A Tale of Souls & Swords

~I do not own Inuyasha. This story is purely fan made.

AN: Thank you everyone for the reviews. You guys are amazing! Sorry for the long wait, had a busy schedule at work for the past 6 weeks but hopefully it should slow down for a little while now. I am also working on another story but don't worry, this story will take first priority, I just need a another story out there to work on when I get writers block or when I need a small break to collect my thoughts for this one. Ok, so to answer some of the questions I got (on both Fanfiction and Dokuga) in reviews/messages, some reviewers brought up some good points.

Why do all the Guardians have Japanese names? That is because Kagome is Japanese, so they will go by a name of the origin of the champion. More of this will be explained when Kagome meets the last Guardian, I am going to have to leave it at that for now or else I'll give away too much. I had mentioned a previous champion in chapter 10 by the name Senka and I got confused by the misunderstanding of that being a Japanese name. lol It wasn't until I googled it that I realized that name has appeared in another anime, so yes, the name is Japanese BUT It is Russian as well. In Russian it means "shadow" and in Japanese it means "Ravages of war" but if you look up the name you will find that it pops up as Russian not Japanese, so I don't believe that it was originally a Japanese name to start with. I had to actually look up 'Senka Japanese meaning' before I even found anything on the name, so Senka is not a common Japanese This is common though when it comes to anime... Not all names that appear in them are originally Japanese but have been adopted in a way into the culture, a good example of this is the anime Jormungand. The name Jormungand (Jormungandr) is Norse but yet it is the name of a Japanese anime series, and there are many other examples of this in other anime's as well. which brings me to my next topic... Yes Kagome would know about many different cultures. Japanese schooling is no different than our own as far as the basics of what they learn, they are not ignorant to the cultures around the world so I look at it like this, if I learned it in school than it's likely to believe that Kagome would have too. Now every school is different in some way but a lot of this I learned the basics of growing up and already knew about with out doing a lot of research on it. But some of the stuff that went into more detail of the culture is stuff she would have learned while being there for a long period of time (India/ Scandinavia/ Russia being the places she spent most of her time at).

Now in Chapter 13, at the beginning, I had mentioned that two weeks have passed instead of 3 weeks, 5 days ect. This was not a mistake in writing. I didn't realize, until it was pointed out, that the fanfiction site doesn't let you use some of the symbols in your writing. I actually had a star symbol there at the end of the conversation to indicate a change in scene. I didn't realize that at the time though so I apologize for the confusion. lol That conversation took place a week an a half before Kagome's trial.

In my story I have it listed as a Sess/kag story with it tagged as a romance. Yes this IS a sess/kag story! And yes there IS romance in this! lol I wasn't lying in that, we just haven't gotten that far yet. This story isn't even half way done yet, so please have faith, I won't disappoint you in that! lol I know that some of you are worried because of the visions that Kagome is seeing but please remember, she is only seeing very small glimpses of the future and not the whole thing, and as far as her death goes... Well that was a memory, NOT a vision. lol So she is going to make her own assumptions on them but that doesn't mean that her assumptions on them are right. Even though the Guardians have stated that this is the fate of all Champions, I have been dropping hints throughout the story that this time around something is different, or I should say everything is different then the previous wars. I am the type of writer that likes to drop hints and I love plot twists. Just when you think you figured it out, I like to throw a proverbial wrench into the cog machine. But again, don't worry, everything will work out... It just might not be as you first expected.

A lot of this story is about growth, making mistakes and learning from them, as well as getting knock down but getting back up stronger for it. The gods made Kagome with what they deemed as the perfect champion BUT she is far from perfect. Everyone is flawed and this includes her as well, even though she isn't human anymore she still has human tendencies. But have no worries, while there will be sad parts in this story, it will not have a sad ending, I'm not a fan of sad endings either. :D

Also, there are parts of the story that I left vague, this was done for a reason. Like the groups 'betrayal' of Kagome, for an example. Some of you are right, the group wouldn't just go and betray her so easily. There is more to the betrayal than what meets the eye. At the time, certain characters had yet to be introduced into the story for the whole betrayal to make sense. A lot of that will be revealed in this chapter. Please remember, Kagome only knows her side of the story, not the whole truth. Inuyasha is not a bad guy in this story, just an idiot. He will actually help Kagome a lot in this, well, only once the two get over their hostilities anyway.

I do want to say thank you to the ones who reviewed with the good questions, they where very much appreciated. I figured if one person had questions on something then more than likely someone else was thinking the same thing, so I wanted to address them. I rely a lot on you guys to let me know wither or not I am writing clearly enough. So I love hearing all your feed back! But please, if you guys have any questions please write them under your username, if you ask them under guest than I can't answer them back. Guest reviews are more than welcome but I won't be answering them in the chapters anymore, but I will message you if you ask them under your user name. I don't want to have my chapters being filled with really really long author notes like this one. lol Now that everything is caught up to present time, everything will slow down, there will not be anymore big time gaps like in the previous chapters. There will also be more different POVs from other characters instead of just Kagome's. Now we will be finding more about what has been going on during Kagome's absence.
Anyways, I hope you all enjoy the chapter. Please make sure to look over the OC List and recap to refresh your memory. Also, there will be Mythology facts listed at the bottom of the chapter for your own curiosity.

