InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Remembering You ❯ Five Centuries Later ( Chapter 3 )

Author Notes: This chapter is the longest chapter I have EVER written. 27 page yall!!! Wow this took me a week to write. Arg!!!!! I also still have another fic to write for! I hope I get a few reviews about this. I know it may seem a bit rushed but I wanted to get the ball rolling on he actual plot of the story. Well c ya guys~!

Disclaimer: I own Inuyasha? Now that's funny. That'll happen the day I become a god in a messed up religion. I'll get back to you when that happens.

". . ." dialogue

`. . .' thoughts

(. . .) author's useless commentary

Five Centuries Later

By Hoshi-ni-Onegai

#warning: cuss words come up here and there b/c that's Inuyasha's character and I tend to cuss in real life. . . sorry#

~Inuyasha POV~

When you think about it five hundred years is along time. But use it to your advantage and you can accomplish so much more than you anticipated. Kagome left through the well. Midoriko explained everything to us. At the time we thought it was everything but she left us with more questions than answers. Oh well, I least I get to see Kagome again right? Yeah. Shit happens when you're waiting around for time to pass by. And shit doesn't happen when you wait around only for time to pass by. That's what I did for five years.

After Midoriko vanished it was a silent agreement that we would stick together for the five hundred years. Yeah, I guess I was too deaf to know that this silent agreement pertained to me as well. I never left the well. Right after we were told our aging was altered we were lost on what to do. Okay, maybe I was lost and everyone else knew.

Sango claimed that since five hundred years was going to be a long time she didn't want to sit around doing nothing. So she decided to continue on with her family tradition of being a youkai taijiya (demon exterminator) with faithful Kirara at her side. Miroku being the ever-persistent one followed her whenever she got a job, no matter how far, Miroku was sure to go along.

With the curse of the kaza ana (air void) gone we thought Miroku would devote himself to Buddha, but that didn't happen. His lecherous ways also didn't end. I guess he couldn't let go of the way he lived for the two years Kagome was with us. No one really could. That's why Shippou tagged along with them.

At first he was annoyed that he would grow at a freakishly irritatingly slow rate, but he got over that when Sango and Miroku pointed out that when we meet Kagome again she would still look at him like a cute fuzz ball. Realizing that we would be helping Kagome out on her second calling, he wanted to develop his fighting skills. Since his parents died before they could teach him everything, he decided the best way to develop his skills was to learn to fight. Being as small as he is there was still restrictions with his strength but he seems to be coping well enough. It's amazing how much that little guy can motivate himself to do, but you won't hear me saying that out loud anytime soon.

Myouga hasn't changed much. Comes around occasionally to give the heads up or reports of a job Miroku and Sango can go off and do. Kaede is in the same league as him, hasn't changed much. Still doing her herbs and shit, yeah, that's her all right and still talking weird.

I guess I didn't want to change either, but I seemed to have been clinging more than the others. I lived in the well. I'm not exaggerating or anything, I lived down there for three years. I would only come up if I heard something scurrying right next to the well, and the scurrying creature would end up being a meal. Rain would come down and that would be my water. Being hanyou allowed me to go on longer without food, don't get me wrong though, I was near death starving anyways because I love food so much. Frequently one of the others would come over and peek over the rim of the well and tell me to come out and live life. Telling me that I was going to see her again if I had patience, but I refused to go up. Damn I'm stubborn.

My hair grew out I smelled like hell, I almost passed out a couple of times when there was drought because I couldn't rinse the dirt off me. Not only did I smell like hell I looked the part too. My fire rat robe as always repaired itself when it got torn. Not that it got torn often. I was down in the well, no activity meant no rips in my clothing. Oh well. The color of the thing did change after awhile. Instead of being red it became a reddish-brown and my undershirt was gray and yellow from dirt and sweat. My silver hair was no longer so, it was a mix of having streaks of gray, brown, and black. Before my hair reached my waist now went passed my feet. My clams were excessively long and caked with mud. I didn't care what I looked like, I just wanted Kagome back.

I guess I thought maybe if I stayed at the well for five years, when she was supposed to meet my future self, the well might start working. I have no idea where I got that logic because it didn't happen. Five years living down there and around the same time of the year when we said to our good-byes to Kagome, Sango called out to me.

"Inuyasha!" Her loud voice echoed off the walls of the well and rang into my extremely sensitive ears.

After a bit of growling on my part on the behalf of my abused ears I replied a bit exasperated, "What do you want now Sango?"

There was a pause then, "Inuyasha, it has been five years. She's not coming back."

". . ."

"Inuyasha." Her voice sounded almost pleading.

Then suddenly Miroku's head could be seen leaning over the rim. "Sango-sama is right, Inuyasha. Kagome-sama will not be returning through that well. There is nothing to wait for. Come out of there."

"Why should I? It's not like there is anything I can do out there." I looked towards the sky now seeing birds fly by and the gentle spring breeze bringing in the smell of sakura blossoms. I took a deep breath, shut my eyes and tried to remember what she smelled like. Kagome always smelled nice, pleasant and soothing. Sakura blossoms and peaches. I asked her once why she smelled like that. After a few minutes of blushing for an unknown reason she answered by saying that sakura blossoms surrounded her shrine and she uses soap for her hair that smells like peaches. I wonder where she got that soap? If I had that I would have a reminder on what she smelled like. . . but I don't think I'll ever forget her aroma. Is that the right word for it? Oh well, I was never really good with words.

"Inuyasha!" I was pulled out of my reverie when Miroku yelled at me from above.

"Yeah? What do you want now?" I continued looking up at the sky.

"Midoriko-sama told us that we are to assist Kagome-sama in her second calling. In reality I think, no I know, that you will play the largest role in helping her. I doubt you being down there and doing nothing for five hundred years will do anything. Why not come out into the world and learn? There is much that you still do not know."

"Thank you oh-so-enlightened-one."

"Inuyasha I'm serious. When the time comes for you to reveal yourself to Kagome-sama what do you plan to do? Help her in your dirty clothes filthy appearance and wave around the long forgotten Tetsusaiga around? When you meet her will you still be the lost boy that you were when you went across the well before? Will you be a helpless child, useless to Kagome-sama?"

Ouch. Yeah, that hurt. Not because of the blunt and semi-harsh words, but because it was the truth. If I stayed down in the well I would meet Kagome with nothing to offer. I had to get out. Learn everything that the world had to offer.

"Inuyasha?" Sango sheepishly called down the well.

