InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Don't Cry ❯ Chapter 15 ( Chapter 15 )

Kagome ran down the hallway, her heart thundering in her chest. That had definitely been Kouga's voice crying out for help. `Oh my god, please let them be okay.' Kagome thought frantically as she bit her lip, nearly drawing blood. She spread her senses out, just like Miroku taught her, and with her mind searched frantically for Kouga and Sesshoumaru's auras. She found them both, relatively close to each other and both emitting a wave of danger, as if someone was attacking them.

Kagome gritted her teeth and ran even faster, following that soft tug on her brain that would lead her to them.

Kagome ran down the stairs that led to the main hall. `Their outside. . .' Kagome thought to herself as she skipped the last three steps in her hurry to reach them. Kagome cursed inwardly as she saw two of Sesshoumaru's youkai guards standing on either side of the main door that led to the outside. Both were extremely pale and shaking as if something terrible was happening outside the door they stood guard at and they expected it to pop up and bite them any minute now.

"Halt!" One of the guards called out shakily.

"Lady Kagome, you can't go out there, under the direct orders of Lord Sesshoumaru." The other stated firmly, despite his shaking hands which clutched nervously at his spear.

Kagome didn't even bother to stop running as she approached the door.

"I can and I will." Kagome growled out determinedly.

The guards shot each other a look and turned toward Kagome, intent on stopping her. But before they could even reach her Kagome sent out a powerful burst of her magic and with a quick incantation- sent them dropping to the ground.

"Sorry guys, it will wear off in a couple of minutes." Kagome mumbled her apology, after all they were only trying to protect her.

Kagome ran to the door and flung it open, using all her strength. Just as Kagome was about to cross the threshold and go outside a voice called urgently from behind her.

"Kagome! Wait!"

Kagome turned to see Sango rushing towards her. Her eyes widened when she took in what Sango was wearing. Sango was dressed in an all black cat suit that clung to her every curve. Her brown/black hair which she usually wore down was now up in a high ponytail. She looked much healthier then she had been in the past couple of weeks. Her brown eyes sparkled with a fierce determination-Kagome realized that this was the look of a warrior, intent and ready for battle. Two swords hung at her side and distantly Kagome wondered where she got them.

"Kagome where are you going?" Sango questioned almost worriedly.

"I'm going to go help Lord Sesshoumaru and Kouga. . ." Kagome answered determinedly. No one was going to stop her from being there, her mate, the love of her life was out there doing god knows what and she wasn't there to support him or at least try to help him.

"Not without me your not!" Sango said with a smirk, "C'mon lets go we're wasting time!" Sango said as she began to jog away. Kagome blinked in shock, she had expected Sango to try to stop her to insist that she belonged in the palace where she was supposedly safe. `I have great friends.' Kagome thought with a satisfied smile as she ran after Sango.

But both girls came to a halt when a familiar voice hailed them from outside.

They turned to find Miroku running surprisingly fast towards them in his priestly robes, his golden staff clutched tightly in one hand.

"Lady Kagome, I am afraid that the castle is under attack it would be best-"

"By who? Who is attacking the castle?" Kagome demanded. She watched as her friend and teachers usually clam blue eyes narrowed in hatred and anger.

"The lord of the North, Naraku." Miroku spat out his name as if it were something vile.

Kagome shook her head; she didn't have time for this she had to get to Kouga.

"Well he's got another thing coming if he thinks he can just waltz in here and attack my friends!" Kagome growled in a very Kouga like manner as she ran off towards the fight.

Miroku and Sango blinked at her retreating form.

"What's a waltz?" Miroku asked absentmindedly.

"Beats me." Sango shrugged.

She looked at Kagome's retreating form.

"You coming monk?"

Miroku sighed and rolled his eyes towards the heavens as if asking for divine help.

"I suppose I am." He sighed and ran side by side with Sango towards the sounds of the fight.

Kagome heard the sounds of battle before she actually saw it. She heard the fierce war cries, the sounds of metal clashing against metal, the snarls and growls of the combatants and the cries of pain. The heavy thuds as bodies hit the ground.

