Hanyou : Half-human Half-Demon

Miko: Loosely translated as a priestess

Hai: yes or acknowledgment

Goshinboku:God Tree the one inuyasha was pinned to for 50 years

Sama: lord or lady basically means Mr. Ms. or Mrs.

Chan: a suffix used when taking to someone who is of equal status

Kitsune: fox demon

hoshi:Buddhist monk trained to fight (miroku)

Shikon no Tama: jewel of four souls

Ohayao: Good Morning

Oi: Hey

Kami: god or gods

yukata:undergarment worn under a kimono

Haori: male kimono top much like a jacket

Harikatsu: Large boomerang made of demon bones ( sango weapon)

Kaze no Kizu: wound of the wind or wind scar a powerful attack of the tetsusiga

Tetsusiga: inuyasha sword made of his fathers fang

Neko: Cat

Koishi: Dear or beloved on

Tatta hitori no watashi: My one and only

Okaa-san: Mother or mom

For several days after his mother had been killed he layed near the hut, concealed in the haori, he hadn't ate or drank in so long he couldn't remember. He had heard one of the passing villagers talking about how he despised him and his filthily mother, but all he could do was cry. Two more days passed and he still lay there, he was starving to death and in shock when kitara found him. After she had learned what had been done her husband wouldn't allow her to go anywere. She had managed to sneak out of the house while he was asleep.

"Inuyasha, shhh don't speak, I'm sorry I couldn't get here sooner, I wasn't allowed, where is Izayoi" she asked. Inuyasha just started wailing, sobs wracking his small body. As he cried in her arms Kitara got a very bad sinking feeling, realization dawned on her, "No…." She whispered

She clutched inuyasha to her chest and tried her best to soothe him. She took him into the woods to a cave she knew of. She told him to stay there while she got him some food and water. He obeyed and just lay still, afraid if he moved he would be discovered. Kitara returned with food and water for him and after he had eaten he fell asleep in her arms. Over the next few days she cared for him, until one day she didn't come. Inuyasha got worried and left the cave to see what had happened to her, he was met with an angry mob of villagers. They chased him for hours but he finally got away from them, now he was all alone. Inuyasha wandered the forest until he came upon a pond, he walked to the edge of the water and used his hands to scoop up some to drink, he decided that he would stay there for the night at least, he was hungry but didn't have anything to eat, and didn't know how to get any food. He stayed by the pond for several days, hunger began to take him over and he knew he had to eat soon or he would die. One thing he learned was that his claws were very sharp, at this point his youkai instincts began to take some control. He moved off into the forest and climbed into a low limb of a tree, he crouched down and waited for something to come his way. After about 10 minutes of waiting a rabbit came into his view, with out thinking and acting on instincts alone he jumped from the tree and buried his claws into the rabbits neck and side, then pulled to each side ripping the rabbit open and killing it. The smell of blood nearly made him sick and what was worse he had no way to cook the meat, he would have to eat it raw. He sliced a chunk of the meat off the body of the rabbit, and tried to take a bite of it, but it made him sick. After he recovered he tried again and managed to take a small bite but spit it back out, the coppery taste discusted him. Finally giving into his hunger he just bit into the meat and swallowed it and managed to keep it down barley. He slowly began to use his demon instincts to survive, to sleep in trees where it was safer than the ground. He lived like this for several years until he happened upon a deserted hut near a village. It was a cold winter night and he had been unable to find a cave to sleep in so he entered the hut and built a small fire to warm himself with. He brought out 2 small rabbits he had caught and proceeded to roast them over the fire, he soon found out that he wasn't alone. Behind him he heard someone take a sharp intake of breath, he jumped to his feet.

"Come out, I know your there" He commanded

Slowly a young girl around 8 crawled out from behind a pile of fabric, she had sandy brown hair, and looked terrified. She had dirt all on her face, her clothes, and in her hair.

