Oh my goodness, it's been so long since I've updated, and I'm soooo sorry! I have had a lot going on...and this kind of went on the back burner in my mind for a while. But I'm back now, and you shall have your chapter 14...again, I apologize. This will be good, I promise. 15 will be coming soon.

Thank you so much for all of your support, and I hope to get lots of comments on this...hopefully none of them bad

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS IN THIS STORY (EXCEPT FOR SORAHIKO AND SEIKA, WHICH I CREATED)...RUMIKO TAKAHASHI DOES.

On with the story...

"Sorahiko!" Kagome shouted.

"My lady?" Sorahiko jolted awake, in slight confusion as to why Kagome was shouting.

"Something is wrong with Sesshomaru!"

"My lady, what is wrong with him, exactly?"

His nose wrinkled for a second as Kagome thrust her hand into his line of vision. He sniffed the air, and paused for a second. Then, a look of worry marred his usually peaceful features.

"Something has happened to Sesshomaru…he's hurt. I was there, Sorahiko." She was frantic.

"That is Lord Sesshomaru's blood, indeed."

"I have to do something!"

Kagome jumped from the futon, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"My lady, calm down. You don't even know where Lord Sesshomaru is."

Kagome turned to Sorahiko, desperation etched in every feature of her pale face.

"You could find him…couldn't you…?"

Sorahiko sighed.

"Only if his scent is fresh. But that is not likely at this point…"

"Please. You've got to help me. He's…he's…going to…to die…"

Sorahiko hesitated for a moment.

"My lady, for you, I would do anything. Your love for Lord Sesshomaru is true and strong…I am not promising, but we will try and locate him."

A shred of hope worked its way into Kagome's heart, and it warmed Sorahiko to think that he had made Kagome somewhat less anxious.

"Thank you. Let me get my bow and arrows…"

Kagome ran out of the room. In seconds, she had returned her bow and arrows in hand.

"You need nothing else, my lady?"

She thought for a moment, remembering Sesshomaru's words.

"Yes, I do…you have to alert the guards in the castle. And I want Rin and Shippo moved far away from here."

"Yes, my lady."

Sorahiko hurried to do the task, and Kagome waited for what seemed like an eternity before he finally returned.

"The castle is on alert, and Rin and Shippo are being moved to another smaller village…I believe it is called Kaede's Village."

"What!" Kagome exclaimed.

"Is there something wrong, my lady?"

'Oh…uh…no. Kaede will let them stay, I'm sure."

'I'm just worried about whether or not Inuyasha will find them.' She thought nervously.

"Shall we go, then?"

"Hai."

Sorahiko begged Kagome to take a horse instead of walking, but upon seeing Ah-un, she decided it would be smarter to take the creature, especially since it could fly. Soon enough, they were on their way, knots churning in Kagome's stomach.

And so they rode, Kagome scouring the earth while Sorahiko inhaled the scents of the wind before them, for any search of Sesshomaru. Hours passed, and it became night. Kagome was exhausted.

"Sorahiko…I'm so tired."

"My lady, we should stop. I fear it will be much longer before we find any trace of my lord…you need your rest."

"No. We have to go on. If we don't…"

"I understand your need to find him, my lady, but if there is a skirmish, you must have the strength to fight the enemy."

"Please. Don't…"

"I cannot let you go on, tired as you are. We will stop and rest."

"I…but…"

"…" Sorahiko began to say something, but stopped when a peculiar smell hit his nose. He cringed slightly. It was strong.

"Sorahiko?"

"Silence, my lady, but for a moment…if you please."

She complied.

Sorahiko knew that smell. It had wafted into his nose once before, during a particularly nasty battle between Lord Sesshomaru's army and another daimyo's forces.

Rotting corpses. Thousands. Miles away, still…but getting closer every second. Death was rank, and the air grew stale. Kami knew how long those bodies had been baking in the sun.

"My lady, I believe there has been a battle. We may not be far from Lord Sesshomaru now…if this looks anything like what you saw."

"I can't tell…it's so dark."

"Hn."

They continued, flying through the air.

Sorahiko became more and more worrked as the moments passed--the scent was becoming stronger, and he was glad that Kagome was not a demon, because it was taking even all of his strength to keep himself from retching.

Sure enough, bodies littered the landscape ahead of them, and though it was dark, Kagome could see the outlines of the corpses and gasped.

"It's terrible…"

"Hai. It is."

"Are…are they human?"

"No. Youkai."

"…all of them?"

"Hai."

Sorahiko was silent for a while, leaving Kagome to wonder if he was alright.

She finally got the courage to speak.

"Sorahiko, are you…"

"My lady. I smell…faintly…Lord Sesshomaru's blood."

"You do?"

"Hai..."

"So we're getting closer."

Sorahiko nodded in silence.

