Disclaimer: My ownership of Inuyasha has been disclaimed

AN: Well, four years to the day, I published the first chapter of this story. It has been a wild, long ride since then. I sincerely thank all those who have stuck with me from the beginning, and all those who have joined sometime along the journey. I also send out thanks to all those who will read this in the future. This story has come to mean more to me than it ever should have. It has a piece of my soul as surly as Kagome has a piece of Inuyasha's.

I'd also like to thank all the many beta's that have worked on this story over the years. Julie started the work and Archer finished it up. AidbiA was somewhere in the middle. There were probably others and I feel terrible for not remembering everyone that helped make this story the success that it had become. I'm so sorry that I lost touch with all of you. Thank you for putting up with this unworthy one.

And now…the story…

::RECAP::

"Let's go home Inuyasha" she tightened her grip on his hand, "We don't have much time."

And so they went forward to face their tomorrows.

::END RECAP::

Epilogue: All Our Tomorrows belong to us

Tu ne cede malis sed contra audentior ito

Yield not to misfortunes, but advance all the more boldly against them

The breeze was pleasant. It carried the fragrance of a multitude of vibrant flowers as it softly caressed her face and she couldn't help but smile at the soothing sensation. She lay on her back surrounded by nothing but the warm grass and the sky; watching the lazy clouds drift by high above her. She was more than happy, she was content, satisfied with everything around her. She had a husband that she loved with all her soul, and two amazing children, with another little one on the way, indeed, what more could she possibly want?

"Mommy! Mommy! Daddy's being mean to big brother again! He's teasing him about cousin Rin!" Kagome sat up with a little difficulty and caught her son into her arms as he came bounding up to her. She ruffled the long black hair that his father refused to let her cut and tweaked one of his slightly pointed human ears. While pregnant with him, she's hoped that he'd have dog ears like Inuyasha, but being only a quarter youkai he was born looking mostly human. His big eyes gleamed their funny blue-grey-purple color in the sunlight, and when he grinned an almost sharp fang stuck out from between his lips.

"And you didn't help Daddy tease Shippou-chan at all, Rei?" She asked as she settled him into her lap. Rei immediately pressed his ear to the gentle swell of her stomach and poked his thumb into his mouth.

"Well, maybe I told Daddy that big brother got a letter." He spoke around his thumb, and although it was hard to understand what he was saying his mother didn't scold him. Kagome believed that he'd grow out of it in due time.

"So this is where you disappeared off to, huh runt?" The word would have sounded harsh coming from anyone else, but Inuyasha's voice was only full of love for their child and maybe gentle teasing.

"Daddy!" Rei shouted and flung himself into his father's arms. Kagome was amused, but pretended to pout at being abandoned so quickly.

"What about mommy? Don't you want to cuddle longer?" She asked as Inuyasha swung their little boy around in circles, occasionally throwing him high in the air, only to catch him at the last possible moment. Kagome watched as their hair flew out around them in swirling clouds of silver and raven. She placed a hand to her belly and fervently hoped that her next child would be blessed with Inuyasha's hair color and not her own.

"Keh, he's a big boy now, he doesn't want to cuddle, he wants to go play in the dirt! The dirt's better than kisses and hugs any day!" But Inuyasha contradicted his self by leaning down and kissing her loudly on the lips. Their little boy wrinkled his nose and told his daddy that he was now infected by cooties.

"You're mother doesn't have cooties. She's too pretty to have cooties." Inuyasha informed his son as he plopped down beside his wife. "Go bother your big brother now so Mommy and Daddy can talk. He was writing a letter back to Rin last time I checked." He shooed the little boy back toward the village with a pat to his bottom. Rin giggled evilly and went running off to torture Shippou.

"You shouldn't have done that Inuyasha, it will only make them fight. Which means one of them will come running out here in a few minutes." She pointed out to him with a raised eyebrow.

"Keh, he's not really writing Rin back. Shippou promised to entertain the little one while I talked to you." He leaned over and nuzzled her neck and she giggled a bit as some of his silver hair tickled her chin. She reached up to rub his ears and was rewarded by his deep throated purring.

"My, you're in a mood today. Want to tell me what's on your mind?" She asked as he shifted to lay down beside her with his head cushioned in her lap. She smiled when he pressed one ear up against her stomach like their son had done earlier.

"I got you something." He said in lue of an actual answer and Kagome got the horrible feeling that she had lived through this moment before. Vaguely she remembered a dream and her darkened bedroom at her mother's house.

The smell of wildflowers had made her sick then.

Inuyasha was already pulling out an object wrapped in soft cloth from the inside of his red haori. He handed it over to her and watched with half-lidded amber eyes as she opened it with trembling fingers. This had been the moment when the dream had gone wrong. This had been the moment when her happiness shattered.

Like a mirror shatters.

But she sucked in a breath when she caught sight of what he'd given her; it wasn't a mirror at all, but a simple bracelet made of mother of pearl and silver. She was so relieved that she started to cry. Inuyasha didn't ask why she was crying, he just marked it up to hormones and pulled her into his lap for a hug. She didn't tell him either. Something's were better kept private. Besides, he'd only get mad and call her stupid anyway.

"Oh Inuyasha, I love it!" She told him when she'd finally gotten her tears under control. Kagome leaned down to give him a long lingering kiss and when she pulled away she heard him whisper.

"I've never regretted this choice for a moment."

-

Naraku was defeated.

Many people died, but more survived because that's how life works.

Sango and Miroku lived long full lives surrounded by their many children. Much to Miroku's distress all eight of them were girls. Sango decided, after she buried Kohaku next to their father, that her old village was not the place to raise her family. She wanted them to live in a happy place free of the haunting memories of the past. They made their home in Kaede's village, and their descendents are uncountable today.

Sesshomaru eventually learned to read Kagome's history book. He was very unhappy when Rin decided to marry Shippou, but he was secretly happy to know that her life would be prolonged by their bound.

As for Inuyasha and Kagome, they faded into history and became the stuff of legend. Their adventures did not end with Naraku, but continued on into the uncharted realms of parenthood and a somewhat peaceful life. It was never smooth sailing for long, but because of their great love for each other and their faith in that love, they were able to weather the storms.

THE END

-

No you're not crazy. Kagome did dream that scene in chapter 14…maybe?

I think it turned out better this time though…

And this is the final goodbye. I love you all. Thanks for following me all the way to the journey's end. I can never thank you enough.