is what's making us all feel familiar with each other. We were all very important to her, and I think she'd want us to be together like this."

Inuyasha stood up. "No offense to my little runt friend, but I'd prefer to get over this myself."

"Inuyasha, you of all people should understand." Shippo chirped. Inuyasha stopped to face the small kitsune, giving him a chance to speak. "We all know Kagome loved you the most. You guys must have talked about a bunch of things. You understand her more than we would. I know you feel it too Inuyasha. The connection between us four. That connection is Kagome!"

Inuyasha was going to say something, but then he realize that the little guy was right. The reason why all of them came to be friends was – in truth – because of Kagome. None of them wouldn't have even crossed paths once had Kagome not fallen down the well, and simultaneously starting their adventure together. Maybe Kagome was reaching out to them – to him – now. Maybe she had heard him say he didn't want to be alone. Maybe she was giving him back his friends.

He managed a small smile. "You know, you're right."

Shippo smiled back. "Of course I'm right. And what did I say about you calling me a runt, giant!"

The exclamation was so random that Inuyasha had to laugh. Sango and Miroku started chuckling too, and finally Shippo emitted a giggle, until they were all just laughing together. Inuyasha had to admit, it felt nice, and did wonders for his spirit.

"I needed that laugh." Miroku said, voicing Inuyasha's very thoughts. Sango nodded.

"Listen, I need to go somewhere for a moment." Inuyasha said. "But I'll be back."

"We need to go as well. We need to tend to Ichigo." Sango said.

"But you all be back right!" Shippo said, his expression earnest.

Inuyasha winked. "Count on it."

The four of them parted with a newfound happiness in their hearts. Maybe they weren't Kagome, but they were people Inuyasha had grown to care about. If anybody could help him through the tragedy, it would be those three.

He went back to the spot where Kagome had passed in his arms, genuinely surprised to see the Shikon No Tama sitting in the grass. In the rush of things, he had forgotten all about it. But now that it was before him, he didn't know what to do with it. He lay down on his back in the grass, taking it and holding it up to the sunlight. It glistened in its original purity.

"Kagome's death purifies the jewel." He murmured to himself. "What are the odds." Then he rolled on his side, so that his nose was nestled in the grass. "Oh Kagome, even the grass still carries your scent."

He lay still, inhaling her smell, as the exhaustion of his body set in. Soon, his eyes were closed and he was fast asleep.

---

…Inuyasha…

…Hey! Inuyasha…

…Hey! Inuyasha!…

Inuyasha was startled out his slumber, still hearing his name ringing in his ears. Someone was calling him, but who? The voice sounded all too familiar.

As he lifted himself off the ground, he realized he was not in the forest anymore. He didn't have a clue where he was. Everywhere he turned as he looked around, all he saw was smoke and fog. Looking beneath him, he found that the grass he was lying on had now been replaced with what appeared to be cloud. What the fuck is all of this!

…Inuyasha? Can you hear me?…

He looked around more frantically, trying to find where the voice was coming from. But it seemed to echo from everywhere before reaching him. He couldn't pinpoint a location at all. He stood up, and took a couple of tentative steps, hoping he wouldn't fall through into some deep abyss or something. Had Kagome been here, he'd probably tell him he had been watching too many movies…whatever those were…

Kagome! His jaw dropped in his own shock. The voice. It sounded exactly like Kagome! But how could that be? Kagome's dead. The only way he could be hearing her is if…

Oh fuck, did I die too? When the fuck did that happen? And how the fuck did I get to heaven? Or where-ever this place is!

"What are you doing here!"

That voice didn't sound like an echo, but a direct sound coming from behind him. And it sounded just as familiar as the first. Inuyasha turned around with a frown, locking eyes with the person he wanted to slaughter: Ryoko Mujin.

No surprises, she didn't seem very happy to see him either. "Well! Aren't you going to answer me!" she demanded.

"No, I'm going to tear you into fucking pieces is what I'm going to do." Inuyasha said darkly.

"Please you can't hurt me here." Mujin said dismissively.

"Wanna bet?" Inuyasha challenged her, cracking his knuckles as he did.

"I'm just a spirit here." Mujin told him. "You can't harm a spirit."

Now Inuyasha was back to his confused square one. "A spirit? So are we in the after life or something?"

"No where not in the after life, you stupid puppy."

"Who you calling stupid puppy, you old hag." Inuyasha said angrily. Then he smirked. "I see you've reverted back to you true form. I forgot how hideous you were."

Mujin, indeed, was in the frame of the little old lady he and Kagome had met that day in the forest. She frowned. "Everyone is their true self on this plane. What I want to know is how you got here."

"Well you're the miko. You tell me. I just woke up and–"

Inuyasha? Can you hear me? Inuyasha…

Inuyasha stopped and looked around again. The voice didn't seem so distant now. It actually sounded louder than before. He glanced at Mujin. She was looking around too, frantically, almost as if she was afraid of whatever was coming.

