Sorry, I Lied
Kagome's eyes fluttered open. She had been thinking all night. There was really only one way to stop Naraku from gaining all the jewel shards, and the answer wasn't in finding the shards before he did.
Kagome still had her shard of the jewel. If Naraku never got it, then he would cease to gain power. Then InuYasha could destroy him and the fight would be over.
It was all her fault really. If she hadn't arrived in the feudal era none of this would have happened. Maybe she should wait till Naraku showed up, then maybe she could steal his shard too. Or she could wait and take Kouga's. No, she told herself, I have to stop stalling.
Part of her wished she had thought of this plan earlier, maybe some bloodshed could have been prevented.
Part of her wished she could tell InuYasha what she was going to do.
Part of her wished she didn't have to do it, that there was some other option.
And deep down, there was that selfish part of her that wished someone would stop her.
"Oh good, Kagome, you're awake!" Shippo said enthusiastically as he bounced onto her lap. He smiled that boyish smile that Kagome loved.
Sorry Shippo
"Yeah, it took you long enough," grumbled InuYasha, "We got a lot of ground to cover today if we're gonna find Naraku's castle." Shippo nodded, "Yeah! Lets pack up, Kagome!" He reached to pick up her bag. "Um, Shippo?" Sango said, "That bag is too heavy for you." She leaned over to help him.
"Well if you have to pack, hurry up!" InuYasha complained. "Oh, don't rush them InuYasha," Miroku said, his hand wandering in Sango's direction. Kagome noticed and said, "Oh no Sango, watch out! Miroku's being lecherous again." Sango looked around and slapped Miroku in the face. "Pervert!" she said. Miroku sighed and looked sadly at his hand, "Oh, dear. My cursed hand acting of its own free will again." Kagome laughed.
Sorry Miroku
"Well, if you're all finished, we have to go!" InuYasha said impatiently. "Right, um InuYasha?" Kagome asked nervously.
"Yeah, what is it?" He replied.
"Well, it's just… I need to ask Kaede something important. Can we go back to the village?"
"WHAT! We need to get a move on and find Naraku, and now you want to go back?"
"Well… it is really important."
Sango stepped in, "Of course we can go back. If it's important, then we can tack a break."
Sorry Sango
"feh," was InuYasha's only response.
"thanks, really" Kagome said.
They turned around and headed to the village.
"Well, we're here. What did you want to ask Kaede?" Miroku asked. They stood on the hill overlooking the village.
"Um, well, it's kind of personal, so could you all wait here while I ask?" Kagome asked.
"Sure." Sango smiled.
"Thanks!" Kagome said as she headed down the hill, "I'll be back real soon!"
She didn't head to Kaede's hut. Instead she found three of the strongest villagers and requested a favor. They followed her into the forest. They arrived.
"So you want us to lift this boulder over the well?" one asked.
Kagome nodded, "Yes, then put this seal on the rock." She held out one of Shippo's magic seals that she had taken the previous night.
She tightly grasped the shard of the Shikon no Tama as she leapt through the well. Distantly, she heard the thud of a boulder being shoved over the well.
She wondered how they and the rest of history would remember her. Would she have bravely taken the jewel to a distant time to save them all? She hoped not, it made her sound heroic.
Maybe she would be the crying girl forced to part with her friends for the 'greater good'? No, that would get her pity.
Would she be the priestess who had turned her back on her friends and left them to face the danger of a powerful evil without her help? She hoped so, it made her seem how she felt; a despicable coward.
She clambered out of the well in her time. She could not stop the tears from falling. She would never see them again. Hopefully they would forget her, and understand why she took the jewel to this time, untouchable by Naraku.
Still, she regretted it.
I'm never coming back. Sorry InuYasha, I lied.