InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Sword of Supreme Conquest ❯ Chapter 39 ( Chapter 38 )

A moment is all it takes. A seemingly insignificant thing, it has the power to start, end, or change the life you know irreparably. They often pass by, wasted or unnoticed in the haze of everyday life. A split second of distraction, a brief kiss, a child's laughter, a battle cry, all of them have the ability to rip from us what is known and familiar, replacing them with something else entirely.

 

The lives of humans and demons alike are made up of these moments, some good, some bad, others indescribable. For Sesshomaru, it took just a moment to change the life he knew forever. What was that moment? The very second his eyes locked with his mate's, her body pinned to the ground and the edge of the enemy's blade at her throat. He hesitated, neglecting to strike his opponent when he should've and it changed everything.

 

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Drip.

 

Drip.

 

Drip.

 

 

Sesshomaru glared down in utter amazement at the red stain slowly spreading across the front of his haori. Blood. Within seconds it was soaking heavily into the white silken fabric that covered his torn flesh. With disbelief he realized that the hollow ping echoing in his ears was the sound of his life's blood dripping steadily onto the parched earth at his feet.

 

 

No…I will not succumb to this. I am stronger than this! he determined, even as his vision blurred at the edges. He realized as he swayed on his feet and staggered slightly to the side to regain his balance that he was going to fall before an enemy and there was nothing poetic or honourable about it.

 

 

The overly idyllic notions he'd once held about dying gloriously in battle felt childish and utterly frivolous in the wake of the underwhelming reality. He would die, his mate would be left alone and their child would become a bastard, never knowing the man who'd once been his father. So this is what he'd become…the thought sickened him. He really was no better than his father who he'd once mocked for dying for the sake of his human mate. He'd been a fool to think he could succeed where he had failed, but now was not time to let his thoughts linger on his inadequacies. Kagome's life depended now on his ability to move past them.

 

 

With a grunt of effort he forced his body upright against its will, his torn muscles screaming out in protest. He could hardly comprehend that he'd allowed himself to be injured by such a worthless being. A panther demon of all things…his father was surely mocking him from the grave. The self-assured son who'd searched for glory in battle and power through conquest, defeated by a panther. After so many decades of ridiculing the hanyou, in the end it was he who would become the stain upon the family name. The irony was almost laughable.

 

 

 

Turning his attention to the panther, a dark chuckle emerged from the bowels of his chest. The panther appeared completely perplexed at the sound and its ears flattened against its head uncomfortably. Sesshomaru realized as he cocked his head to the side that he would take great pleasure wiping the confused look off the vermin's face. If he was destined to perish he wouldn't go alone. Shooting his opponent a dark smile he buried his Tokijin in the dirt at his feet and poured what was left of his power into the blade. It wouldn't kill them all but it would be enough.

 

 

Charged like the electric fire that accompanies a storm, the power flowed from the demonic blade and around the body of its possessor, its brilliant blue flames licking at, yet never burning, his alabaster skin. Sesshomaru's eyes steadily bled red as he allowed his demonic powers to become one with and overwhelm those of the blade. When it hummed and pulsed with energy against his palm, he spoke the words “DRAGON STRIKE!” and Tokijin exploded in a fierce wave of crackling energy.

 

 

The force of the blast shook the very bowels of the earth and like lightning it shot through the air; a white hot arrow to pierce the bodies of his enemies. The panthers' howls of pain were music to Sesshomaru's ears. He let the euphoria of victory wash over him like a wave breaking upon the shore and when it receded he felt the void where his strength had once been. Depleted and weak, his hand dropped from the hilt of his blade and he wavered unsteadily on his feet before collapsing into the dust.

 

 

And so it ended with not one hint of complaint from the Lord of the West. His demise had come to pass they way he'd always imagined it would - a brilliant combination of power, beauty and honour. There was honour in this death and he was thankful for it. Thankful that he'd managed to redeem himself, even thought it'd taken till the very end. There was no regret swimming in the great golden pools of his eyes as he closed them against the light. As he lay silently in wait for whatever would come next, his mind remained focused on one thing-

 

 

Kagome…

 

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Shaded beneath the overhanging porch a pair of dark eyes watched with awe as the taiyoukai fell. Hidden from sight the figure shifted his weight to the ball of his other foot and let his eyes pan across the decimated battlefield that'd once been the palace courtyard. A great gaping chasm sliced through the earth, born from where the Tokijin was buried, almost to its hilt, in the dirt.

