And I'm back with the Epilogue. I tried to keep this from being confusing, but I know it is. Just remember, this takes place TWO YEARS after Kagome left to go back to the past, and this is mostly her MEMORIES. I'll try to keep memories separated from present thoughts with * these, okay? BTW, memories is just her thinking about it, a flashback is that actual SCENE, so don't get too confused, k?

Again, I am sorry this story is coming to an end... Please don't hate me?

And I still don't own them...

Epilogue: 2 years later

Kagome sighed and leaned back against Shippou. So much had happened since she came back to the past two years ago.

About a week after she returned, in fact, Shippou had kissed her - fully KISSED her - and told her he loved her. She had almost passed out. Instead, she started crying until she began to hyperventilate. Her kitsune later told her it was one of the funniest sights he'd ever seen, her sitting on the ground, head between her knees while she tried to breathe. The main reason it was funny, though, was probably because she was trying to talk the entire time. He said that she couldn't get more than two words out at a time, and most of it was "Shut - up! Stop - Laughing - at me - It's not - Funny!" Which had only made him laugh harder. Then, she finally said something that stopped the insane giggles spilling from the fox's mouth as he rolled around on the ground, holding his sides.

"You're not - supposed to - laugh at - the person - who - loves you - you know!" THAT had shut him up. In fact, he had just stopped moving completely. He was half on his back, half on his side, facing away from her, and didn't move for almost a full minute. When he finally DID move, it had been to roll over just enough to look at her face and ask if she meant it. She coughed for a second, and then her breathing was almost back to normal. Gulping down deep lungfuls of air, she raised her eyes to the startled kitsune's, and began to blush as she realized what she had said. They may have very well stayed there staring at each other in shock (in Shippou's case) and embarrassment (in Kagome's case), if it hadn't been for the sound of howling wolves coming closer.

~~*~~ Flashback ~~*~~

They both snapped from their daze as a young man entered the clearing, a broad smile on his tanned face, his cobalt-blue eyes glittering as he bowed to them both, the black hair in his high ponytail spilling over his shoulder as he did so. When neither returned the greeting, he looked at them in playful annoyance. "I came all this way just to visit, and fulfill my promise, and you're not even going to be polite? Well, I guess we can always leave..."

As Koshu turned away, not really intending to leave them, he felt a pair of hands stop him, one clawed hand on his right shoulder while his left had a smaller, feminine hand without claws. He turned to look at the couple, and watched as they bowed low in respect. He grinned broadly at the woman he had once thought to make his mate, and the youkai who had taken her away. He had only just recently gotten over what his father had called his "puppy love". It only made sense, after all.

"Okay, enough formality, you're scaring me," he laughed. When both the kitsune and the miko looked up at him in curiosity, he realized that he hadn't yet told them of his and his father's find. Their new pack member. "You'll never guess what happened when we were leaving the other day!" He felt like running around in circles like an excited pup again, and a glance at the kitsune reminded him of the race he had been in with Shippou and his father in Kagome's time.

"What, Koshu?" Kagome was watching him curiously, and Shippou moved to stand behind her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. She could feel her face burning, and hoped she wasn't blushing as bad as she thought she was. When the fox youkai repeated her question seconds later, all her thoughts went back to the young ookami prince before her.

"Well," he began, and then told them how he and his father had been coming back from their visit when they had been distracted by the sound of growling and drunken laughter, only to follow the sound and reach a tiny clearing where four or five men stood, reeking of too much sake, and perhaps some other drinks, leering and mocking a hybrid youkai.

"Hybrid? Like a hanyou?" Kagome looked at the two youkai in astonishment.

"No, she is a full demon, but two different kinds of demon. In this case, she is part wolf, and part dog. When we found out why she left, and whose daughter she was, we immediately took her with us. After we beat the men nearly lifeless for daring to think about touching a wolf youkai and new pack member. Although we'd protect you too, Kagome." He blushed, and Shippou smiled at the pup before him, since Koshu could be considered a pup still, compared to him.

