A/N: Had to drag myself away from Final Fantasy AGAIN to type this…I think I need to go to a gamer's rehab clinic…

So, I assume you all hate me, or at least would like to throw blunt objects at me for the last chapter, I can promise you that we only have (including this one) 4 chapters left. Then yay. Finally done. (Don't ask for a sequel, I have already made my decision.) But don't expect the plot to start winding down either. I'm too evil to promise you this will all be happy from here to the end >:D!

Part V

Chapter 27: Love's Guilt

Kikyou's dark eyes darted across the village from her vantage point in the forest. She felt a pang in her chest where her heart was supposed to be. She hadn't been back to her village in a long time, mainly because the place was too filled with memories.

Her hair blew across her face in the morning breeze, carrying leaves in its wake. Her eyes glared once they found what she knew to be her younger sister's hut. So, for now it seems your youkai side has been sealed, Inuyasha…

She turned away, disappearing back into the dark forest. It won't be that way for long. It will stay inside you, gathering strength, until it will burst forth, lashing out in fury, more powerful than you could have ever imagined.

Sango and Miroku leaned against the side of Kaede's hut, knowing the old miko to be checking up on Kagome inside. The wound on her back was deep, and it left everyone worried when thinking about it, knowing that it could very well cripple her for the rest of her life.

"Houshi-sama," Sango turned to Miroku, looking unsure of herself. "I've been wondering…Inuyasha's youkai side, it's sealed for good, isn't it?"

The monk gave a sharp glance towards the hut, and then sighed. "I suppose so. You saw what we all did, Sango. The minute Kagome-sama was hurt, Inuyasha pulled himself back. And the way he reacted to realizing what he had done, I'm pretty sure that he is going to stay in that form for good now."

Shippou, who had also been sitting nearby and had been amusing himself with his toy top, joined the conversation. "He looked like he was about to cry. And he didn't really know what happened."

Sango nodded. "He can never remember what happened after he turns that way. And it's probably best for him, and Kagome-chan, that it's never brought up again."

Kaede walked out of the hut, carrying some of her herbs and cures with her. "Kaede-sama," Miroku asked at once. "How is Kagome-sama?"

"She's sleeping now." Kaede replied. "It's best that she gets more rest now, it'll help the wound heal."

"And Inuyasha?" the kitsune asked, popping up on Miroku's shoulder.

"He's watching her." Kaede said, leading them to the garden behind her hut, where she sat down in the middle of it and began plucking more herbs.

The youkai exterminator couldn't help but ask, "Is it safe for Inuyasha to be around her?"

Kaede nodded. "I didn't feel any youki from him, well, no more than usual, anyway. I think that encounter with Kagome finally brought him back to being a hanyou."

There was a silence after that. It was a silence of relief, mostly relief for Kagome. She had seen hell for weeks, and it was finally over.

Shippou broke the silence, "Is Kagome going to be okay?"

The old miko sighed, her eyes downcast. "She'll recover, at least. It's amazing that she came out with a wound that deep with no crippling damage. She'll always have a scar, though. But unfortunately, she'll have outbreaks of pain for the rest of her life."

Sango gave a tiny gasp. "Kagome-chan…"

"Kagome is truly an amazing child." Kaede said. "She's been hurt so much, but she never complains. She only smiles at the blessing of this business finally being over."

Inuyasha clenched his eyes shut, his long nails cutting into his hands as he kept them in fists. There it was again, the youkai blood trying to take over his soul. He gave a small grunt of pain as he clenched his hands over his chest, trying to remain in control. He saw the red eyes in his mind, heard the insane growling in his ears, felt the desire for blood unfolding inside of him. He tried to think of reasons to stay a hanyou, tried to think of Kagome, but that only sped it up. Inuyasha desperately hung on, knowing he wouldn't last much longer if it kept up—

And then he was released. He had been sitting down at the start of the attack, and he fell on all fours as he breathed deeply, recovering from the assault on his mind. That was the second attack in less than a full day's time, it was getting worse. But he had to fight it; he had to keep himself from sinking down to being a youkai once more…all for Kagome. He couldn't ever hurt her again; it nearly killed him seeing her like this now.

"Inuyasha?" her weary voice said. He instantly forgot his worries about himself and came beside her.

"Kagome," he said softly. "You feeling better?"

She nodded, and looked around the hut. "Where's Kaede-sama?"

"You fell asleep." the hanyou explained. "The hag left a little while after that."

"Don't call her that, Inuyasha." she scolded, moving to sit up, but Inuyasha pushed her back down. "Hey!"

He said, "You're hurt! You're not getting up with a wound like that."

Kagome rolled her dark eyes. "Kaede-sama gave me some medicine, so I don't feel anything now."