 

 

Panther demon bodies were heaped to either side, some lost forever down the great divide, but the only body he cared about was the one he could not see. His grip tightened around the leather handle of his blade as his eyes tried to slice through the voluminous clouds of dust billowing up from the earth. An appreciative whistle cut through the silence and he glanced with irritation at his comrade.

 

 

“Betcha wish you still had that kind of power.”

 

 

“Shut up wolf! I don't remember asking for your opinion!” Inuyasha snarled at Kouga, Prince of the Wolf Demon tribes, as convincingly as possible with his human vocal chords and quickly drew his eyes back on the courtyard. He had to make sure Kagome was safe. If anything happened to her…

 

 

Inuyasha's fist clenched hidden in the dirt as he begrudgingly admitted to himself that the wolf was right. He did wish he had his old powers back. With his half demon strength and the Tetsusaiga in his hands he could actually do something to help. If he had the fang in his possession he wouldn't feel so damn weak and useless all the time either. His eyes searched once more through the dust for the long dark hair of the woman he'd once wanted to be his mate. He'd given up a lot for her, everything he was and everything he had, she didn't have the right to die on him yet.

 

 

“I dunno what you think you're gonna do here. It's not like you can actually fight with that weak mortal body of yours. Besides, if anyone's gonna have her after Sesshomaru's dead it's gonna be me!”

 

 

Kouga said this last bit confidently and brought his sharpened claws up to examine them in the dim light. Inuyasha scowled darkly at his words and cursed himself for ever thinking it was a good idea to go to the wolf for help. He was quickly remembering exactly why it was they never got along.

 

 

“Shut up! How many times do I gotta tell ya she ain't your woman? She might not be mine but she sure as hell ain't yours!” Inuyasha hunched further into himself, already seething with anger, and shifted a few inches away from the wolf. He needed breathing space, the claustrophobia from being crouched beneath the shallow porch was steadily pressing in and grating his last nerve. He debated lingering a little while longer, at least until the dust had cleared, but the sound of the wolf's mirthless chuckles changed his mind.

 

 

“Screw this! I'm going,” he announced over his shoulder and dashed out from under the porch. He blocked out the muffled shouts of surprise and outrage from behind him and concentrated only on keeping his balance as his feet slipped in the warm, gravelly sand. He gripped the sticky leather hilt of his man-made sword tight in his fist and was glad for its reassuring weight against his palm.

 

 

“Sesshomaru?”

 

 

The sound of her wavering voice carried to him through the dust clouds and his feet skidded to a halt. Holding his body rigid, poised and ready for an attack, he turned in a slow circle. In the silence he waited for her to speak again, yet all he could hear were his own heavy pants. The dust tickled his lungs making him want to cough but he fought back the urge and spit the bitter taste of sand onto the ground at his feet.

 

 

“Sesshomaru where are you?” There she was again! “Are you okay? Answer me!”

 

Inuyasha turned his head towards the sound of her voice. He took a tentative step forward and then another, the sand trickling across the tops of his feet. His foot connected with something hard and when he looked down he noticed it was the body of a panther demon. His lip curled up at the sight and with a `tsk' of disgust he deftly side-stepped it and continued on.

 

 

She was crying now. He could hear her soft sniffles and for once was thankful that he could no longer smell her tears. He hated to see her cry, especially over his brother. The gnawing jealousy for what they shared hadn't ever really gone away but he'd learned to cope with it and now it was just another of the dozens of emotions he kept barricaded inside the walls of his heart.

 

 

While he continued forward at the same slow and steady pace, the air slowly began to clear. The opaque dust clouds fell away before his eyes and he caught sight of her dark hair and slender frame. She had her back to him, her face hidden in her hands. He was surprised to see that she was outfitted for battle but had no weapons to defend herself with. Stupid girl…what was she thinking getting involved in these kinds of things. Is she trying to get herself killed?

