Koigokoro

by Sweet-Kioku

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Inuyasha.

A/N: Hello, I'm updating again! Another one of the reasons why Chapter 6 took so long is because I had writer's block as well as my computer crashing, but now my writer's block is completely gone and I am suddenly full of ideas! Yay!! Enjoy!

CHAPTER VII: Sayonara To You, My Koibito

"Kagome, why are you going away?" Shippo asked innocently in that sad why children ask when they're upset.

"Because Inuyasha tried to kill himself because of me, Shippo," Kagome said in a shivering voice as she packed her things.

"How are you going to get through the well? We still haven't found the shikon jewel," Shippo said matter-of-factly. He was sure that this would stop Kagome.

"I have one tiny shard," Kagome said softly, holding up the tiny pink piece of the shikon no tama.

"…Oh…" Shippo said quietly, trying to hide his face. His eyes were welling up with tears.

Kagome noticed it anyway and gave Shippo a hug. He cried harder. It broke Kagome's heart to see him like this, but she had to leave. Inuyasha couldn't hurt her in present-day Japan, and she couldn't hurt him in Sengoku Jedai. They would be worlds apart……but this time, Kagome would not return. She was going to fill the well with rocks or dirt and then board it up, so if Inuyasha found any shards, he couldn't come get her.

"Kagome, c-can't you just wait until Inu-Inuyasha gets better before you l-leave??" Shippo sobbed, hiccupping and crying. He looked up at her with his cute little kitsune eyes filled with tears. He gave her a pleading look.

It was Kagome's turn to cry.

"I can't, Shippo. I just can't. Inuyasha wouldn't let me go if he knew……so he can't know. Not until after I leave," Kagome said quietly, tears running down her cheeks as she rubbed Shippo's back gently.

Just then, Kaede came into the room.

"Kagome……I thought ye might want this, to remember all of us by," Kaede said. In her hands she held Inuyasha's necklace of prayer beads. They were what made him crash to the ground whenever Kagome said "sit".

"……Thank you, Kaede…" Kagome said, hesitantly taking the necklace. This was hurting her more than she thought.

"I'm sure Inuyasha won't mind if ye have them," Kaede said with a weak smile. Kagome smiled back the best she could, through all of her tears.

"Well, anyway……" Kaede spoke up, addressing the houshi, Taijiya, kitsune, miko and neko-mononoke in the room. "Inuyasha will get better, but it will take a long time. He stabbed himself hard……I'm just grateful he didn't stab himself through the heart, otherwise he wouldn't be with us now."

Kagome could not look at Kaede. She could not look at anything but the floor at the moment. This was all her fault. It was her fault everyone was so upset, her fault that Inuyasha was in such a painful sleep in the next room. The tears kept falling from her cheeks and smashing like glass on the floor.

Suddenly, Miroku spoke. "Inuyasha is going to come and get you when he finds out, Kagome."

"He won't be able to," Kagome said softly. "I'm going to fill up the well with rocks and then board it up."

Kaede went outside to go get some herbs while Kilala licked Kagome's hand gently and Shippo cried.

Sango and Miroku said nothing.

Kagome stood up. She couldn't take this silence any longer.

She hugged Shippo tightly, then Kilala, and Sango and Miroku. They all stared at her.

"You're……you're not leaving now, are you??" Sango asked, looking up at Kagome with wide eyes.

"You can't leave yet, Kagome!!" Shippo cried.

"I have to leave sometime. And after I say goodbye to Inuyasha, I'm going to leave," Kagome said weakly. This felt so unreal. Was she really about to leave Sengoku Jedai……forever?

Kagome went into the next room as Shippo broke into a fit of sobs and Sango tried to comfort him.

She looked at Inuyasha. Just looked at him for a little while. He was laying on one of Kaede's beds, motionless except for the barely noticeable rise and fall of his bandaged chest. His face was contorted with pain and his eyes were closed. His white hair spilled out on the pillow beneath his head. He looked like a fallen angel.

Kagome slowly walked over to him and kneeled next to the bed. She stared at him for another moment, then softly spoke, so softly that only Inuyasha would be able to hear, if he were conscious.

"I'm sorry, Inuyasha……for everything. You won't have to worry anymore, because I'm going back to present-day Japan……permanently……" she could barely say that word, permanently. It hurt so much. Fresh tears began spilling from her eyes. She was quiet for a moment, trying to find her voice again. She didn't notice Inuyasha's ears twitch slightly.

"But please don't do anything like this again," Kagome said, her voice breaking. "I don't want you to die, Inuyasha……" she sobbed. It was all Inuyasha could do to keep from throwing his arms around her to stop her crying.

"I love you so much……you scared me……" Kagome whimpered. She hugged her knees to her chest and cried for moment. Inuyasha turned his head slightly so she wouldn't notice that he was crying a little, too.

"Please remember that I'm doing this because I love you. And I'll never forget you. Don't forget me, either……o-okay?" Kagome sobbed, gently taking Inuyasha's hand and giving it a squeeze. Then her eyes widened.

He squeezed back.

"Inuyasha??" Kagome asked, startled.

Inuyasha finally revealed to Kagome that he was awake. He had been awake ever since her sweet scent had filled the room when she walked in.

