Chapter 1 - Beginnings
Inuyasha's heart stopped beating. He was oblivious to everything going on around him as he walked over to Kirara. There was a disheveled mess behind where the two-tailed fire demon stood. Only one name could come to his mind as he saw the bloodied clothing. Kagome… Sango and Miroku continued to look for Naraku on foot some distance away.
He stopped a few feet from his intended destination. A voice was calling to him from behind. "What are you going to do now that the miko is dead?"
Golden eyes flashed red repeatedly as Inuyasha turned to face Naraku. "You bastard! Are you the one who did that?" he pointed to Kagome.
Naraku smirked. "Fufufu, just now is the stupid hanyou getting the real gist of my plans for you and your friends." He moved his right hand behind as back and started to twirl his ring finger, faster and faster.
Inuyasha heard screams and his eyes darted to where Sango and Miroku were standing. A tornado had enveloped them and rocks from the ground were being drawn in. Even from where he stood, Inuyasha could smell shallow and deep cuts being formed over both of the human's bodies. "Why you!" he screamed at the top of his lungs, lunging with Tessaiga held high.
Naraku saw the attack coming and smiled. He did not move as Inuyasha came closer and closer. At the very last second, his body started to fade away. All Inuyasha's sword hit was a cloud of smoke.
That bastard! Where the fuck did he go? Deciding that his friends needed him more, Inuyasha stopped looking for Naraku in an instant and started running to where they were.
Sango covered her eyes with one arm while groping blindly through the deadly winds. "Miroku, where are you?" she screamed.
Her voice was attacked by the winds and disoriented. All Miroku could hear was a form of sound, but it made no words. Sango, please be safe. I don't know what I would do without you. I know it has been two years since I proposed and we still have yet to get married, I still love you as if you are already my wife.
Kirara stared down at the one girl that she felt had been stolen of life too early. Around Kagome's neck was half of the Shikon no Tama. Kirara lay down beside Kagome and nudged the jewel. She had seen what it could do and she wished that it could work its magic now. But deep down, she felt that it was too late for the girl from the future.
Meanwhile, Shippo had been hiding in the bushes. Watching as everyone he ever cared about came close to death. When his adopted mother had been struck down from behind by Naraku, his heart had turned cold as ice. He wanted to march up to the stupid man wearing the baboon fur and kill him. No matter how much he wanted to, he knew that he would be no match if Inuyasha couldn't even land one hit. Please Inuyasha; avenge the death of my old family and my new one.
Inuyasha circled the vortex, trying to find some way to break it. He knew if he used Kaze no Kizu, Miroku and Sango would perish. Kuso! What am I supposed to do?
All of a sudden, a blinding flash appeared from behind our hero hanyou. He turned in time to see Naraku unleashing a very powerful youkai attack. Inuyasha's eyes grew wide as his body froze up. If I die now, I can join Kagome… So he just stood there, waiting for the attack to pierce his body and stop his beating heart.
When the attack was a foot away, a pink-hued barrier appeared in front of Inuyasha. The scent of lavender, vanilla, and salt water caressed Inuyasha's nose. "Kagome?" he asked, his eyes full of shock. He looked around and could not see her. When he looked over to where Kirara was, he still saw her lifeless body. What in the eight hells?
Kagome opened her eyes to utter blackness. Where am I? The last thing I remember was a huge rush of pain and then nothing….It then dawned on her that she had died. "No…no….NO!!" she screamed, her voice echoing through the emptiness. "This wasn't supposed to happen. Inuyasha and I were supposed to move on after the jewel. I may not have been with him, but at least we would both be alive…"
"Things don't have to be this way," an angelic voice said from all around Kagome. Then, a figure appeared. It was Midoriko.
"Midoriko-sama! What are you doing here?" Kagome asked, bowing her head in respect for the ancient miko.
"I am here to make you an offer at a new life, but there will be a cost."
"It depends what the cost is."
"You would have to become the Jewel's protector for all eternity for you see, the jewel can never actually be destroyed. The only way you would be relieved of your duties, is if you choose death at any given time in you life."
Kagome's heart stopped for an instant. "Eternity? As in, I live forever and watch everyone around me perish, except for Inuyasha?" Midoriko nodded. Kagome closed her eyes and thought about it. I don't think that I could ever see my friends grow old and die while I stay the same age forever. But then again, if I don't say yes, I can never see Inuyasha again.
"Can I see what is going on in the real world first? Just to see if things are going alright."
Midoriko nodded. This girl seems so strong and yet something seems to be missing.
As soon as an image formed, Kagome gasped. There was an enormous attack hurdling towards him and he wasn't moving at all. "Inuyasha!" she screamed. Her heart began to quiver. He can't die! He needs to live, for Kikyo! Kagome felt her eyes beginning to water up and tears streamed down her paling face. "Inuyasha…..Inuyasha…….Inuyasha! Please you need to live!"
At that moment, she felt her miko powers rushing from the world of the dead to the world of the living. Just as the attack was about to hit him, one of her barriers sprung up in front of him. Midoriko gasped. This girl is still able to cast barriers, even from a different world. No wonder that she was chosen by the gods to protect the jewel. I just hope that she chooses to live.
Kagome saw her own barrier spring up in front of Inuyasha. How am I able to do that? I am dead so I shouldn't be able to protect him. She widened her eyes. "I won't be able to protect Inuyasha anymore if I don't choose to live. Then, he would most likely die!" She turned to Midoriko.
The ancient miko stared at Kagome; waiting for the answer she hoped would part from her lips.
"I want to go back, no matter the costs, no matter the sacrifices that I must make."
