Some replies to reviews: (can't reply to all of 'em – sorry. Thanks to everybody!!!)

CherryWasser – yeah, it was sad – but don't relax just yet. Inuyasha has a long way to go….

Koinu-no-ai – Thank you! Glad it's not OOC – considering my absolutely shocking lack of anime stuff. 'A masterpiece'? Oh, gosh! * blushes *

Holynarf – a review for both stories? What an honour! : o

Morlana – yes, angst rules! Hint – just keep reading * grins evilly *

Apple sauce – cliffies are my specialty – ensures future readers – don't say I didn't warn you!

Jessica – What an awesome review! * Hugs * Thanks sooo much, it really means a lot! Hope you like this one just as much…

Inuchik – um, yah, poor Kouga – I really put him through hell, didn't I? I did feel a bit lousy after that….

Aiwendil – whoa, the pen name thing is weird! Had no idea. Glad you like!

About 'Where Do I Belong?' – some people want me to continue that one. Hadn't figured on that, it was meant to be a one-shot – but maybe I'll do something with it in a few weeks. Watch this space! Na, really long A/N out of the way – on with the show!


Disclaimer: I said it before, I'll say it again – I DON'T OWN IT!!!!

Choice and Consequence

Chapter 5: Invisible Audience

Inuyasha stood as if in a daze, hands hanging limply at his sides. Only one thing was clear in his mind…this could not be good. The woman in front of him clearly reveled in his rapt attention.

"Ah…not disappointed, then? How very fortunate."

She glided towards him, stopping mere inches from the stricken hanyou. He had no idea what to do, where to look…completely at a loss. He was a fierce fighter, champion of unnumbered battles, fearless in the face of death; but this – woman – had the power to reduce him to nothing. Somewhere inside his mind a voice was screaming at him that this was ridiculous, laughable even. An undead miko, not even flesh and blood, and she had him weak at the knees just by standing there.

'And don't you DARE forget about Kagome this time!' he snarled to himself. "Kikyou –" he began. She cut him off. "Tell me, Inuyasha – has Kagome been sleeping well?" A look that was suspiciously like a smirk crossed her face. "Or, judging by your eagerness to see her, has she been noticeably absent lately?" He clenched his fists in anger – 'I will NOT hurt her!' – and forced himself to reply. "She's not here." Abruptly he lost his battle with his temper, remembering her first comment. "What the hell do you mean, 'has she been sleeping well?' You better not have anything to do with those dreams she's had!"

The miko recoiled slightly at his outburst. "Why would I bother with that copy? I have better things to do with my time." She smiled thinly at his growl.

"She is so damn well worth your time….hang on! What am I saying now? Gahh…." He smacked himself on the head in frustration. Of all the stupid things to say. Way to go, dog-boy. He vainly tried to collect his thoughts into some semblance of order.

"If you didn't have anything to do with it, then why did you ask about her?" he bit out savagely.

"Hmm…good question. One you don't really need an answer for. Besides, you already answered mine."

He groaned inwardly at the truth of her words. That's right, he'd given the game away when he mentioned the dreams in the first place! Dumb, dumb, dumb…his mental tirade was broken off by the icy cold touch of her hand on his. He couldn't repress the shudder it evoked.

"Why have you not come to find me, Inuyasha? Or do I mean that little to you after all?"

Her words cut him to the core. Try as he might, he could not ignore the promise he had made – in what seemed a different life now. To protect her, to avenge her death at the hands of Naraku. And she had just called him on it.

He had no idea what to say.


Kikyou's presence flooded Kagome's senses, prompting her to try and break into a run. The jabbing pain that sizzled through her joints at the sudden movement convinced her that walking was probably the safer option. Hobbling slightly, she made her way towards the tainted presence. After a minute of walking, voices floated through the air, making her ears prick in apprehension.

"If you don't have anything to do with it, then why did you ask about her?" A very pissed off hanyou. Kagome almost grinned at the thought that he was standing up to that sham girl – at last!

