I don't own Inuyasha

Chapter 27

"I'm home" Kagome entered her home upset and confused about what she should do, but when she entered the kitchen, she was surprised to see her mother preparing tea and getting out their most expensive dishes. "Honey, you have a visitor. Mr. Kazasami is here."

"Here?" Kagome's eyes bucked. "In our house?" Kagome could hardly believe it. She had met him before, but the thought of a billionaire being in her house was overwhelming. "He's here?" She ran into the dinning room, and sure enough, he was there sitting down, waiting for her. "Mr. Kazasami!"

"Hello Kagome" he was polite and stood to his feet to address her. "I have to speak with you."

Kagome slowly nodded. 'What more does he want me to say, or better yet, not say?' Kagome took a seat and he sat back down as well. "Kagome, I want to get right to the point."

Kagome's mother came out with the dishes and tea. "Here you are."

"Thank you Ms. Higurashi." He cleared his throat as Kagome's mother left them alone. "Kagome, I don't know what you don't want to tell me, but I do know some of it. Ikuto has spoken on where you were."

"He did?" she asked worriedly. "Are you kidding me?"

"No, he has told me-"

"And you believed him?" she asked confused. "You believed him?" She sighed. "What a relief! I didn't think you'd believe the story of him going to the Feudal Era. It sounds crazy."

Suno couldn't help but roll his eyes. "You can't be serious Kagome. What does that mean? You don't literally mean the Feudal Era! Where were you two really?"

Kagome grew pale. "Oh…well…um…I don't know what to tell you." She placed her head down. "I'm sorry."

"Kagome," he said raising his voice a little bit. "Ikuto told me that you and he were with a mutt in the Feudal Era. He told me that some man named Naraku attacked him and wears a baboon skin! Who on Earth is he talking about? Where have you two been, Kagome? I have a right to know why the doctors are telling me that my brother doesn't have the use of his legs anymore. I have a right to know!"

Kagome gasped at the news of that. "He…he can't use his legs?" Kagome lifted her head up and reached across the table to touch Suno's hands. "Don't interrupt me. Please listen to everything I have to say before you make your decision to believe me or not."

Suno nodded hesitantly. "Where has my brother been?"

She let out a long sigh. 'Oh boy!' "Ikuto was with me the whole time. He came to the Feudal Era with me. Yes, I do mean the Feudal Era, 500 years ago. On my 15th birthday, I discovered that I had the power to go back in time and I met a half demon by the name of Inuyasha and I've been helping him collect pieces of the Shikon Jewel that I broke. Ikuto followed me in a fit of jealous rage and went into the past with me. I don't know why he's so special, but I'm the reincarnation of a priestess, but I do know that Ikuto is the reincarnation of Inuyasha." Kagome stopped to catch a quick breath. "But anyway, Ikuto has been continuously going back ever since and after his fight with you he never planned on going home and he was attacked by a demon named Naraku, who is Inuyasha's mortal enemy and Ikuto almost died, so I brought him back here to the present to a hospital, and that's the whole truth!" Kagome was out of breath. She must have explained that whole story less than a minute.

It took Suno a minute to process everything that she had just said. It was utterly ridiculous. How could she say such a ridiculous lies? "And you expect me to believe all of that?"

"But it's true! Do you think I made all of that up?"

He chuckled. "Are you kidding me? Kagome, this story is…psychotic. You've made it up to cover up the truth."

"And Ikuto told you about the mutt, the Feudal Era, and Naraku, but I've made all of this up? Please believe me!" Kagome stood up and smiled. "I know exactly what to do. Stay right here!" She ran up to her room and was surprised to see Inuyasha in her room, looking suspicious. "What are you doing?"

"Oh nothing" he wasn't good at lying, especially to Kagome, but he didn't need to. Kagome reached inside her drawer and pulled out the bottle with the jewel shards. "Come down stairs with me!"

'Darn it, Kagome! You just had to come to your room!' Inuyasha followed her down stairs and was shocked to see Suno sitting at the table. Suno stood up in shock and confusion, but Inuyasha's shock was much stronger. "He looks just like…" Inuyasha was unable to find the words to say. His brother hated humans so much, but now he was looking at his brother as a human. "No way…"

Suno realized that Inuyasha looked like his brother, but more importantly, what Inuyasha was exactly was the biggest question in his mind. "What are you?"

