Soooo this is my first post on this site! Exciting, right? I have a bunch more chapters to upload... they are already on Dokuga and IYFF, so I won't bor you with the chappie notes I put on those. Please remember to review!

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or its characters. But I do occasionally dream that I win an auction for Sesshoumaru on eBay.

No. Please, by all the gods, no.

No amount of wishing could change things. That was his body… and nothing could be done to bring him back.

The world around her faded, and all she saw was him. His beautiful silver hair tinged crimson with his blood. The claws he had once protected her with, encrusted with the grit and gore of battle. The lids she knew hid beautiful golden eyes. Eyes she knew she would never see again.

And that was it. She fell to her knees, not wanting to live anymore in a world without him. Without… Inuyasha.

It was all over. Inuyasha had finally been killed by that godforsaken Naraku, and she suddenly had nothing left. Kagome was, above anything, lost.

Sure, she still had the shards. She still had Shippo, Sango, and Miroku too. It didn't matter though. Inuyasha had been her love for the past two years, there was no escaping that. She had denied it and denied it, but now he was gone.

The tears came, and they wouldn't stop.

She could see it all. All the times she had made him angry. All the times she had gotten him hurt. Kagome could almost feel the wind rushing through her hair as her toned legs clung to his waist. She suddenly had the scent of a campfire stinging in her nose. She had sat over those fired, cooking the ramen that he loved with all his little heart.

And in that moment when it all came back to her, she could see him, the way he was on that first day. The day she first met her best friend. She just had to touch those adorable ears. How exotic he had looked... after a time she had almost gotten used to his ruggedly handsome features. She could never quite get used to his inhuman appearance, but still, she loved him. In fact, his exotic appearance had even become strangely attractive.

And now she couldn't help but wonder if she had done the right thing.

If he was still pinned to that tree... he'd still be alive.

Reality suddenly cameback to her, and he was still laying there. Her love was laying in a puddle of his own blood, a testament to the life that had flowed from his veins. All she wanted was to fill him with her own life, to make him whole again. He would suddenly rise and demand she make hime ramen while he went and got cleaned up. All would be right with the world.

But that could not happen. He was gone, and he had went somewhere she could not follow.

"Kagome? Kagome?"

A soft voice she absently identified as Sango's.

"Kagome? Please… we need to bury him. You've been there for an hour now. Naraku might still come back."

"Sango, is she okay? I don't know if she even heard you."

"Maybe she didn't, Miroku. I'm worried."

"I am as well. Perhaps-"

"I heard her. You go on. I'll just stay right here."

"No, Kagome," said the monk. "We're not leaving you alone here. Naraku may come back. His wounds were great, but he regenerates quickly. We will not lose you too."

With that, Sango came and wrapped her in a warm embrace, the only comfort she could give the woman she called sister.

Miroku approached the body of his fallen comrade, his mouth set in a grim line. He removed his purple outer robe and used it the cover the gruesome figure. He and Sango traded a heavy look before he spoke.

"Kagome I - I think you should go. You've seen enough of this. Sango will walk you back to the village. You can rest awhile in Kaede's hut. Please, go. I'll take care of him."

She didn't even think to protest. With graceless movements she stood, turned, and began walking in the direction of the village. The battlefield left behind, the forest ahead glowed radiantly, the sunlight streaming through the tall trees. Its beauty was completely lost on her. She felt no fatigue, but that was because she was already dead. Or at least she felt that way. Kagome didn't even acknowledge the presence of Sango; it didn't even register with her mind that her friend was still there. Kagome was simply doing as she was told.

The solemn pair made it to Kaede's hut as the sun began its descent. The crimson-stained sky probably would have reminded her of nothing but blood, had she even noticed it.

Sango tried to feed her, to no avail. Kaede prepared her a bath and helped her bathe. She wrapped her in a thin sleeping yukata and laid her down on her sleeping mat by the fire.

Kagome closed her eyes and knew nothing of the world as she was enveloped by the eagerly waiting blackness.