{Letters from Children}

{chapter one – from the daughter}

Okay, I write this time with a new story and a one-shot begun – plus the one-shot Majo's Son – which you'll at least read if you love me.  ^^  Anyway, as the summary says, the quest is over.  It's been three years and Inuyasha and Kagome are a 'couple'.  Mated in name, you might say.  There will be five more 'letters', and an epilogue.  I'll try and get them out fast, but there are just too damn many ideas floating around up there.  Um...this is PG-13 for the epilogue, so...yeah.  Enjoy.  Review, I order you!!!

~~~

            Kagome sighed as she began to write the letter. "You don't have to, you know," Inuyasha said softly. 

            "Yes I do," Kagome whispered. "She...they deserve to know."

            "But it's more painful for you this way."

            "This way I can live out my life without regrets.  If I didn't, I'd worry till the day I died."

            Inuyasha shook his head slightly. "I hope you're right."

            "I am."

~~~

To Mama: I realize that this is unfair for you.  I'm leaving, and I didn't even talk to you about it.  I'm writing to say that I won't be coming back.  Ever.  I'm going to live in the Sengoku Jidai with my "family" there.  It was my choice – they actually tried to convince me to not stay here; Inuyasha especially.  But I would feel best by his side, and he belongs here.  I can't get into why, exactly, this is his place, though.  I've promised to let him tell his side of the story so that this will be a true account of reasons.  I love you, still.  But...I need to be with him.  With all of them. 

Inuyasha...he claimed me as his mate recently.  That was when I knew there was no going back.  I think I told you something about him giving up on Kikyou.  I killed her, I'm sad to say.  But she was a mononoke, and her small amount of soul returned to me.  Inuyasha waited until that was resolved.  He was planning on telling her to give up and go peacefully, but it was impossible.  It hurt, Mama.  I wanted her to be happy inside of me, and I had to force her down.  We were all crying.  I didn't think a corpse could cry.  Inuyasha, either. 

So wish your daughter luck on her wedding day – which is coming up soon, by the way.  I can't wait!  I'm nervous.  Remember that I love you. 

To Jii-chan: This must be a low blow for you.  I'm leaving the shrine to marry a youkai.  Technically we're already married, but don't worry.  We haven't done anything yet.  Look, most of what I need to say has already been said, and my hand's getting tired.  I do love you.  But like I've said before, I belong with Inuyasha.  No matter what.  And...I don't think he could be anywhere else but here, in the Sengoku Jidai. 

Over the years (has it really been three!?) I've grown to love this place and its inhabitants.  I can't imagine not hearing their cheerful greetings, swimming and bathing in the now-familiar stream, or running through the forest.  There's a tranquility there that I can't seem to find no matter how hard I search in our time.  I think that I belong there as well.  Here I'm a center of the village.  I have a job now, can you believe it?  I'm the teacher.  It's incredible.  I think that this town will be the first in all of Nihon to learn English! 

Thank you for everything.  I love you.  (and I do not have arthritis!!!! : p)

To Souta: What can I say?  You've known about Inuyasha and I longer than Mama and Jii-chan (gomen for that one, Mama).  I think that you always knew it would come to this.  I know that you're eleven now, so you might understand, however faintly, that I need to be with him and my family there.  I'm needed there, as well as wanted.  Like I said, I'm the teacher.  That's why I've been buying so many schoolbooks recently; I'm not good enough with all the different languages to teach them without assistance.  I hope the three bagfuls will be enough.  I've also bought enough paper, notebooks, pens, pencils, ink brushes, and ink to last us three lifetimes. 

Speaking of lifetimes...I'm going to have a very long one.  You see, we've decided to use the Shikon no Tama to keep all of us but Shippou alive.  As long as Inuyasha is alive, I'm alive.  Sango and Miroku will live as long as I do.  We will all age at the same rate.  That means that Inuyasha had better not get killed!   : )  We decided on this because Inuyasha didn't want me to change at all.  So, we put our heads together and came up with that!  Aren't we so smart?  This is goodbye forever, you know.  Don't forget your big sister.  I don't know what you're going to say this time to explain my disappearance but I'm glad I don't have to come up with it. 

Love you, little bro.  Keep up with your studies – don't turn into a C student like your neechan.  And do you know that this makes Inuyasha your oniichan? 

            My Stuff: Buyo stays with all of you, but sell the rest of my stuff.  Souta, you get my CD player.  I thought of taking it with me, but realized batteries have a few hundred years to go before they'll be a) invented and b) in AA size.  Silly me.  My clothes (what I didn't take...) are to be sold and used to buy a pretty dress for Mama.  Jii-chan, I copied down the restraint spell that the priestess here used on Inuyasha.  It might be good for you.  Anything you like or want to stay in the family, keep.  I don't care.  Except for all that stuff Houjou gave me – that's Jii-chan's now. 

            I love you all.  Forever. 

~~~

            Finally, Kagome set down her pen, massaging her wrist.  Inuyasha kissed her palm. "Now you're done."

            "You still have your letter to write, though." The hanyou gave a low growl in response. 

            "Tell me again why I have to write a letter to the woman who will probably hate me for stealing her little girl away." Inuyasha wrapped his arms around Kagome's waist, burying his face in her hair. 

            "It was your idea!" Kagome protested.

            "I don't like it anymore, so it's your idea now."

            She swatted him lightly. "You're writing a letter."

            "I know.  I'm just going to drag my heels along through the whole process."

            "No, you don't get it.  You are writing a letter.  As in, writing it yourself."

            "Bitch," he grumbled, affectionately. Kagome grinned mischievously, then wriggled out of his embrace. "Kagome, what are you-"

            "Osuwari."

            SPLAT!!

"DAMMIT KAGOME!!!!! "  Giggle.  Giggle. 

~~~

            This is a little mini-series of letters.  Hope you like it.  Before you ask, yes Inuyasha and Kagome are a couple.  And yes Kagome is 18.  For those wondering, this recent little trend of non-anti-Kikyou is for my friend Akane-dono.  Yes, Laz, I still hate her but I'm tired of arguing with Akane-dono over it so I'll just have to take out my Kikyou-rage with the Spy Team on Brandi's MB ^^;

            This is just an idle little pastime, TPttH I'll continue writing. 

            FEEDBACK.  NOW.  I don't care whether it's email or a review, I JUST NEED FEEDBACK.

            -Katra Winner