Was the last chap better, I hope? This one and the next...and the next...and probably the next are all gonna be emotional. I think. That's the plan anyway. OK, well, read on if you must.

"Inuyasha? What's going on? What's wrong with Kagome?" Miroku asks, peering over the edge of the well at the hanyou. He gasps slightly at the hanyou's position, immediately realizing that the Inuyasha hadn't been transported to the future. The monk pales visibly, turning around quickly to face the section of forest Inuyasha had just come from. Sango, Shippo, and Kilala follow his gaze, wondering what in the world is going on. All four stare in shock as Kikyo walks past the trees and heads toward them.

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"So...Kagome...can never come back?" Shippo asks, tears sliding down his small cheeks.

Kikyo nods at the fox before turning to look at the well. Inuyasha still had not come out. She sighs, turning her dark eyes on the rest of the group.

Sango seems to be in the same state as the kitsune, but as her head is buried in her arms, the miko is unable to see her face. Kilala is beside her, head resting against the tajiya's leg while she stares at Kikyo with glassy eyes. Miroku is also obviously trying to contain himself, gazing distractedly at the well every few minutes. Kikyo takes a deep breath--relishing in the fresh air flooding through her lungs--before speaking again.

"Do not blame Inuyasha. This was an accident. It was not supposed to happen this way," she says. "He was not planning on bringing me back so soon. Inuyasha was asking Midoriko about the best way to do it when Kagome showed up." The now-living miko stares down at her hands, feeling the warmth from the sun shining on them. She looks back up at the group.

"Since Kagome and I share a soul, we cannot exist in the same time. When she went back through the well, our soul in this time could come back to me, reviving the body created by the Shikon no tama. Our soul is bound to this body now; Kagome cannot ever return. If she did somehow manage it, the girl's body would be nothing but a shell, as a soul cannot occupy two bodies at once. That is why the well sealed; it was part of the wish that was going to be made on the jewel, in order to keep Kagome from that fate."

Sango looks up, tear streaks on her cheeks. An angry glint is reflected in her eyes. "So, why was Inuyasha planning to revive you anyway, Kikyo?" the slayer asks, barely masked rage in her voice. Miroku raises his arm to place it on her shoulder, but Sango glares at him so much that the monk ends up scooting farther down the log they were sitting on. Kikyo sighs.

"I am not certain. I believe Inuyasha thought I deserved another chance to live out my life, since it had been cut short the first time. I...heard some of his and Midoriko's conversation before he sensed Kagome's presence and took off. I do not know how, as my body did not yet contain a soul. A minute later, I felt a warmth spreading from my chest and opened my eyes. I knew what had happened and that it wasn't the right time, but it was too late. Inuyasha's wish had been completed and the jewel had disappeared. Midoriko also, was gone, so I followed in the direction he had taken."

The tajiya continues to glare at the miko, a slight twitch in her right eye. "And what was Inuyasha planning to do once you had been revived and Kagome had been sent back to her time?" she asks venomously. The girl knew how much Kagome cared for the half-demon; the two had been getting closer ever since his ex-lover had died a few months ago. The slayer had thought that the hanyou had finally been willing to admit to his feelings for the other girl, but apparently they had been wrong. They had all been terribly wrong.

Kikyo watches the small group around her for a few seconds before turning back to the well; there was still no sign that Inuyasha was going to join them. The miko takes a deep breath, the words she's about to say causing surprisingly little discomfort to the priestess.

"Some fifty years ago, Inuyasha and I loved each other. But betrayal and the resulting hatred changed us, even though neither was our fault, and we were eventually able to forgive one another." Kikyo turns to face the others. "Inuyasha's heart no longer belongs to me; he gave it to Kagome a while ago, but did not realize it until recently. He was not planning to stay in this time. Inuyasha was going to follow Kagome to the future."

Shippo, Miroku, and Kilala stare in shock as the miko's words sink in. Sango's expression changes from irate to astonished in less than a second. She stutters her next words.

"S...he...Inuyasha...was going to go to the future? He...was going to be with Kagome?"

Kikyo is about to answer when another voice cuts through the evening air. "It doesn't matter now. She's gone. Move on."

The three humans and two demons turn their heads to see Inuyasha standing beside them, shoulders hunched, stance altered so that he's favoring his left foot. The hanyou simply stares at them, his face expressionless, his eyes blank. After a minute of silence, he turns and limps back into the forest.

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"I wish we could have said goodbye," Shippo mumbles, wiping a few stray tears off his face.

The kitsune is sitting outside Kaede's hut with Miroku, cooking the group's dinner. Kagome had been gone almost a month, and everyone was slowly making their peace with the abrupt separation from their friend. Everyone except Inuyasha, that is.

The hanyou had barely spoken to any of them, choosing instead to sit in the branches of the Goshinboku day after day. The reason for this was two-fold. First, Inuyasha thought that the others blamed him for the loss of the miko. He himself did, so why shouldn't they? He didn't want to force his presence on them. Secondly, the half-demon had no desire to pretend that everything was going to be okay. He was shattered and tortured by what had happened because of his decision; no one had benefitted from it, least of all him. The only good thing that had happened was that the Sacred Jewel had finally vanished.

