InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The World Through His Eyes ❯ Ode to the Dying Rose ( Chapter 18 )

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

Disclaimer: My ownership of Inuyasha has been disclaimed

AN: Well folks, it's been a year and a day and I'm sorry about that. Lots of shit has happened that I'll not explain here…this is the first part of the end. It's been fun. I'm crying now. More on that later. Read the last chapter.

So please refrain from pointing out my mistakes. Thanks.

::RECAP::

“Because, I'm not sure how us…being together…will change the bond. Until the flea gets back with answers…we can't do…that.” He finished lamely. He kept his gaze on the floor and tried to concentrate on taking in as little air as possible.

“Oh.” Was all she said, and suddenly he had to get out. He couldn't stay in here with the smell of her desire still permeating the air, and her eyes looking so dejected. He quickly stood and crossed the room to the window. At its base he found her pajama top and threw it over his shoulder without even looking toward her bed.

“I'll…I just need some fresh air.”

Then he was gone. And Kagome was left wondering, not for the first time, just what kind of information he'd sent Myoga after. And how long it would take the flea to find it.

::END RECAP::

Chapter 18 part 1: Ode to a Dying Rose

~_~_~_~_~_~

This is an ode to a dying rose

I know that I'll love you to the end of time

So please kiss me before you tell me goodbye

~_~_~_~_~_~

The loud, dry rattle in her chest provided a strange kind of music to her wandering. She allowed a small brittle smile to crack upon her lips. She remembered a time when she'd been alive…oh but it had been so long ago…going to visit a leper colony by the coast. She'd felt such pity for the people there. They literally lost parts of limbs and faces while the effects of the disease kept them separated from the outside world. At the time she couldn't imagine having to live in a world where her loved ones mourned her death and moved on while she yet had breath in her body.

She drew in another arid wheeze and felt bits of sand trickle down her throat.

She could do more than pity them now, of course, she could sympathize. Parts of her were drying up and crumbling off…just like a clay pot that had been in the sun for too many years without water. It was a small miracle that her face was mostly still intact. She knew that it wouldn't be long before her insides simply stopped trying to pump grit.

Meanwhile, the people she had loved were lost to her. Her sister, her village….

`Inuyasha…' Oh, it was too late for her now, probably had been too late since the very beginning.

This was her monologue.

This was her simple truth.

She had played the part of the forerunner.

This time.

A precursor to the real power, who would soon take the stage in full costume. She had truly loved Inuyasha, but the one who followed in her likeness loved him more. Kikyou had been there when the curtain had risen on this fifty year conflict, but Kagome would see the grand finale. They were both sunshine and shadow mixed in the endless waltz through time and stage.

Now was Kagome's time.

And Kikyou's had passed.

Her only regret was that she would not see how it all ended. She would never see the curtain drop.

`Inuyasha, I'll see you one more time…' She struggled to find the metal strength to call up her last remaining soul-stealer. Yesterday she'd lost the ability to control most of them, and her faithful companions for the last two years departed without much of a good-bye. This one though, had been the first, and for reasons of its own, stayed. Kikyou didn't question its apparent loyalty, but she was thankful.

“Take…me west. There is one…last thing…I must do.”

Well, at least it wasn't raining on this side of the well.

That was Kagome's first thought as Inuyasha hoisted her out of the future and into the past. In her time the weather had turned nasty sometime in the night after Inuyasha had left her room. She hadn't asked him how he'd passed the night out in the rain this morning, because she suspected that he's welcomed the chilly downpour. For a moment she paused at the lip of the well and tried to hold in a weary sigh.

Today…had been long.

It had started with Inuyasha gruffly waking her up the morning after they'd almost…well, the thought of it still had Kagome blushing. She'd gone downstairs for breakfast to find out that her mother had indeed gotten her an appointment with their family doctor. After that the morning was a whirl of convincing Inuyasha that, yes he had to wear these stupid clothes, no he could notgo bare foot and he couldabsolutely NOT carry his swordin public!! Kagome had been tired before even arriving at the office. But her trial wasn't over yet. No not by any stretch of the imagination.

