A/N: Here is chapter thirteen for you guys:D I am so glad I have gotten such good feedback on this story. Sadly enough, though, this story only goes up to chapter fifteen...(I know some of you were wanting me to make this one longer, and I honestly would have, but I don't want to stray too far from the main point of the story...) I already have another one in the works, for those of you who are wondering, and although I haven't thought of a title, it will be out shortly after the completion of this one. Please let me know what you think!

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Don't Cry for Me
Chapter Thirteen

"Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha yelled, running from the castle.

The demon blinked. "How did you do that? I mean...what happened?"

"We have to get out of here, now! Midoriko is going to purify everything, and we can't be here when that happens!" Inuyasha warned them all.

Sango and Miroku nodded, hopping on Kirara's back with Rin and Kohaku and taking off quickly. Sesshoumaru hesitated a moment, but soon followed them. With a glance back, Inuyasha also followed. Was Midoriko really going to purify Naraku? Did this mean that their problems with Naraku were over? Of course, if they didn't get far away from there very soon, they too could end up victims of Midoriko's power...

"Inuyasha!" Sesshoumaru yelled when they had gotten away. "Inuyasha! Kagome is..."

Inuyasha gasped. He had just noticed. Kagome was very pale, and her breathing was barely audible, even to his heightened senses. His ears flattened against his head. "Kagome!" he yelped. "Sesshoumaru! What am I supposed to do? Midoriko said...she said Kagome would die...what am I supposed to do?" he stammered.

"You are supposed to fix it," said Sango calmly.

Inuyasha blinked. "I don't...I don't know how. I don't know what to do..."

"You can't..." Sesshoumaru said shortly. "Don't you understand? When Naraku bit Kagome, she was in her hanyou form...however weak it was. That means that the mark was binding for..."

"As long as Naraku completed the process in a month..." Inuyasha whispered to himself. "And since he only bit her recently, she is still bound to him, even though it's poisoning her." He paused for a moment. Suddenly, he gasped. "Sesshoumaru, no! That also means that when Midoriko..." he gulped. He could not dare finish the sentence.

Sesshoumaru could only nod. "Yes, Inuyasha. Your fears are correct. When Midoriko purifies Naraku and the others, Kagome will die as well."

"That's what she meant..." Inuyasha frowned. "Damn it! She could have told me about this! I can't do this...I can't lose Kagome again..." he stammered. "How am I supposed to handle this? Why would Midoriko tell me that I could help the poison if I really couldn't?"

"Because that also meant that you would get out of the range of her power in time," Miroku answered for him.

Inuyasha sighed. "I don't care..."

"Would you rather you both died because you were trying to save someone you could not?" Sesshoumaru snapped. "Think about it. At least this way, I can bring Kagome back...and we will not get caught in the crossfire of Midoriko's powers. We're safe."

"Inu...yasha..." Kagome whispered. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get..." she began.

Inuyasha brought a finger to his lips. "Sh, Kagome...it's all right. Don't talk, okay? You're hurt...you're very sick and you need to lie still...please..." he pleaded with her.

Kagome nodded weakly.

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"Goodbye, Naraku..." Midoriko smiled, glowing in the same blue color that had practically engulfed Kagome earlier that day. Finally, the light got even brighter, and hundreds of small blue orbs shot out from Midoriko's center.

Several of these slammed directly into Naraku and Ryo.

The look of surprise on Naraku's face told its own story. The evil hanyou had not been expecting the attack, despite the transparent miko's warnings. His face showed an unpleasant mixture of severe pain and utter shock and surprise...of course...it wasn't anything he didn't deserve after all the pain he had caused others.

And it was all because of a jewel...all for the sake of power that was not even really his own.

He screamed as his body was slowly torn apart by Midoriko's powers of purification.

Midoriko nodded. "You should have known better. You should have known that you would eventually have to pay for the atrocities you committed...and now, you are paying with your life..."

"No!" Naraku yelled, as if doing so would somehow keep him alive.

