Chapter Five
When it was over Shippo got up and Kagome whispered something to him. He nodded and went towards the stairs. Kagome remained sitting on the bench and Inuyasha stayed on the steps of the shrine building; a fifty- foot distance between them. Kagome raised her voice so that her voice would carry to him. "Inuyasha, would you come here?" Inuyasha was brought out of his reverie. Getting up he crossed to where Kagome was. When he was two feet from her she stood. She looked straight into his face, and there Inuyasha saw a decisive look in her face. He didn't say anything, just waited until she was ready to talk. She turned to stare at where the sun had gone down, adjusting the small blanket that Shippo had brought with him, back onto her shoulders. "Inuyasha, we've known each other for over two years now. We've done so many things and met so many people. We've met good friends and faced powerful foes; and we've defeated them, because we were together." Kagome turned to face him again. "Inuyasha, you know that I care deeply for you; and it hurts me to know that you've chosen over and over again; a woman who was made of bone and grave soul, and whose soul purpose was to kill you. But I stayed with you. It hurt me more than any bodily wound ever could. Then when Kikyo passed on, I let myself hope that things would change; but they didn't." Kagome grimaced in pain, and clutched her stomach.
Inuyasha went to reach for her, but she moved aside his hand. Breathing deeply, Kagome looked up to his face. He was really worried now; if she kept going at this rate, she would reopen her wounds. Her face was pale, but determined. Her breathing slowing down some, Kagome began to talk again.
"Inuyasha, I've been through so much, but I've stayed with you. I'm not so sure that I can keep going like this." Now she looked pleadingly at him. "Inuyasha, I need you to answer my question. I need the truth; will you deny me that, after all we've been through?" She was quiet now, leaving it all up to him. Inuyasha didn't like the position he was in. He looked at her, but didn't say anything. Kagome seeing the answer in his eyes closed her own; her heart breaking as she thought, 'Why won't he answer me? Then no matter how much I hate to do this I have no other choice. Please just answer me.'
One tear slid down her cheek when she opened her eyes, meeting his; he too looked upset. Kagome swallowed, preparing for what she'd have to do next. Inuyasha watched as Kagome reached to her neck, grabbed the bottle that held the jewel shards and jerked on it, breaking the chain. Then she grabbed his hand, laying the bottle in his palm and closing his fingers around it. Then she reached up and grabbed hold of the prayer beads from around his neck, pulling up, she took them off of him.
"I'm keeping this as a memento, so I'll always remember everything I've done here." Inuyasha was starting to look confused, 'where is she going?' "Now I have no control over you, I'm freeing you, and giving you the jewel shards. There's only one left. Koga gave me his when he and Ayname got married, then the one's from Naraku, and Kohaku's back, before he disappeared. The last one is toward the east, about three day's journey from here. I think it's in a village there, I've felt it since yesterday and it hasn't moved. I'm giving them to you, so you and the others can have your wishes granted." Kagome put the bead necklace on, but she'd already taken the power out of them. Kieda had told her how. Inuyasha looked surprised and really confused now.
"Why are you doing this?"
"I'm leaving Inuyasha; I just can't stay with you any more, I can't keep my promise to you. I'm sorry, but I have to go. I won't and can't come back until you come get me, and even then I won't return until you give me an answer." Kagome walked passed him, and toward the stairs; Inuyasha didn't move, he was in shock. Kagome got to the stairs; she looked back, and then hurried down the stairs. When Kagome reached the ground, she was met by Sango, Miroku, Kieda and Shippo.
"Where are you going, Kagome?' Shippo asked.
"I'm leaving, and I won't be coming back, unless Inuyasha decides what he really wants. Goodbye, Sango." Kagome hugged Sango, who began to cry, then Miroku, and Kieda; coming last to Shippo. She reached down and hugged him as tightly as she could, then she began to cry, too. After a couple of minutes Kagome went inside the hut to gather her things, the others followed to help.
Kagome grabbed her yellow bag, and then her blanket and pillow, pushing both inside the empty bag as she looked for more of her belongings. Shippo and Kieda helped bring things to stuff into Kagome's bag. Miroku went to collect her bike. Sango grabbed Kagome's coat and helped her get into it, while Miroku strapped her stuff onto the bike. When everything was packed, they all left the small hut, saying their goodbyes.
"I don't want you to come with me, I'd like to remember you as you are now, and don't worry everything will be fine." Kagome gave then a brave smile she didn't feel, grabbed her bike and headed for the well.
Kagome dropped her things, including her bike, into the well. In a move of sentimentality, Kagome went to the scared tree, following the path that she had taken that first day. The waning moon and the stars gave enough light to follow the trail. When she arrived, Kagome saw the same view she'd seen the first time she'd been there, but now Inuyasha wasn't pinned to the tree with the scared arrow Kikyo had fired in his chest. He'd been so peaceful, and those cute ears had gotten to her so bad that she'd actually rubbed them to get them out of her system. Kagome smiled at the thought; in another surge of sentimentality, Kagome let her mind drift through all the memories she had of this tree, both in her time and here; all the good and the bad. When tears threatened, Kagome turned to leave.
Inuyasha stood watching her. Kagome caught herself from running to him, instead she walked pasted him. As she did Inuyasha grabbed her arm; bringing her to him. Inuyasha hugged her, not tight enough to hurt her; just enough to show that he was upset. "Kagome, don't go." He whispered. "Why are you leaving me. You said you wouldn't."
"I have to." She whispered back, her heart was breaking into more shards than the jewel. 'I have to go, or I'll end up staying, and I can't do that. But...' She hugged him, letting his warmth sip into her, just for a moment; then stepped back. "Those jewel shards will give you a way back to me, when you're ready to talk, until then, let's not make this any harder. It's already killing me to do this to you, but I have to for my salvation. I..." She shook her head, and moved even further away, she could see all of him now, his hair blowing a bit in the slight breeze. Turning away Kagome headed to the well again. This time she climbed onto the well, telling it her hearts most important secret, the one she hadn't been unable to tell to Inuyasha, out loud. "I love you, Inuyasha; I just wish things could be different." Then jumped into the well, taking her things with her; she didn't know that Inuyasha had followed her in the trees, and had heard her spoken secret. He stayed there staring at the well, feeling alone, and once again abandoned.