"P.please don't hurt me" she said meekly

"I'm not going to hurt you, are you hungry"

"Um..yeah kinda"

She lied she hadn't eaten in nearly three days, so inuyasha gave her one of the rabbits he had roasted and she happily ate it. They talked into the night inuyasha was glad to have someone to talk to that didn't run away. He found out her name was Kiri and both her Okaa-san and Otou-san had been killed when bandits had attacked her village, she ran and ended up here in this hut four days ago. Over the next few weeks inuyasha and Kiri became best friends, she didn't mind that he was a hanyou. They laughed and played, he hunted for them and they slept in the abandoned hut. One afternoon they were out near the lake fishing when inuyasha heard something moving in the bushes, he sniffed the air and could smell blood mixed with something else but he didn't know what, he didn't like the smell of it though so he told Kiri that they should go back home. As she was gathering the fish they had caught, a neko demon emerged from the bushes, he ran towards Kiri, eyes blazing red with fury. He lept forward and slashed his razor sharp claws down her chest and stomach. Kiri let out a gurgled screech and fell to the ground, lying in a pool of her own blood. Enraged Inuyasha launched himself at the neko demon, hitting him repeatedly with his claws, in his fit of pained rage even though he was only nine years old he managed to bring the neko down. He ran over to Kiri and placed her head in his lap, he had tears streaming from his face. Kiri managed a weak smile before she went limp. All thru the land you could hear a howl of pain, inuyasha held Kiri through out the night, crying, it was the second time he had lost someone he loved. He vowed that night to never allow himself to care for someone again and thus began the inuyasha we all know today.

End Flashback

Kagome sat there stunned, Inuyasha had tears on his face, he had relived a memory he hadn't wanted to. Kagome now understood why he was the way he was, and his reaction to the girl that had died in their village. Kagome put her hands on inuyasha's cheeks and guided him into her lap, she held him close, crying herself for his pain. She couldn't understand why someone would want him dead, or why the kami's had been so hard on him. It just didn't make sense, he didn't asked to be born a hanyou, she vowed from that day to never allow someone to hurt him again. For the first time since inuyasha was a child he felt vulnerable, he had never told anyone of his past nor had he even thought about it, in his mind it was as if it never happened, but now that he had told her about it, he couldn't push it away anymore. He could still hear his Okaa-san scream, as if it was happening all over again. She raised her tear stained face to look into his eyes, eyes that held so much pain, slowly she lowered his head and placed her lips on his left eye, then right, kissing each eye as if apologizing for everything he had been thru.

"These eyes have seen pain and suffering for many years" She moved her kisses to his hands

"These hands have held so many dead loved ones " She moved to kiss his chest directly on his heart.

"But most of all this heart, has been broken so many times and felt so much sadness, it has been alone for so many years, and i promise from this day forward it will never be alone again"

She then wrapped her inuyasha in an embrace pulling him the rest of the way into her lap and nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck. Inuyasha was stunned for moment before he placed his arms around her, this was one promise he believed. His heart leapt for joy, he felt as if he held the whole world in his hands and to him he did, kagome was his world, had been for the last two years and would be for the rest of his days. For the first time since he had known kagome he actually fell asleep before she did, her scent calmed his soul and her warm essence soothed his heart, only one word could come close to describing what he felt...love...but it just wasn't powerful enough. Kagome pulled him so that they were lying side by side on the ground and held him close to her, he had his arms around her waist in a protective manor and she allowed sleep to claim her as well.

Inuyasha awoke a few moments later to a slumbering kagome, he smiled as his heart smiled, he picked her up bridal style and held her close to him as he made his way back to their camp. He walked slowly as not to awaken her. Once back to camp he unrolled her sleeping back and lay her down and crawled into it with her, spooning up so that their bodies were curved to each other, he placed his hand on her stomach and snaked his arm under her head for a pillow and allowed a blissful sleep to take him.

They held each other thru out the night, both finally finding the bliss of sleep. Morning came early for the group as they wanted to break camp and resume their journey back to kiade's village. After a quick breakfast of ramen, the group gathered their things and set about walking. They had figured they should be able to reach the village by dark. Most of the morning proved uneventful, Miroku only met Sango's Harikatsu twice and remarkably shippo didn't annoy inuyasha, in fact it was quite the opposite, inuyasha allowed him to ride on his shoulder. Around noon they stopped for lunch and shortly resumed their trip home. They had been walking for about an hour when stopped suddenly and both him and shippo stuck their noses up in the air and started sniffing.

