The Last Light
Chapter 13: Epilogue: Livin' on a Prayer

"She says we've got to hold on
To what we've got.
It doesn't make a difference
If we make it or not.
We've got each other
And thats a lot for love.
We'll give it a shot.

We're halfway there.
Livin' on a prayer.
Take my hand
And we'll make it I swear.
Livin' on a prayer."

"Livin' on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi

After days of chaos and broken hearts, the group finally settled down and focused on their individual lives for once.

It was a week after the night Inuyasha escaped death, and Sango exited the hut, stretching her arms out and yawning as she stepped out into the bright sun.

Looking around, she smiled at the cheerfulness she saw throughout the village. Shippo and numerous other kids played with each other in the grass, and the older villagers were working and walking around, chatting and laughing. It really was a beautiful day.

After having spent several days in the hut being treated to her wounds, Sango now felt a lot better that they're almost fully healed. It's been maddening having to stay inside while she heard several people enjoying themselves outside. But now she got the chance to come out and at that moment she didn't know what to do.

In fact, where has Miroku been?

Searching for his familiar purple robes and his midnight black hair, Sango walked around the village, enjoying the weather and the atmosphere from the village. She passed Shippo and the other kids, grinning at the way Shippo was chasing them all, making them all shriek with laughter. He really looked like he was enjoying himself. And he should be, especially after having been witness to an almost-death. Everyone knew Shippo saw Inuyasha as his second father, and if he had lost him too, who knows how Shippo would have taken it.

Sango took her time, passing some familiar faces and greeting them as she kept looking for Miroku. At one point she bumped into Kaede and talked to her for a bit, answering her questions on if she was feeling well. After their short discussion, Sango went on her way again in search of her perverted monk. She hasn't really had time to talk to him at all since she's been resting.

After a half hour, Sango was starting to get a little irritated when there was absolutely no sign of Miroku. Actually, she really didn't see him yesterday either…or the day before that. Was he ignoring her? But she hasn't seen Inuyasha as well. At least Kagome has been with her.

Kagome was too caring for her own good. But Sango couldn't complain really, since Kagome kept her company the whole time she laid in her bed, resting her sore muscles and trying to heal her injury.

Sighing in defeat, a small ounce of worry flashing in her mind, Sango walked back to the hut, kicking her feet in the dirt. Brushing a piece of hair off her sweaty neck, she walked up to their small home. Looking over at Shippo to see if he was still playing with the kids, she smiled seeing how he was now telling them stories, and from the looks of it, making it overly dramatic.

Sango turned her attention back to the hut as she entered, her head facing down as she pushed the flap aside.

"Hi Sango," someone said, causing Sango to look up and find Miroku standing right before her, a bright smile on his face. Sango smiled back, but then let in a short intake of air when she saw the bouquet of colorful wildflowers in his outstretched hand.

"I got these for you, my dear," he said, stepping forward and pecking her on the cheek.

Sango was speechless, but took the flowers from him and smelled them. He backed up a step and rubbed her stomach where the new bandages were.

"You're all healed now?" he asked, taking his hand away to scratch the back of his head.

Sango nodded, but grinned and stepped forward and hugged him.

"Thank you," she said, pulling away.

"Of course," Miroku replied, putting a hand to her cheek then bringing it down to her neck, his thumb rubbing the soft skin.

"I tried looking for you."

"I know, I'm sorry I wasn't here," Miroku said, letting out a sheepish smile, "I was doing a couple things for Inuyasha."

"What things?"

Miroku grinned, "You'll see soon enough. Kagome will probably tell you."

"Wait, I haven't seen either of them today, where are they?"

Miroku brought Sango back in his arms and gently kissed her on the lips. "By now they're probably going on a walk together."

And Miroku was right, for several yards away were Inuyasha and Kagome, now walking past the Goshinboku together and into the forest. However, it wasn't really considered a 'walk' since Kagome couldn't see anything with a blindfold tied tight over her eyes.

"Inuyasha, just tell me where you're taking me!" Kagome exclaimed for the hundredth time.

Inuyasha gave a gentle squeeze to the hand he was holding. "Nope," he said with a smirk.

Kagome exhaled noisily, "Fine!" she said, trying to appear mad on the outside, but inside bubbling with excitement. She kept wondering where he was taking her, but her mind kept venturing away from that whenever she got distracted by the way Inuyasha would hold or touch her, or occasionally kiss her on the cheek.

Kagome kept smiling, and that pleased Inuyasha. His heart was pumping fast, thinking of what he was about to show her. He really didn't know what she would say or think, and in a way it was scaring him.

Ever since the night where Inuyasha almost died, Kagome has remained inseparable from him, and Inuyasha couldn't have it any other way. But after his injuries were healed after a couple of days, he made Kagome stay with Sango while he and Miroku started working on her surprise. And now that Sango was fully recovered too, it was time to show her and see what she thinks of it.

Spotting a large root popping out of the ground in front of him, Inuyasha put his hands on Kagome's waist. Kagome gasped when she felt herself being picked up and being swung to the side.

"There was a root," Inuyasha said, not removing his hands from her waist, but taking a step closer.

Kagome's body was tingling, sensing the closeness of Inuyasha's body and feeling his breath on her lips. The excitement of not knowing where she was and what was going on thrilled her. This was another side of Inuyasha, and she loved it.