Without warning I leaped out of the well and landed behind them. I gazed at the well as Sango and Miroku stared wide-eyed at me.

"I have to leave." I surprised them and myself when I said that. Surprise was apparent on their faces but not mine.

"W-where are you going to go?" Sango stuttered out.

"I don't know, but Miroku you're right. I have nothing to offer Kagome if I meet her like this." I gestured with my right hand and looked down at my clothes. "I have to go learn. The next time I see you guys you're the ones who are going to be asking me the questions."

I smirked at their still shocked faces and began biting my claws until they were at an acceptable length (for a hanyou that is). Then I unsheathed my Tetsusaiga started hacking off my hair. At first I thought maybe I would keep it at the length I always used to have it at but I thought what the hell, get rid of it. When I was done there was a pile of my hair on the dirt ground around me and my hair was short. I don't just mean Miroku short. The pieces of hair that always seemed to rest on my shoulder were gone my bangs were back to its normal length, maybe even shorter. And the mane of a hair that swept behind me was now chopped up. First thing learned: my hair spikes up in a wild manner when short.

"Inuyasha!" Sango brought her hands in front of her mouth in shock and Miroku just smiled.

"Sukkiri shita?" (translation: feel refreshed?) Miroku asked me.

I passed my finger through my hair, "Hell yeah. Damn, I had a lot of hair."

Sango stilled looked at me in shock, "Oh. My. God. Kagome is going to kill you!"

"Huh?! Why?!" To say I started panicking would be the understatement of the century.

"Kagome loved your hair! She's not going to be happy to see you if you meet her looking like that!"

I looked to Miroku for help, "Don't look at me Inuyasha, you're the one that cut it off. Although I think it'll be easier for you to deal with."

"What if Kagome doesn't want me because my hair is gone?!"

"I really doubt that Kagome-sama's opinion of you will change because of your hair. She might be disappointed but I'm sure she'll get over it."

"If you say that Miroku, you obviously don't know women." Sango said as she glared at Miroku.

"Is that your way in saying that you have all say in how my hair is?"

"N-no! Of course not! Your wife would have the say!" Sango exclaimed blushing as she looked away.

As amusing as this was for me I decided that I best be leaving, "Even though I'm worried about what Kagome thinks I'll be leaving now."

"When will we see you again? Five hundred years?"

"Nah, I'll see you guys way before that."

"I see that you're pretty confident about learning everything in a short period of time." Miroku said as he crossed his arms.

I smirked, "You know it." With that I leapt into the direction of the woods and that was the last I saw of Sango or Miroku, until the next time I saw them that is.

I was never good with good-byes so I decided to leave without talking to Shippou, Kaede, or Myouga. I didn't know where I was going so just went where my feet took me. The first place it took me was the lake that Kagome had swam in when she had just come across the well for the first time and where I saw her. . . um. . . without clothes for the first time. I didn't mean to back then, I was only aiming for the Shikon no Tama. I got my punishment by getting an `osuwari' on very hard rock. Yay.

The thought of the `osuwari' brought back the memories of all time that she used that on me. A subconsciously fingered the beads around my neck as I made my way towards the water. I looked at my reflection and decided the best way to get rid of the dirt and grime from everywhere around me was to just get into the water fully clothed and swim around until I was clean. I'm so smart I surprise myself sometimes. Then after I get into the water I notice that the water weighed me down, but I've swam in my clothes before. Heck, that's the only way I swim. After about an hour of swimming around at a fast speed and I felt cleaner than I felt in the past five years I trudged up to the shore. I shook the water off me like a dog would, well, that's what Kagome always told me. She said it was cute, if she likes it I'll keep on doing it. That's when I heard a twig snap and without turning around I knew who was there.

"What do you want Kouga?" I am proud to say that I didn't even growl, I just spoke to him calmly. I guess I'm changing already.

"Where the hell have you been hiding her?! I've looking for her for five years! Well the hell is she inukoro?!" He lunged at me at that time. Even though I hadn't moved around much in the past five years I still had my reflexes and ducked.

"Kouga, I'm really not in the mood to explain everything to you. Hell you don't even deserve explanations. This doesn't concern you."

"What doesn't concern me?!"

"Shit."

"How do you explain that I barely have aged in the past five years?! Even for a youkai I'm aging slower than the average rate! Can you explain that?!"

Hearing this I covered my face with my right hand, "Shit Midoriko, he's one of them?"

"I'm one of what inukoro? Did chopping off your hair make you insane too?" He thinks he's so smart doesn't he? Well, I don't have time for him right now.

"Look, if you want answers go to the village and ask Miroku, you know the guy in monk clothes that was always with us? I have to go." I was about leap off again then thought struck again, "Hurt anyone around here and I will personally hunt you down and neuter you." That's the last I saw of Kouga for a long time.

During the time when I was on my journey I ran into Seshoumaru a couple times. First couple times it was the traditional bloody encounter but after time we started just making vicious cracks at each other. That lasted until suddenly there was a situation where we needed both of each other's help and now we rely on each other in tight spots. He's not out to get me for Tetsusaiga anymore and I don't have the compulsive urge to kill him every time I see him. Now, that's what I call brotherly love. Or hate, which ever.

First thing I did after setting on my epic journey, I have no idea if it can be considered epic but oh well, was look for Kikyou. I know what you guys are all thinking, "Not again! Leave that bitch!" I'm not going to confess my undying love for her because I don't think I ever did, love her that is. What we had before was just two very lonely people that found some company. Depression can cloud your judgment. Trust me, I've been depressed enough times in my life to be able to write one of those textbook things Kagome used to carry around. Kagome. Every time I even think of her I start to worry. What happened to her after she crossed the well for the last time? How did her two-year frequent absences get explained? Is she taking those tests like she always wanted? Is she going on dates with that Hobo guy? Will I have to kill Hobo when I reach her time for touching her? Should I kill him slowly or quickly? I know the answer to that one, s~l~o~w~l~y. But the question I fear the most is: will she remember me? Will she want to remember me? Is she my soul mate? I don't know what I would do if Kagome wasn't my soul mate. What would happen if it were Kouga, Hobo, Seshoumaru, or even Naraku that was her real soul mate? Okay, I have to stop thinking like that.

As I reached the mountain in which Kikyou now rested I went searching for her. And let me tell you it's freakishly hard to find an immortal bellflower on a mountain made of rocks. When I did spot her I knew straight away it was her. For some reason I had been looking for a pink flower. Why? Don't ask me. What I found was a patch of them in one area. All pink except for a lone flower that stood slightly taller than the rest and in the middle. This particular flower was white at the stem area and blood red at the edges. I smirked as I looked down at it.

