It happened two weeks ago. I should have seen what was about to happen. I should have expected what was about to be done but no, I was too busy putting my whole mind into the final battle. I was too distracted on getting revenge on Naraku, after all he had done to all of us and also the ones we had left behind, I won't be satisfied until I kill him. So all I had in this stupid brain of mine was rightful revenge.

We were in a field in front of the village that Naraku was once brought up from, the six of us including Sesshomaru's group, all prepared being sure that this would very well be our final act. As we stood by at what had remained of Naraku, clusters of miasma fell away from him and we knew we had to act fast before it destroys the whole village that stands not far away from us. We knew of his intention to annihilate the village and we knew he was falling apart on purpose to get to the village so we won't let it happened as we protected the village with the innocent people inside it.

"Meido Zangetsuha!" swinging the sword as three dark slashing blades headed to the clump that was Naraku.

As it hits the clump, it expanded and shrunk into a much distinct orb that has weird swirls around. The sound of the bow creaked while Kagome intently aimed and I was sure, it would be the final shot to the end of the long battle. With a glint in her eyes, she spotted her aim and shot the arrow with pink shimmering light tracing behind it. Just as it about to make contact with the enormous black orb it disappeared and a tingle was heard.

"The arrow disappeared!" I muttered and after a moment, a bright warm light blinded us all and along purifying the miasma clusters that had befallen on the Earth's soiled grounds and that moment we thought it would be near our victory as we all stared in awe.

"Kagome-sama's arrow had defeated Naraku!" Kohaku cheered.

"I did it?" Kagome's voice still in disbelief as she looked up at the orb but the moment the words left her lips; the dark orb dropped to ground and dragged itself towards us. Miroku and Sango was shouting our names and I snapped around, hugging Kagome close to me and started sprinting away from the orb that was coming to us with unexpected speed. It speeded up and I spitted out a curse as I tried to get out of its way and made a jump, turning around to see the orb dissipating and headed to the Bone Eaters Well. With a blinded light, the orb disintegrated and Naraku finally appeared on top of the well, floating with only a head and small part of his body left that held the arrow-pierced Shikon no Tama.

"Naraku!" I called as crackles of static were emitted out of the Jewel. Everyone else started to step forward and Naraku let out a smirk.

"I have made a wish to the Jewel back then." Naraku started.

"Back then?" Kagome prodded.

"Back when Byakuya of Illusions cuts you."

Shippo let out a gasp, "Byakuya cuts her?"

Ignoring Shippo, he continued as the light began to engulf him, "Once I die, that wish shall be granted. The wish I made was the wish of the Jewel itself."

As he ended, along was his life and he was gone, for good. For a moment, everyone just stood there staring at the well as the information slowly registered in our minds. When it finally settled, Miroku jerked up his hand and took off the beads that had once sealed his cursed hand.

"Has the Wind Tunnel disappeared?" the old woman, Kaede, stepped forward to see.

"The curse has been broken, right?" Sango asked hopefully, with no mistaking of a hint of joy in her voice.

Finally turning to Sango, he held out his hands and muttered in relief, "There's no mistaking it. Naraku is dead."

My lips turned in content as I heard the reassuring words. Finally we were free from Naraku. After all he had done to me and Kikyo, to Sango and her little brother, to Miroku and his father and to innocent lives like Kagome and a lot of others, we finally were able to defeat him. Now we could live without fear as nothing could threaten the bonds we all have, especially the bond that I have with the girl I realized I came to love deeply, Kagome.

I turned to her to see her smiling happily by herself and my heart began to soar. Finally, Naraku won't be able to hurt the girl that I love anymore. Everything would be fine after this. Or so I thought.

That was when the truly unexpected happens. I saw Kagome went forward with her back towards me to pick up the arrow-pierced Shikon no Tama that I hadn't realized were even there. It seems to have a remaining swirling of darkness that tainted it and I know Kagome were reaching for it to just purify it. As she picked it up, the Jewel shone brightly and I heard Kagome breathed in heavily as she stood up shakily.

