InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Synergy ❯ One-Shot

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Inuyasha.

---sSs---

Main Entry: syn·er·gy
Pronunciation: ç
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural syn·er·gies
Etymology: New Latin synergia, from Greek synergos, working together
Date: 1660

---sSs---

"Normally, the spiritual powers of a human, and the powers of demons fight against each other - but in a half demon, the two powers combine. It is this synergy of power..."

Synergy of power... synergy....

Inuyasha cast a glance down at the members of his little pack, then flicked his ears, listening for any signs of a hostile presence. Content that there was none, he allowed himself to drift off into his thoughts.

They had just left the half-demon kids from Horai Island a few days ago, and the group was once again back on the shard hunt. But there was just something about what the the spirit of that priestess, Kanade, had said to him while he was inside the cauldron, that wouldn't let him go.

Synergy... a combination of powers, the human and demon inside working together. But if that's the way it's supposed to be, why do my human and demon sides fight against each other, instead?

Even when their lives were threatened, those kids didn't lose themselves to their demon blood and go on a rampage like I do. What the hell's up with that? Those kids are more powerful than me?

The very thought of that was enough to set his teeth on edge - he needed to talk to someone about it... but who?

Keh... probably Miroku. He's a pervert, and a pain in the ass sometimes, but he's pretty smart - at least, when it comes to anything besides women.

He snorted softly at that thought, and sliding down just a bit on his branch, tightened his hold on Tessaiga, scanned his surroundings once more, then slid into a light sleep.

He would talk to the monk in the morning.

The last thing that flashed through his tired mind was a memory of he and Kagome combining their powers to defeat Ryuura...

Synergy.

---sSs---

"Oi, Miroku."

The monk turned, a questioning expression on his face when he heard his friend's call. "Yes, Inuyasha?"

"I got something I wanna talk to you about while the girl's are off bathing. It's about... something that happened on Horai."

Patting his robes down, he sat, and nodded, his face showing interest. "I'm listening, my friend."

Inuyasha plopped down across from him, folding his legs, and clutching tightly to Tessaiga. After a few moments, he started off, hesitantly. "When I was in the cauldron with Asagi, we met that priestess' spirit - what was her name... oh, yeah, Kanade. Anyway, she said something that's been bothering me ever since."

He stopped, and Miroku cocked his head encouragingly. "What were her words?"

"Well, she was talking about half-demons, and why the four war gods needed them to gain power. She said it was because the power of demons and humans fights against each other, but in half-demons, the powers combine. She called it synergy."

Miroku nodded, his features settling into a thoughtful expression. "I can understand what she was saying. Normally, youki, and reiki, fight against each other - they are opposing forces. But in a half demon, they combine, and work together. This is the life force of the half demon." He half-frowned. "That is why a half-demon can't really be purified the way a full demon can."

Inuyasha scowled, then looked away. "Then why isn't it that way for me? Feh, all my two sides do is fight like crazy - I'm tellin' ya, monk, you wouldn't want to be inside my head sometimes with the way they fight. They can't barely agree on anything!"

The monk chuckled lightly at the visual of two different sides of Inuyasha arguing and screaming inside his head, but then he sighed. He knew what the half-demon was asking - and it was a difficult question to answer.

He closed his eyes and considered it for a few minutes, well aware of his friend's rather impatient stare. He sighed again, then spoke.

"It is the same thing for a human, at times, Inuyasha, though in a simpler fashion. It is easy to be presented with a situation where your heart is divided from your mind, and it causes the same type of confusion within the rest of us." He looked out across the fields bordering their last night's camp, a slight frown crossing his face.

"No one is ever perfectly balanced within themselves - at least, not here on earth. Those are the ones who've achieved nirvana, and are no longer bound to this earth. But I think," he paused, and looked back at his friend, "that your differing natures have caused a maelstrom of confusion, and you've found yourself lost in the storm far more than anyone else I've ever encountered."

