Disclaimer: I claim no ownership of Sengoku Otogizoushi - InuYasha nor Wolf's Rain. Inuyasha belongs to Takahashi Rumiko, Shogakukan, Viz Media, ShoPro Entertainment, and Shounen; while Wolf's Rain belongs to Nobumoto Keiko. No profit of any kind is made from this fan-created crossover.

Author: Yume Mori
Wolves That Learned Something

Snow fell softly and silently across Tokyo. Nature enveloped the synthetic city, turning the grey and black of its buildings white. Few people were out braving the winter cold as many had already retreated to karaoke bars, or just bars, or they were home wrapped up with their loved ones. Those who were out enjoying the snowfall barely minded the cold.

One of them was a young woman with short brown hair. She kept a section of it tied in a ponytail on the side of her head, something she once did when she was younger and traveling around Feudal Japan with her Sesshoumaru-sama. Yet those days were long gone now. All she had left was Kagome and a chance to start over in the 'modern' era. It broke her heart to know that everyone else had died, however she was glad she still had one person left.

Rin glanced up at the sky, catching snowflakes on her eyelashes as she thought, 'Has it really been almost a year already? A year since we finished the Shikon no Tama and removed it from the world along with Naraku?' She shook her head softly before continuing on her way; she knew better than most how quickly time could fly.

She found herself at the street-side vendor far too quickly for her tastes, but she smiled brightly as she approached the old woman. "Good evening, Mikoto-san!"

"Ah, how good to see you, Rin-chan," the elderly woman greeted her. "I have your order right here, just give me a moment to get it."

Rin nodded as she dug through her pockets for Mikoto's medicine. It was their weekly trade-off. Rin would deliver her her medicine from Kagome, and she would repay them with a bag or two worth of groceries. The kind old woman only called it "an order" in case other customers were listening in.

As Mikoto handed over her payment, Rin discreetly gave her the smaller package holding her medicine. "Thank you, Mikoto-san!"

"Please give Kagome-sama my deepest sympathies for her losses," the older woman called after her.

"I'll be sure to. And remember to take the medicine she gave you!"

She headed back the way she came with a lighter bounce in her step. It was hard trying to get by in the times they found themselves in with hardly any money and no family other than each other. It had been a freak accident that had taken Kagome's family from the world, something called a 'car accident.'

A familiar sight on the other side of the street had her pausing in her thoughts and steps. A forgotten memory tugged at the back of her mind as she stared at the four men walking down the street. They all seemed so familiar to her, and she could swear their names were on the tip of their tongue. Yet she could not remember how she knew them.

All that came to mind was a night as cold as the one that surrounded them, with a red moon. Sadness, death and blood staining the night air, as they tried to get to some place... Some place... What place? Then a voice whispering in the back of her mind about a wish...

Your wish has been granted.

Her eyes widened with shock as memories came crashing back down on her. Memories of a journey towards Paradise with those four men and Kagome, nearly falling in love with Toboe, they all filled her mind as she remembered. She had made a wish for them all to be able to start over in the Paradise she knew Kiba would open. Yet, did they remember?

Clutching her bag of groceries tighter, she pushed down her feelings of anxiety and elation, and ran across the street after them. "Toboe!"

The four of them stopped, confusion causing them to pause in their trek back home and in their conversation. Rin shifted from foot-to-foot self-consciously as they all stared at her in varying degrees of confusion and familiarity. It seemed they were having the same problem she did moments ago.

Hige asked, "Do you know her, Toboe?"

The young boy, hardly any older than her, shook his head. "No. But she does seem familiar somehow... Have we met before?"

Rin nodded her head. "Yes... I don't even know how to explain how we know each other because it's so completely unbelievable... But," she paused and chewed on her lower lip, trying to find a way to say what she wanted to. "Do... Does the name Kagome sound familiar?"

