A/N: There were quite a few 'Sesshoumaru left Kagome! How could he?' reviews. So I answered the reviews here, and put the chapter at the bottom.
Review Responses:
Megan Consoer: Of course I'll write more chapters. I rather like this story myself.
Inuyasha-my-lover: Yup, I'm mean. And I like it. And I'm good at it. ;)
DemonicDragon999: Well, you will see in this chapter.
zeddy222: Lol... so would I.
sesshys-lady-of-da-westerns: Well, read and see.
inu.-sess.fan: What a brilliant idea. Pity, I've written a couple chapters already and can't seem to find room to squeeze it in.
heaven: That's sweet to know, thanks for the review.
Angil of the West: Yeah, it sucks, but I'm better now!
twenty-fifth ruby: I'm managing, thanks. The reviews are doing their bit of healing too, I guess. ;)
Topica89: Well, I'll cut you a deal. I keep writing, you keep reviewing? Fair? (Ok, I'm a bit hyped up now.)
(A/N: this person left no name): You came pretty close to guessing. Read this chapter and find out.
demonswt: Well, I updated! And it was as soon as I found time, too. (Which is in history class on my laptop while the teacher lectures on Anglo- Saxons)
Shadow-mai: I'm terrible. Yes! I'll write more. Yes! Wait... I should've said maybe...
Trina3: Well, thank a friend of mine, who kindly volunteered to help out what I dictate. He's great, and did give me an idea for another story.
DeniseD: Yes, I'm recovering, thanks. Thank you also for asking about the parts you thought controversial. About you Kikyo OoC thing, well, in this chapter I covered that and explained about it. And about Kagome – well, I'm trying to go from the point that she's always so giving and unselfish, that once in a blue moon she simply wants to act a bit OoC, thus asking Sesshoumaru to hang around. And about Kikyo's grandmother being too old to be alive, well, in old Japan people had kids really young. Say fifteen is a decent age, well, if Kikyo was 15 when she died, now she would be 55. Add 15 to that for her mother, which is 70. Add another 15 for Kikyo's grandmother, that would make her grandmother 85. 85 is not really unreasonable considering last time there was no pollution and crap, and that she was a witch. And about the episode where Midoriko created the jewel and got fused into it, well, I watched it. She could have created it, but I'm going from the point that Kagome's incarnate started to make it but never finished, which is where Midoriko took over. I hope this answers your queries, and I'll update as always when I have time. :)
sparklypiggy: Thanks for reviewing.
wren-chan: Lol, I'll try.
Kagome360: Well, I never said I wasn't evil. In fact, I've been confessing it since I don't know which chapter. And I'm evil. And I'm evil. Lol you readers gotta live with it!
aska19: Yuppz, I'll keep writing if you keep reviewing. Ok, fine, you don't have to. But it'll be nice...
Kai Angel of Death and Rebirth: You're hyper? I'm hyper! I'm the one sneaking in history, risking Saturday detention! Yeah! Ok ok, I did say I was hyper...
Sycoh: Thank you for such a cool review. And Love in the Corporate Ladder gets updated tomorrow, counting on the fact that my Japanese teacher flips and gives us extra time to do our project that I finished, so I can go online in class. Don't worry, she'll let us, she's really nice.
Sw33tVi3t: Well, read this chapter and find out.
sunfire-moondesire: Darn right I climb trees. Never again, though, I couldn't stand being away from too long.
Sesshoumarugrl: Hmm. He walked out. I'm not to sure about that... read this chapter.
Sessh's BabyGrl: Thanks for reviewing all this while – I think you're one of my most constant reviewers. Yeah, I'm getting better. And I'll survive. I hope.
Chapter 12: The Sacrifice
"I can't believe he would leave," said Miroku ruefully. "I was sure he would stay, even if he shoved the girl – Rin, was it? – out."
"I don't know," Kagome murmured wanly. "Sesshoumaru has his lands to worry about. He can't just abandon all his responsibilities and die with me."
"Would you?" the monk asked shrewdly. "You seem the type to abandon everything for your friends."
"Obviously, you too, or you wouldn't be here with me, waiting to die," Kagome said, and quickly changed the subject. "Why, do you think, are we waiting here? I would think a person like Kikyo's grandmother would happily kill us on the spot."
He shrugged, and continued to tug on his rosary. "Maybe to keep us waiting in anticipation."
"Who would anticipate death?" demanded Kagome.
"A lot of people, you never know. My mother killed herself, after my father got swallowed by his air void. She said something about being unable to see that happen to me, and then threw herself in the river."
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up."
"That's one statement I hate most. Either you bring it up, or you don't. Never feel sorry for what you have said. Besides, how am I supposed to answer to you being sorry for what you didn't do? Should I say, 'It's ok, I'm over it'? Or, 'Yeah, feel sorry for me, I've had a hard childhood. Or, 'Yeah, you should be sorry. You just made me feel terrible, thanks a lot', when you didn't?"
