InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Remembering You ❯ Arigatou ( Chapter 1 )

Author Notes: This is my second fic overall but my first Inuyasha fic. It's a continuation of the series. I haven't read the whole series yet so you have to look at it from the point I describe it. . . it's not that hard to figure out. . . I took a lot of liberties in creating this. . . and incorporated some legends I've heard of personally. . . my first language is Japanese and English is my third, so there are some parts when I think it'll sound better in Japanese and so I put it in there. I'll have translation right after it so no worries. . . well I hope you guys enjoy this fic as much I will writing it. . . oh warning! Although this chapter is long (in my terms that is) it won't always be this long. . . sorry. . . well enjoy the chappie! Tell me what you think! R&R

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. . . I wish I did. . . *cry*

". . ." dialogue

`. . .' thoughts

(. . .) author's useless commentary

Arigatou

By Hoshi-ni-Onegai

During the final battle with Naraku everyone fought with everything they had, not holding back. Naraku was destroyed with the final swipe of Inuyasha's tetsusaiga. Luckily there were no casualties on Inuyasha's side, the only one nearly fatally injured was Inuyasha himself. Kagome, Miroku, Sango, Kirara, Shippou, and Myouga got their fair share of damages. They decided to stay in a village near by that night for Inuyasha was in no condition to travel back to Kaede's village. That night was when Kikyou came, not to take Inuyasha to hell but to kill Kagome.

"I have come to collect my jewel shards." Kikyou looked down upon the frightened Kagome as she still lay in her futon. Kagome had gotten her own room that night, as did everyone else, Miroku's negotiation skills were improving with the innkeepers.

"Your jewel shards? I have as much right to them as you do." Kagome coming out of her frightened state was sitting up now and displayed an air of confidence.

Kikyou smirked at Kagome's comment. "You have as much right to the shards as I do? Don't be stupid foolish girl. You are only a copy. The jewel was put into my care, not yours. Now hand it over."

"No! You died! This foolish girl was born with the jewel inside her! I will not let you take it away from me! From us! It took us two years to collect these shards! The only one that is left is the shard you hold now."

"What use do you have with the jewel? Do you wish to purify it? You can only do that if you use it to destroy a great evil. But you didn't use it did you when you killed Naraku. You did not have it complete, you did not wish to risk letting even a small shards such as this one float around in this world." During this point Kikyou had pulled out her shard of the jewel from her within her gi. "What do you wish to do with a completed jewel once you have it? Use it bring yourself unspeakable power? Use it for world peace? Use it to win the love of Inuyasha?"

Kagome's eyes went wide and became speechless on what to say.

"What's wrong girl? Afraid that I learned of your secret? Your hidden desire? You are nothing compared to me. You will never earn the love of Inuyasha being such a second rate replica. What would Inuyasha want with someone like you?" At this point Kikyou drew an arrow into the bow she always carried around. She aimed at Kagome. "He's just confused right now. With a tramp like you following him around who could blame him? Let me just get rid of that confusion for him!"

She let the arrow fly going straight for Kagome's heart. Kagome had no idea what to do, within the next second an arrow would pierce her heart. There would be no one there, she wouldn't even be able to say good-bye. She wouldn't be able to say good-bye to Inuyasha. The arrow reached her now and was about to penetrate her skin when a rough hand pushed her out of the way and the arrow imbedded into the arm connected to that rough hand.

There was Inuyasha protectively covering Kagome with his leg propped up on one side of her and his now bleeding arm in front of her as a shied.

"I-inuyasha?" Kagome voice finally came to her as she stared at Inuyasha in shock.

The previously scowling Inuyasha who was looking at Kikyou now brought his attention to Kagome. "Kagome! Are you okay?!"

"You came for me?"

"What are you talking about wench? I always come for you."

Kikyou seeing this exchange was getting pissed off and drew another arrow. "You have forgotten our promise I see Inuyasha. I was the foolish one this time. I should have gotten rid of that girl when I had the chance!" She let another arrow fly.

This arrow was aimed at Inuyasha's heart this time. The purifying power that it has would kill Inuyasha if it hits him in the heart. If he moved out of the way it would hit Kagome. "Inuyasha doite!" (translation: Inuyasha get out of the way!)

