The sudden snap grabbed Kagome's attention instantly. She sat up, glancing around in the darkened forest, looking for any sign that something was approaching them. Everything was still in the clearing, her eyes saw nothing but night. The only noise was the breeze above their heads; no owls hooted, no crickets chirped. It was as if all life had vanished from the face of the earth, there was nothing left.

Suddenly she heard it again, a twig snapping in the distance. Against the quiet of the woods it seemed as loud as a gunshot, and it was closer than before.

The jewel was gone, but were the hordes of demons still roaming around?

"Inuyasha," she whispered, "Something's coming towards us. Do you hear it?" His silence quickened her pulse. She turned back to the hanyou, her blood growing cold as she realized that Inuyasha should've heard any noise much sooner than she did. She place a hand on his shoulder and gently shook him.

"Inuyasha," she called out, not caring to whisper this time, "Inuyasha, we can't stay here. It's not safe, we have to move." He didn't react, his eyes remained closed. The miko reached for his neck, searching for a pulse. The icy flesh that greeted her fingers told her nothing, not even the barest fluttering of a heartbeat.

"No…" Kagome shook him again, "No, Inuyasha. You can't die," her voice broke as she was swamped by another flood of tears, "Not now, not like this. The jewel's gone a-and Naraku's gone, we won…You can't go, not now! Inuyasha! Inuyasha!"

She heard the noise again, something was definitely approaching them, no doubt drawn by her shouts. Kagome didn't care, she kept screaming, everything inside her was falling apart. They'd worked so hard, they'd all been working so hard for so long just to be free of Naraku, and now that they were she was losing the one person who mattered more to her than anyone in the world.

"Inuyasha get up!" She wailed, "You deserve this more than anyone else, you have to get up!"

"I don't believe it," a voice suddenly shouted behind her, "We've found one!" The miko turned, throwing her arms up protectively, putting herself between whatever was approaching and the body of her beloved hanyou.

"Don't you touch him," she shouted, readying herself to take on whatever demon reared its ugly head with what little strength she had left, "I won't let you!"

A very large figure came into view, followed by a second holding a burning torch. Kagome was momentarily blinded by the sudden light, but when she blinked and squinted she saw hooves and heard a low gentle whicker.

Horses. They were horses.

Two figures dismounted from the horses and stepped closer, from the torchlight Kagome saw their glittering armor and the swords each of them carried at the waist. Samurai, both of them dressed for battle, had somehow ended up in the forest. Was this some sort of trick, or were they actually real? The one holding the torch eyed the sky warily, as the other stepped towards Kagome with a look of concern on his face.

"Who are you?" Kagome asked, still holding her arms up defensively, "What are you doing here?"

The samurai stopped in his tracks, he eyed Kagome for a moment before drawing his sword, sheathe and all, from his waist band. Instead of attacking, he knelt and placed the weapon on the ground between them. The other samurai seemed surprised, but he said nothing and continued to stand next to the horses.

"Miss," the kneeling samurai spoke, "You can relax; we mean you no harm. I can't even begin to fathom what horrors you've faced, judging from your injuries I know that it couldn't have been easy, but please lower your arms. We are here to help. Lady Kaida sent word to her husband, the Lord Yasashiko, that a great calamity would befall this area. We've been trying for days to think of a way past the dark barrier, but a few hours ago it came down on its own. Our commander dispatched us to search for survivors, you're the first that we've found."

Kagome vaguely remembered Kaida mentioning sending for help, but had it really been days? How many men had her husband sent to rescue them? All these questions buzzed in her mind, but none of them mattered at the moment. The miko scooted aside and indicated to Inuyasha.

"Please, you've got to help him!"

"I-is that a demon?" The samurai holding the torch asked, his fear evident in his voice, but the other shot him a look.

"Lady Kaida's companions keep odd company, you know this," the kneeling samurai stood and walked over towards Inuyasha. He grimaced, noticing all the blood and tar-like substance that coated the unmoving hanyou. He knelt again, checking for a pulse. After a moment he closed his eyes.

"Miss…I'm sorry-"

"No! No, he's not dead, you have to help him!"

