InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ As A Courtesan ❯ Epilogue ( Chapter 21 )

MS- Okay so, this is rather important.

I decided to make this the final chapter for As A Courtesan. But guess what?! There's going to be a SEQUEL!!

There will be two widely used Japanese words in the story.
1. Anata - Dear (My dear)(Generally, wives use this term to call their husbands)
2. Koishii - Darling (Beloved)

.

Enjoy the Final Chapter of As A Courtesan!

-- Edited by KrazyRunya!

As A Courtesan
MiserablySweet

Epilogue

Previously...

Kagome was gone.

Fate was cruel indeed. Just when all seemed to look up for Kagome, she met her untimely death. Fate was something truly uncertain.

Was Fate playing tricks on them? Was this another trial to test Sesshoumaru's love for Kagome?

But she was gone, now…

.
Present...

Sesshoumaru caressed Kagome's still warm lips. His body was numb and tired. His mind was weary. His heart was heavy with grief and yearning. The combination of these emotions together sent Sesshoumaru into an overdrive. Even with all these emotions he could feel stirring inside of him, he felt hollow without Kagome. His mind, though weary, was already planning to avenge his beloved one.

 

Sesshoumaru's aura pulsed in anger.

 

'Malitzou.'

 

Those who felt his anger shivered from the raw, unrestrained power. "I will torture you until you beg for death."

Everyone's eyes widened in shock and fear at Sesshoumaru's deranged words. Touga feared the worse.

There are pure blooded Youkai that lose control of their mind to their inner beasts. The reason why makes little to no difference. Those Youkai were called Lost Souls. Their eyes are windows to their empty, spiteful souls filled with hatred and the desire to avenge. They are trapped within their own minds, not caring if they live or die, making them lethal creatures that will kill anyone and anything without hesitation at all. Touga didn't want his heir to fall into one of those lost souls. It would be most tragic if it happens.

"Sesshoumaru? My son," Touga called out to his heir.

Sesshoumaru's beast snarled and bared his fangs at his sire. His eyes were of a dark orange hue instead of the bright amber he was born with. His magenta stripes were lengthened and jagged. Sesshoumaru was on the edge of becoming a Lost Soul.

"Come any closer and I shall not spare your life," Sesshoumaru's beast hissed.

"Pup, you will show respect to your sire," Touga held his anger back; he had a very good reason not to. It was dishonorable and disrespectful to show such aggression towards ones sire. For the sake of his first pup, Touga swallowed his pride for the time being. "My son, you will control yourself," the Western Lord commanded, and folded his arms in front of his chest. He released some of his aura towards Sesshoumaru, telling him who was in control.

Sesshoumaru's beast snarled in defeat. He knew if there were to be a battle, he would not win. He slowly resided back in Sesshoumaru's mental chains, letting Sesshoumaru regain control of his body once more.

"My apologies Father," Sesshoumaru whispered dejectedly. His voice was hoarse and empty. No one, not even Touga himself, had ever witnessed such strong dose of emotion from the Western Prince. "We shall bury her."

Sesshoumaru pushed himself to stand on his feet. He didn't want to admit she was gone. His heart would never accept the fact that she was gone. But in reality, she needed a proper burial to send her to the afterlife with peace.

Ken clutched onto his young son, "Souta. Papa is sorry. Papa isn't worthy." The rightful Eastern Lord sobbed into Souta's shoulder.

He felt remorse for not telling Kagome of this sooner. He felt remorse that he was such a heavy gambler -- gambling to the extent where his family was put in danger.

"Kagome," Ken sobbed heavily for his beautiful daughter. "Papa caused your death. Papa isn't worthy."

"Sir, do not worry. We will make sure Kagome has a proper burial," Touga bowed his head at Ken.

"No," Ken ceased his sobs and tried to keep a calm composure. "I will bring my daughter back to the East for a proper burial."

"The East? As in the Eastern Lands?" Touga questioned. "What business do you have with the Eastern Lands?"

"Nothing... Everything."