Original Characters: (Characters in this chapter- except for the guardians, they will always be listed.)

*Saisei- Guardian of Fire/ Trial of Courage (Phoenix)

*Misuto- Guardian of Water/ Trial of Patience (Sea Serpent)

*Nisshoku- Guardian of Shadows/ Trial of Loyalty (Wolf)

*Yuki- Guardian of Ice/ Trial of Humility (Snow Leopard)

*Hikari- Guardian of Light/ Trial of Justice (Dragon)

*Inari- Guardian of Life/ Trial of Selflessness (Fox)

*Kazenosasayaki- Guardian of Wind/ Trial of Truth (Eagle)

*Ashanti- The Shape shifter General of Akuma. One of Four dark Generals. She is the High General of Akuma's Army and is helping the Dark Champion. (Cobra Youkai)

Recap of Chapter 13: The trial has finally concluded. Kagome revealed her true purpose of being there and gave the Japanese Lords an option, join her or loose her support. Kikyo made her escape but unfortunately Inuyasha didn't and now he has a lot of explaining to do.

Chapter 14: A Soul of a Fool

Inukimi stood elegantly by the window in her son's study, gazing absentmindedly at the courtyard below as she waited for him. Excitement ran rampant through her and it was taking everything in her to not run out this room to confront her son, to ask him if the rumors she heard were true. She just hoped more than anything that it was. Now more than ever they needed what the miko could offer, she just hoped her son wouldn't be stubborn about this. She brought a pale clawed hand up to the spot in the middle of her chest where the source of the pain was coming from. Everyday the pain grew a little more and honestly she didn't know how long her people were going to last. The opening of the study door snapped Inukimi out of thought and she turned to face her son.

"Mother... I did not expect you to return so soon. I take it that everything went well on your journey?" Sesshoumaru asked as he looked over at his mother. Inukimi scanned her son's figure briefly before answering.

"Yes, everything went well. All the noble women and their young have made it safely to the palace of the moon. The only threat to them now is the curse." Sesshoumaru nodded before he silently made his way to sit behind his desk. Inukimi followed suit and sat on one of the cushions that was placed in front of him. Once she was comfortable, she pulled out her fan to cool herself before she looked up to study her son. His face was blank as he gazed down to scan the paperwork that was before him. On the outside he looked calm and unaffected, but she knew better. The curse hit him harder than anyone else. He was once the strongest of them but now... Now he was technically the weakest of the four lords. She feared what would happen if anyone ever found out how much this curse has effected him, some may take this opportunity to try and take him out. The only reason others haven't found out about this was because of his mokomoko and the fact that before hand he always kept his power hidden. Mokomoko stored all his excess yoki, which others could feel. She had begged him to take his extra yoki back into himself since he was losing it to the curse at an alarming rate but he refused, stating that he will only do so in a life or death situation. Although she had a feeling it also had something to do with his pride as well, it took him a full decade just to admit that he was indeed cursed like the rest of them. That was why she needed to know if the rumors were true.

"Is it true? The rumors of the miko. That she can help us and cure the curse." Inukimi watched as her son finished what he was reading, making her wait, before he finally put the scroll down and looked up at her.

"I do not know mother. We have no proof that she can, only her word." He stated as he leaned back slightly and stared at his mother, waiting for her next question. If she heard about what had just transpired in the throne room then he knew a long line of questions were coming... And she didn't disappoint him.

"What has been said? Will she help us?" A thousand thoughts began to run through Inukimi's mind as she waited for her son to answer her. If it was true than this changed everything. The battle that laid ahead of them wouldn't be so threatening, they could win. She also heard rumors that the miko had an army of youkai as well. If they could combine their strengths then their victory would be secured. Inukimi stood up and began to pace in front of the desk as she tried to work through all her thoughts of up coming plans.

"She offered an alliance, but I don't know if we should take it yet. I need answers first." Sesshoumaru told his mother as he watched her pace. Inukimi suddenly stopped before whipping around to face her son. "What? Why didn't you take it? We need her help Sesshoumaru!" Inukimi growled out as she glared at her son. This was not the time to let pride get in the way of things. She knew that her son hated to ask for help of any kind but all of their lives were at stake here.

Sesshoumaru returned his mother's glare with one of his own. "This miko is the Shikon Miko mother. Inuyasha told us that she was the one who cursed us all to begin with. I will not accept her alliance until I find out the truth of what really happened." Sesshoumaru growled out and the two silently glared each other down for a few seconds before Inukimi conceded. Her son was right of course and she had to agree with his line of thinking.

"Where is Inuyasha?" Inukimi asked as she begun to slowly pace again. This was not something she expected. But she hoped that it was some kind of misunderstanding. "He is on his way, I have instructed General Kouga to keep a close eye on him. Inuyasha is not aloud to leave the palace grounds." Sesshoumaru answered her before going back to look over the scrolls that littered his desk.

