Author's Notes: Only one more chapter left! Special note of thanks to Saby-Chan for reviewing the story to keep me on track! It's taken a long time to write this, and she's helped a good deal! Thanks again!
An aside to Chri: I hope this chapter isn't TOO fluffy for you. :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha!
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Chapter Eleven: Neither Here nor There
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Chapter Nine… Naraku laughed even louder than before. "You still don't get it, do you?" As the hanyou struggled to look up at him, his grin stretched wider. "It's been a trap from the beginning." …
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Inuyasha drifted. The sound of Naraku's laughter grated in his ears. It faded away to be replaced by Kikyou's voice, her words swirled in his head, driving the bitter stake of betrayal deeper in his heart. Flashes of pain flared, making him hiss and withdraw, hiding deeper inside himself. He no longer wanted to remember, no longer wanted life. Everything he knew, everything he ever wanted, everything he loved was lost. He had failed.
"Ka …go … me…" his soul murmured as he drifted. His mind squelched those thoughts, trying in vain to vanquish the anguish her name brought. Naraku's words wove themselves into his plain of existence. 'She's dead. Gone. I couldn't save her either.' His heart clench with that thought. Visions of Kagome flashed, bringing tears of bittersweet joy to his eyes.
How she looked the first time he saw her, the girl woman showing him how strong she could be, angry, determined, scared, brave, gentle, kind. Memories of her riding her bike, carrying Shippou, crying over him, for him. The years of pain, happiness, and love shared if not voiced between them. His last memory of her, standing in the field, Shippou on her shoulder, Rin by her side, waving to them. He could still feel her lips on his, taste her kisses even as he walked away.
Naraku's voice wound its way through the void to find him. "That pathetic excuse for a miko tried to kill me." As it continue the taunts, it snaked in and out of his hearing in varying degrees of sound, fading to the point of a whisper, only to come roaring in causing him to whimper with the added pain it brought. Its direction ever changing, first one way then another, causing a vortex in his mind. "She did last a long time. Longer than I would have thought… If only you could have heard her scream, seen her bleed." His laughter eddied overlaying the voice. "Her pleas for mercy were most satisfactory." "Her blood tasted sweet. It upsets me I killed her so soon. Makes me wonder if the rest of her would have been as sweet." "She called out for you. At first. In the end she only begged to die."
Inuyasha shook his head. He didn't want to hear of Kagome's demise. The pain of her death added stones to his heart, lending more weight to carry him faster to hell. He never should have left her. He should have stayed by her side. His brother had been right after all. He never should have trusted Kikyou…
Kikyou… that bitch. She betrayed him again, bringing him death and pain beyond reckoning. The wounds ravaged upon his body were but pale shades to the wounds she inflicted upon his heart, upon his soul. Though his love for her had been replaced, she still held a piece of his heart. The piece he would have gladly ripped out himself if he had known what would have happened with this final confrontation.
It was by this piece she was able to command him, allowing his feelings of guilt to cloud his reason. He should have listened. He should have listened to the larger pieces of his heart. He should have listened to his friends who cautioned him against her. He should have listened to Sesshoumaru as much as he would have hated it. The only one who didn't tell him what to do was the one who paid for his mistake most dearly. Kagome…
Her name brought a fresh wave of grief and he lost himself to despair. He was reminded of her scent, of her freshness. She never failed to smile and generate warmth wherever she went. Her gentle self became such an intrical part of him he couldn't remember when he fell in love with her or when he stopped feeling alone. If only he had allowed himself to acknowledge it sooner… if only he had made his claim. He never would have left her. Kikyou's hold over him would have broke. Kagome would still be alive…
In his unawareness, he screamed in torment. It didn't help ease his misery to know he ended Kikyou's imitation life. The satisfaction of ripping through her clay body as his life's blood ebbed out was short lived. Her betrayal killed all that was dear to him. Naraku's words haunted him then as they continued to now….
