A/N: OKAY so I lied. Making these Kagome X OC pairings took FOREVER because unintentionally I kept making Sesshoumaru swing by and swap her up. UGH, that’s pattern for you.

Oh, shameless plug here as well. I’m a moderater for the Daystar Design Forums! To visit and chat with me at the forums just click my profile link!!

This is the first Alternate ending. This is the alternate ending for Kagome and Sesshoumaru. It’s for those who wanted the “rot your teeth out, perfect fairy princess ending”. Enjoy!

My Pet

Of Portals and Persistence

A year after she last passed out of the well, for the very last time, Kagome stood under the god tree, her azure eyes thoughtful and deep. “One year,” she murmured. “One, heart wrenching, but freeing year.”

Arriving home was extremely painful for Kagome. More than once the young lady had flung herself into the well, hoping it would flare up around her and transport her to another time, another era.

“One full year, and I haven’t forgotten any of it,” Kagome sighed, slumping against the tree. A piece of bark painfully dug into her back, but it didn’t hold a shard to the sorrow that still occasionally shrouded her thoughts.

Kagome was a strong girl. Kagome was a persistent girl. After two months of moping around the house, Kagome woke up one morning and opened her beautiful blue eyes to come fact to face with a very worried Souta. Souta started crying, begging her to cheer up, pleading with her to be happy again.

It was then that Kagome felt incredibly selfish. She had literately shut herself down because of friends she willingly left behind, and was simultaneously killing her family. So Kagome did the only thing she could do. She picked herself up, finished her education, and flung herself into her family life. She tried very hard to be normal. Perhaps a little too normal.

The pain dulled immensely. It now only came in indulgent moments when Kagome felt like remembering the good times. But sometimes, strangely, suddenly, Kagome would feel a tug at her soul. And inexplicably, mysteriously she would wander outside and stare at the well.

This was one of those times.

“I don’t know how many times I’ve done this,” Kagome said, pushing off the tree before she slowly strolled across the yard.

“If I think about it, it’s not like I really want to go back,” Kagome said, weaving a crooked figure eight across her lawn like a sort of drunken bee. “I mean, it would be great to see Sango and Miroku and Inu Yasha and Shippo. And Kouga too, and Kade, and everyone,” Kagome stopped directly in front of the well house.

“But I need to make a clean break. Get on with my life,” Kagome said. “I’m in college now. I have my whole life before me. The Warring Era is now the stuff of dreams to me,” Kagome said, even as she took a step and pushed open the door, standing on the threshold of the small outbuilding that held the Bone Eaters Well.

“But I guess a look won’t kill me,” Kagome reasoned, flinging herself against the well frame. She peered deep down the well and closed her eyes, inhaling the ancient smell of forest and magic that permeated the air. She had stopped trying to hop down the well six months ago.

“Why, Why was Miroku right?” Kagome wondered. “That monk has no right to be correct!” she sulked. Kagome laid her head against the lip of the well. “I do regret not going to visit Amarante. Or not saying good bye to the twins, or Saku, or Windsor, or…,” she cut the thought off and listened to the wind whistle across the doorframe.

There was the scuffing sound of shoes on dirt, and Kagome twisted around. No one was there. Kagome sighed and stood. “Well that’s enough reminiscing. Time to get back to class! Work hard! Buwahahah,” Kagome said, raising her right arm in the air to flex it.

That was when two hands connected with her back and sent her plunging into the depths of the well. As Kagome fell headfirst through the darkness, blue lights flared around her. She twisted in the air, looking up at the lip of the well. Her eyes widened with what she saw.

A woman with deep blue eyes, a mischievous smile and ink black hair leaned over the well.

Kagome’s last words in her time were hushed. “…Is that me??”

Kagome, using green vines, slowly crawled out of the well, almost afraid of what she would find. Her head popped out over the top, and she dragged herself up and out, falling on the grassy ground with an oomph.

The well stood in a small clearing surrounded mostly by trees. Just like the Warring Era.

Kagome swallowed, her spit snagging in her throat. Her pounding heart made it difficult to breathe as she slowly stood up, brushing herself off. Kagome slowly tottered down the little hill, spying a dirt path at the bottom.

“That’s new,” Kagome observed. “Maybe I’m in a new century?” Kagome slowly walked up the path, moving in the direction where Edo would be in the Warring Era.

Kagome moved down the path, picking up a good pace as she breathed in the sweet, fresh air. A light smile graced her lips as she basked in the warm sunlight.

After walking for a few minutes Kagome spotted a two women and a man walking on the path ahead of her.

Kagome paused, hesitating. They might not take kindly to her thanks to her modern era clothes. Never before had Kagome popped into the Warring Era wearing jeans and a blouse. Weighing her options Kagome called out. “Excuse me!” she said before running to catch up.

The man and women stopped, turning around to see who was calling.

“Excuse me, would you mind answering some questions for me?” Kagome asked, breathless once she caught up to them.

“It couldn’t be,” one of the women whispered, her eyes wide.

“Hi, there is a very good reason why I’m dressed like this, so please grant me a great honor and ignore it for now,” Kagome explained.

“It has to be, look at her eyes,” the other woman whispered back.

“Where am I?” Kagome asked, ignoring the whispers.

“Edo,” the man said, staring at her as though he were seeing his long lost relative. “Edo, my lady,” he repeated.

