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Chapter One: His Choice
Everyone was so close to bringing Naraku down. Inuyasha held firmly onto his Tetsusaiga, ready to fire off his Adamant Barrage. His only hesitation was the barrier; he couldn't punch through it. The Saimyōshō prevented Miroku from sucking anymore in, and he was already affected by the poison from a prior attempt. Sango stood guard over a struggling Miroku, terrified Shippo, an unconscious Kohaku, a poisoned Kilala, a poisoned Rin, Jaken, and A-Un. Sesshomaru flanked Naraku with Inuyasha, trying to surmise a method of getting beyond the half-demon's barrier. Kagome stood guard over Kikyo, who had been injured by Naraku, forcing Kagome to once again choose to save the undead priestess by purifying miasma that threatened to destroy her body.
Naraku released a billowing cloud of miasma, the poisonous purple fog threatening everyone as it quickly spread along the battlefield. Naraku floated fifty feet above them, laughing as he held out the nearly completed Sacred Jewel. The barren lands shook and quaked beneath the feet of those attempting to defeat Naraku. Suddenly, Naraku's thick fleshy tentacles fired out from his body at everyone, putting them all on the defensive. At this same time, his hands grew lanky and rigid, and he reached out toward Kagome and Kikyo with both. Before Kagome could defend herself, or Kikyo, they were both entangled in Naraku's demonic grasp. He tightened his grip on Kagome, forcing her to drop her bow.
"I-Inuyasha!" Kagome called, pain grating her voice.
"Let them go, Naraku!" Inuyasha demanded, tearing through another set of tentacles.
"And why would I do that?" Naraku asked.
The ground began giving, crumbling beneath everyone's feet to create a deep crevice that revealed a rushing purple and black river. As everyone began to fall, Kilala forced herself through her transformation to catch Kohaku, Miroku, and Sango. Each of A-Un's heads bit down on the clothing of Rin and Jaken and flew off to carry them to safety.
'Now, the fool shall make his choice,' Naraku thought.
Naraku brought Kikyo and Kagome in toward him and with the method of a sling shot threw them in opposite directions over the toxic river. Each would easily land in the water.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed, reaching out toward the man she had come to love, but he did not look her way. He did not even glance. There was no moment to consider her. His eyes focused on the unconscious woman flying the other way. As Kagome watched him take a step away from her and run to rescue Kikyo from the fate that she would soon be subject to.
As she fell beyond the sides of the cliff and toward the water, she looked to see Kilala desperately trying to get to her, but unable to get the strength to fly farther than a few feet. No one could rescue her. Sango and Miroku ran toward her, but they could not fly if Kilala could not. She was out of their reach.
'It's okay…' Kagome thought. 'It's for the best.'
Kagome's body fell into the water, sinking quickly. She was caught by the current immediately and knew she was rapidly being dragged down stream, away from everyone. The pain of the miasma was intense. It burned her like she was being dipped into a bath of acid. She tried holding her breath, but the pain caused her to scream and release what little air she had. She breathed in, poisonous water invading her lungs. Desperate instinct took over, and Kagome kicked and swam and tried to reach the surface. Her skin, eyes, mouth, throat, and lungs were all burning, and her vision began to blur. She sank further.
'I can't breathe,' she thought. 'I don't wanna die…'
Kagome closed her eyes as her body stopped responding. She felt nothing but pain and fear, and then there was a pressure on her wrist. She tried to look up, but her body was shutting down. It was dark.
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.
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The pain was excruciating. As Kagome's eyes slowly opened and stared into the morning sky, her breathing sped up and her heart pounded in her chest. Tears welled in her eyes and burned all the way down her face. She raised a hand to see that most of her skin was gone, leaving nothing but the tender layer beneath it.
"I'm surprised," a terrifying voice spoke. "After all of that, you still live?"
Kagome looked over and Naraku sat on a fallen log, smirking at her. Suddenly, she heard her name being yelled and turned her head down toward everyone else. Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Inuyasha, and even Kikyo was calling out for her.
'He caught her,' Kagome thought. They were less than twenty feet away. There were no trees, nothing hiding her, so why could they not see her? Why could they not see Naraku?
"They cannot see or hear you thanks to my barrier," Naraku said.
"You're despicable, Naraku," Kagome's said painfully, her voice barely audible and raspy.
"Inuyasha is the one that let you fall in, not me," Naraku said, laughing again. "He could have chosen to save you, but Inuyasha did not give you a second thought. He saved Kikyo."
"Why did you save me?" Kagome asked, looking up to the sky.
"I did not save you, foolish girl," Naraku said, and he gestured elsewhere. "He did."
Kagome looked to where Naraku was pointing and a mere ten feet from them was Sesshomaru. He was unconscious, but he shared her injuries. There were burns over his face, arms, and most of his clothing was gone. Kagome looked down at herself and realized there was embarrassingly little covering her body. Her pain prevented her from moving, so she did not bother trying to conceal herself.