"You still don't get it, do you? …It's been a trap from the beginning." …
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Kagome barely roused when Sesshoumaru burst through the hut door. Though she had begun to stir when she felt Inuyasha's aura getting stronger, coming closer. As the youkai lord laid his brother's body by her side, she found herself pulled awake by a force stronger than she'd ever felt.
She sat up groggily, trying to clear her vision. Her sight hadn't returned completely yet, but she was able to see objects indistinctly. Her inner focus had been so deep while hunting Naraku, Sesshoumaru's forced 'appearance' and her abrupt recall created a sensory overload causing blood vessels to burst behind her eyes, and in her nasal passages. She knew her sight would return with more time.
Sesshoumaru spoke, but she wasn't listening to him. She didn't think he was talking to her, and if he was, she didn't care. Her fingertips explored every inch of Inuyasha, her body curled up to his limp unresponsive one. Her heart ached knowing he couldn't feel her, didn't know she wept on his chest, or whimpered his name. She could smell him, and he smelled no different now than he did the day he left. She needed to reclaim his soul, and return it, make him whole once again.
"How do I do it?" She whispered, her voice cracking. There was a stillness in the air as no one spoke. "How do I do it?" She demanded, louder this time.
As if from some great distance, he finally answered. "I don't think you can."
She sat up, letting her tears run unchecked. She kept her hands in contact with her lover's bared chest, wanting to feel his heart beat as a continued reminder he yet lived. Her lips trembling, her voice loud in the quiet of the room, "I don't care what you think. I refuse to let him die!" A sob escaped and her shoulders shook. "You can tell me how I can put him back together, or I'll try to do it myself." Drawing a quavering breath, she tried to regain control of herself. "I don't think you saved his life to let it go this easily." Finally, fixing her anguished eyes on his face, she pleaded, "Please?"
Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. He could see her determination and felt her pain. Seating himself gracefully on the other side of Inuyasha's body, he cleared his mind of all other thoughts but to give instruction to the impatient miko across from him. She would need his hold on her to keep her from slipping away entirely.
"You have to go after him. You have to find his presence and bring it back."
She nodded. "I thought as much. How?"
The youkai lord nearly smiled. "He's left you a trail. Follow it." The girl did smile but lost it as he continued. "Be warned. If he is already in hell, or you fail to pull him back, he can drag you down with him. You will be lost as well."
"Kagome NO!" Shippou cried out at her sharp intake. He clutched at her shoulder, tears leaking from his eyes. "Please Kagome… don't leave me too."
Her lips quivered for a moment as she hesitated. 'Mama, Souta, grandpa…. They would never know what happened to me.' She touched Inuyasha's face beneath her fingers before replying to the kit softly. "I have to Shippou. I have to try at least. My ties to this world are many and strong, but I cannot give him up without … without trying to bring him back." Her free arm hugged the young fox demon briefly. She gave him a smile and turned to focus her attention back to Sesshoumaru. "I'm ready."
He nodded unsmiling. "I'll give you a line to further anchor you to this world. I won't hesitate to break the contact if you even think about following him." His eyes held her dimmed ones. "Let's get this over with." He settled himself into a light trance, and threw the girl a thread of his aura.
Kagome smiled to herself as she dropped back into her trance, wrapping his anchor around her. She turned to the glimmering soul she held, and began to reel it in. Or, to be more exact, she pulled herself along its path, bringing her soul closer to its owner.
She kept her thoughts strictly on Inuyasha, her love for him, and what their life could be once they had put this behind them. She realized she hadn't asked of Sango or Miroku, how Sesshoumaru had found him, or what became of Kikyou. She knew she would find out, once she brought him back. He was all that mattered to her now.