~~*~~ End Flashback ~~*~~

Kagome smiled. She had met Tsukinoko only moments later, and had been able to guess the young hybrid's mother. The red hair and white fur gave her away, and the dog ears on her head made Kagome's fingers twitch with the thought of rubbing them like she had once rubbed Inuyasha's. But the violet-eyed youkai also had a tail, which tended to distract the miko some times.

And right now, she was very glad for Tsuki's tail, although she knew the female youkai wouldn't be able to keep them distracted for long. But Kagome wasn't worried, she knew she could always give them to her mother or mate to watch until she was finished with the ceremony she had been asked to preside over. It had been a shock when they had asked her, but Kagome couldn't possibly say no.

She grinned. 'After all, how many times in my life will I be asked to perform a mating ceremony?' A giggle followed the thought. 'According to everyone so far, a LOT.' All of the wolf youkai had deemed her THEIR priestess, and if they needed something blessed, like a new pup, or wished to have a mating ceremony, they came to her. They also came if someone was injured or sick, and now everyone knew how to find the home of Shippou and Kagome, the Kitsune and The Miko of Inuyasha's Forest, near the Bone- Eater's Well.

A boy's laugh followed by the giggles of a couple of infants drew Kagome's attention away from her thoughts as she watched Souta use Shippou's tail as a new distraction for the hanyou kits.

After her own mating ceremony, which had been directed by Miroku's great- grandson, who was a monk as well as a youkai exterminator, Kagome had tried to go see her family again, mainly just to see if the well worked. She and Shippou had held hands when they jumped in, hoping not to be separated, although Shippou swore he would wait for Kagome no matter how long it took. Of course, that just made her cry again.

And they had gotten through. Kagome and her new mate had been practically attacked by her family, and they were both covered with hugs and kisses (from her mom, who had startled the couple when she kissed Shippou's cheeks). They had stayed for a few days before going back home, promising to return, and hopefully be able to bring the family back to the past this time. Souta had pointed out that he hadn't been able to go through the well when Inuyasha was alive, and Kagome had just rolled her eyes.

"Did you have a jewel shard?" "No." "There you go!"

And now, Kagome visited her family or her family visited them for the weekends. Shippou had even taken to protecting the boy from any bullies that bothered him in school about his sick sister. Needless to say, Souta saw the kitsune as the new equal to Inuyasha. He said that Inuyasha was Superman, and Shippou was Spiderman. Or Batman. Whichever he felt like saying that day. The fox laughed at this, especially after Kagome explained the analogy to him. Kouga and Koshu had gotten a good laugh as well, although they couldn't explain it to anyone else.

Not long after her first trip, Kagome had begun to train alongside Hikana's daughter, Seika, and was now able to wield a sword with her bow. Hikana and her brother had given the young miko a sai as a present once she began to fight with her sword, saying that if she held the handle, the tip should just touch her elbow. Hikana showed her how to hold it, then proceeded to slowly bring her sword down against the metal prong stretching across Kagome's arm. The priestess had understood then it was more of a defensive weapon, and was used to guard herself.

But then her lessons had to be put on hold. For only two months after her mating ceremony, Kagome counted the days and did the math, then promptly fainted in front of her kitsune mate. Worried, he had run straight to Miroku and Sango's descendants, begging for their help. Moments after kicking the men out of the room, the young female slayer had come from the room, smiling widely. She slapped Shippou on the back in a way he knew she had inherited from her hentai houshi antecedent, and proudly congratulated him on being a father.

Then he had passed out.

Afterwards, any time Kagome tried to train or do any kind of strenuous labor, her love would tell her to not strain herself, then he would finish whatever task she had begun. Near the end of her pregnancy, Shippou began to refuse to allow her to ride on Kirara to nearby towns, afraid that she would go into labor while he wasn't there to help her. She had laughed over his fussing, but later thanked him for it. Especially after giving birth to the most stubborn kitsune hanyou ever born. He had actually seemed to refuse to leave his mother's womb until Kagome began to curse at him, saying that if he didn't get out of her body RIGHT THEN, then he would have a rosary on his neck like Inuyasha's before he turned one.

