Light Me A Lantern

by Novaviis

Picking up the pieces after being separated for three years isn't as easy as it may seem. A quiet, burning kind of chaos sweeps through Feudal Japan, and it's going to take a lot more than a fairy tale ending to put things back together. They defeated a man who would become the Devil. Can they survive a man who would become a God?

39. Chapter 39

It's taken me seven years to get here.

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It was enough to say that the power of the vortex was overwhelming. That as it spiralled down from the sky, a maelstrom of pure and unrelenting energy, just being near it sizzled into Inuyasha's skin. That just being near it burned, but he bared the searing heat of it as Kagome held Masao in place. It was enough to say that her light was blinding. That the lilac and the crimson and the pale blue all burned up together until all he could see was white. It was enough to say that the wind tore at him, that the roar of the dragon rang in his ears, that as he came soaring down through the centre of the Yoki with the force of a falling star the finality of it all came down to the edge of his blade. All of that was enough to overwhelm Inuyasha, the poignant moment narrowing into this single act, and more than enough to say that he could hardly absorb what was happening.

But what Inuyasha could not comprehend in that moment was the way this would all end.

He came down hard. Masao, still suspended in the forced bond between himself and the dragon god, was staring back at Kagome, wide eyed and entirely human until that final moment. Inuyasha and the funnel cloud touched down at the same time, and as Masao twisted his body to look up, Inuyasha saw that mortal fear in his eyes just moments before he struck. It happened so fast, so blink-and-you'll-miss-it, that Inuyasha had barely registered the squelch of the blade burrowing through the bone and muscle of Masao's chest before it stuck into the ground. It was over just like that. The vortex collapsed, the great churning pillar of it falling out and spreading across the battlefield like a ripple in a pond. All that was left was Masao, pinned to the ground straight through his chest by the tessaiga, blood soaking into the grass and the dirt beneath him - and Inuyasha, both hands on the hilt, hair shadowing his face. The two of them, staring into each other's eyes, in frozen and opposing stares of fear, hatred, and finality.

Inuyasha had thought about this moment for a year. For twelve months, he'd imagined what it would be like. Not always out of a sense of rage and bloodlust, longing to put an end to the tyrant, though there were nights he spent staring up at the changing moon, picturing putting his claws through his throat. But most often, his thoughts revolved around the simple and desperate wish for it all to be over. When he thought about this moment, it was always with the conception of the battle, obsessing over how he would defeat Masao when the time came. He thought about the fight, the grandeur of it, the power it would take, hoping his would be enough to face Masao head on. He thought about how he would keep Kagome safe. Inuyasha, less than a year ago, had railed that he wasn't a 'fucking strategist', but in that time that is exactly what he'd needed to become. In the heat of combat, he still relied heavily on his instincts, shutting out doubt and hesitance, but with that now came a calmer approach, a practiced ability to see a situation further than himself. So it was that Inuyasha had spent the past year trying to anticipate the battle.

What he had failed to anticipate is what would come after. Just seconds after it would all end, with his blade through Masao's chest, watching him gasp and gurgle with his own blood, bubbling out his reddened mouth. How Masao's eyes would bulge and his body would twitch, reverberating up through the hilt and into Inuyasha's palms. It wasn't like this with Naraku. Not with any foe he faced. Somehow this was a thousand times more personal, having this frozen moment to stare back at his opponent, to see the recognition of defeat in Masao's eyes - a final concession. He'd lost. Inuyasha yanked the tessaiga out of Masao's failing body, a slop of blood and flesh as it tore free. The gore dripped off the edge of the fang and into the grass, all but disappearing at the tessaiga transformed, and Inuyasha returned it to its sheath. He never took his eyes off Masao. He might have expected a sick sense of satisfaction, watching this monster's slow and mortal death, but it wasn't there. There was relief, to be sure, an acknowledgement in the back of his mind that this was just, but there was no satisfaction.

Slowly, Masao stopped struggling, until with a choking sigh, the life left him. Inuyasha watched as Masao's body turned a pure shade of alabaster white, before crumbling away into dust, carried away on the summer wind. With him, the facade of the dragon faded without a trace, and the phantom dog still glowing a faint crimson around Inuyasha's body howled its victory before fading into the crystal still hanging around his neck. Only then did Inuyasha look up to scan the battlefield, watching with a sense of pride as the Yokai Horde did not give into the temptation to slaughter the remnants of Masao's forces as they surrendered - even if they likely wanted to. He stood his ground, gazing across the field, as the Horde drove the opposing armies into a retreat, with shouts of victory from the human villagers. He could hardly register that it was really over.

It certainly didn't feel like it, something nagging in the back of his mind that it couldn't be so simple, that there was something he was missing. Those thoughts quieted the moment his eyes landed on Kagome. Hand still on the hilt of the tessaiga, he stared back at her, a smile spreading across his mouth. The sun was just beginning its descent, the sky still blue and clear now that the storm had passed, late afternoon washing everything it touched in vibrant gold and pastel. She smiled back at him, haloed and warm in the light. It was over. He could feel the realization settling itself in his chest like sediment on the bottom of a river.

And then her face changed. The switch was so quick, Inuyasha felt as if he'd blinked and he was suddenly looking at a different scene. Her smile vanished, replaced with an expression he could only describe as haunted - eyes slightly widened and glazed, staring at something in the middle distance between them that she could see, colour drained from her face, body going entirely relaxed. Instantly Inuhyasha's gut churned, knowing that something was off. He frowned, taking a step toward her. "Kagome?" he called out. Shock from the battle, he thought at first, catching up with her now that it was done. When Kagome didn't respond, didn't even make an indication that he'd heard her, Inuyasha began to walk towards her. "Kagome, are you okay?" he asked. "It's over, it's..."

Something moved behind her. In that moment, it felt as if the sun had blinked out. The edges of his vision went dark and all the heat left in body in one rush from head to toe. He forgot how to breathe. He was sprinting across the field before he'd even told his body to move. He wasn't going to make it in time…

"KAGOME!"

Fast as he was, it wasn't enough. Crueler still was the fact that Inuyasha was practically forced to watch it in slow motion. Yorino limped out of the forest, Masao's pistol in hand, and raised it toward Kagome's back. Kagome gasped, broken from whatever trance she had been under, and turned around. All in one moment, the shout not even finished on Inuyasha's lips, a crack of thunder tore through the battlefield, and a burst of fire flashed from the muzzle of the pistol.

Kagome didn't scream. But, oh, how Inuyasha roared.

He reached her just as her body went tense under his frantic hands. He grabbed onto her as she jolted back, staring down at the blood seeping rapidly between her fingers, a horrific red flower blooming against the white of her kimono. His ears were still ringing with the gunshot. He swore it was the loudest sound he had ever heard, louder by far than the thousands of guns and death screams he'd heard come to a hault just minutes ago. The world around him was deafened down to the sound of his own heartbeat and the shocked, pained gasps of Kagome trying to breathe. Inuyasha steadied her, arm braced around her waist as she collapsed into him. He lowered her gently to the ground, leaning her against his chest. She was too easy to move, to limp, her head lulling against the side of his neck. "Hey, hey, it's okay," he uttered before the words had even crossed his mind. "You're okay, I've got you, I- Kagome? Kagome."

