Happy Ending by soulNchantress

The final leg...

    I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA.  Inuyasha is owned by Rumiko Takahashi.   I am not making money for this. (sob)     

          Kagome woke early that morning.  She had alot of ground to cover today.  It's time to finish this. Her thoughts where centered on her adventures, and the horrible ending. Where is my happy ending? 

          The hunt was looking up for the group.  The last precious shards of the Sacred Jewel were in Kagome's keeping.  Sesshomaru was defending them against everything that came their way. 

          The mighty Lord of the Western Lands joined with the pack six months before.  Information wasn't easy to come by when you slaughtered first and asked no questions. Not to mention the fact that his majestic self believed that humans, and any informaton they may have, was worthless to him.  No, he decided that Inuyasha was finally good for something.  God forbid anyone take his regal right to kill Naraku away from him!  So, he thought it was better to "ally" himself with the "band of misfits".  If they didn't need his skill so badly, Kagome would have told him how to go "royally fuck himself".  Of course, Inuyasha did tell him, but for the purpose of extendng the olive branch, Kagome sat him.

          Inuyasha...her first, and last offical protector.  Her best friend.  Her first love.  Her heartbreaker.  He was so much to her.  In the end he became a brother to her.  He had promises to keep, and keep them he did.  All the way to the bitter end.  He helped to distroy Naraku, completed the jewel, and, he gave up his wish.  Everyone was absolutely dumb-struck.  He always wanted to become a full demon.  Or so they thought.  Kagome was positive that with the clay version of Kikyo around that he would want give her a "true" life.  However, he stated that he was keeping his promise to go to Hell with her.

          Songo and Miroku married three months after the battle.  Miroku understandingly gave his beloved slayer time to mourn the loss of the last of her family.  He was broken, in more ways than one, by the time Naraku absorbed the boy into his foul self.   Songo was ready to follow her brother in death, but the perverted monk became the warrior's strength.  Now they were expecting their second child.  A perfect example of a simple happy ending.

          She smiled to think of how hard Inuyasha worked to give her a happy ending, even if it wasn't with him.  He knew he could not defend Kikyo and herself at the same time, so he swallowed his ego and tried to find her a secondary protector.  His ego, being what it was, would not let just anyone take up the position.  He automaticly ruled out Kouga. "That wimpy wolf would get your weak self killed before the end of the first day!"  She reminded him that she had Songo, Miroku, and Shippo, and he quickly reminded her that they didn't have the strength to fight and protect her at the same time.  "Besides," he said, "Shippo couldn't fight his way out of a paper sack."  In the end he approached his half-brother.  He asked that Sesshomaru keep an eye on her.  That he protect her to the best of his ability and defend her with everything he had until she was safe.  "Hn."  What kind of an answer is that?  She guessed it was a 'yes' cause that's what Inuyasha understood it to mean.

         The pack got on well.  Sesshomaru stuck close to Kagome, keeping her from harm in the times Inuyasha was not around.  He was always so silent, Kagome felt that he was her stalker.  She tried to engage him in polite conversation, but he appeared to be a demon of very, very few words.  She guessed that polite for him meant that he didn't harm or yell at her.  She giggled to think that she suggested that he blink once for 'yes' and twice for 'no'.  At that point she had thought that he would give her a specific non-verbal hand gesture. Eventually he did start to talk to her.  Well, she talked, he blinked, or would give one word answers or questions.  She realized two things.  One: He saved her life on a regular basis. Two: Her regular brushes with death loosened her tongue.  She became The Prattling Priestess.  He was forced to speak up to shut her up, and thus, the start of getting to know each other.  Not that she learned much.  She probably knew two things more about the Inu than everyone else.

          After the final battle, Inuyasha followed Kikyo into Hell.  He left Kagome his Fire Rat and Tetsusaiga.  He gave her a hug, and her very first kiss.  It was kind of messy.  She was crying too hard to enjoy it.  He turned from her and followed his first and only love into Hell.

          She had been broken.  She clutched his possessions to her chest and sobbed bitterly.  Miroku and Songo approached her to comfort her.  She wept tears for her best friend into the shoulder of her sister with Miroku hugging them both.  After a time, her cries subsided and the pack headed home to Edo.

          Two days later they built the memorial for the beloved half-demon and made the final wish on the Jewel.  Shippo made the wish.  He was so upset over Kagome's sorrow, that his small heart broke for her.  He wished that the Jewel's guardian could one day make peace with her adventure.  It was very uneventful.  There was no flash, no band, no anything.  Just a dull round sphere in the kit's palm.

          Kagome had stood up and hugged her friends goodbye.  She turned to the Great Lord and bowed low.  She approached him to say goodbye.

