Chapter One:

A Bitter End or a New Beginning?

Kagome looked down at the small pink sphere laying in her hand, so small it seemed insignificant minus the small luminous glow that it shown. The jewel is all but complete after adding all of Naraku's shards to its entirety. So many lives had been lost over this small jewel. Some were the most vile creatures like Naraku, the half demon that the group had recently defeated. A lot were loved ones to be missed dearly: Kohaku, Sango's family and their village, many wolves of the eastern wolf tribe, countless family members of villagers, and the list seemingly never ends. This jewel doesn't seem capable of creating any good deed, Kagome thought to herself. She sighed to herself as she contemplated what wish would bring the most good into this world it has torn apart at the seams.

She heard footsteps softly rustle the grass behind her nearby, "Kagome..." A familiar silver-haired hanyou softly started. She waited motionlessly for him to say more for a few moments before sighing again and slowly raised from her seated position to face him. Her gaze lifted from the shikon no tama slowly. First her eyes spotted Inuyasha's red robe of the fire rat first, but soon focused past him to all the destruction left behind from killing Naraku: every plant singed and now lifeless, various trees broken and cut down, and their comrades tending to each others' wounds. Her vision settled lastly on a set of warm golden orbs that she could tell were trying to break down the walls she set up to protect her very soul. "It's all over now."

I could feel myself slowly being drawn back into my body and away from the numbness that had started to set it. Those four words had warmed me up from the shock I allowed to consume me. "I k-k-know..." I took a moment to swallow the lump in my throat and started again, "I know, it's just a lot to register at once. How is everyone?"

"They all will need time to recover from their wounds, but none are serious enough to be life threatening. Sango has some broken ribs," the memory of Naraku's tentacle sweeping into Sango's midsection as she tried throwing her hiraikotsu and slamming her body back into a tree trunk flashed instantly in her mind. "Miroku injured his leg. Shippo is out cold, but should come to shortly." Shippo had managed to distract Naraku long enough by using his fox fire attack to set his ebony hair aflame. That distraction had cost Shippo a wave of tentacles to slam down upon his small figure; but allowed me enough time to finish powering up her sacred arrow enough to enable the arrow to pierce through Naraku's barrier and completely purify his evil heart.

My friend's have sacrificed so much in order to achieve this great feat, but sacrificed even more to compensate for my insufficient training. I walked over to Shippo's still form, still slightly buried in the earth around him due to the sheer force the tentacles had hit him. I gently picked him up unable to hold any sort of composure the shock had been holding back. "I swear I will master my priestess training so you or any of my friends will have to ever endanger their lives for my sake again," I declared to the unconscious kitsune as a few tears escaped my eyes.

This declaration renewed my resolve. My tears dried shortly after they had begun. My face changed from that of sadness, to the firm determination I now felt running fiercely through my veins. I found my yellow backpack on the ground nearby on the dirt. I set Shippo down on one of the few green patches of grass around before pulling out all of my healing supplies and supply of common healing herbs essential to most ointments, "Starting now."

(^u^)

She doesn't seem like her happy and optimistic self, I mused from a distance. My tail hung limp behind me as I focused on the woman I claimed as my own. Every detail about her screamed how distraught this whole ordeal had made her. Her usually soft facial features carried an edge to them: her mouth no longer her usual easy smile, but now a hard line; and her eyes steeled rather than the warm chocolate orbs I was used to. She walked with her head held high with her medicine bag held in her grip. Her strength never ebbs away even when moments ago she looked shattered. My woman will never be brought down. My sweet Kagome always loyal to her friends and caring for their needs. A corner of my mouth raised slightly with the thought as I watched her tend to her friends' wounds. When she finally knelt next to that mutt, I felt my smile vanish.

She still loves him.

"Koga!" Two very familiar voices yelled out, their worn out breaths drawing closer. They managed to miss the entire fight. I'm not sure if I should be grateful that they are safe, or angry they run at the pace of a slug. I sighed to myself as they came to a stop before me, now bent over panting hard to try catching their breaths. "We...are so...glad...you're...alive," they managed between breaths.

I scowled before punching each to the ground, their faces planting into the ground beneath them. "And I'm glad you decided to actually make it here sometime within this millennia," I barked angrily at them. How dare they believe I am so easily defeated! How dare they think I would die and allow any harm to come to my Kagome! Yes, anger was the option I decided to opt with. I staggered momentarily from standing up so quickly to reprimand the two idiots before thinking about how wise of a decision that was with my injuries-or rather how unwise the decision was.