Kagome's head rolled forward as Inuyasha jostled her, adjusting her in his arms. Her eyes were open, but just barely, her mouth opening and closing with hitched gasps as if she were trying to speak but the words wouldn't come. A burst of flaming blue light cast its glow on her pale skin, erupting from behind them. Inuyasha turned only to see if it was a threat, holding her tightly against his chest as his head whipped around to see Yorino being devoured by blue flames - he hadn't even thought of the man, he realised as an after thought, hadn't let the rage drive him toward getting revenge. His sole focus had narrowed down to Kagome. It would seem, though, that his allies were taking care of the man in his absence. However, the truth of that made his stomach drop as Yorino, half dead on his feet already, shrieked out in agony and dropped to the ground. Shippo was standing behind him, blue flames still soaring from his hands, teeth gritted, eyes red and welling up with tears. Inuyasha barely has it in him to be horrified, watching Shippo cremate the man alive. When he finally stopped, too spent to keep using his fire, Shippo fell to his knees with a cry of fury. All that was left of Yorino was a snakeskin in the grass.

Kagome tensed in his arms. Immediately, Inuyasha's single focus narrowed down to her. She gritted her teeth, eyes squeezing shut - the pain was catching up to her, leaving her gasping, sweat beading on her forehead and plastering her hair to her skin. Inuyasha covered her hands, still clasped over her bleeding abdomen, with his own. "C'mon, look at me," he coaxed her, "let me see it." Gently, he pried her hands away from her body to get a better look at the wound. He could barely see it still, with the blood gushing out at every pump of her heart - but it was deep, torn through her soft skin like a crater. The scent of her blood overwhelmed him all at once, nearly made him gag, but he forced the nausea aside. "I-It's not that bad," he forced a desperate, wavering smile, "Kagome, look at me, it's not even that bad. Alright? You'll be okay, you'll - shit." She was bleeding too much, too fast, hardly responding to him beyond staring up at him with half lidded eyes. Inuyasha pressed his hand down hard over the wound to try to stifle the blood flow.

Now, she screamed. As Inuyasha applied pressure, she lurched under his hand. The sound that tore from her was horrific, cracking with the high pitch in her throat, choking off into gasps and half-formed sobs. It was the worst sound he'd ever heard, but still Inuyasha didn't let up the pressure. "I know, I know it hurts, just stay with me, alright? Just stay - no, no, no, Kagome? Kagome," he pleaded when her eyes threatened to fall closed. Kagome heaved in his arms, her torso rolling with it, wriggling under his hands. With a sickening gurgle, blood spurted from Kagome's lips, slipping down her chin. White hot panic surged through Inuyasha's body. He threw his head up to the wide expanse of field. "HELP!"

Help was not far away, but with Kagome coughing up another clot of blood, his attention was redirected solely to trying to get her to breathe. Everything was happening in his peripheries, the blurry edges of his vision, seen but only vaguely acknowledged. Sango, Miroku, and Kohaku with Kirara came running toward them from further down the battlefield, where the grass slopped and the brunt of the battle had taken place. As they came up over the hill, they stumbled to a shocked hault at the sight. Miroku said something, his voice exhausted but no less commanding and calm, even if it did hold a minor tremble. Kohaku replied with a quick confirmation, before mounting Kirara and taking off toward the village. Sango meanwhile ran to Shippo, the boy near catatonic as he stared down at the dull white snakeskin in a patch of burnt grass. She knelt down beside him, pulling him into her arms and guiding his head against her shoulder as he shook.

On the other side of the grassy slope, where no signs of the endless crater were left, the village warriors were approaching to investigate the stray gunshot and the shouting. What was left of Masao's forces was hardly a grey line on the horizon as they retreated, limping back to whatever towns they had been swept away from. The Yokai were picking themselves off the battlefield, tending their own wounded, chasing Masao's men well out of sight, some already leaving with a benign disinterest in the human homes and lives that were destroyed. They had done their part, and many were eager to be rid of this place. It was all too much happening too fast, the world moving around him while Kagome was bleeding out in his arms. It should have all stopped. Time should have come to a screeching hault, the sun should have blinked out - it already felt like it had. So absorbed in his panic and desperation, Inuyasha hardly noticed the outcry of the villagers as they saw their Priestess wounded until they had all come closer - too close. He knew in the back of his mind that they were concerned, that they wished to offer whatever help they could, but a deeper, stronger instinct was howling to keep them back. Inuyasha's eyes snapped up in rage, barring his teeth at the crowd with a warning snarl. The crystal handing around his neck erupted with violent red light, as the phantom dog reflected his protective fury. It stood over Inuyasha and Kagome, claws digging into the ground, hackles raised and ears flattened, biting its teeth at them to stay back.

"Inuyasha," a familiar voice called out to him. Inuyasha snapped his furious gaze to his left to find Miroku, approaching him slowly. "Inuyasha... please, we can't help if you don't let us near her," he said, arms spread out in a show of peace. Miroku's eyes flickered periodically between Inuyasha and Kagome, lingering on the blood now coating Inuyasha's hand. "Please, Inuyasha."

"Don't," Inuyasha snapped with a near animalistic undertone. He recognized Miroku. Maintained enough of his faculties to remember that he was his friend, that he was trying to help, but that instinct rumbling deep within his core to protect Kagome overpowered all other thoughts. It wasn't unlike how he felt when his demonic blood took over, only with a semblance of control. He didn't want to hurt his friends - but he couldn't let anyone near Kagome. He couldn't. He had to protect her. He'd already failed, he had to protect her. Inuyasha regarded Miroku, unable to articulate exactly what he was thinking in that moment, but desperately trying to convey with his eyes a warning that he did not trust himself right now.

Sango had run to Miroku at that point, one hand on Shippo's back to guide him along with her. Neither had seen the extent of Kagome's injury until then, and Sango staggered with a rough gasp, hands clasping over her mouth. Shippo cried out, trying to scurry toward Kagome, only to be held back by Miroku's hands on his shoulders, kneeling down to his level to relay the warning. Whatever happened next, Inuyasha did not see, nor did he really care. His whole focus shifted back down to Kagome, beautiful face skewed in pain, sucking in laboured breaths through gritted teeth. Inuyasha pressed his mouth to the top of her head, muttering pleas and encouragements, outpouring with love and desperation. He barely knew what he was saying, couldn't think enough to register the words. It felt oddly as if he was watching from outside his own body, as if this was happening to someone else, or not at all. It couldn't be.

