Chapter 4 A Heart's Loss

"What the hell do you think is so funny?" I screamed unable to keep my voice from cracking. Although, I wasn't sure if it was breaking from the crying or from me screaming. My head was pounding from all the pressure.

"Just you. Your emotions guide you and your insecurities feed me." He replied curtly all laughter ceased. "You're willing to save a demon who you believe doesn't love you without hesitation. Excuse me if I find it a bit odd and comical. One doesn't find such a rare, sacrificial, human such as yourself everyday."

"Kagome!" Inuyasha screamed again as he tried to make his way over to me in one bound while swinging his sword towards Sakurya, who dodged it within a blink of an eye and sent him flying once again against the ground. His grunts were heard as well as the hard fall of his body against the ground. My instincts nearly gave up on me and ran to his side to make sure he wasn't injured.

"Hiraikotsu!" Sango's Hiraikotsu missed him as well earning a large groan of frustration from her. Her weapon swiftly returned back to her but I could tell she was fuming. She rose the Hiraikotsu again over her head, ready to throw it towards him in hopes that it would strike him down.

"Your insecurities feed me." My eyes widened. That's right, our insecurities and shock make him faster that's why his speed is still increasing. By surprising us and throwing out thoughts that we never voiced out loud he's shocked us.

"Would you like to know who the half demon loves more?" He taunted with a quirked eyebrow and a smirk. "It's the answer you've been searching for." He was taking great joy in this, as if it were a game to him. I couldn't stop the tears from pouring out of my eyes so I swallowed once hoping to calm myself.

"I've heard enough of you." I pulled back the line of the bow more determined than before and let go. "Go!" I yelled as the arrow headed straight for his stomach. This would end it. My arrow would purify him and kill him.

Sakurya's smirk deepened, making something cold spread throughout my body as if warning me. I heard Inuyasha voice call out my name, as another attempt to reach me was stopped, when he found himself flung onto Miroku and Sango like a rag doll. "Oof!" I heard with the thudding of something heavy hitting the ground and the rough jingling of Miroku's staff soon following after.

"NO!" Sakurya rose his hand, extending two fingers, and effectively deflecting my arrow. He opened his mouth, licking the point of the arrow before smiling once again. He snapped his arm to the side, my arrow following his will within seconds, before flying around him and heading back towards me. It all happened within a three second span that I didn't have the chance to move.

"Heh," I exhaled roughly, my hands flying to my stomach. I blinked before looking down and seeing an arrow protruding halfway in from my stomach. There was blood appearing before my eyes, spreading all over my uniform. The glistening red liquid stained my fingers that were clutching my shirt without any other movements.

My hands shook slightly, as my body registered the pain, but my voice couldn't form a scream to let loose so I could express the pain. My legs buckled before giving out, as I fell onto my knees, breathing heavily and falling onto my side so the arrow wouldn't be pushed any deeper inside of me.

"KAGOME!" I heard Inuyasha roar. I felt soft delicate hands grab my head and I saw it was Sango who was frantic.

"Kagome no! You'll be okay!" She said in a poor attempt to comfort me as her hands caressed my head. The pain that I was in was excruciating and the arrow that pierced me was causing my breathing to slow. It felt as though I were drowning, unable to save myself. My arrow—the arrow I fired to kill Sakurya was shot back and used against me.

"You'll die you fucking bastard." Inuyasha's growl reached my ears and I noticed the subtle change in his voice, prickling my senses. No!

"You should be worried less about the arrow and more about the poison I added onto the arrow tip that is now flowing in her bloodstream," he chuckled once. "Well what's left of her blood anyways."


Inuyasha was seeing red and his body visibly shook with unpredictable rage. Every bone in his body told him to tear the animal limb from limb so that he could hear his cries of agony until he was no more but scraps on the ground. He could hear Kagome's shallow breathing meaning she was in a bad state.

He dug his heel into the ground before lunging, swinging his sword towards Sakurya in order to end this quickly; he had no time to waste horsing around. He dodged with ease while Miroku, Sango and Shippo were worrying over Kagome. She was paling by the second to an unnatural translucent color and her breathing was coming out shorter and more ragged. The trio couldn't help but observe that Sakurya's speed was still exceeding Inuyasha's attacks.