She was a walk in appointment.

That meant they had to wait.

And waiting was not something that Inuyasha was good at.

The first hour hadn't been that bad. Awkward after the night before yes, but not that bad. Inuyasha amused himself with an old magazine advertising knives and swords and she'd caught up on some pop culture. But a person can only look at glossy pictures for so long…She ignored his shifting and sighing for as long as she could before finally putting down her magazine and looking over at him. Her glare just dared him to complain about having to set here with her. Inuyasha shut his mouth with a click, and swallowed down whatever he was about to say to her.

“Inuyasha, why don't you look at this.” She handed him the Japanese version of a Highlights, “On this page you have to find all the little pictures hidden in the bigger picture. Like this” she pointed to a funny looking cloud in the picture,” See that's the same bunny that's in the key down here, now you try.” He looked a bit curious as he took the book from her, but it only took him a moment to realize that it was a children's book.

“Real funny wench…real funny.” His glare would have made her giggle at his expense if it hadn't been a mite too serious. She reached over and patted his cheek, ignoring the indignant growl that rumbled in his chest.

“I was only trying to help. Remember that we wouldn't be here if you hadn't insisted that I needed to see a doctor.” His only response was to `keh' at her. Kagome didn't mind because he caught the hand she'd had pressed to his face and held it in his lap. She thought that that would be the end of it. That Inuyasha would calm down and stop fidgeting. That he would somehow be calmed by her soothing aura or some such nonsense.

In her dreams…maybe.

By the time she was called back to see the doctor, they'd been sitting in the waiting room for three hours. In that time, Inuyasha had threatened to kill at least two people, and had growled at countless others. And his mouth! Every mother in the office was out for his blood and several children were going home with an…enhanced…vocabulary. He snarled at the doctor the whole time, but the doctor mostly ignored it after Kagome hinted that Inuyasha's new antipsychotic medication wasn't working well. She felt bad for saying it, especially when Inuyasha didn't know enough about modern medicine to defend himself, but it kept the uncomfortable questions away.

Kagome had never been so glad to get out of any situation as she had been to leave the doctor's office. The doctor and nurse had bought her story about cutting her hand while camping with friends in a remote area of the country. They'd even congratulated her on her quick thinking and make-shift patch up. Well, it really hadn't been too much of a lie…

After that they'd gone to a toy store where Kagome and Inuyasha had fought again over what to bring Shippou. Kagome wanted to buy the giant dog plushie, and Inuyasha wanted to toy sword. She reminded him that she had better taste and had been right about the squirrel. He insisted that it had been a lucky guess, and Shippou couldn't miss what he'd never had. Like a snake. He'd never had a snake so he couldn't compare how much cooler a snake was than a squirrel. At this point Kagome pointed out that Shippou had never had a sword either.

“Keh, but he's seen me use one…and I know he wants one too!” Inuyasha thought his logic was sound. And it might have been with anyone other than Kagome.

“Yes, and I'm sure he wants a wind tunnel too. Do you want me to find out if they sell them in miniature here too?” Kagome raised an eyebrow and taped her foot on the floor in impatiens. Inuyasha looked cornered, but only for a moment.

“But Miroku's wind tunnel in dangerous and a sword…” too late he realized the hidden trap, “…isn't?”

“Right Inuyasha, a weapon used to slice people up into tiny pieces isn't dangerous?”

Kagome 1: Inuyasha 0.

They finally settled on a toy car, although Inuyasha was doubtful that Shippou would even understand what the contraption was. Kagome thought that a toy car would help prepare Shippou for seeing them when she finally got him across the time slip. Inuyasha just folded his arms and mumbled about practicality and swords.

Finally they'd made it back to the shrine where Kagome's mother had already had their bags packed with enough food and snacks to last their whole party a while. She'd shared a thankful look with her mother as Inuyasha gathered up all their bags. Her mother seemed to sense that this trip to the past would be rather extended.