And as Kagome rounded the corner- the sounds could not prepare her for the sight she saw.

Hundreds of bodies, youkai bodies, lay strewn across the ground. Their blood seeped from their wounds into the soil, making a river of red that was slowly snaking its way across the entire clearing. Pieces of youkai bodies littered the ground as good youkai fought bad youkai. (A/n: I guess that sorda depends on what side your on, ne? Sesshoumaru's team= good. Naraku's team= bad ^_~)

The stench of death was so strong it filled Kagome's nose, making her choke on the smell. In the center of all the chaos, all the death, all the fighting Sesshoumaru stood proudly. A long jagged cut ran from his temple to his chin marring his once perfect features. One of his arms hung limply at his side, the sleeve covered in his own blood. His piercing golden gaze was riveted toward the youkai who stood before him.

A giant youkai that was black as night slithered out from the forest towards Sesshoumaru. Its many tentacles snaked their way around the clearing, trying to grab a hold of the mighty youkai lord, but Sesshoumaru easily cut the offending tentacles off, his golden eyes flashing dangerously.

"Coward!" Sesshoumaru hissed as he ran quickly towards the youkai, so quickly that Kagome didn't see him move, and in a blink of an eye he severed the monsters ugly head, causing the creature to disintegrate in a burst of light.

"Ku Ku Ku" a hauntingly evil voice laughed as the battle around them continued on. Kagome had resurrected a shield around herself, shielding her from view and danger. Her magic was the kind that protected others not harmed them, so she was of no use here.

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed dangerously as a youkai, or what felt like one, appeared before him wearing a white baboon cape from which his dark red eyes seemed to glare out of.

"My dear Sesshoumaru, I hope you aren't still upset with me for killing your father." The youkai's slithery smooth voice taunted Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru bared his teeth but said nothing. ( a/n: this is an A/U, I'll change the past as much as I want to ^_^)

The youkai in the baboon pelt chuckled and cocked his head to the side. "Or are you still mad at me for possessing your brother."

"No I care not for the little half breed, I well despise dirty little Hanyou's as you well know. . . Naraku"

"Ku Ku Ku. Sesshoumaru, you wound me." Naraku chuckled as he unfolded his hands from his cape, his eyes taking a malicious predatory glint.

"Now I am afraid I will have to kill you as I did your friend Kouga." He said harshly his dark red eyes flashing as a dark evil surrounded him.

The hanyou Naraku's words rung in her ears- her heart stopped beating as all the air left her lungs. All Kagome could do was fall to lifelessly to her knees on the blood soaked ground, her shield falling with her. `It can't be true it cant!'

Images of Kouga filtered through her head. Kouga laughing his blue eyes sparkling with mirth and his white teeth flashing. Kouga leaning towards her, the same small smirk that infuriated her many times before was on his face. Kami how she loved that smirk. Kouga growling playfully, Kouga throwing Shippo up in the air and catching him easily.

Kouga holding her by the dying fire, a book in his lap as his blue eyes shined with love and happiness.

Kagome threw her head back as the memories became to much. A tortured scream was ripped from her throat as tears poured relentlessly from her eyes. It was on of those haunting screams, screams that raise the hairs on the back of your neck and make your pulse jump with fear. It was a scream created out of the very depths of desperation, of the pain of a tortured soul. Her scream echoed across the battle field, turning many heads. Sesshoumaru's included.

"Kagome. . ." the startled whisper barely left his lips as a white aura engulfed Kagome, a tremendous power whipping about her, raising her hair almost on end so it floated about her body. Her once charmingly beautiful brown eyes turned a startling white as she was lifted off the ground to float almost lifelessly in her own power. Her head turned slowly towards Naraku.

"Kouga. . ." the broken whisper left her lips as her white glowing power shot out and engulfed Naraku. It coiled around Naraku's form, much like a snake coiling about its prey, squeezing the very life from its body.

