Adult-FanFiction.org : Inuyasha / Yashahime

Death, Love, and Choices	By : HauntedReality Category: InuYasha > General Views: 1309 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.

Chapter List
- 1-Death, Love, and Choices
- 1
DISCLAIMER: No Inuyasha characters were stolen or harmed in
the making of this story. They were only borrowed, tortured, and then returned
to their rightful owner.

Rated R for violence, character death, and lemon-lime
situations.

For the sake of clarity, I would like to warn that each
section takes place at a different time. I wanted to keep things interesting.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

At the sound of a distant thunderclap, Kagome glanced
nervously at the ominous clouds above her. There was something all too familiar
about the scene, and it made her uneasy.

She quickened her pace toward her destination to prevent
having second thoughts. Memories of earlier that morning flooded her mind,
loosening the tears that hung just under the surface.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Soft wisps of long silver hair played across her face as she
pretended to be asleep. The night had passed too quickly into day, and she was
not ready to face the morning, or the man she loved.

Her serious thoughts gave way to playfulness as she resisted
the impulse to giggle while silky hair tickled her nose, but her lips betrayed
her as they turned upward into an uncontrollable smile.

Having won the game, the powerful youkai scooped the young
miko into his arms, and rolled her so that she was underneath his body. His
arms pushed against the lavish sheets on either side of her head, and his hair
cascaded down like a curtain.

Her hands curled around his wrists lightly. She had a hard
time remembering what it had been like before she had used her miko powers to
accelerate the regrowth of his arm.

�So you thought you could deceive the Lord of the Western
Lands, did you?� He challenged in a stern authoritative voice.

�I did, my lord. This unworthy one will gladly accept any
punishment, one so noble, sees fit to bestow upon me,� Kagome replied, fighting
the fit of laughter that sought to peek out from behind her flowery language.

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at his prey, �Would you add
mocking your lord to your list of crimes?�

This time a mischievous smile was Kagome�s only reply. Such
innocent seduction, he could no longer resist. Passion burned beneath his stoic
features as his lips dipped to meet hers.

There was no resistance as they flowed into each other. His
clawed hand lightly brushed her hair away as they continued to kiss. Her arms
encircled his well-defined chest. She moved her open palms across his muscled
back--softly at first, but then gaining in intensity as their kiss depended.

She felt him begin to pull back, and her grip tightened
reflexively. He conceded, at first, returning to their embrace, but at last he
broke contact. She moaned in disappointment.

�I apologize, Kagome, but I must prepare for my departure.�
Searching amber eyes stared into her sad chocolate ones. He could tell they
were brimmed with tears.

�It is unlike you to be so distressed over such a short
excursion. You know I must mediate a territory dispute between the Lords of the
North and South, but it will not require much time. I will return before nightfall
tomorrow. The offer still stands, if you wish to accompany me.�

�No,� she replied sadly. Kagome bit her bottom lip to hold
back the explanation for her behavior. She wasn�t ready to let him
go--figuratively or literally. Their time together had been brief, and yet she
was sure she would feel the same even if they remained as they were for one
hundred years.

His eyes studied her. There was curiosity and concern hidden
behind his unreadable features. She knew he was waiting for a response. She had
always been honest with him, and to keep something from him now tore a hole in
her heart.

�I will miss you,� she managed to say honestly.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Kagome had arrived, but she stalled at the entrance. The
stony opening peeked out from behind overgrown vines. It was just as she
remembered it from years ago--except drier.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The wind was picking up as she struggled through the biting
rain. She scanned the distance for some kind of shelter, but raindrops were
pelting her eyes, obscuring everything around her.

She determinedly trudged on in hopes of finding some
sanctuary from the weather that assaulted her. The earth had become slick with
the rainwater, and she lost her footing. She impacted the ground forcefully,
sending a wave of pain coursing through her body.