Inuyasha rubbed his nose against hers before he leaned in and kissed her. It was long and gentle, his hands roaming her body the entire time in respectable places.

Inuyasha really couldn't get enough of her. Now that she was his, he wanted to spend every waking second with her. He wanted to touch her constantly and to kiss her and watch her face react to his affections. He loved seeing her face brighten up with everything he did. Making her happy was the best sentiment.

This really couldn't get any better.

Well…maybe it could.

Inuyasha pulled away, smirking as she let out a contempt sigh. He took a quick glance at his surroundings.

Kagome felt herself being picked up bridal style, not expecting it and letting another short gasp as she felt his arms hold her body close to his.

"We're almost there," she heard Inuyasha say. Kagome nodded, still feeling the effects of the last kiss he just gave her. Everything he did left her breathless.

Kagome laid her head on his shoulder and played with a strand of hair she found sweeping against her face. She continued playing with it until Inuyasha said that they were there and he carefully set her down on her feet. Kagome instantly could smell the sweet scent of flowers and hear rushing water. Where were they?

"Can I take it off now?" Kagome said, her fingers itching to rip off the stupid blindfold.

"I'll do it for you," Inuyasha said, and Kagome felt him come behind her. He slid one hand around her waist to rest on her stomach and the other to grab the edge of her blindfold. She waited a couple seconds for him to remove it, but when he didn't, she was about the turn around and say something when it was abruptly taken off.

Kagome was blinded by the intense sunlight and held up a hand to block it from her eyes. After adjusting herself to her surroundings, she let in a loud intake of air, her hand coming to her mouth as her eyes widened at the scenery before her.

They were in a small secluded meadow encompassed by trees. It was filled with a variety color of flowers swaying with the light wind that rolled across the grass. Behind the small field of flowers there was a stream running along to disappear into the forest, glinting with the sun's rays. What got her the most though was the trail of rose petals that led to…well she didn't know what it was. It was an outline of some sort of small wooden boards hammered into the ground.

Inuyasha appeared in front of her and took her hand, his smile causing small tremors of pleasure to run around in her stomach.

"Come with me," Inuyasha said as he led her through the path of rose petals. Kagome smiled at them, her feet running alongside them as Inuyasha draped his arm across her lower back.

They stepped through an opening in the wooden boards and Inuyasha took her to the middle of the structure before turning her into his arms.

Kagome looped her arms through his neck, idly playing with his hair as she took another look at her stunning surroundings.

"I want to introduce you," Inuyasha said, sounding a little nervous, "to our future home."

Kagome's eyes widened and her heart started racing as she looked around herself again, finally realizing that the wooden boards were an outline for…their house?

Kagome beamed and started to blink away tears, her head only filled with happy thoughts as she looked around at their future home that they would share together before turning her attention back to her hanyou.

"I-Inuyasha," she whispered, looking into his golden eyes, still in shock.

"But only if…you'll have me," Inuyasha said, taking a quick look at the ground in nervousness before looking back up, "As…your mate," he added.

Kagome said Inuyasha's name again as she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him closer to her.

"Yes, yes, yes!" she exclaimed, not bothering to hold back any tears.

Inuyasha smiled and pulled her tighter, his head turning into her neck and smelling her sweet scent. Now nothing could get better than this.

They pulled away as Kagome stopped crying. She took his face between her hands and kissed him, the kiss going deeper as they became one together. Kagome's knees started to buckle from all the intense sensations that were rushing through her body, but Inuyasha pulled her closer, his hands running up and down her back.

Inuyasha pulled apart from Kagome and kissed his new mate several times on the lips while saying "I…love…you," in between kisses.

With her hands on Inuyasha's chest, Kagome pushed him away a little bit to look at him to say, "I love you too." She then wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close to her, meeting again as Inuyasha entered Kagome's mouth, his tongue twisting with hers and his body racking with emotions that left him amazed at how perfect this was.

She was his everything. From the start Kagome had captured his heart, and as the years blew by their bond grew. If Inuyasha didn't have her, who knows what he would have done without her always by his side, always caring for him in ways no one else has. And even if Kagome ran to her time after their fights, one of them always came back to the other. That's what their love was about; to exist together and never be apart.

She was, after all, the reason why he was still living. In his world of darkness before death, she was his last light. And she gave him hope to continue living. With Kagome now as his mate, Inuyasha will forever live with her by his side, in life and in death.

I'm...done?!

Wow. I have to say, I'm so happy I took the time to finish this. Even though it took 4 years, I'm proud of what this has become. And to have another story completed! YAYYYY.

Please review, I really wanna hear your thoughts on this story as a whole. I would really appreciate it. This has for sure been my best story so far, and I'm glad I put the time into it.

But thank you for reading! And thank you for the reviews last chapter from HeidiBax and BlackMagicWhiteMagic. You guys are amazing.

Anyways, I'm going to start working on my next story, but I'll try to have a couple chapters done before posting any of it on fanfiction. I hate making you guys wait because I know how it feels to be waiting for a story that's never updated -_- lol.

And I have a question, can anyone tell me how to delete my c2 community? I made it a long time ago, and it's for Fulmetal Alchemist, but I dont even read Fullmetal anymore. I want to make a Inuyasha one I think.

But anyways, thank you again! Until next time!

~Every Heart~