InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Fetch ❯ End Game ( Chapter 15 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimer: Still not owning.

A/N: Okay, now this chapter is the aftermath of the battle... the next one is the *ahem* mating chapter. I know everyone's getting impatient, and so is Sesshoumaru, but... gotta finish up the battle aftermath and the other little loose ends so Sesshoumaru and Kagome can enjoy their night, right? Heh Heh!

---zZz---

Naraku lay dying on the ground in a pool of blood, and Sesshoumaru felt vengeful satisfaction surge through his battle-heated system. His miko's plan had worked flawlessly, from Kikyou taking the shards, to Naraku taking them from her and making his wish.

He felt a feral pleasure as he looked to the other side of the field, where the broken revenent of the dead miko lay against a tree. She had been angered beyond belief when she had realized that she would not be the one to destroy Naraku... and enraged even more when she found out that Kagome was the one to figure out how to do it. She went back to her grave still hating Kagome - and no one cared.

He smirked wickedly down at the dying spider. "Who is the fool now, Naraku? You are weak - you were weak as a hanyou, and you are just as weak as a youkai."

Inuyasha came up then, and growled down at him. "You really are pathetic, the Ice Lord's right about that, anyway. Outwitted, outclassed, and outmatched by a ningen female... it serves you right, bastard." He glanced over at his brother, then looked around the clearing at the rest of the group. "So, who gets the final blow? We've all got grudges against him..." he trailed off slowly.

Sesshoumaru glanced towards the taijiya then turned back to his brother. "But one of us has more reason than any other to strike, half-breed. The taijiya's brother. He is the only one of all of us who was attacked from within. It should be his right."

Inuyasha and the others all stared at him, save Kagome. She'd been standing quietly to the side listening, and nodded, smiling, when she heard his suggestion.

"I never figured you'd put anyone's needs or wants above your own, bastard. Why would you care if the kid gets his revenge?"

"It was suggested by my miko, Inuyasha. She explained all of the circumstances surrounding his life. It is only right that he get the strike." Motioning the young male out of the trees where he'd been hidden, and ignoring Sango's indrawn breath, he said, "Come, boy. Take your weapon and gain vengeance for yourself and your family. It is your right."

Kohaku looked at the daiyoukai for a moment, then nodded. Looking down at the enemy that had taken everything from him, he held his gaze, staring him down. "This is for my father, my village, my sister... and for myself. Go to hell, Naraku." With that, he cleaved the youkai's head from his body, glad that in that last moment, the spider had been unable to speak.

As soon as it was done, everyone moved back, and Kagome came forward. Taking an arrow from her quiver, she charged it with her miko ki... and set the tip against the remains, wincing as she kept her eyes on his arm and avoided looking at his headless torso. She breathed a sigh of relief when his body purified into dust...

And Naraku was no more. It was finally over.

---zZz---

It was a good thing that Sesshoumaru was a master of control. If he had not been, Kagome would have been mounted and mated in that clearing with everyone standing around watching. Now that the conditions for his mating had been met, i.e. Naraku's destruction, he was rapidly becoming focused on his miko... and not much else.

But there was still one major problem to be dealt with, and it could be summed up in one word:

Inuyasha.

The hanyou had backed off the other day, when he had confronted he and Kagome and thought to challenge him, but there had been no real resolution between them, and it needed to be done. He would not have his miko distracted from the mating and upset because Inuyasha hadn't been dealt with. That meant that it was time for him to learn his place within the alpha's pack - and that was as beta.

As the group finally began to move from the clearing that had borne witness to Naraku's final moments, he walked over to Inuyasha and silently indicated for him to follow. Turning on his heel, he led his younger brother off in a different direction, determined to have it out and be done with it.

They walked for some time, neither saying a word, both aware of where this was going. Inuyasha's heart was heavy - this was it, the final loss. In the end, he should have let himself die in the battle, because either way, he was about to lose the only thing he had left... and he knew it.

There was no way he could stop what would happen this very night, if he was reading things right. Sesshoumaru would take his Kagome from him, mating her and tying her to him for the rest of eternity - leaving, he, Inuyasha, out in the cold... again.