 

 

“Kagome…” He called out to her gently so as not to startled her. She gasped anyway though and spun around, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and surprise.

 

 

“Inuyasha?” Her tear stained face froze into a blank mask. It'd been three years since they'd last seen one another. A lot had changed for them both and she looked as if she wasn't sure how she was supposed to react. Seeing her so close unexpectedly stole the breath from his lungs. She'd obviously been well taken care of since the last time they'd met face-to-face. Her cheeks were full and flushed, her skin looked soft to the touch, and despite the tears streaking down her dirtied cheeks she was beautiful.

 

 

When air slowly began to trickle into his lungs, he shrugged at her apologetically. He wasn't exactly sure what he was apologizing for - perhaps it was for the past few years of self-induced isolation, or maybe a part of him regretted that he'd arrived at the battle too late to spare her the pain of seeing her mate fall beneath an enemy's sword. Regardless, she seemed to accept this minute gesture and after a moment of hesitation she threw herself into his arms, pressing her face into his chest.

 

 

“I'm so glad it's you,” she cried out with a muffled sob of relief. Pulling away just enough to turn her head, she scanned the dusty field and shook it slowly side to side, her face etched with worry. “Sesshomaru…I can't find him! I think he might be…” Her eyes turned back to him, hope shining in their liquid depths.

 

 

Inuyasha had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. She wanted him to help find the bastard amidst the carnage. Well that was a nice how do you do…sure why shouldn't he put his own life in danger to find the cur who'd taken everything he ever cherished from him. It's not like Sesshomaru'd ever tried to kill him before or anything. Searching for his body sounded like a real treat! Before he could utter a response, their brief reunion was interrupted.

 

 

“Hey Kagome! Glad to see you made it out of that mess. We would've been here sooner but someone thought we should hide like bunch of scared cubs until the coast was clear.” Kouga sauntered forward, his cocky gait never faltering as he surveyed the scene around him, hands resting confidently on his hips. Kagome gaped at him open mouthed and slowly pushed herself out of Inuyasha's embrace.

 

 

“Kouga-kun?! What are you…Did you come all this way just to help us?” At this she glanced with disbelief between the two former nemeses. Had Kouga and Inuyasha really joined forces? Inuyasha scowled and humphed, turning his back moodily on the wolf prince. Kouga let out an exasperated sigh and shot Kagome a beaming smile. Drawing close he clasped her tiny hands between his, making her his temporary prisoner.

 

 

“Kagome you know I would do anything to help you, even team up with a weak mortal. Any time you need me I'll be there.”

 

 

“Uh…thanks Kouga. That's sweet of you to say.” Kagome smiled wanly, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment and hastily withdrew her hands from the wolf's clutches. He'd always been much too clingy for her liking.

 

 

“Hey! You better watch your back mutt,” Kouga called over Kagome's shoulder, completely un-phased by her rejection. “I smell trouble coming.”

 

 

As the dust had settled, what was left of the panther demon army rose from the ruins. Angered by the loss of their comrades, several of the braver beasts advanced on the small group intent on revenge and blood. Kouga pushed Kagome behind him and bared his claws and fangs at the fast approaching demons. A slow retinue of wolves and other wolf demons closed in behind him, ready to obey his order to attack at a moment's notice.

 

 

With no claws, no fang and only a mortal sword to protect him Inuyasha realized that he was at a severe disadvantage. That knowledge didn't stop him though as he fool heartedly charged at the closest demon and sliced him through the middle. With a grunt of satisfaction he waited for the body to fall behind him before moving on to the next. Living in a docile farming village for so long, he'd nearly forgotten how good it felt to take out your aggressions with the edge of your blade. With a smile of satisfaction lighting his lips, he eagerly sought out his next opponent.

 

 

Inuyasha's sword was already descending to make its second killing blow when Kagome's scream froze him in place. Spinning around his eyes searched for her through the chaos and he found her, on the ground perhaps five feet away from Sesshomaru's form, staring in horror at the demon who had his sword poised to slice off the taiyoukai's head.