"Sorry," apologized Kagome.
"There you go again. I suppose I'll have to put up with someone apologizing over nothing for the last ten minutes of my life," sighed Miroku.
"Sorry – oh sorry, I said... Oh god! Sorry!"
"Never mind that, do you hear something?"
A loud, angry buzz, like the sound of lightning before it strikes, filled the air. "Yeah. What is it?"
"Maybe we're dying now," said Miroku cheerfully. "If you survive and I don't, tell Sango I died virgin."
Kagome blushed. "You did not!"
He cocked an eyebrow up saucily. "Would I lie, seconds before my death? I would be asking for a free ticket to hell. And I want to go to heaven."
Oh, god, Kagome thinks. Am I the only one of our group to have sex?
Miroku noticed her expression and tutted. "Don't assume anything, ever," he admonished.
Yeah, I shouldn't have assumed Sesshoumaru would die with me.
"If I die, and you live, I want to be buried. Not cremated," Kagome says, shuddering. Kikyo had been cremated, and look what happened to her.
A long pause followed. Her words seemed so... final.
"Kagome," Miroku began worriedly.
"Yeah?" Kagome frowned slightly at his tone.
"I think... I think someone's trying to go through the barrier..."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Really, you slow pokes!" yelled Inuyasha, about 100 meters ahead of Sango, Kaede, and Shippou on Kirara. "Move a little faster, can't you?"
Nobody really paid attention – he had been saying that for the past half hour.
"Since when does he become so concerned over Kagome's well-being?" muttered Shippou darkly.
"He's just anxious to get this over with so he can go look for someone else, and we all know who," spat Sango bitterly. "Kirara is going as fast as she can already."
Kaede sighed. "I'm sure Inuyasha's not all bad. He really did show consideration for Kagome last time. What changed?"
"Kagome got lost, and while we were looking for her, Inuyasha started seeing shikigami everywhere. He wanted to follow but we wouldn't let him... I suppose that's why he wants to see Kikyo so badly. He's like a spoiled child – if he can't get something he wants, he'll want it all the more."
Kaede nodded, thinking about what Sango just said. "Do you think Kagome would have done anything to make Inuyasha upset?"
"Except for showing up in Sesshoumaru's castle, no."
"Did Kagome seem different?" Kaede asked, anxiously. There have been cases where a miko falls in love with a youkai, she thinks anxiously. Often the youkai will end up killing or betraying the miko... I hope that hasn't happened to Kagome.
Sango shrugged. "Hard to say... she seemed quieter but I suppose Sesshoumaru's personality was just rubbing off on her. Besides, when Kagome gets mad, she starts yelling, and only when she's furious she remains very quiet. I doubt she was angry at all."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"You're seriously joking," said Kagome in disbelief. "How can anyone go through this barrier? It's like... steel and concrete, practically."
"Steel? Concrete? What's – oh, never mind."
"Well, if our combined efforts couldn't break it, I'm starting to wonder if it can ever be broken."
"It can't. But, if a creature is powerful enough, they can pass through any barriers. The only thing is, if the barrier is passed through unbroken, the effect of them passing through is enough to kill them. After all, it's almost like fighting a demon that you can't get close to. Forcing oneself against a strong barrier is an effective but painful way to commit suicide," explained Miroku.
"No one ever tells me this stuff until the last minute," complained Kagome. "You don't think it's the others trying to reach us, do you?"
"Unlikely. They will, for one, be unable to see or sense us through the barrier. And if it really were them, Inuyasha would be hacking away with his Red Tetsusaiga, instead of trying to go through it."
"Good, I wouldn't want any of them dying. But then... who would be crazy enough to try that?"
A fleeting look of knowledge flew through Miroku's eyes. Kagome caught it and quickly pounced on it.
"You know something you're not telling!" accused Kagome.
"Really, I don't know. It's just a guess. Would you mind turning around for a second? I won't try anything," he promised.
Kagome turned, but warned, "You have to tell me what you're thinking after this, alright?"
"Yeah..." Miroku sounded distracted. "Don't turn back around."
Soundlessly, a person emerged from the barrier. Walking slowly yet regally, he handed a bow and arrow to Miroku, who nodded, quietly understanding. Having completed his mission thus, he sank gracefully to the foot of a large shady tree and sat still, silver hair fluttering; golden eyes never leaving Miroku or Kagome.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"You can turn around now," Miroku instructed softly. He held out the bow to her. "Use this to try and break the barrier."
Kagome gaped. "Where did you get this? Why didn't you say you had it earlier? When -"
"I only just received it," interrupted Miroku. "You can thank him later; just hurry with it, will you?"
Kagome's mouth formed a small 'O'. Pulling the arrow tight, she aimed carefully. The bowstring strained against the tautness it was being pulled to. Her two fingers trembled. There was only one arrow – it was now or nothing.