Kagome smiled. "Suno, this is Inuyasha. He's the mutt Ikuto was talking about. He's half demon, half human."

Suno hesitated to do what he really wanted to do, but he couldn't help himself. He reached out and grabbed a hold of Inuyasha's ears and began to tug on them. Inuyasha got angry and pushed Suno back. "Why is it that everyone wants to touch those?"

"They're real."

"Of course they are!"

Kagome placed the bottle in Suno's hand. "These are fragments of the Sacred Shikon Jewel."

"The Shikon Jewel?" He asked. "That's impossible. That's just a story. These could be anything." He handed Kagome the bottle. "Your story is still illogical and…" He trailed off, looking at the sheathed Tetsusaiga. "Is that the…" He reached out his arm towards the sword. "May I?"

Inuyasha was taken back by that question. It wasn't everyday that he heard someone who looked exactly like his brother ask for his sword instead of trying to kill him for it. Inuyasha mentally objected, but handed Suno the sword.

Suno observed it closely. Even the rust on the sword was how he remembered. "The Tetsusaiga: legend says that this sword belonged to a giant dog demon. He forged one sword from his right fang, and one from his left. This sword was one of them." He handed it back to Inuyasha. "This sword is a legend, but not only that…it's real. I own it."

"What?" Kagome practically shouted. "You own the Tetsusaiga?"

"You own my Tetsusaiga?" asked Inuyasha angrily and surprised.

"If you're the great dog demon of legend, then I suppose I do."

"I inherited it from my father…" Inuyasha was beyond shocked. He almost felt like he was dreaming.

"It's in a vault at my house. I have many collectors' items, including the other sword. Many don't know that piece of information. Not even Ikuto knows that I own the swords. I inherited them from my father…He was a collector." Suno didn't want to believe Kagome, but her story was coming together. "Many aren't even aware of the legend. It's more like folk tale." He began to believe Kagome. "Your sword is younger. It's in better shape then mine. I…" he didn't like being wrong, but he had to admit it "I guess you were right Kagome. You were telling the truth."

She smiled. "I'm glad you understand."

"No, I don't understand. I'm confused on the whole matter. The only thing I know for sure is the fact that there are two Tetsusaigas from two different time periods, so what you're saying has to be true. I still don't understand how my brother was hurt like this Kagome, so you're not off the hook." Suno regained his calm composure. "But I will allow you to see Ikuto now, since you did tell me the truth."

Kagome was so happy that she dropped the bottle of jewel shards and wrapped her arms around Suno tightly in excitement. "Thank you, Mister Kazasami! Thank you so much!" Kagome let go of him and then hugged Inuyasha. "Isn't that great?"

"Yeah" Inuyasha couldn't take his eyes off of that bottle. He hoped she didn't remember to pick it up. "Why don't you go see him Kagome? I'm going to head back through the well."

Kagome let him go. "I just hope he's not mad at me."

"I'll give you a ride" said Suno "if you go back over that story you told me, and explain it slower."

"Sure thing!"

Suno gave Inuyasha a slight nod to acknowledge his presence and then left out with Kagome. Inuyasha quickly reached down and grabbed the bottle of jewel shards. 'Great, I have them. Now Kagome can't come back to my world anymore…' He frowned. 'Maybe I shouldn't go through with this. It doesn't make sense why Kikyou doesn't want Kagome in my world.' He glanced at the jewel shards. 'But then again, I did promise her. I'll keep my promise. Besides, Kagome is safer in her world with Ikuto. He'll protect her. I can trust him to do that much.' He still wasn't satisfied. He didn't know quite how he could leave her. 'Kagome, I'm going to miss you. Stay safe, and live happy.'

On their way to the hospital, Kagome was fascinated by the limo that had picked them up. She had ridden in one before, but it was even more glorious with Suno sitting right there with her. She went through all that she could explain on the way. Kagome could talk fast and Suno didn't ask many questions. He just sat there and absorbed what she had to say. He only had one thing to say, once she was finished. "It would seem that Ikuto is like a lost puppy."

