100 Snippets of Time by Random Colors

003 End

003. Ends.

Kagome always loved endings, happy or not. While her little brother would slow his reading near the end of a book trying to prevent it from ending, she read even faster. She tried to think the same way about life while growing up. The end of every school year her friends would be sad, missing the days they spent together, while Kagome was happy and always looking forward to her summer plans.

It wasn't until her 18th birthday that she realized just why she looked forward to endings so much.

“What the hell are you so happy for wench?”

“Come now Inuyasha, today is Lady Kagome's birthday, she has every right to be in a good mood.”

“I know that ya stupid monk, but thats not what I'm talkin' about. She's been starin' off at nothing for a while now and then she suddenly looks like she found the answer to life or something, it's creepin' me out.”

Kagome rolled her eyes at them, a larger smile still on her face. They were sitting around the fire, already settled in for the night, Shippo and Rin were sitting with Miroku and Kirara making smores, Sango was behind them a bit, tending to her Hirikotsu. Kagome was sitting between Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, across the fire from Miroku and the kids.

“I was just thinking about things.” Kagome kept smiling as she took a small bite out of the bar or chocolate in her hand.

“Would you care to elaborate, Miko, or will you make us guess?” Sesshomaru spoke quietly as he looked at the fire.

Sango had walked up to the fire and sat next to Miroku, a smore already in her hand. “Yeah, Kagome, tell us. With you smiling like that its got to be good.” She popped the warm treat in her mouth and helped the children put together theirs without burning themselves. With assembled smores in hand, Shippo and Rin walked around the fire and snuggled up in Kagome's lap like they did every night.

“I'm just ...looking forward to the end of the story, that's all..” She welcomed the children in to her lap, smiling brightly when they tried to eat the melted treats without making a mess. Kagome laughed as she wipped a smear of chocolate and marshmallow off the corners of Rin's mouth. Rin smiled then looked up to Kagome with a puzzled look.

“Which story is that mama? Is it a new story your going to tell us for bed tonight?”

“No sweetheart, I'm talking about this story.” Kagome smiled softly and looked up at the star filled sky through the trees. “I'm talking about our story, about everything were doing here and everything that's happened.”

“Why would you want it to end mama? Don't you like it?”

“Of course I like it Rin. I love everything about it, but I'm looking forward to whats after it as well.”

“Rin doesn't understand..”

The rest of the camp quietly watch and waited for Kagome to explain. Inuyasha was watching Kagome's face as she tried to pick her words, Sango and Miroku just calmly waited for their friend to continue, and Shippo had gone back over to them to make more smores, he had little interest in conversation while there were sweets around.

Kagome tried to look for the right words, but it was Sesshomaru who seemed to find them for her.

“One story must end, for another to begin.”

Everyone had turned to him when he spoke, he simply sat with his arm in his lap and still staring at the fire. Kagome smiled brightly at him before she turned back down to Rin.

“Sesshomaru's right. It's like bed time stories. I tell you stories every night and even when I finish one, you may be sad that its over but you can still look forward to the next night, when you know you'll get to hear a new one.”

Shippo drew the attention of everyone while Rin though over what Kagome said, he spoke around his little fingers while he tried to lick them clean.

“So what your saying is that your looking forward to everything that will happen after we beat Naraku and get the Jewel back, right mama?”

“That's exactly it Shippo.”

The whole camp was presently quiet after that, everyone was lost in thought, thinking about how this story would end and looking forward to all the stories to come.