She winced as she lay in the watery mud. Tears mingled with
the rain that still attacked her prone figure. She knew she had to keep moving
to find shelter from the rain, but her shoulders shook with sobs. And her
defeated spirit weighed heavily upon her.

Kagome had always been a strong girl. She had overcome
adversity in her life at a young age. When her father died, she took it upon herself
to comfort her grieving family, even as she was falling apart on the inside.
She had accepted extra responsibilities around the house, and had made sure to
spend additional time interacting with and caring for her brother.

Later, when her Grandfather had taken ill, and the family
had moved into the shrine to be with him, she had given up the free time she
normally used with her school friends to sit beside him, while he told her
nonsensical stories of ancient youkai. Even after he had recovered they
remained to help with the shrine duties, many of which fell on Kagome�s
shoulders.

And then one day when she was investigating an old sealed
well in the shrine, a strange multi-armed creature pulled her into another
world of danger and wonders. She could have ignored the destiny that awaited
her. She could have returned to her world leaving the shattered Shikon jewel,
and all the troubles it caused behind her. But she did not.

These sacrifices and choices proved she was willing to give
of herself to help others. She did these things not because they were expected
of her, or to win a reward of some kind. It was in her nature, and she couldn�t
deny that.

But these were not the characteristics Kagome felt within
herself anymore. When she stared at her reflection she saw only recriminations
and regrets. Part of her wanted to submit. She wanted the elements to punish
her for past deeds the way she could not bring herself to.

Covered in mud, soaked by rain, and frozen from an
unforgiving wind--her thoughts turned, as they so often did, to the man she had
watched disappear from her life forever.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

�Inuyasha?� Kagome shouted his name into the starless night
sky.

She had been looking for the wayward hanyou for almost an
hour, and still had not found him. She traveled through the thick underbrush of
the forest as skillfully as she could, but branches clawed at her exposed arms
and legs. She could not be sure which way he had gone, but her brave heart pushed
her ever onward.

He had said nothing when he spotted the brilliant
illuminations of the Shichinintai. He
didn�t have to. She had always known that a piece of his heart was still with
the ice-cold maiden who roamed the land on borrowed souls.

She had watched him
go to her again--his crimson robes and silver hair billowing in his wake. A
foreign feeling overcame the raven-haired girl as she watched Inuyasha depart
from her side.

For the first time
in her life Kagome felt selfish. She wanted something to be just hers and no
one else�s. She wanted Inuyasha�s love, and she was willing to fight for it.
With this realization to fuel her steps, she had chased the hanyou into the
darkening forest.

Her determination
had begun to waver when she caught a glimpse of unnatural light emanating from
a nearby grove of trees. Her tired legs found new strength, and she pushed
herself toward her goal.

She was ready at
last. She was ready to tell Inuyasha how she truly felt about him. She was
ready to fight Kikyo for the man she loved. She was ready to start a new
chapter in her life.

But she wasn�t ready
for the sight that confronted her.

Her blood ran cold,
and her breath caught in her throat. Her body shook spastically as her eyes
fell upon the limp, lifeless body of the man she had been so close to
confessing her heart to.

Standing over him,
holding a blood-covered knife was Naraku. A few feet away lay another crumpled
body--it was Kikyo�s.

Naraku watched her
eyes fix upon the woman behind him. He regarded the stricken girl lightly as he
wiped the blood off on the fallen miko�s white shirt. �She served her purpose
well,� he said. �It was almost too easy to draw out the hanyou. Really little
girl, did you even try to keep him away?�

Kagome�s lips formed
words, but no sound would come forth. She wanted to scream, she wanted to
attack, she wanted to curl up and die, but all she could do was stand there
staring at the sadistic man before her.

He continued
absently as though he were speaking to himself, and not the conflicted girl.
�She honestly believed I could not do it. She thought the heart of Onigumo
would stop me.� He regarded the still body on the ground momentarily before
spitting at the corpse in disgust.

