Chapter 33 - Choice
"Inu Yasha look!" Miroku cried.
Inu Yasha grinned, "We're here."
Along the way, Hao and Yue had rejoined them and together the six of them cut through the demons, heading toward Sesshomaru's castle. In places, Sesshomaru's army and Naraku's army were impossible to differentiate and the crew struggled to push past them, but at last, Inu Yasha broke through into no man's land.
"Jin!" Yue called, catching sight of her older sister. She ran and embraced the girl.
The sight of her siblings made her forget her slight annoyance at the interruption. Jin beamed, "Yue! Hao! How wonderful it is to see you again!"
Hao smiled warmly, "I don't really think this is the appropriate time for a reunion."
"Nonsense," releasing Yue, Jin barrelled into her elder brother, throwing her arms around him.
Lady Aki approached the group and blushing, Jin released her brother. Jin quickly introduced everyone before saying, "If you'll excuse us three, we're going to fight a little farther out."
The three bowed their heads in respect before leaping away.
Lady Aki eyed Inu Yasha for a moment, her light grey eyes piercing. Her eyes slid over to the near unconscious girl on his back, "Take her inside. Kiome, go with him and lead him to the infirmary. Houshi-san, you stay with me."
Exchanging a muted glance, Inu Yasha and Miroku did as they were instructed.
Dismounting, Sango quickly surveyed her surroundings, her eyes temporarily straying from Kagome's limp form on the ground. Sesshomaru stood protectively in front of her and his eyes scrutinized her indifferently. Sensing that she was no threat, his eyes flickered back to stare ahead of him. Sango slowly followed his gaze, fearing the worst. Her fears were answered when she saw a humanoid figure with a disconcertingly familiar face; Naraku.
His body was not familiar though. Instead of the white baboon pelt that the hanyou usually donned, Naraku stood tall with a dark blue outfit similar to Inu Yasha's except Naraku had strange grey armour adorning his front. It seemed to be a part of his body as there was a small red eye staring out from it that blinked occasionally and moved independently. A yellow sash and a lighter blue, sleeveless cloak topped it all off. His sleeves were tucked into tight forearm armour and similarly, the bottoms of his trousers entered matching boots. Spiked armour protruded from his back, creating the image of demonic wings with three, scaly, lizard-like tails growing out of the bottom. His ebony mane swirled in the wind behind him.
Naraku turned to her and smirked, "So you've finally arrived."
Sango reacted instantly. Scowling, she instinctively reached for Hiraikotsu. Before the weapon left her back, she felt an enormous amount of demonic energy. The red eye on Naraku's chest glowed bright red and something grey shot out of it.
Before the taijiya could dodge, the ashen tentacle struck her and Kirara. The force of the strike sent her flying back into the forest. Sango's feet slid against the ground as she tried to create enough friction to stop herself.
She stumbled as she began to sprint back into the clearing. She felt the comforting presence of Kirara behind her and stood in her battle stance.
Standing in the clearing between Naraku and Kayo, Sango glared at him. A tense silence filled the clearing as Sango's eyes flashed to the powerful demon lord.
A quiet chuckle brought all eyes to the wicked hanyou. His gaze was glued to the identical mikos lying unconscious on the forest floor. His eyes lifted to Sango and he seemed amused by her angry scowl.
"Hiraikotsu!" Sango yelled, launching the large boomerang in Naraku's direction.
He dodged it easily and his gaze darkened, "Do not interfere." Again the slanted red eye shimmered to life, sending deadly limbs toward her. Leaping back to avoid, she didn't notice the few creeping up behind her. Kirara growled and positioned herself behind the taijiya, protecting her as best she could. Standing back to back with the fire-neko, Sango fought off the demonic arms.
A smirk unfurled on Naraku's dark features. Sango's face went slack as she followed his stare. He'd managed to lead her away from Kayo and the expected return point of her weapon. Her hiraikotsu was heading straight for Kayo and there wouldn't be enough time for Sango to stop it.
Horrified, she dashed back to her comrade. When she got close enough, she made a diving leap and gasped in pain when the heavy weapon struck her side. Pain flared up inside her and her body was sent flying into the forest. She rolled to a stop under a thick tree trunk and lay still.
'Kayo! Kirara!' Sango struggled to get to her feet. Clutching her side, she balanced herself against a tree before lurching back the way she'd been thrown.
A loud, feline screech sounded through the air and Sango looked up in time to see Kirara's large body rocketing toward her.
Kagome was at peace. Her pounding headache had dissolved into nothingness and her body didn't hurt. Opening her eyes cautiously, Kagome stared at emptiness. Everything was white. Sitting up abruptly, she glanced around quickly. The whiteness stretched on forever in every direction.
"That's strange," she mumbled.
"It is indeed," a voice said equally softly behind her.
Turning quickly, Kagome felt as if she were staring into a mirror. It was her… with a few minor changes. Kagome stared blankly at the girl before her. 'It's not Kikyo…'
"You must be Kagome," it was more of a statement than a question.
Her delicate brows knit together in confusion, "Who are you? And how do you know my name?"
