Chapter 3
A Chance to Choose
Kagome lost all track of time as she stood starring at the well lost in her own thoughts and self-struggles. Tears began to stain her cheeks as her legs gave out and she fell to her knees in front of the well.
"What am I suppose to do? I'm not supposed to be here. This isn't supposed to happen!"
Tears speckled the wooden well as Kagome tried to support herself and sort everything out.
"I'm in the time before Inu-Yasha and Kikyo betrayed each other. I have a chance to fix everything and save them....but......."
Kagome hesitated. Her tears started again as she starred down into the depths of the well. Memories flashed before her eyes: Finding Inu-Yasha pinned to the sacred tree; saving him when he turned human; facing Sesshoumaru together; fighting Naraku; healing him; holding him; returning to be by his side.
"If I step in and change the past then I'll never see Inu-Yasha again. I'll never have met him or Miroku or Sango and the jewel will be purified. All my adventures will end and I'll return home to live with a broken heart...."
Kagome's eyes widened as she remembered the jewel shards. She dug into her bag and pulled out the small bottle that held them. They seemed to be translucent. Kagome placed the bottle down on the edge of the well and watched them fade in and out.
"If I destroy Naraku now and save Inu-Yasha and Kikyo, then the jewel will be used to make Inu-Yasha a human. If it's used for good then it won't exists anymore and I won't be able to travel down the well. If the jewel is gone then no one will die over it. No one will be 'cause pain because of it. Shippo won't be orphaned, Miroku won't die from his wind tunnel, Sango will live happily with her family, and Inu-Yasha will live happily with Kikyo.... never knowing that I ever existed....."
Kagome bit her lip almost to bleeding point as her conscience fought against her heart. The jewel shards flickered back and forth from existence as Kagome struggled.
"I have to help them. I mustn't be selfish. All those people's lives are more important than this childish crush...."
Kagome's mind flashed to before when she watched Kikyo and Inu-Yasha together.
"They looked so content together, I can't allow that to be destroyed, after all..... I know what it feels like to be in love....."
Her decision was made. She dried off her tears, stood up and threw her bag on her shoulders. She was about to walk back into the forest when she turned and looked at the small bottle sitting on the well. She whipped a final tear from her eye as she knocked the bottle into the well and started walking.
The bottle hit the bottom of the well with a small cling.
It was empty.