"What?" asked Kagome. "What do you mean?"

"He followed you down the rabbit hole into Wonderland." Suno poured himself some wine and began to drink a little. "Yes, that's exactly what he is. It would seem that Ikuto doesn't know where he belongs and will keep running back to you, the place of comfort."

She blushed. "Uh…well I guess in a way that's true."

"Kagome, I would prefer if Ikuto didn't go back there, or you. Who knows what you've been doing to the time frame. Not only that, but there are millions of demons running around trying to kill you."

"I'm not defenseless."

"Neither is my brother, but we both know what happened to him."

Kagome had nothing to say after that. Ikuto was very strong and got hurt. 'Maybe it's only a matter of time before I get hurt as well. Who knows?' "We're here."

Ikuto had engaged in a conversation with his doctor. He was feeling better from the last time he was drugged up. He could control how much he wanted to say now. "So my brother hasn't been in here to see me, huh? It figures. He never really cared about me." He didn't remember his brother coming to see him, and no one told him about earlier.

The doctor couldn't hold it in any longer. "You know Ikuto; I've been your doctor ever since you were a boy. I remember when they brought you into the emergency room when you were just a little boy. No one thought you would make it except for one person, and it wasn't me either. It was Suno. I was ready to give up on you. I was going to tell Suno that, but how can you tell someone who had lost the most of what he had that he was going to lose everything? I couldn't do it, so we worked on you. We barely had anything to do with it. You somehow managed to find the strength to pull through. Do you know where your brother was throughout the whole time you were in the hospital?"

Ikuto shook his head.

"He was by your side. He never left your bedside. He slept in the room with you and ate in there. He had his butler bring him clothes and toiletries. He planned his parent's funeral in there, the poor boy. If he needed to talk business, he put off what he could and what he couldn't, they came to him. He loved you. He still loves you. He was still by your side, even when you were sleeping."

"What?" Ikuto asked. "You mean to tell me that my brother was by my side the whole time?"

The doctor nodded his head. "Yes. Your brother is a great man who loves you. You would be a fool not to know that, Ikuto." The doctor walked out of Ikuto's room and he sat up and just looked up at the ceiling. 'He watched over me?' Ikuto remembered when he was small and woke up in the hospital after the fire. His brother was there, sitting by the window, looking outside.

"Where's mom and dad?" he asked.

Suno just turned his head and said emotionless "They're dead."

Ikuto remembered that he didn't believe him at first, but Suno wouldn't repeat himself, and he knew it was true. He started to cry, and Suno told him not to. Suno seemed so emotionless, and that's what Ikuto hated the most about his brother. He didn't mourn. It seemed like he didn't care.

"Ikuto?" Kagome entered his room with a smile. "How are you doing?"

"Kagome?" He tried to get up to embrace her, but was quickly reminded of his condition once his body started hurting. "Ah, sorry if I can't get up."

"Don't worry about it" she walked over to him and placed her hand on his cheek. "I'm glad you made it."

"I'm glad you're alive Kagome. That's all I cared about."

Kagome had tears in her eyes. "You're such a stupid jerk! You shouldn't risk your life like that! I was so worried about you. You could have died!"

He chuckled. "Well, I'm alive. Its okay, Kagome."

Kagome took a seat in a chair. "I'm glad I got to see you, Ikuto. I've…I've got something that I want to tell you…" She bit her lip.

"Oh, is it that important that you have to do the obvious lip bite in an attempt to get out of it?"

She stopped biting her lip. "Ikuto, I…I've been struggling with these emotions for a long time…emotions concerning you and me. I…I'm in love with Inuyasha and when I met you, I kept telling myself that, but…" She sighed. "Did you meet Kikyou?"

Ikuto didn't know what to say. He thought she might go ballistic. That name always caused her pain. He finally got up enough courage to nod his head. "Yes, I met Kikyou."

"Oh" she said gently. "I thought you did. Inuyasha mentioned her name when you guys were fighting and the way he said it, made it seem like you knew her. Did she try to get the demon out of you?"

