Kore wa daisuki wo benkyoushimasu, ne?

Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho. They belong to their respective owners. I make no profit from my fanfiction writing.


A/N: …*forehead slap* I’m so sorry everyone! It has been….way….over…a…year…*dies* Since I’ve updated this story. I was looking over this, and for one, I was cringing for the craptasticness that it is, and the fact that I saw some errors in spelling and such. SO! Instead of going back right now to fix all of that, I decided it is just time to finish this story. I believe two chapters will do it. One to finish the story, and the epilogue. Or maybe this will be the last chapter, I’m not sure. It may just be one really long chapter to finish things off. Well, in either case, as soon as I finish writing this story, I will post it all up at once. Thank you for sticking around with me so long on this one.


It’s the Study of Love, Right?
Chapter 17: Prophesy

Kagome could feel the pulsing of the Shikon jewel at her side, and she couldn’t help but look up to the small opening that signified the hole that was in Naraku’s hand. She couldn’t wrap her mind around what was happening. First she was fighting Naraku, the next, she was alone inside the wind tunnel. Then, Hiei joined her, and above all of that, he said that he needed her.

The pain that spasmed through her body was harsh and unwelcome as she bit back her screams. The jewel was doing something that it had not done in a long time, since the first time she came into the Feudal Era for the very first time. Her attention once more drifted to Hiei, who was holding her tightly in his arms. He was quiet, as he looked into her eyes, and for a moment, it seemed like everything stilled. Kagome smiled softly, before she reached up her hand to place over his cheek, her entire expression one of gentleness, and love. “We have to defeat him, Hiei. This is the last chance to stop him.” She said, feeling somehow that this might just be her very last sacrifice for the jewel and for Naraku.

“I know.” He said softly, fighting back the urge to lash out at the demons around him, and from going down to his most basic instinct as a demon, and that was to survive. He had to protect Kagome. Even if they both died in here, he had to protect her and make sure she lived longer than he. She reached up slowly and kissed him tenderly, allowing herself to gather enough strength to stand.

Hiei returned her gentle kiss before he felt her stand, and he moved to stand with her. Reaching deep within herself, Kagome touched the miko ki that bubbled just below the surface of her skin before she pulled it out and erected a barrier around them. She wasn’t sure how long it would hold, but it would protect them for the moment from the demons and parts of demons around them. Hiei looked to her before he moved in front of her. “Let’s go, Kagome.”

She looked to him before she shook her head and moved forward to take his hand in hers. “I don’t know what to do, Hiei. My wish has to be selfless, or it will backfire on us.” She said softly, her strength waning again as she tried to keep upright.

“You have been completely selfless this entire time. You were worrying about Inuyasha, about the children, about Naraku, about everyone else but yourself. No matter what you wish, it will turn out okay. If it doesn’t, we’ll go from there. We are one, Kagome…no matter what happens…we’ll make things right. You’re not alone anymore, so learn to bank on us, and use us. We’re here, and we’re not going to leave you. “ he replied, his tone dark, but she could feel the restrained emotions within. He was a little scared about this entire thing. He didn’t want either of them to die, but the situation they were in made it all but impossible to think they would come out of it alive.

She took a deep breath before she nodded, and before she uttered another word, she turned and brought him into her arms, as she buried her head into his neck. “Hiei…I’m sorry.” With that she pushed him away, and concentrated hard on her wish.

‘My wish…for you…I wish for you to live!’ she screamed mentally, as the area around her lit up with pale pink light, and the demons around her scattered into the far recesses of the wind void. Hiei wanted to scream out in frustration as she pushed him away, his heart breaking in his chest as she whispered those two words of apology. He somehow knew what she was going to do before she even did it, and he scrambled forward to reach for her, but was pushed back by the massive amount of energy that had surrounded his little miko.

