InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ It's Not Over Yet... ❯ Aftermath ( Chapter 3 )

I do not own the Characters of Inuyasha, just this plot and my own original characters.

I just want to say thank you to all of you who have reviewed this fic so far, and all my beta readers…You guys are the best! KagomeRessurected, DJ Inuyasha, and Daniy Jinx…I love you guys! Also, until things pick up, I'm just going to answer any questions or reviews through email, K? Plus, not only are these wonderful writers (my betas) but also wonderful artists! Dj and Daniy are both working on coloring my art work, and I've posted three so far. Just in case you're interested. Thanks again! I love you all! Ja ne!

Chapter 3: Aftermath

Hello, It's Katie. Yes, I'm still telling this story. Just keep reading and imagine it being told to you by me, ok? Yeah I know. That was a very gruesome ending to Inuyasha's life, I agree, but that's exactly what happened. But, what happens after his death you ask? Well, I was just getting to that.

Toki was walking towards Inuyasha's forest on the way back to her village when she came to a clearing of trees. She had been visiting a priest in a neighboring village. The priest she had just been returning from was an old friend of hers who had sent her a letter asking her to visit for two days. Toki was a friend of Kaede's. Kaede has been passing on some of her knowledge to Toki, seeing as how Kaede is getting on in years, and she wanted to keep the priestess traditions alive in the village. So, since she had always admired what Kaede had done for the villagers, she decided to follow in her footsteps and learn all she can from Kaede.

She was just admiring all the flowers spreading for miles along the grass it seemed when she noticed something red from amongst the tall prairie grass. She ran up to it, wondering what it could be, when she screamed and started running towards Inuyasha's forest. She couldn't believe what she had seen! Inuyasha! What happened to him! Who did that to him! "I can't do anything for him on my own!" she screamed as she ran helplessly to the village to find help. "Obviously no one knows this has happened! I have to warn the villagers that something ominous is near! Not just anyone can kill Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha had served the village for a long time, since his release from the tree. He was someone she aspired to, for courage, strength and to never give up in any goal she set for herself.

'How could this have happened? Not him! This is impossible! No, he can't be dead, it's a trick right? I wonder if Kaede or anyone else knows!' Toki thought to herself as she reached the outskirts of the village, Kaede's hut in view. She finally reached Kaede's hut and ran in to find Kaede, Miroku, Sango and Shippo sitting around a fire, eating stew. They all noticed they suddenly had company and set their bowls down.

"What is the matter Toki?" Kaede asked noticing the fright in her eyes.

"Inuyasha! You...all...must...come!" she struggled to say as she tried to catch her breath.

Miroku then gasped at the desperation in her voice, and remembered what Inuyasha had said to him just yesterday. "Oh no. Something's wrong. Let's go, all of us!" Miroku said as they all got up and started for the door.

Toki said to bring at least a horse. Kaede grabbed a horse from the village stable and they all headed out, Toki and Kaede on the horse. Miroku, Sango and Shippo ran along side as they were lead by Toki through Inuyasha's forest.

"What has happened, Toki?" Miroku asked.

All Toki could do was look him in the eyes showing sadness. She couldn't put it into words. Miroku took that as a bad sign, and decided to just find out himself and not hurt her any further. When they reached the clearing, they noticed the red amongst the grass and flowers. They came to a complete stop and just stood there, hoping he was just sleeping, and decided to approach quietly, so as not to disturb him. Miroku sped up a step ahead and put his arm out to stop the others. When they stopped, he then proceeded to walk up to where he was lying in the grass.

What Miroku saw, was a shock. Inuyasha had been killed in the vilest way. His lifeless eyes stared at the sky, his face expressionless. It looked like he had been lying there for a day. There was no blood on his hands, so obviously he didn't do this himself. But what disturbed him the most was that Tetsussaiga was missing, along with his fire rat haori.

'That's very odd. No way could bandits have done this. Who would kill him and take the fire rat haori and Tetsussaiga?' "No, I don't believe it!" Miroku shouted. They then took that as a sign to finally come forward.

Sango, Shippo and Kaede gasped and immediately looked away for a second. Shippo then returned his gaze and walked up to the one he looked up to as his father, and started to bawl.

Sango then looked to Miroku and asked, "What's wrong, Miroku? What don't you believe? Do you have a clue of who did this?"

Miroku looked at Inuyasha, looking for any evidence as to what he was thinking could be possible. Then he looked at the hole in his chest and then to the heart that laid haphazardly beside his body. The edge of the wound in his chest was eroded, and was stained green. The heart was in worse shape. He hadn't been dead long enough to start decomposing that quickly. Only one possibility lies within that evidence.

"Sesshoumaru." Was all Miroku said as he knelt beside the body of his best friend.

Sango gasped and started to cry as she knelt beside him as well. She stared into his lifeless eyes and remembered that just a few days ago; she sat with him down in the well and tried to comfort him as he cried his heart out for the loss of his love. Now to see him like this was heart breaking, even more so than when he was crying for Kagome.

