Reopening her eyes she found herself in front of her the gate of her primary school in full detail like the shrine.
Once again there was no sound and no one else around.
"Oh no." Kagome whispered out turning around frantically finding only an empty lot behind her covered in a dense fog.
"Kagome." Freezing in her spot at the voice she hesitantly glanced behind her. There her father stood at the gate just as she last remembered him.
The fog extended past the gate and all she was able to make out was a silhouette of a human shape.
"Papa." She mouthed unable to make a sound.
"Come on Kagome. Its time to go home. Everyone is waiting for us." He said holding out his hand to her that she could barely make out. Turning around to face him fully she shook her head.
"Not yet. I can't. My friends, they're in trouble. I have to go back." She said tearfully.
"Kagome it's time to go." Her father said more sternly. Taking a step back Kagome felt a tingling sensation in her hand. Looking down she saw her spiritual energy was reacting to something. "Kagome…"
Whipping her head back up she saw the light of the shikon jewel shining in the middle of her fathers forehead. Feeling enraged she drew her arrow.
"Naraku! How dare you!" She yelled angrily. Being taken aback as he rushed at her she shot her arrow missing. Grabbing for her he squeezed her wrists as he was a breaths width away from her.
Dropping her bow she struggled quickly overwhelmed as he was physically stronger than her. "How did you know about this place?!"
"I know everything that Sesshomaru does. All of your conversations, all of your plans; how absolutely nauseating.
I had thought Sesshomaru better than that to hold such deep emotions in his heart."
"You hold nothing sacred! You wretch! You took them from me! My lover, my best friend, and now my fathers memory! Naraku!" Feeling all of her emotions boil over the energy erupted from her body in a blast that sent Naraku flying from her.
It sizzled around her as he glared up at her from the ground.
"What is this?! You aren't capable of this type of power!" He shouted as his illusion shattered around them into pieces and he was himself again.
"Silence!" She yelled the sound of her voice sending shockwaves that ripples towards him pinning him to the ground. "You think you can just keep on messing with people without any repercussions? That you can take loved ones from people and not be punished?"
Walking towards him she knelt down placing her fingertip to where the jewel was hidden. "Today you will answer for all of your crimes and find yourself at your own gate to the underworld."
"Go ahead. Kill me and you lose both Sesshomaru and Inuyasha." Naraku taunted.
"They would rather die by my hand than live in you." She said low.
"But you still don't know how to do that do you?" He mocked. Extracting the jewel from him she held it up between her thumb and forefinger. "No matter how much you cut away at my body you will never be able to kill me."
Standing over him she clutched the jewel in her hand.
"I wish that Onigumo had never suffered from the accident that resulted in him becoming Naraku." Kagome said.
"What?!" Naraku shouted enraged as he tried to break from his bonds. "You can't get rid of me so easily!"
"I just did." Kagome replied flatly. The jewel lit up brilliantly with sparks flying within it as if it were its own small galaxy. Wrenching from her palm it floated in mid air as its light enveloped Naraku.
Shielding her eyes from it she tried to see what was happening but the light was blinding. Hearing Naraku shout out soon the world around her melted away back to darkness.
"Kagome?" Distant voices reached her ears as she felt her mind buzzing. She felt hot and in pain. She didn't want to wake up and face what was before her but knew she had to.
"She's waking up. Thank goodness."
"Sango?" She managed out feeling her eye lids stick not wanting to open.
"Oh Kagome!" Rin shouted tearfully.
"Kagome, are you alright?" Shippo asked hesitantly. As the events came back to mind she sat up quickly becoming dizzy and sick from the excursion.
"Sesshomaru…Inuyasha!" She shouted out worriedly.
"We're here." Sesshomarus voice said from behind her. Glancing at him she saw that she must have been in his lap as he held her.
"That was some wish you made." Inuyasha stated. "And here I thought you had rocks in your head."
"Stupid." She muttered giving a small smirk. Sighing deeply she leaned back against Sesshomaru.
"Can you stand?" He asked concerned.
"Yes." Allowing him to assist her she saw all of the samiyosho falling to the ground dead and disintegrating. Miroku stood off to the side of them all staring at the palm of his hand.
"It's really over." He said softly. "Kagome, I can never thank you enough."
"We all did it, together." She said standing on her own. Looking around as Shippo sat up on her shoulder she nuzzled against him.
"Kagome, Rin was so worried about you." Rin said softly as she sniffled. Glancing down at her she placed her hand against the top of her head.
"I'm okay. I'm just glad that everyone is safe." She said offering her a small smile. Looking around she saw the shrine was destroyed under Narakus attack and sighed.
Thinking back she wondered where the jewel had gone. Searching she felt it within her own body again. Closing her eyes and sighing she supposed that it was for the best. "I want to rebuild the shrine for all of us. I want this to be our place."
"That sounds like a great idea." Sango agreed with a nod.
"This will be our home?" Rin asked looking between her and Sesshomaru. Smiling as he nodded his head once she wrapped her arms around Kagomes middle tightly.
"Well, let's get to it then. You up to it Miroku?" Inuyasha asked turning to his friend.
"No better time than the present to secure our future." Miroku said. Kagome watched as they walked off taking in the surrounding area.
"Have you decided then, on where you will stay?" Sesshomaru questioned softly. Nodding her head she met his gaze.
"Do you really think that I wouldn't stay here?" She queried back. "This is our home."
"I will survey the area to make sure nothing else is lingering." Sesshomaru offered.
"Good idea. We can start cleaning up." Kagome stated. Watching as he walked off she took Rins hand. "Feeling up to it you two?"
"Yes! Rin wants to help!" She yelled excitedly.
"Me too! We can make the shrine bigger and better than before! Not that smelly old building that used to be here." Shippo said scrunching up his nose. Giggling softly Kagome agreed.
Walking over towards Sango she felt an odd sensation as if something shifted. Gripping Rins hand more tightly it felt as if there was a shimmer to the air and in the blink of an eye Sango was gone.
"Kagome? What happened?" Shippo asked fearfully.
"You guys felt that?" She questioned back.
"Kagome! Look!" Rin pointed to their right to the modest shrine that stood on the grounds. "Where did it come from?"
As they walked over to it the distant sound of vehicles and the city reached her ears.
"Ugh! What's all the noise?" Shippo moaned covering his ears.
"Traffic." Kagome said distantly. Next to the doors of the shrine was a plaque declaring it a historical site. Swallowing hard she fought back the tears that threatened to fall. "We missed it. All of it."
"Kagome, where is Lord Sesshomaru and Jaken and An-Un?" Rins voice wavering considerably. Taking a deep breath she knelt down next to Rin placing her hands on her shoulders.
"I don't know." She responded softly. Watching as Rin lowered her head and wiped at her eyes she pulled her to her in a tight hug. "It will be alright. We can go back to my family's shrine and hopefully Sesshomaru or Inuyasha will know to look for us there."
"If they're even still alive." Shippo muttered sadly.'
"Shippo." Kagome hissed at him somewhat sharply.
"Lord Sesshomaru's dead?!" Rin wailed out becoming inconsolable.
"Okay. I guess we'll just wait here for now until we can head home." Kagome whispered lowering her head feeling her heart break.