"Keh! I know that, Miroku! So how do I stop it, that's what I wanna know!"

Miroku sat back, balancing on his heels, and considered it. "That's always the question, isn't it? There are no easy answers, Inuyasha," he said, when he saw his friend's impatient look. "The potential for this 'synergy' that the Lady Kanade spoke of is inside you, as much as it is within the half-demons we rescued from Horai."

"Do you really think so?" he asked, almost hesitantly.

"Yes, Inuyasha, I do." Pinning him with a serious look, he said, "This is my opinion, though it is only an opinion. The difference between those children, and you, is lifestyle."

Inuyasha looked taken aback. "What do'ya mean?"

"Those children, despite having the four war gods hovering over their heads, had a mostly peaceful life. They didn't have to live as you did - with constant strife just to stay alive, always dodging the hatred and fear of others. So their demon half didn't grow up knowing only anger and rage."

"So... it's - at least partly - because I grew up fighting for my life, and that's the only way my demon side knows now?"

"Think about it, Inuyasha. When is it that your demon comes out? When your life is in danger, and there is no other choice. Strife. At all other times, you're simply yourself - a half-demon. I think the key, for you," he broke off, and eyed the hanyou for a moment, then decided to finish, "is to find something that both your demon side and your human side wants to work together for. If you can merge your human heart, with your demon strength..." he trailed off, watching Inuyasha's reaction to his words.

"Something that we both want - so that we can work together..." a memory flashed again through his mind at high-speed - he and Kagome working together to defeat Ryuura, using both his youki... and her reiki.

In fact, there'd been several opponents over their time together that had only been beaten when they'd worked together.

"Miroku? How do you explain me'n Kagome fighting together to destroy the bad guys?" he asked slowly.

The monk smiled and stood, then bowed. "Perhaps Kagome is your synergy, Inuyasha. You once said that she is home for you, did you not?" When the hanyou nodded, he finished. "Then maybe she is what you need to tame both your sides. It is worth thinking about."

Inuyasha nodded, and as the girls returned, and the day commenced, he considered everything that they'd talked about...

Maybe I don't need a seal on my demon blood - maybe I just need Kagome...

---sSs---

He'd spent most of the last several days thinking things over, and a peculiar thought had come to him - if he and Kagome were able to combine their powers, both holy, and demonic, why hadn't he and Kikyou been able to do the same?

Maybe I should ask Kaede - she'd probably know.

So the moment that Kagome went home through the well, and Miroku and Sango took off for some together time, he cornered the elder miko in her hut, and put the question to her.

He was completely unprepared for her answer.

"For both of your powers to combine, Inuyasha, there must be complete trust. Ye must be totally open to each other. Ye and Kikyou did not have this, nor would ye ever have. I loved my sister, but she could never have given ye the absolute trust that is needed for this synergy ye speak of."

"Why not?" he choked out in surprise.

"Because Kikyou would never have been able to rid herself of that last lingering doubt. If it had demon blood, she naturally mistrusted it - even more than most miko do." She frowned as she thought back to the few short years she'd spent with her older sister. "Even now, I cannot be sure where that aspect of her came from. She studied under the same miko I did - and I do not carry the same prejudice she did. 'Tis a mystery I have never been able to fathom," she admitted.

"So... it wasn't just me, then?" he asked sadly.

"No, Inuyasha. Any relationship ye might have had with my sister would only have progressed had you truly become human. She would never have been able to accept ye as Kagome has."

"But still... what does me and Kagome combining our powers have to do with trust?"

Kaede sighed, and settled her old bones closer to her fire. "It is unheard of for reiki and youki to work together, Inuyasha. I think that only ye and Kagome could ever manage to do so - because of the circumstances. Ye trust her, as much as she trusts ye, correct? Do ye have any fear that Kagome would ever willingly do anything to harm ye?"

He scowled. "Hell no, old hag. Kagome's not capable of stabbing someone in the back, and you know it as well as I do."

