I actually...updated this? This chapter was a long time coming, I only finally managed to type it up. This time it's Kikyo's turn. I really like Kikyo, she's dead and she has to watch Inuyasha continue with his life while her's is stopped. It's really sad. So in this chapter, I gave her a happy ending. She deserves one.

Kagome listened to Miroku's heartbeat as she sat with his warm arms tightly wrapped around her. His breathing was soft and even, and very comforting. Neither of them entirely knew what to say, but words hardly seemed necessary as they sat together as if one. Kagome never understood how exactly Miroku managed to sleep while sitting up night after night, but found herself dozing off in this position nonetheless.

Then, without warning, Miroku pulled his right hand away from her and tucked it underneath his opposite arm. Kagome opened her eyes.

"What's wrong?" she asked, noticing that he was wincing slightly.

"Nothing," he said quietly. "It's just my Wind Tunnel-sometimes it hurts more than other times. Now seems to be one of those times."

"I didn't know that it hurt. Do you feel the pain often?"

"It's always there. Sometimes it just feels like a dull pull, sometimes it can be quite painful. But over the years I have managed to get used to it." He flashed his trademark friendly smile. "Nothing to worry about, really."

Rather disconcertingly, Kagome continued to stare at Miroku with concern sparkling in those big brown eyes of hers. He'd seen her stare that way at Inuyasha many a time, when the silver haired boy failed to devote himself to recuperating after an injury. That was Kagome for you. She had a huge heart and couldn't help but care about everyone, no matter what.

She took his gloved hand, hesitantly at first because it still made her a little nervous to touch it. It looked so benign, yet held such a formidable weapon underneath the purple fabric. Then, overcoming her fear, she clutched his hand to her chest and held both her hands over it. As she did so, she closed her eyes and took slow breaths, almost as if meditating.

Whether it was the warmth of her body, or her miko powers at work, Miroku ceased to feel pain in his hand. It was replaced instead by a warm, light almost even pleasant feeling. Kagome opened her eyes and smiled up at him, continuing to shelter his hand with hers.

It was a clear night, which meant that it was a crisp night, but also meant that the moon hung low in the sky, illuminating the world with an unusual brightness.

A small distance from the house where everyone else rested, two black silhouettes sat in contrast to the round moon. Both with long hair, one of them with pointed ears on top of it's head. The moonlight glinted off Inuyasha's silvery locks, making him appear to glow. Even Kikyo's hair took on a transcendent glow. They sat in silence, looking up at the stars through the winter-bare tree branches. They wanted to savour the moment, but feared it, knowing that it could be their last moment together. Romances between a half demon and a dead woman are often doomed.

Inuyasha was the one to break the silence. "It's cold out here," he said quietly. "Would you like to wear my Fire Rat Robe?"

Kikyo gave a sad laugh. "Thank you for the offer, but you know I feel neither heat nor cold in this body."

"Oh. Sorry."

"You realise you have made a foolish choice, in choosing me Inuyasha. I can never be more than an empty vessel. What happens when you want to start a family? I cannot provide that for you. I cannot even provide warmth and comfort for you." She reached out and took his hand in her cold fingers to prove her point. "You belong with that Kagome, and not me."

"Shut up!" barked Inuyasha. "I just won't accept that you would throw away this second chance like that."

"Don't you remember we had dreams? After you used the jewel to become human, we were going to start a family. Two girls and two boys. I cannot give that to you, as much as I wish I could. The only way would be if I had a real body. And the only way to breathe real life into this body is to-" She stopped herself abruptly. "Never mind."

"Is to what? Whatever it is, I'll do it."

Kikyo shook her head. "It's not possible, without taking something very precious from you."

"You don't mean Kagome?"

"So you admit that she is precious to you? No, I was referring to the Sacred Jewel. I could use it to return life to my body, and become a human again. But that would mean you would be unable to use it to become human. To save myself, I would have to steal your future happiness away from you and I couldn't do it."

Inuyasha was silent for a moment. When he finally spoke it was to say: "I want you to have the jewel when this is all over."

"You don't know what you're saying."

"I want you to have a living body. All you ever wanted was to start a family and live a normal life. I want you to have that. Don't think I haven't noticed how you surround yourself with children whatever village you go to. You love them, you want them. You always have."

"But all you ever wanted was to be human. If you and I have children, they will still have demon blood. They will live through the same treatment you did."

"No they won't. Because I will protect them. And we will both love them, just like my mother loved me. And we will stay strong and we won't die young so we will be around to protect them and love them. That's what I wanted when I was a boy, not to be alone. I'm not ashamed to be what I am. I've learned that now. I'm proud of my demon blood. I'm proud to be my father's son. And our children will be proud too."

"You really mean it, don't you?"

"I swear on my sword and my life I mean it."

Kikyo allowed herself to fall into his arms. The two held their embrace, against the backdrop of the moon and the shadowed branches of leafless trees.