“Right, hmm, let me think. Has the calendar been invented yet?” Kagome wondered, tapping her chin.

“Lady Kagome, you’ve returned,” the first woman excitedly said.

“Are you here to take care of Lord Sesshoumaru?” the second women said.

“…Excuse me?” Kagome said.

“Lord Sesshoumaru, he—,” the second woman started before the man interrupted.

“Are you Lady Kagome? I’m sorry for our forwardness, but you look so much like her statue that our gracious monk had built for a monument.”

“What monk?” Kagome cautiously asked. She didn’t want to get her hopes up.

“Miroku-sama. Of course the splendid and powerful youkai slayer, Sango, has also told us much about you,” the man said.

“They’re alive?” Kagome squealed. “How long has it been since Hide was destroyed?”

“You mean the Shadows of the Night? The pure evil that took Edo over about a year ago and was defeated by a partnership of the four lords of Japan?” the first woman piped in.

“Miroku-sama and Sango have been with us ever since,” the man nodded.

“Yes! YES, it’s only been a year, I am in the right time!” Kagome said, tears pricking her eyes as she jumped up and down.

“So it is true, you do travel through time to save the world. Then you must be here for Lord Sesshoumaru!” the second woman insisted.

“What?” Kagome asked.

“She would know nothing of what happened to the Lord Sesshoumaru,” the man told his companions before turning back to Kagome. “I don’t know if we can really explain it well enough Lady Kagome, but the Western Lord has lost his mind.”

“What do you mean?” Kagome asked.

“Two months after Hide was defeated…he went mad. Lord Sesshoumaru runs wild through Japan, taking his true form of a large white dog,” the man carefully explained. “His cousin, Lady Amarante, and his generals track him, making sure he does no harm. Occasionally they can get him to take on his human form and rule his lands. But it never lasts longer than a week.”

“They say something happened to his youki,” the first woman softly said. “After the war…his youki was never the same. It’s almost as if it’s over powering him. Lady Sango said it’s because he is missing a piece of his heart or soul.”

“Very few have been kind to the Western Lord,” the second woman carefully said. “Apparently his cousin, even though she watches him, despises him. The other lords continue to have diplomatic relationships with the West…but they have not been friendly to Lord Sesshoumaru personally.”

“Miroku said it had something to do with you. The miko who saved us all,” the man said, looking at Kagome with caring eyes.

Kagome swallowed. “He’s gone…mad?”

“He’s hardly recognizable anymore. There is very little humanity or heart left in him. It’s all beast and instinct now,” the man shrugged before he brightened. “Will you be returning to Edo with us?”

“Thanks for your help, bye!” Kagome said, spinning around and running off, waving to the man and the women. “I’ve got to go West,” Kagome muttered to herself, calibrating herself against the sun that hung in the western sky.

Kagome walked toward the sun, intent on reaching Sesshoumaru’s lands. It probably wasn’t very wise to go without Miroku or Sango…but if she didn’t leave now Kagome got the feeling that somehow she would never get the courage to seek out the Western Lord again.

That…and bizarrely, enigmatically, Kagome felt undeniably tugged toward the west, almost as though something demanded that she go there.

It was dusk and Kagome had no idea what she was going to do for sleeping arrangements for the night. “I could try the trees,” she grumbled as she crawled over a log. “Man, I was an idiot for setting out without seeing Sango and Miroku first. I bet Inu Yasha is with them. They could have at least given me supplies. They probably would have even come with!”

It was then that Kagome gracefully tripped over a root. “Oomph,” Kagome said. “I hate this. Curse my brashness,” Kagome grumbled, picking herself off the ground.

There was a squeak and Kagome looked to the side and started laughing.

There, curiously staring at her, was a fat chipmunk. And not just any chipmunk either. It was the chipmunk that gave Kagome the 14 remaining Shikon shards the day she left the Warring Era.

“How are you still alive?” Kagome fondly asked the little creature.

It chattered at her, shaking its stubby tail as it clearly smiled. Clutched in its chubby little paws was an acorn. (Of course.)

“Maybe I could sleep in your tree?” Kagome hopefully asked. But the chipmunk was no longer paying attention to Kagome. Instead his tiny little ears flicked as he stood at attention, peering deep into the woods.

An eerie, lonely howl filled the air, chilling Kagome to the bone.

Kagome stood and rubbed her arms, filled with the insane desire to flee. “Yes, I need shelter, stat. The Warring Era isn’t completely peaceful, even now.”

Kagome felt terror leap into her throat when the ground began to shake and rumble under her feet.

The chipmonk scrambled for safety, and Kagome followed the suit, diving for a giant tree.

She was gripping the trunk when a black and white pelted body was flung through the air, breaking several trees. The shaking of the ground increased.

“OWWWWWWWW,” the animal said, flexing from its flopped position on the ground. “That dirty—,” the animal went on to list several creative and imaginative curses. “He didn’t have to fling me that hard,” the animal, a female, muttered.

Kagome noticed it was distinctly feline with white fur and black spots, but her heart felt to terrified and hopeful for her to dare think that it was—

“Amarante,” a giant snow leopard called, loping onto the scene.

“I’m fine,” Amarante said, there was a bright light as she abandoned her feline form and took up her usual human look, pristine white hair with black spots. (Her hair had grown down to her shoulder blades over the year of Kagome’s absence.) “But that jerk. He’s playing dirty tonight. Something has him incredibly riled up,” she said. “Don’t try to do anything stupid and avenge me, Hachi,” Amarante said, looking up at the other snow leopard.