He came out easily enough then. Shippou had been laughing at the things his mate was saying, knowing she had learned them from the same hanyou she mentioned. When his eyes caught the sight of a pair of fox-ears on top of a baby's head, though, he had stopped moving altogether, and simply watched as they cleaned his son before placing him in his mother's arms. The father kitsune had looked at his kit's face happily before kissing his love on the forehead. As they had pondered over names for their son, the pup looked up at his parents and whimpered softly before yawning and curling up closer to Kagome. One more look at the soft triangles on his head, and Kagome knew what to name him.

"Meitou." Said hanyou turned to look at his mother, smiling happily as his ears twitched in her direction. When the miko held her arms open, he ran into them and kissed her cheek loudly. With a grin, she led her son, named after the fact that Inuyasha's pride and joy was the Tetsusaiga, and Meitou meant "celebrated sword", towards the spot where she was to publicly announce the wolf-demon prince Koshu and Tsukinoko, daughter of Ayame and her inu-youkai husband, mates. 'About time, too,' Kagome thought, and watched as Tsuki handed the younger of the miko's kits to his father, before standing and walking to where Kagome waited with Koshu.

~~*~~ Later ~~*~~

Kagome sighed and tickled Inori under his chin. The tiny kitsune laughed and tried to grasp his mother's hand, ending up with just her index finger. Her second son was named after one of Miroku's pastimes, other than asking women to bear his child. 'Prayer.' She thought of the times when he would pray for a slaughtered village, or just to appear innocent in front of someone.

The mating ceremony had ended hours ago, and the wolf pack was staying for the night in order to celebrate the mating of their prince. Kouga and his mate had come as well, and Kagome was delighted to meet Liana, remarking at the luck of the pack leader to have such a wonderful mate. Now she basically had a youkai mother and a human mother. She and Shippou had been integrated into the pack, even though they weren't wolves. But no one minded or argued. In fact, it had been Tsuki and Liana that told her that she had the life-span of a youkai.

~~*~~ Flashback ~~*~~

"You're a very powerful miko, and the more powerful a miko is, the slower she ages. With your level, I would not be surprised to see you age as slowly as the rest of us." Tsuki grinned at Liana's explanation, and pointed out that this meant Kagome would get to see her children grow and preside over her own kit's mating ceremony. Being the new, protective mother she was, Kagome held her baby closer to her chest, hoping he didn't grow up and get mated anytime soon.

~~*~~ End ~~*~~

She smiled as her older son ran to her, pointing at Kouga and Shippou, who were showing off their skill with a sword for a crowd of children, some youkai, some hanyou, and some human. Souta was one of the on-lookers, who seemed to be adding another name to his 'list of people to adore.'

The sight of the two swords slashing and pressing against each other reminded Kagome of the treasure she kept hidden at home, waiting for the day Meitou grew old enough to wield it. She also remembered how she had gotten that sword.

~~*~~ Flashback ~~*~~

"What's the matter, dear?" Kagome turned to look at Liana, Kouga's mate, and smiled sadly.

"Nothing, just thinking." Tsuki, holding onto Meitou as he refused to get out of his clothes to get in the hot springs with his mother and her friends. With a sigh, Kagome took her child and coaxed him out of his clothes and into the water, where she began to clean him up as he purred contentedly with his eyes closed. 'Just like Inuyasha, a fight to make him do something, even when it's something he enjoys.'

"Thinking about what, Kagome?" Tsuki had been very quiet at first, and sometimes had a temper that rivaled the Miko's own, but she had become more friendly as she spent time with her new pack and the friends she made. Ayame and her father had died long ago in an attack, which was why she had left her own pack to begin with. They didn't like her because she wasn't a full wolf-demon. They didn't care what Ayame told them about how she had seen first-hand the power of dog-demons. An inu-hanyou, actually.