Kagome hugged her mother and whispered, “You'll take care of the school for me, want you? I know that when my…friends find out that they'll want answers. Promise that you won't let Ji-chan come up with anymore excuses.”

“I'll take care of everything. You just be careful, okay? I want to meet your Shippou sometime before I'm old and gray!” Her mother pasted of a happy smile, and Kagome got a glimpse of what she must look like when she was trying to be cheerful. Her mother was older, yes, but it was basically the same expression.

“I'll bring him as soon as I can figure the well out, Mama!” Kagome pulled away from her mother and walked over to where Inuyasha waited by the well.

“Ready?” He asked as he grasped her hand. Kagome nodded her head and let him pull her down into the darkness.

Now they were on the other side of the well, and Kagome was looking forward to a nice long nap before they headed out to find whatever shard rumor Miroku had heard about while their group had been separate.

It was not to be.

She sensed that something was up the minute she popped her head up out of the well. In the many years she'd been climbing up out of the future she'd learned to expect surprises. After all, it only took one swipe for a hostile youkai to sever body parts from their owners, and she rather liked where her head sat, thank you. So before Miroku even rushed into sight, she'd already glanced at Inuyasha to see if he'd felt the same presence as she had. He just nodded at her and waited for Miroku to get closer.

“Inuyasha,” Miroku's voice held a strained kind of forced calmness, “Welcome back! Umm…you might want to put your sword away…” Inuyasha had drawn Tetsusaiga on principle alone after feeling his presence and waited for the monk to tell him why the hell he shouldn't draw his sword. Not so far behind him was Sango, with Kirara and Shippou in her arms. Kagome let out a sigh, so their visitor wasn't an immediate threat to the village. Sango was still dressed in her everyday clothes, and Kirara was still pocket sized. Shippou scampered down and raced over to Kagome who scooped him up. The little kit perched himself on her shoulder and kissed her cheek.

“I wanted to stay and play, but Sango wouldn't let me.” He whispered in her ear.

“Well, don't just stand there! You can't fucking come running up to me like that and then not tell me what the hell is going on, damn it!” Inuyasha didn't put his sword away, but he did lower it to his side.

“Sorry, it's just that I don't really know how to tell you this…and,” Miroku eyed the sword and repeated his earlier request, “Maybe it would be a good idea if you put the sword away.”

“Hell NO! Not until I know what's going on!” Inuyasha tightened his hold on the hilt. “Why would you even say something so fucking stupid monk? I thought you had more sense that that! My brother's here and I want to know fucking why Say something!!”

“Um…sorry, I was just considering the life span of a messenger,” Inuyasha raised his sword a little and Miroku visibly swallowed, “Alright, alright, no need to be like that! It's just Myoga-jichan came back today with---“

“The flea's back too? That bastard had better hope---“

“…more than you probably bargained for. It seems your brother felt the need to come too.” Miroku looked uncertain, and Sango came to stand beside Kagome.

“I'm glad your back. We didn't arrive until midday today, and Myoga was already here with…them. Kaede-sama says that they arrived in the forest just after the two of you left. Sesshomaru says he's come to answer Inuyasha's question.” Kagome looked at her strangely.

“Come to answer…? I knew he sent him a letter requesting information about what ever is going wrong with our link…but why did he come in person?”

“Fucking hell!” Inuyasha swore and interrupted any response Sango would have given. “That fucking bastard!” The monk raised his hands to fend off Inuyasha's outburst.

“I'm just the messenger! They were here when I got here! Ask Myoga why they're here!”

“That would be quite impossible. The retainer fled shortly after we arrived in this backwater village. And this Sesshomaru would thank you to remember, brother, that our esteemed father was married to my mother. You are the bastard of the family.” Every head jerked to the left where Sesshomaru had set himself quite regally on the lip of the well. Rin stood beside him looking curiously at them all. She caught sight of Shippou and waved. The fox kit in Kagome's arms began to wiggle to be put down.