"Kouga, the Eastern General? Are you sure he can be trusted? The alliance with Lord Shin is barely hanging by a thread." Inukimi asked with slight worry. The tension between the East and West was thick at the moment. She had no doubt that Lord Shin was plotting something and was just waiting for the right time to strike.

"Yes, he can be trusted. Despite their constant fighting and bickering, Inuyasha trusts Kouga." Sesshoumaru answered with a bored tone as he tried to focus on what was in front of him.

"Sesshoumaru, we don't even know if we can trust Inuyasha now, after the recent events. So why trust him on this?" Sesshoumaru grit his teeth together before letting out a small inaudible sigh, then looked back at his pacing mother. He watched her for a few seconds before letting his irritation go. He knew she was just worried, now while their relationship has never been what some would call a loving one, he knew a lot of her worry was for him and continuation of their species... And above all, he knew without a doubt that she was the only one he could fully trust.

"I never detected a lie from him mother. Inuyasha truly believed what he told us when he first came here. I have a feeling that if their was any kind of deception then it came from the dead miko and Inuyasha took her word for it. We need to figure out exactly what really happened after the fight with Naraku." Inukimi paused in step again before she turned around to finally sat back down. Looking back up at her son, she waited a few moments before she tried to speak but a knock on the door interrupted her. Sesshoumaru glanced over at the door before telling them they could enter.

Both mother and son watched as Kouga opened the door before shoving a reluctant Inuyasha inside. Sesshoumaru gave a brief nod to Kouga, giving him permission to leave before turning his attention back to his brother. He watched as the hanyou's ears flickered twice before finally folding back against his head. He could tell that his brother was nervous, the way he slightly started to fidget gave his inner anxieties away.
"Inuyasha, sit." Inuyasha glanced over at his older brother, then turned to look at Inukimi. Both of their faces were blank as they studied him. Slowly he made his way over to the red cushion in front of the right side of Sesshoumaru's desk and sat down. Silence hung thickly in the air as all three of them took a moment to collect their thoughts. There was no sign that told Inuyasha that he wasn't about to get his head ripped off, although he noted, that Sesshoumaru seemed some what in a calmer state. He had a feeling though that before they all walked out this study, not one of them was going to walk away happy.

Finally Sesshoumaru decided to speak. "Tell this Sesshoumaru what happened after Naraku's demise. Start with after this one left the camp." Sesshoumaru lean forward slightly, making sure to watch his brother closely to look for any signs of deception.

Inuyasha gave him an odd look. 'After he left camp?' Inuyasha looked down in deep thought, trying to remember. His memory was a little hazy, but if he recalled right, the last time he had seen his brother was two days before the battle with Naraku. He remembered being irritated that Sesshoumaru was lurking close to Edo and when he finally confronted him, he said that it was only logical to stick close. There were no shards left to find and that meant the final battle was near. It was the same reason that Kikyo showed up the very next day as well.

"Are you talkin about after you left Edo? Cuz that was before the battle." Inuyasha asked as he looked back up at his brother. Now it was Sesshoumaru's turn to look confused, but that quickly disappeared and was replaced with an irritated glare.

"No, this Sesshoumaru is talking about what happened after the battle. We made camp and then this one left. On my way, this one ran into the miko crying by the stream near by. What happened when the miko returned back to camp." Sesshoumaru asked as his glare intensified.
Inuyasha, now with out a doubt, was fully and completely confused. What was his brother talking about? 'How the fuck should I know? I never even made it to the final battle, thanks to that fuckin wolf!' Inuyasha's eyes went from confused to a glare, which caused Sesshoumaru to raise an eyebrow.

"Inuyasha?" His brother's voice snapped Inuyasha out of thought. Looking up, Inuyasha gave him another glare but did decide to speak.
"Keh... I don't know what kind of game your playing but it ain't funny. What? Is this some form of fucked up way to gloat that you and Kikyo took that evil fucker down? Why gloat now after all these years, huh?" Inuyasha growled as he crossed his arms and looked away. Then quickly muttered an 'Asshole' under his breath, not caring in the slightest that his brother would be able to hear it. And to think after all these years of finally working together and putting the past behind them, that his brother would start this shit again!

Sesshoumaru silently observed his younger brother, ignoring the insult for now, and really looked closely at him. He didn't need his yoki to be able to tell if he was lying or not. Inuyasha had always been an open book so to speak. He couldn't lie to save his life. Everything in his body language screamed genuine anger and confusion. This lead Sesshoumaru to believe that he was telling the truth. Taking a quick glance over at his mother, Sesshoumaru watched her shake her head no, only confirming what he already thought. Inuyasha wasn't lying, he truly had no idea what Sesshoumaru was talking about.

"This one is not gloating Inuyasha. Did you sustain any injury that might have caused you to have holes in your memory?" Sesshoumaru asked and Inuyasha growled... His glare getting colder.

"No asshole! I didn't. I wasn't there! So why do you think I was? Did YOU hit your head and get your memory fucked up?!" Sesshoumaru straightened and growled viciously. He was trying to be as patient as he could but he was losing it at a fast rate.