Kagome, with some surprise, noticed that Hachi’s youkai form was now a great deal bigger than Amarante’s. “Weird,” Kagome quietly and unintentionally voiced out loud.

Amarante whirled around and Hachi’s feline eyes landed on her.

“Kagome?” Amarante whispered.

“In the flesh,” Kagome shyly said, pushing away from her tree. “Hello Amarante, I missed you.”

Amarante’s face glowed for a moment, and she looked overjoyed. Seconds later her face became pale and her eyes widened. “Oh no, it can’t be because he senses her… Kagome, RUN!”

“What?” Kagome asked.

“There’s no way he’ll recognize her. If he sees her he may unintentionally rip her apart,” Hachi said, crouching down next to Amarante, still in his youkai form.

“Who? What’s going on?”

“Kagome, the Sesshoumaru you once knew no longer exists,” Amarante said, striding toward Kagome and laying a hand on her shoulder. “You’ve got to run. Go to Edo, I’ll send Hachi or the twins to come get you when it’s safe. When we get him to transform into a human, perhaps then we’ll be able to make him understand that you’re back. But not now. Not when he’s this dangerous,” Amarante said, her voice and face lined with worry and fear.

“So it’s true. Sesshoumaru has lost his mind,” Kagome said, feeling her spirits falling. “Was it because of Hide?” The eerie howl was released again, weaving through the twilight air.

Amarante gave her a surprised look. “Of course not,” she said. “It was because of you.”

“He’s coming,” Hachi hissed, standing, the howl grew louder.

“Kagome, can you run?” Amarante asked.

“He’s nearly here,” Hachi growled, crouching defensively in front of Amarante.

“Never mind, I’ll carry you, give me one second to shift,” Amarante said, shutting her eyes.

In that second a large, white, canine forum burst through the trees with explosive power, howling and growling at the same time.

Two cheetahs were clinging to the dog, one dangling off his back, the other latched onto the front.

With a powerful wrench the white dog sent the large cheetahs flying through the air, crashing into trees.

The dog’s crimson red eyes darted around, taking in the frozen Amarante and Hachi as it sniffed, clearly searching for something.

“KAGOME RUN!” Amarante screamed, morphing on the run and throwing herself at Sesshoumaru with Hachi.

Kagome felt her heart plunge down through her feet as the giant dog stared down at her. The monster before her was not Sesshoumaru. Even when he was angry, there was always a soul behind Sesshoumaru’s eyes, canine form or otherwise.

But now Kagome could only see a crack. A deep chasm in which no light pierced.

Kagome jerked into motion when the dog howled as Amarante sank her fangs into his throat. She ran through the forest, fleeing Sesshoumaru. Many times before Kagome had feared for her life around Sesshoumaru, but never had he inspired such a hopeless, mind altering fear and panic in her.

There were the screams of cats and a howl. The wind blew, forcing Kagome to close her eyes and screech to a halt. When she opened them a giant white dog stood before her. Kagome didn’t even have it in her to think of him as Sesshoumaru. The Western Lord was almost completely gone.

The dog approached her with a gaping mouth, looking like he intended to eat her. His nose was furiously snuffling as his giant head lowered. He had grown over the past year, Kagome dryly noted.

His hot, rancid breath beat down on her, and as his glistening fangs drew nearly Kagome did the only thing she could think of doing. She reached out and smacked him on the side of the mouth while screaming.

“SESSHOUMARU YOU IDIOT!!”

The dog snapped back, yelping.

“Oh STOP BEING A BIG BABY!” Kagome said. “That didn’t even have purification power in it!” she scoffed.

The dog growled, its red eyes glowing.

“Oh would you STOP IT!” Kagome screamed before she started crying. She sank to her knees, a teary mess. “What is wrong with you? What happened? You’re the Lord of the West Sesshoumaru, not a house puppy!”

The dog growled again, but it turned into a whine.

“You know me!” Kagome cried, rubbing her eyes with an arm. “I’m Kagome! YOU were the one who banished ME! So why are you having such a pity party for yourself?”

The dog lowered its head again, mouth gaping.

“NO!” Kagome shouted, smacking him on the side of his muzzle again. “BAD DOG!” she said, shaking a finger at him.

A twig cracked and Kagome twisted around, acknowledging the presence of Amarante, Hachi, Haruko, Hiroshi and surprisingly Windsor. All were crouched and slowly inching toward Kagome and Sesshoumaru.

“Inu Yasha is coming Kagome, hold out for just a few seconds longer,” Amarante lowly instructed.

Kagome whipped around back to the whining and pawing Sesshoumaru. He had stopped growling, but his eyes were still blank and animalistic.

“Listen,” Kagome told the large white dog. “You know me, calm down. There’s no reason for you to be throwing a tantrum,” Kagome reasoned, slowly standing. “You are perfectly fine.”

The dog howled slightly and Kagome planted her hands on her hips. “If you’re going to feel bad for anyone it should be me, you big weenie!”

The dog broke off and blinked.

“Yeaaahhh me! You aren’t the only being in the world you know,” Kagome snorted.

“Good job My Lady,” Haruko praised.

“Keep it up,” Hiroshi said.

“Steady,” Windsor murmured.

“In fact, you’re being nothing more than a spoiled rotten little puppy!” Kagome said, on a roll. “You big overgrown brat!”

