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Inuyasha dragged himself up. He was bleeding badly, he could feel his strength drain out of him with the scarlet liquid. He
could hardly move, but he had to, she needed him. Inuyasha struggled to remember. . . where was she? Inuyasha collapsed on
the wet ground, it was already soaked with blood, and he committed more of the viscous liquid to the soil. "Kagome. . ." He
groaned.
"Inuyasha!" he heard her voice, she was safe. . . she was alive. Kagome rushed up to him, falling to
her knees in the bloody mud. "Inuyasha?" she whispered, pulling him onto her lap and gently stroking his face. "Someone! Anyone!
Help me!" She screamed into the still evening air. The sun was setting and the steely sky was blazed with scarlet streams
like blood.
"Ka. . .Ka. . .go. . .me. . ." he sighed painfully.
Kagome held back tears as she looked at his broken body. In all the battles he'd fought, none had ever
left him so badly wounded. "It'll be okay, Inuyasha! Really it will be! I promise!" She choked out, losing her battle with
the tears.
"The jewel. . ." Inuyasha murmured; haze was filling his vision. "Shards. . ."
Kagome's voice broke in a sob. "I have them. It's okay."
Inuyasha smiled at her, the blood on his face being washed away by her tears falling on him. "Good.
. .you. . .go home. . ."
Kagome stared at him for a moment. He was delirious with pain, she could tell the way his eyes stared
straight ahead as though locked onto something. "What? Not now, Inuyasha. . ." Kagome said, looping his arm around her shoulder
and struggling to her feet. "Come on, we have to go back to Kaede."
He stared at her a moment, "Shards. . .you have. . ." he insisted.
"Yes!" She said in exasperation, wondering if he didn't realize what he was saying. "They're here."
"Naraku. . ." Inuyasha ground out, struggling to keep his mind clear. "Shards. . ."
"What?" Kagome sobbed in frustration and fear, "Stop it Inuyasha! Listen, Naraku's dead! You killed
him, remember? The shards, I have them all!" she insisted, a cold coil of fear twisting in her stomach.
"No. . .Sango. . .Kohaku. . .shards. . ." he murmured, she wasn't understanding.
Suddenly Kagome understood. She gently lowered him to the ground, and pulled at her backpack anxiously
searching for the bottle that held the shards of the jewel. "The shards. . ." she murmured, remembering the trick Naraku had
used so many times. The jewel could sustain him until they got back to Kaede. The jewel shard could keep him from dying.
Kagome's hands shook as she pulled out a single shard, hoping it would be enough. Shaking fingers gently
pushed the shard into Inuyasha's ragged flesh. It was badly shredded after the battle. "He's a hanyou. . . he'll heal, if
he can stay alive long enough. . ."
Inuyasha
grunted in agony when he felt Kagome pushing the sharp, glass-like shard into his wound. At first, nothing happened, but then
the pain ebbed away, like waves at the low tide. "Kagome. . ." he muttered, he was so tired, "Thank you. . ."
Kagome stared at him, "Inuyasha? What now? We have to get you back to the village! Maybe Kaede can
help you! Otherwise, you're going to the hospital! I don't care what people think!"
Inuyasha clamped his hand over his chest, expecting a wave of pain to follow, but it didn't. Instead
it was like he couldn't even feel the wound and aside from being exhausted, he felt perfectly fine, as though nothing had
happened to him. "Kagome. . .I feel fine." He told her in surprise.
"Inuyasha! Look at your wounds! It's a miracle you're not dead! We have to get you some medical help
right away!" She shrieked, shoving the bottle of shards back into her pack. "Come on! We need to hurry! That shard's just
suppressing the pain!"
Inuyasha nodded, he knew she was right. Right now, though he felt perfectly fine, if a bit tired. He
could have carried Kagome, her pack, and her silly bicycle with no problem. Kagome wouldn't allow it, that he knew, so he
resigned himself to hanging onto the back of her bike and making sure not to fall off.