"Yeah, I'm awake, Kagome. Please don't cry anymore. This wasn't your fault," Inuyasha told her gently, looking at her tear-filled chocolate eyes. She threw her arms around his neck and cried. Even though this hurt, Inuyasha just held her and let her cry for a moment before he spoke again.

"Don't go, alright? Just stay here and I swear to Kami I will never hurt you again," Inuyasha said. Kagome could hear the plea in his voice.

"Inuyasha, I don't care about me. I care about you. You almost killed yourself, and it was because of me…" Kagome trailed off.

Inuyasha pulled Kagome away from him so he could look at her face. "It was because I didn't want to hurt you, Kagome! Please don't leave……" Inuyasha begged as silent tears fell down his cheeks.

Kagome sucked in a shaky breath. "Inuyasha……it would be safer this way. You can't hurt me, I can't hurt you. I'll never forget you, you never forget me," Kagome whispered.

Inuyasha didn't know what to say. So he pulled her close to him and kissed her.

Kagome tried to memorize what the inside of Inuyasha's mouth felt like. She had to. This would be the last kiss they ever shared. She had to remember that Inuyasha's mouth tasted like sugar water, and she had to remember where his fangs were so she wouldn't cut her tongue on them. She had to remember that Inuyasha was so gentle with kisses, despite his tough-guy appearance. She had to remember everything……

Inuyasha just kept kissing her. Maybe if the kiss never stopped, Kagome would never leave. He gently wrestled with her tongue and explored her mouth. He loved the way her mouth tasted. Her mouth tasted like sweet, watery chocolate. He loved her. He couldn't let her go.

She pulled away.

Inuyasha gave her a sorrowful look.

She stood up.

"Kagome, wait!" Inuyasha cried, holding onto her wrists. "Don't go…" Inuyasha suddenly had a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach. Something told him not to let Kagome leave.

"Inuyasha, I have to……I can't risk you dying again……" Kagome sobbed as she pulled her hands away.

"Sayonara, my koibito," she whispered as she ran out the door.

The others heard her leave.

"KAGOME, WAIT!!" Sango shrieked.

"LADY KAGOME!!" Miroku called after her.

"KAGOME!!!" Shippo cried.

Inuyasha did not call her name.

He chased after her. But since he was so weak, he could only go about as fast as Kagome herself could go.

I can't let her go……I CAN'T LET HER GO!!! Inuyasha screamed mentally. He pushed himself to go faster, but it had the reverse effect. He went slower, and his chest ached. He winced from the pain, but he would do anything for her. The reason he was chasing her was because he had an uneasy feeling in his stomach……as though if he let her leave, it really would be permanent, somehow.

Kagome was right next to the well. Inuyasha was only a few feet behind. If he could just—

Suddenly he tripped. And he fell. Kagome turned to look at him just as she jumped into the well.

And Inuyasha's wounds began to bleed again. He lost consciousness.

Water. Cold, icy water was being splashed in Inuyasha's face. He could hear two people crying very loud.

"Inuyasha……are you alright?" Miroku asked, trying to help Inuyasha up.

Inuyasha slowly began to remember what had been going on. He looked around. Sango and Shippo were crying. Kilala was meowing sorrowfully. Miroku looked like he had cried a bit, too. Then he looked up.

The well.

"KAGOME!!"

Inuyasha jumped into the well and waited for the familiar blue light to surround him. But it didn't.

He jumped on the dirt floor of the well again.

No blue light.

He looked up. He was still in Sengoku Jedai.

He involuntarily let out a whimper, like a wounded dog. He began digging at the dirt floor with his sharp nails, all the while yelling Kagome's name.

"Inuyasha!" Miroku shouted down the well.

Inuyasha growled in response.

"Kagome said……" Miroku's voice broke. He cleared his throat, trying to continue and keep the tears from falling. "Kagome said she was going to fill the well and board it up."

Then he cried.

Inuyasha slowly turned to look at the hole he had started digging in the ground. That would explain why he had had that horrible feeling earlier……

"She……she wouldn't……" Inuyasha stuttered. He was shaking now. With anger and sadness and fear that it was true.

But it couldn't be. So he continued to dig.

Kagome looked at the well for a long time.

"Are you sure this is what you want, honey?" Mrs. Higurashi asked, looking at her daughter with concern.

Kagome nodded. She had lost her voice again. She wondered if she had left in Sengoku Jedai.

Her mother walked away.

The well was full of rocks.

A board covered the opening.

The well looked like a forgotten wooden box, jutting out of the floor of the temple.

No one could get through. Not even Inuyasha.

Kagome was surprised that Inuyasha hadn't come before her parents filled up the well. She had expected him to.

She had wanted him to. She had wanted him to stop her from doing this. To yell at her, just to make her see reason.

But it was better this way. It had to be. Inuyasha wouldn't try to kill himself to protect her, and she wouldn't get hurt. This way was safer.

But somehow, Kagome was still hurt. Hurt inside.

Yay, I updated! This just shows how much I love you people, lol. ::Bows graciously:: Thank you, thank you very much, lol. Anyway, the story is coming to a close! I will only have about 2-4 more chapters! Probably three.

Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
If you want more chapters
Review!!