So I can't take full credit for Sango being the connection between Izayoi and Naraku.
It was my mom's idea, so if you're still sad about it, blame her lol.
This chapter starts with Kagome's POV and picks up right where chapter 28 left off.
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.
Chapter 30: The Decisions
Kagome stared at the window for a moment before running into the kitchen to grab paper towels to clean it off.
She couldn't think, couldn't plan if it was there.
Once it was cleaned up, she took a deep breath, grabbed the blanket from her bed, and went to the couch, closing the bedroom door behind her.
Stay calm, stay calm, stay calm…
Her body betrayed her as her hands shook and tears began to fall from her eyes. The rapid pound of her heart echoed in her head, setting her brain on fire and causing a spiral into which she was falling deeply.
"What do I do?" she whispered to herself.
She knew what she needed to do, but she didn't want to do it.
But it was time.
She needed to leave the city.
I told Inuyasha I wouldn't leave him, and I'm not. I'm leaving Naraku and the threat he poses to everyone if I'm still here.
She stood up and went to pack a bag, wanting to leave as soon as possible.
I should leave before Inuyasha comes back. I don't know how I can ever say goodbye to him.
As she started shoving clothes in her travel bag, she paused.
After everything he's done for me, he doesn't deserve that. I have to see him before I go. I can't just leave without at least giving him a proper goodbye...
So she continued packing her bag and tossed it on the floor by the loveseat before sitting down. She would wait for Inuyasha, hug and kiss him one last time until who knew when, and then she would leave.
But it was going to be hard.
O.o.O.o.O
Inuyasha closed up the bakery quickly before he made his way to Kagome's apartment. He sent her a quick text letting her know he was on his way before picking up the pace.
He'd texted her periodically throughout the day and she'd responded each time, so he took it as a good sign. He was still eager to get back to her, though.
When he reached her apartment building, he hurried up the stairs and to her door. She answered a moment after he knocked, and he could tell something was wrong.
"Hey," he greeted, pulling her into an embrace. "You doing okay?"
Kagome sighed against him and hugged him tightly before letting go. Her eyes were sad and full of dread.
"Let's talk, honey," she said before leading him over to the couch.
And that's when he noticed the bag.
"Kagome," he began, "what's the bag for?"
Somehow, he knew what was going to happen. He just knew.
Kagome sat down on the couch and tried to get him to sit next to her, but Inuyasha was too worked up to sit down.
"Inuyasha, let me explain," she begged.
Inuyasha shook his head. "Don't...don't leave."
Kagome huffed and stood up. She set her hands on his cheeks, keeping his eyes locked with hers.
"You are the most amazing man I've ever met," she said, her voice shaky. "You're kind and supportive and thoughtful...I never thought I could ever meet someone like you, let alone love and be loved by someone so wonderful. I don't think I can ever express in words how much I've appreciated everything you've done for me." She shook her head.
"I could be selfish and stay with you because leaving is the last thing I want to do, but I would hate myself if something happened to you, Inuyasha. I can't risk it."
Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her tightly.
"You don't need to leave," he argued softly. "Just...let me help you figure something out. We've come this far together."
"You have to just let me go," Kagome murmured as she dropped her hands from his cheeks and tried to move away from Inuyasha.
"No," Inuyasha countered, panic rising in his voice as his arms tightened around her. He smelled Kagome's tears before he saw them.
"Inuyasha," she began, "Naraku is here. He knows where I am. He left another note on my window this morning after you left. It's too late for any other sort of plan! This is the only thing left that I can do!" Kagome's voice cracked on the last word, and that was when she finally looked up at Inuyasha.
She reached up one of her hands to gently cup his cheek again. Inuyasha's gaze bore into her as he leaned his face against her palm.
"You're the love of my life, Kagome," he said, his voice matter-of-fact. "You're worth every single risk. Just…please stay. Please let me protect you." He felt Kagome's hand tremble against his cheek, and it only fueled the fire he had for her deep in his heart.
Inuyasha pulled Kagome impossibly closer, all while moving one hand into her hair, and kissed her. Kagome's arms soon moved around his neck.
Inuyasha kissed her with a desperation of which he didn't think he was capable, and Kagome kissed him back just as fervently.
Inuyasha could feel it in her kiss.
She was saying goodbye.
But he wasn't ready for that.
Not yet.
He picked her up, crushing her body against his as he walked over to the loveseat. She gasped when her back hit the cushions, but Inuyasha muffled the sound with his mouth.
He kissed her deeply, fervently, and filled it with everything he wanted to say in that moment but knew he didn't have enough time to say.
Kagome soon wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his hips, sinking into the kiss as Inuyasha settled himself against her.
Her scent and power hit Inuyasha all at once as she released her aura, nearly pulling all the breath from his lungs.
How long has it been since I've smelled her? And felt her power? Too long…
His hands were everywhere as he touched her, trying to commit her body to his memory.
Kagome did the same, her breathing ragged and she pulled Inuyasha closer, and the sounds coming from her had Inuyasha kissing her deeper, clutching her closer.