Inuyasha did not know how much time had passed before a new presence intruded on the protective territory he'd claimed around him. He felt it resonate within the crystal around his neck first, the phantom dog turning a vicious snarl on the intruder. Inuyasha clutched Kagome close, as if he could cover her entirely with his own body to shield her from further harm. It did not matter in that moment whether it was a friend or enemy. The howling in his head was too loud, too aggressive, he could hardly think through it, everything in his soul screaming at him to keep any threats away. He could only imagine what he looked like right now - the massive phantom standing over him, mirroring his rage and panic, the jagged violet markings still running down his cheeks. He wouldn't have been surprised if his eyes had gone red and jade as well.

The harsh angle of the setting sun nearly blinded Inuyasha when he looked up to snap at the newcomer, the intense light beaming out from behind him until he took a daring step closer. Takuya approached, unwavering as Inuyasha unleashed a guttural growl, baring his teeth at the man as if he'd never seen him before, as if he had been the one to pull the trigger. The old priest had just dismounted from Kirara further back, with a box that reeked of medicinal herbs under his arm, and a canteen of water in his other hand. Takuya did not back away, but he did stop moving. With a stark patience, he lowered himself slowly, nearly crouching as he angled his body to the side. All the while, he did not look away from Inuyasha, conceding for his permission to come closer, yet not giving in to Inuyasha's snarling. He said nothing out loud.

It was as if he'd been struck over the back of the head, when he suddenly recalled the night they'd found Jun and Kei. Inuyasha had done the same thing to Jun as the dog stood protectively over his wounded mate; listened to his body language, showed him he wasn't a threat, that he was there to help. In that moment, it spoke to Inuyasha on an instinctual level, the same that was willing to bite and claw whoever dared come near. And it was just about the only thing that could have gotten through to him in that moment. Inuyasha blinked, the White Phantom and the markings on his cheeks disappearing all at once as he came to his senses. Even aside from being able to trust his friends without doubt - if there was one person he could trust to help Kagome, it was Takuya.

As soon as Inuyasha's defensive reaction vanished, Takuya was rushing forward, kneeling beside Kagome and setting his tools down beside him. Inuyasha complied, realising for the first time that he was shaking, his whole body aside from the hand pressed against Kagome's helplessly gushing wound. He angled Kagome carefully toward Takuya, hushing her when she grimaced in pain. At Takuya's cautious prodding, he removed his blood slick hand from Kagome's abdomen.

Takuya cursed under his breath, frantically opening the box case. "Inuyasha, you need to keep her warm and awake," he instructed as he began pulling out difference salves, bandages, tools, laying them all out on a cloth in the grass. "Do you understand me?"

"Y-Yeah," Inuyasha stammered. It was guidance he needed, a direction he could take. Carefully adjusting his hold on Kagome without jostling her too much, Inuyasha freed each arm enough to slip off his fire rat robe, and drapped it around her small frame. Once he had her leaning against him again, he held her close, leaving enough room for Takuya to work as he examined the wound. Inuyasha nearly lifted his hand to caress Kagome's cheek, but stopped an inch short at the sight of the still-wet blood covering his hand. It was all he could do not to gag, knowing it was hers. It was already covering the both of them, in soaked puddles and smears and hand prints. There was too much... Inuyasha hastily wiped enough off on a loose sleeve of his haori, in favour of cradling Kagome's face. His little finger brushed over the pulse point on her neck, just to be sure it was still there. Faint, but there. "Kagome," he whispered. "Just hold on for me, please."

Kagome moaned, her body tensing underneath Takuya's prodding. Her eyes squeezed shut for a moment, her teeth clenched tight, before taking in a laboured breath through her nose and at last looking up at him. Her gaze was unfocused, but still she sought him out, blinking up at the shape of him as she sagged against his warmth. "I-Inu... yasha..."

"Shh," Inuyasha immediately hushed her, passing his fingers through her hair. The blood was drying now, coming off in powdery flakes. He swiped his thumb over her cheek. "I'm right here."

Kagome struggled to speak, her mouth falling open and closed, lips too red against her too pale skin. "M'sorry..." she slurred, her voice barely audible.

Inuyasha shook his head. "Stop," he choked. "Don't you dare."

Takuya, his hands stained in the same blood, used his forearm to push the hair falling from his tie out of his face. He caught Inuyasha's eyes with a stern and steady look. "Steady her," he commanded.

Inuyasha obeyed, holding Kagome tight enough to keep her still without hurting her. It was all the warning he got before Takuya took out a thin pair of flexible wooden prongs, and plunged them into the gaping wound. Kagome lurched instantly, an ear-splitting screech tearing raw from her throat. Inuyasha would never forget that sound for as long as he lived. He felt it ringing through is head, down to every raw nerve ending in his body as he fought to keep Kagome steady. Between himself and Takuya, they managed to keep her still enough for the priest to work until she exhausted herself into hitched sobs, burying her face against Inuyasha's chest as he ran his hand up and down her arm in useless comfort. The scent of blood was so overpowering, he hardly noticed it when he tasted it on his own tongue. Not until the soft pad of a thumb brushed against his lower lip.

Inuyasha blinked, stunned as he watched Kagome lift a trembling hand to gently pry his lip out from underneath his fang, where he'd started biting it without realising. A small gesture he'd done to her too many times to count. When her strength began to fail her, and her hand began to fall, Inuyasha caught it and brought it back up to his cheek, turning his head to kiss her palm, before holding it to his chest.

"I can't reach the bullet," Takuya reported, unable to keep the tremor from his voice as he abandoned the prongs. Frantically wiping his hands on a white cloth, he turned to his medicine box, and took out a small clay container with Yomogi written in ink across the front. Takuya opened it, and poured out a thin green liquid onto a clean cloth, which he then folded, and after pushing aside the folds of the kimono, pressed hard over Kagome's wound. She barely had it in her to wince this time. That scared Inuyasha more than anything. With the cloth compress in place, Takuya pulled out a length of bandages and began to wrap them tightly around Kagome's abdomen. He hadn't finished wrapping the first layer before the blood began to seep through in faint spots, but as he continued, the bandages remained a crisp white. Finally, he tied it off, and readjusted Kagome's kimono into place.

He was paler than Inuyasha had ever seen, he realised with a feeling like molten iron hardening in the pit of his stomach. Takuya settled his fingers over the side of Kagome's neck, holding them there for a moment, before passing his hand over her forehead, eyes searching. The sigh that flooded from his chest sounded far too much like a restrained sob, as he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Inuyasha remained still until the priest moved back. His eyes were already red and glossy. "I can..." he began, only to clear his throat in an attempt to continue on without breaking, "I can give her something for the pain, but..."

Inuyasha knew where this was going. It felt like being destroyed from the inside out anyway. "No," he shook his head, edging on furious desperation, "No, there has to be something, you can't-"

"I've done all I can," Takuya said.