Naraku screamed in pain as Kagome's pure miko energy came in contact with his vile demonic flesh. The last thought he had before the magic consumed him in a blinding rush of light was.

`No it cant be . . .Kikyo. . .I killed you. . .'

And with a burst of light Kagome's magic consumed Naraku, taking his cursed soul from this mortal plain.

Sesshoumaru turned to look at Kagome-his eyes slightly wide with shock. The monk Miroku had said that Kagome's power was unique that it could only be used for healing and defending others. The monk was right Kagome's power was unique she had just used it to destroy Naraku. Sesshoumaru watched Kagome levitate in the air-feet dangling and arms thrown wide, much like a human sacrifice.

But Sesshoumaru noticed something that no youkai or human for that matter ( for Miroku and Sango had just arrived) had. There were tears pouring down Kagome's pale cheeks, tears poured from those sightless eyes. Pain and sadness so immense that it practically sent the great youkai lord to his knees, came through the bond.

"Kagome. . . no" Sesshoumaru growled out as he grit his teeth, trying to fight off the emotions that were plaguing him. Emotions that didn't even belong to him.

"Kagome!" Sango cried as she tried to rush towards her friend.

A firm hand on her wrist stopped her before she could rush into the blinding light that was Kagome's power.

Sango turned confused eyes towards the monk, Miroku, who was still staring solemnly at Kagome's floating figure. There was sadness in his eyes as he watched his friend and pupil hang lifelessly in the air. A dangerous power crackling around her aura.

"Houshi. . ."

"I cannot let you go over there, to do so would mean death for you."

Sango opened her mouth to argue but Miroku cut her off.

"She is no longer in charge of her self and therefore no longer in charge of her power or her actions. Her power may very well consume you as it did Naraku." Miroku stated calmly.

Sango nodded her head as she watched her only living friend float in the waves of her own power.

"I am afraid for her." Sango said softly.

"So am I" Miroku whispered back. "So am I"

As the monk and the demon exterminator watched the scene before them, neither of them noticed that they were still holding hands. (^_^)

"Kagome" Sesshoumaru called out, his voice was calm and confident, just as it always was.

Kagome gave no sign of hearing him as her power grew steadily, making him take a wary step backwards.

"Kagome! While your efforts were appreciated in Naraku's defeat now is not the time or the place for this." Sesshoumaru bit out as another wave of her power pushed him back. Sesshoumaru collided with a tree, and gritted his teeth against the pain. This human woman was becoming infuriating.

Kagome's bottom lip quivered as her power flared drastically.

"Kagome you foolish girl! Kouga is not dead but he will be if we don't help him soon!" Sesshoumaru yelled up at the girl whose power was whipping around her now like a tornado.

(A/n: Do they have tornadoes in Japan. . . just a thought. . . .)

Kagome's white eyes faded back to their regular brown as she looked at Sesshoumaru, hope and fear shining in her eyes.

"H-He's still alive!?" Kagome whispered as her power vanished and she fell to the ground with a soft thud. Kagome jumped shakily to her feet and ran towards Sesshoumaru.

"He's still alive! Tell me where he is! For the love of Kami just tell me where he is!" Kagome sobbed as she clutched at Sesshoumaru's kimono. She was leaning on him for support; she had to be exhausted from emitting such power in such a short amount of time.

Sesshoumaru looked down at her-not with disgust as he would have only months ago but with . . . compassion. Using his good arm he supported her, half cradling her as she brought her arms around his neck.

"He is hurt . . . badly. I will take you to him. There is a chance he may live." He whispered in her ear. Kagome nodded her head, her tear stained face buried in his shoulder.

"Please."

Without another word Sesshoumaru ran off into the forest- faster then the human eye could see.

"I hope she will be okay." Sango whispered.

"Lady Kagome will be fine; it is Lord Kouga we should be worried about."

"Yes your right." Sango sighed softly. ". . . perhaps we should go after them." Sango offered.

"I think not. Our company would not be welcomed by Lord Sesshoumaru and Lord Kouga."

"Oh" Sango said with a defeated sigh. NOW what was she supposed to do!?

