The End and Back Again
Chapter One
I gaze across the cooling ashes of last night's fire and smile at the lumps littering the hut—the forms of my sleeping friends. Not for the first time, I wish my first three years in the feudal era could have been as happy and easy as the last few weeks have been. The chunk of the jewel seems to pulse its agreement, reminding me that a good majority of that power now rests in the hollow of my neck. For now, we have the upper hand over Naraku, and I cannot describe how freeing that feels. At the moment, everyone rests peacefully and a sense of rightness washes over me.
The days have passed by with a happiness and togetherness that seems almost foreign to my group of friends. This little troupe of shard hunters works better since we traded in the fighting and bickering for peace, calm, and love. With less arguing and more discussion and teamwork, fights go smoother, which in turn means we have more shards in our possession. Everyone seems happier, which makes the burdens of our quest seem a bit lighter. We've moved past simply friends—these people around me have now become as important to me as family.
I learn over and give Shippou, who I've adopted as a son, a kiss on his sleeping forehead. He stirs briefly and mutters his goodbyes before falling back into his slumber. I pick my way across Kaede's hut, stopping at the door to look back on my ragtag family with a smile. The peaceful times like these are the one I want to cherish before the final battle comes.
I step out into the cool light of dawn, inhaling a breath of the crisp air. I look up to the roof of the hut and see that InuYasha isn't there. A couple months ago, this would have caused me to worry, but now I merely smile and start my trek to the well. I know he's probably somewhere around here, and InuYasha will undoubtedly catch up to give me a proper goodbye.
The giddy rush of love stirs within me as I remember the main cause for all of my happiness. Two months ago, on a morning much like this, I woke to find InuYasha gone. I went to the well to look for him and found him having a disagreement with Kikyo. After she left he looked to where I was standing. I walked over to him and sat by his side.
"It's over with me and Kikyo," I remember him saying. I also remember how my heart leapt to my throat in hope.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
He thought for a moment and then looked at me. "Yeah, I feel better than I have since before she was resurrected."
"Oh." I recall not wanting to push him into anything. I just wanted to be there for him as he dealt with this.
"I told her I couldn't do it anymore. I couldn't be with someone so cold and unfeeling when I had—"
I looked at him with big, hopeful eyes, wanting nothing more for him to finish that sentence, even though I knew he never would. So instead, I swallowed my selfish hope and grabbed his hand.
"It's okay, InuYasha. You don't have to talk about anything right now."
Much to my surprise, he brought my hand up to his lips and placed a gentle kiss on each of my knuckles. I don't think I was breathing at all during those few moments.
"But that's where you are wrong, 'Gome. I want to talk about this… with you."
"Okay."
"I told her that I couldn't be with someone so cold and unfeeling when I had you with all your warmth and love in my life. I told her that I picked you," he said gruffly.
All reason seemed to leave my being, and in a moment of pure joy, I launched myself at my friend and kissed him, hard. The kiss was full of passion and heat. My hands tangled in his hair as I straddled his lap. When I noticed that he wasn't returning the kiss, I started to pull away. That's when he growled and returned my gusto. His hands went into my hair and everything just picked up from there. Coincidentally, this is also why I had to explain French kissing to Shippou later that day…
I giggle at the memories as the well pops into view. Standing there beside my passage home is the very hanyou monopolizing my thoughts. He hears my giggle and looks up at me with that smirk I love. I practically skip into his arms and lean up to give him a soft kiss.
"Good morning, InuYasha. Were you out here waiting for me?"
"Just making sure ya got here safe," he grunts, but I still see the smile in his eyes.
"Well, thanks!"
"Get going so that ya can get back here," he said, giving me a hug and pushing me towards the well.
"I'll only be gone for three days, InuYasha. I'll be back before you really know I'm gone!"
"Can't wait until you are done with all these stupid tests," he grumbles as I slide over the lip of the well and blue light surrounds me.
"You just want me all to yourself," I say to the dark well house.
I sigh and start my climb up the side of the well. Coming home used to be a reprieve from all the stress caused by the jewel shards, Naraku, and InuYasha. Now that everything seems to be going great, I find that coming home for tests and leaving my little family seems a bit harder each time. I love my mom, Souta, and grandpa, but I love all the people I have to leave each time I come to this side of the well.
"I'm home!" I holler as I slide open the door and slip off my shoes.
"Kagome! Welcome back, dear!" my mom says as she appears from the kitchen and envelopes me in a warm hug. My arms circle up around her, and I sigh in happiness. "I take it that everything is still going well?" mom concludes after she's looked me over a few times.
"Yes, momma! Everything has been running so smoothly. InuYasha and I aren't fighting anymore and the group works better and faster. And look!" I pull the chain holding the jewel out from under my collar and almost laugh when her eyes go huge.
