Standard Disclaimers apply

They knew where to find him. "Inuyasha's Forest" was finally living up to its name. He never really left the area by the well. The furthest he went was Kaede's hut, and even those visits were short and very rare. The inhabitants of that village would often describe him as a lost soul when they happened to catch a glimpse of him. He seemed to have lost his fighting spirit. To his friends though, he was just heartbroken.

Fate hated him, or so he had concluded. He was given hope when he had met Kikyo. Because human compassion was a thing unknown to him, he assumed his feelings for Kikyo meant he loved her. Perhaps they had at the time. And if not, well, he was content just to be with her. But then it was all taken away from him, and he was left to think she had betrayed him. But, he was given a second chance at happiness

She had entered his life and everything had changed. He found himself actually wanting to be around her. He knew he was always a pain when she wanted to leave, but it was for no other reason than he was afraid she would finally realize what he was and never return. He often got angry with himself when those thoughts came unbidden into his mind. Kagome would never turn her back on him because of his heritage….right?

She stuck with him through thick and thin, even when he was being difficult. She would smile in a way that only Kagome could, and he knew that somehow she had understood. She never tried to dissuade him from his planned use of the jewel, even when they were coming surprisingly close to completing it…

And, that's when he failed her.

Flashback

Inuyasha smirked as Shippo ran away, screaming for Kagome at the top of his lungs.

"Kagome! Kagome! Inuyasha's gonna kill meee!" The end of his last word grew into a squeal as Inuyasha swiped at his tail

"That's right runt," Inuyasha growled out, "You're gonna pay for that last stunt"

Shippo began to flail around, begging for Kagome's help. She sighed as she finished climbing out of the well and took in the scene playing out before her.

"Inuyasha?" She questioned sweetly, and had to smile at how his eyes widened in terror.

"Kagome, c'mon plea-"

"Sit" She winced slightly as she heard the telltale 'thunk' of Inuyasha's body being driven into the ground"

"Goddamned wench…" He mumbled, having long learned the art of cursing without getting a mouthful of dirt. While still being held immobile by his spell-induced subduing, he smelled a faint change in the air; One he wasn't sure he liked.

His ears swiveled towards Kagome as she let out a soft gasp.

"Inuyasha! I sense a jewel shard…coming straight toward us...No, wait….there's four!" Kagome began to get excited. It was the kind of excitement that can only come with the knowledge of danger, and what will be rewarded if they survive. There was only one problem that was being overlooked.

Inuyasha was incapable of movement for a little while yet, and the bird youkai was approaching fast.

End Flashback

He would later say he faintly remembered hearing the whoosh of the youkai's wings beating in the air, but the one sound that would never leave him would be the sound of Kagome's scream.

The youkai had gone straight for the jewel shards, stretching its deadly claws out towards her neck. He had fought against his subduing spell harder than he fought for anything, and it had finally let up. But, even his speed wasn't enough.

Kagome had shifted enough so that the youkai's claws sunk into her right shoulder, and she was knocked backwards as she let out a painful yelp. The youkai's claw had managed to snag the slim chain around her neck, and it snapped as it was pulled, the container holding the jewel falling helplessly to the ground. Inuyasha rushed to her, to try and protect her against another attack that had already begun to be executed. Her knees knocked against the edge of the bone-eaters well just as he reached out for her, but he was a second too late. She reached out as a last effort to find something to hold onto, but her fingers only caught the rosary, which snapped as gravity pulled her down.

The last time he saw her, she was yelling his name, falling into the dark abyss of the well surrounded by old beads and teeth.

Inuyasha's POV

"Damnit!"

I glanced at my latest path of destruction, and rubbed at my bloody knuckles. At first, working myself until I was exhausted gave me peace. Now, it only brings me greater bouts of depression.

The moment replays in my mind every second…..if only I hadn't been messing around that day…..if only I had been faster. If only I was better….she'd still be here.

I tried going down that damn well as soon as she had, but I was only met with the soil in the Warring States Era.

I think I lost my mind at that point, even with Tetsuaiga. I remember being in the well, and then I remember adding the four shards to our collection and jumping back in the well to retrieve Kagome. The only thing was, the well wouldn't let me.

I tried for weeks, thinking that maybe her grandpa had found ofudas that managed to work. I figured if that was true, Kagome would have them removed. But, the well still refused to take me to her, and so I stopped trying.

When I finish the jewel, I should be able to ask Midoriko what happened. So I wait. I don't have to travel very far, or look hard. The jewel is so near to being completed so the demons come straight to me, hungry for more shards. I know I will have to go after Naraku, and I will. Alone...

I jump up to my perch in the God Tree, overlooking the well, and I feel a part of me crack even more. I want to be angry with her for leaving me, but I can't. It's probably better anyway. I don't have to worry about her when I'm fighting anymore.

"Feh"….who needs a nosey wench around anyway?

Two years…

'Where are you?'

I blink in surprise. Where had that voice come from?

'…Kagome?'

But it's gone, just like that. And I curse myself again for my foolishness, glancing down at the well one more time before retreating into my solitude.

'Two years…and I still miss you'

Click the button! You know you want to…

I realize it's really slow moving right now, but I wanted to establish a background on both sides of the well before I start contemplating a plot and twists .;;

AN: Updates from now on will be dependent on feedback and time I have with work and school