:Disclaimer:

Akana: Why're we writing something so horribly and terribly sad? 'crying'
Leiko: Because we're evil. Deal.
Akana: But... But... No one gets a happy ending! It's, like, not fair! At all! To anyone! Why're we soooooo incredibly terribly horribly evil?
Leiko: Because we can be. Now, are you going to do the disclaimer, or shall I?
Akana: I'm too depressed! 'sniffle'
Leiko: 'sighs' Fine. We don't own Inuyasha, or else everyone would kill us for making it so tragic.

:End Disclaimer:

It's a little bit later than expected, sorry! I've sorta been busy-ish. I had to go to school registration yesterday (Tuesday), and I've been working on my site as much as possible.Anyway, as this story draws to a close, the chapters get sadder and sadder. After this, there's only one chapter left. In chapter 7, the demon trio will make their appearance once again and all will be explained. But, for now, here's chapter 6. Enjoy!

Chapter 6: Goodbye... For Now

POV CHANGE

"SHIT!"

The priestess, the fox demon, and I all looked over to where the half demon was staring into the woods with horror etched all over his face. We had stayed there, waiting for the monk and his sister before going off to find my sister. The priestess, Kagome, had explained to me a few things about each member of the group, including how Miroku and Sango were in love. I suddenly felt strangely protective of my big sister, but I realized that if she was really in love, there was no use in trying to talk her out of it. I just accepted it.

"What, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked him. "What's wrong? What happened?"

He just took off, cursing, not giving a word of explanation. Kirara was also alert by now, growling softly in... worry? "Kirara?" I asked when she transformed into her large state. I patted her head soothingly, but a feeling of dread had come over me.

Shippou, the fox demon who was on Kagome's shoulder, suddenly whimpered. "I-It's Sango," he choked out. I turned my head sharply to look at him and saw tears in his eyes. "She's... losing a lot of blood..."

Kagome gasped. "What?"

The monk, Miroku, and his sister, Yuriko, came from the woods at this point. They took one look at our faces and knew something was up. Shippou relayed the message to them, and Miroku ran through the woods on the same path Inuyasha had taken without a backwards glance. The rest of us piled on Kirara, who skimmed the ground as fast as possible.

A demon must've gotten her, I thought. Sh-She'll be okay though. We'll get to her in time, and Kagome can use the things from her time period to heal my sister. Things will be alright. Though my mind was reassured, my heart knew the truth. I started trembling.

When we reached the clearing, Kagome was first to get off. She jumped off Kirara landed on the ground with such force that I thought her ankle must've broken, but she nonetheless rushed over to where the others were. I was next off, running immediately to crouch beside my sister's motionless body. Yuriko was next; I felt her presence as she knelt beside me.

Miroku knelt on the ground beside Sango and across from me. His head was bowed so that the shadow of his bangs covered his eyes. Inuyasha was standing a bit off to the side. Kagome, after taking one long, horrified look at Sango, rushed to him and buried her face in his robes and stood there, sobbing. He wrapped his arms around her awkwardly in comfort. Shippou had leapt from his perch on Kagome's shoulder and was now sitting on the ground near Sango's head, wailing for all he was worth. Yuriko's eyes were closed, and I could see that she was struggling to keep back her tears. Kirara was back to her smaller form and nestled against Sango's limp hand, mewing pathetically.

Sister... I looked at her pale face. I looked at her eyes, closed for an eternal sleep. I looked at the gaping hole where her heart was. I looked at the sword laying beside her, her own sword, stained with her blood. I looked at her, and I knew what had happened. I knew, and I couldn't control the tears.

"Th-This is my fault," I whispered, rubbing my arm across my face in an effort to dry my eyes and cheeks. I only cried harder. "It was because of me... Because she wanted to be with me, even if it meant death for her..."

"It was no one's fault," Miroku said. His voice was steady and calm, yet there was an almost inaudible waver to it. "Sango wouldn't want you to blame yourself. She would want you and Kirara to return to the village and restore it to it's former glory. She would want to be buried there, on her home land. We should take her there."

"Why'd she have to go!" Shippou wailed, his tears sprinkling the dirt around where he was sitting. "It's not fair, it's not fair!"

