(A/N): Hello everyone, thank you for taking the time and reading what I've got so far, I hope you all enjoy this fic. I don't usually write, just draw - but I've been putting a lot of thought into what I think would be a decent story for anyone who takes the time to read. Even if you do not like what I've got, that's okay, I'm just glad to have people who are actually reading this. Thank you very much. Emmy
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Title: The Final Choice
Rating: R (rated for later chapters)
Pairing: Inu/Kag
Summary: The end finally draws near, and Kagome has to make the hardest choice she will ever have to face. What will her final decision be?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kagome packed her bag with her schoolbooks; she kissed her mother on the cheek and waved goodbye to her grandfather and brother as she ran out of the house and down the stairs of the shrine. The pace she started with began to slow as many thoughts ran through her mind, with her head lowered and sighed sadly as she walked slowly towards her school. Everything was coming to an end, each and everyday they nearing the end of their pursuit of Naraku. 'All stories must come to ending sooner or later,' she thought sadly to herself. What had made her so sad and disturbed was the thought of what would come of this ending. Would she just have to return to her own time and never see her friends from the feudal era again? Would the portal between worlds finally close with the defeat of Naraku? Tears began to form at the edge of her eyes with all the thoughts of what the ending had in store for her.
"Kagome-chan!" A familiar voice called out disengaging her from her thoughts. "Kagome! Wait up!"
Wiping her eyes dry, she turned around to see her three friends Eri, Yuka and Ayumi. Kagome smiled her best trying to hide all the emotion behind it. "Ohayo," Kagome responded back to the hollering of her friends.
"Kagome," Ayumi began, "are you feeling better now? I'd hate to get the chickenpox like that. So bad that you couldn't even walk!" Kagome frowned at the new excuse her grandfather had given for her not attending school. Ayumi studied her face; "You look so depressed today! Are you still sick? Or is something the matter? Should you really be going to school today?"
Yuka frowned. "Is it that jealous, rude and obnoxious boyfriend of yours?? Is he still two-timing you? You really should just dump. You should just stick to Hojo." Kagome waved her hands around and gave an embarrassed look.
"Yeah!" Eri nodded in agreement. "He brings you all these presents, he really likes you."
Ayumi sighed with her eyes glowing with love, "How I would love to have a boy so infatuated with me like that."
"It's not like that you guys," Kagome frowned slightly. "It has nothing to do with Inuyasha, we aren't even a couple!"
Yuka's eyes went wide in shock. "He broke up with you again?? What a jerk!"
Kagome rolled her eyes, "No it's not that."
"You broke up with him then?" Ayumi added in.
"You guys!" Kagome gave a stomp with her foot. "We were never really dating to begin. Besides there isn't anything wrong, I'm just really tired." Giving a fake yawn and a stretch of her arms.
Eri gave her a puzzled look. "If you say so Kagome," she shrugged off the matter. "Really though, it's great to see you back and up again. We rarely see you anymore, it's like you are in a whole other world!"
Kagome gave a nervous laugh to Eri's statement. "Yeah I know what you mean." 'You have no idea,' she thought to herself.
"Hojo-kun is going to be so happy when he sees you! He's always asking about you, he said he went over to your place a couple times but your grandfather said you were in quarantine or something." Ayumi stated.
"Higurashi!!" A male's voice called from behind the group of friends.
Yuka had smirk plastered on her face, "Speaking of whom…"
The girls all turned around in time to see Hojo stopping and getting of his bike, "Higurashi," he began, "it's great to see you going to school, I've been getting really worried about you!" Hojo smiled brightly. "Every time I go to see you it seems that you are unable to have visitors."
"Yeah…" Kagome rubbed the back of her head. "I've been pretty sick."
"Here, I have something for you, I was going to drop it off at your house on my way to school but your mother said you had left for school." Hojo dug through his bag and up two big oranges. "A lot of vitamin C will do you good and maybe you'll be able to come to school more."
"Um, thanks…" Kagome said as she took the two gifts and placed them into her bag.
"Can I walk you to school?"