`I can't let you get hurt Kagome, you've been hurt enough because of me. . . good-bye Kikyou.' Inuyasha used the blood dripping from his wound in his right arm and yelled as his eyes locked with Kikyou's. "Hijin Ketsusou!"

Before their eyes Kikyou and her arrow were cut in to shreds. Just before her body was completely destroyed Kikyou uttered her last words, "Arigatou Inuyasha. . ." And so she was dead and a glow of light seeped out of Kikyou's remains and blasted into Kagome. Her soul was now complete.

Inuyasha passed out at that moment from straining the injuries he received from Naraku. Kagome was panicking until she noticed that he just fell asleep and some of his flesh wounds were beginning to heal. She went over to the remains of Kikyou, which was only dirt and bones, and picked up the last piece of the shikon no tama and it fused together with the rest and formed the completed jewel. She gazed into the jewel, bright pink and white light gently swerved within it. `This is it. . . what we risked our lives for during the past two years. . . two years of knowing Inuyasha. . .' She let her gaze glance across the room until it rested upon Inuyasha who was now tucked into Kagome's futon. She made her way over there and kneeled next to him brushing his cheek with her hand.

"Inuyasha. . . you lost you love again. . . this is my fault. I shouldn't have ever come across the well. Your life would have been so much simpler. . ." Tears spilled down her cheeks and her head bowed as her bangs hid her eyes. "You shouldn't have ever met me."

Suddenly a clawed hand grasped the hand that had been brushing his cheek. "Don't say that."

"Inuyasha!"

"Don't ever say that. I won't forgive you if you ever say that again. I don't regret anything after I met you. If I did I would be regretting becoming the person I am now. You've changed me Kagome. You've changed me for the better."

"But what about Kikyou?! You lost her again! This time it was my fault! I'm no better than Naraku. . ." Her tear stricken face was still facing the open futon area next to Inuyasha. She pulled back her hand that had been brushing his cheek and fisted her hands on her lap.

Inuyasha reached over and held her chin with his hand guided it until her blue-gray eyes were locked on his golden ones. "Don't say that either. What happened just now wasn't you fault. If anything it was Kikyou's. Kagome, to me she died fifty years ago. She was brought back with the hatred towards me. I didn't lose her twice, she never came back to begin with." He swiped away the tears from her eyes. "This may sound mean, but if hadn't lost her in the past you wouldn't have been born. I wouldn't have met you. And I know that would have hurt so much more than losing Kikyou a hundred times."

Kagome was speechless. Inuyasha kindly smirked and took advantage of her stillness and pulled her under the futon and put her in a position where her back was against his chest and they were both laying or their side. He wrapped his arm around her waist and snuggled his nose into her hair. "I-inuyasha?"

"Shhh. Just let me hold you like this." He breathed in the aroma around her. "You always smelled better than Kikyou to me. . ." Kagome was about to respond to that when she heard the light snoring next to her ear. She smiled gently and made herself comfortable.

When the morning sun came up Inuyasha was still hurting from his wounds as was everyone else for they were human. So they hitched a ride with Hachi. The ride back wasn't eventful at all. There was nothing threatening their lives nothing chasing them it was clear sailing. Everyone was mostly quiet throughout the trip. Shippou was taking a nap on Kagome's lap, Kagome was sitting around the middle, Sango and Miroku were situated next to each other up front and Inuyasha was laying in the back his arms crossed behind his head and his right leg propped up. He was doing what everyone else was doing gazing at the sky.

When Kagome had woken up that morning she was alone in the futon the presence of Inuyasha gone. He had left earlier, to avoid confrontation. They had yet to speak to each other that day; each for separate reasons. Inuyasha, because he was embarrassed about what he confessed in his drowsy state the night before. Kagome, still blaming herself about the death of Kikyou. She couldn't let it go. She was completely convinced that although Inuyasha was sweet enough the night before to tell her that it wasn't her fault. In her heart, she believed it was. So while everyone else was relaxing for the fact that there weren't any life-threatening people running around anymore, except Seshoumaru (but we'll discuss him later), Kagome was depressed on how much irreparable damage she caused to Inuyasha's life.

