Let Me Alone

[continuation of Flashback]

[continuation of Flashback]

Kagome blinked a few times and held her hands out. If she were dead, then wouldn’t she feel pain? Wouldn’t there be a big golden gate or something to welcome her into Heaven? Or even if she were condemned to be sent to the pits of Hell, she would at least be afraid or…or something right? She didn’t feel anything; not an ounce of pain or any emotion what so ever. She turned and looked around at her surroundings then panic overcame her. She saw her lifeless body just a few feet away, laying ‘neath a tree’s low-hanging branch. Her hand shot to her mouth as she choked back non-existent tears. She could still see the battle as Sango continued to knock back demons. ”Why am I still here?” she thought aloud. It didn’t make sense. Kikyo said that she had to die, that she was meant to die. Could she have been wrong? Fear replaced panic inside her. Maybe Kikyo was wrong; maybe she was meant to live and Kikyo just wanted her soul back. ”That bitch,” Kagome cried.

She watched the battle unfold in front of her eyes and she was helpless. She stood there, dead, not able to assist in any way possible. She tried calling out to her friends but not even Kilala could sense her spirit. ”What is up with this?” she muttered. Suddenly, she felt a presence as she looked up; it was Kikyo. ”What the fuck?” None of this made any sense. Was she now fully alive? Kikyo seemed to be staring at her and a smirk came across her face. Rage burned in Kagome at the notion. Did she somehow trick her??

Kagome was stuck in between life and death and Kikyo was alive and well. What the hell was she still doing here? Why couldn’t she just die already? If that’s what was meant for her, then why not get it over with? This was worse than death, having to watch as her friends battled their worst enemy and her standing by, not able to lend any type of assistance. She stomped her foot in frustration; like it did any good. She growled and turned back to her body. It was then that she noticed the light-blue aura that seemed to glow around her dead figure. Things were just getting annoying. First she was told that she had to die, then when she does die, she doesn't actually die...she just...was undead. Is that how one would describe it? What the hell was up with that?!

The battle seemed to go on for hours, although it was only several more minutes. Sango and Miroku were both down and badly injured. The number of demons had been greatly diminished thanks to Sango's boomerang and Miroku's Wind Tunnel, but the battle had taken its toll on them as well. Inuyasha seemed to be wearing down also, his movements slowing with each attack. Naraku was also becoming weaker, but still had the upper hand.

With a powerful attack, Naraku's tenticles struck Inuyasha, ripping holes in his flesh. Tessaiga fell to the ground, transforming back to its normal state as Inuyasha landed heavily. Naraku smiled wickedly, enjoying this to the bitter end. With that bitch of a miko priestess dead, all that was left was to finish the weak hanyou that lay in front of him, hanging onto life. The Shikon jewel was almost complete, lacking only the shards resting in a certain wolf prince's leg; those would not be hard to obtain. Naraku's smile widened as he raised his sword, thinking of how Inuyasha's blood would splatter nicely and soak into the light brown earth, staining the soil.

As Naraku's sword was slicing through the thin air, as much as Kagome was screaming in her parallel world, Inuyasha's eyes widened. Not at the sword that was coming down at him in a hurry, but at the man behind Naraku. A blur of silver flashed and then a low "Dragon Strike" was heard as Sesshoumaru's deadly attack bore into Naraku's back.

Sesshoumaru had been watching the battle for a while now from the branches and decided to intervene when he saw an opening. As much as he hated his half-breed brother, it would do no good to let Naraku strengthen himself even further by gaining the hanyou's strength. Naraku let out a loud growl and turned at his attacker as his flesh was torn away. They all knew he wasn't dead; they needed to strike his heart for that to happen, but Sesshoumaru had weakened him immensely. Inuyasha stared at his half brother for a moment before grabbing Tessaiga and pulling himself to his feet. If he survived this, he would need a few nights to fully heal from these attacks.

As Naraku's remains were forming together, Sesshoumaru stood watching, a bored expression on his face. No one noticed, except of course Kagome, Kikyo that was standing at the edge of the forest, also watching the battle. Kagome burned with both envy and anger as she watched the priestess. Kikyo was now alive and glanced over to Kagome's body before taking an arrow from her quiver and notching it. The moment Naraku's body was back to its original form, she let her arrow loose, hitting her mark. Naraku's eyes widened as he looked down at the purifying arrow that was lodged in...in his heart?! He only had a split second to look up with hate-filled eyes at the miko before being consumed with a bright light and then he was no more.

Eyes drifted back to where the arrow had been launched from and, expecting to see Kagome, shock filled most eyes when everyone saw it was Kikyo herself. Not a ghost, not an undead Kikyo, but a very much live one. The clang on Tessaiga meeting the cold, bloody earth seemed to echo across the field. All sense left Inuyasha as he ran, despite his wounds, to where his lover was. He couldn't believe that she was actually alive. He knew Kagome had feelings for him, but he did not return them; he couldn't. Not with Kikyo the keeper of his heart and soul. Tears fell from his eyes as he reached Kikyo, not truly believing to her to be real. "Kikyo? Inuyasha sputtered, afraid that she were a dream and maybe he did die after all during the battle.

"Inuyasha," came her words, clear and as beautiful as ever. He reached out and held her close to his chest, ignoring reality itself and thanking the Kamis that she was back in his arms once more. Now that Naraku was done for, Kagome could return to her time and be happy again. He protected her because she was, after all, the Shard Detector and his friend, but that didn't mean he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Especially since she had that damn command and could slam him into a crater at the drop of a hat. He hated that.

The rest of the group smiled at the sight of Kikyo and knew that Inuyasha would be happy, but Sango could not help but wonder about Kagome. She knew her best friend's feelings for the hanyou and...wait...speaking of Kagome. She excused herself as she searched the bloody battlefield in hopes of finding the human. She told Kilala to stay by Miroku as the monk was unconscious and she feared for him, but she had to find her friend. Kagome was like a sister to her.

Kagome did not watch the two lovers reunite; she knew it would happen as soon as her soul left her body. That must be why Kikyo wanted her soul back. "Well damn her to the fiery pits of hell," spat Kagome. Wait...there was a thought that seemed to form in the far corner of her mind. Maybe her time with Inuyasha had proven something and maybe, just maybe, that if she told him of her love for him, that he would choose her. It was worth a shot. They had been traveling together for a few years now. That was...if she ever lived again. She prayed to whatever god was listening that she would not be damned to wander the earth soulless and undead forever. With this newfound hope, she went back to her body and sat, leaning her back against the tree as she closed her eyes.

A/N: I have work, but if I'm not too exhausted, I'll finish the third chapter tonight. :)