"I guess you never got a break from those miko clothes did you? Always in red in white. It suites you. . . I guess. I was never one to know much about color coordination."

I paused, I don't know what I was waiting for. A response? Maybe I was going insane like Kouga said, I was talking to a flower after all.

"All this time I thought that you came back in the form of Kagome, but I guess I was wrong. You two are two entirely different people. Heck you guys don't even look alike in my present opinion. Here I though you guys shared a soul. How is that even possible when you were calm and serene while she was cheerful and energetic? Being all immortal and living on a mountain I'm just going to assume you're all knowing. You saw me avenging you death right? Naraku's gone. It took awhile with the Shikon no Tama shattered and well. . . um. . . you're corps walking around. Yeah."

There was nothing that indicated that Kikyou was listening to me, maybe I got the wrong bellflower? Probably not, this flower was oozing with Kikyouness. A gentle breeze blew and made all but the Kikyou bellflower sway. My eyes widened and the breeze started picking up but the only one not swaying was Kikyou. The wind stopped immediately and I smiled, yeah me smiling, watch out.

"I'll take that as your subtle sign of telling me you're listening. Can you dance around and sprout another leaf to tell me you're happy I got rid of the scum of the earth also known as Naraku."

I stared with so much concentration at Kikyou but nothing happened I sighed, "I'll take that as a yes you're happy he's gone and I shouldn't ask you to do the impossible."

Heaving another sigh I looked everywhere but at Kikyou. "I realized something during the time I was with Kagome. . . I never loved you. I know that comes harsher than I mean it to. What we had before you died was. . . I'm not really sure. Maybe it was just that we liked each others' company. To honestly say, I don't think I would be willing to become human for you now if you asked. I will say this though. You were my first friend ever. That's what I felt for you, friendship. How do I know that now? I know that because when I was with Kagome, I found out what love felt like. I found out what it feels like to love someone, to be in love with someone. Wow. I never said that out loud, I never realized it before either. . . After awhile I also realized that you never loved me either. You're a miko, you're devoted to the cause of being a miko. That means you were never meant to have a man in your life. Even if you were going to have a man in your life it wouldn't have been me. Me becoming human with the Shikon no Tama was a convenience for you and me. You don't have the Shikon no Tama to deal with and I'm accepted into society. . . But I don't want to be accepted in society anymore. Kagome accepted me for what I am and I'll never change unless it was for her. I'll see her in five hundred years and when I do she might want me to turn into a duck. Who knows? But you'll see me traveling across the globe in search of a way to turn into a duck and fly back to her."

I finally let my eyes glance at Kikyou who I could have sworn gave off a slight glow. Shacking my head to rid myself of my coming insanity I started to turn around to head down the mountain.

"I'll visit from time to time. Want anything for my next visit? Food? Water? Dirt?. . . Don't look at me like that, it was a valid question." I shrugged and leaped off and called over my shoulder, "Take care Kikyou! Drink plenty of water and don't pick on the other bellflowers!"

I might have lost it temporarily when I was talking to Kikyou but I felt better getting all that off my chest. After seeing Kikyou I had no idea where to head so I decided to travel around Japan. And so I did.

Sixty years later I had taken in all of Japan into my memory. There was nothing for me to experience or learn in Japan. I looked towards the horizon of the west and made my way towards China. When I got there I was confused because of the language barrier but that was solved when I learned Mandarin within a year. Learning a new language was difficult at first but it was easier than I thought. After my sixty years traveling in Japan I started picking things up quicker. I guess my brain wasn't really put to that much use when I was hunting for the Shikon no Tama and when I was searching for the Shikon no Kakera.

It was different in China, not that I expected for it to be the same as Japan. There were more of the people Kagome talked about, she called them `gaijin,' foreign people. Japan is so small compared to China, and Japan's history seems shortened without the written records that seem to have been preserved in China. Traders from the foreign counties taught me a lot too. I sound like philosopher trying to learn everything. Damn. I used to think people that did that were wasting their lives. Then again I still do, except unlike everyone else I have five hundred years to waste. I traveled around what the foreigners called `Asia' for about eighty years. When I reached this really tall mountains in what the natives called `Himalayas' I stood at the top and decided it was about time I returned home. Eighty years changes a nation, I need to go back and take in Japan again before I forget Japanese. Feh, highly unlikely.

While in China I discovered that there were so many martial art styles and became to determined to master all of them. I have high goals, that's what kept me over there for eighty years. All that damn reading, studying, and training. I'm stronger than what I used to be and I can wield the Tetsusaiga like it's another limb for me. Oh, what I loved most about China is that they brought ramen over to Japan. I think I like this country for its food now.

Arriving in Japan I visited Kikyou, said hey and set off to travel around again. During my persistent travels I never looked at another girl. I may sound like a pussy but I was saving myself for Kagome. As difficult as it may seem it was fairly simple when I reminded myself of Kagome. Oh, and my hair grew out. Yeah, I started panicking all those years ago for no reason at all because I forgot hair grows out. So I chopped it off again. Long hair is way too much work.

I went around to the dojos that existed in the time period to study Japanese martial arts. Traveling Japan for the second time took longer than the first, not much longer but still longer. It might have been that I also wanted to master the different types of fighting styles in all of Japan. Seventy and some years later I found myself at the well. It had some vines crawling its way up and some plants that had made it's home in it but it was still in relatively good shape considering I hadn't seen it for the past two hundred and fifteen or so years.

Seeing the thing that connected me to Kagome at one point in need of cleaning I started pulling the weeds off and jumped in and got rid of all the plants that tried to grow there. I didn't kill the plants though I planted them in a different location after getting them in large heap. When I made my way back to the well after my gardening experience I decided that I should build the well house. Huh, I guess that well house in the future was made by me. I guess me and my chopping of wood attracted some attention, because as I was hauling my third tree over to the well Sango, Miroku, Shippou, Kaede, and Kirara came by.

"Inuyasha?" The familiar voice belonged to Sango. It was different somehow, it held more maturity. Don't ask me how to measure maturity in a voice because I have no idea.

I turned around to face them the trunk of the tree still wrapped by my right arm hauled over my right shoulder. I smirked, "Hey, what's up?"

Miroku walked over towards me and was about to hit me on the head with his staff but I caught it, centuries of training will do that to you. Even so Miroku looked slightly ticked, "What the hell do you mean `hey, what's up?' Where have you been for the past two hundred years?!"