"No, you idiot hanyou! This one asks because this one saw you there. You were fighting right along side the dead one. You used the wind scar to mix in with our attack to finally destroy Naraku." Inuyasha huffed before finally replying.

"No, I was chasing down a thieving wolf, who had stolen my Tessaiga the day before the battle! I didn't see the group again until afterwards, when they all came back to Edo. I hadn't seen you again until 10 years after the final battle! So if you think you saw me, then you were mistaken." Inuyasha finished with a huff. He didn't understand what his brother was going on about, but whoever he saw sure as hell wasn't him.

Sesshoumaru studied his brother for a few minutes more before glancing over at his mother, who also had a slightly confused look on her face since she couldn't detect any lies coming from either of them. Looking back over at his half brother, Sesshoumaru let his thoughts wonder for a moment. When he had seen Inuyasha again, it had been 10 years after the battle. He was surprised when Inuyasha and his mate had shown up at his front gate. At the time, the dead miko claimed to have information about Lord Shin and the army he was gathering. It was no secret that the East and West were hostile towards each other at the time and the information the miko claimed to have intrigued him, so he allowed them entrance. The information proved to be helpful and he was able to take control of the situation before it got out of hand. During that time, the past battle with Naraku never came up, he didn't see the need to bring it up and apparently neither did Inuyasha. So when the two came back again, 10 years after that, he didn't hesitate to let them in. Especially when his brother claimed that his mate could help them with the recently discovered curse and said that they had information on who started the curse. The whole time Inuyasha was the one to speak, telling him about how the Shikon miko had went into a craze, cursing and killing his kind. He told him that his mate was currently looking for a way to cure the curse. After awhile she discovered a temporary solution and since then, the two of them had been here.

Inuyasha joined his army, proving his wroth and it only took him about 5 years to climb the ranks, becoming one of his war generals. 3 years after that, he helped him catch a traitor that was in his home, which ended being his main general at the time, and Sesshoumaru honored him with the title and position of becoming the main war general of the West. His mate joined his group of healers and like her mate, it didn't take long for her to become the West's main healer. Which now that he thought about it, if the Shikon miko was right, that would have given the dead one full access of cursing his people without a problem. But he couldn't be for sure yet without more information. All he knew for sure was that one of the two mikos was guilty of the curse.

"Inuyasha, tell me about the wolf and everything that happened before you saw your pack again." Inuyasha looked up at his brother for a moment before looking down in thought.

"He didn't have a normal humanoid form like we do but instead of walking on all fours like a lower level youkai, he walked on two and he could speak. His fur was grey colored and he wore a pair of ripped Hakamas, but they weren't like our normal Hakamas." Inuyasha said as his scratched the back of his head as he tried to think harder. Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes as he looked at his brother. "What do you mean, Inuyasha? Are you saying that he was foreign?" Sesshoumaru asked with an irritated sigh.

"Yea, he had to be. He could speak Japanese but it didn't sound right when he did. He said his name at one point but I can't remember what it was, it was something weird though and it was definitely not Japanese." Inuyasha paused a moment to think before speaking again. "Anyway, he took me off guard, I wasn't even able to sense him until it was too late and he managed to grab Tessaiga. Some taunts were exchanged before he took off and I chased after him. He led me pretty far from Edo, I chased him for a full day before I finally lost all trace of him, so I headed back. When I finally came within a couple of miles of the village I caught his scent again, so I raced after it. I finally found him at the Bone Eater's well and we engaged in battle. At one point I managed to get the Tessaiga back, and when I did I used the Wind Scar. When the debris from the attack cleared I noticed I had accidentally took out the well along with the wolf." Inuyasha said with a sigh. Sesshoumaru gave his brother an odd look, he didn't understand why it mattered that the old well was taken out but he decided to stay quite until his brother was finished.

"I went back into the village and noticed everyone was gone and I couldn't pick up any trace of them. The next morning was when I finally ran into Kikyo, Sango, and Miroku. Kikyo told me everything that happened. She told me about the battle with Naraku and how Shippo and Kirara died in battle. She also told me that Kagome found out about our mating, and between finding that out, as well as losing her son, she snapped. They said that she started attacking everyone, it didn't matter who it was. She also still had the jewel and was currently on the run from them." Inuyasha grimace and his ears laid flat against his head, he couldn't help but feel partly responsible for what happened. If only he had been there during the battle then perhaps thing might have gone differently.

"So, you took your mate's words for what happened? Did it ever accrue to you that she might have been lying?" Sesshoumaru asked before letting out a sigh in irritation. If the miko was lying to him, Inuyasha wouldn't have caught it. Between the two of them, Sesshoumaru knew that the miko had more control in the mating and Inuyasha just proved him right.

"No, asshole, I didn't just take Kikyo's word for it. I didn't want to believe that Kagome would have ever done such a thing but Sango and Miroku confirmed Kikyo's story as well." Inuyasha growled out and watched as his brother looked over at Inukimi. She gave his brother a nod before Sesshoumaru looked back at him again. Inuyasha's brows furrowed slightly in confusion but ignored it for now, choosing to speak again.

