Time

"Come on, guys!" 15-year-old Kagome Higurashi yelled to her half-demon boyfriend, Inuyasha, and her best friend, Miroku. "Just jump!"

Kagome had brought Sango, Miroku, Inuyasha, and Shippo bathing suits from her era. Sango had taken an immediate liking to hers, as did Shippo, but Inuyasha and Miroku weren't so sure.

Inuyasha looked down at his swim trunks unsure.

"Are you sure these will stay on?" he asked.

"Of course, Inuyasha!" Shippo said, "Watch". Shippo got out of the lake and when to the edge to jump in. When he did, his trunks slowly drifted to the top.

"FORGET IT!" Inuyasha said, turning around to go put his red kimono back on. "I ain't doing it if that happens."

"Heads up!" Miroku yelled as he jumped in, hoping that his trunks would also come off.

"Nice try, pervert," Sango said when he came to the surface.

"Hey, it was worth a try," he said with a perverted smile on his face.

"Oh, come on Inuyasha," Kagome coaxed, "Shippo's trunks are just big on him and…" she stopped when she noticed Inuyasha smelling the air. "What is it?"

"I smell Kikyo," he said, getting to his feet.

"What?" Kagome asked, "Kikyo? What is she doing in these parts?" All of a sudden they heard a scream of a woman.

"That was Kikyo!" Inuyasha said running as fast as his legs would take him.

"What's up with him," Sango asked as she, Miroku and Shippo got out of the water.

"It's Kikyo" Kagome replied. "Come on, let's follow him."

"Put we're not wearing our clothes," Shippo said, blushing.
"Just throw your clothes on over your bathing suits." Kagome said.

When they had all gotten dressed, Sango called for her two-tailed demon cat, Kilala. The little kitten transformed into a huge cat and they all hopped on her back, following Inuyasha.

Kikyo…hang on just a little bit longer. Inuyasha thought to himself. But he just couldn't think about what could possibly make Kikyo scream…he had never heard her scream before. He ran through the woods until he got to a clearing. There on the ground, he saw Kikyo, lying on the grass, souls fleeing from the unmoving form.

"KIKYO!" Inuyasha yelled as he ran up to the motionless form. "Kikyo, hang on."

"Inu…yasha?" she asked wearily, "what are you doing here?"

"Don't worry about that," he said, "what did this to you?"

"A demon…a bear demon with five jewel shards," she said.

"Hang on, we'll get you back to Kaede's village and she'll take care of you," he said, with tears in his eyes.

Kagome and the others came out of the woods, and stopped, watching Inuyasha and Kikyo.

After a while, Kagome, with tears in her eyes, went over to the couple.

"Kikyo please…"Inuyasha pleaded "don't go."

"Inuyasha…" Kagome said, choking on her tears, "Inuyasha, she's gone."

"No!" he said with tears streaming down his face, "she can't be gone! She's stronger than this!"
"Inuyasha, come on," Kagome said, "let's take her back to Kaede's village for a proper burial."

"No, I can't leave her."

Kagome didn't try to coax him after that. She knew that he still loved Kikyo, and this was very hard on him. So she just sat there and let him cry on her shoulder.

After a while, he raised his head and said "Let's go, it's getting dark."

The others had been waiting, watching as Inuyasha cried over his first love. When they saw Inuyasha stand up, Kilala went over and they lifted Kikyo's dead body onto her back. They walked in silence to Kaede's village. When they got there, Kaede emerged from her hut to greet them. When she saw Kikyo's body on Kilala's back, she burst into tears. She has lost her sister for the second time.

When she finally came to her senses, she asked what had happened. Inuyasha explained everything. When he was done, he asked, "Should we give her a proper burial?"

"No," Kaede answered, "Kikyo wanted to be cremated. I will respect my sister's wishes. We will cremate her tomorrow"

That night, Inuyasha couldn't sleep. Thoughts and memories of he and Kikyo flooded his mind.

If only I had been there, he thought to himself, If only I had gone to her when I first smelled her scent, I may have been able to save her.

A hand on his shoulder interrupted his thoughts. He looked up and saw Kagome.

"There was nothing you could've done," she said with tears in her own eyes.

"If only I were there, if only…" he stopped and started to cry again.

"Inuyasha," Kagome choked, "I know you loved Kikyo. But, there was nothing you could've done."

"I know that, but someone has to take the blame."

"No one has to take the blame! It was more than likely a demon sent by Naraku. Even if you had been there, it would've made its way around you and to Kikyo," Kagome said. She put her hand under his chin, raising it to meet her eyes. He looked at her with love in his eyes. Not love only for Kikyo, but love for her also.

"Thank you, Kagome," he said after a while.

"Don't mention it," she said, standing up and heading back to her place with Shippo.

"Wait," Inuyasha said quietly, trying not to wake the others. "Why don't you just sleep by me tonight, no use in waking up Shippo."

"Okay," Kagome said, and she lay down, her head in his lap.

The next morning, they all woke up early. Kaede made the preparations for the cremation of Kikyo. They set up a bed of hay and lay Kikyo's body on it. Kaede came out with a torch, and said "Inuyasha, would ye do the honors?"

