Resolution

"Inuyasha? Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha groaned as his shoulder throbbed. Without opening his eyes he reached up with his left hand to touch his shoulder, and was surprised to find it whole and uninjured.

Stupid. Of course I'm not hurt. That was a memory.

An awful memory, and so vivid that for a little while Inuyasha's identity had been completely buried under Kikyo's.

Someone flicked his forehead.

"If you're awake, could you quit being dramatic and tell us what happened already?"

Inuyasha opened his eyes and glared up at Ginta, but only for a second before Kagome pushed Ginta out of the way so she could lean over Inuyasha. "What happened? Are you okay?"

For a second, Inuyasha couldn't answer her. For a second, all Inuyasha could see was the smirk she'd worn as Kikyo bled out in the dirt. Stop it! That wasn't Kagome! Naraku was the one that had caused Kikyo's death, not Kagome. Naraku had tricked both of them.

But Kikyo never knew that; she had died believing that Kagome had killed her. She had died hating Kagome, and Inuyasha could remember the depths of that hatred. It had been a hatred strong enough to help her push past the pain, to help Kikyo survive long enough to pin Kagome to that tree.

Inuyasha didn't hate Kagome. But he also couldn't look at her without feeling the jumbled emotions that Kikyo hadn't had the time to work through either.

"I'm okay," Inuyasha said, pushing himself back up into a sitting position. Shippo hopped into his lap, and Inuyasha automatically patted his head.

Inuyasha glanced around, taking note of where everyone was. Miroku was sitting a couple feet away, leaning back against a tree as Sango hovered over him. He didn't look good. His skin was pale and coated with a sheen of sweat. "What happened to you?"

"Nothing that some rest won't fix," Miroku said. "But you're changing the subject."

"Inuyasha," Kagome said sharply, her golden eyes narrowed as she stared at him. "What happened?"

He sighed. There wasn't any way to avoid telling them, but Inuyasha wasn't sure how Kagome would take the news. "While I was out," and here he paused a moment to glare at Sango, because he didn't appreciate the sleeping dart, "I had a vision I guess. Of Kaede. She – she woke up Kikyo's memories. When I saw you, it sparked one."

"Awakening the memories of a past life is supposed to be impossible," Miroku protested, sitting up straighter despite looking sick.

Inuyasha shrugged. "Tell that to Kaede." He didn't mention the memories of the ancient scroll Kikyo had once read that suggested it was possible. There didn't seem to be a point in saying anything about it now, and Inuyasha still wasn't really comfortable talking about Kikyo's memories anyway.

"What did you remember?"

Inuyasha turned his attention back to Kagome, which wasn't as easy as it should have been. She was entirely focused on Inuyasha, her ears perked up and face pale. Her hands were clenched into fists, and she just waited for his response.

Inuyasha didn't want to tell her. Largely because he knew it would hurt her that the first thing he'd remembered upon seeing her was dying. But also because he really didn't want to talk about what it had felt like for Kikyo, to believe that she had been betrayed so deeply, to believe that her death was at the hands of her best friend.

"I remembered her death."

Kagome flinched. Inuyasha wished he could say something to soften the blow, but what was there to say? Inuyasha gaining Kikyo's memories wasn't the same thing as Kikyo coming back to life. There was still no way to tell her that Kagome hadn't betrayed her, and that Naraku was the one that had killed her. There was no chance for reconciliation.

"I feel like I'm missing context here," Ginta said, breaking the silence. He looked over at Miroku. "Didn't you tell me that it was Naraku that killed Kikyo?"

"I did," Miroku said. "But Naraku was disguised as Kagome when he did it."

"Oh," Ginta said.

Before the silence stretched too long, Kagome abruptly stood and turned away. "If you're going to go home, you may as well go. No point in waiting."

Inuyasha picked Shippo up and stood. Right. Going home was the plan.

Or at least it had been his plan, before all this had happened. "What about the villagers?"

"Don't worry," Kagome said. "We've got them handled. There's a lot you need to talk to your family about, so just go home."

That was true, there was a lot to tell his family, but Inuyasha didn't feel good about leaving like this. It felt too abrupt, like he should be doing something to help instead of going home. Yeah, doing what? It wasn't like Kagome would let him help with the burial. Which, okay, he didn't really want to help bury the villagers' bodies. He didn't want to see what Naraku had done to them. But just leaving didn't feel right either.

Not like I've got a choice.