"Well actually I was walking with…" Kagome trailed off as she turned around to she her friends running and waving goodbye. 'Traitors,' she said to herself. "I guess."
"Great!" Hojo walked with his bike at his side as he began talking to Kagome.
The talking was all ignored, she just nodded her head to make it seemed as though she had been listening the whole time. She had too much on mind that worried her to really pay attention to anything else. All the talking he did became almost an annoyance to her, but she didn't want to be rude and tell him to stop talking or anything. What would he think of her if she had said something like that? Finally they had arrived to school after what had seemed forever, "Well Hojo-kun we're here, so I'll see you later!" Kagome said as she ran into school and towards her first class before he could even let out another word. Reaching the door of the classroom and pressed her back against the door and let out a sigh. "I thought he would talk forever! Man he can talk."
Walking into her classroom, Kagome took her seat by the window and stared off into the outside world with her chin resting on her hand. 'What will happen? Will I be hurled back into my own time and never be able to jump back into time and… never see Inuyasha again? Or will the portal close and I'll never be able to come to my own time again?' She shook her head at all the questions. Did she really even want to know the answers to all of them?
Kagome was so consumed in her thoughts she hadn't noticed that class had already begun. "Miss Higurashi?" Snapping out of her thoughts she looked all around the room to see her classmates we're all standing and staring at her. "Miss Higurashi if you are not going to cooperate with the class, you can go stand out in the hall," the teacher said pointing towards the door.
Standing up, Kagome walked out into the hall and shut the door silently behind her. Leaning her back against the wall she stared up towards the ceiling of the hallway then back down to the floor. 'If I have an option to choose between the two worlds… how can I even choose?' Kagome thought to herself and brought her hands up to face. Tears began to flow with a choked sob escaping her throat as she cried in agony of choices. 'I always want to be with Inuyasha, but how can I possibly give up my entire life I have over here? Mother, Grandfather, Souta and all my friends, could I possibly leave this world behind? But Inuyasha, I promised to always be by your side, and I don't know if that is a possibility being this pursuit of Naraku coming to an end and the hunt for the final shards. All of it is ending so fast!' She screamed to herself. Sliding down the wall she hugged her knees and placed her face between her legs and cried more.
"Kagome-chan?" Kagome turned her head sharply to see Ayumi beside her on her knees looking at her with a worried expression planted across her face. "Are you okay? Is everything all right? You're not hurt are you?" Placing her hand on her shoulder trying to give as much comfort as she could.
Shaking her head, Kagome stood up. "No… I've got to go home." Kagome ran down the hall and out of the school.
"Kagome-chan, wait!" Ayumi shouted.
Kagome ran and ran never stopping for a breath until she reached her home. Running right into her mother's, tears streaking down her cheeks and loud sobs echoing throughout the kitchen. "Kaa-san…" she cried.
"Oh honey, whatever is the matter?" Her mother hugged tightly and brought her away to look at Kagome's tear stained face. Hugging her tightly again she ran her hand down her hair. "I haven't an idea what could ever have you so upset."
Sniffling, Kagome began rubbing the tears from her eyes. "It's all so complicated. I hate having to make choices that will evidently change everything and never knowing if it's the right or wrong choice."
Mother smiled as she lead Kagome to have a seat at the table and sat her down. "Honey, that's what growing up is all about. You'll have many choices in life and you never know what the outcome will be. I'm sure whatever is on your mind, you'll make the correct decision." Her mother gave her a pat on the back and a more warmly smile as she set a cup of tea in front of Kagome.
"Thanks mom…" still, what her mother had just told her didn't cheer her up. This sort of decision was something that more than likely no one had ever had to make. After finishing off her tea and washing her mug out, she went upstairs to start a bath for herself, maybe that would calm and relax her a bit. At least take her mind of things for even just a while. Turning on the hot water and pouring bubbles into the tub, Kagome undressed herself and put her hair up in a messy bun. Slipping into the bath, she turned off the water and leaned back placing her head against the cushion that was on the back edge of the tub. She sighed as the warmth overtook her body; still the thoughts wouldn't leave her mind. "This is just too frustrating," she breathed heavily in annoyance and slammed her fist into the water causing water and bubbles to spill all over the bathroom floor. Shaking her head she drained the water and stepped out of the bath and wrapped a towel around herself.