"Hai. But the important thing here is that ye know it. In order for your powers to work together, instead of against each other, ye must accept each other, and the opposing nature of the powers ye wield. Only with acceptance and trust, can the powers truly combine."

She poked at the fire a little, the flames limning her tired features. "If either one of ye doubted, Inuyasha, it would not work - your powers would turn on each other, and destroy ye both."

His eyes grew wide at that. "You mean... we could both have died? Why didn't someone say something?!"

"Because there was no need, Inuyasha. Everyone that knows ye two knows that ye are two halves of one whole, whether ye are willing to admit it or not." She chuckled at his red-faced sputtering and shook her head. "It does ye no good to deny it."

He pouted, folding his hands in his sleeves and turned his face away, embarrassed. Then something occurred to him, and he turned slowly back to look at her, a solemnity in his unblinking gaze that she'd rarely seen.

"You... you don't have a problem with me'n Kagome having this... synergy thing? I mean, a miko, and a half-demon...?"

Kaede shook her head, a wry smile on her face. "No, Inuyasha. The relationship that exists between ye and Kagome could only have been forged by the kami themselves. I am not so arrogant as to tamper with such a thing." Her smile warmed with honest affection for the hanyou, and her voice grew gruff.

"If nothing else ever has done so, this one thing at least should tell ye that ye and Kagome were meant for each other, unlike ye and Kikyou - that she was created, as she is, for ye, Inuyasha. Kikyou, when she held their soul, could never have been your match, because she could never have accepted ye as the kami created ye."

"But what if I... wanted to be more than just Kagome's protector?" he almost whispered.

"Then I would perform the marriage ceremony myself, and be proud to do so," she said, her smile now evident even in her voice.

"R-really?" he stammered, golden eyes unblinking and awed.

"Hai, really. Personally," she chuckled, "I think ye have waited long enough - ye need to go speak to Kagome. As obvious as it has always been that ye love Kagome, it is also just as obvious that she loves ye, as well. And yes, I mean she loves ye as a woman loves a man."

The poor hanyou turned as red as his fire-rat, but nodded shyly, and stood.

"Thanks, Kaede. You don't know what this means to me - and you're right. It's time I talked to Kagome. I'll be back later..." he took off out the door before he heard her reply.

"I do know what this means to ye, Inuyasha... truly, I do. And ye deserve it," she finished softly as she made her way out of her hut.

Now, to deal with the only obstacle those two have ever really had...

---sSs---

"Kaede."

"Hai."

The two women faced off - one old, and tired, and one cold, and dead, and stared at each other. They both knew what this meeting was for.

After a few minutes of weighing each other in silence, Kikyou spoke.

"So, you think that you will face me, and be the one to destroy me, Kaede? Is this how you would treat your older sister?" she mocked.

"Who else is there? I am Kikyou's sister - but ye are an abomination, and an insult to the beautiful woman that Kikyou was. It falls to me, as the last of her family, to rid the world of this tainted mockery of her."

The younger-seeming woman glared angrily at the elder. "And how do you expect to do that, old woman?" she hissed spitefully. "You were never more powerful than I - which brings up an interesting question - if I am not Kikyou, how do I have her reiki?"

Kaede shook her head, not impressed. "Do not play your games with me. Ye are not Kikyou, nor do ye have her reiki. The only power ye now have is that which your creator, Urasue, stole from Kagome. It is Kagome's reiki ye wander the lands using, for when Kikyou died, she lost all rights to the soul that Kagome now carries - the soul that is the source of that reiki."

There was no denying that, so the Kikyou golem didn't even try. "That may be so, but nonetheless, I still have access to it, Kaede - and you still haven't answered my question. How do you plan to defeat me?"

The elder woman grimaced painfully, pulling her tired body as upright as she could, and brought her hands together, mouthing the words of an ancient prayer.

