I do not own Inu Yasha. But I did fall into his era once.

The Last Shard

By Shiara-dono

Chapter 1

"I can't believe it's been a year!" Kagome stated as she fingered the nearly complete Shikon jewel.

Inu Yasha turned to look at her. They were sitting under a large sycamore, taking a break from traveling. Sango, Miroku, and Shippo were with them.

"Feh. You make it sound like a bad thing." He told her, gold eyes gleaming.

Kagome opened her mouth to reply, but was cut short by a loud crash in the forest. Sango's pet, Kirara, came running up to them.

A flea jumped off Kirara's back. "Lord, Inu Yasha!" Myoga cried. A huge demon is headed this way. It may have the last shard. Good luck!" He jumped quickly away.

Inu Yasha stood up, cracking his knuckles. "Hah! Finally. After defeating Naraku, I was beginning to wonder if there would be anymore challenging battles." Then he took off into the forest, leaving the others to follow.

Kagome gasped as she entered the clearing. Inu Yasha was busy dodging the attacks from a demon three times his size. The faithful Tetsusaiga sat embedded in the ground several feet from him. The demon was doing its best to keep Inu Yasha from the sword. The demon leered, lightning shooting from its claws.

"He'll be killed!" Kagome cried. "Oh!" She noticed a glow on the left claw of the demon's left hand. "The Shikon shard! Inu Yasha!"

"Curse it all!" Inu Yasha growled as he was knocked back to hit a tree ten feet away.

"Shippo!" Kagome yelled.

"Already on it." Shippo replied, bounding forward to grab the Tetsusaiga.

Kagome reached for her bow, and grabbed an arrow. She pointed it toward the demon's claws. "If I can just make this shot." She let her arrow fly, just as Shippo threw Tetsusaiga to Inu Yasha.

:Crack: The demon's claw shattered, and the Shikon shard fell to the ground.

"I hit it?" Kagome gasped.

The demon roared at her, and tried to attack her as she ran for the shard.

"Die, demon!" Inu Yasha screamed, slicing through the demon with the Tetsusaiga. The demon had one last stand, however. When the sword hit its heart, electrical backlash seared through Inu Yasha.

Kagome picked up the shard and fit it into its place in the jewel. There was a flash of light as the jewel fused to become whole once more. She turned to face her friend. "Inu Yasha, look! The jewel is—… Inu Yasha?" She ran over to where he lay on the ground. The Tetsusaiga was still firmly gripped in his claws, the edges blackened. His eyes were closed, and he had the appearance that he was sleeping.

Kagome knelt down beside Inu Yasha. She watched his chest for breathing, but it did not rise or fall. She heard the others running over. Sango gasped. Kagome looked up, tears blurring her vision. "Please, help me." She pleaded.

Miroku bent down and touch the side of Inu Yasha's neck. There was no pulse. He backed away and sadly shook his head. Tears ran down his face. Sango cried in silence, and Shippo sobbed openly.

"No…" Tears flowed from Kagome as she beat on Inu Yasha's chest. "No! He can't die! Inu Yasha, wake up! Please! Please, Inu Yasha! I beg you! Please, wake… up…"

"Kagome." A voice spoke softly behind her.

Kagome whirled, tears splattering everywhere. There stood Inu Yasha, or his spirit at least, in all his glory. He looked at her with eyes full of emotion.

"Kagome," he repeated, "thank you, for allowing me to live again."

Kagome looked at him, only dimly aware of Miroku and the others backing away. "Inu Yasha." She whispered.

"I must go now."

"No!" Kagome screamed, dashing forward. "No…"

Even though he was only a spirit, Inu Yasha grabbed Kagome's wrist and pulled her to him. Holding her tightly, he breathed the scent of her hair one last time. "Good- bye," he whispered into her hair as he vanished from sight.

Kagome chocked up. She didn't know what to do. She walked, in a state of shock, back over to Inu Yasha's body. She cried, she sobbed, she screamed her rage. Slowly, gently, crying all the time, she lifted up

Inu Yasha's head and removed the prayer beads that had bound him to her. Her body shook from crying so much, as she lay down beside him with her head resting on his chest. The Shikon jewel fell from her neck, but by some power stayed suspended between the two of them.

"Please," Kagome begged one last time. "Please don't leave me. I… I… love… you…" Then she closed her eyes, and her heart stopped.

I started this one years ago, and decided to put it up. I did finish it, but it is too long to be a one shot. So it will have two, three, or four chapters. I'm not sure yet. Until next time…Ja ne!