Disclaimer: I do not Inuyasha...or any of the characters associated with it.
The sky was a beautiful display of reds, pinks, oranges and blues. None of the animals had risen yet and the people in the village slept soundly, save for the lone figure wandering in solitary thought.
Kagome was making her way through Inuyasha's forest. She had awoken just as the sky was being lit to find her beloved hanyou missing from the hut. Worried she had grabbed her quiver and set out to find Inuyasha.
She sighed as she pushed some of her hair behind her ears, about to head back to Kaede's hut when a pair of voices reached her ears. The first voice she immediately recognized as Inuyasha's. The other was Kikyo's. Thankful that she was downwind from them, Kagome quietly crept closer.
"I believe that it's about time for you to go Kikyo." Inuyasha regarded her carefully, his eyes nearly as cold and emotionless as the priestess's.
Shaking her head she smiled grimly. "What about your promise Inuyasha?"
He scoffed. "I vowed that I would avenge your death and protect you from Naraku, and I've done that. Now it's time for you to rest in peace."
"No!" Kikyo yelled, startling Kagome. Since when did Kikyo yell? "You promised you would come to hell with me. Would you go back on that promise?"
"No," Inuyasha said calmly, causing Kagome's heart to drop. "You see, I never promised that I'd follow you to hell. Even if I had, I have a pack, a family, that I need to stay with...that I want to stay with." Kagome nearly sighed with relief. He wanted to stay.
Kikyo stared at him icily. "Does this have anything to do with my pathetic reincarnation?" Her eyes dared Inuyasha to say yes.
"Do not ever call her pathetic, ever. And yes, yes my darling Kikyo this has everything to do with her," he sneered and Kagome had to hold in a gasp that was threatening to escape.
"Ha! She's not even half of what I am!" Was it just her or did Kikyo sound jealous? "I should have killed her the first time I was alone with her."
"You don't want to be thinking that," he snarled. "Touch her and I swear that I'll kill you."
"Have you fallen for her Inuyasha? Like you fell for me?" Kikyo was looking up at him, waiting.
Kagome found herself holding her breath, waiting for him to answer.
"No," Inuyasha said, "Because I didn't fall in love with you Kikyo. I fell in love with the idea of finally having a companion. But with Kagome it's so much more then that. She was the first person to accept me for me, you didn't do that. You liked me for what I could become, a human. Kagome doesn't judge people. If they're demon, human, or hanyou, it doesn't matter to her. Yes, she may not be as good as a priestess or archer as you but she's getting there. And her soul is by far purer than yours ever could be."
Kagome found herself unclenching her fists. She even overlooked the part where he picked on her skills. And what was that about her soul being pure?
"If she's so pure, what makes you think she would want you, a hanyou, for a mate?"
He smirked, "She told me." Inuyasha was clearly enjoying look of shock that passed over Kikyo's face before her emotionless mask was back in place.
"Yes," Inuyasha continued when Kikyo refused to speak. "She promised she'd stay by my side forever."
"That doesn't mean she wants you as her mate, especially now that she can go home, permanently," her voice had become desperate.
"That may be true but I'm going to do everything in my power to convince her to stay in this time, with me."
Of course I'll stay, Kagome wanted to shout. They had finally beaten Naraku a week ago, getting the nearly complete jewel from him and the jewel shard from Kohaku's back. Sango was getting over her brother's second death fairly well. They managed to get all of the shards over the last week, including the two from Kouga's legs, thanks to Ayame.
Kagome was brought out of her thoughts when she noticed a red ring appearing on the ground around Kikyo. Kagome knew what was about to happen; Kikyo was about to open the gate to hell. The last time this had happened Kagome had been pinned to a tree by Kikyo's soul collectors. She had been forced to watch Kikyo and Inuyasha and the exchange of a kiss. Inuyasha had almost been taken to hell with Kikyo that day, but Kagome had some how managed to bring him out of the trance Kikyo had placed him under. Kagome just hoped that same incident wouldn't happen again. Inuyasha seemed to be thinking along the same lines because he was eyeing the circle wit an uneasy gaze.
"Scared Inuyasha?" Kikyo grinned.
"Try apprehensive. The last time you had this circle you were trying to drag me to hell."
"And I would have succeeded if it hadn't been for her."
"Well, I must say that I was thankful that Kagome was there, though there were some parts I could have spared her from." Inuyasha said, remembering how sad and upset Kagome had been once he had freed her.
"You know," Kikyo said, her voice soft and enticing. "She could be free of all those awful memories if you came with me. Whether you loved me or not, you still came to me countless times. You know how much that hurt her. If you came with me, you could finally free her from all of that hurt and she would be able to move on with a free heart. Wouldn't you want that? Wouldn't you want that since you claim to lover her so much? Free her Inuyasha."
Kagome was doing her best to keep from either shooting an arrow at the dead priestess or shouting out that she was wrong. Ok, so maybe Kikyo was right, Inuyasha had hurt her all of those times he had run off to see Kikyo, but if he went to hell with Kikyo she wouldn't be free from her pain. If anything, her pain would intensify if he left her. Inuyasha, however, seemed to be thinking along the lines of what Kikyo had said. Kagome watched horrified as Inuyasha took one step, then another, towards Kikyo.