The villagers were terrified when Inuyasha and Kagome entered the town. Inuyasha was soaked in his
own blood, his silvery hair soaked and hanging in dark red clumps around his face. Even his ears were coated in it. Kagome
was similarly covered, but with Inuyasha's blood instead of her own. Her legs were streaked with black mud and blood along
with her clothes and the rest of her body.
Inuyasha
felt funny, not like he was hurt exactly, but more like he was falling asleep. "Hmmm. . ." He murmured sleepily as Kaede and
Kagome dragged him into Kaede's small hut.
Kaede
cleaned the ghastly wound, and washed the blood off Inuyasha. She could see the shard in his chest; it glowed softly in his
torn flesh. Kaede sighed and stood up slowly, making her way out of the hut. "Come, Kagome. We must speak."
Kagome followed her outside, a bitter feeling of foreboding clawing at her throat. "Kaede?"
Kaede didn't look at her for a moment. "You used a shard to keep him alive." She said, half accusingly,
half wonderingly.
Kagome nodded, wondering where this was going. "Yes, I didn't have a choice. I remembered that Sango
had a jewel shard in her back when she fought Inuyasha. It sustained her when she was dying. . ."
"Yes, Kagome, but Sango is human, and Sango's injuries weren't fatal." Kaede sighed wearily. "Oh Kagome,
what to do now?"
Kagome shook her head, "I don't understand. Will Inuyasha be alright?"
"Oh, aye." Kaede sighed, "As long as the shard of the jewel remains in his flesh."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Kagome demanded shrilly.
"Do you remember Sango's younger brother, Kohaku?" She questioned, but did not give Kagome time to
reply to the question, "He was dead, only sustained by the power of the jewel in his back."
Kagome nodded, she knew this, "But, Inuyasha's not dead, Kaede."
The old woman frowned, "No, because you put a jewel shard in his side before he died."
Kagome frowned, "Won't the wound heal?"
Kaede nodded, "Oh aye, but the jewel is what sustains him. He should be dead, Kagome. Those injuries
should have killed him."
Kagome frowned, "So even when he's healed, removing the shard will kill him?" The old woman nodded.
"Great. . ." Kagome muttered in frustration, "That's just great."
The old miko sighed sadly, "You realize what must be done, don't you?"
Kagome stared at her in horror, "You must be kidding! I could never kill Inuyasha!"
Kaede frowned, "He's already dead, he just doesn't know it yet. Your mission was to collect the shards
of the jewel and return it to its former state. Now you have all the shards! You must complete your duty."
"No. I'm not going to do it." Kagome told her, "We can protect the jewel in many pieces just as well
as if it were in one."
Kaede frowned, "I know you think this is right, child, but you are mistaken. However, protection of
the jewel is your responsibility. It always will be, no matter how many lives you will live. If this is what you choose, I
cannot stop you."
Kagome stared at the old miko for a moment, "Inuyasha isn't dead. He never was. The jewel saved his
life, you can believe what you want." She said angrily, feeling a sense of betrayal at the old woman's words. Kaede was supposed
to be their friend, then why did she ask Kagome to take away Inuyasha's life?
Kagome made her way into the hut and knelt down beside Inuyasha's sleeping form. He looked so peaceful
and innocent lying there. She laid her hand against his bandaged chest, feeling the warmth of his skin and the steady beating
of his heart. "You aren't dead."
Inuyasha
smiled in his sleep, she was there, the woman, the one he'd saved. She was there, and he sighed in his dreamy world, laying
his hand across the warmth on his chest.
Kagome
felt tears roll down her face as his hand covered hers, her decision was the right one, she was sure, she could feel it. She
sighed contentedly and laid her head on his chest, finding comfort in the steady rhythm of his breath as she quietly drifted
into sleep.
Inuyasha woke slowly, surrounded by her scent. Her dark hair fanned out on his chest and he smiled,
laying his hands in the raven mass. "Kagome. . ." he sighed, feeling safe and happy for the first time in his life. He wasn't
worried; he wasn't angry; he wasn't frustrated. He was just happy and secure.
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