Kanashimi no Hate ni - End of Sorrow by Tamysan

Graduation

Kagome sighed. A part of her life was now over...

No, she wasn't refering to her life in feudal times -

Sango...Miroku..Shippo..Kaede..the Shikon no Tama..

Inu - Inuyasha..

Kagome dipped her head for just a moment and sighed.

- and Kikyou...

"Hey, Kagome!" Her brother, Sota ran up to her and pointed his camera at her. "Smile! You've graduated!"

Kagome smiled at her little brother. In the last two years, he had grown taller. Grandpa had said that there was a history in her family that the men were quite tall and the women quite lovely.

Grandpa - always everything had to have a history..

Yes, this part of her life was over - she had graduated High School. She supposed that she should have been happy like the rest, but she felt a sadness within her - a sadness that was much the same as when she had landed back in her own time at the bottom of the well. She remembered lying there on the ground stunned for a just a moment and then the tears came.

~Why? Inuyasha, why?~ Kagome curled up in a fetal position, her hands covering her face. ~Why did you pick HER? I - I loved you!~

Yes, she had loved him - even though she was only fifteen, even though she had been only someone in their last year of junior high, readying herself for the exams for High School. But then in the feudal ages, fifteen was practically an adult. She remembered that girls even younger than herself had had children themselves and certainly were not treated as children.

"Kagome!" Her mom and Grandpa came up to her, smiles upon their faces. Her mother hugged her, tears in her eyes. "My little baby...all grown up!"

"Hey, wait!" Sota protested. "I thought I was your baby!" He looked a little jealous.

Grandpa winked at Sota. "What's this? A BABY? Time for a bottle, eh?"

Sota, suddenly remembering that he WAS in the fifth grade blushed furiously. "No, no! I'm NOT a baby! I'm in the fifth grade and soon I'll be in junior high!"

"What's wrong, Kagome?" Her mother's eyes searched her face, and Kagome knew that somehow she knew just who she was thinking of.

"Nothing, mother.." Kagome smiled. "I - just can't believe it's over."

"You still miss him?" She asked gently.

"I - " Kagome sighed. "He chose her, mother. I don't miss him.."

"Sometimes the heart holds on to the things they love long after they've gone. I was like that when your father died."

"Yes, but he never broke your heart by chosing another.." Kagome said, crossing her arms over herself.

"No, but he broke my heart when he died. For a long time I was angry. I asked myself why and I never got an answer. Time went on and there were days I thought that I would never heal but little by little I did until now I remember the good times I shared with him. They are treasured memories, Kagome, but I have went on with my life - and so should you - wherever it takes you."

"You never remarried though." Kagome suddenly did feel like an adult, especially since her mother was talking to her in this way. It was odd but Kagome almost wanted her mother to hold her, just like she had back then. Rock her and tell her it would be all right, but she resisted the urge.

Her mother smiled. "I had you and Sota and Grandpa. And don't count me out yet, daughter."

Kagome knew her mother had been dating recently and had been seeing one man in particular - actually one of Kagome's old history teachers. Fortunately Kagome was long out of his class, but Sota - well Mr. Tasaku was his instructor and sometimes that was hard on her brother although to his credit, Mr. Tasaku did not play favorites. He was kind to both she and Sota and when he and Grandpa talked about ancient history it took her mother to pry them away from their discussion. They liked each other and Kagome was sure that they would probably get married sooner or later.

If only her problem could be solved so easily. She didn't know how she felt after all this time. Did she still love Inuyasha after all he had done? Her feelings were mixed on that matter. She only remembered that they had finally reached Naraku, who had held the completed Shikon no Tama in his hands. Victory had been his - until Kikyou had appeared, aiming her arrow at the Shikon no Tama - and at Naraku. The hanyou had screamed as the Shikon shattered in pieces once more, flitting away in an unatural wind that blew them in all directions. As for Naruku, Kikyou's arrow had pierced his dark heart - perhaps she had had to be the one to undo what had started with she and Onigumo so long ago. Inuyasha had flew to Kikyou's defense when Naraku, in his rage unleashed the forces of nature upon them all, for once not stooping to his usual tricks. He had meant to destroy them, but he had not.

"Kagome.." Her mother's voice cut into her thoughts. She put her hands on Kagome's shoulders. "A first love is just that - first love. You have a long time to live and many things will happen in your life. Look at the things you have done so far! Not many can say that they went back in time, can they?"

"I know.." Kagome nodded.

"But as I said, many things will happen in your life. If you let yourself, you will find love again when you least expect it. First love is not your last love, Kagome. Believe me, I know this.."

Kagome smiled and suddenly hugged her mother. "Thanks, mom.." Her mother hugged her back fiercely and then pulled away, still smiling.

"Hey, mom! Can we go celebrate now?" Sota was getting hungry.

"Yes, Sota." Her mother smiled. "Ready Kagome?"

"Hai.." Kagome said. This was good - being with her loved ones. She had lost Inuyasha but she had not lost everything. He had chosen Kikyou and where the soul-grabbing miko went with him, she did not know or care at the moment. It was the past - the long and distant past.

Today was her future...