I woke up with the sun, but I felt tired. "Oh, so you're awake?" I looked up and Inuyasha yawned. I blinked, "you didn't stay up all night, did you?"

"Of course not," he turned away, "I caught a couple of hours." I thought to myself, 'so reality finally started setting in, huh?' He was starting to accept the fact that my days were numbered. I winced at the fizzing going on in my stomach. I also felt a little hot, so I started to sweat. In response, Inuyasha put his coat back on and massaged my face with a wet rag. I increased my breathing as my anxieties were starting to play a role.

"Hang on for as long as you can," Inuyasha said. I groaned with sickness and I was constantly opening and closing my eyes. As my fever escalated, my head started to feel congested and crammed. I watched as Inuyasha stroked my hair and combed his claws through it. My eyes started to droop as I felt the poison continue to work its way through my gut. Inuyasha continued to hold my hand throughout that day and I squeezed it with every ounce of pain that I felt.

He remarked, "If you keep doing that, I'll lose feeling in that hand." I rolled my eyes as my face felt like it was getting red. Miroku arrived a few hours later. "My gosh, the poison is progressing rapidly. More so than I expected."

"So," I looked to the side, "what's your estimate, Miroku? How… how much longer… do I have to live?"

"At most, you'll make it through to tomorrow." It struck me then. The thought of dying… something that had never struck me before, really hit home. Although I accepted it as my destiny, I almost wanted to be spared because I knew that once I was gone, I'd be alone.

"Thanks Miroku…" I shut my eyes as my head was titled to the right.

"Don't you think you should eat something?" I opened my eyes, "There's no point, I only want this fever to cool down." I whined, "I feel so hot."

"Miroku, get some more cold water!" Inuyasha barked. I groaned as he felt my forehead. "Hang on…" I shut my eyes. When the cold returned to my face, I opened my eyes half way. I felt so feverish that I was starting to lose my focus. I mumbled, "Inuyasha… Inuyasha…" He only increased the rate at which he was massaging my face with the cold water.

I then caught a familiar scent. "Koga's here."

"Damn him…"

"Hey mutt, what the…" Koga rushed over. "What… what happened?"

I mumbled, "Sesshomaru… his sword was… coated with… poison. It's… eating away… at me."

"Isn't there something you can do to stop it?"

"Don't you think we've tried everything? It's spread too much, there's nothing that any of us can do!" Inuyasha barked. "Quit assuming that it was my fault, get off my back!"

I opened my eyes, still feverish. "It's my own fault, Koga… I had to protect Inuyasha from his brother… it was the only thing I could do for him…"

"So, you'd rather die than dump this mutt?" I blinked, looking away, "You're lucky that I'm sick, Koga," I eyed him, "cuz if I wasn't, I'd strangle you."

I looked to the cave entrance and saw Kagome. "Kagome, take Koga outside and explain things to him. I'm too… tired…" I let another wave of pain pass through me, "Koga, if I die… promise that you'll take care of my tribe?"

"I will, princess, if that is your dying wish." Once he left, I sighed, "Well, at least I know I can always count on him."

"Humph, yeah right."

"Actually, my father was half-demon, a wolf half-demon. My mother and father formed an alliance between the wolves and tigers over 100 years ago. Koga could very well be family, but I don't want to attempt to process our interrelatedness."

"Get some sleep, princess." Inuyasha smiled, but I could tell it was covering up something else. I shut my eyes, "Inuyasha, do you plan staying with me until the bitter end that I'll face tomorrow?"

"Until you breathe your last breath… and… your heart beats for the last time… I will be by your side. I promise you that." He put a hand to my cheek and I put my hand on top of his. I stretched out my back a little before settling back down. I took one last look at Inuyasha before I drifted off to sleep. I listened to my heart and it said, "Tomorrow will be the world's hardest goodbye on so many levels. Cherish those last moments for as long as you can." I thought back to Inuyasha, and I knew that I'd cherish every moment I shared with him forever.