"After they told me all that, I went with them to look for Kagome. It was clear that she had become a threat to others. By that evening, we finally had her cornered at the edge of the cliff. I asked her for the Jewel but before she could say anything, Kikyo shot her with an arrow. Later Kikyo told me that she heard Kagome whispering a chant, so she took action before Kagome could do any harm. Kikyo believes that was when Kagome cursed all the youkai because we couldn't find the jewel after that." Inuyasha said with a sigh as he finally finished his story.

"Did you hear the miko saying a chant Inuyasha? This one thought the miko was responsible for the attack on the 7 villages as well, when did that happen?" Sesshoumaru asked as he glared at his brother's figure.

"I don't know when exactly she killed the villages but we felt her power laying thickly throughout the area when we passed though them on our way back. And no, I didn't hear her whispering but why would Kikyo lie to me? I'm her mate, you know, she only wants to help! If she was the one responsible then why would she help us all these years." Inuyasha growled out in anger at his brother, his mate wasn't the bad one here. Sesshoumaru pinched the bridge of his nose and grunted in irritation. His brother hadn't been lying but his story wasn't adding up either. There were too many things that didn't sit right and he knew he needed to interrogate the dead one to get any real answers.

"Where has your mate gone, Inuyasha?" Sesshoumaru decided to ask instead. He watched as his brother's brow furrowed in thought before he shrugged. "I don't know, she probably went somewhere safe and it was a good thing too considering how you are acting." Sesshoumaru glared at him before speaking.

"Inuyasha, the only way we can find out the truth is if we talk to her. One of the mikos are lying and we need to find out which one." Sesshoumaru said and waited for Inuyasha to hopefully give him the answer he needed.

"I don't know, ok. I have know idea where she went." Inuyasha huffed and this time it was Inukimi how decided to speak up. "Inuyasha, she your mate. You should be able to sense where she is at. What direction do you feel her in?" Inuyasha looked at Inukimi in confusion but decided to see if he could feel his mate's aura. After a moment of searching, he came up with nothing.

"I don't feel her at all." Inukimi looked at Inuyasha strangely as he told her this. If they were truly mated then he would be able to feel some kind of connection to her. "Inuyasha, are you sure you two are really mated?"

Inuyasha glared at her. "Of course were mated! I would think I would know since I put my mating mark on her neck." Inukimi sighed as she thought about it. 'Was it even possible to mate a dead woman?' She supposed it didn't matter, he couldn't feel their connection either way. All three fell into silence, all lost in thought. A couple minutes went by before Sesshoumaru decided to break the silence.

"Let this one ask you something Inuyasha, not as you Lord but this time as your brother..." Inuyasha's ears perked up as he finally looked up to stare at Sesshoumaru, his eyes slightly widened as he listened. Their relationship has always been a rocky one but over the last 60 years, Inuyasha would like to think that they at least made some kind of progress. It was most definitely not a perfect one but it was one he didn't want to lose, and to hear his brother refer to himself as family to him gave him hope that he hadn't lost it yet. "If your mate is indeed responsible for all of this, if she is in fact the cause for all this death and destruction... Who's side will you be on? Will you stand by my side, or hers?"

Inuyasha's ears folded back again as he bowed his head in thought, and this time he really thought long and hard about what his brother asked. He had always loved Kikyo, and if he was honest with himself, had she been the old Kikyo he would without a doubt choose her side but... Over time he noticed that something was completely different about her. That warm, kind woman he fell in love with still hadn't come back like he thought she would. He thought that after Naraku's defeat and when they were finally together again, then everything would go back to how it use to be. But instead she remained cold, distant, and he even noticed that she had become quite manipulative to others. But he still wouldn't believe that Kikyo could be the one responsible for this... But he also struggled to believe that Kagome could either. He didn't know what to believe anymore. But if Kikyo was indeed, somehow, in someway the one to who caused all this then... Inuyasha looked back up at Sesshoumaru before nodding his head.

"If she is responsible, then you can count on me to stand next to you as we take her down."Sesshoumaru studied his brother for a moment before nodding. Sesshoumaru sent out a small flare of his aura to summon Koga, who was standing outside the door of his study. The three of them watched as Koga entered the study before Sesshoumaru spoke again. "Inuyasha, if your mate contacts you in anyway, you are to immediately tell this one, understand? As for now, General Koga is going to keep an eye on you until we get to the bottom of this."

Inuyasha snarled as he stood up. "I don't need a babysitter! You can trust me, I won't leave!" Sesshoumaru glared up at his brother before he spoke, his tone quickly turned to ice. "You don't have a choice, this is for your safety, as well as the safety of everyone else here. Do not disobey me Inuyasha." The two brothers stared each other down for a good long minute before Inuyasha grunted in fury, then stomped out of the study. Koga turned to follow Inuyasha but before he could step out, he paused when he heard Sesshoumaru speak.