"Miss," the samurai gave her a pitying look, "You've been through a lot. Please allow us to tend to your wounds, I'm sure this is hard to deal with-"

Kagome wouldn't hear it, she refused to believe that all of her years of effort were in vain. She reached for Inuyasha again, but this time the samurai grabbed her wrist, pleading with her to let go and allow them to tend to her wounds.

"If you aren't going to help him then just leave," Kagome snapped, "Go find the others, but I'm not abandoning Inuyasha." She pulled her hand free from the samurai and began shaking the hanyou again, begging for him to wake up. He didn't move, and eventually the miko's begging crumbled into incomprehensible sobbing. The samurai sighed, he stood and returned to his horse.

"Light a fire," he told his companion as he pulled several items from his saddle pack.

"Sir?" The younger samurai asked, warily eyeing the grieving miko.

"Make it big so that the others can find our location, we'll stay with her until she's ready to go."

The younger samurai nodded and set to work as the elder silently returned to Kagome. He draped a blanket over her shoulders before bowing his head towards Inuyasha. He then took a defensive stance nearby, ready to protect the miko from any danger that might appear, but allowed her the space to grieve.

A few moments later the clearing was illuminated from the fire, smoke rising to the sky as the younger samurai dragged more wood over that he had gathered from the fallen trees. The battle scars on the ground became visible, blood and tar staining the torn up ground and pooling beneath shattered rocks. It looked as though a massacre had occurred, Kagome's heartbroken sobs only adding the melancholy atmosphere.

Suddenly the horses tossed their heads and neighed, the younger samurai dropped the wood he was carrying and unsheathed his sword.

"A demon!" He shouted to his companion, "A demon approaches!"

The elder samurai unsheathed his weapon, quickly scanning the tree line as the younger rushed to his side. They both stood near Kagome, ready to protect the only survivor they'd found. Wearily she looked up through her tearful eyes and faced out towards the woods.

Sesshomaru stared back at them. In his arms lay a gray, broken, unmoving figure; if Kagome hadn't seen everything from within the jewel she never would have recognized Kohana's body.

"H-he's killed one!" The young samurai shouted, "This demon killed one and took the body as a trophy!"

"Step away, demon!" The elder samurai spoke, "You've killed enough; we will not allow you to bloody your claws any further!"

Sesshomaru eyed the two samurai, his expression somewhere between boredom and annoyance. He took another step forward. The samurai tensed, the grips on their swords tightening as they prepared to fight him off. Before Kagome could say anything, another voice called out.

"Wait!" The voice shook with exhaustion, but it grabbed their attention, "Wait. Lower your weapons."

From behind Sesshomaru, with the help of Rin, Kaida limped forward. The noblewoman was absolutely wretched; her blood-soaked clothes were torn to shreds, bruises covered her throat, hair knotted and full of mud. The worst was her expression, she looked exhausted and utterly defeated; only recognition as she eyed the samurai gave her face a spark of life.

"L-lady Kaida!" Both men looked stunned and hurriedly bowed as low as possible.

"Lady Kaida, we are so glad to see you alive," The elder spoke first, looking up to face her, "Has this demon brought you any harm?"

"No," Kaida answered, "No, this one is to be trusted. He saved my life, his efforts may have saved countless others. Sheathe your weapons and leave him be."

The samurai did as they were told and the elder rushed to her side, taking her from Rin as the younger samurai ran back to his saddle and pulled a conch-shell horn from it. He put the horn to his lips and let out a long blast, signaling to the other samurai within hearing distance that their liege lord's wife had been found.

None of their business registered in Kagome's mind. Sesshomaru had noticed Inuyasha's body, his eyes narrowed slightly as he took in the bloody sight of his brother. Kagome stared back at the demon, her tearful eyes focused on the sword resting at his hip.

"Please," the miko begged, her voice shaking with sorrow, "Sesshomaru, please. Use your Tenseiga, bring Inuyasha back." Her wounded ankle prevented her from walking up to him and bowing, groveling, anything to convince him to help. Instead she sat as tall as she could, despite the desperate sobs that shook her shoulders.

