InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ For Richer or Poorer ❯ The End ( Chapter 17 )

(A/N: Well, my dear children, we have reached the end of the story. Kind of hard to believe huh? I'm actually kind of proud of this story because this will be the sixth finished piece of fanfiction I have. I consider that an accomplishment and I hope it means that I've grown as a writer. After this chapter, there will not be an epilogue….so this is it. I don't like trying to have to tie up EVERY loose end. I think it gives the story more character if I can leave it to your very vivid imaginations. Remember when you are finished with this to check out my new story, “Midnight meets Moonlight”, and to visit my homepage on MySpace and join my Inuyasha Fanfiction group. Hope to see you there!!! On with the show!!!!)

 

 

 

Chapter Sixteen

The End

 

 

 

“So that's what Naraku was after,” Kaede mused from her hospital bed as Sango and Miroku stood nearby. “I always knew Kagome was very powerful, spiritually and otherwise, but to actually have been blessed to house the Shikon no Tama within her body is amazing. Kami must have seen the potential in her.”

 

“Try telling Kagome that,” Miroku said wryly. “She's still denying the fact of any Shikon no Tama.”

 

Kaede seemed almost amused. “Ah, that she would. She's very stubborn when she needs to be. She is still staying at Sesshoumaru's?”

 

“That's probably the safest place for her right now should Naraku come for her. Naraku is very powerful on his own, but if he had any of his minions with him, it would be disaster.”

 

“If Naraku is as obsessed with the Shikon no Tama as you say he is, then he will be reckless and rash. Sometimes, the results are worse than if he were cold and calculating. An insane mind in a powerful body is never a good match.”

 

“Sesshoumaru wouldn't let anything happen to Kagome,” Sango assured. “The only way she would get hurt is if he were taken by surprise or something like that.”

 

Miroku's cell phone rang and he stepped out of the room as Kaede spoke. “Taking Sesshoumaru by surprise might not be as hard as you think. He cares for Kagome, and that will either destroy him, or make him stronger.”

 

“Speaking of being taken by surprise,” Miroku said as he rushed in and grabbed Sango's arm. “Hakudoushi is gone!”

 

“What?!” Sango said.

 

“They're going to go after Kagome,” Kaede exclaimed. “Hurry!”

 

Sango and Miroku ran out of the room at a dead run, Miroku already dialing the number to Inuyasha. “You heard?” he asked as soon as the hanyou picked up.

 

“Yeah, I heard, and I left Rin with Jaken. I'm already turning into the hospital entrance to pick you guys up. Get your asses out here!”

 

“Done,” he said, and hung up as they forewent the elevator and sprinted down the stairs. Inuyasha was waiting for them, revving his engine, and as soon as they were in the car, he sped off.

 

“Have you tried her cell phone?” Sango asked urgently.

 

Inuyasha nodded grimly. “Non-stop since they told me Hakudoushi broke out. It took them awhile though…Hakudoushi didn't leave without a few parting gifts.”

 

“How many are dead?” Miroku asked, dread in his voice.

 

“Thirteen!” Inuyasha spat. “And fifteen more injured. Shippou has a broken rib that will be healed by tomorrow, so thank Kami for that.”

 

“I need you to be honest now, Inuyasha,” Miroku started as they roared down the street that would lead them to the country side. “If Naraku and Hakudoushi have gotten there before we do, can Sesshoumaru handle them?”

 

Inuyasha paused for a full minute before answering carefully. “I can't really answer that question because it could go both ways. Sesshoumaru is one of the strongest demons living, perhaps the strongest, but that was when he was alone. Now that he has Kagome, he might put himself in danger for her instinctively and mess everything up. Or the love he has for her will make him stronger than anything in this world…I'm almost afraid to find out which.”

 

“How strong do you think Naraku is now?” Sango asked.

 

“The one thing Naraku has going for him right now is his craftiness, and the fact that he could get a hold of the power of the Shikon no Tama. If he gets that…all bets are off.”

 

Sango sat back in her seat, and the rest of the ride passed by in a blur, each detective lost in their own worries. They were all afraid of what they would find once they reached Sesshoumaru's estate, and when they pulled into the driveway, their worst fears were realized.