"Koga, you told this one that their was a soldier that was healed by a dragon during the battle before you caught the miko. This one heard that he is no longer cursed, is this true?" Koga turned to fully face Lord Sesshoumaru and nodded. "Yes, my Lord. The dragon not only healed Yori's incinerated leg but he also has no traces of the curse left either." Sesshoumaru looked down for a moment in thought. Perhaps the miko wasn't the only one who could cure the curse... But he had no doubt that those dragons were apart of the army she was talking about and that made his decision clear. 'I have to talk to the other members of this World Council.'

"One more question, General Koga... You knew Miko Kagome for a long time, do you think she is capable of this curse?" Sesshoumaru watched Koga as he thought about his question and he noted that the wolf didn't have to think long on it. "Honestly my Lord, no... I don't think Kagome would do something like this. She has always been a loving and kind person, and she probably has the purest heart that I have ever encountered." Koga told him solemnly and Sesshoumaru nodded, dismissing him. Once he left, Sesshoumaru got up and headed to the door as well.

"Where are you going, Sesshoumaru?" Inukimi asked as she watched her son curiously. Sesshoumaru paused in step but didn't turn around. "To this one's room, I would like some time to think. There will be a meeting with the other Lords in the morning, this one will speak to you afterwards." And with that said he left the study to head to his room.

As he walked, he lost himself in thought. Thinking, of all things, about the miko. He didn't know her well, he never bothered to put any effort into getting to know her and why should he? She was weak and insignificant at the time. But even he could emit to himself that he didn't think she was capable of this either. But he knew better than most what loss and heartache can do to a person. Sesshoumaru stopped outside his door and gently laid his palm against the wood. With a bright flare, his barrier went down and let him inside.

Once the door fully shut he finally allowed his figure to slump. The pain in his chest intensified and he brought his palm up to lay over his heart. He could feel it beating erotically and slowly he made his way over to his bed before sitting down on the edge of it. It seems like he will have to rest tonight, it was getting harder and harder to push himself anymore, he couldn't even stay up for more than 2 days in a row without needing a break. Pain crossed his face as he slowly brought is hand down and he let out a small growl in frustration before it turned into a weary sigh. After a moment, Sesshoumaru looked to his right, staring at the figure that laid in his bed. Sadness over came him, temporarily making him forget about the pain of the curse. Reaching a clawed hand out, he gently let his palm cup the young woman's face. He watched briefly as her chest slowly rose and fell as she took each breath. He couldn't help but wonder for the umpteenth if his daughter would ever wake up again.

'Rin...' Perhaps it was best that she was in a eternal slumber.

A lone figure stepped through the swirls of black and purple wisps before the portal slowly shrunk into nothing. The moon was high and was the only light source that filtered through the bare forest that she now stood in. Lifting a delicate hand, Kikyo slightly brushed her finger tips across the scaly hide of her serpent Shikigami. She only had one left, but that was all she needed. She had come to realize rather quickly that the stronger Kagome got, the stronger she got and because of that she didn't need as many souls to sustain herself. Letting her arm drop, Kikyo looked up and observed her surroundings. The tall mountain that stood ominously before her was Mount Hiba, which was located in the South.

Slowly she began to walk up the path that was before her and it wasn't long before she had the option to continue forward or take a left, without hesitation she chose left. Soon the path began to thin and the over brush of the dead forest took over, hiding a long lost secret that many had forgotten about. Kikyo paused in step as she reached the Southern face of the mountain. To anyone who didn't know better, it looked like a flat rocky wall, But Kikyo did know better and without any hesitation she sent out a small pulse of her power. Slowly a small part of the wall began to fade, reveling the mouth of a cave. As she began to approach the entrance, a slender figure stepped out of the shadows to block her path. The light clanking of beads were heard as the woman walked and that immediately told Kikyo who the figure was.

"Ashanti, why are you here? You were told to stay in the West." Kikyo asked the Cobra as she scanned her figure with narrow eyes. The woman in question stepped forward, letting the moonlight shine on her naked figure.

"Our dark lord wishes to speak to you." Silence fell between the two women for a moment before Kikyo slowly began to walk forward and entered the cave. It wasn't long before the two females entered into the main chamber of the cave and with a quick snap of her fingers, Kikyo watched as the torches that aligned the wall burst into a bright violet flame, lighting the whole area. Looking around briefly, Kikyo quickly spotted what she was looking for and made her way over to the chest. Slowly she began to peel the miko garb she was wearing off her body before digging through the chest to find something else to wear.

Ashanti silently watched the dark champion as she undressed herself. Taking small notice of the shimmering symbols that ran along her spine before glaring at the woman that was taking her sweet time in redressing, making her master wait. "Hurry up... The master hates to be kept waiting." She finally hissed out, her patients coming to an end. Kikyo threw a dark silk robe over her figure before turning to glare at the snake.

"He can wait a few more minutes, you may leave now." Kikyo told her coldly, making it apparent that Ashanti was dismissed and the cobra hissed in outrage. "I do not take orders from the likes of you, champion. You can not be trusted. You have five minutes before I decide to drag you there." Ashanti told her before she made her way out of the chamber, heading to a tunnel that lead further down into the belly of the mountain.

