InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Demon's Night ❯ Chapter Seven His To Protect ( Chapter 7 )

 

 

 

Demon's Night

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Chapter Eight - His To Protect

-

“After your first betrayal of me, you dare to suggest that I should become your ally?” Sesshomaru asked in a dangerous whisper.

He could hear the slyness in the dark hanyou's voice. He thought he would trust the likes of him again? Sesshomaru resolved to make this engagement short - he did not care to listen to Naraku's sibilant murmurs, the evil workings of his insane, nefarious mind.

After all, Sesshomaru did not intend to make the same mistakes twice.

He reached for the sheathed Toukijin. He slowly slid his fingers along the katana's sheathe to the hilt and then further on, to the pommel.

Naraku was no fool. He knew that with his own miasma, and Sesshomaru's melting poison, they were well-matched. Sensing danger, he continued his verbal assault, intent on seducing the dog demon.

“As I said, if you kneel, I shall allow you to live as my personal servant. Although devouring you would still greatly increase my strength.”

“I do not suffer to answer to the demands of others,” the demon lord said with cold fury. “This Sesshomaru kneels to no one.”

“You shall kneel readily enough, I think, if I remove your legs at the knee,”Naraku said with a vile smirk.

“You forget your place, hanyou,” Sesshomaru stated icily.

A tentacle flew with a whistling slash meant to behead him.

Though he moved with grace and speed, his breastplate shattered. Metal crunched and splintered.

Sesshomaru's eyes widened slightly - his fast movements had kept his upper body from injury, but the next strike...

That was the killing lunge.

Pain almost struck him blind.

He was taunted by the knowledge that he may never get to finish his mission against Naraku - but only for an instant. The pain slowly ebbed away, but he knew it would return all too soon.

Sesshomaru was not used to doubting himself. It made him all the more determined to rid the world of Naraku.

Any other being would be daunted by the dark hanyous speed and seemingly tireless skill.

Sesshomaru was not impressed. Naraku was little more then a clever puppeteer.

“Souryuhha!”

Using the dragon strike, he severed one tentacle, then another, and another. He did not allow the beast time to regenerate as he swiftly moved forward. He struck again, and again, deflecting its attacks, holding it at bay until his skillful assault sliced it to ribbons. At the end, he pierced the beast through it's upper chest, driving the point of Toukijin through the place its human heart was.

All through this, Naraku's transformed body twitched as the carnage mounted. He reeked of corruption, and his wrath was hellish, and fiery, but he was hopeless to respond in kind. His powerful body was a bloody ruin.

“You can't kill me!” the dark hanyou struggled to scream. “I cannot die! I will return, ever stronger! Then I will come to devour you!”

Sesshomaru's lips turned up in a cruel, terrifying smile. His hand lifted, he cracked his knuckles, glowing green poison dripping and overflowing from his claws - and then he flung it on the destroyed carcass, causing flesh and even bone to completely melt and disentegrate.

“You cannot come back...without a body to return to,” Sesshomaru taunted, watching the half-demon completely disappear. He didn't allow even one scrap of hide to remain to escape.

Naraku died with his own screams of agony and rage at his defeat echoing in his ears.

-

“Kagome!”

There was a loud splash of water.

“Kagome? Please don't be dead! Hell, Kagome!”

Someone was shaking her - and hard, too. She didn't want to wake up. She felt exhausted.

“Hm?” she managed at last.

Someone tapped her cheeks.

“Oi, Kagome!”

“Huh?” she blinked.

A sigh of relief.

“Geez, I thought you were dead! What'd ya' do, dummy? Fall asleep in the river? You're lucky you didn't drown!”

Kagome squinted. The early rays of dawn shone behind him, darkening his features, and making his silvery hair glow. “Inu...Yasha?”

“Keh! Yeah, it's me! Who'd you think it was? All that soaking musta' waterlogged your brain!”

Kagome still felt groggy. She barely heard him.

Sitting up in the knee-deep water, she blushed when she realized she was still naked from her bathing. Luckily the water just covered her chest. She looked over to see InuYasha kneeling in the cool, clear water beside her, looking both anxious and annoyed, his red haori soaked, and his long hair dripping in places where it had been splashed. Droplets sparkled on his dark eyelashes, too...or were those tears...?

