AN: Alright......this is the end........I'm so sad..... Thank you everyone for your wonderful reviews. I love you all I really do. The writer would be nothing without their readers. HAPPY READING AND ENJOY!

The One above All: Thank you for being such a loyal reviewer. It means a lot. Sniffle… I'll miss you.

Disclaimer: There are thirty other chapters that make a point of saying I don't own it. Are any lawyers really that stupid to think otherwise at this point?

Love Isn't Just a Memory

Chapter Thirty-One: So This is the End

By: Nimerin

To say that coming to was a pleasant experience would have been the complete and utter opposite of what he was experiencing. Every nerve ending sizzled in pain as Inuyasha raised himself to his feet. He groaned as he glanced around for Kagome and his former love. He didn't see her but he did notice some of their other companions. Sango and Miroku were struggling against the barrier and were trying every trick at their disposal to no avail. Inuyasha staggered over to them and they finally noticed his presence.

"Inuyasha!" Sango screamed, "You have to help Kagome. She's in the well house alone with Kikyo."

He grunted and stumbled a bit before leag into the well house. The sight that greeted him was Kagome slumped against the well with a bleeding shoulder and a bloody arrow clutched in her shaking hand. Kikyo had her bow raised and pointed at the future girl, the path of this arrow was aimed at a much more deadly target.

Red seeped into the harried hanyou's eyes as he leapt forward and grasped the offending miko by the neck and off of the ground. A feral growl erupted from his throat as his sharp claws just barely began to pierce the dead miko's throat. "How dare you!" His gruffer than usual voice ground out past lengthened fangs.

Kikyo's eyes widened and she dropped her bow and arrow in shock. "Inu...ya....sha?" Her fingers flew up to the hand grasg her in the crushing grip and tried to gather her wits. "What's... happen...ing?"

His grip tightened, "I'm not going to let you hurt her you fucking bitch."

Kikyo gasped and started to make a barrier crackle around her in retaliation. The blue flames leapt over his skin and began trying to purify him, but he did not slacken his grip. In fact, if he was experiencing any pain, there was no show of it.

Kagome finally gathered enough strength to raise her slumped head and took in the scene laid before her. "Inuyasha, no!" The hanyou turned crazed youkai turned red eyes on her but made no other movements. "Oh Inuyasha..." she mumbled sadly, "You can't hurt her, don't do it." As if to prove her wrong, he growled lowly and tightened his grip once more. In response the barrier Kikyo was erecting crackled even more powerfully, this time eliciting a random wince occasionally from him.

Unable to bear seeing him in pain, she struggled to her feet to stop him. "She's purifying you, if you don't let go she is going to kill you."

"She will kill you if I do."

She slowly moved forward, slightly surprised that his youkai side was only intent on Kikyo and that it was capable of reasoning with. "You're here to protect me though. There has to be another way; you can't kill her it would hurt you too much when you go back to normal." She came up right in front of him, and he moved Kikyo to dangle at his side.

"She'll hurt you." He growled lowly, silently warring within himself.

Kagome wrapped her good arm around him in a calming hug. Her wounded shoulder she kept close to her body as she laid her head against his chest. His free hand hesitantly came around her and avoided her wound. "Please," she mumbled into his chest, "I don't want you to kill her." He let loose another prolonged growl before tossing Kikyo into the wall across the well house and wrapg his now free arm around Kagome protectively. "Thank you." She mumbled tiredly as she slumped against him.

Kikyo drew herself up from the crumpled heap she had been in and sneered in disgust. "How can you embrace that monster? Look at him, he is just a beast."

Inuyasha snarled, released Kagome, and began to advance on his prey. Kagome grasped his arm and glared at Kikyo, "He is not a monster; you are! He is only trying to protect me! You try to kill him even though you claim to love him."

"Look at him girl, really look. Those claws of his pierced my flesh moments again, what is to stop them from piercing your neck next?"

"He would never hurt me." Inuyasha ceased growling and relaxed at her last statement, but he still was glaring a warning to Kikyo.

"I tire of this." Kikyo stepped forward, one glowing blue hand extended, and touched the barrier surrounding the well. The barrier grew and began to swirl around the well house in response until it centered around Kikyo and her eyes began to glow the eerie blue color of her power. The extended hand then pointed toward Inuyasha and Kagome sending an arc of power in their direction.

Inuyasha quickly moved to stand in front of Kagome and was struck by the power. He cried out in pain as he crumpled to his knees. Kagome gasped and knelt beside him, surprised when his amber eyes stared tiredly up at her. "Get out of here Kagome."

