4 – The Choice

After the dinner Inutaisho took his son with him to show him around the castle. He showed those gorgeus halls, bathing rooms and the temple in the yard.

Now they sat side by side on one of the clastle's verandah, watching the youth to play ball. Inuyasha was a bit untalkative.

"Wouldn't you like to join the game?" Inutaisho asked. Inuyasha shook his head slowly. "I know why", the man said, quiet.

"How would you know?" Inuyasha mumbled.

"I told you; I have been your protector. I've seen how the villagers treated you."

"But why didn't you stop them?" Inuyasha questioned with a sad face.

"We souls cannot control people. But I could protect you to survive the rocks that your village's people threw at you, and help you grow. And you did. But this day was your day to die. That's just it. It was meant to be."

"...Right..." Inuyasha sighed.

"But! As I said, you should get ready for tomorrow. You'll meet the King and pick your protege from the land of the living."

Now Inuyasha was sitting in his home room with his parents. He was still so enlightened about getting his parents back that he didn't even really think about his friend back in the world of living. As Inutaisho was making beds, Inuyasha was sharing a sweet moment with his mother. He Was young alright, but maybe not that young as he was acting like now. He was curled up his head on his mother's lap and nuzzled against her. He wasn't ashamed – not at all. Izayoi stroked him, smiling. But suddenly her face turned sad.

"It was absolutely horrible seeing you in your last days..." she said quietly. "Me and your father pleaded the King to transmit you quicker so that you wouldn't have to suffer longer."

"Yea... Your death was long and painful too", Inuyasha said. "I remember it. How I sat by you and watched you take your last breaths..."

"But now it's okay. Now we're here", Inutaisho laid with a small smile.

Inuyasha spent his night next to his mother. And when morning came, Inuyasha was awaken by small beams of sunlight from the windows in the ceiling boundaries. He sat up and saw his mother decorating a silky kimono.

"Good morning, honey", Izayoi smiled like the sun. Inuyasha nodded with a smile. Now he knew it was true, not a dream – he Was dead, he Had got his parents back... But what about his living friends?

He started looking for his father, looking around. The room's sliding door was open, and there his father sat, on the verandah. He turned his face towards the boy.

"Get up, son", he said. Inuyasha stood up and jogged to him. "Now it's time to see the King."

Father and the son walked through the castle. A lot of people were on the move. Inuyasha wondered why, until he felt a poke on his shoulder. He looked behind him and saw Zaki – that dragon hanyou!

"Hiya, Inuyasha!" he greeted cheerfully. "Will you and your dad come for breakfast with us?"

"Later", Inutaisho said. "We're going to the King."

"Oh, I see..." Zaki nodded. "Pick your protege carefully, Inu! You can't change it before it dies!"

Inuyasha chuckled and nodded. He felt so good being accepted.

After wandering around the castle they arrived upon a beautiful door. Inutaisho gave a look upon Inuyasha and knocked the door thrice. A word came from behind it. He opened the door, and a huge hall unfolded in Inuyasha's eyes. There was a throne at the other side of the hall... but no king to be seen.

"Uh... Hello! Is there anyone in here?" Inutaisho called out. And POOF! Suddenly in front of the canine-duo floated a man on a small cloud.

"Oh, sorry to keep you waiting", the man apologized. He turned towards the boy instantly. "And you are... Inuyasha, right?"

"... Yea?" Inuyasha nodded, eyes wide. "How didya...?"

"I am the King if the Afterlife! There is very little that I Can't do!"

Inuyasha nodded, and the King started circling around the boy. He clapped his hands, grinning.

"Mr. Dog-general", he said, "you can be proud of your son! He has a strong soul! He can pick his protege right away!"

For a while nobody said anything. But this question was stupid – of course he knew who he'd pick!

"I'll pick a girl called Kagome Higurashi."

"Hmm, well that was quick..." the King mumbled. Then he started waving his hands, and suddenly a huge vortex arrived on the floor... and in the vortex they could see Inuyasha's friends. And oh how sad they looked. Especially the girl Inuyasha had mentioned. They all sat on a wooden bench in front of an old hut, talking something, but Inuyasha couldn't make out, what.

"She looks devastated..." Inutaisho said, sad, looking at his son, who's dog ears were drooping. He would never wanted to make his friends so sad because of him.

"Well, are you sure you want Kagome Higurashi as your protege?"

"Yeah!"

"Okay now, as I told you, we don't just eat, sleep and play games in here", Inutaisho told as they were on their way towards their home room. "Most of us protect people – humans, youkais and hanyous alike - back at the world of the living. And now that you have been chosen to protect Ms. Higurashi..."

"...Just Kagome", Inuyasha pointed out.

"Yes, just Kagome... Chosen to protect Kagome, you could start your work any minute."

"What is it like being an angel?" Inuyasha asked when they were getting closer to their home room.

"You'll get to the dimension of the living. But without an actual body. You can move everywhere, fly, even go through material. But noboy, not even any other souls will be able to see or hear you even if you are in the same place at the same time. Not sense you in any way."

