Chapter 25:

Life and Reunions

"When we die, we will turn into songs, and we will hear each other and remember each other."
― Rob Sheffield, Love is a Mix Tape

Prompt: I'm Coming Home (Part 2) by Skylar Grey and The Nexus by Amaranthe

As Ryura reached the ground, still within his true form, the body of Naraku finally was taken over by Bakusaiga's attack and was gone. He landed heavily on three legs, since one was still holding Kagome's body.

Around him the others came to rest beside him. Ryura gently laid Kagome out on the grass and then rebuilt the barriers to pull back in his youki and retake his humanoid form. When he reappeared, he was kneeling. Ryura's clothing was disheveled and his hair was unbound, but he didn't seem bothered by it. His eyes were focused on Kagome's corpse.

"Sesshoumaru," he ground out after swallowing the lump in his throat.

Ryura looked over his shoulder, his eyes misting over. He silently pleaded with the Inu Daiyoukai to save Kagome by looking at Tenseiga. Thankfully Sesshoumaru had brought it along, accepting that the sword had reforged itself to stay at his side.

Sesshoumaru nodded faintly and Sango cried out, praying to whatever Kami was listening that Tenseiga would work. Inuyasha stared on, looking dead to the world. The light had left his eyes and he looked hollow.

Everyone was grieving in their own ways, even as Sesshoumaru quickly moved to stand above Kagome's body. He placed his hand on Tenseiga and poured his emotions into it, allowing it to feel just how badly he wanted to save Kagome.

Tenseiga gave a pulse for a response.

The Inu Daiyoukai quickly pulled Tenseiga from its sheath and slowly the Reapers from the Underworld were revealed to Sesshoumaru's eyes. He growled, furious that they would try to take Kagome's soul, and sliced through them with more force than what was required.

He and Ryura watched as the wound that had led to Kagome's chest knit together. Her chest began to rise and fall, and when her eyes fluttered open, she found herself being pushed quickly against Ryura. Kagome didn't really mind it. She was so cold. Ryura clung tightly to her and buried his face into her hair, his eyes shutting tightly.

"Thank you," Kagome managed to whisper when she found her voice.

Sesshoumaru nodded to her and spun away on his heel, only to slowly turn around when he felt the energy of the Meidou being ripped open. Naraku's last surviving incarnation, Byakuya, appeared out of the portal that led to the Underworld. In his hand rested a sword that carried the appearance of the Meidou.

Byakuya swiftly brought the sword down across Kagome's back, only to receive a Meidou blade to the face from a enraged Inuyasha.

"Not. Again!" Inuyasha yelled.

Byakuya smirked faintly before he died, accepting his death. After all, he'd just attacked Kagome after she was returned to life. He knew he was going to die. Only thing he wondered was who was going to kill him. Inuyasha was the answer.

Kagome and Ryura looked up, blinking at Inuyasha's snarl. Ryura spotted Byakuya disappearing and the Meidou portal slowly closing. He frantically began to check over Kagome after the last incarnation of Naraku died. When Ryura found no wounds he sighed and dropped his head to rest on Kagome's shoulder.

That is until another Meidou appeared behind Kagome and Naraku's head along with the Shikon no Tama, an arrow piercing the now brightly glowing pink jewel. Tendrils of dark energy reached out and wrapped around Kagome, ripping her away from Ryura.

Ryura tried to grab her, cursing his luck of having the Miko ripped from him again, and he was too late. The Meidou sucked Kagome in, leaving behind an extremely shocked group of people.

"Ryura!" Inuyasha suddenly yelled.

The Dragon Daiyoukai blinked quickly and looked over to Inuyasha. Tessaiga was still glowing with the power of the Meidou and suddenly Ryura understood.

"Do it! Now!" he rumbled loudly.

Inuyasha gave a nod and cut through the air, opening up a portal. Ryura didn't waste any time jumping into it.

"Inuyasha, no!" Sango yelled. "He's jumping to his death!"

"He's not!" Inuyasha said as he watched the Meidou disappear. "He's going after Kagome! Do you honestly think the Shikon no Tama is going to let her live after this? We killed one of it's main hosts! The evil inside of it won't allow her to live!"

Realizing Inuyasha was right, they all settled and waited with bated breath. At the same time they offered prayers to protect Kagome and Ryura and to bring them back safely.

Kagome sat up and rubbed her head. What just happened? It felt like she was hit by a truck.

