All rights to Inuyasha reserved by Rumiko Takahashi

Inuyasha could smell Kagome as she reappeared at the bottom of the well. With one effortless movement he leaped inside the well and pulled her out.

As he set her down he noticed the change in her attitude. It had taken him almost a year to figure out when she was and was not upset but after two years of practice he could do it almost on instinct. "What did she say?"

He could tell she was trying to hide something from him. "Nothing too important. She just wanted to say goodbye."

Kagome had gotten better at lying over the past years. Probably because she had to do it every time she went home. But he could still tell. "…Okay. Come on, the others are waiting."

"Is…is she going to be there?"

"She's changed Kagome."

"…Okay"

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Sesshomaru had finally stopped…in the middle of the mountains at the edge a large canyon and not to mention at the doorstep of a small village that was literally right next to them.

Kohaku shifted uncomfortably as he tried to ignore the fact that half of the village was looking at him. "Umm…Lord Sesshomaru?"

Sesshomaru answered in the same tone that each person in the group was so accustomed to. "What is it?"

Well, at least that's back to normal. "What are we doing so close to this village?"

"…"

"Umm, then should we be worried that Jaken hasn't woken up yet?"

"No." And with that the quiet demon lord began to survey the canyon below only pausing to wait for the rest of his group to catch up.

"Oh." Kohaku turned to Rin for backup but she just shrugged. She always did get quiet when they were around human villages. He had never asked why. Just like she had never asked why he didn't travel with his sister. It was an unspoken agreement.

Kohaku was starting to get worried though. Sesshomaru had been acting weird ever since they were attacked in the forest. And after traveling with him for nearly two years Kohaku had never seen Sesshomaru travel so close to a human village or talk to someone from his past. But now…

A strong hand caught the back of Kohaku's shirt snapping him out of his train of thought and into the reality that he was now standing on the edge of a cliff.

Now grossly aware of his surroundings Kohaku turned to Sesshomaru who had just saved his life. "Uh, thanks."

Sesshomaru didn't say a word. He simply turned and looked down into the canyon, the edge of which also seemed to turn into a cliff.

Rin put her hand on Kohaku's shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. What do you think he's doing?"

Rin shrugged. But if she had spoke the two of them would have never heard the whisper that escaped Sesshomaru's lips.

"Perfect."

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Inuyasha knew this would be tense but to actually see it was something else completely.

Kagome had been greeted with smiling faces and hugs from everyone in the group except for two. Now Kagome was face to face with the one person that he had never in a thousand years expected her to truly talk to. Granted the two had met several times without him being there but he was quite certain that today's topic would be a little more…

Kagome spoke first. "Hi."

Kikyo did her best to appear humble. Whether or not she was acting or simply out of practice remained to be seen. "I…wanted to ask if I could travel with your group."

"Its not really up to me. If you want to, its not like I'm going to stop you."

"It's just that…I've already caused you a lot of trouble. And if my presence here is too distracting, then I will leave."

Inuyasha held his breath though he didn't know why. Kikyo was asking Kagome if she could stay. And even though Kagome would never say no, Inuyasha still felt uneasy.

"It's fine, really. If you want to travel with us I'm fine with it."

And just like that it was over. The others began to crowd around Kagome to continue catching up on what had happened over the past few days until Miki stepped in.

"A pleasure to meet you, I'm-"

"Miki."

"…Ah, Inuyasha must have told you about me."

"Yeah…that's it."

"Good, now that we've got that out of the way can we please go find Sesshomaru?"

Inuyasha cracked his knuckles. "Yeah fine, just no more of that Western Lord crap."

Kagome stepped forward. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that."

"There's no way you're on her side."

"Think about it. The six of us have been trying to find Naraku for the past three years but he always seems to be one step ahead of us. If you were Lord of the Western lands we'd certainly have more resources to track him down. Plus we could ask the other lands to help us."

Miki saw her opening and chimed in. "That's true. The other lands owe the West plenty of favors ever since Sesshomaru became General. That's why they haven't just annexed the western lands. And with all of Japan looking for this Naraku you keep talking about you'd find him in no time."

Inuyasha was at a loss for words. He had gotten tired of loosing Naraku over and over again but if it meant becoming Lord of the West… "No, I don't want to be ruling the west even after I beat Naraku."

Kagome folded her arms. "So name an heir to take over so you can leave."

Now Inuyasha was truly speechless. He had no more reasons to object. So…if it would help him find Naraku faster… "Fine, I'll do it."

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It was night now and everyone had settled down at the bottom of the canyon. Sesshomaru heard the footsteps in the darkness long before anyone else did. She was using the cover of darkness to mask her approach and she was traveling against the wind instead of with it…just like he had taught her. She was wearing black, which was appropriate for how she was traveling.

Kohaku jumped up with his sword in hand once he finally noticed her.

Sesshomaru was already beside him. "Stand down."

Kohaku looked confused at first but eventually sheathed his sword.

"Mai, you can come out now."

She was completely covered from head to toe. No skin was shown save her hair. She carried two swords on her back one on her hip and probably thirty to forty nasty little surprises hidden throughout her wardrobe. To any other person she would simply be an entity, which was the problem with people these days. If they can't recognize your features then you're just a monster to them. Of course she still wore the black mask he bought her. Because if appearances made people think you were a monster it wouldn't matter what she wore. That was why he'd bought her the mask, so she could be a monster of her own choosing.

Mai walked into the light of the fire. "You always have kept strange company Sesshomaru."

"You've been looking for me."

"Have you been avoiding me?"

"No, but I do know someone who was watching you."

"I see…I'll just have to be more careful then."