Kagome felt no pain as she was enveloped in a warm, encasing light. The light of her wish was gentle, and inviting, and it promised her without words that her wish truly was selfless. She looked forward and though she couldn’t see through the light, she knew that her wish was coming true. Forcing down the tears that wanted to surface she allowed her thoughts to bring her some sort of comfort, as she whispered, “No one else will suffer for the jewel…it will end with me…Midoriko.” She was scared, but at the same time, she knew that her friends would survive. The people she loved would never be harmed by Naraku ever again. Placing a hand over her heart, she listened to the swirling vortex of wind and power as she sank to the ground, allowing the power around her do what she didn’t have the strength to do right now, and that was to purify the area around her. Naraku would die as she saved Hiei, and with that, her mission would be complete.

Hiei watched in horror as a light surrounded him, and lifted him from the ground. He reached a hand out for Kagome, but he couldn’t even see her anymore within the wall of light that surrounded her. “Kagome!!” he screamed out, his voice cracking as he did the one thing that he hadn’t done since he was a child…he cried. Before he knew what was really going on, he was outside of the void, and back on the battlefield, alongside a fully transformed Youko, Sesshoumaru, and Yusuke. Their eyes met his and each immediately knew what she had done, and their cries combined to fill the air around them, their sorrow and anger at the situation shifting into one, long, howl of despair.

Kagome smiled softly to herself, trying to hide her growing despair. The lacquer stick that she had used to prop open the wind tunnel on Naraku’s hand was still holding strong, though she wasn’t sure how much longer it would stay. The light around her faded and the darkness came back, as if welcoming her in its silent embrace. Inside her heart, she was crying, and screaming that this was all wrong, that she had finally found happiness, only to have it ripped away from her. ’I guess I don’t deserve to be happy…’ she thought quietly to herself, as she bowed her head, and allowed herself to accept the inevitable. She didn’t expect a small boy to come up to her, as his hand brought her out of her reverie. She tilted her head to the side to find a small boy with Naraku’s eyes, and Kagura’s facial features, looking up at her with a curious, but saddened expression. Kagome’s eyes gentled before she whispered his name, hoping it was right. “Seiichi…?”

The small child only nodded before he shifted to stand in front of her. He couldn’t have been more than five or six years old, but he held himself like he was older. “You’re the Shikon no Miko…what are you still doing in here? It’s dangerous. You should not be in here.” He said, his tone soft, as he looked into Kagome’s sapphire eyes. The small child seemed…worried about her. She was confused. Wasn’t this the same demon who tried to destroy her by invading her mind? She pushed that thought away as she reached out a hand to touch his cheek. He flinched a moment at the contact, but seeing that she wasn’t going to hurt him, he relaxed. “I could ask you the same thing, Seiichi.” She said, her expression soft.

“I’ve been in here since I can remember. The demons don’t mess with me or attack me. I don’t know why, but I don’t question it. You however…” his voice paused before he said. “You don’t belong here in the darkness…Kagome.”

Her eyes seemed to soften further as she shook her head. “You don’t belong here either. Your father didn’t deserve to take over your body.” She said.

His eyes seemed to widen before he shook his head and shouted out, “But I hurt you! Why should you care about what happens to me?”

“Because you never got a chance to lead your own life. Naraku was the one who liked to manipulate and hurt people. I don’t think you would have hurt anyone if you hadn’t had to listen to him.” Her hand shifted down to his shoulder before she moved forward and pulled him gently into her arms, holding him in a comforting embrace. “This wasn’t your fault. Naraku was the one who did all of this. He was the one who took over your body, he was the one who conspired with Kikyou to hurt Inuyasha, and he was the one who started getting demons to follow him in the Makai. It wasn’t you…it was him.” She said softly, as she tried to reassure him that he wasn’t her enemy. He was just wrapped up in the mess that was Naraku’s evil, and she really felt sorry for him. This child like form that he held was his true self.

Seiichi was quiet as she talked to him, and he couldn’t help the tears from tracing their way down his pale cheeks. She really wasn’t as she appeared. She shouldn’t have cared about him. He wasn’t worth her time or her compassion, and yet she was, and she did, and even now, her arms were around him and comforting him. She wasn’t scared of him, and he had no idea why she wasn’t. He sniffled softly and he felt her hands gently rub his back. “Shh…it’s alright now.” She whispered, trying to comfort him.

