When I'm Gone by AnimeMoon

Prologue: Cursed Details

Tokyo, 2002

Emi Tokugawa had intended on being gone for the day, leaving the small pharmacy under the supervision of her more-than-capable assistant, Daisuke. The rain had ruined any prospect of a day at the beach. She could have stayed home, rather than work, but something in the back of her mind, told her that she needed to check just once to make sure everything was all right.

"Oh, Kami." Emi didn't glare at Daisuke because, unfortunately, these accidents happened. But for one wrong in a million... it usually meant someone's life. She dialed the number.

Souta ran and grabbed the ringing phone, laughing, as always, when he beat his grandfather into the kitchen, he answered. "Hello?"

"I need to speak to Higurashi Kagome or an adult, please. Immediately."

The tone of the woman's voice told Souta it was an emergency. "OKAASAN! Something's wrong!"

The entire Higurashi family was silent as they sat around the family altar. They only hoped the smoke from the incense would appease Kami enough for a miracle to be had, as they had no way of contacting Kagome to tell her that her life was in danger.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha gently shook the feverish young woman. "What's wrong with her?" He glanced at Sango and Miroku who shook their heads.

"I saw her take some medicine, but she said they were... special vitamins, not for an illness." Sango said. "She was always so healthy, I can't imagine her simply passing out like this... and getting sick so rapidly."

Shippou sniffed, his eyes glassed over with tears. "What's wrong with my okaa-san?"

"It will be all right Shippou." Miroku almost made his voice sound believable as he patted the kitsune on the shoulder. "We will take Kagome-sama back to Kaede's village. Kaede-sama will be able to help, I am sure of it."

"I have seen something like this," Kaede nodded, "I will do my best to cure her illness." She waited until Shippou was outside the hut to add, "I am not holding out much hope as I have never heard of a healthy young woman being struck down so quickly and surviving."

As the full moon rose over both the Sengoku Jidai and the distant future from which Kagome called home, she took her last breath and her heart stopped.

Kagome's mother was waiting for Inuyasha when he finally came out of the well. Her face was stained with tears as she met his gaze. "Yes, I've been expecting you. I know she is dead."

"But... how?" Inuyasha blinked. Damn it, I won't cry with her. I'm not weak.

"There was a mistake at the pharmacy... the place where she gets her medicine. They gave her a medicine that meant certain death within a few hours." She shook her head. "I always feared that Kagome would die in your time, but I never... I never thought it would be like this. We waited... When you did not return with her, we knew she had died."

"But it didn't smell like poison... I would have..."

She held up her hands. "No one blames you, Inuyasha. It wouldn't have smelled like poison at all, as for sick people, it can help restart their heart or keep it from stopping. In someone healthy like Kagome, it would make them sick and eventually stop their heart. I cannot even say that they would have been able to do anything for her here had you brought her back"

"I feel so awful, for every time I called her my 'shard detector'... Now that we've completed the Shikon no Tama... and Naraku is dead... our journey is over... and she.. dies?" Inuyasha shook his head. "I wish there was something I could do... I would wish for her to come back."

"And that would undo all the good every one of you did together. Let Kami handle this as it should be." She hugged Inuyasha as she might have her own daughter. "Come back if you can. If not, know that our family won't forget you."

He nodded. "And mine won't forget you either, if I can't return." Inuyasha jumped into the well for the last time, never to return to Kagome's Tokyo.