So Inuyasha turned and walked towards the well, Ginta following along. They didn't have to go far before the scenery changed. The lush greenness of the forest came to an abrupt end, giving way to withered husks of trees and brown grass that crunched with each step Inuyasha took. Goosebumps were raised on his flesh as they kept going, the very air around them heavier.

Inuyasha paused when they reached the clearing that held the well. The well itself looked unchanged, though all the plants around it were dead. But for some reason stepping into the clearing filled Inuyasha with a sense of dread that he couldn't explain.

Ginta bumped shoulders. "So that's how you travel through time?"

Inuyasha shook the feeling off so he could reply. "Um, yeah. It is."

Ginta frowned as he studied it. "Not sure Koga would approve of me letting you go five hundred years in the future without me." He glanced sideways at Inuyasha. "But I guess it'll probably be easier to talk to your family on your own, huh?"

Inuyasha wasn't sure if that assessment was actually true. How did he tell his family about everything that had happened? How did he tell them about joining the Wolf Tribe and the blood ceremony that might or might not kill him? How did he tell them that Naraku had wiped out an entire village of people because Inuyasha hadn't done enough to stop him first? How did he tell them about eighteen years of memories from his previous life suddenly rattling around in his head?

"I guess," Inuyasha agreed.

Shippo tugged at his shirt to get his attention. "How long will you be gone this time?"

Inuyasha glanced down at Shippo, and then around at the dead clearing, the results of the last break he'd taken. "Not long." He handed Shippo over to Ginta. "I'll see you guys in a bit." He went to the well, swung over the edge, and dropped.

Light flared around him, and when the light faded Inuyasha found himself in the dim confines of the well inside the well house. The oppressive feeling of death and darkness was gone. Inuyasha reached out and placed a hand on the rung of the rope ladder, but he made no other move to climb.

When he climbed the ladder, he'd be greeted by home. He would be safe. He'd be surrounded by the people that loved him the most, and they would be overjoyed to see him. He could rest.

"I can't do this."

The words came out as a ragged whisper, and as he said them, Inuyasha realized that he didn't just mean this moment, today. He couldn't face his family at all. Not when there were so many people in the past that would never see their family members again because he hadn't done enough to stop Naraku. He couldn't rest in safety and comfort in the present while his friends waited on him in the past, keeping watch for any move Naraku might make. He couldn't take breaks, not when there were real lives on the line.

"I can't stay."

It was a shock to say the words out loud, but the moment he did Inuyasha knew it was true. He couldn't stay. He'd tried to juggle his life in the present alongside his mission in the past, and people were dead because of it. Actually defeating Naraku was going to require focus. He was going to have to remain in the past, at least until Naraku was truly defeated and the jewel restored.

How am I supposed to tell anyone that news?

His family wouldn't like it. They wouldn't understand. They'd probably try to talk him out of it, and they might succeed.

"But I can't just not tell them," Inuyasha muttered. He glared up at the ceiling. He'd have to figure out a way to leave them a message, one that they wouldn't get until he was already in the past, but how?

His eyes widened as he was struck by sudden inspiration. "Got it!" With his course decided, Inuyasha climbed out of the well. He paused by the door of the well house, peeking out to make sure that no one was around to spot him. Once he was sure the way was clear, Inuyasha slipped out of the well house and left the shrine.

After all that had happened, walking down the sidewalk of the city felt almost surreal. He got a number of odd looks, reminding Inuyasha that it had been a couple days since he'd had a bath, and given the time of day he should probably still be in school. He probably looked like he was homeless or something, but he didn't care.

Finally, he reached his destination, the small clinic of Dr. Haruki. For the first time since any of his visits, the clinic was actually still open. Inuyasha hesitated for a moment before going in. Now that he was actually here, he wasn't sure that it was a great idea. Dr. Haruki and Sensei were friends; what if Dr. Haruki called Sensei and told him that Inuyasha was here?

I'll deal with that if it happens, I guess. It's not like I don't need to see a doctor either way.

He hadn't forgotten about the potential side effects of that blood ceremony. Inuyasha hadn't noticed any changes in himself, and so he was beginning to hope that maybe his powers had prevented the whole mutate and die scenario. Still, he didn't know for sure, and he was thinking that there might be ways that modern medicine could check.

Taking a deep breath, Inuyasha opened the door to the clinic and stepped inside. There were several patients in the waiting area that gave him funny looks, but Inuyasha had more or less expected that response. The receptionist, to her credit, managed to keep a much more neutral expression as Inuyasha approached the front desk.