Sesshomaru walked over to them, Rin trailing quietly behind. The closer they got the more Kagome noticed their haggard appearance: Poor Rin was covered in cuts and bruises, mud caking the girl's bare feet. Her frightened and hunted expression turned to sorrow and sympathy as she gazed at Inuyasha and Kagome, but the shadow of exhaustion never left her small frame.

Sesshomaru's immaculate appearance was also gone, blood stained nearly every inch of his clothes and parts of his hair, though there was no telling if any of it was actually his. There were also rips and tears all over his kimono, the biggest one a hole that exposed his chest right where his heart would be. A massive sunburst-shaped scar was completely visible beneath.

Sesshomaru stopped and stood over them, his expression completely unreadable as he took in the sight of Inuyasha.

"What happened to Naraku?"

A twinge of fury coursed through Kagome. She knew that Sesshomaru had no tact, but was he honestly ignoring the issue in front of him?

"Naraku's gone," she said, deciding that indulging the taiyoukai would help her case, "The jewel devoured him, but I…we...Kohana was there," she nodded to the still figure in Sesshomaru's arms, "Her soul. And Ronuku's. They helped me defeat them, the jewel and Naraku are gone. It's over."

"Hn," Sesshomaru grunted in response, sounding as bored as ever, but his eyes betrayed his thoughts and drifted to the broken woman in his arms.

"Inuyasha fought him before that," Kagome continued, "He defeated Naraku before the jewel devoured him…but he…Inuyasha he didn't…" Her composure crumpled once more, her face fell into her hands as her body shook with sobs, "Please! Sesshomaru, bring him back!"

Sesshomaru stared at Inuyasha once more, his gaze silently assessing the hanyou beneath him.

"There's no need."

Kagome's head shot up, anger and horror flooding her as she stared at the great demon in stunned shock.

"A-after all this?!" The miko snapped, "After everything you've been through, you still hate him?! You, you'd just leave him here to-"

"Inuyasha is not dead," Sesshomaru interrupted her, "Your human senses are probably too weak to detect it, his heart it still beating."

Wide eyed, Kagome turned back to the hanyou. She reached for his neck, just as she had done before, his skin was still ice beneath her touch. The miko inhaled, holding her breath as she patiently waited for a sign, hoping that Sesshomaru was telling the truth.

The barest pulse, lighter than the brush of a butterfly's wing, graced her finger tips. It was there. Weak, slow, barely detectable and easy to miss during panic, but it was there.

"I suspect your presence has been purifying Naraku's toxins in his body," Sesshomaru continued, "If you stay nearby he might survive."

Hope blossomed in Kagome's chest, though the constant storm and waves of emotion prevented her from retaining any composure. More tears spilled down her cheeks, but she took Inuyasha's hand in her own and squeezed it.

"I won't leave your side Inuyasha," Kagome said quietly, hoping her words would reach him, "I'm never leaving, so please, stay with me."

By this point several more samurai had appeared in the clearing. There was a nervous energy about them, they were clearly elated to see that Kaida had survived, but fearfully glanced around constantly looking for any sign of danger. Three samurai carrying blankets and rolls of bandages tentatively approached Kagome and her companions.

"Lady Kaida has ordered us to see to your wounds," one of them explained, "We will make camp here and try to gather as many survivors as possible before we start tending to the deceased."

"Sir," the other cautiously eyed Sesshomaru, "That girl in your arms…Is she…?"

"Alive," Sesshomaru responded, though there was an uncharacteristic waver to his voice, as though he doubted his own answer.

"Very well," the samurai nodded, and spread out the blanket on the ground between them, "Set her here and I'll tend to her as best as I can."

Sesshomaru didn't move. If anything, his grip on Kohana almost seemed to tighten. He stared down at the samurai, his gaze holding all the warmth of a blizzard.

"Lord Sesshomaru," Rin spoke up, "Futeki's still out there…"

Her words seemed to reach him, reluctantly Sesshomaru placed Kohana on the blanket and stepped back. The samurai visibly blanched and hissed through his teeth at the sight of her left arm.

"Gods…this is…Lady Kaida's pupil?" He shook his head and pulled out the bandages, just as the other two set to work on helping Rin and Kagome, "I'll do what I can for her."

