"KAGOME!" Inuyasha bellowed from deep within, his heart pounding in his chest.

Heat and panick coursed threw his veins as he watched her body fall and hit the ground hard.

He tried to turn from his own battle to get to her- but as he did so, the demon lunged at him, claws spread out-

And Inuyasha had to turn around again towards the demon at a tight angle, and flip himself over the demons outrstretched arms- and land on his feet.

Now, he was angry.

And that was putting it lightly.

"TETSAIGA!" He yelled as he unleashed his Kaze No Kizu in a blinding flash of furry. Dmon parts went everywhere, and blood soaked Inuyasha.

Kagome was in so much pain, her blood was everywhere. She couldn't move...was it because to many bones were broken, or because of the position her mangled body was in, or could it be that she was actually dying?

A tear fell...

The evil Naraku was standing before her- saying something, but it was all fuzzy to Kagome, everything around her was.

'Inuyasha! Inuyasha!' she thought over and over in her head. She just wished that he was all right, and hoped that they could be together, for the last time, ever.

She knew she was dying...but she had to stay awake- as long as possible, she had to tell him everything!

Naraku hovered over Kagome, and with his hands he was reaching for her-

"NOOOO!" Inuyasha yelled. "NARAKU! COME GET ME!"

Naraku turned his ugly blood-soaked head toward Inuyasha just in time to see him lunging at him, Inuyasha had absolute murder in his eyes.

He couldn't attack with his sword, Kagome was there.

And so he lunged with his claws. Naraku was wounded and beaten, he knew it too.

But, hne was a coward and so he tried to turn and run but Kikyou was standing directly infront of Naraku, arrow poised at him- and shot.

Naraku then disentegrated in to the dust, leaving behind all the shards he possessed.

Inuyasha stopped, stood there staring at Kikyou, growling.

"Why did you do that! Naraku was min-!"

Kikyou replied cooly. "I would not be worried about that now." she crouched down beside Kagome. "She is-"

"Shut up!" He yelled, picking up Kagome.

"If your gonna help- do so! If not, I suggest you leave!"

Kikyou stood there, just cooly staring at Inuyasha. She had a massive cut on her shoulder, and dirt, blood and bruises covered her face, she stood there looking very put-out at him.

But alas she was already dead...and heling.

"Inuyasha..." Came a very soft voice from in his arms.

He looked down at the girl in his arms...she was looking p at him, her brown eyes were very soft, and looked far-away.

"Kagome-" He choked out.

"I...don't know where to start..." She whispered, as a trickle of blood slid out of her mouth.

Inuyasha held her face and whiped the blood away with his thumb..

"Shh. Kagome, it's gonna be ok.."

"Inuyasha...I'v always loved you-" she whispered, never taking her eyes from his. "Go- go be with Kikyou, she is the one who lives- obviously it was destiny..."

She still stared- strriaght through him-

"Be happy...Inuyasah." and her last word escaped her mouth in a sigh.

Inuyasha could do nothing but hold her in his arms, and hug her tightly to his chest.

"I am sorry Kagome- it was you who I swort to protect- and I failed!"

"Inuyasha..."Kikyou stood beside him. "Here is the full shikon-no-Tama."

He could not look at her...A tear had began falling down his cheek- which he quickly brushed away.

His entire body shook...

"With this, any wish is yours." She was looking very serious.

"You could- wish her back to life, or myself."

Inuyasha reluctantly lowered Kagome's body to the ground and took the jewel into his hands. Kikyou stared hard at him, as he took the jewel from her hands.

He stared at it...hard...hatred in his eyes.

So this was it...the tiny thing which caused so much fighting and killing- in his hands.

And in the end, it had lost him both, the love's of his life.

He was feeling light-headed, his open wounds still bleeding.

He could not even look upon Kagome's still face...

He couldn't face the guilt!

He kept remembering- everything- that hea nd Kagome had been through.

The countless battles- him saving her, her saving him- and all those little fluffly things inbetween.

'I love you.'

He shook, against his will.

Then he remembered how he swore to Kikyou hew he would never leave her alone.

He then remembered just yesturday...

:;FLASHBACK:

There she stood, all alone in the woods.

He had followered her here, without her knowing, to see what was up.

There had been a heaviness, a very strange one that settled upon everyone.

Kanna had found them, not to fight but to show them in her mirror that the shikon-no-tama was nearly complete.

There was only a sliver left missing-

and they had the missing sliver.

Only they and Naraku were left with the shards.

After showing them this, Kanna had left.

Kagome had been acting really strange after that.

She wandered of alone into the woods, and so Inuyasha followed- to make sure she would be all right.

She came to a small stream and stopped.

She stared into it for awhile, and stood perfectly still.

Inuyasha wandered what was going through her mind...

"Inuyasha.."

He froze on his branch.

She sighed lightly. Kagome then sat down on the soft grass and just stared, extremely in thought.

'She's thinking about me!'

Inuyasha perked his ears forward. She hadn't been talking to him- but to herself...and she seemed so sad!

That's when a thought struck him.

And his heart stopped painfuly in his chest.

Then, Kagome coiced his own thought.

"What's going to happen to us, Inuyasha?"

He couldn't leave her alone like that, it tore at his heart.

She looked so sad and vulnerable, so unaturaly like herself.

He hopped out of the tree very softly and walked up beside her.

"I'm not sure-"

Her heart skipped a beat and she jumped at his voice.

"I-Inuyasha!" she gasped and stared at him. "How long have-"

"I-uh--"

"The entire time!" she looked horrified.

"Kagome..."He said softly. Her eyes shimmered when he said her name. She stood up to her full height so she could here what he would say.

"I--" He started to make up an excuse, then changed his mind. "I was worried that you may attract a demon..." he looked her straight in the eyes.

"Inuyasha." she said slightly agitated.

"Kagome." He took a step toward her and grabbed her shoulders with his hands. "I swored i'd protect you. I'll never let you down! Understand!"

"Yes..." She replied breathless and in shock. They were standing so close...He could feel the air from her mouth on his face.

Somehow the warmth drew him closer to her face...

Kagome leaned up before he could change his mind and their lips came together.

Inuyasha widened his eyes and leaned away slightly, because he was caught off guirad, but almost as quickly as the kiss started, he leaned in again and he relaxed and they just stood there, like that, for a while.

The golden-yellow light of the sun setting fell on them, and they separated, staring into eachother's eyes.

Inuyasha pulled Kagome to him and held her there.

"Kagome..just, stay safe tomarrow."

"Hm..I will.." She said with a smile. "Inuyasha- you too."

"Keh. You know me Kagome, getting hurt is unnavoidable!"

Kagome looked up at him with pain in her eyes.

"It's usually my fault too..."

"Heh. You also help me out alot! Without you, i'd probably be daed by now."

He smiled at her, rasuringly.

She smiled trustingly back at him, and then laughed lightly.

"What?" He asked curiously.

"Today..." He looked at her quizically. "Today was a good 16th birthday."

"That was today!" He said shocked.

Kagome nodded.

Inuyasha backed away and scratched behind his head.

"Jeeze, um...why didn't you say anything?"

She just shook her head.

"Today Inuyasha, we have known eachother for an entire year."

"Just that? It feels like alot longer!"

"Yes, it does." and they both laughed together.

His flashback ended.