Kagome frantically thought of something she could do to keep Inuyasha from following the priestess to hell, without letting the Kikyo know she was there. Inuyasha was only a few feet away from Kikyo when Kagome got an idea. Taking a deep breath, Kagome began to sing. It was just loud enough for Inuyasha to hear.
Inuyasha paused mid-step when his ears picked up a voice as gentle as the wind. Kagome he thought as his ears twitched in her direction so he could hear her better. As he listened, Inuyasha realized that, in her own way, Kagome was pleading with him to stay. Inuyasha momentarily forgot about Kikyo as he listened. When Kagome finished her song she couldn't help but whisper, "I love you Inuyasha. Please stay."
Inuyasha blinked as Kagome's words sunk in and, when they did, he realized what he was about to do. Kikyo desperately tried to get Inuyasha to keep walking towards her, clearly not expecting what happened next.
Peeking around her tree, Kagome watched with wide eyes as Inuyasha pulled out his sword. Even Kikyo's mask fell if just for a moment. "What do you plan on doing Inuyasha?" Kikyo asked, her tone mocking him.
"I'm finally going to put you to rest, my dear Kikyo." Inuyasha moved back a few steps, smirk on his calm face.
"You wouldn't kill me Inuyasha. You don't have what it takes to do that," Kikyo's voice was still mocking.
"Rest in peace Kikyo," Inuyasha whispered before he brought down his sword, glancing away as Kikyo fell to the ground.
Kagome found herself staring at a pile of bones and dirt before they and the ring disappeared, along with the soul collectors. Kagome didn't make a sound as Inuyasha sheathed his sword, barely able to keep herself from calling out to him as he ran in the opposite direction.
She had to admit that she was slightly shocked that Inuyasha had killed the first person who had offered to have a life with him...even if Kikyo had wanted him to become human. Without thinking of where she was going, Kagome began walking. Looking up she saw that she had come to a stop in front of the Tree of Ages. She had just placed her hand on it's trunk when a voice spoke, startling her.
"I thought that I would find you here." Inuyasha said as he stood several feet behind Kagome, his arms crossed like always. Though he had startled her Kagome didn't turn around. Instead, she pressed her hand harder against the trunk, and spoke.
"This place holds so many memories." Kagome could sense Inuyasha shifting and knew that he was coming closer. When he was right behind her, she spoke again. "Did you really think going to hell with Kikyo would free me of any pain?" She froze, she hadn't meant to ask that.
"I've hurt you so many times that it made sense. If I was no longer around, you wouldn't be forced to hurt anymore...you wouldn't be forced to cry because of me...because of something I did or said."
"Baka," Kagome whispered before turning around and looking at the hanyou that had stolen her heart. He was standing in front of her with his head bowed, his bangs covering his eyes. His ears were drooping and his arms were hanging limply at his sides.
"Yes Inuyasha, you hurt me, but if you had gone with Kikyo, that would have hurt a thousand times more then anything else." Kagome took a shaky breath before continuing. "I can't even begin to imagine how...how horrible my life would have been if you had followed her."
Inuyasha finally raised his head and stared at Kagome with molten gold eyes. "Do you mean that Kagome? Do you truly mean that?" Gently he lay a hand on her shoulder.
"When have I ever said something that I didn't mean?"
Inuyasha quickly closed the distance between them and pulled Kagome into a tight hug, burying his face into her hair. Kagome tightened her arms around him and sighed, how long had she dreamed of something like this?
"Kagome," Inuyasha muttered into her hair.
Apprehensively she tilted her head so she could see him, "Yes?"
He hesitated a moment, then finally, "Will you be my mate?"
Kagome pulled back slightly and looked Inuyasha in the eye. "Are you...are you sure?"
"I've never been this sure about anything in my life. I love you Kagome and I never want you to leave me again." He pushed a lock of hair away from her face, "I've never told you this, but the reason I never wanted you to go home was because I was afraid that you'd end up staying there and leave me alone. Just like so many others."
Smiling gently she pulled him tighter, "Inuyasha, I can't erase all the pain you've been through but I promise, I will never hurt you."
"Thank you Kagome," Inuyasha whispered. "But you still haven't answered my question." Kagome tilted her head curiously.
"Will you become the mate of a lowly hanyou?"
"Never say that you are lowly. If anything, you're greater then any human or demon. I would be...honored to be your mate." When Kagome's words sunk in a smile found it's way onto Inuyasha's face.
"Are you sure?" he asked, praying that she wouldn't change her mind.
She grinned at him, "I've never been this sure about anything in my life." Her lips parted in laughter and he caught them gently in his own.
"Kagome?" he pulled back slightly.
"Hmmm?"
"I love you."
Thank you for reading my one-shot Also, a special thanks goes out to a very close friend of mine (Lilith!) who was kind enough to proof read this for me. Anyways, please review. Thank you!