Chapter 6: To Death and Beyond – Together forever

Disclaimer: Read the last couple of chapters, it's all there. I can't be bothered anymore.

A/N: Well people, this is the last part of 'When you're gone...' and I hope that you've enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it. I really am sorry that it took so long to finish, but I kept getting writer's block and then there was a heap of schoolwork to deal with. Btw, the fight between Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru doesn't involve any swords, so that's why they aren't fighting with Tessaiga or the Tenseiga. Sesshoumaru, however, *does* have a sword (which you will see put to use soon in this chapter!). Sesshoumaru is a bit OOC here, but just bear with me, kay? The song 'Here with Me' comes from the Roswell soundtrack, and ta-dah, does *not* belong to me! Thoughts are in italics as usual. Sit back and enjoy! ...Should I have an epilogue? R&R please! Thank yous are at the bottom!

Her feet made no sound as she staggered more than walked, down the silent hospital corridor. For some unknown reason, there had been no nurses or doctors inside or around her room, and her family had been called of to some very important occasion, and she had climbed out of bed and had made her way out of the room.

I just…want to be near him…Inuyasha…Kagome found herself wanting to be by the Goshimboku tree, where, in the Feudal Age, she had released Inuyasha from his 'prison'. It was the only thing in her world now that served as a reminder for him; he visited her dreams no more, nor could the well be used again.

Weakly making her way towards the lift, she used the walls of the corridor as her supports. She stepped into the lift after looking around quickly for signs of other people; the doors slid close silently as she slumped against the wall. She gritted her teeth as a wave of pain washed over her body momentarily, and relaxed again after it left her body. There was a soft 'ding' as the lift announced its arrival on the ground floor and Kagome stepped out of the lift. As if in a trance, she exited the hospital, barefoot, and clothed only in the bleak white nightgown. If anyone had seen her on that fateful night, they would have said that she looked possessed, for her eyes held only a void of emptiness; the look of one who had accepted her death, and who was moving by her own will towards it.

~*~

He had spilled her blood.

And now he was running again, wiping the continuous tears falling from his eyes, and it seemed as if history had repeated itself again. He could hear the voices now. Whispering coldly, silently, like a silver knife against paper. "It's your fault" "You killed her" "She's dead now" "Bring her back to us!" "I hate you, Inuyasha! You killed her!"

He collapsed to his knees in the darkness, sobbing uncontrollably. "I only…I only…wanted to kill Kikyo." Never Kagome!!! A soft whisper. "Never Kagome…"

Inuyasha was trapped within himself; it was a recurring nightmare to him, as he saw himself killing Kikyo over and over again, only to find out in the end that it was Kagome that he had killed by his own hands. And he was running, running from the reality that Kagome's life had been ended by his own hands, refusing to believe that it was actually true, running from the guilt, fear, pain, shock, only to find that there was nowhere to run, and that he was trapped in this place, to keep killing her forever, again and again, snapping her neck.

While she smiled coldly, enjoying his self-torture from a distance. "My work is done here. I can finally leave now." She said no one in particular, and then vanished into thin air.

~*~

Sesshoumaru dodged and weaved in and out of Inuyasha's attacks easily, moving only at the last second. This…is getting rather…boring. He mused to himself. Why should I even bother trying to dodge? In the state that he's in, he'll never even be able to land a scratch on me. He sighed. So much for fascinating entertainment. He walked away gracefully, turning his back to Inuyasha, moving only ever so slightly so that Inuyasha's swipes never made contact with any part of his body. It hadn't even been five minutes, and then he heard a thud on the ground behind him. Curiousity getting the better of him, Sesshoumaru turned around, only to find that Inuyasha was clutching his head in his hands, seemingly in very much pain, and incoherent growls were coming from him. Inuyasha was kneeling on the ground, and the noises he was making were getting louder and louder. Sesshoumaru winced slightly and covered his ears as Inuyasha screamed inhumanly; it was a terrifying and anguished sound, and now Sesshoumaru was getting slightly worried that his halfling brother had indeed, lost the plot, so to say.

And he couldn't have been more shocked to find that Inuyasha's eyes were changing colour non-stop from amber to red and back again. He couldn't believe that eyes could seem so blank, and so filled with emotion at the same time. In Inuyasha's eyes, he had seen the look of someone who had completely and utterly lost his mind; he had seen grief and pain and hatred.

Is this…really Inuyasha? I would have never imagined that he could be like this. The reality shocked him to the bone.