It wasn't until he felt wetness on his cheeks that he finally parted from her.
When he looked down at her, Kagome's eyes were raining silent tears. She tugged on him, pulling him down to her again.
Inuyasha buried his face in her neck and inhaled her scent, wondering how he was supposed to go even one day without her.
"This isn't me leaving forever," she murmured. "It's just for a little while." Inuyasha squeezed her tighter.
"That doesn't make it easier," he replied softly. Kagome's hands migrated up to his ears and rubbed them gently.
"I know."
They lay there for a long time, until Kagome finally released his ears and gently pushed Inuyasha off of her.
"I need to go," she said as she got up from the couch.
Inuyasha reluctantly rose with her and frowned as she grabbed the bag and slung it over her shoulder.
"I'll try to contact you when I can," she said, adjusting the bag so it rested comfortably. "I promise." She looked up at him. "I need you to trust me on this. This is only a temporary goodbye, okay?"
Inuyasha, to his surprise, felt the sting of tears in his eyes, but he held them back, vowing to be strong for Kagome.
"Okay," he finally said. "Do you have my number memorized?" At Kagome's nod; he sighed and hugged her tightly again.
"I hate this," he muttered into her hair. "I would go with you if I could."
"I hate this, too," she admitted. "But I have to do it."
"What did the second message on your window say?" Inuyasha asked.
Kagome let go of him and frowned. "It said 'run,'" she replied. "So...that's what I'm doing. I think he wants me away from here, away from Sango mostly. I'm going to call her on my way before I disconnect my cell phone, so my phone won't work by the time I get to...wherever I wind up going. I just need to get out of here. Can you tell Miroku I said goodbye?"
Inuyasha nodded and felt a third gaping hole start to form in his heart.
First his father, then his mother, and now...Kagome.
"What about all of your other stuff?" Inuyasha asked, realizing she was leaving with just a single bag.
Kagome winced sheepishly. "Uh, I'm leaving kind of irresponsibly. I've already paid rent for this last month, but I don't have time to get all my furniture and dishes out, so the landlord is gonna hate me but this is desperation at its finest."
Kagome left her key on the coffee table before leading Inuyasha out of the apartment.
When the door was closed behind them, she took a deep breath.
"We should leave separately," she murmured. "Just in case."
Inuyasha nodded, leaning down to hug and kiss her once more.
"I love you," he murmured before letting her go.
Kagome tried to muster up a smile. "I love you, too. I'll call you when I can."
Inuyasha nodded and left, feeling something hard and unpleasant settle in the pit of his stomach.
It felt so wrong to leave her behind, but he needed to trust her judgment.
He went back to the bakery, walking slowly to try and put off the conversation he would need to have with Miroku for as long as possible.
When he finally got home, he unlocked the door and closed it, locking it behind him before going upstairs.
Miroku was sitting on the couch when Inuyasha walked in.
"Whoa," Miroku said immediately. "What happened, Inuyasha? You look awful."
Inuyasha took a deep breath before coming over to sit on the couch next to him.
"Kagome is gone."
Miroku's eyes widened. "What?"
"Naraku contacted her at her apartment," Inuyasha explained. "Twice. So...she left. She wanted me to tell you goodbye and explain. With Naraku knowing she's in the city and where she lives, she said it was time for her to go."
Miroku shook his head. "Man...so did you guys break up?"
Inuyasha winced. "No, we're still...together, even though we're going to be apart for awhile. She's going to call when she can, but until then...she's gone."
Miroku patted Inuyasha's shoulder. "I'm so sorry."
Inuyasha sighed. "I-"
Miroku's phone rang, and when Sango's face showed up on the screen, they both grimaced.
"Hey, sweetie," Miroku greeted.
Inuyasha could hear her cries from where he was seated next to him.
"Oh, Sango…" Miroku soothed. "Do you want to come over? We can all talk...yeah, Inuyasha is here. He knows what happened."
After a few more moments of them talking, they ended the call.
"Sango is coming over," he explained. He paused. "Is that okay? I should've asked you first."
Inuyasha nodded. "Of course. She loves Kagome as much as I do."
o.O.o
Sango was a wreck the whole night.
"I finally see her again after six years," she said through her tears, "and then she just has to leave? I'm gonna kill Naraku if I ever see him again."
She set a hand on Inuyasha's knee from where she was seated on the couch between him and Miroku.
"Are you alright, Inuyasha?" she asked. "I didn't even ask."
Inuyasha half-shrugged. "I understand why she left. I hate it, but I understand."
Sango sighed. "I guess I do, too. It's just...it's so hard."
It was a long night, and it ended with the three of them falling asleep in a pile on the couch, the extra comfort needed and warranted.
And as Inuyasha drifted off to sleep, a tear snuck out from the corner of his eye.
Kagome...
o.O.o.
When Inuyasha's alarm went off at six-thirty, he was already awake.
For the last four days since Kagome left, he wouldn't fall asleep until late into the night, only to wake up a mere few hours later when the sun wasn't even close to rising.