"Do you have an appointment?" she asked.

"Um, no," Inuyasha said.

"Is this an emergency?" she asked, one hand fiddling with a pen.

"No," Inuyasha said. It wasn't like he was going to drop dead in the next five minutes or anything.

"Dr. Haruki doesn't mind taking walk-ins, but he has a very busy schedule this afternoon," the receptionist informed him. "If you stay you're probably going to have to wait a couple hours. If you'd like, I can make an appointment for you to come back later."

Inuyasha shook his head. "I'll wait, if that's okay."

The receptionist tapped her pen on the desk for a moment, but then nodded. "If that's what you want." She picked up a clipboard with paperwork and held it out to him. "Here you go. Just bring it back to me when you're done."

Inuyasha took the clipboard and then found the seat farthest away from everyone else. The paperwork was all pretty standard information, but Inuyasha took his time filling it out since he wouldn't have anything else to do once he was done. When he got to the question asking what his presenting complaint was, Inuyasha hesitated. Somehow 'performed blood ceremony with wolf demon and might be dying as a side effect' didn't seem like a great option to put down. Inuyasha opted to leave the question blank. He figured Dr. Haruki would recognize his name and know that whatever his issue was, it was related to his time in the past somehow.

Once he was done, Inuyasha turned the paperwork in and returned to his seat. The receptionist took his paperwork and disappeared for a few minutes; Inuyasha assumed she was giving it to Dr. Haruki. Inuyasha settled back in his seat to wait.

Time slipped by slowly, the quiet only occasionally interrupted as new patients came in, or as a nurse appeared to call someone back. The quiet and boredom left Inuyasha with way too much time to imagine how his family would react to his decision, so to avoid those thoughts he closed his eyes, bowed his head, and slipped into a meditative state.

Meditation was easy for him by now. Sinking inward and finding himself surrounded by his own power was comforting. There, he could drift and rest, losing track of time.

"Inuyasha?"

His eyes snapped open at the sound of his name. Dr. Haruki was standing in front of him, a frown on his face and a file in one hand. Inuyasha straightened and winced as his muscles protested having been still for so long. A quick glance at the clock hanging on the wall told him he'd been meditating for several hours.

"I'm okay," Inuyasha said automatically as he stood.

Dr. Haruki snorted. "Since you're here to see me, I find that unlikely." He turned without waiting for a reply and motioned for Inuyasha to follow. "Come on, then."

Inuyasha followed, trying to subtly stretch as he did so. Dr. Haruki led him back to the exam room, and had Inuyasha sit. "So," Dr. Haruki said, "it's been a while. How have things been going?"

Inuyasha's natural inclination was to try and downplay how dangerous things were in the past, but he realized that he couldn't. There was no way to soften the things that he had seen this time, and even if there had been, Inuyasha need Dr. Haruki to understand his decision so he wouldn't try to stop him.

"It's been bad. Really bad." That didn't cover it in the least, but Inuyasha didn't know how else to say it.

"Do you have any injuries that I need to treat right away?" Dr. Haruki asked.

"No," Inuyasha said. "I mean, I'm not hurt. I don't think?"

Dr. Haruki leaned back against the counter, setting the folder aside. "Well, if you're not in immediate danger, why don't you tell me what happened?"

Even though that had been a part of Inuyasha's plan, it was still hard to make the words come. This was the sort of thing he usually confided in Sensei or Hojo, and he didn't know Dr. Haruki very well. Sensei trusts him. Inuyasha took a deep breath, his hands clenching the edge of the exam table, and he started talking.

He sketched over finding out that Naraku had created a new body, and having to return abruptly to the past, as well as Sesshomaru's attack on them. Talking about finding the village that Koga had wiped out was a lot harder. Talking about it made Inuyasha remember the sight of the torn bodies, the sound of the wolves tearing into flesh. Bile rose in his throat at the memory, but Inuyasha swallowed it down and kept talking, because he didn't know if he could start again if he stopped.

He told Dr. Haruki about Koga, about the deal Inuyasha had made with him and the blood ceremony that they'd done to seal it. He talked about getting sick, and waking up to find out he'd killed Hayasaka. He talked about Kagome turning into a full demon, about watching her go insane and murder people. Finally, he talked about Naraku slaughtering the village, and about Kaede's ghost awakening Kikyo's memories in him.

