InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Kagome's Return (sequel to Kagome! Where are you!? ❯ kagome's rebirth ( Chapter 9 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Kagome's return chapter 9

the rebirth of Kagome . . .





Elsewhere:

Four oni's are walking down a forested path. Mt Fuji is directly
in front of them.

"Are you sure that you know where to go?" one of them asks.

"I do, asshole." Another replies. "I've been here before. Some
damned human wizard wanted to sacrifice a human girl to the god
of MT fuji, and I carried the girl."


"Good." A pause. "Hey guys, You know these swords that we're
carrying for Naraku?" the third asks.

"Yeah. So, what?" the fourth says.

The third one says, "I don't know. But, I think that they're
talking to each other. I'm hearing something." His voice trials
off.

"Look without Sesshomaru or Inu-yasha. These are just normal
swords." The second oni says. "Nothing to worry . . . " his voice
trails off.

He reaches for the sword on his back. He pulls the blade and
shoves it into his stomach and cuts upward also slicing him in
half.

"Boss!" the first one yells. Then his face changes, becoming
horrified as his hand reaches for the sword that he is carrying.
"No. please. No. I want to live." He mumbles as the edge of the
blade approaches his throat. A gurgling scream occurs as he
slices his throat open.

The fourth oni looks at the hilt of the sword that is around his
waist. He reaches down, grabs the sword and starts to throw it
away. He doesn't. He grabs the hilt. "no!" the blade pulses
black. The oni collapses to the ground, and his body looks like
an accordion as it is adsorbed into the sword.

The third oni, after a few minutes of standing stock still,
shakes himself. He, then, goes around and picks up the other
three swords.

He starts to walk away from mt. fuji.

"Can you make him go faster?" Tetsusaiga asks.

Tenseiga replies. "Let me examine his powers. I think that this
type of oni has some flying abilities. I'll see if I can start
them."

"Hurry up. I can feel that things are happening back where we
should be." Tokijin replies.

"I'm going as fast as I can." Tenseiga replies. "But be quiet.
Its brain isn't all that bright, and it's hard to get it to
work."

"What about that flying?" Jaa Kalpa asks.

"Yes. I think I've got it." Tenseiga says.

The oni, stops, then runs and jumps. He falls to the ground.

"Oops . . . that didn't work." Tenseiga says. "Let's see about
this."

The oni runs and jumps . . . and slowly, and somewhat
erratically, begins to fly.

He starts to fly at a faster and faster pace.

"Hurry up." Tetsusaiga says. "They need us."

Back at the village, and the field where the fight with Naraku is
occurring.

Let's reset the scene.

Surrounding the field is a mass of various demons. Naraku invited
them to watch the deaths of Sesshomaru, Inu-yasha, Sango, Miroku
and the others.

On one side of the field is an area that was prepared for special
visitors. In it is various chairs, and other special places to
sit.

(Nobody is sitting down, right now. Not only is the fight
entertaining the demons . . . but, sitting on a chair, provided
by Naraku, after watching one of them turn into one of his
puppets . . . is making most of these powerful demons think
twice about sitting down on their chairs, again . . . )

All of the demons are pushing and shoving each other, trying to
view the fight. They all want a ringside seat.



In the middle of the field is a row of large stakes. Chains, and
pieces of chains surround most of the stakes. Keade's body, with
Kagome's grandfather's body close by, lies near one stake.

Miroku is gagged and chained to another stake. He is awake,
basically unhurt, and is trying mightily to escape.

Tied up, in chains, in front of the stakes is Hachi, Miroku's
Tanuki companion.

Near the special viewing area is Kagura dead body. And near it,
is Kouga's dead body, his heart lays beside him.

About half way between the special viewing area and the stakes,
lays the unconscious bodies of Inu-yasha, Sango, and Kirara.

Near the special viewing area, Kagome is staked down. Chains,
with spell scrolls on them, cover her. She has taken advantage of
Naraku's distraction and loosened her chains, but not enough to
free herself.

Near her is a huge spider web. In the center of it is Sesshomaru.
He is ripping the web to pieces. But, it's not going fast. He
will free himself, but, it will just take time.

