The Hardest Goodbye

They arrived in the town that Kagome had become so accostumed to. From the looks of it, it seemed deserted. Then a scream pierced the eerie silence. Sesshomaru's ears twitched and a low growl formed in his throat. Something here was amiss.

"What is it?" she asked, holding the children closer. They had come along, even though she had been agaisnt it. Sesshomaru had insisted. He didn't find Jaken to be a very good baby-sitter.

"Blood," he hissed. "The stench is everywhere."

Then, a figure came limping towards them, supporting another. Kagome's heart caught in her throat when she saw Miroku dragging Sango toward them. Immediatly, she raced forward. As she approached, she could she the deep gashing wound that her sister had taken from what seemed to be a rather large blade. A blade or...claws.

Just as she had reached them, an arrow struck her in the shoulder, knocking her to the ground.

"Kagome!" Sango tried to cry, but she fell to her knees from the effort. Miroku helped her back up, wobbling from his own blood loss. "It was Kikyo."

The young school girl looked up, seeing her deadly rival positioned above her, holding her arrow's point at her throat. "Hello Kagome. So nice of you to return. You are just in time to see all that you love perish."

"Witch!" Sesshomaru called, pulling out both of his swords. "Come battle with one in a fair match."

"Fool!" she shrieked. "The only fair match is the one that will be taking place now." She smirked, glaring down at Kagome. "And now, dear reincarnation, you will die.

But someone tackled the old priestess away. "KIKYO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Inuyasha yelled, trying to restrain her. She threw him off of her, holding her bow towards him. Knowing full well the strength of his love, Inuyasha moved back, giving her ample space. Then she was free to round on her prey.

But Kagome had taken advantage of the time given to her. She had easily grapsed her own bow and the only arrow in her position was the one that had been embedded into her. Yanking it out, biting her bottom lip to keep from screaming out in pain, she prepared to fire on her nemisis.

"Will you kill me?" Kikyo mocked her with scorn. "No one has ever done it before. You know Naraku tried, but I am still amongst you. And I will be here until I get what my desire is."

"And what is that?" the Japanese school girl questioned.

"My revenge on you for taking Inuyasha away from me!"

She fired her arrow and at the precise moment, Kagome let her arrow fly. Hit the mark, hit the mark, she silently coached herself. As she lost her train of thought, she was aware of the anguish with which her enemy cried out. Kikyo would not be living past this day. She saw Inuyasha run to his dying love, while Sesshomaru place the children behind himself. Sango crawled over, placing her hand on her ankle, though Miroku tried to stop her. Then things began to become blurry.

Kagome teeter-tottered backwards and collapsed on the ground. Sesshomaru leapt to her side, followed by the demon exterminator, the perverted monk, and the children. Shippo and Rin broke into tears at the sight of their mother lying on the grass. Inuyasha's eyes were on Kagome, but he remained by Kikyo's side. Picking Kagome up gently, the demon lord let her lean against his chest, as they sat in the clearing.

"Kami," he breathed, worry settling in, "Can you hear me?"

"Sesshomaru," she coughed, a little trail of blood running down her chin. Her eyes fluttered open for a moment. "I'm sorry," she whispered, voice dying. "I'm sorry that I'm not strong enough to make it."

"Do not say such things," he told her, hugging her limp body to his chest. She was perhaps the only one he had ever cared for, and now the cruel human world was taking her away from him, just like it had taken away his mother.

"You are fine. You have several gashes. I will have a doctor look at them when we get back," he promised, referring to his castle as their home. "Do not worry." But even as he said it, he knew she was right. She was dying as they spoke.

"T-tell the children that I love them both," she croaked, and his eyes went to where Rin and the fox pup were huddled, still weeping. "Make sure Miroku and Sango have a gorgeous wedding. And let Inuyasha know that I…I forgive him." Sesshomaru nodded to each of her requests, making a mental note to complete each one, even the one that dealt with his bastard half-breed brother.

Her body started to convulse. "Ses-sess-ho," she tried to say his name, but he hushed her. She tried to tell him that she loved him. The shaking grew worse and she began to lose feeling in all parts of her body. More blood dribbled from her mouth and Sango hurried to wipe it away, tears running down her cheeks freely. Finally, a wave of blackness over came Kagome, making her still in the demon lord's arms. He watched as she exhaled her last breath and entered eternal sleep.

