By your side

The last rays of the setting sun vanished into the night sky, the cooling air of darkness settling over the once again peaceful village of Edo. The villagers within celebrated wildly still, setting off home made firecrackers, shooting arquebusiers into the sky, dancing, eating roasted boar, fish, and rice balls, drinking sake. Today was perhaps the finest moment of the village, for right outside of it rested the decaying lump of flesh that had once been Naraku in his final form as a giant spider ball.

For the moment the villagers didn't know nor did they care who had died in the final fight. All that was known to them was happiness. The beast was dead, they could rest easy. Not only had Naraku died, but he took with him many of the demons of lesser stature in the area. Never had the local villages been so peaceful and safe from demon attack.

On the land where the final battle took place after Naraku fell from the sky though, things were different. The heroes who had slew Naraku were gathered around one of their own, who had fallen in battle.

Inuyasha berated himself once again for seeing the trap coming. He should have known, and yet he didn't, and hadn't been able to do anything once he did know what was happening. Kagome lay in a heap in his arms, her body radiating shouki that was slowly eating away at her internal organs. She didn't have long to live.

Inuyasha thought that Byakuya of the mirage had missed when he sliced at Kagome with his mysterious sword that looked like a Meidou. But it turned out that he hadn't missed at all. It was all part of an intricate trap on Naraku's part.

Kagome's soul had been linked to the shikon jewel and Naraku through the effect of the Mediou swipe. Sure, Kagome could purify the shikon jewel, but only if her own heart became corrupted with shouki and darkness at the same time. Naraku had been so smug when they had learned the truth, confident that the miko would not sacrafice her own life to purify the shikon jewel.

That had been Naraku's fatal mistake. The miko, fire and determination in her eyes, had blasted the shikon jewel with a fully charged arrow of purification, eliminating the darkness from the jewel, even though her own heart became corrupted with darkness and shouki. She had fallen, and in a spite of rage, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, along with Miroku and Sango, and even Shippou, Jaken, and Kohaku, joined together to strike Naraku down, for good.

Now Kagome's body laid in his hands, her breathing shallow, and her skin turning pale.

"Inuyasha...," muttered Kagome, her eyes fluttering open.

"Kagome," replied Inuyasha, tears coming to his eyes at the thought of loosing Kagome, forever.

"I...I'm sorry...," apologized Kagome. Her eyes went wide when Inuyasha placed a firm finger on her lips.

"I'm the one who should be apologizing. I failed to protect you. First Kikyo, and now you. I'm so so sorry Kagome...," Inuyasha whimpered, as his tears began to fall down his face. He was joined by Kagome who was also now shedding tears.

"No...you did the best you could...Inuyasha, I'm sorry. I said that I would always be by your side. But even in death, I'll be with you...always...," sighed Kagome as the strength to speak fled her. Her eyes became unseeing as her sight fled her.

Seeing the fear now evident on his face, Inuyasha leaned in and kissed her on the lips. Her eyes widened once again, one last time, before her final breath exhaled into his mouth. Then she laid still, unmoving, her sightless eyes staring up into the star filled sky.

Standing close by, Sesshomaru placed a hand on the hilt of his sword, Tensiega, but as he suspected, the sword did not pulse. His own love, Kagura, had died by Naraku's shouki penetrating her heart as well, and he had been unable to save her then, so now he would not be able to save Kagome.

He considered it his failure that he could not save his or his brother's loves with his sword. It would be a burden that he felt he would carry for the rest of his years.

On the other side of Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, and Shippou came forward, tears running freely down their faces as well. They gathered around Inuyasha, hugging him and Kagome, as they too began to cry.