"It's grown almost double in size since last time I saw you!" she exclaims.
"I know! I told you everything was going smoothly! Mom, I'm almost done with this—with Naraku, demons, danger, the jewel, everything!" I say excitedly.
"That means you and InuYasha can finally settle down in the past, and you can have the life you deserve," she gushes. I just nod.
After InuYasha picked me we came and told my mom. She wanted to know what this meant for me, and he told her that when we mated, I would take on his lifespan. I could live with him in the feudal era all the way up until I was born here in the future. I could have a normal life and not sacrifice my time in either era. Mom seemed to approve of this idea, but really, I know she is more excited to have grandchildren with cute little ears.
"So how long will you be back this time?" she asks after a moment of quiet thought.
"I just need two days for my tests, but I plan to stay three so that I can do some damage control on my grades. I'll probably need that extra day," I sigh.
"That's very responsible of you, now go get to work. I'll bring you up some breakfast in a bit," she shoos me.
I walk up to my room and pull out my books. I'm determined to study and get good grades on this test so that I can graduate high school on time and live with all my friends. I couldn't stand having to go another year of high school!
"Momma!" I shout excitedly as I burst through the door. "I passed all my tests!"
"I knew you could," she smiles.
"My lowest grade was an eighty-six percent in algebra! I don't have to do any retakes!"
I know the exact reason why I did so well. I actually studied instead of the usual sighing and worrying if InuYasha was with Kikyo or not. I was able to accomplish so much when I didn't feel the constant need to worry.
"That's great, dear. Will you still be staying with us tonight?"
"No, I think I'm just going to take a bath and then go back tonight. We have work to do and I know everyone will be glad that I'm coming home a whole day extra!"
"I'll run your water while you go pack your bag. I'm proud of you, Kagome," she says, giving me a kiss on the head before she heads upstairs to the bathroom to run me a bath.
After packing my bag and soaking in the tub for a good hour, I'm on my way to the well house—back to the past and all the people I love there. The sun is just starting to set, and I'm eager to get back where I know the sunset will look even more dazzling. A few steps and a hop over the well later, I find myself looking up into an orange sky free of pollution and buildings. Smiling, I start climbing out the well.
I sit on the lip for a while and smile as the evening fades into a dim orange dusk. As I realize how long I've been sitting there, I frown. InuYasha should be here already. Normally, he picks up my scent and meets me at the well. I wonder if something bad happened in the village while I was home.
I am about to rush to the village when the glowing of a soul stealer catches my attention. As the phantom like apparition weaves through the trees, I know that Kikyo is near. Funny that I didn't notice the tugging on my heart and soul as I was watching the sunset.
As I follow the soul stealer deeper into the forest, I mask my presence— a handy little trick Kaede taught me. As the pulling on my soul becomes stronger, and I get closer to Kikyo, I start to hear moaning and panting. Thinking that she could be hurt, I quicken my pace to get to her faster, but when Kikyo finally appears through the foliage in front of me, I stop dead in my tracks and my heart feels like it stops beating.
Kikyo isn't alone, and that's why seeing her lying on the ground naked causes me so much pain. Above her is InuYasha, who is also naked and covered in sweat. Any idiot could see what the couple was just doing, and I am no idiot. When they don't look up at me, I'm shocked they can't hear all the noise coming where I'm standing—the sound of my heart breaking roars in my ears.
"InuYasha, this is wrong," says Kikyo, who obviously wasn't very into what just happened.
"Then why did it feel so good?" InuYasha growls as he starts to lean down towards her for a kiss. She just turns her face away and pushes him off her. At this point I'm betting InuYasha was the person who wanted this, not Kikyo.
"I refuse to do this to the girl. It isn't right to play with her heart like this, InuYasha. I refuse to do something so heinous. You were the one that told me I was cold and unfeeling. This is me feeling."
"I don't understand why you suddenly care. You never cared before."
"Before you hadn't told Kagome you chose her!" Kikyo says with authority. "She knew that you were with me! This sneaking and playing around is wrong, and I won't do this anymore."
I start to back away—my shattered heart cannot take any more of what's happening between the lovers in front of me. I know how this ends. He tells me that he wants Kikyo, not me. I am broken hearted, but I will end up staying by his side. I always do.
"What she doesn't know won't kill her," he says, and I can't hold my gasp of pain. He was never going to tell me, and that makes everything so much worse.
Upon hearing my gasp InuYasha's head snaps up and his eyes meet mine. This is when I know nothing will ever be the same.
A/N: NEW STORY! Guys, I'm seriously so excited about this story. It started out with a bit of dialogue floating through my head, and now I have the full outline. If this goes anything like how I hope, it will be epic. I was so excited about this I even stopped getting ready for prom to upload it! I hope that you all love this!
Leave me some love and let me know what you think!
The rating has been changed to M! Thanks!