Inuyasha's head snapped up suddenly, and this time, his eyes were completely red. His movements were much faster, and he snarled as Sesshoumaru barely dodged his moves. His demon blood has completely taken over! Thoughts ran through Sesshomaru's mind endlessly as he whipped his face to the left before Inuyasha's claws could kiss his cheek. And he's faster than ever! Inuyasha lunged again, and this time, Sesshoumaru's neck was left with a shallow cut. Sesshoumaru huffed, getting slightly irritated with his half brother. Shit! At this rate, he really will be able to deal some formidable damage to me, and I can't let that happen! Sesshomaru was so lost in his thoughts that he barely noticed Inuyasha's next attack.

The claws whizzed straight towards his neck.

~*~

Kagome felt as if she was drifting like a cloud; her feet were on auto-pilot and her mind was blank. The icy cold night wind played at the thin nightdress, snatching it this way and that, almost pulling it off her body. Any other normal human being would have felt the cold penetrate right through their bones, but Kagome was lost to the world of the living now; she was so much more like a wraith than a human, given the circumstances that she was in. Her skin was turning almost blue because of the cold, and her bare feet were bloodied by walking so much; her house was quite a ways from the hospital, but yet, none of this seemed to register. It was as if she had overcome pain, and maybe she had. The pain that she had gone through not only physically, but also mentally and emotionally was probably enough to fill millions of lifetimes, and the depth of her pain was bottomless. The Kagome who had been so boisterous and upbeat while traveling in the Feudal times with Inuyasha seemed to be a faraway lifetime from the wraith-like Kagome who trudged onwards like a robot towards her ultimate goal. Death. It will be my eternal peace... Without Inuyasha, I have no reason, no reason at all to live. A bitter smile defiled her features. Besides...I don't want to die like an invalid when the tumour finally spreads itself throughout my whole body. If I must die, I won't allow it to be because of Kikyo's curse; I would rather that I be the one to end my life instead. As she moved on forward in the falling snow towards her ultimate resting place, some part of her mind somehow acknowledged that this was the last journey home that she would ever make. And after that...after that...it would all be an oblivion. The world around her blurred, cars whizzing by on the highway, too busy, too occupied to notice the wraith of a girl haunting the pavement. It no longer mattered to her; no longer seemed to matter to the universe, that her short life, like a flickering candle, would be blown out today.

I didn't hear you leave, I wonder how am I still here,

As Kagome moved along brokenly on the pavement, she thought she saw a familiar figure in a red haori and hakama walk past her in the corner of her eyes. Her eyes widened as the figure brushed past her and continued walking. (1) The silver hair danced in the wind as he turned his head slightly, amber eyes glowing with love as he smiled at her, a hand reaching out towards her. Kagome couldn't believe her eyes as she stared at the figure in front of her.

"Inuyasha?" Her whisper barely carried over the wind, her voice incredulous. He returned her question with a smile, and beckoned towards, her, starting to move forward again.

"Inuyasha, wait!" She protested as he walked away from her, figure moving towards the mist, and her tired feet moved after him. "Come back!"

He turned again, grinning, and stood there waiting for her. As she reached out to touch him, the figure dissolved between her fingers, and she bit back a gasp, only to see him reappear a few yards in front of her. Her heart soared again as she saw him grinning at her, and she moved as fast as her feet could take her.

I don't want to move a thing, it might change my memory

The chasing game continued, and every time Kagome tried to touch Inuyasha, he disappeared, only to reappear again further in front of her. She was panting now, her breath evident; the white puffs coming out of her mouth as she tried to catch her breath. The pain in her abdomen suddenly struck, threatening to take away her consciousness, but she fought hard against it, pale, weak hands hard against the pavement, face twisted into a painful grimace. She looked up to see that the Inuyasha figure was hovering closeby again, eyes worried as he peered at her from between his silvery fringe of hair. Getting up from the pavement slowly, she saw that he was walking ahead of her again, and as she followed him, she remembered many of the times that they spent together.

Oh I am what I am, I'll do what I want, but I can't hide
I won't go, I won't sleep, I can't breathe, until you're resting here with me
I won't leave, I can't hide, I cannot be, until you're resting here with me

She remembered the first time he had changed into his human form, all violet eyes and long black flowing hair; falling asleep in her lap while trying to fight off the poison. Remembered him telling her that she smelt nice.

She remembered him blushing slightly when he told her to let him protect her.

Remembered feeling his watchful eyes on her as he stayed awake, while everyone else slept at night.