Directly in front of the special viewing area are Kikyo and
Kanna. They are standing up, brushing the dirt off themselves,
from when they hit the ground to avoid Mrs. h's bullets.

Behind Kagome, where she cannot see, and in the middle of the
rapidly thinning crowd of demons, is Naraku. He is in the shape
of a giant spider. Dangling, limply, from his fangs is Kagome's
mother.

Kagome is glowing.

She can feel the acorn inside of her break open and the power
within it spread throughout her body.

"Shield spells!" Naraku orders. The volume of his command echoes
to the next village and beyond. "Everyone put up some barriers
around her! I want her contained!"


"Do it!" several of the demon lords that had come to watch the
execution yell to their servants.


The demons begin to chant . . . quickly. They know that their
lives depend on it.


Kikyo hisses her shield spell, which surrounds her body only.

Kanna bends down and tries to hide behind her mirror, as she
magically expands the mirror.

The spell scrolls on the chains holding Kagome vanish into ash .
. .

The chains holding chain melt, like butter, and flow down her
skin and to the ground.

The stake holding her upright vanishes . . .

Multicolored barriers form around Kagome. Some are domes, some
are walls, some have different shapes . . .

Kagome's mouth opens . . .


A raw scream of agony leaves her mouth as the power of the acorn
changes her body . . . forever.

A pulse of power leaves her body.

It hits the first barrier and crumples it like cardboard. The
demon lord that made it screams as the feedback from the spell
destructions hits him.

Another barrier collapses, another demonlord screams as the pulse
expands.

A second pulse of power leaves Kagome's body. Even for demons
that can look at the sun, unharmed, can't see her as the
brightness of the power pulses increases.

The barriers surrounding Kagome scream and moan. Noises, unheard
of, unimaginable noises, are created as the barriers are
shattered, one by one.

"NO!" Naraku screams as the last barrier containing Kagome
shatters.

Kagome's natural purification powers, multiplied by the power of
the acorn, and supercharged, even further, by her anger at the
deaths of her mother, her grandfather, Keade, Kouga, even Kagura
cover the field and the village in a wave of power.

Demons die, vanish, return to the depths of hell.

In a fraction of a second, Kagome destroys many of the demons
that plague Japan. And those that are powerful enough to create a
barrier against her, will be permanently crippled from the
strain.


Her wave of power expands, even beyond the village. As it does
so, it weakens, but, the purification wave still destroys many,
many demons, throughout japan . . .

As for Naraku?

The glow of power surrounding Kagome fades, slowly. The area
around her, instead of being filled with light, so bright that
nothing is visible, slowly becomes visible.

The area, the field in which the fight occurred, and Keade's
village is gone.

In its place is a grassy, peaceful, meadow. At the heart of the
meadow, where Kagome was standing is a large, ten meters tall
tree.

Various people are standing around the meadow, the group and the
human survivors of Keade's village, mainly.


Kagome steps out of the tree. She is glowing, softly, giving
light to the darkened field. (It is still night, remember.)

She walks to a man, laying on the grass near the tree.

"Onigumo." She says as she bends down next to the man. "The demon
that was Naraku is destroyed. The smaller demons that joined with
you to create Naraku are destroyed."

The man that she is kneeling next to is badly hurt. Third degree
burns cover most of his body. Kagome can see the blood seep from
cracks in the skin. As Onigumo breathes, his skin separates from
his muscles.

A bleeding eye looks at Kagome. The other eye is destroyed in its
socket. "I'll will find more." He croaks out, and blood spits
from his bleeding lips.

His broken fingers stretch toward a small jewel, just bare
centimeters from his grasp.

Kagome, almost absentmindedly, picks up the blackened, but
complete jewel of four souls. She rolls it between her fingers.
She holds it above Onigumo's head, so he can see it.

Her hand glows . . . the blackened jewel changes color becoming
pure white.

She places the jewel at her side. Her clothes shift revealing
bare skin. The jewel vanishes inside her.


"No, Onigumo. You will not find more." Kagome says. Her ears, and
other senses, can hear and feel more people gathering around her,
but she does not look away from Onigumo.

