26Full Moon, Full Heart: Part X/Epilogue:
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Kagome felt exhausted. A brief walk from the mess hall to her bedroom felt like a marathon. The gestation for a werewolf baby was only three months, so at least she didn't have to feel like a blimp for long. Koga was ecstatic and King Heisei had announced that he would be stepping down as king within the year, leaving the opportunity for Koga to take over. They were co-ruling at present, as the pharaohs of ancient Egypt often did. There had been a trial regarding General Tenichi and his willingness to follow Byakuya and Naraku. He'd been found guilty and for having misjudged the character of his oldest friend, Heisei no longer felt worthy of leading the tribe.
She'd just had a google hangouts visit with Inuyasha a half-hour earlier. Sesshomaru and Kagura had both joined the Hunter's Guild. The Warlock Totosai was still around — in spirit form. Apparently, the old warlock used a spell that tied his spirit form to the earth for the duration of the life of Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru's father's. The two brothers still hadn't seen their father, but knew that he cared in his own fashion.
Koga entered the room and laid next to her on the bed. "Good talk with Inuyasha?" he asked.
"He's dating Toran," Kagome revealed. "They are planning a trip for the Atlantic."
"You're not seriously helping him find Avalon, are you?" Koga asked. "I saw the books you were reading through yesterday."
"It's not like I can do much else these days," Kagome protested. "I can hardly walk with my swollen ankles and with this huge belly I can barely navigate where I'm going." She gestured towards her heavily pregnant mid-section. "These babies are due any day now."
"Pups," Koga corrected.
"Babies," Kagome retorted. She traced her finger around the edge of Munafarawa's mirror. She'd been trying for a few weeks to locate Avalon, but it was possible the spiritual energies of the Shinto god didn't agree with the powers of the fae folk. After the babies were born and settled a bit, she'd like to travel west and see if a closer proximity might assist in locating the fabled land. Maybe she'd ask Tsukuyomi when he visited during the next new moon.
"You'll be a bit busy. Let him and this Toran explore together. I'm going to need your help running things around here. We'll be responsible not just for our tribe, but all the tribes in the Eastern hemisphere."
Kagome set aside the mirror and rubbed at her belly absently. "It doesn't seem fair to have a magic mirror and not get to use it."
"I think we have used it enough," Koga argued, referring to its role in the final battle with Naraku and his forces.
"It's abilities diminished as a result," Kagome complained.
"It was used to seal away a couple of formidable foes and a magical jewel into an entirely different dimension," Koga reminded her. "I'd say it has more than earned a bit of a rest." He settled beside her on the bed and slipped his arm around her shoulders and hugged her against his side. "How are Sango and MIroku adjusting?"
"I'm not part of their guild, but from what it sounded like last I saw them Kohaku was accepted into their ranks. He's the first vampire to join. It helps that he has his spirit reconnected and therefore a complex conscience. The warlock Totosai really advocated for him."
"It sounds like everything is working out," Koga said, brushing a kiss to her temple.
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OoO
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Kikyo lounged on her chaise while her servant offered a golden platter laden with plump, juicy purple grapes. This reiteration of reality suited her. Naraku was emperor and she was empress.
The servant carrying her fruit snack was the pretentious wife of her brother. He was still king of Okinawa, having been granted immortality and she'd resurrected the lives of those lost from her youth.
Naraku's mother served as his advisor and while the woman was odd, Kikyo acknowledged her strength. The older woman kept ranting about how they were trapped in a false dimension, but Naraku forbade her from mentioning it ever again.
Speaking of the dark haired emperor, Naraku stood behind Kikyo's chaise and started to massage her bare shoulders. His fingers traced her familiar angles and dipped down further than would have been acceptable by their former customs. As emperor and empress, no one dared comment, though Kikyo did enjoy the uncomfortable look in her sister-in-law's eyes.
"How are you fairing, my empress?" Naraku asked.
"I greatly enjoy this reality," Kikyo admitted. She looked up to meet Naraku's dark eyes. "Though, I wonder why your brother, father, or even that other priestess aren't present."
"We did not include them in our vision," Naraku said with a shrug. "We wanted a perfect world and they do not exist in our definition of that reality."
"We got what we wanted," Kikyo murmured.
"We got what we wanted," Naraku agreed.
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A/N:
And that's a wrap. My official last Inuyasha fanfiction.
I really liked this second version of this KogaxKagome werewolf story. The original version was written back in 2003, inspired by a late evening walk to my Geology lab for a final exam during my senior year of college. I reworked it into an original story that I had published and now in its final version - sticking with Japanese Shintoism mythos instead of Westernizing the story. It was really fascinating learning about the Japanese witch trials.
I had wanted to do a better job of writing this story, but between a full time job and family responsibilities it was more important to finish than to perfect the story. I hope it was entertaining. Thank you for joining me on this adventure!