Chapter 25

Authors Note: Read and Review

I didn't know what it felt like to have to have your future torn away from you in front of your eyes. I could feel my blood pulsing and swirling and there was no one to pay for it. Kikyou had died before my very eyes, it was my job as her mate to protect her and I led her to her demise. Kikyou died and there's nothing that would change that, there was no body to revive her, there was no hope of the priestess's return. Naraku was dead but it didn't seem worth it, no one had to do anything; no one had to sacrifice anything but her. The slayer, Sango had suffered wounds to save her and her loved ones, even a human outdid me. They ALL outdid me. The lord Sesshomaru was lower then a bunch of humans. It was a hard truth to admit to someone like myself.

I watched as Sango began to tear up and Miroku embraced her, still blood coming from the slayers stomach. Inuyasha's eyes faded to normal his hand on his head as it slowly fell to his side. Kagome had walked over to him, tears in her eyes pushing her head deep into his chest. I saw Inuyasha's eyes meet mine in confusion and I only stared towards him feeling pity for the damn half breed. My arm trailed over the wound Inuyasha had inflicted upon my neck, and in doing so I told the hanyou all he needed to know. We fought, that was all he needed to know.

XoXoX

"How did Naraku's control stop? Did it wear off? Where is he?" Inuyasha said a bit confused, Kagome looked up at him through a tear strung face; the look of joy that should have been there was only replaced with bitter sadness. "Naraku's dead"

Inuyasha smiled picking Kagome up. "Then why do you look so sad! We did it! That bastards gone! And it doesn't look like anyone got seriously hurt"

Kagome sniffled a few times, Sesshomaru's cold voice piercing straight through Inuyasha's happy one. "Kikyou's dead"

Inuyasha felt his arms go weak as he gently set Kagome down. "This is some sort of…joke isn't it?" Sesshomaru watched as the hanyou's lips seemed to quiver a bit, his golden eyes wide. He fell to his knees before Sesshomaru in a manner that was close to gravelling. His eyes were closed and his fist hit the ground repeatedly, his knuckles bleeding. Inuyasha stared up towards the demon lord, his face fixed with disbelief and sadness.

"Why?" Inuyasha said quietly towards him. "Why again?"

Sesshomaru looked to the side, if Rin were here she would have noticed the sadness on her lords face and so would anyone else if the disbelief and shock from the tragic experience wasn't hanging over the group as it had. Kouga had managed a sit a bit confused with any thing and unaware of the great miko's noble deed.

Kagome watched her eyes understand. Inuyasha still loved Kikyou, not as he loved her, but the face forced upon her, the death she had chose had been an ultimate one. She had ripped the monster, the source and something so pure of this world. She had ripped away the ultimate bad, the force that could make someone easily good or easily bad, and she ripped away the good of herself, the purity of the miko. It was something that would always be remembered.

Sesshomaru slowly began to walk away without a second word. It wasn't unusual but the scene of Sesshomaru walking as calmly as he did was depressing. He was struggling yet he still held his head high. A noble most deserving death she received but that thought offered him no comfort when he truly had believed that she was not meant to die.

Sango stared towards the lord her eyes wet with tears, her stomach still bleeding as she walked towards him. Miroku looked a bit suspicious raising a brow, as hands interlaced with his sleeve. The demon stared towards her calmly and Sango's voice was so choked she was afraid she wouldn't be able to speak if she wanted too. "You're…breaking"

Sesshomaru stared towards the slayer looking to the side, his hair blowing in the breeze. "I…can't break" He said calm and quiet as before, the stone mask trying to hide his shrouding cloud of depression.

He turned then leaving the slayer there, Miroku coming to her aid by placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Kouga had limped over to Kagome and Inuyasha and Kouga had started there usual bickering. Shippo had come out of hiding feeling a bit empty but hopping on Miroku's shoulder, the three staring towards Kagome and the other two. Their fighting hearts had somehow lifted but the death of the miko was never spoken among them.

XoXoX

"Sesshomaru-sama!" Rin's gentle voice greeted him as she ran towards him, in her childish way as she greeted him with a low bow. Kohaku shortly followed behind walking much more acceptably ending in a low bow as well.

"Where's Kikyou-sama?" Rin questioned looking around Sesshomaru expectantly, Kohaku raising a brow a bit curious. "Yea, where's annue?"

Sesshomaru paused. Kohaku's question was easier. "Your sister is with her companions, she's injured but she should be fine"

"And Naraku!" The two said in union a bit excited but fear showed in the back of the two 'children's' eyes.

"Dead"

Rin smiled in triumph embracing her lord's leg happily and turning towards Kohaku diving into his firm arms, giggling. Kohaku blushed but was smiling as well turning and looking up to Sesshomaru. Rin slowly pulled off Kohaku staring up towards Sesshomaru, her eyes still showing the gleam of triumph and happiness shrouded her aura in a pleasing aroma. Sesshomaru felt sick.

"So where's Kikyou-sama is she with Sango-san and the others?" Rin said smiling; the happiness that surrounded her clouded her vision from her lord's face. She was once again a little child feeling oblivious to the things around her and it was only her and him.