"Should she perish, know that your life is forfeit," Sesshomaru warned. The samurai swallowed nervously and nodded, he turned and called for another of the samurai to go and fetch water.

"Rin."

"Yes Lord Sesshomaru?"

"Stay here and rest," the taiyoukai had already turned back towards the forest, "I will return with Futeki."

"Okay," Rin nodded, "I'll help take care of Kohana and Kagome. Please hurry back."

Sesshomaru cast one more look at his comatose wife, his expression uncertain, and then he was gone. It wasn't long after that more of Kaida's samurai appeared, some of them now bringing along survivors that they'd found hiding in the woods, members of Kaede's village. They all told the tale of how the hoard of demons descended upon them and split apart their group, many of them wept for missing friends and family members.

It was when a particularly large group approached them that everyone turned their heads. At the head of the group were two more mounted samurai, but behind them trailed a group of weary faces that the villagers seemed to recognize. An elderly figure hobbled in the center of the slow moving group; many voices cried out and sobbed in joy.

"Lady Kaede!"

"She survived!"

Weary, more than she'd ever looked in her life, Kaede trudged forward into the clearing. Walking right by her side was Recca, several scratches adorned his face and dirt caked his clothing, but he put on a brave face as he helped the elderly priestess along. The rest of his gang, the boys that were usually so lively, all looked as though they'd come out on the losing side of a brawl. Their expressions were frightened and tired, but they all maintained a protective circle around the weary priestess.

In Kaede's and Recca's arms were two squalling bundles, their voices much weaker than they'd been days ago. Against all odds, the twins had survived.

As more samurai rushed forward to attend to Kaede and her group, a large figure strode in behind them from out of the forest. Ah-Un, relatively unscathed, carried an exhausted Jaken and Shippo on its back. The samurai warily eyed the two-headed dragon, though it seemed to pay them no heed.

"This creature has been protecting us," Kaede explained wearily, "That and the two on its back, you've nothing to fear from them."

"Master Jaken!" Rin exclaimed, "You're alive!"

"Hmm?" Jaken suddenly sat up at the sound of her voice. When he eyed the girl his eyes grew large and he leapt from the saddle and dashed towards her, tears flowing from the giant yellow orbs, "Rin you survived!"

"Kagome's here too!" Shippo wasn't far behind him and the two smaller demons rushed towards the girls, pausing only when they saw the state of their comatose friends lying on the ground. Shippo's expression darkened with fear as he took in Inuyasha's state.

"Is…is he…" The fox kit started to ask.

"He's still here," Kagome answered, her voice more sure than before.

"Is this…how did Kohana come to be here? Wasn't she the one causing all of this?" Asked Jaken as he stood by Rin.

"Lord Sesshomaru saved her."

Jaken sputtered and dropped his staff.

"L-Lord Sesshomaru!?" The imp squealed, "He's alive?!"

Before Rin could answer there was a loud thump. All heads turned to see Kirara rushing into the clearing, a frightened Kohaku astride on her back. The young slayer leapt from his mount, panic driving his steps as he ran forward and glanced at the faces around him.

"Please!" He shouted, "Somebody help my sister!"

Kirara kept pace with him, gingerly balancing an unconscious figure on her back. Two samurai rushed forward, the massive cat lowered her head and allowed them to approach. The men lifted Sango's body, discernable only by her tattered armor; her face was hard to see as it was entirely coated in blood. There was an audible gasp as everyone started in horror at what had become of the taijiya, the samurai quickly rushed her to a blanket and reached for the pile of bandages.

"Sango…" Kagome's voice carried anguish as she worriedly glanced towards her friend. "What happened to her?"

"I'm sorry, I don't have time to explain," Kohaku turned and leapt back onto Kirara, the cat turned in preparation to take off.

"Wait!" Rin shouted and ran towards him, "Kohaku, where are you going? You're hurt!"

"I have to go back," Kohaku said anxiously, "I can't leave them up there."

"Leave who?"

"Ronuku and…" Kohaku bit his lip, fighting back a wave of tears, "a-and Miroku…and Naoe. I can't leave them there."