Shippou sat at Kagome's side listening to her quiet steady breathing. He tried to keep from whimpering as he looked from her face to Inuyasha's stillness. His eyes spotted a piece of paper tucked inside the hanyou's haori. He leaned over and pulled it from the internal pocket. It was the picture he had given Inuyasha before he left. Tears welled in his eyes as he saw his drawing splotched with blood. His hand patted the dog demon's cheek softly. Inuyasha was many things to him; friend, companion, older brother, tormentor, teacher, hero, counselor, and as counterpart to Kagome, surrogate father. He wanted his family back together.
A noise from outside the hut drew his attention away. Not sure what it was, he rose and went to the door. "Sango! Miroku! Kirara!" He shouted, flinging himself into Sango's arms. He began to wail unrestrained, letting out his worry and concern.
Once she had gotten him calmed somewhat, Sango asked, "Shippou, where's Kagome? And did Sesshoumaru bring Inuyasha here?"
Taking in a hiccupping breath, Shippou nodded as he spoke, "Kagome'sinsideSesshoumarubroughtInuyashabackandhelookslikehe'sdeadbutKagome'sgonetogethimandshemightbedraggedtohellwithhimbutSesshoumarusaidhe'dbeheranchoronly I'M SCARED!"
Miroku and Sango looked at each other, worry mirrored in their eyes. Her hand unconsciously sought his for support. He gave it a squeeze. "Let's see how everything is first." Sango nodded, and comforting the now quietly sobbing kit in her arms, she entered the hut.
Miroku paused before following. His eyes lit on the paper Shippou had dropped when he ran to them. His face softened as he recognized the child's drawing. Folding it carefully, he tucked it into his robes, planning to return it to its owner.
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Inuyasha woke. Or at least he thought he woke. Sitting up, he looked around. A fog of gray swirling nothingness curled around him. He rubbed his eyes but it didn't clear. He waved his arms to stir the air, causing the foggy matter to shift and settle back into place. As he smacked the ground next to him, gray particles flew upwards and gently floated back down.
"Hell. This has got to be hell." He said out loud, and marveled at the sound. His words were both voiceless and deafening.
The last few minutes of his life came back to him in a rush. Fighting Naraku. Sango and Miroku's fall. Kikyou's betrayal. Naraku's laughter. Clutching his head, Inuyasha groaned. He didn't want to remember. Naraku's words hurt too much to face. The memory of them continued to torment him.
"BASTARD!" He tried to tear the vines from his body with his teeth, and then by strength alone. They were wound too tight, were too thick, and the more he struggled, the tighter they constricted. The air in his lungs was slowly being forced out, and his breathing shallow. He tried to see what Kikyou was doing, thinking she had to do something! She was a miko and could use her bow. As far as he could tell, she hadn't shot one arrow. When spots began to dance in his eyes, he called out, "Kikyou… Kikyou do something."
His words triggered a response. The tentacle released him so unexpectedly, he dropped to his knees. Gasping in air, he rose quickly to his feet, looking for Tetsusaiga. The sword was nowhere to be found. As he expanded his search, he felt a sudden searing pain in his back piercing through his chest. He looked down in surprise turning to horror seeing the arrow's tip gleaming brightly in his chest. His mind cast into confusion, he turned as if in slow motion to the woman standing behind him. She no longer held her bow, having dropped it after shooting. Her stare blank, her face expressionless, her arms limp at her sides.
"Kikyou… you?" His voice filled with loss, sadness, and shock. "Why? Why did you betray me again?"
Naraku laughed even louder than before. "You still don't get it, do you?" As the hanyou struggled to look up at him, his grin stretched wider. "It's been a trap from the beginning."
"NO!" The denial tore from his throat. "YOU FUCKING LIE!"
Smirking, Naraku gestured to the miko standing behind him. "Ask her what happened. Ask her what she promised Onigumo if he gave her what she wanted." His eyes gleamed manically. "Go on then, ask her."
Inuyasha looked back at Kikyou. "Is it true? Is what he is saying true?"
Woodenly, the woman could only nod. Her eyes held a fathomless expression. "Inuyasha." Her mouth formed the word, but no sound issued.