"I told you I was going to learn, came back for a rest. Gonna build the well house." I said this as a set down the tree.

"A well house? What are you going to do building a well house for? No one comes around here. Even with the village gone and now becoming Edo the outskirts have yet to reach this area." Kaede looked and sounded as old as ever.

"In Kagome's time there was a well house for this well. I plan to build it."

There was silence as I cut up the piled up three trees into usable planks. They just looked at me like I grew a second head. Last time I checked I didn't so I just avoided their stare. "Hey got any food? I'm kinda hungry."

"What the hell Inuyasha?! You've been gone for the past two hundred years and now you come back to build a house for a well asking us for food?! Where the hell have you been and why didn't you say good-bye?!" Whoa, Shippou seems enraged for some reason.

"I came back, there was no need for a good-bye. Also in all technicalities two hundred years is only two years for us. And I'm hungry, give me a break man. I just came back from walking from Kyoto." Shippou leapt on my head and started biting my ears just like he used to. I smirked at that until I noticed something, he had human legs. I pulled him off my head set him on the ground in front of me. "Why do you look human?"

"What are you talking about? All youkai disguise themselves as humans now days. You do."

"Huh? What are you talking about? I'm not disguising myself."

"You have your hair all messy like that to hide your ears right?"

"Um. . . no? My hair is always like this now. Too much trouble with it long."

"You have no idea do you?"

"About what?"

"Humans don't know youkai exist anymore. We're just myths and legends to them now."

"What? Are we dying out or something?"

"Kind of. The thing is we still don't have that many hanyou running around because the senior youkai wanted us to be as purely youkai as possible. We only breed within our species. Since it's hard to find someone of your species without committing incest the youkai's birth rate went down dramatically. We don't bother humans that much anymore, there are still a fairly large group that formed kind of like a secret society group and stuff. Most of us live among humans but we don't mate with humans. Inuyasha, for the amount of traveling and learning you've done you haven't picked up much on youkai living habits have you?"

Wow, I missed out on a lot. I don't mean about the change in youkai behaviors but about how much Shippou grew up. Even with his ear biting, which I think he did out of old habit, he seems to have grown up. "Did you get taller?"

"Inuyasha, are you even listening?"

"Huh? Yeah, youkai are trying to be pure and we're dying out because only those that exist now are left and new youkai aren't being born as frequent as before. But really, did you grow? You're past my hip now. I remember when you were so short I almost stepped on you a couple times."

Shippou looked at me a bit exasperated, "Yeah I grew. And by the way you phrased that it sounds as if you're an uncle that never visits and telling his nephew that he shot up."

"Keh, close enough."

I heard Kaede chuckling now, "You don't change much do you Inuyasha?"

"After that much traveling and studying I'd like to think I changed even a little." I had resumed cutting the wood and using the Japanese style of not using nails. Then again what are nails? Oh well. As I was making the foundation Sango suddenly spoke.

"Where did you learn carpentry Inuyasha? Last time I saw you, you could barely help in the repairs of the roof of Kaede's house."

"Oh this? Learned it while I was in China. Needed the money to buy some food. So fixed stuff here and there for money, food, or lessons."

"China? Lessons? You working?!" Sango along with everyone else seemed shocked.

"Give me some credit, I work. Sorta. I was traveling over China for eighty years, but that was about seventy-five years ago. And lessons as meaning in martial arts lessons. Some of the dojos over there like the ones here are pretty beaten up. They always needed to be worked on. So I repaired and they taught me some stuff. Same goes for the dojos over here. Work for lessons, not a bad trade."

"Inuyasha, I'm sorry but you and negotiating doesn't really paint a realistic picture for me." Miroku said this as he rubbed his temples as if he was having an on coming headache.

"Shut up Miroku. Oh, if you're having a headache apply pressure to the pressure point on your left hand to relieve it."

He stopped his rubbing to look at me quizzically as did everyone else. "What are you talking about?"

Sigh on my part and I got up made my way over to Miroku pulled his left hand into mine and pressed the point. Let go of his hand and made my way back to my construction. "Tsubo dayo, tsubo. Chuugokujin wa tsubo no koto dewa kekou kuwashi katandayo." (translation: tsubo (Japanese word for pressure point). The Chinese are really knowledgeable when it comes to tsubo)

Silence.

Even more silence.

Annoying silence.

Me irritated.

"WHAT?!"

"It's just. . . we're just surprised. You did go to learn everything didn't you?" Miroku said.

"Why are you so surprised? I told you I would come back with answers to all your questions. Now leave me alone or help me here."

"I'll be heading back now, and old lady like myself shouldn't be exerting herself making houses for wells. Come Kirara, give me some company on my walk back." Kaede left with Kirara and I guess Sango, Miroku, and Shippou decided to stay and help. They started working and I guess they still had some questions about what I'd been doing and I answered them. By sunset we were done, since we had been working since morning.

As we stood in front of the well house and were gazing at it they kept on looking at me. After a few irritating glances from them I finally spoke up. "What is it now?!"

"Why are you still dressed like that?" Sango gestured to my clothes. I looked down at them. What were wrong with my clothes. I always used these. Looking at the rest of the group I noticed that everyone else were wearing clothes of the time period.

"Inuyasha, did you ever change? Your clothes I mean."

"Why would I? I had no need to."

"Ewww~! That's disgusting!"

"Thanks for the input Shippou."

"No problem. But in all seriousness get new clothes."

"Why? So I can tear them up? Yeah right. I like my self repairing fire rat robes."

"No way Inuyasha. When we go into town we're getting you new clothes." Spoken like a true woman Sango.

"What makes you think I'm going to be sticking around here?"

"Because if you don't we're going to tie you to Kaede-sama's house." Miroku said with a magically appeared rope ready in hand.

And that's how I ended up back here. They call it Edo now. I remember Kagome calling it Tokyo though. . . oh well. Everyone changed over the time I was gone. It's kind of depressing for the fact that I don't like change.

Miroku and Sango. . . huh, I don't know what Miroku said or did but now they're together. I don't know how far they have gone, nor do I want to know in detail, but knowing Miroku I'll get explicit details sometime in the near future. Sango still works as a taijiya, secretly though, because humans don't know about youkai anymore. And since Miroku is with her now as a couple he won't let her go alone. Always at her side. Sango always argues that she can do it alone but in the end she gives in and lets him tag along. In all honesty I don't think she minds that much. Miroku still says he's a monk following the way of Buddha. But his values or priorities haven't really changed. Now, instead of asking any pretty face if they would like to bear his child, he asks Sango three times a day at the very least and earns the equal amount of slaps. Nice to know that some things stayed the same.