�As if the heart of
a criminal would sacrifice power for love,� the disdain was evident in his
voice as his attentions then turned to Inuyasha�s corpse. �He was the one who
loved her so much he was willing to go to hell with her, just so they could be
together.�

�NO!� The outburst
drew Naraku�s attention, and scared Kagome. It wasn�t until Naraku approached
her, that she realized she had been the one to scream.

When he was within
arm�s distance her mind just shut down. Somewhere deep inside she was seeing a
boy pinned to a huge tree for the first time. She was stroking his strange
puppy ears, and admiring his peaceful face. That is where her mind trapped
itself.

Her body, on the
other hand, was unleashed.

A wave of spiritual
energy radiated out from the small girl. It was more potent than anything she
had produced before. As it engulfed a surprised Naraku, it made a crackling
sound, and seared his flesh.

He was thrown
several meters away by the force. Had she pressed the attack she might have
been able to destroy him then and there. But she wasn�t really standing in that
grove of trees among the dead bodies of Kikyo and Inuyasha. She was far away
marveling at how velvety the pale boy�s ears felt against her fingertips.

A weakened, but
angry Naraku pulled himself to his feet, and his eyes blazed at the comatose
girl who had nearly felled him. A surge of power passed through him, and almost
ravaged her defenseless body. Instead, he only laughed.

�No, it will not be
that easy for you. Someone must seek the remaining shards for me.�

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

�Where is the shard?� Naraku hissed.

As if in a trance state, Kagome pointed at the battered wolf
youkai�s left leg. Kouga stared up at her in disbelief, but there was no
recognition in her vacant eyes. They were as empty as the young boy�s who was,
at that very moment, dragging the lifeless body of Sango to his master.

Kouga felt a blade rip through his leg, and returned his
attention to the dark-haired woman who was smirking at his pain. �Kagura,� he
managed to growl at the woman.

�Lovely to see you again Kouga. I�ll be taking this. After
all, you won�t be needing it anymore,� Kagura replied with false sweetness.

Before he could rally his strength for a final attack, she
severed his body with her dance of blades.

In the split second it took for death to claim him, he
returned his gaze to the woman he loved. He felt no malice from her forced
betrayal. His only regret as the world went dark around him was that he had
failed to protect her.

�The girl was right, the monk was holding on to the last of
the shards they gathered,� Kagura said to Naraku.

�Was he dealt with?� Naraku inquired calmly.

�He tried to suck them into his wind tunnel, but Kohaku
managed to grab them before they went in. The monk wasn�t so lucky.�

�That is one way to end the curse,� Naraku smirked wickedly.
�And the annoying Kitsune?�

�He threw himself in front of the demon-slayer. Kohaku�s
weapon tore through both of them.� Kagura added thoughtfully, �I guess he
stopped being so cowardly.�

�For all the good it did him,� Naraku scoffed.

In truth, with the completed jewel he knew it mattered
little who was left to oppose him, for none could match its power. However,
with so much time invested fighting these same people time and again, he
couldn�t help but be curious.

Naraku would have asked if Kohaku�s shard was present, but a
glance to the heart-broken boy on his knees made that clear. Over time the
shard had healed his broken body, but his mind was released from its slumber,
and there was little chance of mending it.

Naraku looked at Kagome�s motionless form, and beckoned for
her to join them. Her legs complied without hesitation--the same legs that had
recently ignored the frantic pawing of tiny hands trying to get her attention.
Her mind never registered Shippo�s heart-felt pleas.

It had retreated after the scene in the forest, and Naraku
had insured it stayed that way. She did not register that her shell had been
helping him search for jewel fragments for the last few months.

Naraku placed all of the jewel fragments into her cool palm.
�Now, combine them,� he demanded simply.

Kagome�s hand glowed with a radiant pink light. The jewel
that had been splintered, and sought after for so long was once again whole.

