Chapter 1: The Heart of the Matter
Sango quickly covered her chest with her hiraikotsu to block the speared tentacle from piercing through her chest. She heard a crack and muttered "Oh shit!" Her hiraikotsu snapped in half and the tentacle then stabbed through her heart.
Miroku paused in his battle against Kohaku when he heard Sango's scream. He smashed his staff against Kohaku's head, knocking him to the ground, and ran over to the dying woman's side. He cradled her against his chest and whispered "Sango, this isn't the end that I wanted, I wanted to live with the woman who has captured my heart." He gasped when he felt a cold hand touch his cheek. He heard her hoarse voice whisper "I'm so sorry, that I was unable to live with and give you the family you wanted. I really wanted to be with you. Miroku, can you come a little closer? There's something I need to tell you." He brought his face closer and closed his eyes. He waited patiently, he felt something cold press against his lips and his eyes shot wide open in surprise. Sango pulled away with a sad smile on her face and said "Too bad that's the last time I'll be able to do that with you. I wish I could just be with you like this forever. Your arms feel so warm and comforting, I know I may not have shown it very well but…I love you Miroku, don't you ever forget me…promise me that okay?" Tears started pouring out of his eyes as Sango's eyes closed and her body went limp in his arms. He laid her on the ground and knelt beside her, said a prayer, and whispered "I'll be with you shortly." He stood and turned around and gasped at what he saw, Kohaku was standing there holding the chains of his weapon. Miroku looked down and saw the blade embedded in his chest. With a shaky hand, he grabbed the chain and yanked on it as hard as he could, causing Kohaku to fall to Miroku's feet. Miroku pulled the blade out of his chest and pushed Kohaku back down and stabbed him where the jewel shard lay and pulled it out. Kohaku's struggling stopped and Miroku threw the shard away and walked over to Sango's body. He laid down next to her and grabbed her hand and said to her "I guess that we will be together like you wanted after all." He closed his eyes and sucked in his last breath.
Kagome was riding on Kirara, firing arrows at Naraku's body. Kirara was trying desperately to avoid being stabbed by the tentacles swinging around them. They were getting close to their target when a tentacle wrapped itself around Kirara's leg. It began to drag her down, causing Kagome to fall off. As she fell through the sky, she felt something sharp pierce through her back, stopping her midfall. She screamed "Inuyasha! Help me!" The half demon paused in his battle with Kagura and looked up to the sky and immediately smelt Kagome's blood. He ran from Kagura, who let him go because she didn't want to fight, and started jumping across tentacles to get to Kagome. He grabbed her and started to head to his forest. He ran to the Goshinboku tree and laid her against it's trunk. He tore off a part of his sleeve and wrapped it around her wound to stop the bleeding. She grabbed one of his hands and held onto tightly saying "Thank you Inuyasha, you're the only one left who is able to fight Naraku. I hope that you'll live through this and come back for me." Inuyasha put his free hand on her shoulder and said "I'll beat him Kagome, and then I'll come back to get you right away, but just incase I do die…" He moved his head so that his face was right infront of hers and moved in and kissed her. When he pulled away after a few seconds he felt a hand around the back of his neck and found himself in a deep, passionate kiss with Kagome. When she pulled away her grip on his hand tightened and her head was cast downwards. Inuyasha stared at her and asked "Kagome, what…?" He was cut off when she spoke "I'm sorry Inuyasha," She raises her head and looks him in the eye and went on "It's just that, Sango and Miroku are dead and you're the only one I have left and I don't want to lose you! Don't go Inuyasha! Stay with me please?" She wrapped her arms around him and started crying "I love you Inuyasha, don't leave me now." Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her and softly spoke "Kagome, I love you too, but do you want Sango and Miroku's deaths to be in vain? I have to fight to make sure you're safe, after all, I don't want my future wife to do now do I?" He pulled out a gold ring from the folds of his kimono. He grabbed her left hand and placed it on her third finger. He stood up and said "Wait for me here, at our sacred tree, I swear on my life that I'll come back and make you the happiest bride in the world!" He looked back at her before running off to the battle with Kagome watching him go.
