When you have died and returned to the living, the only thing left for you is to die once more.

Chapter 3: the choice

It was the middle of the night yet the Kagome was still awake. The fire in front of her was slowly dying that she took a few blocks of wood and threw it into the fire to keep it burning. The sound of the thrown wood woke the sleeping kitsune (fox demon) beside her, slowly opening his eyes. The demon fox kid rubbed his eyes, sat up and saw the fire still burning. He looked beside him with drowsy eyes and saw the miko still awake.

"Kagome, why are you still awake at this time?" the young demon asked her.

The miko looked to her side and saw the sleepy kitsune awake.

"Oh, its you Shippo." The miko acknowledged his presence beside her. "I'm sorry if I disturbed you."

"It's okay." The young demon said to her yawning, then again, rubbed his eyes to stop himself from sleeping even for just a little while.

The miko looked at him and knew that he was still sleepy.

"Shippo, Why don't you go back to sleep? It's the middle of the night." She said to him like a mother," Kids like you should have a long good night sleep for them to have more energy for tomorrow."

"But what about you?" he asked, concerned for the miko.

"Don't worry about me. I'm not yet sleepy. Go to sleep and I'll follow. Okay?"

"Okay. But you'll sleep too, tight?"

"Yes, I'll sleep too. Now, good night." The miko kissed the young demon's forehead.

"Good night."

And so, the kitsune yawned once more and returned to his slumber. However, the miko did not sleep. She continued to stay awake, waiting for the time for her to do something that was unknown to her companions.

As she waited, she recalled the time after Kikyo's death when they have returned to Old Kaede's village. All of them were glad to return except for Inuyasha whose mind was flying somewhere else. Since they have returned in the village, the hanyo would most of the time be alone and would look at the sky blankly. The miko thought that he might still be into the other miko's death. Because nothing can make him act like that except the death of his beloved. The last time that Naraku killed Kikyo, at Mt. Hakure, he had also been like that, mindless of everything around him. She would ask him to help her with some chores but then he would go away and help the others instead. Whenever they eat. She would give her the food but then he already got some for himself. She wanted to talk to him about why he was doing that. Once she had a chance to speak to him alone as he was seating on his favorite tree. She walked up towards the tree and called him. But then he didn't hear her because he was thinking of something else. But Kagome did not lose hope. She continued to make him know that even though Kikyo was dead, she was still there for him. At one time, while the hanyo was lying on the grassy plaid of land looking at the sky. She approached him.

"Pleasant day isn't it?" the miko asked as she was face to face with the hanyo lying on the grass as she stood. Her shadow was covering him. "May I seat with you?"

The hanyo was surprised to see her there. He really wanted her to be with him but of course, his hard side would always heat things up.

"Now, why would I want you to seat with me?" The hanyo said to her in his usual stubborn behavior, "No can do." He sat up and looked away from the miko.

As a normal reaction towards his stubbornness, Kagome got irritated that she suddenly thought of…well you know what it is.

"INUYASHA…"the miko said his name in an angry and shaken voice, "OSOUWARI (Sit)!"

As the miko said the command, the rosary on his neck suddenly lit up and his body voluntarily slumped to the ground with a strange force. His whole body ached as he hit the ground face down. But the hanyo was tough as soon as he was on the ground a bit hurt; he quickly stood up and faced the miko who was still irritated.

"What was that for?" he asked her, meanly. But he was just answered by many more commands.

"SIT! SIT! SIT! SIT! SIIIIT!!!"

The hanyo slumped on the ground as many times as she ordered. It made the hanyo's body hurt more that he gave up.

"A-all-r-ri-ight. I was just kidding."

He said in a hurt and shaky voice.

Kagome looked at the hanyo lying on the ground, hurt and quickly became sorry for what she had done.

"Oh no! Inuyasha, Please forgive me."

"I-It's okay…Ka-gome." He said as he was helped by Kagome to sit on the ground.

Both of them sat on the grass plain and looked at the sunny blue sky. The sky was so calming that both of them could relax themselves under it just staring at its sky blue background and white clouds.

As a few minutes pass by, the miko remembered why she had approached the hanyo. She looked from the sky to the grass on the land with sadness on her face. Then, she looked at the half dog demon beside her who was still staring at the bright sky, enjoying the view.

"Inuyasha," the miko called his attention. The hanyo looked at her as he heard her call him. The miko hesitated on saying what she was going to say but managed to say it.

"Do you want to see Kikyo again?"

There, she said it. It was hard for her but just to know, she asked him so that she could be at peace with her self.