Inuyasha took the torch and set fire to the hay as Miroku said a few words. After the fire had died down, Inuyasha and Kaede took her ashes and put them in Kikyo's old shrine so that the villagers could once again offer their prayers to her.

Inuyasha just stood there, staring at Kikyo's forever resting place. He felt a hand on his shoulder and put his hand on top of it.

"You okay?" Kagome asked.

"I think I will be," he said. "I'm going to go for a walk."

"Okay, you want me to go with you?"
"No that's okay," he said, "I just need to think about some things."

I know that, I can't believe

Just what the past has brought me

To the man I wanna be

I know that we have had some times

That we can't forget the struggle

Cause we have so far to go

As he walked, he thought of the good times that he and Kikyo had shared 50 years go. He remembered the first time he saw her.

Flashback

Inuyasha is sitting on the top of a waterfall, looking down watching the young priestess. She is beautiful. Her long black hair flowing down her back. He is startled when she talks to him. "Come down from there Inuyasha," she says without looking his way. "I know you've been watching me for sometime now."

Reluctantly, he came down and sat next to her. There was awkward silence for a while then she finally spoke. "I know that you want to sacred jewel," she said.

"Yeah, so what's it to ya?" he asked.

"It is my job to protect the jewel, from demons such as yourself. But I wish that I didn't have to, I don't like it. Killing demons every day, it gets tiresome."

End Flashback

From that moment on, Inuyasha couldn't stay away from the priestess.

I know we've changed but

Change can be so good

Oh so let's not forget why it's understood that

Time, look where we are and what we've been through

Time, sharing our dreams

Time, goes on and on everyday

Time is what it is

Come what may

He remembered the first time he and Kikyo kissed.

Flashback

Inuyasha and Kikyo are sitting in a long wooden boat, talking about anything, everything and nothing. When they finally get back to the dock, Inuyasha was first to get off. He then turns to help Kikyo, but she is already heading off the boat. She trips and falls into his arms. He holds her, looking deep into her eyes. He then lowers his head slightly until his lips touched hers. She returned it, dropping her bow and arrows that were in her hand.

End Flashback

I remember when, mom used to say

That things are getting better

And you'll soon be on your way

Remember those days

When we would sing at the drop of a dime

Way back when nothing else mattered

He remembered when Kikyo suggested that they use the jewel to turn him into a human so they could be together forever and she could be rid of her job. He liked the idea but had no idea what would happen. He had no idea that Naraku was already at work to tear the two apart. Naraku had succeeded once more. Even though Naraku despised the heart of Onigumo that beats within him, he still loves Kikyo. As long as Onigumo's heart beats within him, he will always love Kikyo.

I know we've changed but

Change can be so good

Oh so let's not forget why it's understood that

Time, look where we are and what we've been through

Time, sharing our dreams

Time, goes on and on everyday

Time is what it is

Come what may

He looked up at the sky and saw Kikyo's beautiful face.

"Please, don't be sad," she said. "I am finally free."

"But why did you have to go?" Inuyasha asked, tears once again filling his eyes.

"Because it was my time," she responded.

"But I love you!"

"And I love you," she said, "but you have Kagome. She has my soul. She is me. She will love you forever. She is the one for you."
"But she's not you," he said, "she's Kagome! She's just a reincarnation of you."

"Inuyasha, I know that no one could ever replace me in your heart," Kikyo said, "but Kagome can fill the void that is inside you."

"I will never forget you."

"Nor I you," she said "I will love you forever, Inuyasha. Never forget that."

And with that, she disappeared. But Inuyasha knew that she was with him in spirit.

So here we are

And we'll always stay together

And through it all, you know we owe it all to you, you, you, you

Time goes on and on

Time, look where we are and what we've been through

Time, sharing our dreams

Time, goes on and on everyday

Time is what it is

Inuyasha made his way back to the small, familiar hut. Outside waiting was Kagome. She had been there ever since he left.

"What are you doing out here?" Inuyasha asked with concern in his voice, "It's freezing out here, you'll catch cold." He took off his red kimono and draped it around her shoulders.

"I was waiting for you," she said, "are you okay?"

He put his arms around her and drew her in for a tight embrace.

"I am now," he said. When they parted he said, "Kagome, you know that no one can take Kikyo's place. But you, you make me happy. When I'm with you, I feel different. I…I love you Kagome."

Dumbfounded, Kagome just stared into his beautiful golden eyes. After a while she said, "I love you too."

He leaned in slightly until their lips met. They stood there for a few minutes, caught up in one another. When they finally parted, they looked up into the night sky. A shooting star reminded Inuyasha that Kikyo will always be with him. She was his first love and nothing could ever change that.

"Romances can end for all kinds of reasons," he heard Kagome say as she watched the shooting star, "but they all have one thing in common: They are shooting stars, a spectacular moment of light in the heavens, a fleeting glimpse of eternity. And in a flash, they're gone."

They stood there in silence for a while, until they heard Kaede call them in for dinner. He took one more look at the night sky, and then turned and went into the old, familiar hut.

Time, look where we are and what we've been through

Time, sharing our dreams

Time, goes on and on every day

Time is what it is,

Come what may

Time, goes on and on everyday

Time is what it is

Come what may

Come what may.