InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Decisions ❯ Chapter Five ( Chapter 5 )

Decisions

 

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any characters associated with it.

 

Author's Note: Okay Mediaminer reviewers (I don't include the other sites because they haven't reviewed yet). I lied. I said that it would take me a couple of weeks to update but I decided to do it today as I had the time and I was in such a good mood. It will be a couple of weeks until the next one though after I upload chapter six. And just so you know, the things where the text is all in bold is where I add things after I have already written the chapters and read the reviews for previous ones. This is where you will find things like review answers to questions that I think are important to more than just a few people. I don't think that I will answer very many reviews in my chapters, unless it is something that either a lot of people asked or they point out a plot hole or something like that. I will try to answer all reviews individually with emails.

 

I would like to dedicate this chapter to madmiko, as she was my first ever reviewer. Thanks! Special mention to my other two reviewers KagomeoftheSouth and Purefire16.

 

 

Chapter Five

 

Kagome slowly woke up, fighting every step of the way. She didn't want to face the reality that all her friends, her true friends that had always stood by her no matter what danger they faced, were dead. Even Sesshomaru had grown on her in the end with his love for the human child, Rin, and the fact that he seemed to respect her in ways that even her traveling companions didn't. Now that they were all dead there was nothing to keep her in this time. She would go back to her time and become a normal teenager, just like everyone else on the outside, but filled with sorrow and pain on the inside. She didn't want to get up and face the fact that this was her fate…but she couldn't sleep forever and she felt herself slowly becoming more alert. The first thing that she noticed was the feeling of almost completeness that she hadn't felt in a long time, and shouldn't be feeling now, since a part of her heart had been ripped out and Naraku had taken it with him to Hell as a plaything. The second thing that she noticed was how her miko power seemed to be greater than ever, even after using up all her energy defeating Naraku and then healing Kikyo. Oh no, KIKYO!

 

It's alright Kagome. I'm back where I belong. Neither one of us would have lasted much longer if we hadn't joined. Kagome felt Kikyo's presence in her mind, assuring her that it was for the best and that she was not going crazy. I'll be here with you always. My knowledge and memories are available to you should you ever need them. It is disgraceful how everyone in your time has forgotten about mikos, making us into just a legend or an act to draw tourists to various shrines, all the knowledge and power that made mikos what we are being lost; although I guess since there are almost no demons in your time we wouldn't be as useful as we are now.

 

I don't think there are mikos with any power in my time. I've never felt any power similar to mine. I have felt some other strange kind of power that I can't really identify, but it isn't the same. Kagome thought for a moment. She was really surprised that she wasn't freaking out. Maybe it's because of the jewel that I survived with my powers in tact, but dormant. It makes sense that the jewel would want to protect itself by not allowing whatever happened to the other mikos to happen to me.

 

Not many, if any, have as much power as us anyway.

 

Are you always this modest, Kikyo? Kagome felt Kikyo's annoyance in her mind.

 

Humph. I was just stating a fact. Anyway you need to wake up! There are a lot of people anxiously awaiting an explanation. I would like to hear their's as well.

 

What are you talking about…thinking about…oh, this talking in my head is getting me confused!

 

You will see when you wake up. And as far talking in your head, just think of it as talking to yourself. I have a feeling that you will need to get used to it as time goes on. Now, WAKE UP!

 

 

Kagome became aware of someone sitting on her chest. She stilled. She couldn't believe what she was feeling. There had to be some mistake. There was no way Shippo was sitting on her. Unless it was all a dream…or am I dead? I should have known having a Kikyo in my head was stupid. I would never be able to talk to anyone else for arguing with her. People would start to think that I'm crazy…which I am but other people don't need to know that.

 

Just open your eyes already and get on with it! Kagome jumped as Kikyo screamed in her head. Kagome squeezed her eyes shut even tighter. She really was going crazy, or she would get there eventually with Kikyo in her head. Especially since she had no idea that Kikyo could be this impatient. Kikyo must have heard her thoughts because she told Kagome smugly, Hey remember I'm you. When I was in that clay body I only had a limited amount of emotion at my disposal. I'm not as outspoken as you, but we both have tempers. When it counts I can keep my cool but you really need to GET ON WITH IT! They never told me what happened and I want to know.