Remembered all the times that he had saved her life; all the little arguments that they used to have.

Remembered realizing that she had fallen in love with him when she had witnessed the kiss between him and Kikyo. Remembered her heart aching, the pieces falling apart as she ran from the scene.

Remembered the warm and secure feeling of being wrapped up in his arms; of clinging to his back as he soared through the trees swiftly.

Remembered the shock of seeing him in his demon form, fearing for his sanity.

Remembered the feel of his embrace, the unique smell that was essentially him, and nothing else.

Remembering the scream of her name on his lips when she plummeted through the well.

Remembered crying, thinking that she would never see him again.

Remembered telling him that she loved him, and him telling her that he loved her.

The memories continued to assault her mind as Inuyasha danced out of her reach; always so close, yet so far.

I don't want to call my friends, they might wake me from this dream
And I can't leave this bed, risk forgetting all that's been

She remembered all the smiles and laughter that she had shared with Sango; all the pervertedness of Miroku; the motherly feeling of looking up Shippou; the knowledgable lessons she'd learned from Kaede; the jealousy and anger, and sometimes hate she felt whenever Kikyou appeared; the slight fear of Sesshoumaru; the warmth and acceptance of her own family; the warmth and acceptance from all the villagers; the sleepless nights spent crying over Inuyasha; the determination to win against Naraku; the sadness of having to leave behind the Feudal Ages...

But most of all, she remembered Inuyasha's love for her.

Oh I am what I am, I'll do what I want but I can't hide
I won't go, I won't sleep, I can't breathe until you're resting here with me
I won't leave, I can't hide, I cannot be, until you're resting here with me.

All at once she found herself in front of the Goshimboku tree at her house; the Inuyasha figure seemed to have disappeared, but deja vu assailed Kagome's senses as she remembered the first time that she saw Inuyasha pinned to the Goshimboku tree. Eyes closed in what looked like a peaceful sleep; slight frown that marred his features slightly, but overall made him look more handsome; the slightly pointed, fluffy ears on top of his head that looked so soft to the touch; the platinum-white hair that blew gently in the breeze...

And the arrow that had pinned him to the tree.

The fatigue of her reckless journey caught up to her, and her legs gave out underneath her, leaving her to collapse in front of the ancient tree. She felt tired...so very tired. She wanted to shed her body, and just let her soul fly free, unburdened, so that she could be with Inuyasha once again. A thousand emotions assailed her senses, and the pain struck once again, this time causing her to cough heavily into her hand. She wasn't too shocked to see the blood that she had coughed up; she had been expecting this for a very long time. Blood was spattered on the thin nightdress she wore, and she absently fingered the chain on which she wore the Shikon no Tama on with her clean hand. It glowed a bright pink, and she narrowed her eyes against the fluorescent light.

Only to find that she was no longer holding the Shikon no Tama, but her hand was clutching a glowing arrow. The Shikon no Tama was nowhere to be seen.

Kagome smiled sadly to herself, knowing that somehow, the Shikon no Tama had fulfilled the one, and only wish that she had.

To die and be with Inuyasha.

Her voice was lost to the wind as she whispered the last words she would ever say in this life.

"Goodbye, O cruel world…"

And she plunged the arrow into her heart.

~*~

Sesshoumaru stared down and the hand that was poised to tear his jugular out of his neck, barely daring to breath. Inuyasha's hand trembled slightly, as if he was fighting some internal battle within himself, and when Sesshoumaru met Inuyasha's anguished eyes, he was shocked to see that Inuyasha's eyes were flashing amber and red, one colour pushing away the other, only to be replaced by the other. What shocked him more was the unspoken plea in Inuyasha's eyes, that was present along with his conflicting emotions of guilt, anger and hatred. If he looked closer...he could have sworn that that plea in Inuyasha's eyes plainly said...

'Please kill me.'

The moment was over as soon as it had begun, and Sesshoumaru let his knees drop beneath him, allowing him to slump quickly to the ground, barely avoiding a death at Inuyasha's claws as he heard the hard thunk of Inuyasha's claws being embedded into the tree behind him. Sesshoumaru hurriedly got to his feet and moved a good distance away from Inuyasha as the latter pulled his claws out of the thick bark of the tree. Holding one hand to his head, and snarling, Inuyasha advanced towards Sesshoumaru; his eyes were still changing colour, but tears were streaming down his face. At the sight of Inuyasha's tears, Sesshoumaru finally realized what his brother really wanted.

His voice was hoarse. "Just this once, I'll grant you what you want, little brother."