Trembling with rage, he demanded, "WHY?! WHY . DID . YOU . HAVE . TO . DO . THIS?" His anger against his former love flared as strong as his hatred for Naraku.
"It had to be this way. You will understand, Inuyasha." Kikyou's words were low but spoken with a hard controlled voice.
Shaking his head violently, Inuyasha yelled, "NO! I will never understand how you could… why you would…" He choked on the words, and stopped, panting. Pain took over then. He groaned and dropped to his knees.
Naraku's laughter rang in his ears. "Really Inuyasha. You should choose your friends a little more wisely. But no matter. They are all dead now." His lips twitched. "Even that little wench. That miko girl you ran around with. Impudent slut thought she could kill me. ME!" He slammed a tentacle down in his anger. "That pathetic excuse for a miko tried to kill me." He laughed again. "She did last a long time. Longer than I would have thought… If only you could have heard her scream, seen her bleed." He licked his lips as if enjoying the memory.
Looking at Inuyasha with an amused glint in his eye, he continued his story. "That old miko now… she died too quickly. Gone." He snapped his fingers. "Just like that. The same with that little kitsune brat." He chuckled. "You should have heard her beg. She cried out for me to not hurt her friends. Her pleas for mercy were most satisfactory." A little sigh escaped him. "Her blood tasted sweet. It upsets me I killed her so soon. Makes me wonder if the rest of her would have been as sweet."
Inuyasha growled. He staggered to his feet and took a step forward, his breathing ragged between his cracked and bloodied lips. "SHUT UP! Don't talk such shit, YOU BASTARD!" He took another step, trying to stop Naraku's words.
A tentacle snaked out and wrapped itself lazily around the hanyou. A pensive expression crossed Naraku's face. He said softly, enjoying the agony the half-breed was going through. "She called out for you. At first. In the end she only begged to die."
He struggled to remove the tentacle from around him. Struggled to reach the one who brought him the most pain. Inuyasha was barely hearing him now, tuning him out in his attempt to stopped the pain from taking over his body; in his attempt to free himself. Naraku's next words brought him up short. He stopped his struggles and focused his attention on him.
"Of course, I really can't take the credit for all of this taking place. Kikyou is the one who came up with the plan. She knew you would return to her, leaving that girl unprotected." He almost giggled in his glee. "You should have asked her, Inuyasha. Asked her how she got away from my ravine of miasma. You should have heard her promise to Onigumo, and what she promised him to bring you to her. And to kill her replacement, of course." Naraku's eyes gleamed in his pleasure of this telling.
Inuyasha tried to look at Kikyou again. He wanted to see with his own eyes the extent of her treachery. As if he wanted to torment him more with the knowledge he sought, Naraku eased his grip to allow him to turn. "Kikyou?" Inuyasha asked, hesitantly, almost as if he didn't want to hear what she would say.
Her eyes fastened on his. They seemed to be telling him something he couldn't hear. She began to speak, her voice emotionless and controlled. "Onigumo promised to kill that girl, that copy of me, if I became his in hell."
Shocked to his core, Inuyasha could only mumble "Why?"
She shook, her eyes leaving his face and rolled from side to side as if to escape from her head. Her emotionless voice answered, "You loved her. You were going to forget your promise to me. You were going to leave me." She bent then, and reached for her bow. Readying an arrow at the now helpless hanyou, she added, "Are you ready to join me in death Inuyasha?"
Growling his anger, howling in his pain, he pulled free from his confines. As she shot her arrow, Inuyasha's claws ripped through her body, releasing her souls. White blinding pain laced through him as the arrow burned into his chest. He felt himself falling, and felt no more.
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Kagome stared around her bewildered. 'Where the heck is he?' She walked slowly forward, trying to make sense of where she was. Gray, gray everywhere she looked. The nothingness reminded her of a movie she'd seen once and she briefly wondered if the movie's director walked this same path.