Groaning, the young woman sat up in her bed and glanced at her clock. It was so late, too! Good thing today was Saturday, else Kagome would've just missed school, and she hated doing that.

Kagome stretched and yawned before climbing out of her bed. As she readied herself for the day, she couldn't rid herself of the feeling that something was missing. It was because of that she went around her room and house, looking for anything out of place. Finding nothing she could only shrug and scratch her head, figuring she just had a really weird dream she couldn't remember.

She left the house once she was dressed, a piece of toast hanging out of her mouth, despite having already brushed her teeth. Kagome was supposed to meet Eri soon, and she sort of woke up a little bit late. It was eat a piece of toast on the way, or not eat at all.

Kagome hurried to catch the bus, finishing her toast as she went. After she dusted off her hands, Kagome pulled from her purse a brochure Eri had given her a few days ago. She opened it up and read over it to pass the time.

Eri had managed to wrangle Kagome into coming to a seminar with her. There was a guest speaker that Eri absolutely adored, and she wasn't about to miss this. However, there had been perverts preying on young women around their age roughly about the time this seminar was to end. Kagome, worried for her friend, decided to accompany her.

It wouldn't hurt anything, anyway. Eri was planning on going to university for architectural engineering after high school. The guest speaker was the sole reason Eri was going. It was a man who was highly prized as one of the world's best architectures, and Kagome knew Eri worshiped the man like a God. It wasn't a creepy, "I love someone I've never met just because they're famous" worship. It was more of a respectful worship towards someone held high in the eyes of a particular field.

Kagome's eyes landed on the name of the guest speaker. Ryura Kumori. The name sent bells ringing her head. Of course she would recognize it. Eri talked about the man quite a bit. But there was something else. Again, Kagome was plagued by the feeling that something was missing.

"Kagome!" Ryura yelled into the darkness.

He was trapped in a void but this time there was no firefly-like lights to guide his way. It was complete and total darkness. His worry for Kagome overrode his own fears of voids at that moment, however.

Ryura called her name again and when he received no response he pushed forward. He stopped when he felt Touga's energy leak into existence. Ryura looked in the direction he felt the energy coming from and watched as the Kami took form.

"Ryura," he said. "I will accompany you."

Ryura grinned and nodded. Together the two made their way what they felt was forward. As they moved, Touga's coloring change. His hair turned black and his eyes became blue, even his skin darkened slightly. Now he looked like Kagome's father, Hikaru, even if he was still dressed like Touga.

"I cannot act directly against the Shikon no Tama – no Kami can. However, I can show you the way, else you would be lost here for eternity," Touga rumbled thoughtfully.

"That's not unsettling at all," Ryura replied sarcastically.

"Indeed," Touga said. "Come. We do not have much time."

Eri had all but pushed Kagome to the front of the auditorium and now they were sitting in the front row, directly facing where the guest speaker, Ryura Kumori, would be standing. The seats around them slowly began to fill and eventually the lights slightly dimmed to a comfortable level instead of the blinding light they had been before.

A tall man, extremely tall for a Japanese man, walked out from the side some time later and gave those watching him a polite bow before moving to the podium in the middle of the stage. He was dressed suitably for the occasion in a silky-looking black suit with a navy blue shirt and black tie that carried streaks of thin silver through it.

Kagome swore she had seen that very same outfit somewhere before, but she couldn't remember where.

As the man began to speak, Kagome could do nothing but stare at him. Where had she heard his voice before? Now she knew Eri had never shown her a video of the man, because this was the first time he had ever spoken publicly.

Ryura Kumori's green eyes came to rest on Kagome and his words died on his lips. He stared at her for a very, very long moment, to the shock of everyone else in the room.

"K-kagome?" he asked.

Kagome's mind shattered like a mirror.

"Kagome!" Ryura yelled as he shook her. He found her floating in the darkness along with the Shikon no Tama and Naraku's head.

"She will not respond to you, youkai. It is best to give up now," an ethereal voice said.

"Shut up!" Ryura snapped as he shook Kagome one more time. "Kagome!"

Ryura felt the energy around them shift and he stared expectantly at Kagome. Touga, beside him, stared just as hard with his still blue eyes only to look directly into eyes that matched his own as they opened slowly.

"Daddy?" Kagome asked. She looked around carefully then asked, "Ryura?"

"I'm here," Ryura answered.

"What!?" the ethereal voice yelled. "This is not possible!"

Touga sighed in relief and placed a hand on Kagome's forehead to smooth back her bangs. He smiled at her when Kagome looked to him again.

"We're both here," he said then.