As he wound the story down, Inuyahsa met Dr. Haruki's gaze and said, "And that's why I need to go to the past, and I need to stay there. Until we kill Naraku, I can't – I can't afford to take any breaks. Not when he'll just murder people who have nothing to do with anything!"

Dr. Haruki didn't say anything, and Inuyasha couldn't read the expression on his face. After a pause, Dr. Haruki straightened from his position and reached for a cabinet door. "I think we'll start by drawing blood. I have a friend at a lab that I think I can convince to do a full workup for me without asking too many questions. If that blood ceremony has changed you somehow, we ought to be able to stop it."

Dr. Haruki gathered the supplies he needed as he spoke. Inuyasha waited for him to say something about his declaration that he was going to remain in the past, but he didn't. "Is that it?"

The doctor glanced at Inuyasha over the rim of his glasses. "I think one thing at a time is quite enough at the moment."

Inuyasha didn't really have a response for that, because Dr. Haruki was probably right. He pushed up his shirt sleeve when ordered, and watched as Dr. Haruki wiped down the juncture of his elbow with a swab to clean it. With practiced efficiency, Dr. Haruki inserted the needle, and soon had several vials of blood collected. It wasn't until he was done with that task and putting items away that Dr. Haruki spoke again.

"You know, if I knew of a therapist that would believe your story, I'd recommend that you see one."

"A therapist?" Inuyasha asked blankly.

Dr. Haruki de-gloved and began washing his hands. "You've had multiple back to back traumatic events. I'd be very surprised if you wouldn't benefit from therapy after that; I certainly did."

Inuyasha started at the casual revelation. "You?"

Dr. Haruki smiled wryly as he dried his hands. "Oh, my experiences weren't exactly like yours. No time travel or demons involved for one thing. But yes, I did spend my fair share of time in therapy afterwards as part of my healing process. Of course, finding someone you could go to is rather irrelevant if you aren't in this time anyway." Dr. Haruki tossed the paper towels into the trashcan before turning to face Inuyasha again. "Inuyasha, I might be about to state the obvious, but I feel it needs to be said. If you go through with your plan, you could die. I don't mean from whatever illness you may have gained by the blood ceremony. This Naraku is actively trying to kill you, and there is a chance he could succeed. Or, if he doesn't kill you, another demon after the jewel may kill you instead. Have you really considered that?"

He hadn't, not really. Inuyasha thought about it now, the possibility that he could lose, or perhaps win at the cost of his own life. He thought about what that might do to his family, who would just be waiting for him in the present, never knowing exactly what had happened to him. Just the thought left him feeling cold.

"It doesn't matter," Inuyasha said.

Dr. Haruki raised an eyebrow. "It doesn't?"

"I mean, it's not like I want to die," Inuyasha said. "I don't. Obviously, I'm going to do whatever I can to survive. But I'm the best chance they have at stopping Naraku. And Naraku's going to keep killing people whether I'm in the past or not. He just is." Inuyasha glared at Dr. Haruki. "If you saw someone that was hurt, and you were the only doctor around, the only person that could help them, would you walk away, even if helping meant you might be in danger?"

"No," Dr. Haruki said. "But I'm an adult."

"There aren't any adults that can do what I do!" Inuyasha caught himself, because Dr. Haruki didn't deserve to be shouted at. Taking a deep breath, he continued at a more reasonable volume. "There aren't. There's no one else. Just – just me." Inuyasha closed his eyes, because the next sentence was going to hurt, but it had to be said. "There were plenty of adults in the village that Naraku wiped out. Didn't do their kids any good. But I could have done something, if I'd just been there."

Dr. Haruki didn't say anything. Inuyasha opened his eyes and looked up at him. "If there was someone else who could do this, believe me, I'd let them. I'm tired. I don't want to see any more death. I'm the only one who stands a chance, but I can't help if I'm here."

"Say your plan works," Dr. Haruki said. "Say you survive killing Naraku, and you gather all of the jewel shards you're after. What then?"

The question made Inuyasha pause, because he hadn't thought things through that far. But now that he took a moment to think, the answer felt obvious. "Then I'll come home." He tried for a smile, but wasn't sure if he succeeded. "Maybe you'll have enough time to find a therapist for me by then."

Dr. Haruki snorted at that. "And what do you need from me? Besides the test."

"I'm going back tonight," Inuyasha said. "I haven't told Sensei or my family about my decision. I can't. If they know, they'll try to stop me. They might succeed, and I can't let that happen. But I need them to know. I don't want them to just wonder what's happening to me. So I wanted – I hoped you could tell Sensei for me."

