... Not much to say for once... xD Um... Errrr... Happy Thanksgiving I guess. xD Now on to the chapter.

Chapter 21

A lone soul collector slowly made its way through the night sky, searching for its master.

A lone hanyou glided swiftly through the forest, also searching for the same individual.

Said master and individual, Kikyo, was laying in a nook of an old tree when the snake like demon approached, joining its kin in hovering near her. She paid it no mind. But then, however, she began to sense a demonic presence. One she knew. It was InuYasha.

"Kikyo!" He called out, seeing the glow of her soul collectors ahead.

She gave no answer, knowing he knew she was there. He burst into the clearing, stopping abruptly. The two were silent for a while as they usually were, until Kikyo spoke up.

"So," she said, almost in a confident tone of voice, "have you come to your senses and decided to come to hell with me, InuYasha?"

InuYasha stared. "Don't you think that if I wanted to, I would have by now?"

"That girl is holding you back. Leave her, and come die with me, as you promised."

"No, Kikyo. I never promised you that. I killed Naraku and avenged your death; my debt to you is complete. I don't owe you anything more. And 'that girl' isn't holding me back. I love her."

Kikyo suddenly looked hurt, as much hurt as a false body could look. "But... You... You love me."

"I thought I loved you once. But it turns out I didn't. Kagome showed me real love. She trusts me completely, and she loves me for what I am, unlike you, who wanted to use the jewel to make me a human."

Kikyo's face returned to being solemn.

"Fine", she said, "I shall kill the girl, and you will come back to me once more."

"No you won't," InuYasha told her, "And even if you did or even could, I would never return to you. You never loved me, you convinced me you did, but you really didn't. I was just your passage to becoming a normal woman."

Kikyo opened her mouth to say something, but InuYasha cut her off.

"And now, Kikyo, now that your death has been avenged, I will do what I should have done a very long time ago."

And with that, he leaped into the air and took out a soul collector with his Iron Reaver attack.

"No!" Kikyo yelled at him, "You hanyou! You cannot kill me!" But without her souls, she began to grow weaker and weaker and was unable to stop him.

InuYasha ignored her and destroyed another and another.

When there was but one left, he turned to Kikyo and uttered one word.

"Goodbye."

He faced the demon and swiped his claws at it. A golden-white light began glowing from Kikyo's body, and a pulse-like sound overpowered her many screams. The souls her demons had slowly started to rise into the night sky and find their way back to their rightful owners. Where Kikyo had been, there was nothing but clay dust and graveyard soil.

---

Kagome suddenly bolted upright out of her slumber. She blinked and her eyes opened wide for a moment. Some part of her felt different... Whole... She couldn't tell what though. She thought nothing of it and laid down again. She was just about to close her eyes when she heard someone at the door. She turned her head to see a red-clad figure stride in.

"Inu..." she began, her voice weak from sleep.

But he heard her. He went over to her and sat down beside her.

"Where were..." she whispered, slowly getting more and more tired.

"I finally did it."

"Did... What?"

"I finally put Kikyo to rest," he informed her.

Instantly, Kagome was wide awake again.

"You what?" she asked again.

"I laid Kikyo to rest," the hanyou repeated.

"So... The wholeness I feel... It's...?"

InuYasha nodded. "Yeah. Your soul is whole again."

Kagome brought a hand up to her chest and put it up to her heart. This was all so much to take in. Kikyo was... Gone? Forever? With Kagome's luck so far, Kikyo would probably be alive again in a matter of months. But she shook the thought away and turned to look at InuYasha.

"She's really... She's really gone?"

He nodded again. "Mhmm. She's where she belongs. She didn't belong in the world of the living; she was dead."

"So... No more 'visits' with her?" She looked away, embarassed at being so selfish, wanting InuYasha all for herself.

"Nope. Not that if she was still here I would anyways. I love you and only you. Haven't you figured that out yet?" He said softly, and he leaned over and kissed her on the forehead.

Kagome smiled a little and wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his face to hers, and captured his lips in hers. He gladly obliged and snaked an arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him and deepening the kiss a little. Tongues soon began to explore the mouths of the other. Presently, they pulled back for air, as even half demons and priestesses need to breathe.

After a quick peck on the cheek, InuYasha got up, but felt a tugging on his hakama pants. He looked down to see Kagome staring up at him.

"Stay? Stay next to me? Please?" She said.

He smiled at her and answered, "Sure."

He sat back down and, satisfied, Kagome laid down again.

Something was bothering InuYasha in the back of his head. It had been for quite some time now. He had planned to do this at another time, but he couldn't stand it any longer.

"Kagome?" he asked the young girl, "Are you awake?"

She nodded while laying down. "Mhmm."

InuYasha took a deep breath. "Kagome... I was wondering... Um... Would you..." He sighed. "You love me, right?"

Kagome rolled over to look at him. "Yes. I do."

"Then, Kagome... Would..." He stopped, inhaling and exhaling deeply. "Would you be my mate?"

---

A/N: EBIL CLIFFIE! Also, ding-dong, Kikyo's dead! Hoorah! xD Yeah, I had this little nagging voice at the back of my head bugging me to do it, so I finally did. After all, I think I was focusing a little too much on Miroku and Sango and not enough on everyone else too. Also, InuYasha asked it! The big question:P Yeah! Oh yeah, also, no matter how much begging and pleading there is, I'm not doing a lemon. I'm just not that type of writer. xD Even if I did, it'd sound really weird. Anyways, I'll be seeing you soon for chapter 22! Sayounnara and ja ne!