Personalities of the Past

Epilogue

"Inuyasha!"

"Inuyasha! Sango! Miroku!"

Kagome blinked rapidly, trying to clear her watering eyes from the dust that plagued the air. They were out there somewhere, all of her friends.

Just minutes before Inuyasha had yelled for her to shoot her arrow. And shoot she did. The arrow infused itself with her pink miko energy. The last thing she remembered seeing was Inuyasha coming down with tetsusaiga, ready to use Kongousouha.

Then silence.

Time seemed to flow in slow motion from that moment on. There was no noise, no shouts from her friends or her enemies as a blinding white light engulfed the entire area, making it impossible for Kagome to see anything around her.

Sango had been further up ahead, leaning against her hiraikotsu, taking a short breather before the next attack came at her. Miroku hadn't been far from her, using his wards to fend of the lesser demons while also trying to keep a small barrier around the fallen Kirara.

Kouga and Sesshoumaru had their own battle raging in the far corners of the field. Both were trying to make their way toward Naraku, only to be forced back by hordes of demon.

And what of Inuyasha? He had been with Naraku. Everyone else was battling the minions that Naraku had sent, which left Naraku open for tetsusaiga's attack.

And Kagome's arrow…

My arrow! Inuyasha was within range! What if I…

Not wanting to think about the outcome, she whipped her hands over her eyes and started to run in the direction towards the spot she had last seen Inuyasha.

Please be alright!

"Inuyasha!" Kagome all but screamed his name, running blindly into the unknown cloud of dust.

A sudden noise coming from her right stopped her. She paused, her heart pounding wildly, waiting for the noise again. She heard the gasping sound and wandered forward, tumbling upon an unknown figure. Peering through her watered eyes, Kagome arms reached forward trying to make contact with the body. Her hands ran into a hand covered by a shredded bit of cloth.

"Miroku-sama!" she cried, kneeling down, cradling his head in her lap. She watched him with worry, her eyes filled with tears, as he coughed a few times.

And this time, the tears that silently spilled down her cheeks were not due to the dust.

"Miroku-sama," she said more gently, her hand brushing away the dust from his hair and face. "Are you ok?"

"Kagome-sama." He coughed again, his body shaking with the effort.

"Miroku-sama, what can I…"

"Don't. Find Sango. Make sure she's alright. And find Inuyasha." He paused, his breathing becoming labored. "I'll be alright."

Kagome could only nod as she gently rested the monk's head back on the ground.

"Stay with us, Miroku. What would Sango do without you?" Kagome whispered. She couldn't help but let a small smile come to her dust covered face as she thought of the couple.

Miroku smiled at her and gently chuckled, which was followed by a short wheez. "She could do better, I'm sure."

Kagome shook her head. The dust was clearing. Miroku was in plain sight now. His robe was torn in many places, but he didn't seem to be terribly battered. A nick above his right eye and other various minor injuries seemed to be the extent of his damage.

But… It's the insides that are failing. Her head quickly whipped around to find the source of the voice. With no one around, she realized that it had been her own.

With a gentle hand, Kagome lightly brushed the cut above his eye of dirt. She stood up. "I know she loves you, so, if only for her, hang in there."

He smiled in acknowledgement as she took off to find Sango.

And while she worried desperately of the condition of Sango, she was plagued with images of Inuyasha lying on the ground, covered in blood.

She quickened her pace, but hadn't gone far when she heard a soft mew from her feet. Looking down, she saw a small Kirara gazing up at her. The fire cat was a little beat up, and almost seemed to be on the brink of exhaustion. She swayed slightly as she turned to run ahead.

Kagome recognized the little cat's dedication to her master, and picked her up and walked in the direction she had intended to. She wasn't about to allow Kirara to hurt herself any further.

She soon came upon Sango. The demon exterminator was laying on her back, her unbroken arm resting upon her stomach. Blood covered the girl, but whether it was hers or the demons', Kagome was unsure of.

The dust that had once coated the air, as thick as Naraku's miasma had once been, was almost cleared now. She could see the outline of the trees in the distance. She could see how much damage had been to the surrounding area. Trees were charred black from the fire and branches lay strewn upon the ground.

Making sure there were not going to be any surprise attacks, Kagome knelt down to get a better look at the condition of her best friend.

The demon slayer was alive. Barely, but still breathing.

"Sango-chan?" she choked. She felt the familiar urge to cry rising.

When no answer was given, Kagome gently took her unbroken arm adn checked her pulse. It was there but very faint. Checking over her body for wounds that were not plainly visible, she found many across her shoulders, the broken arm she usually held hiraikotsu with, and several across her abdomen and legs.

But the worst of the injuries was the large gash on her backside.

The scar, Kagome thought, a feeling of sadness rushing through her. It must have reopened.

Ripping the sleeve off her own shirt, she tied the piece of cloth as best as she could around the wound on Sango's back. It was all that could be down for the moment.

