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

The Last Shard

By Shiara-dono

Chapter 2

Inu Yasha walked slowly through a haze. He didn't want to leave Kagome, but being dead kind of put a damper on that. As he walked, he wondered if he would meet anyone he knew in the land of the dead. Maybe his mother, or even his father. Maybe Kikyo. He stepped closer to the door to the Netherworld.

"Inu Yasha!" Someone yelled from behind him. He turned, and the person who had yelled his name hugged him. A light scent drifted to his nose. It was Kagome's scent!

"What are you doing here?" He demanded.

She pulled back far enough to look into his eyes. "I came to be with you."

"What? No, fool! I'm dead!"

"So am I!" Kagome broke into tears. Sobbing, she said, "I followed you."

"No! You're not supposed to die! You must go back!"

"I can't! I can't live without you!"

"You would leave the living just to be with me?" Inu Yasha asked in surprise.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because," Kagome replied, leaning against him, "because I care about you. I care for you."

Inu Yasha looked down at her. "You…… love… me?"

"Is that so hard to believe?"

Inu Yasha just stood there, not saying anything, while the wind toyed with his mane of hair.

"Go back," he said finally, his voice betraying no emotion.

Kagome jerked away from him. "You would force me back to live without you? Knowing what you know?"

Inu Yasha looked away. "Yes." Then he picked her up and threw her back to the realm of the living. "Go back!" He screamed as tears fell from his eyes.

"Inu Yashaaaaaaaaaaaa—!" Kagome cried. She was still crying his name as she opened her eyes.

She lay next to him, refusing to leave his body. "Inu Yasha, why? I love you! Please! Don't make me live here alone. I need you!"

She was too busy yelling and crying to notice the flash from the Shikon jewel. Nor did she notice the barrier that kept demons away from her and Inu Yasha. Only when a clawed hand touched her face did she notice anything was different.

"Kagome, " Inu Yasha whispered.

Hope flooded Kagome's soul. She lifted her head and looked up into golden eyes mere inches away from hers. "Oh, Inu Yasha!" She cried, burying her face in Inu Yasha's chest. Tears made his robe soggy. "You're alive!"

Inu Yasha ran his claws through her hair. He was crying himself, but he didn't want her to know that. Then he decided he didn't care if she saw him crying or not. He tilted her face so that he was looking into her eyes. "The prayer beads," he said softly, putting his hand up to his neck. "Where are they?"

Kagome blushed faintly, and held up her hand. In it were the prayer beads. "I… I was going to keep them. You know, since you were…… dead." She noticed the tears in his eyes. "Inu Yasha. Are you… crying?"

Inu Yasha sighed and moved to get up. He sheathed the Tetsusaiga, then turned his back on her. "Who, me? Feh! You must be crazy!"

Kagome sighed as well, knowing full well he would never admit to the truth. She noticed something glittering on the ground. "Inu Yasha, look!" she exclaimed, holding up the Shikon jewel.

Inu Yasha reached his hand out to touch the jewel, brushing Kagome's hand as he did so. At his touch, the Jewel of Four Souls vanished, and Kagome and Inu Yasha were bathed in warmth.

A feathery voice floated through the air. "Thank you. The demon has been cleansed. My soul can finally rest in peace. Farewell…………"

Inu Yasha and Kagome smiled, knowing the voice was that of the priestess, Midoriko. They sat in silence for a few more minutes, staring at each other. Suddenly, they realized their hands were still touching, and move away from one another, blushing.

Inu Yasha stood, brushing dirt from his fire- rat cloak. "Come on. Let's go home."