A/N: You guys! I'm sorry it took me so long to put this chapter up! I'm visiting my parents for the long weekend, and their computer totally crashed! As it is, I'm trying to get this to post before it crashes again, so.. We'll see. And…WOW! Haha, it's really cool I have so many reviews! I am actually in shock. I was honored with 200 reviews, and look what happened! You guys are so sweet to me! Thanks!

Previously:

Slowly, a hooded figure emerged from behind the tree. "Apologies," it said. The voice Miroku heard was unlike any other. It was very throaty, and a series of soft clicks directly followed his words. "I desire what knowledge you may have on the lord of this region, and the woman who is visiting you."

"Wha?" Miroku's brow furrowed, and he dropped his sticks, ready to fight. The creature let out a series of clicks, which sounded something like sinister laughter.

"Now, now, no need to be defensive. Just relax." A strange wave flew through the air from the arm of the suspicious person to Miroku's head.

"Uk.." Miroku was caught, unable to move. The last thing he heard was the panicked flapping of bird's wings before he passed out.

Also, Sesshoumaru had grown accustomed to having Kagome around. He hated to think of her leaving him alone. The taiyoukai put his hand to his heart. Since when had he fully given into this feeling? And how likely was Kagome to return it? She had shown hesitation to come with him earlier today- something that Rin had never done. How could he rid her of such disobedience to his call? While he didn't desire to force her into submission, he wanted to sway her into such action. Somehow, he knew he had to convince Kagome to choose to stay with him- permanently.

chapter 23: yume no yume
That night, Kagome had an unusually disturbing dream. It wasn't the first time she had dreamt in Sesshoumaru's castle, but it was the first time that her conscious and subconscious thoughts actually battled things out. Tossing and turning, Kagome seemed a prisoner in the world of her mind.

in the dream

"Kagome, are you alright?" Inu Yasha's voice cut through the darkness. She looked around, but could see nothing. "Up here!" he called.

"Inu.. Yasha?" she asked, almost in disbelief. It had been a long time since she'd heard his voice.

"Just hang on, Kagome- I'll be right there!" She could sense the urgency in his voice. Looking up, Kagome tried to make out his form. After a few moments of focused squinting, she could finally make out two forms above her. Apparently, she was trapped in some kind of a pit. And the two figures at the lip of the hole were none other than Inu Yasha and Sesshoumaru. Gradually, the brothers made it down to where they were within arm's reach of Kagome. "Now," he began, holding his hand down to her,

"Give me your hand," both brothers told her in unison. Sesshoumaru had also extended his hand into the pit to save her.

"Mm," Kagome replied, and attempted to raise both hands to the brothers. "What?" Kagome looked down. Apparently, she had control over only one of her arms; the other hung limply at her side. "I.."

"Quickly," Sesshoumaru told her.

"Here, Kagome," Inu Yasha beckoned. Suddenly, the ground beneath Kagome began to shake. "You'd better hurry- this is no time to sit around and enjoy the scenery. If you don't pick a hand, you'll fall away along with the bottom of that pit. Now, hurry!" he told her, urgency in his voice.

"I…" Kagome hesitated, looking back and forth between brothers. Whichever one she chose, was that the one with whom her heart wanted to stay? "I don't know which one to choose!" Kagome shut her eyes and thrust her hand upwards blindly, but no one caught it. She looked up, realizing this fact. Sesshoumaru's face was grave, and Inu Yasha's ears drooped.

"You- you have to pick one of us, Kagome," Inu Yasha said softly, his voice betraying the hurt it caused that she didn't instantly decide to take his hand. Sesshoumaru nodded.

"Now, which one will you choose?" Again, Kagome hesitated. The ground began to shake violently underneath her feet. Tears welled up in her eyes.

"I… I don't…" Just then, the ground fell apart beneath her, and she- along with the dirt of the pit- fell into the abyss.

"KAGOMEEE!" Inu Yasha called to her as she fell. Although she was far away by now, she could also somehow hear Sesshoumaru whisper her name in grief. As she was falling for what seemed like an eternity, she heard a few other voices.

"Kagome." It was Sango. "Kagome, which one made you a better person? Which one gave you purpose when you woke up in the morning? Which one- do you want to spend the rest of your life with?"