"Hmm, good question. One you don't really need an answer for." Huh? "Besides, you've already answered mine." Hey, wait a minute – what question? 'Man, I hate being late for everything!' A faint glow was visible now between the trees. She nearly shrieked when one of Kikyou's shinidamachuu rushed past her, a captive soul within its grasp. 'Ugh, that never fails to freak me out! She must be weak, to need more souls right now…' She gradually shuffled over to a cluster of bushes that stood beside the glowing clearing. The sight that met her eyes made her freeze in disbelief.

Kikyou, pressing close to him, her hand covering his…and Inuyasha, accepting her touch.

"Why have you not come to find me, Inuyasha? Or do I mean that little to you after all?"

She could have sworn that her heart had stopped beating. How many times had she asked herself that very question in the last week? All at once she could understand where Kikyou was coming from. It was the loneliest feeling in the world, having the one you loved turn their back on you…she felt some small pity for the undead miko in that instant. Yes, it hurt like nothing else.

'He sure is taking his time giving her an answer.' Well, he had never been able to choose between them, why should that change now? Her thoughts from the past few days insistently pushed their way into the open.

'All that time I've been away, he just left me where I was…with Kouga, no less! Quite a change from wanting to kill the poor fellow whenever he came close.'

'He always said that he needed me to stay and find the shards – so why didn't he come and get me? I don't understand…' Her next thought chilled her blood.

'He couldn't have been expecting this, could he? Deep down, did he want Kikyou to come…and take my place with him? After all, she can see the shards just as well as I can – and she can protect herself.'

'I'm a liability, after all…I get in the way. In the way of his battles, in the way of his freedom…in the way of his love.'

Inuyasha bent low and spoke softly into Kikyou's ear. Kagome could have screamed – it was too quiet for her to hear! 'Oh, gods, what did he say?'


Inuyasha swallowed nervously. After years of dodging this question, he had nowhere left to run. But at least now he had an answer – of a sort.

"I have not broken my promise to you."

"How so?" She tilted her head inquiringly. "You are still alive, with that little slip of a girl who is virtually powerless (when you could have me), and Naraku is still undefeated." Kikyou frowned. "I would say your promises are strangely unfulfilled, don't you agree?"

"I promised to avenge you. With every shard we find, Kagome and I, we come closer to defeating Naraku. You don't have to do the fighting now – there are people to do it for you!"

"I am completely capable of doing my own fighting. That is another thing we have to clear up – why have you chosen the weaker of the two of us? It would make more sense to travel with the stronger partner, wouldn't it?" A humourless smile tinged her lips. Inuyasha placed his hands upon her shoulders – he finally knew what to say.

"I will avenge you, but I MUST protect her. Because I love her." He stared unblinking into her eyes. "That's why you have to leave now, Kikyou. We each have our own fights ahead – leave us in peace."

He closed his eyes, missing the cunning look in Kikyou's expression. 'Just a moment more…'

She reached up to kiss him, holding his head so that he couldn't back away.


Kagome held still, not daring to move a muscle for fear of being discovered. However, on the inside she was jumping up and down in exasperation.

'Dammit, I can't hear a thing they're saying! I think I preferred it when he was shouting…'

She was just considering trying to sneak a little closer when a slow movement caught her eye. Inuyasha was holding Kikyou's shoulders, a pleading look on his face. Suddenly she was glad she couldn't hear what he was saying.

Her body faded into nothing…Kikyou's presence overtook her own.

'No,' she breathed, denying what was before her eyes. 'Not the dream again – is this what it meant?' Her eyes were drawn irresistably to the hanyou's face. His eyes had slid closed, and now…

Her heart shattered into a million pieces, the shards sharp enough to slice her very soul to ribbons. He was kissing her! It was over. He had chosen.

"So be it, Inuyasha," she whispered brokenly. "It is your choice after all."

She raised her head once more to take in the tableau in the clearing. There was no mistake, they were still locked in an ardent embrace. Strangely enough, her eyes were free of tears. It was as though she simply had none left. She stood in her hiding place, solemnly observing the loving couple. Nodding once, she brought her hand to her neck, fingering the chain that held the vial of Shikon shards. And pulled.

Fine metal links snapped, blood flowing from the gouges in her neck. She cast the vial down on the ground and walked away, not once looking back. 'So be it.'