Tsume's, Hige's and Toboe's eyes filled with unfamiliarity and familiarity. They had heard the name somewhere, but they had no memories of ever hearing it. However, Kiba nodded his head. That name along with deep blue eyes haunted his dreams at night.

"Who is she?" he asked.

She smiled softly. "You know, this is so similar to how we all first met. Only it was Toboe demanding I take him to Kagome, instead of you asking who she is, Kiba... If you guys wouldn't mind, come with me to Higurashi Shrine. I'm sure you'll remember then!"

Kagome sighed heavily and rubbed her eyes. It had been such a long day, and she was no closer to figuring out why a strange, yet familiar book found its way into her hands. She was actually surprised her grandfather had not had it: it was obscure enough for his tastes.

"The Book of the Moon," she whispered to herself. She ran her hands lovingly over its cover, having a feeling of déjà vu.

"No, Kagome. You should know better than anyone how legends have a basis in reality. That book is real and everything in it is as well."

She shook her head and put the book back down. She knew her grandfather had never said anything of the sort to her nor had she ever seen that book, but at the same she knew it had happened. It was altogether confusing.

The sound of her front door opening had her smiling; Rin was finally back and they could begin the night's meal. However her smile began to fade as she heard four male voices as well. Her worry caused her to get up and head into main part of the house to see what was going on. Those men; their auras felt so familiar.

"Kagome."

She looked at the man who said her name. Her eyes widened in shock as she saw the blue eyes and dark hair that filled her dreams. She thought that he was simply a figment of her imagination along with the journey she often dreamed of, but he was proving to be real.

"...Kiba?"

He nodded in return. Kiba did not know how he knew her or how she knew him, but it felt so right to be in her presence. She felt like Paradise...

Tsume and Hige's eyes filled with familiarity and memories as they took in the sight of Kagome and the bangles on her arm that matched the ones Toboe always wore. The young boy also noticed them, and reached out to touch them, catching Kagome's attention.

"You're wearing my bangles," his voice was soft as he spoke.

Kagome's brows furrowed together in confusion as she touched his bangles. "These are exactly like the ones that I found... And filled with my hama no reiryoku..."

As her thumb brushed across all three of the bracelets, her hama no reiryoku wrapped around their arms, bringing forth all the memories they had forgotten when Kiba opened up Paradise before he died as well. Memories of their journey towards Paradise resurfaced in all their minds as they remembered who they once were, who they became, and how they all died with the world in order to be reborn into Paradise. The false bangles disappeared from Kagome's wrist, their purpose served.

Toboe's eyes filled with tears. "O-nee-san?"

"Yes," Kagome whispered, her voice thick with emotion before dropping to her knees and embracing Toboe. "Yes, my dear little Toboe!"

Tsume rolled his eyes. "Always such a crybaby."

"Aw, come on, Tsume!" Hige said, "You can't blame him... We all did die, y'kno. And plus, if I knew she'd embrace me like that, I'd start bawling my eyes out too."

Rin sighed and shook her head; it was just like old times between them all. Only this time, it would last so much longer now that they were together in Paradise.

Fin.

This fic was originally begun back in late 2003/early 2004, and I was writing it with my cousin. Then life happened and things changed irrevocably so, and it was up to me to finish this fic. Which I did. Many of you who read the original version will notice that nothing really large and earth-shattering has been changed in this edited version. Because I don't have the heart to do that, because this is not entirely my fic, because it feels wrong to make giant changes to this. I am sorry for it, and I hope you have enjoyed it. Thank you all so very much for your reviews, favorites and alerts of this fic: I cannot thank you enough.

I will let you know that there is no sequel planned for this. I will never write a sequel for this. This is the actual end. However, because I do feel bad that this is lacking in something that I have in my new fics, I am currently working on an IY/WR crossover that will better reflect my current writing abilities. When this will be done, I don't know, but I'm planning for around the end of July.

Again, thank you all for your reviews and kind words throughout this fic. It's so very appreciated.