"Miroku, we need to do something." The young demon slayer voiced, her brown eyes filled with concern as they flashed down to the weakened priestess who was regarding them.

"Let…me…up." She whispered softly. That sentence alone took much of the strength she did not have.

"Kagome don't move too much." Miroku warned reaching over to stop her. "The poison—"

"Just sit me down…my bow." Shippo placed the bow in her hand as she requested and took a small step back. Kagome reached over and grabbed an arrow from her quiver, noticing that her body was reacting in a much slower pace.

The demon was too distracted by Inuyasha to even sense her final decision. Sango kept her hands on top of her shoulders to keep her sturdy. With every ounce of energy she had left, Kagome closed her eyes and prayed silently. "Let this work." She thought, releasing the arrow that flew as quickly as possible towards her target.

At the last second Sakurya sensed the arrow and jumped backwards, dodging it. His attention snapped towards the girl who fired it. He was amazed that she could still move, although, he could tell the poison was withering her away.

Feeling her body even weaker than a few moments ago, Kagome collapsed onto her friend's lap, causing the demon slayer to instantly lean over in concern. She was now breathing heavily, but she obligated her body to cooperate with her until she talked to Inuyasha. She had to see him once more before her eyes closed or she wouldn't forgive herself.

Inuyasha didn't hesitate in taking the opportunity to penetrate his sword through the demon's shoulder, causing him to howl in pain. With the distraction Kagome set, Inuyasha was able to strike him once at the very least, but once was all he needed in order to slow down his movements. Without thinking it over he ripped the sword out, tossing it to the side, and let his claws shred through Sakurya's skin.

Sakurya continued his agonized screams, damning the girl for distracting him and damning himself for getting involved with this group. He realized each member harbored fears and he thought if he could kill them then he would be able to increase his power tenfold. However, he underestimated their determination and their strength.

"I hope you rot in hell you pathetic excuse for a demon." Inuyasha's voice was completely different than it usually was. It was deep and raspy and filled with malice and hate. His sclera was a deep red with blue irises while purple jagged lines appeared on the sides of his face. The demon blood in him awakened and was overriding his senses now that Tetsusaiga was no longer in his possession which made the killing of Sakurya that much simpler. With his longer claws he shredded him into tiny bits, until he was nothing more than a pile of red glistening blood.

"Inuyasha!" Shippo cried out, but when he whipped around towards them, they flinched at his appearance. They worried over his reaction towards them due to his lack of self-control when he was a demon, but the spark of recognition in his eyes quelled their concerns over the subject.

His body was hot with anger, his blood boiling with adrenaline, but his heart was saddened. The sadness consumed any other emotion in his body and he felt the rage dissipate, leaving him in his purified form, as he raced towards Kagome. She was lying frailly on top of Sango's legs, the arrow sticking out from her stomach, as she gasped for air.

"Inu…yasha." She whispered with an air of a smile forming on her pale lips. Inuyasha felt his heart constrict as he took her soft hand in his, feeling them slightly cooler than they usually were. He knew he should've run at that very moment to Kaede's hut so that she could help them, but for some odd reason he couldn't do anything but hold Kagome's delicate hand in his. "You came back…in time…" Her skin was several shades whiter than he's ever seen on her and he was suddenly washed with an overwhelming feeling.

"Kagome…" His voice cracked feeling the knot in the back of his throat forcing its way up. "You're going to be okay. We're going to take you back to Kaede's village and patch you up an' you're going to be skipping around again telling me to sit and how much you hate my idiocy." He sniffed not only trying to convince her, but also trying to convince himself of his own words. However, he knew that what he was saying wasn't the case anymore and the picture he had spoken faded before his eyes causing a lonely tear to escape and fall onto the girl's uniform. Kagome's smile widened, as she felt the warmth of his tears comfort her heart.

