Chapter 7: ending of ones life is the begin of another

Inuyasha and his friends left the village and headed north. As they walked Kagome and Sango chatted about what had happened at Kagome's house. Inuyasha's ears flattened as a sqeal came for the girls, made a face and looked back. Kagome winked at him and waved and Sango laughed, Miroku and shippo just cocked their heads. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and continued walking.

"so Inuyasha what did you do?" Miroku asked with a sly look.

"nothing that you need to know." Inuyasha smirked and stuck his nose in the air.

"oh come on." Miroku said walking ahead of him slightly. "tell me what happened. All I know is that you two went to see Keade then you left and came back. What happened after that?"

Inuyasha looked over his shoulder at Kagome and Sango who were rambling on about something. He sighed, "well I went to confront Kagome like Keade said, but, uh, she yelled at me and we had a fight. Right in front of her mom too!" Inuyasha said looking down. "then I left, and Kagome showed up out of the well."

"you had a fight in front of her mom." Miroku asked and just watched Inuyasha.

Inuyasha nodded and continued. "after that well we apologized and I told her how I felt. We sat by the well for a while and she fell asleep so I took her back to her house and to bed. The next morning I was in her bed and she wasn't there. She was out shopping and so I went back up to her room.

I decided to just take a shower since her mom said we were going somewhere. Then after I got out Kagome was home and we went through her fathers clothes. It felt weird wearing clothes like hers and being her fathers. Then we left."

"where to?"

"the zoo."

"what's the 'zoo'?"

" some place with all these animals in cages from like EVERYWHERE" Inuyasha gestured around him with his hands.

"really?"

"yah they had like these things called, um- "turns around. "kagome! What were those animals with the long noses?"

Kagome giggled at Inuyasha's arm gestures, "an anteater?"

Inuyasha agave her a look and thought about it, "no. their big and big ears."

"oh elephant."

"ya that." Inuyasha turned back around and began to explain more to Miroku and Shippo Kagome laughed and continued talking to Sango.

Three hours later the group had stopped for lunch with Inuyasha and Shippo fighting over the chicken flavored ramen, Miroku being, well, Miroku. Sango was helping Kagome with preparing the ramen. Right after they began eating Inuyasha stiffened and the growled, Kagome also straightened up and looked in the direction. Sango and Miroku exchanged looks as Shippo announced that it was Koga.

Koga jumped out of his cyclone and in front of Kagome. "hey there Kagome, how have you been?"

"hi Koga, I cant complain." Kagome said as she glanced over at Inuyasha. "how have you been?"

"better now that I'm near you." Koga said as he put an arm around Kagome. Inuyasha stepped on his foot and pushed him away. "ow what the hell was that for you damn mutt!"

" you keep your god damned filthy hands off Kagome. How many times do I have to tell you before you get it through that thick skull of yours!" Inuyasha growled loudly as Koga and glared at him.

"I don't need to listen to you, you damn mutt, she's my women after all. I've already claimed her." Koga said. After hearing this Kagome really got mad but it was Inuyasha who went off the wall.

Inuyasha began to scream at Koga and yelled at him that Kagome is not a prize or a possession. Inuyasha then began to tell Koga straight out that he'll never get Kagome because she doesn't love Koga like she loves himself. Inuyasha told Koga to leave and go to Ayame. After a few more words from Inuyasha, Koga attacked Inuyasha and yelled back.

"Get off me!" Inuyasha growled and kicked Koga off him, "you get the hell out of here before I really get pissed off"

Koga and Inuyasha exchanged growls and bared heir teeth until Sango stopped them. "this isn't the time nor place for that you two." Sango said hitting one with he hiraikotsu and hitting the other with her katana.

"lay off demon slayer!" Koga snarled

"Don't you yell at Sango! Now get the hell out of here!"

"I'll yell at whoever I want!" Koga yelled

"You leave now before I make you, you god damned mangy wolf!" Inuyasha yelled and turned to leave.

Inuyasha and Koga exchanged more harsh words until Koga called Kagome his women and said that he will be the one to have her. At hearing this Kagome was about to yell at him but Inuyasha beat her to it. Inuyasha tackled Koga and held him down and growled loudly, causing Koga and everyone else to freeze.

"Kagome is NOT you god damn property and you will never have her! She will never love you like she loves me! So why don't you go back to your fiancée Ayame who I'm sure is waiting for you. And if you keep persisting I wont hesitate to kill you!" Inuyasha snarled as he held Koga by his neck. He then got off him and pushed him down into the dirt. "you get the hell out of her no!"

Koga then got up as Kagome went to Inuyasha's side and hugged him. Koga watched and pouted and looked away as Kagome kissed Inuyasha on the cheek. He then turned away to leave but Kagome stopped him.

"wait, Koga." Kagome went up to Koga and wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered to him. "Inuyasha is right I don't love you like you love me, but I do care for you as a friend. Why cant you see that? I want to be friends with you, but not if your going to persist on having me as yours."

Both Koga and the others were speechless at Kagome's sudden affection toward the wolf. Inuyasha just watched out of the corner of his eye with a calm expression. Kagome unwrapped her arms from Koga's neck and smiled at him. "Just stop trying. I love Inuyasha and he's the only one I want, I'm sorry. You still have Ayame, you know, and she loves you; so go to her Koga." Kagome smiled and turned to Inuyasha leaving a dazed and hurt wolf.

Koga looked down and thought for a few minutes, "Inuyasha! If Kagome gets hurt I wont hesitate to kill you."