The hanyo was surprised by her question. He didn't know what to answer. Yet his feelings were affected by it. Did he really want to see Kikyo alive again? That question rang in his mind. What about Kagome? She's always there for him in the loneliest times. No matter how rude or mean he is to her most of the time, she was still there, caring and understanding him. She even wanted to be by his side always. But there was this feeling inside him that wants to see the dead miko alive. How could he tell her that he still wants to see Kikyo?

"Inuyasha, are you okay?" the miko asked as he saw the hanyo out of sense.

The hanyo came back to his senses then remembered her question. He didn't want to hurt Kagome's feelings but he would also be lying to himself and to her if he told her that he did not long to see her again. So he answered her turning his face away from her not to let her see his confusion he was feeling.

"The truth Kagome? If she is still alive and survived that incident, I want to see her again. If there was something that I can do to bring her back to life, I will do it."

She finally had her answer. But then, why is she not contented with what he said. He wanted to see Kikyo again. To make her alive again. It just made her know more that the hanyo still has feelings for the other miko. There was a part of her that hurts as the hanyo said his reply. She loved him but then, he loved the other not her. It will only be her not me. She thought.

"Oh, I see." she said in a soft voice, "I'm sorry if I asked."

The miko then, stood up and walked away from the hanyo not looking back even just once, hurting inside.

The hanyo looked at the miko as she walked away and whispered to himself, "I'm sorry too Kagome. I'm sorry…"

With that the hanyo continued to stare at the sky as he lied down freely on the grass troubled inside.

It was soon going to be dark, Kagome who a few hours before talked to the hanyo, strolled along the forest alone. She wanted to make the hurt that she felt when she had talked to him fade away, even for just a moment. The sky was turning to a shade of dandelion and tangerine. The sun was slowly setting and the crickets were starting to let the atmosphere be filled with its sound. The miko continued to walk until she got tired. She stood, her back on a tree feeling so miserable. She kept on thinking of what Inuyasha said.

"The truth is Kagome, if she was still alive, I want to see her again. If there was something I can do to bring her back to life, I would do it."

The miko sighed hard and looked at the almost night sky above her.

"How I wish, I could do something to bring her back. Just for Inuyasha, I will do anything."

Just then, the miko felt a power that was familiar to her.

"The Shikon Jewel, it's near."

The miko alerted herself and then, felt another power with the Jewel. It was something dark, something evil, something powerful.

"Naraku." She said in a harsh voice narrowing her eyes.

As the miko said his name, the filthy demon made his appearance beside her. In his hand was the Shikon Jewel.

"What a great time to see you in this kind of place alone, lady Kagome." Naraku greeted her.

"What do you want?" the miko asked him backing away.

"Nothing, I just heard a lonely maiden's plea that made me thought of wanting to help her."

The miko glared at him yet the demon still wore his normal devilish smile. The demon then took a few steps towards the miko, but the miko stepped back as many times as he did. The miko did not say anything. But the demon did.

"I have heard your wish and want to grant it. I can help you bring Kikyo back to life for your hanyo."

The miko could not believe what she was hearing. Naraku wanted to help her? He is so out of his mind.

"And why would I want to be helped by someone like you?"

"Because, I am the only one who can make your wish come true."

The miko thought for a moment. This was Naraku, their arch nemesis, now wanting to help her. She knows she could not easily trust this demon but then, she wanted to make Inuyasha happy. So she thought again.

"You know I don't trust you." She said to him.

He replied, "I know."

"Then why are you doing this?"

"Let us say, for every help that I give, I have a bargain."

"And what is that for my wish."

The miko asked him and the demon's mouth curved into a more evil smile.

"I'll give you what you want plus this Jewel," he held out in front of her the Shikon jewel, "If you will serve me and give me your soul as long as I want."

"What do you want from me?"

"As I have said before. There is something inside you. A power which surpasses what you expect from yourself."

She thought about the bargain. But then, thought of Inuyasha as well. There was no other way for her to do it other than Naraku's bargain. But before she could answer, the demon spoke to her.

"If you accept it, go to the sacred shrine in the middle of this forest after two days. Three hours after midnight of the second day. If not then do not come. I will give you time to decide for your life's sake."

Then, the filthy demon disappeared from her midst.

The miko put another block of wood as she finished remembering what had happened at that time. It was half an hour before the time of her meeting with Naraku for the bargain. Kagome had already decided on what to do. And so, she took a pail of water beside the fireplace and slowly put off the fire. Slowly and silently she walked out of the hut, out the cold atmosphere of the dark morning and went to face the demon.

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