Before Kagome could respond, though, they got the shock of a lifetime.

There was a flash of silver then a splash right in the middle of the group. After wiping her and her son's eyes, Kagome looked up, only to be greeted by a much younger version of Sesshoumaru. He appeared to be about 12, and was grinning happily.

"Hello!" He swam over to Kagome and sniffed at her. "It's true! You're her!" He tilted his head to the side, his own dog-ears twitching as he looked at the kitsune pup's ears. "Dad was right... Won't he be surprised? Not that you're alive, just that you're back. He didn't expect you to die, anyway. He always told mom and I that you were too stubborn to die, just like his brother. My name's Seigi, by the way. And I know yours is Kagome, but who is he and who are they?" He pointed to the kit and to the two youkai who had quickly moved so the water reached their necks.

"Um..." Kagome wondered who his father was, although she had a very good guess. But Sesshoumaru, with such an energetic child? 'Well, there was Rin...' She gave a mental gasp and noted again that Seigi was a hanyou, not a full youkai, so...

"Well, this is my son, Meitou, and my friends are Liana, mate to the Pack Leader of the North-Western wolf-demon tribe, and Tsukinoko. Now, can I ask who your parents are?" The boy opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a terrifyingly familiar smooth voice.

"You may, Miko, but that is not why we are here." Kagome spun around to face the Demon Lord of the Western Lands, Inuyasha's elder brother, Sesshoumaru. With a nod to the boy she now knew was, in fact, his son, he looked directly at the priestess who was holding her son in front of her protectively. "I have brought you what is yours." Seigi had left the springs the moment his father nodded, and returned moments later. Kagome's jaw fell when she saw what the inu-hanyou held in his clawed hands when he reappeared.

Tetsusaiga.

"But, how? Why?" Kagome just stared at the famous sword as Seigi sniffed out which set of clothing was hers and settled the sword atop it. Sesshoumaru merely raised an eyebrow before answering.

"I cannot touch it. I thought my father's seal was simply for someone with human blood to hold it. Instead, it picks its master. It had chosen you. And it was Inuyasha's last wish that you have this. While he was being... taken away, he grabbed Tetsusaiga and threw it at me, muttering something about giving it to you when you mated and had pups. You're mated and have pups, and now the sword is yours." He turned to go, but Kagome stopped him.

"Why?" There were a lot of questions mixed in that one word. Why was he telling her? Why was he giving it to her, simply because Inuyasha said to? Why did he call him by name and not by 'the disgusting half-breed' or the worthless hanyou'.

"I am the father of the hanyou son, and mate to a very talkative woman. She would not stop with a mere yes or no. And to discriminate against my brother for his blood would make this Sesshoumaru a hypocrite, which I am not. Besides, I have Toukijin, I do not need Tetsusaiga any longer. And finally, because we have honor." With that, the demon lord turned and took his leave, Seigi trailing behind him, leaving three very confused females and one tired kit.

~~*~~ End Flashback ~~*~~

When she had returned to her mate later, holding Tetsusaiga, he had nearly died from shock. When Kagome had explained it to him, though, Shippou understood. He said that he had seen Inuyasha's arm fly out and then heard him muttering, but thought it was simply the hanyou talking to himself. When he asked how Sesshoumaru had been able to touch the sword the time he had borrowed an arm from Naraku, Kagome pointed out that he had a shard embedded in that same arm, which had once been inside Kagome, and therefore, held some of herself in it.

The young priestess sighed and looked down at the yawning kit in her arms. She smiled softly and turned to look for her other child, hoping he hadn't gotten into trouble. But when she found him, her jaw felt like it had unhinged and hit the ground.

Sesshoumaru was here.

Standing, Kagome walked to where the demon lord stood, watching his own hanyou son play with her kit. When she stopped almost directly before him, he looked in her direction for a moment.

