Alrighty, my first Inuyasha fic, a one shot, please tell my what you think, like it hate it I don't care just tell me please?

Echo

There they were, those dried brown vines.  They had hardened after so long around the tree.  She looked up and wondered at how she had ever missed them before.  They wrapped around the Goshinboku like steps, a barrier from the lower trunk to which not even the sun could penetrate.  Then she remembered.  The very first time she had seen such vines around the tree.  They were slowly curling their way around Inuyasha, locked in his eternal sleep.

They looked so much like the bark of the tree itself, had she not seen Inuyasha under them, she would still believe it to be the bark of the tree itself.  They had had so long to grow after she freed him, with only the tree to embrace ever so slowly.

Kagome stood there wondering how she could have ever missed them, even after she freed Inuyasha, how could she keep coming home without ever noticing the subtle difference between the bark of the tree and the bark of the vines.  Perhaps it was because she had never bothered to look.  Perhaps if she had not freed him that time, he might still be under there, the original vines letting a few cracks of red show.

She stood and watched, as she had done so much before.  She watched.  Tears falling to mix with the blood as she held the bow and remembered.

The fight was finally over, and Naraku defeated.  Kikyo was gone after losing the last of her soul to Kagome just shortly before the battle.  In yet another effort to slay Inuyasha, she intended to slay Kagome as well, and in proximity had lost her soul, Kagome unconsciously calling it back.  Kikyo had not counted on that.  Things were as they should be.  And Inuyasha could grieve and move on.

The battle with Naraku was long and painful.  She watched as everyone fought.  As everyone was injured.  And she fought as well, her arrows destroying what was left of Naraku after the long battle.

It took four days.

For him to recover.  Inuyasha, who had taken the worst of the blows.  Kagome unsure of what to do, had stayed by his side until he rose and dispelled her worry.

During those four days she had made her decision.  She had asked Miroku, Sango, and the small kitsune to wait by the Goshinboku for her later in the day.  She took Inuyasha towards the well, and when it was in sight, she carried out her choice.

Still slightly wounded herself, she handed the jewel to him.  The quest was over, but she meant to stay by his side forever, and knew he saw it in her eyes.  She had even started to wear clothes of this time now, and was dressed as a miko.  She closed her hands over his, encasing the jewel, and told him.

"I'll wait where you first saw me."  She turned and left him, with the jewel.

On her way to the tree Kagome couldn't help but think of how happy she was going to make everyone when she told them of her decision to stay.  A smile pulled at her face.  She also couldn't help but to think if Inuyasha would go though with his decision made so long ago.  Or…Would he become human?  She had never asked him, and knew it would be a great sacrifice on his part.  She had never asked because she accepted him, completely,  appearance didn't matter, and she was sure that would be the only thing to change no matter what he chose.

It hurt so much to be wrong.

She had just reached her friends when she felt it.  The jewel, it was still there but combined with another power now.  If he became human it would disappear a pure deed, but to become demon, it would not be purified, he would be using it just as Naraku was.

And it was still there.

She wondered how different he would appear, more like his brother perhaps?

She heard the noise before she saw it.

The trees parted to reveal Inuyasha, changed forever.  Her back was turned as he threw his first attack.  She fell to the ground, as Sango and Miroku dodged.  Kirara jumped to take it full force sparing Sango, who could not move fast enough due to her injuries from fighting Naraku.  The same attack slaying Shippou, who did not move in time.

She watched.

As she arose from the ground where she had dodged, in shock and horror, after Inuyasha had jumped over her to attack the others.

 Miroku was still wounded and was no match without his wind tunnel.  She could smell the blood now.

She watched.

As he turned toward Sango, and was upon her before she could even shed a tear for Kirara.  What had she done?  Sango put up a fight, but not for long.  The blood was even more pungent now.  He was not as quick now.  When he turned towards her, her soul was in agony.

Those weren't his eyes, Inuyasha was gone.  Those soulless eyes darted over to her right shoulder.  His first attack had grazed her and she was bleeding heavily now.

It's all my fault.

I'm so sorry.

They were the only ones breathing, her tears mixing with her blood upon the grass before her.  He advanced upon her slowly, as if asking for a challenge.

I'm so sorry.

Kagome could barely see, but somehow they were in her hands.

I'm so sorry.

Her hands worked on their own as her tears blinded the sight before her, trying vainly to wash it free of the world.  The soulless eyes were upon her now, as he lunged.

"I'm so sorry."

She fired the arrow, and stared into those blank eyes as it penetrated his chest, as it dug into his heart.  Pushing him back into the tree.

They flickered, then they were his, for that last moment, that last waking moment, they were his again, they were his, and she could see in his eyes not surprise, or pain, or betrayal, his eyes echoed hers.

I'm so sorry.

And she stared where three years before she had found him.  Kagome did not know how she got home, but now she was here, bleeding and crying in the same spot, but in a much distant future.

She wondered how she couldn't see it before.  How she never saw the false trunk. How she had missed the crack where the end of the shaft broke through.

She watched, thinking, I'm so sorry.