As Naraku reached out to claim his long-awaited prize, he
felt a sharp pain in his shoulder, and then watched helplessly as his
outstretched arm dropped to the ground. His eyes then fell open a blade running
through his chest. With no shards in his possession to amplify his powers, he
was left vulnerable to the powerful sword.

His remaining hand opened and closed uncontrollably while
his legs gave out beneath him. As his body slid downward--the blade remained
still--splitting his torso up the middle, narrowly avoiding his head.

�So close.� Naraku managed to choke out before his lifeless
body tumbled to the ground.

As his powers faded, so did the blank expression Kagome
wore. Slowly her vacuous eyes took on a renewed life.

At first her mind was groggy, and did not remember the
events leading to the present. She looked up at the man standing in front of
her. He had long flowing silver hair, and regal robes. His face was placid, and
revealed no sign of the life he took, moments ago. Finally, her mind managed to
recall a name.

�Sesshoumaru,� she called out softly.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Kagome stepped into the cave. She ran her hand over the
rough walls. She treasured every sensation she could experience--good and bad.

So many horrific things had happened while she went through
life in the dark. She had led Naraku and his detachments to her friends. Each
of them died, and she could never shake the guilt of knowing that was partially
her responsibility.

However, she dealt with the pain through living. Kohaku had
escaped his through death. Kagome hoped that the boy found the peace in death
that he was denied in life. She was glad she had not chosen the same path, but
she could certainly sympathize with the temptation.

But if she had, she never would have fallen in love with
Sesshoumaru, and shared the last few years with him. It had not always been
happy, and it was seldom easy, but she cherished the time they spent together.

She shivered when she thought of how upset he would be with
her if he knew she had left the castle with no one to protect her. Uncertainty
once again filled her mind, but she pushed it away. If her plan succeeded the
point would be quite moot soon enough.

Her mind pictured her Sesshoumaru. His tall lean body
adorned in stately white garments entered her thoughts. His eyes and hair,
which were so much like another�s, were unique in many ways too. The way he
watched her with those gold dust eyes always made her feel like the most
important person in the world. His hair was remarkably fine. When it ran over
the length of her body each strand would set off a pleasure synapses in her
mind.

In addition to his obvious positive characteristics, he was
also a surprisingly gentle man. She knew that without his support and care she
would still be wandering through life, as she had been the night he carried her
out of the rain.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Her body felt too weak to push itself up again. And there
was something comforting about lying against the eroding earth. It felt as if
she was sinking away. She closed her eyes, and hoped everything would be over
soon.

Instead of the cold embrace of death, she felt the warm
embrace of a powerful arm pulling her against a strong chest. In the dark with
the rain she had trouble seeing the man who held her, but in a flash of
lightning she caught two amber eyes staring at her just before she passed out.

She slept for hours as he kept watch over her frail form in
the small cave. He watched her chest rhythmically rise and fall as she
breathed. Earlier, she had been racked by nightmares. Her strained voice had
called out for his dead younger brother. Tears had filled her sleeping eyes as
she sobbed into the robe he had wrapped around her.

He wasn�t sure why he had chosen to retrieve her from the
storm. It was clear she had no wish to prolong her life, and yet as his
sensitive hearing detected her troubled cries from the protection of the cave,
he found himself inexplicably drawn to her.

Perhaps he saw her as a kindred spirit. He had always been a
solitary being, but he had grown accustomed to his unlikely entourage of a toad
youkai and a young human girl. And when Kagura killed them to force his hand
into taking action against Naraku, he found he missed them as well. He had
tried in vain to use his useless Tenseiga piece together the mess Kagura had
made of their small forms, but nothing could be done.

He had not seen the sleeping girl since the day he killed
the monstrosity that was Naraku. There had been something missing inside her at
first sight, but as Naraku�s life had ebbed away, it seemed that she regained
hers.

There was something in the way the girl looked at him when
the sharpness reappeared in her eyes that he had never forgotten. A spark
burned brightly within her. She had a worthy spirit, and he respected that. To
see her as she was now was unfortunate.

