The Second Chance

A/N: Everyone i am sooooooooo sorry for not writing for so long. My computer crashed a while ago so i lost all the chapters for all my stories. I'm back now and since school is ending i'll be writing a lot. Thank you so much for being so kind with your reviews. i hope everyone re-reads this as i'm editing the story since my writing has changed

Disclaimer: i don't own Inuyasha, only this fanfic

First Chapter: This is Goodbye

As villagers settled in to their homes for comfort against the soon coming breezes and dark covering as the night drew near a young priestess and her elder nested in their own wooden hut, preparing dinner. As the young girl with locks blacker than the approaching night and eyes bluer than any cerulean sea assisted the old woman by passing whatever was needed her mind began to waver. Soon Kagome,the maiden's name, simply sat there thinking of the color amber, imagining images of the man who's eyes glowed so fiercely with that amber color, day dreaming of the man she obviously loved. The young woman had been doing this a lot lately, mentally debating the good and bad points that came to loving someone like her Inuyasha.

For one thing he would always protect her. He, reardless if his voice sounded irritated or he chose to pick a fight with her, would always look at her with those wonderful amber eyes that flooded with unwavering trust in her trust he never had for anyone before. He would get anxious when she was gone for too long, even when he knew she was safe, and would become furious when she was around another man yet try to deny caring.

That was some of the things that, to her, were good about Inuyasha. Things that before she even knew it she had come to love especially about him, like his bravery like that of a Greek hero and the kindness he had but would deny that as well. Of course there were just as many things that were bad or just frustrating but, to Kagome, only one thing out of everything was a problem for her.

He couldn't give all of himself to her because he still had lingering feelings for another.

This little fact was what the she cared about more than anything, seeing as it was what brought her so much pain, what damaged her aching heart and forced her to put on a cheerful smile, masking her misery every time she saw Inuyasha's look of enlightenment after seeing Kikyo. Through love she learned that you can hurt in places of your heart that was never known to exist until that moment but no matter how badly her heart felt squeezed at night as she lay in bed sometimes wondering when he'll make a choice and who, she still woke up every morning to see him watching her protectively and couldn't help but smile for his sake and possibly her own.

'Maybe those who fall in love are secretly masochists…..' she thought to herself.

"Kagome? Kagome are ye alright?" a concerned wise voice called out, dragging Kagome back to reality.

The girl jumped in surprise immediately, cheeks flushed a light shade of pink I embarrassment at her actions as she realized that she must have been called on by the old woman for a while now. This was starting to become a usual routine between the two mikos.

"I'm fine, Kaede. What is it you were trying to tell me?" she asked, smiling and tucking a piece of ebony hair behind her ear.

"Ah, I was just wondering if ye could fetch Inuyasha and the rest. The stew is done and ready." The old priestess answered.

"Sure!" Kagome chirped, cheerfully while getting up. She nodded at the spinster and left the hut. She started walking around the village, keeping her eyes out for silvery white hair that wasn't from the elderly.

Kagome continued to search for him and everyone else, quickly before the stew that Kaede went through the trouble to make turned cold. Soon she heard the sound of a familiar girl's voice and the loud noise that only came when a hand is being struck against someone. Going over she saw, just as suspected Sango, flushing both from anger and embarrassment, hand still raised, ready for another attack. Next to her was Miroku, holding a hand over his cheek which had a pink hand print on his face and laughing nervously. Sitting on a bench was Shippo who was sucking on a lollipop and looked bored after seeing this scene over and over countless times Kirara who was mewing in a tone that sounded as bored as the kit looked.

"Ugh! Can't you be a normal monk for a few minutes?"

"Sango, my dear dear Sango, you misunderstand I was simply trying to assist you sitting down!" Miroku nervously said holding an arm out to protect his face.

"Your hand is not my seat!"