Midoriko nodded. "But I must warn you, your body will not be healed when you return so you will be in great pain."
Kagome smiled and shook her head. "At least I would be feeling something other than this empty darkness."
"Very well, I will return you to the world of the living now. May you end Naraku and purify the Shikon no Tama."
Kagome started to cry as she bowed her head once more. "Arigatou, Midoriko-sama."
Inuyasha watched as the attack disintegrated. The barrier slowly faded away and Kagome's scent left. Naraku was furious as he saw that his rival hanyou was still alive.
"How on Earth did you survive that?" Naraku yelled.
Inuyasha smirked and looked to the ground. "Kagome protected me, and she is gone to the next world." He darted his eyes upwards and they were a hellish red. "And it's because of you that she was forced to her grave at the age of seventeen. For that, I will end your life permanently!"
Naraku chuckled evilly. "Ooh, I am so scared. You may have changed into a full demon, but that does not mean anything."
As Naraku's attention began to turn all to the hanyou, Miroku and Sango were released from the whirlwind, their bodies covered in blood and wounds.
Sango saw Miroku and smiled. "I am so glad you are alive houshi-sama. Now, I can die in peace." She blacked out and began to fall to the unforgiving ground.
"No! SANGO!" Miroku said, running to catch her before she hit the ground. Her breaths were coming very ragged and spread out. Damn you Naraku! First you take my family, then my friend, and now you have hurt my love. You will pay for this! "Sango, please open your eyes! You're going to be alright!"
Sango opened her eyes and grinned slightly. "Even I know….that I am not going….to make it….Please just accept….my demise…."
Miroku shook his head as tears spilled out of his violet eyes. "No, you are going to live! Even if I have to go the gates of heaven to beg Kami to let you live! I am not going to lose you!"
Sango began to cough violently and she took one last breath. "I love….you….Miroku…Never for-get…..what….we….h-had…" She used the last bits of her strength to push her lips upon Miroku's.
Miroku felt her kiss and tried to pour as much emotion as he could into it. He kissed until he felt her lips turning cold. Slowly, he brought her down onto his lap. "Sango…" he said, his voice heavy with defeat.
Kirara saw her owner fall but she remained where she was. She had been told to stand guard over Kagome's body, and so she would. Suddenly, she felt an aura growing behind her. Kirara turned her head and saw a faint pink glow beginning to form around Kagome. Curious, she walked over and nearly collapsed when she saw the dead girl's chest starting to rise and fall, even though they seemed to be painful.
Inuyasha faced off with Naraku and prepared his claws knowing that Tessaiga would be of no use to himself without human blood. "Kagome, this is to avenge your death. I promise to end Naraku's life once and for all."
Naraku scoffed as he began to form new body parts. "You are nothing without your precious miko and you know it."
"Shut up, you bastard!" Inuyasha shouted. "I will end you, even if it involves me sacrificing my own life!"
Out of the blue, Naraku felt a familiar aura beginning to fill the air. "No…she should be dead!"
Inuyasha felt the presence as well. It can't be! He turned towards Kagome and saw the pink hue surrounding her entire body. She began to rise up into the air as Miroku and Shippo too turned to stare.
All Kagome felt was pain and nothingness. Her eyes were glued shut and she tried to open them. In her mind, she saw her half of the Shikon no Tama starting to glow more and more pure. Then, all of the pain ended and her eyes flew open. The first thing she looked for was Inuyasha.
Inuyasha stared up at the believed dead miko. "K-K-KAGOME!!" he screamed at the top of his lungs, leaping into the air so he could embrace her.
Kagome saw Inuyasha coming towards her and began to grin until she saw the four tentacles hurdling towards his back. "INUYASHA! Watch out!!" she said, launching herself forward and at the same time, forming a barrier around everyone that she knew and loved.
Inuyasha turned around in time to avoid the attack and then looked back at Kagome. He could see that she was still bleeding and that she was falling again. "Damn it!" He changed his aerial path and caught her deftly in his arms.
She had forgotten all about the pain in her body for a moment. But it came back with renewed vigor. Her eyes began to water profusely and a moan escaped her throat.
Inuyasha landed gently back on the ground before dashing off into the woods, holding Kagome close to his chest. When he felt Naraku would not find them right away, he set her down and started talking to her. "Kagome, can you hear me?"
Kagome squinted her eyes and asked, "Inuyasha, is it really you?"
Inuyasha felt his eyes beginning to water up but he fought them back. "Oh Kami Kagome! I thought that I had lost you for good this time."
"I never meant to leave you Inuyasha. And I am so sorry for making you worry."
"We've been over this wench. You don't apologize for something that isn't your fault. And this is not your fault because I was the one who left you alone and vulnerable to Naraku's attacks."
Kagome smiled and sat up causing her a momentary dizzy spell.
Inuyasha gasped as she got up. "Are you sure that you should already be up and moving?"
"We can't let Naraku win. Besides, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Kirara are all waiting for us."
At this moment, the jewel began to resonate stronger than before. Some of the wounds on both Inuyasha and Kagome began to close and their strength was returning to them swiftly. A voice rang through the air. "This is all that I can do for now, but please, hurry and defeat Naraku!"
"Midoriko-sama, you have done so much for me this past little while. I will never be able to repay you."
"But you have Kagome my dear. By taking my place as the protector of the jewel, you have allowed my soul to be freed. I can now pass on and go join Kami in the sky. Thank-you, Kagome-sama." The voice ended and left them feeling a new hope.
"Let's go Inuyasha."
"Yeah!"