Oh, my. Relax, everyone, I won't kill Kagome. She doesn't deserve it. Besides, it's an Inu/Kag/Kouga centered fic, although it's hard to tell at the moment. If I took Kagome out of the triangle, it wouldn't work.

Or would it…oh, my.

Disclaimer: I still don't own Inu Yasha. Someday, I will rid myself of the rules of this reality. And then, Sesshoumaru-sama…then you shall be mine!

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Kikyo stared at the girl's body for a moment. Apparently, she had said the magic words that had stopped her futile struggling.

The Soul-Gatherers flew above the small miko in wary circles. They were hesitant to take a soul that was so like that of their mistress.

"Bring it to me," Kikyo commanded softly, and one finally dove in.

It disappeared for a moment into Kagome's body, then resurfaced. It seemed to be struggling with its prize. It made a noise, like a soft murmur, and another Soul-Gatherer flew to its side. The others followed suit, working together to carry the enormous soul of the young miko away.

"Give me back my soul, my friends," Kikyo murmured, as the bright orb neared her. She reached out eagerly, and touched her fingertips to it.

Her eyes opened wide as she absorbed the soul into herself. She sighed when she felt her heart begin to beat, and warmth spread throughout her limbs. The fabric of her clothing felt soft against her skin, and her fluttering hair tickled her face.

*I am alive. Truly alive,* she thought triumphantly, as the last of Kagome's soul merged with her body.

It was then that a great sadness filled her. "I have gained my life," she said thoughtfully, staring at her hands like she'd never seen them before. "And yet, my heart is filled with an unbearable pain."

She looked down at the lifeless body of her reincarnation. "Could this be the burden that Kagome was bearing? Her soul seems to have carried it even after her death, as it did with my hatred of Inuyasha."

Suddenly, she sprinted forward as the roof came crashing down behind her.

Dust and smoke from the debris filled the air for a moment, blinding her attacker. It gave the miko enough time to run out of the building. She didn't stop until she reached the far end of the courtyard.

Meanwhile, back inside the remains of the room, the wolf prince was having trouble breathing. It wasn't because of his long chase, or because of the dust that still hung heavily about the air.

It was because the only woman he had ever loved was lying at his feet, and she wasn't breathing.

Kouga dropped to his knees. He shuffled over to her, straining to catch any sound that might make his heart start beating again. He reached out gingerly and gathered her to him, shocked by how cold she was. With his claws, he carefully pushed her hair out of her face and wiped the dust off of her cheeks.

"Kag…Kagome?" His voice was a hoarse whisper, and the sound of it only made him feel worse. "Kagome, wake up." He shook her gently, as his eyes filled with tears for the first time in his long life.

"Come on, woman. You have to wake up." He blinked his eyes furiously as his vision blurred. He didn't want to lose sight of her face. She was so beautiful.

"Wake up, Kagome!" He shook her more roughly, but she still didn't open her eyes. "Come on, now. Come on…come…."

He stopped shaking her, and pulled her close to him.

"Kagome!" He raised his head to the sky, and let out a mournful howl.

The wolves that were nearby recognized its pain, and echoed his cry with howls of their own.

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Sango's stomach flopped as a sad howling rose up along the edges of the forest. Below her, Kirara whined softly. "What was that?" she wondered aloud.

"It was Kouga," the little kitsune in front of her said gravely. "Something's wrong, Sango. I don't like the sound of these howls. The wolves sound like they're mourning someone." He covered his ears with his small hands.

"Faster, Kirara," she whispered, and the neko youkai shot forward through the sky.

"Kirara, Sango!"

Kirara stopped suddenly, and Shippo almost tumbled off. Sango reached forward and caught his tail. "Hey, careful, Kirara!" he cried, scrambling up onto the neko's back. Kirara gave him an apologetic lick, and he petted her.

"Wait for me!" Below them, Miroku was struggling to catch up.

When they had lifted him safely onto the firecat's back, and were once more in the air, Sango poked the houshi. "Where is Inuyasha? Did he go after the Soul Gatherer, too?"

The monk nodded. "Did you hear that howling just now?"

Sango shivered. "Yes, and Shippo said it sounded like a mourning cry. What do you suppose it could mean?"

"I don't know." Miroku shook his head. "We should be close by now; I can feel Naraku's energy again, and it's getting stronger."

"I hope Kagome's all right," Shippo said nervously. "I don't get how Inuyasha could've let Naraku take her away." He fisted his little hands in his hair. "Oh, that stupid dog! Can't he do anything right?"

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The howls made Inuyasha's blood freeze. He recognized Kouga's immediately, and that couldn't be good. "He's not injured," he thought to himself. "I don't smell his blood. Or Kagome's."

Still, that didn't make him feel any better. His stomach was sinking lower and lower with every sprint. He crashed headfirst through the branches of the circle of trees into a large clearing, where a disturbingly familiar castle sat.

*This whole place reeks of Naraku,* the inu hanyou thought, his nose wrinkling in disgust.

"Kagome!"

He caught Kouga's scent, just a little behind the first building in his way. He crouched and leapt over it, landing just in the middle of a courtyard.

"Kagome!"

He was about to sprint toward the ruins ahead of him when a soft voice froze him in his tracks.

"Inuyasha."

"Kagome?" He turned quickly, and came face to face with a very warm, very alive Kikyo.

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Oh, oh. Even I think this is a bad cliffhanger. Gomen. I seem to be unable to end chapters in any other manner. It's a problem I was born with. Don't worry, I'll update soon!