Umbra by Sight Unseen

The End of the Beginning

A new day has dawned, one where the fate of the world would be decided. Atop a lonely hill sat a young girl, her lapis eyes clouded over. 'So this is it,' she thought, 'this will be my last day here, no matter what the outcome.' Tears welled up in her eyes as she saw the faces of those who had become a second family to her. A tear fell on her lap as she saw the smiling face of Sango, a woman so much like her sister. Another dropped, as the image of Miroku flashed before her. In all his lechery, Miroku had a special place in her heart, one that would remain forever. Tears began to stream down her face as her thoughts turned to Shippo, her son. He would be losing another mother. The floodgates then opened as the image of Inuyasha came. But he wasn't alone; he was held tightly in the embrace of Kikyo, her incarnate. While Kagome realized that Inuyasha had never seen her for who she was, the truth was still excruciating.

Kagome's thoughts were halted when she heard a not-so-childish voice call to her. It had been four years since her adventure began in the Sengoku Jidai. She had blossomed into a young woman while her kit had grown into an even more mischievous boy if possible. Shippo was finally beginning to show his years and, to Kagome, it was a bittersweet thought.

"Mom! Where are you?" Kagome could hear Shippo calling for her.

Deciding her time of reflection had come to an end, Kagome called back, quickly drying her eyes of any remaining tears. "I'm over here, Shippo."

Kagome gave a muffled oomph as Shippo careened into her stomach.

"You're getting too big to do that Shippo. Pretty soon you'll crush me under you." Chuckling at her son's perturbed look, she held his hand and began to walk back to camp.

"Mom? If I get too big, does that mean I won't be your son anymore? Coz you can't carry me anymore." Shippo's eyes widened with dread and Kagome chuckled at his dismay.

"Course not. You'll always be my baby." Reassured Shippo let go of her hand and skipped ahead of her to their camp for the day.

Arriving at the camp, Kagome saw a suspicious red mark on Miroku's face, along with a fuming Sango. Smiling at the sight, she walked to where Sango was glowering at Miroku.

"He did it again, didn't he?"

Never stopping her glare, Sango replied, "Is it that hard for him to keep his hands to himself for ONE day?! If he didn't already have a crippled hand, I'd rip one off."

Opening her mouth to reply, Kagome slammed it shut again as a certain hanyou walked into camp, holding a certain undead miko.

"Oi, wench, where have you been? We were all waiting for you. Kikyo would never have kept us waiting like that."

Smiling coldly, Kikyo added her own sentiments. "Don't compare the two of us, Inuyasha. You know she can never amount to what I am."

Hiding the pain and betrayal she was feeling, Kagome answered, ticking each off on her fingers, "One, my name is Kagome. It can't be that hard to remember it Inuyasha, even for someone like you. Two, I may never amount to you, Kikyo, but it was what you were, not what you are. And three, where I go and what I do is of no concern to either of you. Now, if you're done, we need to deal with Naraku." Turning around, leaving Inuyasha dumbfounded and Kikyo fuming, Kagome began to clean the camp, straining to keep her eyes dry.

'Come on Kag, he's not worth it. If he was, he wouldn't make you cry,' she thought to herself, trying to assuage her sorrow. Turning around, once again with cheeriness in place, she chirped, "I'm ready. Let's go!" Purposely ignoring Kikyo's angry expression, she hauled her bag onto her shoulder and walked past her.

********

"Sesshoumaru-sama! Look! Rin found a pretty flower and she wants Sesshoumaru-sama to have it!" Absently taking the flower from the child, Sesshoumaru focused on the foreboding feeling that hung in the air.

Sharply stopping and turning to Jaken, he ordered the groveling servant, "Take Rin back to the palace and keep her there until I return. If I find one hair out of place, you will pay for it. Understood, Jaken?"

Opening his mouth to protest, Jaken decided it wasn't that good of an idea as he saw his master's cold glance. "Yes, milord." Turning around dejectedly, Jaken called to Rin. "Girl! Lord Sesshoumaru says that we need to go back to the palace."

Sesshoumaru watched as his servant tottered towards the small girl. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared, heading towards the epitome of the evil that hung in the air that day.

"Naraku," Sesshoumaru hissed.

********

The group of Shikon gatherers stopped short in their tracks when they saw the vile miasma blocking their path. All realized that the final battle was about to begin. Turning towards the subtle sound of moving fabric, they tensed as they saw Sesshoumaru arrive.

"What are you doing here, you bastard?" Inuyasha ranted, pulling out Tetsusaiga.

"Inuyasha, sit. If Sesshoumaru was here for the sword, he'd pick a different day. The world doesn't revolve around you and your stupid sword. Besides, he was the one who saved my life last time." Leaving a suddenly silent and guilty hanyou, Kagome turned to Sesshoumaru. "Why are you here, Sesshoumaru?"

Slightly amused at the girl's control over the whelp, he was about to answer when his eyes narrowed and he turned towards the figure emerging from the miasma.

"Kukukukuku... So you're here. Hand over the shards and I'll make your deaths quick and painless. Defying me will only lead to pain." Naraku's eyes glowed with his evil.

"Go to hell, Naraku. It's where you belong," Kagome answered. Notching an arrow, Kagome fired.

And so it had commenced. The end of the beginning.