Without realizing it, he wished to assist her in recapturing
what Naraku had stripped away--her zest for life, her passion, and, although he
would never admit to it, her ability to love and be loved.

She stirred beneath the thick fur of the heavy robes. Her
hand stroked the foreign material, and her eyes shot open. Her heart fluttered
at the sight of Sesshoumaru. He looked so much like Inuyasha, and yet he was so
different. Her mind spun wildly as she brought herself into a sitting position,
and tried to understand why he would have rescued her.

�Sesshoumaru?� she said weakly, in a questioning voice.

His guarded eyes continued to watch the dark-haired girl.
After a prolonged silence she decided to try another strategy. �What are we
doing here?�

�Waiting out the storm,� he replied simply.

�I see.� She shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. Her hand
fell against the robe she had been sleeping under. She recognized it as his
traveling clothes. Her eyes cast back across the room toward the motionless
man. He was wearing pants with a sash at the waist, but in all other regards he
was bare.

A blush crept into Kagome�s cheeks, and she tilted her head
so that she was staring at her hands in her lap. This did not go unnoticed by
the demon lord.

�You are embarrassed,� he stated more than he asked.

Her blush deepened. �I-I have not been in the company of
others for a very long time.� Her statement was awkward, but frighteningly
accurate. Since the day her memories were resurrected on the battlefield she
had been afraid to get close to anyone. And more than that, she felt
undeserving.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Sesshoumaru had left without a word shortly after killing
Naraku. When her attentions were no longer focused on him, she found herself
standing amidst a sea of familiar bodies. Memories of everything that had taken
place in the past few months flooded her conscious.

Crying wouldn�t really be an accurate description of what
followed. Wailing is closer, but still wouldn�t fully capture the magnitude of
emotion she was expressing. Hours later, when she pulled herself together
enough to study her surroundings further she found a trembling Kohaku staring
wide-eyed at his sister�s body.

Sango�s eyelids were still open, and it seemed as though
they were looking at one another. The sight caused a gag reaction in Kagome. When
she had composed herself she tried to help the boy, but he wouldn�t respond.

His haunted eyes never blinked or turned away. Kagome made
many attempts to get through to him, but she had little emotional energy as it
was, and eventually left him to gather supplies to bury her friends.

When she returned she found Kohaku lying next to Sango. She
thought perhaps he had finally fallen asleep. When she got closer she saw fresh
blood pooling beneath him.

For a moment, it seemed as though her mind was going to
recede within itself again. She could simply go back to Inuyasha�s forest, and
comfort the sealed boy on the tree, but she fought against it. Her friends were
dead. She was to blame, and she wanted to suffer for what she had done. She
couldn�t suffer if she couldn�t remember.

So she steeled her mind against the seduction of forgetting.
Using Miroku�s abandoned staff she began to carve at the earth to provide a
resting place for her friends.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

�Are you well?� Sesshoumaru asked in an even tone.

His words snapped her back to her current situation--alone
in a cave with a half-dressed youkai lord. She nodded her head in response when
she found she was powerless to form words.

How long had it been since she had talked to anyone? She
hadn�t allowed herself to go back to the well. She couldn�t face that life
anymore. It would make all the hardships seem too much like a dream. She had
dreamed long enough. It was time to live, no matter how hard that was.

Still, such close proximity to Sesshoumaru was making her
feel almost dizzy. What was it about the untouchable demon lord that made him
so alluring?

Unwanted feelings stirred within her. She sought to push
them away, but to no avail. She decided if she could not escape them mentally,
that she would do so physically. Standing to leave, she found her legs too
wobbly to walk, and soon she was falling.

She braced for impact, but it never came. Instead, she found
herself pinned between Sesshoumaru�s arm and chest again. Dark chocolate eyes
met sparkling amber ones. Her hand was inadvertently resting on his naked
chest, and their faces were only inches apart.