Looking into Kirara's sad eyes, Kagome knew what she had to do.

"I have to go find Inuyasha. We should be able to make it to the nearest village with him."

A voice deep in Kagome told her that was not the only reason she needed to find the hanyou. She needed him.

Patting the tired fire cat on the head, Kagome stood. "Watch over her. And rest. You'll need your strength."

The little cat only meowed as she laid her tired head in the crook of Sango's neck.

"I'll be back as fast as I can." Taking off once again, she began her search for Inuyasha.

It seemed like hours before she finally found him, but in reality, had been only minutes.

Laying in a pile of rubble, spread eagle on his back, and with tetsusaiga still in his grasp, Inuyasha laid still. But he was no longer in his hanyou form. His hair had turned black, his dogs ears replaced with human ones. He was human.

"Inuyasha!" she cried, tears spilling from her eyes. She fell to her knees beside him, quickly checking to see if he was breathing.

He was. And strongly at that. Thank the gods... She was relieved.

"Inuyasha? Inuyasha, wake up." She gently touched his arm, shaking it slightly.

Still unmoving, Kagome decided to check the rest of him for injury. His shoulder seemed to be dislocated and the back of his head was split open. Other cuts covered his body, but none that were life threatening.

Ripping her tattered skirt, Kagome used it to put pressure against his head wound, which was bleeding steadily.

"Inuyasha. You have to wake up." He must have a concussion, she thought worriedly. It's knocked him out.

The bleeding finally slowed until it came to a complete stop. She sighed with relief, thanking the gods for their kindness.

With him no longer in a life threatening situation, she took the time to get a better look at her surroundings. Her eyes came upon the spot where Naraku had been standing mere minutes ago.

Had her arrow taken him out? Was he dead? Or had he managed to escape again?

Glancing back down at Inuyasha to make sure she hadn't missed anything, she took a few steps into the rubble. The dust had completely settled now. She could see clear across the newly made valley.

Everywhere she looked she saw destruction. The remains of Naraku's castle lay in ruin. Far off at the line of tree's she could barley make out Sango's brother, Kohaku, and behind him, Sesshomaru's child companion, Rin.

He must have been protecting her. Her thoughts shifted to where she had last seen Kouga and Sesshomaru. They were gone and she could see no bodies from her vantage point.

But they were demons. Surely they could have survived…

Then it dawned on her. Looking about the field she looked for the remains of the demons they had fought. But there was nothing. The only demon on the field was the small form of Kirara cuddled against Sango.

"My arrow," she whispered. "It must have purified all the youkai, and… Inuyasha!"

Everything made since to her now... Why Inuyasha was human, why she saw only destruction, but not death. Kirara had to have been saved due to the barrier that Miroku had kept over her.

She turned back toward Inuyasha, her heart breaking. She hadn't meant to do this...

She ran to him, intent on waking him, but a glimpse of pink caught her eye. There, in the lowest part of the small crater of rubble, was the Shikon no Tama. Glancing at Inuyasha, she made up her mind and started the descent down into the mass of debris.

The Shikon no Tama lay whole again. Its glow seemed to intensify the closer she got to it. Reaching out to take the cursed jewel, a sudden noise, much like that of a heartbeat, echoed in her ears.

"I wouldn't touch that, yet." The cold voice could belong to none other then Kikyo.

Kagome gasped and looked up. Standing on the edge of the crater was Kikyo, in all her glory. Her long raven black hair swayed lightly in the breeze, her deep brown eyes gazing at the young girl blank of all emotion.

"Onigumo's heart still lives." she stated simply.

"What?" Kagome felt her heart sink. She had caused so much destruction, and yet, Naraku still lived. Despite the nagging feeling, she had assumed he was dead as there had been no sign of him. No jyaki to which she could feel, other then that of Kikyo's shikigami.

The soul stealing serpents surrounded Kikyo and gently picked her up, lowering her into the crater. Stepping over a few of the larger rocks, Kikyo stopped, her gaze on the ground.

Kagome watched with fascination as Kikyo kicked over a large rock to reveal a red, beating heart.

"Onigumo's heart still lives. Naraku will return if it is not destroyed." Kikyo picked up the beating appendage.

"But… how?" Kagome didn't know what to say. In a way, she was relieved that Naraku no longer lived in the physical sense, as he had no body or mind. But staring at the heart was making her uneasy. She could feel the evil radiating from it.

Kikyo sighed, but a small smile soon replaced her blank expression as she looked on at Kagome.

"I will take it to hell with me. It is the only way to make sure Naraku is never reborn."

Using her free hand, Kikyo shooed her shikigami away. They sailed into the sky, disappearing from view. She watched them go, before turning back to her future self.

"But, you'll die!" Kagome said, thinking of the pain it would cause Inuyasha. "He needs you!"