Walking into her room she looked towards her bed. "A nap sounds really good right about now," she said as she pulled out her pajamas and dressed herself. Kagome jumped on her bed and hugged her pillow; worries always left her when she was in the comfort of her bed. Slowly she began to drift off into a deep slumber.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Darkness was all around her; her legs ran and carried her in no direction at all. Soon giving out, her legs collapsed and she fell hard to the ground with a thud. Minutes went by as Kagome breathed heavily to catch her breath and looked all around her into the pitch black. Nothing was around her but the dark. "Hello?" she called out anxiously awaiting a reply. Nothing. "Hello??" Again she cried out, this time voices came from all around her. "I-is anyone there?"
A bright light appeared ten feet in front of her; she placed her hand above her eyes as her pupils dilated to the light that suddenly appeared. A shadow formed in the light, Kagome squinted her eyes in order to get a better view of who or what stood in the shadow. "Who's there?"
"Kagome," the shadow took a step forward into the light revealing himself, followed by four more figures.
"Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango-chan, Shippou, Kirara?" Kagome questioned. "What are we," she was cut off as another light appeared to the side of the first revealing her mother, grandfather, Souta and her friends. "I…" she trailed off in confusion.
"Kagome," her mother smiled. "You must make a decision." Her mother held out her hand towards Kagome. "The right decision."
"Mom I," Kagome began when she was interrupted by the voice of Inuyasha. Sharply turning her head to him.
"You said you always wanted to be with me, this is your decision isn't it? Staying with me?" Inuyasha stared coolly down at Kagome.
Both sides began ranting on over choosing sides, "You must choose!" Voices of her dear friends began changing into hideous cackling noises. Their bodies transforming into tall black bodies with red eyes. "Choose! Choose! Choose!"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kagome woke with a startled scream that mixed in with her alarm clock's buzzing sound. Sitting herself up she held her hand to her chest, she used her free hand to wipe her forehead, which was soaked with sweat. "It was just a dream," she spoke calmly to herself. "Even in sleep I can't seem to get away from what haunts my thoughts…" Turning around Kagome turned the alarm clock off and swung her feet over the bed. Stretching her arms high above her head, she let out a yawn. Of course she was still tired, who wouldn't be after such a nightmare? "I might as well as get ready to go to the other world. Inuyasha is probably already mad at me for staying longer than I had said I would." Sighing she dressed herself and walked down the stairs to the kitchen.
"Ohayo," Kagome said sleepily as she stumbled into the room as she rubbed away at the sleep in her eyes. She heard a grunt a few good mornings in reply. Looking up she saw Inuyasha sitting at the dinner table with Souta and her grandfather while her mother was busy cooking away. Her face dropped at the sight of it all, she hadn't expected him to be there. Now he would cause a big scene in front of everyone. Letting out a big sigh in frustration she took her seat in front of where Inuyasha sat.
Inuyasha looked up at Kagome with a look of near anger. Kagome just ignored the look as her mother set food down on the table and everyone began to place food on their plates. "Thanks mama," Kagome said as she began to eat her food.
As soon as breakfast had ended, Kagome began to pack her bag full of everything she would need for her trip to the past. "Would you hurry up already!?" Inuyasha barked out frowning. "You're already late, you were supposed to be back two days ago Kagome!"
Kagome frowned back, "Maybe I wanted to spend some time with my family, did you ever think of that?? Two days is not enough to catch up with my family and friends here. I have a life here too you know!" Kagome placed in the last thing she would need with an angry thrust.
"Whatever, you're done, let's go!" Inuyasha grabbed her wrist.
"W-wait!" Kagome yelled out as she grabbed her bag, but before she good give her good-byes to her family the were already out the door and down the well.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well that's the end of chapter 1, I hope you all liked it. The second chapter will be up within a day or two. Please review if you can, thanks a lot! Emmy