"That…can't be…." She murmured to herself.

"Mujin." Inuyasha said firmly. "You tell me what's going on right now."

Mujin looked at Inuyasha, and for the first time, he saw real fear in her eyes. She immediately plunged into a tale. "This is the place where I created your youkai life. This is how I made everything, and everyone. There's no way you could have been brought here unless you were trying to get back to your old life. And there's no way you could do that…."

Her voice was uncertain at the last statement. Inuyasha thought about her words, then realized what was going on. "I couldn't do it." He said. "But Kagome could, couldn't she."

Mujin shook her head vigorously, then began to rattle: "That woman is dead. I had her killed. And besides, she couldn't do it because she'd have to remember your hanyou life to create it."

"But she did remember Mujin." Inuyasha said. "She told me everything, just before she died."

And then, the voice – Kagome's voice – returned:

Inuyasha?

"Inuyasha!"

"Inuyasha! Sit boy!"

And just like old times, Inuyasha found himself face down in the smoky floor. It didn't hurt fortunately, so he was bale to recover quickly. As he stood up, he saw Mujin's face blanched. He turned around.

Kagome was standing there, arms tightly at her side, hands balled into fists, and a dangerous pout on her face. She wasn't dressed in her priestess clothes, and her hair wasn't pinned up, but she looked like the same Kagome he knew – and loved – from his hanyou life.

She also looked kinda peeved. "Inuyasha! Didn't you hear me calling you?"

He found himself at a loss for words. "Kagome…how…"

"This can't be happening!" Mujin screeched. "You can't take over like this! I'm in charge."

Kagome's pout disappeared as she looked curiously at the raging old woman. "Inuyasha, what is she talking about?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "I…wait, I don't care. What I want to know is what you're doing here. How did I get here? What's going on?"

She smiled. "Oh that's easy silly. I've come to take you home."

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Mujin cried. "You CAN'T DO THIS! I WON'T LET IT HAPPEN!"

Kagome frowned at Mujin. "You're getting on my nerves. Why don't you go away?"

And suddenly, at Kagome's words, Mujin began to disappeared into a cloud of smoke. She left with one final anguished cry before vanishing completely. Inuyasha stayed rooted to the spot, staring at what was once a powerful kuro miko, and was now nothing more than the other gases in the area.

"Well then," Kagome said casually. "Let's go Inuyasha."

He turned to face her, still confused. "Wait, go where? Kagome, hang on. Tell me what's going on." His gaze dropped. "I thought…I thought you were…"

She looked at him strangely. "You thought what Inuyasha?"

"Well…Mujin said that here we're all spirits. And you just died. Am I dead too?"
Kagome laughed. "No silly. You're not dead. No one's dead. I'm just taking you home. I said that already."

He was still skeptical. "Home?"

She nodded. "Everyone misses you like crazy. Even Koga, though he won't admit it." Then she added quietly. "I missed you too Inuyasha. Why did you leave in the first place?"

Inuyasha looked at her saddened frame, and stepped closer to her. Gently, he took her into his arms, hearing her gasp as he did. He nuzzled his face in her soft dark hair. "I don't know Kagome. I don't know what came over me."

After a moment, he felt her arms creep shyly around his frame. "Inuyasha…" she murmured in his jacket.

He pulled back from her so he could look in her eyes. "But one thing's for sure. I won't make this mistake again. I won't give you up again Kagome."

She smiled. "So you'll come home? You want to come home?"

"Yes. I want to come home."

She embraced him again, tighter and with more confidence than before. He returned her squeeze with one of his own, then pulled back from her again. He lifted his arms from around her waist and cupped her face with both hands. They smiled at each other – small, shy smiles. Then, he lowered his head, brushing her lips with his. For a charged moment, they didn't move – mouths still millimetres apart – before he kissed her again, more earnestly this time, savoring her taste. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her, her body telling him never to leave her again.

He removed his hands from her face and wrapped his arms around her slim frame once again, telling her he never will.

A/N: (dramatic fanfare!!) the end you guys!! its over!! NOTE: you dont HAVE to read the epilogue. that's just me feeling like a cheese ball and giving you that "ever so predictable" ending. so if you dont want to read the cheezyness, i wont hold it against you.

so in case some of you dont go on, i wanna put my thanks right here. thanks to all of you who read and reviewed this story. it reeli was my first one and i didn't expect this much love for it at all. you guys reeli made me feel good about my writing. Thanks especially to TheMikoShivae, who gave me my very first review for this. And to DearestEli, who also remained very supportive. the two of you reeli helped me to keep going with this fic, and im glad i reached the end.

hope to see you guys again soon. thanks for all your love.

Love 3

Brinvixen

PS - you still have to review this chapter, and what you thought of the whole story. dont get it twisted. lol