Why did you go?You left me alone with them.Them,that taunted me,blamed me.Them that reminded me everyday of how I killed you.I curled up inside,I cut myself off from everything.If you could come back,it would be too late.Nothing can save me now.Nothing can save me from myself.

Chapter 3----Of Dust and Ashes

Inuyasha climbed from the pit.He hadn't had time to check if Kouga was alive,but he thought he had seen a slight movement of his chest.He would never admit it,but Kouga was his friend in a twisted sort of way.

Inuyasha leaped to his feet at the top of the ditch, only to see Kikyou struck down.His eyes widened in alarm, then quickly shut with a gargantuan flash and peal of thunder.When he opened his eyes,sensing the light had gone,Naraku and the baby had disappeared, leaving no trace they had ever existed.

His eyes,blinking away sun-spots,quickly zeroed in on the lone figure still clutching a bow in its hand.Then he looked away,wishing he hadn't,his face going bright red.

When Mouryoumaru's diamond tenacles attacked Kagome,they tore most of her clothing to shreds.When Mouryoumaru's creator disappeared, so did Mouryoumaru's corpse and the diamond tentacles, leaving Kagome with very few scraps of clothing.In fact, all that remained was her very cut up(but still thankfully keeping that part of her decent)pair of underwear,and her left sleeve around her wrist.

As Inuyasha looked away, he spied his haori on the ground.At the beginning of the fight, it had been torn off of him,causing the gouge in his chest that now bled sluggishly.By now its restoring powers had almost fixed the tear.Only a small rip remained.He grabbed it and walked up behind Kagome, draping it around her while averting his eyes.She automatically clutched it around her,slipping her arms inside the sleeves and dropping her bow.

Inuyasha reached around her and pulled her close to his bare chest,breathing in only her scent.It filled his senses,leaving him in a state of euphoria.He wanted to never let go,even as the deep gash in his chest began to sting from the rough material of the haori.But Kagome pulled away from him and tried to speak, her clumsy lips not moving properly.Inuyasha clutched her hand close to him.He wouldn't let her go that easily."Hmmm?"

She licked her lips and tried again.

"K..Ki..kyou..."

Inuyasha was a bit astonished.He'd forgotten about Kikyou completely in his worry for Kagome.He glanced towards where he last saw Kikyou,in time to see a gush of silver souls and a large amount of dust fly into the wind.And,as though the very trees were whispering it, he heard a faint melodious sighing.

Come with me soon.

You can't escape destiny.

And then it was gone,like he had only imagined it.But when he glanced at Kagome's face, he knew she had heard it too.Pain was evident in her eyes,but the pain didn't seem to be for herself.He wrapped his arms back around her and tried to bring her back close to him, so he could just have her in his arms.But she shrugged him off again, and Inuyasha felt like his heart had been torn in two.

He was furious at Kikyou.Even after a second death,she still believed him to be hers.How could she think that?Ever since he had awoken from his half-life,his heart had belonged to the angel that is Kagome,who'd stolen his heart and taunted him with herself everytime he saw her,smelt her,sensed her.Kikyou had merely been an imposter,an attempt to cloud his eyes from what is meant to be.Now,if only he wasn't such a wimp,he could tell Kagome everything he felt.But rejection was definitive.

No-one could,or should love a hanyou.

His tired eyes travelled along the ground, and back up to where the imposter had just died.No, that wasn't right, not really.You couldn't die a second time.But for some reason, he felt---happier,free---that she was gone.She hadn't really loved him.All she'd wanted was escape from her duties.All in all,she was selfish beyond measure.Then he really looked at the scene in front of him,his eyes widening in suprise.

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A soul walked along the ground, fighting to find its form.It headed towards the houshi and taijiya that both lay crumpled against the rocks.The soul shed a strange glow on them both, making them look as though they lay under moonlight, even though the sun shone bright above them.

Inuyasha shook his head,and turned to Kagome, only to find her walking towards the forms of Kirara and Shippou.This was none of his business.Whatever it was,it had to do with Sango and Miroku and only Sango and Miroku.He had his own problems.He quickly caught up with Kagome and slung her arm over his shoulder,helping her to her kit.Even so, Kagome fought to get away from him.His heart was being torn in two once again,but this time he just held her closer.

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Miroku was barely concious.He though he heard a noise, but it was probably just his imagination.But then, a few minutes later, he had the strangest feeling.It was as though his cheek was being caressed by water.And he realised his injuries were healing,skin forming, bones realigning, and blood vessels regrowing and joining.

He opened his eyes, and found the soul had finally managed to find its true form.

Sango stared back at him.But her face was pure silver, and rippled as if it was a reflection in water.And her eyes.Her eyes had always had some emotion in them, whether sadness or pity or even digust.He liked her eyes like that.She had that look everytime he fastened his hand around her butt.But her eyes were just...empty.Nothing could be worse than that.