The dog didn’t take to kindly to those words and stomped a gigantic paw on the ground, making the ground shake.

“Let’s not get too riled up here,” Amarante said as the dog woofed.

“SHHH!” Kagome said, waving her arms to get the dog’s attention again. “Calm down! Calm down,” she said. The dog slowly quieted and returned to silently staring at her.

“It’s okay…S-Sesshoumaru. It’s going to be okay,” Kagome said. It nearly broke her heart to call the broken creature before her Sesshoumaru.

The dog whined and sat down on its haunches. It was about to completely lower to the ground when Inu Yasha appeared, wielding his sword. “NOW!” he shouted.

Amarante, Hachi, Hiroshi, Haruko and Windsor transformed on the fly and leaped at the white dog, sending it crashing to the ground. Between the six of them they pinned it to the ground, ignoring its snarls and yelps.

“Hold him!” Amarante roared, her tail flicking as she sat on his hindquarters.

“Someone get his neck or head!” Inu Yasha called.

The dog howled and yelped as the generals, cats and relatives sank weapons, claws, and teeth further into him.

“Wait, stop it!” Kagome said.

“Kagome!” Inu Yasha beamed before he snarled. “What the heck do you think you’re doing! Get out of here!”

“Stop,” Kagome repeated.

“What the? He nearly ATE YOU ALIVE!” Hachi shouted.

“I think I can get through to him,” Kagome said, standing.

“You’re nuts,” Amarante calmly said.

“ARE YOU FREAKING CRAZY!” Inu Yasha shouted.

“Ah, how I have missed your shouting, Inu Yasha. But I’m serious. Get off him,” Kagome said, making a shooing motion.

To her surprise Haruko, Hiroshi and Windsor backed off.

“If Kagome thinks she can do something...who are we to stop her,” Winsor said, tossing his proud equine head.

Hachi paused before he too got off Sesshoumaru. “This had better work,” he said.

Inu Yasha and Amarante slowly got off of the dog as well.

“Kagome, I hope you know what you’re doing,” Inu Yasha said.

“He’s not the same Sesshoumaru,” Amarante said.

“Please, trust me,” Kagome pleaded.

They bowed to her wishes and removed themselves.

Sesshoumaru snarled, leaping to his feet, making the earth rumble underneath them. He growled, his fur bristling as his muzzle creased in a snarl.

“Sesshoumaru, calm down!” Kagome called. The dog ignored her. “SESSHOUMARU,” Kagome bellowed, the dog returned his snarling attention to her.

“Do you remember the day I was trained to be a ‘proper pet’?” Kagome asked, taking a tiny step forward. The dog instantly went silent. “I talked too much and pinched and stepped on you, so you wrapped me up with rope as if I was a mummy,” Kagome chuckled.

The dog breathed out loudly through its nose.

“Do you remember my cat, Peachy, and her kittens?” Kagome asked. “They were so adorable. I had a black one named Octopus,” Kagome said, slowly getting the courage to get a step closer to the large dog.

“Do you remember the night of the ball, or social gathering or whatever the heck you called it? I had to put my head on your lap. I was so tired I fell asleep on the ground and you let me use you as my personal couch,” Kagome laughed.

The dog slowly lowered himself down to his stomach as he watched Kagome with red eyes, still just as blank, but intently listening.

His lips curled up in a silent snarl as Kagome took another step closer, but Kagome interrupted the snarl with another memory. “Do you remember when you had a meeting with the other lords of Japan? The servants messed up and forgot to bring another pair of chopsticks for me. You gave me yours and let me eat first,” Kagome said, carefully directing happy memories to the dog. No use remembering ones in which Hide hurt her. Kagome didn’t want to chance anything.

“Do you remember all the terrible things Rin and I did to Jakken? Rin had a flower planted in his ear for the better half of a week, and I used him for target practice,” Kagome chuckled at the memory as she continued to shuffle to the dog, who set his head on the ground.

She bit her lip. “Do you remember how we beat Hide together? We defeated the ultimate evil, it was scary and the price was terrible, but we won,” Kagome was nearly within touching distance of the dog’s long muzzle.

“And do you remember,” Kagome said. “The night you made me sleep instead of attend to the victims?” Kagome asked. “You kept me anchored to the ground. It was very warm and peaceful,” Kagome said, smiling up at the dog.

“I have all of these memories of you and more Sesshoumaru,” Kagome haltingly said. It was hard to speak with such intense eyes glued to her. “And I want to make more, more memories,” Kagome said. One wrong move and Sesshoumaru could easily kill her before anyone reached her. “Please Sesshoumaru, please come back. I want to continue our fun times. I want to braid flowers in your hair. I want to bury Jakken alive with Rin. I want to make a million more happy moments with you. But you’ve got to come back,” Kagome said, resting a hand on his large, wet nose that was bigger than Kagome’s head.

The dog breathed out and growled, Kagome tensed and prepared herself for fangs to pierce her. Instead the growl formed…sounds. “Kaaaa,” the dog rumbled. “Kaagooo, Kaaagooomeeee,” its voice thundered.

Kagome’s eyes teared up and she stepped forward, throwing her arms around the tip of the dog’s muzzle. “Welcome back Sesshoumaru. I missed you so much.”

The dog whined, and Kagome closed her eyes as a bright light lit up the forest. Sesshoumaru’s muzzle moved away from her arms, and all fell quiet.

