Notes: I was sitting at work yesterday and this just kind of came into my mind. It is very short and I don't plan to expand on this, but I thought it was interesting. I have not yet seen how the series ends (and I don't want to until I see it on tv) but I thought this would make a tragic ending. I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is propery of Rumiko Takahashi, not me...damn! lol...

It was a cold, clear night and Kagome lie awake. Sleep had eluded her all night. She knew she should be sleeping soundly, but she lie awake rolling the completed Shikon no Tama between her fingers. She sighed as she looked over her sleeping companions. Her eyes stopped for a moment on Inuyasha. She sniffled as she looked away from him, rolling onto her back. Her eyes wandered through the shining sea of stars above, a tear rolling down her cheek. She blinked it away and thought she saw a silver streak run across the sky. She watched closely for a moment, several more flying by.

Those are Kikyo's soul collectors. She's near. I can't believe she survived.

She lifted Shippo's head from her arm and stood up, wrapping him up tightly in the blanket. Her eyes softened as she stared at the sleeping kitsune cub. She ran her fingers through his red hair and leaned over, planting a small kiss on his cheek. "Good-bye, Shippo."

She turned away from the group of friends and began wandering through the dense forest. She wrapped her arms across her chest as a chill breeze went by. She shivered as her pace slowed a bit from the cold. She moved her hand up to cover her heart as several tears escaped her chocolate eyes. The sadness in her heart had not yet faded. She couldn't explain the feeling, but it had brought her to tears more often than she would admit lately. Her mind ran through the years she has spent in the Sengoku Jidai...meeting Inuyasha, hating him, making new friends, falling in love...

Forget about that, Kagome. He doesn't love you. You know that...you've always known that. He said in the very beginning, he's only in this to get to the jewel. I'm sure he's just waiting for the right moment to take it from me. She sighed deeply as she continued her walk, trying to convince herself that her musings were true. She sensed a great spiritual power before her and her eyes widened. She glanced up as she came up on the clearing before the Sacred Tree and stopped. Her eyes trembled as they met with the cold stare of the legendary dead miko. She lowered her arms to her side and stood tall, forcing herself to stop trembling from the cold on her bare legs.

"Kikyo," she nodded, respectfully.

"Kagome," Kikyo returning the gesture.

"I can't do this anymore," Kagome stated, her eyes fixed on the other's. "I'm not you, Kikyo...and I never will be. I am Kagome. I was never supposed to be here, I realize now that you were right. I stayed for Inuyasha...but deep in my heart I know that something isn't right. I've never known what, but..."

"I understand," Kikyo stopped the girl, as tears tried to force their way from her chocolate orbs. "It is what I feel in my soul. In life, my duty was to guard the jewel and to keep it pure of the evil that permeates this world. When I was resurrected by that witch, I believed my death in vein as the jewel had once again returned to this world...by my own reincarnation none the less. I now see that I was mistaken. I was mistaken in life as I have been in death."

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked.

A strange sound made Inuyasha's ear twitch and his eyes shot open, prepared to protect his sleeping friends if needed. Must have been the wind. He glanced quickly over the camp, jumping up when he saw Shippo sleeping alone. "Kagome?" The others awoke with a start and all panicked when they saw that Kagome was nowhere to be found.

"Kagome! KAGOME!" Inuyasha yelled as he ran through the forest, the others trying in vein to keep up with him. He sniffed frantically at the air trying to track her whereabouts. Damnit, Kagome. Why did you go off alone? Finally, her scent reached his nose. His paced quickened greatly when he realized that she was not alone. I know that scent. It...can't be...

"My duty in life was not to guard over and protect the jewel...my duty was always to subdue the jewel itself. Perhaps, Midoriko-sama's soul can be set free of her torment at last...just as we will be free of ours. Through the course of your life, the spiritual powers you were born with havegreatly increased, allowing us to finally purify the jewel."

Kagome nodded in understanding. "I see. We truly are one soul. Also, we are one heart. That is why my heart aches for Inuyasha...you died believing in his betrayal, but your love for him never wavered. Even after 500 years...I understand now." She took hold of a long chain around her neck, revealing the Shikon no Tama to Kikyo. "I'm ready."

"Come then."

Kagome stepped toward Kikyo and she placed the necklace on Kikyo's neck, letting the chainencircle them both. She then held both hands before her and Kagome raised her hands to meet Kikyo's, their fingers entwining.

A large clearing far in the distance came slowly into view. "Huh?" There were two figures standing in the tall grass of the clearing, facing eachother. "Kagome?" He jumped up to clear the line of shrubs separating him from the clearing when a wave of sharp pain charged through his body. He was thrown back to the ground, smoke rising from his charred clothes and skin. "What? A barrier? Damnit!"

He stood up and got as close as he could to the barrier and looked out at the two before him. "Kagome...Kikyo..." he whispered. His eyes shook with anticipation and his heart ached as the woman he once loved and the woman he now loves stood together. He sniffed at the air again as he thought he noticed a hint of salt on the breeze. Those are Kagome's tears, he thought.

A deep swirling wind picked up, encircling the mikos, as a bright light began to shine from between their fingers. The bright swirling light shot through both of their bodies, their heads thrust back as though in great pain, and Kagome's eyes met with the helpless hanyou's amber orbs. "Inu...yasha..." they both whispered, shallowly.

"Kagome!" he screamed, but he knew that the women could not hear him through their powerful barrier. "I know..." He drew Tetsueiga from it's sheath and it transformed into a large fang. He raised it above his head and the blade began to glow red. "Tetsueiga!" he screamed as he swung the blade at the barrier with all his might.

Shakily, he lifted his face from the dirt after being thrown back several feet from the force of the blade striking the barrier. He looked up to the women before him, to see that both of them had their eyes fixed on him. His eyes trembled with fright as they both spoke to him, as though only one voice spoke through them.

"I'm sorry, Inuyasha.We cannot allow you to interfere. It has to be this way. Such a powerful jewel cannot exist in this world.We will finally fulfill our duty as Guardian of the Shikon no Tama. Please understand."

Not giving Inuyasha a chance to respond, they turned their heads back toward eachother and the light grew brighter yet. Slowly the two leaned closer and their lips met gently. At that moment, a blinding lightengulfed the sacred jewel and illuminated the land,as a strong wind blew past Inuyasha almost knocking him over. He saw the barrier was diminishing and he ran toward the Sacred Tree. He stopped over the fallen bodies of Kikyo and Kagome...the jewel was nowhere to be seen.

Inuyasha dropped to his knees and his eyes began to glitter. "No...Ka...go...me..." He blinked as he took her slender form in his arms and held her tightly to his chest. "KAGOME!" he screamed as the tears forced their way down his cheeks. "Please Kagome...you can't die. I...I...I loved you...Kagome!"

Notes: I don't know what anyone else thinks of this, but I just saw it in my head and to me it was beautiful. I don't know if it came out how I hoped, but hey I tried. Reviews are welcome. InuNimue