Kikyo scowled as she watched Ashanti finally leave her to her peace, then slammed the lid of the chest shut. She hated that snake, hated her just as much as she hated her master. They were right in thinking not to trust her though because she wouldn't hesitate to fuck them over if the chance ever presented it's self. Slowly Kikyo turned and one by one she slipped her small feet into her zori sandals before making her way down the same path that Ashanti went. Only a couple of minutes passed before she reached her destination. The chamber was lite up, showing richly decorated chests that were filled with all sorts of finery, but what laid in the middle of the chamber was the most intriguing of it all. A obsidian statue of a beautiful woman stood tall. Her arms were stretched out on either side and her face was looking upward. The statue was almost as beautiful as the woman it represented, and it stood right above the very spot the woman was buried at. Ashanti was found bowed down before the statue as gently cleaned the dust off of it.

Kikyo walked passed the statue without another glance as she made her way over to a large mirror that was propped up against the caves wall. Candles were glowing all around it and a small purple cushion was placed in front, facing the mirror. Slowly Kikyo knelt down on the cushion before looking up and glaring at her reflection. It only took a minute before the mirror swirled with a black and violet mist, making her reflection disappear but replacing it with a different one.

Akuma... Oh how she hated that name. She hated all his names actually, and she will curse his name for the rest of eternity. The man, no god that stared back at her was the one responsible for her disgrace. His thick black wavy hair fell about his shoulders in long silky strands. His blood red eyes didn't even try to hide his amusement as he stared back into her scornful ones and the only thing he wore was a familiar white baboon cloak that he seems extremely reluctant to part with. Slowly Kikyo's thin pale lips stretched into a sneer and in response he let out a chuckle.

"Kikyo, how good of you to finally grace me with your presence. How have you been?" The god asked with a smirk and waited for her to reply. Kikyo's glare intensified. It was because of him that everything in her life had fallen apart. She was once destined for great things but because of him it ended before her journey could even start. Kikyo looked down at her clenched hands that laid on top of her lap as she lost herself in thought.

125 years ago the Shikon Jewel had chosen her as it's protector, which started her divine journey as the champion of light. She was already known to be a highly powerful miko at the time, and she had no doubt that she was ready for the journey she had been selected for by the gods. But then she met Inuyasha, and he was the first step to her downfall. Deep down she knew that falling in love with him would cause her nothing but pain, and oh how right she had been.

Onigumo was the second step in her demise. Looking back on it now, she wished she would have left his burnt corpse to rot. If she hadn't of helped him then he never would have become obsessed with her, therefore he never would have got the chance to be manipulated by Akuma. The fool thought he was selling his soul to a demon but in reality it was someone so much worst. Akuma, who had yet to select a champion of his own, saw an opportunity in Onigumo and acted on it. Sending a group of his own Shikigami to take over and posses the foolish human, morphing him into a puppet that Akuma could control from the underworld and from that point on he wrecked terror all across Japan, starting with her. Doing what he does best, Akuma manipulated Inuyasha and herself into betraying each other, which ended with her death. But of course that wasn't enough to satisfied Akuma, so he pulled her soul to hell and kept her by his side to torment.

It wasn't until 50 years later that Akuma's attention was slightly taken away from her, once a new champion of light had been chosen to hopefully start the journey she was suppose to take. Kagome, the clumsy girl hadn't the slightest clue as to why she was pulled back in time. Ignorant to her true purpose and a small challenge entered into Akuma eyes as he watched her stumble about. It didn't take long for a plan to formulate in his mind and again, she was thrust back into the divine war but this time as the dark champion.

Despite what her younger sister believed, Kagome was not her reincarnation, but they did have something in common and it was because of this similarity that she was able to be brought back into the living world. All champion's souls were created different than any normal human soul and because of this only another champion's soul could be used to bring her back. Akuma knew this, so he sent Ashanti out to capture the new champion under the disguise of a crazy old witch, and just like that she was given a small amount of freedom away from the dark god. What Akuma didn't account for though was the pure strength and power of Kagome's soul and it was because of that mistake he failed in killing her. Now she was stuck taking other souls to sustain herself but she was temporarily ok with that because since Akuma's attention was taken away from her, she was able to come up with a plan of her own. The jewel was back, and Kikyo realized that she had a chance to turn that into her favor, with the jewel she could bring herself fully back to life and take her rightful place as the champion of light.

Unfortunately for her though, it didn't take Akuma long to figure out her plan and so the hunt for the jewel shards begun. Again, with every step she took, Akuma ended up five steps a head of her and it gave her no choice but to seek the help from the inutachi, starting with manipulating Inuyasha to help her cause. All was going well until Akuma told her what the jewel really was. While the jewel could indeed grant power beyond what anyone could imagine, it is not something that could grant a wish, so it wouldn't turn her clay shell into living flesh. The jewel was actually a tomb for two previous champions, one of light and one of dark. Midoriko and Magatsuhi... Two champions that failed in ending the divine war. As they battled over the first book, Midoriko used her power to create the jewel, locking the two souls inside the small babble along with the amulet and the book of flames. Now the jewel had become a part of the quest.

