A Historic Love by ConsistentlyInconsistent

The Letter

AN: Hello all, IC here (aka FWA at ff.net) with a new story based on a challenge issued by Fluffy's Lady. This is her idea/plot thingy, I'm just manipulating it as I see fit In case some of you haven't noticed (or you're a first time reader) I haven't updated anything else in a while and that's because I hit a bit of writer's block xx However! I think this is the perfect project to get me back on track! This is may be the only chapter I get out before I go on vacation with the fam next week, but hopefully I'll be able to get some writing done while I'm gone. It'll only be a week or so. Well, enjoy!!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha characters (as much as I pray for it you'd think God would come through for me...of course, I don't think us sinners are at the top of that list -sigh- damned temptation...) I don't own this plot either. Inuyasha & Co. goes to Takahashi-dono and the plot idea goes to Fluffy's Lady.

A Historic Love

Chapter 1: The Letter

Laughter and happy sighs could be heard coming from one of the larger huts in the ever-growing village. Inside several women and a few children fluttered around a young woman standing on a small pedestal, tugging and tucking the material of the clothes she wore. Kagome let out another contented sigh as she watched the commotion that she seemed to be in the center of. The final alterations were being made to the kimono she would wear to her mating ceremony, which turned out to be very similar to a human wedding with only a few differences.

She looked away from the women that surrounded her to a full length mirror she'd brought from her time propping against the wall opposite her. The kimono was stunning, she had to admit. Everyone in the village was pitching in to help their hero's come together for their happily ever after. Her kimono was made of the whitest silk that almost seemed to glow and when she would move it would flow around her as if it had a life of its own. It was tied together with a light, powder blue obi that had small embroidery patterns of sakura petals done in a shimmering white thread. The same pattern ran along the hems of the kimono itself in a similar shimmering thread that matched her blue obi.

The white of the material greatly contrasted her long black hair. Between traipsing around feudal Japan and studying for tests back home she never had the time to cut it so it had grown considerably since her fifteenth birthday almost three years ago. It now grazed her hips and was a little straighter from the weight of the thick locks. Despite how much time she spent outdoors and in the sun she just didn't seem to develop a tan like some other people could. Her skin was forever like that of a porcelain doll; smooth and pale. She was surprised however, to find out just how much the light blues set off the dark blue of her eyes. The color vaguely made her think of her traveling days when she would wake before sunrise. On occasion, on mornings following a large storm, there would be a dark, wispy fog that would roll over the fields...she saw that same blue-grey in her own eyes right now.

Her stature hadn't changed much over the years though. Sure, she'd grown a few inches and was around 5'5" now, but that was as tall as she would likely get. With the height came a more proportionate figure; her curves finally seemed to fit her. Kagome thought back to all of the fitness classes that people from her era would take just to be a little more toned or lose a little weight. But who would have guessed that walking from one corner of Japan to the next and fighting off demons and bandits every few miles was the perfect workout?

As the fuss over her clothes continued and a talk about how she should wear her hair began (that she was not being included in), Kagome fell deeper into her memories of traveling with her hodgepodge-surrogate family. Memories replayed over how she met Shippo, Miroku, Sango, Kirara, Jinenji, Koga, Sesshoumaru, Rin, so many others, and...Inuyasha. That thought brought a smile to her face. But then there was Naraku...and that thought took the smile away. The final battle had been about eight months ago, but she still remembered it like it had just ended.

They had all been there; the shard hunting group, Koga, even Sesshoumaru had shown up to help vanquish the evil that was Naraku. They had fought long and hard against Naraku, his incarnations, and the low-level demons he'd brought with him.

-Flashback-

Kagome looked around the battlefield assessing the damage her friends had taken. Surprisingly there wasn't much. Things had been going much smoother than any of them could have hoped. The weaker demons had been taken out with little effort and even the more powerful demons, such as his incarnations, seemed sluggish in their moves and attacks. She would have normally been happy that things were going so well, but the entire situation left a heavy, sick feeling in her stomach that she couldn't explain.

This wasn't how a pivotal battle between good and evil was supposed to be. Kagome may have been young, but most of her naivety had been stripped from her over the years. She knew that with great battles there would be great losses and great victories. Her inner child was telling her to be happy and that good really would always triumph over evil, but that sick feeling in her stomach was telling her brain that in a battle such as this, one expected to be of great magnitude, there was no possible way that one side that was greatly out-numbered would win with nothing more than a few scratches.

That's when her eyes landed on Naraku. He was sitting farther back, almost at the edge of their understood battlefield. This was the real Naraku, no dolls this time. She could see the almost complete Shikon Jewel resting around his neck. His face seemed relaxed like almost all of his forces he'd brought hadn't been destroyed. Looking back to her friends she saw that they were steadily pushing back their few opponents that were left back and closer to the devil himself, Naraku. But when she saw Naraku's calm face take on an evil smirk the proverbial light bulb came on above her head.