"…Come with me. We have something to discuss."

Sesshomaru walked into the darkness of the canyon. No one needed to hear or see this. Mai followed closely. Unlike him she had no problem seeing in the dark. "I always have marveled at your sense of hearing. To be able to judge your surroundings by listening, very impressive."

"Your flattery is unnecessary. Why are you here?"

"…I had a feeling you would need me."

"…"

"Was I right?"

"Yes."

"You see? I told you I was psychic."

"Perhaps."

"What is it?"

"I need a distraction."

"And I thought we were just friends."

"…"

Mai sighed. "I know what you meant. Who do you want me to distract?

"A large group, six maybe more."

"For how long?"

"As long as you can manage."

"How strong are they?"

"…"

"That bad huh?"

"I can find someone else if-"

"My life for yours, remember."

"…Yes, I remember."

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Kagome sat by the fire staring into the depths of the burning ember. She had placed her backpack by Inuyasha. The object inside it called to her begging for its release. The vial Syal gave her sat untouched between her extra change of clothes. She should have told them. But…she didn't want to. It was the same voice that told her not to take it. It was the same voice that told her to say no to Kikyo.

Even after all this time she couldn't let go of Inuyasha. Even if it had been three years and Inuyasha had continuously chosen Kikyo even though she was nothing more than a walking soul incased in a clay pot. Kagome knew what would happen if she gave Inuyasha that vial. She knew because Inuyasha, like her, just couldn't let go of Kikyo.

It didn't matter if she loved him. It didn't matter if he loved her. None of it mattered because he loved Kikyo too. And in the end he would choose Kikyo over her just like he always did. She had lived with that pain for three years now and it had long ago settled into a dull ache inside her heart. She had no idea what would happen once it was over. How much would it hurt when he finally chose Kikyo? That was what she feared most.

And so there she sat and there she slept, surrounded by all of her best friends and even a few new ones. She, the double of Kikyo, waited and listened to the scared voice in her head. And as she lay there she would whisper to herself.

Just a bit longer…

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Kagome was starting to grow tired of these visions but somehow she knew this wasn't one of them. This was a dream… 'Oh, no.' She remembered her last dream. She remembered Sesshomaru's village.

She was standing in sand and all around her was a thick fog. And it was…quiet…

Kagome began to walk through the fog until she found a spot where it seemed to have naturally parted. As she looked around she saw her footprints in the sand and realized that the sand was only an inch deep. Beneath the sand was a blue floor that seemed as though it was constantly shifting.

Kneeling down Kagome began to brush away the sand only to find that the floor was made of…water? Was she standing on water?

Kagome pressed her hand to the floor and found that she could pass through whatever barrier that was holding her up. She stood and shook off the water from her hand. That was when she heard him.

A scream echoed through the fog and from the mist came a blood soaked thirteen-year-old Sesshomaru. Kagome's first reaction was to rush to him but with the first step she took an invisible sword seemed to slash across his chest shredding his shirt and sending blood flying through the air.

When Sesshomaru dropped to his knees the sand beneath him rippled out into the fog. And for the briefest moments everything was quiet once more.

Suddenly the sand lifted off of the water and began to flow through the air like a storm. The invisible wind sent the sand coursing through every inch of air that had fog in it. Soon the fog became no more than a flowing wall of sand.

As the wound on Sesshomaru's chest healed others seemed to take its place.

Kagome watched as countless wounds appeared and healed on Sesshomaru's body. Each time they would heal over leaving only his torn clothes as evidence.

It was then that knowledge of her surroundings seemed to course through Kagome's mind. Every few seconds Sesshomaru seemed to look a little older. The sands around them coursed violently upwards into the dark sky. The blood from his injuries poured down his arms and legs into the water upon which they both stood slowly clouding it red.

He soon became the Sesshomaru she had first met in the skeletal remains of Inuyasha's father.

The countless grains of sand slowly fled Kagome's vision. And like all the countless memories that they stood for they disappeared leaving only a torn and broken body screaming and kneeling in water stained with his own blood.

It was there he knelt until a ray of light broke through the sky. And within the light rode an angel trimmed in white with wings of silver. As she stood on air before Sesshomaru tears began to fall from his amber eyes yet they did not mix with the blood on his face.

The angel reached out her hand to wipe away one of Sesshomaru's tears, caressing his cheek she touched the ground and the blood in the water tore away like wrapping paper leaving only the clearest of blues. Soon she was kneeling with him staring into his eyes as if she was reading his soul. Her face melted into that of sorrow and compassion as she embraced him.

The blood that covered his body did not stain the angel's white robe but Sesshomaru's tears did. Sesshomaru knelt silently as he accepted the embrace and wept on her shoulder.

There they stayed for countless eternities both content to enjoy the other's presence.

It was not until he tried to embrace her in return that she turned to sand and fell to the floor.

Kagome watched as Sesshomaru's expression went from sorrow to serenity and as the sand sank into the water turning it to fire.

The flames caressed Sesshomaru's body as he fell back into them.

Kagome stood there dumbfounded as Sesshomaru burned alive.

The last thing she noticed before she woke was the peaceful smile that graced his lips as he slowly turned to ash.

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Author's notes:

It's the end of the fall semester and this was my first day off. How do I celebrate? By writing this chapter for all of you. I wonder what that dream could have meant? I guess you'll just have to wait and see.

Since I don't have any more school until January I'll have a little more time for this story. So we'll see where that leads me.

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Answer:

Hamlet

Act 3

Scene 1

Line 64

It saddens me to know that my English teacher has the ability to chisel these kinds of details into my brain.