 

“Naraku has Kagome,” Inuyasha said faintly as he leaped out of the car and was in the house almost faster than the humans could blink.

 

A moment later he ran back out, his arm over his mouth. “It's miasma!” he shouted as the approached him. “Sesshoumaru's in there, but I can't get through the poison.”

 

“I can get rid of it,” Miroku said firmly, and held out a sutra. He began walking into the smoke, concentrating hard, and the miasma began to disappear.

 

“Sesshoumaru!” Inuyasha yelled. “Where the hell are you? I know you can't be dead already, you bastard.”

 

“Quit yelling, Inuyasha. My ears can't take that kind of abuse,” a voice came from the corner of the room. “And of course I'm not dead. The miasma kept me immobile.”

 

Inuyasha rushed over and took a look at the blood soaked TaiYoukai. “The miasma, huh? Have you taken a look at yourself lately? I think it was more than the miasma that kept you down.”

 

“Are you okay?” Sango asked, kneeling down next to him as he sat up slowly, blood still flowing to the floor.

 

“What a stupid question,” he scoffed. Looking at Inuyasha, he said, “Naraku has her.”

 

“I know,” he replied grimly. “Miroku and I are going to follow the trail while you and Sango wait here for backup.”

 

Sesshoumaru stood slowly, towering over his brother. “You think I'm just going to stay here while he has her? You are stupider than I thought, hanyou.”

 

“Look here, Mr. Powerful. You lose anymore blood and even you won't recover,” he retorted angrily. “You are in no condition to fight anything.” Turning to Miroku, he said, “Let's go.”

 

They began walking out and Sango took Sesshoumaru to sit on the couch.

 

“I'm not staying here,” Sesshoumaru said. She eyed him skeptically. “You don't look like you're going anywhere,” she answered. “I'm going to get a towel to clear all the blood away and try and stop the bleeding.

 

“No need,” he said blandly, and the stench of chemicals filled the air. He used his poison acid to melt the flesh around his wounds, immediately cauterizing them with a sizzling sound.

 

“Oh….ewww,” Sango said, looking like she was about to lose her lunch.

 

“The bleeding has stopped,” he said, unnecessarily. “I'm regaining my strength as we speak.”

 

“Well, good for you,” she replied sarcastically.

 

Sesshoumaru eyed the taijiya. “You don't really hope that you have the strength to keep me here, do you?”

 

She looked back at him warily. “Do you think you're strong enough to take me on?”

 

He gave her a disdainful look and then stood, his tall form very imposing, and although she knew she was strong, his aura was radiating a power that she could never hope to overcome.

 

All he did was stare at her for several lengthy moments and she stood as well. “What the hell are we waiting for then? I've been meaning to kick Naraku's ass for a while now anyway.”

 

“Hn,” he replied and walked to the doorway, calling his youki cloud along the way. He turned and looked back at her. “Are you coming or not?”

 

 

 

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There was blood everywhere…

 

On her hands, on her clothes, on her face, and on the demon who lay before her.

 

`Sesshoumaru,' her mind cried, but her voice did not fill the air. She couldn't speak. She could hardly breathe. As if she were moving in slow motion, she knelt down next to Sesshoumaru and stared at his crimson splattered face. The red looked foreign on the porcelain face, and she tried to wipe the blood away, but it stuck to his skin like a stain.

 

She began to weep, knowing there was nothing she could do, yet she still tried to wipe the traces of death off of his face. The sight of him filled her soul with a wrenching pain more horrific than anything she'd ever known, until she began to hyperventilate.

 

“No,” she whimpered. “No, no, no, no….”

 

She didn't mean to. She didn't mean to get involved with him. Because of her, he was dead. She buried her face into her hands, unable to look anymore.

 

A low, feral growl filled the air, and she gasped, snapping her head up. Crimson eyes glared at her as he snarled. “Sesshoumaru?” she breathed.

 

He didn't answer as he lunged at her.

 

 

 

 

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She was jarred awake as she was dumped to the ground and landed with a thump. She sat up, gasping from her dream, only to meet the maniacal eyes of Naraku. Before she could even speak, he placed a sutra on her chest with a few words, and she found herself unable to move.

 

She struggled for a few moments before grinding out, “What the hell did you do to me?”