"Sango," Kagome whispered, almost oblivious to the fact that she was falling. In fact, now it was more like she was floating in the middle of black nothingness. "I- don't know."

"Don't be silly. Of course you do. With Inu Yasha, you know you can be yourself. With Sesshoumaru, you strive to please him, and to help him through his emotional difficulties."

"That's true." Suddenly, Sango appeared before Kagome.

"Of course it's true. Your path is more clearly defined with Sesshoumaru, and more free with Inu Yasha. It's time for you to make a decision." Sango looked behind her shoulder, and then back at Kagome. "Oh- there's someone else who wants to talk to you. Good luck, Kagome." Within the next second, Sango had miraculously transformed into the shape of Kagome's mother.

"Sweetie, how are you?"

"I'm… falling, mom."

"Do you remember what I said?" Kagome nodded. "It's not always the right thing to stay with something for the wrong reasons."

"What are the wrong reasons?" Kagome's mother smiled gently when her daughter asked this question.

"Anything other than real love. For Inu Yasha- do you feel true love, or has it become obligation to be with him? Are you with him because you want to be, or is it because of the familiarity and history that you share? Do you feel guilty for the thought of leaving him, because you know it will break his heart, and that he may never find a mate?" Kagome nodded. Those thoughts, among others, had entered her mind; she was just always too scared to face them. "Listen to me, Kagome. Sometimes the best thing to do is move on. You may still love Inu Yasha, but you already gave him more than enough time to move forward, and the only time he showed any effort in doing so was after you had been with Sesshoumaru. It's time for a change. Why don't you just give Sesshoumaru a chance?"

Just then, Kagome found herself again at the bottom of the pit, with Inu Yasha and Sesshoumaru leaning over, ready to help her. She only needed to choose.

"Come, Kagome," the brothers said in unison. Kagome stared up at them, the tears in her eyes overflowing onto her cheeks.

"I… I… CAN'T!" she screamed.

exit the dream

"I… I… CAN'T!" she screamed. Suddenly, she realized it was all just a dream. Her eyes still closed, she raised her hand to her face. It was wet. She had been crying in her sleep. "Ugh," she moaned as she sat up, wiping her eyes. "What… what kind of a dream was that?" she asked herself aloud. Finished rubbing her eyes, she opened them to look around the darkened room. It was in the dead of night. As she slowly turned her eyes and head from the foot of her bed to the left side, she caught a glimpse of someone standing only a few feet away from where she was resting. "Ah!" she exclaimed in surprise. It was Sesshoumaru, with a look of concern on his face.

"Are you alright?" he asked plainly.

"What… what are you doing here?" she asked rather loudly. It was unintentional, but she was so disturbed from the dream and shocked by Sesshoumaru's nighttime presence that she couldn't properly control the volume of her voice.

"You're noisy," he told her. "You could be heard all the way in my quarters." Kagome blushed. She was glad it was under cover of darkness. He stepped forward, so that he was now directly beside her bed. Slowly, he put his hand to her cheek. "What made you cry?" he asked, gently wiping away the moisture under her left eye. Kagome stared up at him, speechless. He seemed so- concerned for her.

'But… I can't tell him why I was crying… that's…' she grew even redder with embarrassment. Sesshoumaru withdrew his hand, and Kagome laid her head on the pillow once more. He sighed audibly, realizing that she wasn't going to answer his question.

"Don't be afraid," Sesshoumaru told her.

'Is- is he trying to comfort me?' she thought to herself.

"As long as you remain here with this Sesshoumaru, you will not come to harm." The taiyoukai put his hand on her clammy forehead, and gently stroked the top of her head. Kagome flashed back to the time when Inu Yasha tended her when she was sick. Those brothers, no matter how much they denied it, were more similar than they cared to think. "Now, go back to sleep," he told her reassuringly. Turning away from Kagome, he sat down on the floor, his back against the bed.

'Is- is he just gonna stay there for the rest of the night?' He looked like he was making himself right at home next to her bed. Kagome sighed quietly, and turned on her side, her back toward Sesshoumaru. Soon enough, she returned to her sleep. Once her breathing had evened out, the taiyoukai knew she had once again entered the world of dreams. While he needed her by his side, she needed him by hers, as well. Staying there with her made him feel like she needed his protection. Oddly, he didn't feel tied down, as he used to feel when faced with responsibility for the well-being of another. No, this feeling was different. Sesshoumaru sighed softly- this time, in contentment.

