InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Never Gonna Let You Go ❯ Time Passages ( Chapter 21 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Eight years had passed since that fateful day when Inuyasha reappeared in the village. Lady Juri had learned of the story of Inuyasha and why the villagers began treating the sacred tree as a shrine. Miroku commissioned a building be built around the tree and Inuyasha's body to keep onlookers at bay. He didn't feel right having his friend gawked at by passerbys.

Almost eight years to the day found Miroku and a very elderly Lady Kaede speaking at the shrine,

"Monk, I will soon be gone from this world. I beg of ye, please take care of this shrine. I know it is Shinto and ye are Buddhist but, ..."

"Say no more, Lady Kaede. Inuyasha was my friend and I will always be his. I will make sure that my children and descendants watch over this shrine. At least until someone comes along and can free him again.", said Miroku.

"Ye have been a good man, Miroku. I am happy that I got to know ye, Sango and Shippou. My only regret in this life is that I never learned the whereabouts of young Kagome."

"I fear I may die without learning what happened to her as well. It is a shame. She was a wonderful and kind girl."

"Aye. And so good for Inuyasha."

The next morning, Lady Juri went into Kaede's hut and found that the old miko had passed away in her sleep.
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Miroku laid on his deathbed. He was in his 90's ... old and weak. He had lived a good life with his wife and family. He was a great-great-great grandfather now and was happy at the expansive family he had. He knew he didn't have long before he would see the afterlife. His wife sat beside him, holding his hand, as he struggled to breathe. Sango was aged, too, and knew she didn't have much more time after Miroku.

Another 60 years had passed since the death of Lady Kaede. The village had grown considerably as the town of Edo began to creep to its borders. Miroku worried about what would become of Inuyasha's shrine. As much as they tried to keep the actual story alive, Inuyasha's shrine became known as the shrine of the Dog-God. His friends would laugh at the idea of Inuyasha being a god, much as they had done when the villagers who had problems with monkey sprites had considered him a god.

One of Miroku's grandsons, who had become a Shinto priest instead of a Buddhist monk, agreed to have his family become caretakers of the shrine. He also promised his grandfather that the well would become enshrined as well. Miroku told his grandson, Akihiro,

"One day, commoners such as ourselves will be able to take family names for our clans. I beg of you, pass down the name Higurashi."

"I promise, grandfather, I will.", Akihiro said.

A few days later, Miroku passed peacefully to the Netherworld. Sango would linger for 3 more years and then she, too, was gone.
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Kagome often thought about her friends and Inuyasha throughout her life, but the one thing Sesshoumaru had refused to give her was her freedom to go an see her old freinds. She was still his mistress, and she had bore him 2 children, a son, Isamu and a daughter, Akemi. She still took care of his two sons from Kagura, Eiji (the younger and soft-spoken child) and Kazuhiko.

Although she was his mistress, they shared more love than Sesshoumaru and Kagura. Kagura was merely a figurehead anymore, still retaining her title as his mate and Lady of the Western Lands. The love they had once shared had since dissipated.

Kagome and her children lived in luxury and wanted for nothing. And while Kagome had learned to love Sesshoumaru, her heart, deep inside, would always belong to the hanyou. As the years passed, she knew her human friends had probably died not knowing her whereabouts. For that she was truly sad and sorry.
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The young wolf hanyou stood on the rock and surveyed the area. He was handsome and strong, looking very much like his father. His black hair was pulled back into a pony-tail and his brown eyes were like steel. His adoptive mother, Ayame, had done a wonderful raising him to be a strong warrior. She had told him all about his father and his father's legacy. He was proud of his heritage and was preparing to take back his father's tribe. He had been training his whole life for this. Even though he was a warrior through and through, his mother had trained him to have a soft spot. He wasn't all steel and ice.

"Mother,", he called as he headed back into the den, "Where are Ginta and Hakkaku? Do you know?"

"They are probably relaxing by the waterfall, Takeshi. Why do you ask?", said his mother, Ayame.

"I just want to talk to them. I am anxious to get on with this Rokin. I want to reclaim my father's tribe.", he said, heading out to the falls.

Just as expected, Hakkaku and Ginta were by the falls, asleep. The southern wolf demon tribe had no real enemies so threats were minor and relaxation was high. Takeshi shoved his two friends gently,

"Yo, fellas, get up.", he said, prodding them.

"Huh? Oh it's you Takeshi.", said Ginta

"Who else would it be? So, when do I get to meet this Rokin? I'm anxious to fight.", said Takeshi.

"Give it time. I'm sure you're ready.", said Hakkaku.

Takeshi sat crosslegged on the rock, "I'm chomping at the bit here you guys. I want to fight and become leader."

"I know. And you will. Rokin is strong. Not very bright, but strong. We want to make sure you are fully prepared.", said Ginta.

"I have fought the strongest wolves in the southern pack and I have beaten them all. I am strong enough and smarter than this Rokin"

"Keep practicing. We will send Janden and Yarte up to spy on the Eastern Tribe and see what is happening, ok?"

"Fine. Fine. As long as we get some movement going here.", said the impatient Takeshi.