Ken debated whether or not it was wise to tell them the truth but then decided on telling the truth after taking one glance of his dead daughter in the prince's arms. 'Maybe the truth will shed some light into our troublesome lives. '

"The Higurashi family is the rightful family to rule over the Eastern Lands," Ken stated bleakly. He didn't want to care about the Eastern Lands at the moment, but he knew it was his duty to restore some peace to the land. Kagome would've wanted it. His wife would've wanted it. He would bury the two most important women in his life in the back gardens of the Eastern Palace. If the gardens were destroyed, he would grow every single bush, tree, and plant with his own hands until it is restored.

"You lie," Touga narrowed his eyes dangerously. 'Does he speak the truth?'

Ken patted Souta's cheek lightly and looked up into Touga's liquid lava eyes. He opened his mouth to answer but was stopped when Sango, Miroku, Jyunchi, Inuyasha and Kouga who barged into the courtroom.

"What happened?" Jyunchi scanned the room and noticed Sesshoumaru clutching onto Kagome.

The atmosphere was heavy, tense, and filled with sorrow.

"Lady Kagome?" Jyunchi gasped. He noticed she looked stiff, and unresponsive. 'Is she wounded?' Jyunchi stepped closer for a better view. What he saw and smelt shocked him. His vision blurred slightly when he realized Kagome was dead.

Kouga clenched his eyes shut and leaned against the wooden door frame for support. The sight stung him. 'I didn't get a chance with you, Kagome.'

"NO!" Sango screeched and darted towards Kagome's body. Miroku gritted his teeth and snatched Sango into his arms. "Let me go Miroku!" Sango kicked and thrashed in his arms. "No," she sobbed. "She can't die... my lady Kagome... my friend."

She sank into Miroku's embrace. He had a remorseful look on his face. He too, was affected by Kagome's charms. It wasn't her beauty that captivated him. It was her innocence and her will to protect her family. 'May you rest in peace, Lady Kagome,'

Miroku closed his eyes and bowed his head.

"Sesshoumaru?" Inuyasha slowly crept up to his elder brother's side. "Are you okay?"

Sesshoumaru growled lowly. He had never hated his brother, but he wasn't too fond of him either. Now in a situation like this, were he was holding his dead beloved in his arms, Inuyasha dared to ask such a question.

'So, this is -- was... Kagome,' Inuyasha took a daring step and brushed his hand on her shoulder.

Before he could draw back, a sudden electrical zap coursed through Kagome and Inuyasha's body. Inuyasha was thrown back several feet and grimaced in pain, "What in the seven hells was that?!"

Ken witnessed the surge. "The necklace," he muttered under his breath, his eyes wide.

In the back of his mind, he knew it was the necklace's doing. 'Kagome's blood in the necklace must've reacted with her touch. ' Ken quickly withdrew the golden ring from his inner kimono pocket.

"My Prince, please hold still," Ken brought the golden ring next to an exposed skin area on Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru eyed the golden ring warily. He had no idea what Kagome's father had in mind. He inwardly thought he went insane from the trauma of his daughter's death.

Suddenly, he felt the item blend in with his aura. "Proceed," he called out to Ken. Whatever it was, he felt he had to find out. 'Maybe Kagome can be saved. '

Ken closed in the distance between Sesshoumaru's neck and the ring. They both received an electric charge.

Ken groaned in pain while Sesshoumaru silently bared the shock.

"What is the meaning of this?"

Everyone on the room was curious in why Ken would hold such an experiment.

"Give me the necklace," Ken ignored Sesshoumaru and stuck out his hand to receive the necklace from Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru growled at Ken's actions.

"Why?" Inuyasha protested. "I found this necklace in a cave, covered with boulders and poisonous insects. I risked life and limb to get it! Why should I hand it to you?"

"I-I don't know," Ken slumped onto the floor in defeat. He was unsure as why he thought the necklace and the ring would work. He was unsure why he was so excited over the electrical surge between Kagome and Sesshoumaru. With Kagome dead, Ken highly doubted that he could achieve anything with those two golden objects. Ken sighed and bowed his head depressingly, "It won't work."

