Forever Never Forgotten, Forever Never forget

He found her sitting by a river; she looked defeated.

"Miko,"

But she didn't answer him, her mind to gone, her eyes focused on the water that rushed by.

He stepped closer. "Woman,"

"I, I dont know what to do with all this information,"

"Knowledge is power,"

She shook her head. "I dont care about power," She looked up at him. "Im, not you; I'm still just a human girl,"

She was, but she wasn't.

She looked back down and tucked her legs into her chest. "Sometimes knowing isn't better, Sesshomaru,"

"It is what you do with the information Miko,"

She laid her head down on her knees. "What am I supposed to do with this information?"

"That is up to you,"

"That is easy for you to say!" She snapped,

"Very well, Miko, I shall aid you; you have but two choices; you are stuck here; Inuyasha is not going to be part of your life any longer, so you may sit here in self-pity and live a life of a Miko in some village, wasting your power and watching the humans around you die or not, the choice is up to you. You are not limited as Kikyo once was; many would take your place."

Kagome slowly unfolded herself and sighed. "Kikyo just wanted to be a normal woman,"

"She was for a time, Miko,"

"I can never be normal,"

"Normal is vastly overrated, Miko,"

She almost cracked a smile, but then the thought of outliving her friends made her sad all over again.

"Im scared,"

"I am aware,"

"I guess I want to see Mioku and Sango now," She was well aware of just precious time was, especially when you knew they had limited amounts of it and you didn't,

"Very well," Then Sesshomaru did something unexpected; he held out his hand to help her up.

She looked at it and then at him, then back at his hand. She slowly placed her hand in his and stood up. He released her. "Follow me," He turned, and she once again found herself following him.

"How do you deal with it?" She asked,

"With what, Miko?"

"With the pain of knowing you will outlive Rin,"

It was something he did not like to think on. "It is not something I can change, Miko; wasting time thinking on it only makes it harder; she is here and within my reach now,"

She pressed her lips together,

"When the time comes, I will be at her side,"

"It's the after I worry about,"

He eyed her. "It is a long time for now, Miko, and you will have their children, and they will have you," He looked forward again. "Do not dwell on it now, Miko, if serves you no purpose."

All she could do was heed what he said.

While they didn't live under his protection, they did not live far, just outside of his lands actually. It took them several hours of walking to get there and most spent in silence as Kagome took in the landscape she had missed. She had to admit she loved the sound of nature over the sound of cars and horns and people. Instead of people rushing and talking on phones, people were helping each other, growing crops, having festivals, and sharing food. While there were modern things she would miss, she always felt a great need to get away from it. Her shrine was her peace, but the past, if she truly reached into her heart, was her home.

"Sesshomaru,"

"We are getting close,"

"That's good, but before we get there, can I ask you something,"

"Indeed."

"You dont seem very shocked by any of this,"

"Once I noticed you were not aging, I suspected this outcome," He stopped.

"I get the part about the jewel but not the part about the wish,"

Regardless of her part in the wish, she would remain here.

"Does it matter?" He asked,

"I guess not,"

"We have arrived; they are just past these trees,"

Kagome took in a deep breath and nodded; this time, she went first, and he followed.

Miroku noticed her first and touched Sango's shoulder as she bent down playing with one of their kids "Sango,"

Sango looked up, gasped, and stood. "Kagome,"

"Yes, mommy?"

"Not you, her," Miroku pointed at Kagome.

Kagome stopped moving, unsure.

Sango smiled and began to run to her with arms wide open. Kagome sighed with relief and ran into Sango's arm, and they hugged tightly,

"Oh Kagome, your back,"

Miroku walked up to them and threw his arms around them both. "Ah, my two favorite women," His hands, of course, inched down, and Sesshomaru watched with amusement as both women slapped him.

"You haven't changed a bit Miorku," Kagome put her hands on her hips.

"Worth it," hE said with two hand prints on his face. He then noticed Sesshomaru. "Lord Sesshomaru, what a surprise to see you,"

He offered the monk no reply.

"Of course, we are happy but surprised to see you as well, Lady Kagome," Miroku drew his attention back to Kagome,

"I wasn't sure I was going to come see you,"

"What, why not?" Sango asked,

"I thought my stay here would only be temporary,"

Sango and Miroku looked at each other,

"It's not; I'm stuck here, forever,"

Miroku looked concerned. "Your sure?"

Kagome glanced at Sesshomaru.

"The Miko has stopped aging; it had been confirmed that while she made a correct wish, the jewel's power is part of her,"

Miroku rubbed his chin. "I can't believe we didn't think about that before; that makes perfect sense."

Sango looked at her husband. "Do you think Inuyasha knew?"

Miroku shrugged. "Who knows,"

"Have, have you seen him?" Kagome asked,

Sango's face soften. "Not for a long time; I'm sorry, Kagome,"

Kagome half smiled. "It's ok; I kinda knew that was the answer, I kinda read about everyone, in a book, in the future,"

"Why dont we go inside? I believe more rain is on the way," The overcast shy never did go away.

Sango and Kagome locked arms,

"Will you be joining us?" Miroku asked, Sesshomaru,

"My presence is not required; the Miko can fill you in," He then turned away from them and vanished just as gracefully as he arrived.

Kagome watched him leave and wondered briefly when she would see him again if she would see him again, and when she did, would he be mated?