          He stood there.  Long silver hair blowing in the wind.  His face expressionless.  His cloathing impeccable.  "Go home, Miko.  You're duty here is finished.  As is mine.  You are safe."  And with those words, he, too turned from her.  He walked out of her life as silently and he walked through it.

          On a brighter note, the Bone Eaters Well still worked.  For three years after the last battle she continued to travel to the past.  Kagome visted her friends at least once a month.  They had no clue as to why it still functioned, but they were not complaining about it.  She found comfort with them, but she was not happy.  There was too much heartache and doubt in herself to let go of.  She could not go back and change things, and she could not give up the past.

           Kagome threw her blanket off of herself and sat on the edge of the bed.  She looked at the clock.  Twenty minutes had passed!  She had better get a move on, or she defeated the whole purpose of setting her alarm clock.  It was time to finally let go.

           Once she was dressed it was time to pack.  For the last time she stuffed her old, yellow backpack with everything she would need for her journey.  She packed the gifts for her friends, and the candy for Shippo.  She packed her clothes, and her food stuffs.  Then she opened her closet and she packed Inuyasha's Fire Rat and the Tetsusaiga.  She finally had everything she needed.

          After a quick farewell to her family.  She hopped through the time portal to past.

          She struggled to climb out of the well.  After all of this time she still caught herself expecting to see silver hair and doggie ears at the top waiting for her.  Then she would remember, and she would be so depressed that she would not have cared it it was the silver hair and cresent moon of her other protector awaiting her.  But she hadn't seen him in three years either.

          When she made it to the top.  She sat for a moment to catch her breath.  Thankfully this would be the last time she had to lug her heavy backpack there and back again.  She stood and made her way into the tiny village of Edo.

          Kagome arrived at Songo and Miroku's hut and greeted Shippo, who had came bounding out to meet her. 

          She stayed for the night. The time spent with them was bittersweet.  This was the last time she would ever see them again.  She planned to go straight to the well when her journey was finished.  Kagome gave them each the gifts she had for them.  For Miroku and Songo she gave them a photo album filled to the brim with pictures of them all.  It kind of told the story of their adventures.  She wanted them to have a way of remembering that they could pass to their children.  She asked that they tell them about her and about Inuyasha.  He had such a rough life, that he sould be shown love and respect in death.  Shippo, of course, got his candy.  She also gave him enough crayons to last for a few years.  For her mentor she gave her a book of modern herbal remidies, with a few old-wives tales from all over the world thrown in.

           She rose early in the morning and said goodbye to her feudal family.   Songo let her borrow Kilala to take her to her next destination.  Kagome told her to expect Kilala back the next day around evening.

          With final hugs and lots of tears Kagome mounted the fire cat, and then she headed west.

          Kagome arrived early that evening at the Western Lands.  She dismounted Kilala and went about gathering firewood for camp.  Kilala curled up under a tree on a soft pile of dried leaves to rest.  Once she had a fire going, she went to a nearby stream to get water.

           As she bent over to fill up her kettle and her tea pot she felt the air around her shift.  With a soft gasp, she looked up to see the Lord of the Western Lands. Still as perfect, beautiful, and silent as ever, she thought.

          "Miko.  Why have you returned?  Should you not be at home?" He jumped over the stream toward her, but he made it look like floating.

          When he landed, she slowly rose and gave a deep bow to him.  "Lord Sesshomaru, I have come to return some things that belong to you."

         "You, miko, have nothing that belongs to This Sesshomaru."  He tipped his head slightly to acknowledge her bow.

          "I have your family's possessions, My Lord.  Would you please come with me back to my camp to get them?"  Kagome was slightly upset at all the pomp that usually went with talking to Him.  What she wanted to say is, 'Look, I've come all this way to give you his damn sword, the least you can do it take it.'  Of course, she didn't.  They had not spoken in years.  It was too long of a gap to be so informal with him.

          "Hn," he replied.

          Kagome took that as a 'yes'.  She collected her tea pot and her kettle and turned to go to camp.  He followed along behind her, ever alert to his surroundings.  When they arrived, she offered him some tea which he accepted.  She made him tea and held a one way conversation with him.  She asked yes and no questions to make it easier for her to get answers if he would give them.  She inquired of Rin, his lands, and things in general.  He would give short nods or shakes of his head for answers.

          After tea, while her dinner cooked, she went to her bag and withdrew Inuyasha's Fire Rat.  She also withdrew the Tetsusaiga.  She approached the Great Inu, knelt in front of him and presented them to him.

          "Why do you offer these to me, Miko.  Where they not given to you?"

          "Yes, My Lord, but they belong to you and your family."  She continued to hold the item out to him.  He studied them for a moment and then gingerly excepted them.  He sat Inuyasha's Fire Rat beside of him in a neatly folded pile.  He grasped the hilt of the Tetsusaiga.  A faint expression of suprise crossed his glorious features when it did not repel him.  "I think now that Inuyasha no longer needs it, Tetsusaiga is really yours now."