"Are you stupid?!" Yuko shouted, breaking the tension and silence of the courtroom. She had been occupied with her sister before and had missed everything. Yuko was rather ticked off. She had been there since Inuyasha had been shocked by the necklace. Yuko knew what Ken was thinking. 'Why did you give up?'

"Get up!" Yuko gripped Ken's collar and hauled him onto his feet forcefully. "Your daughter is dead! Do you hear me? Dead! This may be your only chance to shed some light to everyone, to reveal the real truth, rather than let them believe the lies Malitzou fed them. I may have not known your daughter well, but everyone here deserves to know the truth!" Yuko snarled at Ken's lack of determination and hope.

Yuki gasped softly, she had never seen her sister so angry. She rushed over to calm her down. "Yuko, you mustn't be rough. He has lost a lot."

Yuko growled and released her grip on his collar and shoved him several feet back.

"You're pathetic -- first an honorable Lord, next a pathetic gambler. And now, you are no more than a hopeless man. Kagome deserves a better father," Yuko was relentless.

She hated to see mortals wallowing in self pity. 'It's pathetic,'

"Look at you. You look like you have lost everything in the world. Pathetic mortal," Yuko continued, growling. She didn't want to sugar coat words of truth for Ken. He needed to wake up and feel the risks that should be taken in a situation like this. "You still have your son. What will become of him if his father just mindlessly gives up because of one little doubt?"

"She is right, Lord Higurashi," Yuna materialized into the room. She bowed to her Lord and the Princes.

"Yuna? What is the meaning of this? Who are they?" Touga questioned his healer. He was too drawn to Yuko's speech to ask why she and the female next to her had just barged into the room.

"They are the Red Lantern Brothel owners: Yuko and Yuki Terepashi. During our retrieval of Ken and Souta Higurashi, we found them in the same dungeon. They were looking for Kagome-sama," Yuna explained. Before anyone could interrupt, Yuna spoke once more, "My Lord, Ken Higurashi speaks the truth. I have proof."

Ken's eyes suddenly lit up, "Yuna-san! You have proof?" A surge of excitement coursed through his veins. 'What proof?' he wanted to shout out but restrained himself for the time being.

Yuna nodded. "I have scouted the Western Lands for the Altar of the Heavens. And I have found it in the deceased Western Lady's secret garden. Come, all will be revealed soon enough. But I need both the ring and the necklace."

Yuna held out her hand to Inuyasha, who reluctantly took off the necklace and handed it to Yuna.

"Lord Higurashi? The ring, please."

Ken nodded and handed Yuna the golden ring.

"What do you know that I don't know?" Ken was puzzled by the amount of knowledge that one shape-shifter had. How did she know of all this? Was there someone guiding her? It really didn't matter to him, actually. He was putting all his hope and trust into the mysterious shape-shifter. If this failed, he would be lost, so he simply shove off his curiosity and merely scrutinized her every move.

Yuna smiled her ghostly smile, "Milady, Inu-Kimi, and your wife have spoken to me." She held onto her smile during the gasps and questions that emitted from the courtroom's audience. Yuna remained silent, said nothing else but one word: Come.

-0-0-0-0-0-

"I remember this place," Ken gasped.

This was where his wife, he, and the Western couple created the two soul binding jewelry. After all these years, he still remembered how hard Touga and him worked on the two objects. Ken prayed silently, hoping to find the answer to his grief soon.

Yuna stopped in front of a vine covered pillar with a height of a fang sword and a width of an hundred year old tree. She grasped the vines in her hand and dragged it to the side, uncovering a flat surface with two moldings engraved on it, a necklace mold and a ring mold.

"Here we are," Yuna lifted the necklace and held it close to its respective mold. "I do not know what this will do, but Inu-Kimi-sama has bid me to do so."

