Chapter 15

Authors Note: I'm on the ball! Chapter 15 already!

Kikyou's POV+

He's been cursed. There wasn't a doubt in my mind I knew from the instant his hands had grasped down tightly upon his throat, choking as if being strangled from the very air that kept him alive. The curse had been one of manipulation of the human or in this case half human's body. Sesshomaru had almost willingly given Inuyasha the help he required, I wasn't surprised not that I believed that the demon lord wanted to make sure his beloved brother was alright, no I knew just as I did that it was Naraku. He may not know what had happened but he knew Naraku did it, and that's all we needed to know. Naraku had done something; he was back and ten times stronger.

I sat there beside his bed side and it almost seemed like déjà vu in a sick sort of fashion. Being by Inuyasha's side. I was always by his side and him by mine. Was it wrong that we almost loved each other? That we had almost gotten the dream we both deserved? Didn't we deserve it?

Kikyou am….am I sinned?

Were all sinned Inuyasha, every single one of us. Don't…don't sound like that. Don't sound like that.

Was I your sin?

No Inuyasha, I was my own sin not you, never you. It was my fault I feel in love with you, I wasn't supposed to fall in love with you and I did. I did fall in love with you and that is nothing you can be blamed for. If I was stronger it wouldn't be my fault because it wouldn't have happened? So does it make it….no one's fault?

Am I Kagome's?

No…you're not Kagome's either. I'm Kagome's. I'm her sin too, I'm my own sin and I'm her sin. Because she is me. It doesn't make sense does it? There's not a bit of sense in that statement other then the truth, and the truth never does make sense. If I had remained dead there would have been no sin between you and Kagome, but I was resurrected and then…and now I'm alive again. So does that make it Sesshomaru's sin?

Is that's what's wrong with me?"

No…I'm what's wrong with you.

"Kikyou?" I feel a bit lost for a few seconds drowning in my thoughts as I look over to him. He looks so weak as if he had just woken up from a bad dream rising to a light sit on the bed.

"How do you feel?"

He laughed nervously. "Well to be quite honest with you, a little…" scared

"…tired"

"Inuyasha?"

"Yea?"

"I think…" I still love you

"You should be more loyal to Kagome with times like these Naraku seems to be showing signs of returning and with Kagome with the majority of the remaining shards"

"Kagome will be in danger" Inuyasha said quietly giving off a short nod. "I'll protect her"

It was silent for a while not one of those comfortable ones, but one of those silences where both people are silently begging for the other to say something anything. Anything.

"Kikyou?"

"Hm?"

"I'm sorry for earlier"

"It's nothing"

"Okay"

The silence came back and Kikyou cursed only mentally, they were playing one of us starts a conversation and respond til it breaks off. Now it's her turn because it broke off and she has to start but what to say?

"Inuyasha…" be with me

"…We… need to stop"

"Stop what?"

"We need…" to try again

"…to stop kidding ourselves"

"What…are you talking about?" His voice is low. His eyes their not gentle anymore, their suspicious and nothing more.

"We… still Don't love each other… anymore."

"Kikyou! That's not true I!"

"Would you leave Kagome for me?"

The silence fell and the room was quiet and cold. My heart hurts terribly badly it feels like it's beating in a sickening rate. But it's the truth, dear god, it's the truth. He doesn't love me anymore and as for, as for me I have to move on. If I can't, I have to try, I have to try or else I'll fall apart all over again. I have to…let him go

"Inuyasha it's time for me…" to let you go

"To let you go"

I stood to leave from the room and I did rather quickly, because I was afraid if I stayed there any longer I might lose my nerve and fall into his arms. The tears came in a flood, a river of a broken and a lake for the healed. These tears the tears that never got to be shed ran from my eyes, it hurt but the sadness was as great as the joy. I was free, I had broken my chains and maybe someday…I could learn to fly again.

End Kikyou's POV+

(A/N: Italics are her thoughts. Ex: We still don't love each other…anymore. We don't love each other anymore is what she says. What she's think with the still is that we still love each other. That one was probably the hardest one, but I can't really explain it better then that. You get it or you don't. )

Miroku's POV+

"Kagome-sama you sure took your time in the bath I was afraid something had happened and had planned to check up on you but Sango-chan wouldn't let me" I felt the pretend tears roll down my cheeks and there wasn't any movement from Kagome-sama she looked as pail as a ghost, there was literally no sign of life.

I had suspected it would be this way for a while and obviously Sango had too. This indeed would draw a line between Inuyasha and Kagome-sama's relationship. I don't really understand how it narrowed down to this perhaps Inuyasha's logic makes sense to me for I'm just as bad as he is, or perhaps it's just a man thing.

I glanced briefly over towards Sango who handed Kagome a cup of ramen noodles offering a false smile which Kagome-sama had somehow forced herself to return. It was so sad that way; everything was false to the point where everything was falling apart. It's not finding the lies our group hides, it's finding the truth because to this point I don't know what to believe anymore.

True as it was Sango and I wasn't really involved I guess you would say, we were sort of stand by and watch. Just like with Sango to Kohaku and Kazanna to me. It was just something one or the other couldn't interfere with. None of us can stop Inuyasha's confusion or give him to Kagome-sama for the fact it's his choice and the strange part is he's not even cheating. Cheating is when your already bound with someone right? Cheating is…what I do to Sango.

I felt shame cast through my body and I find myself staring at her again. She seems to be trying harder then usual to talk to Kagome-sama, to get involved with the situation. That was also very peculiar and it makes me wonder no matter how much I don't want, it makes me wonder what lies is Sango hiding?

"Hey Miroku?"

"What is it Shippo?"

"Are you alright?"

I blinked a bit surprised by his question but quickly recollected myself to make the surprise less evident.

"Yea why?"

"I just wanted to make sure someone was"

He hopped off my shoulder. He believed my lie, I was so relieved but it didn't help my self esteem any that I had tricked a child. Don't misunderstand but I felt like shit. But time would tell right? Time told everything so all we do is wait, that's all we can do.

End Miroku's POV+

Normal POV+

Sesshomaru walked down the corridor towards Inuyasha's room, he had sensed Inuyasha's awakening minutes before. No he wasn't after Inuyasha, he smelt Kikyou's tears and something in that had sent the demon lord off. He walked down the halls his steps forceful as he turned and noticed there was Kikyou, water tumbling down her cheeks and she stared towards him and smiled.

Sesshomaru paused a second standing still looking at her. 'Is her smile happy or broken?' he thought mentally, he made a move forward now standing over the miko. For a brief second her arms latched around his waste and she was crying there into his chest. He felt such a powerful urge of shock he froze. The women, the women he found himself thinking of, yearning for, was embracing him. He wasn't sure how to feel at this moment the only thing he felt was complete and utter surprise.

"You're crying"

Kikyou paused wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, her eyes were red. "Sesshomaru, when you look at me what do you see? Do you see a human?"

"No…I see a flower"

She smiled dully. "This isn't like me is it?"

"Not a bit"

There was an awkward silence and he held her just a little longer. His arms wrapped around her waste gently holding her. Kikyou shut her eyes relaxing into his strong grasp, her head buried into his neck. If anyone had seen them there they would have been shocked by the scene, it looked funny almost but it was indubitably sweet.

To bad no one saw….

Except Inuyasha

Authors Note: …Well, Lets see what happens next chapter shall we? I do believe this one was interesting.