After a battle with one of Naraku's incarnations, the group decides to head back to the village for some much needed rest. There, they are met with Kaede and Priest Sourushīsā. Everybody loved Priest Sourushīsā because he had such a bubbly personality.

"Priest Sourushīsā!" Kagome said before embracing the old man with a warm hug.

"Hello there young one!" he said to her. "I see that everyone is fine and safe. That is always good news." He said while looking at the group.

Nightfall quickly came and soon enough everyone went to bed. As Inuyasha was falling asleep, he felt a huge thump on his head. He looks up to see Miroku and the Priest staring down at him.

"What's the deal?" he said loud enough for them to hear but not loud enough to wake up Kagome, Sango, Shippō and Kirara who were all sleeping in the same room. Kaede always slept by herself.

"Come with us." The priest said. So Inuyasha reluctantly followed.

When they were far enough from the hut, they stopped.

"What is it, Priest?" Inuyasha asked in a worried tone. 'This can't be good.' He thought.

"Sit, my friends." The Priest instructed them. "Something worries me about you and Kagome, Inuyasha. I've asked Miroku to join us because he has a certain way of telling the truth."

"What worries you, Priest?" Miroku asked with ego inflated.

"What is going on between you and Kagome, Inuyasha?" the Priest asked.

"Nothing. Nothing at all. Why?" Inuyasha responded confused.

"Don't lie to me, boy! Something happened!"

"I'm not lying old man! Nothing happened!"

"Something must have happened because everything has changed. It's so visible."

"Priest Sourushīsā," Miroku started, "why don't you explain to us what's going. What exactly is it that you see?"

"As you all know, it was foretold centuries ago that a human child would be born with a birthmark between his eyes, and that birthmark would be his passageway to the souls. This boy will bare the name of Sourushīsā. I see souls of the dead and the living, but I see far more then that. And this is what worries me about you and Kagome, Inuyasha. What I see is troublesome."

"What exactly do you see?" Inuyasha anticipated his answer.

"Before I tell you, let me first explain something: everyone has soul mates. When I say everyone I mean any living thing roaming this earth, be it demons, angels or humans, or whatever in between. We all have soul mates. These soul mates needed be romantic ones. For example: Miroku and you are soul mates, you are brotherly soul mates. This means that both of your souls recognize each other as brothers. Souls form attachments to other souls, you see; this attachment goes from one soul to the other. It's like a necklace with a clasp. When two souls want to attach to each other, a necklace with a clasp comes out of each soul until the clasps connect themselves together. When this connection happens, a bond is then formed. Children, do you follow thus far?"

Both Inuyasha and Miroku shook their heads to say yes.

"Well these attachments can be broken or clasps left open depending on the circumstances. Or the intensity of the bond diminished."

The Priest then takes a deep breath and continues.

"The first time I met your pack, Inuyasha, your attachment to Kagome and hers to you were extremely strong and red. Unbreakable, I would say. However, today when I saw the both of you, her clasp was open and no longer red."

"No longer red? What is red?" Miroku asked.

"Red means passion and love. Each attachment has different colors. Since red means love and hers is no longer red, it simply means that she's no longer in love with Inuyasha." Miroku gasped at the Priest's answer. 'Kagome not in love with Inuyasha? Impossible!' he thought. However, as he looked to Inuyasha he didn't seem shocked or phased by this. It was as though he knew this already.

"What about her open clasp?" Inuyasha asked.

"An open clasp means that the soul purposefully let go of the other soul. Kagome made the decision to no longer be in love with you and let you go."

"Is there a way to reverse all of this? To get the attachment back?" Inuyasha continued asking.

"Yes. I have seen it done but for the bond to be reformed the attachment needs to come from the person who let go. Your necklace is still red and clasp closed, Inuyasha. It is hers that is open and no longer red. So you need to get her to fall in love with you. It is only when she is willing to do so will the necklaces be attached and the bond formed."

"Inuyasha," Miroku looked at him, "you don't seem surprised about Priest Sourushīsā revelations. Why is that?"

Inuyasha took a deep breath and looked up at the stars, "Because she told me so. It happened 3 months ago, after we had battled Naraku's incarnations Jūrōmaru and Kagerōmaru. Kikyo was running away from the evil soul gatherer when she bumped into me in the village, meanwhile Kagome was in her own time." Inuyasha sighed. He didn't know that Kagome had witnessed him telling Kikyo that he would always be there to protect her and love her. When Kikyo had left, he went back to the hut only to find Kagome already asleep. He didn't know that she had heard everything until the day that he tried kissing her.

The moon was out and brighter as ever. Everyone was fast asleep but something woke him up. As he got up, he found Kagome's spot empty. He quickly followed her scent only to realize that she was just a couple of feet away, picking up plants.

"What are you doing wandering on your own, Kagome?"

She looked up and smiled at him. "Sorry. When we were passing by these plants, one of them looked familiar but I couldn't figure out what it was. But as I was stirring, it came to me. So I just got up to pick it up. Kaede told me that it's good for replenishing blood. And with the way these battles are going, we're going to need as much as possible." She explained as she was putting them in her bag. Once she was done, she couldn't go back to sleep so they stayed up for a while talking. Inuyasha kept staring at her, at how she looked under the moonlight.

"What are you starring at?" she had asked him.

"You under the moonlight, that's all." He responded.

"What's on your mind?"

"Does something have to be on my mind?"