She glanced over at the monk. He seemed to be staring at his hand intently, holy beads hung loosely around his wrists. He tilted his hand staring at his palm- flexing his fingers.

"Naraku . . . He's gone, he's actually gone."

Sango just stared at the monk then softly shook her head.

"That may be so but his minions are not." She said solemnly as she pulled her katana from its sheath at her hip. She may have lost her bone boomerang but she hadn't lost her swords.

Miroku looked around and sighed- the demon exterminator was right. . . Naraku's minions were crawling around the place like flies.

"I know I'm not getting paid for this." He grumbled as he pulled his holy scrolls from inside his robe.

"Let's get this scum out of the western lands." Miroku said turning to Sango only to find her in the heat of battle with a much larger burlier youkai. And to Miroku's surprise she was winning.

"A woman with a backbone . . . not to mention a nice backside . . . Hmmm" Miroku said to himself before he mercilessly attacked Naraku's minions.

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Kagome clung tightly to Sesshoumaru as the forest around her became a blur of sounds and colors. Kagome was pressed flat against Sesshoumaru's firm, muscular chest. Her head was buried in the crook of his neck, inhaling his calming scent. The only thought that raced through her head was `Kouga'

Sesshoumaru stopped so suddenly he skid across the forest floor, raising a cloud of dirt around them. He placed Kagome gently down on the ground, and as the dust settled he took in the sight before him.

The bastard Hanyou, Inuyasha, sat propped up against a tree. Blood was leaking from a shallow cut just above his eye. A painfully purple bruise spread across the whole right side of his face. On half lidded golden eyes peered out from under his long mane of silver hair, and a muffled groan escaped his bloody lips when he saw Sesshoumaru.

On the other side of the clearing in a patch of grass lay Kouga. Blood seeped from the wounds on his chest face and arms. His once white kimono was torn almost completely off his chest, revealing the bloody cuts there.

Kagome's bottom lip quivered as she ran over to Kouga and dropped on the ground beside him.

Kouga! Kouga! Open your eyes." Kagome whispered fervently as she cradled his face in her hands.

"Please" She whispered when Kouga didn't move, tears falling from her cheeks onto his face.

"Kouga don't leave me. . . I love you!"

A soft rumbling came from his chest and he took a deep shaky breath as he opened one startling blue eye to stare at her.

"I love you too. . ." he whispered gently. His breath coming in short painful gasps.

"Your alive . . . you're really alive." She whispered softly, tears of happiness and worry fell from her eyes.

Kagome placed her hand on Kouga's chest and carefully summoned all the power she had left to heal Kouga.

Sesshoumaru watched with something akin to shock as Kouga's battered body healed slowly before his eyes. The cuts on his chest became shallower, as the cuts on his face and arms entirely disappeared. His breathing eased somewhat and he was no longer rasping. Kagome collapsed on the ground next to Kouga, her face buried in his shoulder.

"I. . . have . . . no . . . more power. . ." Kagome mumbled weakly.

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes in concern for his. . .friends. ( *shudder*) Kouga was out of the `rough of the woods' but he was still in great danger of losing his life. And Kagome had used up a lot of her miko power it would take at least a week to restore it all and Sesshoumaru knew Kouga didn't have that much time. And it wasn't as if he could call in a healer and have them do what Kagome would have done, because Kouga's demon blood would reject their foreign magic. He only accepted Kagome's because it was a part of him now. Sesshoumaru closed his eyes.

`What am I going to do?'

Sesshoumaru opened his eyes slowly. There was only one way to remedy this situation. One that would save all of their lives, but he had to get Kagome and Kouga to agree to it first. That wasn't going to be exactly what he called easy.

"Kagome." He called softly.

"Hungh. . ." Kagome replied shakily, she was half unconscious.

"Kagome I need you to listen to me. Kouga is still in great danger of losing his life, and if he dies so do we."

Kagome turned her face slowly, with much effort, towards Sesshoumaru.

"What?" she asked in a frightened whisper. How could this be? She had done everything that she could for Kouga. Was she really going to loose him?

