Disclaimer: Yeah I wish… -.-"

"They can't be dead, they can't be dead, they can't be dead…" Kagome repeated to herself as she looked over at the dead bodies of second family: Shippo, her son, who she had swore to protect, Sango, her sister, Miroku, her brother, who lied next to Sango, covering her body with his own, and Inuyasha, her lover, who promised to be there for her forever. Then she looked over at the Sacred Jewel, finally completed but also completely tainted, and around it, the ashes of what used to be Naraku. After picking up the damned jewel shards, she put it around her neck, and allowed her mind to shut down.

Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Land had left, walked off without a second glass after a low bow to her, leaving her with the carcasses of the battle. Kouga had also fought with them, but his body, along with his packs', was completely torn up by Kagura's wind and there wasn't any remains left for her to bury. Kirara, thank any god who was watching, was alive but just barely. She had large gashes along her body and the tip of one of her tails was clawed off, but at least she was alive, yes, thank god for that.

And Kagome, after digging a crude hole for each of her deceased family, left. Left her lover, her son, her family, her yellow backpack, and Feudal Era with only the cursed jewel around her neck and Kirara in her arms.

Back at home, she had done nothing but morn for the deaths of her second family for weeks. Nothing had been able to cheer her up, not her mom, her brother, Kirara or the stories of the past her grandfather insisted on telling her. They were all about princes and princesses that had saved their family and friends because of how strong they were, which her grandfather had thought applied to her life in the past. But in reality it only made her feel worse. She hadn't helped at all. All she was able to do was stand at the side firing arrows, which were actually very accurate now, and hoping she wouldn't be getting in the way. Of course she had improved with her miko powers with Kaede and Miroku, and she had learned how to use a whip and a katana courtesy of Sango and Sesshoumaru, and even a little bit about manipulating her miko powers to create shapes from Shippo, but she had been weak compared to them and was more of a burden than a person who helped them in battle.

'No more…' Kagome thought to herself as she packed up a black backpack. She picked up her backpack along with a sleeping Kirara and went out to find her mother. She knew it was going to hurt her, along with Souta and Grandpa but she had to do this, she was going to be strong enough to protect her family the next time danger came. And she knew it was because of the now purified jewel around her neck. Holding on to the tiny jewel, she thought back to the last battle. The wish Naraku had made was a selfish wish and it had remained whole and Kagome had yet thought of a pure wish for the souls inside to be freed.

"Okaasan…" Kagome started, "I have to go, I can't stay here…" Knowing exactly what she needed, her mother gave her a silent hug.

"Go to Konoha, I'll help you call your uncle to tell him you're on your way there," her mother said, biting her lip, "and… and, tell them we said 'hello'."

Kagome knew her mother had more to say, more to her than to Uncle Hyuga but walked away, knowing that if she said anymore, she might not be able to leave.

Stretching, she got off the train. It had taken her about a day to reach the rural areas of Japan. By the time she got off the train, there was barely anybody left on the train and she had the whole compartment to herself. There would still be a couple days until she got to Konoha, being a hidden village and all.

It was a pleasant day she decided as she rode on Kirara, going at a leisure pace though the sky. With nothing to do, she took out her Zen Micro and looked through the songs her brother Souta uploaded in a desperate attempt to keep her in touch with the modern world. And one particular song caught her attention. Birdcage by Gackt

hikari no naka de mita osanai kioku wa

kegareta kono boku ni wa ima mo toosugite

Inside of the light, I saw my youthful memories


They're still too far off for me, filthy as I am now


'Yeah, filthy' she thought, 'that's exactly as I am. So contaminated with worthless thoughts of a bright future that I can't even save my friends when they needed me. Definitely worse than dirt.'

yami no naka, kimi no na o nando mo sakenda

owaranai toki no naka de kimi shika inakute

Inside of the darkness, I called your name over and over again


Inside of the endless time, there's no one there but you

'Inuyasha… yes even now I'll keep calling your name, in hope that you'll somehow be able to come back to me. Inuyasha!'

aganau koto sae dekizu ni boku o tojikomeru

inoru koto shika dekinakute...kanashimi wa ienai

I lock myself up, unable to even atone


I can't do anything but pray...my sadness is not cured

'How can I atone? How can this sadness ever be cured? It can't, never, as if my soul was ripped away from me again, except this time it'll never come back.'

ajisai no nureta ha no ichimai chigitta

mizutamari ni ukabete kimi o omoidasu

I tore off a single damp petal from a hydrangea


It floats in a puddle, and I remember you

'Haha probably damp from tears. Sango, how she used to love hydrangeas, and how Miroku would always go to town and buy some for her whenever he made some extra cash.'

ameagari no yuugure ni kasuka ni kikoeta tooku no fune no kiteki

naze ka kanashikute

In the evening just after the rain, I faintly heard the far off whistle of a ship


For some reason, it made me sad

'Shippo always wanted to go on one of those ships, not the small wooden ones but the huge ones that could have fitted Kaedes' whole village. Now he'll never have the chance to.'

yurusarenai no nara subete ga kiereba ii

kanashimi mo itami mo nani mo iranai sekai e

If I can't be forgiven, then everything can disappear


The sadness and the pain, to the world that doesn't need anything

'How true, I'm only bothering my family with my sadness and pain. They cant even have fun when I'm around anymore. And it's not like I can ask for forgiveness from them. Not like they'll ever forgive me though. How could they forgive someone that practically deserted them in the time that they needed me the most.'

aganau koto sae dekizu ni boku o tojikomeru

inoru koto shika dekinakute...kanashimi wa ienai

I lock myself up, unable to even atone


I can't do anything but pray...my sadness is not cured

'and it never will be…'

yasashiku naita sora kara kikoeta kimi no koe mo

namida o ukabeta mama waratta boku ni wa mienai...

From the gently crying sky, I also heard your voice

I laughed through gathering tears, but I couldn't see anything...

'Inuyasha! Shippo! Sango! Miroku! If only I could've died with all of you in the battle!'

hikari no naka de mita osanai kioku wa

oto no nai egao sae ima wa ureshikute

Inside of the light, I saw my youthful memories


Even the soundless smile is happy right now

'I'm sorry mother, Souta, granpa…'

nido to modorenai ano koro ni mo

boku-tachi wa waratteita

I can't return to that time ever again


When we were laughing

owari

Well that was my first chappie! Haha took me forever to write it and I guess I'm pretty satisfied with it. Well for those of you who actually liked it.. yay!! Thxx I actually don't know if I'll continue it because I get distracted pretty easily and don't actually know what Kagome is gonna do at Konoha when she gets there. Suggestions please!!! Oh and if I actually do continue this, it's gonna be a Kagome/Itachi pairing for those of you who don't like it… sorry