Kagome frowned, leaning in for a closer look, and InuYasha suddenly lurched back in the water, standing up, and turning his back on her as he leapt onto the grassy bank. She didn't miss the quick swipe of his hand across his face before he abruptly did his wet-puppy-wiggle (as she affectionately thought of it) and sprinkled her with cold water droplets before he turned back to face her.

“I'm sorry I scared you, InuYasha,” she said carefully, crossing her arms over her chest.

The inu-hanyou immediately went on the defensive.

“Keh! You didn't scare me! I just woke up and realized you'd never come back to camp, is all! I thought I'd better come check on you.”

“Oh, yeah, as if you'd actually be sad if I went missing - silly me,” Kagome sighed under her breath. She closed her eyes for a moment, shaking her head, and then resolutely stood up.

InuYasha, still standing on the bank with his arms crossed, and his nose in the air, promptly dropped both and proceeded to gape.

Cheeks burning slightly, unable to believe she was actually doing this right in front of InuYasha - again - Kagome put her chin in the air and marched out of the shallow water.

What had gotten into her?!

When she reached the bank where she'd left InuYasha's yukata the night before, she simply bent over and retrieved it, taking her time sorting out the voluminous sleeves and then pulling the over-sized garment on. She hesitated at the ties.

“InuYasha?”

“Y-yeah, Kagome?” he asked, his voice choked and wary.

“I, um...I guess you want this shirt back, huh?”

InuYahsa took a moment to respond. “Uh-huh.” He lifted a brow, and smiled slyly, even as a blush brushed across his cheeks. “But for now, I guess it found a good home. What kinda' guy would I be if I snatched it from such a comfy lookin' place?”

It was Kagome's turn to sound choked. “I...I just meant, my clothes are probably dry by now. I...I mean, they've been laying out on that rock all night...” she trailed off, resisting the urge to cover her hot face with her hands.

InuYasha seemed to shake himself, and took pity on her, though an odd, amused half-smile stayed on his lips.

“Keh. Whatever. Just get decent so we can get back to the others, okay?”

Kagome sighed shakily. “Okay.”

-

It was much later in the afternoon when the group was well on the road, when a sudden disturbance of the spiritual kind suddenly struck Kagome in the face with the force of a violent slap.

“Someone's near. Someone with jewel shards. A lot of them!” she announced, shocked at the approaching strength of the power.

“Naraku?”

They were all shocked when Lord Sesshomaru stepped into the road ahead of them - all save InuYasha.

InuYasha glared at him when he noticed his half-brothers eyes lingering on Kagome.

“Keh! Figures it's you, bastard. I sensed you weren't far away - but what I can't figure is why you have the stench of Naraku all over ya'!”

-

Sesshomaru gave his brother a look filled with his customary disdain.

His manner was cool and dignified despite his mortal injury - as was befitting a tai-youkai. He would not dishonor his father by collapsing before his enemy - in this case, his half-sibling.

Sesshomaru tossed the pouch containing the jewel shards on the ground near Kagome's feet.

“I believe this belongs to you, miko.”

Her eyes went incredibly wide. “InuYasha! Those are the rest of the jewel shards! All of them!” She looked from the bag to Sesshomaru with awe. “How did you get them? And Kouga's too!”

Sesshomaru didn't bother to look in her direction. “He was...persuaded. He lives.”

Kagome sighed with relief.

“Keh! It's a trick! Stay back, Kagome!”

“Foolish hanyou.” Sesshomaru turned his level glare on his brother. “There is no trick. I simply tire of your antics. Naraku is dead, and those are his jewel shards.” He turned his burning golden gaze on Kagome for the merest instant, and then looked back at InuYasha. “Take them and do what you will - this Sesshomaru has no use for them.” With that, he turned and simply walked away, leaving everyone gaping after him.

Kagome was still staring open-mouthed when she finally noticed Miroku sitting on the ground, peering in disbelief at his hand.

“Miroku!” Sango fell to her knees beside him as she finally noticed, too.

“The kazaana! It's...gone!”

Miroku stared at his now-whole hand. “Sesshomaru...he spoke the truth. Naraku IS dead.”

InuYasha, surprisingly, recovered first, tossing back his hair, and crossing his arms petulantly. “Keh! So he hunted the bastard down for us, Big deal. We just softened him up for 'im.”

Kagome, dumb-struck, just shook her head at him.

What in this crazy world was going on today?!