"Yes. Me, also. But we know Kagome misses us. It might actually have been easier this way," the monk says, earning an astonished scoff from the fox. Miroku smiles. "You know Kagome would have never wanted to leave us, but she belongs in her own time--not here. I believe that we would have eventually had to force her to go back."

Shippo glares at Miroku for a few minutes before sighing. He nods slowly. "I...think you're probably right, Miroku. But how was Inuyasha supposed to go to her time? Do you really think he belongs there and not here with us?"

The hoshin takes a few minutes to answer this question. He, Sango, and Kikyo had been discussing this very topic last night, wondering why the hanyou thought he could survive if he went to the future. They finally came to the conclusion that Kagome had been sent back to the Feudal Era for three reasons. One was to help in defeating Naraku and avenging her friends; one was to ensure that the Shikon no tama was purified and ceased to exist. The third reason, the one they had trouble with, was that the girl from the future was destined to meet and fall in love with the hanyou from 500 years before she was born. The problem now was: How were the two supposed to be together, if she was in the future and he was in the past? Kikyo--who was not as upset by this realization as the other two thought she would be--came up with the answer. Though it took the rest of the night to figure out.

"Y...e...s," Miroku says slowly, nodding once in affirmation. Shippo gives him a disbelieving look, which earns the kitsune a small smile. The hoshin continues. "Inuyasha belongs with Kagome. Period. He loved Kikyo dearly, but what Inuyasha has with Kagome is something...different. I honestly do not believe that either one of them will survive for very long without the other."

Shippo stares at the monk as if he's lost his mind. The fox finally shakes his head and crosses his arms, huffing a little in the process. "And just how are they supposed to get back together? The well's closed. Inuyasha is stuck here." The demon waits for an answer with both fear and hope on his young face. He felt terrible about his friend's situation, but there was another question bothering his young mind. Would he be separated from Inuyasha, too?

Miroku turns the fish on the fire, rotating them so that the meal cooked evenly. He whispers his response. "Sango and Kikyo are delivering that answer as we speak."

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"Are you insane, Kikyo? Inuyasha will never go for it..."

The miko smiles sideways at her slayer companion, the girl's demon-cat riding on her far shoulder. "He will. He may think about it for a few days, but--in the end--Inuyasha will do it. He loves her," she says simply. Sango rolls her eyes as the pair passes the last few trees between them and the Tree of Ages. They see the half-demon sitting in one of the lower branches, gazing in the direction of the well, a vacant look on his face. Kikyo calls to him as they approach.

"Inuyasha? Come down, please. We wish to tell you something."

The hanyou turns his head to look at the two women, who hold back their frowns at what they see. Inuyasha had lost weight--his cheekbones were staring to show prominantly--and the wounds from his fight with Naraku--which should have healed weeks ago--were still bandaged, along with the foot he had injured when he jumped into the well. Inuyasha stares for several minutes before slowly sliding off the branch and dropping to the ground, grimacing when he lands. He doesn't say a word as he stands in front of the two of them, avoiding eye contact. Sango speaks first.

"Inuyasha. We...we think we've thought of a way for you to get to Kagome," she says, glancing at Kikyo. "Actually, it was Kikyo that came up with it..."

The half-demon stares blankly at them before turning around and preparing to jump back into the tree. A slight hint of annoyance had crossed his face, telling the women that he obviously thought this was a joke. Sango reaches out and grabs his arm, stopping him while Kikyo hurries to explain.

"It's true, Inuyasha. There is a way...but it will not be easy. Well, it might be... But you won't be able to come back to this time. Ever. If you go through with it, you will be stuck in Kagome's time. You must be sure that this is what you want; you will not be able to take it back. If you have any hesistation at all, I will not do it."

The half-demon turns slightly to look at the priestess, confusion and curiosity on his face. Sango lets go of his arm, sure now that he isn't going to run away.

"How?" he asks, his voice hoarse from not having been used for several days. Kikyo looks him in the eyes for a few seconds before shifting her gaze to the Goshinboku. Inuyasha frowns, following her stare to the bare spot on the tree's trunk, where he had been sealed for fifty years. The hanyou gasps as he realizes what Kikyo was planning to do, turning quickly to the miko.

"You...you want to seal me to the tree...again?" he asks, gaping in horror and astonishment. Both of the women slowly nod, waiting to see if he can answer them right now. After a minute, it's obvious that he can't.

"Just...think about it...Inuyasha. We'll be at Kaede's when you decide," Sango says, as she and the miko leave the shocked hanyou to his restless thoughts.

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"You want to WHAT?" Shippo yells, standing up to his full height in front of the trio sitting before him. He's not very intimidating. Kaede is on the other side of the hut, listening to the conversation, but not taking part. Kikyo had just told the fox how she was planning to get Inuyasha to Kagome, and the kitsune was not amused. He stands there glaring while Kikyo speaks again.

"He needs to go. Inuyasha is not happy here," she says quietly. Shippo looks as though he'd like to use some of his magic on her. He speaks through gritted teeth.