“It’s not alright!” he shouted, as he sobbed harder into her shoulder. “We’re going to die now, and it’s not fair! You should not have to die, Kagome…not you…I don’t care if I die, but you shouldn’t have to!”

Kagome’s eyes gentled before she said softly into his ear, “You should not have to die either. And I agree with you…it’s not fair. The only fair thing I can see is that we aren’t going to die alone. We’re going to take this bastard with us.” She said, as she pulled her head back to look into Seiichi’s eyes. Giving him a soft, but strong smile, she reached up her hands to wipe at his tears, and she could see the wheels in his head turning even as she looked at him.

“I have an idea, Kagome.” He said, his eyes brightening a little.

“An idea? Like what?” she questioned, a little hope rising in her heart. If they could just get out of here, then the wind tunnel would do the rest of their work for them.

“…do you think you could purify the area around us? Do you think you could fly us out of here? Or are those wings just for show?” he asked, looking to the sparkling white wings that were protruded from Kagome’s shoulder blades.

“I haven’t used them before, but I’m willing to try. But what do you mean purify?” she asked, confused as to his plan.

“Purify the area around us. Fly us up to that opening and purify our way out. There’s no other way out of here other than that. I know you have a lot of power, but you really haven’t used it yet. I know you’re hurt, and tired, but if you want to really save yourself…and me…then this is the only way.” He said, his tone soft, and firm. He was very strong for a small child, but she had to figure that he would be, having to stay around in this void most of his life.

Kagome froze as she looked into the little boy’s eyes before her. He looked so strong and proud standing there, but he was asking for her help, and silently pleading with her for her to save him. Taking in a breath, she couldn’t help but see Shippou before her, and his pleading green eyes. Tears stung at her own eyes before she nodded and pulled him forward back into her arms. “Alright…I’ll try. Hold onto me, Seiichi, and don’t let go.”

“I won’t let go, Kagome.” He said softly, before he whispered into her ear, “…I believe in you.”

Holding the small boy in her arms, she nodded, before she looked up to the tiny pinprick of light that was the opening of the wind tunnel. She held her head high before she strengthened her grip on the small boy in her arms. She was weak, she knew it, but she also knew that this was her only chance, and Seiichi’s. The one thing that kept her mind off of her growing fatigue and pain was that she would not allow the boy to die, not at the hands of Naraku. Naraku had taken too many from the world, and his son would not be another casualty-not if she could help it. Concentrating on the protruding wings from her back, she felt them stir and move, as pink power swirled around them, pushing away what demons were left in the wind void with them. She couldn’t give up-not when they were so close to victory.

As the wings began to move, Seiichi looked up to the determined eyes of Kagome, and he couldn’t help but once more adore the beauty she held. She had so much power and kindness at her hand that he was awed by her. She was unlike any creature he had ever met before, and even after all the hell he put her through, she was willing to go out of her way to save him from the mess that had become his life. She had not only saved the boy that his father had absorbed, but she had opened up the hearts of three of the most powerful demons he had ever met besides his own father. She was an enigma, and though he knew that it wouldn’t be easy for him to overcome his past, he knew that with her forgiveness and kindness alone, he could, and would overcome his father’s name. He would take whatever punishments that he had to and then he would prove that he was worthy to be in her presence. Her light was everything that was the opposite of his darkness, but she still looked at him with tenderness and was going out of her way to try and save him. He knew that if he would not have been there, she would have given up in the darkness of the void, and would have made sure that everything concerning the jewel ended with her. He couldn’t stand the thought of losing one such as her. Not like this, and not to one like his father. He was further amazed, the moment her wings began to move. They swirled with pink energy and he held onto her tighter, afraid that if he let go, she might lose her focus and then they’d both be lost in here forever with Naraku. It was a fate he was going to try and defeat with every fiber of his being.

Kagome closed her eyes at her feet began to rise off of the hard floor of the void. She held onto Seiichi tighter and mentally prayed for the strength to make it up to the flickering light that was the open doorway to the outside world. Freedom was just a few hundred feet away, if she could only gather the strength to make it. Focusing on her goal, she felt her wings move with her back, and she winced, nearly crying out in pain at the uneasy motions of her muscles under the weak, and untrained appendages.