Several of the battle strategies used throughout history (or the future from this point on the timeline) came to mind. History had always been one of the subjects she'd never had any trouble in. It was always easier to defeat your enemy if they took on a false confidence and underestimated you...and what better way to achieve those desired feelings than a false retreat?

As Kagome felt the realization sink in she noticed tentacles coming from Naraku, slinking slowly across the ground seemingly unnoticed by her comrades. That's it! He was planning to suddenly absorb the incarnations and demons he had left for a sudden boost of power and attack everyone at once at close range.

"No! Get away from him!" Kagome screamed as she ran forward to her friends.

Confusion was evident in the expressions until they looked to the ground and saw the purplish-grey appendages snaking their way across the ground. Those with demon blood immediately took a great leap backwards while Kirara rushed to pull Miroku and Sango, as well as an unconscious and barely breathing Kohaku out of danger.

"What the hell Kagome? We were actually close enough to kill him that time!" Inuyasha yelled.

"Stupid half-breed," Sesshoumaru said, "you saw the tentacles. The girl likely just saved your pathetic life."

"He's going to absorb them." Kagome explained slightly out of breath from running to them. "He was going to gain just enough power to kill you all at a close range." Inuyasha had made her stay back until she was absolutely necessary to purify the jewel. She was just glad that Rin and Shippo had been left a safe distance away with Jaken and Sesshoumaru's two-headed dragon.

Kagome's warning to her friends had been the perfect distraction to not only her friends but Naraku's incarnations. They saw the tentacles coming for them, but for most it was too late. Kagura glared at Naraku as she avoided the tentacle meant for her, pulled a feather from her hair, and took to the skies. "You bastard! You said nothing about this!" Kagura screamed at her creator. "I hope the girl purifies you back to hell where you belong!" But as soon as the words left her mouth there was a tight pain in her chest. Kagura barely felt her feather dissolve out from under her. She plummeted to the ground and hit with a hard and solid thud.

Despite the injuries she sustained from her sudden fall, the pain in her chest was all Kagura felt at the moment as she writhed in pain on the ground. Naraku stood above her now, squeezing her heart tightly in his hand but not quite enough to kill her. "Dear Kagura," he spoke down to her with a morbid amusement in his voice, "did you really think I would allow a traitorous slave such as you get away?" And with that said his last visible tentacle reached out for the wind demoness.

What nobody expected was for an arrow surrounded by pink energy to speed forth and purify the tentacle before it reached the pain-stricken woman. Everyone turned to look at Kagome only to see her standing there looking just as surprised as the rest with her bow and arrows left where she was previously standing before her outburst. "I can forgive anyone who wishes your death, Naraku." A calm voice echoed over the battlefield.

"Kikyo..." Inuyasha whispered as he took a single, hesitant step forward.

Everyone else turned to see that it was indeed the undead priestess holding the offending bow, sting still slightly vibrating. "Kikyo," Naraku purred as he glared at the woman. "I was wondering when I would see you again. It seems you've saved me the trouble of hunting you down!" He yelled as he shot out several tentacles towards her.

"No!" Inuyasha screamed as he rushed forward already knowing that he wouldn't make it in time to save his first love.

Kikyo quickly pulled an arrow from her quiver and shot at the offending appendages, but narrowly missed one that would be her end. It swiftly stuck her in the chest and retracted just as Inuyasha reached her. Kagome wasn't far behind him and arrived just as Kikyo sank to the ground in Inuyasha's arms.

Kikyo lay calmly on the ground as the souls of dead women left her. "Kikyo...why? Why did you come here?" Inuyasha asked with confusion in his eyes as he watched her yet again die.

"Do not blame yourself, Inuyasha." She spoke softly with a sad smile. "I've already done that enough for the both of us. I came here expecting to die. As the previous guardian of the Shikon Jewel I cannot stand idly by as I watch it be used for evil. I'm releasing you from your promise to me; kill Naraku and live the life you could have never had with me." She said the last part as she glanced at Kagome. Moments later the last of her collected souls left her clay body and the small piece of Kagome's soul that had animated her floated out and into Kagome's chest.

Inuyasha looked up at Kagome as he smelled her tears. "So sad..." he heard her whisper. Then her expression turned from sad and pained to angry. "Inuyasha."

"Yeah?"

"Do you remember what you, Sesshoumaru, and I talked about the other night?" Kagome asked as she picked up the bow and arrows Kikyo had been carrying.

"What about it? Do you think it'll really work?" He asked as he watched her wipe her eyes and stand up.

"Yes, I do. Take us back to the group and tell Sesshoumaru that we're going to try it." Kagome said in a serious tone as Inuyasha picked her up.

"Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha started.

"Save it, little brother, I heard what the miko said from here. Come, this has been allowed to continue for far longer than it should have." Sesshoumaru said as he walked forward as stoic as ever.

Naraku chuckled as he walked towards the trio, all but forgetting about Kagura. "And what do you three think that you can do to harm me? With this much of the jewel I'm basically unstoppable. Any damage you do, my body will quickly repair thanks to this little gem." A miasma began to slowly leak from his body as it covered the ground and filled the air. "And now you can't even get close enough to touch me!"

"Kagome!" Sango called as she threw her face mask through the air to the girl she'd come to see as family.

Kagome caught the mask and quickly tied it to her face. "Inuyasha," Kagome started in a low voice, "after I shoot you and Sesshoumaru know what to do." At seeing his nod, Kagome notched an arrow and concentrated to feel where the tainted jewel was through the thick miasma. When she found it she silently prayed to herself, 'please, please, please hit the mark. Kikyo, give me your strength and steady my hand.' And with that she let her arrow fly surrounded by a bright pink energy that purified the air it passed through.

Naraku had been laughing about his seemingly inevitable victory when he felt something lodge in his chest. He looked down to see the purifying arrow sticking out, still surrounded by its pure energy, but doing little damage to his already powerful body other than burns. "Foolish child, I already told you that because of the jewel's power and the dead demons of my body I will quickly regenerate. Not even your pathetic arrows will kill me!"

"Then it's a good thing the jewel's power is no longer within your control." Kagome responded simply as she looked to Inuyasha and nodded her head to continue.

Naraku looked down to see the pure energy of the arrow surround the jewel that was hanging closely and slowly start to purify the tainted orb. "No!" was all Naraku could say before Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru released the power of their inherited swords, Sesshoumaru's a living energy and Inuyasha's a killing blow, bringing every component of Naraku's body to life only to completely blow it away seconds later.

Kagome slowly walked forward to the small jewel that had caused so much trouble. It was still surrounded by the arrow's energy and had been almost completely purified by it now. It was lying on an area of the ground that was black and looked as though it had been burned. After leaning down and picking up the trinket she looked over to Miroku expectantly.

Miroku took the hint and pointed his cursed palm away from everyone as he cautiously removed his prayer beads from his arm with a shaking hand. Once he saw that nothing happened he turned his hand over and saw skin...not blackness...not death...not a purple cloth wrapped with beads, but his living skin. His chest tightened as he was trying to hold back the tears threatening to fall. "It's gone..." he whispered.

With a smile on her face, Sango approached the monk and said, "What was that Miroku? I don't think everyone could hear you." Miroku looked up to meet her eyes with a look that told her for the first time in his life he was letting himself hope and dream for a happy future.

"I said he's gone! Naraku is finally dead and departed from this world!" He shouted as he picked Sango up and spun her around as he laughed. Upon setting her back down he pulled her close and kissed her for all he was worth shocking everyone, especially Sango who blushed furiously.

Kagome just watched the couple with a smile as she looked back to the nearly complete jewel in her palm then up to the sky as a few birds flew overhead singing a happy song. "It's finally over." She said with a heavy sigh.

-End Flashback-

Kagome reached up to her chest where the complete, pure jewel hung around her neck. She found herself doing this every now and then as though to check and make sure it wasn't all some dream. Kohaku had been treated and made a long, but full recovery and now lived with Miroku and Sango who had been married not long after the battle. They were expecting their first child in a few months.

She remembered Sesshoumaru pulling her aside after their return to the village and telling her that he was leaving Rin in her care from that point on. His reasoning had been that it wasn't fit for a human female child to be raised by a male demon and that she needed a mother. Kagome knew that even though he would never say it he cared deeply for the girl and it was a hard choice for him to make. Rin had been less than happy to learn of his decision, but had cheered up when he came to visit and check on her the first time after his departure. He would show up every few weeks to check on the girl and it was greatly helping both grow used to being away from the other.

Kagura had gotten away, which irked Koga and Inuyasha to no end, and there had been talk of hunting her down, but Kagome didn't think she was a threat anymore. She had hated her creator as much as any of them had and only wanted the same freedom as her element. Since Kikyo's clay body was made of her ashes it had been returned to her original burial site where Inuyasha would be spotted occasionally just looking to the sky as he talked to the grave marker.

A few weeks after the battle Inuyasha had asked her to take a walk with him and they had walked to the God Tree. The walk itself was quiet and a little tense, but not uncomfortably so. When they arrived at their destination Inuyasha sat in the grass at the tree's base and Kagome had sat down beside him waiting eagerly for what he had to say. He had talked about some of his hidden fears and inner struggles from before the battle, but said that he'd finally come to a decision. He finally told her the one thing she'd always wanted to hear from him; he'd said that he loved her and asked if she would want to spend the rest of her life with him in the village.