 

“It's just a binding seal, my dear miko…or should I say `detective'?” Naraku smiled at her. “It's just a little insurance against your powers. I wouldn't want to get singed by that.”

 

“You'll get more than singed if you don't let me go you little son of a-”

 

“Kagome, please, there is no need for profanity. I'm sure you wouldn't want some of your last words to be inappropriate.”

 

“Go fuck yourself,” she spat at him. She tried her hardest to break the sutra, but the most she managed was to wiggle a little bit on the ground. “What the hell kind of sutra is this? Sutras are only meant for holy men to use, not for demons.”

 

“Every time there is something good in this world, there will always be someone else who finds the evil to replace it. This sutra was made by a demon to bind holy men and women. A way to turn the tables, so to speak. It will keep you from attacking me when I retrieve the Shikon no Tama from your body.”

 

“What are you waiting for then?” she fired back. “Why not just kill me now and get it all over with?”

 

His smile grew wider. “I wouldn't want your friends to miss the show. They should be arriving any second.”

 

“You're insane.”

 

He considered her words. “Maybe. But I will also be the most powerful being on this planet in a few moments as well. What's a little insanity compared to that?”

 

She ignored him after that and tried to concentrate on a way to get out of this mess. Darkness surrounded her, but the moon was bright. They were in the middle of a clearing, far away from the lights of the city to ensure privacy for this little escapade. If Naraku assumed the power he was after, at least she could be assured that there would be no civilians around to get hurt.

 

There was the sound of rustling in the brush beyond the field and they both turned to see Inuyasha carrying Miroku on his back enter the clearing. In a flash, Naraku had lifted Kagome up by the neck in front of him, using her as a shield. “I see the cavalry has arrived. Now we can begin the party.”

 

“Naraku,” Inuyasha yelled. “You bastard, let her go!”

 

“He's not very original, is he?” he murmured into her ear. “Inuyasha, I'm honored you could join our little party.”

 

“I'm going to tear you into little bits, slowly,” the inu hanyou growled back and flexed his claws.

 

Naraku took a dagger out of his coat pocket and held it to Kagome's stomach. “Does this miko mean so much to you? Are you willing to risk your life for her? I thought she was your brother's woman…and unfortunately our TaiYoukai friend is otherwise incapacitated at this moment.”

 

“Don't be too sure of that, asshole. I smelled his scent a little bit ago. He should be a arriving any minute.”

 

Kagome jerked after hearing that. Sesshoumaru was alive! Immediately her relief turned to fear. He was already injured and in no condition to fight.

 

“Hn, so I didn't kill him,” Naraku mused. “No matter…I already have what I want and need to defeat him when he comes.”

 

“You sound awfully cocky,” Miroku spoke up. “Many believe the Shikon to be only a myth. What if you're wrong?”

 

“Well, there's only one way to find out, isn't there?”

 

Quicker than anyone could see, the dagger flashed in the moonlight and Kagome slumped to the ground.

 

“Kagome!” Inuyasha and Miroku started forward, but stopped when Naraku held up a gleaming object. With Kagome's blood dripping down his arm, he stared at what he removed from her and began to laugh lowly.

 

“It exists,” he whispered, lost in his own world. “Finally, the power of the Shikon no Tama is mine.”

 

Inuyasha snapped him out of his reverie. “You've done it now, Naraku. I'm going to kill you with my bare hands!”

 

Naraku looked at him out of the corner of his eye. “I could use a test run,” he murmured, and made another cut, this time to himself. He merged the jewel into his body and watched as the wound closed up, already feeling the power of the Shikon filling him.

 

He faced the angry hanyou across the meadow. “Come, Inuyasha. Let us see the power of the Tama together.” The wind began to rustle the grass around them, great gusts of power that signaled the arrival of another. “And now your brother can join us.”

 

Sesshoumaru descended on his youki cloud with Sango in tow, and landed gracefully next to Inuyasha. Sango immediately went to Miroku's side, and saw Kagome lying on the ground in the distance.

 

“Kagome!” she cried.

 

“Miroku,” Inuyasha said without taking his eyes off Naraku. “Go help Kagome. I'll keep Naraku busy.”