"what is it, what do you smell" Kagome asked

"Death, clay and earth" They both responded

"Kikyo!" Everyone said

About that time they spotted one of her soul stealers floating by, kagome looked to inuyasha to see what he would do. Inuyasha also looked to kagome with a sad expression.

"Go ahead I know you want to go, its ok" Kagome said

She knew that inuyasha would go to her, he always did but this time he did something unexpected.

"Kagome will you go with me?" Inuyasha asked

"N..Nani? You want me to go with you?"

"Hai I do, its time, If nothing else kikyo needs to know"

"Sango, Miroku, Shippo wait here for us we will be back soon" Inuyasha told them

Inuyasha lowered himself down to the ground and motioned for kagome go climb on his back. Once she was on he took to the trees leaping from branch to branch till he spotted a clearing and kikyo was sitting in the middle of it on a large flat rock, soul stealers encircling her. Inuyasha took one giant leap from the last branch he landed on and floated down near kikyo. He lowered himself down to allow kagome to climb off his back. He slowly began making his way toward kikyo when she stopped him.

"Inuyasha why have you brought that copy of me with you? Is there something you wish to tell me?"

"Kikyo…I….Kagome…"

"What are you saying Inuyasha"

"Kikyo I came to tell you that it will be awhile until I can go to hell with you. I have a chance at a life and I cannot pass it up. I will not break my word to you but it will have to come later."

"No, we shall go to hell together, you promised me that when naraku was defeated we would be together in hell. You are mine, your life is mine, I am no longer concerned with vengeance over my death, come we leave for hell now!"

"No! I will not, don't you understand I have a chance to finally be happy, I….I love kagome"

"You love kagome….Ha how can you love a cheap copy of me, I am your love, your life is mine, now come we must leave."

"I said No, and I mean it, once mine and kagome's life is over I will go with you as I promised but not until."

"And if I end that life now, what will you do? You have a choice, either come with me now or she dies!"

"Kikyo if you harm her…."

"You will what Inuyasha, you cannot hurt me, you swore to protect me. I grow tired of this game its time"

Kikyo moved towards inuyasha intent on taking him to hell now, kagome stepped in front of inuyasha.

"Kikyo I know you think you own inuyasha's life but you don't. Had you really loved him in the first place this would never have happened, you believed that being with a hanyou would weaken your miko powers and it did, but I love him and I am with him and it has not effected me any. Your powers come from your heart and spirit, and loving someone can only make them stronger not weaker. If your love for him would have been pure, it would have only made you stronger. You wanted to use Inuyasha to rid yourself of the Shikon no Tama. You knew that if he used the jewel to become human it would disappear and you would no longer have to guard it. Also you were ashamed to be with a hanyou, you would only be with him if he turned human. You see your mistake, was not accepting him as he was. As for me it doesn't matter if he is hanyou, youkai, human or anything else, I love him for who he is not what he is and I wont allow you to take him to hell with you."

Kikyo stood there stunned, one from the boldness of kagome to lecture her and two from having the truth slammed into her face.

"How dare you speak to me in that manner, you will not stand in my way, inuyasha is mine and he will go with me to hell now step aside or die!"

"I will not!"

"Kagome please don't risk hurting youself, I'm not worth it" Inuyasha pleaded

"Inuyasha I love you and I will not allow her to take you from me"

While they were talking Kikyo pulled an arrow from her quiver and strung her bow. She pulled the arrow back, and released it. Inuyasha heard the arrow coming and grabbed kagome and spun around to shield her from it. In doing so he put himself in the arrows way and it struck dead on.

"NOOOO!!!" Both kikyo and kagome yelled

Kagome felt him tense and looked down, the arrowhead was sticking out of his chest right where his heart was and blood was seeping out staining his yukata crimson red.

"Oh no Inuyasha!"

She looked back up to his face, she could see the pain flashing in his eyes, Kikyo's arrow was purifying the youkai in him.