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Inuyasha yelped. "Kagome!"

Kagome had suddenly screamed, although she was, for all intents and purposes, unconscious. She jerked and twitched, yelling in pain and kicking out her arms and legs in an attempt to ease her pain.

Inuyasha's ears once again flattened against his head, and he whimpered from somewhere deep within his throat. This was it. Midoriko had no doubt finally used up the remainder of her power, and the link between Midoriko, Naraku, and Kagome meant one undeniable thing to Inuyasha. If they were gone, so was she...

Suddenly, her struggling stopped all together, and she fell limply into his arms. Inuyasha held her close. There was no breath escaping her lips, and he could not hear the steady rhythm of her heartbeat. It was gone. He held her close to him tightly. The fight for the sacred jewel of four souls had finally ended. But he feared that it cost too much...

"Inuyasha...get out of the way." Sesshoumaru warned harshly.

Inuyasha looked up. He had not realized how long he had been sitting there holding on to Kagome's lifeless body, but he didn't care much. He glared dangerously at his older brother.

Sesshoumaru growled from somewhere deep within his throat, and his eyes flashed a dark red color. Inuyasha blinked and nodded. For some reason, his brother's sudden show of power had slapped Inuyasha into his place...something none of them had ever seen before.

The emotionless dog demon standing before him cleared his throat loudly. "Move, now. I only wish to try and use tenseiga, Inuyasha. It has worked once before, and I trust it will work again if you would get out of the way," he snapped harshly. "If you do not wish to grieve her loss, then let me bring her back to the world of the living..."

Slowly, silently, Inuyasha nodded and moved out of the way.

Sesshoumaru produced his father's fang tenseiga from somewhere inside his robes, and held it out to the lifeless girl in front of him. He swished the blade lightly several times, but nothing seemed to happen. The sword seemed to be having no effect on Kagome.

Inuyasha paled in absolute horror.

He gasped. "Sesshoumaru! What the hell are you doing? What is wrong with that thing?" he demanded of his older brother.

He shrugged. "I do not know, Inuyasha. The sword has worked before. I do not understand why it refuses to work now..."

At this, Sango choked back a sob.

"No..." Miroku whispered.

Inuyasha shook his head. "This can't...it can't be happening..."

"Kagome..." Kagome could hear the familiar voice, but she could not think of who it belonged to. She tried to look around to find the source, but she seemed to be surrounded by a bright white light, and this was allowing her to see nothing, save her own hand in front of her face.

She groaned. "What happened? Where am I? What is this? Where have the others gone? Have I...I mean, did I...?" she stammered. "Am I..." she gulped, "dead?"

She heard a sigh. "Technically, yes...but now is not your time." the voice replied. "It was your tie...your bond to Midoriko and to Naraku, that killed you...but despite your similarities with the miko and your unfortunate situation with Naraku, they do not determine that part of your destiny...someone else does. And that someone else is very much alive. You aren't supposed to leave the world of the living, Kagome. You are supposed to return to Inuyasha. You need to return to him..."

"Inuyasha..." Kagome whispered.

"Yes, Inuyasha. You need to go back to the world of the living...back to him..."

Kagome frowned. "I don't understand. How do I...?" she began.

"Close your eyes, Kagome. Your future, your destiny, lies with Inuyasha. Return to your rightful place..." the voice whispered.

"Inu..ya...sha..." Kagome coughed.

Inuyasha jumped up and rushed to her side. "Kagome! Oh, gods, Kagome...we were so afraid for a moment that the tenseiga had not worked...you've been gone so long now..."

Kagome felt a throbbing pain in her head, but she sat up slowly anyway. "I...it didn't work..." she admitted to them, and Inuyasha looked at her in confusion. She shook her head. "I was...I was somewhere...and someone told me it wasn't my time...that I had to come back and live out my destiny with..." Kagome stopped short when Inuyasha's strong arms wrapped themselves around her.