"Kagome, there is a way."

Kagome turned frightened brown eyes to Sesshoumaru.

"I'll do it. Whatever it takes."

Sesshoumaru bowed his head slightly. How was he supposed to explain this. . .

"For us to restore his health and our own there is one way for us, bonded as we are, to do it. It would require us to come together in the most . . . physical of ways."

Kagome peered up at Sesshoumaru. What was he talking about and . . . was that a blush on his cheeks?

Suddenly everything Sesshoumaru had just said clicked. Kagome's eyes widened in shock. `You have go to be kidding me!'

"I.. Oh . . I don't know. . ." Kagome trailed off. She glanced down at Kouga who was sleeping at her side, his brow was furrowed and there was a grimace of pain on his face. His once tan skin was now deathly pale. She loved him so much.

With a determined nod she set her jaw. She would do this, for Kouga, for them. What choice did she have?

"O. . .Okay." she whispered softly.

Sesshoumaru nodded his head, they needed to do this and get it over quickly . . . but first.

Sesshoumaru turned toward where his half breed brother lay slumped against a tree.

"Inuyasha, this will be the last time you cross me. . . or my lands." Sesshoumaru said coolly.

Inuyasha raised his head as high as he could "Go to hell Sessho-" Inuyasha went into a coughing fit before he could finish his sentence, blood trailing down his chin.

Sesshoumaru sneered and brought the acidic green poison to his claws.

"Prepare to die half-breed." Sesshoumaru snarled as he prepared to lunge.

"Sesshoumaru! No!" Kagome called out weakly from her place on the ground, stopping Sesshoumaru in his tracks.

"You can't kill your only brother!" She protested trying to push herself up into a sitting position. Apparently she was already regaining some of her strength if not her miko powers.

"Half- brother" Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha interjected simultaneously.

Kagome looked exhausted, her face was wan and pale and she was trembling from fatigue.

"I must kill him." Sesshoumaru responded easily. There was no love lost between the brothers. He was sure Inuyasha hated him just as much as he hated Inuyasha.

"But his aura isn't evil . . . you cant kill him."

"I-I don't need your pity wench. . ." Inuyasha snarled between fits of coughing.

"See he actually wants me to kill him." Sesshoumaru said impatiently, time was running out and here they were arguing over the death of a stupid half-breed.

A wave of sadness hit him solidly through the bond, it hit him so hard he was actually pushed back a step. But sadness wasn't the only thing that came through the bond, there was also compassion for Inuyasha and the life he had to live.

"Sesshoumaru, please . . . no. . ." Kagome whispered as she reached out weakly towards him. Sesshoumaru cursed whatever gods had possessed him to make the stupid bond with a creature had too much compassion for dirty little half breeds like his brother. Now, through the bond, he was feeling sorry for his little half brother. ( a/n: love it's a beautiful thing aint it? *tear*)

Sesshoumaru inwardly snarled in frustration as he walked in two quick strides towards his brother. Kneeling down next to him he whispered hotly in his ear.

"Just one mess up, brother dear and your dead."

Then he tossed the hurting Inuyasha over his shoulder, eliciting a startled cry of pain from the hanyou. Good he deserved it, imagine the mighty Sesshoumaru, lord of the western lands, allowing a hanyou to stay in his castle. He sighed dejectedly as he realized he was already housing three humans a monk and a demon exterminator.

But then again Sesshoumaru never did care what others thought about him. . .

"Jaken, I know you are out there. Come here at once."

A wide eyed green skinned Jaken stumbled out of a nearby patch of bushes.

"L-Lord Sesshoumaru-sama, this lowly Jaken was just-"

"Save it."

*blink blink* Sesshoumaru nodded his head sadly as he realized just which side of the bond that remark had come from.

"Get Ah and Un and escort Lord Kouga and Lady Kagome to the castle immediately. I must deal with my half brother first." Sesshoumaru stated coldly.

Kagome smiled weakly at Sesshoumaru, but her happiness quickly disappeared when a pain filled groan came from Kouga.

