Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha sob...

Inuyasha strolled carelessly along a worn dirt path alongside Kagome in the early morning when the sun shone brilliant rays into the sky and began to show itself. The miko was riding her bike, hair teased by the wind. A strand flew into Inuyasha's face, ticking his nose. He brushed it aside roughly, but couldn't help noticing how soft the hair was. Just like Kikyo's...

"Inuyasha?" Kagome inquired softly.

He growled slightly in reply, shoving all thoughts of his previous love aside.

"Now that we're only missing a few pieces of the Shikon Jewel"—her hand went to her chest where the nearly completed jewel sat—"our journey's almost over, isn't it?"

"What do you mean by that?"

Kagome sighed. "I mean, won't it be boring after all our adventures?"

"I'm not complaining," Sango said, appearing suddenly from behind them. "Where are you guys going? You didn't wake me up."

"I sensed a Shikon shard," Kagome explained as Miroku wobbled behind Sango, clearly not ready to be up. Shippo sat on his shoulder, yawning.

"Shouldn't we come?" Miroku asked a tree.

"Yo, monk, over here," Inuyasha said loudly. "And no, you shouldn't."

"Why not?" Sango demanded, grabbing the back of Miroku's robes before he walking into a large rock.

"Because we don't need you," Inuyasha stated, clearly in a bad mood now.

"Inuyasha..." Kagome turned her head toward him. "We do need them; we couldn't have gotten all the shards we do without them."

Inuyasha's mood, apparently, was not to be tested. "You have no faith in me, do you?" he yelled. "I can handle it! I'd do it by myself, but I can't see the damn shards!"

Kagome's body stiffened, but she said nothing. This, more than anything, told Inuyasha she was hurt by his outburst. Being as stubborn as he was, however, he wasn't going to apologize.

"Come on," he said gruffly. "Let's go." He strode forward at a steady pace again, and with an apologetic glance at Sango, who was making sure Miroku didn't sit on Shippo again, Kagome followed.

The pair walked in silence for several minutes. Then Kagome broke the silence.

"Inuyasha," she began softly, "we'd do better if they were with us."

"I know what I'm doing," Inuyasha growled.

"I know you do," Kagome said. "I have full trust in you."

Inuyasha glanced over at Kagome. She was looking at the ground in front of her, steadily pedaling her bike.

Suddenly she stopped. "The shard!" she whispered loudly. "I feel it coming closer."

"Great," Inuyasha retorted, pulling out the Tetsusaiga.

Several loud calls were heard. Inhuman noises echoed throughout the field they had reached.

"It sounds like a lot," Inuyasha grumbled. Kagome opened her mouth to reply, but instead, her eyes widened.

What looked like thousands of demons flocked the skies, all circled around a familiar being.

"Naraku," Kagome breathed in horror.

"Okay, this time the bastard's going to die!" Inuyasha yelled, sweeping up into the sky to where Naraku sat, supported by masses of flying demons.

"Scar of the Wind!" the cry came, and a hundred carcasses came flying down in a rain of blood. Kagome ran for cover.

The cry was repeated, and soon the ground was littered with demonic bodies and blood splattered over all surfaces. Naraku touched ground softly, his eyes alight with amusement.

"So," he said, "You have succeeded to destroy this band of my slaves. But you will never defeat me."

Inuyasha struck at Naraku's chest, the weakness spot for golems. But his strike was repelled.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried. "It's the real Naraku, he's got the Shikon shards and – look!"

Inuyasha raised his head and saw a hundred more demons flying toward him. Inuyasha began a bloody battle with them. He slashed right and left, metal meeting flesh wherever he swung his powerful weapon. One demon bit his shoulder, and Inuyasha shook him off, feeling no pain. He was on a roll now. It was like a dance – a dance of death.

But then suddenly, just as Inuyasha stopped the last demon's breath, a heart-wrenching cry ripped throughout the blood-filled meadow. Inuyasha's heart stopped as he recognized the cry, and slowly turned.

Naraku stood with an evil grin on his face. In front of him stood Kagome, Naraku's blood-covered clawed hand protruding from her middle. Kagome stared at Inuyasha, unbelieving, unseeing, eyes filled with nothing and yet everything, pain, sadness, anger...

"I-I-Inu-y-ya-sha," Kagome managed, choking on her own blood. A drop of red appeared at the corner of her mouth, matching the red stains on her blood-soaked blouse.

Inuyasha felt nothing. He felt empty – until he saw Kagome fall.

Then every inch of him exploded with emotion.