Kikyo had become furious, her plan thrown into the wind. That was until Akuma told her that only with Kagome's death could she truly become alive again since she already had a portion of her soul. So her plan shifted, deciding to finally team up with the dark god in order to get what she wanted, only until she becomes alive again, of course. So another plan was set into motion, working together, they tricked the inutachi into one more battle that was suppose to end it all. Once everyone met up in Edo, Fenrir was ordered to steal Tessaiga, sending Inuyasha on a wild goose chase. Eva would bring the sword to Ashanti who would then pose as Inuyasha in the final battle and Yami would take control over the monk and slayer, manipulating them as needed. Everything was going perfectly until Sesshoumaru showed up. The strength the Daiyoukai displayed piqued Akuma's interest and in a quick moment of thought, Akuma made a decision and he ordered them to kill the puppet.

Confused at the time, Kikyo obeyed. Only to find out later that Akuma decided he wasn't done playing with her yet, as well as stating that the Inu Lord would make an excellent addition to his Generals. So the curse begun, and Kikyo was left to finish off Kagome herself which proved to be more difficult than she thought. Despite being able to manipulate the inutachi, her plan still failed. The jewel had decided that it would also go against her and ended up bringing the brat back to life before she could pull the soul back to her. Now she was stuck waiting, as well as forced in the position of the dark champion, their was no redemption for her now. She had gone too far in her quest to gain her glorious position back and all that was left was hate.

Kikyo looked back up again to sneer at the god but other than that she chose to remain silent and he chuckled. "Very well, I see you are in no talking mood. That's alright, we will have plenty of time for that later. Ashanti?" Akuma looked over at his most faithful General and waited for her to walk forward.

Ashanti quickly walked over to kneel next to Kikyo and bowed. "Yes, my Lord?"

"Head back to the West and finish what Kikyo started, I want Sesshoumaru's soul no later than the end of this moon cycle. Also, make sure to keep an eye on the champion of light. Our champion will be staying here for the time being." Akuma told her in a bored tone as he watched the two in front of him.

"Yes, my Lord." Ashanti whispered before getting up to leave, ready to carry out her master's orders. Akuma turned his gazed back to Kikyo and smirked. "You my dear, will be staying here until the champion of light gets her final book, then you will make your move." With one last sinister smile, Akuma's face disappeared before Kikyo could say another word. Quickly she got up, getting ready to bolt for the entrance of the cave but before she could take two steps a wave of dark energy washed over her and settled over the cave, locking her in.

Kikyo let out a scream of rage as she swiftly turned around and grabbed a flaming candle, throwing it with all her might at the mirror causing it to crack in several different places. Glaring at the cursed thing with all the hatred she could muster, Kikyo silently vowed that she will get her revenge if it was the last thing she did.

Akuma silently chuckled to himself, he had to admit, Kikyo was by far his favorite soul to torment, it was a shame that she will soon out live her purpose. He was going to miss her once he left this awful place, it was so hard to find amusement here. A pair of small slender hands brought him out of thought as they began to rub his shoulders. Slowly he closed his eyes and let his head fall back, fully enjoying the massage he was getting. It was only a moment later when he felt a pair of soft lips kiss under the right side of his ear and a feminine voice soon followed.

"Has the time come, my love?" Akuma sighed before he fully opened his eyes to look up at the female behind him. She was beautiful, a goddess in every right, and she was worth leaving this place for. He would do everything he could to make her every desire come true.

"Soon, my heart... Soon we will both leave this place, and soon you will have the heavens and earth bowing down at your delicate little feet." A beautiful smile crossed Izanami's lips as she leaned down and pressed her lips to his. "That would please me most, my dear Enma."

AN: Ok so to clear some things up a little bit, Akuma and Enma are the same person. You will hear both names in this story. Akuma (Which translates to Devil or Demon) is a nickname so to speak for Enma in this story. The gods are going to refer to him as Enma though because that is his real name. For those who are not familiar with Japanese Mythology, Enma is the god of the underworld and he judges the dead. He would be equivalent to Hades in Greek Mythology so to speak. Now, Izanami is the Goddess of creation and Death. Shikigami, who are referred to as gods of death as well, are more like reapers. I hope that clears that up a little bit, it can be confusing to those who don't know much on Japanese Mythology.

(Mythology Facts)

*Izanami- Was the first goddess and sister/ wife to Izanagi (The god of creation and life). She gave birth to many gods but died when she gave birth to Kagu-tsuchi (God of fire). Izanagi then went to Yomi (the underworld) to bring his wife back. Once he found her, she told him she ate the food here and couldn't leave but she would talk to the ruler of the underworld to see if she could, all she asked was that he didn't look upon her form. Izanagi became impatient though and lite a fire to look at her, Izanami became enraged and Izanagi fled. Izanami told her husband that everyday she would take 1,000 souls because of this and Izanagi told her that he would create 1,500 souls everyday in return. Well that's the short version of it anyway. There is more to the story if you wish to look it up. It is believed that she was buried on Mt Hiba.

END OF CHAPTER 14

-Thank you everyone for reading and I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! :D
Until next time!

-Peach