 

“Hey guys, I think she's waking up.” Kagome heard Miroku's voice right beside her.

 

“Mommy!” cried Shippo as the echo of a slap and a yelled “Pervert!” faded in the background. As soon as it was determined that Kagome was all right, Miroku's hand had inched over to a certain demon exterminator's backside.

 

Kagome kept her eyes glued shut, not wanting to open them only to realize that it was a dream. Kikyo finally had enough of her counterpart's delaying and forced Kagome to open her eyes. As they were opening Kagome asked, Did I know you could do that?

 

No, but it makes things so much more interesting, doesn't it?

 

Kagome forgot all about the conversation with her other self as she took in all the familiar faces surrounding her. When she got to the faces of Kagura, Kanna, and Kohaku, she screamed.

 

Shippo turned to see what she was screaming about. “Don't worry, Kagome. They aren't under Naraku's influence anymore. They came to thank you for freeing them. They released us from the prison that Naraku had put us in.”

 

Kagura and Kanna bowed to Kagome. “Thank you for freeing us, Lady Kagome.” They said this together, holding Kohaku.

 

Kagura looked down at the boy. “Lady Kagome, we know that you need to purify the shard in his back. The only reason he isn't attacking everyone is because Naraku ordered him to obey me until he returned. I just don't know how we will be able to get the shard out without killing him.” Sango looked like she was about to cry at this news.

 

Sesshomaru stepped forward. “Normally this Sesshomaru would not offer, but Rin is attached to him and would cry if he were to die. This Sesshomaru will use Tenseiga to save him.” Everyone but Rin and Kohaku looked at Sesshomaru incredulously. Rin was off gathering more flowers for Kagome and Kohaku was just staring ahead emotionlessly.

 

Kagome was still in shock at seeing everyone alive. “How is this possible? I killed Naraku and he said that he had killed all of you. And I saw him absorb a lot of you.”

 

Sesshomaru looked at her arrogently. “This Sesshomaru would not allow himself to be absorbed by Naraku without a fight.”

 

Shippo cut in, hopping up and down beside her excitedly. “Yeah Kagome, it was so funny! At least it would have been if we could have been outside watching. He had to fight for control of his own body! He couldn't stop punching himself in the nose until he got to his castle and put us in a prison with a really strong barrier. He took everyone's remaining weapons while we were still weak from being absorbed. He came back periodically to taunt us. He said that before the week was through you would be working for him and then he could kill us and take your heart and use it to control you like he did Kagura. We stayed there for a really long time until Kagura came to release us. Kagura knew that Naraku had been defeated because her heart had been returned to her. How did you defeat Naraku anyway?”

 

“Yes, I think we would all like to know the answer to that question.” Miroku said somberly. “Nice outfit by the way.” SLAP!

 

Kagome looked down at her feet. “I was so numb when Naraku delivered his ultimatum that I just got really focused. I went to Kaede's and set her and the villagers to work making arrows and then went home to change clothes. I wanted something that wouldn't restrict my movements since I knew that I would need all the help that I could get to defeat Naraku. I went back to Kaede's and practiced nonstop with Hiraikotsu and my bow and arrows up until yesterday. I rested and then came here to meet Naraku.” She tells them what happened during the battle up until the end her confrontation with Kikyo.

 

They were all silent for a moment. Inuyasha had been thinking all this time about the things that Kikyo had said in the back of his mind while he listened to Kagome's story. He knew that Kikyo was right. He hadn't really known her. He had known that Kagome would never agree to be in Naraku's control and even if he had managed to get her in his control and held her heart, she would just let him kill her just as he would have killed them. Kagome didn't have it in her to hurt innocent people on purpose, even if the lives of her friends were on the line and none of them would blame her for it, for they would do the exact same thing if they were in her shoes. He hadn't known that she would have it in her to defeat Naraku, and so anticlimactically, too, but no one could have known that she had that much power in her…well, except Kikyo. But he did know Kagome where it counted—her character. She had a strong and compassionate nature that few could match. She didn't care if you were human, hanyou, or even full-blooded youkai; she judged the beings for who they were not what they were. She couldn't stand for anything or anyone to be hurt if she could do something to prevent it. If he would have thought about it, he would have known that Kikyo would share some of these traits, but he hadn't. The kind of knowing that he and Kagome and even Miroku, Sango, Kirara, and Shippo shared could only be found from spending so much time together and sharing so many hardships. They had bonded into true friends and that was something that no one could take away from them. He may pick on them from time to time and call them weak, but he knew that each one of them brought something unique to the group that enabled them to survive, although he would never admit it to anyone, especially Shippo. He had to accept that Kikyo was dead and there was nothing he could do but try to respect her wishes and get on with his life. He had no idea how Kagome or the rest fit into that life, but only time would tell.

