Winds of Change

The jewel that sat in the breast pocket of here shirt felt like it weighed a thousand pounds as she walked passed the edge of the village towards Kaede's hut. Inuyasha, who had been so somber the past week, had finally perked up a little of the past two days of their journey to take her back to the well. She could feel his presence, closer than he usually walked, behind her as they walked past huts with smoking chimneys and kitchen gardens just begining to bud with summer vegetables. Miroku and Sango, a few feet ahead, ducked into the curtain that covered the door to the old miko's home, still wrapped in each others affections as they had been since Naraku's fall. That couple, so happy to be free of duty, seemed oblivious now to anything but each other.

Kagome stopped and her breath hitched. She couldn't do this. What if purifying the jewel cast her out of this time forever, away from the people who she had fought alongside for three years? The pit of her stomach sank at the thought. What if she couldn't go back to her mother and brother ever again? Her heart felt like it was trapped like a rabbit in a snare. Her worries ran around and around so fast that it made her giddy. She felt her knees weaken and she snapped back to reality, realizing that Inuyasha had stopped alongside her sensing her distress.

"Baka! Come on 'Gome! The old lady is bound to want to hear the whole story." Inuyasha displayed a crooked smirk across his face one fang catching the high noon sun and glinting. The was something in his tone though, and the way the smile never reached his eyes that twanged at her heartstrings.

I need more time! Still she could not make her legs move, overwhelmed by the sensation of needing to scream, or cry, or do anything but move forward. A gentle touch broke her of what ever awful spell had been cast on her. Inuyasha's clawed hand pushed at the small of her back, just enough to make her take on step foreward, and then another, and another. Helping her along to whatever lay ahead, like he had for the entire time they had known each other. When she looked back at him, the hand at her back slowly fell, and the somber look in his eyes still did not match the smile that graced his face.

More time.

Sake was poured in celebration and tales of the heroics of each member of the group were told as more and more members of the village came from their daily duties to celebrate.

Please, more time.

She felt like she was on autopilot. Smiling and laughing and drinking when called for without hearing a word anyone said. Accepting thanks and congratulations never really seeing those that gave it to her.

Kami-sama, please, more time.

At the same time she was hyper aware of the hanyou that sat next to her. How his fingers kept accidentally brushing hers in the dark corner of the hut they occupied, and how his voice cut though the night as he said "Kampai!" as they toasted those slain by Naraku's hand.

She knew Kikyo was on his mind as he said the word and downed his drink. She had died valiently, blocking a shot meant for her and then disintigrating into dust, but not before the hanyou cought her as she fell, and heard her whisper the last words she would say into his ear. The fire that lit in him when her ashes flew away on the wind was something Kagome knew she would never forget.  The speed at which he struck Naraku down to his knees was incredible delivering blow afer blow in rapid succesion until Kagome found an opening for her arrow to slip through and destroy with finality.

 I need more time for him to stop loving her. Please, more time!

As she poured her fifth cup of sake down her throat and idea came to her. She would end this story how it began, in Midoriko's cave, just her and Inuyasha. It seemed fitting, like the right thing to do. Nodding her head in silent agreement with herself, she reached for the jar to refil her cup, as she heard music start in the village in celebration of their triumph. Her had had barely touched the ceramic of the handle to the jar when it was caught up, and she was pulled to her unsteady feet.

"Come on wench, we've got somewhere we need to be."

She was dragged outside, into the warm summer's night air. Miroku and Sango, and others of the village, danced as the drums thumped out a tune acompanied by some sort of wooden recorder. Paper lanterns strung on strings lit up the area dancing with the villagers, keeping time to the song of the wind.

Past the people they walked, out of the town though the rice fields and into the darker night. Inuyasha still held her hand, moving quickly, giving the well a wide berth as that they passed too. He stopped suddenly, and Kagome looked up into the face of the man she loved. Now the smile that graced his fae was anthing but fake. It was a soft, genuine smile. Almost like that of a mother looking at her child for the first time, but the eyes, those were different. Something else sparked there that made Kagome's heart feel like it was beating again.

The Goshinbuko stood before them, proud and tall, knarled roots twisting and rising from the surface of the ground. Inuyasha sat with his back to the tree, knees bent and spread, and pulled Kagome into the the ground between them so her back rested against his chest and his nose burried in her hair.

"Here. Pour.", he said as he set the ceramic sake jug and two cups before them. When she bent forward to grab the jug, she felt his nose sweep lightly over the vein on the side of her neck causing an involuntary sigh to escape her lips.

Cups filled and in hand, they sat this way in silence for some time. Inuyasha wrapped his unoccupied hand around her waist, pulling her to him, alternating between staring at the stars and nuzzling her neck and face with his lips and nose. They spent an hour this way, simply enjoying the proximity they had to one another, until they both had emptied their glasses once again.

Kagome felt Inuyasha's hand running along her jawline, slowly coaxing her to face him. Their glazed eyes met and locked this way, not wanting to look away from one another, wishing they could suspend time there forever, until he had to ask, "What are you going to do, Kagome?"

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Author's Note-

My Most Beloved,

Darlings, I will do my best to upload chapters as quickly as I can.

While I so prefer the art of a hand penned letter, in this day and age I will have to make due with this crude, and impersonal for of comunication, known as the internet.

May the wind be ever at your backs my dears,

Pumayyaton