Dr. Haruki shook his head. "I have a better idea." He rifled through a drawer and pulled out several sheets of blank paper. Slipping them on a clipboard, he handed it to Inuyasha. "I'll deliver a message for you, but you need to write it."

Without giving Inuyasha a chance to reply, Dr. Haruki headed for the door. "If you need more paper, it's in the drawer. I'll be at the front desk when you're done."

It took him hours to write the letters. He wrote one for Sensei, one for his mother, one for Gramps, one for Souta, and after some thought, one for Hojo as well. He ended up using a lot of paper, as each letter went through several drafts. But finally he finished, and he found Dr. Haruki waiting where he'd said.

Dr. Haruki handed him some envelopes for the letters. "I put together supplies for you. It's just some basic first aid, but it may come in handy. I included instructions in case you're unfamiliar with any of it."

"Thanks," Inuyasha said. "That's really – thank you."

Dr. Haruki collected the sealed envelopes and handed him the bag of supplies. "When are you heading back?"

"Now, I guess," Inuyasha said. He didn't want to risk running to his family by trying to sneak into his home for clean clothes or whatever. He'd manage in the past with what he had.

Dr. Haruki nodded. "I'll give you some time to get back then before I go see your Sensei." He paused for a moment and then added, "When you make it back after everything, be sure you let me know."

"I will," Inuyasha promised. Then he was out the door, and on his way home. No, don't think of it like that. I'm not going home. I'm going to the past. And I'm going to finish this.

Haruki waited over an hour before he left his office; night had fallen as he walked down the now quiet sidewalks. It was probably enough time for Inuyasha to have returned to the past. A small part of Haruki hoped it wasn't, the part of him that said he must be completely insane for allowing a kid to walk back into that nightmare. What else could I do?

When lives hung in the balance, hard decisions had to be made. The picture that Inuyasha had painted was horrific, and Inuyasha was the best option for putting an end to it, much as Haruki didn't like to admit it.

So Haruki walked slowly, giving Inuyasha more time to successfully return to the past. Eventually he arrived at the dojo. It was late enough that Haruki knew they'd be in the house, so that's where he went. He knocked briskly on the front door, hoping as he did so that he wouldn't wake Usagi. It was only a few moments before the door opened, and his friend was frowning down at him. "Haruki? What are you doing here at this time?"

Haruki held out the letters that Inuyasha had written. "Delivering a message. You might want to sit down for this one, Toga."

Toga took the letters from him, his brows drawing together as he saw the names on the envelopes. He moved further inside, opening the one with "Sensei" scrawled over it as he did so. Haruki followed him in, pausing to close the front door. No sooner had he managed that then Toga whirled around again, his dark eyes flashing and the letter clenched in his fist.

"He's already gone back, Toga," Haruki said. "There's no point in running after him."

"How could you – " Toga started, but Haruki held up a hand to silence him.

"Finish reading the letter. Then we'll talk."

Souta couldn't sleep. He ought to be sleeping. It was a school night, and he had a test the next day. But Inuyasha had been gone a while this time, and worry kept Souta awake.

He tossed and turned in his bed, but no position he tried was comfortable. Frustrated, Souta finally kicked the covers off and sat up. "Maybe it'll help if I get something to drink," he muttered.

Souta slipped out of his room and down the stairs, careful not to make any noise. He didn't want to wake up his mom, or Gramps. As he crept across the living room, movement out of the window caught his eye, and Souta paused to look. Is that Inuyasha?

It was. But for some reason Inuyasha wasn't coming towards the house. He was going back to the well house.

Souta sprinted for the front door, no longer caring if he made enough noise to wake the others. He flung the door open and ran for the well house, desperation lending him speed. Yanking open the door to the well house, Souta shouted, "Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha jerked around to stare up at Souta at the top of the steps. He'd been leaning on the edge of the well, a familiar posture that Souta knew meant he'd been about to jump down. Souta just didn't understand why. If he'd only just gotten home, why go back?

"Wh-what are you doing?" Souta panted.

Inuyasha's shoulders slumped for a moment. "I'm sorry, Souta."

What?

Inuyasha turned around, gripped the well, and jumped.

AN: And that's the end of Changed! Thanks to everyone who has followed along, and especially to those that have taken time to review! Keep an eye out for the next story, titled Inverted. I'm not sure exactly when it'll go up, but the plan is for it to be the last one in this series. I hope to see all of you there!