This was my first-ever attempt at fanfiction. It is short, so I have condensed it into a single chapter, but left the old chapter separations to keep the flow. It isn't my favorite story, but it set the stage for Hanyou's Heart, which I've seen as my main IY fic.
Disclaimer: This is fanfiction; I do not own Inuyasha
Suffering Heart
Chapter One: Paths Diverge
The air was too cold on Inuyasha's skin this night. The temperature had never bothered him, but an unmistakable chill held him now. He did not feel right...something was happening. Something important.
Each of the others lay sleeping around the fire below. Inuyasha was perched in a tree as usual, but tonight he could find no comfort. The tree seemed unusually hard and rough against his back. It kept him from any peace and only further convinced him that something was changing...Strange how he felt changing, as if the change were not yet complete. How long before its end?
Inuyasha grumbled to himself. They would reach the village tomorrow. Kagome would certainly leave him again. Though he tried to hide his feelings—something he did not completely understand—he was fearful that the others noted them from time-to-time. He always blamed his agitation on impatience to be back on the quest for the jewel, but he was always pained when Kagome left him.
The morning came slowly. Although Inuyasha had finally fallen asleep, it had been uneasy, filled with anxieties about what the future held. He awoke feeling unrefreshed and unrelieved of his worries. He paced unhappily while he waited for the others to awaken. Finally giving up his restless vigil, he fled to a nearby stream, hoping to wash his fears away.
The water was shockingly cold, but his body was numb to the feel. He sighed, feeling no different than he had the previous night. He could not shake the impending doom from his mind...could not calm his aching heart. It could not be only that Kagome would be going home...there was something more. Something much more distressing.
"Inuyasha?" Kagome's call froze him where he stood in the chilly stream. Before he could sputter out a warning, she emerged from the brush and froze, herself. A furious blush appeared on her face to match Inuyasha's now burning cheeks. Kagome whirled around after a slightly too-long pause. Inuyasha barely heard her stammered apologies.
He shouldn't have been so affected, but his mortification was still strong in him. Why was he so embarrassed? Not trusting his own voice to be steady, Inuyasha darted to his clothes and threw them on, heedless of his wet state. Feeling a bit more confident, he attempted to speak.
"What is wrong with you? Can't I have any privacy at all, without someone barging in on me?" Inuyasha tried to sound angry, but his voice lacked its usual heat. He sighed, more at himself than anything else. "Come on, let's go back to the others." Kagome nodded, cheeks still pink.
Everyone was up and about. It seemed that they had all pretty much awoken just after his departure. The irony of this only made Inuyasha more disgruntled. Miroku raised an eyebrow at Inuyasha's dripping hair and damp clothes. The grin that spread across his face made Inuyasha itch to hit him. Miroku's grin only widened when he saw the blush still burning on Kagome's face. This time Inuyasha did hit him.
After some muttered curses from the unrepentant monk, they were able to get moving. The village appeared some time after noon. It had been an oddly sedate trek. Inuyasha had been quiet and withdrawn the entire time, causing a few odd looks from his companions. Even Shippō had been unable to get a rise from him. Kagome was getting worried.
Inuyasha only sighed resignedly when she made to go to the well. It was the last straw. "What's wrong with you! You're being all mopey and stupid!"
Inuyasha only stared at her dimly for a moment before staring off into the distance. "Nothing is wrong with me. Just leave me alone" he said quietly, his ears low against his head as if in pain.
He started to walk away, head hung. Kagome made a sound of pure frustration and shouted, "Sit!" Even Inuyasha's cry of "Ack!" seemed half-hearted. "I can't take this right now! I'm going home. I'll see you when you grow up and stop acting so stupid!"
Inuyasha hardly paid her any heed as she stormed off towards the well. He slowly drew himself to his feet and began to walk away. Miroku stepped in front of him, eyes studying the hanyō.
"Aren't you even going to try to stop her? Do you even care that she's gone?"
Miroku noted the increased pain in Inuyasha's golden eyes, but he found no other response. "She can go if she wants to...I don't care."
Sango exchanged a worried look with the monk. That he said he didn't care was nothing new, but the absolute absence of his normal blustering indignation had them in disbelief. Miroku was so shocked at Inuyasha's empty response that he couldn't even rouse himself to keep Inuyasha from slipping into the forest.