"No, but I know when it is. You have this pensive look on your face. Even when you transform into a full demon, you still have that look."

"Why aren't you scared of me when I'm full demon? I've always wanted to know."

"I don't know. I guess I just know that you're you deep down."

This simple explanation made him smile. Kagome has always accepted him for who he was: half demon. She met the human side and accepted it, and now that she met the demon side, she accepted it as well. Kikyo never accepted his demon side and was the one who planted the idea of becoming a full human in his head. That simple epiphany changed Inuyasha's life. He made the decision there and then to leave Kikyo in the past and embrace his future with Kagome. Kikyo was his first love and he'll never forget her but he will stop pursuing the idea that they can find some sort of happiness together. His peace and happiness are with Kagome who accepts him without conditions.

"What are you smiling about?" she asked him.

"I'm just happy that you're here with me. I honestly don't know what I would have done without you." He responded as he is leaning closer to her for a kiss on the lips.

Kagome quickly backs away, "What are you doing?"

"Huh? I was trying to kiss you?"

"Excuse me? And why would I allow you to kiss me?"

"Hummm… Because you also want me to kiss you? I thought that you wanted this? You wanted us?"

"Oh, I see now. Now that Kikyo rebuked you and hates you, I guess you have no other choice but to come and running to good old Kagome who will always be waiting for you. Is that it?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Inuyasha, I was there when you told her that you'll always love her and protect her."

He quickly looks down and away from her, "You heard that huh?"

"Yes, I did. I am not second best, Inuyasha."

"I never said that you were."

"You didn't but your actions proved otherwise. You say a bunch of things but you act the opposite way."

"Kagome, I want you to listen to me, to let me tell you about the decision that I've made."

"No, Inuyasha. I want you to listen to me. We've been on this journey for a year. When we first met I was 16 and now I'm 17. I know that it's only been a year but during that year I have matured faster than desired. I might still be young but I know what I want for myself and what I deserve. And Inuyasha I deserve better than this. I deserve someone who loves me for me and not because I resemble their dead ex lover. I deserve someone's full heart and not 1/10 of it. I shouldn't be the afterthought of the person who supposedly loves me. That's not love, that's simply settling. So let me tell you of my decision. The night that you told Kikyo that you'll always love her and protect her was the night that I let you go."

"What?! You're leaving me to go back to your time?"

"No, of course not. I left behind the love that I had for you. I'm your friend and will always be such but when it comes to my heart, you're no longer trusted with it. What I'm saying is that I'm moving on with my life. I'm no longer waiting for you."

"Kagome, I love you." He said pleading with her.

"You love me do you? Tell me what kind of person protects the woman who tried killing his lover?"

"Huh?"

"Kikyo did try to kill me, the woman you so-call love, yet you're still protecting her. Didn't you start hunting Naraku to avenge Kikyo's death? To avenge the woman you love? Yet here you are, saying that you love me while you protect the woman who attempted to murder me. Says quite a lot." That left Inuyasha with his mouth open. 'She's right. She's absolutely right.'

"Kagome, I'm…"

"Spare me, Inuyasha. I'm not longer hurt by your actions, as I said I've moved on." She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. She then got up to go join the others in their slumber.

"I don't blame her." Said Miroku.

"I don't either." Responded Inuyasha still looking at the stars. "That night simply broke me." Inuyasha whispered. "It was the night that I realized that I couldn't live without Kagome and the night that she realized that she could live without me."

Even though Inuyasha was still looking at the stars, his head held high, both men could see the tears dropping from his cheeks.

"As I said, the bond can be reformed."

"She won't let it happen, Priest." Inuyasha informed him, "When Kagome makes up her mind, there's no going back. Besides, for the past couple of weeks, every time she comes back from her era, I can smell a male scent on her. It's not her grandfather or her brother."

'This explains a lot' thought Miroku. Before, When Kagome came back from her era, Inuyasha would be lighter and happier; but since the past couple of weeks of her coming back, he became tense with silent anger. And looking back, he was also hurt. With every return, he seemed hurt. He did see difference with his friend but only now understood why.

"Inuyahsa, do you truly love Kagome?" Miroku asked him.

"I told you that I did!" he yelled at the monk.

"I am asking you, brother to brother, knowing that your revelation, whatever it may be, will not leave us: do you truly love Kagome?"

"Yes, I do."

"Another question: Do you still love Kikyo?"

"A part of me will always love her. You need to understand. This was the first time that I've ever experienced love. So yes, a part of me will always love her. But if you're asking me if I'm still in love with her, then no. If you're asking me, if I'm willing to give up Kagome to be with her, then no. If you're asking my if I'm willing to give up Kikyo for Kagome, then yes."

"What's the difference between now and then. Why so easily?" The monk wanted to know.

"This was no easy decision, monk. It was a long process but the truth is knowing that Kagome doesn't love me anymore… it's hard. It's fucking hard. And now that the Priest confirmed it…" Inuyasha was now shaking his head back and forth. "The worse part is that this is my own doing. There's no one else to blame but me."

Miroku had never seen Inuyasha so open and vulnerable. He truly felt bad for his friend.

"My brother," Miroku said putting his hand on Inuyasha's shoulder, "our mission now is to find the shards of the Sacred Jewel and make Kagome fall in love with you again. Make her forget whatever man she has in her era. I'll ask Sango questions to see if she has information."

Inuyasha looks at Priest Sourushīsā, "You're certain that the bond can be rebuilt."

"Yes."

"What do I need to do?"