"Part of me, Onigumo." Kagome begins as she reaches out and
softly touches his skin. "Wants you to live like this for years.
In continuous pain from your burns. Some of me even wants to add
more pain to you."

As she touches his skin, it cracks and breaks under her soft
touch, causing him more pain and more bleeding.

"If our positions were reversed, you would, no doubt, increase my
pain and suffering. But, I am not you, Onigumo. I am, at least I
hope I am, a good person." Kagome says.


Something, perhaps hope, lights in Onigumo's remaining eye. "Heal
me." He croaks.

"I can." Kagome whispers in a quiet voice. "Easily. But, you've
caused great evils to be done, Onigumo. And you should be
punished for that."

"What?" Onigumo whispers "next?"

Kagome places her hand over his heart. "I will grant you more
than you would have ever granted me. A calm, peaceful, painless
end."

Her hand glows. Onigumo's features changes, his broken and
shattered face tries to smile. Even though his testicles were
burned off, his burned manhood tries to raise as Kagome
suppresses the nerves carrying pain to his brain, and stimulates
his pleasure center.

So, Onigumo, a man that by his actions caused thousands of
deaths, many of them in very painful ways, dies, as Kagome
overloads the part of his brain that gives him pleasure.

Kagome closes her eyes, and tears begin to well up on the edges
of them.

A timeless pause, as Kagome kneels next to the dead body on the
man that caused her some much pain.

"My mother?" she whispers.

A pause.

"Answer me, please?" she whispers again.

Shuffling, the sounds of people and clothes being shifted, like a
group of people are looking at each other, trying to decide who
will speak.

"Dead. I think." Sango finally whispers.

A tear, from Kagome's face as she stares at the ground, drops to
the ground.

The grass under her mother's body, lengthens, strengthens, and
they begin to lift that body, and slowly, move it toward Kagome.
The grass is responding to her unconscious use of her new powers.


"My grand-, grandfather?" Kagome's voice cracks midway through
her question.

"He was braver than other human male that I've seen." Sesshomaru
states.

"Was . . . " Kagome whispers, as more tears fall to the ground.

An owl hoots in the background. (It is still night.)


"Kouga?"

"He gave his life for his clan." Miroku states.

"Keade?"


"Dead." Inu-yasha says.


"Kagura?"

"She's dead as well." Inu-yasha replies.


Another pause . . .

"What happened?" Inu-yasha growls. "One second we were fighting
Naraku's barrier, the next, I wake up and everything is changed."


"I'll tell you, Inu-yasha, once I've figured it out, myself."
Kagome whispers.

She begins to sob, to cry. Her body heaves as she cries. Tears
flow . . .

Even through her tears, and sobbing, though, she can hear
Sesshomaru start to move toward her, only to stop as Inu-yasha
growls, deep in his chest. Kagome doesn't have to see them, to
know that they are glaring at each other.

"Get away from her to two stupid idiots." Sango's voice is raw
with anger, pain and grief mixed together.

Kagome can hear both Inu-yasha and Sesshomaru take a step back,
an instinctive reaction to the emotion in Sango's eyes and voice.

Sango kneels next of Kagome and gathers her into her arms. Kagome
sobs and crying increases in volume as she cries into the
shoulder of her best friend.

Kirara, also, moves next to Kagome and brushes against Kagome's
legs, purring gently.

"If you two want to do something useful." Miroku begins, in a
hard voice, very unlike his normal teasing tone. "Capture Kanna
and Kikyo before they leave."


Sesshomaru and Inu-yasha break off their glaring match and look
around, finally.

Except for the group gathered around Kagome, most of the field is
bare, no one is there. The villagers have run off into the
woods. (Hachi, Miroku's friend, has joined them, it's better to
be safe, than sorry) They'll figure out what happened later . . .

In the sky, above, a couple of the demon lords, powerful enough
to protect themselves, and only themselves, are quickly flying
away, badly hurt.

On the ground, though, only Kanna and Kikyo are standing. Neither
of them has left. They are close enough to hear, at least, some
of the conversation that the group was just having.

"I have no intention of leaving, just yet." Kikyo replies.

Kanna nods in agreement to Kikyo.