Kagome felt two arms wrap around her. “Kaagoomee,” the voice rumbled.

Kagome opened her eyes as Sesshoumaru, in his human form, rubbed his head against Kagome’s.

“Yes Sesshoumaru,” Kagome said, lifting a hand to gently rub the back of his neck. “It’s me, Kagome.”

“Kaaagomee,” Sesshoumaru repeated. He pressed his face into her throat and breathed in and out deeply.

Kagome smiled and slipped her other hand around his waist. “It’s good to have you back, Sesshoumaru,” Kagome said, hugging him.

Hiroshi took a step closer and Sesshoumaru rocketed up right, snarling again.

“Careful, careful,” Amarante said. “He’s not all the way there yet,” she whispered.

“Shhhh,” Kagome said, rubbing soothing circles on the back of Sesshoumaru’s neck.

Sesshoumaru looked down at her, the red completely gone from his eyes. He looked more human now, but being a dog so long had taken a toll on him, and some of youkai still pumped through his eyes.

“Steady Sesshoumaru, it’s okay. You’re okay,” she said.

Sesshoumaru whined and laid his head on her shoulder, his lips touching her neck.

Kagome smiled and ran her fingers though his matted hair. His kimono was tattered and dirty, the Western Lord was in terrible condition, but he sat in her arms, perfectly content.

Kagome giggled when Sesshoumaru started licking her throat. His tongue was a little scratchy, almost like a cat’s.

“Stop it,” Kagome giggled.

Sesshoumaru tightened his hold on her. “Kaaagome,” he said. “I-I’m sooorry,” he rumbled.

“Shhh, it’s fine,” Kagome soothed. “Just return to me, and I’ll forgive you.

Sesshoumaru licked her one last time before his shoulders heaved and he fell still, fast in a deep sleep.

Everyone remained motionless for several minutes. Amarante was the first to speak. “He must be exhausted. It is good that he sleeps. It’s a healing sleep,” she said, walking to Kagome’s side. “No one could have done that Kagome, no one except you,” she said, placing a hand on Kagome’s shoulder.

Kagome looked at the dog sleeping on her shoulder and didn’t reply. Instead she hugged Sesshoumaru closer. He licked her neck in his sleep and deeply inhaled his scent.

Finally, after an entire year, Sesshoumaru was home.

Kagome was dozing when Sesshoumaru awoke with a start, his whole body jumped, making the bed jerk. She squinted, looking out of the window. It was not yet dawn. Kagome and the entourage reached the castle around two in the morning. Hachi and Amarante helped Kagome drag Sesshoumaru to his room.

Kagome intended to leave, perhaps head back to Edo, but Amarante pleaded with her. “I’m not sure what he’ll do if he wakes up and you aren’t there Kagome. Sesshoumaru isn’t completely out of the woods yet, I feel that his mind is still deeply scarred,” the snow cat said, worry lining her face.

So Kagome had stayed. Unable to completely sleep, she dozed.

A growl started in Sesshoumaru’s throat, and Kagome tossed a blanket off her. “What is it?” she sleepily asked.

The air was quiet, and Kagome blinked in the darkness, yelping when two arms encased her. (It was during the ride back that it finally occurred to Kagome that Sesshoumaru had two arms again.)

“Kagome,” Sesshoumaru said. Kagome sagged against him and reached behind her to pat his head, relieved. His voice was almost back to the rich, smooth tones. He sounded as though he was having a little trouble speaking, but Kagome could finally recognize his voice. “You really are here,” he haltingly said.

Kagome yawned and stretched in his embrace. “Yep,” she said. “Am I still banished?” she asked.

To her surprise a growl erupted from Sesshoumaru’s throat, making his entire body vibrate as he clutched her closer.

“I was joking,” Kagome hastily said.

“No,” Sesshoumaru said after several quiet moments. “No,” he repeated.

Kagome pulled away from him, his knee was digging into her back.

“Kagome?” he asked.

“Hold your horses, this isn’t a very comfortable position,” Kagome said, rearranging the silk sheets and thick blankets around herself. Sesshoumaru shifted behind her and seconds later grabbed her, tucking her back flush against his chest.

“Sheesh, what’s wrong? You were never this grabby before,” Kagome said.

Sesshoumaru did not reply and instead buried his nose in her hair, releasing a content little sigh.

Kagome blinked, the room was gradually turning lighter as the sun peeked over the horizon. Kagome yawned. “Mmm let’s go to the hot springs,”

“Hn?” Sesshoumaru said, still slightly thick tongued.

“You’re very dirty. You need your hair washed, and some new clothes,” Kagome told him.

Sesshoumaru blinked and shrugged, but allowed her to crawl out of his grip.

“ACK!” Kagome cried when she fell off the bed with a thump. She quickly righted herself and stretched as she padded across the room. Sesshoumaru slide out of bed and obediently followed her.

Kagome stuck her head outside of the room. Sure enough, Haruko and Hiroshi were posted on either side of the door. “We’re going to the hotsprings,” Kagome said. “Would you mind having Amarante send down some new clothes, for both of us?” she asked. Sesshoumaru crowded her from behind, bumping her into the hallway.

“Of course My Lady. Will you be able to find your way to the hotsprings on your own?” Haruko asked with an elegant bow.

“Yep,” Kagome said, waving a hand. “It’ll be fine.”