Kaede built herself a shrine. And guess what the shrine is called. Yup, the Higurashi Jinja. In the honor of Kagome. To think she lives in a shine that was named after herself. Does that mean Kaede is Kagome's ancestor? Probably not. I doubt Kaede is going to be having kids anytime soon. The Higurashi shrine that Kaede built, after waiting for a decade did not have any sakura blossoms. So I thought what the hey. I went and planted them all around the shrine. I guess I planted the sakura that Kagome smelled like.

Kirara seems to be the only one that hasn't changed. Maybe she grew a little but that's it. Still as faithful as ever to Sango and just as protective. Miroku has a few scars of proof of that.

Shippou, he's the one that changed the most. He grew up. Not just in height but also in nature. He's matured a lot. He's calmer now and processes things in his head before acting on instinct. He's skills in kitsune magic thingy stuff, whatever you call it, has also improved. He'll grow up to be one of the strongest, but due to his slow growth rate that may take a couple centuries for it to actually happen.

I stayed with them for fifty years in that shrine. Fifty years is a long time to be stuck with these guys. The shrine was sold to a family with the actual family with the last name Higurashi. They had a little boy in the family that I could have sworn looked identical to Souta. I guess this is where Kagome's family line of living in a shrine started.

One thing we realized: we needed family names. The people all now had family names and well everyone except me adapted one. The names goes as follows: Houshi Miroku, Taijiya Sango (soon to be Houshi probably), Kitsune Shippou, Mitsui Kaede, Mushigata Myouga, and Kirara is well. . . um. . . I don't know but maybe Taijiya Kirara? I'm not sure. Okay, I realized I needed one. The thing is I have to have the same last name as Seshoumaru or there is going to be so much more confusion than necessary. And so I set out to find my loving or not so loving brother.

When I knocked on his door and saw Seshoumaru the first thing I heard from him was his warm welcome that I hear every time I see him, "What are you doing here little brother?"

"Nice to see you too. Oh, and stop saying little brother with so much hatred. Makes it seem like you hate me."

He rolled his eyes and averted his gaze, "Now we wouldn't want people thinking that do we. What are you doing here?"

"We need a last name."

"And I carry those around with me all the time." Sarcasm seems to be something we both inherited from probably our dad.

"Can you check your storage closet to see if you have one laying around?"

"I don't have any in my storage closet but let me check the pantry."

"Stop mocking me. We really need one."

"What is this business of `we?'"

"We're brothers we should have the same last name." I indicated by pointing to him then at me.

"Why would we need the same last name?"

"We have the same father!!!!"

"Fine."

"Arg! So do you have a last name?"

"No."

"What have you been doing?"

"Going around as Seshoumaru."

"No family name?"

"Not necessary."

"But I think I'll be needing one and so I don't run into problems in the future of our relation we should settle on a name."

"Fine. Any suggestions?"

"What was dad's name?"

"Inutaishou? I wouldn't mind but you want to be called Inutaishou Inuyasha? Isn't that a bit too much inu?"

"Uh, maybe not. What about Inuyoukai?"

"Are you even listening? That would be Inuyoukai Inuyasha. That is way too much inu and your name would mean dog demon dog demon. If that doesn't draw suspicion or make you look like more of a freak I don't know what will."

"Fine! If you're so smart what's your suggestion?"

"Jin." (this is written with the character that means God)

I looked at him flatly, "You sure think highly of yourself."

"It's appropriate."

"Since when?"

"I could be considered a god."

"To who? Jaken?"

"Fine. How about Mori?"

"Why Mori?"

"I don't know. I'm getting bored of the conversation. Just pick a name already. I really don't care."

"What if I choose Aho?" (aho means moron in Japanese)

"Aho Inuyasha. Doesn't sound bad. But Aho Seshoumaru doesn't have a ring to it."

I stared at him flatly again, "Screw you Sehsoumaru, screw you."

"No thanks. Unlike you I actually get some."

"Oh from Rin? How is she?" After Seshoumaru found out that his aging was altered but Rin's and Jaken's wasn't he threatened Amaterasu-sama. Only Seshoumaru would threaten a goddess. He didn't threaten Amaterasu-sama for Jaken, I think Seshoumaru got annoyed by him, I don't blame him. I think Jaken's dead, not really sure. When Seshoumaru got Amaterasu-sama to alter Rin's aging she was twenty. I'm not sure what exactly happened, but Seshoumaru ended up taking Rin as his mate. Since inuyoukai mate for life she's stuck with him, I feel sorry for her. So now Rin is my sister-in-law.

"She's in the kitchen making lunch."

"Awww. Seshoumaru living the married life. Maybe she has more sense than you when it comes to last names." I got up from where we were sitting in the sitting room and made my way towards to the kitchen with Seshoumaru close behind me. He's so freakin protective of Rin. (then again Inuyasha can't say much) From the doorway I could see that Rin was indeed making lunch. "Hey Rin."

She turned around and the little girl that had always followed Seshoumaru around was gone. She was a grown woman with waist length hair, without the side ponytail, and just as cheerful. I don't know how she can deal with the not-so-cheerful Seshoumaru, must really love the guy.

"Oh hello Inunii-chan! I haven't seen you in the longest time!" She ran towards me cooking chopsticks still in hand and gave me a bone-crushing hug. I heard growling from behind me and I had to peel Rin off me before Seshoumaru killed me. Rin didn't seem fazed by this. "Will you be joining us for lunch?"

I looked at Seshoumaru for an answer he was shaking his head and giving me a look that promised me much pain. Logically I turned towards Rin and smiled and said, "Sure why not! Seshoumaru and I needed to come up with a last name anyways."

A smack on the head by Seshoumaru to my head and helping Rin set the table later we were seated around the table.

"So. . . um. . . got any ideas for a family name?" I inquired to Rin.

"Why would you ask my opinion? It's yours and Sesho's name."

"But since you're my brother's mate you'll be using that name too. And since he's a youkai and gonna live for a long time I doubt he's gonna let you go. In other words you'll be living awhile. It'll be your name for a long time too, so we should choose wisely."

"Okay. What have you guys come up with so far?"

Seshoumaru answered this question, "Inutaishou, Inuyoukai, Jin, and Mori."

"Don't forget about Aho."

