"No…."

InuYasha's whisper hung in the air, mingling with the dust that still had yet to settle over the rubble. He stood there among his companions, drinking in the scene as though he were an outsider. Time had ceased to move the moment that his scream had ripped through the air, and now all he could do was stare at the mound of rock and debris where the cave entrance had been minutes before.

"No…"

This time, the admission of denial was not enough to stave off the truth of what had just happened. Time began to move again in a blur of red and silver as InuYasha took off toward the broken pile of rock. He threw himself into the debris and began digging with a desperation that he dared not acknowledge. She's going to be all right, he told himself. She's going to... I'll find her!

The first one to realize the futility of InuYasha's effort was Miroku. The monk, who had been the one to take hold of the unconscious Kikyo, gently laid the priestess onto the soft grass behind him. After making sure that she was settled comfortably, he turned back to the unbelievable situation at hand. His friend needed him.

The walk from that spot to where InuYasha labored seemed to last forever, but it was still not enough time for Miroku to chase the lump from his throat. When he began moving to the hanyou's side, Miroku was sure that there was no hope. There was no way that Kagome could have survived that cave-in. But as he drew closer to InuYasha, he could see the sheer desperation that drove his friend. He knew that Kagome was in there, somewhere. And suddenly, at that moment, that was enough. Before Miroku knew it he, too, found himself throwing aside the pieces of earth that had encased Kagome.

Neither man noticed when Sango, Shippo, and even Kirara came to help. They worked in relative silence, pushing their already bruised and battered bodies past the point of exhaustion in an effort to find the missing girl. The only time they spoke was when someone would call out to the young priestess, but there was never an answer among the stone. No one breathed a word of doubt- they did not dare. Kagome meant too much to them all for them to give up on her right now.

Finally, with a heavy sigh, Miroku's hands stopped their motion. Their efforts were fruitless- they had been digging for Buddha only knew how long, and still they had found no trace of Kagome. Miroku turned his head just enough to catch a glimpse of InuYasha. The hanyou worked as furiously now as he had when the cave had first collapsed hours ago, and yet Mirkou could see the shock and exhaustion taking its toll. The usually steady hands shook just slightly, and his passionate, blazing eyes had a glazed look to them. Miroku shook his head and reached out to grab his friend's shoulder.

"Kagome!"

The surprised yelp stayed Miroku's hand, and he followed InuYasha's gaze into the rubble. There, beneath the dirt and stone was the sign they had been looking for.

InuYasha flung the remaining debris aside, exposing the rest of the green cloth that had caught his eye minutes ago. He tried not to focus on the pale, bruised skin that lay beneath the rock, or the dark colored stain that spread across the surrounding stones. It did not take him long to move the last of the rock, and InuYasha quickly scooped up Kagome's still form and hurried away from the rubble.

The others followed in worried silence, casting glances between the hanyou and the bloodied tomb that lay behind them. No one dared to say a word, though, each praying that it would be enough to simply hope.

InuYasha gently laid the girl onto the soft grasses just a few feet from where Kikyou lay. He did not even glance at the other miko as he bent his head close to Kagome's chest, straining his ears for any sign of life.

"Come on, Kagome..."

Silence. There was no heartbeat within her chest, no faint whistle as the air passed her lips. There was nothing. She was gone.

"No..."

InuYasha pulled her close and buried his face in her dark locks. "Why did you do it, Kagome? Why?" The first traces of moisture began to burn behind his eyes, and he angrily wiped them away. How could she do that? How could she sacrifice herself like that? He could have gotten her out of there, and she pushed him away! "I'm supposed to save you, damn it! I'm supposed to protect you!!"

His angry shout echoed through the clearing, effectively silencing the gentle sounds of nature as it reached across the grass and into the surrounding trees. From somewhere beside him, InuYasha could hear the faint sobs of his companions as the reality of what that shout meant began to sink in. But at the moment, their grief didn't matter to him. He was struggling to hold on, to keep the final the shreds of his control from slipping through his blood-stained hands. But he couldn't deny the truth; that single truth that kept repeating itself within his head and heart. Kagome was gone- she was dead, and it was his fault because he couldn't save her.

Something within him snapped, and the world around him vanished beneath a black shroud. He clutched Kagome's broken body as though it were a lifeline in the darkness, buried his head deeper into her matted hair, and cried.

"InuYasha?"

The soft sound of his name being spoken brought InuYasha awake. The nightmarish world that he had been trapped in melted away, and the hanyou took a deep breath in an effort to shake the last few images from his mind. He had dreamed of an endless pile of dirt and stone, and no matter how long he dug, he still couldn't find what he was desperately looking for...

Oh God...

Reality came crashing back, and InuYasha unconsciously hugged Kagome closer to his body. But as his arms constricted about his own chest, he realized in shock that there was no one there.

The hanyou leapt to his feet, and the world suddenly began to spin. InuYasha crashed into the earth before he even had a chance to react to the fact that he was suddenly falling.

What the hell…?

"InuYasha! Are you all right?"

The hanyou groaned as he tried to sit up. The world was spinning again, and he blinked once, then twice in an effort to clear away the haze.

"InuYasha?"

InuYasha froze as he recognized the voice calling his name. He opened his eyes, slowly letting them trail from the ground up.

"K- Kagome?"

A/N: Ah yes, FINALLY!! Chapter 2!! I've been struggling with ideas on how exactly I want to develop this- I have the end picture in mind, but getting there is the trick! Hence the short chapter for now. I've also been hammering out some details for Path of Destiny, as well. I actually had that chapter half done, but of course modern technology found a way to smite that before I had a chance to back up the file. sigh Anywho, please be kind with your reviews! Also, to Moonglow Gal- if you are still interested in being a beta for future attempts at writing, please send me a new email. The one I have no longer works. :(