 

“By all means, go to the detective,” Naraku said, walking away from the fallen woman and facing Inuyasha squarely. “She is of no further use to me. So, Sesshoumaru,” he addressed the calm TaiYoukai. “It seems as if the welfare of your `fiancée' is of no concern to you.”

 

Sesshoumaru glared at him, and Naraku took a closer look. “Or maybe this is what happens when you are enraged. Are you worried about your miko, Sesshoumaru? I only gave her a small scratch. However, she is without her powers. Even without the sutra, she is now weaker than she has ever been in her life. The Shikon no Tama is mine!”

 

“Sesshoumaru, can you handle this?” Inuyasha murmured out of the corner of his mouth. “I told you to stay behind for a good reason.”

 

“Inuyasha,” Sesshoumaru said in a voice that had his younger brother looking towards him warily. “Shut up.”

 

Inuyasha let out a breath. “Right.”

 

 

 

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Miroku and Sango reached the fallen Kagome and immediately knelt down.

 

“Kagome! Kagome…” Miroku said, patting her cheeks lightly. “Sango, I need you to stop the bleeding on her torso.”

 

“Right,” Sango said, and began tearing strips of cloth out of her jacket to tie around the wound Naraku had made. Kagome cried out when the cut was touched and opened her eyes. “Miroku? Sango?”

 

“Kagome, we need to get you out of here. Can you hold this over your injury to slow down the bleeding?”

 

“Can't move,” she mumbled.

 

“Why, Kagome?” Miroku asked.

 

“Sutra…the sutra on me. I can't move or use my miko powers.” She almost slipped back into unconsciousness.

 

“Wake up, Kagome,” Sango said firmly. “Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru are fighting Naraku, and we need to move you before the fight wanders over here.”

 

“Sesshoumaru?” her eyes opened at the sound of his name. She struggled to sit up, and Miroku helped her. “Sesshoumaru's alive?” She caught sight of him, fighting fiercely with Naraku, a look on his face she had rarely seen, and tears came to her eyes. “He's all right.”

 

“Not for long if Naraku gets the best of them,” Miroku said, wincing as Inuyasha was thrown into a tree by Naraku's tentacles.

 

“Miroku, get the sutra off of me,” Kagome said urgently. “They need our help!”

 

Miroku reached for the small piece of paper, but drew his hand back quickly. His hand was completely black and purple, and he began to sweat slightly. “It's some kind of poison,” he ground out. “I can't get it off. What kind of a sutra is this?”

 

“Naraku said it was meant to seal priests and mikos. Is that why you can't touch it?”

 

“Probably. If I touch it again, the poison will be fatal. Sango, can you try?”

 

Sango reached forward, and while nothing happened to her hand, she was unable to pry it off of Kagome's body. “Who made this?”

 

“He said it was a demon.”

 

“Then we'll mostly likely need someone who has demon blood to take it off,” Miroku said. “Neither humans nor one with holy powers will be able to remove it.” He turned around and yelled in a sing-song voice. “Oh, Inuyasha?”

 

“I'm a little busy here, monk!” he said, dodging another tentacle and swiping back with his claws.

 

“Let Sesshoumaru handle him for a little while, Kagome needs you over here.”

 

“Go, Inuyasha,” Sesshoumaru said, walking slowly to stand in front of Naraku. “Make sure she is safe.”

 

“She will be fine for now, Sesshoumaru,” Naraku said with a smile. “It's only a small cut. However, once I'm finished with you, I will kill the two humans, your brother, and then save her for last. She will die slowly for all the grief you've ever caused me. It's a pity…she's such a pretty thing, isn't she? And a spitfire to boot. Maybe she doesn't have to die right away. I could have…other uses for her.”

 

Sesshoumaru's eyes flashed red once, but calmed down when he heard Kagome say in the background, “Oh, ew…did he just suggest what I think he suggested?” Her voice made him come back to his senses.

 

“You will pay for spilling her blood,” he said, and got into a fighting stance, snapping his poison whip from his fingers.

 

A pink circle glowed around Naraku as he unleashed more tentacles. “How much have you remembered, Sesshoumaru? Will you be able to fight as you used to in these modern times. To save the woman you love?”

