Shippou had seen Inuyasha run to help Kouga when Kouga had tripped and fell, but the thing that caught his attention was the black haired lady wearing foreign clothes with an arrow ready to fire, standing in the middle of the battlefield.
Kagome? Shippou looked to the girl next to him. No, Kagome's right here. But how can she be over there…?
He heard Kagome's voice from his position, but couldn't quite make out the words that she was saying. Why are there two Kagomes? That doesn't make any sense at all. Unless… Unless…
"Inuyasha! Inuyasha!" Shippou shouted at the dog demon, hoping to catch his attention.
Didn't Miroku once say that Naraku can change shape at will? Then what if the Kagome over there is fake? I have to tell Inuyasha about this, before it's too late.
"Inuyasha!" Shippou shouted at the top of his lungs, but was drowned out by the sound of the blast that Naraku threw at the fake Kagome.
"No!" Shippou shouted as he saw Inuyasha dive to save Kagome. "Inuyasha! That's a fake! Inuyasha!"
He watched in horrid silence as the illusion of Kagome killed Inuyasha. He remained immobile, staring as he saw Kagura slit Sango's throat with a stray wind. He did nothing as Miroku used his air void to destroy Kanna and Kagura, only to be silenced by Naraku.
"If for some reason, I am unable to take her back to her world, I want you to do it for me." He saw Kouga try to attack Naraku, only to be brushed aside by Naraku's tentacle. "If worst comes to worst, seal the well."
Inuyasha… Did you know this was going to happen?
"I'm counting on you to protect her."
You knew, didn't you? Shippou felt his eyes start to brim with tears. Then why did you go? Why? Tears started to slide off his face.
I… I HATE YOU, INUYASHA!
"I'm counting on you to protect her."
I hate you!
…but I'll keep my promise.
I'll protect Kagome.
He clenched his fist in determination, feeling the Shikon shard from earlier dig into his palms. I'll protect Kagome, even if it's the last thing I do.
I won't let anyone harm her as long as I'm alive, Inuyasha. For the first time, you can count on me to do this. I won't let you down.
Shippou looked at Kagome, who was still unconscious next to the untransformed Kirara. He could feel Naraku shift his eyes onto him. I'll have to move fast to get Kagome and Kirara away from here. Naraku's probably going to come soon. But how? Kagome is way bigger than me. He saw Kouga move to distract Naraku out of the corner of his eye.
That's it! The Shikon shard! Shippou looked at the glowing shard that was still partially embedded in his hand. Please, lend me your power. Kagome, I hope you won't get mad at me for borrowing this a bit.
He felt himself growing taller and more muscular. He saw his usual clothes become replaced by blood red ones. His hair fell on his back from the ponytail he used to have it in, turning silver, and he knew that his ears had shifted to the top of his head.
"All right, Kagome, Kirara," he said, his voice deeper than his own. "I'm going to keep my promise to Inuyasha." He scooped the two up into his strong arms, leaping away from the battlefield. Wow, Kagome feels so light. Inuyasha's this strong?
He was dimly aware of the woods speeding past him, but he paid them no mind. I've got to get to the well. I've got to get Kagome to her world. I've got to seal the well.
He started to run faster, noting that Kirara was awake and looking at him funny.
"Kirara, it's me, Shippou," he clarified, hoping that the cat youkai believed him. She seemed to for she relaxed in his arms, allowing him to carry her a bit farther.
"Almost there," he said to himself more than to anyone else. He soon saw the well that he used to dread looking at for it used to remind him that Kagome would always have to leave no matter what. It never looked more inviting and…permanent.
He leapt into the well, holding the still unconscious Kagome, with Kirara grabbing onto his arm. He noticed that the sun had hardly moved since Kagome was knocked unconscious. I can't believe so many things had happened in such a short time. I can't believe Inuyasha and the others…
He charmed the small statue that he had carried around him, before being swallowed up by the bone gobbling well.
She had arrived at the battlefield too late. Inuyasha and two of his friends were already dead, and she saw a wolf youkai running away from Naraku, kicking up a storm of dust. She fired an arrow at the shape-shifting demon, melting his entire left leg off.
