InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ As Bright as the Sun ❯ As Bright as the Sun ( Chapter 1 )

Kagome felt the cool, round jewel in her hand. A deep calmness had descended over her as soon as she had touched the completed sphere. She was glowing, glowing the soft pink color of the orb. She could feel Midoriko's spirit pulsing within it, beating against her hand. It is time, it told her softly.

She looked at her companions. Sango was mourning, mourning over her brother, Kohaku. You can help her, the voice compelled her. She walked over to Sango, taking the girl's hands, allowing the glow to cover her. Sango's eyes cleared, and she lifted them to meet Kagome's, then to the monk. Kagome's eyes traveled that way as well. There is nothing you can do for that one, the voice said, he is cured. Sango dropped Kagome's hands and walked over to Miroku, carrying some of the glow with her and spreading it to the monk. As it should be.

Her gaze shifted to Shippou, who was sitting quietly, looking lonely. He walked over to her, into her arms, into her glow. She watched as his child eyes gained hope, a hope that he would never lose. But there was sadness there, as well, a sadness that even she could not heal. You cannot hide truth from a child.

She turned to InuYasha. He had been watching her closely with a look of incomprehension on his face. She walked over to him, an unreadable expression on her face, each step slow and deliberate.

"I can give you humanity, InuYasha," she said she said quietly.

"Only if I can spend it with you, Kagome."

She smiled at him sadly and suddenly wanted to rebel. She stared at the jewel. Would you throw me away? The voice reverberated, Would you throw me away for a hanyou? The spirit of Midoriko stood in front of her, blocking her from InuYasha. You know what you must do.

"I was born to do it," she whispered. She walked through the apparition and up to InuYasha. He looked at her with fear in his eyes, but her glow calmed him. Slowly, serenely, she kissed him. He wrapped his arms around her, moving into the kiss, bracing himself for the change that she would give him, but as she broke away he saw he remained a hanyou, unchanged.

"Kagome?" he asked, fear once again consuming him. A tear rolled down her cheek as she backed away from him. She raised the Shikon no Tama and set it in the air in front of her. Closing her eyes, she prepared herself for the final purification. Her one duty, the duty that none before her could complete, the duty she was born to do… She let the purity stream from her body. InuYasha watched as her body left the ground and glowed as she fused with the jewel, each second the glow getting stronger until it blinded him, but he still watched. It flared out, covering him and extending to the ends of the world, and then died. As his vision cleared he ran out to Kagome, her body perfect and unmarred, lying on the ground. He grabbed her, but she was empty.

InuYasha cradled her body and cried out, the cry starting low, and gathering volume until it seemed as if all that existed was his consuming pain. Sobs racked his body. He was alone. He would always be alone. His tears hit the cold body in his hands, steaming as they touched her. And the last of the glow left the body, a remnant of what had been. The sobs subsided, and Inuyasha's eyes cleared. Kagome hadn't left him with nothing. She had given him strength. Strength in himself, strength to move on. He kissed the forehead of the girl he had loved, and turned to face the sun. He would not waste the gift given to him by the purest thing in the world. He would not waste the heart given to him by Kagome.