A/N: Well, its my first try at fan fiction. Don't be too cruel! I know Inuyasha is a little OOC at times, but you cant deny, it makes the story more romantic. :P
InuYasha and other characters: © to Rumiko Takahashi
Idea came from picture: "Fading Memories" © to Tamara ("Druihd"). If you want to view the picture, email me and I'll give you the link.
This story is © to me, so don't steal it. I spent a lot of time typing this, and re-writing it.
Naraku and the InuYasha gang were at their final battle. Sango, Miroku, Kagome, and Inuyasha were exhausted from the effort of fighting their enemy. Shippo and Kirara had been knocked unconscious by a particularly vicious blow of Naraku's tentacles. Kohaku was lying dead nearby, as Naraku had taken his jewel shard to increase his own power. No doubt this had some effect on Sango, but she couldn't let that get in her way now. Naraku had summoned Kagura and Kanna, but they were too far away to get there in time.
It was a hard fight, but finally Inuyasha and the others broke through Naraku's barrier with a well-placed Kaze no Kizu. Kagome shot her sacred arrow at the same instant, resulting in a huge explosion of wind and white light. Miroku threw a sutra at him, which lashed across his torso and burned into ashes. Sango flung her hiraikotsu, which was easily knocked away. Inuyasha came back in, leaping through the air and slashing Kaze no Kizu at every turn, injuring Naraku fatally. The fully formed Shikon no Tama was thrown from his body as he smacked into the ground. As if it knew what to do, the jewel rolled until it comes to a halt just mere feet from Inuyasha. Inuyasha's amber eyes flicked to Naraku, noticing that he was still barely hanging onto his thread of life. He knew he would have to use the jewel quickly if he wanted to finish this battle. It felt like there was no sound, while his innermost thoughts pounded through his head. Kagome, sensing Naraku was still clinging to existence, knelt on one knee and fired an arrow glowing with purified energy. As Inuyasha saw the determined look of victory on her face, he knew there was only one decision to make, to become a demon, or to become a human.
Miroku's words of long ago echoed in his ears. "When you become a demon, whose to say you won't devour Shippo and Kagome?" Memories of himself transforming into a demon and killing anything that got in his way came to him as well. "Have you ever heard of anyone who found happiness from using the jewel?" As long as he had decided to become a demon, everyone had warned him against it. Ever since Kikyo…even she wanted him to become human. Everyone seemed to know it would turn out horribly if he chose to be a demon, everyone except him. These thoughts kept swirling through his mind, as Kagome got another arrow ready. "If I screw this up…this fight won't mean a thing. If I become a demon and go after them…even if Naraku's gone, they won't survive. They're exhausted from fighting…they would never be able to escape in time." Miroku fell backwards from fatigue, and poison from the Saimyosho that he had sucked in when the fight was in it's early stages. Sango caught him before he hit the ground, and turned to look to Inuyasha as if waiting for him to make a decision. Inuyasha knew that becoming a demon wasn't the way to go. He enclosed the jewel in his hand, and with his entire mind, wished to become human. For the very last time, he felt his claws shrink to nails, his ears slowly meld with his hair as it turned black, and his tawny eyes turn dark brown. Naraku twisted around to look at this, and laughed. He never saw Kagome's arrow coming at him, until it collided with his shoulder and slowly expanded to cover him entirely in shining white light. The look of laughter hadn't died from his face, but his eyes were widened in surprise. The burning white light overtook him, and left nothing behind when it faded. Naraku was gone for good.
Everyone was quiet on the way back, wanting to stick to their own thoughts for the time being. Miroku carried the limp Shippo, as Sango did Kirara. Sango had not mourned the loss of her brother, but she kept repeatedly turning away from the rest of them, turning back a few minutes later with her face looking red as if she had tried to rub away the tears. Miroku looked almost as hurt at she, and repeatedly started to put his arm around her but stopped himself each time. Inuyasha couldn't believe what he had done, becoming human, but as he watched Kagome gazing at the ground, he thought of her and Kikyo…and realized that this was the way it should be. Kagome watched her feet as she walked, hardly being able to believe it was over. She wondered what would happen to her, now that the jewel had finally been used. Would she still be needed here? And if not, how would she see Inuyasha again?
They had almost reached the village now, when she heard a strange sound. She heard what sounded like an airplane overhead, then music from a radio. She heard a bus whoosh by, and heard a conversation between a group of people. Her eyes widened in shock. Kagome knew what was going on, and was close to tears. Inuyasha grabbed her hand and pulled her off to the side of the path. "Kagome, what's wrong? Why're you crying?" She looked back to the unconscious Shippo and Kirara, and Sango and Miroku, who had stopped. She had nothing else she could do now. "Hey Kagome…come on, look at me. Dammit, what'd I do now?" A hint of annoyance in his voice, Inuyasha took her chin in his hand and tilted it up so her eyes would be level with his.
"I can't…I can't look him in the face…not after everything…after everything we've gone through…this is the end." She kept her eyes at level with his neck. Kagome slowly lifted her arms up to his neck and removed his rosary. "Guess he wont be needing this anymore…" Even in her mind she sounded choked up. She limply held it out to Inuyasha. His hand brushed hers, giving her a feeling of warmth as he took it. She couldn't bear it anymore; she started off at a brisk walk, close to running. Inuyasha stood behind her, stunned, before he continued after her towards the village.