 

Sesshoumaru dodged the appendages heading his way, and his whip sliced through the air, but Naraku's barrier stopped before it could make contact. So then Sesshoumaru used his speed to his advantage and appeared in front of the evil hanyou, appearing to catch him by surprise, but again, his claws could not make it through the barrier instilled by the Shikon no Tama. Naraku smiled and shoved another spike of his flesh through Sesshoumaru's stomach, and sent him flying.

 

“Sesshoumaru!” Kagome cried. “Hurry up, Inuyasha!”

 

“I'm trying, Kags. I don't want to end up having my hand look like Miroku's!”

 

“Gee, thanks,” Miroku said sarcastically as Inuyasha delicately grabbed the sutra and pulled it off. Kagome immediately stood up as soon as she could move, and almost fell down again. Keeping her arms tight around her stomach, she watched as Sesshoumaru stood to face Naraku again, only to be caught from behind from a tentacle that had sneaked its way past his defenses. He knelt on the ground for a few moments, gathering his wits, before he stood tall once more. The slightest sheen of sweat showed on his face as his blood splashed to the ground, creating a small pool.

 

As painful as it was, Kagome began to walk forward. Inuyasha and Miroku held her back. “Let me go,” she said through gritted teeth as Sesshoumaru fell once more, only to rise painfully. “He's going to get himself killed for me.”

 

“If you go you'll die anyway,” Inuyasha said angrily. This time the tentacle passed through Sesshoumaru's shoulder. However, the TaiYoukai did not fall. Instead, he took a step forward, pushing the point even further into his skin. He would not give up.

 

It took all three of the officers to hold Kagome back now. “I swear to god, if you don't let me go to him right now…” she threatened, tears sparkling in her eyes, falling to the ground like Sesshoumaru's blood.

 

“Kagome, we'll go, not you. You're not as powerful right now, and if you go, Naraku will kill you…that is the last thing that I will allow to happen,” Inuyasha said.

”Will you fight for your brother, Inuyasha?” Naraku asked, adding another tentacle to the one already in Sesshoumaru's shoulder. This one went into his right leg. “If he could not beat me, then you don't even stand a chance.” One into his left leg. “Instead, you will become just like him. A pathetic, weak fool who let love overcome his mind and take his strength.” One into his stomach, and he locked eyes with Kagome as Naraku spoke once more. “I thought he had more character than that, to become weak so easy…apparently…” a solid wall of flesh hit the TaiYoukai, driving him back into the trees, where he lay on the ground, unmoving. “…I was wrong.”

 

“ENOUGH!!!” Kagome broke out of Inuyasha, Miroku, and Sango's grip and sprinted to stand in between Naraku and Sesshoumaru. Naraku raised an eyebrow.

 

“Oh? And what do you plan to do about it, little miko? Your power source is gone and within my grasp now. Without it, you are just a weak woman.”

 

“That's where you're wrong,” she said. Naraku's eyes widened slightly as Kagome began to glow a soft pink and her eyes lit with an inner fire. “I am Kagome Higurashi… chosen protector of the Shikon no Tama, and by that right I will take it back. You seem to forget Naraku…to hold such a thing of power within them, the vessal would have to be even stronger than the object standing alone. The Shikon no Tama must have chosen me because, deep down, I am stronger than the power it holds. I just needed a jumpstart to unleash it.”

 

Naraku began to shrink back as his barrier seemed to dissolve around him and a sense of dread filled his stomach. Kagome took a step forward. “You threatened me, you threatened my friends, and you threatened the demon I love. In doing so, you made the biggest mistake of your life…” A sphere began to glow in front of her as an unnatural wind filled the air and she closed her eyes. For that split second in time, she was the exact incarnate of Midoriko herself. The light surrounding her grew to a blinding glare and her friends were forced to look away. Moments passed in awed silence, waiting for the next move. In a second, her eyes shot open, revealing pure white. “…you pissed me off.”

 

The sphere shot forward, hitting Naraku's left shoulder, decimating it on the spot. The ashes flew away as he looked on in horror. Another sphere began to gather as she said her last words to him. “This next one will kill you, and the Tama will be mine once more. You will burn in hell for the things you've done, and I will give you a warning right now. If you ever reincarnate and try to steal the jewel again, I will be there waiting for you. And next time, I won't go so easy.” The ball of intense purifying energy flew into his chest, right through his black heart, so ending the life of the hanyou, Naraku.