"No," he growled. He only wasted a second. Unsheathing Tensaiga, he slashed the sword across her body. Nothing happened. He did it again and again. She remained lying there dead. Consumed by the need to save her, he kept slicing the sword through her until Sango made him stop. "No," he growled again. "She is not gone. I can save her."

"It's not working," Sango cried, angry at her friend's passing and herself for being unable to save her. She grabbed one of his wrists with both of her hands, trying to make him stop his reckless behavior.

"It has to!" He threw her aside, leaving the monk to break her fall. His eyes turned red with his anger, and he let out the most painful howl any of the members in the clearing had ever heard.

"The sword you wield, Tensiaga, can not bring back a soul of purity that has ascended to heaven," a voice responded.

The group turned, surprised to see a woman who resembled Kagome standing off to the side. She wore a lovely gown of flowing white and her black hair cascaded around freely in the breeze. Kirara got up and padded over to the woman, gently nuzzling her head against her leg.

"Kagome's soul purified the Shikon Tama. Her life mission is complete. Her soul is going to, what you know as, heaven," the woman told them.

"Who are you?" Miroku questioned, stepping in front of Sango protectively.

"I am Midoriko, the maiden who the Shikon Jewel was created from. It is from my line that Kagome descended. She was one of many reincarnations I had, just as Kikyo was. Only Kagome succeeded where all others failed. She was the only one who harnessed enough power to complete my goal by vanquishing all the demons that were trapped with me inside the Shikon Tama. Now the jewel will never be able to be used for evil purposes again. And for that, Kagome is receiving her reward."

"Bring her back," Sesshomaru demanded, his eyes becoming redder, as he raised Tokijin and Tetsusaiga.

"Easy now, Lord Sesshomaru," she replied calmly. "She made me promise to give you this." The woman in white handed over the Jewel of Four Souls, dropping it into his open palm. "It is yours, by her dying wish."

No sooner had Midorico finished her sentence, then Sesshomaru was transported to somewhere new. The clearing faded away in a shocking white light that blinded him for a second. When he opened his eyes again, the monk, children, his brother, and the exterminator were all gone. He looked around. This was the same field he had just been in, but no one else was here. What was going on? What kind of magic was this?

"Sesshomaru?"

His ears twitched. Kagome. He turned around, seeing her approaching him. She was dressed just as before, in her lovely green kimono, hair all done up, and a beautiful smile on her face. "Kagome!" He rushed over and enveloped her in a hug, so glad to be able to hold her again.

"Sesshomaru," she said, pulling back. "I can't stay long. I have to go on with my passing." She pointed to a glowing beam of white light coming from the forest. "At one time the Bone Eater's Well took me to my home in Tokyo. Now it will take me to my eternal resting place," she explained.

"Where are we?"

"We are at a crossroad between this life and the next," she told him, letting him look around. His eyes scanned the area, before coming back to settle on her. "I love you," she breathed, kissing him lightly. "I know that you will refuse others and never mate for as long as you live. I know you'll be a great father to Rin and Shippo, despite my absence. I know you'll be the one to break the news of my death to my mother. And I know," she said softer, "that you will grieve every day for me. I beg you, don't."

"Kagome," he hugged her again, and she was shocked when she felt his tears rain down her back. "I can't let you go," he told her and it broke her heart. "You are all I ever had, now I'll be left with nothing."

"You'll have the children," she reminded him.
"It is not the same," he said, clinging to her.

"Sesshomaru, I'll always be watching over you, just as you watched over me when I was alive." She stepped out of his embrace, backing up to the light.

"No," he shook his head, following her. She didn't run, but no matter how he tried, he couldn't catch up to her. She perched on the tip of the well, giving him one last glance, she smiled, and jumped in. A blinding white light filled the sky and he was knocked down.

"Sesshomaru-sama!"

He opened his eyes. Where was the well? Sango and Miroku were standing over him, confused looks on their faces. Shippo and Rin ran over to him. They landed on opposite sides, grabbing on, and holding to him tight, afraid to lose their father as well as their mother. He looked down on the ground where Kagome's body had been. It was gone.

Midorico came over to him. "You are granted one wish when you receive the Shikon Tama. What is it your heart desires?"

Only one thing ran through his mind.