I tested my limbs, trying to determine how long it would take for the wounds I've received in battle to heal. I had a limp in both legs; my right shin felt shattered and my left thigh had a hole clear from front to back. I winced from the movements. There were several cuts of varying depths and lengths across my torso, but that just hid the fact of three fractured ribs. This will take a me at least a couple weeks to recover from, I sighed at this realization as I glanced back up to see Kagome still tending to the half demon. I turned back towards the east and headed towards the tree line in that direction, noticing for the first time how ashamed my two friends looked.

I smiled halfheartedly, "Ginta. Hakkaku. I'm glad you two are ok. Run back to the pack and inform them I will be back as soon as I can. Until then watch over them and lead them."

Their heads lifted and brightened almost simultaneously, "Yes Koga!" Ginta had already started to turn to follow his task.

"Is sister ok?" Hakkaku was looking beyond me with a concerned look on his face. I followed his gaze in time to see Kagome's back disappear into the tree line opposite of where we were standing.

"She's strong. She will be," I replied absently while already turning to walk after her. I hadn't even made the decision to follow her yet. My body seemed to always react to my precious Kagome before my mind could process what my instincts already had.

"Should we go with him?" Hakkaku asked Ginta.

"I think we should let him check on sister Kagome alone, besides the pack will want to hear of Naraku's defeat. Our dead comrades have now been avenged." I could barely hear their footsteps leaving as I felt a great weight lifted off of me. I didn't lose my rhythm in my steps as I thought my fallen pack members can rest in peace knowing none shall follow their fates, if anything it pushed me forward.

(^u^)

I walked aimlessly for only kami knows how long. After tending to all my friends and knew they would be ok, I just needed to be alone.

"Kagome, where are you going?" Inuyasha had asked me with concern filling his eyes. Those golden orbs were a soft liquid gold, intent on searching out the answer to my very soul. I remember I had paused wrapping gauze around one of his wounds-which one I couldn't be certain of due to subconsciously doing what came as second nature to me.

"..." I had opened my mouth to respond that I wasn't sure, but how did he even know I was going to walk off when I was still wrapping him in gauze. I took a moment too long before his eyes shifted to somewhere behind me. He had gotten up the moment I had finished tying off the gauze and walked past me. I turned only to see he was heading towards a nearly identical face to mine.

I shook my head of the memory, trying to keep my mind from going down that train of thought yet again. How many times have I felt my heart shatter, wondering if every tender moment we shared never really was Inuyasha and I? How many times did he really see Kikyo? I guess old habits die hard and that I love torturing myself with these thoughts.

I hear running water off towards my right and head that way. Maybe the water can wash away these thoughts from my mind. I need a clear head while I make this decision. Before I made it to the origin of the peaceful sound one last memory had enveloped my mind. I thought back to the first time I saw Inuyasha meet Kikyo, but he couldn't see me. "I never stopped thinking about you, even for an instant!" His voice echoed his proclamation in my mind.

I walked faster.

I soon approached the river I had heard and I found myself throwing my shoes and socks off in a heap before walking in the water. I stopped when i felt the soft rush of the water against my knees. The water seemed to be embracing my legs, comforting and refreshing my spirit. I leaned slightly to feel the water rush through my fingers, reminding me how swiftly life can rush past you, slipping through your fingers. Oddly that thought comforted me. Time continues on.

"Why are you crying?" I didn't tense at the familiar voice. His voice has only brought me comfort. I turned towards the comfort, spotting his ice-blue orbs first.

(^u^)

I stopped at the tree line watching Kagome walk into the water at a fast pace, leaving her foot protection in a disgruntled pile. She stopped midway in the river slowly lifting her head towards the sky, the sun catching her soft features and enhancing them. She constantly amazes me with her inner and physical beauty, always finding way to look more perfect. How could it even be possible? What have I done to deserve this angel's presence in my life?

She lowered her head to look at the river, where she now was reaching her fingers towards the water. The subtle smell of salt water mixed with her scent of lilacs and lavender drifted in my nose.

"Why are you crying?" She seemed to have relaxed once in the water, yet now saw a tear escape her chocolate eyes as she turned to face me. I only made it two steps before I heard a reply.

"Koga," She said almost inaudibly. That one word stopped me in my tracks. Was that relief laced in her voice? My tail lifted slightly and was still as my breath caught in my lungs. She never showed any kind of emotion other than a faux smile at my presence before. I could feel my face add confusion to my already concerned expression. Her lithe form walked towards me making it to the soil before I had managed to shake off the shock of this realization. One shock soon replaced the other when she gently laid her head on my chest, my arms wrapping around and settling on her back.