"I am already dead." She stated. "You, as my incarnation, are proof of that." Her smile faded as her youki surrounded her. "Take care of Inuyasha, and he will take care of you. You are all he needs." A dozen or so white lights escaped Kikyo then and the souls which she had used for so long to remain in the world of the living fled into the darkness

"Give Inuyasha my farewell."

"You can't!" Kagome was finally able to scream.

Kikyo only smiled as the last soul left her body, and instead of following the other lost souls, came flying toward Kagome.

Kikyo used the last of her strength to gather up her remaining youki, as she descended into the earth, the heart of Onigumo wrapped tightly in her arms. The rubble caved in on itself and Kikyo was gone.

The soul hit Kagome like a ton of bricks, sending her reeling back, falling to the ground. Unknown images surfaced into Kagome's memory. Remembering too much too fast, she closed her eyes. She felt a headache coming on.

Ignoring the throbbing at the base of her head, she climbed out of the crater, the Shikon no Tama in hand. When had she grabbed it? She couldn't remember. Stopping just long enough to get her bearings, Kagome rushed to Inuyasha's side.

"Inuaysha!" She looked at him praying he would wake up.

A groan escaped the human Inuyasha's lips.

"Ka…gome?"

"I'm here..." Falling beside him, she held out the jewel for him to see.

A smile played upon his lips. He winced at the effort. "Why do I hurt so much? What the hell happened?"

"Your human." His eyes went wide at that. "I think my arrow purified everything in the area."

"Naraku?"

Kagome nodded, than lowered her head. "Naraku was killed, but Onigumo's heart was still alive." She debated telling him about Kikyo.

"Was?" Inuyasha was having trouble understanding the girl beside him.

She made a quick decision and decided it would all be for the better. The truth would surface sooner or later anyway.

"Kikyo came." A pause, in which Inuyasha only uttered a small gasp. "She told me to tell you goodbye."

"What happened? Kagome! What happened to Kikyo?" Inuyasha, even though hurt as he was, tried to sit up.

A few silent tears left Kagome's eyes to land on the ground. She knew he still cared so much for the dead miko. But it still hurt to hear him worry for her. "She took Onigumo's heart to hell." She said it so quietly, yet filled with pain. Inuyasha took no notice.

"Kikyo…" Inuyasha whispered. His first love was gone. Finally at rest. Shaking himself from the thoughts, he noticed Kagome was silently crying.

"Kagome. Don't cry. We have to be strong." He looked around the battle field. "Sango and Miroku?"

She sniffled, rubbing her eyes. "Still alive."

"The jewel?"

She held it out to him. The pink orb glittered. Inuyasha reached up and clasped his hand over her hers, keeping the jewel encased in its keepers palm.

"It's yours," she said softly. "It always has been."

He shook his head. "The only thing I wish for, Kagome, is for us to live again."

She smiled, looking around at her friends. Everyone was pretty beat up. She knew what Inuyasha meant. He just wanted everybody to be the way there were before this battle. Healed and happy.

But the jewel encased in Kagome's hand had different thoughts. A startling pink light escaped their enclosed hands. Both pairs of eyes grew wide, not understanding the jewels actions.

"Inu…yasha?"

"Kagome!" No longer caring about his injuries, he wrapped his good arm around her and pulled her tight against him. The pink light only intensified until, for the second time that day, the area was covered in a bright white light.

Kagome felt weightless, her mind free of all thoughts, her body drifting as if in a wind. The strong feeling that there had been a hand holding hers, a warm body pressed against her own, was gone.

Opening her eyes, Kagome blinked in rapid succession. Her eyes finally adjusting to the light, she looked at her surroundings.

Her dresser was on the far wall with her closet. Her desk sat where it always had been underneath the window, which was open.

Frowning, Kagome threw the covers back. She shivered. The breeze from the window had chilled her bedroom.

She made the few steps to the window. She was about to close it, but paused. Looking out, she noticed the moon. It was full. Its light radiated to Earth, filling the shrine yard with serenity. The Goshinboku stood where it had been for more then 500 years. Its leaves danced in the wind. The thing that caught her eye the most was the well house. The doors were ajar.

Frowning and reminding herself to ask her grandfather about it in the morning, she closed the window and pulled the curtain tight. She yawned and made her way back into bed.

Something was nagging at the back of her mind as she closed her eyes and snuggled into her pillow. Something about the well house…

She fell asleep, into a dreamless night.

AN:

I'm starting this new story, and I do hope to keep this one going.

I now have a beta- Thanks K-chan- so with her to keep me in check, I should have updates running about once a week, if not more.Feel free to review or email me with any questions or suggestions you might have. I will try to answer as many questions as I can with each new chapter posted.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I would like to thank Rumiko Takahashi for creating such wonderful characters for all us fans to enjoy.

With that said, please review. Flames are welcomed.