Where Will You Roam? by AnimeMoon

Moment of Breaking

Victory cries rang through the dark early morning as the last remnants of the demon known as Naraku burst into streams of light that reminded Kagome of what had started this amazing journey: the breaking of the shikon no tama.

She stood tall, proud, with the warriors surrounding her that she had come to know as her friends – all victims of Naraku's deceit: Shippo, Sango, Miroku, Kouga and his tribemates, Kikyou, even Kagura and Kanna his offspring who had taken a stand against the foul hanyou once their hearts had been freed. He had tried to break them all – but in the end, they had broken him. "Inuyasha, look – it's the sunrise. We did it."

When no reply came, she turned around. "Inu... INUYASHA!"

Inuyasha clutched his abdomen, his bangs covered his eyes. A wretched cough brought up blood that painted his lips a bright red as Kagome knelt before her love. "I'm sorry Kagome," Inuyasha whispered.

The entire group hushed their celebrations and encircled the pair as a respectful guard.

"No..." Kagome cried, "You can't... your fire rat armor...Tetsusaiga... you'll heal..."

"Keh. Not strong enough, none of it. Even... strong halfbreeds like me are mortal and these are mortal wounds. I love you, always did... and... you really didn't stink.... You always smelled kind of nice..." His eyes closed as Kagome wrapped her arms around him. He took one last sniff of her hair before breathing his last.

"Inuyasha... don't leave me..." she sobbed for a good hour before several pairs of arms dragged her away from his corpse. Her screams echoed as testament to Naraku's final win against them. The world was saved, but she would never be able to know happiness. He had truly taken the one person who'd meant everything in the world to her.

"Let us attend to his body," Kouga, of all people had requested, "It's the least any of us can do. He gave everything..." There was no impish talk of claiming 'his woman' now. Everyone knew that it had just been a ploy in case he'd died. So that someone would love him but that Ayame's heart wouldn't have been broken in the process. Now, he would return to her in the mountains.

"Yes..." Kagura whispered to Sango where she thought Kagome couldn't hear. "But who's going to take care of her?"

"Good point." Sango noted the condition. It's like she's lost all color or life in her face! Kaede has to see here... The women gently ushered a bewildered and shock-ridden Kagome away from the battlefield and to the nearby village.

Shippo, the fox demon kit, had settled himself into Kagome's lap. "He wouldn't want to see you this sad, Kagome. You're not alone...And I can still come live with you can't I? You're still going to be my okaa-san aren't you?"

Am I not alone? The other half of my soul has disappeared and I do not know where it is that he walks now. She thought, but gave a weak smile to reassure them. "Of course, Shippou. We will leave for a little while after the..." She couldn't even make herself say the word and swallowed the lump in her throat for what little good it did. And why is Kagura is so concerned about me? She doesn't seem the type. To really care.

"Should we help the men?" Kanna quietly asked her elder sister. "I want to do something..."

"We could gather flowers for the grave...." Kagura suggested. "But I think we'd better wait for talk on this right now..."

"Please – make sure they don't bury Tetsusaiga with him. It belongs to his brother now. And... I would like the rosary necklace if... if... you wouldn't mind." Kami, I can't even say his name! It hurts to even think it. One word. One name. My soul is gone, but not for Kikyou's doing... Although... even she refuses to leave me now.

The revived miko was sitting next to Kaede as her 'little sister' stirred together a concoction to help Kagome heal.

How can I feel so alone when I'm so surrounded by so many people? I feel like I am the undead one walking through the world without an ounce of myself left to hang on to.

Kagura gently touched Kagome's shoulder. "Don't worry – I'll even fly on the wind and I'll come back with the items as you asked faster than you can blink. You ask for so little when you deserve so much. How could any of us deny you so unselfish a request...?"

Unselfish... if I'd been 'unselfish' I wouldn't have put Inuyasha in a position where he would have had to die for me anyway. I remember now... he took that blow... because I was hesitating too long to pull the arrow. Stupid arms for being so weak... stupid me for being human.

No wonder Inuyasha once wanted to become youkai... But stupid me, I convinced him that he was strong, that he could take it. Unselfish?! No, I'm the most selfish of all! I don't deserve life or people caring for me or anything.

"Please drink this Kagome," Kaede placed a cup with a noxious-smelling brew in Kagome's hand startling the young woman out of her mental self-flagellation, "It will make ye feel better."

In this case, Kagome knew that it meant that it would put her to sleep. But she wasn't going to protest or hesitate. She didn't even grimace – in her mind she knew it tasted awful or it should, but she couldn't feel anything except the pain that increased with every breath and every heartbeat. "He's gone," she whispered, before falling into a deep, but not untroubled, sleep.