"He is like Inuyasha was when he was young." The miko stared at the stoic man before her, then turned to look for her own mate, who had stopped his swordplay to watch their former enemy. Sesshoumaru merely looked over at Meitou again, noting his black hair and ears, and his blue-green eyes. He then glanced at the hanyou kit in Kagome's arms, who bore his father's auburn hair and his mother's blue-gray eyes.

"I request a service from the one called the miko of the demons. The priestess who aids youkai." Kagome turned to look at him curiously, but he continued without glancing at her. "My mate is with pup, and I wish for this one to be blessed like you have blessed those of the wolves. Let it never be said a wolf is higher above than one of InuTaisho's line." Kagome smiled slightly and nodded. It was odd, to be standing here and accepting the task of blessing Sesshoumaru's pup, while only 5 years ago (to her), he had been intent on killing Inuyasha and herself, along with everyone in their group.

Finally, he turned to look at her. "One more thing. My mate insisted I tell you. She and I were there when the wolves came, and watched you go through the well. We mourned my half-brother, since even though we did try to kill each other numerous times, we were family, bound by blood. But when you returned, I saw the wolves bring my hanyou brother's spirit back, along with those of your friends. As a youkai, I could hear what they said to you. My m- Rin insisted I tell you that they will not all be reincarnated as your pups." Kagome was in shock. He had been there? He heard them? And finally... "Why not?"

He smirked, an act that was enough to frighten the young miko. "I thought you had thought this through, but I know now that I was wrong. The dead priestess cannot be reincarnated so long as you live. And since I see you have two sons, I know that the youkai exterminator will also not be reincarnated as one of your kits, but most likely as someone else's, though I know not whose. She and the monk were mated, were they not?" At Kagome's nod, he continued. "Then why would two mates be born as brother and sister?"

She wanted to kick herself for not realizing it sooner, and while she was busy mentally scolding herself for being so stupid, Seigi and his father went back to their home, where Kagome knew Rin would be waiting for them. "But how could she still be alive?"

Kagome hadn't realized she had spoken aloud until Kouga brought her from her thoughts.

"Sometimes, when a youkai takes a human mate, he is able to make it so that his mate lives only so long as the youkai lives. They will age equally, and will die within moments of each other. You told me once how you saw an imitation of Inuyasha's mother. Did it not strike you as odd that she did not age faster than him?" More mental berating from Kagome as Shippou made his way over. He smiled at her and kissed both her and Inori's foreheads before looking over at Meitou, who was busy wrestling with one of the wolf cubs.

Then Meitou did something his mother didn't expect. He grabbed a handful of leaves out of his pocket and threw them at the wolf, using an illusion so that each leaf appeared to be Meitou. While the cub was busy trying to tackle all the different hanyous, the real kit ran to his parents, where he climbed up onto his father's shoulder, just like Shippou had once done to Inuyasha. They didn't notice Koshu and Tsuki watching them from a distance with Liana, who smiled and waved her own mate to over to them.

"You know, I'm beginning to think that we should come here more often. After all, there's always something new to see with this family." Liana smiled up at her grinning mate after her declaration, looking for his agreement. He grinned at her with his usual pride and arrogance, and she hugged him tightly, listening to her son's mate laugh.

"This is true. I may have been here for only a short while, but I learned one thing from them. Life in this area will never be boring." Kouga and Koshu laughed as they thought back to when they went to the future, got covered in sticky demon wards by a crazed grandfather, watched Kagome eat Oden, raced in circles around her school, and met odd humans at a party for Kagome which ended with one human being slapped in a way that would have made Sango herself proud.

"No," Kouga agreed. "Life here is never dull."

The End!

I know, I know, I left a lot there, and I actually planned write a sequel later, but basically kinda moved on. This story was written LONG ago, and I'm only adding this now as a result of people still messaging me about the sequel... Sorry, no plans for a sequel anymore, no idea where I was going with this, after all. Besides, I kinda like open endings now. Anyway! Thanks for reading and reviewing! Sorry it's the end! Bye!