They had both been so profoundly alone for so long that the
sheer nearness of their bodies was driving them forward. Guilt and loneliness
gave way to need and desire, as they were pulled together by a force greater
than themselves.

Their lips met in a desperate battle for completion. Her
hands kneaded the muscles in his back as he pulled her flush with his body.
Clawed fingers quickly removed her clothing as he backed her against the cave
wall.

It was covered in moss, and cold to the touch, but she
didn�t care. She needed the warmth of his body, and the heat of his touch.

They lost themselves to their passions, and melted into each
other.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Kagome saw the moss covered wall, and bit her lip thinking
of that first night with Sesshoumaru. They had both begun living again after
that encounter. They had found solace in one another, and eventually love.

These last years had been more than she ever could have
hoped for after all the tragedies. Still, no matter how much time passed, she
couldn�t get past the nightmares that haunted her.

She knew Sesshoumaru had regrets as well, but she didn�t
realize how much they still bothered him until the day she saw him in the
palace garden standing next to a statue of Rin.

It was clear the death had bothered him. One had only to
know he had used Toukijin and Tenseiga in conjunction to kill Kagura, not once,
but a multitude of times, to see that. But to believe such a reserved man still
carried the weight of her death so heavily was difficult. And yet, there he was
looking as sad and broken as she had ever seen him.

Any casual observer would think nothing of this, but Kagome
had grown to notice the subtleties in his stoic form over the years. And it was
obvious to her that he was deeply troubled by the past too.

Watching the man she loved in pain, she knew she had to
change it. She had to fix what she had done all those years ago. So here she
was, once again in the cave where they had restarted their life together.

She had wanted so badly to talk to him about her decision.
To have him agree with her, and escort her to the cave, but she knew he would
never allow her to do it. He would talk her out of it, and they would continue
living and loving while everyone else they cared about was dead.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The cloud beneath Sesshoumaru�s feet moved quickly amidst
the driving rain. The foul tempered night suited his mood as he sought out his
love.

He had known something was amiss in her actions that
morning, but he had allowed his duties to momentarily cloud his priorities. He
had made it as far as the edge of his lands when he turned back toward the
palace to check on Kagome. She had not been there.

The demon lord was not pleased.

He could not allow himself to consider what would happen if
he found her harmed. He was strong enough to admit, at least to himself, that
she had become his world. He had no intention of returning to the emptiness she
had filled.

Her trail was obscured in the storm, but he pressed on,
having discerned her intent. The cave was not far now.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The cave contained more than just passionate memories of a
single night. It held the completed Shikon no Tama jewel.

She had carried and protected it since that fateful day--never
daring to release its power--for fear that she would make the world even worse.
She had stopped trusting herself so the jewel was no use to her.

When she chose to leave with Sesshoumaru she decided to
abandon the past, and that included the jewel. Using the miko powers she had
come to rely on during her wandering, and the training she received from Kaede
and Miroku regarding protection spells, she was able to seal it away.

Now she was breaking the seal she had constructed all those
years ago. She took the jewel in her hand. It was so light. How could something
so inconsequential feeling be the catalyst for so much pain?

A tear slid down her cheek as she thought about her
Sesshoumaru once more before casting the wish she hoped would set everything
right. She had long debated what the wish should be.

She wanted to keep her friends alive, and prevent Naraku
from getting the jewel�s power. But every scenario ended up the same. There was
too much risk involved. She only had one wish, so it had to do as much good as
possible. Finally, it occurred to her why none of her practice wishes felt
quite right. She was ignoring the one wish that would ensure the Shikon no Tama
was never misused.

She didn�t want to do it. She wanted to find a way to still
have them in her life. She wanted Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha, and Sango, Miroku,
Shippo, and Kouga.

She couldn�t imagine her life being complete without them,
but this wasn�t about her--it was about them. And so, Kagome once again found
that kind-hearted girl who always thought of others first, inside herself.

