InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Forgotten Memories ❯ Come Back... ( Chapter 22 )

Chapter Twenty-Two

Come Back...

A/N: I'd have to make my apologies right now: This chapter is NOT as long as it looks. When it goes down halfway, there will be the Author's Corner. Just telling everyone right now, so that they will not be too surprised by the length of the long corner.

IMPORTANT!

READ THIS CORNER CAREFULLY. Again, everyone, read this carefully!! The corner will FULLY EXPLAIN any questions that you should have. That said, hope everyone will remember to READ and REVIEW!!!

Sesshoumaru and all the remaining troops brought Kagome's body back to the Lands. Raion had lost one arm, while both Mizu and Kirei had died from the onslaught.

The reduced army could only wait for the remaining lords to tell them what they need to do. The Outlaws remained in their lands, defeated, feeling cheated and manipulated by Naraku. The hanyou had used them, as a means to an end. And now, the Lords would forever leave them there to rot in this land, never to be anything more than garbage and cowards in their eyes.

---

Sesshoumaru and the rest of the army headed over to the Dragons and the boats, tired and drained from this battle against Naraku. Sesshoumaru slowly put Kagome down onto his bed. Her eyes remained closed, her cheeks paled. Two hands clutched upon her heart.

He didn't understand. Why did she have to go? Why is it that he, Sesshoumaru, had been reborn when she had not?

Stroking her face ever so tenderly, grief-struck eyes closed to the world. "Kagome..." he whispered, as silent tears coursed down his cheeks. Twin streaks of tears cleared out parallel tracks, on his bloodied face.

"Kagome..." he whispered again, falling down onto his knees, beside her. He grabbed onto her body, as though it was his salvation. Her head lay limply over his heart, pale cheeks pressed against bloodied shirt.

"Sesshoumaru..."

The door opened, revealing to him the body of his brother. InuYasha didn't say anything, but only stared at the out of character display. Sesshoumaru clutched at Kagome, as though there was no tomorrow, sorrow and regret protruding from him so thickly, he could practically taste it.

He swallowed and had to turn away when he caught sight of his best friend. Or what was left of her.

If only he hadn't been tricked by that bitch.

He blinked, turning away from her. His throat burned, as he remembered the scene of when Miroku finally died. How ironic. He'd been alone before Naraku-and now, he's once again alone after Naraku.

Perhaps he was just destined to be alone.

He loosened the fist that held the Shikon so tightly in his grip. The purified jewel blinked innocently up at him, as though waiting for him to make his wish. His wish...

InuYasha chuckled dryly, a dead and mirthless sound.

In the end, there had been no point. Perhaps the Gods had liked him to stay a hanyou. Perhaps, they mocked him with his attempts to change.

His gaze flickered to Kagome, before returning to the Jewel.

He walked over to the grieving Sesshoumaru and laid a hand on his shoulder. He didn't quite understand what had really happened between Sesshoumaru and Kagome. He also didn't quite know how it is that his brother could actually FEEL. But-

Sesshoumaru didn't respond.

InuYasha, nodding to his unasked request, slowly turned and left the room. He shut the door behind quietly and turned famed golden eyes onto the sky.

---

The day finally came, when everyone returned to their Lands. Happily, all the servants dashed out of the Western Castle, eager to see their Lord. All the way in the front was Rin, running as quickly as her legs would carry her. She held in her hands a beautiful bouquet of golden flowers.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" she cried happily. Her eyes dimmed, however, when she caught sight of the figure lying so still, in his arms.

Her brown eyes blinked with worry, as she recognized the figure of her Kagome Nee-chan. "Sesshoumaru-sama...?"

Sesshoumaru stopped briefly and looked his ward over. Then, a second later, he had continued on, heading towards a certain village all the way at the border of his Lands.

---

The people of Kaede's village stood waiting when they heard of the arrival of Sesshoumaru's, Demon Lord of the Western Land, arrival. They all faulted, however, when they saw HER in his arms.

Kagome Higurashi, reincarnation of their beloved miko Kikyo, lay so palely, so silently. Unknown to them, they all shuffled into a respectful split down the middle, allowing the Demonic Lord access to his destination. Everyone bowed their head, not for the Lord, but for the dear miko, who had touched their hearts.

Could it be? Could that warm ray of sunshine have been extinguished?

It was too horrible a thought to hover upon.