She fitted the necklace into the mold. The necklace hummed and began to illuminate a dark golden color. Everyone, including Yuna, held their breaths as she slowly fitted the ring into the mold. A sudden flash of lightning struck on the flat surface of the stone pillar.

A blinding golden hue lit the dark valley. All who knew of the Higurashi family before the treachery of Malitzou doubled over in pain. Whether they were there in the valley, or hundreds of miles away in the Eastern Lands, they all clutched their heads and screamed in agony. The traumatizing pain surged from their head to the tip of their toes. Sudden flashes of their missing memory returned to them, small pieces at a time. The more they remember, the greater the pain. The rest who knew nothing of the Higurashi merely shielded their eyes from the blinding light.

Just like how it began, the pain instantly stopped. That agonizing feeling felt by the villagers, nobles, and others seemed to last forever, but in reality, it was the length of the glow of a firefly. The blinding light dimmed to a soft glow and crept up to Kagome's body. It engulfed her stiff body and pulled her towards the base of the pillar.

"Kagome!" Sesshoumaru reached for Kagome's body as the light pulled her away from his embrace.

A sudden flash of Kagome's young smile ran across his eyes.

"What?" Sesshoumaru gasped. 'I know Kagome since her birth?'

Another image of Kagome in a cradle flashed through his mind. 'Was her father speaking the truth? Are they really the ruling family of the East?' Sesshoumaru didn't know what to do. Being confused was an understatement at the moment. 'If they had been the ruling family, why is it that she never mentioned anything like that to me?'

Sesshoumaru couldn't put his tongue on it, but he remembered her grace behind her movements. He grimaced again as another memory sparked up in his thoughts.

"Kagome, you're going to drop the books!" A young pre teen laughed tauntingly at the human child before him. The human child with midnight hair swung around with anger flashing in her cerulean eyes.

"If you keep saying that Sessh, I'm going to throw these books at you!" Kagome threatened. She had three books stacked on top of her head -- boy was she trying to keep steady!

With each step she took towards the young Sesshoumaru, the books wobbled in place. Kagome had to keep her head as parallel to the ground as possible, or else the books would fall. She couldn't move her head to look down at Sesshoumaru who was sitting comfortably on a pile of rich, luxurious furs. Instead, she kept her head straight, and glared at the quaffing Sesshoumaru with her eyes.

"You look like a harmless kitten monster with that stare, Kagome," Sesshoumaru smirked arrogantly. He glowed in triumph when Kagome growled in frustration. Well, a growl as close to a growl a human can make. Kagome huffed and threw her hands up in defeat. She looked down upon her friend and placed her small hands on her hips. The books glided down the top of her head and slammed into Sesshoumaru's chest.

"HA! Not so funny now, right?" Kagome taunted Sesshoumaru, who was rubbing his sore abdomen.

Sesshoumaru's eyes glistened evilly. His hand darted out to grab her wrist. With a forceful tug, Kagome fell on top of him. Kagome gasped when Sesshoumaru flipped their position over, with him straddling on top of Kagome.

"What about now?" he smirked.

"Sesshoumaru, get off me!" Kagome struggled to push Sesshoumaru off of her. Even if he was just a pre teen, he was obviously still superior in strength to Kagome.

She blushed deeply. No, she was too naive to know what that position could mean. But he was her crush. Being that close to him gave her little butterflies flying wildly in her stomach…

"Why?" He was curious to know why this position bothered her so much. He saw his father do it to his mother once or twice, he thought it was an affectionate jesture.

"I-I don't know!" the young Kagome covered her bashful face with her small hands.

Sesshoumaru laughed lightly and brushed her hands away from her face. He smiled and bent close to her face, and brought his lips to her forehead for a light kiss.

"I like it when you're red."

Sesshoumaru felt tears brim his eyes. He had known Kagome since birth. He remembered.

He remembered the tender moments they shared, the nights she sneaked into his bed when she had nightmares.

Sesshoumaru sighed softly. 'My Kagome, we were destined to be with each other. Why is it now that you're gone?'