          "He placed the sword beside of him on top of the Fire Rat.  "I have no need of it.  Tell This Sesshomaru why you are giving it to him."

          "I have clung to the past for far too long, My Lord.  It's time I let it go.  I cannot do that with these things to remind me of the friend I lost.  They also remind me that the day has come to finally say goodbye.  I have enough to remember him by.  I have enough to remember everyone by.  Except you, My Lord.  This is to be my last journey here among you all.  So this journey will be what I remember about you."  She moved back next to the fire.  Kagome removed her dinner and set it on a plate to cool.

          "Hn.  This Sesshomaru thanks you for returning my family's possessions, Miko Kagome."  He stood to leave.

          Kagome looked up at him.  "Please, My Lord, if it is not too much to ask, would you please stay for awhile longer?  I've never been out in the forest here at night by myself."

          He sat agian.  Kogome ate her dinner and then talked to him.  She told him about their adventures before he joined their group.  She told him about her time traveling because this was to be her last journey.  She told him things about the her time.  She talked until she could not keep her eyes open.  Kagome unrolled her sleeping bag and settled down for the night.  She mumbled a 'goodbye' to Sesshomaru because she was afraid that he would not be there when she woke up.

          "Go to sleep, Miko.  You are safe.  This Sesshomaru made a promise."  The Western Lord rested aginst the trunk of a tree.

          Kagome watch him for a few moments before sleep claimed her.  She thought it odd that Heavenly Beings didn't speak much. She fell asleep dreaming of angels and demons, and journeys that never ended.

          She awoke the next morning to a clear blue sky.  Her fire had burned out, but it was warm that night so she didn't care.

          "The area is safe, Miko.  Pack your things and return to your home."  He stood beside the tree he rested on looking for all the world like a Fallen Angel.  In his left arm he carried the items Kagome had given him.  "Miko, when your time comes to pass, This Sesshomaru may seek you out to see the truth of your time traveling."

          Kagome didn't want to tell him that demons did not exist in her time.   It was still hard to believe that anything could ever kill the Lord of the West.  She chose to give him her goodbye in the only way she knew how, without telling him of the extinction of demons.  "Maybe we will meet again when my journey is over.  I would like very much to tell you of my trip.  Where I am going, no one will remember what this time was truely like.  I would welcome someone who would remember with me."

          "Hn.  Demons always remember," he stated.  Then for the second time in her life, he turned away from her and disappeared into the forest.

          Kagome was sad.  At least he held true to image.  She would always remember him exactly as he is.  So sure that demons will always last, always survive.

          She finished her breakfast, cleaned her plate, and packed up her campsite.  Then she mounted Kilala and headed for home.

          Later that evening she arrived at the bone eaters well.  "Goodbye Kilala.  I hope I see you again in 500 years.  Take good care of Songo and the children. I'll miss you." 

          Kilala gave a mew and rubbed her head under Kagome's chin. She then took off into the air and headed for her home.

          Kagome couldn't believe that she did it. The final leg of her personal journey was over.  She was finally letting it go.  She was over it all enough that she could finally find some peace.  So what if her happily every after didn't come from here.  She still had alot of living to do.  She would just have to search for it elsewhere.  With one last, deep breath of clean, smog-free air she hoisted her lighter backpack onto her shoulder and entered the time portal.

          When the blue light dimmed down to nothing, she landed at the bottom of the well and exhaled the last breath of her time in the feudal era.  She paused for a moment and then inhaled the first breath of her new life.  Feeling lighter in spirit, she climbed the ladder toward the roof of the well house.  Just for kicks she stood on the fifth rung and let go.  Kagome hit the very solid bottom of the very non-magical well.  She smiled her first truely happy smile in three years and again climed the ladder.

          Flinging the well house doors open, she was greeted with the pinkish orange glow of the setting sun.  She started  walking accross the courtyard to her house.

          "Took you long enough.  How was your trip?"

          She spun toward the God Tree and stared open mouthed at the vision before her.  Lord Sesshoumaru stood with long silver locks pulled into a high ponytail.  He wore jeans and a button-up dress shirt.  Was that a Rollex on his wrist?  His eyes took her in like he hadn't seen her in years, which for him was the case.

          He smirked at her, an actual half smile, and his eyes seemed to twinkle with amusement.  "It feels like I have waited forever for you to come back.  So, I'll ask again, How was your trip?"

          "Sesshoumaru," she breathed.  Kagome walked up to him and smiled a huge heartfelt smile.  "It was good.  Not too much happened though.  But you know, the best part about a journey, is coming home."

The End

This is my absolute first Fanfiction.  I'm kind of proud of it.  Hope you all like it.

soul