He turned to Sango, unable to speak. Sango hesitated before asking, "Do you think it's possible that he really doesn't care? Has he given up on Kagome?"
Miroku shook his head. "That's impossible. I have no idea what is wrong with Inuyasha, but he could never stop caring for Kagome." They drew together, Sango momentarily forgetting Miroku's dubious nature in her worry. Amazingly, Miroku seemed to have forgotten, too.
Some distance away, within the forest, Inuyasha came to a halt in a small clearing. The odd feeling that had begun the previous night had grown stronger and stronger as the day wore on. His heart had begun to clench in his breast. He could feel it. It was near.
Inuyasha's ears perked as he felt the change come. Pain speared his heart and he nearly collapsed. But he could see it now. Something was wrong. He saw Kagome in his mind. She leapt into the well and disappeared. Somehow he saw her come out in her own time. She climbed out of the well into the dark of the shrine. She gave one last glance back at the well before exiting into the bright outside. As the door slid closed, blackness filled Inuyasha's mind.
Inuyasha awoke from himself to find a steady ache beating with his heart. He was still standing as he had been, but his body felt stiff as if from sleep, and he blinked in the bright afternoon sunlight filtering through the trees. Panic suddenly seized him, from where he knew not, and he raced to the well without thought.
She was gone. Slowly the events of the day came to him. Oh...Great, now she's mad at me again. It'll probably be a couple of days before I see her again...Maybe I should go see her. No! She'd only yell at me again. I should wait for her to calm down. She'll come back eventually.
He reluctantly retreated to the village. He found Miroku and Sango whispering together and approached them. Before he could speak, however, Shippō came hurtling at him and hit him in the chest.
"You stupid jerk! You made Kagome upset again! Now she'll be gone for days! You're such a jerk!"
Inuyasha glared at the young fox, his anger building. His knuckles crackled as he raised a shaking fist at the kitsune. " I didn't make her go home, she did that on her own! Now, come here you stupid runt, so I can beat your skull in!"
The fox skittered away, screaming in fright, and Inuyasha leapt after him, shouting threats and curses. The monk sighed. "It seems Inuyasha is back to normal."
It seemed that everything was back to normal. Inuyasha had thrown off his seeming melancholy and barely remembered the feeling of wrongness that had so gripped him. He grew steadily grumpier as the days passed and Kagome did not return. Finally, on the third day, Miroku suggested he go to check on her. Inuyasha figured he'd given her enough time to cool off and agreed. Besides, he was going insane with her away.
As he drew near the well, however, the wrongness returned. Inuyasha frowned, feeling his heart beating faster. I almost forgot...this feeling...something definitely is not right...Kagome... Once again overcome with an inexplicable panic, Inuyasha dashed to the well and flung himself in. Kagome...
He landed with a resounding crash and a jolt that momentarily stunned him. What had happened? The well hadn't worked. Inuyasha drew himself to his knees and pawed at the earth of the well. What! What is going on! Why can't I get through the well? Oh, no! This is what I felt change...The well won't work any more...Kagome!
End of Chapter One
Chapter Two: Pain of Separation
Kagome had been unable to really concentrate on anything all day. She had a nagging ache in her heart, had had it since she had returned from the feudal era. At first she had ignored it, but it had grown each day, until it distracted her too much to ignore any longer.
She sighed to herself. It must have to do with Inuyasha. He had hurt her. For some reason, he hadn't cared whether or not she stayed with him. He hadn't even noticed her, had ignored her all day, dismissing her as if she hadn't even been there.
At first, she had been worried for him. He had been acting lost and forlorne as they approached the village. He had ignored all of her attempts to cheer him. It had been as if he had lost all interest in her...No! It couldn't be that...Does he really not care about me any more? Not at all? Perhaps he's decided to go to Kikyo.
In her hurt and anger with Inuyasha, she had vowed not to return until he came to her. He would come first...But what if he never came? If Inuyasha had really wanted her gone, then she might never see him again. Kagome's heart ached even harder at that thought. She couldn't stand to be away from him...not forever.
She had already been waiting for him for five days, though. He really wasn't coming for her? Her pain built in her breast with each moment. Anger bubbled up in her as well. How dare he keep me waiting this long! When I get a hold of him—he's gonna regret it!
