Chapter Two: Watching

A/N: Edited on 9/14/15

"Dear me, children never listen these days." Keade sighed. "It's supper time, ye hear!"

"Don't worry Lady Keade" Sango smiled. "I'll help."

"Ah yes. Since we plan to have our own. Am I right my dear Sango?" Miroku smiled.

"You wish monk." Sango hissed, yet gave the monk an evil smile.

"Ah, maybe later I suppose?" Miroku rubbed his head, sheepishly.

"Sango doesn't need children at the moment." Miroku turned around to see InuYasha towering over him.

"Well, nice evening to you too InuYasha." Miroku sighed. "I suppose you got the firewood?"

"Yes."

The children started to run, but stopped just a few feet away from both Miroku and InuYasha. A few started to tremble, and Miroku saw InuYasha's wings sage a bit.

"The supper is in Lady Keade's hut, kids." Miroku said. A boy nodded weakly and raced into the hut, not once looking back. The two girls' shook from head to toe, but managed to get into the hut without saying a word.

"Am I always going to be seen like this?" Miroku looked up his half-demon friend. The two red eyes were far away, looking in the direction of the God Tree.

"InuYasha, this will be over soon." Miroku sighed and put a hand on InuYasha's arm. "This is something that will long be forgotten when…"

"How can I forget Miroku?" InuYasha growled. "How do you forget someone taking your will and attacking everyone you care about?" InuYasha turned down on him. "How can you forget that?"

"I don't..." Miroku closed his eyes. If he was InuYasha's shoes, he would be saying the same thing. If something possessed him and forced him onto Sango, he would have a hard time forgiving himself.

"InuYasha, I'm sorry. I only want you to forgive yourself. Your actions were not of your own."

"I still could have prevented it from happening." InuYasha looked away, the top of his head hitting a nearby hut. "I could have stopped it. Instead I just cried like a child."

"InuYasha, I do not believe you did that." Miroku stared, "You did everything in your power. You never wavered from the fight. If you did, I wouldn't be talking to you, I would be talking to Inuhidoi."

InuYasha turned away, his breathe came out slowly. "Thanks Miroku." Was all he mumbled.

"Sango told me you talked with Lady Kikyo." Miroku said.

"I did. She…didn't run." InuYasha looked away even further.

"Oh." Miroku sighed. "I see. I'm glad she didn't run from you either."

InuYasha watched as his monk friend disappeared into Keade's hut. He opened his eyes and looked up at the sky, the sun sinking below the horizon.

InuYasha closed his eyes, and took one big leap. He landed on the edge of the Bone Eater's well. He stared down into the abyss, the black square opening calling, begging him to jump down. But he was too afraid. Afraid of what Kagome, her family, Kagome's little borther, Souta, and even Kagome would think. His so called 'hero' was a monster now because he raping his sister.

InuYasha clenched his hand, feeling the poison go into his palm. He heard the hiss of the grass melting under the acid blood and turned the ground into nothing but a scorch black spot.

InuYasha closed his eyes, and stood up. "Yes Sesshomaru?"

"It is not a coincidence to find you here." InuYasha turned to his brother.

"What do you want?" InuYasha asked again.

"Have you changed any yet?" InuYasha looked away. Nothing was really noticeable, maybe have he had shrunk a few inches.

"Why do you care?"

"Why do you care for the priestess?"

InuYasha felt his whole insides do a back flip. Did Sesshomaru just tell him he cared for him as a brother? Without meaning to InuYasha looked at Sesshomaru, and bowed his head.

"I didn't realize you cared so much."

"This Sesshomaru does not."

"You just implied…"

"This Sesshomaru implied nothing."

"Sesshomaru…why did you not stop me all those years ago?" InuYasha felt his chest flare in anger, but forcefully pushed it down. His body was too powerful to lose his temper in.

"I…" Sesshomaru stopped then looked at him. "I did not know I had a half-demon brother at the time. It is the truth."

InuYasha turned away and looked down at the well. "I have had no control over my own life. Inuhidoi had been controlling me form the moment I was born. Being an abomination half-demon, I thought you wouldn't give a damn." InuYasha looked at his brother again. "Yet you joined the women I love, my companions, the wolf, and use your combined strength to get me to use the Dog Demon Soul. Why? What did you gain from it Sesshomaru? My gratitude, or was Inuhidoi just another strong demon that you successfully killed?"

Sesshomaru glared at him. For the first time, InuYasha sensed his brother had no words to give an answer. Sesshomaru turned around, so InuYasha could only see his back. InuYasha had a feeling Sesshomaru did not want him to see his face when he answered.

"That women holds you life brother. Do not lose her." And with that Sesshomaru drifted slightly upward in the air. InuYasha noticed Tokijin at his side again. The sword was repaired.

InuYasha looked down at Tessaiga at his side. The sword would not transform, it was still an old rusty bade in his hand when he pulled it out. InuYasha watched until Sesshomaru's form disappeared in the sky.

InuYasha looked down the well. In one faithfully jump, pulling the wings as much control he had over them, he went into the five-hundred years future.

(-)_(-)

InuYasha balanced his hands on the branches of the God Tree and looked into Kagome's window. She had a towel around her with her wet hair swishing from side to side.

InuYasha wanted to go in there and collapse in a fit of tears in her lap. All he had let happen to her she didn't deserve. InuYasha watched as she knelt down and looked in the mirror. A slight tear ran down her face. She moved her hand over a long bandage on her upper lip, sending pain through InuYasha chest.

That scar, that injury, had happened when he had raped her. He remembered it clearly. Her fight to get away, her teeth sinking into Inuhidoi's hand, and the acid like blood leaking on her beautiful face.

InuYasha heard a soft hissing sound, realizing it was coming form his own mouth. His anger, his demonic rage, wanted revenge. He felt it rise up to take her. NO. InuYasha sank his own poison claws into his acid blood. I will never touch Kagome in this form, ever. InuYasha hissed at himself bitterly.

Kagome snapped up and looked around her room. She limped over to her bed and picked up something. The subjugation beads. InuYasha fingered the black armor around his neck. How had they come off? InuYasha didn't want to know. He figured Inuhidoi must have torn them off with his brute strength. The beads were to subdue his soul, not Inuhidoi's.

Why hadn't she said 'sit' to stop him from taking her? Why, in the whole time she had been 'sitting' him, did she not say it at the time when he truly wanted her to say it?

InuYasha slowly backed away, he didn't want her to see him like this anymore. His body was not his and his soul was shattered. He slowly jumped off the branches of the God Tree. Heading back to the well house, he heard her window slide open fast.

"InuYasha!?"

InuYasha disappeared into the well house. Just as he heard her break a sob, the well took him back to his own time and his own misery.