As she did so, she pulled her hands apart, and a shield grew around her, expanding to encompass her position. When she was finished, she looked back up at the clay figure born of hatred and greed standing before her, and said, "It is true that I have not the power that Kagome does. But I am also not as powerless as ye think - I have prepared for this confrontation for a long time, and the kami have answered my prayers, and granted me strength to right the wrong that Urasue committed. This day be your last, golem."

Kikyou called her soul gatherers to her, suddenly rather unnerved at the power coming from the elder miko. To her shock, however, as soon as they approached, they were destroyed in a flash of light.

Beginning to panic, she tried to bring up her own shield, hoping that it would hold long enough for Kaede to tire, but found she was unable to move. "Why do you want to kill me all of a sudden?" she cried.

"Ye are mistaken. Ye are already dead - I am merely returning that body to it's proper resting place." She paused meaningfully. "And making sure that ye do not punish those who are not guilty of any crime."

Then she understood. "This is about Inuyasha, isn't it?" she yelled. "Do you think he'll appreciate you killing me, Kaede? He'll probably kill you for it."

Kaede chuckled, and shook her head. "No, he will not kill me. He might be angry for a time, but he will get over it - because he does understand, deep down, that ye are not truly the Kikyou that he knew." With that, she closed her eyes, and once again began to chant a prayer.

Expression set, features tight with concentration, she spoke the words of a spell designed to return the body housing the stolen piece of Kagome's soul back into the clay, soil, and bones it was created from.

Kikyou's eyes however, were wide open, and that's why she could see the shimmering forms of what she instinctively knew were certain members of the kami surrounding Kaede's stooped form. She knew in that moment that there was no way she could survive this, and didn't even try, bowing her head and accepting her fate, she let the forces that had been called on dissolve her body - after all, one cannot fight the gods.

With a deep sigh, Kaede opened her eyes and spoke the last words of the spell, solemnly bearing witness to her sister's look-alike's final moments.

As soon as the light faded, and she was sure the spell had been successful, she slumped, half-falling to her knees as her strength waned. That spell was one of the most difficult of all - most miko were not strong enough to use it. She had only been able to do so with months of prayer and preparation - and the assistance of the kami themselves.

But at least it was finally over, and Kagome would have the rest of her soul returned to her - where it belonged. And they would not have to face losing Inuyasha to a twisted desire for revenge.

She nodded to herself, exhausted, but pleased that it was done. Now, to figure out how to get herself and the ashy remains of her sister home....

I am truly too old for all this excitement, she thought wryly. These adventures are for the young.

---sSs---

Kagome spun around in her chair, exasperated as she watched Inuyasha climb through her window.

"I just got home, Inuyasha - and I need to study!"

She was waiting for the usual complaints, and insistence that she needed to get back to the shard hunt - so she was surprised when he just looked at her for a moment, then thrust his hands into his sleeves and looked away.

"Kagome... I... ah, hell," he said tiredly, "I didn't come to drag you back. It's just that I... need to talk to you."

Her expression morphed from exasperated to concerned, and she got up and moved over to her bed, patting the side, and waiting for him to sit down.

"Inuyasha... you know you can tell me anything, right?" she asked worriedly. What's making him look like that? Is he... oh, no, she began to panic, is he going with Kikyou to hell? Is he leaving... me?

He smiled a little over at her, looking at her out of the corner of his eye. "Yeah... I know I can tell you anything, Kagome, and stop panicking - it's nothing bad."

"Well, your idea of bad, and my idea of bad, might not be the same," she mumbled, and immediately, he knew what she was talking about.

It's funny how well we know each other...

"I'm not leaving to go to hell, Kagome, so calm down."

And with that sentence, her expression indeed smoothed out, and she smiled back at him.
"Okay." They were both silent for a moment, then she asked, "So, if that wasn't it, what...?"

"It started with something that happened when I was trapped in the cauldron with Asagi on Horai Island. While we were in there, the spirit of that priestess the kids were talkin' about, Kanade, spoke to me. It was her that gave me the comb box with the four war god's powers in it, and helped us get out of there."