She heard rustling coming from some nearby bushes. She felt around on the ground until her hand came upon a rock and she took aim at the bushes. She saw Kirara in her kitten form and tossed the rock away. Kirara ran over to Kagome and jumped onto her shoulder and nuzzled her cheek. She petted the cat's head and said "I'm glad you're okay, I was worried about you." Kagome shakily got to her feet, and bent over grabbing her stomach in pain. Kirara quickly transformed and signaled for Kagome to get on her back. Once Kagome was on, Kirara began dashing through the forest to get to the edge of it to watch the battle. When they reached it, what they saw made Kagome scream in terror, the entire battlefield was all torn apart and there was blood everywhere. She desperately looked around for some sign of Inuyasha, but there was nothing to be found except for Naraku's part of the jewel and a shard that were laying around. Sango, Miroku, and Kohaku's bodies were gone aswell. She picked up the pieces of the jewel and noticed a torn up red kimono shirt laying on the ground. She quickly ran towards it and collapsed to her knees, hugging the shirt tightly to her chest, she began to cry. "He took the other three and ran off after Sesshomaru in that direction, just so you know." Kagome looked up and saw Kagura sitting on her giant feather, thumbing behind her right shoulder. Kagome stood up and shouted "Give me a ride please?" Kagura smirked and replied "Very well." She then brought the feather down for Kagome to climb on and off they went with Kirara following close behind.
Kagome asked "What happened to Inuyasha?" Kagura turned her head around to look at the girl's tear-stained face and answered "Him and Sesshomaru finally worked together and brought Naraku down. Sesshomaru then took off and Inuyasha grabbed your friends and Kohaku and chased after him. Probably wants him to use his sword to revive them." She then turned her head back around. Kagome looked down at the ring on her finger and smiled, remembering what he had said to her earlier. She was snapped out of her thoughts when Kagura said "Look down there! It's Sesshomaru and Inuyasha!" Kagome quickly jumped off the feather towards them yelling "Inuyasha!"
He looked up and saw Kagome falling towards him. He smiled and shouted "You idiot!" He opened his arms wide, caught her and swung her around. She said "I'm glad you're okay, I was so worried about you!" She then turned her head to Sesshomaru and pleaded "Please Sesshomaru, can you revive our friends?" He turned his emotionless eyes to her and coldly replied "No, it's too late for them." He turned around and walked away, leaving Inuyasha to comfort the crying girl. He said "It's okay Kagome, they would want you to be happy. I'll always be with you, I swore on my life that I'd make you the happiest bride in the world and I intend to carry out that promise." He grabbed her chin and tilted her face upwards and brought his face down to hers and gave her a deep passionate kiss.
Kagura grew sick of watching the two lovebirds and felt a desire to go after Sesshomaru. She said "Farewell you two, I hope the next time I see you there'll be some brats running around." She turned and pulled out another feather and flew off after the man who held a high place in her heart.