 

 

“Shit!” Inuyasha cursed foully and made a move towards the pair. He hated his brother, had hated him his entire life, but there wasn't a single part of him that told him not to go. He had to save Sesshomaru because he loved Kagome, they both loved Kagome, and that was all there was to it.

 

 

He'd only travelled maybe three paces before he felt a sharp pain in his stomach. He looked down with surprise at the four inches of metal protruding from his gut before it was ripped back out. With an angry roar he spun around in one fluid motion and cut down the coward who'd dared to hit him from behind. Without wasting a second he ran forward and hurled his sword at the panther demon standing over Sesshomaru's body. He grunted with satisfaction as the sword hit its mark, spearing through the demon's chest. After a slight swagger the panther toppled over, his body coming to rest motionless in the dirt next to Sesshomaru's.

 

 

Inuyasha staggered forward, the pain in his side forgotten, and knelt down next to Kagome. He rested his hand gently on her shoulder as much to sturdy himself as to offer her comfort. It was becoming harder to keep his body upright and he irritably blinked away the blurriness clouding his vision.

 

 

“You okay Kagome?” he asked gently. She nodded slowly and turned to face him, her face a wash of relief.

 

 

“I'm fine, thanks. I don't know what I would've done if…”

 

 

Inuyasha nodded quickly, not needing to hear the rest. He grunted as he tried to stand and unsteadily dropped to one knee. His free hand flew to his side to staunch the stabbing pain that'd returned with a vengeance. He grimaced as he pressed his hand into the sticky patch that was beginning to spread across his haori and turned away so Kagome didn't catch sight of it. She always worried too much and he hated it. Despite his efforts, his shoulders drooped in defeat when he heard her shocked gasp.

 

 

“Inuyasha! You're bleeding!”

 

 

He tried to push her prying hands away but found that his strength had been drained. “I'm fine!” He groused irritably and tried to get up again but his legs felt like a pair of leaden weights. They remained firmly rooted to the ground, his torso balancing precariously on top. Groaning in frustration he shook his head, trying unsuccessfully to blink away the heavy haze blurring his vision. Shit! I can't fucking see! How the hell am I supposed to protect her now?!

 

 

Kagome's brow creased with comcern as she surveyed the blood stain spreading steadily across his shirt. With an impatient huff she pushed his body backwards until he was begrudgingly lying on the ground. He tried to fight her, cursing foully about how she was over reacting, but eventually he gave in with a sighing groan. Perhaps lacking the strength, he didn't resist her probing fingers when they pulled his outer haori open to examine the injury beneath.

 

 

It was worse that she'd imagined. His undershirt was completely soaked in blood. “Inuyasha…,” she gasped his name in shock as her nimble fingers gingerly pulled the sticky red cloth away from the wound. As a half demon this would've been nothing, but as a mortal…her eyes widened with realization. Clearing her throat awkwardly to hide the wave of panic constricting her breath she gave him her best poker face and said “It's not that bad. I think you're gonna be okay.”

 

Inuyasha's dark eyes narrowed sceptically, taking in the tight lines around her mouth and the sickly pallor that'd washed over her skin. She was obviously lying, not that she'd ever been good at it to begin with. He knew how bad the wound was, but why she was trying to protect him from the truth was beyond him. The fact that she seemed so worried about him gave his heart a tiny jolt. After not seeing her for so many years he hadn't been sure what to expect when they'd met again.

 

 

He felt different inside, as if he'd gained something back that he thought had been lost long ago. He wasn't sure how she felt, but the concern in her eyes was real. She still cared about him. She still thought of him as a friend…as undeserving of that title as he was. Not knowing how else to react, he scoffed at her and tore his gaze from hers, staring blindly up at the sky. “Ya know just `cus I'm not half demon anymore doesn't mean I can't smell a lie when I hear one!”

 

 

His voice was full of indignation and Kagome swallowed hard. Her eyes moved of their own accord to the ragged gaping hole in his flesh where the sword had pierced him. She wanted to scream and tear her hair out in frustration. Why did it have to be him? Dropping all pretence, she didn't bother to hide the way her voice tightened with concern when she spoke next. “Just…just lay still and…and I'll go get help.”