"Keh like you could kill me and nothing will lay a hand on her." Inuyasha said and left with Kagome next to him.

After Koga left Inuyasha and Kagome returned and the group continued on until dusk and set up camp. Sango and Kagome went to the near by hot spring while Inuyasha and Miroku talked.

The next morning went as usual and they left two hours before noon. By late evening they had made it to the mountains where they ran into Moryomaru and fought him to the point of Inuyasha and his friends to retreat. Inuyasha grumbled and complained that he could have killed him. Miroku reminded him that Moryomaru's body had his Adamant Barrage crystals covering his body plus a few Shikon Jewel shards. Inuyasha stopped and pouted.

The next few months the group continued to have run ins with Moryomaru up until Naraku absorbed him back into his body. By this time Kikyo had been with Kohaku and everyone was there fighting Naraku. While Sesshomaru and Inuyasha were busy with Naraku Sango and Miroku and Kagome fought off his demons. Then the unimaginable happened: Naraku got past Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's attacks and killed Kikyo. Kagome kept her distance, but still felt the urge to go help her. Inuyasha went to their sides and said Kikyo's name.

Inuyasha then let Naraku taste the full force of his rage and Naraku ended up fleeing. Joined with Koga and Sesshomaru Inuyasha took Kikyo with them and looked at Kagome before he went off down near the stream they were near. After a while of exchanged questions Kagome nodded and Inuyasha took Kikyo.

As he sat there with Kikyo in his lap. "Back then…. Do you remember Inuyasha? Long before Naraku tore us apart.."

Inuyasha smiled, "how could I forget? Back then I was ready to become human and live with you." Kikyo smiled and told Inuyasha that she had finally became an ordinary woman. "Kikyo, you were the first women I ever care for and yet," Inuyasha's eyes weld up with tears and he lowered his head as a tear fell and hit Kikyo's cheek. "I couldn't do anything for you…"

Kikyo opened her eyes and looked up at him, "inuyasha this is the first time I've seen you cry."

"Kikyo I…" as the tears started rolling freely he hid his eyes behind his bangs. "I couldn't save you!"

As he cried Kikyo smiled and told him that it was enough that he came for her. Inuyasha looked at her as he cried and pulled her up and kissed her. When he did Kikyo's eyes closed and a few tears fell and a blue light surrounded them and she disappeared. All her soul collectors surrounded the group as if saying good-bye. Kagome cried as the blue light surrounded her and then walked up to Inuyasha. He told her that he didn't want Kikyo to endure anymore sorrow and that he wanted to protector her forever.

Kagome went up to him and hugged him Inuyasha and as a fresh set of tears swelled in Inuyash's eyes he took Kagome in his arms and she buried her face into his chest. Inuyasha and Kagome cried and Inuyasha tightened his arms around her.

"Kagome… I promise you… that… no matter what happens… I will always be near you… to protect you." Inuyasha said through his sobs and kisses her cheek. "I wont let you die, no matter what, no matter what it takes I wont."

"Inuyasha" Kagome tighten her arms around his waist and then moved her arms up around his neck and kissed him. When she broke the kiss she cupped his cheek and smiled. "I know you wont and I'll stay by your side always and forever."

Inuyasha smiled and set his forehead on hers and the two stood there like that for a short time. Then Inuyasha took Kagome's face in his one hand and kissed her. Kagome deepened the kiss and Inuyasha broke it and took her hand and lead her away from the group. He lead her to the near by pond and sat down where the two held one another and comforted each other.

As the night waned Inuyasha and Kagome fell asleep under a large weeping willow tree, huddled together, wrapped in Inuyasha's fire-rat robe. Inuyasha woke the next morning with Kagome in his arms and their legs tangled. He smiles but didn't move and eventually fell back asleep.

"Kagome, Inuyasha, wake up." a voice broke through the darkness and woke inuyasha up.

"no im not waking up go away." he mumbled and placed his left arm over his eyes.

"alright then ill just pick you two up and dump you into the water." said the voice

Inuyasha opened his eyes to see Miroku over him and Kagme still at his side fast asleep. " oh crap! How long were we asleep!" Inuyasha at up, his legs still tangled with Kagome's.

Miroku laughed, "well its noon so almost all day."

"Miroku I told you to leave them alone and their wake up on their own." Sango said from the right. Inuyasha looked over and then shook Kagome gently to wake her.

Kagome made a face before waking up and then turning red as she saw everyone there. Sango just grinned and Koga ignored them. Miroku and Shippo also smiled and Miroku joined Sango by the fire.

Inuyasha grumbled and got up after Kagome untangled their legs. He grabbed his fire-rat robe and put it on as Kagome ran her fingers through her hair. "Koga what are you still doing here? I thought you left."

Koga looked at her and shook her head. Inuyasha stretched, "well we need al the allies we can get." after stretching he walked up to Koga and Koga just watched him. Inuyasha then held out his hand to Koga, "truces?"

Koga stared at Inuyasha's hand then into his face. "Truce." Koga took Inuyasha's hand and they shook hands and exchanged smirks.

"Alright lets head back to Keade's village and recuperate and prepare." Inuyasha said standing tall and placing his hands on his hips.

Koga stood just as tall and place one hand on his hip, "I could assemble some of the wolf demons and then meet you guys somewhere."

Kagome smiled as Inuyasha thought about it and the he too smiled, "yeah that'd work. Sesshomaru will meet up with us sooner or later."

Koga and Inuyasha exchanged smirks again and they all went their separate ways. Inuyasha and his group back southeast to Keade's Village and Koga farther north to assemble his wolf tribe.