He chanced another glance at her, and smiled inwardly at her fascinated look.

"Anyway... she said something that really got me thinking - something about synergy." A brow rose at her suddenly enlightened expression.

"That's what's been on your mind lately, ne?" she asked. "Why you've been so distracted. I wondered about that."

"Yeah... so, anyway, I talked to Miroku about it, and he said some stuff, well, it made sense, but it raised more questions in my mind, so then I talked to Kaede, and..." he trailed off, frustrated. "Damn! This is harder than I thought, and I'm messing it all up."

She shook her head at him. "Okay, take a deep breath, and then why don't you tell me what they both said? Then we can go from there."

So, he did what she said, and took a deep breath - and then repeated everything that Miroku had said. She listened, rapt - though she blushed a bit when he told her about the 'home' comment.

"It's true, Kagome. I figured that out a long time ago - wherever you are is home for me."

She smiled, and blinked back tears. "That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me, Inuyasha," she said happily.

"Keh!" It was his turn to blush - and then he remembered the other part of the talk, the one with Kaede. So, he told her about his question to the elder miko, frowning inwardly as he noticed her wince at the mention of Kikyou, but knowing that it had to be said, he pressed on.

She wasn't nearly as surprised as he'd been at Kaede's answer to his question, he could tell.

"Kagome... do you think they were right? I mean, Kaede, and Miroku?" he asked hesitantly.

The girl sitting next to him looked down at her feet, considering his question. "Well... I don't know about the whole me being your synergy thing - only you can answer that," she said shyly, "but the trust part, that Kaede talked about... yeah, that's true."

"Why didn't you ever say anything?"

She looked away, her eyes drifting towards her window, and she sighed. "Because of Kikyou," she whispered. "I didn't want to say anything negative about your relationship with her, and cause you any pain. I think there's been enough people in your life that have done that, and I don't have any intention of doing the same."

He was absolutely floored by her answer.

She... really means that. Kagome protected my heart at the risk of her own - and she did it without ever even giving a hint of what it cost her. Kikyou... Kikyou would never have done the same... Kaede was right.

Inuyasha stared straight ahead of himself, speaking in a low, but audible tone. "That's not all Kaede said, Kagome. She said... she said that you were made for me by the kami," he dropped his gaze, turning as red as his fire-rat, "and I... asked her what she thought of--" here he broke off, fear and shame stealing his voice.

Kagome, all wide eyes and blushing skin, had no intentions of letting him stop there. Is he... does he - maybe he's finally realizing... "What, Inuyasha? What she thought of...?"

"What she would think if I wanted to be more than just your protector," he choked out, closing his eyes and flinching as though he expected her to attack him for his words.

She sat back, stunned. Softly, she asked, "And what did she say?"

He opened one eye and glanced sideways at her, then coughed lightly. "She said that she'd be honored to perform the wedding."

Heart in her throat, stunned, she whispered, "Are you asking me - Kagome - to... marry you?!"

He was honestly surprised at her shock. "Well, who else would I be asking? You're the only one here!"

She stared at him helplessly, voice lost somewhere inside, and it was his turn to sigh in exasperation.

"Look, Kagome, Miroku and Kaede were both right. You are my synergy. You are what I need. Both my demon and human sides agree on you," he rolled his eyes, "and you're pretty much the only thing they agree on. I'm not totally in control of my demon side, but I'm getting better - and it's only because of you."

"Oh," she breathed in wonder, turning on the bed to look at him. He was still blushing heavily, but met her gaze determinedly.

"So... is Kaede going to perform a wedding, or not?" he asked hesitantly.

Just as she was getting ready to answer, a bright light flashed in her eyes, and she was literally knocked back into her bedroom wall, falling heavily after a moment back onto her bed, only half-conscious.

That was the other part of my soul! Something must have happened to Kikyou!