Arriving to the Bone-Eater Well, they all stopped. Sesshoumaru blinked, as he gently laid her by the worn well. A hand reached out and gently touched a cheek. So cold, so dead...

"Kagome," he whispered.

---

InuYasha saw the unplanned ceremony. He sat on the branch of the God Tree. The single tree that had possibly witnessed every significant event of his existence. He turned a gaze over at the tree and smiled. "You'll witness one more." He promised.

The pinkish-lavender jewel appeared in his hands, sparkling with their intense purity. He swallowed, as he thought of Kagome, Miroku, and Sango. He swallowed, thinking of the pain Sesshoumaru went through at the loss of his love. He shut his eyes completely, realizing all the pain Naraku must have swept through all of Japan.

With his eyes still shut, he held the jewel up to his heart. And wished.

---

Kagome blinked, when she sensed a presence appearing into her meadow. Her eyes widened in shock, when she recognized the figure. The figure of a woman who had died five hundred years before.

"Midoriko-sama!" Kagome gasped. "What are you doing here?"

:A pure, selfless wish has been made. I am here to fulfill it.: Midoriko smiled. :Come, Kagome.:

The girl blinked and furrowed her brows in confusion. "Come? Come where?" Reflexively, her hands tightened on her Tree. Her silver tree. "Where do you want me to go?"

:It is not your time yet, Kagome. Your time still ticks, it continues to go on. You've been residing here, in the Realm of In-Between.: The gaze of the woman transferred over to the miko's guardian. :You knew, did you not, sir?:

Her tree laughed, the leaves ruffling. Oh yes, he had known.

:Come, Kagome: Midoriko smiled. :There is someone very anxious to see you well.:

Kagome's eyes widened, as she caught sight of her beloved hovering over her body, silently weeping tears. "Sesshoumaru...?"

:Come back, Kagome.:

---

Sesshoumaru turned when he caught sight of his brother heading towards them. His eyes flashed, as he realized that he was still hanyou. InuYasha, however, locked his gaze on Kagome.

"Don't," he whispered, as Sesshoumaru was about to let him pass. "She would want to see you first."

What?

The Demonic Lord turned suddenly when the entire field was engulfed into an enormous lavender-pink light. He shielded his eyes when Kagome herself shone before him. "Kagome..." he whispered again, as hope surged through his body and mind.

Could it be?

Was his love returning to him?

One by one, a soul and body rejoined in the meadow by the Bone-Eater Well, just outside the forest that belonged to InuYasha. One by one, a shattered heart was mended, as their loved ones were returned to the place of origin. InuYasha turned, when he recognized two figures appearing into the clearing. Sango and Miroku stumbled, unaccustomed to their body from their brief leave.

They landed on the ground and turned to each other immediately for comfort.

InuYasha smiled, before giving his best friend his undivided attention.

Kagome...

Please come back, Kagome...

---

Sesshoumaru held his breath, hardly able to breathe, as he watched his love's soul slowly return to the Realm of the Living. She was here! Her soul was here!

The brilliantly white shine of her soul slowly entered her body, giving it a sunkissed glow. It changed from its previous death white to her normal pale pink. Her hair grew back their usual luster and her lips deepened into her kissable red lips, once again.

Her eyes, however, remain closed.

"Kagome," Sesshoumaru whispered, his heart nearly bursting from anxiety. He leaned forward and clasped his hand to hers. It was warm! It was warm! "Kagome, come back. Please, koi, come back."

Leaning ever closer, he gently brushed his lips against hers, willing that he somehow transfer some life into her still form. Come back.

"Oh."

The slightest whisper of breath brushed against Sesshoumaru's skin, as Kagome finally opened her eyes. The blue-gray depths immediately landed on her beloved. Tears shimmered in her eyes, making it all the more beautiful.

"I wanted to tell you, Sesshoumaru," Kagome whispered. "I...I love you too."

And now, there was no doubt about it. Sesshoumaru's heart definitely burst. But not out of anxiety, not out of hate. No, the Demon Lord's ice-coated heart filled and burst with such a degree of love, it was hardly comprehensible.

"Kagome," he breathed and leaned over to kiss her.

Before their lips could touch, however, a brilliant blue light engulfed her. Sesshoumaru watched in horror, as Kagome slowly disappeared behind the glow surrounding her. "Kagome!" he cried, terrified that she was somehow returning to the Realm of the Dead-to outside his grasp.

Her hands reached out, snagging at his gi.