Devastation was cresting over his head. Ready to crash down and sweep him away along with it. Inuyasha's chest flooded with unbearable heat, panic coiling around and squeezing the breath out of him. For the first time he looked away from Kagome and Takuya, as if he could search this forsaken hillside for something that could save her - and, to his credit, he did. Inuyasha had been so absorbed in Kagome that he hadn't noticed the small crowd gathering a safe distance. Kohaku was standing off with Miroku and Sango, who were holding onto each other. Shippo was beside them, Kirara having lied down to allow the boy to cling onto her in comfort. Koga had arrived, bruised and bloodied from the fight but otherwise uninjured, and showing enough respect for Inuyasha to keep back even as he did watch Kagome with his own quiet heartbreak. And Sesshomaru. Standing apart from the rest with his mother. Though is expression was, as ever, unreadable, the fact alone that he was still present was enough.

Inuyasha stared up at his brother, quite literally on his knees. "Sesshomaru... I have never in my life begged you for anything..." he began. "Please save her." It went without saying that he would pay whatever price, would be indebted to him for the rest of his life.

Whether Sesshomaru accepted those silent terms or not, whether he needed the incentive, Inuyasha couldn't be sure. Sesshomaru only watched him for a moment, before wordlessly lifting his hand to the hilt of the tensaiga. Inuyasha held his breath, watching his brother like a fucking hawk. Everyone on that grassy hillside seemed to be, in that moment. It seemed to last entirely too long, as Sesshomaru stared down at Kagome. His eyes narrowed, searching for something none of them could see, brows furrowing when he could not seem to find what he was looking for either. His hand fell from the tensaiga without ever drawing it.

"What are you..." Inuyasha trailed off, before the anger rushed through him like a damn inferno, "Do something, you bastard!" he roared.

"The minions of the underworld are not present," Sesshomaru explained evenly. "Without the minions to slay, the tensaiga is useless. Her life is beyond my reach."

"No," Inuyasha growled, "no, there has to be something, there-"

"Inuyasha..."

That one whisper broke him. Kagome stared up at him, eyes heavy, every breath taking more and more energy from her and still all she wanted was to comfort him when it should have been the other way around. Her acceptance came through the weakened tone of her voice, the unshed tears in her eyes. Inuyasha felt the world slowly begin to pick itself apart around him.

He was losing her.

Sango struggling through her tears was barely a blip in his peripherals, as she knelt down beside Shippo. She placed her hand tenderly on his shoulder. "Shippo... I think you should go and get Rin," she murmured. "She... she'll want to say goodbye."

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Rin had watched the battle with the rest of the villagers seeking sanctuary within the barrier. Saw nothing of the war on the ground, distant and hidden by the forest beyond Miroku and Sango's secluded home. The barrier grew wider, encompassing the entire wide clearing, with every straggler who came seeking shelter. It was maintained by the villagers themselves, praying silently for its protection, even if they did not know they were doing it. And it was silent - there was barely a whisper amoung the crowd of terrified refugees. In the sky above the forest, and through the windows and doorways of the modest family home, they all watched in silence as the dragon and the dog fought in the clouds.

After Shippo had run back into the forest, Rin had been reluctantly coerced into the house by a few of the kinder village women. Jun and Kei planted themselves at the door as she went in - not that there was much room for them inside, anyway. Shaken and scared as she was, Rin had moved on autopilot with gentle hands on her back pushing her along, until she'd entered the room where most of the children were taking shelter. Umeko and Sayuri noticed her first, crying out for her with tiny arms outstretched before the woman nursing Hinata hushed them. Still, Rin had stopped for all of two seconds in the doorway before rushing to them, stepping over other sleeping children to throw her arms around the girls. Even Mamoru, who had been fast asleep against the nursing woman, stirred and toddled over to Rin for comfort in lieu of his parents. It was easier to be strong when they were depending on her. Even young as she was, Rin held them all a little tighter when the ground shook, and monstrous roars and canon fire rattled through the air.

Exactly how long it was, Rin didn't know. Hours. There were only whispers that travelled through the crowd of refugees to let them know what was happening outside, carried from newcomers on the outer rims of the barrier and into the home. The battle stopped for a while, and at that point more villagers that had been captive for Inuyasha's near execution came rushing in for safety. When the battle began again, they all knew it, the tsunami of noise rushing toward them through the trees. All the while, Rin stayed in that crowded room, comforting the children as much as she could. There were a few more than just Miroku and Sango's that she had helped deliver. Most of the children under three years old, in fact. All under the guidance and wisdom of Kaede - she had never missed the kind old priestess more.

And then, just as the day was growing longer, it all stopped. Rin watched through the window of the dark room, eyes never leaving the sky, as a massive vortex stretched down from the clouds, and the mirage of a massive dog with its fangs bared soared straight into it. Within seconds, the sounds of battle stopped, and the sky began to clear. There was a collective sigh throughout the crowd, but no one seemed to relax entirely just yet. No one dared venture outside the safety of the barrier. Rin rubbed her hands over Sayuri and Umeko's backs with a faint smile. "See? Everything's just fine," she whispered to the children as she looked back through the window with a growing sense of dread.

It seemed like another eternity later before panicked murmurs began to ripple through the crowd, once again from the outskirts of the barrier and into the house. Rin heard the heightened voices of the villagers long before she actually heard what it is they were saying. When the door to the children's room was pushed open, Rin tensed, cowering away for a moment until one of the women who had tended to her stepped in. "Rin," she called, some terrible news already visible on her face, "the kitsune boy has come back for you..."

Rin all but scrambled to her feet, stalling only to gently detangle herself from the hold of the twins. With a quick bow of thanks to the nursing woman, she scurried out of the room, stepping over sleeping children until she was able to run out onto the engawa. There, Shippo was waiting at the edge of the long porch, Jun and Kei now standing on either side. The whispers rippling through the refugee villagers were already growing louder. Rin barely noticed that the barrier had been dismissed. She ran to the boy, unabashedly throwing her arms around him. "Shippo!" she cried. "Oh, I was so worried when you went back into the forest, I'm so glad you're alright! What happened? Did we-"

"We won," Shippo muttered against her should. He made no move to embrace her in return, barely lifted his head.

Intuitive as she was, Rin knew immediately that there was no joy in that. Something was wrong. She pulled away, stepping back, head cocked to the side in confusion. "What's wrong?" she asked.

Shippo finally lifted his head. His eyes were bloodshot and swollen, his breathing hitched and uneven. "It's Kagome... she got hurt, and..." the boy sniffed, angrily trying to scrub away his tears. "I don't think she has long."

Rin staggered a step back, kept steady only by Kei walking behind her and nudging the small of her back with her head. She reached out, hand on the dog's head to keep herself stead. "What? No, no that's not... she can't," Rin shook her head, "Lord Sesshomaru can help! He can save her, like he saved me, he-"

"He already tried," Shippo said. "And Takuya too, but..."