"How is that possible? Almost all souls work in the world at the same time! How couldn't we see each other?"

"I can't answer you. That's just how it is. But remember this, my son: if you Ever notice your protege see or hear you, tell me or the King about it!"

"Why? Why would it be so bad?"

"The knowledge of the Afterlife must never spread into the land of the living. So remember, if someone ever senses you, tell us right away!"

The King decided Inuyasha to start his angel-work tomorrow. The rest of the day he spent wandering around the castle. He was very excited about getting to see Kagome, even though he knew She wouldn't see Him. Inutaisho was currently in the land of the living, with Sesshomaru. Inuyasha's lack of hugs towards his mother had subsided somewhat, but he couldn't help but smile always when he saw her. He was happier than ever.

Now he was standing at the castle's main door. He saw children and youth playing dodgeball together as a huge crowd.

"Inuyasha!" one player shouted. It was Zaki! "Come play with us! You don't seem to have work yet don't you?"

"I'll start tomorrow", Inuyasa nodded. He stepped to the crowd and looked around. There were every kind of people: humans, full youkais and hanyous. "Don't you guys have any work then?"

"Sure. We're just having some recess now", Zaki answered. "Every guardian soul can work just as much as they wish – and, also, as little as they wish. But usually – maybe always - the person we souls choose are dear to us, so we actually Want to protect them as Much as possible."

"But come on, Inu! Join the game!" a young human boy shouted. Inuyasha's ears went drooping.

"...What is it?" Zaki asked, tilting his head, throwing the ball to Inuyasha.

"I can't play."

"What do you mean you 'cant play'?" Zaki raised his eyebrow.

"...Well, I have bad memories of playing ball..." he mumbled. All the hanyous of the crowd looked at each other, and Zaki sighed.

"We know what you mean."

"Hm? You do?" Inuyasha's ears lift up.

"Of course. I believe you had a horrible life – we all hanyous have."

"But here we are all friends!" another child winked.

"Well, can you play?"

"Hell yeah!"

And this game was Inuyasha's first that he enjoyed. The game was long, but one by one kids started stopping the game and walked away. Now it was only Inuyasha and Zaki left.

"Where did they go?" Inuyasha asked his friend.

"To work. The world of the living. I'll be leaving in a few minutes. I wish you luck for your first protection day tomorrow!"

A young teen-aged girl walked in the woods with a reed basked in her hands, carrying herbs and mushrooms. And she wasn't alone.

"Kagome..." an old lady sighed and touched the girl's shoulder. "Come on, we'll get back home."

"...Yeah..." that girl, Kagome, nodded, and started following the lady. She had been very depressed, more like devastated. She had just lost her infatuation. Her love. But after his funeral, she had an idea...

"But we must do it!" Kagome shouted. They were all sitting in Kaede's hut, just spending time and waiting for the fish soup to get ready. "We must gather the Shikon full! Then I will make the wish and bring Inuyasha back to life!"

Everyone else nodded nodded, approbatively. Shippo and Kirara wagged their tails.

"But dear child", Kaede sighed. "even the power of Shikon can't bring back the dead."

A short moment of silence.

"...How do you know?" Kagome asked, quietly. Kaede seemed like she was about to say something, but closed her mouth and sighed.

"Well, I guess I can't stop ye."

"You must understand that now that... that Inuyasha is not here anymore...I wont be here that much..." said Kagome, who was just about to return to the present. Miroku, Sango with the baby in her arms, Shippo and Kaede were standing in front of her. "But of course I'll be back! Next week maybe... We will gather the Shikon full, that's for sure!"

"Just rest a bit in your era", Miroku nodded. Kagome nodded and jumped down the well. And so she was transferred 500 years to the future, to the present Japan.

"Mama, I'm... home", Kagome shouted, sad. She could hear cheering from the kitchen, and so her mother, her grandpa and Souta ran to her.

"Hello, darling!" Mrs. Higurashi greeted. "You have been gone for a while! How is Inuyasha's cough? Has the medicine helped...?"

"No, he... He..." And so Kagome broke in tears and fell in her mother's arms.

"What's with you, sis?" Souta wondered.

"Inuyasha is dead."

Kagome walked up the stairs to her room and sat down on her bed. She looked those three framed photos of Inuyasha on her nigthstand. In the left one he was sitting on a swing of her school yard. He had that adorable blue bandana to cover his dog ears... And in the right one, he was eating pancakes with her. She remembered that day, when her mother made those pancakes... And how Inuyasha loved them... And in the middle he was holding her fat cat Buyo in his arms. Kagome burst in tears again, so loud that her mother couldn't help but hear it. She walked to her daughter's room's door and knocked.

"Darling, may I come in?" she asked.

"M-mmhm..." Kagome sobbed. Mrs. Higurashi came in and sat next to her. She laid her arm on top of her daughter's shoulders and rocked her gently.

That night Kagome didn't sleep.