Yellow Brick Road

Epilogue (conclusion)

In the aftermath of Masumi’s death, Sesshoumaru and Kagome came to the decision that happiness held more importance than tradition. No, the pillars of morals and ethics were not to be destroyed in the pursuit of happiness, but blindly following tradition could no longer be abided.

When the great pack emerged from their period of mourning, there were two unions to be celebrated. Kuro and Michi were given full approval to mate, and so were Yuichi and Akira. It was odd that two raised almost as brother and sister found bonds that were not platonic, however, the heart does not often see these trivialities.

Osamu never felt in the need for a life partner, instead he strove for perfection in all areas. He stood proud and tall at his father’s side when the battalion of humans came in the name of vengeance for the decimated village, never once flinching at the sight of so many holy men and women scattered throughout the ranks of soldiers. However, the might of the West could not be overcome by such a paltry attempt, and wave after wave was vanquished until the humans could no longer remember their reason for the war.

The girl saved from the village lived for the first years in the West until she spoke of a desire to be among her kind. It was then that she was placed in Edo, and lived a long, prosperous life, some of her descendants building a shrine close to the Goshinboku.

The tides of time beat against the immortality of youkai, withering some to nothing, while others were reshaped. Many chose to die with the samurai instead of facing a world where they would become nothing more than fables told to scare children. The age of magic and faith was crumbling before the age of science and reason.

Greed still lived in the hearts of many, but the methods to feed it changed. Technology changed the way the natural world was perceived, and how many endeavored to obtain their place with in society. Survival for youkai began to depend more and more on their ability to blend rather than their power levels. Many lower class were hunted to extinction, and the higher leveled ones began to breed less and less.

Through all of this, Sesshoumaru and Kagome stood side by side. Seeking refuge in each other’s arms and strength in their soul bridging bonds, they endured and thrived. Tragedies and joys were celebrated and mourned, and life went on.

As Japan opened to the rest of the world, Sesshoumaru came across a book, “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” He sought his mate out upon finishing it, and questioned her. She only smiled and shrugged her shoulders. When he did not relent in his questions, she finally gave him the cryptic reply of, “No one knows how the mind works.”

The day Sesshoumaru knew true fear was the day Kagome latched onto the idea of saving her family. He tried to talk rationally with her, but there was no reasoning with her. A week was spent where Sesshoumaru restrained his mate for fear that she might undo everything they had together.

Never once had she reminded him of the insane miko his brother sought protection for all those centuries ago until now. She lay sobbing on his chest while he tried to sooth her. The mumbled pleas for her release were choked out between her tears.

“This Sesshoumaru…” He paused trying to gain her attention. “I will not lose you. Kagome, I am nothing without you.” It pained him to admit it, but he had long since realized that he would not have survived these last centuries if he did not have her strength to guide him. “Do we … do I mean so little to you that you would sacrifice us those have already mourned so long ago?”

She looked at him then with eyes so lost that his very soul ached. However, he could not let her do what she wanted. “This Sesshoumaru has told you that you are pack. He has vowed to you that there is nothing that could tear us apart. This Sesshoumaru does not lie. This is the way that the Kami destined things to be.”

When the news came that her family was dead, Sesshoumaru set into motion his plan to keep her brother safe.

It was an avenger of fury that descended upon the malicious beings that slaughtered his mates elders. The humans that had thought they out smarted any form of retribution the world could offer had never dreamed that there were still beings that held to old codes. The ones that survived knew in their black hearts that true nightmares came with the face of an angel. They would spread the word that the Higurashi boy was to be left alone.

When Souta and Kagome were reunited, the pain of abandonment and regret hung heavily in the air. Souta never managed to completely forgive his sister, and for that reason, the two did share the close-knit bond of many siblings. Towards the end of his life, Souta reached out to his sister. It was in his old age that he spoke of regret. It was in her wizened youthful appearance that she told him that the best amends he could make would be to go to his grave without the burdens of regret. He had lived his life well, and she was proud of him.

His death came to him peacefully one night surrounded by his family while Kagome watched from the outside. She watched her brother laid to rest from the obscured shadows of the surrounding trees. When she stepped out into the sunlight, it was beside her mate.

Together they stared into the future, side by side. The tides of time never stood a chance against the bonds forged between the tai-youkai and miko.

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AN: I thank everyone for reading, and I hope that you all enjoyed this story. I want to let everyone know that I am doing massive editing on this story, so I will be reposting the edited chapters once everyone has been combed over. Again, thank you for reading.

emmaren