Rin's throat went tight. The growing whispers of the villagers was suddenly too loud, deafening all the thoughts in her head. Her voice broke as she swallowed hard and nodded to Shippo. "Take me to her."

It was a silent walk out of the forest. Rin followed Shippo, Jun and Kei at their heels as they navigated their way back to the abandoned battlefield. With the barrier gone and the danger passed, the village refugees were tentatively beginning to leave their shelter - some heading back to the village to asses the damage, some searching for loved ones who'd stayed behind to fight, some walking out of the forest as well to see if the rumours were true. Their priestess was dying.

The sun was grazing the horizon by the time they emerged from the forest, the sky stained with vibrant red and orange, as if someone had taken a match to the clouds. It was a small and dismal scene across the grassy field, the figures standing a fair distance away from those huddled on the ground, all of them casting long shadows three times their size. It felt entirely too warm, the moment the golden light hit Rin's skin as she stumbled out of the forest. She haulted at the sight for all of two seconds before choking back a sob and racing toward them, Shippo and the dogs not far behind.

Takuya was lifting a small bowl to Kagome's lips as Rin approached, gently coaxing her to drink. Sango wiped a wet cloth over Kagome's face and down her neck, mopping away dried blood, unable to hold back her own tears as she took the time to murmur quiet goodbyes to her friend. She embraced her, so far as she could with Kagome relying on Inuyasha's arms to keep her upright. Kagome barely managed to lift her hand in a meager return of the embrace. When Sango shifted back, Miroku crouched down next to her. He led the back of Kagome's head in his hand, leaned in and whispered his own parting words in her ear. He looked to Inuyasha when he leaned back again, fixing him with a long and steadying look, a silent promise that they would be there for him in the aftermath. Inuyasha nodded, the gesture hardly noticeable with his attention already gravitating back toward Kagome. He only looked up again when Rin sprinted toward them.

Rin slowed down as she got closer, hit with the sudden desire to run in the other direction, to get as far away from here as possible, as if it would delay the inevitable. Only when Kagome tilted her way towards her with a sad smile, a movement that seemed to take far too much energy, did Rin finally stumble forward, all but crashing down to her knees. She heaved a sob, burying her face against Kagome's chest, clinging to her arm as her shoulders shook. So much she wanted to say and couldn't. Rin had lost her family once before. Her mother, father, brothers, then Kaede, all of them gone. She had only just gotten a family back, and here it was slipping out from between her fingers again, no matter how she tried to hold on. In that moment, it felt like losing everyone all over again

"Rin..." Kagome's voice was quieter than she'd ever heard. It took Rin a few moments to gather herself enough to lift her head. Kagome offered her a dim smile. "Thank you..."

"For what?" Rin sniffed.

Kagome inched her hand across her torso to rest over Rin's against her arm. Her fingers were already cold to the touch. Still, Kagome brushed her thumb over Rin's knuckles. "For being my sister."

Rin did not bother to try to keep the tears at bay. She collapsed forward, pressing her forehead against Kagome's shoulder, trying to memorize the fleeting warmth of her, the sound of her voice, knowing from experience now that she would need it for comfort on nights when the grief was too heavy on her chest to breathe. Rin still could not get the words she wanted out, and knew that later on she would regret not being able to speak when she needed to - but Kagome seemed to understand without the need for words.

A shadow felt over her. Rin looked up at find Shippo approaching slowly, hands balled into fists at his sides, head bowed in a sordid attempt at hiding his tears. His whole body shook with the effort to keep it together, as he lifted his head just enough to look at Inuyasha. The moment he saw that Inuyasha already had accepted the tears running down his own face, Shippo gave away all pretense of holding himself together. He dropped down beside Rin, who shifted over enough for Shippo to embrace Kagome without agitating her wound, now slowly bleeding through her bandages and kimono in dark, blooming stains.

Kagome, still struggling to move, reached up to wipe the tears from Shippo's cheek. Her hand fell, open and beckoning as she looked to both the children. Rin wrapped her hand gently around just Kagome's little finger, allowing room for Shippo to hold her hand as well. She closed her hand around theirs, with barely enough strength to squeeze. "You two... look after Inuyasha for me... alright?" she breathed. Inuyasha did his best to mask a hitch in his throat but it wasn't enough to hide the way his jaw clenched as he bowed his head. Kagome leaned her head against his shoulder, still holding their hands. "Look out for each other..."

All either of them could do was nod, as Kagome's strength gave out and her hand fell to the grass. Inuyasha tenderly adjusted her arm so it rested over her torso, taking the time and care to make sure she was as comfortable as possible. His own trembling hand squeezed hers, before brushing stray hairs from her face, pausing a moment to cup her cheek. Inuyasha's eyes never left her.

"I, uh..." his voice broke, dim and distant, as if he still could not believe the words coming from his own mouth, "I need some time alone with her to..."

He couldn't say 'goodbye'.

Takuya stepped in then, leaning down to rest either hand on Rin and Shippo's shoulders. "Of course," he murmured, gently persuading the children back. Rin and Shippo both complied, rising unsteadily to their feet and stepping back out of the way.

Ensuring that he had a solid hold on her, Inuyasha stood. Kagome seemed to weigh nothing in his arms, cradled against his chest, the long dark tresses of her hair and the draping fabric of her clothes spilling over in a flowing trail. Inuyasha paused there, staring down at Kagome, her eyes barely open and each breath taking more and more effort. He took in a breath of his own, a vain attempt to steady himself, before slowly beginning his procession. He carried Kagome away, further down the grassy field, a fair distance to give them some privacy in her last moments. The sun finally set, dipping down below the distant hills with a final burst of vibrant colour. The night was creeping in from the east, the first bold stars peering through the dark blue veil.

Takuya's hand, steady and calming as it was, felt too heavy on her shoulder. Rin fought through fresh tears as she watched Inuyasha carry Kagome away, knowing that by the time she saw her again, she would be gone. Further down the field, where the hills sloped toward the village, torchlight fires were just beginning to flicker to light through the ruins. The dead were being carried off, the wounded tended to, families reunited, a process of quiet healing. From that distance, in the encroaching night, the little fires seemed to dance and move. There was something familiar about the sight, something she couldn't quite grasp... until it clicked.

Rin stepped out from underneath Takuya's hold with no protest from the priest. She turned toward Sesshomaru to find him already watching her - still there, silently ready when she needed him, with that hidden kindness in his eyes only she could ever seem to find. She would need him - but not yet. There was something she needed to do. Rin spun back toward Shippo and grabbed his hand. "Come with me, I have an idea," she said, already tugging him along toward the village. Shippo, stunned by her sudden command, could only stumble after her.

"Rin! Wait!" Takuya tried to go after her, but the children were already running down toward the dancing lights of the village. Sesshomaru was the one to step forward, saying nothing, but keeping the priest in his place with a look that strongly suggested he let Rin do what she needed.