"Kagome its ok, I promised I would protect you, I couldn't let you get hurt. Kagome listen to me, take the jewel shards and go to your time, seal the well and never come back. I want you to remember that I will love you always, I'm sorry we had so little time together, I know that I should have told you sooner."

"No inuyasha you cant die, you just cant, not now."

She felt him get heavier and his body begin to go limp, it was at this point that she remembered her dream

"I'm sorry Kagome, Ai shiteru my Koishi"

With that he went completely limp, kagome wrapped her arms around him and cried for all she was worth, she finally had her love and he was taken away from her. She lifted her head up and glared at kikyo thru the tears in her eyes. Kikyo took a couple of steps back, she wasn't sure but for some reason she was afraid of kagome.

"You killed him! WHY!! All he ever wanted was acceptance and love he didn't do anything to you. He would have even gone with you to hell and you killed him!"

Kagome rose from the ground and placed inuyasha face down. She walked towards kikyo and kikyo backed away. It looked as if the wind was blowing thru kagomes hair and a white-blue hue began to form around her body, her eyes turned a pale white color and she raised her hands and placed them infront of her. A small white-pink ball began to form and before long it had grown to three times that size, she cast a cold glare to kikyo and in an instant the energy left her body and struck kikyo, As the energy engulfed the dead miko she managed to string an arrow and released it, she screamed in pain as her body was being turned back to the dust it was created from. The arrow hit its mark, striking kagome directly in the chest right thru the heart. She clutched at her chest, the pain was nearly unbareable, She managed to crawl over to inuyasha's lifeless body and fell on top of him. With her last ounce of strength she whispered "I'll always be with you, tatta hitori no watashi" and fell limp. Miroku, Sango and shippo made their way to where they heard kagome scream, as they entered the clearing they saw what had happened. Sango and shippo instantly ran to kagome crying, Sango had lost all of her family and now her 'sister' too. Kagome and Inuyasha was like parents to shippo, that would make two sets of parents he had lost. This was even too much for Miroku as he too had tears in his eyes. Sango went to lift kagome up into her lap but a hand on her shoulder held her in place.

"Sango please don't, its better that we don't disturb them yet"

Miroku knew what Sango would find if she were to move kagome, he couldn't stand for her to see kagome with an arrow in her chest. Sango removed her hand from kagome's back and stood up shakily, miroku wrapped his arms around her and sango cradled shippo as they held each other they couldn't help but cry over ther dead friends.

"I know it's hard but we should at least give them a proper burial together" miroku said sadly

All shippo could do was cry, Sango tried to sooth the kit but it was no use, she herself was crying too hard to really do anything. After he had calmed down they set about making a grave for their friends, it only seem right to bury them together, once the grave was finished, Miroku removed the arrows from each body and placed them in their final resting place together, this would be the second time Sango would have to bury her loved ones. Miroku kneeled over inuyasha and kagome and said a silent prayer for their deceased friends. Shippo crawled down from Sango's shoulder, still crying, he knelt down near his parents lifeless bodies and said in between sobs

"Okaa-san, Otou-san please come back"

They placed Inuyasha on the bottom and kagome on top of him. To anyone that didn't know better it would look like they were sleeping. Sango and Miroku decided to rest before covering their friends up. Digging a grave deep and wide enough for the both of them was hard work. Miroku went to a nearby stream and collected some water for them to drink. While they were resting a miracle was happening. The way they had laid both their bodies was allowing their blood to flow in between them. Since kagome was a miko the purifying effect of kikyo's arrow was dissipating which would allow inuyasha to heal himself, and since inuyasha was a hanyou and could heal from deadly wounds, kagome's injuries were beginning to heal. In effect they were reviving each other. Sango and Miroku decided that they would finish burying their friends and return to kiades village to inform them of the loss. Sango had retrieved the jewel shards from kagome and would do her best to protect them. They made their way back over to their fallen friends, Sango kissed her fingers and placed one on kagome's face and the other on Inuhasha's. As Sango rose she thought she heard kagome take a small breath. She paused for a moment but shook her head clear, there was no way anyone could survive being shot with an arrow where she was, but she heard it again, this time a little louder. She looked to Miroku and said

"Hoshi-sama either I'm going crazy or I just heard kagome take a breath"

Miroku lowered himself to the ground and placed his hand in front of kagome's face, he looked to Sango with sadness.