He calmed himself with slow, deep breaths, preventing himself of shedding tears in front of everyone. Aside from his childhood memories, he also remembered the foul Malitzou's face giving her tendering caresses when Kagome ran up to hug her bodyguard.

'Malitzou loved her too,' Sesshoumaru closed his eyes in repressed anger and ire. He wanted nothing more than to avenge Kagome.

"My daughter, you have suffered immensely in these past few days," a hauntingly soft voice sounded through the valley.

Ken gasped, "Koishii?"

He knew it was his deceased wife's voice. He was sure he was not mistaken.

He felt his heart constrict. "Koishii, where are you?"

He frantically scanned the valley for his wife. He missed her greatly. Ken hadn't forgotten her touch, her soft caresses. and her heavenly scent. It had been a long and lonely ten years without the love of his life and he was determined to see her once more now that she was there with them.

"I am here, anata," a feminine figured materialized at the base of the pillar, cradling Kagome in her lap. The white luminous of her ghostly aura sent tingles up everyone's spine.

The dark maroon hair beauty smiled at her husband, "How are you, anata?"

Her voice was calm and serene.

'So that is from where Kagome received those exquisite eyes,' Touga thought. He glanced over to Ken, who crashed down onto his knees in shock after a few seconds.

"Seiren," Ken's body shivered as he whispers her name.

His deceased wife was right there in front of him, and he couldn't help but have all his past mistakes crash down onto his shoulders. He had forgotten how beautiful she was, one of the many reasons why he fell deeply in love with her. Seeing her now, it... it was an unbelievable experience for the former eastern lord. He fell forward, his body hunched over. One of his hands gripped the lush grass and soil, the other covered his face. Tears of sorrow, regret, and yearning poured out of the tired man. The tears splattered onto the grass like rain.

He had had enough of making mistakes. He needed to make things right.

"Papa?" Souta gripped his father's shoulder anxiously. 'Is this my mother?' he wanted to ask.

He was told his mother died when he was just a baby, he wasn't able to remember how she looked like. "Ma-Mama?" Souta felt his father's hand around his back, gently pushing him towards the beautiful woman.

"My son," Seiren held out her ghastly hand to her young son. "My, my, you have grown greatly."

Souta crept closer to his mother. Somehow, her ghost didn't scare him one bit. He had yearned to see his mother's face since he was young. He was determined to see her, to talk to her, and hopefully, to embrace her.

"Mama," Souta swallowed nervously. He was a hair away from touching his mother's hand. He closed his eyes and grabbed her strangely warm hand.

"My Souta," white tears streamed down her cheeks and pulled him close to her body. Souta gasped, it was all too much for his little body to handle. First his sister's death, and now he was hugging his deceased mother.

It was all too much.

Souta cringed when he brushed his hand across Kagome's cold hand. His eyes rolled to the back of his head and collapsed next to Kagome in exhaustion.

"SOUTA?!" Ken cried out for his son and raced to him.

The rest of the audience watched their small family reunion with shock and a bittersweet feeling. What shocked them the most was the appearance of Ken's dead wife. What's more, Souta and Ken were able to touch her. Was she truly a ghost or was she something else?

"Our son is fine. He is a little bit shocked," Seiren glided a warm finger against her husband's cheeks.

"You're warm?" Ken clasped his large hand over his wife's dainty one.

Seiren nodded and decided to dwell on another subject. "We must expose the truth to these creatures patiently waiting before us."

She smiled and nodded towards the Northern, Southern and Western Lord.

"Please do not be offended by this question, but... Aren't you supposed to be dead?" Jyunchi broke the heavy silence of the audience.

"Yes, but we are not able to pass to the other world until our destinies are fulfilled."

"'Our' Destinies?" Touga questioned, "You and which other?" Seiren smiled and nodded at the Western Lord.

"My love, have you forgotten me?" another feminine voice came from out of the blue.

"Kimi?" Touga stumbled several steps back. 'It is her voice, I know it. '

Like Ken's wife, had his mate come back from the dead? Did the Heavens answer his prayer to bring his beloved back to him?