In the end Kagome got them so lost Sesshoumaru picked her up and walked off to the hotsprings, ignoring her huffy sighs.

“I’m sorry that you’re going to smell like a strawberry for a few days, but it’s your own fault,” Kagome said. She sat on the top steps of a hotspring, completely wrapped in two towels, as she attacked Sesshoumaru’s hair with a strawberry scented shampoo/hair scrub Amarante lent her.

“I’m sorry,” Sesshoumaru repeated.

“It’s fine,” Kagome chuckled.

“It’s not,” Sesshoumaru insisted. “That’s why…,” he trailed off.

“Time to rinse,” Kagome instructed after several moments. The great dog obediently dunked his hair underwater. “That’s why?” Kagome prompted.

“That’s why my inner youkai…went wild,” Sesshoumaru explained.

Kagome combed her fingers through his now silky hair. “It’s okay,” Kagome assured him. Sesshoumaru shook his head.

“Come on, let’s go get dressed,” Kagome said, rising out of the water.

By the time Kagome and Sesshoumaru were dressed (in matching snow patterned kimonos might I add) Saku was waiting outside the hotsprings.

“Inu Yasha and the monk, the youkai slayer, the firecat and the kit are all on their way here. Amarante and Hachi are playing in the meadow, Windsor and the twins are seeing to some…reconstruction. You have papers that need to be signed, milord, but everyone has agreed it is in your best interests to perhaps relax for a few days before you begin to work again,” the otter sunnily said.

“How I have missed you Saku,” Kagome teased. “I hope the well continues to let me travel back and forth, or I will miss you dearly.”

“No,” Sesshoumaru thundered, jerking Kagome back to him. “You aren’t going back,” he bull doggedly said. Kagome wanted to laugh, he was quickly returning to his usual, demanding self.

“Sesshoumaru, I have to go back home. It’s where I belong,” Kagome said. Saku wisely took the cue to slink off, allowing the couple to stand alone in the gardens around the hotspring.

“If you leave, I will go wild again,” Sesshoumaru said.

“Sesshoumaru, you can’t threaten me,” Kagome said with a frown.

“It’s not a threat, it’s the truth,” Sesshoumaru insisted.

“I don’t understand any of this. Please explain,” Kagome said, making her way to the giant rock, Amarante’s rock, the rock that had the prophesy etched into its surface. She seated herself on top and turned around to look at Sesshoumaru who was watching her with painfully truthful eyes.

“Banishing you was a mistake,” Sesshoumaru said. “A month after you left I was wretched. I could not sleep, I could not eat, my thoughts became disorganized.”

Kagome could see that his explanation was costing him a great deal of pride, and that she might never again see him so open and trusting.

“In the second month, I became worse. My youki began to over power my self will, because you were not around,” Sesshoumaru said.

“I don’t understand. You got along perfectly fine before we met,” Kagome said.

“My mother and father had an arranged marriage,” Sesshoumaru said. “It was to strengthen the country. There was no love. My father…loved Inu Yasha’s mother. Even though she was a human, he loved her like a mate.”

Kagome mutely watched him as he tried to organize his words.

“My mother was not my father’s real mate. Inu Yasha’s mother was,” Sesshoumaru quietly admitted. He looked distinctly uncomfortable.

“And?” Kagome gently prodded.

“Just as you are mine,” he said, looking like a puppy that expected to be beaten. If he had ears like Inu Yasha’s they would be lying flat against his skull.

Kagome stared at Sesshoumaru. “Excuse me?” she sputtered.

“I unconsciously chose you as my mate,” Sesshoumaru said. “And so the separation from you was unbearable. It was why my youki went wild.”

“Doesn’t there need to be a big ceremony? Wouldn’t we have to pledge to each other or something?” Kagome bewilderly asked. It was highly improbable, to think that Sesshoumaru chose her as his mate and with a snap of his fingers she became his. “And how can you unconsciously decide that!”

Sesshoumaru shook his head. “There only needs to be…love,” Sesshoumaru quietly said. “Even though I was unaware of it…I still loved you.”

“Dogs are very loyal,” Kagome said, recalling what Amarante once told her.

“We only love one mate in our life,” Sesshoumaru agreed.

“So, even though we never were officially mates, even though you didn’t know you loved me, you lost your mind because I was gone?” Kagome asked, still not really believing his words.

“You know of swans, yes?” Sesshoumaru asked. Kagome nodded. “Lila told me that when a swan’s mate dies, he will stay where she died for weeks, perhaps months, before he too dies of a broken heart. Youkai dogs are very similar.”

“But Sesshoumaru, we aren’t really mates!” Kagome said.

“I chose you Kagome. It would not matter to me or my youki if you did not reciprocate the decision. Once a mate is chosen, I am connected to them for life, even if they are not connected to me.”

It was then that Kagome realized the weight of his words. If she wanted to, Kagome could go back home without looking back, and Sesshoumaru would go mad and probably eventually die. If Kagome chose to hate him, Sesshsoumaru could not change his choice and would have to live with her scorn.

Kagome looked at the golden eyed dog youkai before her and something caught in her throat. This man before her was the one who sent her from his lands. He cut her off from all of her friends, betrayed her trust and faith. But…the insistent tugging on Kagome’s soul had stopped.

Tears pricked Kagome’s eyes. “I think I chose you too…Sesshoumaru,” Kagome said, falling forward into his arms.

