InuYasha

If You Really Love Someone . . .

"Die Naraku!" yelled Kagome, pulling back her bowstring. InuYasha lay at her feet unconscious. He had told her to hide while he defeated Naraku. But Kagome wasn't as useless as he thought she was. In school she had been practicing archery in gym.

Miroku and Sango lay on the ground, Naraku's body parts around them. Miroku had bravely risked his life by sucking up the samyousho and Sango had been poisoned by Naraku's miasma. Right now, Kagome was the only one conscious, besides Shippo and Kirara who went to get help.

Kagome pulled another arrow from her quiver. She only had one more left. She had to hit him.

"Die wench!" Naraku laughed as an octopus like arm hurtled toward Kagome with alarming speed. Kagome relaxed and shot the she held ready. The small arrow cut through the octopus arm and Naraku cursed.

Kagome looked at her last arrow that she held in her bruised fingers. Please hit! She prayed notching the arrow. Another arm shot out of Naraku once again aimed at Kagome. Without thinking Kagome held her bow in front of her. It shattered with a splintering snap and the octopus arm dug into her own. Kagome let out a cry of pain as the arm reeled back in, taking her with it.

Naraku examined Kagome carefully. He finally came to a conclusion, "You are the reincarnation of the priestess Kikyo. You look like her and your power is shared, but your determination, that is where you differ." Kagome struggled, trying to break free. Her hand tightened on the arrow she held. She had one last hope of killing Naraku.

"Naraku!" yelled Kagome lifting up the hand that held the arrow with such a speed that when the arrow pierced Naraku's heart, his eyes widened in surprise, and then he smiled.

"You may have killed me wench, but you, not having your complete soul, will die slowly." Naraku's body exploded and Kagome was thrown back. A dangerous miasma escaped into the air that Kagome was forced to breath in. With a final satisfied laugh Naraku died. Kagome sat up slowly, coughing hard. Her right arm stung, but she had to help her friends. Kagome staggered over to InuYasha and knelt down next to him as Kaede arrived on Kirara.

"Kagome, tell me child, what battle had taken place?" Kagome swallowed before she continued. She just wanted to lie down, but the tale needed to be told and InuYasha, Sango, and Miroku needed immediate care from a skilled herbalist.

"First, help everyone. Please." Kaede nodded gravely and set to the task of loading everyone on Kirara's back.

Kagome sat beside InuYasha and nursed his wounds. She wouldn't let him die because of her careless mistake. If she had only listened to him and stayed out of the way this wouldn't have happened. Kagome wiped sweat from her forehead. Everyday it seemed she was getting weaker, like part of her soul was slowly being drained. But Kagome ignored the thought and Naraku's last words. He was gone know. And that's what mattered.

"Uh." InuYasha moaned opening his eyes. He was the first to awaken which was no surprise since he was the strongest of the group. Kagome felt tears come to her eyes. She would have hugged InuYasha if not for his injuries.

"I'm so glad your okay InuYasha. Miroku and Sango have yet to awaken." InuYasha turned to Kaede,

"Do we have the complete Shikon Jewel?" Kagome looked down.

"Yes InuYasha. The jewel is completed. I guess I'll be going home soon huh?" InuYasha didn't say anything as his gaze turned to the ceiling.

Kagome stood up and went outside to get some more water. A sudden dizziness overcame her and Kagome staggered to her knees. Her breathing grew heavy, as her sight got blurrier and blurrier. "What's going on?" she asked softly clutching her chest. InuYasha came out of the hut to see what had taken Kagome so long. He walked slowly for the wound in his leg and stomach, but jumped over to Kagome when he saw her hunched form.

"Kagome? What the hell happened?" he asked helping her stand. Kagome shook her head, her dizziness was gone, but she felt so weak. Naraku's final words rang through her head again. Am I going to die? She asked her body, making her way to the hut with InuYasha supporting her.

"Child, what is bothering ye?" InuYasha helped Kagome lay down while wincing.

"Yeah, what happened Kagome?" Kagome swallowed,

"I just got di—" Kagome coughed hard and gasped to see a black liquid in her hand.

"What the hell. . . ?" InuYasha asked, worry in his gold eyes.