'Too good to be true,' Touga gasped.

A beam of light shot down from the sky. The western lord's deceased mate stepped out of the light. Whispers and gasps of 'My Lady,' sounded throughout the group.

"Mother?" Sesshoumaru's eyes widened in pure shock. His thoughts about the death of his beloved resided into thin air as his mother smiled to him.

"My boys," Kimi spread her arms and grabbed her husband and her son in a loving embrace. She noticed Inuyasha standing at the edge of the group. "Come, Inuyasha, for I have missed you too."

Inuyasha held back his tears and raced to his adoptive mother's arms. The Western family was whole once more -- for now that is.

"What is the meaning of this...?" Lord Shiken questioned anxiously. He was beginning to fear it was the end of the world, as oddly as that sounded.

"I have a feeling, this Kagome, is not just a mere mortal," Lord Yorokobi said softly and patted his friend's shoulder. Shiken nodded mutely. He had never experienced these astonishing events in such a short period of time.

Like Seiren, Kimi had an eerily white glow about her body. The Western Lady smiled softly, "Seiren and I can not change Fate's doing. However, Fate has sent us to you for Kagome has an unfulfilled destiny."

"Kimi, this is no time for riddles!" Touga had a hint of annoyance in his voice. "What of Kagome?"

He felt Sesshoumaru's body tense besides him when he mentioned Kagome's name.

"Mother, what did you mean by 'an unfulfilled destiny?' Does that mean she was not meant to die?" the prince asked with a level headed tone.

He refused to panic, unlike his father. He had a feeling his mother and Kagome's mother were sent down here for a reason, and he would find the answer one way or another.

The silver haired female youkai smiled at her son. Sesshoumaru shivered slightly. He noticed his mother and Seiren always had an eerie smile on their face.

"Even before any one of us is born, Fate sets a destiny for each and every one of us. My destiny was to be mated with your father and produce an heir that can rule all of Japan peacefully and honorably," Kimi lovingly caressed her son's cheeks. She watched quietly as his eyes widened in shock after he digested that short but important piece of information.

"Heir that controls all of Japan? It is I?" Sesshoumaru ignored the gasps from the beings behind him. He was more than curious now to find out why his mother was here on Earth.

Kimi nodded. "That is correct. Fate wanted to make sure you, my son, will not become a power-hungry ruler. So she has made the destinies of Ken and Seiren Higurashi to bring forth a female heir that will be mated to you, to help guide you through your conquests."

"Kagome," Sesshoumaru whispers his beloved's name.

Kimi nodded with a solemn face at Kagome.

"It is Fate who didn't expect Malitzou to break the chains of destiny. She has given us the task of fixing what Malitzou has broken. Seiren and I cannot change Fate's decision, nor could we ask for any more information than what she has given us. But we can quote: Two destinies shall not be changed due to a misguided yearner."

Kimi nodded towards Kagome's still body. She wondered if her son could figure out what she meant. Seiren chuckled lightly.

"Perhaps we shall tell him, Kimi. It is what your mate said; this is no time for riddles."

"Yes..." Kimi closed her eyes and shook her head knowingly. Her mate's riddle solving was of a ten year old human child. "Sesshoumaru, Kagome carries your heir."

Sesshoumaru's breath hitched in his throat. His knees turned to jelly and gave out underneath him, and slammed into the luscious green grass.

"What?" He gasped.

His heart swelled with pride for a moment before reality crashed down around him. His love and pup were dead. He was unable to protect what would've meant the most to him: his mate and his pups. He felt his chest was tightening around his heart painfully. It was almost hard to breathe.

'Kagome...' Sesshoumaru's chin quivered, his eyes were brimmed with unshed tears.

Kimi and Seiren watched silently when the three Lords growled in frustration. From what the two Ladies could tell, the Lords were angry at themselves for harming two innocent lives. In their eyes, they were as guilty as the one who pierced Touga's blade into her small body.

Kimi's heart broke when she saw her son bordering between hatred, anguish, longing, and regret.