But before the arrow could leave the bow, the barrier dissipated, hissing sharply. A stooped figure walked towards them. Even before it reached them Kagome guessed it was the witch – who else would be laughing as maniacally as she was?
"My plan turned out flawless, don't you think?" she cackled as she reached them. "I must thank your good friend the taiyoukai. He really made things easy."
Kagome paled. "What do you mean?"
"At first, I thought it perfectly intelligent on his part to leave. Would anyone except maybe the houshi be willing to die with you? But instead of leaving normally, like I'd expected he would, the moment he was out of viewing range from you he took off faster than wind. This," she tapped her head, "may be old, but it's certainly not stupid. The moment I figured out what he was planning, I managed to tie it in nicely with my plans."
She leered at the confused look on Kagome. "Still don't know what I'm talking about? Well, it seems that I underestimated you a teeny bit. Even with your ability to make men fall in love with you stolen, you managed to make an unfeeling youkai lord sacrifice himself for you. I should've known he wouldn't leave so dishonorably and let you die here. And though I sincerely doubt he has a single shred of feelings for you, I can promise you one thing. He wouldn't have died with you. He would have died for you, with or without love. And now that he is going to die, what better way for you to live out the rest of your life, knowing that someone died in your place?
"I could waste his efforts, and kill you after he dies, but then I suppose I'd have a spirit taiyoukai on my trail, haunting me. And surely Yuriko's reincarnation would rather die than live knowing someone died for her to live?"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Finally! I think I can smell Kagome. And Miroku. And Sesshoumaru." Inuyasha darted ahead even faster.
"You crazy idiot! Slow down!" yelled Shippou.
"I'm killing you when I get the chance you damned fox," cursed Inuyasha.
"Oh, like Kagome would let you. Osuwari, osuwari, osuwari!" chanted Shippou.
"Damn you!" yelled Inuyasha, but he concentrated on running faster instead.
"Shippou, are you trying to get yourself killed?" hissed Sango.
"Kagome won't let it happen. Osuwari, osuwari, osuwari!" Shippo hummed a tune to go with the words. "I love that word."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"My plan is perfect," stated the witch. "I think I'll leave now." She turned to go.
"Excuse me," sang Miroku. "There is one flaw."
She halted in her tracks, but didn't look back. "Like what?" When there was no respond, she laughed. "Trying to pretend you weren't outwitted? Face it, you're -"
The whiz of a flying arrow interrupted her, landing with a dull thud deep into the witch's heart.
"Like I was saying," said Miroku. "Your flaw – you left a very powerful miko with a bow and arrow."
"Damn it," she cursed, struggling to stay alive.
"I hate you," Kagome said quietly, picking up a tree branch from the ground. "You've caused so much pain. I'm sure you've never hesitated to kill anyone who stood in your way." Snapping the branch into two, Kagome placed the splintered branch on her bow.
"This one is for trying to kill Miroku," she stated, and sent the branch shooting straight at the witch.
"This one is for all the people you've killed!" A dangerously sharp splinter flew across the air, cutting through it sharper than knives.
"This one... for Sesshoumaru," whispered Kagome. The last splinter flew so fast it sparked slightly as it left the bow.
"You don't seem to want to die too quickly," mumbled Miroku as Kagome found another branch and loaded it.
"Last one," muttered Kagome, "for..."
There was nothing left to shoot for, no emotion left for her to release the branch. Kagome wavered slightly. Her anger and pain seemed to have disappeared, only to be replaced by repulsion at the thought of having to kill.
She couldn't even kill an evil creature who had taken the lives of others before her. Probably, in the future, someone could waltz up, kill her family and friends, and lie safe knowing she would never be able to take revenge. What kind of miko was she?
"You're weak," came a venomous voice from in front of her. "You can't kill. I wonder how you made it so far, looking for Shikon Shards while being unable to take a life."
"Shut up, Kikyo," snapped Miroku. "Being unable to kill is better than feeling nothing about stealing souls to live."
Momentary pain flashed into her cold brown eyes, but was soon replaced with scorn.
"At least I can survive on my own, with my own talents."
"On the souls of dead girls, you mean," retorted Miroku.
"You can stop hiding and come out now," said Kikyo randomly, looking behind her shoulder.
The bushes rustled for a few seconds. From them appeared first Inuyasha, then the rest of the group as they crawled out slowly.
"How long have you been here?" asked Miroku.
"Awhile only. For a while we couldn't find your scents," said Kaede.
"There was a barrier," explained Miroku.
"That explains it," nods Kaede. "What happened?"
"A lot," muttered Miroku darkly. "It's a long story."
"It always is. Pity I can't stay to listen to it," said Kikyo sardonically. "I'll just take my grandmother and leave."
"You never told me we had a grandmother," said Kaede sharply.