After they got to Kaede's hut, they left Shippo and Kirara to her care. Kaede took them and left, knowing the four probably wanted to talk about everything that had happened. At first, no one talked, but Miroku broke the silence.
"Well, I guess its true this time." He pulled off the beads on his right hand, and uncovered the spot where his Kazanaa had been. There was a scar, to serve as a reminder to him, though he would never have forgotten even without it. He covered it back up, slowly, listening to the beads chink as they hit one another.
"Aren't you going to leave it off?" Sango's voice rang out of the silence. Perhaps she didn't believe Naraku was gone, maybe she hoped he wasn't. If Naraku was still alive, Kohaku might still be living as well.
Kagome never got to hear Miroku's reply. Suddenly, she felt deaf. All she could hear were the sounds in her mind, the airplane, the car, sounds from her world. It must have shown on her face, because Inuyasha was giving her a very concerned look. She gazed back at him, not sure whether she should, or even could, say something. Inuyasha said nothing, not sure if Kagome wanted Miroku and Sango to know anything was wrong. Slowly, everyone began to retire to bed. Kagome started to hear everyone again, and stared at the ceiling of the hut until sleep took her.
The next morning, she felt fine. She could hear the birds singing outside the hut, and the normal village chatter. Breathing a sigh of relief, she began to relax. Shippo bounded in, fully recovered, with Kirara right behind him. Kirara headed for Sango, who welcomed her with a hug. Shippo launched himself at Kagome, who caught him in her arms and breathed in his familiar kitsune scent. He hopped down a few minutes later and sat, as everyone gets ready for breakfast.
Kagome was eating and talking to Sango and Miroku about where they planned to go now, when abruptly, the walls, floor, and ceiling of the hut faded away. Her plate crashed to the floor, and she got a glazed look on her face, before seeing black. She reappeared a few seconds later in a carnival from her era. The noises of people around and the rides were all she could hear. She was shocked, Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, and everyone else was gone, and people around her were unnoticing of anything unusual about a teenage girl sitting in the middle of a pathway. The next thing she knew, Inuyasha was shaking her and trying to get her to wake up, everything back to normal.
Miroku and Sango stared at her, stopped in mid-conversation. Shippo bounded over and asked "Kagome, what's wrong? It seemed like you left us for a minute!" She understood exactly what was happening, and knew it was only a matter of time. A lump rose in her throat, and she was unable to speak. With a quiet whimper that no one heard, she dashed out of the hut, trying to get as far away as she could. It was too soon, there was no way she could say goodbye. Suddenly, she felt a tug on her sleeve. Inuyasha grabbed her arms and turned her around to face him. She could tell that he was yelling something at her, but she again couldn't hear him. Trying to explain, she opened her mouth but she discovers that he can't hear her either.
Finally, he put two and two together. Inuyasha realized that with the jewel gone, Kagome couldn't stay in this era any longer; she had no purpose and no reason to remain here. He knew this was bound to happen, but he hadn't realized it would be now.
He took her hand and placed it over his heart, mouthing the words "I love you" and kissed her. He held her in his arms for her remaining seconds in Feudal Japan, before he and everything around him were lost to her. Without him holding her, Kagome dropped to her knees, back on the grounds of her shrine.
Kagome sat in despair and anguish for a few seconds, before realizing, "INUYASHA!" She stood up frantically and rushed towards the well, ignoring the greeting from her mother and grandfather, pushing Souta out of the way, and almost tripping over Buyo. With another shout of his name, she threw open the door to the well and flung herself in, waiting to feel the rushing feeling that she had grown so accustomed to. Instead, she felt the hard impact of the dirt at the bottom of the well.
Back in the Feudal Era, Inuyasha was rushing towards the well, cursing his new and easily wearied mortal body. He skidded to a stop by the well, and leapt into it, all the while expecting to crash into the bottom. Smacking into the floor of the well, he tried to dig through the dirt, vainly hoping it would connect to Kagome's time.
Kagome punched the soil at the bottom of the well in vain. This couldn't be the end, her and Inuyasha were right for each other, and now she knew it. They shouldn't be kept apart; they should stay together, in one era, no matter where they came from. She knew he wouldn't hear her, but… "INUYASHA! I LOVE YOU TOO!" Her yell seemed to carry with it all of the sentimental moments and affectionate conversations they had ever been through. She heard it reverberate throughout the well many times, and hoped with all her heart, that he heard it too. As the echo died away, she lay down in the well, hugged her knees to her chest, and cried.
On the other side of the well, Inuyasha stopped his frantic digging as he heard Kagome's voice come through. Even though his ears were now human, he could clearly pick up what she said. He kneeled in the dirt of the well gritting his teeth. No physical pain had ever hurt this much. For the second time in his life, he felt a lump rise in his throat. "S-stupid…girl…" A single tear fell from his eyes and rolled down his cheek, landing in the soft soil at the bottom of the well. He had loved and lost, two times. His first love was dead, and his second love was ripped viciously away from him when they had just discovered their meaning to one another. He knew he would never see her again.
A/N: Well what do you think? I don't think it was too bad for a first try, myself. I was considering about doing other characters' POVs, since this was mainly all about Inuyasha and Kagome, as that was my real focus. I think it would be fun to see what would happen to the other characters as well.