"Inuyasha, I'm sorry for that…fight." She was struggling to speak but she was aware that she would become unconscious any second now and that the poison would overcome her, so she willed herself to speak until her eyes saw neither Inuyasha's soft face nor the blue sky behind him. Sango started to cry, noticing that the outcome of this meant Kagome's death and she wished and prayed that by some miracle she could be saved. Inuyasha shook his head vigorously refusing to accept this.

"No I'm sorry, Kagome. You have nothing to feel bad about! You were right I was a selfish bastard."

Kagome shook her head weakly. "No…" she let go of his hand only to stroke his face. "You had every right to feel the way you did…K-Kikyo is the woman you love."

The demon slayer's tears were a river falling onto her hands and now both the monk and fox were feeling choked up, knowing that someone as kind as Kagome was leaving them. Life was cruel.

"Lady Kikyo died protecting the Sacred Jewel and loving Inuyasha, only to be reincarnated into Kagome, who carried out that very same duty. Who would've known that she would share the same fate once again?" Miroku thought bitterly, as his attempt to mentally accept her fate pained him greatly.

She was the ray of sunshine in the group the reason they all stuck together and had learned to trust each other and it seemed as though that ray would be gone, like magic. What would it be like without Kagome's bubbly presence on this journey? Would the journey even be able to be continued?

"I love you, Kagome!" Inuyasha finally shouted in despair, feeling her life slip away from between his fingers like sand. His eyes were glassy as the tears streamed down his face unable to hold them back anymore. He let go of his guard realizing that the woman he loved most in this world had only minutes left. "With you I learned to love again. I learned to smile and laugh. I love you!" You were made for me…

His confession may not have been in the best situation but it certainly comforted her heart and made her smile while it made Sango's constrict in her chest.

"This is not how Kagome pictured this…"

Her bloody fingers caressed a light trail over Inuyasha's cheek. "I'm sorry…I'm leaving…y-you bloody." Her usually high pitched voice was merely a strangled whisper trying to be heard by her beloved.

"I don't care." He replied ruefully, his voice breaking, as he caught her hand and held it against his cheek. He thought that if she kept contact with him and he held onto her then she would be bound to stay. "Don't leave."

"I don't want to." Kagome answered truthfully feeling a strong attachment to life at that moment unlike ever before. She whimpered at the sudden cold feeling poking at her from the inside, causing him to press her into his chest. "Inuyasha," She smiled, barely able to tilt her chin up, as he leaned down towards her, his lips pressing against hers. His silver hair fell over his shoulders, creating a curtain of privacy for them.

As soon as his lips touched hers he felt an instant warmth in contrast to how cold they truly were envelop him. He felt at home here and that made him cry more. The fact that he had finally accepted his feelings and felt at place with Kagome only to have her ripped away, just like Kikyo fifty years ago. Kagome moved her lips softly against his, tears of joy and sadness streaming down her face, mingling with his at the base of her neck.

"I love you…" She whispered into the air when she pulled away before her eyes closed. Inuyasha's eyes snapped opened to see Kagome's form lying unmoving on his lap with her eyes shut, a peaceful expression on her face.

"Kagome!" He yelled cupping her face between his hands, ignoring the fact that his claws were covered with her blood. "Kagome! Kagome!" He was unable to accept that her eyes were closed without the ability to ever open again, so he gently shook her repeatedly. Shippo was sobbing into Sango's chest as she wailed over her friend's departure. Miroku prayed for her with tears of his own silently falling onto the grass beneath him. The loss of the warmth of the sun of their group was hard.

From the bushes there was a rustling sound where everyone turned to look to see Kikyo's mournful expression. Her eyes fell upon Kagome who lied motionless and bleeding. Inuyasha was crying, distraught, and Kikyo felt the sorrow in her soul as another woman he loved was taken away. She walked over to them, kneeling so that she was at their level, her focus on the young girl.

"Lady Kikyo," Miroku said in disbelief as she touched the girl's forehead, feeling the coolness beneath her hands. Kagome had helped her many times without hesitation—the girl she hated at one point had saved her—a dead woman—countless times. Now she felt sadness and determination.