Sesshomaru was silent the words wouldn't come, his heart felt heavy. He didn't know if he could speak, each word seemed to get quieter every time he spoke. The truth hung over him but he desperately wanted to lie and he wanted to believe the lie too.

His voice finally came but though it was a whisper. "She died too"

The realization hit them like a thousand bricks, he watched as Kohaku's and Rin's face shattered and crumbled before him. The joy was no longer gone and it seemed like it didn't seem to matter that they had killed Naraku. Kikyou was dead, where was the joy in that?

Sesshomaru couldn't watch Rin cry not now. He didn't have the heart, he felt like his heart was gone. It was just a ball of smoke a sad smoke. The logic didn't quite make any sense and any other time it would have bothered him, but no…not anymore. He walked past them as Rin let off a tiny squeal, her flesh combining with Kohaku's the smell of her tears covering the two of them.

His feet hit against the palace floor an echo softly echoing through the loud chambers. He slowly approached his corridor and he could have sworn he saw her and his heart dropped just thinking that he had imagined her. A silent angel with black wings, a silent sacrifice with a tearing result, the thoughts rose and fell but all the same they still hurt.

He could still hear Rin's soft crying, Kohaku's disbelief look trying to be strong for Rin, trying to be there for her since I couldn't be. Sesshomaru sighed in disbelief of his cursed fate the only thing he could think of was what to do? Raise Rin, and then she would leave and then what. She may even marry Kohaku one day and leave sooner then expected. There was no point in killing in Inuyasha the purpose just wasn't there anymore. There was no purpose anymore.

Sesshomaru paused looking out the window, "If only…."

But if only are two words that lead to nothing, to words that mean nothing for they can change nothing. If only Kikyou was here. If only…….those two words had some meaning.

He stared out the window, the day was victorious and triumph was the only thing around the area. The sun high in the sky a beautiful golden yellow, the clouds perfect. His eyes lingered to Jaken's grave and he could see an image of Kikyou and Rin standing there smiling in front of it, flowers in hand. Instead of a sad scene it was beautiful.

He shook his head, no Kikyou was gone. Jaken was gone, how was that, how could that possibly be beautiful? It wasn't. He missed her. He missed her terribly. His hand flicked the door shut and he closed his blinds, the glorious light leaving the room and making it dark and shadow-less. A tear rolled down the demon lord's face. One tear in a perfectly straight line as he covered his eyes with his hand, his hair brushing over his hand softly.

There was a soft knock at the door and he was unsure to answer it or not. His hand lingered over the slight moisture on his cheek until it disappeared. He stood slowly his hand on the door, slowly unlocking and opening the door. His golden eyes widened in surprise as he stood before her in surprise.

"Well that's not the expression I was hoping for" Kikyou said smiling slightly, her wings no longer visible, her smiling face staring up into his shocked one.

He embraced her so tightly in his arms she'd thought she'd choke, moving her arms to caress his back.

She was real. Solid, she wasn't a hallucination. She was alive. The relief that over whelmed his body was greater then the sadness and he held her closer. He hadn't even welcomed her home, or said a single word to her yet. He just embraced her and that was okay with him and it seemed okay with her too. So he didn't let go.

XoXoX

"Inuyasha…is it over? Really?" Kagome said staring up at the now star lit sky. They were all in Kaede's village; the news of Naraku's demise sent the villagers into bursts of joy but the companions found it next to impossible to tell them that their priestess had once again sacrificed her life for the benefit of man kind.

"Yea…..Kikyou got rid of him" The hanyou's golden eyes interlocked with Kaede's soft old ones and the hanyou felt pain inflict him.

"So Kikyou sacrificed herself again…" A long sigh escaped Kaede's gentle lips, her old hands looking tired. "It's better then her soul belonging lost in this confused world, a wondering corpse…"

"Kaede-baba…Kikyou was…alive" Inuyasha's voice choked his golden eyes unblinking as the held with Kaede's brown ones, they widened a bit and she stared towards him with the look of disbelief.

"It was Sesshomaru" Kagome said quietly. "Inuyasha's older brother…with his sword…it doesn't really seem possible but…"

"Her scent was no longer of dirt and bone" Inuyasha said smiling only softly. "It's smelt alive and like fresh lilacs"

"She was no longer cold and conceited" Miroku added, his eyes shut tight slowly sipping into the tea.

"She was simply amazing" Sango said quietly. "She was my friend"

Kaede's old eyes seemed to brim with tears and her old wrinkly skin seemed very cold. "Thank you all" Her old hands shook taking her brittle hands with his young clawed ones, Inuyasha felt like her broke. Kaede so old and frail, he was scared of what her next words might be.

"Thank you…send your brother…my regards for giving her humanity back…I can finally die…an old happy women"

There eyes widened slowly, Kaede's hands slowly uncapping Inuyasha's, the wind howled outside the frail hut and it seemed much more colder….

Authors Note: Enjoy…reaching the end here guys! Only a few more chapters left