Sango paused in her bathing, certain she had heard something rustling back at the campsite. When the sound didn't repeat itself, she paid it no further attention. The houshi was, after all, supposed to be on guard while she was out here…but that bush was moving. Oh, no, not again…

"HENTAI!!!" You're supposed to be watching the camp, you delinquent houshi!"

------------------

Kagome rummaged through her pack, hurriedly pulling out a pen and a piece of paper. 'Too bad Kirara is back at the village this time around – that would sure make this easier,' she mused. Dry sobs shook her as she wrote, her hands shaking when she attempted to fold the paper neatly. Giving up, she carefully tucked it into the bottom of her pack, surrounding it with various bits and pieces that she knew her friends would look for – ramen for Inuyasha (ha! – no matter what he thought of her, he would eventually want his precious ramen), sweets for Shippo, soap and shampoo for Sango, a girl's magazine for Miroku (he could cry 'houshi' all he wanted, they all knew better). Thus ensuring that the paper would eventually be found, she stood up slowly, looking around one last time.

She melted silently into the forest, as though she had never been. 'Let them think I'm still with Kouga – no point in them worrying.'

But the further she walked, the heavier her feet grew. And her feet were nothing compared to her heart. She stared blindly into the darkness, not noticing where she was going. Her lack of Shikon shards meant a reduced risk of attack, she knew. She would probably make it all the way to the well with no more than a few stops along the road. Too bad the weight in her chest made her want to crawl rather than walk. She had never felt such a crushing burden in her life. The knowledge of ultimate betrayal.


Inuyasha's eyes snapped open in surprise. What twisted kind of game was this miko playing, anyway? He had just told her that he loved Kagome…ah, that was it. A goodbye. He felt her hands come up to touch the sides of his face, holding him still. A warning signal sounded in his head – he pulled away slightly, only to find that she was not letting him move. 'What the -?'

The woman smiled against his lips at one point, confusing him utterly. What was there to smile about, for goodness' sake? Then he smelt it. A smell he had never wanted to come across again.

Kagome's blood.

'She's back?' was his immediate thought. The incredible lift in his spirits was quelled by the question of what had happened to her to make her bleed again. 'Oh, crap – don't tell me I've failed again…' He pushed Kikyou back strongly, making her stagger slightly. He absently noticed that she didn't seem put out by his lack of courtesy towards her – rather, she was looking mighty pleased about something. He strode quickly out to the centre of the clearing, sniffing for any hints as to Kagome's whereabouts. He picked up the traces of her scent almost straight away, following his nose to the source of the sickly, coppery smell. He stared down at the ground in unwilling astonishment.

A slender necklace, the chain snapped, the ends slick with blood…

Missing pieces of information suddenly clicked into place. He twisted around, seeing the view of the clearing from their position. As he'd feared, unobstructed. Anyone standing here would have seen anything and everything – including a certain kiss. 'This can't be happening to me!' In a fit of rage, he crushed the fragile glass container, freeing the contents.

The Shikon shards glittered in his palm – in his tortured mind they were accusing him. A symbol of Kagome's devotion…and the depth of her sorrow at what she had seen. He remembered, 'That smile…'

He rounded on the undead woman. "You knew!" he roared at her. She backed away, her shinidamachuu swirling around her with a ghostly sheen. "Of course." Kikyou raised a hand in farewell, her final words leaving him as much in the dark as ever.

"Everything happens for a purpose, in this battle. Dreams are paths to reality – even nightmares."


Kagome walked quickly along the trail she hoped would take her back to Kaede's village – and the well. She hoped desperately that Inuyasha would not follow her. Her scent was a dead giveaway, she knew – but there was the chance that Inuyasha wouldn't even think of coming to find her, now that Kikyou was with him. Of course, when the others found what was in her pack, all hell would probably break loose, with the hanyou on the receiving end. She suppressed a grin at the wayward thought of Inuyasha being chased around by her friends…again.

She was so caught up in her private musings, she didn't even see her attacker. Kagome fell senseless to the ground.

"How very careless – all alone in the woods. Inuyasha, you should really know better…"


Oh, dear. The $64 question – who is the attacker? Next time, I promise! And remember, it's Inu/Kag!!

Next Chapter: Capture and Ransom