Disclaimer: Apart from merchandise with his logo, I do not own Inu-Yasha.

Author's Note: After finding myself hooked on them, I've decided to start my own little ficlet corner (600 words or less in each installment) for my baby ideas that I don't have time to nurse into full blown plot lines. They will have no rhyme or reason or order- some may be AU, others not. I just felt like this would be fun to try.

Please enjoy!

(Actually, there are more than 600 words in this one, but because it's special (see bottom) I let it slide this time. I'm awful, I know. ::sweatdrop::)

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"HAND"

-

That was it.

It was all over.

Kagome sat there, alone at the bottom of the well, for what seemed an eternity. Every one of her senses had magnified itself, as senses tend to do in horrifying situations. Every creak of the house, every breath of wind, every gasp of air she struggled for stuffed her blank mind with unnecessary clutter, as if filling that would make up for the hole in her soul. The hole that only one person could fill.

That one person. . .

Her heart was pounding loudly against her ribcage, his final words echoing in her mind: 'I'll wait for you. . .'

Those words. . . so simple, so unfeigned, so hopeful. And yet they filled her with an immeasurable sorrow. In fact, they seemed to taunt her- goad her, make fun- sending her all but over the deep end.

"Inu-Yasha- - -!" she choked, doubled over on her knees; pressing her forehead against the cool earth that padded the ground. Two large tears slipped down her face as she clawed at the dirt, wishing desperately that the sealed portal would open up and swallow her- send her back to the time she knew best and the people she loved most.

But it was all for naught.

The girl sniffled soundlessly, slowly and mechanically pushing herself to her feet. It really was all over.

'Inu-Yasha. . .'

He was really gone- locked back it time- out of her grasp.

Kagome couldn't help but whimper as she clutched her hands to her heart; hands still warm from all of the times he'd been there to push her down, help her up, and hold her close. Hands that had never failed to reach out to her when she really needed him.

"I. . . nu. . . Yasha. . ." she whispered, trying to steady her choppy breathing. It took a few moments, but she finally managed to do so- falling forward and into the wall. Her fingers instinctively curled around the first rung of the ladder that she had used hundreds of times before, urging her to climb up and out of his well of memories.

And she did so.

One painful, heart-wrenching step at a time, she began to pull herself out of the well. One foot closer to the top. Then another. Each movement seemed to cost her a large portion of her soul, but she kept moving- inching closer to her goal.

Almost there. . .

With a cough and a few more tears she managed to grab the lip of the portal, hoisting her bag out of the hole. After a loud 'thud' confirmed that it had landed safely on the floor, Kagome set out to fix her footing and get herself out- - -

When her hands slipped.

"Ee- - - !" she began to screech in shock, her stomach inevitably dropping as her eyes clamped shut- - - but cut herself off when she felt a hand suddenly grab her own, correcting her balance.

'. . . ?' She gingerly allowed her eyelashes to flutter open, azure pools widening as she took in the sight that awaited her over the portal's rim.

It was a boy. . . standing there, casually, with one clawed hand stuffed into a pair of loose blue jeans. Chains looped his hips in place of a belt, his wrists covered in armbands. His tight black t-shirt spoke of the adoration he had for a heavy metal group she had never heard of- his head capped by a dark baseball hat.

She blinked. He smiled- golden eyes shining with an unspeakable happiness. And yet, he spoke anyway. Spoke all of the words she longed to hear and more:

"Need a hand?"

- - -

(Note: Yes, this is my ideal end for Inu-Yasha. (-: I was planning on waiting to do this little installment of 'Shards'- maybe keep it as the last chapter- but seeing as how I have no idea which will be the last chapter, I decided to let myself do it now. XD)