Seiichi noticed her pain and placed a gentle hand on her cheek, before he said softly into her ear, “Keep going, Kagome. We’re almost there. Just a little further, okay?” he encouraged her, giving her all he could right now in terms of help that he could at the moment. She was fighting for his life, and he was almost sad that he wouldn’t get the chance to do the same for her. She didn’t reply but felt them rise even further into the air. Just then, she opened her eyes to see downdrafts of wind, evident by leaves and other random debris, push down upon her and the child in her arms, the strength of them of which was threatening to push her down to the floor again. Again, her muscles spasmed, and her wings flexed as if pushing her further up, instead of down, as they adapted to the winds like a crane.

’Almost there…’ her mind whispered to her, as she saw the light of the hole come even closer to them. Even over the noise of wind and demon screams, she could hear the screams of her own friends, and of the people she loved, fighting against Naraku, fighting in desperation, fighting, with screams of despair. The sounds burned at her heart, almost making her sick as she screamed in reply, wishing that her cry would get to them, wishing for her strength to endure just a little longer.

Outside the void, Kagome’s scream wasn’t missed, and each fighter perked up at it, their expressions turning into ones of shock, instead of despair. She was alive, somehow, and she wasn’t giving up. Hiei almost laughed in relief, but his focus once more turned to the demon in front of him, the one who was currently trying to take all he could with him, as the wind tunnel expanded further.

Seiichi screamed in terror as the lacquer stick that had been holding open their way of escape came tumbling down through the air, nearly hitting himself and Kagome before he reached out and grasped it, not letting it fall down into the abyss of darkness. The young miko paid no mind to his scream as she pushed harder, knowing that if she didn’t, they were as good as dead now. It seemed like minutes for her to finally reach the light, but in reality, things were going by only one second at a time, and Kagome reached up, thrusting Seiichi out into the light first, before the darkness swallowed her. She froze, and the brief moments of light that had touched her eyes kept reflecting in the darkness for a few moments, and recognition hit her like a ton of bricks—she was trapped in here, forever.

Tears she had been suppressing sprung forth, as she finally allowed the sorrow in her heart to be shown. She was trapped here, never to see her family or friends again. She was alone now, in the darkness of Naraku’s most evil dreams and ambitions. The sounds of the demons echoed in her ears, which were roaring with the blood pumping in her veins. Her wounds seemed trivial now, inconsequential. It was over…the battle with Naraku had finally come to an end. She was going to die now, and in this void, no one would ever see her again.

Outside, Kurama had lost control of Youko as he raced forward to do whatever he could to keep that void open just a few precious seconds longer. To his shock and surprise, a child was thrown out of the hole before Naraku’s scream pierced the air around them, and the enormous demon began imploding into the dark hole, making it look almost like a black hole of space. Sesshoumaru, discontent with just standing there, ran forward as well, to do whatever he could to save Kagome, which at the moment, wasn’t much. Yusuke fell to his knees at the sight before him, his eyes full of disbelief. They’d never lost like this before. They won over the demon, but they still lost. This hadn’t happened before, not really. Genkai had been alive, due to Koenma, and though he saw her die in front of him, she still came back. In his heart, he knew that Kagome wouldn’t be coming back from this. She was gone, poof, just like that.
Jin, Touya, and Chu were at a loss for words. Of all the demons around them, it had to be the miko woman who fell in battle. The rest of the demon hoard that were around Naraku had either been killed, or were fleeing, making this their victory. Then why did it feel like they hadn’t won at all?

They were all powerless to stop the void from shrinking, and in a span of only a minute or two more, it was gone completely, leaving a crater of nothing behind. Not even a spot of dark miasma could be seen. Stunned silence filled the air, as each looked on in disbelief. This couldn’t be happening. She couldn’t be dead. She just…couldn’t. Hiei reached up his hand, feeling the hot, wet tears course down his dirty cheeks. He was crying, and those tears were forming into the solid spheres that his race was known for: hiroseki stones.