Finally fed up with her situation, Kagome decided she would break her vow and return to Inuyasha first. She could always even the score by 'sitting' him a few times. Kagome entered the well-house and found it terribly dark, with an almost malevolent feel. She ignored the slight feeling of wrongness and jumped into the well.
She was lucky that she didn't break her ankle. The well had failed. Not again! Why isn't the well working? Had Inuyasha blocked the well again? Did this mean he really intended never to see her again? How could he do such a thing? After all they had been through together, how could he do this to her?
Kagome felt her heart clench again and she stumbled out of the dreary well-house, eyes starting to blur with tears. She made it up to her room before falling upon her bed, sobs racking her body.
Kagome's misery grew with each day as she became more certain that she would never again see Inuyasha. She felt utterly alone. She would never see Sango, or Miroku, or Shippō again...but what hurt most was Inuyasha. She did not know if he had trapped her or if another had done it, but it hardly mattered now. But if another had sealed the well, then Inuyasha might be injured...or...
She willed herself to think it, but she could not pull away from it. Perhaps Inuyasha was already dead. No! He can't be! He can't die...I don't want him to die. While she could muster some hope that Inuyasha was unharmed, she could find none for herself. She felt so alone. Not even her family could make her feel better. With each day, the pain in her heart grew more painful, more all-consuming. It was unbearable. How could she live like this?
While Kagome's heart was wearing away in her loneliness, Inuyasha seemed to have died inside. He had been devastated by the loss of Kagome. Miroku and Sango had found him in the well, actually digging as if to somehow reach Kagome. His anguished cry had brought them to him. It had been a wordless cry of pain, almost animal. They had taken the distraught hanyō back to the village. He hadn't resisted, but had fallen limp at Miroku's touch.
He had hardly moved for nearly a full day, staring into nothing, dead to the world around him. They had barely been able to get his mumbled account of what had happened, and then in fragments. Miroku, Sango and Shippō took turns watching over him as Kaede had suggested, but none of their ministrations seemed to phase him. Then, for no apparent reason, he had roused and stalked into the forest, giving no one the chance to follow. They hadn't seen him in the two days since.
Even though Miroku assured Sango that Inuyasha was strong and would be able to handle this, he doubted. While Inuyasha was indeed strong, he was fragile emotionally. He had already endured too much tragedy in his life. Kagome had been his only real support, the thing that kept him balanced and whole. Without her to soothe his injuries, Miroku was not certain Inuyasha would be all right.
When Inuyasha finally returned to them on the seventh day since Kagome's departure, Miroku's fears proved true. Inuyasha had not so much returned as been found. His mind did not appear to be wholly intact. He was as an animal and frightened the villagers. He had been growling and baring his fangs before the others had shown up, but upon sight of them, he had whimpered and fled towards the forest, upon all fours. They had been forced to capture him, but luckily so intent on flight was he, that he hadn't begun to fight until it was too late. They had sealed him in a spare hut with Miroku's holy powers, but his attacks upon the barriers could be heard throughout the day.
"Has he really gone mad? Is his mind truly lost?" Sango asked of Miroku as night fell. Inuyasha's snarling attacks within the hut had ceased, and a grim quiet had filled the village.
Miroku shook his head. "I don't think that is the case...or it is not so simple as that. Inuyasha seems to have retreated to the animal instincts of his demon nature. He hasn't lost his mind, but is hiding from the pain he feels within that animal mindlessness. We must bring him to himself, but it may be difficult. Kagome could do it...but that's the whole problem isn't it?"
Sango nodded sadly. "But is it really right to return him to himself? It will only put him back into pain once more. He did this himself. Perhaps we should leave him...If it hurt him so much, perhaps our interference would be cruel."
"No." Miroku shook his head emphatically. "It would not be right to leave him as he is. He has not escaped his pain...It is still there, and he can only hide from it for so long. He must face his pain, so that it may heal...Heal as best it can."
"How can we help him? I wish we knew what had happened to the well, but it seems there's no way to fix that. What can we do?"
"We can only be there for him...keep him company and try to bring him out again. That is all we can do, for now."
They braved the vicious creature that had once been their proud companion, at first all together. But as they found he would not attack them—he actually recoiled at their approach—they began to take turns individually, each trying to remind Inuyasha of his life. Any mention of Kagome, however, sent him whimpering into the corner of the hut, curled up in a ball as if to ward off the pain of the memories that they held over him.