Eyes completely red all of a sudden, Inuyasha lunged towards Sesshoumaru.

The older youkai closed his eyes as he brought his thrust his sword upwards forcefully. The sound of blood dripping to the floor and the gurgle of a voice made him open his eyes again to see Inuyasha impaled on his sword, one hand outstretched towards him. Sesshoumaru pulled his sword out of Inuyasha's body, and the latter crumpled to the ground; one hand clutched at the bloody wound, eyes closed in pain, while blood trickled from one side of his mouth down his face.

The hanyou opened his eyes, and this time, they were fully amber. He smiled painfully at his brother, and uttered two words.

"...Thank you..."

His eyelids slid over his eyes, and his whole body went limp as death took over.

Kagome...wait for me...

~*~

She cracked her eyes open to the golden glow around her. The pain from her body was gone, and she felt so much better than she had ever felt in the past few months. Kagome got to her feet, looking around her surroundings. Everything was shrouded in mist, and she had no idea where she was, but somehow, she felt as if she belonged here... Silver light assailed her eyes, and she squeezed her eyes shut against the blinding light. When she opened her eyes this time, she saw a shadowed figure making its way towards her in the mist. She clutched her hands nervously as the figure moved closer towards her. Kagome blinked slowly, not knowing if she was truly seeing who she was seeing, or if she was just hallucinating.

The mist lifted, and they stood there, staring at each other.

He was the first one to smile, and promptly wrapped her in his warm embrace.

She stood there in shock for a second, and then returned his hug, happy tears flowing from her eyes.

"It's you...it really is you..."

He smiled into her hair, then pulled back slightly to look into her deep chocolate brown eyes.

"This time, we'll be together. Forever."

And he sealed her lips with a kiss.

Notes:

(1) She's hallucinating here. Gee... I mean, who wouldn't right? She's not exactly in her right mind; her beloved is never gonna see her again, and she feels like dying. I wouldn't be surprised if I did the same thing if I was in her situation.

A/N: w00t!!! *wipes sweat off forehead* It's finally done! 'When you're gone' is finally finished! PLEASE, please, pleaaase tell me if you want an epilogue to that, to tie up all the loose ends as to what goes on down on earth after the both of them have died. I sure wouldn't mind writing it =) Thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story: Sango-chan, Annie, WaterAngel, fire_gal13, akai risu, Crystalline, Demonica, Ami-chan, Talon skydragon, Lin (:p), T, Jurei, Inukice, Goddess of Death, Ranko-chan, kristy, mokuren, Esther Tan, Miroku, Akara, Laura-chan, SylverAngel, niasdreams, zel no miko, anonymous person (?), Ryuuzaki, DC, Anime-Guera, Lireal, starfire, madeleine, Goddess Pluto, anonymous person #2, murasaki ayame, Matthew Hughes, anonymous person #3 (lol), anonymous person #4, ~InU-cHaN~ and Kay Kylo. Thank you all for reading my fic, and I hoped you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Thanks for bothering to review; you've all driven me to continue writing (^^;; although, yes, I *do* know that I've taken waaaay too long to write this whole thing up). All the support has done great things to my ego (no, it's not all that inflated :p), and thank you again for supporting me. I'm *really* sorry to all the Kikyo fans out there; I know that I've turned her into a complete bitch here *wince*; sorry also to all the Sesshoumaru fans, I know he's really OOC here, but well, for the fic's sake. I know that Rin and Jaken should be around, and that they should *really* be fighting with the Tessaiga and the Tenseiga, but @_@ swordfights are waay to complicated for me, and I already had a lot of trouble trying to write the fight scene. This fic was started 2 years ago, and well, I only watched up to episode 20, before Sango and Rin showed up, and before Sesshoumaru got the Tenseiga. Sorry if it's all far from the storyline as it is now, but yiii~ keeping up with 100+ episodes is murder. It's been a very long 2 years, and the fic has finally come to an end. I have no idea if I'll ever write another Inuyasha fanfic (@_@ this took forever! yes?), but presently, I'm working on a Rurouni Kenshin fanfic and it's sidestory, so please please support me *gives everyone Inuyasha plushies as bribes*, and I'll see you all around!

*NOTE* REMEMBER TO TELL ME WHETHER YOU WANT AN EPILOGUE OR NOT!!! I'M ONLY WRITING ONE IF I GET MORE THAN 10 REVIEWS FOR THIS ONE! ...or maybe I'll be nice and just write one?...Hmm...stick with those 10 reviews first.