Nobody had ever had such perfect clarity of mind as Kagome did in that one moment. The wind whipped her raven hair about her bruised and bloodied face as she saw every one of her cherished friends lying lifeless on the ground before her.

Her grip tightened on the small round jewel in her palm and she pursed her lips, fighting the pain that emanated from every part of her body. This battle was hard fought. It was all up to her now.

Lifting her arm in front of her she glared at the mass of pure evil that stood across the expanse of the forest clearing. She watched as Naraku's writhing tentacles pierced her lovers heart, killing him instantly. His beautiful silver hair was stained red by his own blood as it pooled beneath him.

The jewel called to her, and she knew what she needed to do. Closing her eyes, she focused on finding Midoriko's pure soul within the jewel. She envisioned it expanding, overtaking the youkai souls she'd been battling for centuries. The jewel glowed a bright shade of pink from between her fingers as she continued to focus on expanding the miko energy further.

Naraku smiled maliciously, "You've lost" he gloated, shoving his tentacle deeper through Inuyasha's unmoving chest. The act had been meant to rattle her, but it only streingthened her resolve. With one last burst of energy, the jewel between her palms burst into a ball of pure blinding light.

"No. You have." Was the only thing Kagome uttered before releasing it upon Naraku's massive body.

In an instant the souls of Kagome and Midoriko fused; their combined power of purity expanded outward like a shock wave. Naraku was obliterated, and the youkai within the shikon jewel purified.

Nothing standing in the wake of energy was left untouched. The entire clearing was left a glistening shade of pure white. Even the trees that surrounded the area were white as new fallen snow. There were no traces of the battle that had taken place there just moments ago.

88

All was silent. Kagome no longer felt any pain. She opened her eyes and blinked. Everything was shrouded in a light mist, and she couldn't make out any definable landscape.

"Thank you, Kagome." The voice echoed from behind her. She turned around slowly.

The vision of a young woman with long ebony hair dressed in ancient armour stood before her. "Midoriko" Kagome whispered. She bowed low, in respect to the ancient warrior priestess.

"Yes." The woman said with a smile. She placed a soft hand under Kagome's chin, and bade her look up. "It is I who should bow to you, dear girl. For you accomplished something even I, in all of my power could not. Now the shikon-no-tama has been completely purified".

Kagome stood there in shock. This powerful and ancient miko was thanking her? This was surreal.

"I don't know what to say." Kagome admitted. Midoriko smiled kindly.

"Dear girl, because you were able to finally defeat the evil youkai spirits within the jewel, you shall be granted the wish I have seen in your heart."

Kagome was elated. This was more than she could have hoped for.

"Your life, and the lives of your friends might have turned out much differently had they not been touched by the shikon jewel, and those that aimed to corrupt it. Therefore, I will grant that your soul, and the souls of your friends be reborn, free to live out their lives as they should have." Midoriko pulled Kagome into a warm embrace. A tear slid down Kagome's cheek.

"Thank you." She sobbed. It was all she had ever wanted for her friends to be able to live normal lives free of Naraku and the shikon jewel.

"No dear one, thank you. Now be at peace."