The village was hardly recognizable when they arrived, nearly tripping down the ruined banks. It still smelled heavily of smoke and gunpowder, a stench that made Shippo cringe and cover his nose with his sleeve. Many of the homes were decimated into piles of smouldering rubble, others just barely standing with a wall or two intact. Even the structures still standing were damaged by bullet holes and scorch marks. Stunned still for a moment by the damage, Rin soon recovered and pulled Shippo along with her. Together, they weaved their way through the village streets, until Shippo caught on to their destination and no longer relied on Rin's tugging, running alongside her until at last they made it... well, home. Kaede's hut, passed down to Rin and Kagome. One of the walls had been destroyed, but the framework was still sturdy enough to stand.

"What are we doing?" Shippo asked.

He'd barely finished speaking before Rin was rushing inside. She nearly tripped over her own tattered bedroll in her haste to get to the chest pushed back against the far wall. Dropping to her knees in front of it, Rin threw the lid to the chest back and all but leaned her entire body inside as she dug around for what she was looking for. Behind her, Shippo stepped in to peek into the chest, a soft 'oh' falling from his mouth when he realised what she was doing.

When Rin leaned out of the chest again, she brought with her two sky lanterns. "They're not enough..." she sighed.

Shippo frowned, casting a glance around the hut as if he could find more within the scattered boards of the ruined wall. He did not, but what he did find was perhaps something better. "Over there," Shippo pointed it out through the gaping hole where the wall once stood. Rin looked over her shoulder - the market, where some intact lanterns were still hanging from an overturned cart. They were sold here. There were likely more, scattered amoung the ruins. A renewed hope swelled within her.

Shippo offered her his hand. "We have to hurry."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

It was a familiar scene, and they both knew it, but as Inuyasha held Kagome in the grass underneath the starry sky, it could compare. As he lowered them both to the ground, shifting Kagome in his lap with care not to cause her any more pain, Inuyasha moved as if he were in a living dream. A reoccurring nightmare.

The cicadas and crickets sung in the grass and the trees, soft wind blowing through the leaves and branches. There was no sign of a previous battle here, the grass untouched and unstained. The sky by then was a dark canvas of speckles stars, clear and bright moonlight illuminating the night. Fuck, it was peaceful enough to make Inuyasha want to tear it all down with his claws. He wanted to slash through the night sky, he wanted to set this beautiful fucking hillside on fire, wanted to scream and rage because the worst night of his life should not be so goddamn serene. And he knew, he knew, that he should be grateful that Kagome could pass on such a perfect night, but it felt so wrong. He couldn't even get it through his head that this was real. Inuyasha found himself repeating it over and over in his head, she's dying, she's dying, she's dying, as if it would stick, but the thought just couldn't take root in his mind.

It wouldn't, he realised. Even when all of this was... over, long after she'd taken her last breath, he would still keep looking for her. Wouldn't still scan a crowd for her face, wait to hear her voice, expect her to be there every time he turned around. He'd spend a thousand years seeking her out.

Kagome sighed against his neck. Inuyasha pressed his lips to her forehead. The silence was too much. "Are you in any pain?" he murmured.

"No… not much," Kagome breathed. "Just cold."

The tincture Takuya had given her was doing it's job at least. Inuyasha was finding very little to be grateful for at the moment, but there was at least that. He adjusted his haori around her, knowing it would do little against the mortal chill, but still he tried. He couldn't hold her any closer than he already was, but still he tried. If all he could do was give her some warmth towards the end... Gods, it was the end. All they'd been through, and this was it. Inuyasha's throat tightened, eyes burning as he buried his face against the crowd of her head. "Fuck, Kagome, I can't do this," he choked. "Not without you."

Kagome curled her fingers in the fabric of his bloodstained white kimono. Even that seemed an enormous effort as she shushed him. "You'll be okay..." she whispered. Kagome brushed her fingertips against the godstone hanging from his neck. Inuyasha felt it surge with warmth at the touch, pulsing with a soft red light. "You'll be safe now, no one... no one can hurt you again."

"No," Inuyasha caught her hand, tendering closing it around the crystal as if he could keep her there, seal a part of her away. The crystal felt like a heartbeat in his palm at the thought. "No one but you."

Kagome hummed quietly. "You'll be okay," she repeated.

"How can you say that?" Inuyasha bit out. "I'm supposed to be comforting you."

A faint smile twitched at the corner of her mouth. "I've got the easy part," she murmured, eyes drooping closed.

Icy panic surged through Inuyasha's veins. He brought Kagome's hand, still wrapped around the crystal, to his lips, shaking her gently to coax her into opening her eyes again. It was only a small relief when she looked up at him through her thick lashes, and turned her head in against him. Inuyasha set her hand down in favour of freeing his own to card through her hair. "You aren't scared?"

She hummed again, though the sound resonated like a moan, her words beginning to bleed together. "Not really," she said. "I know I'll see you again…"

"No," Inuyasha cut her off sharply, "I don't want to talk about that."

Still, Kagome would not let up. "Inuyasha…"

Inuyasha shook his head, focusing instead on readjusting the haori draped around her. "You shouldn't be talking, you need to save your strength-"

She laughed. The sound was so quiet, so clear that Inuyasha felt it ringing through every bone in his bone, a resonating bell tone no matter how weak and short lived. It was enough to make Inuyasha pause in his fussing, to bring the stark reality of this slamming back into him with the weight of a meteor. The subdued laughter alone was nearly enough to make Kagome breathless, but still she tried to smile. "What… so you can have the last word?"

Clenching his jaw to keep the tears at bay, Inuyasha pressed his face into her hair. "That's not funny."

"I know…" Kagome breathed. Her smile softened, eyes fluttering closed as she leaned into him entirely.

Inuyasha counted each breath, felt it fan out against his neck, fearing she was already begining to fade. With that came the roaring despair in his head, a wailing through his core that he wasn't ready for this as if he ever could have prepared. He couldn't take the serene peace of the cricket song in the grass and the endless stars stretching overhead. "Did you know this was going to happen?" he found himself whispering just to fill it. She was right, as much as it destroyed him - there was no saving her strength, not when it was dripping out of her with each passing moment. He'd rather hear her voice for as long as possible.

Kagome hesitated to answer, a minute of Inuyasha fearing that she wasn't able to reply any more. When she finally did, he nearly shuddered in relief. "In a way..."

The truth behind that confession, that Kagome had lived with the knowledge that she would not survive this war, knocked the wind from him. Inuyasha's hand came up to craddle her cheek. "Why didn't you tell me?" he swallowed back a renewed wave of emotion. "I could have kept you safe, I could have–"

"No, Inuyasha," Kagome gasped, in her haste to relieve his guilt. She tensed with a whince, and Inuyasha immediately ran his hand along her back as if it would make any difference. "No, this wasn't your fault, please… please don't do that to yourself," she whimpered. It was a long pause before the pain seemed to pass, and Kagome was able to catch her failing breath enough to speak. "I think… I think this was always meant to be..."