"Shut up Inuyasha."

"Don't tell me to shut up!"

"Calm down Inunii-chan."

"Why do you still call me that? You're technically a year older than me when it goes by body growth. Huh, that's kind of weird when you used to be like ten years younger than me."

"You're still Inunii-chan." Her smile was blinding.

"Can we get this over with?" Seshoumaru was pushing us now to choose, or more along the lines of trying to get rid of me.

As I was slurping up my tororosoba I looked towards him and Rin.

"Your guys' call."

"How about Wan?" Rin asked with freakishly happy face.

"Wan? Isn't that Chinese?" Seshoumaru responded to her question with another two questions.

"I don't know about the Chinese, but Wan would be like `wan-chan!' Wouldn't that be so cute?!" Rin answered with so much enthusiasm that I almost felt bad for bursting her bubble, almost. (wan-chan is like saying doggy in Japanese)

"We are not going by the name Wan. Especially if it comes from wan-chan. Can't you think of anything better?" Rin knew I didn't mean that in an insulting way and continued smiling and thinking, but Seshoumaru is another story. Seshoumaru glared at me and growled. My inuyoukai instinct was telling me that I should be more respectful of the mate of an older sibling. With my years of learning how to read, studying the great scrolls I had an intelligent come back. "Keh." Yup. Amazing.

There was silence as we all were thinking of a name, eating away at our tororosoba. Then I had a brilliant idea, or so I say so my self. "Touken."

Seshoumaru looked at me skeptically. "Touken? `Katana to ken.' Ano touken?"(translation: Touken? As in katana and sword?)

"Chigau chigau aredayo shita no ji wa inu te kaku touken. Iijaneeka. Oretachi ni kekkouniau to omowaneeka? Naa Rin?" (translation: No, no I'm talking about the one where you use the character for dog at the end. I think it's good. Don't you think it suits us very well? Right Rin?) (Touken written with the character dog means `fighting dog')

"Touken. . . I love it! But I think we should write it with the characters Seshoumaru thought you were talking about. It'll be a play on words."

Seshoumaru sudden said this: "Touken ga touken de tatakkata." (translation: Touken fought with a touken.)(a/n: in Japan that type of joke is considered incredibly lame that ppl might even run away from you. . . haha)

Silence. Then a shivering Rin and me could be seen leaving the room. And that was the end of that meeting and deciding of our last name.

Touken Inuyasha. I'm going to have to get used to it. At least we picked a decent name.

Touken Kagome. I smiled at that thought. But then a thought came to me. What if she doesn't accept? I shook that thought out of my head. I have two hundred forty-five or so years left till I see her. There is no need to be pessimistic for the remaining time. Then another thought came to me; I would have to be able to provide for Kagome and myself when the time comes. That means I would have to work to provide money. I have no idea what I'm going to do, but I'm sure it'll work out.

1981. . .

And work out it did. Since Kagome was from Tokyo I chose to stay here, as did every one else. Sango continues her secret Taijiya escapades with Miroku still following like a lovesick puppy (along with Kirara of course). And trust me, even after a couple of centuries together (they decided to wait on kids though) they're still at it like it's new love. They're so freakin lovey-dovey that I might just get sick. But Shippou just tells me that I'm just jealous that I can't be like that with Kagome. What does a little kid know?

Shippou being in a body of a twelve year old now shot up pretty well. I guess. 140cm. . . I guess it's better than how short he was before. He doesn't go to school. He can't, because no matter how much he was in there he wouldn't grow like the other kids and suspicion would grow. Also for the fact that within the five hundred years he did SOME studying and would like a child prodigy if placed into a normal school. He lives with Kaede who now owns an herbal shop. She keeps on saying that she doesn't trust modern medicine, which insults Miroku because he earned a MD and is now a doctor of general medicine (family doctor).

Never really imagined the lecher as a doctor but I guess it suits him. When he said he wanted to go in to gynecology it was met with a resounding slap from Sango, so he decide to go into general medicine so he could treat our wounds when coming back from battle. Battle? Yup. The `Underworld' or so all youkai call it now is like a gang society that humans don't know about. It's not like the normal gangs where we plan to take each other down and kill the head mobster. It's like an extremely exclusive club where youkai can only join. This society is also what keeps the other youkai in line and not go on a killing spree of humans. Myouga is the one with the information when it comes to the Underground. And thanks to him we have a few connections. Most of them useless, but connections nonetheless.

The useful connections we do have are Seshoumaru and Kouga, as surprising as it may seem we have come to terms. Seshoumaru and Rin started an extremely successful company that buys, sells, and identifies ancient artifacts. They seem to have been collecting them through the years and since they've lived so long they have the skills to identify what era and purpose each artifact had. Kouga became a criminal lawyer, mostly for youkai. With the amount of trouble the Underground gets into, sometimes we clash with the humans and we end up going to court. I speak from personal experience. But the Underground has a lot of connections for we've got youkai everywhere. We had people in the police, in practically all companies, the education system, and well everywhere. We have a few in the imperial family as well, no one really knows how but dragon youkai made they're way into the imperial family. Since we're everywhere there are things we can get away with, for example Miroku doesn't have to go though medical school over and over just so his age doesn't seem to weird. Same goes for Kouga, he went through law school sixty years ago but no one knows that. The reason I say we when it comes to the Underground is because we're part of it, me being hanyou and all. Hanyou's are still rare so the youkai look down at me, but I have something that they need. A bank.

That's what I started soon after I decided I needed a job. Banks were slowly beginning to develop in those times and I thought why not? I founded, own, and am the CEO of the Touken Ginkou. (translation: Touken Bank) Most if not all youkai in Japan have their bank accounts in Touken Ginkou. That's not to say humans don't have an account with us either because a great deal of them do. It's a huge bank and I live a comfortable life. Okay, I'm being modest. I live a VERY comfortable life. I'm just happy to know that I will be able to provide for Kagome, that's good enough for me. Kagome. . .

I'm perched on a tree right outside a woman's hospital room she's asleep and there is no one in the room except for one person, a baby. Next to the woman in a plastic sterilized hospital crib is, in my opinion, the most beautiful and precious newborn in all of time. Wrapped in pastel pink blankets she never seems to cry. She woke up a few moments after I reached the tree to look in through the open window. She notices me from her angle in the room and gazes at me with her blue-gray eyes. She smiles and reaches out to me with her small hands. I carefully leap into the room so as not to wake the woman up. I stand over the generic hospital crib and brush my right index finger against the child's cheek. She coos and grasps my large finger in her small hands. I smile down at her, "Kagome. . ."