He kissed her, it was a searing feeling, hot and gentle. But the most prevalent part of the kiss, was the feeling that something clicked. Like a piece of her soul had returned to her. Like her heart was once again whole.

And as the dog youkai and miko embraced, the Western Palace became whole once more.

Four weeks later Amarante and Hachi laid on the edge of a meadow, sitting in the shade of trees, watching the fun in the meadow.

“Inu Yasha, please remove your asinine face from the close proximity to me,” Sesshoumaru stiffly said. He was completely normal once again.

“WHAT?” Inu Yasha howled. (For the past half hour he kept poking his face into Sesshoumaru’s, as if searching to see if the wild madness that once pumped through his veins was truly gone.)

“Inu Yasha, you more than anyone should be happy about this,” Sango said as she tickled Rin’s tummy.

“Why?” Inu Yasha asked, his ears flicking with curiosity.

“Because now he can no longer hold it over your head that you need your sword to fight the power of your youkai blood,” Miroku said, a red handprint on his face as he sulked behind Sango.

“What do you mean?” Inu Yasha suspiciously asked as Sesshoumaru stiffened.

“Lord Sesshoumaru’s got the same problem. Only instead of a sword, it is our gentle Lady Kagome that he needs,” Miroku wisely said before Sesshoumaru squeezed the life out of him with one powerful hand.

“Hoooooooo ho ho ho ho ho,” Inu Yasha laughed, his eyes lighting up like a greedy four year old’s.

“Inu Yasha, Miroku, stop it,” Kagome fussed as she held Shippo in place, wiping the squirming kit’s chocolate covered face with a cloth.

“Kagome,” Shippo complained.

“Almost done,” Kagome said before Rin tore away from Sango and flung herself on Kagome’s back.

“Kaaagooomee!” the little girl shrieked with laughed.

“Oof, yes Rin?” Kagome asked, releasing the mortified Shippo who sprang away.

“Oooh! Everyone, it’s a Kagome group hug!” Miroku said, hopping up and running toward Kagome.

Sango caught him by the ear and flung him backwards before she, Shippo and Inu Yasha crowded around Kagome.

Sesshoumaru jealously swooped in and picked up Kagome, setting her on his shoulder.

“No fair Sesshoumaru,” Shippo said, stamping a little foot.

“Yeah, no fair!” Rin mimicked, narrowly avoiding stepping on a passed out Jakken. (Kagome and Rin force fed him a strawberry. The happy, brightly colored fruit made the swampy, dumpy little youkai faint.)

Hachi chuckled, slightly shifting his legs as he sat upright, Amarante spread across his lap. “Don’t you want to join them?” he asked.

“Nah,” Amarante said, yawning. “I’m fine just watching. It does make me miss Yuki though.”

Hachi grinned and leaned over the heiress. “Thinking you might want us to have kittens like that?”

“Us?” Amarante asked with a cocked eyebrow.

Hachi grinned, a purr vibrating in his throat in spite of himself as his tail flicked. “Yes, us.”

“Yuki’s plenty hard enough to handle alone,” Amarante snorted, closing her eyes.

“Maybe she needs siblings,” Hachi suggested.

Amarante flicked on bronze eye open. “Well she’s not getting any.” she said before rearranging her head on Hachi’s legs. “To begin with, she isn’t my daughter. And even if she was she wouldn’t be getting a sibling for a very, very long time.”

Hachi purred louder at his win.

After several moments of silence he spoke again. “What will Sesshoumaru do when Kagome dies? Her life is like a blink to our time.”

Amarante grinned her familiar fanged smile. “Did you know that Kagome is the keeper of the Shikon no Tama?”

“Yes, what of it? It does not length a miko’s life,” Hachi said.

“No. But it is made of the great miko Midoriko, and a youkai. The two are constantly locked in battle, living forever. That is why the jewel is either pink or dark. It depends upon whom is holding the jewel.”

“So?” Hachi asked.

Amarante grinned, her eyes all seeing. “But ironically Kagome is a miko and Sesshoumaru is an extremely powerful demon. Probably more powerful than the one inside the jewel.”

“And?” Hachi prodded.

“If you could see it now,” Amarante said. “It would be white,” she said, watching the laughing Kagome with happy eyes.

“Midoriko and the youkai are not fighting?” Hachi asked.

“Yes. Kagome and Sesshoumaru are mates. Soul partners. Essentially Kagome has a little bit of Sesshoumaru attached to her, just as Sesshoumaru has a little bit of Kagome attached to him. As such the jewel can neither be pink nor dark, but white.”

“What does this have to do with anything?” Hachi asked.

The jewel will last forever. Pure wish or not, it will live through the ages. And it is Kagome who possess it inside her body.

“Are you saying the jewel will allow Kagome to live longer?” Hachi asked. The idea sounded stupid.

“I’m saying that because Sesshoumaru and Kagome balance out the jewel, the jewel will stay dormant and essentially remain that way as long as their love is pure, and so the endless battle will overlap into her life, just as Kagome’s love overlapped into the jewel.”

“Does Sesshoumaru know?” Hachi asked.

“He hopes,” Amarante said. “I probably won’t tell him for a few years. It will make his time with Kagome that much sweeter.”

“You are evil.”

“I know,” Amarante grinned.

“What of the monk and youkai slayer?” Hachi asked for a minute.