"Quite unexpected to have Lord Sesshomaru rescue you, isn't it?" Naraku said, his voice leaking a bit of curiosity as he narrowed his eyes at the demon. "My plan had been for you to die, which would have splintered your group and made it much easier for me to collect the final few jewel shards."
"You knew Inuyasha would not rescue me?" Kagome's eyes widened.
"Of course, I did," Naraku laughed. "Inuyasha loves Kikyo, not you. You are merely a reincarnation of her, and a copy could never compare to the real thing."
"Kikyo is ju-…" Kagome began coughing and crying. Talking hurt, breathing hurt. As the air entered her lungs and went down her throat, it felt like icy wind caressing bare skin. There was a tightness in her chest, and she felt like she was suffocating. She could not get enough air.
Naraku stood up and walked over to Kagome. He knelt and caressed her cheek, eliciting a fearful tear from her. The smirk that came to his face disgusted Kagome.
"Don't touch me," she demanded.
"You now owe Sesshomaru your life," Naraku said, and Kagome's eyes widened. "Without anyone asking, he dove into that toxic river and saved you. This will be interesting to watch unravel. So, once your friends have left, I will leave you in Sesshomaru's care. It's the least I can do."
It was another hour into the day before Naraku was confident in Inuyasha and the rest being gone. Once he left, Kagome realized that meant her friends thought she was dead. They would return to Kaede's hut and break the news, and Inuyasha would tell her family. That had been the plan.
Kagome chose to watch Sesshomaru for a while. Occasionally, he coughed or took a sharp breath. Two or three hours went by, and the demon finally opened his eyes. His body healed in front of her while she waited. The tears in his flesh were gone, and his skin was as pristine as it always was.
"Thank you," Kagome said, her voice raspy and weak.
Sesshomaru sat up and looked over at her.
"Must have hurt," she said, keeping sentences short.
Sesshomaru stood up and began examining himself as pieces of clothing fell. His armor was gone and now the man was barely dressed. When he took a step, the rest of his clothing slipped off. Kagome's eyes widened and she looked away, the sharp turn of her head sending sharp needles along her skin.
"Can you stand?" Sesshomaru asked.
"No, I can't," Kagome said and glanced up at him and all his glory. She immediately looked away, feeling blood rushing to her cheeks.
Sesshomaru lifted Kagome from the ground. Every movement, every touch sent spasms of pain through Kagome's body. She clenched her jaw, trying not to scream or cry, but her heavier breathing caused her to cough again. The pain of coughing caused her to cough and panic. She tensed and writhed around.
"Stop," Sesshomaru said, his eyes narrowed at her.
"I'm sorry, but it hurts so bad," Kagome said.
Sesshomaru's grip tightened on Kagome, but not painfully. She took a few light breaths to force herself to calm down and found herself being allowed to lay her head on his shoulder. He walked and each step was painful. Each rock he stepped over hurt. Each step onto uneven ground made her tense. She sucked in her lips and focused on breathing through her nose, where the damage did not seem horrid.
'If I annoy him, he may leave me behind,' Kagome thought.
"Sesshomaru," Kagome said.
"What?"
"Please, talk to me…" Kagome asked, pitifully begging.
"Why?"
"My entire body hurts… my mind hurts… Just talk."
"I rarely talk."
"If I talk, will you talk back?"
"… Depends on the subject."
"Naraku was there when I woke up."
Sesshomaru stopped walking. She looked up to see him staring at her.
"Continue."
Kagome explained what Naraku said about his plans and how Sesshomaru saved her. At some point, they began walking again, entering a valley that would soon become forest.
"The current pulled you deep, likely a design of Naraku's," Sesshomaru said. "I barely got to you and getting you out proved more difficult. I'm not positive when, or how, I reached the surface."
"He chose her…" Kagome said. "Inuyasha was going to let me die to save Kikyo."
Silence.
"I'm never going back."
Sesshomaru stopped walking again.
"Do you love that fool?" Sesshomaru asked, an eyebrow cocked.
"N-No…" Kagome said, clearly uncertain. "Yes… I don't know. I am fairly sure I do."
"Why?" Sesshomaru said in disgust.
"Wh-What do you mean?"
"You're human. I doubt a moment of rational thought went into that decision."
"Loving Inuyasha wasn't a decision; it just happened. We don't choose. Don't demons fall in love?"
Sesshomaru continued walking, and when she repeated her question, he ignored her. She tried changing the conversation, but he kept silent. She gave up and tried focusing on anything else but Inuyasha, Kikyo, the pain, or the fact that she was being carried through the forest by a naked demon. When they entered the forest, the canopy provided shade and the songbirds lulled Kagome to sleep.
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.
.
Kagome opened her eyes again, this time waking to the sound of a crackling fire, a wooden roof over her head, and the sweet and minty scent of herbs. She shifted on a straw bed and realized two things: she had been covered up by an old blanket and her clothes were gone. Careful not to move too much, Kagome looked around the room. Sesshomaru sat in a corner, dressed, arms crossed, and eyes closed. An old man with horns out the front of his head, razor teeth, and scaled skin breathed fire beneath a cauldron.