Inu-Yasha begins to walk toward Kikyo. Miroku, though, moves in
his way.

"Monk." Inu-yasha growls.


"Let me talk to her, Inu-yasha." Miroku whispers back, "we need
someone that can think around her. Not someone that can't."

Inu-yasha's lips curl in an automatic growl, but he stops red-
faced.

Miroku walks about halfway to kikyo and Kanna. He half bows to
them. "And what is your business here, may I ask?"

"Inu-yasha, of course." Kikyo replies, as she smiles. "And this
time, my reincarnation will give him to me."

Miroku raises his eyebrow. "And how do you expect to do that,
miko Kikyo?"

"Because," Kikyo's smile grows, "I am heavily connected with
death. I can see souls as they leave their bodies."

Miroku nods in agreement. He thinks, ‘probably. Her feeding on
young souls would grant her such a power.'

"I know where the souls of the old man and the woman with the
weird weapon went." Kikyo pauses. "And they did not go to the
same place as normal souls, but somewhere else."

Sesshomaru appears standing next to Miroku, "Someone has them?"

Kikyo's nods in his direction. "Just so, lord of the western
lands."

"Sesshomaru?" Miroku asks.

"IF the souls are still here and nearby, not taken away like most
souls upon death, then the bodies of Kagome's mother and
grandfather can be repaired and the souls returned to the
bodies." Sesshomaru replies.

"They can be brought back to life." Miroku whispers.

Kikyo nods. "Of course, such knowledge isn't for free."

Inu-yasha states, "you want me."


Kikyo nods. "Of course. I'll create a portal to hell, and as we
walk through it, I'll tell Kagome where to find her families
souls."

A pause . . .

Inu-yasha steps toward Kikyo. "Fine. I agree."

He thinks, ‘if this is a way to bring Kagome's family back to
life, I've got to it. No matter what the cost. She loves her
family.'


"No!" Kagome screams! She scrambles to her feet, only with the
help of Sango. Sango continues to hold her up as they stumble to
where Miroku, Inu-yasha and Sesshomaru are standing.

Inu-yasha spins, "You heard that?"

Kagome, her face puffy, red and tear-streaked, her bloodshot eyes
full of tears, nods.

"It's too late." Kikyo purrs. "He has agreed to my terms."

"This is my family." Kagome says through her choked throat.
"Anything about that, I decide. Not Inu-yasha, Not Sesshomaru.
Me. Higurashi Kagome."

kikyo raises her eyebrow, "very well, reincarnation. I will tell
you where to find the souls of your family. And Inu-yasha will
return, with me, to hell."

A pause.

She smiles. "Chose, inu-yasha can live or your family can live."

Sesshomaru's acid whip forms. "There is a third choice, corpse. I
can rip that knowledge from your broken body."

"As much as I hate to agree with Lord Sesshomaru, that choice
might be useful." Miroku states.

Kagome can feel Sango's head nod in agreement with Miroku. "No"
Kagome whispers. "There has too be a better way."

Kikyo's eyebrow raises, "of course there is. I get inu-yasha, and
both of us rest in peace and you get your family back, what could
be better?"

Kagome shakes her head, no. "I won't agree to that, this simply,
Kikyo. I've seen too many agreements get twisted into something
bad."

Miroku nods. "Kikyo could always send us on a wild goose chase,
and while we're gone, she and Inu-yasha will go to hell."


"Kikyo won't do that." Inu-yasha growls.

Sango, in a weary voice, states, "Inu-yasha, you are the only one
that believes that."


Inu-yasha looks around at the group. Even Kagome won't meet his
eye. He looks at kikyo. Kikyo, though, meets his gaze without
hesitation.

He grinds his jaws together. "Since, Kikyo will not send us on a
wild goose chance." He begins, "There is no reason to doubt her.
But. Something else might happen. And since this is supposed to
bring Kagome's family back to life, I'm not going until that
happens."

A pause . . .

Kikyo glares at the group. She nods, abruptly, yes. "Very well. I
can wait. But, once Kagome's mother and grandfather are returned
to life, Inu-yasha and I go to hell."

Inu-yasha, wordlessly, nods, yes.