"We will begin the . . . bonding immediately, as soon as we reach the palace." Sesshoumaru stated as he turned on his heel and disappeared with Inuyasha in tow.

Kagome gulped nervously as nodded her head. Gods how was she going to do this. . .

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Sango looked around the almost empty battle field. There was the oppressing silence of the dead and it seemed to fill her heart and soul. It was a familiar silence and for the first time in a long time she felt completely right with the world. THIS was what was right, this was the life she was supposed to live, this was what her village had taught her. Naraku, Lord of the Northern lands- was now dead. That left only Lord Hiten of the east.

A strong breeze blew through the deserted field. Sango's hair whipped about her face as her milky brown eyes stared silently at the scene before her. The sun was sinking down into the horizon, beautiful shades of orange and red bled into the sky, painting it as one would a canvas. Sango watched as the sun slowly disappeared from view.

Sango let out a sigh and turned in her heel to walk away from the gory battle field. Her brown eyes widened a bit in surprise when she saw the monk standing only ten paces behind her.

The breeze ruffled his blue and purple robes, whipping around his form, showing off the muscles beneath those robes. His dark blue eyes stared off into the distance as tendrils of his hear escaped the ponytail at the nape of his neck and slapped lightly against his forehead. His eyes darted to Sango as she stopped only five feet from him.

A long silence passed between the two and a look of comprehension crossed their faces. Both of them were looking for closure, and they had just found it.

Taking a bold step forward Miroku inclined his head.

"I am Miroku, my Lady, please bless this humble servant of Buddha with the name of such a fine warrior."

Sango felt a small smile pull at the corners of her mouth.

"My name, sir monk, is Sango." She said formally, with a small bow.

"Ahh Sango, what a beautiful name. Surely a beautiful woman such as yourself must have an intended."

Sango blushed slightly as she replied somewhat calmly.

"No, monk, I do not."

"Well in that case. . ." Miroku took two long strides towards Sango, their bodies mere inches from each other. Quickly he pulled her hands toward him, encompassing her smaller ones in his larger ones. Sango's mouth parted in shock as she met Miroku's blazing blue eyes with her own.

"Lady Sango, would you please . . ."

Sango blinked. What was it he wanted. Miroku paused and shook his head.

"Forget it I'm sick of being slapped." Miroku muttered as he pulled Sango to him and without another word kissed those ever so parted lips passionately. Sango's eyes widened in shock, for a moment she lost herself in the kiss, the feel of his lips on hers was almost too much for her to bare. No man had ever touched her like that, let alone looked at her that way. And for a moment she was lost in the sensations that crafty mouth of his made within her. . .for a moment.

**WHAM**

Miroku hit the ground with a thud, his eyes large and swirly as Sango walked away from him, a tick in her eyebrow and her head slightly bowed as she muttered something about perverted monks and how you cant trust anyone these days.

A small delirious smile played across Miroku's lips. She tasted delicious and he craved more.

"Sango, I will have you. . .as my wife." Miroku said to himself. That is, before he passed out.

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This chapter is dedicated to my friend Huntress Sango, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! ^_^ You can all thank her because I wouldn't have updated otherwise *sheepish grin* You see for a while I was suspended from uploading chapters to Fanfiction.net because one of my stories had in appropriate scenes in it ^_~ hehehe they haven't read these ones yet now have they? Though I usually do put up warnings, sorry if I forgot. I created a whole new penname and a couple of new fics so I was busy working on those and didn't think of checking to see if I could upload again ^_^ But Sango reminded me ^_^Oh yea this chapter is also for all those Fluffy fans who keep pestering me, or should I say the next chapter is for you *wink wink* Muhahaha. Ok so I do hope ya'll understand what is going on here. ^_^ I THINK its about to get steamy, unless I feel evil and don't get enough reviews. . . *nudge nuge* Or if ya'll don't like my plans for the next chapter maybe your reviews will change my mind ^_^ Tell me what you thought of the chapter ok? Ok!!!? Thanks ^_^