 

 

“No!” His hand flew out and captured her arm in a surprisingly strong grip. “No…,” he said again, gentler this time. “Don't go anywhere. I don't want to…just stay here okay? You'll get hurt if you leave. Send the wolf to get help.” Kagome nodded obediently and blinked back the tears that threatened to blind her. First Sesshomaru, now Inuyasha…was she going to lose all the men she cared about today?

 

 

Kouga returned from his own fight and took one look at Inuyasha's prone form and Kagome's stricken face before darting into the palace to find help. Kagome kept her hands pressed against the seeping wound on Inuyasha's side in an effort to staunch the flow of blood that was steadily pulsing out of him. Its warm, sticky texture coated her hands, making them slick and gooey. Inuyasha grimaced as she applied more pressure to the wound and he shot her a scathing look.

 

 

“Shit Kagome that hurts! Do you gotta press so damn hard?” For someone who was mortally wounded he still had a lot of spirit left in him.

 

 

“Shut up baka!” Kagome heard herself scream at him over the nearby clang of swords and battle cries. It'd been entirely unintentional of course, she was worried sick about him and Sesshomaru, but for some reason an irrational anger suddenly overpowered her fear and shut off the filter between her brain and her mouth. “It's your own damn fault you got stabbed! You're so reckless sometimes! All you had to do was pay attention and you wouldn't…”

 

 

A choking sob cut off the rest of her words and Inuyasha had the nagging suspicion that her terse words were no longer directed at him. As if to confirm his suspicions, she glanced tearily over her shoulder at Sesshomaru's body and muttered out the word “baka” in a painfully tender tone. When she turned back to face him, her face was drawn into a disapproving frown.

 

 

Kagome was quiet for a long moment, her eyes shifting nervously between the wound and the petulant frown on Inuyasha's face. He seemed fine…he certainly didn't act like he was dying! Were it not for the blood bubbling up like a tiny fountain beneath her hands she might've been able to convince herself that he was going to pull through. He was tougher than any human or demon she knew. If anyone could survive a mortal wound it would be him, but even she had to doubt his ability to survive something like this.

 

 

The rough sound of her name being spoken drew Kagome's eyes upwards, but Inuyasha's lips were sealed tight. For a moment her breath froze in her lungs and her stomach constricted in a painful knot as a tingle of awareness ran up her spine. Ever so slowly she turned her head and glanced at Sesshomaru over her shoulder. To her utter shock, a pair of dull crimson eyes stared back at her, blurred with confusion and pain. “Kagome…” he rasped her name again, his eyes darting back and forth as if he were searching for her through the darkness.

 

 

“I'm here,” she whispered softly, her voice barely audible through the tears that choked her words. She wanted to throw her arms around him and sob with relief. She needed to feel the arms that so often protected her from the danger and pain of the world embrace her and take her away from this place and this day. She wanted to worship the lips that she'd thought would never speak her name again with a string of warm, loving kisses. But she couldn't do any of these things. Though he called to her she couldn't go to him, because Inuyasha's life depended upon her tiny hands staying where they were.

 

 

“About time you woke up,” Inuyasha snapped irritably, his dark gaze fixed on the taiyoukai. Kagome shot him a warning glare, which he ignored. “You must be getting pretty weak in your old age if a panther can take you down that easily.”

 

 

A warning rumble echoed through Sesshomaru's throat and instinct turned his face towards the sound of Inuyasha's voice. The glint of his fangs threatened bodily harm to the boy, but his powerful body remained immobile.

 

 

“Is the big bad puppy dog gonna come kill me?” Inuyasha taunted with a harsh laugh, one that was cut off sharply by a groan of pain. “Too fucking late…”

 

 

The pain in his voice was unmistakable as his body tried to curl up into a fetal position but Kagome's hands held him steady. “Inuyasha! Enough!”

 

 

“Blood…” Sesshomaru's nose twitched slightly, obviously taking in the pungent aroma of Inuyasha's human blood. It practically saturated the air to the point where even Kagome could smell its heavy metallic scent. She'd been suppressing the urge to gag for the past few minutes.