Kagome began to cry, "No, I'm not going to leave you." Another blue arc of power stuck out towards them, this time Inuyasha barely managed to push them out of the way in time. He remained on the ground this time out of pure exhaustion, unable to make his body move but forced to watch. Kagome looked up at Kikyo in anger, "You tire of this? I'm tired of this; I'm tired of living in your shadow, of standing aside whenever you came around, and most of all I'm tired of watching you hurt Inuyasha and acting like it's okay."

As Kagome had spoken her eyes began to glow a faint k and tendrils of her power reached out and lashed against the power Kikyo had gathered. She stepped slowly forward and let the aura of her power surround the lashing tendrils of Kikyo's, "Why don't you let go?"

"Why should I? I was here first."

"But aren't you tired of living like this?" She questioned softly.

Kikyo's response was bitter, "I was killed before I was able to live my other life, I'll take what I can get."

"How many children die before they get a chance at life?"

"They weren't betrayed by those they loved!" Kikyo hissed.

"Neither were you. Inuyasha did not betray you; you know that it was Naraku. Why can't you get past that?"

"You don't know how it felt to have that overwhelming sense of hatred be your last emotion before death. I believed he betrayed me at that time, my soul is scarred from that and I will never be able to move fully past that."

"It's my soul too and I don't feel any bitterness towards Inuyasha."

"Stupid girl, every time a soul is reborn it grows and expands gaining from the past experiences. It doesn't remain the same or it would never find enlightenment. We may share the same core soul, but only a piece of it is the same as mine. Your part of the soul may be able to move past that feeling of betrayal, but mine is not."

A single tear slipped past Kagome's eyes as she felt the raw pain emanating from Kikyo whom she now stood in front of, "Then let me help you." She reached forward and embraced a surprised Kikyo. Her k aura wrapped completely around the blue and they merged into a soft purple light as Kikyo relaxed and returned the embrace.

Kikyo became wracked with sobs and leaned into Kagome's welcoming embrace, "If I let go of my hatred then I will become weak like this. I can't be like this."

Kagome stroked her hair soothingly, "You don't always have to be so strong."

"The village needed me to be; it was my duty."

"What about what you need? You need to let go of your hatred to find peace. The villagers love you, they would want that for you."

"But Naraku, and the Shikon..."

"We will avenge you." Kagome whispered vehemently, "He will pay for his sins."

Kikyo's sobs faded after a few moments and she stepped back from Kagome, a serene expression on her face. She closed he eyes for a moment before regarding the still immobile Inuyasha with a slight smile, "I'm sorry for the pain I've caused you. Despite everything, you were always my friend and I love you for that. Remember that." She then turned to Kagome, "You are a great miko Kagome, Thank you for everything." She faded away into the wash of purple light. The aura around Kagome took on the force of a powerful wind and flowed back into Kagome once more as she passed out from exhaustion.

Kagome woke to the twittering of birds somewhere nearby. She blinked her eyes open and waited as they adjusted to the shafts of sunlight leaking through her curtains. She yawned widely and started to stretch when she was abruptly stopped by a sharp pain in her left shoulder. She tightly gripped it as she sat up. "You shouldn't move around so much; you might reopen the wound." She blinked in surprise at the gruff voice before turning to look at down at Inuyasha. He was seated on the floor next to her bed, a solemn expression on his face. "Are you alright? Are you..." He trailed off and looked away from her.

"I'm fine. What else were you going to ask me?"

He glanced up at her shyly, "Are you... What I mean is...do you feel like you?"

Kagome was silent for a moment, her brow creased in thought, "I feel the same. Maybe a bit more...I don't know, aware; but I'm still me." She averted her face, "I'm sorry."

In mere seconds, she found herself enclosed in a strong embrace, "I'm glad." A gruff voice murmured.

She blinked in confusion, "You're glad I'm sorry?"

"Keh! No you stupid girl, I'm glad you're you. I was worried that there might be other side affects to what happened."

"Oh..." Kagome smiled softly, he was worried about her being the same, how cute, "I'm still sorry though."

"What do you have to be sorry for?"

"That Kikyo is gone, I know it must be hard on you."

Inuyasha was silent as he thought about what she said, Kagome thought he was upset with her and tried to pull away; he only held on tighter. "It's better this way. She gets to be at peace and you're alright. That's one less person I have to worry about trying to kill you."

