Chapter 16: The Choice

"Ugh..." Inuyasha's eyelids fluttered open and he could see five faces peering down at him with worry. Miroku, Sango, Shippou, Kirara, and Kaede closely surrounded him. Sango brushed back his bangs and smiled at him.

"You finally woke up." Miroku said with a grin.

"What... happened?" Everyone backed up and gave him room as the hanyou slowly sat up. He placed his hand on his forehead and shut his eyes trying to recall the last bit of memory that he could.

"You passed out and we brought you back to the hut. You've been out for hours. It's past mid-day already." Sango said as she fixed him up some leftovers from the lunch everyone ate. "Eat." Inuyasha numbly took the bowl of food, only to set it down in front of him.

"Inuyasha, Kikyou was dragging you to hell." Miroku said after a moment of silence. "But then she backed out and let you live. Do you know why?" Miroku asked.

Inuyasha kept his eyes closed as he tried to remember everything that happened. Suddenly pieces began to come back. "She needed to tell me something..." He whispered hoarsely. "And she could only do it at the gateway of hell." He could hear her broken voice in his head even now.

"I loved you. But I died. You have to accept that. This is my final goodbye."

But she also told him something else. Something to do with the final shard. Inuyasha pressed his hand harder to his forehead and tried to concentrate on the words that Kikyou had said before she fell into the pit of hell.

"...northern...mountains...village..."

His eyes snapped open. "Guys! I know where the final shard is!" He suddenly said and then hopped to his feet. "It was what Kikyou had to tell me. But the only way for her to tell me without Naraku finding out was to drag me close to hell so that the screams of the demons made it impossible for anyone to hear."

"Wow, she really went to the extremes just to tell you where the shard is." Miroku scratched his head and looked at Sango in awe. "I mean she had us thinking that we were all about to die."

"Well... I think we were. I think that was the original plan but she said that Kagome helped her realize what her final miko duty was so..." Inuyasha looked away. "I guess she changed her mind."

"How nice of her." Miroku hopped to his feet and then helped Sango up. "Well... what are we waiting for? Lead the way puppy!"

Packing up, the group headed out in the direction of the shard in almost a dead run.

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Naraku paced up and down his dark room. Anger boiled from within. He could even feel the intense heat from the flame of burning anger that was growing inside of him. He stopped pacing and let out a loud yell while thrusting his fist into the wall in front of him.

"That BITCH!" He yelled in utter rage. "She fucking ruined everything!" He roughly sat himself down and leaned his head against the wall. Everything was falling into place perfectly. He was so close to being rid of the thorn in side, the thing that kept him from becoming the ultimate ruler, the Inu-tachi.

But then Kikyou had to back out and not only that, destroy his puppet from even completing her unfinished task! "Kanna!" His yell for his ward echoed throughout the halls in his dark castle.

Kanna came in, her tiny mirror in hand, and knelt down in front of him. "Show me Kagome." An image of Kagome and Sesshoumaru climbing up a mountain pass came in the view of the tiny mirror.

Kagome. Her soul was now complete. And the person that stood in the way of her and Inuyasha was now gone. How long after the chain breaking will Kagome leave Sesshoumaru to run back into Inuyasha's arms?

And no doubt Sesshoumaru wouldn't try to stop her. He wouldn't sink so low as to beg from some human wench to stay with him.

It was inevitable. Kagome loved Inuyasha and no matter how much time she spent with Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha still held the keys to her heart... or so... Naraku thought. And based on his judgment, Naraku was sure that once this chain that held them together broke, Kagome would be on her way back to Inuyasha.

There was no doubt she knew that Kikyou had died. She was probably worried sick on whether or not Inuyasha went to hell with Kikyou and if he didn't, how he was coping with it all.

Yes, this was the new plan, the minute that chain broke, whenever it broke, Naraku would be watching and waiting for the moment Kagome left her bodyguard Sesshoumaru and went running back to Inuyasha.

Only, she would never make it to Inuyasha.