 

 

“Keh, yeah that's right. I couldn't let you have all the glory could I? I wonder how your ego's gonna feel when you wake up and realize that I'm the one who saved your sorry ass.”

 

 

Despite the obvious amount of pain he had to be in, a rueful smirk quirked up the corners of Inuyasha's mouth. He was gloating. Kagome blinked her eyes wide in disbelief. She couldn't believe he was actually gloating over the fact that he'd sacrificed himself to save Sesshomaru. She shook her head, not sure whether to feel appalled or surprised. He hasn't changed a bit! He's still a stubborn baka!

 

 

After a moment she realized she shouldn't be surprised by this turn of events at all. If he had to die, this was certainly the way Inuyasha would want to go. Considering the relationship he and Sesshomaru had struggled through all their lives, it only made sense that he would want to hit Sesshomaru's enormous ego with one final, crushing blow. Not only would sacrificing his human life for the taiyoukai's humiliate him, it would prove to everyone that even as a hanyou he'd never been worthless.

 

 

When Sesshomaru's growls suddenly went silent, Kagome glanced quickly over her shoulder, her heart in her throat, only to see that he'd drifted back into the void of unconsciousness. Also into that void went her last glimmer of hope that he would use the Tenseiga to revive Inuyasha. Not that she thought he had the strength to wield the sword, or that he would've used it at all (on second thought she realized he'd probably rather chew his good arm off than raise Inuyasha from the dead), but it was still disheartening to feel that glimmer fade. It felt heavy and oppressive, a gloomy cloud that wanted to envelope her - the same way darkness closes in when the last sputtering candle is put out.

 

 

Sesshomaru was gravely injured but he would survive, she was sure of it now. Inuyasha on the other hand… Her expressive brown eyes fixed on his steadily paling face and she worried her bottom lip between her teeth. When his eyelids slowly started to droop and close, she panicked. Not ready to give up just yet, she pressed one hand hard into his wound to staunch the flow of blood and used her other to shake him awake. His eyelids lifted groggily and he fixed her with a grumpy expression, the same kind he gave her when she used to wake him from his tree naps with a `sit'.

 

 

“What is it now?” he demanded tersely before settling his head back on the ground, obviously intent on falling back asleep. Kagome shook him again, harder this time.

 

 

“Inuyasha you can't go to sleep. You have to stay awake until Kouga gets back with help.”

 

 

“But I'm tired” he whined childishly, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

 

 

Using the back of her arm Kagome brushed several wayward tendrils of hair that'd escaped her ponytail out of her eyes. Settling back on her haunches she let out a frustrated sigh and rolled her eyes. “I know you're tired but you have to stay awake just a little while longer. Do it for me okay? Tell me…tell me about your wife. I heard you got married?”

 

 

Tossing his head to the side, Inuyasha snorted indignantly. After a moment he turned back to her, his dark eyes cold. “So what if I got married? It didn't last long. She was a stuck up bitch! Fucking complained about everything…wanted me to be home all the time with her. No thanks!”

 

 

Well…that struck a nerve! Hiding her shock at his choice words for the woman who'd at some point been his mate, she diverted her gaze from his. “Oh…I'm sorry,” she apologized while wincing inwardly at the awkwardness of the situation. She hadn't meant to pry, she'd just wanted to distract him, to keep him talking in the hopes that something could still be done for him.

 

 

 

He shrugged her apology off nonchalantly and stared blankly up at the sky. The clouds were starting to clear and every so often a patch of bright blue could be seen mixed in with the grey. After a moment of silence he heaved an impatient sigh and shifted positions, bringing his knees closer to his chest. Kagome watched his face as he moved and he didn't flinch which meant he either had an incredible tolerance for pain or that he no longer felt any at all, which was a very, very bad sign.

 

 

“Don' be. It woulda never worked out anyway.” His words came out slightly slurred this time, another cause for concern, but she still understood what he was trying to say. Tilting her head to the side she regarded him curiously.

 

 

“Why would you say that? You liked her didn't you? Isn't that why you got married?”