“They are humans. In the years to come, perhaps twenty, perhaps fifty, they will die,” Amarante said, her voice marked with sadness.

“It will make her sad,” Hachi observed.

“The remarkable thing about humans, though, is their persistence. Sango and Miroku will have children. Kagome will love them just as much as she loved Sango and Miroku,” Kagome said.

“Seeing their children, their grandchildren, essentially all humans she knows, die will take a toll on her though,” Hachi said.

“Yes. It will. But Kagome will have Sesshoumaru, and she’ll have us. One day, just like all of us, Kagome will also die. But it won’t be for many, many years,” Amarante predicted.

“More years than Yuki will have to wait for a sibling/cousin?” Hachi teased.

“Centuries longer,” Amarante nodded.

“So everyone is happy,” Hachi summarized.

“Not quite. The twins will be both sad and happy. Just as Windsor will be. Kagome will be their true Lady now. Not their Lady by choice,” Amarante said.

“I don’t understand,” Hachi blinked.

Amarante smiled. “It’s okay. Everyone will eventually live happily ever after.”

“We will,” Hachi promised. “As soon as you have our kittens.”

Amarante released an exasperated sigh. “You have only one thing on your mind don’t you?”

Hachi smiled, and everyone passed the rest of the day playing in the meadow.

Kagome stood on by a window, watching the sun set at the end of a perfectly fun day. After passing most of the afternoon in the meadow, catching up with Miroku, Sango and Inu Yasha, Kagome put Rin and Shippo to bed before having a quiet evening with Sesshoumaru, Amarante, Hachi and Saku.

Sesshoumaru left to work in his study with Saku, and Amarante left, claiming she was fleeing Hachi. However, when Hachi romped after the heiress, Kagome could see Amarante’s tail happily twitching.

Kagome, then, spent the rest of the evening talking with the twins. She had missed them so much, it felt good to see their black face markings and warm tails again. They stood outside of the door now, volunteer guards.

A door slid open and Kagome turned around to watch Sesshoumaru enter the room. She smiled, day by day the proud dog youkai had slowly regained his composure. He was back to normal now, but Kagome could see Inu Yasha’s visit had been good for him.

“Hi,” Kagome softly said.

“Good evening,” Sesshoumaru said as he slinked across the room, stopping shoulder to shoulder with Kagome. “Enjoying the sunset?” he asked.

“Yes,” Kagome smiled.

“Kagome,” Sesshoumaru hesitated.

“Hm?”

“I didn’t ever really apologized,” Sesshoumaru slowly said.

“It’s fine Sesshoumaru. I think we would all be better off forgetting it.”

“I was foolish and jealous. I acted no better than a pup, or Inu Yasha,” Sesshoumaru disagreed.

Kagome laughed. “Well it doesn’t matter. I’m here now.”

Sesshoumaru chuckled and leaned over, kissing her on the temple. “I love you, My Pet.”

“And I love you, Sesshoumaru,” Kagome smiled.

Five centuries and some odd decades later, a blue eyed woman with jet back hair exited the well house that stood on the Higurashi shrine grounds. The woman looked to be about twenty eight, perhaps thirty, beautiful and smug.

She swept down the stairs, wearing a flowered skirt and white blouse, humming under her breath. “Home Haruko, Hiroshi,” the woman called as she hopped down the last steps.

“Have you finished your business here for today, My Lady?” Haruko asked, opening the door to a black limo so the woman could crawl in.

“Yep. I’ll come back tomorrow so I can explain everything to Mama. It’s a miracle I remember on what day I pushed,” she snorted.

“Your memory is always examplatory, My Lady,” Hiroshi said as he slid into the front seat, Haruko sliding into the driver’s seat.

“Thanks. Wait, instead of home I think I’ll go visit Hachi, Amarante and Yuki. They’ve got one of Miroku’s and Sango’s descendants working as nanny. Did you know?”

“Yes, My Lady. I recall Hachi telling us last time Amarante came to Lord Sesshoumaru’s hospital for an ultrasound,” Hiroshi said. “Lord Sesshoumaru himself was not there. He was attending to a heart attack patient in the ER.”

“That reminds me, I’ve got to call Shippo and Ryder up and see if they want to go in on my baby shower gift with me,” the woman said, snapping her fingers.

“What will you be getting, My Lady?” Haruko questioned.

“Immortal ponies,” she grinned. “One for every kitten. Amarante’s ponies are getting up there in their years. I think it’s about time they be retired.”

“You truly are an interesting human, My Lady,” Hiroshi chuckled.

The lady frowned. “Okay guys. It’s been over 500 years since we met. I told you way back then and I’m telling you now. Call me Kagome.”

A/N: I’m now toothless because I had to write that. Man, this chapter was weird. The twins were originally going to be a big part of it, but they KEPT STEALING KAGOME, so I had to almost completely write them out. Also I wasn’t going to have Amarante and Hachi together, since that’s what I did for the last epilog, but it happened anyway!

I was like “Okay, Amarante is going to be with Saku!!” And Hachi was like “Over my dead body.” I fought it and I fought it and I fought it, but I lost pitifully.

ANYWAY, there you go! The sappy ending that everyone really wanted!! I hope you like it! Please drop me a line to let me know what you think. Thanks for reading! The next alternate ending will be up in one week. Maybe less. It will be Twins X Kagome. Hahahah, most interesting. Thank you for reading, please tell me how you liked it!!