At first she'd been speechless, but when she found her voice she launched herself into his arms effectively knocking him over and chanted yes for about twenty minutes before they both returned to the village hand in hand, all smiles and giggles.

It was so surreal at first. Watching the hut being built that she would live in with Inuyasha, Rin, and Shippo; going to her era to say good-bye to her family and gather her things she would want to take with her like clothes, pictures, and things she was sentimental about; then finally standing here in her ceremonial kimono watching all the fuss with laughter in her eyes. She suddenly felt a tug on her sleeve and looked down to see Rin staring up at her with doe eyes filled with childish joy. "You look beautiful, Kagome-san." The little girl smiled up at her.

"Thank you, Rin-chan." Kagome returned the smile with one of her own.

"Kagome-san?"

"Yes, Rin-chan?"

"I think you should wear your hair down." Rin suggested as she looked over at the three women arguing and pointing at Kagome.

Kagome laughed as she saw Sango, Kaede, and the seamstress that made the kimono arguing about how she should wear her hair talking about elaborate buns and braids. "I think so to, Rin-chan...but I'll tell them that later." Kagome said with a wink.

~^~^~^~^~

Later that night Kagome was talking with Sango in the hut she and Miroku shared. Kagome was currently living there until the ceremony in a few days when she would move into the home she would share with Inuyasha. They were going through some of the things Kagome had brought from the future when Sango lifted up a polished wooden box. "Kagome-chan, what is this?"

"Oh, I'd forgotten all about that. My mother gave it to me and told me not to open it until the night before my wedding. I have no clue what's inside."

"Well, it might be a few days early, but let's open it now. I'm curious to know what your mother would send with you for your wedding."

Kagome looked at the box as she took it from Sango and thought for a moment. "Okay, what could it hurt, right?" She said with a smile as she opened the latch that kept it closed and opened the smooth lid. Both girls peered inside to see and assortment of things. There were picture of Kagome's family which Sango picked up to look at having never seen Kagome's family from her era before. There were rings with a note attached saying that they were her mother and father's wedding rings. There were a few other small memento's to remember her family by, but at the bottom of the box there was a letter sealed in a beautiful envelope.

While Sango continued to look at the pictures and other objects the box held, Kagome opened the letter and read what she knew to be her mother's handwriting.

Dear Kagome,

If you are reading this then that means that you are getting married very soon. I just want to start by saying congratulations darling, you deserve your happy ending more than anyone else I know. You may not be in this time anymore but know that your family is always with you and that you can see us anytime you want with these pictures or come home if the well will allow it. I want to be able to see my grandbabies someday! I hope that you're happy dear and that your new husband treats you well. Never let anyone treat you like anything less than a princess. You are, after all, a descendant of a noble family...that was a long, long time ago of course.

I'm not sure if I ever told you about this, but it would be a good story to pass to your children so I'll tell you now. Your ancestor was a beautiful woman and she had a twin sister. Her sister was betrothed to a man of good standing in another noble house, but she didn't love him. Then one day while she was gathering wildflowers in a nearby field she saw a demon. I'm told that he was exceptionally handsome and that despite him being a demon she fell in love with him at first sight (just like you did dear!). But she ran away from her noble home to be with her handsome demon lord. The story then goes on to say that she was to have his son but her family found her and brought her home. One of the vassal's to her family wanted to save her the shame of having a demon's child and killed her. But luckily her demon lover came to saver her and brought her back to life with his love for her. He then had to battle the vassal that killed her so she could live safely. The story ends saying that although her lover died in the battle she was happy just to have his son as something to remember their love by. The story of Lady Izayoi and her demon lover is a sad one, but has always been one of my favorites. It's so romantic!

Anyway dear, I hope that whatever path life takes you down leads you to happiness. And whenever life starts to get you down just remember that life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain. I wish you all the best and remember that I will always love you.

Love forever and always,

Mom

Once she reached the end of the letter all she could do was let her hands fall to her lap and the letter to the floor as she stared at the wall with large eyes...once she had finally thought she could plan her future around one thing fate decided to have some more fun at her expense.

Sango noticed that her friend had dropped her letter and was now just sitting, staring blankly at a wall. She tentatively picked up the dropped piece of paper and quickly read over the words written. Once she finished her eyes were wide too. "Umm...Kagome, isn't Inuyasha's mother's name—"

"Uh huh." Kagome answered quickly still staring at the wall with her hands in her lap.

"And his aunt is—"

"Yep."

"So that would make you—"

"Bingo...we're cousins."

~^~^~^~^~

AN: Hope you enjoyed! Feedback is welcome and I will hopefully be able to post while on vacation but if not then the next chapter should be up in about a week or so!

TTFN CI