 

 

“Keh! You don' know anything. I shoulda known it wouldn' work. She wasn' who I wanted.”

 

 

“Oh.” Kagome blinked at him, her mouth hanging open in an “O” of surprise. She hadn't expected that answer! She'd convinced herself, perhaps as a means to deal with the guilt, that he'd moved on too. Knowing now that things hadn't changed for him pulled at her heart and the guilt she'd long since fought to control reared its ugly face. Tears pricked at her eyes but she quickly blinked them away, swallowing the rest down.

 

 

“Say Inuyasha…” she began, and paused, the words stuck in her throat. He didn't seem to even notice or care that he'd made such a private confession to her. The old Inuyasha would've turned beat red and bolted into a tree before telling her anything like that, before admitting he actually cared about her. This Inuyasha was something new entirely.

 

 

Tilting her head to the side she studied him in silence, using her eyes to memorize the contours of his face. He looked relaxed for the first time in a long while, his eyes were lightly closed, and he even seemed to have a slight smirk on his lips.

 

 

“Worked out `kay though,” he blurted out, breaking the silence. Her brow furrowed in confusion as she stared hard at his face, wishing he'd open his eyes.

 

 

“What worked out okay?” she asked when he didn't offer up any explanation. Despite the fact that his eyes were closed and his breathing had become sluggish he was still talking and for that she was thankful. Her eyes scanned the perimeter of the palace porch for signs of Kouga but he was nowhere to be found. She cursed him silently, her shoulders tightening in frustration. How long did it take to find help? He couldn't last much longer like this!

 

“All of it. `Slong as yer happy iss all O.K.”

 

 

Kagome's brow wrinkling as she frowned down at him. “I don't understand. What are you talking about? What do you meant it's all OK as long as I'm happy?” She waited patiently for his response, the silence stretching like a bridge between them. It took several moments for her to realize that her answer wasn't going to come.

 

 

In the time she'd spent waiting, the sluggish rise and fall of his chest had shuddered to a stop. Staring down wide eyed at her hands she realize that though blood still trickled from his wound, it didn't gush out like it had when his heart had been steadily pumping it out. Horrified, her eyes travelled slowly up his body until they reached the peaceful expression on his face and there they froze. There was even the hint of that smile still on his lips.

 

 

She whispered his name softly, and then louder. When he didn't respond the third time she took him by the shoulders, shaking him hard until his head lolled to the side. “No! No Inuyasha! You baka! You aren't supposed to go yet!” She screamed at him in hysterics, her grief masking itself as anger. With tears blinding her vision she beat her small, blood stained fists against his chest. “You were supposed to stay until help arrived! You were supposed to…you didn't…damn you! You're such a damn coward!”

 

 

By the time she was done screaming, her voice was raw and her throat bloody, but the painful ache in her heart wasn't any less. She pressed her forehead to his chest and let her tears flow freely to wash the blood from his tanned skin. That was how Kouga found her when he returned with the youkai medicine man at his side. Without a word he pulled her away and held her tight against his chest in a hug that was meant as much to comfort her as it was to restrain her. She collapsed against him almost instantly, her body and spirit utterly exhausted.

 

 

Unusually patient, Kouga sat with her for a while and did nothing more than hold her. Neither noticed that the battle had ceased around them, the allies victorious. Finally Kouga deposited Kagome in the dirt next to Sesshomaru. “He needs you too,” he stated bluntly and bowed his head respectfully towards the taiyoukai.

 

 

Kagome nodded bravely and wiped what was left of her tears away with the back of her hand. The blood had long since dried and cracked on her skin and when she noticed it her face paled instantly. It was his blood…all of it was his blood…she hadn't been able to save him. The guilt swam up once more, clenching her stomach in a tight, nauseating knot. Flinching, she pulled away from Sesshomaru afraid if she touched him he would be lost too. Seeing this Kouga grabbed her hands in his, forcing her to look him square in the eye.

 

 

 

“Kagome get a hold of yourself! Where is the take charge woman I'm used to?” His cobalt eyes searched hers frantically, surprised to see such defeat in their dull depths. “Look, the only way Sesshomaru is going to recover is if you help him, so get going!”