"I'm sorry my dear Sango there's….wait, I felt it, it was small but still there" he exclaimed

Slowly Kagome began to take small regular breaths and soon after Inuyasha followed her, Inuyasha opened his eyes as kagome did. Once again amber gold met deep blue, but both had confused looks on their faces.

"Inuyasha I thought you were dead, I thought I was dead"

"How..how could you have been dead, I protected you"

"After kikyo shot you, we fought, we…killed each other, I'm sorry inuyasha"

"But if she shot you and me then how are we alive?"

"I don't know but I'm glad we are"

"Wait kikyo is dead?"

"Hai, after she shot you, I don't know, somehow I used my miko powers to purify her"

There were brought from their conversation by a very happy sango, miroku, and shippo all yelling.

"Kagome!!!!"

Neither one could believe what had happened nor could they understand it.

"Kagome!!" Sango said "How in kami are you and inuyasha alive?"

"I don't know Sango, I just don't know"

"Okaa-san, Otou-san" Shippo exclaimed before he caught what he had said

Inuyuasha and Kagome looked at each other as Sango and Miroku looked to them

"Nani?, Shippo?"

Shippo realized what he had said but didnt care, to him they were his parents, he jumped down on top of kagome and Inuyasha hugged both of them.

"You know Inuyasha, he has a point, since we found him we have been like parents to him"

"You mean you think of me as your Otou-san?" inuyasha asked

"Hai, and Kagome as my Okaa-san, does that bother you?"

Kagome and Inuyasha both said at once

"No!"

"I hate to break up this reunion but could we please get out of this grave, its kinda creeping me out" Kagome said

Both kagome and inuyasha raised to their feet and stepped out of their grave, kagome giving a small shiver at the thought of it. For some reason she felt different now, she couldnt put her finger on it but something was different. She also felt something different in Inuyasha, she wasnt sure but it was almost like she could feel his presence. She looked down to her chest where the arrow had hit her. Her shirt still had the blood on it, and still had the whole where the arrow was but she was completely healed. Kagome looked at inuyasha and noticed for the first time that his hair was matted with blood. It was smeared on his face also.

"The other part of my dream, Inuyasha's hair is covered in blood, my blood. This still don't make sense"

"Kagome-sama what are you talking about?"Miroku questioned

kagome told them of her dream and what happened to cause hers and inuyasha's death. Inuyasha just sat there going over what had happened when he suddenly broke out into a full smile, he grabbed kagome and spun her around, planting kisses all over her face. Kagome was startled to say the least.

"Inuyasha what is it?"

"Do you know what this means kagome? I'm free, you freed me from my word to kikyo. My life is my own again, Your alive and I'm alive, and there is nothing to stand in our way now"

kagome realized what he was saying, he no longer owed kikyo his life cause she was gone, they could be together in love without anything to stand in their way.

"Oh inuyasha, my Koishi Ai shiteru"

"Kagome Tatta hitori no watashi"

"Mh mm, ya know were still here, I mean its great to see you two showing affection for each other but.." THUMP, THUD, CRACK, THWAMP

A swirly-eyed Miroku lay unconscious on the ground and a very satisified kagome, inuyasha and sango stood over him.

"Since its so late we should camp here for the night and resume our jouney in the morning" Sango said

"If you all don't mind I would like to find another place to camp, I really don't what to sleep where I died, its just plain creepy" returned kagome.

The group gathered up their things and moved to find another clearing, they found one not too far away and setup camp. Sango started a fire while Miroku and Inuyasha went to find something to eat. They returned about half an hour later with a nice large deer and Sango set about cooking it. After the meat had been roasted and everyones hunger satisfied they rolled out their sleeping bags and decided to get some much deserved sleep. Inuyasha curled up behind Kagome with shippo in the middle of them, which for once didnt bother Inuyasha, in fact it felt right to him. Sango on one side of the camp and Miroku on the other, they all soon fell into peaceful sleep.