 

Moments later, the body of Kagome Higurashi fell to the ground…

 

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Kagome awoke two weeks later alone in a hospital room. She began to panic for a moment before she remembered everything that happened. Naraku….The Shikon no Tama…Sesshoumaru…she closed her eyes painfully.

 

They flew open again when her door widened and Inuyasha, along with Sango, Miroku, Shippou, Kaede, and Sesshoumaru walked in. They all stopped in there tracks and stared at her for several moments.

 

“Uh…hi?” she croaked, and all of them except Sesshoumaru began to talk at once.

 

“Kagome!”

 

“You're awake!”

 

“You've been unconscious forever! I was wondering if you were going to make it!”

 

“Are you feeling all right? Do you want us to call the nurse?”

 

“You kicked ass, Kagome! Naraku is gone!”

 

She drowned them out and only focused on the haggard face of Sesshoumaru. It looked like he hadn't eaten or gotten any rest for days, but when she looked into his eyes…she saw something overwhelming. The entire group shut up when they noticed Kagome staring at Sesshoumaru, and he staring back at her as if nothing else existed. The TaiYoukai slowly walked up to her bed and leaned down a little stiffly, seeing as how some of his wounds were still healing. He whispered close to her ear, “We have much to discuss, detective. For now, focus on regaining your strength.” With that, he softly kissed her cheek and slowly walked out of the room. As the group swooped down on her bemused form to ask her questions and welcome her back to the world of the living, Inuyasha followed his brother outside into the hallway, and found him slumped against the wall. “What are you doing?” Inuyasha asked incredulously. “She just woke up, and you're out here? Are you stupid or what? She risked her life for you, and all you do is give her a kiss on the cheek and walk away? I thought you were better than that, I thought you-”

 

“Inuyasha,” Sesshoumaru interrupted and looked up. For the first time, Inuyasha really looked at his brother. After a moment, he sighed and leaned against the other wall.

 

“She really scared you there, huh?” he asked. Sesshoumaru didn't answer, but the truth was written all over his face.

 

“Keh, Kagome's a fighter. There's no way she would let an asshole like Naraku take her down.” He paused. “She did it for you, you know. She beat him for you.”

 

“Just as I fought for her,” Sesshoumaru said, regaining his composure and straightening. “I'm going to give her some time to recover and see her tonight. Until then, I'll be at my office.”

 

“You're going to work now? You don't actually expect to get anything done?”

 

Sesshoumaru let out an elegant snort. “Of course not. I just believe that Kagome needs some time to herself right now. A lot has happened, and I don't want to overwhelm her. However, tell her I will come back for her.”

 

“Sure,” Inuyasha said as he watched him walk away. “Just don't forget that Kagome has the tendency to think too much…”

 

 

 

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A few hours later, Kagome finally begged some time to rest from her group of visitors and was left in silence. She, however, did not use her time to rest her body. Instead, she began to wonder what was going to happen now. The case was over, Naraku was gone, but there was still Sesshoumaru to consider.

 

She glanced at her hand and noticed his ring still on her finger…the only thing that still remained to remind her of what happened, except the scars. She loved him…and as far as she knew, he loved her.

 

Her eyes misted up. But how long would that last? She was nothing, a nobody, and he was a part of the upper class. She was beneath him, in every way. How long would he want to remain by her side? She was a foul-mouthed, opinionated, feisty detective. He was a cool, icy, ambitious aristocrat. It would never work.

 

It was funny, and ironic in a sense. It didn't take very long for her to fall head first into love with him, and it took less time for her to realize that they could never be together. Life was a bitch like that.

 

He, of course, would disagree with her new findings. For now at least. He would probably put up a fuss, but then he would realize exactly what she had realized.

 

She wasn't good enough for him. And the sooner she made him realize that, the better.

 

“Inuyasha?” she called out, taking the IV out of her hand and trying to stand up. Inuyasha entered and saw her rising out of bed.

 

“Kagome, what the hell are you doing?”

 

“Leaving,” she replied. “Did you say Sango brought me a change of clothes?”