“Can I go play with Rin now, okaa-chan?” He looked up at her with pleading eyes and Kagome nodded. He was off in a flash, yelling for Rin to follow. In the wake of such a noisy exit the silence that reined in the clearing was thick.

“Why are you here Sesshomaru?” Inuyasha growled. His grip on his sword tightened and he raised it up a little.

“Put your weapon away, Inuyasha. I've told you time and again that you aren't worth killing.”

“Hell no! I-- ”

`Inuyasha, please do as he says…At least try to hear him out.' Kagome's voice in his mind interrupted the rest of his sentence. He glared at his brother for a long minute, but finally put his sword away.

“Fine. Speak.” Inuyasha glared at his half-brother, but otherwise made no other threatening gestures toward him. For his part, Sesshomaru ignored the glare and smirked. He was enjoying this very, very much.

“Before I give you the information you seek, little brother, we must first discus the issue of price.”

“What—“

“To put it into words that your feeble hanyou brain can understand: Nothing in this world is free.” Sesshomaru sat back and watched Inuyasha's face contort. Inuyasha quickly turned his back, and Sesshomaru could see his fists convulsing.

`Huh, maybe the little abomination is learning some control over that temper of his…” He watched as his brother's bitch moved to his side and grasped his shaking fists. The hanyou's shoulders relaxed.

`Definitely worthy…for a human miko…' A year ago he would have been utterly disgusted by such thoughts…How could a human female ever be worthy of a son of the great youkai lord of the west, even if said son was a pathetic half-breed?

But raising a human girl changed a youkai…even one as powerful and apparently hard-hearted as he.

Even after Kagome tugged at his mostly relaxed fists Inuyasha did not turn around. Kagome could tell by the look on his face just how hard this was for him. Asking for aid from his brother was easier by far when he didn't actually have to see the mocking look in Sesshomaru's eyes. Kagome pressed a cool palm up to his check.

`You don't have to do this for me. I know how hard it must have been to even send Myoga-jichan to ask for information. We can find another way to fix the side effects!'

Inuyasha flipped his palm up and grasp the hand still residing on his fist before turning his head to press a kiss to the palm on his cheek. He closed his eyes for a moment and just breathed in her sent. He had promised himself that he would do anything for her. Even this. With her at his side he could face his brother's scorn and the anger that burned hotly inside of his soul at the sight of Sesshomaru's smirking face.

Or at least he would try…

`No, Koishii, this could be our only chance. Sesshomaru knows how to fix this. The bastard just wants to make me beg for it first.' He kissed her forehead and turned back to the waiting youkai.

“What do you want.” It didn't really come out as a question.

“Ah…naming the price can come tomorrow. This Sesshomaru only wished to inform you that there would be a price to pay.” Inuyasha's grip on Kagome's tightened painfully and he growled deeply in his throat.

Kagome could have sworn she saw Sesshomaru actually smile.

“The answer to your problem is really quite simple…”He paused to flick some lint from his empty sleeve.

Yes…this was definitely turning out to be a very, very long day.

Shippou watched with something akin to horror was Rin wrestled Mame-chan into a small, ill-shaped kimono. The girl was babbling on and on about something, but all he could really focus on the squirrel's placid expression.

He felt so…betrayed… Mame-chan was supposed to be an extraordinary super savage death defying youkai squirrel! He should at least be putting up a struggle against Rin manipulation.

“…and then the nice lady that made my new kimono told me that I could have the left over fabric to make a dress for my dolly, but I told her that I didn't have a dolly and she got really mad! She asked me who my daddy was and why he was such a mean man not to buy me a dolly and I told her that my family was all killed by bandits, and that I had been killed by a wolf but that Sesshomaru-sama had raised me up from the dead and that now he was sort of my papa, but not really because he was a youkai and really didn't like humans, except he liked me okay…sometimes…and then she got really scared and called the village men…and Sesshomaru had to fight them, only he really didn't even try hard because they were only puny farmers, you know, and he's a really great, all powerful, youkai lord…and then he told me not to tell humans every thing I know…”

And she just kept talking…Shippou found it a little creepy how long the girl could talk without drawing a breath. He tried to hold his breath in time with her pauses, but found that he needed air long before she had ran out of steam.