Sadness, anger, fear, pain, desperation all filled him from fingertip to fingertip, head to toe.

"What have you done to her?" Inuyasha asked in a shockingly calm voice.

"I have killed her," Naraku stated simply. It was those words that struck Inuyasha's heart.

"YOU BASTARD!" Inuyasha screamed, hurling himself at Naraku. But, with a smile that Inuyasha wanted to strangle, Naraku vanished.

Inuyasha landed next to Kagome. Gently, he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Kagome. Kagome. Snap out of it," Inuyasha commanded her. Inside, he was saying, she can't be dead, I'm always the one who gets hurt. Every time I think she's dead but she's always okay. She's got to be okay. Oh, God, Kagome, please be okay!

Inuyasha looked down at Kagome's face. Her brown eyes were open and blank. It hurt too much to see them emotionless, so he gently slid her eyelids shut. His gaze shifted down to her torso. Blood soaked her perfectly white blouse. It made him sick suddenly, and he averted his eyes. She's not dead, he was still telling himself. Naraku was lying, that son of a...

He touched her hand. Warmth gone, it was freezing. And white. So, so white, like her face, she was dead, dammit!

He got it suddenly. He really got it. Kagome, the beautiful girl who'd always been there for him, whose fiery spirit shone like the sun, the girl he loved, was...

Dead.

Gone.

Forever.

Pain ripped into Inuyasha's soul. First Kikyo, now this! Somehow he knew Kikyo had never been as important as Kagome. Kikyo didn't exist any more. She was a cold, hard shell, and Kagome had been the kind, caring one. He had loved Kagome more fiercely than ever Kikyo.

I know you do. I have full trust in you.

Inuyasha remembered Kagome's brown eyes gazing at him when she said that, so full of confidence that Inuyasha could protect her, but he'd failed her. She was dead.

Guilt stabbed his heart, sharper than any knife. Anguish filled him, and for the first time, he let his feelings for Kagome be known with a loud, desperate, drawn-out cry.

"Kagome!"

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Back at Kaede's, Miroku had another handprint on his cheek, and Sango looked quite red. Shippo was avoiding the two of them, looking off into the distance for Kagome and Inuyasha.

"Hey! I see 'em! They're back!" Shippo cried to the other two. "But – wait a minute...why's he carrying her...?"

Inuyasha, an emotionless look on his face, had Kagome's body in his arms. It was the way the miko's head dangled limply to one side, hair falling, and the red stains on her clothes that sent a jolt of fear to Sango's heart.

"I-Inuyasha?" Sango asked, voice quivering.

Inuyasha's expression was lined with a nameless emotion just for a moment, then it was gone. His eyes were heavy as he nodded to her unspoken question.

Sango gasped sharply. "No..."

Shippo took one look at Kagome's still figure and ran into Kaede's hut, bawling.

Sango walked over to the body and touched Kagome's hand. Tears began to drip down her face as she whispered, over and over, "No...she can't be dead...no..."

Miroku's face was stone hard as he offered a prayer for Kagome's soul.

Kaede hobbled out, Shippo behind. "What's going..." She stopped as her eyes fell upon Kagome. Fear flashed in her wise old eyes.

Inuyasha silently retreated into Kaede's hut with the bloody body. Nobody followed.

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Kikyo was sitting quietly in a forest, meditating, when she was startled by a sudden jolt at her heart. Wha-what's going on?! she thought frantically. A pull so great it should have caused immense pain tugged at her deepest parts. She felt herself fading and let loose her last cry.

"Why do you take my soul?!"

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A blurry swirl of thought and emotion muddled her mind. What's going on...I can't focus...I feel strange...I-INUYASHA!!

A pair of brown eyes opened. Black hair tied loosely back framed a beautiful face that looked with confusion around her surroundings. The woman stood shakily, wobbling on her first step.

"Lady Kikyo!" a man called. She turned, spotting a villager holding a bundle.

"I apologize for it not being worthy of you, but I'd like you to have this for healing my boy," the man said, proffering the package. She took it, confused.

"Well... I'll be going." He turned and left.

The lady looked into the bundle. Inside were several loaves of fresh bread. She would have thanked the man, but she was far too confused. With an intensely puzzled feeling, she slowly looked down. A white shirt and red skirt met her view. Her mouth opened in shock. Running to the river, she threw herself down at the bank and peered anxiously into the water. In the reflection she saw...

Kikyo.

Why...how... I'm in Kikyo's body?!

But I'm Kagome!

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