"Well, we do. And she's probably dying, all because of your precious miko Kagome. If blood relations means a single thing to you, you should take revenge, not stand there gawking."
"Not until I hear the full story," insisted Kaede.
"Then hear it you shall. Not on my time, though." Her soul-snatchers wrapped themselves around her and her grandmother, and flew away into the sky.
"Kikyo, just wait!" yelled Inuyasha, scampering after her.
Kagome stared at Miroku. "I didn't – I couldn't – kill the witch. Why can't I do it?"
"You weren't expecting to have to, nor were you trained for it. You can learn," he assured kindly.
"I'm not sure if I want to."
"That's your choice," he says. "Though it wouldn't hurt to learn."
"I purify, I don't kill!" Kagome said, upset.
"Purifying demons will kill them," reasoned Shippou.
"But Kikyo's grandmother was a human, albeit one with an evil heart."
"Is there really a difference between evil youkai and evil human?" asked Sango quietly.
Kagome didn't answer. She could come to terms with that later. "Where's Sesshoumaru?"
"Over there, he -" Miroku looked towards the tree. "Well, he was watching, but I guess not anymore." The two golden eyes were closed softly.
"He's not..." the unsaid word hung in the air.
"No," replied Kaede, two fingers on Sesshoumaru's pulse.
Sango touched Kagome gently. "Let's go home."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Kikyo!" said Inuyasha. "You knew. You knew the whole time."
She flew down, her soul-snatchers swooping towards the ground. "Well, I might as well tell you. No, I didn't know. But I guessed, and guessed right. So when your friend the monk and your brother came asking me, I could say I didn't know what my grandmother was planning, truthfully. Which was smart, because they couldn't detect my lies as I wasn't really lying," she said.
Hurt came into his eyes. "You know I really cared for you. I wouldn't have hurt Kagome so many times to keep her from falling in love with me if I didn't love you. But Kagome is probably my best friend. You didn't have to hurt her."
"I didn't. It's not my fault if someone else plans to kill your friend."
"But you knew, and you never breathed a word. If you had even given us the smallest of clues, we would have known what to look for."
"That's unfair and you know it. My grandmother would have killed me! So you would ask me to sacrifice myself for a girl you only consider a 'friend'?" spat Kikyo bitterly.
"What happened to you?" whispered Inuyasha, wide-eyed.
"Fifty years in hell does a lot to a person," she said coldly. "You learn that you don't fight for justice, you fight to survive. If you want something, you have to work for it. I do love you," she said, voicing a quiet plea. "I can't just stand by and let some girl from the future take you away, can I?"
"She wasn't doing anything..." said Inuyasha quietly. "I don't know what happened there, and I'm not sure I want to know either."
"Inuyasha, please. Just be reasonable."
His eyes filled with pain. "Just let me think, ok? I need to think..." he muttered as he backed away slowly.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Bright green eyes peered through the crack in the wall of Kaede's hut.
A hand closed around Shippou's shirt collar and pulled him away.
"Give them some privacy, ok?" said Miroku.
"They're not even doing anything. He just sits there with his eyes closed like he's sleeping and Kagome just wanders around."
"Whatever." His eyes sparkled mischievously. "But Sango said something about going off to bathe..."
"Hentai..." breathed Sango, though she wasn't sounding very angry.
"Come to spy as well? I could use company," said Shippou.
"No. I was looking for Inuyasha."
"What would you want with him?" Miroku's eyes narrowed protectively.
Sango shot him a weird look. "Relax. I just want to see if he got anything out of Kikyo."
"Sorry," he apologized. "It's just... I've finally realized, truly, that we don't live forever. I just... I don't want to lose anything I care about."
"I'm leaving," announced Shippou in disgust as Sango blushed beet red. "Kaede!" he yelled, running over to her.
"Yes, Shippou?" she asked.
"Do all grown-ups act weird like Miroku and Sango and Kagome and Inuyasha?"
Kaede raised an eyebrow. "What's the definition of weird?"
"If Inuyasha goes to see Kikyo, Kagome sulks. When Kagome hung around Sesshoumaru a bit, Inuyasha became angry. And over there on the other side of your house, Miroku and Sango are all looking like they're about to kiss or something."
Kaede bit back a smile. "I think you're talking about love relationships."
"Love? Inuyasha and Kagome? You're joking. He's so mean to her, and all she ever does is care for him."
Kaede frowned. "I'm sure he cares for her, if only as a friend."
Shippou shook his head. "Believe what you will. But I've seen enough of Inuyasha running off to see Kikyo; I've heard enough of Kagome crying in her pillow and then burning scented candles from her time to get rid of the salty scent."
"Why don't you go ask her what she feels about Inuyasha?"
"There's no need. I think she got tired of waiting and went for Sesshoumaru."
"Now, that's a thought. And it's a very, very unlikely one too," chuckled Kaede.
But someone hiding behind a tree, listening to every word, didn't think it was very funny. And though his eyes were so dry they hurt, inside his heart, Inuyasha wept silently.