 

“I wouldn't have been able to do it if he hadn't taken all of you. I just had to destroy him so that you could all rest in peace knowing that he wouldn't be hurting anyone else ever again. I couldn't let him get away with what I thought he did to you and I couldn't let you guys remain a part of him. I love you guys so much…” Kagome had tears running down her face as Sango went to her knees beside the weeping girl to hug her.

 

“We're alright now. There's no need to cry. We have all of the jewel shards and Naraku is dead, no matter how you managed to defeat him.” Sango rubbed Kagome's back soothingly.

 

“Sango's right Kagome. We're all proud of you for defeating Naraku.” Inuyasha finally broke his silence.

 

Kagome looked at him, surprised out of her crying spell. The hanyou rarely ever complimented her and she was especially surprised at him complimenting her for doing something that he had never managed to do.

 

Inuyasha noticed the looks that he was getting from the rest of the group and quickly got back to normal. “Of course, if I wasn't locked up, then I would have been the one to defeat Naraku without any help from anyone. And I would have done it quicker too.”

 

Kagome smiled at Inuyasha, knowing that all that was just bluster. He was her best friend and no matter what anyone, including himself, said he was a good person. He may mutter at the inconvenience of it all when they have to rescue someone when the situation doesn't involve jewel shards, but he always helped people in need. You just had to look below the surface.

 

Kagome was ripped out of her musings when Shippo let out a loud “OW!” She looked over at Inuyasha who had Shippo by the shirt with one hand with the other hand in a fist. She sighed. Just when she was having such complimentary thoughts about the hanyou he had to go pull something like this. “Osuwari!”

 

Inuyasha was pulled face down to the ground, like so many other times before, although it had been happening less and less of late. Inuyasha got back up as the spell wore off and swore. “Wench, what the hell was that for?”

 

Kagome saw red. “How many times do I have to tell you NOT to call me `wench'? Osuwari! You know my name, use it! Osuwari! And you know perfectly well what that was for; every time you hit Shippo this happens. Osuwari! You should NOT hit children! Osuwari! And, no, it does not matter what he said to you!” Shippo had responded to Inuyasha's bragging with “So what was stopping you before, all those times when we battled Naraku?” which resulted in him getting banged on the head by Inuyasha.

 

By now Inuyasha was in a ten-foot deep crater with stars in his eyes. The rest of the shard hunting group was smiling at this familiar sight, a sign that things could be normal again. The people that were not used to this sweat dropped. (A/N: I don't have too many of these `sweat drops' because it is kinda strange in a written story with no pictures to go along with it. Other authors do it well, but to me it feels strange to write it.) Sesshomaru actually cracked a smile, unnoticed by anyone except Jaken, who started to get scared because whenever Sesshomaru smiled it was usually followed by pain for him.

 

Rin finally got finished picking her flowers and rushed over to Kagome. Kagome looked down at the adorable child and she just wanted to snatch her up and hug her. Rin looked at her shyly. “Rin picked these flowers for you, Lady Kagome.”

 

Kagome took the flowers from Rin and couldn't refrain from hugging the darling any longer. “Aren't you just the cutest little thing! Thank you so much for the flowers, they're beautiful!”

 

Rin was really happy that the pretty lady liked her flowers. It had been so long since Rin's mother had held her that Rin just closed her eyes and sighed. It felt so good to be held and petted like her mother used to do before she died. That brought to mind the question that Rin wanted to ask her. “Will you be Rin's mommy?”

 

Kagome was startled at the girl's question, not knowing how to answer her when she didn't know what would happen now. She thought for a moment. “I'll be your mommy for as long as I can but there is every chance that I will not be allowed to come back here once my mission is complete. That is if Lord Sesshomaru will allow it.” Sesshomaru nodded, well aware that the child needed a human influence. He didn't understand the reference about not being able to come back though. Kagome had not been going home through the well since before Sesshomaru and company joined them. Things had just gotten too hectic. So, the lord didn't have any idea about the time traveling. He just thought that she came from a really strange village.