-

InuYasha's eyes were keen on the ground, widening slightly as they picked up the sight of the blood he'd been smelling ever since his brother had arrived. There was a puddle of red staining the greenery where Sesshomaru had been standing, and a trail of bright red streaks dripping along the path he'd taken his leave on.

Eyes narrowing, InuYasha leapt forward, intent on following the trail.

Kagome called out in bewildered exasperation behind him. “InuYasha! Where are you going? The jewel shards - !”

“Keh! Hang on to 'em tight! When you finish it, go to Kaede, and have her put it in the shrine with a barrier around it. I'm goin' to talk to Sesshomaru! I'll be back soon - I wanna' know exactly what this crap is all about!”

“But, InuYasha - !”

InuYasha knew Kagome didn't want him to go, but he kept running, because...

He knew what the others didn't, because he could smell the heaviness of the blood.

Sesshomaru was dying.

-

There was little pain, now.

The wound did not hurt much, except for at the beginning, even with the miasma invading the torn flesh.

His blood would not stop flowing, however - he could feel more of it leaving him with every throbbing beat of his heart, sliding hot and sticky down his side, and hip, soaking through the fine white silk covering his leg, and gathering in an discomforting pool in the soft leather of his boot.

The blood of his body was spilling as if he had more than one wound, due to the infectious miasma - his body was powerful, still, but the miasma would not allow it to heal itself.

It was peculiar, the knowledge that he would be dead soon, and from something as inane as blood-loss. His body had always healed all wounds almost instantaneously...but perhaps it was not so inane, after all. His father had been dying from a similar wound, had he not?

Sesshomaru found himself smiling.

Like father, like son. The similarities were striking. His father had died protecting what was his - the human woman he'd given his heart to - and so would his son.

“Have you nothing to protect?”

After all the things he'd said to his mortally wounded father, after the callous way he'd acted, it was very humbling to know he would be going to his death for many of the same reasons he'd argued with his father about.

Sesshomaru could almost hear the deep laughter of the Inu-no-Taisho.

However, he was humiliated to find himself growing so weak.

Had his father felt such fear as his own body's strength had waned?

He was panting, inconceivably, almost completely breathless. Grace of spirit and movment had always been of utmost importance to him - and here he was, perspirating.

Sesshomaru did not perspire.

He couldn't fly. He was too weak even to change into his energy form. He could run without limping. There were consequences, however. The blood from the miasma-poisoned wound flowed more quickly with every quick movement he made, and the pain that had been nearly non-existent before now grew with each passing moment.

The pain of dying was nothing, he found, compared to the pain of seeing Kagome recognize him- physically, at least - and have no knowledge of why she felt so drawn to him...

“Oi, Sesshomaru! What do you think you're doing, you stupid bastard? Don't you realize you're bleedin' to death?”

Sesshomaru paused at the sound of his half-brother's voice, and it proved to be a mistake. He collapsed, barely able to turn twoard a nearby tree to catch his fall. The momentum of his body thudding against the solid trunk jarred his wound, and forced a pained grunt from the depths of his throat. Agony exploded through his abdomen, and he closed his eyes against the fire.

“Oi! Did'ja hear me, idiot?” InuYasha skidded to a halt before him, bringing with him the strong scent of crushed greenery.

Sesshomaru forced his eyes open, squinting slightly against the brightness of the late day sun. The spots of brilliant white dappling the blinding, warm streams shining through the leafy canopy of the forest swam dizzily before his eyes, before his idiot brother's head - the two of them - blocked them out.

Lifting his hand from the ground, he clasped it tightly against the wound pulsating in his side. He blinked the pain away, and at last focused on the twitching ears of the hanyou before him.

“Keh. You dead yet, Sesshomaru?”

Sesshomaru bit back a sigh. This was what he had been trying so hard to avoid - his brother witnessing him on his knees. It was the ultimate humiliation.

At least he did not know - would never know - that it was because of a human girl.

“What, did Naraku cut off your ears, too, when he gutted ya'?”

Sesshomaru closed his eyes and wiped his face of all expression. Showing InuYasha that he had succeeded in goading him into showing his annoyance was unacceptable.

“Leave me to die in peace...InuYasha...unless you have come to finish...me off...yourself. You are fortunate...it is too late for me to fight.”

InuYasha sniffed and dropped down to sit crosslegged beside him, closing his eyes and tucking his hands into his sleeves as he tossed back his hair.