Gray matter swirled about her, caressing her skin, whipping her hair wildly while at the same time, not touching her. Her mind reeled in confusion. Something seemed to grab at her ankle and she shrieked. The sound echoed back to her, scaring her with its intensity.
A solid feeling tug on her waist made her look down. A slight smile touched her lips. "Sesshoumaru." She swallowed and felt more confident. She knew with his lifeline, she would be safe no matter what she faced. She 'patted' the glowing tendril wrapped around her waist and grinned as it seemed to recoil at her affection. He would hate to be touched no matter the reason.
Head held high, her shoulders back, Kagome continued to walk forward, a little braver than before, but cautious.
It wasn't long before she began to hear voices. Or what she thought were voices. Feeling a little trepidation, she moved forward again. Sesshoumaru's aura tugged on her waist. She tried to ignore it, and continue, but it held her in place.
"What are you doing?" she called out to it. Wrapped around her waist, it seemed to give her a squeeze before it began to draw her back, pulling on her. Her eyes went wide. "NO! I haven't found him yet!" She became frantic, pulling on the tendril, trying to rid herself of it before she was pulled too far away.
"INUYASHA!" She cried, hoping against hope he would somehow hear her and come to her. "Sesshoumaru stop it! I can't go back now." He had pulled her to the ground, dragging her back the way she had came. Tears of frustration sprang to her eyes. "STOP!" She cried again. "INUYASHA!"
Kagome couldn't get Sesshoumaru off her. She fought to find some hold, some purchase to cling to stop her backwards progression. A sudden thought came to her and she acted on it before she talked herself out of it. She placed a finger against a thick part of his aura, and concentrated. A soft white glow leapt from her fingertip to the tendril.
He released her so quickly she sprawled where she lay. Panting softly she tried to catch her breath. A shuddering groan escaped her lips as it dawned on her she was utterly alone. Sesshoumaru had left. She couldn't feel him anywhere nearby.
Getting to her feet, her lower lip trembling but knowing she had to find Inuyasha, she started forward.
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Inuyasha tried to shake the memory from his thoughts. He rose to his feet, and was amazed to find he did not feel any pain. "Is this heaven?" he whispered. Looking down at himself, he noticed he was dressed as he always did except Tetsusaiga wasn't at his belt. He growled and looked around. Without Tetsusaiga, he could transform into a mindless youkai. Would he mind so much, in hell? To forget his pain?
"Inuyasha?" A voice called out to him. He knew the voice but in this fog, he couldn't identify whom it belonged to. "Inuyasha!" The voice called out again.
Inuyasha started. "Ka ..gome?" He breathed. He began to run towards where he thought the voice came from. 'What was she doing here?' He thought. In the nothingness, he didn't know where he was running. He stopped to listen, flicking his ears in all directions to try and find the voice again.
"Inuyasha." A voice said from behind him.
He spun around and his eyes went wide before narrowing to slits. "Kikyou" He spat out.
She watched him for a moment before saying, "It's time for us to descend to hell, Inuyasha." She held out her hand. "Come with me."
"I'm not going anywhere with you, bitch." Inuyasha growled.
Kikyou frowned. "You promised me you would." She lowered her head and looked off. "You promised you would protect me from him."
"YOU BETRAYED ME!" He shouted, trying to shut out the guilt her words invoked.
Fathomless eyes sought his. "If you had protected me, it wouldn't have happened."
He shook his head. "Enough of your lies. You worked against us from the start. Trying to kill me. Trying to kill Kagome. Stealing the shards… I never listened to what they said against you." His body shook with the anger he felt. "I should have killed you in the beginning."
A sigh escaped her lips. She continued to look steadily at him. "His tricks have caused you to mistrust me again, Inuyasha."
Inuyasha started. 'Could this be true? Could Naraku have deceived me again?' He snorted. Of course he could have. He's Naraku, the deceiver. "Why should I trust you?" He asked gruffly, not yet willing to give in to her words.
