Disclaimer: Not mine.

A/N: Hey guys. I love Inuyashaand Rumiko-sensei, but I do believe she kind of copped out in the last chapter. Therefore, I have taken it upon myself to further the story! However, because I was not the mastermind behind Inuyashaand will never be nearly as good at writing as Rumiko-sensei, I would greatly appreciate your feedback on the story. Ideas, questions, comments and concerns will all be met with strong consideration, so please take care of me! This prologue is more or less an overview of the final chapter, but I decided to put it up because of the large number of people who do not read the manga. So, for all of you who do not read the manga, this was not from my brain. These events did actually take place according to Takahasi Rumiko-sensei.

Thank you, and please enjoy!

Time Aplenty

Prologue

"Doggy!"

Inuyasha sighed, mentally ticking away the seconds before the twins' inevitable impact against his back. They giggled and reached up, each taking hold of an ear, and began their favorite chant of, "Doggy! Doggy! Doggy!"

Already used to Miroku's and Sango's twins, he ignored Shippo's mocking laughter and allowed them to use his body as their personal jungle-gym. He heard their parents' soft chortles from behind him but chose not to comment.

Shippo snickered and folded his arms. "You're a toy."

Inuyasha's patience was about to run out. "Hey, do something about the twins." The parents did not even move from their places at the clothed line.

"Not the ears, kids."

"Sorry, Inuyasha," Sango apologized but not at all sympathetically. Inuyasha closed his eyes and took a deep breath to restrain himself from tossing the children into the nearby woods. His eyes snapped open when he caught an almost forgotten scent, and he grabbed the girls by the backs of their tiny kimonos.

"Go slay the kitsune."

"Shippo!" "Slay!"

"Hey, Inuyasha, what's this all of a sudden?!"

Inuyasha was already too far away to hear the kitsune's complaints. Shippo managed to struggle out of the girls and hasten after his protector. Sango and Miroku followed shortly after, Miroku scooping up the girls, one to an arm.

Inuyasha stopped at the clearing, the smell he had dreamed of wafting over him in waves. He reached a hand into the well – something that seemed almost second nature to him, now – and smiled softly when he felt a smaller, softer one being placed inside of it. He pulled gently, and she came up easily, landing on the well's edge. Her eyes brimmed with tears and her voice shook slightly.

"Inuyasha, I'm sorry… we you waiting…?"

The hanyou could only murmur her name before he pulled her into a tight embrace. "You idiot… what have you been up to?" She just buried her head into his shoulder, reveling in the scent that was purely him. She wanted to reply, but, before she could, others interrupted her.

"Ka-Kagome!"

She turned in Inuyasha's embrace. "Miroku-sama, Sango-chan, Shippo-chan… I'm back."

Shippo attached himself to her leg and Miroku smiled. Sango gave her friend a radiant grin. "Welcome home, Kagome."