“…so anyway, that's how I made these dresses for Mame-chan! Doesn't she look cute?” Rin held out Shippou's poor squirrel and he felt like crying. Mame-chan was covered in a dress of bright pink silk, and didn't even have the grace to look embarrassed. Shippou reached forward and hurriedly took his pet from her hands. He stuffed Mame-chan back into his shirt, and reached for the first thing he could find to distract Rin from the fact that he'd taken the squirrel from her.

“Look! This is a book that my okaa-chan brought me back from her world.”

“What do you mean her world? Isn't Kagome-chan from here?” Rin took the book from his hands and started to flip through its colorful pages.

In his haste to give Rin something else to focus on he forgot that he shouldn't tell everything he knew either….

There was a stunned, awkward pause as everyone but Sesshomaru tried not to blush or make eye contacted with anyone else. The moment was actually quite surreal. Most of the gathered group was asking themselves if the youkai lord had really said what they thought he'd said.

Inuyasha was just in denial and fighting the desire to cover his ears. Let the others just wonder. He refused to believe that his brother had just said he needed to consummate his relationship.

Miroku hadn't heard anything after consummate and was know trying to gage how much damage Sango would do to him if he touched her ass.

“But the flea said---“

“Therein lays your problem, Inuyasha. You stupidly took mating advice from humans and fleas.” Sesshomaru gave his brother a withering look. How such stupidity could have sprung from their father's bloodline was beyond Sesshomaru and he made a point of telling the hanyou just that.

“I'll show you stupidity! I'll rip off your other arm!” Inuyasha had had enough and lunged for his brother. Sesshomaru quickly stood up and readied himself for Inuyasha's attack.

“You were lucky two years ago but do not expect it to happen again.” Suddenly the hairs on the back of his neck stood up as an electrified tension filled the air. All heads snapped to Kagome who was practically bleeding miko energy. She didn't say anything, but both brothers got the idea. Inuyasha had the grace to look chastised. Sesshomaru simply sat back down on the well and waited for someone to ask another question.

“We were told that there was no cure for…the side effects that we are experiencing…”Kagome spoke up when she was sure that there would not be an outbreak of violent behavior. She tried not to flinch when Sesshomaru turned his eyes onto her. They were so much like Inuyasha's but lacked all of his warmth and hidden kindness. She suppressed a shiver, but did not look away. Her heart was still pounding from the fear she had experienced when she'd let her energy flare. Youkai were unpredictable, and Sesshomaru could have chosen to take her head off for threatening him instead of just resettling himself.

“Do not misunderstand me, miko. You will still mirror his wounds. You will still share his thoughts, and you will still have to share a close physical proximity to your mate.” His tone implied that he was unimpressed by her intelligence and it was Kagome's turn to feel anger crawl up her throat.

`What I wouldn't give to SIT him right now.'

`I'dgive up a few shards to see that. He'd find away to chew his own head from his bodyif you collared him.'

Sesshomaru continued, oblivious to the couple's thoughts, “What consummating your relationship will do is stabilize its apparent hyper-sensitivity. The wounds will only be minor bruises and so forth.”

“Rejoice Inuyasha! Soon you will be able to experience the pleasure that only a wom---Ouch!” Miroku spoke up from his place beside Kirara and Sango. Before he could blink or Sango could punch him, Inuyasha's fist had connected with one side of his head, and a rock from Sesshomaru had left its mark on the other. Sango lowered her raised hand to her side. The brothers had done a much better job than she could. For his part, Miroku felt the sudden need to sit down and wait for the dizziness to pass.

As for Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, they had both just realized that for possibly the first time in their lives they had acted in unity without being forced too. Sesshomaru abruptly decided to go collect Rin from the clutches of the fox brat, while Inuyasha could only stare at his hand and try not to whimper.