"Enough," Kimi brought her hand up in front of her to cease their remorseful thoughts. "Fate saw the path Sesshoumaru was heading to because of Kagome's death. She predicted a land filled with fear and sorrow for all creatures if he were to conquer Japan on the border of becoming a Lost Soul. Fate did not expect Kagome to carry Sesshoumaru's child this soon. She controls destiny but not time itself. Malitzou's use of the dark arts wrecked havoc in Fate's home. In order to restore some peace to the land of Japan, she gives you all a message: Malitzou must be killed before the birth of Kagome's child."

"Birth? That is impossible! Kagome is no longer living," Sesshoumaru growled lowly.

He bowed his head in sorrow. As much as he wanted to hold Kagome in his arms again, to feel her soft lips, he was convinced it was not possible. Kagome was no longer in the world of the living.

Kimi bent down to Sesshoumaru's level and hooked a finger under his chin. She eased his head up to look into her eyes.

"Fate has given her a second chance. She and your pup will live."

"How?" Sesshoumaru asked, somewhat bewildered. “Why?”

Sesshoumaru had a feeling his mother was not lying to him. He couldn't help but wonder why Fate was being so kind to bring Kagome back to the realm of the living.

He wondered how that was even possible.

"Seiren, please," Kimi stood up and glided towards Kagome's body.

Seiren nodded and withdrew a white velvet pouch from her kimono. Kimi parted the kimono on Kagome's body, revealing a small spot of her bosom. Kimi nodded to Seiren, who opened the velvet pouch and withdrew a glowing cerulean orb. Sesshoumaru and the rest of the Lords, servants, guards and loyal followers watched with baited breath as the two Ladies pushed the orb into Kagome's bosom.

Kagome's body gave off a light glow, the same color of the orb. The glowing orb disappeared under Kagome's flesh. Her body reacted quickly to the sudden surge of desire to live. Kagome subconsciously took her first, raspy breath.

"Kagome!"

A chill crawled up Sesshoumaru's spine as relief and adrenaline coursed through his body. His body felt numb, a numb that was far greater than the feeling he went through when he held his dead beloved in his arms. Sesshoumaru wanted to hold her, to be the first one she saw when she opened her eyes. He motioned to stand on his feet but his mother stopped him.

"Sesshoumaru, there... There is a condition," Kimi mentioned reluctantly. These words stopped Sesshoumaru in his tracks; he feared the worst.

"What condition?"

He prayed to the Heavens that it was not that she'll be here until she gives birth to his pup. No, he didn't want her to leave him ever again.

Kimi held out her hands in front of her. A silver box with carved in decorations materialized on one hand, the other a metallic flower bloom with five petals.

"In order to reassure Fate that you are fit to be the Supreme Ruler of Japan... You must go through The Five Revelations."

"What if I refuse to be the ruler?" Sesshoumaru didn't let his mother finished. All he cared about was his chosen mate, and his unborn pup.

"My Prince, you can not refuse. The moment Kagome is given another chance, her memories are divided into five sections. Each layer of the box has a piece of Kagome's memory," Seiren explained with a hint of worry in her voice.

"Memories? Koi, when she wakes up she will not remember who we are?" Ken swallowed nervously.

He didn't like the fact that his daughter would not remember who her father is.

'Maybe that is a good thing,' he thought bitterly. If she would not remember him, she would not be embarrassed to have such a troublesome father.

"Her memories of Sesshoumaru, Malitzou, and the events at the Western Palace and the Brothel will be locked. It will be like a normal day at the hut before she met Sesshoumaru or Malitzou. The last thing she will remember will be that you, my husband, are heading back to the brothel to return the money to Yuko," Seiren closed her eyes. She knew Sesshoumaru would oppose such a condition.

"What? What about our pup? She can not go on living like she is not with child!" Sesshoumaru growled. "Why is it that Fate will lock her memories of me?"

