A/N: Overdone concept, My take. I don't like a lot of the Shikon is whole and the world is ending fics out there so here goes nothing.

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The Jewel glinted, iridescent in the palm of Kagome's hand. She could feel its soft pull radiating through her. It was full, finally full. She couldn't describe how happy she felt at that moment, crouched in a smoldering crater and covered with soot and blood. She was alive, they were all alive and the Shikon jewel was complete.

Were their troubles over? Kagome's weren't. She had always avoided thinking of this day. The day where she'd have to leave her friends… and Inuyasha. Her happiness was dashed. She closed her hands around the jewel and rose shakily to her feet. No one said she had to leave right away now did they?

"Kagome?" Kagome startled and glanced up to see Sangou peering at her anxiously.

"Kagome, are you alright?" She inquired. Kagome forced a smile. What was the point in worrying about all this now? Now, when her friends were all celebrating.

"I'm alright Sangou."

"Great! Oh, Miroku mentioned something about a celebration back at Kaede's hut. It sounds exciting! Than again with Miroku you never know exactly what he means. In his mind celebration could mean something entirely different and altogether more perverted…" Kagome only half-listened to her friend. How would Sangou and Miroku get on without her? And Shippou… Poor Shippou.

Later that evening there was indeed a celebration. The villagers had prepared an extravagant meal, and soft music floated through the air. Several fires had been lit as the sun began to set. Kagome sat, warming herself by one of these fires. She hadn't dared let go of the jewel since that afternoon. Everyone seemed to want to see it, or touch it, and she was beginning to get suspicious. Than again would she be upset if it were to be stolen again? She knew one Hanyou who would be, and he had just dropped out of a tree to land beside her.

"Why the hell are you so unhappy?" He griped. Kagome's unhappiness quickly turned to justification. This was one part of Inuyasha she wouldn't miss. At least he didn't call her names like Bitch, or Wench anymore. Maybe he had grown a little fond of her? It was wishful thinking though. He'd been eyeing the jewel all evening. He was stupid if he thought she'd forgotten about his words that first day she'd met him. He had his own hidden agenda. He wanted to use the jewel to become a full demon. It was foolish of her to assume that would change.

"Oy? What's wrong with you? You tuning me out?" He crouched in front of her interrupting her thoughts. He had a sour expression on his face.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome mumbled. She turned away from him. She had too much on her mind to deal with him right now. She didn't want to explain her thoughts. Explaining would mean having to say goodbye. That or Inuyasha taking the jewel for his own purposes. How much had he really changed since that first day? She gave Inuyasha a long look, taking him in. This would be her last chance to really see him. Her mind was made up.

"I'm going on a walk." She announced.

"Eh? What for?"

"To clear my head." She sighed. She got to her feet, and started toward Kaede's hut.

"You can't just go for a walk Kagome! Something could happen to the jewel!" Kagome stiffened. 'You could happen to the jewel.' She thought tersely. But she only said,

"I won't go far."

Inuyasha was suspicious. Kagome had always been moody, but today she seemed downright depressed. And she should know better! Taking walks in the dark, alone, with the jewel! He snorted, jumping up onto a low branch. She wasn't going jeopardize all his hard work. He would just have to follow her.

Kagome stood at the mouth of the well, looking for all she was worth like a prisoner on death row. She took one last look around. All she need do was jump into the well, and then she could return to her former life. School, a warm bed, her friends… She had friends here too. Friends she'd never see again. She closed her eyes, placing a hand on the well.

"Goodbye everyone." She muttered. Than down she went.

Kagome was too depressed to cry, or to sleep. She'd looked so bedraggled when she entered the house that her mother assumed she actually was sick for once. She sighed and turned to face the window. Inuyasha was sitting there looking peevish.

"Inuyasha!" She exclaimed, "What are you doing here? How…"

"You were leaving weren't you?" He accused, "You were just going to disappear without even say goodbye!" Kagome looked down. He was right after all.

"I can't believe you kagome…"

"I'm sorry... I thought-"

"You thought you could take the easy way out!" He stepped into the room, advancing on her. "Let me see it…"

"See what?" She glanced at her desk where she'd stored the jewel in a drawer. Inuyasha followed her gaze. Kagome couldn't bring herself to move as she watched the Hanyou extract the jewel.

"It's about time." He muttered, closing his fist around it.

"All this time spent collecting shards, and fighting, and finally the complete Shikon no tama is in my possession" He got a glimpse of the expression of dread on Kagome's face and sighed. "But you know what? I don't want it anymore."

Kagome was unsure what to make of his words.

"You see…," He continued, "After all that time fighting side by side with people who tolerated me despite how I am, people who call me friend, I think my priorities have changed. I don't need to be the strongest anymore." Was it just her, or was Inuyasha actually opening up to her. He held out his hand to her, the Shikon jewel quivering on his palm.

"You know… We could still use someone to look after this thing. Gods know it ain't gonna protect itself."

Kagome smiled. There was of course the matter of all the school work, and family time she still had to make up, but she could hash that out later. She'd spent so much of the last year of her life in the feudal era that maybe she'd been wrong assume it would end with the completion of the jewel. She reached for his hand.

"You really had me scared for a second there, I thought you were going to use the shard to become a demon and-"

"Oh come on! After all we went through you thought I'd really do it. God how stupid are you? And I bet your going be gone all the time now to go to that stupid school and-"

"Inuyasha?"

"What!?"

"Sit"

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Well what do you know? Maybe the complete jewel isn't the end for our feudal friends. End.