They reached Kaede's village sometime in the afternoon, soon after calling the old miko outside the Shikon no Tama that had been tucked away in Kagome's shirt started glowing. Inuyasha, being the worrywart he is when it comes to Kagome started panicking. While everyone else looked at it awe as Kagome pulled it out of her shirt. Suddenly an image, which looked kind of holographic, shown in the middle of the circle they had subconsciously formed. This image was of Midoriko, the miko that created the Shikon no Tama all those years ago.

"Kagome, you shall go back to the future and never return to the Sengoku Jidai."

Everyone was in shock except for Kagome who just smiled sadly.

"What?! Why?!" Inuyasha exclaimed instinctively stepping in front of Kagome.

"Because she is not of this time, if she were to stay she would alter history." Midoriko calmly answered the enraged hanyou.

"How the hell do you know that?!"

"I can see the alternate future, in it humans die off within the next two hundred years. If humans die off that means that Kagome who is born in five hundred year later would never exist. Every that occurred since the time she came would no longer exist and the flow of time will forever be irreversible."

"Meaning. . .?" Kagome now spoke up with her doubts.

"You would disappear before your friends very eyes in forty-eight days." Midoriko acknowledged with her still serious face.

"Forty-eight days? Why forty-eight?" Everyone was slightly relieved that Sango asked the question that everyone else had in mind as well.

"Because that will be the time when Kagome would make a fatal choice."

"What could I have done that changed the passing of time so much?"

Midoriko faced Kagome again, "You were living here with the Shikon no Tama. Passing from one time to the other occasionally."

"What if she makes a wish?!" Inuyasha was still standing possessively in front of Kagome and voiced his suggestion.

"There is no wish that Kagome could make that is not considered selfish."

Miroku who had been silent as of yet spoke, "What if she wished for Inuyasha to become human?"

"I could never do that to Inuyasha."

Inuyasha turned his head to glance at Kagome from the corner of his eyes, "You don't want to stay here?"

Kagome felt a pang of guilt and tried to explain, "I do!! But. . . you've wanted to become full demon for the longest time. . . I can't make you become what you hate the most. . ." Her eyes averted towards the ground her fingers locking together in a prayer fashion in front of her.

Inuyasha looked sadly upon Kagome, ". . .I don't hate humans or being half human. . . that would mean I hate you. . ."

"Inuyasha. . ."

They were in their own little world until Midoriko stepped in, "That wish is considered selfish, that wouldn't purify the jewel. It would benefit your overall happiness."

Sango spoke up with what seemed like the best suggestion, "What if she asked for world peace?!"

"She will die." Midoriko answered placidly.

"Huh?! Why?!" Inuyasha along with everyone else was confused. How could asking for world peace be bad in a time of such peril?

"Because she has a predestined death in the Sengoku Jidai in a year."

"Her death?. . ." The thought alone of Kagome brought an air of thick depression over Inuyasha.

"The only way to escape that will be for Kagome to leave and meet her destiny in the future."

"My destiny?"

"Yes, to become the `densetsu no miko.'" (translation: the legendary priestess)

"Kagome-sama is the `densetsu no miko?!'" Miroku being the knowledgeable one in the Shinto legends made the connection first.

"What is the `densetsu no miko?'" Kagome was beyond confused.

"You have to leave Kagome." Kagome stared with hurt reflecting in her eyes after Inuyasha said that.

"Huh? What's going on? What's the `densetsu no miko?'" Hurt was apparent in Kagome's voice.

"The `densetsu no miko' is the what balances good and evil in the world." Sango explained looking sadly at Kagome.

"Huh? My time isn't infested with evil why would I need to balance it?" Kagome looked around hopefully at everyone, but no one changed they glance of hopelessness.

"You would be surprised on what the scale of good and evil is at. You're a guarantee, Kagome. Al the `densetsu no mikos' have met a certain calling." Midoriko explained.

"A calling? What kind of calling?" Kagome was still a bit confused.

"One that rests the fate of all things living upon you shoulders."

"That's why you have to go. . ." Inuyasha said as he avoided looking at Kagome in the eyes.

