Remember, I will still be here
As long as you hold me
In your memory.
Remember, when your dreams have ended
Time can be transcended
Just remember me
"Remember," she murmured, her brownish eyes fixed on his amber ones. "Don't ever forget that no matter what happens, I'm still here, always, and will always be there. For you."
"Arigato Kagome," he whispered. His rough, calloused hand raised to her cheek and caressed it softly. 'I wish I was smart enough to say more, but I'm not and I can't. I hope 'arigato' is enough for you.'
She smiled, revealing a broken smile. Teeth were missing. She was curious to see that he had to say next.
His amber eyes closed painfully. He bowed his head and kept his hand upon her cheek, praying that his hand would help him memorize her feel. The warmth in her cheek. The way her face felt as it smiled at him.
The castle. The bastard's castle was less than a day's hike away. They would face him tomorrow. Everything would be culminated in that final battle they would face. Tomorrow.
But until than, they had the night, and they had each other. They would live these few hours in a semblance of peace. Hoping against hope that all would survive. That all would see the sun rise again.
"Kagome," he murmured, his eyes still closed. "Can I spend the night with you?"
"Hai," she whispered. She wrapped her slender arms around his muscular waist.
"Do you mind if I hold you? Keep you in my tree with me?"
"Hai," she whispered, nodding her head against his chest.
"A... arigato Kagome," he stuttered.
He wrapped his strong arms delicately around her dainty waist. His haori tickled her bruised legs.
'Kagome. I'm so sorry that I let you get hurt," he thought fleetingly.
Flashback
The large, ogre-like youkai raised the limp body of the unconscious Kagome to his eye-level. He roared triumphantly, pulling her closer to his gaping maw.
"Kagome!" the hoarse voice of Inuyasha cried above the din of the battle.
His silver and red-clad body flew over the heads of his fighting companions and aimed his large, glowing Tetsusaiga at the ogre's throat.
The ogre was either slow or stupid, but it never saw the large fang that plunged deeply into its throat. The blur that was Inuyasha wrapped his arms around Kagome's bruised, limp figure.
"Don't you die on me, onna no baka! Don't you die on me. I need you!" he murmured to her peaceful face.
Pulling his sword free, he one-handedly wiped the blood from his sword on the grass, cradling Kagome with his other arm. Sheathing his sword, he stood and was about to leave the dying battle when he heard the ogre speaking.
"N... Naraku... his castle... shore of west ocean... western lands... wants the... wants the... the hanyou," it panted.
Inuyasha growled and stepped to the ogre. He'd been prepared to barbarically put it out it's misery, but it had finally passed on.
"Naraku's castle is o the shore of the west ocean?" he asked to nobody in particular.
He shook his silver head and looked down at the limp girl in his arms. She was laying like a child's doll. Sighing dejectedly, he curled her to his chest and leapt into the trees. He had to take care of her wounds. He couldn't let her suffer, couldn't let her injuries become infected. He couldn't help but feel partially responsible for her wounds. It was his fault. He'd allowed the ogre to get his filthy hands on her beautiful body.
With faint tears in his eyes, he began to inspect her body, trying to judge the extent of her injuries.