“This Sesshomaru will send Jaken tomorrow to collect your payment.” Kagome tried to protest that she didn't even know what he wanted yet, but she was ignored.

“Well…that was interesting.” Sango spoke up for the first time as she kneeled down to check Miroku's pupils for signs of a concussion. Kagome was sure that it was the understatement of the century.

“…so she goes back and forth through the well and maybe someday I'll be able to go too!” Shippou preened a little in the stunned silence that followed his explanation of just where Kagome was from. Rin's eyes where large and her mouth was set in a small “o”. Shippou was very proud of himself for shocking her into quietness. He felt it was a feat that even the “great” Sesshomaru probably couldn't accomplish. But all good things have to end, and Rin shook off her shock quickly enough.

“Teach me! Sesshomaru-sama says that as soon as we go home for the winter that I have to start learning how to be a proper lady…that means that I have to learn how to play an instrument, how to write calligraphy…but this sounds sooooo much more interesting! I want to know about the future! Teach me this stuff!” She thrust the book she has been clutching to her chest at him and Shippou really felt that he had no other choice but to teach her. After all, Rin was much taller than he was and dealt with Jaken on a daily bases. In the tiny, itty bitty, bottommost part of his heart he was a bit afraid of her.

“Okay, okay, I'll teach you some of this stuff, but it's not as easy as it looks. All these characters might look something you've seen before but they don't mean what you think they do. “Shippou flipped through the brightly colored pages of the book tying to find an example of what he was talking about but Rin stopped him.

“What's that?” She pointed to a picture of a family watching television. Shippou sighed and tried to remember how Kagome had explained the picture.

“Okaa-chan said that it's called a television and that it's like a box that has a play inside of it…”He paused but hurried on when he noticed that Rin was opening her mouth to ask more questions, “but it's not magic so don't ask that.” He went ahead and turned the page, trying to remember what he'd been looking for in the first place.

“What's that?” Rin stopped him again, pointing this time to a teenage girl on a cell-phone.

“That's the way future people communicate over large distances. It's like,” he looked at her and wondered if his next words would go over her head, but decided to give it a try anyway, “It's like a pack call…but for humans in the future.”

Rin nodded her head sagely, as if she understood exactly what he was talking about and Shippou suddenly wondered if she did in fact understand. He wanted to ask just what Sesshomaru had been teaching her but Rin impatiently turned the page and pointed to something else before demanding an explanation for what it was.

He explained about cars, tall buildings, computers and lots of other things. When she asked about things he wasn't sure of he made things up. Both of them were so engrossed with what they were doing that they didn't hear Sesshomaru approaching until he was right on top of them. The youkai lord raised his eye-brow at how guilty they looked when they finally noticed his presence. He'd actually been standing there for quite awhile and he had a few questions he wanted to ask Rin when they got back to their camp.

“Come,” he commanded and at her show of reluctance he offered a small reassurance, “We shall return tomorrow.” This declaration had Rin bouncing up and away from Shippou but she turned around and hurriedly wrenched his book from his grasp.

“I'm going to borrow this, okay?” and then she was off again. Running right up to the Youkai lord and grasping his remaining hand. As Shippou watched them walk away he couldn't help but feel that he might have told Rin more than he should about his adopted mother.

The fire crackled and whispered mysteries to unhearing ears as the stars turned twinkling, blind, eyes toward earth. The moon rose with all the slowness of the very old crawling toward their last sunrise. Night insects, used to this slow creeping, paid it no mind as they went about making their music. This night was the exact mirror to thousands that had come before, and when the sun came up it would become just one more in a series of a million nights to come. This was eternity, an endlessness that was hard for a human mind to comprehend. Humans would come and go on the earth like vapor and even the loner lived youkai would eventually fade away, but this, this ceaseless rhythm of mystery, was the unbroken cycle of the everlasting.

