Inuyasha. I can feel his presence nearby… and another presence too. I sense some jewel shards nearby, and-

I can sense two jewel shards behind me. They're quite low and I feel an arm trying to grab me. I duck and turn to face the wolf demon.

"Look. I know who you are. You try to harm Kagome and I'll kill you, woman or not. But the mutt, well, hehe, you can get rid of him." I shake my head sadly.

"I'm not about to hurt anyone. I came to ask Inuyasha a favor but the girl, Kagome, I mean, came after him." We turn our heads to the group in the clearing.

"Inuyasha! Where are you going?" Kagome asks.

"Kikyou asked a favor of me. I don't know what she's up to, but I think it's genuinely a cry of help for me." Inuyasha responds. Kagome seems frustrated. I think I might as well make myself known. I step out and face them. Kagome pulls out a bow and arrow from her quiver. The idiot, keeping the bow in her quiver. Is she truly my reincarnation? No matter, however, as I turn back and face them.

"Inuyasha. I want you to- to…kill me." Inuyasha, as I predicted, seemed shocked. Kagome lowers her bow and arrow and looks at me in disbelief. I shake my head, as if to answer their question "Are you kidding?" and no, I am not.

"Why?" Inuyasha, who had held out his sword, drops in and grabs me in an embrace. His hair falls to the side as tears slide down our cheeks. I grab him tightly and savor the warmth as it will be the last time I ever feel the warmth of a living person on my cheek. I slowly whisper my response to him as the wolf demon walks into the clearing too.

"Inuyasha, you are in love with Kagome now. I have been trying to bring you two closer for some time and now, it has worked. There is no need for me to be here anymore." I feel Inuyasha's breath upon my ear and neck and know that Kagome must be heartbroken by all of this. I release Inuyasha and walk over to Kagome. She backs away from me and stands defensively.

"Kagome, I know that you have been hurt many times by me, and I hope that you will forgive me. I have been trying to bring your hearts closer. If I ever made you run away, it was to make Inuyasha go after you. I had hoped that if he ran after you, he would soon realize that he loved you. Now that he does, I must go. Please, do forgive me." She looks away and I turn back. I feel a hand on my shoulder and she turns me around, nodding.

"I forgive you, Kikyou." I turn to Inuyasha and I kneel. He wavers. I can sense it though my face is turned downwards.

"Inuyasha, if not for you, then for me, please do this. Please. Do you think I want to be stuck in this clay body?"

"Kikyou, I can't! I love you!" He yells.

"NO YOU DON'T! Just KILL me!" I scream. I start crying but Inuyasha does nothing. The wolf demon steps in a bit closer and Kagome recognizes him.

"Kouga! What are you doing here?" I decide that Inuyasha will not kill me. I must turn to this Kouga.

"Kouga. Please. I beg of you to kill me. Please." I collapse into sobs on his shoulder and he nods gravely. I give him a quick kiss on the cheek and kneel on the ground.

"Goodbye, Inuyasha and Kagome. Kouga, please, make it quick." I feel the sword clash with my fake neck and know that I am now free.

Afterwards, stranger POV

"KIKYOU!" Inuyasha yells. He bounds off and Kagome runs back to camp after him.

"What's wrong? What happened, Inuyasha?" Sango asks Inuyasha. He collapses into tears on her shoulder.

"K-K-Kikyou… d-d-d-dead!" He sobs. Kagome appears from the forest and explains what happened. Just then, a wind blows a tear off of Inuyasha's face and a white priestess robe flies into his body. And he knows that Kikyou is happy. And free.