"My name is Kayo. Inu Yasha told me about you," Kayo eyed her, gauging her reaction.
Kagome's eyes widened as she stared at the girl, "He's here?"
Kayo noticed her aura flare up in a storm of mixed emotions, "Hai… he is."
Kagome instinctively glanced around her, searching desperately for the hanyou. Of course, she didn't find him. "How is he?" she finally asked.
A pause, "He's holding up," Kayo answered, carefully choosing her words.
Kagome could feel tears pricking at her eyes, she looked at the girl standing opposite of her, and her lower lip trembled. There was no way to explain the sudden storm of emotions she felt. She felt angry and happy at the same time, loved yet lonely, thankful yet regretful…
Her heart warmed slightly but did not speed up the way it used to, her cheeks didn't warm and her first thoughts were of the hanyou's brother, 'How will Sesshomaru react?'
Kayo watched Kagome with interest, "You don't love him anymore?" she questioned gently when she'd thoroughly examined the girl's aura.
Kagome's gaze flew to Kayo and she couldn't hold it in anymore. Tears flowed abundantly from her soft chocolate orbs, "I-I do… b-but not l-like I used to," she said, staring down at her hands to hide her flushed face.
Kayo seated herself in front of Kagome and put a hand on her shoulder, "What happened?" she urged quietly.
Willing herself to stop crying, Kagome peered up at Kayo, "…Inu Yasha betrayed me… Sesshomaru brought me away with him and I stayed here with him. I … I love him."
Kayo was shocked, "Inu Yasha loves you…"
"No he doesn't," Kagome countered sharply.
"Listen to what I'm saying Kagome. A few days ago… he confused me for you. He asked me not to leave him ever again… or he asked you."
Kagome broke down into another fit of sobs. Why now? Why did he have to realize that he loved her now? Would it have been too much to ask for him to stop running after Kikyo when things were normal? Kagome felt her heart rip in two. What was she going to do?
Feeling that it would be okay to do so, Kayo hesitantly wrapped her arms around Kagome's small shoulders and pulled her into a comforting hug. "Everything will be okay. It'll all work out. You just need to take some time and think about this…"
"How will it be okay? I love them both! And they hate each other! There's no way I can please them both."
Kayo frowned, "This isn't about their happiness Kagome… It's about yours. You should be with whoever makes you happy."
Kagome pulled out of the embrace and sat back, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself down, "Gomen Kayo-san, please excuse my little outbreak."
Kayo smiled, "It's nothing, don't worry about it."
Again Kagome looked around, wiping away the last of her tears, "How are we supposed to get out of here?"
Kayo shrugged, not bothering to look around. She wouldn't see anything anyways, "I don't know. Perhaps we should look for an exit?"
Frowning slightly, the other girl agreed. Together they got up and walked forward. Looking for something, anything that would help them escape.
After walking in silence for a while, Kagome sighed and stopped. "This is pointless."
"There doesn't seem to be anything but the two of us here."
"That's because there isn't," a voice said.
The two girls turned in unison to the sound.
"Kikyo!" Kagome cried. The miko's figure wasn't solid like hers and Kayo's. It was faded and Kagome could see right through her, as if she were an apparition.
Kikyo nodded in acknowledgement at Kagome and looked impassively between the girls before her. Her gaze rested once more upon Kagome and she said, "I need to speak with you."
Kagome looked at Kayo and promised, "I'll be right back," before nervously following Inu Yasha's first love.
The two stopped a short distance away, Kikyo making sure that they were out of Kayo's earshot. Looking back at Kagome, the two stared at each other, wordlessly.
Kagome didn't speak, she had nothing to say.
Kikyo finally broke the apprehensive silence, "You have a choice miko."
Kagome remained silent, expecting her to continue.
"In order to escape from here, you must choose between taking back Kayo's part of your soul and not taking it back," Kikyo glanced at Kayo, standing alone and watching them carefully.
Kagome's eyebrows furrowed, "That's it? Well that seems easy enough."
"Don't be so hasty young one. As per usual you are not considering the consequences of your actions."
She paused, "What are the consequences?" Kagome didn't want to know the answer. She knew she wouldn't like it.
Taking no notice of her sudden wariness, Kikyo said, "If you choose to take back your soul and retain it forever within you, you will end Kayo's life and close the portal back to your time. You will be returned to the clearing in the forest with Sesshomaru-sama and Naraku."
"And if I don't?"
"If you do not, Kayo will be saved. The portal will still close, but you will wake up in your time, the morning that you first entered Sengoku Jidai. You will have no memory or knowledge of anything that happened and you will never be able to return."
Kagome was shocked. Her jaw tightened. Neither of those choices were something that she would like. Of course if she went back home, she wouldn't know that she'd done it. 'But… Sesshomaru…'
"If I go home… what will happen here?"
"You will just have disappeared. No one will know where you have gone or where to find you."
Her lips tightened, she didn't like the sound of that, "Isn't there a way that I can just stay here and not have to take back my—"
"Iie. There is no way."
Kagome stared pleadingly at Kikyo, "Why can't things just stay the way they were?"
"Nothing will ever be the same."
A/N) Kagome, Kagome... what will you do?