InuYasha's face had turned white with horror, as he realized the one mistake he had made with his wish.

"That everyone affected by Naraku be returned to before-before they had their encounters with him." He breathed. He had meant that everyone dead or injured be cure-anyone lost and gone to come back. Not to send Kagome forever out of their reach!

Slowly, the magic of the well brought their friend over one last time. Her face appeared behind the mist, dusted with teardrops, as she was brought to the well. "Sesshoumaru...!"

Her voice was but a whisper of the wind, as a hand reached out to grasp her love. Their fingers reached out, wanting to touch each other.

Perhaps that Fate had planned it that way. But why?

Why deny Kagome the love of her life? Why deny the Demonic Lord his love-when he had finally found it?

Tears coursed down Sesshoumaru's cheeks, as he realized his one mistake. "I promised to wait, Kagome..." he whispered.

He laughed dryly, turning tear-blinded eyes towards the sky. A gentle wind blew through the stilled meadow and a whisper of a voice rang through the air. Sesshoumaru reached out a hand and caught the butterfly in his hands.

"I wanted to set you free..."

The delicate creature fluttered its wings a few times, before flying off again.

"But Kagome..."

The wind slowly died and left the group.

"Should I have fought to keep you instead?"

Author's Corner

Explanations first!!

No, this is NOT the final chapter. There IS an epilogue to this story, so worry not!! Remember, I do not like sad endings, so I always try to keep my endings at the very least bittersweet/happy. If you do not like happy endings, I suggest you stop reading this fic now and have this as the final chapter!! (Just remember to REVIEW!! GIVE ME YOUR FINAL REVIEW!!!)

The tree:

Is the ancestor of the Outlaws. I had plans to start a new story about it, but decided against it. But, by then, I had already posted the chapter, so I'll just post the explanation here.

The ancestor of the Outlaws is Kagome's paternal ancestor. As you might have guessed or not, it is related to the God Tree in InuYasha's forest. You'll notice that in the original series of InuYasha, Kagome's father was never mentioned. (Or, if he was, I never caught it) So I had always assumed that her specific ability to travel through the well is a residue of her father's heritage. All my stories are, basically, referenced to this thought/theory with minor variation each time.

In other words, according to this story, Yoichi is, technically, Kagome's ancestor. (which was the reference to an earlier chapter, where I had it written that Kagome's scent seems incredibly familiar-family blood.)

The battle:

I didn't want the usual scene where Kagome somehow snatched the Shikon from Naraku's grasp last minute, purified it, and saved his soul. No, frankly, the guy has given her way too much grief for her to do that-no matter how forgiving she is.

As for the blood, I didn't want the usual where Naraku is defeated while the Inu Gang holds nothing but a few scratches and bruises. That is very unrealistic. If during the search for Naraku had been that bloodied/hurt, the final scene should have been more bloodied than I had it written.

Midoriko scene:

Midoriko and the demons she fought against created Shikon. If a dark/selfish wish is made upon the Shikon, it will turn corrupt and evil. So I had the thought that these two forces are constantly at battle with one another for control of the Jewel.

My theory is that Midoriko resides in the jewel, awaiting for the time when someone will FINALLY make that one selfless wish, so that her soul would be set free. (In a way, that sounds selfish) And, because InuYasha had REALLY wished to be a full demon, but instead wished for all the wrong to be righted instead, the Shikon is now no more.

Come Back Scene:

That whole scene with Sesshoumaru kissing Kagome back to reality is somewhat framed from Sleeping Beauty. Remember, my "Cinderella" chapter? That was the foreshadowing of this upcoming event. Yes, very cliché, but I just couldn't resist.

The Wish Scene

There seemed to be a bit of confusion on this part. When the "Tree" gave Kagome that single leaf, he granted her powers to be able to make her wish come true. In a way, it's not granting her wishes (since Kagome is the wielder of power) and it's not the granting of power only (as it grants wishes).

"I wish Sesshoumaru would come back to life...with powers enough to kill Naraku."

Original line. I changed it into two separate sentence. However, in the end, it is still that single wish. It is not two wishes.

Fanfiction

Inu.-sess.fan: Lol. Thanks for the review!! ^^-

Wake-Robin: Meh, if you expected a lot of work on my part, I hope you're not too disappointed. Did you seriously think I would work too hard? Aren't I already known for my laziness? Oh well. And besides, school just started...jeez, I never realized I had so much excuses...rofl.