“Keh. Idiot. As if I would bother fighting you like this. You're a corpse already, and you know it.” InuYasha went quiet for a long moment, for which Sesshomaru was grateful. His brother had a particularly rough, grating voice which wore on one's ears after a time.

The silence was not meant to last, however, as InuYasha suddenly, and inexplicably - as he often did - launched into an explosion of speech.

“Always gotta' be done your way, don't it? If ya' wanted a piece of Naraku so bad, all ya' had to do was come to me. We coulda' taken his ass on together, and you wouldn't be layin' here bleedin' out like a half-butchered sow.”

Sesshomaru opened his eyes and glared at him, greatly offended...and sadly, quite unable to do anything about it.

InuYasha cracked one eye open and smirked down at him, baring a fang.

Sesshomaru growled at him, eyes flashing red, instinctively trying to show his dominance.

His smirk only grew wider.

As he grew rapidly weaker, Sesshomaru lay his head back against the tree. He took a slow breath, fighting the urge to gasp. “Remind me to smother you...before you have the chance...to take your first breath in our next life,” he said ruthlessly.

InuYasha rolled his eyes. “Don't jinx me. One lifetime stuck with you showin' up all the time to remind me how worthless I am was enough, thanks.”

“So, why'd ya' do it?”

He speaks of Naraku...

“I...did...not...do it...for you...InuYasha,” Sesshomaru said disdainfully.

“Yeah, yeah - you think I'm too stupid to realize that? So, why did ya do it? What, did ya wake up this morning and suddenly decide you were feelin' suicidal, or somethin'?”

'No, I fell in love, you fool.'

Sesshomaru swallowed.

Kagome...

A fierce need rushed through him. He wished he could see her again, that he could lay his head in her lap, feel the tentative stroke of her fingers through his hair again as he drifted off, with the warmth of her smile, her kind, soft eyes, the sun shining down upon him...

“You gonna' answer me before ya' kick off?” InuYasha grumbled roughly from beside him - and then, closer...

“Oi. What're you starin' at?”

Sesshomaru blinked, once, and saw his perfect, hazy vision of Kagome dissapear, only to be replaced by the surly face of his brother, and twin replicas of his own golden eyes glaring down at him, his absurdly pointed nose barely an inch away from his own.

He was again stricken by how much the loathsome creature managed to resemble their sire. He was reminded of the night after InuYasha was born, of how he, Sesshomaru, had gone to kill the woman and child who had caused his mighty father's death. He had come upon them in the early morning, when they were asleep, but had found himself suddenly unwilling to carry out his vengeance.

It had not been the trails of fresh tears marring the lovely face of his father's mistress, nor the exhaustion or grief etched into the hime's features that had stayed his hand. In truth, it had been InuYasha himself. The babe had been tightly swaddled in what he'd realized was his father's prized robe of the fire-rat.

It was this that first gave him pause. That the child was given that precious item spoke volumes of how close he was to their father's heart.

The second thing that had made him walk away had been the barest glance at the babe himself. InuYasha had been awake, deep golden eyes wide and watchful and he gazed back at Sesshomaru, almost too calm and serious for a newborn infant.

Sesshomaru had taken one look at the child whose hair and eye color cried his father's name, and had left without another moments hesitation.

He still did not know if it had been guilt over his callous words to his wounded father that had compelled his actions that morning.

Now, he supposed, he would never really know the truth of what had ailed his mind and made him spare the cursed half-breed...

“Keh! What are you thinking so hard about, Sesshomaru? Wouldn't want you to hurt yourself, there.”

Pulled from his reverie, Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed, and he casually, slowly reached up with his hand and swatted InuYasha away with a flick of his forefinger.

Poink!

“Fool.”

“Oi!” InuYasha leapt up to his feet with a swiftness that Sesshomaru found himself, at that moment, envying. He rubbed the stickness of Sesshomaru's blood from the center of his forehead and sneered at him. “Grrrr! Shit! Now I'm gonna' stink like your sorry ass all night!”

Sesshomaru fixed him with a pointed, if not a little unfocused, glare of his own.

“Father's other sword...the Tensaiga...I left it for you. With...Jaken,” he stated slowly, but cooly. “The other properties there will fall...to you as well...unfortunately. Try...to act in a manner befitting your title. Honor...our sire, InuYasha.”