Review Responses:
Megan Consoer: Of course I'll write more chapters. I rather like this story myself.
Inuyasha-my-lover: Yup, I'm mean. And I like it. And I'm good at it. ;)
DemonicDragon999: Well, you will see in this chapter.
zeddy222: Lol... so would I.
sesshys-lady-of-da-westerns: Well, read and see.
inu.-sess.fan: What a brilliant idea. Pity, I've written a couple chapters already and can't seem to find room to squeeze it in.
heaven: That's sweet to know, thanks for the review.
Angil of the West: Yeah, it sucks, but I'm better now!
twenty-fifth ruby: I'm managing, thanks. The reviews are doing their bit of healing too, I guess. ;)
Topica89: Well, I'll cut you a deal. I keep writing, you keep reviewing? Fair? (Ok, I'm a bit hyped up now.)
(A/N: this person left no name): You came pretty close to guessing. Read this chapter and find out.
demonswt: Well, I updated! And it was as soon as I found time, too. (Which is in history class on my laptop while the teacher lectures on Anglo- Saxons)
Shadow-mai: I'm terrible. Yes! I'll write more. Yes! Wait... I should've said maybe...
Trina3: Well, thank a friend of mine, who kindly volunteered to help out what I dictate. He's great, and did give me an idea for another story.
DeniseD: Yes, I'm recovering, thanks. Thank you also for asking about the parts you thought controversial. About you Kikyo OoC thing, well, in this chapter I covered that and explained about it. And about Kagome – well, I'm trying to go from the point that she's always so giving and unselfish, that once in a blue moon she simply wants to act a bit OoC, thus asking Sesshoumaru to hang around. And about Kikyo's grandmother being too old to be alive, well, in old Japan people had kids really young. Say fifteen is a decent age, well, if Kikyo was 15 when she died, now she would be 55. Add 15 to that for her mother, which is 70. Add another 15 for Kikyo's grandmother, that would make her grandmother 85. 85 is not really unreasonable considering last time there was no pollution and crap, and that she was a witch. And about the episode where Midoriko created the jewel and got fused into it, well, I watched it. She could have created it, but I'm going from the point that Kagome's incarnate started to make it but never finished, which is where Midoriko took over. I hope this answers your queries, and I'll update as always when I have time. :)
sparklypiggy: Thanks for reviewing.
wren-chan: Lol, I'll try.
Kagome360: Well, I never said I wasn't evil. In fact, I've been confessing it since I don't know which chapter. And I'm evil. And I'm evil. Lol you readers gotta live with it!
aska19: Yuppz, I'll keep writing if you keep reviewing. Ok, fine, you don't have to. But it'll be nice...
Kai Angel of Death and Rebirth: You're hyper? I'm hyper! I'm the one sneaking in history, risking Saturday detention! Yeah! Ok ok, I did say I was hyper...
Sycoh: Thank you for such a cool review. And Love in the Corporate Ladder gets updated tomorrow, counting on the fact that my Japanese teacher flips and gives us extra time to do our project that I finished, so I can go online in class. Don't worry, she'll let us, she's really nice.
Sw33tVi3t: Well, read this chapter and find out.
sunfire-moondesire: Darn right I climb trees. Never again, though, I couldn't stand being away from too long.
Sesshoumarugrl: Hmm. He walked out. I'm not to sure about that... read this chapter.
Sessh's BabyGrl: Thanks for reviewing all this while – I think you're one of my most constant reviewers. Yeah, I'm getting better. And I'll survive. I hope.
Chapter 12: The Sacrifice
"I can't believe he would leave," said Miroku ruefully. "I was sure he would stay, even if he shoved the girl – Rin, was it? – out."
"I don't know," Kagome murmured wanly. "Sesshoumaru has his lands to worry about. He can't just abandon all his responsibilities and die with me."
"Would you?" the monk asked shrewdly. "You seem the type to abandon everything for your friends."
"Obviously, you too, or you wouldn't be here with me, waiting to die," Kagome said, and quickly changed the subject. "Why, do you think, are we waiting here? I would think a person like Kikyo's grandmother would happily kill us on the spot."
He shrugged, and continued to tug on his rosary. "Maybe to keep us waiting in anticipation."
"Who would anticipate death?" demanded Kagome.
"A lot of people, you never know. My mother killed herself, after my father got swallowed by his air void. She said something about being unable to see that happen to me, and then threw herself in the river."
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up."
"That's one statement I hate most. Either you bring it up, or you don't. Never feel sorry for what you have said. Besides, how am I supposed to answer to you being sorry for what you didn't do? Should I say, 'It's ok, I'm over it'? Or, 'Yeah, feel sorry for me, I've had a hard childhood. Or, 'Yeah, you should be sorry. You just made me feel terrible, thanks a lot', when you didn't?"