Kikyo looks at Kagome.

Kagome looks back at her. "I will not agree, Kikyo. There have
been too many broken promises, too many dirty tricks."

She looks at Inu-yasha. She closes her eyes, and tears begin to
form, again. "But, if my mother and grandfather are brought back
to life, I will owe you." She sighs, heavily. "I don't know if
I'll owe you enough to stand back and watch you and Inu-yasha go
to hell, but I might."

A timeless pause . . .


Kikyo nods. "I never expected to get even that much of a promise
out of you, Kagome."

"Where are they?" Inu-yasha and Sesshomaru growl that question at
the same time.

"The souls?" Kikyo smiles. "They vanished off in that direction."
She points in the direction of the old well.

Kagome looks in that direction. Her human eyes fade and something
else takes their place, momentarily. "The God Tree on my side of
the well. He had to allow them to use it. He grabbed their
souls." She whispers.

Earlier . . .

Mrs. H and Kagome's grandfather are standing in front of the god
tree.

"Please let us through the well." They beg, in unison.

"I will." The god tree replies. "But, I will place mystical
chains around your souls. When you die, whenever and wherever
that shall take place, your souls will come to me. And, I will
use them to for my own purposes."

"Our souls will be removed from the grand scheme of life?"
Kagome's grandfather asks. "And never to be reborn?"

"Yes." The god tree replies. "Sooner or later, I will use your
souls to power my magic. Which will destroy them, totally and
absolutely."

A pause.

"I agree." Mrs. H says as she stands in front of the god tree. "I
feel, in my heart, that she'll need me. I must be there for her."

Kagome's grandfather bites his lips. Then he nods, yes. He
doesn't say a word. ‘I know that I'm a coward, my daughter knows
that I'm a coward. But, it's easier to say yes, then to say no,
to a god.' He thinks.

Back to Kagome and the group . . .

"Let's go." Inu-yasha orders. "Who knows what that damn tree will
do with them."

Sesshomaru clears his throat. He flicks his acid whip toward
Kanna. She has been quietly, and basically invisibly, watching
and waiting, off to one side. "Kanna is still here." He states.

Kanna nods, silently.

"Why?" Kagome asks.

Kanna points to Sango. She holds up her mirror. A face forms in
it. The face of Sango's brother, Kohaku.

He wordlessly begins to mouth words at Sango.

Sango falls to her knees. Tears appear in her eyes. Kagome bends
down, and wraps her arm around her friend.

Miroku conceals his clenched fists in the sleeves of his robe.
‘She has . . . ' he thinks.


"You have the boy's soul." Sesshomaru states in his emotionless
voice.

Kanna nods. She points off into the woods.

Sesshomaru looks in that direction. "His body is buried over
there."

"What does she want?" Sango whispers, her voice catching from her
tears.

A scroll appears in Kanna's hand. She flips it to Miroku.

He opens it and reads it. His lips thin as he does so.

"Well, monk?" Inu-yasha growls.

"She wants us to promise not to attack her for anything that
she's done while Naraku was alive. Whither we know about it now,
or find out about it in the future."

Sesshomaru's eyebrow raises, ‘I wonder, what is she hiding?' he
looks at Kanna. ‘Almost anything would be my guess. And I'm sure
that she's hiding something that most humans would consider
horrible.'

"That's it?" Sango asks.

Miroku nods. "Basically. She does have the oath that she wants us
to say written down. IT is very complex and complete."

Sango takes a deep breath. "She's hiding something."

Miroku nods. "In all likelihood."

Sango hangs her head. "I agree. Anything to bring my brother back
to life."

Miroku looks at Kagome. Kagome thins her lips, but nods, a sharp
crisp nod.


Kanna half-bows to the group. Her mirror shifts.

"Kohaku!" Sango moans, as her brother's face vanishes.
.

Kagome squeezes her shoulders. "He's still in the mirror, Sango.
I can sense that."

Sango looks at Kagome. She whispers, "can you take him out of the
mirror?"

"Against Kanna's will?" Kagome whispers back.

Sango nods.