Ryura nodded and pulled Kagome up until she was standing. With Ryura to one side, an arm wrapped around her waist to keep her steady, and Touga to the other, Kagome looked directly at the Shikon no Tama and Naraku.

"I have a question, Naraku," she said with a firm voice.

Naraku's red eyes opened and he gazed wearily at her. "What is it, Miko?"

"The Shikon no Tama didn't grant your true wish, did it?" she asked.

"It did not," Naraku admitted. "My true wish was to have Kikyou's heart."

Around her waist she could feel Ryura's grip tighten. Touga's hand was on her shoulder shortly after, squeezing it reassuringly.

The ethereal voice rang out again, "Enough of that. It is time, Miko of the Shikon no Tama. You must make your wish, lest you and those with you will be trapped forever within the Shikon no Tama itself – even the Kami."

"Shut up, I'm not talking to you." Kagome snapped, her eyes settling on the Shikon no Tama with the arrow through it. "Naraku."

Again Naraku's eyes moved to Kagome. "I grow tired of this, Miko. Say what you want and be done for it."

Kagome moved forward, much to Ryura and Touga's worry, and gently she raised a hand and rested it on Naraku's cheek. Naraku stared at her with wide eyes, not believing what he was seeing. What was she doing?

"You're tired, aren't you?" she murmured, and against her hand, Naraku nodded. "It's okay to rest now, you know. No one's going to blame you."

Ryura and Touga, still behind Kagome, shared a look then focused their attention on Naraku and the Miko once more.

"I forgive you – we forgive you. Kikyou forgives you," Kagome again murmured this. "Rest and be at peace, Onigumo. The Shikon no Tama has fed off your self-hatred for long enough."

Naraku's black hair shimmered until it was brown and his red eyes faded into a soft chocolate brown. A bright, white light came from what remained of Naraku, and slowly as the light vanished, Naraku was gone.

His soul had been purified by Kagome's words.

"And now it's your turn, you son of a bitch," Kagome hissed out through clenched teeth, cursing for the first time in a long time, as she turned to look at the Shikon no Tama.

"You believe you can win against me, Kagome?" The Shikon no Tama tauntingly said. "I beg to differ."

Kagome's hand whipped out and grabbed a piece of the arrow sticking from the Shikon no Tama. She gave it a firm yank until the pink bauble was in front of her.

"No, I beg to differ. I will destroy you," Kagome seethed, looking directly at the pink jewel. "You've caused enough pain."

Kagome felt Ryura and Touga come to stand close to her and each laid a hand on her shoulder in silent support. She smiled over her shoulder gratefully at them.

"And how ever are you going to do that, little Miko? In fact, why would you do that? You saw the dream I gave you. That could be real, and so much more. You could have your peaceful life with all your friends of both eras in your own. Ryura would be yours, instead of belonging to another like you believe. All your secret little desires I could bring to fruition, if you would only ask it of me," the Tama cooed, seemingly not bothered at all by Kagome's threat.

Ryura stiffened and glanced nervously at Touga. The Kami was glaring at him over Kagome's head, despite the situation they were in. If looks could kill, and all...

"It'd be fake, and only a matter of time before that life fell apart," Kagome said honestly. "I wouldn't deserve it anyway, because I didn't mold my life with my own two hands. And for as how I will do it? I know how. There is no true wish. There is no such thing as a pure, unselfish wish. Except this one," Kagome paused and held the kabobbed jewel far from her.

"I wish the Shikon no Tama would disappear, forever."

The evil spirit of the Shikon no Tama screamed, outraged at what it just heard. How dare she!? The air around the Shikon no Tama pulsed once and the jewel itself exploded outwards. Kagome was quickly brought to face Ryura and together both he and Touga shielded Kagome from the blast should she need it.

Ryura went into a panic when he felt Kagome disappear in his arms, and when he opened his eyes, he was standing in the same white space he had first woken up in after being a void for six centuries. He frantically looked around.

"Kagome? Kagome!" he yelled, looking around for her.

"She will not hear you, Ryura, not this time," Touga said beside him. The Kami had reverted to his original coloring of silver and gold.

"What's that supposed to mean!?" Ryura roared in his face. "Where is Kagome!?"

"In her era, safe. I could not stop it," Touga admitted.

"Excuse me?" Ryura growled out. "I don't think I heard you correctly."

"You did, Ryura. It is time to accept it. Kagome's gone."