Sesshoumaru, a being that hadn’t cried since he was an infant, felt the ache in his chest intensify to rib shattering levels before he lifted up his head and howled to the world his sorrow and anger. He was supposed to be one of the strongest beings in the world, and yet he couldn’t protect Kagome. He had become as worthless as his inu-hanyou brother: he had failed to protect her as the half-breed had. The shame of that nearly made him take his life then and there.

Kurama was silent in Youko’s mind, as the fox began to do something he did when he felt all hope was lost: bargain mentally with the gods. Oh, he knew that the only one capable of helping him right now was Koenma, but as a thief, he still looked to the gods to barter his way into what he wanted. The problem was, that there was no set price for a life. Life was priceless, there was nothing he could do or say to change that. His eyes widened as he thought of one thing he could do for her, the only thing now that he could do. The Forlorn Hope would give him what he desired. He would give his life to bring hers back. It was capable of that wish, wasn’t it? ’If she is gone…she would suffer if we wished that, Youko. Kurama tried to reason with him, because he knew that in his grief, irrational decisions were the first decisions made. Youko shouted back quickly, “Don’t you think I know that?! But we can’t just sit here on our asses and do nothing! I won’t accept that she’s gone! I WON’T!” he screamed into the air as he whirled around to face his comrades. Their faces were etched with various degrees of diminishing hope and growing despair and acceptance. The fox didn’t give up anything without a fight. He’d lost his best friend to an unusual and dangerous set of circumstances before, without any hope of ever getting him back. He didn’t want it to happen again, not to her, not to the only creature he’d ever truly fallen in love with.

“Youko…there is nothing we can do now. Hell…” Hiei looked up, a crazed little look in his eye as he tried not to laugh in the face of his sadness. “…we can’t even reach her now.”

The faces of their comrades lifted as they each looked to the three who had been more than smitten with the miko woman, and they knew that their sorrow was nothing compared to the heartbreak that they must’ve been feeling. Yusuke didn’t even know where to begin to try and sum up this battle, to comfort his friends and allies, to do something other than be shocked into immobility. It seemed that Seiichi was completely forgotten as the small boy stood up and looked to each of them, as if lost. One word, one softly spoken question filled the silence as if he had screamed it at the top of his lungs. “…why?”

Slowly, the many sets of eyes turned to look at the small child who began to sob as he cried out, “Why didn’t she make it out too?!”

No one could answer him. No one could even try, and he summed it up best when he continued, “This isn’t fair! THIS ISN’T FAIR!!”

A portal of black opened up on the battlefield and slowly, two figures emerged from it. Koenma and Botan walked through the darkness and slowly scanned the field. When he didn’t see Kagome, he knew that his radars weren’t stupid, nor did they blip on him: she really was gone, vanished, as if she disappeared into thin air. He had no idea what had transpired, but from the expressions on everyone’s faces, it had been bad. Everyone’s attention shifted to the demi-god and voices seemed to explode everywhere as each shouted various requests to him. “Bring her back!”, “What do we have to do to bring her back?!” “She’s not dead is she?!” He quickly held up a hand to stop the torrent of shouts before he shook his head.

“There’s nothing we can do for her now. She’s gone…her body, and her soul. I wouldn’t even know the first step in trying to bring her back.” He replied softly, his eyes gentle, and sad.

Those words hit the group more fiercely than the fact that she was just…gone. Even her soul was missing. She wasn’t dead, which meant that she was alive, but she was unable to be found, which meant they were back to square one, and helpless to do anything to bring her back.

“So that’s…it? It’s just over?” Youko voiced, still unwilling to give up just yet. The human in him didn’t want to give up hope. He wouldn’t, even if Koenma answered him with a ‘yes’.

The demi-god nodded quietly before saying softly, “…I’m sorry.”