 

 

With a nod Kagome sniffled and finally spared a glance for her injured mate. He looked the same as he had before, motionless, vulnerable, and utterly beautiful despite the blood staining his torso. The steady rise and fall of his chest told her that he was indeed alive and her heart skipped a beat. Like the sparse rays of sunshine that'd begun to break through the grim clouds above, the realization that he would survive burned like a brilliant ray of hope upon her heart.

 

 

That was all it took for her guilt to subside and the old authoritative Kagome to return. Her hands ghosted over Sesshomaru's body, pausing only to squeeze his hand in hers before she turned to Kouga with a determined gaze and demanded that he bring the taiyoukai inside. He acquiesced without missing a beat, carefully tossing Sesshomaru's body over his shoulder before he headed towards the palace.

 

 

Alone once more, Kagome sucked in a deep breath to muster her courage before turning to the boy who'd only momentarily been forgotten. Her eyes skimmed disappointedly over his body as she realized that this would be the last time they would see one another. After another long, hard look at his chest, just to be double sure he was really gone, she let out a sad sigh and took her time closing up his shirt and the vibrant red fabric of his fire rat haori. Sitting back on her heels she surveyed his body and after a moment of thought she left his arms crossed in front of his chest, deciding rather seriously that positioning him any other way just wouldn't look right.

 

 

Alone in the silence she waited for someone to tell her what to do next. No one came, so for a long while she just sat there, hands fisted against her thighs, and thought about how much this boy had changed her life. Everything she knew, everything she loved, was all because of that day all those years ago when she'd met this boy - this gruff, violent and totally uncompromising hanyou. Reflecting on all the years they'd known one another, she realized that he'd quite literally given her everything. She was humbled and embarrassed by the realization that she'd never given anything back.

 

 

A group of several downtrodden looking wolves approached Kagome from behind, their feet crunching loudly against the sandy gravel. She didn't turn to look at them, but when one offered in a quiet voice to take the body inside she nodded her head. He stepped forward and knelt next to Inuyasha, shooting her a grim, understanding smile across his body. Kagome studied him with her eyes, blocking out every part of his dirty, scruffy appearance but for the warmth in his green eyes. He'd known death as well, it seemed, and for a fleeting moment she felt a strong sense of camaraderie with this stranger.

 

 

The wolf lifted Inuyasha's lifeless form into his arms and made a move to carry him into the palace but Kagome stayed him with her hand. He waited patiently while she took a moment to look at her friend one last time. Puffing out a sigh she stepped forward and pushed back his matted dark hair from his dirt streaked face. A wistful smile graced her lips and she bent her head to his ear, a futile gesture since she knew he could no longer hear her, and whispered the only thing she had left to say to him. The wolf looked at her, his face a mix of surprise and confusion but when she smiled at him he nodded understandingly and headed for the palace.

 

 

Kagome stood still in the center of the court yard, her feet rooted to the earth, and watched the wolf and his companions until they had disappeared into the darkened interior hallway. She felt her lungs let out the heavy breath she'd been holding and her eyes turned up towards the sky. The sun was shining now and it beat warmly against her face, drying the tears that'd been left clinging to her eyelashes. In the end, the only thing she could think to say was the only thing she'd never said enough to the boy who'd given her everything.

 

 

Thank you.

 

 

Author's Note: Thank you everyone for your patience. This chapter has been a long time coming. I thought this would be a good way to end things. I think a lot of you may have been expecting me to kill off Sesshomaru but that would've been a little too predicatble and neat. At the start of the last chapter I talked about how Sesshomaru couldn't bring back Kagome without having to sacrifice something in return.

Now I know a lot of you may think that Inuyasha's death isn't a sacrifice for Sesshomaru but keep in mind he lost Akira too. Akira may have been Inuyasha's kid by birth right, but he was Sesshy's son in the end. I realize this chapter was a bit sad and a little grim so I will promise there will be no more death or killing for the remainder of this fic and I'll try to keep the sad to a minimum.

Thanks again everyone for sticking by me. We're almost at the finish line :)