InuYasha was clearly stunned. He also wasn't listening...

“Damn you, Sesshomaru! You've fucked-me-over my entire life, and now you're screwing me royally again! Right in the ass, you rat-bastard! You-you can't just die without an heir! Listen! You know I'm no 'Lord'! Keh! Damn it, I don't want - “

InuYasha cut himself off as his eyes narrowed on Sesshomaru's hip. He'd obviously just realized the sword wasn't on Sesshomaru. Toukijin was still sheathed at his waist, but Tensaiga...

He fisted his clawed hands. “Idiot! Why didn't you use it to heal yourself? Why didn't you take it into battle? If it was here, I could save you, you moron! You really do have some kind of a death wish, don't ya? Of all the stupid - ”

Why are you giving up like this? was the the unspoken question.

Sesshomaru did not care to answer it, even though he could see the disappointment deep within his half-brother's eyes. He was unsurprised by the sudden attatchment InuYasha was forming to him. He was, after all, the last remnant of InuYasha's 'family'. InuYasha's human side would revere such a thing.

“I am...done, InuYasha.” Sesshomaru offered no further explanation. “You will take me to father's grave. Leave the Toukijin with...my remains. It's too dangerous for any other to handle. Do this, and...and...promise...to care for the girl,” he ordered imperiously, watching the crimson ribbons of the sun through slitted eyes as it slowly began to set in the West.

'My lands', he thought with a fierce surge of pride. He was sorry he would not get to see them again in this life.

“'Girl?'” InuYasha's ears twitched. “What 'girl'?”

Both of them. Both.

A wave of weakness washed over Sesshomaru, and though he internally raged against it, his body was helpless to resist it. Pushing away a sickening sensation in the pit of his stomach, and a completely foreign sense of panic as his legs suddenly went cold and completely numb, he struggled for a calming breath.

“My ward. Rin. She is...with Jaken. Promise.”

“Yeah, yeah, I promise. The little human kid with the toad. I'll take her to Kaede's village, okay?”

And Kagome...my Kagome...

“Keep her...safe...protect...”

“Don't worry about it, she'll be safe. I promised, didn't I? Huh?”

“Sess-Sesshomaru...?”

Sesshomaru didn't answer.

-

Sesshomaru felt weightless - he was nothing, standing on nothingness. It was not cold or warm, here, not dark or light...the only sound was his own breath.

He looked, blindly, into what seemed to be an eternal void...until the edges of it fluttered, and he could suddenly see through the solid grayness as if he stood gazing through a dark, silk-covered portal.

He saw the shadow of his great father on the other side of the dark veil, and knew peace. He would be welcomed. Rin would be cared for. Kagome would be safe. And...he would not allow himself to forget her, not completely.

Someday he would see her again. Someday she would belong to him.

All would be well.

Sesshomaru released his last, hard-won breath, and slowly reached for the curtain of Death...

-

“Sesshomaru?”

InuYasha was torn seeing his mighty brother laying so broken and still. The mighty Sesshomaru had finally breathed his last. He'd hated the bastard for most of his life, but...he had been his last link to his father. The last tie to his family.

InuYasha allowed himself to privately mourn in silence as the evening fell around him, and as the first stars of night twinkled down on the brothers, he carefully wrapped Sesshomaru in his great furry pelt, and prepared to fulfill his last wishes.

-

Cursing his late fathers choice of hiding places for his tomb, InuYasha rubbed at his watering eye, and took one last glance at the grave of his father - and now his brother - and left.

He had an inheritance - and a ward - to retrieve.

-

The kid had taken the news of Sesshomaru's 'absence' rather well.

InuYasha hadn't been able to bring himself to tell the human girl Sesshomaru was dead, so he'd concoted some bullshit story about how his brother had had to leave - for a very, very long time - and how he was supposed to take care of her, now.

The little girl had lifted her chin bravely, sniffled a few times, and then nodded solemnly.

InuYasha had to wonder if she'd somehow seen right through his lame-ass lie. She'd definitely noticed the extra sword now gracing his hip.

She'd been quiet and tearful when they'd left Sesshomaru's lands - now his lands, he supposed - and said her goodbye's to a sobbing Jaken and despondent Ah-Uhn.

Rin had perked right up when they'd arrived back at the village, though.

Shippou and the little girl ran off, practically shrieking with the excitement of having

someone else to play with.

