Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha

Chapter Three

Inuyasha and Naraku: The Death of Inuyasha

It had been a week since Kikyou's death. Seven days of complete torture. 168 hours of misery. 10080 minutes of an unrelenting self anger. 604800 seconds of knowing her cool skin would never again brush against his.

Inuyasha knew he could never be the same again. He told himself he would never love again. His mother died. And now Kikyou died. He couldn't help but blame himself. His gentle mother instilled in him the desire to protect, and he had failed! Because of him, Kikyou had died! Even worse, she had died thinking he had betrayed her. There had been no chance to rectify this grave error, and he had been unable to save the woman he loved. The woman who, until that point, he believed loved him back. Certainly she had accepted his human side more willingly, but she tolerated him as a hanyou, which was more than most people did. If she wanted him to become human, Inuyasha would be damned if he didn't let that happen. But now this... He could still feel the cool brush of her arm against his. Her regal voice replayed in his mind, and he cherished her smile, given few times. After a week of wandering, he found himself back by the village, staring at the clearing with the well.

Something drew him continuously to this well. He found he could not explain it, the yearning in his heart that he was missing something. Naturally he assumed it was Kikyou, but he had no idea how the well had any connection between the two of them. He crouched down next to it, leaned back against the wood, warm from the sun. His ears drooped. His mother had rubbed them when he was little, but Kikyou refused to touch them. As the silence continued, his exhaustion overtook him. The sun warmed his slumbering body.

Naraku watched with a keen eye. He would have only one chance, and the work would be done. All that would be left would be to find the jewel. Complete control would be his, with humans and demons alike running mindlessly from him. Slowly, several tentacles worked their way though the ground, approaching the sleeping form of the inu-hanyou. Patience was the key. Soon enough he was there. As the tentacles burst out of the soil, Inuyasha awoke too late, his golden eyes filled with fear, then hatred at the being who killed him.


Sesshoumaru stood over the bloodied corpse that had been his hanyou half brother. An odd feeling tugged at his heart, the same feeling he had felt when his father had died. Without meaning too, he spoke to Jaken. "Bury the body." His tone was dangerous enough that the little toad did not attempt to question the command. The demon lord walked away, unable to comprehend himself. He had not cried for his father, save a single tear. He told himself it was merely the frustration of not being the one to defeat him; now he would never hold that final grain of power. As another single droplet of water slid down his face, he was at a loss to explain this one to himself.

With the fabric of time skewed, Rin never offered the demon lord her compassionate and carefree nature. Tenseiga remained silent at his side.


Author's Notes: I'm sorry!I know this is really sad and depressing, but from here on out it will only get much much better, I promise! I needed this to be sad, to make up for all the happiness to come! I pretty much have the story mapped out how I want it to go...I think it'll turn out pretty nice. There is a happy ending, promise! Keep looking for the next installment, it should be coming soon: )