 

The shard hunting group was somber when Kagome mentioned not being able to come back, Inuyasha having gotten over eating dirt. They knew it was a distinct possibility, but didn't want to think about it. Sango and Miroku were especially apprehensive about it, seeing as how they were humans and had no chance of living long enough to see her again.

 

This is no time for a pity party. You have work to do and it needs to be done fast before anymore youkai get it into their heads to try and steal the jewel.

 

Kagome jumped. Oh, Kikyo! I almost forgot that you were there. And where did you learn the phrase `pity party'? I thought that was after your time.

 

In Kagome's mind Kikyo seemed to smirk. Let's just say that some of your memories are rubbing off on me, although I really don't understand this `Math' stuff…is it some sort of code or spell? I think that I understand some of it but…never mind. Back to the subject at hand!

 

Now, what were they discussing? Kikyo stomped her imaginary foot in Kagome's mind. She thought for a moment. We will probably get going in a minute. But something has been bothering me. Do you think that I should tell anyone about you?

 

Not unless they ask. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want to try to explain this situation unless absolutely necessary. You can tell them only if they notice you talking to yourself and start to think that you are going crazy.

 

Oh, yeah, and telling them that I have you in my head is going to convince them of my saneness?

 

Good point…no advice to be had here. You're on your own with this one.

 

 

-----That Night-----

 

Kagome sighed, glad that they had stopped to rest for the night. Inuyasha had been suspiciously quiet when she had explained that she had left one jewel shard in her time as a precaution against Naraku ever getting the whole jewel. Not to mention that she wanted insurance in case Inuyasha ever got it into his head again to strand her back in her own time without the jewel shards to allow her to get back.

 

Come now, Kagome, you really don't think that the jewel shards had very much to do with your being able to travel through the well, do you? I can think of at least two occasions where you traveled through the well without the jewel shards. One: When Yura of the Hair pushed you after stealing your shard. Two: When Inuyasha tried to get you away from danger by pushing you through the well after stealing your jewel shards. Do you see a common theme here? You were caught off guard each time. It only makes sense that you don't expect to be able to go through the well without the jewel shards and so you were unable to do so. It is as simple as that.

 

Kagome felt like beating her head up against a wall. Why me? Why did I have to get stuck with an infuriating know-it-all in my head? I can't even escape. And she always gets me off topic by butting into my thinking process. Why couldn't I have had a quiet incarnation take up residence inside my head? Who would have thought that the seemingly quiet and dignified Kikyo would be such a blabber mouth?

 

Kikyo, in an uncharacteristic (at least uncharacteristic in how she was thought of in life) move, decided that she was going to pout. She had never had the chance to do it in life except for a very few times when she was a small child and didn't understand the life of duty and responsibility ahead of her. She found that it was quite fun, regardless of the fact that her reincarnation was currently ignoring her to get back to what she was thinking about in the first place. Maybe I really should stop getting her off track with her thoughts. But it was so much fun to act out in ways that she couldn't have when she was alive. Plus this girl that was her reincarnation didn't seem to be bothering to keep up her appearances as a priestess by acting cool and distant. She didn't even wear the traditional garments of a priestess. Maybe Kikyo should have been herself more on the outside when she was alive, regardless of how she was taught a priestess should behave. But the past was the past and couldn't be changed. The only thing that she could do was make sure that this girl was true to herself and didn't let others' opinions on how she should behave affect her. The old Kikyo would have never even thought this but she was proud of what her reincarnation had become.

 

While Kikyo was pondering the wonders of pouting, Kagome was getting back to thinking about Inuyasha. He hadn't even yelled at the inconvenience of having to make a detour to her era to get the missing shard. She hadn't had to `sit' him once in order to get him to stop yelling like he did every time she had to go home. It was quite disturbing. It had her worrying about what Kikyo had said to Inuyasha before she had woken up. Kikyo had filled her in on what had happened and while she agreed that they should have trusted each other, she knew that Inuyasha would be torn up about it. She was surprised that he hadn't put up more of a fuss. After all, he is always right, at least in his own mind. He hadn't even reacted when Koga had jumped in and said something like “I shall accompany you, Kagome, as I don't trust dog-breath to see to the safety of my woman properly.” That really had Kagome worried. He never totally ignored Koga, especially not when he called her `his woman'.

