Phew! I thought that it'd be pretty fitting if I had a chapter mainly focusing on Kagome, then a chapter mainly focusing on Inuyasha and his decision. Hope you all enjoy!
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"Inuyasha, ye must at least get some sleep, it's been nearly two weeks, now." Kaede urged the hanyou sitting against Goshinboku, his knees tucked up to his chest. He had staggered there about a day after Kag…after she…left, and hadn't moved from the spot since. He couldn't quite bring himself to look at the well, so he had positioned himself against Goshinboku's trunk on the side facing away from the path toward the well. He only came so close to it because the sacred tree had always calmed his soul and relaxed him whenever something was on his mind. He had hoped that the tree's aura would have eased at least some of the pain of losing K…her, but it didn't even scratch the surface of his heartache. If anything, this was where they had first met, but the thought hadn't occurred to Inuyasha until he spotted the worn out section of bark where his very body had been dangling from for fifty consecutive years, but the tree's aura beaconed to him, almost like a mother comforting a child. So, here he sat, for thirteen days, not moving, not sleeping, not eating. The said hanyou remained unresponsive to the aged priestess's suggestion of sleep, keeping his gaze steadily set on the earth floor before him. Kaede simply walked back to her hut shaking her head, wondering just how much more of this he could handle.
As Inuyasha sat there, leaning against the great roots of Goshinboku, his eyes swiveled to his left as a pale silver soul collector floated lazily around the sacred tree, weaving left and right through the thick roots. His eyes widened, as he instinctively leaned a little away from the demon.
"Inuyasha…"
"…No…"
--…meanwhile…--
Kagome walked down the three steps of the shrine toward the well thoughtfully, almost hesitantly as she reached the old wooden structure. She paused a moment, tracing the lip of the well absentmindedly with the tips of her fingers. The want to see Inuyasha again was slowly hurting her inside, bit by bit it broke her heart. Now she understood how he had felt when he came to see her two weeks ago. The realization only made the weight of her guilt push down on her chest even more. She had to make things right with Inuyasha. This whole mess had been her fault, and she needed to make it up to him any way that she could…even…even if it meant that he didn't want to ever see her again. With that thought in mind, she placed a foot on the ledge of the well, lifted herself up, then let herself fall right through the dark opening. She never touched the bottom. The blue abyss of the time rip washed over her features as she was welcomed to the Feudal Era.
Upon climbing out of the well, she noticed several soul collectors flittering around the sacred tree up the path. Her heart sank deep down in the pit of her stomach. 'Please don't tell me I was right…don't tell me he chose Kikyo-! Then again…if anyone is to blame, it's me…' Kagome thought painfully, gathering up her broken courage and advancing toward the tree. What she saw was somewhat what she had been expecting. Kikyo was standing about a yard away from Inuyasha, who was sitting against Goshinboku with his knees tucked to his chest, but he looked…different. He looked almost as pale as Kikyo, his eyes wide, dark circles evident underneath his dim amber orbs. As Kikyo advanced slowly on Inuyasha, Kagome almost failed to let out a gasp of surprise as Inuyasha pressed himself tighter against the tree, struggling to stand up as he did so.
"Inuyasha…she has not yet returned, has she?" Her even voice broke the tense silence that hung in the air between the two. Inuyasha stood up, his legs shaking almost uncontrollably underneath him. His eyes turned three shades darker at Kikyo's remark, his eyelids drooping to cover his eyes almost completely. Did she honestly have to keep showing up? Over the past two weeks, Inuyasha had come to the conclusion that he had never felt love toward Kikyo- at the time, he was desperate to find someone to accept him, and Kikyo was the only one he could get close to without having her run off or having to kill her in defense. At the time, he hadn't looked for faults in her, and didn't take the time to get to actually know what a cold bitch she really was. Now he regretted it. And now that he made his decision, it was too late…she had already made hers. When the hanyou didn't respond to her question, the resurrected priestess sighed in relief and took a few more steps toward him, only to freeze as he drew back quickly.
"What's the matter? With her gone, why not join me in death, Inuyasha?"
"Go to hell alone. I don't love you, I never did. I don't think you ever loved me, either." Kikyo's eyes widened in shock and outrage. How dare he say those things about their relationship? What has her reincarnation done to him? What spell has she cast over this half-demon? It was simply unheard of that Inuyasha growl or even snap at her like that. He had never done that before…ever-!
"You must let her go, Inuyasha…look at yourself! You haven't eaten, slept-"
"So now you're watching me, too? I'll say this once and ONLY once, so pay attention, Kikyo- if I have to get over anything, it's you. I was an idiot and refused to do so. You weren't any help in that matter, always hanging around and making me feel like I was fucking obligated to see you every time! Love in unconditional, what we had wasn't! You could only love me as a human, well what about my demon blood, huh? What about that half of me? I was foolish and believed you when you said you wanted nothing more than to die with me, and that my life was yours, and now I have realized my mistakes! But I realized them too late…and…and now Kagome is…she's gone…" The tears he had been suppressing were now being released from his tired, hurt amber eyes, streaking his pale white face. Kikyo was left in a stupor. Never had Inuyasha used such harsh words, and yet…now she understood. Now she understood why he had not come seeking her out, why he refused to be with her. It was her reincarnation. He had finally and truly fell in love with someone that he could say he would do anything for and really mean it, even if it meant letting them go. It all made sense to her now.
"Goodbye, Inuyasha." Kikyo said nothing more as she watched tiny silver orbs float freely from her chest, soaring to the heavens to receive their long awaited judgment, her soul collectors dissipate into misty nothingness. And as her body faded into ashes, she could only sense her soul finally at peace. Inuyasha knew what had happened, but he didn't really give a damn. So what if she returned to ashes? Kaede's plants might get a little more fertilized now, but that's about all the good that would come out of that. He didn't care about Kikyo…because Kagome…
"Kagome's gone…I…"
"Inuyasha…" His head snapped up to the sound of…no, no that couldn't be…it was…it was…her. There she stood, in the same nightgown she was wearing two weeks ago. The exhaustion was quickly catching up with him; that had to be it. She couldn't be here right now, no way.
"Inuyasha…" She stepped cautiously toward him, reaching out her hand to his. The slightest brush of her fingertips against his claws was enough to have him convinced. She was here. She was real.
Kagome had come back.
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NOT THE END! NOT THE END, I TELL YOU! Make a wish and push the little button to see if it comes true (well, about this story, I'll see what I can do!)