I hear footsteps coming towards the room and I jump out the window back in the tree hidden from view. Seconds later an old man and a man in his late twenties come in with flowers. They notice that the woman, Mrs. Higurashi, asleep and carefully set the flowers next to her on the nightstand. It's the day they leave. Mrs. Higurashi and Kagome are getting out of the hospital today, they're stayed there for the customary week and a half. (ppl stay in the hospital longer in Japan than in the states after you give birth) I've been coming here everyday since Kagome was born. I can't get enough of her. What I hate the most is that I can't reveal myself, not that she would understand me, in the fear that it may alter history. The younger man makes his way over to Kagome and picks her up, cradling her like she is the most fragile jewel. Her father. I always wondered what happened to him. He seems like a nice guy; looks a lot like Souta, except older. The old man, Kagome's grandfather, starts packing things up and laying out Mrs. Higurashi's clothes. With the racket the old man was causing Mrs. Higurashi was stirred awoken. Mr. Higurashi (Kagome's dad) makes his way towards his wife's bedside with Kagome still bundled up in his arms. They talk and laugh, but I don't care about the words being exchanged, I just keep my eyes on Kagome. I feel like a cradle robber because I'm in love with that little girl in another man's arms, and this makes me slightly jealous but I remind myself that it's only her father. Mrs. Higurashi goes to the bathroom to change and when she comes out she gathers Kagome in her arms and leaves along with Kagome's father and grandfather.

I follow their car home leaping from the top of rooftops. Predictably they make their way to the Higurashi shrine. As they climb up the steps I get nervous of what might happen if they slipped and Kagome goes tumbling down. When they reach the top I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. They go inside and lay her down in her room, at the moment her nursery. I stand in the Goshinboku tree and looked through the familiar window. Smiles adorn everyone's face and they make weird baby noises at her. They don't leave her for a while and when they do they leave a baby monitor. I leap to the tree that I used to always make my way from to get into her room in the past, err future. . . I have no idea. I slide the window open and stand like I did in the hospital next to the crib. I don't say anything to her in the fear that it'll get picked up by the baby monitor, so instead I pick her up. Carefully cradling her, supporting her head. I'm completely mesmerized as she is asleep and is drooling slightly, I force down a chuckle at that.

This is the girl that I have been waiting for. Her bright blue-gray eyes, her smile that seems to brighten the room, and her smell. Granted she smells like diapers and baby powder but one whiff of her and you know it's Kagome. After holding her for five minutes I hear footsteps coming towards the room, probably to feed her or change her diaper. I set her down gently and leaped out the window the breeze ruffling the white curtains as the window was left open.

1987. . .

"Onii-chan!" A little girl of six years old scrambled to me and tackled me at the legs making me fall gracefully on my butt. (translation: Brother!)

Her arms are wrapped around my torso and burying her face in my stomach giggling her head off. I ruffle her hair and pull her off me by grasping her on either side of her hips and set her down in front of me with her legs folded under her and I sit cross-legged in front of her. "Hey Kagome. How have you been? Been good for your mom and grandfather? Been taking care of Souta?"

"Yup!" She puffed up her chest and fisted her hands on either side of her hips, she said this with so much pride I could help but smile.

"Good. Well I'll be going now." I was pretending to get up and leave when she tackled me again.

"No! You're supposed to take me for ice cream and give me a present!" She protested as she tugged at my hand.

I chuckled and propped myself on my elbows as she sat on my stomach. "Now why would I go doing a thing like that?"

She giggled, stood up, on my stomach mind you, and tugged my left hand with both of hers. "Because you love me and it's my birthday!"

Don't look at me like that. I didn't confess my undying love to a six-year-old girl, she just started saying I did ever since the moment she knew how to talk. Every year since she was three I would give her a present and take her to have ice cream on her birthday. Neither her parents nor her grandfather minded because I had always prayed at their shrine for the past six years. They know me as just Touken, and I'm considered a family friend. I don't worry about them recognizing me when my past (?) self comes through the well because over the past five centuries I, along with the rest of the Underground, learned to use a concealing spell. My eyes were violet, hair black and short.

I went to `pray' at their shrine every three months and I would never leave until I at least said hi to Kagome, she is the whole reason I go anyways.

1995. . .

"Onii-chan!" A fourteen-year-old teenage girl tackles me and I go sprawling on the ground. She hugs me around the chest and giggles into my neck.

I blush, chuckle and ruffle her hair. Pick her up by the hips sits in front of me legs folded under her and me sitting in front of her cross-legged. "Hey Kagome. Aren't you getting a bit too old for this?" I chuckle as she now blushes but she retaliates.

"I'll never be too old for this! When a person stops acting like a kid is the point when they forgot how to live."

"Wise words for kid."

She pouts, "I'm not a kid!"

"Yeah, yeah. Keep telling yourself that. Well I'll be going now."

"No! You're supposed to take me for ice cream and give me a present!"

"Now why would I go doing a thing like that?"

"Because you love me and it's my birthday!"

Yup. It's become like a ritual for us every year. Sure a few words in the dialog changed but most of it was the same. She tackled me every year yelling for her `Onii-chan.' She now looked more like the Kagome that I knew from the past (?). Although looking a bit younger than I remember her she was as beautiful as I remember her. No, I am not lusting after her you sickos.

I stood up and made my way down the steps with an enthusiastic Kagome trailing behind me. We made our way towards the same ice cream parlor we had been going to every year. We sat down at the same booth as always and ordered the same thing as always. She ordered a strawberry vanilla parfait and me with my cantaloupe milkshake. I was a bit more depressed than I usually am when I'm with her and I guess she noticed.

"What's wrong Onii-chan? Are you not feeling well?"

I smile; she's always worried about others. "No, it's not that. It's just that I'm going to miss you."

"Huh? Are you going somewhere?"

I looked at her sadly, I hate lying. "Yeah, I'm going to be moving away."

"What?! You can't move away! Who's going to eat ice cream with me on my birthday?!"

I chuckle; I've become more open with my feelings over the years as well. "I'm sure you'll find a good replacement."

She looks at me shocked at the news as it was sinking into her. "Will you visit?"

"Sorry. I'll be moving really far away."

"How far?"

"America."

"Oh." She pocked her melting ice cream with her spoon. "Can I write to you?" She asked me with a slight blush apparent on her face. I think she started having a small crush on me when she found out that boys didn't have cooties. Heck, better have a crush on me than on another kid at school. I growled at that thought. "Are you growling?" Oops.

