Naraku's tentacles wrapped around her, squeezing the breath out of her lungs. She could feel ribs cracking, bringing tears to her eyes. She knew Inuyasha was trying to get to her. Knew he was trying to save her, but he was kept at bay by one of Naraku's newest puppets, a bat demon named Kuronue. She stared at her inu prince, desperation in his gaze as he glanced at her while trying to get past the bat. Naraku was cackling as her body gave out, the very loud sound of her ribs crumbling with gut-churning cracks making the clearing go dead silent, save the spider's gleeful sounds.

The fox that followed Kuronue around glanced toward her from where he was seated beside Naraku. His eyes were narrowed.

Suddenly, Inuyasha gave a shout and let his windscar cut the ground, fury taking over as his eyes started to glow demonic red. It was getting so dark, Kagome noted distantly, and then looked upwards, at the sun. No. It wasn't getting dark.

I'm dying, she realized. It was a detached thought, of no more importance than if she were thinking about the colors of the rainbow, or how the grass felt beneath her feet. She felt that this thought was ironically funny, but when she tried to laugh, she had to breathe - when did I stop? - and it forced her deflated lungs to try to clear themselves of the blood drowning her. The fox she hadn't seen jumping toward her easily evaded the coughed up blood, using deadly sharp fangs to cut the tentacles away from her.

Naraku was livid for some reason. But no, now he was holding Sango. When had that happened? The disjointed goings on around her started to blend together into a blur of color and she ceased understanding them at all. She was enveloped in darkness, leaving only her thoughts and so much pain.

Maybe it's my fate, she thought suddenly, the notion making a surprising amount of sense. My fate. Maybe... Maybe I'm destined to die this way. Just like this. What about Inuyasha? And the shikon. I have to protect the shikon...

She opened her eyes, briefly seeing the blurry form of the underside of someone's chin, feeling arms wrapped around her and holding her folded against a warm chest, smelling burning flesh and sweat. Her eyes closed again.

Maybe it was fate. My fate. Someone's fate. What will I do? Oh, Inuyasha...

Golden eyes staring down at her, ears twitching when she tried to breathe. Whispered words that she neither heard nor understood enough. Her back was cold, and her front was warm. Her chest was on fire.

I'm dying. Oh, I'm so sorry momma. And Sota. I can't go back to them... I can't go back. Oh, gods, I'm so sorry. Please, let me live. I'll do anything; just ask it of me. I'll do it, if only I can live to see them again.

A gentle brush of clawed finger-tips against her cheek, her burning chest felt tight. Too tight. Too tight; can't breathe. Can't breathe anyway. Blood bubbled up, but she couldn't find the energy to cough. Her world tilted, the blood leaving her mouth, and she faded again.

Sota. Momma. Inuyasha. Please. Let me live to see them again. Please let me live. I'll do anything. Anything. Oh, gods, please. PLEASE!

"Miko-chan, c'mon. Live. Live for me, ne?" Whispered words against her ear. They sounded familiar, as if they'd been said over and over, and she was only just now hearing them.

See? I have to live for him. I have to. You can understand, right? I have to live for him; he asked me to. Please. Please. Please... I have to. For the shikon. For him. My duty. My want. I have to.. Please. Please. Please...

"KURAMA! WATCH OUT!"

"Fucking BASTARD! Get the hell away from KAGOME!"

Her chest wasn't boiling anymore.

Momma. Momma, save me. Please. Save me. Please. Someone save me.

"It's called healing her, dumbass!"

"Get away from Kagome!"

"Both of you, stop!"

"Oh, Kagome."

"Momma. Momma, please. Live."

Shippo! Shippo. I have to live for him, too. And Him. And Inuyasha. Momma, Sota, grandpa... Please, please, please... someone save me.

A hand cupped her chin, tilting it up and pouring water down her throat. She swallowed; Sango's gasp echoed in her ears.

Can I live? I have to protect them. I don't want this fate. I don't want this destiny; let me LIVE!

"Miko-chan? Did you say something?"

"Kagome? You hear me? Dammit, you better live, wench. I don't give a fuck what you wanna do. But you'd better live."

"Ill-mannered brat."

I don't wanna die. Sota and Shippo. I need them. I need to live for them.

Dark gold eyes peered down at her. Her tears blurred her vision, but she somehow knew that it wasn't her beloved hanyo. "I... want... t'live," she whispered. Darkness blended with night.