"Sorry," apologized Kagome.
"There you go again. I suppose I'll have to put up with someone apologizing over nothing for the last ten minutes of my life," sighed Miroku.
"Sorry – oh sorry, I said... Oh god! Sorry!"
"Never mind that, do you hear something?"
A loud, angry buzz, like the sound of lightning before it strikes, filled the air. "Yeah. What is it?"
"Maybe we're dying now," said Miroku cheerfully. "If you survive and I don't, tell Sango I died virgin."
Kagome blushed. "You did not!"
He cocked an eyebrow up saucily. "Would I lie, seconds before my death? I would be asking for a free ticket to hell. And I want to go to heaven."
Oh, god, Kagome thinks. Am I the only one of our group to have sex?
Miroku noticed her expression and tutted. "Don't assume anything, ever," he admonished.
Yeah, I shouldn't have assumed Sesshoumaru would die with me.
"If I die, and you live, I want to be buried. Not cremated," Kagome says, shuddering. Kikyo had been cremated, and look what happened to her.
A long pause followed. Her words seemed so... final.
"Kagome," Miroku began worriedly.
"Yeah?" Kagome frowned slightly at his tone.
"I think... I think someone's trying to go through the barrier..."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Really, you slow pokes!" yelled Inuyasha, about 100 meters ahead of Sango, Kaede, and Shippou on Kirara. "Move a little faster, can't you?"
Nobody really paid attention – he had been saying that for the past half hour.
"Since when does he become so concerned over Kagome's well-being?" muttered Shippou darkly.
"He's just anxious to get this over with so he can go look for someone else, and we all know who," spat Sango bitterly. "Kirara is going as fast as she can already."
Kaede sighed. "I'm sure Inuyasha's not all bad. He really did show consideration for Kagome last time. What changed?"
"Kagome got lost, and while we were looking for her, Inuyasha started seeing shikigami everywhere. He wanted to follow but we wouldn't let him... I suppose that's why he wants to see Kikyo so badly. He's like a spoiled child – if he can't get something he wants, he'll want it all the more."
Kaede nodded, thinking about what Sango just said. "Do you think Kagome would have done anything to make Inuyasha upset?"
"Except for showing up in Sesshoumaru's castle, no."
"Did Kagome seem different?" Kaede asked, anxiously. There have been cases where a miko falls in love with a youkai, she thinks anxiously. Often the youkai will end up killing or betraying the miko... I hope that hasn't happened to Kagome.
Sango shrugged. "Hard to say... she seemed quieter but I suppose Sesshoumaru's personality was just rubbing off on her. Besides, when Kagome gets mad, she starts yelling, and only when she's furious she remains very quiet. I doubt she was angry at all."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"You're seriously joking," said Kagome in disbelief. "How can anyone go through this barrier? It's like... steel and concrete, practically."
"Steel? Concrete? What's – oh, never mind."
"Well, if our combined efforts couldn't break it, I'm starting to wonder if it can ever be broken."
"It can't. But, if a creature is powerful enough, they can pass through any barriers. The only thing is, if the barrier is passed through unbroken, the effect of them passing through is enough to kill them. After all, it's almost like fighting a demon that you can't get close to. Forcing oneself against a strong barrier is an effective but painful way to commit suicide," explained Miroku.
"No one ever tells me this stuff until the last minute," complained Kagome. "You don't think it's the others trying to reach us, do you?"
"Unlikely. They will, for one, be unable to see or sense us through the barrier. And if it really were them, Inuyasha would be hacking away with his Red Tetsusaiga, instead of trying to go through it."
"Good, I wouldn't want any of them dying. But then... who would be crazy enough to try that?"
A fleeting look of knowledge flew through Miroku's eyes. Kagome caught it and quickly pounced on it.
"You know something you're not telling!" accused Kagome.
"Really, I don't know. It's just a guess. Would you mind turning around for a second? I won't try anything," he promised.
Kagome turned, but warned, "You have to tell me what you're thinking after this, alright?"
"Yeah..." Miroku sounded distracted. "Don't turn back around."
Soundlessly, a person emerged from the barrier. Walking slowly yet regally, he handed a bow and arrow to Miroku, who nodded, quietly understanding. Having completed his mission thus, he sank gracefully to the foot of a large shady tree and sat still, silver hair fluttering; golden eyes never leaving Miroku or Kagome.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"You can turn around now," Miroku instructed softly. He held out the bow to her. "Use this to try and break the barrier."
Kagome gaped. "Where did you get this? Why didn't you say you had it earlier? When -"
"I only just received it," interrupted Miroku. "You can thank him later; just hurry with it, will you?"
Kagome's mouth formed a small 'O'. Pulling the arrow tight, she aimed carefully. The bowstring strained against the tautness it was being pulled to. Her two fingers trembled. There was only one arrow – it was now or nothing.