In the morning, Kagome woke up to see that Sesshoumaru had remained by her side through the rest of the night. He was sitting there so motionlessly, that she guessed he might still be asleep. Quietly, she slid out of her bed and began to tiptoe toward the bathroom.

"That's not necessary," came his voice from beside the bed. She turned around to face him. He was still in a sitting position, his back resting against the bed. His head was still angled forward and down, as though he was sleeping. The only difference was that one eye was opened, and looking sidelong at her. Kagome giggled nervously, and walked into the bathroom to prepare for the day. As she washed her face, she realized that this was the first time she had been in Sesshoumaru's care that she was comfortable with him watching over her as she slept.

"Hm," she grunted in realization. It wasn't weird when it happened, but now that she thought about it, Kagome was surprised. She knew her feelings had changed toward the taiyoukai, but the fact that she was comforted by his presence with her last night- that was something that she hadn't expected. Perhaps she really was beginning to fall for Sesshoumaru. And this time, she couldn't blame it on the mark.

When she finished, she stepped outside of the bathroom. Sesshoumaru was waiting for her, sitting in the chair beside her door. After she came out, he stood up, and they began to walk toward the breakfast table. When they had finished their breakfast in a comfortable silence, Sesshoumaru began to speak.

"Do you remember my vassal Nara?" he asked. Kagome nodded. "I caught him in some treasonous activity, involving several of the cloaked figures of whom your friend spoke." Kagome let in a small gasp, remembering the urgency in Miroku's voice. While the houshi was strong, he didn't have a chance against that mysterious assailant. And besides that, they seemed to be interested in her. "Be on your guard," he told her. "I have reason to believe that their cloaks conceal their youki as well as their scent. If this is the case, they may have abilities to negate your spiritual powers."

"Mm," Kagome nodded.

"It may be a good idea for you to stay by my side; at least until this is all over," he suggested. A small pause ensued, until he spoke again. "At any rate, this Sesshoumaru has grown attached to your presence here." The butterflies in Kagome's stomach raged. Sesshoumaru wondered if he should disclose more of his feelings to the miko in order to sway her toward deciding to stay with him. But for now, he would say no more, and wait for her to show him her reply. A small blush rose to her cheeks after he spoke his final sentence. He could only guess the kinds of feelings that were running through her, but it also gave him an enjoyable sensation to realize that he was the one who could affect her so. He had never felt these sensations with Rin- mainly, he guessed, because he hadn't had a chance to begin any kind of courtship with her. No, it was Kagome who was the first woman to evoke these specific sensations within the lord of the western lands.

Inu Yasha woke up in the library, the last scroll he was reading before he fell asleep was draped over his legs. "Ugh," he groaned, sitting up. He rubbed his head, which ached from all the reading he had done the day before. With perfect timing, Shippou and Kohaku entered the room.

"Hey, good morning sleepyhead," Shippou teased. "It's breakfast time, so come on," he told him, before the two boys left for the breakfast table. They had gathered several fruits while Inu Yasha was busy sleeping, and everything was now prepared for them to eat. Inu Yasha sat up and looked at the scroll he had been reading the night before. It was an interesting scroll about improving speed and dexterity in battle. After breakfast, he decided to put it to practice in the forest outside of the castle.

Inu Yasha informed Shippou and Kohaku that he was going to the forest to practice, and that he'd be back before dusk. The boys looked at each other and then nodded at Inu Yasha. Now that he was more active, they were less worried about physical- and emotional- trauma that their companion had endured.

Youkai Inu Yasha stood in the center of a circle of trees. Taking a deep breath, and focusing on not making any unnecessary movements, he began attacking the trees. He realized that a spin in midair might be good for parrying a blow, but if he was on the attack, it wouldn't be beneficial. "The spin takes extra effort," he muttered as he flew back, away from the tree. As soon as his feet touched ground, he initiated another attack on a different tree. 'The key to attack is surprise,' he remembered. This meant that it was wise to always attack in a different fashion. After practicing nonstop for several hours, the tired Inu Yasha sat down to rest.