 

“Yeah, they're right there,” he pointed, and whirled around in embarrassment as she began untying her hospital gown. “W-where do you think you're going? You're not well enough to leave!”

 

“I can leave whenever I want, Inuyasha. I feel fine, only a little tired. I need you to take me to Sesshoumaru's work.”

 

“What? Why there?”

 

“I need to clear up some business with him,” she said, wiggling into a pair of jeans and zipping them up. Inuyasha turned around when he realized she was decent.

 

“What do you mean business?”

 

She looked at him seriously, and he began to shake his head. “Damn it! I told him he shouldn't have given you any time to think!”

 

“It's for the best, Inuyasha. You know it is.”

 

“The hell I do. Kagome, he fought for you! Do you know how rare that is? Sesshoumaru NEVER fights for anyone but himself! I see the way you look at each other. You have something between you that shouldn't be thrown away.”

 

Kagome closed her eyes and tried to block out his words. “Don't try to change my mind, Inuyasha. It's already decided. Can you go tell the front desk I'm checking myself out?”

 

“Whatever,” he said, and walked out, trying not to scream in frustration.

 

How in the hell was Sesshoumaru going to handle this?

 

 

 

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The city of Tokyo looked gray from the windows of his lush office. This whole week had been the week from hell. Nothing felt the same…nothing looked the same…and it was all her fault. He thought she was going to die. What's worse, he thought she was going to die because of him.

 

When she finally woke up and he looked into her eyes for the first time in two weeks…he swore his knees got a little weak. He let out a little laugh at himself. The great Sesshoumaru had finally been floored, and by a woman no less. A little pinch of a woman who had a heart bigger than anyone, and the temper to match.

 

His woman…

 

And now, he could finally feel peace. However, his brief feeling of contentment was cut short by two all familiar smells. The scent of the one he loved, and that of his half-brother. Before he could even ponder what she was doing out of the hospital, the doors to his office burst open, and she walked in.

 

“We need to talk,” she said in a no-nonsense tone, and he lifted an eyebrow at her. Turning his glance to Inuyasha, he received a helpless shrug.

 

“Very well,” he replied. “Would you excuse us, Inuyasha?”

 

“God, yes,” the hanyou said, and hightailed it out of there. Sesshoumaru stood and slowly walked around his desk until he could lean against the front of it.

 

“What, exactly, is so important that you felt it necessary to deprive yourself of the rest you need and come all the way across Tokyo to see me?” he asked, trying not to let his temper show.

 

“I'm leaving,” she blurted out, and the eyebrow rose higher.

 

“Oh?”

 

“I'm going to request a transfer to another department in another city and move there. That way, you won't have to see me anymore.”

 

“And why would I want to do that?”

 

“Because it's not right for us to be together. The more I think about it, the more I realize that I fell into the role of your fiancée a little too easily. I think it's best if we just forget the whole thing ever happened.”

 

“Inuyasha was right,” he muttered. “You do think too much.”

 

“Please, don't interrupt, and let me say what I need to say,” she said a bit desperately. She had planned out all what she was going to say on the trip over here, but as soon as she walked through the door and saw him, she had a hard time saying those first words.

 

`Courage, Higurashi' she mentally scolded herself. `The quicker you get this over with, the quicker you can go home and cry.'

 

“I've realized,” she began, and cursed her unsteady voice. “That this whole charade was doomed to fall apart from the beginning. You deserve someone who has more class than I do, just like you said when I first met you. I don't fit in around you, and I know that I would constantly embarrass you.”

 

He just stared at her, and she took that as a sign to continue. “I wanted to thank you for your cooperation,” she said in a more business like tone. “Your aide to this case was extremely helpful. However, there was also the fact that you got hurt because of me. I can't let that happen again. I WON'T let that happen again, so that's why I'm leaving. Do you understand?”

 

“I'm beginning to,” he replied.

 

“Good,” she said with a sigh, although she was a bit disappointed at how easily he was accepting all this. `It just proves my point' she thought. “I guess this is good-bye.” She turned around and started for the door, trying not to look back. If she did, she wouldn't be able to leave again.

 

“I understand that you're scared,” he said after her, and watched in satisfaction as she froze. Slowly, she turned around and he was glad to see a spark in her eye.

 

“Excuse me?” she asked frostily.