Kagome looks at Kanna and her mirror. "Yes. But, she'll know, and
she might destroy his soul, before I could free it, Sango. She
knows that mirror and its powers better than I do."

Sango slumps.


"Let's bring Kohaku back to life, next." Miroku states

At the same that, Inu-yasha states. "Let's go and get the souls
from the damned tree."

Miroku and Inu-yasha glare at each other.

"Since the souls would have to through the well, and that might
cause problems. It is best if we." Sesshomaru begins.

"Why the fuck do you care?" Inu-yasha growls. "Why are you still
here, anyway?"

Silence as Inu-yasha and Sesshomaru glare at each other.

"There are two major reasons that this Sesshomaru is still here,
little brother." Sesshomaru begins. "One is that Rin is still on
the other side of that well."

Sango and Miroku nod. Both of them, though, out of the corner of
their eyes see Kagome begin to blush. They turn to look at her.

"And the other." Inu-yasha growls. His hands are curled into
fists, and the pressure that he is applying has turned them
white.

"Later!" Kagome cries. Tears begins to drip down her cheeks
again. "Later, please, both of you. I want . . . I want to see
about my family and Sango's family first. Please." She begs them.
Her head bowed, looking at the ground, tears dripping.

Sesshomaru steps back, obviously relaxing. "As you wish, Miko
Higurashi Kagome." He nods his head to Inu-yasha. "I will refrain
from attacking you, inu-yasha."

Inu-yasha wordlessly snarls, but he doesn't say a thing.

Sango and Miroku look at each other. "Kagome?" Sango whispers.

Kagome lifts her head up to look at her friend. Sango nods in
Sesshomaru's direction. Kagome's eyes flick to him and Inu-yasha.
"Later, please, Sango. I can explain." She sighs, "but, not now,
please."

Sango nods. "The well or my brother?" She asks Kagome.

Kagome takes a deep breath and lets it out. "Your brother, Sango.
During our travels, Sesshomaru and I had to do something similar.
But, things are different here."

‘That time when we were fighting that evil version of myself and
Inu-yasha.' Kagome thinks. ‘I died, but managed to transfer my
soul into my sword, Jaa Kalpa. That keep my soul together until
Sesshomaru could recover Tenseiga and heal my body. Then I placed
my soul back into me body.'

Her lips purse. ‘The same technique should bring Kohaku back to
life, but, instead of bonding myself to my body, I'll need to
bond his soul back to his body. I hope that will work. Especially
since Tenseiga isn't here.' She thinks.

Kagome frowns. "What about Keade, Kouga and Kagura?"


"Who cares at the wolf and the bitch." Inu-yasha growls.

"I care." Kagome declares. "Kouga and Kagura were about to try to
free us. I want to bring them back too."

"Hachi?" Sango whispers to Miroku.

Miroku nods to the woods. "He's in the woods, safe. I can sense
that." He whispers back.

"Good."

Kagome, Sesshomaru and Inu-yasha exchange glances. They then look
at Kikyo, who has been watching, most intensely.

Kikyo smiles. "Normally, I won't tell you. But, since I'll be at
peace, soon. I will."

Kagome grimaces at that reminder that Kikyo and Inu-yasha will be
together in hell soon.

"And?" Sango asks.

"Kagura's soul was reabsorbed into his body. Kagome destroyed it,
when she destroyed Naraku."

Kagome grimaces, but nods, accepting that. "Kouga?" Kagome asks.

"His soul is powering that curse he applied to Naraku." Kikyo
waves to Kouga body. "If you could see souls, like I can, you'd
see it there."

Kagome looks. She narrows her eyes. ‘Yes. Like a ghost, I can see
him.'

"Miko Higurashi Kagome." Sesshomaru begins in a very formal and
respectful tone of voice. Kagome looks at him.


Everybody else, though, looks at Kagome. A similar
thought/question is passing through all of their minds. ‘What
happened while they were away? Sesshomaru is acting respectful to
her?'


Kagome asks, "Yes, Sesshomaru, Lord of the western lands, what is
it?"


"If you, or we, disturb Kouga's soul, we also destroy his curse
on Naraku. And that is a powerful curse."

"He'd want to be alive." Kagome replies.