She looked down. "Maybe you shouldn't trust me after all. Even if it were part of his tricks, I did betray you." She seemed about to say more but stopped, looking beyond him.
He watched her for a moment and turned to look behind him as well. He could see a dark shape walking closer, directly towards him. His eyes grew wide as he recognized the shape.
"Kagome?!" As he rushed towards her, he wondered why she would be there. Even if she were dead as Naraku claimed, she would be headed to Heaven, and not hell.
"INUYASHA!" Kagome cried, clinging to his haori. She was shaking, having grown tired and badly afraid. She had been traveling in this gray world without sound for what seemed days and despaired ever finding him.
Holding her, he rubbed her back comfortingly. Inuyasha asked, "What are you doing here? You don't belong here, Kagome."
Taking in a deep shuddering breath, she tried to reply. "I …I came t..to take you b..b..back."
Looking down at her, brows knitted, he asked, "Back? Back where?"
She smiled, her eyes shining brightly. "You haven't died, Inuyasha. You just allowed your soul to drift." She gestured. "You are neither in hell, heaven nor earth, and are stuck in this place until you allow your soul to move on to one or the other." Pulling on his haori she continued. "I've come to bring you home, back to earth."
Inuyasha shook his head confused. "You're not dead? I'm not in hell?" She shook her head confirming what he asked.
"Will you forget your promise, Inuyasha?" Kikyou's voice called out from behind them.
He turned, keeping his body in front of Kagome. "It has changed Kikyou."
The dead miko's eyes turned to her reincarnate. Hate seemed to radiate through her body. "You." She spat out.
Kagome's eyes softened, looking at her. "Kikyou." Her brows drew together. Her breath caught and she cocked her head puzzled. "Oh… I see." She blinked, dazed. The older woman blanched and backed up, looking around as if to escape.
Inuyasha watched the exchange, concern and confusion written on his face. "Kagome? Wha … what's going on?" He touched her arm lightly.
Her eyes never leaving Kikyou's, she said softly, "This is and isn't Kikyou."
Baffled, he scoffed, "What? That's Kikyou! What do you …"
Stepping forward, she slashed a hand out, cutting his words off. "Kikyou's soul … my soul is in there somewhere, but it isn't in control of the body … or the souls that are wrapped around it." She moved forward quickly as 'Kikyou' tried to escape. "HOLD HIM KIKYOU!" Kagome shouted. "You can do it." Reaching for the miko, she grabbed her hand as the older woman strained to move. "Help me Kikyou. Help me release you."
Inuyasha could only stare, frozen in his shock as the two women seemed to be locked in an invisible power struggle. Neither moved, but he could see the strain on both faces, see Kagome visibly sweat. He took a step forward, helpless as to know what to do.
With a gasp, Kikyou's body collapsed, Kagome catching her weakly, lowering her to the ground. Kikyou opened her mouth in a loud cry, and Inuyasha flattened his ears as it echoed back and forth through the grayness surrounding them. His gaze turned to the sight before him. Never had he thought he'd see such a gentle scene between his two loves. Kagome held Kikyou's head in her lap, stroking her face with a trembling hand. She raised her face to Inuyasha, and he was shocked to see it streaked with tears.
"She's going now, Inuaysha." She looked down again when a faint gasp was heard.
Rushing to kneel by her side, Inuyasha looked from one to the other. "What … why … wha.." he didn't know what to ask.
Kikyou opened her eyes. Her hand fluttered weakly to touch his. "Inuyasha…" she whispered. A grimace of pain swept through her face and she moaned.
"Ssshh… Kikyou. I'll help." Kagome murmured. She closed her eyes, and stilled both hands on each side of the woman's head. Her breathing became shallow, and the pain left Kikyou's face.
Kikyou wet her lips and glancing at the girl who held her, she smiled softly. "She's a good soul." Her eyes turned back to Inuyasha. Locking her stare with his, she continued. "I don't have much time. She's giving me a chance to say goodbye to you, and help you understand what's happened."