DumbAssPunk: {sigh} I should do that...then when my computer dies on me, I won't loose everything...too bad I have no patience for notebooks. They tire me out. And, heh, glad to know you liked this!

Lauren: Glad you like!! Heh, well, Kag came back to life this chapter!! ^.~

BlueDove: Well, if you're hoping for that happy ending, you should read the Epilogue!! ^^- I mentioned before, I don't really care for sad endings. I mean, they're just so sad!! Lol. This ending will be the ending for those who doesn't like happy endings...Hope you'll review next chapter too!!! And, hey, out of curiosity, what did you read Friday?

Lehcar132: Haha, lol. Nah, that's not the end. Again, if you like happy endings, you should wait for the Epilogue. If you prefer bittersweet/sad endings, I suggest that you stop this as your final chapter. Erm, about that question...it's more like, she was given the power to make her wish come true...

Zeddy200: Thanks for the review!!! Glad you liked! Hope to see your review this/next chapter too!!!! ^.~

Whitewolf: I didn't want to leave him sad...but it seems I left him sad...again...! But I'm hoping to end this story in a somewhat happy mode. If you like happy, wait for the Epilogue!

DemonWicca: Lol! I actually didn't quite have them in mind, but I can see what you mean...One dies, the other lifes...the other dies, the first comes to life...poor dears. And WOW!! You started school at Aug 7th?! I can't imagine going to school that early. I think I'll end up pulling all my hair out!!! O.o

Himitsu Joonetsu: Thanks! You know, you're the first person who mentioned Sango and Miroku at all. Everyone else centered on Kagome and Sess. Heh, glad to know that someone noticed these other two!! ^.~

SessKaglovur: No! Don't die!! I still need your reviews!!! Lol. (I feel so evil.) I'm so glad you like my fic this much!! And I'm so flattered! Anyhow, I hope you're still alive to read this update...

Silver Miko-Youkai: Thanks for the review! Glad you liked!! ^.^

AngelMiko69: Yay! Another person noticed Sango!! {Though not Miroku...hm...} And, nope! It's not over yet!! If you like happy endings, again, stay for the Epilogue! If you don't, and you prefer this ending, then please remember to give me your final review!!!

Hanyoubanshee: Aw, that's so sweet!! Here's the next chapter!!

SavedFromBoredom: Here it is! I hope it was enough, enough, enough! Lol

Lil-sesshy-lova: Lol. Unfortunately, at the current time, he's not all that happy...

Dancing-by-moonlight: Thanks! I'm glad you love it! I hope this update wasn't too far off!! Thanks a lot for reviewing!

Mediaminer

Uraki: Thanks so much!! Glad you liked!

Inutrasha: Oh, thanks so much! I'm glad you liked, and that you actually find my writing style enjoyable!! ^.~

Sallyo129: Yay!! You reviewed!! Seriously, you're review is, like, one of the most funny ones that I receive!! Thanks so much for brightening my day!! Sesshoumaru: Send me a picture/profile of you, Sally, and I'll see about that marriage... Yuki: Nooo!! Sess!!! You're supposed to be MINE!!! Lol.

Uohana: I updated!! So glad that you enjoyed it! ^_^

Amber Wolf: Well, Kag came back to life. Unfortunately, he's still not happy. {sigh} Well, if you're looking for a happy ending, please wait for the Epilogue!

((((((!!)))))) Again, Mediaminer members!! I'd really appreciate it if each and everyone of you review!! PLEASE do not click cancel before you review!! I'd like to get at least ONE review from EVERY ONE of you.

A Single Spark

Thanks to everyone who reviewed!! I love `em, I love `em!! Please keep them coming!!

End

AGAIN, EVERYONE!!! This is NOT the final chapter of FM. For those of you who likes happy endings, there is an EPILOGUE coming!!! But, for those who does NOT like happy (somewhat happy) endings, you should stop this chapter and view THIS as the end!!

JUST REMEMBER TO SEND ME YOUR REVIEW!!!

DO NOT CLICK CANCEL WITHOUT REVIEWING!!! PLEASE!! I'd like to hear at least ONE review from EVERY ONE of my viewers!! Whether you've reviewed before or no, please review now!! Anonymous or signed, please tell me of what you though of FM!!

Happy Reading!

Lots of greets,

Yukisora and Hachigatsu

Edited by: Wake-Robin

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