"Inu-Yasha knew, didn't he?" Kagome asked quietly. "He knew."
"I do not know, child. He spent four days in the God Tree after you left. On the fifth, he left." The old woman fell silent.
"Does anyone know where he is, Kaede?"
"Ay, child, though you will not like the news."
"Kaede?" Kagome wrapped her arms around herself. "Where is he?"
"We buried him beneath the God Tree, Kagome," Miroku told her when Kaede couldn't answer. "He…. We think he was hunting a jewel shard. There was a battle. He lost. We found him on the eighth day."
"Not even Sesshomaru could revive him," Sanzo whispered, moving to hug Kagome. "He was there, with Tensaga, and after he drove Nar… the demon away, he was trying to revive Inu-Yasha. It was he who told us Inu-Yasha had been seeking a shard."
"Did Sesshomaru take the Tetsega?"
"He was using it to protect Ren!" Shippo said. "So we… kinda let him keep it."
"Oh." Kagome was silent a long moment. "I have only my memories of him, then. There's nothing of him or his… to hold on to."
"Oh, child!" Kaede joined Sanzo in hugging the bereft girl. "I am so sorry."
Author's note: Recall Inu-Yasha's reflections over his daughter's blood in the last chapter? Yes, he knew. He knew then that there was no way he and Kagome could ever really be together. And recall… Inu-Yasha mated for life.