And he was right; it wasn't. It wasn't fair that I had to carry on while my sister lay in a grave. It wasn't fair that I had to rebuild the village without her beside me, helping me. It wasn't fair that I would never get to see her smile or her laugh again when I did something foolish. It wasn't fair that I could live and laugh and cry while she couldn't. It wasn't fair at all, but that's how it had to be.

She would've wanted it like that.

We arrived in the village hardly a day later. We traveled quickly, but it helped that we were close. I looked upon it with a mixture of feelings. I felt all the pain I'd once suffered here, but also the joy. I looked at the graves of my comrades and remembered how I'd slain father and the others, but I also remembered how everyone in the village had been kind to me though I was only a child. I thought of how I'd have to dig a grave for my sister, but I also thought of how great the village would be once restored.

Kirara touched down gently near an old, dilapidated hut. Yuriko and I slid off. Miroku and Inuyasha came a minute later, Kagome and Shippou on Inuyasha's back. Everyone was solemn; the sorrow would not soon lift.

To this day I remember the funeral. She was laid in her grave, looking as peaceful as if she were merely sleeping and was going to wake up soon. Incense was burned, and prayers were said. The most beautiful bouquet of wild lilies was laid in the grave with her, and another bouquet equally beautiful was place at the head of the filled in grave. Say "Hi" to father and everyone else for me, I thought. After it was over, the others wandered off through the village, probably to deal with their sorrow in privacy. Only Kirara, Miroku, and I remained by her grave.

Everyone lingered in the village for a few days after. I was glad for the company. I didn't want to be alone after such a tragedy. It would've been too much to bear.

"What now?" Kagome asked softly one night, a week after the funeral. We were all gathered in the hut that had once belonged to my family. Starlight filtered in through a hole in the ceiling. We were all gathered around a fire in the middle, yet coldness still seeped into our bones.

No one immediately offered an answer. We were all silent. The only sound came from the fire and from Shippou, still nibbling on the bread from dinner. I'd hardly eaten; I found that I had no appetite.

"We should get going," Miroku said. His voice sounded as numb as I felt. I didn't know if I'd sound that way or not, for I found nothing to talk about. I doubted I could've said anything without breaking out into tears again, anyway. "It wouldn't do to dwell on such things, no matter how terrible they are."

Yuriko nodded slightly. "That's right," she whispered. "She would've wanted everyone to move on." That had become a famous phrase lately: she would've wanted it like this... "We should... go visit Mushin."

Kagome drew her legs up and hugged them close, laying her chin on her knees. "We should, get going, too," Kagome said in a monotone. She sighed deeply. "Everyone's probably worried about me back home."

"Kaede will want to know what's happened," Inuyasha muttered. A dull silence followed.

"Tomorrow, then," I said at long last. "Tomorrow you shoud all leave, and tomorrow Kirara and I will work on restoring this village. You're all welcome here anytime you wish." I surprised everyone, even myself. My voice was clear and calm, and that was the first time I'd spoken since the funeral. All eyes were suddenly on me for a few minutes, but mine were on the floor.

"We'll come back," Yuriko answered with a definitive tone, glancing at her elder brother. "We'll come here, help you rebuild the village, and live in it with you, if that's alright."

"We'll come and live here, too," Kagome added, smiling. "We'll all help you rebuild the village back to its former glory."

I looked around at everyone. They all cared about my sister and about me. They all were her friends, and they all were mine. They wanted to help in any way they could. A smile, my first smile since her death, alighted my face. "That sounds great."

The next day, they all left. They left, and it was just me and Kirara in the village. I felt so alone, suddenly, and I had the strangest sense of foreboding. I watched them off cheerfully, of course, giving no mention to this feeling, but it was still there. No matter how I tried to brush it off as nothing, as paranoia, it was still there, and it wouldn't fade. I knew that most of them wouldn't be returning. So, after they left, I broke down and cried, knowing that it was the last time I'd ever see half of them. Kirara tried to comfort me, but I could tell she felt it too. I hoped and I prayed I was wrong, that they'd all come back safely. I made myself believe it.

They'd all come back safely.