Ikuto nodded. "Yes, she did. It probably would have worked if Kagura wouldn't have come."

"I see…" She looked away from him. "Ikuto, I heard Inuyasha say something. I've been trying to avoid him ever since, because of what he said. It really broke my heart." She tensed up. "He said that he knew that you didn't want to be that way. He knew you didn't want to live with that demon inside you, and that he knew that you wanted to live your life with me as a normal human, because…" Kagome struggled not to cry "because he once wanted to live his life as a normal human with Kikyou." A tear managed to fall. "I don't have a problem with Inuyasha becoming a human; it's just that he now wants to become a full demon, even though every time he has become a full blooded demon, he's done horrible things. He doesn't even want to be a half demon anymore, and the best I got out of him after I told him that I loved him just the way he was, was that he'd stay a half demon a little while longer just for me. I thought that was great, but now I see that he was willing to give up everything he ever wanted in order to live a normal life with Kikyou. I realized that Inuyasha needs his demon strength in order to defeat Naraku, but he doesn't even want to be a half demon. He wants to take away every shred of humanity that he has. He was willing to be a human for Kikyou, and he can't even be a half demon for…" her voice quieted down. "For me. He can't even live as a half demon with me."

"Kagome…"

She chuckled. "I sound like a selfish brat, don't I? I shouldn't be this jealous over Kikyou, but I really do love Inuyasha."

"No Kagome, you don't sound selfish."

She smiled. "You're not just saying that, are you?"

He shook his head no. "Now, I know you didn't just plan on telling me that just to complain about Inuyasha."

"You're right" she said. "I wanted to say that he wanted to live his life out with Kikyou, and I'm going to let him, if that's what he wants." It was hard to say that, but it needed to be said. "I'm going to try to let him go, Ikuto." She looked into Ikuto's eyes and reached out to touch his hand. "And I want to be with you." She wiped her tears away with her available hand. "Do you hear me, Ikuto Kazasami? I'm in love with you."

He smiled back at her. "And I love you too, Kagome Higurashi." There was a knock at Ikuto's door. "Who is it?"

"Suno."

Kagome stood up and kissed Ikuto on his forehead. "Talk to him. He really cares about you."

"That's what I keep hearing" he said sarcastically. "Bye Kagome."

"I'll come by tomorrow." She walked out of the hospital room and Suno walked in.

"Ikuto" he said dryly. "I…" Suno was about to go on about how he knew about where Ikuto had been going and what he had been doing, but instead, Ikuto interrupted him.

"Suno, I'm sorry."

Suno was surprised. "You are?"

"I ran away, and it was wrong. I know that. I know that you care about me, and I shouldn't have been so blind to that." Ikuto didn't want to go on, but he had to set things straight with his brother. "Suno, I was going to die. I was dying. I didn't think there was any possible way to make it. I started thinking about our lives and I thought about you. I wanted to tell you how sorry I was. Suno, I don't really hate you." There was a long pause between the two of them. "And I'm not saying I love you and all that mushy stuff. That's as good as it gets."

Suno stepped closer to his brother and smirked. "It would seem that you've matured, Ikuto. I'm…I'm proud of you." They weren't going to say anymore than that. They were too proud to say anymore than that. They were both surprised that they had said that much. They were both glad to see each other again, and Ikuto couldn't wait to go home. His brother didn't hate him, and he didn't hate his brother. He loved him. He really did.

"Souta" asked Kagome looking under the table. "Have you seen a bottle with jewel shards in it?"

"Jewel shards?" He thought about it. "Oh yeah, Inuyasha had them in his hand. He told me to tell you goodbye."

"Goodbye?" she asked. "He said goodbye?"

"Yeah, he said it to you, me, and mom. Isn't that the polite thing to do?"

Kagome dropped to her knees. 'He left forever?' She was planning on telling him everything that she had told Ikuto, but she wanted to see him at least one more time. 'Inuyasha? I needed to see you at least on more time! Inuyasha, why?'

To Be Continued…

A/N: Is this the end of Inuyasha? No! Keep reading, keep reviewing. Keep reviewing so I'll keep updating! Okay?