"I'm so glad..." he whispered, and her eyes widened in shock at his statement.

She blinked. "Inuyasha...did you just say what I think you..."

"Yes..." he replied with a nod.

Kagome wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha...I...I just want to go home now..."

Inuyasha's expression saddened, and he nodded. "I could understand, especially after all that you have been through recently..." he stammered.

Kagome shook her head. "No, Inuyasha. That's not what I meant. I was talking about home. My home is here now..." She paused a moment to reflect on this. "It's here...with you. It has been for a long time now..." she admitted.

Sesshoumaru cleared his throat and glared at the couple. "Are you two quite done yet?" he demanded.

Kagome sighed deeply. "I am just glad that things are over. Our struggles with the jewel of four souls are over...the curse of the jewel has finally been lifted..."

Miroku nodded, holding his once cursed hand out for all to see. At first, Inuyasha recoiled in shock, but realizing that there was nothing to fear, he soon relaxed. "Let's go home..." he whispered to the group, slowly helping Kagome to get to her feet.

Kagome nodded. "I'm so tired..." she whispered.

Inuyasha smiled. "Keh, you'll be fine. You can sleep on the way if you want," he picked her up and cradled her in his arms.

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Kagome's mother groaned. "I can't stand this anymore!" she yelled. "Kaede, what is going on? How long is it going to take? Do you think they are all right? They haven't been hurt, have they? They've been gone for so long...I'm really starting to worry..."

Kaede shook her head from right to left. "I do not know," she admitted. "But I'm sure we will know soon enough. Do not worry. Inuyasha is very protective of Kagome. He will not let any harm come to her if he can help it...he hasn't yet."

Souta frowned. "I trust Inuyasha, but they have been gone for a long time."

"Quit worrying!" Inuyasha growled as they came into view. "We're back, and we're all in one piece...but Kagome is a little tired. She killed Naraku, after all..." he announced proudly. "Naraku is gone for good, and so is that damned jewel..."

Kagome shook her head, exhausted. "No...I didn't...it was Midoriko...she came from...I don't know where..." she whispered falteringly.

"Only because you were able to channel her, Lady Kagome..." Miroku told her.

Kagome blinked. "Huh?"

Sesshoumaru nodded. He looked down. As usual, Rin was hanging on to his pants leg. The little girl was different now, though. In her right hand, she gripped Sesshoumaru's pants leg...in her left, she held a bow...and on her back, a quiver full of new arrows that Kagome and Lady Kaede had taught her how to make.

She smiled. "Lord Sesshoumaru, can we...?" she began.

He nodded curtly. "Rin and I shall take our leave now." He turned to Inuyasha. "The next time I see you, Inuyasha and Kagome, will be when the mating ritual has been completed." With that said, Inuyasha nodded slowly, and Sesshoumaru pivoted around on his heel.

Rin bowed low to Kagome and Kaede and followed after Sesshoumaru. "Good bye, Lady Kagome!" she called as she ran into the forest.

Kagome sighed. "Sleep..." she groaned.

"Is mommy all right, Inuyasha?" asked Shippo.

Inuyasha nodded. "You know she will be." he promised. "We all will be eventually." he added, almost as an afterthought.

Kohaku nodded, as if confirming Inuyasha's statement. "I know I feel better already." he agreed.

"And tomorrow," Miroku smiled, wrapping his arm around Sango, "is a new day, and a new start for all of us..." Miroku leaned in and kissed Sango lightly on the cheeks.

A bright red blush slowly crept its way onto Sango's cheeks. "Miroku, I..." she stuttered.

"No," Inuyasha shook his head. "I think the monk is actually right for once, Sango...tomorrow is a new start for all of us..."

Kagome's mother blinked as she watched the demon slayer, the monk, the hanyou, and her daughter retreat into their huts. She smiled. "Hmm...I think a lot more happened out there than any of us have any idea about..." she mused.

"You may be right..." Shippo smiled in confusion.

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A/N: Hope you liked it! Please review!