Naraku would capture before the hanyou even knew she was coming back to him. Then he would have no worries on whether or not someone would come and save the wench. Because she would have already burned her bridges with both brothers.

She would be alone, and all his.

His lips twisted in a smile as the thought played in his mind. He would screw with her mind for a couple of days, and then when she was in her black hole of depression, he would take her as his mate.

And once that happened, the jewel would never be pure again. And darkness would reign.

It almost seemed too far fetch. But Naraku was very patience. He would wait. He was never the one to jump in things, and this plan was one that needed patience. And so, that was what he would do.

Good things always come to those who wait.

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Sesshoumaru and Kagome had been traveling all morning and now it was becoming late afternoon. They were now starting to reach higher and higher along the mountain paths so the air was becoming thinner and it was becoming very hard for Kagome to breathe.

And although the air was starting to get much cooler, Kagome was flushed and was starting to pant. Since there was only a little bit of oxygen in the air it was making Kagome extremely dizzy. Sesshoumaru however wasn't even affected by the change in atmosphere and was continuing at normal pace, while Kagome was lagging behind.

She even lengthened the chain so that he could keep going at a pace suitable for him and she could go at a pace that wouldn't make her collapse.

Trying to distract herself from the upcoming nausea in her stomach, Kagome attempted some conversation with her youkai companion. "So Sesshoumaru, once we get this chain broken, what are you going to do first?" Kagome asked.

"Go three hundred and one feet away from you." Sesshoumaru said impassively and Kagome laughed. "You?" He asked after she stopped laughing.

"Well after you get your three hundred and ONE feet away from me, expect me to find you again because I have no idea as to how to find Kaede's village so I'm going to need you to take me there." Kagome smiled at him.

"Back to Inuyasha?" Sesshoumaru asked nonchalantly.

"Hell no." Kagome answered suddenly. "I'm going home for awhile I guess." She honestly didn't know what she would do. Sesshoumaru had been with her for three weeks now the thought of being without him was almost... scary. "I guess I'll be back to traveling with Inuyasha eventually, but that's because I miss my friends." Kagome stopped walking and clutched her stomach.

She was still feeling sick, despite the conversation she and Sesshoumaru were having.

Sesshoumaru stopped walking and turned around and walked back to her. He scooped up her body and then began the trail up the mountain once again, Kagome still continued the conversation. "I'm still kinda mad at Inuyasha. The bastard said I meant nothing to him."

"What do you want to mean to him?" Sesshoumaru indifferently asked, not looking down at Kagome's figure but instead straight ahead.

"I want to be his friend. I know you hate him, but Inuyasha isn't really that bad of a guy. Despite his rough outer edge, there's a good, genuine heart deep...deep... really deep inside." Kagome went on. "We've been through a lot. And I just want... I just want him to recognize me for the person I am... and the friendship that we have. But I guess that isn't a fair request."

"Why?" The word escaped his lips before he could hold it back.

"Because to him, I'm Kikyou. I'm the person he fell in love with long ago. Only... I'm really not the person he fell in love with. Inuyasha's pretty stupid sometimes. And he really doesn't understand his emotions. I bet I confused him." Kagome smiled at the thought.

"You confuse a lot of people." Sesshoumaru mumbled and Kagome laugh.

"Is the Mr. Lord of Who Gives a Shit confessing to have been confused by a mere worthless human?" Kagome pretended to act shocked as she gasped and then giggled when Sesshoumaru looked down at her with one of his hard glares.

"This Sesshoumaru is never confused." He said as his gaze moved away from her and back on the path straight ahead.

"Well this Kagome wants a rest." Kagome said.

"Kagome, you are resting. I'm carrying you." Sesshoumaru said, as if she didn't know.

"No, I mean I'm hungry-"

"You left your backpack at the Western Lands." Sesshoumaru reminded her.

"Oh dammit, you're right. Jez, I keep forgetting that thing." Kagome mumbled and her eyebrows furrowed together in thought. "Oh look!" Kagome pointed at some bushes with nice round blue berries on them. "Berries! Oh and look! It's conveniently next to a tree for shade!"