'Maybe sparring with Shippou and Kohaku will help,' he thought to himself. Yes, it would be a good idea to spar with the boys. But for now, Inu Yasha would learn as much as he could before challenging them. After a few moments of rest, he stood up and began to train once more.

Kagome dressed for the day when she returned to her quarters. Because Sesshoumaru had been in her room, she didn't bother changing out of her night robe before going out to eat breakfast. She blindly chose a light yukata, too disturbed by what had happened in the morning to realize what she was doing. 'What did he mean? What is he thinking?' she asked herself. Her thoughts, usually occupied with the decision she was going to have to make between Sesshoumaru and Inu Yasha, were now occupied with the sole thought of the taiyoukai and his intentions toward her. He sounded almost like he was willing to commit to her! 'I don't… I don't know what this means…' Kagome's thoughts were so muddled that she dreaded having to sort through them all and make sense of the mess made by those thoughts as well as her emotions. She sat down at the desk, and prepared some paper and ink. Maybe writing things out would help her sort things out.

The first things she wrote down were the snippets of advice she had been given by Sango and her mother. 'Which one makes me a better person? Which one gives me purpose? Which one- with which one am I willing to spend the rest of my life?' Kagome stopped to imagine what a life with Sesshoumaru would be like. She had already done it millions of times with Inu Yasha- but never with his brother. She put her pen down, and closed her eyes. 'A life with Sesshoumaru… what would it be like?'

Kagome saw herself at Sesshoumaru's side. They were both happy, but in a quiet way. She joined him on his surveillances and meetings, and was attended by several servants, who became her friends. Strangely enough, Sesshoumaru's only friends seemed to be herself and Jaken, if he could actually count as a friend. Sango and Miroku- well, they would visit sometimes, and Shippou would visit more often than they. But… Kagome's eyes shot open. There was something about her vision that was severely disturbing to the young miko. A life with Sesshoumaru… meant eternal separation from Inu Yasha.

Yes, a life with Sesshoumaru meant a life without Inu Yasha. But the inverse was also true: a life with Inu Yasha meant one without Sesshoumaru. While she wasn't sure she preferred either one of those lifestyles, Kagome interpreted all of the advice she received into meaning that she should choose to at least give Sesshoumaru a chance. Besides, maybe there was some way she could reconcile the brothers. After all, who was to say that it wasn't possible?

Kagome closed her eyes again, and imagined a life with Inu Yasha. They were also happy, living with Miroku, Sango and their baby, Kohaku, and Shippou altogether. Of course, they had their occasional disagreements, but it was never anything they couldn't work through. Sighing, she reopened her eyes.

"Maybe I should just go back home and live in my time," she said aloud. But deep inside, she knew that doing so, out of all the decisions she could make, was the one that was most decidedly wrong. If she just went back to her time, that meant she was running away from her problems. And there was nothing that would stop Inu Yasha or Sesshoumaru from coming to get her- and nothing to stand in the way of them possibly killing each other. Kagome shuddered. Keeping them safe from each other would have to be her top priority, no matter what. "Maybe- maybe there's some way I can help them patch things up," Kagome suggested to herself.

"Not likely," Sesshoumaru's voice came from her doorway. He had slid it open without her even realizing it. Kagome turned around in surprise.

"What are you-?" she stopped herself from saying anything more. The youkai lord stepped forward into her room.

"After some thought, I have decided to give you an offer."

"Wh.. what are you talking about?" she asked nervously. "What kind of an offer?" At this, Kagome turned in her chair. She had a feeling that whatever it was, she would want to be sitting when he told her.

"These cloaked figures- I do not desire to underestimate them. They have a powerful ability to cloak their presence and scent. While I am concerned for your safety, there will be moments during which I will not be able to stay close to you."

'He's concerned for me…' Kagome thought as a warmth briefly covered her heart.