"Naoe?!" Suddenly Kohaku had all of the samurai's attention, the recognized the name of their trusted comrade and fellow samurai. Kaida suddenly stood, ignoring the protests of the samurai trying to attend to her wounds as she limped towards Kohaku.

"Kirara doesn't have enough room on her back," Rin said. She turned towards Ah-Un, "Let me come with you, I'll help."

"No!"

Kohaku's shout startled everyone. Rin's eyes grew wide with shock, hurt clearly written on her face as she turned back to look at him.

"I…I'm sorry Rin," Kohaku shook his head, "You can't…you shouldn't see it…"

"See what?" Kaida asked, coming up behind Rin, her voice low and trembling, "What's happed? Are they alive?"

"I...I think Ronuku might be but…" Kohaku closed his eyes. After a moment he shook his head, "Miroku…Naoe…" He visibly shuddered and shook his head.

A choking silence washed over the clearing. Kagome's free hand covered her mouth, another wave of tears overcoming her. Kaida stood still, her jaw clenched tight as her heart refused to accept what her mind understood.

"Naoe," the noblewoman whispered, and her face aged in that moment. She closed her eyes, shutting out the rest of the world.

"I need to go," Kohaku said, "I can't leave them up there."

"I will go wi-"

"Lady Kaida, forgive me but I can't allow you to go," A samurai stepped forward and bowed to her, "You're too wounded and need to rest, please let me go in your stead. I'll bring him back."

Kaida looked up, grief written on her face, but she nodded.

"Take Ah-Un," Rin said to them, "He can fly, and he's smart. He'll follow Kirara for you."

The samurai visibly paled, but nodded. After a brief explanation and grabbing some extra supplies, the two demons took to the sky. The wait for their return was agonizing, more samurai appeared though now it seemed that they were bringing in more dead than alive. Eventually, to the shock of everyone, a living Yugao appeared. In tow were her two companions Kaori and Taji, one escorting a severely wounded Koga and the other carrying the lifeless form of Hakkaku. All had the increasingly familiar weary and exhausted expressions, there were no smiles at the sight of their surviving friends. Later after that the three ninja Fuko, Noruto, and Keiji appeared, their faces equally reflecting the grim atmosphere.

After an hour or so, Kohaku finally returned. The samurai rushed to greet him, their expressions horrified as they saw the skeletal appearance of Ronuku, and they quickly took his comatose form from the exhausted young slayer. Ah-Un landed nearby, allowing the samurai that helped him dismount.

Two figures wrapped in blood-stained white sheets were strewn across its back.

They were carefully carried over to the line of deceased bodies and gently laid onto the ground. Kagome looked on in agony, her heart ached for Miroku and she longed to see him, but instead her hand tightened around Inuyasha's. She couldn't leave her hanyou, not when her presence was the only thing keeping him from joining that very same line of bodies.

Kaida strode over towards the deceased, ignoring the protests and complaints of her men.

"Lady Kaida you musn't!"

"The dead have defiled that ground, you can't go over there!"

"Let me see him," Kaida said, her eyes boring into the samurai that had attended the bodies.

"Lady Kaida…" he swallowed nervously, "I really don't think you should…"

"Let me see him," She bellowed, her words holding the weight of her order.

The samurai's jaw floundered as he struggled to come up with an argument, but eventually he bowed his head and relented. Ever so slowly, he leaned down and clutched the sheet, his hands trembling as he struggled to obey the hideous task. Biting his lip, eyes closed, he lifted the sheet off of Naoe.

The sight was enough to twist anyone's gut. His body had been twisted and ripped in so many different directions that it was hard to tell if the bloody mass had ever once been the samurai called Naoe. The only clue to his identity were the tattered remains of his kimono; the crest of Lord Yasashiko was just barely visible on one of the shredded pieces of cloth. He'd worn it as a symbol obedience to the wife of his liege lord, just as any loyal samurai would.

Kaida's composure shattered, she fell to her knees and wept.