Sesshomaru raises an eyebrow. "And, in life, what would he gain?"
his eyes flick to inu-yasha and then back to Kagome.

Kagome grimaces. ‘He's right. I like Kouga, but with Sesshomaru
and Inu-yasha . . . there is no way he'd survive that. He'd
simply be a target for both of them.'

"Dead." Sesshomaru continues, "Kouga's soul powers a great curse.
An effective curse, as well. Naraku will reform. His soul will be
reincarnated. Kouga's curse will prevent him, however, from ever
becoming powerful again. And, it also states that his clan will
survive into the future."

"IF we remove the curse and bring him back to life, then Naraku
could,"

"Will" Sesshomaru interrupts Kagome.

"Will return and the future of his clan becomes questionable."
Kagome finishes.

Sesshomaru nods.

Kagome walks over to Kouga's body. Everyone else follows her.
She gently replaces his heart. "Kouga?" she whispers.

Kouga's ghost forms next to his body. Everyone takes a deep
breath as they see it.

Kagome looks at him. "What do you want?"

"You." Kouga replies.

Kagome grimaces and shakes her head, no. "I'm sorry, Kouga,
prince of the wolves, but, I will be your friend. I will stand
beside you and your tribe. But, I will not be yours."

"Why?" Kouga's ghostly voice echoes over the meadow.

Kagome shakes her head. "I'm sorry." She whispers, as new tears
begin to form.

Kouga's ghost glares at Inu-yasha and Sesshomaru. "It's the dog
boys, right."

"Some of it, Kouga." Kagome replies. "But, there are other
reasons."

Kouga replies, "Most of it." As he glares at Inu-yasha.

Kagome nods.

A pause . . .

"Would I have you, if I return?" Kouga whispers.

Kagome shakes her head, no. "Not that way, Kouga. Anything else,
and I'd move heaven and earth for you, but not that."

Kouga looks at Inu-yasha and Sesshomaru. HE smiles. They glare
back at him. He bends over and whispers into Kagome's ear. Only
he and she can hear this whisper, his powers as a ghost makes
sure of that . . .

"When they kill each other, I will still be here. And I will
still care for and still love you, Kagome. Raise me then."

Kouga's ghost fades away.

Kagome licks her lips. She looks at Kikyo. "Do you know a
preservation spell? He'll like that, I think."

Kikyo looks at Kagome. She looks at Kouga. "Please." Kagome
asks.

Kikyo's mouth twitches, "only because I enjoy the sound of your
begging."

Kagome bows her head to Kikyo. "Thank you."

Kikyo steps over the body and casts a spell, to preserve it.

"What about Keade?" Kagome asks her as Kikyo finishes.

Keade's ghost forms next to Kagome. "I can answer for myself, my
child."

Kagome bows to Keade. "Shall we?"

Keade shakes her head, no. "I've lived a long, fruitful, and I
think good, life. I need a vacation. And I am looking forward to
being reincarnated. Let my body rest. Let me rest."

Kagome looks at the group. All of them, except Sesshomaru, she
can tell are holding back tears. (Kanna, of course, is also
unaffected.) ‘Of course, no one will shed them, in public.'
Kagome thinks. ‘But, even Inu-yasha will shed some for her.'

"I'll miss your wisdom." Kagome whispers. "I'll need that in the
future."

"You must depend upon your own wisdom, my child."


"It would be easier to depend on yours."


"That, my child, is bad thinking. You must stand on your own two
feet."

Kagome sighs, and softly begins to cry. "You were the grandmother
that I never had. I'll miss you."

Keade's ghost hugs Kagome. Keade looks at the others. All of
them, including Kikyo and Kanna, step back and give her and
Kagome some privacy.

Time passes as Kagome sobs into the arms of Keade's ghost.

After a while, Keade fades away. Kagome after wiping the tears
from her face walks over to the others.


"We talked Kikyo into preserving the body's of your mother and
grandfather." Sango whispers as she hugs Kagome, first.

"Thank you." Kagome whispers back.

She separates from Sango. She looks at Miroku. "When we return
from my side of the well, Miroku. Will you help me bury her?"

Miroku bows, "It would be an honor."

