InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Time and Time Again ❯ Prologue ( Prologue )

Kagome sat, her bow in her hands.

She looked at the place where Naraku had just been in a sort of daze, half disbelieving that it was over. Her arrow had ripped through Naraku's barriers and his body just moments ago.

It took a few moments for the stench of blood to jog her memory and bring her to her senses again.

What happened? She thought. Her thoughts were slow and clumsy, as if they were traveling through molasses. Naraku…he set Kohaku on Miroku…Sango…she tried to stop him…Kohaku, he…no… Kagome looked behind her and felt her heart squeeze. A bloodied Sango and Miroku lay on top of each other, identical stab marks through their backs. Shippou and Kohaku lay nearby. Kohaku with scratches and bite marks, Shippou with Kohaku's sickle-chain through his back. Shippou had managed to dig the Shikon shard out of Kohaku's back, but not before Kohaku had killed him. Kagome turned back around, covering her eyes. She wasn't thinking clearly; she dully realized that it would hit her later that they were dead. Shippou…you were always the scared one…Your father will be proud of you…

One by one the events of the battle fell into place. Naraku had set Kohaku on Sango, then had attacked and killed Rin, sending Sesshomaru into a fury. After Naraku had killed Sesshomaru…He came after me…after my Shikon shards...but then…then Inu-Yasha was fighting him and…INU-YASHA!!

Kagome looked around frantically for the hanyou. Inu-Yasha had attacked…he had been thrown aside like a rag doll…that had been when she had drawn her bow…

Her heart sank as she saw his prostrate form, crumpled underneath a large tree. He had hit the tree…she had heard a sickening snap…

She crawled over to him, dragging one leg. It was bent at an unnatural angle-she was sure it was broken-but she felt no pain. She finally reached him and rolled him over. The bloody cuts and gashes told her the one thing she didn't want to know…Oh please Inu-Yasha…don't be dead…please…"I-Inu-y-yasha…" she whispered.

He groaned and his eyes flickered open. "Kagome…" She had to strain to hear him "…Kagome…"

She smiled weakly at him. "Shh…don't speak Inu-Yasha. Y-You'll be f-fine. W-we'll get you to Kaede and…" she choked on her tears, unable to continue.

Inu-Yasha smiled at her. "Liar." He frowned suddenly. "Where's Naraku?"

"He's dead, Inu-Yasha, it's over. It's over."

He smiled then, a silent 'well done.' "What about Sango and Miroku and Kirara? What about the brat?"

Kagome squeezed her eyes shut, tears making their way down her cheeks nonetheless. "Inu-Yasha…I-I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…I-I…I couldn't…"

"Shhh…hush Kagome…they wouldn't want you to cry…not for them." He winced in pain. "Kagome…I'm sorry…I…I'm going…I'm going to have to leave you…"

"No…No! Inu-Yasha please!"

"Shhh…" he raised a hand, wincing as he did so, to wipe the tears from her face with a delicate claw. "Kagome, listen…I know that…I'm dying…nothing can stop that...but…I-I want you to…I want you to know…that I can die happy…knowing that I died…protecting you…you have to let me go…"

"NO!" she was pleading, shouting now "No! Inu-Yasha, don't go! Don't leave me here alone!" Tears streamed down her face freely now, wetting Inu-yasha's matted silver hair. "Please!" She clutched him to her fiercely, protectively, as a mother would a sick child.

He grunted softy in pain. "Kagome…you have to take the Jewel…make sure that…make sure that it never falls…into the wrong hands again…I'm…I'm so sorry…"

"No Inu-Yasha, we'll take it! We'll take it together!"

He started to chuckle, which quickly turned into a rasping cough. "Kagome…you idiot…you always did need to be protected….take…take my haori and the Tetsusaiga…when I'm gone…I don't want you to get hurt…take them…so you'll never…never forget me…okay…?"

"Inu-Yasha…"

He smiled up at her weakly, the lights in his fiery amber eyes starting to fade. "I'm sorry for...for all the times…I've called you names…I'm sorry that…that I never told you…how much I…I love you…" Hid eyes closed, and he let out a small sigh that accompanied his last breath.

"Inu-Yasha?" Kagome whispered. "Inu…Inu-Yasha? Inu-Yasha! No! Please! Inu-Yasha come back! I love you! Please don't go! I LOVE YOU!"

Kagome cried in earnest then. Cried and cried until her throat was raw, until Inu-yasha's body had gone cold, until the Fates had mercy on her and sent her into a dreamless sleep, because her friends, her life, and her love were gone.

All gone.