The days passed, and Miroku and Sango began to give up hope in Inuyasha's recovery. They would not admit it, of course, but they felt that it would be long before Inuyasha would brave the world again. He cried out in his sleep, as if in deep pain. Each night the nightmares came, cutting his already battered soul.
On the fifth day of his condition, the twelfth day since Kagome had left, Shippō was alone with the broken hanyō. Strangely, Shippō was actually less fearful of this Inuyasha than the normal one, who had regularly hit him. But Shippō wanted Inuyasha back. Even more, he wanted Kagome back. Shippō had spent most of his time telling Inuyasha stories, trying to get the dog-demon to respond.
Comfortingly, Inuyasha growled at the mention of Kōga in these stories, but there was little else to make Shippō happy. Inuyasha still whimpered at any mention of Kagome, but Shippō persisted, hoping to force the memories back on him. Finally, after little success, Shippō began to shout at the hanyō.
"Wake up Inuyasha! You have to wake up! Only you can go get Kagome. You have to find a way to get to her, Inuyasha! Don't give up, you have to get Kagome! Inuyasha, you have to go get Kagome!"
Shippō's eyes widened as he realized what he had just done. Sango and Miroku came bursting into the hut, scolding Shippō for his outburst, but Shippō didn't even hear them. He stared at Inuyasha.
Inuyasha's head was hung low, with his hair hiding most of his face, but Shippō could clearly see tears running down his face. Inuyasha looked up at the stunned group before him, pain filling his eyes, and he began to cry. Between his heaving sobs he managed to cry out once.
"Kagome!"
Kagome started from where she was sitting despondently upon her bed. Her eyes slammed wide open as she heard clearly in her mind a cry. Kagome!
Inuyasha! Is it really you? Her heart fluttered with nearly forgotten hope.
Kagome bounded out of her room, down to the well-house. She felt the barrier still, but she also felt something else. "Inuyasha!"
End of Chapter Two
Chapter Three: Power of the Heart
Inuyasha flashed past Sango and Miroku, who were to stunned to blink, and out the open door. He ran faster than he ever had before. Only one thought filled Inuyasha's mind. He would be with Kagome again. Nothing would stop him.
Inuyasha could feel the barrier on the well, now. He snarled in fury. Nothing would keep him apart from Kagome! He leapt across the clearing deep into the well. The barrier wrapped around him, trying to prevent his heart's desire, but Inuyasha let out a scream of rage and forced the barrier back.
The barrier stretched and bent, but would not break. But Inuyasha could feel her now. She was just on the other side...With a roar from deep within his heart he shattered the barrier and felt the familiar feeling of displacement.
"Inuyasha!"
He heard the voice he had longed to hear, the voice he could never forget. Inuyasha did not even wait for this new world to sturdy around him before leaping from the well to the origin of the voice.
Kagome began to cry out again, but was cut off as Inuyasha swept her into a fierce embrace. Kagome was too stunned to speak, but her arms wrapped around the hanyō and returned his embrace. He was shaking, she realized. Was he hurt?
They stood together for several minutes, neither one daring to break the embrace for fear it would turn into a dream. Tears trickled down Kagome's cheeks. She dared not open her eyes. She savoured the moment, exhilarating in the feel of Inuyasha's warmth against hers, his arms about her, and his cheek resting against hers.
Inuyasha took a deep breath and reluctantly broke the embrace. Holding Kagome before him, he stared into her eyes, feeling he could lose himself within them. He wiped the tears from her cheeks with the back of his hand and stroked her hair with the other.
"Kagome..." Inuyasha could find no words to speak to her. Nothing seemed to mean enough.
"Inuyasha...you're late." Inuyasha's eyes widened. He threw his arms around Kagome, again holding her close.
"I'm sorry...I didn't mean to keep you waiting. But you don't have to wait anymore." He clenched his eyes shut, feeling almost pain at he emotions flooding him.
"I'll forgive you this time, Inuyasha...I missed you so much! I didn't think I'd ever see you again!" Kagome slumped against him, crying softly into his breast.
"Don't worry Kagome. I'm here now...I'm here." He held her, comforting her until her sobs quieted. Again he moved to look into her eyes. "Kagome...I love you. Please, don't hurt me like that again."