"Oh dear." Kaede said laying her hand on Kagome's forehead.

"Tell me about the battle child and how ye killed Naraku." Kagome was able to tell the story of Naraku's death without fainting, but by the end she was panting.

"I thought so." Kaede said standing up.

"Well, old woman, what's wrong with her?"

"The miasma. It caused her soul to rupture. Naraku must have figured out that Kagome had only half of her soul. Now most likely this does not affect my sister, Kikyo. If we can take the remaining piece of Kagome's soul then maybe we can save her, but if we take the soul from Kikyo, she will die."

"What?" InuYasha asked, confused.

Kaede sighed before she continued, "The miasma Kagome breathed affected her soul. Right now the miasma is eating away at her soul. Kikyo's part of Kagome's soul has most likely been preserved because of it's separation of Kagome's body. We need to take Kikyo's soul and return it to Kagome's body or she will die. But, if we take the soul from Kikyo then Kikyo will die. InuYasha, in the end you must choose between which girl you want to live. Need I remind you that Kikyo is dead and Kagome is a living girl." InuYasha looked down at Kagome who had fallen asleep. Suddenly Kikyo walked into the hut.

"InuYasha, you need not choose. I will give up my soul to Kagome, if you join me in hell." InuYasha looked at Kikyo, surprised by her sudden entrance.

"Kikyo," said Kaede, "you cannot ask InuYasha to join you in hell." Kikyo smiled at her sister, then at InuYasha,

"But his goal is done. He killed Naraku, or Kagome did. He can now come with me to hell." Kagome opened her eyes slowly and sat up.

"InuYasha, don't go to hell with Kikyo. Please, don't. I need you with me."

"But you need a soul Kagome." InuYasha said looking at the hut's floorboards. Kagome coughed loudly then stood up and walked over to Kikyo.

"Kikyo, do you love InuYasha?"

"Yes." Replied Kikyo immediately, not taking time to think Kagome's question through.

"If you love him," Kagome's voice softened, "then you would always want him to be happy. That is why I always let him come see you. Do you possibly think he would be happy in hell?" Kikyo stared, dumbfounded at her reincarnation.

"I-I" Kikyo stammered looking at InuYasha's face. Then she looked at Kagome whose eyes were glossy and her face pale with exhaustion. Kikyo turned to InuYasha and smiled,

"InuYasha, I do want you to be happy. If you are truly happy with Kagome InuYasha, I will let you be with her." InuYasha watched at Kikyo as she took both Kagome's hands in hers. A light surrounded the two and everyone in the room covered their eyes from the immense light.

"Kikyo, where are we?" Kagome asked staring at her incarnation.

"The realm of souls. This is where I give you your soul back. This is where I die." Kagome looked at Kikyo, tears filling her eyes. The two girls had never been friends. Was it because of their feud over InuYasha or their battle against Naraku?

"Kikyo . . . . ." Kagome said softly, not finding the words to say.

"I Kikyo free myself from Higurashi Kagome's soul. It no longer is mine to possess. Kagome, thank you." Kikyo smiled once at Kagome then wrapped her arms around the girl's body. Kikyo slowly sank into Kagome's glowing form and became apart of the teenagers body.

Kagome blushed slightly then looked around her at the glowing white. A tall form approached her and Kagome gasped in shock, "Dad?" she asked, startled. The man smiled at her, "keep making me proud sweetheart." Kagome smiled tears falling down her cheeks. "Oh Dad." Kagome felt a force pull at her midriff and screamed as she was pulled away from the man she had not seen all her life since she was five.

"Make me proud my little girl."

"Is she okay? Old woman quit starring at me like that!" InuYasha stood pacing around the hut. Miroku and Sango had awoken as Kagome and Kikyo had gone unconscious. Kikyo's body had disappeared and Kagome's body continued to glow.

"InuYasha. You are going to wear a hole in my floor." Said Kaede looking at InuYasha.

"Dad." Kagome whispered opening her eyes slowly. "InuYasha?" she asked sitting up InuYasha ran over to her and swept her into a hug,

"I was so—" Everyone turned their gaze to InuYasha and he blushed and let go of Kagome. Kagome smiled at everyone, glad she was still alive.

The one question that boggled her still, why had Kikyo said thank you?