Dazedly, she opened her eyes to find a panicked Inuyasha crouched over her, frantically looking for any wounds. Putting a hand to her head, she groaned, then tried to sit up as her head pounded.

"Here, take it easy," he admonished even as he helped her up gently. Once she was sitting up, he asked, "What the hell happened, Kagome? All I saw was this bright light, and then you flew backwards."

She nodded, then looked up at him sadly. "Inuyasha, I..." she sighed, then blinked up at him, still trying to focus enough to see his face. He looked worried, and impatient. No surprise there. "It was the rest of my soul coming back to me..." she trailed off - she could see by the look on his face that she didn't need to finish.

He looked lost for a moment, then determination firmed his brow. "First, you never answered my question, Kagome."

She looked at him askance. "Huh?"

He sighed, shaking his head. "Hell, Kagome, is your memory really that bad? I asked you to marry me, didn't I?"

She huffed at him in slight irritation. "Well, you really didn't ask me, you know, but..." she smiled at him, "I'll answer you anyway. Yes... you can tell Kaede that she'll need to perform a wedding." Her eyes became unfocused again, and she fought off a dizzy spell.

Inuyasha noticed immediately, and though his heart was soaring in his chest, and he wanted to scream out to the world that Kagome wanted him, a hanyou, he didn't, instead laying her down on her bed gently.

"You need to rest a little after that, Kagome. You should take a nap - and I'll go see if I can find out what happened to Kikyou." He smiled down at her. "And tell Kaede to get ready for a wedding, too... at least, once we've defeated Naraku."

Kagome almost wanted to argue, but still felt a bit woozy and weak, so instead settled for nodding agreeingly. "But you'll come back as soon as you've found out, right?" she asked.

"Yeah... I'll be back. So don't let me catch you out of bed, wench, got that?"

"Okay."

With one last sharp glance at her, he took off through her window, and she sighed, closing her eyes against the glaring light.

I hope it wasn't Naraku again, was her last thought before she sank into a light sleep.

---sSs---

"Oi, Kaede!" Inuyasha called out, slamming into her hut, surprised, and a bit concerned, when he didn't find her there.

Heading back out immediately, he took a moment to sniff the scents surrounding her doorway, and when he caught hers, he took off at a dead run, even more concerned as it led into the forest, and not the village.

What did she get into? he wondered, hoping that she hadn't been harmed by anything - or anyone.

Thankfully, she wasn't too far out, but when he entered the clearing she was in, he was surprised - she was sitting wearily on the ground, half slumped over, and her breathing was a little too shallow for his liking.

"Dammit, Kaede, what the hell did you do to yourself?" he asked, and was encouraged when she lifted her head to raise an eyebrow at him.

"I was doing something that only I could do, Inuyasha, but it has left me drained, and unable to make it back home."

Mind now suspicious, he cocked his head and eyed her narrowly, but then scooped her up and turned back towards the village.

"It's a good thing I came lookin' for ya then, ain't it?"

"Hai, that it is, Inuyasha. I thank ye for carrying me back home."

"Feh," he huffed, blushing a little.

She smiled wearily as her hut came into view, and once inside, directed him to place her before her fire, with her futon just behind her. That way, she could warm herself, and then simply lay down once she was ready for sleep.

She sighed, then flicked a glance up at him as he plopped down before her.

"So, start talkin'. Just what did you do that took so much outta ya?" he asked, though he already had a pretty good idea of what exactly it was that she'd done.

"I think ye already have guessed, have ye not?" she asked.

It was his turn to sigh, and he nodded. "Yeah... so tell me why you did it."

She chuckled at him as she watched him fold his arms across his chest. "Ye are taking this very well, considering, Inuyasha, I must say, I'm surprised. As for the reason I did it? It was my responsibility to return her to her rest. I am her only remaining family, after all."

He shrugged half-heartedly. "I suppose so. I'm glad it wasn't Naraku again. I wouldn't have been able to stand that, but I'm glad she's at peace finally."