Kagome.

"I wish Kagome Higurashi was alive again, no strings attached."

"Is this your final wish?" Midorico asked.

"Yes."

"Are you certain that this is the path you wish upon her?"

"Yes, wench, now bring her back!" He hissed threateningly, pointing two sharp swords at her throat.

"As you wish," she nodded calmly, a slight smile on her lips. In another flash of white light, she disappeared and in her place stood Kagome.

"Kami," Sesshomaru had never been so happy in his life. She wasn't confused or even startled by where she was. It was as if she had known this would happen all along. She walked over to him, serene as the water in a pond. From behind him, he heard Sango muffle a gasp. Inuyasha was still crouched over Kikyo's dead body. He only glanced up, when Kagome came to Sesshomaru.

"Is this a dream?" she questioned, reaching up to brush a silver strand out of his face.

"No," he kissed the tips of her fingers.

"I'm not meant to be here," she stated, her doe eyes skimming over the rest of the group.

"Yes, you are. I wished for your return."

"You could have had anything," she reminded him. "Why wish for me?"

"Because I love you," he kissed her.

"Kami!" Now it was her turn to be surprised and happy beyond belief. She threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. Then, she raced around. She hugged Sango and together the two cried in joy.

"We almost lost you!" Sango whispered as Kagome and her parted.

"Takes more than that to get rid of me," Kagome teased, moving to embrace Miroku.

Three seconds later, a slap resounded through the field and Miroku had one pissed off demon lord ready to attack him.

Shaking her head, but still smiling, Kagome went over to her children. Happy cheers filled the air as the two clung to opposite legs, never letting go. It took both her and Sesshomaru to pry the kids off.

Last, she went over to Inuyasha, the hanyou she had promised to stay by for her entire life. "Inuyasha?" He turned away from her. "Inuyasha, look at me." He didn't move so she sat in front of him. "Inuyasha, I'm sorry about Kikyo." He only glared at her, his silent amber eyes blaming her for the death of his love.

"She apologized, you ungrateful half-breed!" Sesshomaru roared, raising his hand to strike his brother.

Kagome pushed his hand away. "Sorry doesn't bring the dead back to life!" Inuyasha snapped back.

"She already wished for Kikyo to come back once and looked how that turned out!" the demon lord growled. "She killed her own sister, nearly killed Kagome, and was going to take you to hell. That does not sound like the behavior of a woman who loves you."

Inuyasha flung himself at his older brother, in an attempt to steal the Tensaiga. Instead, he was met by the blade he had once wielded. Tetsusaiga stared him in the face, making him halt on a dime. He growled low in his throat, angered by his brother's actions. He gave up, storming off into the woods. Kagome watched him go. She couldn't leave him like this, with so much hate radiating off of him.

"Don't," Sesshomaru warned, seeing the determined look in her eyes.

She gave him a small sad smile. "I'll be right back," she promised. He sighed, knowing he could not beat her, and let her go. "Arigato darling," she grinned, walking in the same direction Inuyasha had taken off in. Sesshomaru couldn't decide, as she left, whether he was smiling from having her back, or from earning a new pet name from her.

Kagome didn't have to venture far. She found Inuyasha staring at the tree he had once been pinned to for fifty years. She remained silent as she stood behind him. He had heard her approach, she knew he had, but he stayed there, eyes glued to the tree.

"We promised to love each other forever. We swore we'd always protect one another. I never questioned my trust in her. It seems more like a dream then real life, now that she's gone," he spoke so quietly, it scared her. He turned around, staring at her with haunting eyes. "It used to hurt me to look at you. You remind me so much of her. You have grace, beauty, and spirit. She used to be like that. It never hurt as much as it did to look at something as it did the moment I saw you shoot her. Do you know why?" he asked.

Kagome, still silent, shook her head in reply.

"Because I wanted you to hit her." He looked away. "I wanted her to die," he heaved, falling to his knees. His shoulders shook as he cried. "How can you love a person so much and want them dead?" Kagome crouched by him, wrapping her arms around his form. He clung to her, needing someone to hold onto. "I'm sorry, Kagome," he whispered to her as he cried. "I'm so sorry."

"I know, Inuyasha," was all she told him in her soft, soothing voice, as she sat there stroking his white silver hair, while he continued to cry. "I know."