Kagome smiled and shook her head at this scene. "Guys?" she called, getting everyone's attention "Dinner's ready. You should all hurry before it gets cold. It's getting chilly out here too so if you're gonna fight you might as well do if while you're warm" She informed, smiling at her friends. "Oh! Have you seen Inuyasha?"

The tiny kitsune took the purple lollipop out of his mouth and looked up at Kagome with turquoise eyes that glowed in the mild dark, as if he were the Cheshire cat hiding to inform Alice of suspicious news or riddles. "Last time I saw him he was in his tree"

"Oh" She smiled at the fox and kissed the top of his head "Thank you! Now go have dinner, all of you. I'll meet you there when I bring him"

The fox smiled and listened to her, scurrying off towards Kaede's hut with Kirara. Sango made Miroku walk in front of her, narrowing her eyes at her beloved the whole walk there.

After that Kagome walked through the village until she reached the forest that he seemed fond of. After all it had quite a bit of history for him in this forest. Here he was shot to a tree for fifty years and later met her, where they argued for the first time, where she first gazed into amber eyes for the time and felt his do ears against her fingertips .Kagome couldn't help but grin at the thought of that time, how long ago it was. They started out hating each other, not even being able to look each other in the eye if it wasn't for glaring. Then they finally managed to work together which turned to friendship which blossomed in to her falling in love. It was where his life with Kikyo ended and his life with her began

Even though his life with Kikyo still continued, it was Kikyo's life that has ended permenately.

"Inuyasha. Inuyasha?" she called, looking around. Her eyes have adjusted as it was getting late and hard to see. He wasn't in the tree so she continued her search. After going further into the forest, tree after tree she sighed and decided to give up, thinking he would simply come when he felt like it or maybe he was already in the hut complaining about her absence. Just as she turned she spotted locks of powdery white hair far off. Kagome smiled her heart beating faster and practically melted with all the warmth of the sun at the sight of him.

However, the sight of him embracing Kikyo made her heart freeze over.

The dead woman stood stoically as Inuyasha had his arms wrapped around her. Only when she looked over and noticed Kagome did she, rather emotionlessly slipe her arms around the dog demon in return, but Kagome could tell that the woman was directing all her hate towards her as she looked in to those soulless…no, soulstealing eyes.

"Inuyasha" Kikyo murmured, her voice monotone "It is I you hold most dear to you, is it not?"

Kaome's face flushed.'Kikyo! She's doing this right in front of me…just to mock me!' Kagome was seething inside; furious at that dastardly woman's fiendish idea. 'Well it won't work!' Inuyasha loved her at least as much as he did Kikyo; Kagome just knew it….She knew he just had to love her….

She knew it so why…..?

Kagome waited desperately for Inuyasha to answer, to reassure her, to choose her

As seconds passed Kaome felt like she was in some kind of accident. All her memories were flashing before her eyes. Inuyasha's face so close to hers in their arguments, him charging off in to battle to protect her, his head in her lap murmuring to her after she cried for his sake, them holding each others hands so tightly afraid the other would disappear, the time he cried for her, their kiss, the nights she'd whisper that she loves him when she was sure he was asleep.

Inuyasha remained silent for what seemed like a millennium. When he did speak his voice was almost a whisper, practically inaudible.

"….Of course, Kikyo."

Kagome almost felt her very soul ripped out of her with those three words, glass falling onto the floor, shattering into a million sharp, painful, pieces that cut you every time you touched the pieces, keeping you from putting the glass back to its original form: that was Kagome's heart.

He made his choice.

Quietly, not wanting to hear another word, Kagome sneaked away and ran over to Kaede's hut to get her belongings. Everyone looked very concern and could tell something was wrong. Kagome did the best she could to reassure them without trying to smile. She hugged them all and tried to take a photo of them in her mind to keep forever. She waved goodbye to everyone, not having the courage to tell them that this wouldn't be her usual departure where she came back after two or three days.

No.

This was for good.

This is goodbye.