I didn't push her to answer my question, her body seemed to express the need for silence right now. So I just let her rest there, slowly feeling her body relax against my armor. I gently brushed her hair back, not daring to break the embrace even to see her face. I intended to savor this moment and let it burn into my memory. I wanted to know what she was doing out here alone, what she was thinking, or even just know what was bothering her. All of that could wait though, right now it wasn't about what I wanted.

She leaned back giving me a gentle smile before going to sit at the river's edge and pulling me with her. I sat next to her, watching her facial features for any clue as to what she was thinking. She slowly pulled something out from under her shirt. The object still in her hand with a chain coming from it and around her neck.

"I'm not sure what to do with it yet," opening her hand to reveal the sacred jewel, seeming to miss only a couple pieces now. She stared at it like it was an alien object, both confused and mystified by it. I cut my skin on each shin to get my shards out. She caught her breath as I put my shards in her open palm next to the jewel. "Koga.." she started.

I raised my hand up, silencing her, "No, these belong to you Kagome. You will do the right thing with the shikon no tama."

"How do you know though? What if I do something selfish with it?" I could see her uncertainty shine in her eyes as the moisture started to build once more.

"Kagome," I started calmly and assuredly, "I've known you for three years now and during that time, you ain't once done a thing that could be considered selfish." I watched her head lower in shame.

"I can't tell you how many times I have thought about what to wish for with this," she said as she lifted her hand up with the jewel. "It used to be to let Inuyasha wish for whatever he wanted and trust he would wish for the right thing," she paused a moment after this. I just looked towards the water, but not really looking at it.

Not selfish and definitely in love with mutt-face. I rested my chin in my palm.

"But he told me not so long ago that he doesn't want the wish anymore. It was so random for him to tell me that at the time and I still am not sure why he said it. Ever since I've just tried thinking of what I would even wish for." She took a deep breath before continuing, "I thought maybe to wish everyone back that died because of the jewel, but then Naraku would be back and still be a danger even without jewel shards. I had settled on that wish for a couple of weeks before I realized the outcome of that wish. Then Inuyasha started disappearing nightly." I glanced towards her at that, something about that statement unsettled me.

"One night I decided to follow him and I think I already knew what I was going to find, but was in denial. I saw Kikyo's soul collector's and I wanted to turn around then, to never find out where he went. Instead my body seemed to move on its own accord and force me to see Kikyo's back and past her I saw Inuyasha embracing her. I turned away, but not before I saw a shared kiss between them. Since then I keep coming back to wishing my pain to go away; but every wording I try, hurts someone: my friends, Inuyasha, Kikyo, and even myself." She sighed heavily after that, as if just saying it all out loud was a huge relief.

"Kagome, you know you aren't selfish for even thinking that, right?" I raised my hand up to gently hold her chin and angled her head to face mine. "You are the sweetest and most genuine person I know," I reassured her and was rewarded with a genuine smile-even if it was the slightest raise the corners of her mouth. "I still know you will make the right wish."

(^u^)

I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. I wasn't sure to the cause exactly, but it started after hearing Kouga's unending faith in me. I thought of wishing for the sacred jewel to have never existed. But then how could I cross the well back to the feudal era to see all my friends? My thoughts drifted to the man sitting next to me and felt my heart ache. I instantly knew what I would wish for to help everyone and so that I could still possibly see all my friends in the feudal era again.

"Koga, thank you so much for always supporting me and having faith in me. I couldn't have made it to this point if not for you," I paused gauging his reaction. He flashed his famous fanged smile. It gave me the courage to continue, "I can't explain properly how much I appreciate everything you have done for me, but I wanted to let you know." I took a last final breath and saw a bit of confusion flash in his expression, probably wondering where I was going with this.

(^u^)

I felt as if I was soaring high in the clouds, but then she started to sound like she was telling me goodbye. Please don't tell me this is goodbye!

I started to feel panic set in, but kept my grin the same in case I was wrong as she said, "Koga, I think I love you!" She said it so fast, I wondered if I had heard what I was wishing rather than what she actually meant. Nonetheless, I felt so elated as I went to grab her hand. I noticed too late her hands were grasped tightly around the-now complete- sacred jewel with her eyes tightly shut.

"Kag..."

I was too late to tell her anything before she made her wish.