"Because their cloaks have barrier capabilities, your reiki may be ineffective against them." Kagome remained silent- he had said something like this to her earlier this morning. Kagome knew that her spiritual powers were all she really had in her defense. Up until now, she mainly relied on Inu Yasha's fighting strength and her own long range archery skills. Of course, now she was able to rely on the strength of Sesshoumaru, but… he was admitting that he might not be able to be around her at every moment. Sesshoumaru sighed before he continued, "You don't need to decide at this very moment, but- I would like you to think about receiving another temporary mark," he told her slowly.

"A-are you crazy!" Kagome practically shouted at him. She remembered the problems it caused between herself and Inu Yasha. Without having made a final decision concerning her choice between the brothers, she was understandably hesitant. Sesshoumaru's serious countenance did not falter.

"Think about it. It is the best option for your safety at the moment. With the transfusion, you will be able once more to use the incantation scrolls." His eyes flickered over to her bookcase, which was in slight disarray. Several scrolls had been removed and replaced into wrong locations. "You have been learning new incantations, have you not?" Kagome nodded slowly. "Inu Yasha should have been fully recovered by now," he commented. Kagome bowed her head.

'He's… fully recovered? Then.. why hasn't he come to get me?' Kagome's thoughts drifted. A part of her was actually relieved that he hadn't come just yet, but the other part of her was hurt. She had told him to wait until he was completely healed before he came back for her, but- what else could he be doing? Could he be preparing for another fight with his brother? So distracted with her thoughts, she barely heard Sesshoumaru let out another sigh.

"Just think about it. At the moment, this is the best option I am able to offer. I'll expect your decision at dinner." Sesshoumaru bowed gracefully and stepped backwards before he turned and exited Kagome's room.

'Inu Yasha- what are you doing?' she wondered.

A/N: Again, I'm really sorry it took awhile for me to post this chapter. But at least it was pretty long, right? Anyway, I feel like I'm starting to get lazy with the story, so please give me a review, and cheer me on!

Reviewer Responses:

Nicole-Prince: I'd say the alternate ending is about halfway over… maybe a little more than that…

TakaraDaiya: thanks. I really try hard to make this story believable in the actual world of Inu Yasha… cool! I'm glad you think this story is unpredictable- hehe, I always think that it will be predictable, but people seem to get surprised by twists, and stuff.. So.. Hehe.. cool!

superberri4: Not sure if you're reading this alt. ending, but.. Yeah, I get embarrassed when I see all the "sess kidnaps kag and they fall deeply in love and have sex everyday" fics. They make me blush.

Beulah Page: Yeah, right? The dream was so super weird. Anyway, I think Roy Mustang is pretty hot, but that didn't mean I didn't like Ed, either… but… that dream was just outta control. Yeah, about the clicking… I think I picked it up from an episode of X files that I watched a super long time ago. I think it just adds to the mysteriousness and creepiness of it.

kandy42: Yeah, thanks for doing your part in the reviews! I will not do a sequel to this story. I really don't like sequels; they are hardly ever as good as the originals, and they just draw things out too far. If I do anything again that has to do with this story, it would probably be something like a one-shot "this happened 300 years later.. The end" type thing. But I could very well just include that at the end of this story, anyway.

Darkness Rises: Oh, you are so right. The only way to live with myself is to make sure I know that this is only a "what-if" ending. It's very hard to try to make the characters go a way that they wouldn't normally go… so thanks very much for the personality match comment. Yay! I hope to see you review again soon!

Thanks also to my reviewers Golden-Eyed-Gal, Lone Wolf/Loner, Zookie Moon princess, Edismyhero, toxic lollipop (I bet a lot of reviewers think like you!), sheenachi (yeah, it does, doesn't it? We'll see, though), Lady Lenn (thanks for your feedback!), sesshomaru's-hot-date, Shadow Kitsune67, hermonine, Chevonne K, Subaru Wings (haha, yes, he does have his strong points, doesn't he?), babybanana616, Hoshiko Shinomori (thank you for reviewing!), Starlina…etc…(hmm.. You don't think Inu Yasha cares anymore?), destinyheart15, Tracy J (thanks for the encouragement!), tefi2007 (hehe, yeah, I was wondering! Haha, closer to what you want to read, hm? I think I might have an idea of what that is…), dark panther (thank you for your sworn loyalty, hehe!), Erotica (thanks for reviewing!), and whimsy.

Your reviews make me happy! Hope to see your names again! Aba-yo!