Kagome's eyes widened at Inuyasha's declaration. She quivered with emotion, suddenly overcome. "I...I love you too, Inuyasha. I never want to hurt you again. I just want to be with you...to never be apart."
Kagome...nothing will ever keep us apart again. Nothing." He held her to him, feeling their hearts beat together. It was as if it were one heart, beating for both of them. Inuyasha smiled. He liked that idea.
End of Chapter Three
Chapter Four: Price of Love
Miroku, Sango, and Shippō had recovered from their shock quickly, but Inuyasha was long gone. They gathered about the well, staring into its depths. No one spoke. Apparently, Inuyasha had traveled through the well, but as had yet not returned. Perhaps there had been trouble.
They had waited just long enough to begin to worry when they felt a presence. Deep in the well, Inuyasha appeared, Kagome held within his protective embrace. They had returned.
"Kagome!" Shippō was a reddish blur streaking towards the surprised girl. He thudded into her chest and began an almost wailing tirade of exultations. While Kagome did her best to pacify the near-hysterical kitsune, Inuyasha's thunderous face steadily darkened. To Miroku and Sango's complete surprise, however, Inuyasha did nothing, seeming to hold himself in control. His arms only tightened around Kagome.
Shippō seemed to finally be calming, and Kagome held him in her arms, softly stroking his hair. Inuyasha picked her up gently and leapt from the well. He set Kagome on the ground, but still held his arms around her. Sango approached Kagome, but couldn't get close enough to embrace her as Inuyasha refused to let her go. Miroku caught the hanyō's eyes and nodded soberly in recognition.
"Kagome, I'm so happy to see you! We were so worried when the well stopped working. We feared that we wouldn't get to see you again." Unable to express her relief at seeing Kagome in a more physical manner, Sango could only smile at the girl.
Miroku flashed a grin at Kagome. He kept his distance though, aware of Inuyasha's eyes upon him. "We truly are grateful for your return, Kagome. Inuyasha was quite unbearable without you."
Tears filled Kagome's eyes. "Thanks, guys...I missed you, too...even you, Miroku. I thought I'd never be able to come back...But the barrier seem to be gone now. Everything will be fine now."
Inuyasha gave a grunt and pulled Kagome closer. "Come on, let's go to the village. We can talk all we want, there."
Kaede was out again, tending to her duties in the village, but they made themselves comfortable within her hut. Shippō was snuggled up against Kagome opposite to Inuyasha, who seemed unable to break contact with her totally. He sat, his side resting against hers, and his arm would wrap around her for a hug, sometimes lingering for several minutes. Sango seemed not to have noticed these changes, or at least did not fully understand the implications, but Miroku knew. Inuyasha's eyes had told him with certainty. Kagome belonged to Inuyasha. He would brook no interference.
Miroku was happy for Inuyasha, and for Kagome. They finally understood their own feelings and had seemingly reached agreement. Miroku could not help but feel a little jealous, though. They held something he had never held.
Sango and Kagome chattered energetically, with occasional additions from Shippō. Inuyasha and Miroku were silent, though, in a shared understanding. Sango didn't seem to notice Kagome's slight distraction. Sango did most of the talking. Every few minutes, Kagome's eyes would turn to the hanyō beside her, as if she could not keep them from him.
As Kagome turned her eyes to Inuyasha again, his eyes met her own. Sango's voice faltered as their gazes held each other. Her own eyes widened as she realized what she had been missing. An embarrassed cough from Sango broke the shared gaze. Kagome started, cheeks going slightly pink. Inuyasha merely frowned, his arm about her waist comfortingly.
Kagome retired for the night, obviously exhausted, bedding down with the inescapable Shippō. Inuyasha sat nearby, watching over her as she slept. Sango and Miroku walked outside together, leaving Kagome to sleep without their disturbance.
"It seems that Inuyasha and Kagome have finally have finally come to an understanding about their feelings."
Miroku nodded sagely. "It would appear that their separation proved to be not wholly without benefit. It seems to have worked out for the better."
"Yes, but we still have no clue as to what caused that barrier. I guess it's more of a 'who' caused it. We would have felt Naraku's evil. Besides, he never once took advantage of our weakness. No one did."
"I don't think anyone wished to do us harm."