"Sesshoumaru, in this condition you are in no shape to become a supreme ruler," Kimi rubbed soft circles on Sesshoumaru's shoulders, hoping to calm him down.

Sesshoumaru inhaled deeply to gain control of his anger and nodded. What else can he do? If his mother and Kagome's mother couldn't change Fate's decision, how could he? Kimi smiled and materialized the items into her hand again. She lifted the metallic flower bloom above the box.

"Each petal the name of the revelations you must conquer: Patience, Honor, Forgiveness, Temperance, and Love. Each petal has its own design and will only unlock the same layer on the box." She then lifted the box higher. On each layer, there was a golden buckle keeping it shut. "Sesshoumaru, please understand. You are not given a choice. If you refuse to have these revelations, her memories will be locked in that box forever."

Sesshoumaru was silent. His head was bowed, his bangs covering his eyes. He didn't know how to feel at the moment. He was relieved his precious pup, and his love are alive. Yet at the same time, if he fails to reassure Fate that he can become an honorable ruler, Kagome would lose her locked memories forever. Sesshoumaru sighed a troublesome sigh and held out his hands to receive the items.

"Why is it that Fate wants me to be the Supreme Ruler? Why couldn't she choose Father? Or the other Lords who are more experienced than I am?" he asked with bitterness etched in his voice.

"We can not answer that, my son," Kimi turned her back to her son and stared at Seiren with hesitant eyes, "It is time..."

Seiren nodded and eased Kagome's body into Ken's arms.

"I'll miss you, anata. But I shall always look after our little family from the Heavens," Seiren brushed her lips against her husband's quivering lips.

He closed his eyes and held back his tears. He knew his wife was going to leave. He knew from the beginning she would not stay long.

"Be sure to restore peace in the Eastern Lands. Restore our gardens and move my grave under the Sakura tree that I always loved."

Ken nodded. Large, salty tears slipped down his eyes; he was unable to mutter a goodbye.

"My mate, please guide our son towards the right path of becoming a ruler. For the sake of your unborn grandchild," Kimi melted in her mate's embrace.

"You're leaving?" Touga finally found his voice and asked through teary eyes.

Kimi nodded.

"Our destinies were to help Sesshoumaru onto the path of becoming a just and honorable Supreme Ruler. The rest is up to Kagome. Seiren and I will pass onto the other world and look over everyone from the Heavens."

She kissed her mate one last time before heading to her son. "Sesshoumaru, be strong. Mama will always guide you," Kimi brushed a lone tear that slipped down her son's cheeks.

Sesshoumaru nodded. "Goodbye Mother."

"Inuyasha, we will continue to guide you on your journeys to China and Korea. Don't you worry," Kimi embraced her adoptive son tenderly.

Inuyasha nodded mutely, he too was unable to say goodbye to the adoptive mother he's always loved.

Kimi turned away from her loving family. "Goodbye," she whispered over her shoulder and stepped into the beam of light.

Seiren smiled softly to Souta, who was holding onto her waist.

"My son, you shall ascend the Eastern throne when you are ready. Be strong, and believe in yourself."

Souta cried loudly and tightened his grip on his mother. Seiren stared at Ken with pleading eyes. Ken nodded and pulled Souta away from his mother.

"Goodbye," she whispered and stepped into the beam after Kimi. The column of light levitated into the sky and vanished into the stars.

The creatures in the valley were in deep silence. They rejoiced at the return of Kagome. Yet at the same time, they mourned for the troubled Prince. He had to conquer five revelations to unlock his chosen mate's memories. Not one of them was easy.

"Sesshoumaru, what will you decide?" Jyunchi brought his hand on his childhood friend's shoulder.

Sesshoumaru remained silent for several more long moments. What would he decide? He could always start new memories with Kagome. But it wouldn't be the same and he knew it.

He would walk into Hell and back if it meant saving her.

Sesshoumaru sighed inwardly, regaining his strength somewhat.

"I have no choice. Fate has given me Kagome once more. She has given me something to hope for, even if it kills me... I will unlock all of her memories."

~ Fin ~