InuYasha sighed as he watched them run off through the green grass and butterflies. He figured he'd hafta' leave for the West again, soon, seeing as he'd only left that toad Jaken in charge. Since Sesshomaru had left no issue, the leadership had fallen to him, but it wouldn't be long before some bastard got up the guts to come challenge him.

Across the village, he saw Kagome exit Kaede's hut, and his entire being perked at seeing her.

She saw him then, and waved him over with a smile.

Some of the heavy weight lifted from his heart as he trudged over to her.

-

Finally! It was about time he'd come back! Three days had seemed like an eternity waiting -

Kagome's relieved and welcoming smile faded as the hanyou approached. InuYasha looked tired, and sad, his ears drooping, the fire in his eyes decidedly banked.He was carrying two swords at his waist, now, and had death grip on the hilt one of them.

“Something's...happened, Kagome.” InuYasha looked at her with wounded eyes.

“Oh, Kami-sama. What?' she asked, dreading the news.

InuYasha unsheathed the second sword at his waist. He held up a sword that was unmistakably the Tensaiga.

“I - Sesshomaru is...dead.”

That had been the last thing she'd been expecting to hear.

Something struck Kagome in the heart, for just an instant - she felt like she was bleeding, dying - and then it suddenly eased. Amazingly she felt tears fill her eyes. She remembered she'd been dreaming about the demon lord...she wondered if the dreams would stop now that he was...

Her throat inexplicably tight, she put a fist to her lips and stared at the ground as it became blurry. She recalled with perfect clarity the last time she'd seen him at the pool in the forest, when he'd saved her. He was immortal, seemed so untouchable.

Mentally, Kagome ran through the list of the demon's deeds. Was it wrong to feel so hurt to know he was dead? Did he deserve to be mourned?

Sesshomaru was arrogant, intelligent, emotionally distant. He was strong, silent...and also often evil and manipulative. In deep contrast, though, she knew he also had a sense of morality, and honor - he was devoted to his duty as Inu-no-taisho.

“But...how?”

How could he be dead?

“He was badly wounded during the fight with Naraku.”

Kagome looked at him with wide eyes. “Wounded?”

The jewel shards! We stood right there the whole time he was talking to us, and we didn't even know...we didn't even know he was hurt!

“W-where is he?” She blinked rapidly, trying not to let him see the tears forming.

InuYasha reached out a hesitant hand to rub a lock of her hair between his fingers. The small contact with her seemed to confort him a little. Then he lifted his other hand to rub at his eye, which was clearly irritated. “I took him to father's grave. That was where he wanted to go.” InuYasha snorted. “After all that bitchin' about how our father tried to escape desecration, he went and decided it wasn't such a bad idea either, I guess.”

“O-oh.” Kagome bit her lip. “Well, he does - did - have a lot of enemies. That...that was nice of you, InuYasha, to respect his....his last wishes. It's definitely something a true brother would have done.”

InuYasha went pink and dropped her hair, turning away slightly. “Keh.”

Kagome gnawed distractedly on the knuckle of her thumb to keep herself from wondering about the ache in her chest, and the tears in her eyes. “How did this happen? I mean....Sesshomaru?”

“I know.”

Kagome did not want to think what kind of grievous wound would have been able to bring down a fully mature tai-youkai like Sesshomaru.

And he hid it from us...?

Angry, suddenly, Kagome fisted her hands, ignoring the tears now sliding down her cheeks and into her hair. “Baka! Why didn't he tell us?! We might've been able to save him! Too proud to accept help from hanyous and humans, huh? S-stupid...!” Her throat closed off and she stood there, crying with a helpless rage, and not even really knowing why.

After all what had Sesshomaru been to her? To any of them, in fact, besides InuYasha?

'He saved my life, that's why I'm so upset,' she told herself, but that didn't seem to be the whole reason, either.

“W-wha -? Hey, don't cry...you can't cry, not for him!” InuYasha blurted, turning back to grab her hands in his.

“InuYasha! It's just...it seems like such a waste!” Kagome sniffled, her lips trembling. “I thought he'd be around forever!”

InuYasha hesitantly pulled her into his arms, resting his jaw atop her hair. “I know. I kinda' thought he would be, too,” he whispered.

Kagome sobbed. Why did this hurt so much?!