"You didn't listen to my warning carefully enough, Naraku," she stated calmly, another arrow ready to fire.
"Ah, Kikyo. Do you mean this dog demon?" he replied with equal calm, smirking slightly, ignoring his missing leg which promptly grew back. "He was incredibly gullible and easy to destroy."
She narrowed her eyes ever so slightly. She spotted the stained Shikon shard in Naraku's hand.
"Yet you were still unable to complete the Shikon no Tama, correct?" she asked coolly. She was satisfied somewhat when Naraku frowned at her.
"You pitiful fool," she laughed, the sound sharp against the silence. "You have lost the only thing that can make you a full youkai. Now you are nothing but a half blood."
"I would be careful if I were you, Kikyo," Naraku said, his voice tinted with anger.
"Follow your own advice," she replied, letting her purifying arrow fly and slice a hole in Naraku's stomach. Before he could recover himself, Kikyo sent more arrows soaring, melting every millimeter of Naraku until there was nothing left but a purified goop on the ground.
"Go to Hell," she said softly, dropping her bow and arrows in the dead wood, walking towards where Inuyasha lay.
"Inuyasha?" she asked tentatively. She didn't know what she was expecting. To see him get up and greet her, maybe?
She knelt down by his side, the Shikon shard she had given Naraku close by. She picked up the shard, burning her hand, but she refused to drop it. She held it in her hand until she purified it, but by the time she did, her hands were burned raw.
"Inuyasha?" she asked again, trying to shake him awake. She knew he was dead. She knew he couldn't have survived the gaping wound in his chest, but she still tried.
"Inuyasha?" she asked, her voice cracking. She felt tears threaten to come, but her eyes remained dry. Her face contorted into one of sadness and hatred, and she bent down and hugged the unmoving hanyou.
"Why did you leave? Why did you leave again?" She felt her body shake with sobs, but her face remained dry. "Inuyasha? Why can I never be by your side? Not in life, nor in death. Not in heaven, nor in hell." She hugged him tightly, feeling his still warm blood stain her clothes.
"Inuyasha… I can't cry," she said, speaking softly into his ears. "I can't cry because I'm an unrest spirit. I can't cry because of the way I am now. I can't even cry for you…"
She looked at Inuyasha's face, brushing away stray strands of hair.
"Why do you always look so peaceful?" Even when I sealed you fifty years ago? She laid him gently on the ground, glancing over at the two human bodies a little ways off.
"Did your friends die trying to avenge you?" she mused, walking over to them. Her eyes turned sad when she saw the monk's outstretched hand seeming to reach for the youkai exterminator's. She walked to the dead wood, breaking off branches and gathering fallen wood. It's the least I can do for you, Inuyasha…
The full moon was up by the time she was finished building a funeral pyre and had laid the bodies on it. She retrieved the Shikon shard from earlier and placed it in Inuyasha's hands.
"To find my soul's incarnate, Inuyasha," she said softly, giving his hand one last squeeze. No matter how much I deny it, I'm nothing but a shell of my former self. I lack my complete soul. In fact, in our last encounter, the girl had reclaimed all of her soul back. The only reason I'm still moving is because my emotion is still driving me. The emotion of hatred is the only reason I still exist.
She set the pyre on fire, watching the bodies burn. But now, I don't think even the emotion of hatred can sustain me. I fell in love with you all over again, Inuyasha. You robbed me of my will for vengeance. And twice you rob me of my existence. But I am willing to let go of that which you rob me of.
She saw the pyre collapse on itself. Sayonara, Inuyasha. Sayonara.
She felt something wet fall off her face and drop onto the ground. In the dying embers of the funeral pyre, her eyes glistened, and finally she felt at peace. She collapsed on Inuyasha's ashes, her own ashes combining with the others. Nothing was left to mark their grave except a blood stained cloth in a sea of dimly glowing liquid.
The next morning, Kaede would find a small mound with four flowers intertwined into one among a field of the greenest grass she had ever seen in her life. And somehow, she would know her sister had finally found peace. Yet, she would still feel that the mission of Inuyasha and Kagome is still far from over…