"Uh. . . no? I had something stuck in my throat." He plastered an innocent look on my face.

"So can I?"

I forgot what we were talking about, "Can you what?"

"Write to you?"

"Uh. . . I don't know. . ."

"Why not?"

"I don't know my new address?"

"What are you asking me for?. . . I'm going to really miss you. . ."

"I'll be back you know."

"When?" She looked down at her lap as she twined her fingers together.

"Eight years."

"Eight years?! What am I supposed to do for eight years?!"

"What am I a form of entertainment?" I ask jokingly.

"Yes!" She answers with a serious tone.

"You're amusing. So. . . want your last present from me?"

"Don't make is sound like you're dying." She huffed but still stuck her hand out waiting for my gift. I chuckle and place a small flat package in her hand. She eagerly rips the wrapper open and out falls a simple white handkerchief with her initials `K.H.' embroidered at the corner in red. She seems a bit disappointed but nonetheless grateful and happy. "Thank you! I'll take good care of it!"

"We're talking about a handkerchief Kagome, not a puppy."

"Still! I love it! But why did you get me a handkerchief?"

"I thought you might need one as you get older, since you're in chuugakkou (middle school) now. Were you expecting something different?"

She blushed, "No. . ."

I see the blush and smirk, "An engagement ring perhaps?"

Her face is now completely red and she exclaims, "N-no!"

I laugh at her and she gives up, face still red and finishes off her parfait. I finished my milkshake, paid the bill and we both headed out. As we were walking she asked me questions about where I'd be living and I made up stuff up to answer her. When we reached the shrine steps, where we always said good-bye on her birthday, before I could say my farewell, which I dreaded, she spoke up.

"Can I. . . um. . . ask you. . ." Her sentence broke off there and I tried to be helpful and fill in the space.

"For a pineapple? The meaning of life? How high a rabbit hopes?"

"No!" She looked exasperated at me, but soon she looked at me shyly and smiled. "Can I ask you a favor? Like a last request?"

How could I say no? "Sure."

"Can I have a. . ."

"Pogo stick? Mars? Hershey bar?"

"A kiss?" She blushed extremely hard and looked down at the ground. I was frozen. Did she mean the chocolate or the real thing? Who am I kidding, she's asking for the real thing. Should I? I don't know. Isn't it a felony? I am twenty-four and she's fourteen. She peeked up at me through her bangs.

"Why would you want that? You want to save your first kiss for someone special. You don't want an old guy like me taking that away."

"But what if I want you to?!" She clasped her hands in front of her mouth as she realized what she just said.

My intelligent answer: "Wha?"

There was silence on her part, and mine as well, for some time until she brought up her courage. "Everyone says that the first kiss is the most important and memorable. I think I would be happy if I looked back on it from the future if I had kissed you instead of some boy at school."

A vein pulsed on my head with that thought. "Like your friend Hobo?"

"Huh? Who Houjo?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah! I don't want a memory of him being my first kiss. And you're not an old man." She looked at me with pleading eyes.

"Kagome. . ." I replied a bit troubled in what I should do. But she didn't give me time to think a bit more because she pulled me down by the front of my shirt and gave me a chaste kiss. She let go and ran up the steps to the shrine. I stood there blinking in shock, when I came to and looked up she was at the top of the steps about to get out of view. "Kagome!"

She whirled around, "Thank you Onii-chan! I'll see you in eight years! Don't forget me!" Then she was out of sight.

"How can I forget you?. . ." When I didn't forget you after all this time. . .

2003. . .

I didn't really leave Japan to go to America, I just couldn't see her while she knew about my past self. Knowing she's right across the city and unable to see her is killing me! I know it's been five years since she came back from the quest but I have no idea how to approach her. Exasperated I push myself in my rollychair in my office away from my desk and massage my temples. I look up at the high ceiling and from my angle I can see the window that takes up half my office. I swirl around, stand up and lean against the window. It's already getting cold outside, soon to be winter, and my breath fogs up the glass. This means that I could have revealed myself to Kagome three months ago. That was the five-year mark from when she came back. I have no idea what happened to her after she came back from the well for the last time. I couldn't take the risk of going to visit her or send someone. Miroku, Sango, Shippou, and Myouga have been getting on my case about going to see her. Kaede seems to be more understanding, she tells me to take as much time as needed. Kouga tried to meet her a couple times, claiming that he's Kagome's soul mate but after a battle with me he decided against that. He said that she would meet me not remember anything, and then he could go in and claim `his woman.' Does he have a death wish? Probably.

Leaning against the window I look outside seeing the busy streets of the financial district in Tokyo. Suddenly my intercom beeps on.

"Mr. Touken?"

"Yes Miss Imai?" My faithful forty-year-old secretary, she's a nice lady but sometimes she forgets to tell me a few things.

"Your new employee is here." Like now.

"What new employee?" I'm still facing the window amusing myself with fogging the glass and drawing happy faces with my finger.

"The one you told me to hire."

"When did I tell you this?" Because I have no memory whatsoever, I told you she's flaky.

"Six months ago."

"And why are they coming in now?"

"Uh. . . I forgot to hire someone? But she's still good! She graduated top of her class at Tokyo University."

I sigh, "She's a recent graduate?"

"Haha. . . yeah."

I sigh even louder to make a point to her, "Send her in."

"Okay sir." She then speaks to the formerly mentioned new employee. "Mr. Touken will see you now. Don't let him scare you, he's really just a sweetheart."

I growl, "You left the intercom on Miss Imai."

"Oh dear. Haha. . . but it's the truth." With that she turns off the intercom and that's indicated with the beep to tell me she did so. I whip around to yell at her through the door when the door opens. Sakura and peaches meets my senses and their stands the new employee.

"Kagome."

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A/N: I gave Kaede my last name because it means three wells. I thought it was appropriate because this fic concerns the past, present, and future. You know three wells. . . even though there are all the same one. No? Oh well. And I gave everyone else weird names. These are names that don't exist in Japan. Except Mushigata, never personally met one but I dunno cuz my gandfather's name was Hanagata. Oh well. I had so much trouble coming up with Inuyasha and Seshoumaru's last name. Nothing sounded right. Well press that button and review~!

Thanks to the following reviewers: SilverArcher, Kurai Mori, Andrea Meiouh, mimiru3, BabbleQueen, carolynn, Snooptopian, and psycho king!

Thank you all so much! This chapter is for you!