Finally entering a clearing far enough away from the others, Sesshoumaru turned and stared at his brother. The boy looked like he'd been led to his own execution, all life falling from his face and deadening his eyes. He shook his head.

"Why do you insist on acting as though the miko is about to disappear forever?"

"Isn't that what's about to happen? You're going to claim her and take her back to the west and none of us will get to see her again. What I want to know is this: if you wanted a ningen, why couldn't you go find one of your own instead of taking mine? Will you ever let me have something of my own and not try to take it from me as soon as I get it?"

"Inuyasha, be not a fool," Sesshoumaru snapped. "My miko cares for you, for all of you, and I would not deny her anything if it is in my power to grant. I have no intentions of keeping her from any of you. And try to keep in mind that I wasn't looking for a ningen - I wanted Kagome, not just anyone."

"So I'm just supposed to believe that you're gonna all of a sudden up and be nice? After how many years of torture?!"

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes in annoyance for a minute, then opened them again, and sighed, straining to keep his temper. "I care not for what you believe. I will not attempt to reason with you further, for now, you will listen to my orders. You are beta in my pack, and you will be the one to lead it when I am not there. Take the pack, and tomorrow, begin heading for the House of the Moon. All else can wait to be settled when you arrive."

Inuyasha stared at him in shock. His brother had just done the only thing he could have done to reassure him that he'd keep his word about keeping the pack together. He'd made him his beta. Now, he'd never lose Kagome - she'd always be within reach if he needed her.

He nodded, and Sesshoumaru turned on his heel and began heading back to their camp. "Come, brother."

And with that one word, peace was finally brought back to the divided House of the West...

Brother.

---zZz---

Kagome was nervous.

No, it was more than that. It was... well, she didn't even know if there was a word that covered it at all. In any language. Even terrified wasn't quite correct, because it carried connotations that didn't fit. She wasn't afraid of Sesshoumaru, as in fearing for her safety, or her life. So terrified didn't work. But the sentiment behind her word search was clear.

She was about to be drug off and...

And that's where her mind shut down. She guessed that this was the youkai and sengoku jidai equivalent to 'pre-wedding jitters', because even though she'd done a few things with her soon to be mate, or husband, it didn't seem to matter. The moment her mind tried to push her down that path, she balked.

Because tonight all the games ended.

If this kept up, she'd be a quivering mass of jello and would probably jump out of her skin if a cricket chirped at her.

On top of all that fear running rampant through her, she had something even worse to contemplate...

How to tell her mother. Because she hadn't. And she just knew that when Sesshoumaru found out that she hadn't, he'd be furious. But how was she supposed to say something like that? 'Oh, by the way mom, the most dangerous and deadly daiyoukai in all of Nippon wants to make me his mate, by well... mating.' Yeah, great. She'd probably be grounded 'til she was one hundred and three. Daughters just don't tell their mothers that they are about to go get laid. Not if they ever wanted to see the outside world again.

She shuddered at that thought.

She knew that Sesshoumaru had taken Inuyasha off to have a final talk about how they all stood. She also knew he'd be back any moment - and she really, really needed to get herself in hand before she had a breakdown and ended up in a loony bin rather than her marriage bed, because then, Sesshoumaru would be really angry.

She'd never realized just how much of a hentai he was - until all this had started with that day on the beach - and now, he was finally going to get his chance to be hentai... completely.

No more playing around.

No more games.

Closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply, then exhaled, keeping a ten count and blanking all thoughts... and slowly, she could feel her nerves unwind, and her mind stop running around in circles screaming like the virgin it was. Knowledge of sex was one thing, but the reality was somewhat different - and scary.

When she opened her eyes, she almost fell over at the sight that met them.

"Sesshoumaru! Geez, you almost gave me a heart attack! You need to start making more noise or something when you're coming up on me." She had a hand over her heart, looking up at him, she caught the amused light in his eyes.

"Why is your aura so disturbed, mate?" he asked, voice practically purring over that last word.