"I can't accept that," Inuyasha protested. He did not have the will in him any longer to try to hold back the thick emotion in his voice. "This isn't fair."

"Mhm," Kagome agreed calmly, that too-tranquil smile ghosting over her lips, "it's really not." As tears began to prick her tired eyes, Inuyasha feared that the tincture Takuya had given her was beginning to wear off. He nearly called back, begging for Takuya to help her, again knowing it wouldn't make a difference aside from ensuring her comfort - but it was more than worth it. Inuyasha had turned his head away for all of two seconds before Kagome's fingertips were brushing weakly against his chest to get his attention. A tear slipped down her cheek, but her expression betrayed no pain. The realisation did not hit him so much as slowly suffocate, a shroud pulled over his head; she was crying for him. "But... but you know what comes next."

And he did. And it killed him. He knew what she'd been alluding to all along, desperate for him to accept, but everything within him rebelled at the idea. "So what, that's it?" he seethed - not at her, but at the fate they'd been tied to, whatever cruel joke the Gods were playing on them. "I'm just supposed to... to keep finding your soul and watching you die? How many times? Fuck, I can't... I can't do it, I-I can't love again like I love you," his voice cracked horribly, the beginnings of a sob rumbling deep in his chest as he kissed her forehead. "It'll never be you again, Kagome."

"I-Inuyasha, listen to me..." Each word was coming slower now, barely audible, but even still Kagome was determined to use her last breaths comforting Inuyasha. She stared up at him, eyes pleading. "You... are capable... of so much love. You have so much room in your heart," she brushed her fingertips against his chest again, the only movement she could manage. All the colour had left her hands, receding to her pale face. It took her an agonizing moment just to gather the strength to keep speaking. "You'll find her one day... whoever she's going to be... and you'll love her just like you loved me. I-I don't doubt that for a moment, just..." Kagome's voice quivered, tear flowing freely down her pallid cheeks. "Just know that when it happens… it doesn't mean you loved me any less."

In his heart Inuyasha knew that Kagome was right, but his heart, broken as it was, couldn't bare the weight of that truth. He felt it crumble and cave in, hardening in the cold cavity between his aching lungs at the very idea. "We were supposed to have more time," he wept. "I only just got you back, I'm not ready to lose you."

"I will always come back to you," Kagome hushed him. "I will come back... a thousand lifetimes, if it means I get to spend just one with you..." As Inuyasha cupped her cheek, she leaned into his palm, closing her eyes for a heartstopping moment. "But for what it's worth..." she murmured, blinking heavy eyes up at him as a tear slipped over his fingers. Sadness crept its way into her gaze, and for the first time, despair. A longing for a different ending. "I-I wish it could have been this one... I wish it could have been me and you."

The sob that tore through Inuyasha's whole body broke the final thread keeping him together. Guiding her head to meet his, Inuyasha caught her mouth, a mournful kiss she hardly had the energy to reciprocate, yet seemed to put all she had left into. Inuyasha certainly did. Desperate to fill these last moments will love, to memorize the taste of her on his tongue. These memories would have to last him a lifetime, and that empty expanse was opening up without her. He pulled away, but not far, only when Kagome moaned and each breath became slower and harder to draw. Foreheads pressed together, Inuyasha caressed the pad of his thumb against her cheek.

"In... Inu..." The ability to speak was draining from her. She was beginning to fade. All that was left was unspoken, and Inuyasha had no choice to make his peace with that. No words would ever have been enough, anyway.

"Shhh, it's okay," he quieted her. "I've got you... I'm not going anywhere." If that last reassurance was all he could give to her, a promise to stay with her until she was gone, to craddle her into death, then he'd give it to her. He'd give her anything.

She kept breathing. The night drew on, and long after Kagome's eyes had fallen softly shut, she kept breathing, each one taking longer than the last. Inuyasha braced himself on every exhale, refusing to take an inhale for granted. It felt like she was just falling asleep. Just as she'd done on countless nights, during their forbidden meetings under the branches of Goshinboku. Even before that, when she'd first returned through the well, during their earlier travels, in her bedroom. It all felt like another lifetime ago. So many times he'd rolled his eyes at her yawning, telling her pointedly that she was clearly exhausted, that she should just get some sleep if she could barely keep her eyes open anyway. He'd prod and bicker with her, until she would laugh and give in, drifting off with her head on his shoulder or curled up in his lap. Inuyasha knew that dwelling on the past would break him, but he couldn't help in that moment wish vehemently that he'd kept her away those nights just a little longer. Any moment he'd wasted before was lost forever. For now he could almost convince himself she was just falling asleep, but he knew that on future lonely nights this would haunt him.

So, he just... held her. Talked to her, even when he wasn't sure she could hear anymore, murmured words in senseless mantras. He loved her, she saved him, he'd never forget her, he loved her so much, sentiments bleeding into each other until he hardly knew what he was saying anymore. The cool night breeze drifted over the vacant field, hushing through waves of grass and distant leaves, taking away the scents of smoke and blood. Soon enough, Kagome was all that was left.

"Inuyasha..." Kagome's voice nearly startled him. He hadn't thought she'd speak again. Inuyasha pulled back enough to look down at her, to find Kagome's awe-filled eyes fixed on the sky above them. "Look..."

Inuyasha did, and he swore the earth paused on its axis.

It started out as just one. A solitary little light soaring over their heads as it lifted higher and higher into the sky.

Then came another.

And another.

Inuyasha looked behind him just in time to see dozens of sky lanterns lifting from the hands of the gathered crowd. Rin passed off a small oil lamp to Sango, who lit hers with Miroku and sent it up to join the others. Shippo was lighting the lantern of another young villager, the blue flame in his hand flickering to amber as it touched the wick and drifted away. Every lantern that had made its way to this village, every one that had been bought by an unknowing human caught in the middle of this war, lifted off together. They filled the sky overhead, dancing starlight floating toward them on the gentle wind. They dipped down low, mingled around them, carried off by the air moving up the slope of the hill, lighting up the indigo night with glowing hues of yellow and peach and vibrant orange.

And more kept coming. Rising up from distant villages farther than even Inuyasha could see. As far as he could see, pockets of swelling light lifted into the sky. Those distant strangers did not even know what was happening here - had likely only cowered from the deific battle hours ago, only to look to the night sky, see the rising lights, and just... joined in, figuring something monumental was happening and wanting to be a part of it. That human connection, the ways in which people fundamentally want to be connected swelled up inside Inuyasha with an emotion he couldn't quite place; love, awe, pride. Whatever it was, it consumed him body and soul. A year Inuyasha had spent crafting those lanterns as a sign of hope for Kagome, a promise that he would return to her, and here they were now mirroring her dying promise to him.

"Kagome..." he breathed in reverence as he tore his eyes away from the sky to see her reaction.

