XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Choice You Make Now

The Third Vision

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

'So which life is next,' Inuyasha asked with genuine curiosity. Each vision seemed better than the last so far. He imagined the last one would end up being the one he choose. After all, regardless of which one he picked, he'd still end up with that second one anyway. That was definitely something to look forward to in his opinion. This whole venture was seeming better and better with each passing minute.

'The next is the life you would've had if you had made a wish to become a full demon,' the voice sighed in exasperation, 'You know, I'm beginning think this whole thing was a mistake. You keep making decisions without taking anything other than your selfish desires into consideration.'

'I'm selfish. You said so yourself, don't you remember?' Inuyasha teased good naturedly, 'Now let's get these last two over with and don't say it. Keep an open mind. I know.'

And so the familiar feeling of the world spinning out from under him began and suddenly, he was dumped – not in his body – but in a ghostly form intended only to observe.

'What the fuck?! Why can I at least feel what it'd be like!? That's not fair!' Inuyasha protested as the strange outdated woman shimmered into existence next to him, 'This was all I ever dreamed of for centuries! I definitely want this one!'

'Watch and learn that not all dreams end up like you think,' the faceless woman hissed as she pointed to the village a short distance away, 'This is the life you would've had. Let's take a walk shall we?'

A nervous pit began to grow in his stomach as they walked and the village came into view. This was obviously a human village but it was quiet. Unnaturally quiet. Not even birds were chirping. The closer they became, the more the pit twisted in his stomach and the general feeling of wrongness soared out of control before all feeling swooshed from his body. There, just ahead, was a villager. Not just any villager. This man had been his friend in the life he led now. His torso laid a fair distance away from the bottom half of his body like it'd be torn in two.

'I didn't do this, did I?' Inuyasha asked shakily as his feet continued moving forward of their own accord, 'Tell me I didn't do this.'

'I can't,' the voice responded matter of factly, 'I can only show you the end result of your wish.'

Taking a shaky breath, Inuyasha choked back a sob as they came across more and more mutilated corpses. All of their faces he recognized. All of them.

'I would never…' Inuyasha choked out, 'I would never do something like this. Even before I met Kikyo, I'd never…'

Then his full demon self came into sight. His eyes unfocused, and crimson red. Just like the blood dribbling from his chin, covering his claws and splattered across the fire rat robes….all of this and to top it all of with a cherry, a still beating heart in his clenched fist.

'I've seen enough,' Inuyasha hissed as he stumbled away, 'You've made your point. Let's go.'

'As you wish,' the woman responded as she nodded in approval, 'There is one last vision you must see before you make your decision.'

Swallowing thickly as he watched the full demon version of himself smile sadistically before taking a bite of the organ in his head, Inuyasha couldn't wait to get out of that nightmare as soon as possible.

'So I turn into a mindless monster,' Inuyasha asked hoarsely as the vision faded, 'I'm guessing I killed Kikyo?'

'You killed every last soul in that village with your bare hands,' the strange woman admitted sympathetically, 'The wish on the jewel corrupted your soul. In fact, this next vision would give you a glimpse into the kind of life your soul would live from that moment onward should you have made that wish.'

'So that body…my soul is gone?' Inuyasha gasped in horror as he placed a hand over his heart before he shivered involuntarily, 'Is that why I couldn't feel what it'd be like? Not that I want to in retrospect…'

'Yes,' the woman replied, 'As I've said before, no life is perfect.'

'So this last vision…' Inuyasha began shakily, 'I'm betrayed. By Kikyo I'm guessing.'

'In a manner of speaking,' the woman chuckled before ending in a long sigh, 'It's much more complicated than that. This next vision…it's far too complicated to show you one snapshot if I'm being honest. I might break my own rule and show you several pieces of the larger puzzle. Otherwise, you won't understand the true significance of what you'd dismiss should you choose a different life.'

'You want me to choose this last one,' Inuyasha responded slowly as understanding dawned on him, 'That's why you're showing it to me last.'

'The choice is ultimately up to you,' the woman acknowledged with a gentle sigh, 'But yes, I would prefer you choose this next path.'

'Why?' Inuyasha asked as he furrowed his brow, 'From the description, it sounds like this next one is going to suck ass. I'm betrayed? Why would I choose that one?'

'The question becomes whether you want to be better than you are,' the unnerving specter answered in a disappointed tone, 'But...but...this was a mistake. I thought...but you are not the man you could be and showing you a vision of that future isn't something you desire. You wouldn't understand. Make your decision based on what you've seen. Anything in this last vision that I could possibly show you...the significance would be lost on you.'

'You calling me dumb?' Inuyasha hissed indignantly, 'How do you know I wouldn't get it?'

'Because you're selfish,' the woman sighed as her shoulders sagged in defeat, 'You're just...selfish. You only think of yourself and what's in it for you.'

'You make me sound so shallow,' Inuyasha huffed exasperatedly, 'You sound just like Kikyo.'

'And you wonder why she grew to resent you,' the woman clipped back in a cool tone, 'You wonder why Kaede resents you. Why you're dying all alone at this very moment. All you've ever done has been for selfish reasons. You are shallow. When your wife miscarried, you didn't even let her grieve before insisting you both try again. And again. And again. You never grieved for those she lost and you never recognized she was grieving. All you cared about was yourself and what you wanted.'

Recoiling like he'd been slapped, Inuyasha paled visibly as his mouth hung open, 'That's...that's not true.'

'Oh really? Did you forget I'm a part of you? That I was there the whole time?" the woman taunted angrily, 'How about that first vision I showed you? Thousands died. Thousands! Know what you cared about?! Whether you'd be alone. All you thought about what was in it for you. Who cares if that reality would cost all those people their lives so long as you were happy. Second vision? Same thing.'

'I cared,' Inuyasha countered defensively to which the woman scoffed, 'You cared only insofar as your parents might die and you'd be alone. You're selfish. So selfish you can't even think of anyone other than yourself!'

'Oh yeah?!' Inuyasha bellowed, 'If I didn't love Kikyo to begin with, how the hell could I be betrayed in this next vision?!'

'BECAUSE YOU NEVER LOVED HER!' the woman all but screamed as she jabbed a finger in his chest, 'YOU LOVED WHAT SHE REPRESENTED! THAT YOU WOULDN'T BE ALONE! AND THE SAD PART IS THAT SHE NEVER LOVED YOU EITHER! YOU WERE BOTH SELFISH, SELFISH, SELFISH!'

'How DARE you! I loved her,' Inuyasha protested indignant as he clenched his fist so tightly his knuckles went white, 'Fuck you.'

'I don't know why I ever thought you'd ever be able to see past your own nose,' the woman huffed as rubbed the sides of her temples...or what should've been her temples. It was hard to tell. With a defeated sigh, she mumbled quietly to herself, 'I don't even know why I tried.'

'If you think I'd be so much better, go ahead. Show me this next vision,' Inuyasha huffed in frustration, 'I don't even give a shit.'