A/N OK…sorry this took so long, I decided that I'm going to put the rest of this story into two more chapters….the last chapter will be a joint conclusion/epilogue….^_^

Enjoy!

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Sesshomaru's beast was going insane, his mate was in pain and there was nothing he could do to help. No cure to take it away and no method to release her even temporarily from her suffering. Through the connection that he had to his new and beautiful mate he could feel the terror that her dreams were causing her as she didn't know what was going on. He could only assume that Naraku was using the jewel embedded in the back of her neck to bring her horrifying images of death and destruction, his beast growled angrily at the thought of anyone else entering the mind of his mate but himself.

Kya was busy bustling around the palace, making sure to let every servant know to be wary of the demon Lord. His newly acquired mate was in pain, and he was helpless to stop it which was making him more irritable and more likely to take out his frustrations on an unsuspecting demon. She hurried to the room a ways down the hall from the Lord's and his mate's before knocking quickly and entering. Rin sat upon her small bed playing with the flowers that she had gathered from the garden the day before. She looked up at the kind servant and smiled brightly.

"Rin is playing with flowers!" The girl's emotions swiftly changed seeing the look on the elderly woman's face. "Is something wrong?"

Nodding, the demon woman rested herself against the edge of the bed, "Yes my child. Something is very wrong."

Sensing the demon woman's need to relate something important to her, Rin set aside the flowers. "It is Lady Kagome." The girl was far too bright for her young age, "Lady Kagome and Lord Sesshomaru are together, are they not? Rin heard the servants whispering about it earlier. Lady Kagome is to be Rin's new mommy!" The girl brightened with her last statement, excited to have a new parental figure in her life, and hopefully with any luck she would have a complete family again.

"Yes, my child. Lady Kagome is to be your mother, however she is in pain at this very moment." At the girl's horrified look she quickly continued. "But do not fear, Lord Sesshomaru is doing everything in his power to fix what has happened." I truly hope that Lady Kagome pulls through this alive, for the sake of everyone involved.

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Inuyasha used his keen sense of smell to hunt for the demon slayer, monk, and kitsune. He had no time to waste, Kagome was in danger! His feelings of betrayal at the fact that she had mated with his brother were swiftly pushed aside by his desire and promise to protect her in this strange and scary world. He would not let her down now.

While he was running through the thick trees he thought back on this new development and couldn't find it in himself to be angry with her. In a way he had loved her, but he had known that she could never become more than Kikyou's reincarnation to him, it was just too painful to look into a face that was so similar to hers. As a brother, he could love Kagome with everything he had, but as anything more he would always pull back and distance himself. He was secretly glad, for now she couldn't leave this time and would stay with them until something bigger took them out of this world. His brother could love her in a way that Inuyasha himself could not, and for that he was happy for her, the fact that it was his brother still grated on his nerves, but he would come to deal with as she had become his best friend in the time that she had been here.

Catching a whiff of the group he was searching for, Inuyasha veered to the left and quickly entered a clearing where his comrades were quietly resting. Upon his entrance they quickly rose to their feet, calling out quick questions as to his whereabouts for the past few days.

Ignoring them he said simply, "Kagome is in danger. It's Naraku, come with me, quickly." Without argument the kitsune jumped up onto Sango's shoulders and both the demon slayer and Miroku climbed atop the fully transformed Kirara. Seeing that his group was ready to journey quickly, Inuyasha sprinted through the trees once again, his destination his brother's palace.

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Sesshomaru cradled the girl in his arms reverently unable to let her go when she was in so much pain. He had curled himself upon her bed in her chambers with his back resting against the head board and his legs crossed in front of him. The miko was cradled like a child in his arms, her head resting at the juncture of his shoulder and next, completely limp.

He stroked her hair, hoping that his half-brother was hurrying in his journey and that it would not take long for them to reach the castle grounds. He did not know how much more waiting could be done before his beast sought to deal with the matter on its own. After confronting them on his palace grounds, the evil hanyou had weakened his barrier and Sesshomaru could smell his vile stench from here. Tightening his hold on the girl once more, he resolved himself to wait. He had a feeling that if he went into this battle on his own it would not turn out well. While Sesshomaru was a proud being, he was not stupid and knew when to rely on the help of others, especially now that his mate was involved.

Hearing a ruckus outside, Sesshomaru gently settled Kagome on the covers before exiting the room and swiftly moving through his palace to the entryway. Seeing his mate's ragtag group, he nodded his greeting and was quickly bombarded with questions about why Kagome was here and what he had done to her.

Growling low, the demon quickly silenced the beings standing before him, he answered all quickly, brooking no argument, "Kagome is now my mate. I found her in the woods, injured and brought her here. We both agreed to this arrangement so don't think that this Sesshomaruwould sink so low as to force this upon her. Naraku has embedded a jewel in the back of her neck and with every moment I can feel her fear and pain growing. We must act quickly before he completely taints her soul and she loses the fight against the battle in her mind."