"How did ye find out?"

"I was talking to Kagome when her piece of soul came back to her - it nearly knocked her out, slamming her into her bedroom wall the way it did," he smirked. "Talk about surprised..."

Kaede merely nodded. "So, did ye ask her?"

He flushed red immediately, and Kaede chortled. "Oi! It ain't funny! And yeah," he looked away sheepishly at her grin, "I did. She said to tell you that you'll definitely be needed to perform a wedding." He growled at her grin. "But I say not until Naraku's dead!"

"That is wise of ye. Now is not the time to focus on the future - now be the time for vengeance for the past. Once that is done, though, I will take great pleasure in wedding ye two."

He stood up and grumbled lightly at the elderly woman. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Yes, I am merely weary. The spell I used was a very difficult one, and it drained me. I will be fine once I've rested."

He nodded. "Good, then I'm goin' back. I need to check on the stubborn wench and make sure she's resting like I told her to."

Kaede waved him away, still smiling. Once he'd gone, she pulled out the small cloth with what was left of Kikyou's remains, and set it aside to be re-buried. Once the hanyou returned with Kagome, she would do so - she wanted him to be there, it was his right, after all.

I was more right than I knew when I said that he knew she wasn't the Kikyou he'd known. Though I knew he wouldn't kill me for sending her back to her rest, I did think he'd be angry - yet he wasn't. He seemed more relieved...

Perhaps he just couldn't bring himself to do it, even though he knew it needed done.

If that is so, then I am only sorry I wasn't able to do it sooner.

---sSs---

Inuyasha took his time heading back to Kagome's era, to give himself a chance to come to terms with what Kaede had done.

He wasn't angry - and that kind of surprised him.

But deep down, he had to admit that he was glad that it had been Kaede that had done it. The truth was, he knew that Kikyou had to be laid to rest again - but he couldn't bring himself to do it, and he definitely didn't want Naraku to do it.

He honestly hadn't thought that Kaede would, though, even as he acknowledged that she'd told him repeatedly that it needed done.

At any rate, it also took care of any more worry on Kagome's part about him leaving her to go to hell, and that could only be a good thing - Kagome had dreaded that possibility for months now, and it was finally lifted from over their heads.

Keh. Now if only I can keep her from getting the idea that I only want her because Kikyou's gone in that head of hers, we'll be doing good.

He stopped before the Goshinboku, and traced a gentle hand over the tree's bark, memories assailing him as he did. But this time, they didn't hurt - the poison of that long-ago day of betrayal and sealing had finally been lanced.

Now, he could finally finish healing, and move on.

With a soft sigh, he turned, and making his way back over to the well, he leaped into the time stream, leaving the past behind...

Literally.

Now all I have to do is finish with the present, as in destroying that spider bastard, and then I can move on to my future - my future with Kagome.

She really is my synergy, the source of my strength... my home.

And as he landed in the well, once again in her era, he thanked the kami for the gift they'd given him - and for thinking him worthy enough for a second chance at life... for not leaving him pinned to that tree for eternity.

Though, thinking about it.... without Kagome, he'd rather have remained pinned there - he really didn't want to ever even imagine a world without her.

In that kind of world, he thought, I'd still be homeless, without her heart to shelter me.

Nope, a world without Kagome would have nothing to attract him to it.

He'd told her repeatedly that he needed her, and he meant just that.

Without her, he couldn't even breathe - he needed her more than the air, more than water, or food, or anything else, because without her he was an incomplete power, an incomplete life.

Only together, with her, was he whole.

Perhaps that was what they meant by synergy.

---sSs---

A/N: Again, another one-shot inspired by one of the movies - I swear, those four movies are just chalk-full of possibilities! As for the little twist in here of Kaede being the one to take Kikyou down - I've personally never seen a story with that idea, so I ran with it - I know it's not canon... but that's why its fanfiction.

Anyway... enjoy!

Amber