“H-hey. Kagome. If I didn't know you had such a kind heart, I'd be worried about you havin' feelings for my stupid brother,” InuYasha murmured teasingly with a husky laugh, trying to distract her - and Kagome loved him for it.

Drawing back, but still within the circle of his arms, Kagome looked up at her first love and smiled weakly through her tears.

'W-ait! First love?! What does that mean?!'

InuYasha looked back at her with a gentle, questioning golden stare.

“What is it, Kagome?”

She couldn't answer. She didn't have any words.

The shikon-no-tama gave a throb of power within her pocket.

Kagome had always warned herself not to set her heart on InuYasha. First of all, he didn't love her. Not like he loved Kikyou, anyway. Even if the dead priestess was out of the way, now, there way no way he could ever truly be hers. InuYasha might care for her, might...desire her, but...he wasn't in love with her. And she would never settle for merely being her look-a-like replacement. She could never settle for being second best.

“Kagome?” InuYasha questioned again when she delicately tugged away from him.

“Oi, wench, what are you doing now?”

Kagome sniffled, and wiped her hands down her face, forcing a brilliant smile.

“Why, I'm going home, of course! My work is done here!”

“You're leaving us?!” came the dismayed cry of Shippou from behind them.

Kagome turned to see all of her friends standing close by. Kaede and the little girl, Rin, could be seen watching from the doorway of Kaede's hut many yards away.

“Kagome,” InuYasha said her name in quiet disbelief.

Kagome's heart felt pierced by his obvious hurt.

The foursome stared at her, aghast.

“No, Kagome-sama - !” Miroku's dark violet eyes showed deep sorrow as he stepped forward.

“Oh, Kagome, do you have to - ?” Sango put her hands over her lips. At her side, Kirara mewled her own protest.

“Waaah! Take me with you!” Shippou flew through the air from Miroku's shoulder and physically attatched himself to her face.

“Oi! Offa' her, runt!” InuYasha grabbed the kit by his scruff. The crying fox clung to InuYasha's arm, tears rapidly wetting his sleeve.

InuYasha ignored him for the moment, his gaze soft and confused as he looked at her.

“What about the jewel?”

“Oh, yeah? How could I have forgotten your wish...”

InuYasha shook his head, pushing the jewel back at her. “No, Kagome. Keep it. You keep it safe.”

“B-but, InuYasha! What about - “

“I know who I am, now, Kagome,” the hanyou said - and he looked as if he really did.

“You always said you loved me as a hanyou - that's good enough for me.”

“Oh, InuYasha!” Kagome bit her lip, gazing at him with watering eyes.

InuYasha watched her, fear curling around his heart. He saw her take an unsteady step back, and experienced a moment of utter insanity - a fear of abandonment.

His hands streaked out, catching hers, clutching them tight. “Please, Kagome! Don't - don't leave me!”

“Y-you know I shouldn't. InuYasha, I don't belong here. I never really did.” Kagome swallowed past the ache in her throat. She couldn't stand this. “Then come with me, InuYasha.”

He only held her hands tighter, as if in desperation.

They both knew he wouldn't. The future was no place for him as he was now, a half-wild hanyou. He would be miserable there, crowded in modern Tokyo.

“Maybe one day...we'll see each other again,” she suggested a little too brightly. “If...you want to, that is. You could come and see me at the shrine, InuYasha.”

“Yeah. If I'm even still around, that is,” he said darkly. “I never got to ask Sesshomaru how long hanyous can live. Maybe Myouga knows - ”

Kagome switched their hold, her hands taking his and bringing them to her cheeks. She pressed a tender kiss to each palm and sighed, closing her eyes to savor his touch.

InuYasha's eyes went round and wide at the sight of her cuddling into his rough, warm palms, and Kagome's heart gave a hard thump.

“Don't be silly, baka. Of course you'll be around...in fact you'd better....” her over-bright smile faltered a little, and she blinked, huge tears running down her cheeks. “You'd better be there waiting for me at the well when I get home, or I don't...” she sucked in a deep, faltering breath, close to breaking down completely. “I have the feeling I'm going to need you, there, InuYasha,” she whispered brokenly, flinging herself into his arms. “I need to know it wasn't all just a dream.”

InuYasha went deathly still, before he flung his arms around her and buried his face and claws in her hair.

“I'll be there for you, Kagome,” he whispered into her ear. “Somehow. I promise.”