"Kagome?" I came forward to place my hand on her shoulder, only to have her hunching down further and clutching the Jewel closer to her. Suddenly, a purifying light surrounds her as though to protect her and that's when I truly saw that the darkness had oozed out from the Jewel and went swirling around Kagome.

I stood back in shock as Kagome's light was intently trying to purify the darkness that surrounds her. As suddenly the darkness appeared, it vanished and Kagome let out a strangled cry.

"Ka.. Kagome?" I tried again and this time, she finally turned to me.

The image that I had saw then till now was etched into my mind. My body shook and my heart clenched. Horror was filled in Kagome's brown eyes; a tint of terror could also be seen. Blood started to flow out of and her face extremely pale as the day I had once almost lost her.

"Inu..yasha?" her voice small and trembling.

My mind started to pound. My heart clenched as I just stood back in shock. The girl in front of me were bleeding everywhere on her frail body. Invisible claws had seemed to carve their way through Kagome's pale body like cracks as she turned fully towards me with the almost purified jewel. Snapping out of my trance, I quickly jumped to her side, just in time to catch her from collapsing to the ground.

"Ka..Kagome, what happened?" my voice feeling quite dry as it came out hoarse. I tried to steady her as I feel the slickness of her blood going all over the robe that was in contact with her body. Looking down, I could feel my eyes almost bulged out as I assess the love of my life. Her white uniform was all but drenched in her blood. Even her green skirt was turned dark as blood seeps into it.

"The wish." Kagome gasped out. "The Jewel's wish.."

"I don't care about the Jewel's wish, what I care now is getting you immediate treatment." I could hear the fear from my voice as I ordered Shippo to get Jinenji without even pulling my eyes off Kagome.

Kagome, by now, was bleeding humanly impossible. In an attempt to reduce the bleeding I had tried to cover my arms over her. When I heard a familiar sniffle, I snapped around to see Shippo still rooted to his ground.

"What the are you still doing here? Get help from Jinenji, NOW!" I snapped as he finally scrambled off and transformed into the pink bubble that he always turned to. Turning to Kagome, I her pale cheeks as I whispered softly, "Stay with me, Kagome. Don't you dare leave me yet."

"This.. This is the Jewel's wish, Inuyasha.." she croaked.

"What..?" As fast as the question was formed, it was answered when an arrow mysteriously appeared and pierced to Kagome's chest where I was sure it was at her heart and the arrow that was supposed to be on the Jewel disappeared.

My blood drained from my face as realization came crashing down.

"Retribution." I muttered. "That's the Jewel's intention. It knows you would purify it and that's why it wants retribution. It wants your life."

Kagome began trembling in my hands as she gasped for air, tears slowly slipping down from her face. "Inu..yasha."

"I'm here. Hold on Kagome. Don't you dare go off without me. Shippo is getting Jinenji. He will cure you so don't you ing dare leave me yet."

"It hurts." She coughed out a big amount of blood and more tears filled her eyes. "I can't take it, Inuyasha. Am I..going..to die?"

" it, wench! Don't mutter such nonsense!" My hold on her gets tighter as I restlessly waited for Shippo.

She gave a small smile as she slowly reached up to my cheeks with her blood-soaked hands. " I..nuyasha.. You know, I.. Love you. Thank you..For everything."

My eyes widen in tears. My body shivered as I saw her heaved out a long agonizing breath. The scene I was seeing was almost impossible to believe but then, I could no longer feel her heart beating. Her body went limp, her soul was gone.

"Kagome? No. Not yet, Kagome. Come back here Kagome. Don't leave yet." my whole body shook as I pulled her closer like as though it would keep her from going.