Seiichi, still crying, more silently now, didn’t know what he’d do now. He was a child, scorned by his father’s name, and alone in this world. For the first time in his life, he had freedom, but he didn’t want it anymore, not at the cost of Kagome’s life. A female figure came up behind him and slowly touched his shoulder, and he turned, barely recognizing her. “The demon slayer…”

“She wanted to save your life. There was nothing you could have done to help her, or save her. This is just the way things were supposed to happen.” Sango said softly, though she was sad, and crying, she had accepted that fate was cruel long ago, when her village had all been desecrated.

“She shouldn’t have been killed. Not over me, not over Naraku. She was the complete opposite of what he was…she shouldn’t have been lost!” he screamed back to the slayer, making her jump a fraction before Sango replied back just as quietly as before, “…sometimes…sacrifices are made.”

Again, the silence hung heavy in the air, and no one could doubt the truth of the slayers words. Sacrifices were common in their line of work, in all of their lives, but to have such a sacrifice made, one that hurt more than anything else in the world, seemed to break each one of them in many visible, and invisible ways.

No one could argue, and all that was left to do…was to mourn her loss.

~*~

Time passed as if at a snail’s pace. Kagome’s family, both by blood, and those close to her, grieved her loss in different ways, but something that seemed to shock them most, was the camaraderie that had formed between Hiei, Sesshoumaru, and Kurama. They stuck unusually close to one another, even after everything that had happened, and all the rivalries that had gone on before her disappearance from their lives. They sought solace from one another, and gained each other’s trust in ways that couldn’t be topped, not by anyone. Compassion and friendship, turned into love. They couldn’t stand to be apart from each other, afraid that what happened to their beloved Kagome, could happen to any one of them at any given time. They couldn’t stand to lose any more of their family, friends, and loves.

An undetermined amount of time passed for Kagome. Her power, born of her strength of heart, continued to protect her from the darkness, and the jewel, purified by her powers, continued to be her constant companion even though she’d made a wish on it. Perhaps the power of souls could never truly be erased, because the power of the jewel remained, even after all she had asked of it. Naraku had been ripped into pieces, so Kagome never once had to deal with the vile hanyou ever again. She never forgot though, the love she had had, however briefly, and it kept her from falling into infinite despair. Her love would protect her, even alone.

Love, kept the light shinning in the foreboding darkness, and touched Midoriko even though she had never felt the true power of love. She fought for honor and duty, never for love. One day, after so much time had passed, Kagome was able to talk to the ancient miko, and she had just one request. “Midoriko…I want to die.” The miko’s eyes widened within the jewel as she spoke back quickly, “But you are alive! I don’t understand…!”

“…I am alone, and I am sad. I want to die. I want to leave this place. I want them back…even if I have to die to do it. Kill me…Midoriko. Please…please let me go.” She pleaded, and for once, the miko knew what it was to feel the pain of a request she didn’t want to fulfill. She wished happiness for Kagome, but to fulfill this request…was absurd in her opinion. For seven years more she tried to convince the young miko to reconsider. Seven years of darkness passed before the ancient miko finally conceded that Kagome be given the one thing she wanted most in the world: to die.

With the selflessness of this new wish, and the power that was left in the Shikon no Tama, Kagome closed her eyes, and stopped breathing. Death, became her, as she was free of the darkness, and light so bright it blinded her met her eyes. She was free now of her prison, free of her sadness, free of every dark emotion that had weighed on her heart, and all that was left…was her love, and her hope…two things that brought her directly to Koenma’s office, only to be met with a sight that brought her to her knees.

Waiting for her, was everyone that she’d left behind. They were alive…but it wouldn’t be long, and she would be alive too. Reincarnated into a new body was child’s play (no pun intended) for the demi-god, and she was moved to the front of the line, and spared no expense.

Slowly, she opened her eyes from the confines of her new body, she was only a baby now, but her sights fell on three of the most beautiful faces she would ever need or remember.

She was never alone again.


The End.

A/N: I’ll write an epilogue when I get a chance, but don’t expect it right away. I just needed to boost my moral on my stories, and finishing this one seemed like the best option to do that. I hope you enjoyed the journey through this little fic of mine, and I shall see you around.

Kudos, minna.
Sayuri-chan--