 

Everyone was situated around the fire, and everyone meant Shippo, Miroku, Sango, Koga, Kagome, and Inuyasha. The rest of the group had gone to Sesshomaru's palace to wait for the rest of the group to return with the whole jewel. Sesshomaru had kept his promise to Kagome and brought Kohaku back to life when the jewel shard was taken from his back. Kagura and Kanna had decided to leave before Kohaku woke up. They didn't want for him to be reminded of the time he had spent in Naraku's control. They decided to go where ever the wind took them. Sango had been torn between wanting to stay with her brother to be with him when he woke up and journeying with the rest of the group to the well. Kagome had urged her to stay with her brother, but Sango realized that this might be the last journey that they would take together. It might even be the last time that she even saw the girl that she viewed as a sister.

 

Inuyasha suddenly got up and walked into the forest without a word to anyone.

 

Kagome stared after him. Kikyo, I'm worried about Inuyasha.

 

He will eventually get over what I said, Kagome. Once he realizes the truth in my words.

 

That's not what I'm talking about. You saw how he's been acting all day! He is definitely not himself. He hasn't fought with Koga or gotten into an argument with Shippo all day. He didn't even yell when I told him about the delay in getting jewel shards.

 

Maybe he realizes what you did was smart. It would have kept Naraku from completing the jewel, thus keeping him from wishing on it, even if he still would have been extremely powerful with an almost completed jewel, he still wouldn't have been able to get what he most wished for: to become a full-fledged youkai.

 

But Inuyasha is never reasonable about delays in getting jewel shards! I have to follow him and find out what is wrong with him.

 

Who's stopping you? I was just reassuring you that you were right to take the actions that you did. You needed to hear it.

 

Sometimes the workings of Kagome's mind confused even her and it had only got worse since Kikyo had taken up residence there.

 

None of the others were surprised when the miko suddenly got up to run after the hanyou. They were just surprised that it had taken her so long to do it. Even Koga knew that there was a special bond between the two.

 

Kagome ran to catch up with Inuyasha. He had stopped beside a small stream and was sitting on a rock, staring at the reflection of the crescent moon on the surface of the water. His ears twitched as Kagome came up behind him so she knew that he was aware of her approach. For once the girl didn't have to pry anything out of him, didn't even have to say a word. “Kagome, have you realized that this might be the last time we will be able to journey together? We have no way of knowing if the well will continue to work for either of us after the jewel is destroyed. We may not even be able to see each other again.” Inuyasha turned to look down at her. “You're my best friend, Kagome. Besides my mother, you are the first person who accepted me as I was and never looked down at me for being a hanyou. I don't know what I'm going to do without you. I don't want to lose you.” (AN: I'm including Kikyo in the ones that never accepted him as he was because she wanted him to use the jewel to become human, like there was something wrong with what he was. I'm going to just assume that this is the result of her priestess upbringing. She was brought up to think that all youkai were bad and should be destroyed, so the youkai half of Inuyasha should be destroyed also. It also didn't hurt matters that the jewel would disappear and she wouldn't have to guard it anymore. Although I fail to see her logic here, because that would have been a selfish wish unless Inuyasha really didn't want to be a human and was just doing it to make Kikyo happy which wouldn't be completely selfish either because it would make him happy to see her happy. Is there any such thing as a completely unselfish wish? I don't think so, but I've had enough of talking myself in circles. On with the story!)

 

Kagome was speechless for a moment. So this had been what had been bothering her friend all day. Kagome had tried not to think about the time that she would be separated from her friends, but sometimes on the road it was all that she could think about, especially in the recent months. She didn't really know how to comfort Inuyasha about something that she was so apprehensive about herself.

 

“We may be able to see each other again, Inuyasha. I know that there don't seem to be many demons in my time, but I don't doubt Sesshomaru or you will survive. Knowing Sesshomaru, I don't think that he would allow either himself or you to die. He knows that you are his only blood family and, from what you told me of the time you spent together in Naraku's dungeon, you two have agreed to set aside your differences and share the responsibility of governing the Western Lands. At least you will have something to do when we no longer have the responsibility to the jewel. Plus, we really don't know for sure if I'm going to be forbidden from coming back here. If I can I will visit, I promise, or you could come visit me.”

