Journey's End by GreyEcho

Journey's End

AN: Done for Skye's Weekly Challenge. Prompt: Warning.

Journey’s End

By Lunaticneko

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Their quest was finally coming to a end. So much had happened. Kikyou and Kagura had died, Kohaku had been freed, Sesshoumaru had joined them in their fight and they had defeated their enemy. And somehow inbetween the chaos, Kagome and the silent youkai lord had fallen in love. Now the only thing left was to rid the world of the jewel. Though the group of shard hunters were reluctant to do so, and decided to wait till the they were back in Edo.

After celebrating in the village the group gathered in the clearing with the well. Kagome hugged each one of her friends, and each of them gave her words of encouragement. Silently her friends went off to the side, leaving Sesshouamru the only one besides her.

Kagome looked up at the silent Daiyoukai that had found a place deep in her heart. Who knew she would find love with her once enemy. But now it looked like they may never have chance to enjoy it. She leaned into his side and fisted a hand in shirt. Sesshoumaru in turn wrapped a arm around her waist and kissed the top of her head.

Kagome glanced down at the completed jewel in her other hand and sighed. “After this it’s over. But I’m afraid of what will happen.”

He nuzzled her head. “ But it must be done. No matter the cost.” He dreaded the upcoming wish as much as her. There were too many uncertainties, but there was no other choice. Eventually his warm hand slipped over her small one, pulling it away from his chest. He stepped back and gave a light squeeze to the still captured hand before releasing it. “Make your wish now Kagome.”

The miko looked up and caught his softened golden eyes, and nodded her head sadly. ‘It’s now or never.’ She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath to calm the emotions reeking havoc upon her. Slowly she brought her folded hands to her chest, as if in pray, with the babble inside. “I wish the jewel would disappear, forever.” The jewel flashed to life, and upon opening her hands pure light shinned for all to see as it started to fade away. Unfortunately the jewel was not the only thing to slowly disappear.

Kagome couldn’t stop the chocked sob that broke from her lips as she notice everything around her was fading away. But it was her friends widening pained filled eyes that let her know it was her, not them, leaving the world.

Shippou was the first to respond. “Kagome~!” Then he quickly broke down in Sango’s arms.

‘At least I have a moment.’ She gave them a broken smile. “We knew this might happen.” Looking at each on them. “Promise me you‘ll watch out for each other.” She ended while looking at a certain dog eared hanyou.

Inuyasha folded his arms and tried to put on his tough guy act. “Keh! Like I let anything happen to them.”

His declaration bringing strength to her smile. Turning a pointed look on the houshi and slayer. “And you two have lots of kids!”

Miroku smiled as he wrapped his arm around his future wife pulling her to his side. “Of course Kagome~sama. Did you expect anything less.”

Sango blushed, and smacked him. Then coughed. “I’m sure we will. Don’t worry, we will take care of Shippou as well.”

“Thank you. And Shippou.” She waited till he lifted his head. “ Be happy and try not to get into too much trouble.” When he looked like he was going to pout she added. “But be sure to play tricks every once and a while, especially on Inuyasha.”

“Hey!”

The kitsune just smirked. “That’s a promise I can keep.”

Turning to the fading form of youkai lord. “Youkai can live a long time, right? More than five hundred years?”

Sesshoumaru looked at her fading form, and ran a clawed hand through her hair barely feeling the silken locks run over his skin. “Youkai like myself can live for thousands of years without interference.”

Kagome looked hopeful. “Then promise me you live and in five hundred years that you’ll come find me.”

He didn’t reply. More and more the world around her faded and started to overlap another. As he became completely transparent to her she cried out. “Promise me!” Tears barely kept in check.

His hand ghosted over her cheek. “That is not something I can promise, for that is something I can not control.” A small smirked formed. “Though that will not stop me from trying. This Sesshoumaru does promise he wait for you.”

Then he was gone.

Kagome stood alone in the court yard of her shine. The chilling spread of loneliness numbed her soul causing her to fall to her knees on the stone covered ground of her home, as she sobbed openly.

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An hour later Mrs. Higurashi came up the steps with hands full of bags from the store, only stopping when she spotted her daughter’s crumpled form leaning against the God tree. Rushing to her side, she placed a hand on Kagome’s shoulder and gently shook her. “Kagome? What’s the matter? Are you alright?”