But before the arrow could leave the bow, the barrier dissipated, hissing sharply. A stooped figure walked towards them. Even before it reached them Kagome guessed it was the witch – who else would be laughing as maniacally as she was?
"My plan turned out flawless, don't you think?" she cackled as she reached them. "I must thank your good friend the taiyoukai. He really made things easy."
Kagome paled. "What do you mean?"
"At first, I thought it perfectly intelligent on his part to leave. Would anyone except maybe the houshi be willing to die with you? But instead of leaving normally, like I'd expected he would, the moment he was out of viewing range from you he took off faster than wind. This," she tapped her head, "may be old, but it's certainly not stupid. The moment I figured out what he was planning, I managed to tie it in nicely with my plans."
She leered at the confused look on Kagome. "Still don't know what I'm talking about? Well, it seems that I underestimated you a teeny bit. Even with your ability to make men fall in love with you stolen, you managed to make an unfeeling youkai lord sacrifice himself for you. I should've known he wouldn't leave so dishonorably and let you die here. And though I sincerely doubt he has a single shred of feelings for you, I can promise you one thing. He wouldn't have died with you. He would have died for you, with or without love. And now that he is going to die, what better way for you to live out the rest of your life, knowing that someone died in your place?
"I could waste his efforts, and kill you after he dies, but then I suppose I'd have a spirit taiyoukai on my trail, haunting me. And surely Yuriko's reincarnation would rather die than live knowing someone died for her to live?"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Finally! I think I can smell Kagome. And Miroku. And Sesshoumaru." Inuyasha darted ahead even faster.
"You crazy idiot! Slow down!" yelled Shippou.
"I'm killing you when I get the chance you damned fox," cursed Inuyasha.
"Oh, like Kagome would let you. Osuwari, osuwari, osuwari!" chanted Shippou.
"Damn you!" yelled Inuyasha, but he concentrated on running faster instead.
"Shippou, are you trying to get yourself killed?" hissed Sango.
"Kagome won't let it happen. Osuwari, osuwari, osuwari!" Shippo hummed a tune to go with the words. "I love that word."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"My plan is perfect," stated the witch. "I think I'll leave now." She turned to go.
"Excuse me," sang Miroku. "There is one flaw."
She halted in her tracks, but didn't look back. "Like what?" When there was no respond, she laughed. "Trying to pretend you weren't outwitted? Face it, you're -"
The whiz of a flying arrow interrupted her, landing with a dull thud deep into the witch's heart.
"Like I was saying," said Miroku. "Your flaw – you left a very powerful miko with a bow and arrow."
"Damn it," she cursed, struggling to stay alive.
"I hate you," Kagome said quietly, picking up a tree branch from the ground. "You've caused so much pain. I'm sure you've never hesitated to kill anyone who stood in your way." Snapping the branch into two, Kagome placed the splintered branch on her bow.
"This one is for trying to kill Miroku," she stated, and sent the branch shooting straight at the witch.
"This one is for all the people you've killed!" A dangerously sharp splinter flew across the air, cutting through it sharper than knives.
"This one... for Sesshoumaru," whispered Kagome. The last splinter flew so fast it sparked slightly as it left the bow.
"You don't seem to want to die too quickly," mumbled Miroku as Kagome found another branch and loaded it.
"Last one," muttered Kagome, "for..."
There was nothing left to shoot for, no emotion left for her to release the branch. Kagome wavered slightly. Her anger and pain seemed to have disappeared, only to be replaced by repulsion at the thought of having to kill.
She couldn't even kill an evil creature who had taken the lives of others before her. Probably, in the future, someone could waltz up, kill her family and friends, and lie safe knowing she would never be able to take revenge. What kind of miko was she?
"You're weak," came a venomous voice from in front of her. "You can't kill. I wonder how you made it so far, looking for Shikon Shards while being unable to take a life."
"Shut up, Kikyo," snapped Miroku. "Being unable to kill is better than feeling nothing about stealing souls to live."
Momentary pain flashed into her cold brown eyes, but was soon replaced with scorn.
"At least I can survive on my own, with my own talents."
"On the souls of dead girls, you mean," retorted Miroku.
"You can stop hiding and come out now," said Kikyo randomly, looking behind her shoulder.
The bushes rustled for a few seconds. From them appeared first Inuyasha, then the rest of the group as they crawled out slowly.
"How long have you been here?" asked Miroku.
"Awhile only. For a while we couldn't find your scents," said Kaede.
"There was a barrier," explained Miroku.
"That explains it," nods Kaede. "What happened?"
"A lot," muttered Miroku darkly. "It's a long story."
"It always is. Pity I can't stay to listen to it," said Kikyo sardonically. "I'll just take my grandmother and leave."
"You never told me we had a grandmother," said Kaede sharply.
"Well, we do. And she's probably dying, all because of your precious miko Kagome. If blood relations means a single thing to you, you should take revenge, not stand there gawking."