Kagome looked around the campsite, finally noticing that everyone was staring at her quietly - and that they had been for several minutes. "Uh... could we go somewhere out of hearing range for a minute?" she whispered. "I need to tell you something."

The clear apprehension in her voice had him narrowing his eyes even while he nodded and pulled her up, guiding her into the trees. She's done something she knows will displease me.

After a few minutes, he came to a stop and turned, gazing at her calmly. "If this is a ploy to postpone the mating, Kagome, I will not tolerate it. Virginal nerves notwithstanding, I will have you this night."

She shook her head rapidly, eyes widening, a dark flush spreading over her features. "No! No, that's not it at all. It's just..." she looked down at her feet and shuffled them in the dirt.

"Ihaven'ttoldmymotheraboutyouyetandweneedtodothatbeforeanyth ingelse."

He blinked, then frowned. "What?" He shook his head and sighed. "Mate, you will breathe... and then you will speak - slowly."

She nodded, and taking a deep breath, she let it out, and said, "I haven't told my mother about you yet, and we need to do that before anything else."

He stared at her, nonplussed, for a moment, then his eyes narrowed. "Miko," he said, warningly, "now you try my patience. Are you not of age, even by your cultures rather late standards, to take a mate of your choosing?" At her nod, he finished, "Then why is informing your mother prior to the fact necessary?"

Kagome frowned at that. "Well... I... guess I don't know. It just seemed like the right thing to do, you know?"

He slanted a suspicious look at her, then nodded. "Very well, I will allow this. I will take you to the well, you will inform your family, and then I will take you to your new home. There will be no more delays." He turned. "Come, gather your things so we may leave."

She gave him a narrow look. "Gee, in a hurry much?"

He didn't even look back. "Yes."

She blushed... again.

---zZz---

Kagome sat at the kitchen table, red-faced and unable to actually look her mother in the eye. Surprisingly, she seemed to have taken the news well, and was sitting with a thoughtful look on her face and quietly sipping her tea.

"So, this Lord... Sesshoumaru is going to be your husband?" As Kagome nodded, her mother sighed. "I see. And why are you marrying this... youkai?"

She finally looked up, meeting her mother's gaze. "Because I love him, why else?" She was a little insulted that her mother would even have to ask her that.

"And how does he feel about you? I only ask, Kagome, because of the seriousness of this bond. You did say that it couldn't be revoked - so I want to be sure that you are doing this for the right reasons... both of you."

"I know, mom, I get it. Don't worry... I wouldn't have agreed if he didn't love me, too." She looked at her watch, and noted how much time had passed, a slightly panicked look crossing her face. "Oh no! I've got to go, mom, I'm running late, and Sesshoumaru isn't the patient sort when it comes to things like that."

She jumped up, grabbing her stuffed-to-the-brim bag that she'd stocked with supplies, and swung it over her shoulder, before dashing around the table and hugging her startled mother.

"I love you, mom, and I'll be back in a week or two... Sesshoumaru wants to try to come through the well at that time, once we've bonded. He thinks the mate bond will allow him access, hopefully he's right. Anyway, tell everyone I said I love them, and I'll see you guys soon!"

She waved to her mom, then darted out the door and into the well house, hopping over the edge and settling into the time stream, before breathing a sigh of relief.

Whew... am I glad that's over...

Landing at the bottom of the well, she didn't even have the chance to sneeze before a strong arm was wound around her and she was out of the well and standing in the meadow that it sat in.

She blinked, then looked up at her Lord. "Uh... that was quick."

His arm tightened around her waist, as he nuzzled into her neck. "And you were not, mate. It is my hope that you have completed everything you deemed necessary, because if you have not, those tasks will remain uncompleted." He drew a deep breath, taking in as much of her scent as possible, then pulled away and stared down at her with a heavy-lidded look.

"This Sesshoumaru has waited long enough to claim what is his, miko, and the waiting is now over."

She flushed, nervousness combining with desire and embarrassment.

He pulled her in closer, gathering his energy, he formed his orb of light, and they streaked off, heading for the House of the Moon...

And a warm bedchamber.

Kagome had time for one last panicked thought.

What have I gotten myself into!?