Shippo then vowed he would try his hardest to get stronger to give Sesshoumaru `what for' in the future. Shippo couldn't believe anyone, let alone Sesshoumaru, would ever get the best of Inuyasha. Especially since whenever they fought in the past, Inuyasha always seemed to be so much stronger and a much better fighter than Sesshoumaru. He never imagined he'd see Inuyasha dead, especially not now.

"Daddy!" Shippo screamed amongst his tears and then grabbed onto Inuyasha's arm. He curled his small body around Inuyasha's large and muscular arm as his tears dampened the kimono around the stiff arm. 'I lost another father, and mother again! I loved them both and depended on them so much! Why???!!!'

Sango joined Miroku in a silent prayer as Kaede knelt beside him and she started a spell that removed the rosary from around his neck. Once the rosary was removed and intact once again, she then picked up the rosary between her fingers and hands and then prayed for her beloved friend. Once she was finished, she then stood up and started towards the Goshinboku. She then dug a small hole next to the tree and amongst the roots, under where he had spent 50 years in suspended animation. She laid the rosary in the hole and covered it.

'Kagome will never know how much she meant to him. She does not know he no longer exists in this world. I pray she finds this rosary as a reminder of him in the future. I shall write an epitaph for our wonderful friend to Kagome in the future.' Kaede thought to herself as she said a silent prayer to the Goshinboku to watch over their friend in the future for them, now that Inuyasha is gone.

They put Inuyasha's remains onto the back of the horse and then walked back to the village slowly, without conversation. It was all such a shock that neither of them knew what to say. The rock of their small group, Inuyasha was no longer among them. Inuyasha had no idea how much strength he brought to the group. Kagome and Inuyasha were what held the group together. If it weren't for them, none of them would have met, or even gotten along through that entire journey. Inuyasha was the most important part of that journey. Without his strength, tenacity, and ambition they would not have succeeded. The jewel would either still be in pieces, or in Naraku's hands. Miroku thought about how Naraku was driven away. He thought about how Kikyo and Inuyasha were the strongest of all of them. They held a love for each other that none of them could lead them away from. No matter what Kagome said, he never let Kikyo escape from his heart. She had done things to hurt him, but yet he held her so close to him. But what was the meaning of his reaction to Kagome leaving him? What was it that kept Kagome and Inuyasha so close, but never crossing the line? Was it just a simple companionship? No, it couldn't have been as simple as that. He was broken, completely broken. From what he had gathered from his relationship with Kikyo, was that he was sorrier for everything and for being alive whereas she remained a walking puppet zombie. He loved her, which was evident. But, what about Kagome? Miroku pondered on the relationship Inuyasha and Kagome had during their journey and remembered all the times they fought over Kouga, and Kikyo. They were both jealous over each other, but yet they didn't seem to come to a concrete relationship. Very strange.

'Talk about complicated. I know I couldn't deal with a relationship triangle like that.' Miroku thought to himself as the village came into view.

They decided to lead the horse to the center of the village for all to pay their respects and to give a short explanation as to the fate of their friend. Everyone gathered around the horse and they all kneeled and said a silent prayer for Inuyasha's passing. A few of the men walked up to the horse and removed Inuyasha's remains off the back of the horse and laid him face up on the ground in the center of the village. Everyone was shocked to see him like this, with everything the village went through and the history of knowing this hanyou, they couldn't get over the fact that someone killed him. None of the village men were strong enough to even scratch him, let alone knock him out.

"What does this mean?!" One of the villagers shouted out of fear at Miroku and Sango. "Does this mean we're all in danger if Inuyasha himself was felled by a demon?!"

Miroku raised his hand and said, "No. You all are safe for now. It was a demon that killed him, but not just any ordinary demon. Are any of you aware that he had a brother?"

The villagers all gasped and then looked at each other to see if any of them could answer the question. "No, we knew nothing of this brother. Was he the one who did this?"

"Yes. Although he may have killed Inuyasha he will not harm any of you. He is a demon to fear, I assure you, but he was only after Inuyasha, none of you." Miroku answered diplomatically as he looked them all in the face to give them some assurance that he knew what he was talking about. They needed someone to trust, and he hoped they could trust him, even though he does not belong to this village. Inuyasha was not born here, obviously, but it seemed he was just as much a part of this village now as any of these villagers, with how they respected him.

'He may have felt like he had no one to protect, but it seems he missed the big picture. The effect he had on these simple people. In all my travels as a monk, I have never gained this much respect. I wonder how Inuyasha would have missed this.'

The village then prepared a fire pit for their friend and held a funeral for him that night.

'Inuyasha said to me he was once again alone, and had no home to go to. He said he was on his own in the world again. He couldn't have been any farther from the truth. I still can't believe that he had closed himself off so much that he had no idea what he meant to these simple people. They saw him as their protector. I must stick around and make sure they know they have nothing to fear. I just hope they are willing to accept me here as their village monk, seeing as their high priestess is old, and may not be capable of what she used to be. I wonder what Sango would say to staying. She could teach them so much about fighting demons. I'll talk to her as soon as the fire dies down.' Miroku thought to himself as he watched the remains of his best friend disintegrate into the flames, praying that he reaches nirvana.