Quickly returning to the miko's room, he gathered the unconscious girl in his arms. She was hot with fever and little beads of moisture could be seen upon her brow. Sesshomaru smirked, the only reason her body would be reacting this way would be because she was fighting whatever it was that had a hold of her. Proud that his mate could put up such a battle, even within the depths of her own mind, Sesshomaru exited the room with the girl in his grasp.

Barking a quick order for Kya to look after his young ward and ensure that the palace would run smoothly while he was away, he was quickly back with the strange group gathered outside. He looked at Inuyasha quickly and could tell that the hanyou smelled Naraku as well, good, there was less need for communication between the two that way.

Setting off in the direction they knew the evil creature to be residing, they set a brutal pace. It would not be long before they confronted him; Kagome just needed to keep fighting until they could figure out how to fix her. Looking down at the girl in his arms, Sesshomaru vowed he would see her safe, even if it took forever.

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*Kagome's Mind*

Where am I? Why does everything hurt so much? I thought dreams weren't supposed to hurt. Hearing a dark chuckle reverberate in the air around her, Kagome turned in slow circles, trying to pinpoint the being in her mind with her.

"This is no dream, Miko." Naraku's voice whispered to her. "This is a place in your mind that I control. If I want you to hurt, you will feel pain. If I want you to die, you will die. If I want you to feel sorrow, I will present you with agony so great that you cannot bear it."

With his last statement, images flashed before her. Sango and Miroku, brutally slain and lying upon the ground while their blood pooled around their limp bodies. Shippou struggling to survive while his life force quickly exited his body, the small kitsune calling out for help in his last moment. Inuyasha fighting furiously while wounded to the point where most of his attacks were useless against his opponent. Each image was more gruesome and frightening than the last, the death and destruction so massive that Kagome couldn't wrap her mind around it.

She shook her head, "No! This isn't real. There's no way that you could kill all of them so quickly. Besides, Sesshomaru is with them. You can't kill them." She collapsed to her knees. He can't kill them, can he?

She listened as the dark chuckle once again bounced around her, laughing at her pathetic attempts at denial, laughing as she questions, laughing as she wavered. "This would be too easy," Naraku grinned to himself as he observed the girl locked inside of her own mind.

He smirked, he wished to enjoy the girl's shrieks of pain while the group she was with travelled to his castle. Creating a new scene, where she was alone in a meadow, he waited until several demons entered. And closed his eyes while he heard her cries of pain, smiling, he listened to the symphony.

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"There it is." Sesshomaru halted, while the rest of the group brought themselves forward to view the castle surrounded by a dark aura. Looking to the beings around him, Sesshomaru wondered how this would end. His beast was unusually quiet, as if he were expecting something horrible to happen.

"This place has Naraku written all over it." The hanyou sniffed the air around him and growled, feeling the dark energy pulse.

"The aura here is definitely Naraku's. He must be inside. However, I do not sense his miasma; this is most definitely a trap." The monk looked around critically; he had a very bad feeling about this.

"It's not like we have a choice, Miroku. Kagome's life and soul depend on this, what else can we do?" Sango looked from the monk to the demon Lord she knew was carrying her friend, although she couldn't see her right now. She didn't want to lose her best friend, the one that had kept her going for so long, even after the deaths of her brother and village.

Shippou remained silent, his hackles raised as he sensed the danger around them. He wanted to know what he could do to help; but did not say as much for when the time came he would know what to do. Looking at the taiyoukai carrying the woman he thought of as a mother, he swore that he would protect her as much as he could, even if it meant his own death.

"Hn." Sesshomaru said no more as he quickly progressed forward, dawdling would not help his mate, regardless of the fact that he knew this was a trap. He would do anything to ensure his mate's safety, anything.

Entering the outer walls of the castle, they paused in the courtyard, unwilling to go any further. From here, Naraku would have to come to them. They didn't have to wait long before they heard his dark chuckle in front of them.

"Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, I see you've decided to come to my little party." The forms of Naraku's incarnations emerged from the shadows of the palace walls, Kagura and the others stood silently, waiting for their orders. Naraku's figure was the last to emerge, his aura surrounding him in an almost black glow; this was no puppet, for even the puppets couldn't convey the dark shadow that surrounded the real being.

The group said nothing, waiting for what was to happen next. They never could have expected where the attack was coming from however, as the miko that travelled with them suddenly sent out a giant wave of energy, locking them in place. Unable to move, they watched as the girl removed herself from Sesshomaru's arms.

She walked a few feet away and looked back at them; it was in this moment that they knew this was not of her doing. Her face was contorted, as if she was in great pain and struggling against what she was doing, but it was her eyes that gave the truth away, they were dead and lifeless, the normally vibrant chocolate orbs were dull and empty of life.

"Don't you see it now, Lord Sesshomaru? Since she is your mate I'm sure you can understand what I am talking about. She is the most powerful miko to exist in this world, and now she's under my control." Naraku looked around him and nodded his head at Kagura, who quickly brought the last member forward. Kikyou was shoved roughly to the ground at Kagura's feet, only a few meters away from the possessed miko. Kagome looked upon her ancestor with dull and lifeless eyes.

"My miko, however, is incomplete as part of her soul still resides within this being here." He tilted his chin towards the dead priestess who was looking at him warily, refusing to utter a word.