But this infinite cycle went unnoticed by the two people huddle by the small fire outside of Kaede's hut. The nights were cool, but the couple had felt shut up inside the hut. Maybe the uneasy, closterphobic, feeling the enclosed hut gave them was due to all the nights they'd spent sleeping under the starts, or maybe the day was just too heavy for them to contemplate indoors.

“So, do you think they'll go off by themselves again?” Sango asked as she poked the fire with a twig she'd found in the grass. Miroku glanced up from where he'd been staring into the flickering brilliance of their small blaze and quirked a smile.

“Well, I can't see Inuyasha wanting to do…that particular act…anywhere near us.” He fugitively looked around, to make sure that the hanyou was not within ear shot. He knew that Inuyasha and Kagome had gone off to talk, but he was not going to risk another concussion, “They'll probably leave tomorrow after Sesshomaru names his price. Why do you ask?”

Sango shifted uncomfortable and took so long to speak up that Miroku thought that she was going to ignore his question.

“It's just that we all spend more time apart than we spend together now. I don't like it.” She shifted again and looked at him defiantly when she noticed that he'd put on his “monk” façade.

“Tell me Sano, when Nuraku is defeated what do you plan to do?” she looked at him oddly for the subject change, but he insisted that he was serious.

“I plan on rebuilding my village, of course. If…If Kohaku survives I'll take him with me.” He didn't comment of her stumble. Her brother was a much deeper issue and the future was too much of an uncertain thing for him to get into it right now.

“Do you think that Inuyasha and Kagome will go with you too?” He watched her reaction and knew the moment that she understood where he was going with his line of questioning.

“But that's different! Right now we're trying to defeat Nuraku! We shouldn't be separating so much!”

“We need to collect all the shards before we can even challenge Naraku, and the fastest way to do that is to separate.” Miroku watched the warring emotions clashing across her face and spoke again before she could organize a rebuttal, “This is how life works Sango. People cross and uncross paths constantly. A good-bye now is not necessarily a good-bye forever. Now is the time for us all to separate, but there will be a time when we all join back together. After our common enemy is destroyed we'll all go on with our lives but that doesn't mean that we think any less of each other. It doesn't mean that we will not need each other again. Friendship like what we share, bonds brought about by tragedy and blood, are not easily undone. For better or worse we have all become apart of each other. We have become family.” He sat back and let her absorb his words for a moment before he started getting up. He glanced over at her and noticed that her hair was hiding her eyes before he turned and started into the hut and to bed. Right before he entered the doorway he heard her voice faintly.

“And what will you do Miroku?” He didn't have to ask what she was talking about.

“I'll go wherever you go.” Miroku answered without turning around and then disappeared into the house. Sango was still sitting outside when Inuyasha and Kagome came in two hours later.

The fire and its mysteries had died out long before then.

End of part one

I want to apologize to everyone who had to wait a year for this chapter. I won't trot out tired excuses, just know that I have been busy with real life. I do indeed plan to finish this story, and I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the last part will not take a year this time.

There is so much emotion tied up in this fic for me. I started it just as I was starting college and it has been my constant companion for long commutes and sleepless nights. I am reluctant to part with it, but I will for you all.

In other news, I was invited to submit a story to a fiction anthology back in December, so I might have one of my short stories actually published in a book soon. I'm still waiting for the publishers to get back with me, but I'll let you all know when I do.

Next time on TWTHE…

Kikyou comes to say goodbye…

Kouga comes to say good luck…

Sesshomaru comes to make impossible demands…

Shippou has to admit that he has a big mouth

And Inuyasha and Kagome get ready to say hello to their future…

All this and more!

Kagome awoke to Inuyasha's cursing and the sight of a dusty whorl-wind headed toward their camp.

“Two shards.” She said with trepidation, grabbing for the skirt that had been discarded beside her sleeping bag.

“It's coming fast.” Inuyasha sighed in irritation as he belted his haori and reached for his discarded sword.

“Kouga.” They both said in unison as the dust devil swirled out and left said youkai standing before them….