Before Ryura could ask anything further, he found himself standing in the same place he had originally left from. Sitting on the ground was everyone from both Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru's packs. They jumped to their feet when he appeared.

"Where's Kagome?" Sango asked in a pleading tone.

Ryura looked up at the sky, not answering right away. "She's returned to her era. She's home. Not even Touga could prevent it."

"What!?" Inuyasha yelled.

Ryura sighed and explained what happened, and everyone realized that he spoke the truth. Kagome was truly gone.

Kagome stared into the darkness that covered the well-house. She couldn't even see the hand in front of her face. So many times now had she tried to jump into the well, and she was pretty sure her left ankle was broken. It had stopped working. She was stuck in her era now that her quest was completed.

Not able to cry any more than she already had, Kagome gave up. She just...quit.

She stared up at the roof of the well-house and wondered how she was going to get out. Kagome felt like her body was made of jello as all the adrenaline she had been running on until then vanished from her veins.

Kagome sat, staring upwards for some time, well into the night, until she heard the doors of the well-house slide open quickly. Her heart thumped in her chest. Someone had come to check! Thank the Kami!

"I'm in here!" she cried out hoarsely. "I think I broke my ankle!"

It was too dark to see, but even then, Kagome made out the shadowy figure of someone's head appearing above the well. "Hello!?" she called out.

Then she squeaked with surprise as the person jumped into the well and landed heavily beside her on their feet. This wasn't someone from her family!

Hands roughly grabbed her shoulders and she found herself face first into a hard chest covered in a silky material. Kagome gasped, her senses flooding with Ryura's scent.

"Ryura!" she exclaimed.

As Kagome hugged him, Ryura exhaled loudly. "Forgive me. I was not for sure when you would show up," he said, "Else I would have been here when you first arrived."

Kagome sobbed into his chest, unable to answer him. She was so relieved to be with someone who knew what she had just gone through.

One of Ryura's arms moved and was placed under her knees, and soon Kagome felt herself being lifted out of the well.

"Ryura!" she heard her mother's voice. "What's wrong with Kagome?"

"She broke her ankle trying to get through the well, and from the feeling of it, a rib or two as well," Ryura answered. "It's over."

"Kami..." Hitomi breathed. "Come on, we need to get her to the hospital. She might rupture a lung if her ribs are broken."

Ryura nodded and followed Hitomi as she rushed for the stairs to the Shrine. Daisuke and Souta were inside, sleeping, and it was by sheer luck a light touch that reminded Hitomi so much of her husband woke her from her slumber.

Ryura took over leading and showed Hitomi the way to his car, Kagome crying softly against him the entire way.

"Hang on, Kagome," he murmured to her.

Kagome did as he asked, curling tightly against him with her arms wrapped around his neck. He released her back and dug his keys out of his pocket, tossing them to Hitomi. The woman clumsily caught them and raised a brow.

"Drive. I do not think Kagome will let go of me," Ryura said.

Hitomi nodded and opened the passenger side door for Ryura, who slid in, being mindful of Kagome. He suited her on his lap, not bothering with a seat belt at the moment. Hitomi slid into the seat next to him, looking uncomfortable with driving such an imposing looking car.

She managed anyway, for Kagome. Putting on the emergency blinkers, Hitomi sped away.

In the past, Ryura stared blankly ahead as he walked beside Sesshoumaru. Hopefully, he thought, his future self found Kagome and was now caring for her. That was his only hope. It was what kept him going, thinking that in five hundred years he would see her again.

Sesshoumaru glanced at Ryura, then over his shoulder to Tsuyoshi. The water Dragon helplessly shrugged a shoulder.

After the party of Naraku hunters turned Naraku slayers split up, Sesshoumaru offered to Ryura and Tsuyoshi to come with him. He was returning to the West, and he wished to help Ryura as he promised he would in the past.

Ryura had accepted with the same thought on his mind. He had to do it, to survive. To see Kagome again. And where Ryura went, Tsuyoshi followed.

In fact, they were just now approaching the heart of the Western Territory where Sesshoumaru's ancestral home stood. It was a home carved deeply into the side of a mountain, an imposing structure that Ryura found impossible not to admire.

The guards stationed at the gate bowed when they saw Sesshoumaru. The gates opened as they felt the youki of the home's master approach, and together with the two other Daiyoukai, Sesshoumaru walked through. The gates smoothly slid shut behind them and the guards straightened themselves, returning to what they were previously doing.

But not without giving a single, wary look at Ryura's back.

A.N.: We're getting there! Just a note, this story is far from over!