Kagome laughed lightly and snuggled into his embrace, "I love you Inuyasha."

Inuyasha laid a gentle kiss to the crown of her head, "I love you too."

They lay still for a few moments, reveling in each other's presence before Kagome broke the silence, "How are the others?"

"They're fine, a few bruises here and there but there were no major damages."

"What happened to Shinku?"

"She left after Kikyo went in the well house. We don't know where she went, but the bouzo said that he doesn't think she's going to be a problem for us."

"What now?"

Inuyasha snorted, "Now we finish finding the shards. Who knows what Naraku's been up to since we've been gone."

"I guess we should head back today then and see how things are."

"I don't think so wench. You're arm isn't healed yet and you aren't going anywhere until it is."

Kagome sighed and closed her eyes, "I'm going to take a nap, then we can discuss this more."

"I'm going to miss you all so much!" Mrs. Higurashi exclaimed with small tears in her eyes. She was clinging to little Shippo with one arm and hugging Sango with the other.

Souta was petting Kirara fondly, "Yeah, it's no fair that Kagome is the only one that gets to see you guys all the time."

Jii-chan nodded sagely, "Even though some of your companions have demon heritage, I find them all very useful wells of knowledge. You shall have to relay messages for me since most of them are unable to pass through the well."

Kagome rolled her eyes good naturedly, "I'm a mail service now."

Kagome's arm had fully healed in a matter of days with the help of her newly enhanced miko powers. They were now all gathered outside the well house and saying their teary goodbyes. The shard hunters felt like they were now part of Kagome's family and were sad to say farewell to some of the only family they had left. They had been outside exchanging their well wishes for the last ten minutes and it was now time for them to pass through to Sengoku Jidai.

A sudden wind picked up behind them and as it dissipated a melodious laugh could be heard. "Poor Kagome the miko mail service."

"Huh?" Everyone turned and regarded their guest in surprise, "Allerium-sama!"

"Please excuse me Allerium-sama but why have you honored us with your presence?" Miroku questioned.

Allerium smiled, "I came to see how things worked out. I sensed that the well was functioning as usual and thought I would check to make sure. I am pleased to see that everyone is doing well."

"Thank you for sending my friends to me; I don't think I would have survived if you hadn't." Kagome bowed respectfully.

"You are most welcome. I come bearing a gift as well." Allerium smirked mysteriously.

"What kind of gift?" Shippo hoped about excitedly.

Everyone chuckled at his youthful exuberance before Allerium answered, "Why I thought it would be wonderful if all of you could come visit Kagome's family. From now on, the well will work for all of the you shard hunters."

"Arigato!" Everyone exclaimed happily as they jumped about and hugged each other in glee.

"Well, I really must be going now, good luck on your quest." Without even waiting for a goodbye she disappeared and the family was left to thank the wind.

The group had raced back to the little village and greeted Kaede with many stories of their trip to the future. Kaede was pleased to hear of their success and of the peace that her sister had finally found. She shared with them the latest rumors of the shards and the group decided it would be best to head out at once to make up for lost time. As everyone else scrambled to get things ready to go, Inuyasha retreated to the lofty branches of the Goshinboku to wait.

'So,' his inner voice decided to keep him company, 'You finally have things back to normal.'

'Not quite, things with Kagome and I aren't the same.'

'Iie, they aren't, they're better. All because of me!'

'Because of you! What the hell are you babbling about?'

The voice snickered, 'Oh come on, what's the big deal; I'm you after all.'

'Keh!' He suddenly became somber, 'Kikyo may not be after Kagome anymore, but I'm still going to have a lot of people trying to get her.'

'You'll take care of her. You're love for her will make you ready for anything.'

He mentally grunted and ceased the inner conversation since Kagome was now standing under the tree.

"Inuyasha, we're all packed." He jumped down beside her and nodded once to show that he had understood, "Ready?" she questioned.

He grabbed her hand and tugged her down the pathway towards the village, "I'm ready." 'For anything.'

FIN

AN: Well, that's it, the end of the story. There will be no epilogue after this, sadly. I thought it would better to lengthen this chapter instead of making two short chapters. I really enjoyed writing this, and I have other ideas planned for the Inuyasha fandom in the near future. Just keep checking my bio for the new story. Or if you can't wait, you can check out my original fiction on under the same pen name. Now just because this is the last chapter, doesn't mean you don't have to review; it means you have to review as a parting gift. PLEASE REVIEW AND FARE THEE WELL! (Aren't I the dramatic one?)