Kagome looks at kikyo. "Or would you prefer that honor?"

Kikyo looks at the body of her sister. She looks at Inu-yasha.
She opens her mouth, then closes it. Finally, she replies, "Inu-
yasha and I will be going to hell, as soon as your family is
returned to life, so no."

Kagome looks at Kikyo, hard. She nods, sharply, once. ‘I pray, to
whatever god that wishes to listen, please, never make me that
heartless.' She thinks.

Kagome spins and faces Kanna. "Let's get Kohaku back to life,
now." She growls out.


Kanna leads them to Kohaku's body. Kanna leads, followed by
Sango, and then the rest of the group.

As they walk, Miroku approaches Kagome. Inu-yasha and Sesshomaru
glare at him, but after a glance from Kagome, they don't say a
thing.

"How are you?" Miroku whispers to Kagome.

Kagome softly laughs, "A question that I've been asking myself,
Miroku. Things are happening too quickly."

Miroku nods in agreement.

"If there wasn't things that had to be done, right now, this
instant, I'd be curled up, crying." Kagome whispers. She sharply
looks at Miroku. "What about you? How is your hand?"

Miroku smiles. "The hole is gone."

"You're still wearing your gauntlet."

Miroku pauses. He nods to Sango, as she walks in front of them.
"There is a proper place and time for everything."

"She'll like that." Kagome replies.

He nods. Miroku whispers, "If she says, yes, will you?"

Kagome smiles. "Of course. I am a miko."


Miroku's eyebrow raises, "you didn't like using that term. during
your travels with Sesshomaru, you have come to terms with that, I
see."

Kagome nods. She looks at his hands, and raises an eyebrow. "Are
you sure that your hands are normal?" a ghost of a laugh is in
her voice.

"I should warn you, touching me, right now, would be a very bad
thing." She whispers, before he can answer.

Miroku smiles. "Very sure. But, this is not the time or place, as
of yet."

Kagome nods.

Kanna stops, and points to the ground.

Sango drops to her knees and begins to dig into the earth. After
a couple of seconds pause, Kagome, Kirara, and Miroku help her.

Kikyo, Kanna, Sesshomaru and Inu-yasha stand back.

Inu-yasha glares at Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru stares back. He whispers. "If you are going with
Kikyo, why does it matter?"

Inu-yasha sputters. "Sesshomaru!" he growls loudly.

Kagome looks up for her digging. She growls. "IF you two fight, I
will get angry at both of you. And right now, I have no idea what
I'd do." Power sparks from her body, causing Sango and Miroku to
bend away from her.

Sesshomaru bows to Kagome. "I am sorry. I will hold my tongue
better."

That causes everyone to look at Sesshomaru and Kagome and back
again.

Inu-yasha growls. "Hurry, the fuck up. I want this over and done
with."

A few minutes later, as dawn is breaking, Kohaku's body is
revealed.

Kagome grimaces. "Sango. Sesshomaru and I did something similar
to this during our travels. But, Tenseiga was with us." She licks
her lips. "I think, I hope, that my healing spells, which have
improved during my travels, will work. But, I can't promise you
anything."

Sango nods. Her body is tense, but, she is standing next to her
brother's body.

Kagome places her hands on Kohaku body. Her hands glow. His body
glows . . .

The glow fades. Kohaku body is healed, but still dead.

"I wish that Tenseiga were here." Kagome whispers as she stands
up and looks at Kanna.

Kanna looks back at Kagome.

Sesshomaru frowns. "Wait." He orders.

"Huh?" everyone looks at him.

HE points up into the air. "Something is approaching."

Everyone looks up.

An oni is flying toward them. It crashlands nearby.

"Tetsusaiga!" Inu-yasha yells. ‘I can feel it.' He thinks.

Kagome smiles. ‘The swords.' She thinks. ‘Somehow they came back.
Now. Everything will be all right.'

The end of this chapter . . .


Authors' note: Please note, I am approaching the confrontation
between the characters about the Sesshomaru/Kagome/inu-yasha
triangle. Sigh. However, the reviews on my story have been
declining. What I am doing wrong?



thank you for reading
jeff shelton