"Your friend is awake, Lord Sesshomaru," the old demon said, glancing back over his shoulder. "Now that the human is awake, I doubt she will allow me to rub more of my medicine on her."
"Magohachi," Sesshomaru opened his eyes.
"Yes, Lord Sesshomaru," the old man chuckled and waved him off. "She is not your friend. Still, this is the second time you have brought a human female to me for healing."
'Healing?' Kagome thought.
Kagome pulled her arm out from under the blanket. She was covered a thick layer of slime, like a transparent lotion she hadn't yet rubbed in. It smelled of mint and numbed her pain.
"It is none of your concern," Sesshomaru said.
Kagome looked at Sesshomaru to see he was watching her. She smiled lightly, to show a simple gesture of gratitude, but he just closed his eyes. Kagome sighed and looked to the Magohachi.
"Thank you for your help," Kagome said.
Upon speaking, the pain in her throat and mouth intensified. It caught her off guard, causing her to whimper. She turned her head away from them, keeping her mouth shut.
"Yes, yes, woman," Magohachi came over with a bowl. "Your mouth and everything to your lungs was severely burned. Drink this. It will speed up your recovery."
The old man grabbed her by her chin and forced her head his direction. He pressed the side of the bowl against her lips and tilted it to make her drink. Kagome tried drinking it quickly, but the mint feeling and him tilting it too fast caused a small portion to drip down both sides of her face. The liquid was so thick it reminded her of melted ice cream that was still warm but had the feeling and flavor of mouth wash. When the concoction was gone, Kagome forced herself to swallow it all, coughing again. To her surprise, she noticed the numbness of her mouth and throat made coughing feel normal. Kagome placed a hand over her mouth and then her throat, taking a nice deep breath. Her lungs still hurt, but this was better.
"Thank you so much," Kagome said.
"I did nothing for you, you foolish human woman," Magohachi said, returning to his cauldron. "I am loyal to Lord Sesshomaru, or his bloodline, if you will. Do not thank me, thank the Lord for so generously calling upon me to heal you. Only three humans have ever had the pleasure. Now stay silent and rest."
Kagome looked over to Sesshomaru, but his eyes were closed. Kagome sighed and closed her eyes.
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"I do not believe it," Kaede said, a whimper in her words.
"It's true," Sango said.
"Kagome is dead?" Kaede said, wiping a tear from her eye. "That poor child."
"I hate Inuyasha," Shippo said. The young fox boy sat in the back corner of the room, glaring across at the half-demon. "You let Kagome die to save Kikyo. I will never forgive you for this."
"Shippo, enough," Miroku said.
The sound of a crackling fire was all that sounded in the hut. Kaede stirred a pot of stew while Kilala laid weakly in Sango's lap. Sango could not even look Inuyasha's way. She focused on Kilala and her unconscious younger brother instead. She could only hope Kohaku would wake.
Miroku could not find the words to comfort anyone, to settle anyone's anger or assuage any guilt. He cursed himself for not being strong enough to suck Naraku into his Windtunnel.
It did not help matters that Kikyo was in the room, sitting adjacent to her sister and Inuyasha. She nursed a small open wound on her side, a crack with evidence of souls leaking slowly from it and through her clothing. Kagome had fought to heal her in the middle of the battle with Naraku, and now Kikyo sat here with Kagome's friends, and Kagome was dead.
Kaede served everyone food, and still not a word was spoken. Shippo's food went untouched. He continued his glaring at Inuyasha, dark thoughts plaguing his enraged mind. Every now and then, Inuyasha looked toward Shippo to see if he was still glaring. Normally, he would give the kid a whack on the head, but this was an anger that their usual bickering would not calm, so he kept quiet.
"I am glad the rest of you made it home," Kaede said, breaking the tense silent. "Kagome's loss will be felt deeply by everyone here and the villagers too. We will set up a shrine in her memory."
"Yeah…" Inuyasha said in almost a whisper. "Good idea…"
Shippo stood up, catching everyone's attention and they turned to him. He still glared at Inuyasha, a fang showing. Shippo was never the most menacing demon, but that was his age and size. To see this type of rage from him was uncharacteristic, but he blamed Inuyasha, and he blamed Kikyo. The young fox demon walked toward the door.
"I wish you were dead, Inuyasha," Shippo said and left the hut.
Inuyasha's head lowered. That hurt. He knew Shippo was in pain and missed Kagome but hearing that said struck Inuyasha like an arrow in the heart.
"H-He didn't mean that," Miroku said with a forced chuckle.
"Yes, he did." Sango said, sending her own intense glare at Inuyasha, mentally seconding Shippo's wish.
Kikyo watched Inuyasha tremble but say nothing back to any of them. Silence was not his normal reaction. He felt guilty. Kikyo could tell Inuyasha felt guilty for letting Kagome die, and it made her wonder whether he felt guilty for saving her too. Kikyo reached out to Inuyasha, but he flinched and stood up. With his head still lowered, he walked out of the hut and left everyone in silence.