Inuyasha's Final Decision

"INUYASHA, YOU CAN BE SUCH A JERK!" Kagome screamed at the top of her lungs. Shippou, Sango, and Miroku sighed in unison. Earlier, Koga appeared, and gave Kagome some flowers, saying that when the flowers wilted, he would be back with more. Kagome had blushed, and said an awekward thanks, then watched as Inuyasha and Koga got into the usual accusing charade. Since then Kagome and Inuyasha had been fighting it off. This was the seventh time that day that Inuyasha caused Kagome to let out a scream of distain. Inuyasha took his usual stance, fist held up, feet in the fighting stance, and the accusing eyes glaring through Kagome.

"YOU WOULD RATHER BE WITH THAT KOGA, WOULDN'T YOU!" Kagome sighed in anger, and Inuyasha nodded his head, thinking he was correct.

"CAN'T YOU GET IT? I DON'T WANT TO BE WITH HIM, HE WANTS TO BE WITH ME!" Inuyasha straightened and looked a bit confused, but the anger and jealousy still shone clearly on his face. "OHHH! YOU CAN BE SO SHUT MINDED! I'M GOING HOME. DON'T COME TO GET ME, UNDERSTAND!" Inuyasha grunted his acknowledgment, and turned the other way. Miroku, Sango, and Shippou started to get ready to go to the cottage close to the well, but that wouldn't be for a while. Enough time must be given for Kagome to get into the well, and out of earshot. Kagome grabbed her pack, and went off through the woods.

"Kagome! Can I come with you to the well?" Shippou asked as he hurried after her. "You know, to make sure nothing happens to you." Shippou continued, but said under his breath. "And to get out of Inuyasha's way." Kagome nodded with a humph, and Shippo followed at a reasonable distance. "When will they just stop acting so childish?" Shippo muttered under his breath.

"Inuyasha, how many times does Kagome have to tell you that she isn't interested in Koga? Every time he shows up, you get all green with envy." Miroku said this as he looked at the picnic blanket he was laying out for their lunch. Inuyasha snorted, after sitting himself down, chin high in the air.

"I'm not jealous. Kagome thinks that she is so high and mighty, holding Koga in check so that when the time comes, she can run off with him and betray what we're doing." Miroku and Sango chuckled a bit. Inuyasha became angry again. "WHAT IS SO FUNNY!"

"Inuyasha, even you must see how blind you are. Can you even remember what it is we are doing?" Inuyasha started to say something, then stopped, as he tried to come up with the answer. After a bit of a pause, he then remembered.

"Got to get the jewel shards and kill Naraku." Miroku and Sango smiled.

"See, you stalled. Just remember that Kagome spends almost all of her time here, instead of in her world." Inuyasha was about to snap something back, but stopped, and thought on that for a while.

Shippou suddenly burst through the woods, out of breath. "Kagome... arrow... hurt... trouble..." Inuyasha was immediatly on his feet and rushing through the woods. He stopped short when he found Kagome, laying on her back, an arrow stuck in her chest. Inuyasha slowly walked toward her, and knelt beside her. Miroku, Sango, Shippou, and Kirara were soon in the clearing, and Sango immediatly got Kagome's pack and retrieved the first aid kit.

"Kirara, transform so Kagome can ride you to Keada's cottage. Miroku, help me get the arrow out." Inuyasha looked at the arrow and recognized it instantly. He looked down at the ground and reached out to grasp the arrow. "Inuyasha, don't. We can do it."

"No, it's my fault. I'll do it." Inuyasha rose Kagome to sit, then pushed the arrow through her, seeing that if he pulled it out, it would rip out flesh and cause more damage. Kagome groaned in pain, her eyes clenched tight, and her mouth in a snarl. Inuyasha broke off the end with the feather, and pulled the arrow out all the way. Sango then stopped him.

"I'll take it from here. I've got to bandage her up, and to do that, I got to take off the shirt." Inuyasha nodded, and went to where Miroku was standing with Shippou.

"Who do you think did this?" Miroku asked Inuyasha, and before even thinking, he replied.

"Kikyo... she did this." Shippou went on Inuyasha's shoulder and looked him in the eye.

"Are you sure? It could have been bandits or something." Inuyasha nodded. Sango shouted them over, and as soon as Inuyasha turned around, the pain he felt doubled. The bandages were already soaked with blood, and she became more and more pale by the second.

"Get her on Kirara-"

"No, I'll carry her." Inuyasha knelt down, and Sango helped him get her on his back. Kagome moaned in pain, but Inuyasha rose and began the run to Keada. Sango, Miroku, Shippou, followed behind on Kirara. As soon as they reached the cottage, Keada looked at the situation for barely a second and told Inuyasha to put Kagome on the matress in the cottage. She picked up her basket of herbs, and went inside. Throughout the day, she ordered Miroku and Inuyasha to chores like getting water, cleaning bandages, and the like. Shippou, Kirara and Sango were in the cottage with Keada and Kagome. When the sun had finally set, Sango emerged, and called the two men over.

"Kagome is going to be fine. The bleeding has stopped, and she's breathing normally. She's even awake, talking with Keada. She wants to talk to you, Inuyasha." Inuyasha nodded, and went inside. He looked at Kagome, laying on the straw matress. The candles light gave her a warm glow, but still she looked pale. Keada rose and left, with Shippou and Kirara.