"But where is the `densetsu no miko' of this time?" Kagome asked.

"She exists, yet no one knows of who she is. She will fulfill her destiny. Will you?"

Kagome was panicking now, "Every one will die without me? My friends, family, this history, my memories with you all?!" Tears were pouring down her face.

"That, I cannot help."

"What do you mean?" Kagome looked up at Midoriko.

"When you return to your time you will lose all memory of anything that happened after you went through the well."

Kagome was stunned beyond belief. "I'll forget. . . everything?"

"Yes, I'm sorry. But if you stay here there is no hope for humans and for the world."

"I have no other option but to leave. . ."

Inuyasha looked at Kagome as if the world just crumbled, and his world did. "Kagome. . ."

Midoriko observed the exchange between the two and showed pity, "You may stay here until the forty-seventh day, but then you must leave."

Sango looked pleadingly at Kagome, "You'll stay right?"

"Kagome-sama, stay with us. . ." Miroku requested.

"Please stay as long as you can!" Shippou spoke up for the first time since they began talking.

"Kagome. . ." Inuyasha seemed the most desperate out of all of them.

Kagome let her eyes travel across her friends finally looking at Inuyasha. ". . .I'm sorry. . . Midoriko-sama, I choose to leave now." She said this as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

"WHAT?!" Everyone cried out in unison.

Inuyasha was hurt and angered, "Do you want to forget us so quickly?! Was your life after meeting me that bad?!"

Kagome didn't answer him over anybody and walked over to Kirara and crouched in front of her. Kagome reached out and scratched the untransformed Kirara behind the ear. Without making eye contact with Sango, who was standing behind Kirara, she asked, "Sango-chan, can I borrow Kirara?"

"Kagome-chan. . ."

Standing up she pulled Sango into an embrace, "Thank you, Sango. You're the best girlfriend a girl could ask for. We went through so much together. I love you like the sister I never had."

Sango returned Kagome's embrace and sobbed, "Kagome-chan!"

Kagome brushed Sango's until her sobs died down and looked her in the eyes and gave a gentle but genuine smile. Untangling herself from that embrace she stepped over to Miroku who had been standing next to Sango.

Kagome smirked, "Keep you hands where I can see them." She pulled Miroku into an embrace as well. "I thank you too. You watched out for me like an older brother would," Kagome giggled at this point. "A perverted older brother that is! Take care of Sango."

"Kagome-sama. . ." Kagome gave one final squeeze and walked over and kneeled down so she was eye level with Shippou.

"You were like another little brother," she hugs him to her while ruffling his hair affectionately, "maybe a little cuter than Souta but no less family."

"Ka~go~me~!" He was bawling his eyes out and buried himself in the familiar comfort of Kagome's lap and stomach. She hugged the little kitsune youkai with all the parental love she could put into it. She set Shippou in Sango's arms and walked over to Kaede.

"I lost my grandmother when I was little. I was nice having one again for the past tow years. Everything I know about being a miko I learned from you. Thank you so much." Kagome bent down and embraced the short old woman.

"I wish you the best with your destiny. You will be a far greater miko than any the world has yet to see."

Kagome held Kaede by the shoulders and smiled as she looked into the old woman's eyes. "You were always so nice." Her attention was taken away when a well-known flee-demon hopped onto her hand.

"It's is true Kagome you will become extremely powerful. You have a lot of potential!" Myouga said as he jumped on her hand.

She smiled sadly at Myouga and tapped him gently on his head with her index finger, "Thank you, but as flattering as that is I would rather stay here than to have so much power." She turned around to glance in the direction of Inuyasha. "Yes, I would much rather stay here. But I won't be selfish." She let go of Kaede's shoulder and Myouga leaped off of her hand. She made her way towards Inuyasha.

But right when she was about to say something he turned around to her sorrow until he kneeled before her with his back to her. "I'll take you to the well."

"You don't have to Inuyasha. . ."

"I know that!. . . I just want to. . ." Kagome smiles down at his back and walks over to the already transformed, petting her behind her ear.

"I guess I'll hitch a ride with Inuyasha, thank you for all the rides Kirara. You should have met Buyo, I guess it's too late though."