"Not until I hear the full story," insisted Kaede.
"Then hear it you shall. Not on my time, though." Her soul-snatchers wrapped themselves around her and her grandmother, and flew away into the sky.
"Kikyo, just wait!" yelled Inuyasha, scampering after her.
Kagome stared at Miroku. "I didn't – I couldn't – kill the witch. Why can't I do it?"
"You weren't expecting to have to, nor were you trained for it. You can learn," he assured kindly.
"I'm not sure if I want to."
"That's your choice," he says. "Though it wouldn't hurt to learn."
"I purify, I don't kill!" Kagome said, upset.
"Purifying demons will kill them," reasoned Shippou.
"But Kikyo's grandmother was a human, albeit one with an evil heart."
"Is there really a difference between evil youkai and evil human?" asked Sango quietly.
Kagome didn't answer. She could come to terms with that later. "Where's Sesshoumaru?"
"Over there, he -" Miroku looked towards the tree. "Well, he was watching, but I guess not anymore." The two golden eyes were closed softly.
"He's not..." the unsaid word hung in the air.
"No," replied Kaede, two fingers on Sesshoumaru's pulse.
Sango touched Kagome gently. "Let's go home."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Kikyo!" said Inuyasha. "You knew. You knew the whole time."
She flew down, her soul-snatchers swooping towards the ground. "Well, I might as well tell you. No, I didn't know. But I guessed, and guessed right. So when your friend the monk and your brother came asking me, I could say I didn't know what my grandmother was planning, truthfully. Which was smart, because they couldn't detect my lies as I wasn't really lying," she said.
Hurt came into his eyes. "You know I really cared for you. I wouldn't have hurt Kagome so many times to keep her from falling in love with me if I didn't love you. But Kagome is probably my best friend. You didn't have to hurt her."
"I didn't. It's not my fault if someone else plans to kill your friend."
"But you knew, and you never breathed a word. If you had even given us the smallest of clues, we would have known what to look for."
"That's unfair and you know it. My grandmother would have killed me! So you would ask me to sacrifice myself for a girl you only consider a 'friend'?" spat Kikyo bitterly.
"What happened to you?" whispered Inuyasha, wide-eyed.
"Fifty years in hell does a lot to a person," she said coldly. "You learn that you don't fight for justice, you fight to survive. If you want something, you have to work for it. I do love you," she said, voicing a quiet plea. "I can't just stand by and let some girl from the future take you away, can I?"
"She wasn't doing anything..." said Inuyasha quietly. "I don't know what happened there, and I'm not sure I want to know either."
"Inuyasha, please. Just be reasonable."
His eyes filled with pain. "Just let me think, ok? I need to think..." he muttered as he backed away slowly.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Bright green eyes peered through the crack in the wall of Kaede's hut.
A hand closed around Shippou's shirt collar and pulled him away.
"Give them some privacy, ok?" said Miroku.
"They're not even doing anything. He just sits there with his eyes closed like he's sleeping and Kagome just wanders around."
"Whatever." His eyes sparkled mischievously. "But Sango said something about going off to bathe..."
"Hentai..." breathed Sango, though she wasn't sounding very angry.
"Come to spy as well? I could use company," said Shippou.
"No. I was looking for Inuyasha."
"What would you want with him?" Miroku's eyes narrowed protectively.
Sango shot him a weird look. "Relax. I just want to see if he got anything out of Kikyo."
"Sorry," he apologized. "It's just... I've finally realized, truly, that we don't live forever. I just... I don't want to lose anything I care about."
"I'm leaving," announced Shippou in disgust as Sango blushed beet red. "Kaede!" he yelled, running over to her.
"Yes, Shippou?" she asked.
"Do all grown-ups act weird like Miroku and Sango and Kagome and Inuyasha?"
Kaede raised an eyebrow. "What's the definition of weird?"
"If Inuyasha goes to see Kikyo, Kagome sulks. When Kagome hung around Sesshoumaru a bit, Inuyasha became angry. And over there on the other side of your house, Miroku and Sango are all looking like they're about to kiss or something."
Kaede bit back a smile. "I think you're talking about love relationships."
"Love? Inuyasha and Kagome? You're joking. He's so mean to her, and all she ever does is care for him."
Kaede frowned. "I'm sure he cares for her, if only as a friend."
Shippou shook his head. "Believe what you will. But I've seen enough of Inuyasha running off to see Kikyo; I've heard enough of Kagome crying in her pillow and then burning scented candles from her time to get rid of the salty scent."
"Why don't you go ask her what she feels about Inuyasha?"
"There's no need. I think she got tired of waiting and went for Sesshoumaru."
"Now, that's a thought. And it's a very, very unlikely one too," chuckled Kaede.
But someone hiding behind a tree, listening to every word, didn't think it was very funny. And though his eyes were so dry they hurt, inside his heart, Inuyasha wept silently.