Chapter 17

I left the study slamming the doors behind me. Damn that Sesshomaru. He avoided me like the plague when I was alone, but anytime I was with Himiko he wanted to cut in and push me away from her. What was the point in letting me stay here if he was trying to force me to be alone? I covered my ears. I didn't want to hear what he was doing to her, in there. I went back to Kagome's room. She was packing up the rest of her things. I watched her for a while before saying anything. I felt like if I waited to say something, it would stall her somehow from leaving.

"Were you going to leave without saying goodbye?"

She looked up at me, giving me a sad smile.

"You know I would never do that. I was going to come and find you after I was finished, but you saved me some trouble coming to me.

I huffed sitting on the bed. She stopped packing and came to sit beside me.

"Did Sesshomaru chew you out again?"

"Of course he did. Or at least he tried to. Himiko stopped him, you see. Keh, I don't know what his problem is. He is nice to you just fine."

She laughed. "Well, I don't go around purposely pissing him off. Besides, you two haven't always had the best relationship from what you've told me. It's going to take more than a month. To fix a century's worth of damage."

"He just needs to pull that stick out of his ass."

"Or... maybe he's realized that you have a thing for his lady..." she said trailing off.

"Kagome I never said anything like that."

She sighed. "Inuyasha, you didn't have to. I see the way you look at her. The way you're always trying to be around her. You chase after her like some lost puppy. I'm sure he sees it too. She is his Inuyasha. His mate and from the letter you showed me, she'll be his wife soon too. Not that it matters. Mate is as permanent as it gets. Maybe you don't realize how you feel about her yet. You can be very oblivious, but you'll see it soon enough."

I shrugged. "I just think that she is nice at all. Someone being nice to me is not something I've had a lot of. Yeah, I've had you guys, but she's different."

She gets it... she gets me.

"Mhmm, different you say. Let that one go Inuyasha. It's a painful thing to be on the wrong side of one-sided love. I should know."

Did Kagome love someone like that? I was tired of this subject.

"So... you're leaving. Just like Sango and Miroku did." I said changing the subject.

She had a sad look in her eyes.

"Don't hold it against them... and don't hold it against me either. You know that they have wanted to start a family for a long time."

I sighed. "I know. It doesn't mean I have to like it." I joked.

"Yeah I'm leaving, but you can still see the others. Mine is a bit more permanent. You can still go visit them in the village. Shippo's there too. My job here is done. We've put the jewel back together. We have had some great adventures. Even though we almost died a few times. I wouldn't change a thing."

"I'm grateful that you found me living alone in that forest. Even if I was an ass to you."

She smiled. "You were definitely an ass, for quite a long time at that."

I gave her a sad look. I held her hand and gave it a light squeeze.

"I'm gonna miss you Kagome... so much."

She squeezed my hand back.

"I'm gonna miss you too Inuyasha."

I could feel myself getting choked up, but I swallowed it and held it in. I was not a fan of showing my emotions.

"Oh come on Inuyasha. You have a family now. Don't try to ruin it. The years I've spent with all of you have been some of the best of my life... but I have to get back to it. My other life I mean. My real life. It's waiting for me, my other family is waiting for me."

She slipped her hand out of mine, standing up and picking up that yellow pack of hers.

"I've always hated that big yellow ugly thing." I joked.

She sniffled and laughed and pulled the jewel from around her neck.

"What are you going to do with that?"

She gave me a sad smile. "That is a secret, but you'll know soon enough."

She held the jewel tightly in her hand. She closed her eyes and made her wish. I couldn't help but wonder what she had wished for. I remember she told me that it had to be a selfless one. My eyes went wide. The jewel turned to dust and she was starting to disappear. My heart was pounding in my chest. It was happening. I wasn't prepared for it at all. I was frozen in my spot on the bed. Every part of me screamed to go and grab her, but I knew it wouldn't make any difference.

She smiled. "If you're still lonely, come and find me in the future."

Just like that, she was gone. As if she was never there... and I was alone; again. I kept my eyes on the spot where she was standing.

"Come find you in the future huh? Five hundred years is a long time. As if I will live that long."

I balled up my fists in my lap. The silence was finally starting to set in. I could hear my blood rushing in my ears. The door slid open snapping me out of it. I looked up, it was Rin.

She grinned. "Uncle Inuyasha, come and play with Rin!"

I guess I was not completely alone.