Making her way towards Inuyasha she climbed onto her familiar position on his back for the last time. As he leapt into the air Midoriko stayed behind with Sango, Miroku, Shippou, Kaede, Myouga, and Kirara. Kagome turned around hanging onto Inuyasha with one hand as she waved with the other.

"Bye everyone! Even though I can't miss you because I won't remember you, but I know my life has changed for the better because I met you all! Thank you all so much! I hope. . . no, I know we will all meet again someday!"

With that Inuyasha and Kagome could no longer be seen by the rest of the group. As they leapt through the air Kagome whispered into Inuyasha's dog-ears she loved so much. "Inuyasha?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you angry?"

Inuyasha gave a sighed. "No, but disappointed."

Kagome hid her face into his back. "I'm sorry."

"Why won't you stay with us for the extra days?"

"What's the use? The sooner I leave the sooner you guys can go back to your own lives."

". . . Do you honestly think that?"

"Maybe. . . no, but the sooner I leave, the sooner I get to move on."

"You want to forget us that much huh?" He was beginning to scowl a bit.

"No! I don't want to forget! That's the last thing I want! But if I stay any longer I might refuse to leave!"

"What could change in forty-seven days?!" He was now fully scowling, yelling, and turning to look at her to get the desire effect.

Looking him straight in the eye she exclaimed, "My feelings for you!"

Realizing what she just admitted to freely she slaps a hand over her mouth, eyes wide. Just then Inuyasha had landed in front of the well. She stumbled off him falling on her butt with the well against her back. Inuyasha turns around with surprise written across his face. ". . . your feelings?. . . for me?"

Silence fell around them; Kagome's face and Inuyasha's went back to normal. They stared into each other's eyes. Kagome broke away the staring by turning around and climbed over the lip of the well and sat herself down with her feet dangling over the inside of the well.

"I'm sorry Inuyasha." She said as she gazed down at the bottom of the well. The well that connected her to this time, to her friends, to him.

"Why are you apologizing?"

"Because. . . I promised myself I wouldn't get attached to this place. . . I knew that I would never would be allowed to stay. . ."

Inuyasha stepped towards her a bit taken aback. "How did you know?! Why didn't you tell me?!"

"I knew because it was too good to be true. These things never last."

"Kagome. . ."

"I remember the first time you used my name. . . I guess that's when it all started."

"What started?"

"My uncontrollable feelings."

"Huh?"

Kagome smiles brightly but sadly. "I'm sorry."

". . . why are you sorry?"

"Because I broke the rules. . ."

"Rules?"

"Inuyasha gomen ne. Watashi baka datta. Kono mama de irareru wakenaitte wakatteta noni. . . wakatteta noni. . ." (translation: I'm sorry Inuyasha. I was stupid. I knew we couldn't stay as we were. . . I knew it but. . .)

"Kagome?"

She turned around looking fully at Inuyasha the most brilliant smile upon her face, Inuyasha was speechless but Kagome wasn't. "Sukidayo Inuyasha. Daisuki. Watashi no koto wasurenaidene." (translation: I like you Inuyasha. I like you a lot. Don't forget about me.)

With that she jumps into the well but Inuyasha catches her hand at the last second.

"O-oremo! Oremo sukida! Itsukaraka wakaranaiga orewa omaewo suki ni natteta. Kagome ga daisuki ni natteta." (translation: M-me too! I like you too! I don't know when it happened but I ended up liking you. I ended up liking Kagome.)

Alone tear trails down Kagome's face and she smiles up to him.

"Arigatou. Sayonara."

Concentrating her miko power Kagome sent an energy blast to her hand forcing Inuyasha to let go and Kagome to disappear into the well. Back to her time.

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A/N: okay, the reason why I put like in there instead of love is because in reality when ppl their age confesses to someone they like someone they say `suki' more then `ai'. . . yeah. . . this is only the first chapter don't worry there's more chapters to come! Oh! If you have any questions about any terms or anything (b/c I'm using more Japanese terms in this one than in my other fic) just ask me and I'll try to explain the best I can! Tell me what you think! Matane!