Once the stubborn hanyou had decided, he would not be daunted. "You know how deep that wound was, Kagome! If you overexert yourself, you could be seriously injured! You're not getting up and that's that!"

Kagome sighed. "Overprotective, stubborn baka."

"Annoying, selfless woman." was the reply.

That little fight caused a smile to come to Kagome's face, making Inuyasha blush like he used to. They were back to the way they were before again, seemingly just good friends.

Turning her head, Kagome looked away from Inuyasha, her former lover, and over to the wall on the other side of the hut. Her eyes were half-closed with emotion when she asked, "Inuyasha, you don't remember what happened, do you?"

The hanyou's ears dropped while he paused. "No, I don't. The last thing I remember is having you in my arms, and then in that cave, trying to get you to wake up—" His voice shook as he said that, recalling a painful memory. "I do get flashes of things. One was near Goshinboku, and then a small one, in the cave when—" He broke off, blushing. "And one more when Miroku and the others came to get you."

Turning back to him, Kagome asked, "That's all you remember?"

He nodded. "That's all. But…I was out for so long…what did I do, Kagome? No one else is telling me, but I know that I must have—"

Kagome grabbed his hand suddenly, causing him to stop. "You only kidnapped me, Inuyasha." she assured him. "That's it." This was one time she was going to spare him the truth. He had done things—horrible things—but he was already in pain from seeing the wound he had given her. She couldn't bear to see his face if he found out all the other things he did.

"That's not true, Kagome." he glared at her with his amber eyes. "I saw the other scars on you. I've hurt you more than that."

She reassured him, "It was only because I got you angry. I kept forgetting that you like that couldn't be controlled by a simple tantrum. Actually, this time, you were different. You didn't act like the youkai of before. After a while…" Her eyes met his. "It was like it was the old you, except…easier to get angry, which isn't too hard with you as a hanyou, now that I think about it."

This caused a small smirk to come across Inuyasha's features. "If you keep scaring me like that, then you'll see how easy I get angry, woman."

Kagome gave a small laugh, and then it faded. There was something else that she knew she had to discuss with him, but it would be hard saying it. She looked away once more, the smile sliding off her face. "Inuyasha…about that night—" She stopped, unable to say anything further. His eyes held the same look hers had; that of wanting to avoid the subject.

But we can't avoid it. she thought. Inuyasha and I had just started an intimate relationship, we can't give it up that easily. We are mates…under the blanket, she touched the mating scar on her left hand, and it hardly escaped her notice that Inuyasha was glancing at his. It's not like we can easily drop it…

"Let's talk about this later, Kagome." Inuyasha said decidedly. "You've had a rough time, and you need to recover. Get some more rest. Maybe tomorrow you can get up, but only if you're good." He teased, making Kagome roll her eyes.

He was going to leave her to sleep, but Kagome grabbed him back before he had the chance. "Don't leave me." she pleaded. "I want to know you're nearby."

A smile came to his face. "Okay." He agreed.

As Kagome rolled over and prepared for sleep, she whispered, almost inaudibly, yet still heard by Inuyasha's hanyou ears, "I love you, Inuyasha."

His dog ears perked up at that, his heart softening. He came over to her, entwining his right hand with her left, and kissed her forehead. "Love you, Kagome." Careful of her wound, he nuzzled his nose into her hair, hearing her sigh in contentment as he did.

As he left her to carry out his guard of her in a corner of the hut, a smile came to Kagome's face as she thought, So that's how it is. We're still mates, but it will take us a while to build our relationship back up to that level. But I don't need that now. I'm happy with us like this. Because I know he'll always be my Inuyasha…

No sooner had Kagome fallen asleep, then Inuyasha felt his youkai side stirring. It always seemed to happen when he was deep in thought about Kagome. It wasn't a strong one, like before, but once again he struggled, while his eyes started fading to red.

And then he pulled himself out of it, after gripping the Tessaiga so tight that the sheath left imprints in his hands. It's having no effect…he thought, worry growing in his chest. How long will I be able to maintain control?

He glanced back at Kagome, beautiful innocent Kagome, who was inadvertently causing this. He knew it would be safer to leave her now, and make sure that his youkai couldn't hurt her, but that would hurt her even more. He didn't know what to do. Either way, it was Kagome who suffered. Kagome, the girl he loved, the one girl he had sworn to protect from any harm.

The girl who, if he wasn't careful, would be destroyed by him.

A/N: I am SO evil…anyway, now that this is over and I've made you stare wide-eyed at the screen, I'll be getting back to my Final Fantasy game, hopefully, I can finally beat the stupid thing and stop being so obsessed with it.