Though it was a little too late, Shippo had finally arrived with Jinenji and looked around to see the situation. Sango was sobbing breathlessly in Miroku's arms that the monk himself was hiding his face in the Slayer's hair. Kaede had started muttering some prayers and the other spectators just stared, eyes wide.

"We are too late, aren't we? We can't save her now, can we? I can't revive her." Jinenji cried.

The word struck a chord in my brains as I swivelled to my half-brother, "Sesshomaru, you can revive her, right? Tensaiga. It can bring her back to life, right?"

A speck of hope in my heart but all I could see was the cold stare of my half-brother.

Just abandoning my pride, I started kneeling down to his feet, Kagome's turning cold body still in arms as I bowed down. "I beg of you Sesshomaru. Please. Help me revive Kagome with Tenseiga. Just these once, help me."

He narrowed his eyes with no movement, not until Rin nudged tearfully at him. "You must help him, Sesshomaru-sama. I would not want to lose Kagome-sama too. So please help."

Silently wielding his sword, he placed his sword in front of him and squinted at Kagome's still body. After some time with no movement, Rin helpfully asked.

"What's wrong, Sesshomaru-sama? Why aren't you swinging it?"

"There are no hell's underlings surrounding her. She can't be saved." As silently as he pulled out his sword, he sheathed it and turns around without a word.

"What do you mean she can't be saved? Tenseiga has the power to revive right? So you should be able to save her, damn it!"

"She is an exception. Just as it is to Rin and that boy over there," gesturing to Kohaku. "She must have died once."

"That's impossible-!" I started to shout only to be interrupted by Shippo.

"Wait! Did Byakuya really cut Kagome with his sword?" he asked suddenly.

"This isn't the time, Ship-"

"I saw it!" Shippo cried. "I saw Byakuya fuelling his sword with Sesshomaru's Tenseiga! He must have killed Kagome once and revive her straight away when he cuts her then. Kagome.." Shippo trailed off in his next word and broke down to cry in all fours.

I listened to my disbelief. Eyes still wide, I look from Sesshomaru to Shippo to everyone else who were sobbing and back to the face of my dearest. "She can't be saved? That's bull!"

I turned back to the paling face and shook her by the shoulders. "Get up, Kagome. You're stronger than this. After all this time we battled, you always appear out alive so you can do it this time too. Wake up Kagome. Wake the up, Wench!"

"Inuyasha, let go of her. She's gone." I felt Miroku's hand on my shoulder and I pushed it away.

"Shut up! Just wait and see, she will open her eyes. Come on now, Kagome. Come back here to us. Show us you're faking it." I shook her harder, refusing to let the tears that's already pooling out in my eyes to spill.

"Inuyasha," Miroku called solemnly.

"Come on Kagome. Surprise me like you did the last time. I won't be angry. So just. Open. Your. Eyes." I clenched on my teeth, still refusing to believe she was gone.

"Inuyasha!"

Without seeing it, a hard slap burned my cheeks and I glared at the one who did it.

"Snap out of it! Stop disrespecting Kagome's body and stop shaking her!" Sango breathed in deeply with each word. "She's gone, Inuyasha. Gone! I know you can't accept that but she really is gone."

Her voice broke at the last words and she collapsed to ground beside Kagome's feet, sobbing as Miroku huddled to her.

"You didn't even wait." I released my grasp of her and hugged the body that lost its warmth so soon, "You didn't give me a chance to answer you. Kagome, I love you too."

And with my words, I didn't even bother holding back my tears anymore. The dam just broke and I silently cradle another love that was lost to me again. At least this time, she won't disappear into the sky. At least for now, I could still hold her. At least for now, her efforts didn't go to waste since we defeated our enemy but at the very least it still wasn't enough for me. I had failed to protect the one I love again. I had lost her to Naraku and the Jewel again. We might have won the battle but we lost a special someone. So in truth, we have failed. I have failed and because of that, she was forever gone from me as she took a big part of my heart away.

Please do review and I would surely update soon! Thank you!