 

“You're scared,” he said simply. “You're scared that I'm going to get tired of you and not love you once I realize that you don't fit in with my crowd. You're scared of being rejected, and you're scared that if you be with me, people will talk down to you.”

 

“I don't care what they think,” she shot back.

 

“Then why do you think I do?” he retorted. She stared at him, speechless. “I've never cared about what other people think about me. I don't care about them, I care about you.” He began to walk towards her, but she held up a shaky hand.

 

“Don't,” she said in a trembling voice. “Don't get close to me.”

 

“Why?” he taunted, and took another step. “How much courage did it take you to come down here, detective? Were you afraid that if you didn't do it quickly, you might change your mind? Are you afraid that if I get too close to you, you'll want to stay?” His chest was now about an inch from hers.

 

“No,” she said in a voice that was barely audible. “I can walk away from you anytime I want.”

 

His voice sounded slightly amused. “Really? Prove it.”

 

“Prove it?”

 

“Just give me back the engagement ring and walk away. After all, it's the only thing tying you to me right now.”

 

Her heart dropped at his words. He really didn't want her…all he wanted was his damn ring back, the ring she hadn't been able to even think about removing. With a muffled sob, she grabbed onto the piece of metal and violently wrenched.

 

And wrenched again.

 

“What the hell?” she said in a voice angrily charged with tears. “It's not coming off!”

 

“Of course it's not,” he said softly, and she looked up at him. Placing his hands over her, ignoring her sharply drawn breath, he explained, “This ring is not an ordinary ring. It is my family ring.”

 

“Family ring?” Her voice was subdued.

 

“It has been passed down from my ancestors for hundreds of years. It is meant to mark the intention to wed between two people, just like any other engagement ring, but it also had another purpose. Would you like to know what that is?” he asked, and took another step towards her so that there bodies were touching. Her knees got a little bit weak, and she fought hard not to close her eyes and melt into him.

 

“What is it?” she asked.

 

“Its other purpose was to test the love between those that were engaged. You see, my ancestor who made this ring did not believe in love, and so when love finally found him, he wanted to make sure it was true. He cast several incantations on it, magical incantations. So if the giver of the ring and the recipient of the ring both loved each other, truly loved each other, the ring would not come off the finger until death claimed the owner.”

 

“So when you gave me this…”

 

“It was the biggest test of all,” he said. “I didn't know what I was feeling at the time, and I certainly didn't know how you felt. I had to be sure.”

 

He had taken a risk too, she realized. He put his heart on the line, and she was trying to walk away. Tears filled her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. He gently wiped them away.

 

“So you see, Kagome, what we have is real. Do you believe that?”

 

She nodded slightly. He smiled. “Good girl. I'm going to kiss you now, and when I'm finished, you can still leave if you want to.”

 

Before she could even form a response, his lips were on hers. She could feel every emotion inside of him in that one moment. Hope, determination, but most of all, she could feel the love. She had never felt more beautiful in her life than in that moment.

 

Slowly he pulled away and leaned his forehead against hers. “Still going somewhere, detective?” he asked in a teasing voice.

 

“That's unfair,” she protested weakly. “No, damn you, I'm not going anywhere.”

 

“Good,” he laughed and took her in his arms once more.

 

 

 

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Hearing silence once more, Kouga stood outside the door and turned to Inuyasha, Bankotsu, and Jakotsu, who all had their ears against the door.

 

“Damn,” he said. “I guess that means she's really going to marry him, huh?”

 

“Shhh!” they all said, and knocked him on the head to shut him up. Inside, they could hear Kagome's happy laughter, and next to them, Kouga's feet twitched in the air from his position on the ground.

 

Inuyasha mentally grinned at the happiness they had found, and Jakotsu sighed dreamily. “They're going to live happily ever after, huh?” he asked happily.

 

“If they don't kill each other first,” Inuyasha said.

 

Hearing silence once more through the door, Bankotsu commented, “I don't think that will happen anytime soon.”

 

“Don't underestimate them,” Inuyasha said, but he knew it was all in fun.

 

Through good times and bad, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, and even beyond death, he knew that the love his brother and best friend had for each other would never fade away…

 

 

 

Owari…

 

 

 

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I love you all!

 

Mujitsu