 

“It won't be the same. All the adventures we had, the challenges we faced together…we won't get to spend as much time together. You might get caught up in your life in the future and the visits will get farther and farter apart until they just stop. I don't want us to grow apart. I don't want to lose you like I did Kikyo. I know she said that I didn't really love her, but we had a pretty good chance until Naraku ruined our lives. Kikyo was taken from me by Naraku. I don't want you to be taken away, too.” Inuyasha's voice was serious and quiet.

 

Kagome was surprised that she didn't feel the jealousy that she had always felt whenever Inuyasha mentioned Kikyo. That is because you finally accepted, as have I, that we are the same, at least when you get down to what really makes us us.

 

Then why have we always acted so differently?

 

You only remember me consumed by hatred and are influenced by how other people have described me to you. Kikyo showed Kagome some of her memories before Naraku, even some from her childhood. They were memories of a happy, if lonely, girl who, although she held enormous responsibility all her life and had then took on even more responsibility in addition to her regular priestess duties when she became the Shikon Jewel's guardian, always found the time to sit and enjoy what nature had to offer. Although Kagome would have never expected it of her other half before she had started talking to her in her head, Kikyo had her silly moments especially when it was snowing, but only if she was alone. She never showed this side of her to others, not even to her little sister, and this was one of the main differences between them. Kikyo had always wanted to examine and rub Inuyasha's cute ears, but had refrained because it wouldn't have been proper. (Plus that would have meant admitting that there was a part of Inuyasha being a hanyou that she liked.) That was one of the first things that Kagome had done upon meeting Inuyasha.

 

Kagome decided that there was nothing either one of them could do about their problem until they figured out if she would be able to continue her time traveling. Both of them knew that they loved each other, maybe not in the way that she had first loved him, but it was still love. Who knows, maybe it would develop into more in the future but it would be stupid to try to see if it would now that they didn't know if they would be able to continue to see each other. She decided to break the ice. “Inuyasha there is nothing that we can do about it now so let's just take each day as it goes. But first…Inuyasha, forgive me, but there is just something I must do…” With that Kagome reached up to rub his ears. Thinking about Inuyasha's ears with Kikyo just got to be too much for her to resist.

 

Inuyasha emitted what would have been described as purring if he had been a cat-youkai. He allowed the rubbing to continue for a minute before he realized what was happening. Then he stood up really quick to try to get away from her rubbing, which felt entirely too good (AN: And not in that way, you dirty minded people!). Unfortunately for the both of them, Kagome still had a hold of his ears and this unbalanced the both of them and caused them to fall into the stream. Inuyasha came up cursing Kagome and yelling “This is all YOU'RE fault, WENCH!”

 

Of course, Kagome wasn't going to take that accusation lying down and we all know what happens when Inuyasha calls Kagome by something other than her name. “Inuyasha you are the one that stood up so suddenly! And my name is not WENCH, it's KAGOME! OSUWARI!” Hair dripping and all in her face she stomped back toward camp. As soon as she was in the trees she let loose her smile, glad that things could be somewhat normal. Her smile widened even further when she heard a yelled “PERVERT!” from the direction of camp. Yes, some things could be normal. Hopefully they could make this last as long as they could.

 

 

Wow! This chapter was a whole ten pages! I hope that makes up for all the short ones. I have decided on whether or not this story will be a crossover or not, but I'm not going to tell you. You can figure it out for yourself. If it does turn out to be a crossover, then I'm not going to mention which one until it is obvious (and when I say obvious, I mean OBVIOUS). But just to cover my butt: Disclaimer: Any characters that are recognizable that may or may not enter this fic are the property of their respective creators, not mine. I have no claim on them, nor do I make any money off them. There, I think that about covers it.

 

Author's Note: I mix Japanese and English terms a lot in this fic. Sometimes I use the Japanese term, sometimes I use the English term. I also alternate between Shippo calling Kagome `Mommy' and `Kagome'. It just depends on what I feel like at the moment. Sorry if I get some people confused.

 

BYE!!!!!!!!