"So Inuyasha's just gonna let you shoot him with an arrow, pinning him to a tree for five hundred years, keeping him in a deep sleep until Kagome--hopefully--wakes him up? She's upset and angry right now; you really think she'll pull the arrow out?" the fox asks, forcing himself to sit back down.

"Yes."

The whole group starts as Inuyasha answers Shippo's question. The hanyou walks slowly through the doorway and sits down next to Kaede, putting his hands into his sleeves. The old miko isn't sure, but she thinks some of the color has come back to the boy since she saw him last.

"Kagome may--and probably does--hate me right now, but she'll pull the arrow out. She couldn't not do it if she tried," he whispers, finally looking up at the others. He's surprised to see sadness on their faces. He thought they'd be glad to get rid of the person who took their friend away. Inuyasha gapes openly at what happens next.

"We'll miss you, Inuyasha," Sango says, wiping away the tears starting to form in her eyes. Miroku nods while Kilala lets out a pitiful mew. Kaede reaches over and pats the hanyou on the arm, while Kikyo simply stares at him, her eyes silently telling the half-demon the same message as the others. Shippo, however, crosses his arms and sticks his nose in the air.

"I won't," he mumbles, continuing quickly at the shocked and slightly angry looks he's getting. "I'm going to go with him." Everyone stares.

"What?" Sango asks, confused. She glances at Miroku, who is wearing the same expression.

"You're...what?" the monk asks. It seems no one could quite process what the kitsune had just said.

"I said, 'I'm going with Inuyasha.' I'm going to go to Kagome's time," Shippo replies, now slightly scared of what he's just said. Inuyasha had been to the future; he knew what he was getting into. The fox-demon, however, had not. Everything would be new and strange; he wouldn't have a clue about anything. But he missed Kagome desperately, and knew he would miss the half-demon, too, once he was gone. Therefore, Shippo had decided that he would also allow himself to be pinned to the Goshinboku.

Kikyo watches the kitsune with narrowed eyes, noting his pale skin and scared expression. She speaks slowly. "I...am willing to do it...," she stops for a second at the scoffs from the others before continuing. "...but it will not be now. You are not yet old enough to make this decision, Shippo." The kitsune glares at the miko, his tiny fists shaking with rage. Kikyo gives him a small smile. "Take some time to enjoy your childhood, and grow a little. If you still wish to join Kagome, then I will seal you beside Inuyasha. On the condition that he is willing to watch over you," she whispers, turning her head to the half-demon, who--until now--hadn't made a sound.

Inuyasha had been watching Shippo ever since he had announced that he was going to let himself be shot with an arrow. Kikyo's got it backwards...if Shippo can make this decision at this age, he will not change his mind once he has grown some. However...

"I will. But Kikyo is right, Shippo. You should enjoy being a kid while you can," Inuyasha says, trying to keep the disdain from his voice.

The fox stares at the hanyou for a few seconds before he nods, silently accepting the conditions of the miko. Shippo hesitates a moment before slowly walking over and settling himself in Inuyasha's lap. The half-demon looks surprised, but doesn't say anything as Kikyo speaks again, ignoring the astonished looks of the other humans surrounding her.

"When do you want to do it?"

Inuyasha stares out the window of the hut, not really seeing the full moon taking up most of the opening. He speaks slowly. "There's...some...people...I need to speak to first. So...one week from today." Inuyasha turns back to the others, the seven companions sitting in uncomfortable silence long into the night.

All of them are thinking about what was going to happen in seven days' time.

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"Are you ready?" Kikyo asks. She and Inuyasha are standing underneath the Goshinboku, the others a little ways away, talking amongst themselves.

The half-demon had already said goodbye to the others, feeling a little better that his friends were indeed, still his friends, and didn't hate him for what had happened. They would miss him, but understood his need to be with Kagome. They had all given him messages for the young miko.

Kikyo had already told Inuyasha that she was wrapping the arrow in a spell that would prevent anyone besides Kagome from seeing him until she did. The priestess was also including a spell that would provide protection; as long as he was still sealed, neither the tree nor the half-demon could be harmed. Kikyo didn't know what would happen over the course of the next five centuries, and didn't want to take any chances. Inuyasha also wouldn't age, and wouldn't remember anything from the time the arrow hit him until Kagome woke him up. Besides the initial pain of having a sharp object through your chest, it really wasn't a bad way to pass the time.

Inuyasha nods, staring into the eyes he had loved so long ago. He slowly reaches out and pulls the priestess into a tight hug, whispering in her ear before she pulls away. "Thank you."

Kikyo gives the hanyou a smile and turns, walking toward the others and pulling an arrow from her quiver. Inuyasha takes a last long look at his friends before closing his eyes, hoping the arrow won't hurt as much as it did the first time.

At least it won't cause me the pain I'm feeling right now... he thinks, hearing soft twang before something slams into his chest and the hanyou knows no more...

Inuyasha did not know just how wrong he was going to be.

I'm almost done with #5. It sohuld be up in like, an hour. Hopefully. This plot was bugging the crap outta me, and I had to get it up, even if no one likes it. I do, so...too bad. But I know what's gonna happen in later chaps. :) Ha.