Authors note- I do no own Inu Yasha characters or any of Rufus Wainright's songs. It's also best to listen to the song whilst reading the fic, it's a real tear jerker.

Her Final Breath

(Fic accompanied by Rufus Wainright's song Hallelujah)

I've heard there was a secret chord that David played and it pleased the Lord,

But you don't really care for music do you?

It goes like this the forth the fifth the minor four the major lift,

the baffled king composing Hallelujah.

Hallelujah.

He sat there with her body encircled within his arms, his throat choked with sobs that he couldn't release for the grief he felt was too immense to alleviate. Her chocolate brown eyes half lidded with death as she drew her last breaths. Inu Yasha stared helplessly, his breath stopped in his chest as he clutched at her helplessly. Her chest was gored open and they were both covered in blood; her blood. Kagome shivered with cold as she did her best to breathe, her fingers clutching to the front of his red haori in desperation and denial. There had been no time to slay the demon; Miroku and Sango were still battling desperately. His shoulders heaved with his first sob as Kagome's breath rattled loudly, her throat clogged with blood as it leaked through her opened neck and chest. "Inu…Yasha…" she whispered with a half delirious smile, her breath slighter and slower now as the first tears of pain sprung to the half demons eyes and leaked onto his cheeks.

"No Kagome please…don't…." he choked on his words. "Don't speak…." His shoulders heaving with the effort of concealing his sobs.

Your faith was strong but you needed proof, you saw her bathing on the roof.

Her beauty in the moonlight overthrew you.

She tied you to a kitchen chair she broke your throne she cut your hair,

And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah.

Hallelujah.

The sounds of the ensuing battle were drowned out in the ears of Inu Yasha as he rocked back and forth with her in his arms feverishly; stroking her and pushing her hair back from her face. His tears now streaming freely from his eyes and his mouth twisted into a grimace of pain as he sobbed uncontrollably. "I'm sorry Kagome…oh gods I am so sorry…Kagome…" He bent over her closer as she drew another choked breath.

"Don't be…it was…. my…fault" She shuddered and moaned as she felt numbness creeping into her fingers as she spiralled slowly into the abyss, her eyes closing further and Inu Yasha panic and shook her gently to try and reawaken her.

"No Kagome don't...please don't go. It wasn't your fault…it was mine" His tears spilt on her face as he pawed at her face, touching her hair and continuing to shake her gently. He slowly felt the pain in his heart he had been dreading since he had known he cared.

Baby I've been here before, I know this room I've walked this floor,

I used to live alone before I knew you.

I've seen your flag on the marble arch; love is not a victory march,

It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah.

Hallelujah.

It spread, through his chest and to his head; his heart was dying as was his love. His breath choked and came in gasps as she parted her lips to speak again and rasped a slight cough as she started her words again.

"Inu Yasha…I-"

"Kagome please…stop. Don't…don't say anything please. You can't die…please…don't die. I'm so sorry." His white hair pooled on her shoulder as he doubled over again in constricted sobs, his heart was breaking again. His face was twisted in agony as he bit his lip to keep it from trembling whilst he looked at her. She gazed back up at him in a daze, her eyes barely seeing him as if she was looking at something else as they were trained on him. A slight smile lit up her lips as she gazed up at him in adoration and love, her eyes riddled with pain as she did her best to forget her life was draining away drop by drop.

There was a time you let me know what's real and going on below

But now you never show it to me do you?

And remember when I moved in you the holy dark was moving too and every

Breath we drew was Hallelujah.

Hallelujah.

He gazed back at her fearfully and bit his lip harder, blood trickling between his upper teeth as he gnawed on his flesh anxiously, tears still dropping from his amber eyes as he gazed at his love as she slowly expired. Her breath rattling in her throat as her tone began again and she spoke with her last breaths.

"I…Inu…Yasha….love you." It was at this point his heart cracked and splintered with those words, his lungs bursting with a cry as he sobbed mournfully as he shuddered and choked on his next words.

"Ka-kagome…. don't…no…Kagome I love you. Kagome I love you…I love you." She smiled as she drowsed off farther into the mist of pain that fogged her head as the numbness spread through her body and swept over her like a cold blanket and she drew her last and final breath with words, whispered and faint.

"I…love you….always…forever" Inu Yasha whimpered as the light in her eyes died slowly and he rocked, trying to reawaken her. Whispering the words over and over again as her cold and still body was wrapped in his arms.

"I love you…I love you…please…Kagome...I love you." She never responded again. With dumb realisation he whimpered loudly and moaned, the moan turning into a howling wail that burst from his lungs as he clutched her to his chest, soaking himself with blood. He screamed and mourned while his heart crumbled into dust and faded like the life he had once held in his arms. She was dead.

"Kagome!" He cowered over her breathing heavily and weeping spasmodically.

"Kagome I love you."

Maybe there's a god above

And all I ever learned from love was how to shoot someone who out drew you.

It's not a cry you can here at night

It's not somebody who has seen the light

It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah.

Hallelujah