"In...deed." Sesshoumaru grunted and set Kagome down who merrily skipped to the shady spot full of berries.

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Inuyasha stopped for a short break next to a beautiful river. Shippou and Kirara went off to play in its refreshing water, while the rest of the group had an overdo talk. "Miroku, Sango... I just want to say... sorry." Inuyasha flatten his ears against his head as he looked at the ground in front of him.

He was sitting cross-legged in front of Sango and Miroku who were smiling at his sulking form. "Inuyasha, it's ok. We understand you've been under... quite a bit of stress lately." Miroku smiled and Sango shook her head with a grin.

"No... more like under quite a bit of jealously lately." Sango winked at Miroku who looked at Inuyasha with a grin.

The storm that was between the group seemed to have past, and the dark mood that had been lingering over them was gone as well. The death of Kikyou... the second time, had really broke Inuyasha, and his recent nature of anger and jealously. He was mourning for the love that he lost. Something that he didn't get to do the first time.

"I think I'm going to head into the river, I'm a little hot." Sango said, sensing that 'guy time' was currently needed. As soon as she was out of earshot, Miroku went and sat next to Inuyasha.

"You want to talk about what's been going on lately? With Kagome?" Miroku asked finally and Inuyasha gave a long sigh.

"I don't know. It angered me that Sesshoumaru and Kagome were together and the fact that she didn't come crying to me to protect her, or to stay with her. It hurt. She decided to face this thing on her own... without me. She didn't want my protection even though I promised it to her." Inuyasha looked on the other side of the river at a beautiful tree. Its body was bent over and its long branches were touching the blue surface.

"She didn't need your protection, though." Miroku pointed out.

"That's just it, I guess. I felt like I was loosing Kikyou-"

"That's where you messed up Inuyasha." Miroku cut in. "When you look at Kagome, you see another Kikyou. And you're not looking at Kagome for who she is. Because in fact, she is not Kikyou. She is herself. For a reincarnation she acts nothing like Kikyou. Face it. Fifty years ago had it been Kagome and not Kikyou you know things would have turned out differently."

"Yeah... they would have." Inuyasha knew that if it had been Kagome fifty years ago... she wouldn't have believed it was him that hurt her. And if it really had been him, she would have died without hatred. Just sorrow. Because that was her nature.

"So whenever Kagome comes back are you going to try and mend the relationship?" Miroku's question penetrated his thoughts.

Once more Inuyasha's ears flattened against his head. "I don't think she's coming back, Miroku." He didn't meet the monk's gaze, but he knew the question that was running through the monk's head.

"Why?" Bingo.

"Well... that night I went into the clearing with Kikyou... after we had that fight... Kagome showed up. And I said something... that I know hurt her, but I really didn't mean to say it." Inuyasha hastily explained.

"What did you say?" Miroku's tone forced the hanyou to meet his gaze.

"That she meant nothing to me." Inuyasha sighed and knew he would have to explain the whole story. "Kikyou and I were there and she suddenly asked me what I thought of Kagome. I didn't want to upset her or get her mad at me since the first time since she came back, she actually wanted to be with me, so I lied and told her nothing. Kagome heard that."

"How do you know she did?" Miroku asked.

"Because she jumped out from behind a tree and sat me a hundred times." Inuyasha gave a side smile at the thought of her. Sometimes her anger was amusing. Endearing, really.

"Oh." Miroku smiled as well.

"She told me and Kikyou off too. Called me a bastard. But the look in her eyes... the disappointment that was there. It made me feel like walking shit." Inuyasha said and Miroku chuckled.

"Well you are walking shit." He said with a grin.

"But there was something else in her eyes, Miroku. Or rather... there wasn't something in her eyes. She wasn't crying. And there was no brokenness. And that's how I know... I've lost her. She doesn't need me anymore." Inuyasha's shoulders sagged as he said it. "It's because of him that she doesn't hurt because of me."

"Because of who?" Miroku wondered.

