At first it was shock, she could tell that he was wanted to tell her something, but all she could do was stare. He opened his mouth to speak, but she was too afraid to hear what he wanted to say, so she ran. Faintly, as if from another world, she heard him call her name, but she ran on. Later, she recognized the tremor in his voice as pain.

Then came the numbness, as she delivered the medical supplies to Shippo and the others, plastering a fake smile on her face and pretending that everything was normal – whatever that was anymore. If they guessed what exactly was going on, they didn't say it, only staring at her as if she were a ghost.

And then it was replaced by pain – crushing, burning, tearing. She knew if she kept on staring into her companions' worried faces, she wouldn't be able to stand it anymore. And she wasn't about to let anyone see her tears. A final phony smile later, she was back beside the well wallowing in her misery alone.

And finally it was anger, searing irrational anger. As she stared down the dark abyss of the bone-eaters well, the red-eyed beast revenge took over. Inuyasha was going to pay. She was going to make his feel what she felt, she was going to make him share her pain. She did not know how yet, but she was going to do it.

So she ran into the woods again, miles disappeared behind her, what would left her breathless and gasping on the ground before seemed remarkably easy with the rage to drive her on. And then by the crags which a wolf-demon tribe made its home, she found her answer. Koga.

With the same phony smile, she hugged him, and claimed that she was ready to be his mate. Her effort might not have been very convincing, but she didn't think he noticed. He was too busy smirking.

Soon it was time for her to return to her time again, and she brought Koga with her. She didn't know how he was suddenly able to use the well, but she didn't care. He charmed everyone they met, her friends approved.

Then one day on a rare occasion she was alone, he came to her. His long silver hair a mess, his gaze blood-shot, and begged her to forgive him. She stared down at him and felt renewed fury rise up in her blood. "You can't have us both, Inuyasha. You have to choose, and I believe you've already chosen her." He turned away, pain etched in his features. She waited for him to deny her words, but he didn't, and she slapped him across the face. Her fingers leaving a five-fingered mark on his cheek.

With Inuyasha gone from her life, it was up to her and Koga to gather the shards of the shinkon jewel, and they did their job well. A dog may be more powerful, but a wolf was stealthy and fierce. Soon they had all the pieces of the shinkon jewel, at least all the ones that Naraku did not have his paws on.

"I love you." Three simple words that ripped the night in two. She stared up into his ice-blue gaze and tried to say it back. But she just could not bring herself to lie to him – she owed him that at least. So she pressed her lips against his in response, neither an agreement nor a denial.

They let time drag by, trying not to think about what they must eventually do. But finally they could not put it off any longer. So in the dead of night, they crept into Naraku's castle. But their arrival was did not go unnoticed. First on of Naraku's incarnations went after them, but she dispatched it with an arrow. Through some skill and a lot of luck, they managed to take hold of the remaining shards of the jewel.

But then Naraku appeared in all his anger and fury. Somehow managed to defeat him, but with his last breath, he threw a javelin at her. She opened her mouth to scream, but the pain never came. Instead, a figure jumped in front of her and caught the weapon in his throat.

Koga lay on his back, blood gurgling up in his mouth, and her screams turned into tears. Desperately, she removed the javelin, trying to do as less damage as possible, but finally realized there was nothing she could do. She stood, thinking to fetch a healer, but he caught her hand and held it to her chest. "Kagome," he whispered, and tried to smile, "It's no use. My time has come."

"What will I do without you?" she sobbed, not even trying to hide her grief.

"Inuyasha," he whispered, meeting her gaze, "I should have known that you could never be mine. But Kagome, know that I have no regrets. I love you."

"I love you too," the words tumbled out of her mouth, and with a jolt she realized that she meant it. He smiled, his head rolled to the side, and thus Koga the wolf-demon departed. There was nothing she could do, but honour Koga's last wish.

She came to him on fine spring day. "Kagome," he whispered, as if he could hardly believe it. "Inuyasha," she moaned, "I'm so sorry." Wordlessly, he took her in his arms, and she knew that all was forgiven. They stood like that for what felt like eternity, when she finally pulled away. "Inuyasha, where's Kikyo?" It was then that she noticed the darks shadows under his eyes as if he hadn't had a good night's sleep in a long, long time. "She's gone," he whispered, and she knew that there was nothing she could say to comfort him.

So she took out the shinkon jewel, whole and complete once more, and held it up to him expectantly. He took it reverently between his fingers, and brought it to his heart. "I want to become a full human." At first nothing happened, and then the jewel began to glow and seemed to melt into his skin, starting the transformation. It was like the other times that he'd transformed, only this time Kagome knew that it was permanent.

The jewelled tumbled from his human hands and dropped into her lap, purified. She held it up into the sun, light casting an image onto the grass. An image of Koga with his signature smirk. She smiled and hung it around her neck, then took Inuyasha's hand.

They went back to the well, crossed over to Kagome's time, and lived happily ever after.