He still hadn't heard anything from her, and the wait was slowly eating away at him. The only thing that helped was baking and punching dough.
Old ways, old habits, that kind of thing.
The bakery had a plethora of goods since Inuyasha was throwing himself into baking, so they'd been left with a surplus that was slowly filling up the displays.
Inuyasha rolled over in his bed and groaned into his pillow.
Maybe I can just stay in bed today...it's not like I even need to bake anymore stuff since I've been making so much since she left.
By the time eight-fifteen rolled around, a knock came on his bedroom door.
"Yeah?" he called.
Miroku opened the door and peaked in, frowning when he saw Inuyasha.
"Hey," he greeted. "You alright?"
Inuyasha huffed. "No. I'll get up soon."
"Can I do anything?" Miroku asked. Inuyasha shook his head.
"No, it's okay," he replied. "I'll be up in a few minutes."
Once Miroku was gone, Inuyasha took a deep breath and got up. He padded into the bathroom, showered, and got dressed before walking into the kitchen.
Miroku was already sitting at the table munching on a piece of bacon.
"I made pancakes," he said. Inuyasha nodded.
"Thanks," he replied. He grabbed a plate and put a pancake on it, his appetite nonexistent but not wanting to turn away the kind gesture from Miroku.
After he'd eaten, he grabbed his plate and Miroku's and washed them in the sink.
"Any word from Kagome?" Miroku asked gently. Inuyasha shook his head as he dried and put away the dishes.
"Not yet," he replied. "I didn't think it would be this long…"
I'm worried. I figured she would call within a few hours, but this is the fourth day she's been gone.
He took a deep breath and made his way to the stairs.
"I'm heading down now," he said as he went into the bakery kitchen.
o.O.o
Several hours later, Inuyasha's phone rang.
It was an unknown number, so he quickly answered it, hoping with his entire being that it was Kagome.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Inuyasha, it's me."
Inuyasha nearly fell to his knees in relief at the sound of Kagome's voice.
"Are you okay, baby?" he asked. "I've been going crazy waiting to hear from you."
"I'm sorry," she replied. "I wanted to get a safe distance away and it was hard to find a payphone that's actually still in order."
"Where are you, Kagome?" Inuyasha pressed. "How far did you go?"
Kagome paused. "I'm far enough. I don't want to say where I am exactly...just in case."
Add that to the list of things I hate about this entire situation...
"Okay," he conceded. "Are you safe? Do you have a place to stay and stuff to eat?"
"Yes," she assured him. "I found a hotel I'm going to check into soon and I have enough money for that and food until I can find a job here."
"What?" Inuyasha asked, dumbfounded. "You're already looking for a job in the new place?"
Kagome sighed. "Honey, I've been doing this for five years. This is just another move in a long list of moves, but...it's harder this time. I've never had to leave someone behind."
Inuyasha stifled the sigh he was very close to heaving.
How long will it be like this? I'll wait for her forever, but...this is going to be harder than I thought.
"You still there?" she asked quietly.
"Yeah," Inuyasha replied. "I'm still here. I want you to be safe, okay? Don't walk anywhere at night. I'm not...I'm not there to walk with you anymore."
Kagome hummed. "I will." She laughed lightly. "Remember the first night you walked me home? You practically yelled at me for walking home alone at night."
Inuyasha couldn't help the smile that came to his face. "I remember. I was pretty smooth, huh?"
Kagome laughed again. "Sure...and then there was the whole 'your hand looks cold' when you really just wanted to hold my hand."
Inuyasha chuckled. "Like I said. I was pretty smooth."
"Hook, line, and sinker," Kagome teased. "And, man, did you hook me."
Inuyasha smiled and went to sit down at the table.
"Do you want me to tell Sango you're okay?" Inuyasha asked.
"No, I'll call her next," Kagome replied. "I'm worried about her. Was she okay when I left?"
Inuyasha winced. "No, it was really bad. I think she's a little better now, though. Miroku said she hasn't been crying as much anymore."
"I feel so horrible about that," Kagome murmured. "Hopefully she'll feel better when I call."
Inuyasha ran a hand through his hair. "I bet she will. I know I do. I miss you so much already."
"I miss you, too, honey," she replied. "I should go now, though. It's almost check-in at the hotel and I still need to call Sango."
"Okay, baby," Inuyasha said reluctantly. "I love you."
"I love you, too," she replied. "Bye."
"Bye."
Inuyasha set the phone on the table after ending the call and took a deep breath.
What's going to happen next? he wondered. As long as Naraku is around, Kagome can't live. We can't...nothing else can happen.
He narrowed his brows and stood up, mind racing.
Kagome had made a decision, and now he would, too.
It's time to catch a killer.
To be continued…
Ever since I started this story, Kagome leaving was always going to happen.
We're quite rapidly approaching the end of this story. It's really crazy to think that a 2,000 word chapter I posted two years ago that literally just sat abandoned for almost all of those two years would grow into this but here we are.
I've seen some good theories about where this story is going, but I think you'll be surprised.