Inuyasha felt the slightest of squeezes from her hand. He gently squeezed hers back. "Kikyou … what can I do?"
She smiled. "There is nothing that can be done. I will go on to hell." As he began to protest, she pulled on his hand. "I don't have the time, Inuyasha. Let me say what I have to say, and let me go." He nodded, keeping his eyes on hers. "When I fell to Naraku the last time, I drifted for quite some time, without thought, without form. I was lost, and couldn't seem to move on. I knew I had died, but for some reason I was held to the Earth."
Her eyes left his face. "Onigumo found me eventually. He gave me form but wrapped dead souls in his control around mine. I was too weak to fight it. He told me he would wait in hell for me. It was he who planned with Naraku to kill Kagome. To trap you. He wanted you to suffer." She smiled a shaky smile. "His jealousy won again. He wanted us to hate each other." Her eyes met his again. "I did not care what happened to the girl, but I did care for you. I did not want you to be hurt. I … I don't think I would have let you give up your life for me… not in the end."
Kikyou's gaze turned to Kagome face. She seemed to be struggling within herself. When she spoke, her voice was soft, almost too low for Inuyasha to hear. "She is truly a gentle soul. She is not a copy of me, for I was never like her." The look in her eyes became sad. "I could not have done for you what she has done, no matter how much I wanted to." Her eyes moved back to Inuyasha's. "You two belong together."
The older woman's body spasmed in pain. Kagome gasped and opened her eyes. Tears shown brightly as they made their way down her cheeks. "Kikyou…"
Inuyasha squeezed her hand. "Kikyou … thank you… thank you for … for releasing me."
She started to shake. "I have to go now. I cannot stay here any longer." A tear leaked from her eye.
"You cannot go to him, Kikyou." Kagome stated, trying to blink the tears from her own eyes.
Kikyou smiled weakly. "I don't have a choice in the matter. What soul I have left cannot go to heaven, and he's waiting in hell for me."
Shifting, Inuyasha cried, "You can't … you have to fight it Kikyou. The thought of him and you …" He stopped when Kagome's hand touched his.
She smiled softly at him before gazing down at Kikyou. "Let me purify your soul."
Their eyes locked. A sigh escaped the older miko and she nodded. "It would be best." She gave Inuyasha another weak smile. "Goodbye Inuyasha." Closing her eyes, she seemed to sleep.
Kagome said softly, "You need to let go of her. I don't know what my power would do to you if you were touching her." He released Kikyou's hand and moved back slightly, watching. Kagome took a deep breath and closed her eyes in concentration. A soft white glow emerged from her hands and radiated out to the woman held in her lap.
Inuyasha gasped and scuttled back farther, feeling the power jumping out from Kagome. His eyes grew wide as the white glow flowed from Kagome's hands and down through Kikyou's body. A soft sigh was heard, and the body disappeared. Kagome jolted as the white light shot back into her.
Opening her eyes, she looked down. "She's gone. She's really gone." Her lips trembled slightly as she looked up at Inuyasha. "Are you ok?"
Shaking his head, Inuyasha couldn't meet her eyes. How many times would he have to go through this pain … the pain of parting before he could find peace. He lowered his head into his hands. He tried to clear his mind, tried to stop thinking of what had just happened, and all that had happened to lead up to this point.
He heard Kagome shift, and felt her arms about his shoulders, her wet face pressed to his. "Inuyasha, it's time to go home."
Raising his head, he gave her a slight smile and gently wiped her tears away. He stood and helped her to her feet. "Let's go." He started to walk in the direction he remembered her coming from and stopped when she hadn't followed. Turning he looked at her.
Kagome looked up at him, a peaceful sadness on her face. She stepped forward to his side, and took up his hand in hers. He looked down at her, remembering a far away day, in a situation similar to this. As she started to walk forward again, he closed his fingers about hers without saying a word.
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