She closed her eyes, and drew in a deep breath. Her heart
was throbbing so loudly in her chest that she couldn�t hear the approaching
demon lord. Her lidded eyes blocked the appearance of the anguished man
speeding toward her.

He opened his mouth to call out to her, but it was a moment
too late as he heard her whisper, �I wish the Shikon no Tama never existed.�

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

AUTHOR�S NOTE: This ended in a far darker place than it
began, both in my mind�s eye, and on the page, but I like the way it turned out
anyway. I wanted to push things, but I hoped the situations still felt
believable.

Special thanks to BelleDayNight for helping me work through
some of the issues with this piece. She suggested that I solicit various �what
happened next?� type scenarios from readers in their reviews. I thought that
would be fun for everyone, so I encourage it, but all comments, questions,
praise, and criticisms are welcome.

I have always envisioned this as a one-shot. I like leaving
the ending open for reader interpretation. I swear it isn�t just laziness! My
madness is full of method. And to quote my favorite movie, �there are no happy
endings, because nothing ever ends.�

I live off of reviews, so please feed the writer!

AUTHOR�S NOTE continued�
So, everything I said before about not wanting to give this
an ending? Well, that was true, and yet, I did have this idea, plus I know it
will make one of my readers very very happy at least. If you want to leave
things as they were don�t read on.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Walking down the streets the unlikely couple received many
surprised stares from passers by. It was true that youkai and humans seldom had
relationships, however, that had been changing rapidly in recent years as their
cultures were finally melding into one.

What made this particular couple so odd was the contrast of
such a regal ancient demon lord with such a young and vibrant human girl. A
clawed hand held a much smaller one as they walked to the Higurashi shrine
where she lived.

Once they reached the door, they were accosted by her very
eager grandfather. �I found it! I found it!� he shouted happily.

The man with the long silver mane shot an almost
imperceptible knowing smile at the girl to his side. Kagome stared back up at
him with dark eyes that were full to overflowing with love and amusement. They
were used to such encounters, and they had developed their own system of silent
communicating in the presence of her family.

�Hey, are you listening!?� Her grandfather asked in a
grouchy voice as the two love birds politely returned their attentions to the
man so they could once again be regaled by stories of times past.

These were always interesting times for Sesshoumaru since he
had lived through most of the incorrectly explained accounts his love�s
grandfather told.

�As I was saying, I found a scroll that spoke of a prophecy
explaining the disappearance of youkai from the world!� he said proudly.

Kagome and Sesshoumaru exchanged a confused look, although
admittedly it was only evident on Kagome�s face. �Grandfather, youkai did NOT
disappear.�

�Don�t you see? They were supposed to. It speaks of a jewel
with enormous power that was sealed in a cave for years until a nearby villager
stumbled across it. The scroll then stated that the man would make an
irreversible wish to rid the world of youkai forever without even realizing
that he had the power to make it come true sitting in his pocket.�

The old man watched the pair expectantly, but no response
was forthcoming. Finally he prompted them, �Well!?�

�With all due respect, if that was supposed to be the case,
then why was it not?� Sesshoumaru inquired logically.

�Because somehow the jewel never came to be!� The old man
danced gleefully about the kitchen. The excitement of such a discovery had yet
to wear off. In the distance he could hear the backdoor open and close. �That
must be Souta, I need to tell him the news,� and with that he was gone.

Sesshoumaru cradled Kagome in his arms, and kissed her
forehead sweetly now that there was no one to watch the exchange. In over 500
years he had never found someone who made him feel as alive or complete as the
young girl who sat beside him.

�Think there was any truth to that story?� Kagome asked.

�I have never put much faith in prophecies. The future is,
after all, what you make of it,� he said applying a second kiss beneath her
bangs.

�Then I�m glad we get to spend ours together.� Kagome said
before taking him into a tight embrace.
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Death, Love, and Choices