A/N:I apologize to all that read this story for the rushed chapter and the terrible grammer. Iwastyping the ideas as they came to me knowing that if I waited to write them down I'd lose them. Thanks forunderstanding. Oh, and to those that don't understand..... bite me.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Truth Can Be Painful

It was still dark outside when Miroku felt the presence of a demon come towards the tiny hut. He hastily grabbed his staff and walked out the door. Within seconds Sango was at his side with her boomerang over her right shoulder.

"What is it houshi-sama?" Miroku did not answer, but instead focused his eyes on the lone figure standing just beyond the tree line.

"Kagura." Miorku whispered.

"Hey." Her voice sounded teay as she stepped forward into the moonlight. Sango made to launch her hiraikotsu, but Miroku laid a hand over hers to stop her. "She has not come to fight Sango... something has happened." He looked back at Kagura. "Tell me.... what would sadden a demon?" There was a slight gasp from Kagura followed by an explination.

"I have come as the bearer of bad news. Inuyasha has fallen in battle. You should leave this place before Naraku realizes it and comes after you. Without the hanyou you are virtually defenseless."

This time Sango's hiraikotsu wasn't going to stop for the monk. With all her force Sango whipped her boomerang at the demon. Kagura simply whipped her fan and deflected the attack as easily as one would swat a fly.

"She's lying! It's a trap!" Miroku silenced Sango with a stern look. He then turned sideways as if to tell her that Kagome was still asleep. Sango took note of this and stopped her attack.

"It this were true... why would you tell us?"

At this point Kagura couldn't help it anymore. "Don't you even care? He died while you slept so soundly! He fought off Naraku's Inu... but... because he's so stupid he didn't want to kill it. Idiot." Kagura's fists were clenched and the tears were now flowing freely from her face. It was true. A demon would never cry. Yet, Miroku couldn't help but wonder why she was crying. The last time that he had checked Inuyasha and she had been enemies.

"...no.... you're lying...." Sango sank to her knees. She looked back at Kagome's sleeping figure inside the hut. How would she take it? How could this happen? It was as if she had fallen asleep. Nothing seemed real anymore. This conversation, the night, the air.... it all seemed fake. Artificial. She looked up and saw the monk's face. He had a calm expression, but the corners of his eyes couldn't hide the pain he felt. They were stretched as if he had just been struck a deadly blow. The only times that she had seen such pain in his eyes was when he drew in the poisonous insects Naraku often unleashed at them........ Naraku.

'I'll kill him! That stupid dog demon and Naraku!! I'll kill them both!!'

As if he had read her mind Miroku queried Kagura. "And what of the dog demon? What happened to it?"

Kagura looked down as if the memory was too painful to remember. "It all happened in an instant. Inuyasha had won the battle, but he was badly injured. Inu was telling him to end his life when he suddenly attacked. The blade pierced Inuyasha's heart and he died in an instant...... Inu died shortly after."

Sango slammed a fist into the ground. Miroku was no longer holding his calm expression. He now harbored a look of anger. His fists were clenched as he looked upon the demon which stood before them.

"Where is he?" Kagura remained silent. "Where is he?!" This time Miroku's voice was threatening and dangerous. Kagura took a step back. She did not wish to fight at this moment. She pointed her index finger into the forest casually. "That way."

"hmmm.... what's going on guys?"

Kagome had appeared at the doorway in her pajamas. She was rubbing her eyes and trying to focus on her surroundings. Both Miroku and Sango turned to look at her and when they turned back Kagura was gone.

"Uh... Kagome-sama....." Miroku was speechless. He didn't know how to tell Kagome that Inuyasha was gone.

"What's going on? Where's Inuyasha? Sheesh, you think he'd wake up if everyone was outside. Inuyasha! Inuyasha!" Kagome was staring up into the trees looking for the hanyou. Asinking feeling overcam Sango and she turned to hide her tears.

'How are we going to tell her? I can't.... won't.'

"Inuyasha! Wake up lazy!! Let's get some breakfast!" Kagome was still yelling at the trees as if he would jump out of them suddenly. Miroku couldn't take it anymore. He put a hand on Kagome's shoulder. "Kagome-sama..... that won't work..... He......... can't hear you."

Kagome turned to Miroku with curiousity in her eyes. "Where'd he go? He usually tells me where he's going. That Inuyasha, he's always making us worry. So.... where did he go?" Kagome stared at her companions and contemplated their grave looks for a moment.

"Guys..... what's going on?"

At this question Sango turned away and Miroku stared at the ground. Neither of them could bring themselves to tell her. Finally Miroku decided to react. "Kagome-sama... the demon that had attacked Inuyasha not too long ago...... he returned and challenged him again. Since it was night Inuyasha didn't wake us up. He left to fight the demon by himself..........." It was too much. He hadn't even finished explaining and Kagome was already welling up with tears.

'I can't do this.'

"What happened? Sango, what happened? Miroku?! Where is he?! Why hasn't he come here yet?! he NEVER makes me wait this long!! He......."