Kagome felt the power rise within her once more. She could see her friends, and feel their struggles against her, she could feel Inuyasha's sorrow at what he instinctually knew was about to happen, he could feel Sesshomaru's anger and not being able to break this hold and help her. She could sense Shippou's confusion and Sango and Miroku's frustration at not being able to even utter a word. She herself, felt sorrow for what was about to happen out of her control, this jewel shard pulsed and her energy surrounded the dead priestess who was calmly waiting on the ground.

It was as if Kikyou knew this was coming, when Kagome's miko powers wrapped around her, she felt nothing but acceptance and regret from the woman. In a few seconds, her powers ripped the final piece of her soul from the body made of dirt and clay and returned it back to the body that it was supposed to reside in. Kikyou's body felt forward before shattering and crumbling once against into pieces of clay and dirt to once again join the soil. Kagome felt her heart clench at Inuyasha's sorrow, at watching his love die once more and still being unable to stop it. The one thing she felt grateful for was that he did not resent Kagome herself for this event, he simply felt alone and desolate and furious with Naraku.

"Now that that is done, my miko can become one with me." Smirking, Naraku glanced at the furious faces starting back at him. "If I absorb her, her powers will be at my disposal to use as I wish. Also, with her gone I will no longer have to worry about the one being in this world that could kill me." Smirking at his ingenious, he sent one last command to the shard imbedded in the miko's neck.

Fighting the command with everything inside of her, Kagome shook with effort. Her body was shakily moving towards the evil hanyou and she could do nothing to stop it. She knew that her friends would not be able to save her this time, her powers had them so tightly bound that she knew if she struggled too much, Naraku would simply order her to kill them. Thinking quickly, she made a decision, one she hoped that no one would hate her for later.

Sesshomaru could feel the power licking against his skin, his youki rebelling against the purity that was surrounding him. However he couldn't bring himself to fight back, for fear of hurting his mate. He could feel her torrent of emotions from their connection as mates; he could feel it when she felt the guilt of killing the already dead miko, when she felt the sorrow of causing her friends pain. None of those emotions compared to the utter rage and helplessness when he felt her feelings change to acceptance and resolve. He had no idea what she was planning to do, but he rebelled against it with everything inside of him. His body struggled, though he didn't move, his mind screamed, though he stayed silent.

He watched as her body was quickly snatched by Naraku's tentacles and fought the urge to gag as she was quickly absorbed into his body. No trace of her could be seen any longer, and his beast called out in agony. His mate was dead and he stood by and watched. The power around them did not waver, so he was unable to attack the being that had caused this, the being that would soon die.

Hold on girl! Kagome felt as she was slowly absorbed into this body and she held onto her mind as best she could. Just a few more moments. When she was fully absorbed into the demon's body she could feel his power slowly start to lick away at her skin in a slow burn. She felt her power waver as panic started to set in, resolving herself once more; she concentrated everything she had on the being that was slowly decomposing her. She felt the pain, but she refused to let him win, not this time, not ever. She felt as the jewel shards she carried on her person were taken from her and morphed into the already mostly complete jewel. NOW!

She used the last of her energy, and sent out a wave of pure miko light, engulfing herself and Naraku at once. The power was so great that she knew that she would not survive this, her energy was too powerful to contain at this point and her body just couldn't take it. But she got to feel the shock of the hanyou and the painful demise that he was suffering through along with her. Smiling one last time, she gave into the darkness that would take her into the afterlife.

Sesshomaru was staring at the hanyou, unable to figure out why the barrier that held them in place was not retreating or weakening in anyway. His mate had been absorbed and devoured by the demon and Sesshomaru's rage was immense. He fought furiously to keep his beast at bay for if his inner self were to come forward there would be no telling of the damage that could be done.

A sudden rush of power stilled the Youkai's struggles and as he glanced once more at Naraku, he smirked cruelly. The bright pinkish light was slowly beginning to emerge from the inside of the hanyou's being and from the shocked look on his face he had not been expecting such an outcome. Sesshomaru felt a rush of sorrow and pride at what his mate was doing in her final acts in this world. The barrier holding them finally dissipated and Sesshomaru hung his head, unable to look at the blank space that had only seconds before been inhabited by Naraku. The surge of power from his mate had taken her with it, leaving nothing but air and ash.

Turning from the scene, he ignored the cries of agony from his half-brother's group, too lost in his own pain to care what the others were feeling. As he was walking away he looked upon the ground and halted when he saw the dainty jewel that had been purified and flung from Naraku as he was demolished from the inside out. Picking up the harmless looking thing, he studied it and found it to be missing two final fragments. The hope that he didn't even know he had disappeared quickly, for he had been told many times the tale of the jewel and how once it was complete it could grant one wish to its holder. He knew that if the jewel had been complete he would not have hesitated to wish for his mate back, the one woman who had so quickly and unwittingly broken through his cool mask. His heart ached as he clutched the jewel tighter and began the journey to his home.

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Please don't kill me. I would like to thank my wonderful beta for going over this chapter and proof reading it..even though he gave me hell the entire time. I hope you enjoyed it! Please review!