He pulled away and embraced her and softly whispered "Come on, let's go back to Kaede's village and give these three a nice funeral." They put the three bodies onto Kirara's back and Kagome climbed onto Inuyasha's back and they ran off. When they were on the outskirts of Musashi Village, Kagome wrapped her arms around Inuyasha's neck, making him blush, and said "Thank you Inuyasha," He looked back at her and asked "For what?" She answered "For choosing me instead of Kikyo." He stopped running, but Kirara went on ahead to give them some privacy, and let her get to her feet and took a few steps away and sat down on the grass. He patted the spot next to him and she obediently walked over and sat beside him. He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to his chest and she leaned into him. He was quiet for a moment before he spoke "My relationship with Kikyo ended fifty years ago, the moment she pinned me to the Goshinboku. When she was brought back from the dead I was confused, she was so hateful and angry towards me, all she wanted was revenge against me. I thought about you lying there and I was so scared of what would happen. It was then that I knew that you were slowly filling the place in my heart that Kikyo once held. I didn't know how you felt about me so I acted cruel towards you, but you were always so kind. I always felt bad about the things I did and said to you when you used the sit command on me, I deserved it though, I was such a jerk to you. And I want to apologize for everything. I don't deserve someone like you, after all, I'm just a worthless half breed." Kagome interrupted "Half demon, you're far from worthless. All the things you've done have far surpassed anything any full demon has ever done. You always fought so hard to protect us and you never gave up. I always admired your determination and so I tried harder and harder in each fight. But no matter how hard I tried, you always had to come to my rescue." She reached up and grabbed the prayer beads around his neck and removed them and whispered "Now you're free to go and do whatever you want." He took his arm off her shoulders and forced her to look him in the eyes and said "It's important that I go see Kikyo, I have to make sure that she rests in peace without hating me. Is that okay with you?" She nodded and answered "It's fine, I already said that you're free to do whatever you want." She grabbed both of his hands and firmly held onto them and continued "I want you to be able to feel free with me, I don't want to control you or have you feel dominated by me." He quickly and firmly pressed his lips against hers, when he felt her kiss back he slid his tongue into her mouth and felt around for hers. They were kissing for a few moments before they broke apart to breathe. Inuyasha placed his hand on her face and said "I'll be back soon to continue where we left off." He winked at her, making her fiercely blush, and helped her to her feet before running off after Kikyo's scent. Kagome watched him go and thought to herself 'Even if I wanted, I know that nothing I do could ever stop you from going off to see her.' Tears formed in her eyes but she quickly wiped them away and sat down to wait for Inuyasha's return.
An hour had passed and Kagome couldn't take it anymore and ran after him.
Inuyasha saw Kikyo's soul collectors fly by and saw her up ahead, walking deeper into the heart of the forest, towards the Goshinboku. He sped up and yelled "Kikyo, wait!" The priestess halted and turned around to see Inuyasha leap and land infront of her. She smirked and questioned "What did you come here for Inuyasha?"
Kagome saw some soul collectors flying around in circles and knew that the two were nearby. She kept walking until she heard voices and two figures came into view. She hid behind a tree and watched the scene play out before her.
Inuyasha yelled "Please Kikyo! You're already dead, you don't belong in this world any longer! I want you to rest in peace without your hatred of me!" She hardened her gaze and muttered "So you have chosen my reincarnation. If I leave this world the piece of her soul that I have will return to her. The only way for me to rest in peace is for you to kill me. Can you honestly say you can do that?" He grunted and looked down. Kikyo walked towards him, placed a cold hand on his cheek and kissed him.
Kagome felt her heart cracking when she saw him place his arms around her and deeply return the kiss. Tears streamed down her face and she fell to her knees and wrapped her arms around herself and silently cried. She thought 'I can't believe I thought he was telling the truth, I really am a fool. He still loves Kikyo.' She stood up and started walking in the direction of the Bone Eater's Well.
Inuyasha broke the kiss and looked at Kikyo, whose eyes were wide open in shock, and whispered "I'm so sorry." Kikyo smiled, a true smile, and grabbed his hand and said "I'm glad I met you and that it was who that I fell in love with. I hope that you'll be happy with my reincarnation, Kagome's her name right? You'll have to hurry before she reaches the well, she left just a moment ago and we're not too far from it." His eyes widened as he thought 'If she saw all this she must think everything I told her was a lie! I'm such a fool! I can't believe I didn't notice she was here!' He pulled his claws out of Kikyo's chest and watched her body turn to dust and followed the soul through the forest towards his beloved.
Kagome was sitting on the ledge of the well, desperately trying to stop the tears from falling. She saw a light floating towards her and watched it enter her body. She heard a voice, that she knew all too well, yelling "Don't go through that well!" She sat there waiting for Inuyasha to come into view.
He ran until he was just a few feet from Kagome. It pained him to look into her eyes, but he refused to look away. He then opened his mouth to speak.