Miroku interrupted her by raising his hand. He looked very serious as he picked his head up to speak once more. "Kagura came and told us what happened..........."

(((FLASHBACK)))

"It all happened in an instant. Inuyasha had won the battle, but he was badly injured. Inu was telling him to end his life when he suddenly attacked. The blade pierced Inuyasha's heart and he died in an instant...... Inu died shortly after."

(((END FLASHBACK)))

Kagome's eyes glazed over as she heard Miroku recount the series of events that occured while she was asleep. "No..... this can't be right. It's a trap...... yeah, Naraku set another one of his traps."

Miroku looked at her with a pained expression. He turned in the direction that Kagura had pointed earlier, his grim face appearing almost ghost-like in the last minutes of nightlight. Kagome noticed his vague stare and tore off through the foerst in the direction that he was looking.

'No.... it's not true.'

"Kagome-chan!" Sango yelled after Kagome but she didn't listen. With no choice but to follow Sango dropped her weapon and ran into the forest as well shortly followed by Miroku. It was difficult to catch up to Kagome considering that they were both in better shape than her, but by the time that they did it was too late.

Kagome ripped at the leaves in front of her waiting Inuyasha to be standing on the other side with he sarcastic smile on his face. He would say something like "Keh! That was nothing." and everything would be ok. As she entered a clearing Kagome was close to running through when she noticed the two figures lying just on the other side of the tree line. She lept over a tree stump and landed a few feet of what was left of Inu. At this point the poison had eaten away most of his body but his dark aura remained along with a burnt patch of grass. Over on the other side, no more than a stone's throw away lay Inuyasha. Cold..... silent..... dead.

Kagome refused to believe in this. She ran over and propped his head up in her hands. "Inuyasha... wake up... please... wake up. Come on..... it's morning. I'l make ramen for you.... I'll make anything you want just wake up please!!" Her head sank down and their foreheads touched as she let out the tears her denial had been holding out. The blade protruding from his chest gave a low pulse, but she didn't notice as she wept over her lost love. Again the blade pulsed, this time with more power, but she was too distraught to feel it once more.

"Kagome......." Sango's eyes came to rest on the glowing sword that was so close to Inuyasha. "Kagome-chan!! Get away from it!!" As sango made to pull Kagome away she was met with an incredible resistance. Kagome pushed her away and returned to her spot with Inuyasha's head on her lap. She sat there crying. She ran her fingers through his long silvery hair and prayed to everything she believed in to bring him back to her. Her world was slowly turning black as she focused on Inuyasha's closed eyelids.

'Please.'

She pictured his eyes as he had stared at her a few nights before....

'Please.'

She remembered how he looked when he asked her to stay by his side........

'Please.'

She recalled when she had fallen asleep in his arms..........

'Don't leave me'

Sango was watching helplessly as two of her best friends suffered greatly. One was dead and the other was dying slowly. She had had enough. With all of the courage she could bring up Sango reached out and grabbed naraken by the hilt.

"This damn sword!! I'll put it through Naraku's heart!!" She was about to pull with all of her strength when a bright light flashed by her. It passed right by her face and struck a tree behind her. Embedded into athe tree was an arrow.

'Kikyo.' Kagome protectively wrapped her arms around Inuyasha's head. 'She's here for his soul.'

From the shadows of the forest the dead miko appeared and walked calmly towards Kagome and her friends as if she were making her way across a peaceful village.

"If you remove that he will die."

Everyone was taken aback by the miko's words. She looked down on Inuyasha's body and then looked at Kagome. "Only one who can control this sword's evil energy can pull it out. Otherwise Inuyasha will truely die. Right now his soul is shattered and he is tied to the blade. His demon blood is keeping him alive but just barely. If you pull the blade now you'll pull his demon soul along with it. The only thing left will be a human woth a mortal wound." Kikyo walked as she said this. As if she was only passing by. In moments she disappeared into the foliage of the other side. Leaving everyone too in shock to follow after her.

"It's ok Inuyasha... I'm not going to leave you... Sango, Miroku...." Kagome looked up pleadingly at her friends for reassurance. They both looked down at her trying to seem hopeful.

"Toutousai. I'm sure he can do it." Sango suddenly snapped her fingers. Miroku pondered on this for a moment and gave a tiny nod. It seemed to be their only choice at the moment. They turened to Kagome, but she didn't plan to move from her spot.

"you two go.... take Kirara and Shippou with you....... I'll stay here." Sango was about to open her mouth in protest but the determined look on Kagome's face kept her silent. ".... and please. Don't tell Shippou." Miroku turned to Kagome briefly. "Kagome-sama, there are many demons in the forest... perhaps it is best to....." Kagome wasn't listening to Miroku. She was lovingly stroking Inuyasha's hair and wiping away her tears.

"It's ok...... he'll protect me." Kagome smiled down at Inuyasha.

"Houshi-sama......" Miroku turned away from the pair. "We have no choice. Let's get Kirara and Shippou and head for Toutousai's place. We can tell Shippou that Kagome went back to her time with Inuyasha.

The two departed from the forest leaving behind a lifeless hanyou and a broken miko.