Sniffling, Kagome raised her tear streaked face to her mother’s. “I was forced back after wishing on the jewel. I can’t go back.”

“I see.” The older woman gave her a curious look. “Did you try the well?”

The miko sighed remembering how many times she tried in the last half hour. Each time more desperate than the last, to the point where she sliced her hand on a rough wooden edge in hopes that her blood might persuade the portal to open. “Yeah. It wouldn’t let me pass. It feels as if the magic has left it, or was locked away.”

Her mother sighed and helped her daughter up. “Come on Kagome, let’s get you inside.”

Kagome took her mother’s hand. Leaning into her mother, they made their way into the house.

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Kagome looked at her window and sighed. A week had passed since her return and she had yet to see or hear anything of the youkai lord. “Maybe he’s just busy, or being cautious to make sure the time is right.” She mumbled to herself.

Turning she got ready to go to the store. She felt anxious and needed to get out of the house. The wait was getting to her. As she reach for her purse she froze, a chill running down her spine. She rubbed her arms trying to shake the feeling off. ‘That was odd.’ After a moment she shrugged it off and grabbed her purse.

Kagome soon was amongst the masses. Standing at the corner of the crowed walkway, waiting for the walk light to turn, her thoughts drifted towards him. ‘I wonder if he is still alive.’ She saw the light turn and automatically started to cross. A warning came in the form of a honk, as she noticed too late a car was speeding toward her, the screeching brakes doing little to slow the small vehicle. Kagome saw a flash of silver before she felt the impact of something. Then her world shifted, and she felt herself in someone’s warm embrace. Looking up she felt tears picked her eyes.

There he was as she just remembered him minus the armor. ‘A little odd to be walking around Tokyo in that, but I suppose it doesn’t really matter.’ She smiled up at the one she had longed to see. “You made it, you’re here.”

Sesshoumaru looked down at her with remorse in his eyes. “I didn’t.”

She stepped back from their embrace confused. “What do you mean?”

He sighed. “I wasn’t able to live till this time.”

Kagome starred at him in disbelief. “But you’re right here. You just saved me!” She pointed turning to look over at the car and then gasped at the crowd around it. She took a shaky steps towards them but was stopped from going far by a clawed hand on her shoulder.

“Don’t. The sight will not be pleasant.” His voice warned by her right ear. But she saw enough to know it was her that lay there. There, through a part of the crowd, she could see her face partly covered by her hair and surrounded by a pool of blood.

She turned back to Sesshoumaru with tears in her eyes. “So you didn’t make it. When… ” She trailed off unable to finish.

He gave her a sad smile, and ran a hand through her locks happy to be able to feel them again. “I died just a little over a hundred years shy.” After a moment he added. “There was interference.”

The ‘How’ died on her lips as she saw the pain in his eyes that told her she didn’t want to know. She shook her head to rid it of any possible thoughts that lead to his death, and smiled. “ But you came none the less.”

“Hn.” This time his smile one of warmth. “I did promise I would wait.”

She hugged him. “That you did, thank you.”

He returned the embrace pushing her into him a little more, and resting his chin atop her head. It was then he spotted the creatures of the underworld that had been hassling him the last hundred years. A growl of irritation left him.

Kagome turned to look at what had upset him to see small greenish grey imp like creatures standing off to the side. “Hey, how come they didn’t take you?”

He chuckled at that. “Oh, they tried. But after a month they learned better. I was very… stubborn.”

She laughed. “I’ll bet.”

Putting a arm around the miko’s shoulder he brought her to his side. “Come. Let us move on to the afterlife.”

Kagome glance one last time at the wreck before nodding, and they started walking towards the imps. She could swear they sighed in relief when all they did was stop before them. The air in front of them warped and a portal appeared. The imps beckoned them forward, though eyed the youkai lord warily.

Kagome cover the clawed hand on her shoulder with her own, and looked up at him. Blue met gold, and in that moment they understood. This wasn’t the end but the beginning. The end of one journey and the start of another. He leaned down and kissed her. Then together they walked forward to what lay ahead of them.

********************************~Fin~******************************************

AN: This got really hard to write towards the end. The endings a little bittersweet, but I hope you all enjoyed it none the less. This was my first…sad type fic. Well not counting the slightly mess up one to the song Forgive Me Love, but that more angst and had no s/k…yeah, so never mind. :P