"Inuyasha." Kagome began to rise, but Inuyasha stopped her. She lay her head on the pillow slowly, and closed her eyes. "I'm sorry." Inuyasha sat himself down, looked at her confusingly.

"For what?"

"For what I said, and scaring you. I know what you did. I wasn't unconcious. You were very good about all this. Thank you." Inuyasha nodded, and leaned back against the wall.

"I'm... sorry too. I shouldn't have yelled. I should have been with you, and this wouldn't have happened." Inuyasha was about to say more, but Kagome silenced him.

"Do you know what happened?" Inuyasha nodded and was about to explan, but Kagome didn't give him the chance. "Kikyo came out of the woods, and I said hi, and asked what she was doing there. She said 'You have kept him from me for too long, but no more.' Then she shot me. Inuyasha, Kikyo still loves you." Inuyasha nodded, then rose. "What are you doing?"

"I've gotta talk to Kikyo."

"I understand. Inuyasha, whatever happens, you have to make the right decision." Kagome looked at Inuyasha hard, and saw such pain on his face that she could hardly stand it.

"I know. I'll be back in a while." He leaped out the door and headed off in the direction that Kagome had gone. When he got to where Kagome had been shot, he sniffed around and found Kikyo's trail, but it didn't matter. Kikyo stood befor him suddenly, her face unreadable in the darkness. "Kikyo..." Inuyasha felt a lump rise in his throat, and Kikyo stepped toward him.

"Inuyasha, now that Kagome is dead, we can be together without distractions. We can go and live as we planned. You remember it as well as I, I am certain. Inuyasha, we-" Inuyasha stopped her talking, and gathered all his witts about him before proceeding.

"Kikyo, what you have done is unforgivable. Even now, I could not be with you, for what you have done is disgusting." Kikyo looked at him, and the moon came out from behind the clouds. Tears were in her eyes. "Damn it, Kikyo! I love you, but what you have done is nearly as bad as Naraku!" Kikyo through herself in his arms and pressed her face into his shoulder.

"Inuyasha, I just want to be with you. You have grown fond of Kagome, I can tell. If it got any further, the future for us would be destroyed. Inuyasha, please be with me." Inuyasha thought back to when Kikyo and himself had sat and talked together, holding and kissing one another. But now, he felt distant from her, and she felt cold in his arms.

"Kikyo, I'm sorry, but I have no choice. Please find peace." Kikyo looked into his eyes, and began to tremble. They both knew what was coming, but niether were prepared. "Forgive me..." He drew his tetsiga and slashed her. He did not dare to open his eyes. He turned around, and ran far away. Above him the spirits floated lazily about as they escaped from their prison. Inuyasha shook his face of tears, and kept running. As he ran, flashes of her face, smiling and gazing into his eyes flooded into his mind. Then, the time they were on the dock after their boat ride filled his vision. She had tripped and fell into his embrace, and they had kissed for the first time. "KIKYO, FORGIVE ME!" He shouted into the night. Then suddenly, the light of the fire blinded him, and he found Miroku, Sango, Shippo, Kirara, and Keada standing as they watched him return. Sango stepped forward, to ask what had happened, but Inuyasha rushed away from the light. He could face no one right now. His guilt and pain burned to bright.

"Inuyasha..? Are you awake?" Inuyasha opened his eyes to see Shippo standing over him. He turned his head away, and stared off into the distance. "Keada wants to talk with you." Shippo bounded away, and when Inuyasha looked, he entered the cabin, with Miroku, Sango and Kirara right behind. Keada approached him.

"Inuyasha. I know what you have done."

"I can explain-" Inuyasha said this before he thought about it. He couldn't explain why he did what he did. He looked down, and felt the tears sting the back of his eyes.

"No need. Inuyasha, Kikyo was my sister, before she died. What you have done is give her rest. Do not feel so, for she has forgiven you. Now that she is on the other side, she knows why you did thus. The others do not know. I will tell them-"

"No, I will. I did it. I can explain." Inuyasha rose wearily, and walked slowly to the cabin. When he entered, he found five compassionate faces staring back at him. "Kagome, how do you feel?" She smiled and nodded. She was sititing, eating some poridge and talking like she used to.

"Inuyasha, what did Kikyo say?" Shippo flinched after asking, thinking he would get a fist upside his face, but Inuyasha's face just became grave. He sat down by the fire, his hair efficiently shadowing his face.

"She said that now Kagome was dead, we could be together. After she did that to you, I couldn't see myself loving her as I once did. I yelled at her, compared her to Naraku..." Inuyasha looked further down. "I begged her forgivness... then... I killed her..." Their faces became grave, and Miroku and Sango looked at one another.

"Inuyasha..." Kagome struggled to her feet, and limped her way to Inuyasha's side. The other's had risen to stop or catch her if she fell, but she knelt before him. Inuyasha looked up, and for the first time Kagome saw tears rolling down his cheeks. She pulled him into a gentle embrace, and Inuyasha clung to her for comfort. "I'm sorry..." Inuyasha clung tighter, and pain shot through her. She grunted, and Inuyasha released her. He helped her to her bed, then went outside. He sat by the tree, and thought for many hours. What have I done?