"What?" Sango exclaimed. "How can that be? Kagome was trapped in her own time. It nearly drove Inuyasha mad!"
"I do not fully understand it, myself. I only know that I felt no demonic presence in the barrier. It...it felt almost like Kagome's own spiritual powers."
"How can that be?"
Miroku shook his head. "I do not know, but I hope we will learn it soon. I know that Inuyasha would take Kagome's loss even more strongly than before. It might break him now that he understands his feelings for her."
But, as the days passed, they turned up no clues as to the cause of the well's failure. Kagome described the barrier as best she could, but they could not understand its nature. Inuyasha showed only indifference to their queries. Not until they explained their fears that the barrier might return did he offer any aid in their search. But, with this new fear in him, he sought to find the origin of the barrier with a single-minded fury.
Frustrated with his lack of results, Inuyasha stood by the well, glaring at it as if it would reveal its secrets to him in fear. Dread pooled deep in his heart. He could never lose Kagome again. Never! She was his now. He knew that he needed her. There had to be some way to prevent their separation again. He would do anything to keep her with him.
Kagome watched Inuyasha from the treeline. He had spent most of the past two days searching for the cause of the barrier. It warmed her heart. He cared for so deeply...She could hardly worry about the barrier when she felt that. She knew that he could break any barrier if he cared for her that much. Kagome sighed in the newfound comfort of Inuyasha's love.
Inuyasha's ears perked at that, and he sniffed at the air. Without turning, he called out to her, and she strode over to his side. He wrapped his arm around her and held her to him. They stood like that for many minutes, just satisfied to be together.
Kagome started at the feel of some alien presence. Inuyasha's ears became alert, catching some sound within the trees. Kagome saw something winding its way through the forest. Inuyasha's eyes were better, and he recognized it first. It was a soul collector.
Inuyasha's arm tightened around Kagome. "Kikyo..." His eyes tightened in pain. "Kagome...you wait here. I will be back. Just wait here."
Kagome shook her head vehemently. "No, Inuyasha. I'm going with you. We have to solve this together. I won't be separated from you again."
A vaguely haunted pain flashed in his eyes at the mention of separation, and his arm held her even closer. "Kagome...then we'll go together, but you stay out of danger. I won't let anything happen to you. This is my problem to solve...It is my responsibility."
"It isn't your fault! It never was! Kikyo died, Inuyasha. She was deceived and murdered by Naraku, as were you. You can not hold yourself at fault!"
Inuyasha stared deep into Kagome's fiery eyes. "It may not be wholly my fault...but I must try to set things right again. I must try...at least one last time."
Miroku slipped through the forest, careful not to alert anyone who might be there. He had seen some of Kikyo's soul collectors wandering through the forest and sought out Inuyasha. Both he and Kagome were missing. Fearing what this might entail, Miroku had decided to find Kikyo, to make sure that his friends would be safe. Luckily, there appeared to be no spirit warding around her.
Miroku froze as he passed a slight clearing, then leapt behind a nearby tree. There she was. Kikyo. Inuyasha stood before her, with Kagome close behind him. Kikyo did not appear to be pleased. Miroku could just make out what was being said.
"I did not come here to cause you harm, Inuyasha." Kikyo frowned at the girl hiding behind the silver-haired hanyō. "I merely felt a strange presence in the area. It had felt somewhat like her. But it was too strong. It felt almost like a warding. I was worried for you..."
Inuyasha gave Kikyo a sour look. "Kikyo, you have not worried for me since you were reborn. You are truly not the Kikyo I knew. You are simply a shadow of the woman I loved. Please, just be at peace, Kikyo. End your half-existence in the world of the living."
Kikyo's face was cold fury. "Inuyasha, you must make you choice now. Will you abandon me for this girl? Will you forget you duty to me? The love we shared? You must choose now, Inuyasha."
End of Chapter Four
Chapter Five: Promise
Kagome watched over Inuyasha's shoulder as they confronted Kikyo. Kagome always feared these meetings, feared that Inuyasha would choose to be with Kikyo. But this time it was different. Inuyasha had made his choice. He had chosen Kagome. That unspoken promise between them took away Kagome's fears.
I merely felt a strange presence in the area. It had felt somewhat like her. Kikyo had felt the barrier...and it felt like her? Kagome bit her lip as a strange thought came to her. How could she have done something and not felt it?