"Sesshoumaru." Inuyasha said flatly. "I knew it the day she saved me from that boar. The way they stood next to each other. The sight literally gave me goose bumps." He shivered, and then shook his head. "I'll probably never see her again."

"Now, now, Inuyasha. She may not love you, but she still cares about you as a friend. And Kagome doesn't discard her friends so easily." He patted Inuyasha's shoulder in comfort, but Inuyasha felt none.

"I hope you're right." Inuyasha said his voice full of doubt.

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Kagome smiled as she stood and stretched. "That was a nice rest Sesshoumaru." She walked over to his figure that was leaning against a tree. "Ready?" She asked and he only grunted.

"I never wanted to rest in the first place." He complained and they began walking.

"Well excuse me for being human and having a hard time to breathe in this no oxygen zone!" Kagome huffed as she walked a little in front of him.

"You're excused for being worthless." Sesshoumaru replied and Kagome snapped her head around to meet his golden gaze.

"You listen here!" Suddenly she stopped walking and broke out into a smile. She began giggling and then the giggling turned into laugher. Sesshoumaru stopped walking as well and lifted a quizzical eyebrow in her direction.

"Why are you laughing?" He finally asked.

"Don't you see what we're doing?" Kagome said between her laughs. "Its like a flashback of how we acted in the beginning. And it's hilarious!" Kagome clutched her stomach as she continued laughing. "I guess you don't find it as funny as I do."

Sesshoumaru smirked. "As soon as you pull yourself together you will see that the fork in the road is coming up."

"Ok...I'm done." Kagome wiped the tears from her eyes and walked over to him. "Ah... Sesshoumaru. It's times like these that I'm going to miss so much." Kagome giggled at the memories of their 'fights'.

"You're going to miss the sarcastic battles?" Sesshoumaru slightly shook his head.

"Yep." Kagome nodded and grinned.

They reached the fork in the road when Kagome felt a pulse rush through her body. It was a sensation she hadn't felt in a long time. She detected a shard! And not just any shard... but the last shard!

"Sesshoumaru!" Kagome grabbed his arm and stopped walking.

"What now? Having another-" But the sight of her caused him to stop talking.

"I sense a shard." Kagome met his gaze and said in almost a whisper. "The... last...shard..."

"Where?" Sesshoumaru asked.

She pointed to the path opposite from where Tsuki wanted them to go. "There. Sesshoumaru if we go for it now, it means putting all thoughts of freedom on hold. I feel it in the ninja village and I have a feeling that fight won't be easy. It's not long until sundown. If we wait... Naraku could get it before we ever reached it."

"So..." Kagome continued. Kagome looked up and met his golden orbs that showed no hint of an answer to her next question. "Do we get freedom, or do we get the shard?"

End of Chapter

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Moonchild: Did MC leave you on a cliffy? I think she did!

Inuyasha: Wow... you're a bitch.

Moonchild: And you're a bastard, so it works out.

Yasei-hana: Why isn't Kouga in this fic?

Moonchild: Yasei... when in the hell did you get here?

Yasei-hana: I don't know. But answer the damn question.

Moonchild: Yeah... I'm sorry Kouga isn't really in this fic. I've been meaning to put him in here, but I guess... it really isn't a 'Kouga' fic. I mean I like the guy. He is sweet at times, especially when he gave Kagome those flowers that one time-

Sesshoumaru: He did WHAT! --runs off to kill Kouga--

Yasei-hana: Good job, MC. Now one of the many loves in my life is about to DIE! Thanks, thanks a lot.

Moonchild: Gomen... well anyways, thanks SO much for reading this fic and thank you SO much for all the wonderful reviews I get every time I check my mail. Its amazing. I love it. It's what keeps me going. Honestly. So please review! But no flames! They make... me...not... go...

--Kagome just enters the room--

Kagome: Why is Yasei-hana here?

Yasei-hana: Ok wow, am I just not allowed to be here!

Kagome: No! I was just wondering-

Moonchild: Yasei there's cran-apple juice in the fridge. Go drink it please.

Yasei-hana: Good idea.