Kagome gave a slow, tight nod as she breathed in his wild scent. “I know, InuYasha.”

InuYasha closed his eyes tight, cherishing her, the feel of her - his Kagome, the only person who had ever loved him solely as he was.

“I love you...maybe not in all the ways you need me to, but I do...love you. I always have...Kagome.” He smiled briefly against her temple.

Kagome felt like her chest collapsed. She gave a little wail and sobbed against him.

“I love you, too, InuYasha...baka!”

InuYasha held her, feeling tremors race through her, and rubbed his hands over her back to soothe her.

“Stop crying, or you'll make yourself sick,” he finally murmured sternly.

“I - I can't help it! I'm going to miss you guys so m-much! Things have changed so fast - too fast - !”

“Idiot.” InuYasha scolded her gently.

At long last, InuYasha reluctantly released her to say her goodbyes to the others. He felt the call of the purified jewel more than once, but restrained himself. There was nothing he really wanted right now - more than Kagome to stay, anyway. But it wasn't possible, and he knew it, deep down inside. Besides, he'd never really sensed any youkai in the future. The jewel would be much safer there, at her family's shrine, with her. She was the Keeper of the Jewel, after all.

The little family walked her to the well.

At the edge, Kagome hefted her backpack and climbed onto the lip. She turned to look at him. “I'll take good care of the jewel, InuYasha. I'll keep it safe. Tell Kouga-kun I said I'm so sorry I didn't get to say goodbye - and to take care. 'Kay?”

InuYasha merely nodded, unable to speak, and felt his heart fall along with her as Kagome blew everyone a heartfelt kiss, and stepped backward into the well...

-

Two days after Kagome left for good, Kouga finally showed up in the evening, visibly exausted, furs ragged, legs limping, and fangs snarling.

“Where is he?” the wolf slavered in a rage-filled voice. “Where is she? How dare that fucking dog-breath use my woman? And steal my shards!”

From his position near the now-mysteriously-sealed well, InuYasha shook his head at him. For once he was glad to see the wolf - the annoyance he felt helped keep him distracted from the awful, aching knowledge that he had just lost the one who probably eventually would have been the greatest love of his life.

“What're you goin' on about now, ya' stinkin' wolf? Geez, who pissed in your sake?”

Kouga glared at him, slightly-feverish, and wild-eyed. “Sesshomaru!” he spat. “He fucking mated Kagome six nights ago, you ignorant shit!”

Silence.

“He fucking did WHAT?!”

-

It took several minutes of explanation, but InuYasha finally got the gist of what Kouga was raving on about. It didn't take him long to make his decision.

Fuck what Sesshomaru wanted - he'd taken Kagome, Demons Night, or not, no consequences be damned - and he was damn well gonna' pay!

“To think I was actually beginnin' to miss the bastard - !” InuYasha snarled.

Kouga looked up in surprise as the hanyou before him suddenly reached up and dug a clawed finger into his own eye. He was even more stunned when the idiot didn't seem to do any lasting damage to himself. He watched the dog extract a perfect black pearl, squint deeply, and then pitch it carelessly into the sky - where it quickly opened into a glowing black void.

“InuYasha! Where are you going?!” he demanded as InuYasha crouched to leap into the void.

“What's it look like?” InuYasha ground out as he ripped the Tensaiga and Tetsusaiga out of their sheathes at his waist, his hair blowing back in the wind.

“I'm gonna' go try to bring that bastard back to life so I can kill him!”

Kouga scrambled up, forgetting to favor his wounded legs. “Screw that, dog-shit, he's mine!” he growled. “I'm comin' with you!”

-

To Be Continued...

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A/N: Holy freakin' cow!!! I'm not dead! I actually updated! (Now, as to whether or not you guys are happy with it after waiting so long, that's up to you. Hopefully you won't have to wait so long for the next part. One thing I wanna' point out, I do realize this chapter may have moved a bit too quickly, and I apologize for that if you are of the same opinion - but I really think that Kagome suddenly deciding to go was for the best. The fic needs to move along, and it's going to get pretty emotional from here on out, I think. I've been waiting for the next chapter since I wrote the first one, years ago! I really hope you guys liked this, and many apologies for making you wait! Thanks for reading! P.S. Don't kill me for killing Sesshomaru! Good-yet-angsty things will happen, I promise! ::runs and hides in secret base::

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