"You must choose now, Inuyasha."
Kagome stiffened. Kikyo was calling Inuyasha out? Inuyasha had chosen Kagome, but would he feel the same if he had to abandon Kikyo? Kagome knew it would hurt Inuyasha deeply. Would he still love her if he lost Kikyo? She shivered at the thought of losing him now.
Inuyasha glanced back at Kagome. He squeezed her hand with his own, calming her shivering, before turning back to Kikyo. "Kikyo...please don't do this. I loved you, Kikyo...but that time is past. You need to rest, to be at peace again. Please Kikyo, don't make me choose between you."
Kikyo's face screwed up in anger. "Choose now, Inuyasha! Choose now and forever! Will you choose her? Will you forget all that I was to you?"
Inuyasha grew still. The silence dragged. Kagome's heart thudded heavily in her chest. Inuyasha drew himself straight. Pain filled his face, along with regret. "Kikyo...I am sorry. You were my responsibility. I failed to save you...but I must listen to my heart. I love Kagome. I will never leave her. I will still try to save you, Kikyo, even if you will not let me, but I have already chosen Kagome."
Kikyo stood frozen, unable to comprehend what she had heard. A shudder ran through her. "You...you chose her? Inuyasha...You will never be at peace. You will never forget me!"
Inuyasha's sad eyes watched her, watched her shock and anger. No love, though. "I will never forget you, Kikyo, but I will move on. I will find peace. Kagome is my peace."
Kikyo let out a scream of rage and fled into the dark of the forest. Inuyasha stood before Kagome, watching Kikyo's flight. Once he could no longer sense her, he turned to Kagome, taking her hands into his own. She stared up into his golden eyes. He saw her feelings in her eyes. Worry, fear...and love.
"Kagome...I love you. Let's go. The others will worry about us." They walked from the clearing, together, hands clasped.
Miroku watched with relief. Suddenly he realized that they would reach the village before him. They would wonder where he had been. He did not wish them to know he had intruded into their privacy. He would have to come up with a convincing story. Luckily for him, he found his story. Unluckily, he stumbled upon Sango bathing in the stream. He awoke some time later with a severe ache in his head.
If it were possible, Miroku could swear that Inuyasha and Kagome were even closer now than they had been before their confrontation with Kikyo. Inuyasha had made his choice, once and for all. He would never leave Kagome. She would never have to worry about his past taking him from her. Miroku did not doubt that Inuyasha would protect Kagome even more fiercely than before. They still had to defeat Naraku, but suddenly that victory did not seem so far away.
Miroku feared to tell the others what had caused the barrier. He did not wish to cause any undue disturbance...Nor did he wish for Inuyasha to know he had spied on them in the forest. But Miroku did tell Sango, one night when she asked about it.
"I believe I know what caused the barrier...or mostly know. I said that I didn't think anyone wished us harm with it. It wasn't meant to harm. It was Kagome who created that barrier...Unwittingly, no doubt, but her nonetheless."
"What? How...Why" Sango's surprise was evident in her face.
Miroku smiled. "I think it was because, deep within her heart, she knew that she loved Inuyasha. But she had to know if he cared for her...cared enough to break the barrier and prove that he loved her."
Sango thought this over. "Won't you tell them? Don't you think they should know?"
Miroku shook his head. "No. I think Kagome knows it now. She will tell Inuyasha. It is none of our business."
"What if it happens again?"
"I don't think we need ever worry about this happening again. Kagome knows that Inuyasha loves her more than anything else. She knows he will never leave her."
Sango looked out at the shining Moon. "That must be nice. I am so happy for them...but..."
Miroku took her hand and looked deep in her eyes. He said very seriously, "Don't worry Sango. I won't ever leave you."
Sango blushed furiously and snatched her hand back from the grinning monk. "That gives me true comfort, monk."
Miroku smiled at her warmly. "Come. Let's go back to the hut. We'll need our rest for the search tomorrow. We still have to collect the shards." They walked back to the village in the soft moonlight.
Within the hut, Kagome slept, enfolded in the protective arms of Inuyasha. He held her as they slept, arms never loosening around her. They held their sleeping embrace until the Sun came. But, somehow, they seemed to feel each other's heart beating even when they were apart. They felt that single rhythm, one heart beating for them both.
The End
-Chevalier