Her eyes were still open. The last of the lanterns reflected like a mirror in her glassy, unseeing stare as they soared into the stars with a mortal irony that there was no light left in her. Kagome was already gone.

And all of the mental preparation in the world that Inuyasha could have done for this moment suddenly did not matter. Suddenly he felt as if he'd been cleaved in two, something raw snapping in his chest. The first sob came like a punch to the gut as he gathered her tightly in his arms, burying his face against her still chest. The second came like a howl, as Inuyasha threw his head back and screamed into the sky until his breath ran out and this throat burned.

Only the howling continued.

Inuyasha, to lost in his grief to notice, assumed it was an echo of his own voice as he wailed against Kagome's cold body, teeth gritted so hard his ears rang. But as the sound continued, its low and baleful tone resonated with something deeper within him. It was a dog's howling. Two dogs. With a stark calm he did not understand, Inuyasha slowly straightened his back, looking to the side to find Jun and Kei, sitting not far from him and lifting their heads in a mournful howl. The sound vibrated through Inuyasha like a bell, a singing bowl, a single gunshot through a peaceful field. It grew stronger and stronger, until he felt it pulsating in the crystal hanging from his neck, glowing a pale crimson as if it held a life of its own.

"You'll know what to do when you hear the howling."

His father's voice called up from the depths of his memory. At the same time, Inuyasha felt an answering pulse in the palm of his hand, laid over Kagome's wound. The image of Masao in his cell just the night before, priming his pistol with a small, polished crystal - a Godstone. Fuck, a Godstone that was now buried within Kagome's flesh.

Everything had led them to this moment. All the signs were there with a startling clarity. Inuyasha needed only to listen to them.

Grabbing his Godstone in one hand, Inuyasha held Kagome close, pressed his palm over the wound that had killed her, and poured his soul into the crystals balanced between each hand. It wasn't a feeling unlike the day he'd used the Godstone on himself, the essence of him torn apart and rearranged, the feeling of his soul being unmoored. The difference, now, was that Inuyasha did not feel the pain he had the first time. No agony could have compared to holding Kagome as she died, and it was that torment he fueled into this moment. Even with his eyes squeezed shut, the brilliant crimson light penetrated his eyelids. There was shouting behind him, a commotion rising up from his friends and allies, but just as it reached its zenith, it faded, and the crimson light consumed him.

When Inuyasha opened his eyes again, the world was red, and Kagome had disappeared from his arms. The panic did not have the chance to set in before he'd taken in the familiar scene around him. Inuyasha stood on a blood red cliff. The tranquil hillside had been replaced with a barren desert of dry, cracked earth. Inuyasha's breath caught in his throat as he looked around frantically. Above him, dark clouds churned against a bloody sky. A black moon eclipsed the sun and set itself on fire. He'd been here before, seen this before, knew what came next and still could not brace himself for it.

A crack of thunder.

Inuyasha whirled around to find Kagome, standing at the edge of the cliff, eyes briefly meeting his with a dreamlike stare before an ethereal force tipped her over the edge. Inuyasha screamed her name, but the sound did not come from his own mouth, resonating in a timeless echo through the air around him as he ran toward her. Kagome stared back all the while, her hand reaching out toward him as she disappeared over the cliff's edge.

She was always falling.

There was no hesitation as Inuyasha threw himself after her. He tore the tessaiga from its sheath, transforming into the great fang with a burst of golden light. Holding it out at arm's length, he used its weight to drag him down faster, to catch up to Kagome as they fell toward the endless beach of rust-coloured sand below. The moment he was close enough, Inuyasha wrapped his arm rightly around her waist. Please... he begged silently as the humid air rushed past and the beach rushed up to meet them, take it all. Every lifetime I would have lived... just for one with her.

The world melted in hues of blood red around him, and suddenly he was standing on a beach. The orange cliffs rose up behind him. Inuyasha felt the warm water lapping at his bare feet as he starred out over the vast ocean. Foreboding black clouds boiled over the horizon, wisps slowly being drawn into the eclipse above. He could almost feel his soul lifting higher and higher into the slowly swirling void of the black moon, like it wanted to leave his body on the sandy shore. A humid breeze pushed strands of hair in his face. Inuyasha did not have to look for Kagome. She was the first thing he saw as he looked down the unending shoreline, sitting alone in the sand. Inuyasha tore across the beach, spraying sand in his wake as he raced toward her. He crashed to his knees at her side, hands braced on her shoulders.

Kagome lifted her head slowly to meet his imploring gaze with her own confusion. "Inuyasha...?"

Inuyasha cupped either side of her beautiful face. "It's me," he reassured her. "I'm here for you. I always said I'd come for you, didn't I?"

"What...?" Kagome blinked slowly, still caught in that dreamy haze. "I don't understand..."

"Come home with me, Kagome," he pleaded.

Frowning softly, Kagome did not respond at first. She rose to her feet with a celestial grace, her gaze lifting to a point above Inuyasha's head. He stood up with her, hand slipping down to her arm, only to fall away when she took a few steps past him. Inuyasha followed her fixation to the burning moon - or rather, what was underneath it. His first instinct was to push Kagome behind him with a snarl when he saw the translucent form of the Dragon God emanating soft blue light as it twisted in midair far above the dark ocean, Masao's lifeless body hanging within its core. Kagome, though, continued to walk forward, entirely transfixed on the sight. The warm wind danced through the tresses of her long black hair, almost as if to mimic the movement of the dragon.

"Home..." Kagome repeated with an estranged quality as she came to a stop. "I've been here for so long..." Inuyasha followed after her in three long strides, taking her hand in his. Kagome stared down at their entwined fingers, trailing his arm up to Inuyasha's face. Recognition at last began to settle on her delicate features. "Can I really go home?"

All Inuyasha could do was squeeze her hand. It was enough that Kagome squeezed back.

Turning once again toward the suspended dragon, Kagome lifted her hand just as she had done in the last moments of the battle. Brilliant lilac light emanated from her palm and like a beacon called out to the dragon. Without pausing once, the dragon continued its twisting dance, but altered course in flowing down toward Kagome's light. The moment the God moved from its place, Masao's body dropped through the open air. He did not make so much as a ripple as he sank below of the surface of the dark water.

Only when the dragon came close enough to touch did it finally stop, touching down on the beach and rearing back its massive head. The God of Souls faced Inuyasha and Kagome both, regarding the two as they held onto each other, steadfast in the regal might of it. This was the balance it required. Kagome had healed it in their world. It only followed that she must do the same in the God's domain. The dragon lowered its head, and willingly pressed its enormous muzzle gently against her outstretched palm. Eyes closed as the lilac light grew brighter, the dragon opened them again only to turn a sharp gaze at Inuyasha. Kagome smiled reassuringly.

Inuyasha raised his hand toward the Dragon God's head, hesitating only a moment, before laying his palm beside Kagome's. The cool, healing light engulfed them all.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Sike.