"I'm sorry," the noblewoman sobbed, "N-Naoe I'm so sorry…"

Everyone stared on in silence, the samurai were visibly shaken at the sight of their lady's bare grief. Despite the crowd, her sobs were the only noise that echoed across the clearing. A heavy weight seemed to descend upon all of them, no one knew what to do or say. The night air grew colder, and though the dome was long gone it felt as if a darkness were closing in and surrounding them all.

Many hours passed, filled with sobbing, wails of pain and agony, and the horrid silence of those who were not able speak. It felt like an eternity of nighttime had passed, when at last Sesshomaru returned to the clearing. In his arms slumbered the small form of his young son; asleep Futeki looked as peaceful as any child. The only hint of his demonic rampage were the wounds that covered his small body, wounds that no child should bear. It was a miracle that he'd survived and remained intact, his father's arms circled the boy protectively and his gaze screamed murder at anyone who even thought of touching Futeki.

The grief stricken crowd glanced towards the demon, but his appearance this time didn't garner much of a reaction. Not even Jaken had the energy to rush to his side, his sobs at the sight of his living lord were enough of a toll on him.

Kaida, her sobs having long ago died out when she lost the energy, glanced up at Sesshomaru as he walked past her. Her gaze trailed down until they fell upon the sword at his hip, and suddenly there was a spark in her figure.

"Wait," she croaked, and her weakened voice was enough to give him pause. Sesshomaru turned and looked at her, taking in the sight of the broken noblewoman next to the massive line of dead bodies.

"I…" Kaida started and then paused, struggling to find the words. "If you could…I've heard that-"

"You wish for me to use the Tenseiga."

The broken noblewoman looked up at him. The samurai stared at him, the villagers, Kaede, the boys, suddenly everyone's eyes were on him. Sesshomaru stared down at Kaida, completely ignoring the looks he was receiving from everyone else.

"Yes," Kaida finally whispered, and then bowed until her head nearly touched the ground. The taiyoukai gazed at her, frowning slightly, before turning and glancing at Kohana's body. His expression changed and became unreadable.

Without a word, he turned back and unsheathed his sword. The Tenseiga pulsed, sensing the grief and the lost souls crying. In one swift motion Sesshomaru swung the blade in an arc, a wave of blue light washed over the bodies of the dead, cutting through the servants of the underworld that were only visible to the sword's wielder. The blue light shimmered, illuminating the clearing with its soft glow until it began to fade and once more let the world return to night.

There was a heavy moment of silence as everyone held their breath.

There was a violent cough, followed by another, when suddenly the sheet overtop Miroku went flying. The monk sat up, gripping his throat as a look of terror seized his features. He looked left and right, trembling in horror as he struggled to gain a sense of where he was. He blinked several times, his eyes adjusting to the scene around him, until he looked up and noticed Sesshomaru. A look of recognition dawned on him and his panic seemed to fade.

"You…you have the Tenseiga," Miroku spoke, his voice as hoarse as if he had swallowed a fistful of ash, "Then that means…" He shook as the realization of his reality settled in. All around him the other bodies began to stir and groan, some screaming in horror as their minds struggled to comprehend what they'd endured. The monk looked back at Sesshomaru.

"Thank you," he croaked and bowed his head.

"Hmph," Sesshomaru sheathed his sword and turned away, "Don't thank me, I didn't do it for you." Without another word he returned to Kohana and placed Futeki on the blanket next to her. A samurai quickly scuttled over, intent on bandaging the child's wounds, but Rin intercepted him and offered to do it herself. Sesshomaru took a protective stance over them and blocked everyone else out.

A small smile graced Kagome's lips, though worry returned to her heart as she looked at the still unmoving body of Kohana. Sango was also very still, and Ronuku…The Tenseiga had healed the dead, but it couldn't cure the wounds of those who still clung to life. There was still the haunted look that all the survivors wore; the terrors they'd experienced within the dome would not easily be forgotten. This was something that they would carry with them for the rest of their lives, none of them would ever view the world the same way again.

Kagome sighed and continued to hold Inuyasha's hand. She felt as if warmth were returning to his body, if she looked hard enough she swore she could see his chest rise and fall with breath. Her grip on him, her fragile hold on his life, was the only thing that kept her heart anchored.

They'd won the battle against Naraku.

But it didn't feel like a victory.