"He was injured not far from here. It will not be long before we find him, my lady."

"Sesshomaru…" Kagome whispered despairingly.

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Meanwhile...
"Now we can be together forever. All we need is the rest of my soul and I can be whole again. That bitch Kagome will be out of the picture, and we can be happy. Won't that be wonderful?"
"Kikyo…" Inuyasha started, tears in his eyes. What had he done? He had basically signed Kagome's death warrant. Kikyo would stop at nothing now to kill her. He had betrayed Kagome's trust…and her love. Even though she had turned away from him and went to Sesshomaru.
Regret filled his heart and his mind. He was a traitor.
What could he do now? Where could he turn?
"Kikyo…" Inuyasha repeated.
"Yes, my love?"
"I…I can't."
"Can't what?"
"I…I can't…be with you."
"What did you say to me?"
"I…this was a mistake, Kikyo."
"NO! YOU LOVE ME! YOU BELONG TO ME, AND ME ALONE!"
Inuyasha lowered his head.
"Kikyo, I loved you a long time ago, and I'm sorry for all of the pain Naraku has caused us. But I love Kagome. She probably doesn't want me anymore, but I have to try. I need her. This was a mistake, and I…I should have listened to Sango and Miroku. I hurt her in the worst way possible."
"Damn you! You're MINE! I'll drag you to Hell with me—that wretched girl will never see you again!"
"Kikyo, please…I'm begging you. Let me go. I will always love you, but I…I'm ready to move on."
Though he didn't think it possible, Kikyo looked Inuyasha in the eye; tears pouring down her cheeks.
"I loved you with my whole heart when I was of the living. I died believing that you had killed me. When Urasue brought me back from the world of the dead with a portion of Kagome's soul, my heart did not return with it. Hatred replaced any emotion I might have felt for you. The only thing I exist for is to destroy you, utterly and completely. I will not rest until I finish that task. You leave me no choice but to kill you and then retrieve the remainder of my soul."
"Then…" Inuyasha hesitated. He could not believe what he was going to say. It nearly killed him to have to.
"Then…you will have to fight me. I will not let you hurt Kagome."
All was silent.
Kikyo finally spoke minutes later, with a deadly conviction in her voice.
"Very well then. This is how it has come to be. I will finish you, Inuyasha."

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"Sorahiko, are we getting closer?"
"My lady, his scent is getting strong. But…"
His voice was laced with sadness.
"…What's wrong…"
"He…Lord Sesshomaru…he is fading fast."
"No…"
"We must hurry. Ah-Un, fly as fast as you possibly can."
The dragon understood. Almost immediately, the exhausted creature picked up speed, and Kagome had to grip Sorahiko's body to prevent herself from flying off.
It took what seemed like hours.
The sun rose, and dew shone on the grass beneath them.
"I sense jewel shards, Sorahiko…"
And in Kagome's line of vision, she saw a splotch of red amongst the green.
Lying in the middle of it…
"SESSHOMARU!"

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'Kagome?' Sesshomaru thought, surprised. He looked up, shock written on his face.

He was weakening.

'It must be a hallucination. Kagome is not really here. She is not here.'

"Sesshomaru!" The voice called out again.

He watched as the miko he had grown to love stepped off of the beast she rode on, and touched the ground.

"…Kagome…"

"Sesshomaru, oh thank Kami…I didn't think I would make it in time!"

"You are not really here. This is a hallucination…a cruel hallucination…"

"No! It isn't! You called out for me, and I came…oh Sesshomaru…please…I'm really here."

"This cannot be possible."

"It is, my lord."

"Sorahiko…you…aren't here…"

"My lord, why is it so hard to believe that your love can be powerful enough to reach out?"

"You just…can't be here…"

Kagome knelt down and ran her fingertips through Sesshomaru's hair, and then moved down to his cheek.

"I'm touching you. That can't be a hallucination, Sesshomaru. I was sleeping, and you came to me in my dream, telling me you were in trouble. I don't know how it happened, but I know why. I'm here because you need me."

"Ka…gome…" A lone tear trickled down the fallen lord's eye.

"I love you so much, Sesshomaru."

"How touching. A sentimental moment between two lovers." A deep, dark voice bellowed from behind the trio.

Kagome whirled around to find Naraku, in all of his evil glory, standing before them. His long black hair flowed in a non-existent breeze; his red eyes glowed like fading embers.

"Naraku! You bastard! I will kill you for what you have done to Sesshomaru!"

He laughed such a laugh that made Kagome shiver with fear.

"My little miko, you think you can defeat me, when I have felled your once great Taiyoukai of the West?"

"Kagome…don't…"

"NO! I will not let him get away with this! He already destroyed Inuyasha's life once before, and I'll be damned if he ruins mine!"

Naraku laughed.

"Kagome, you mustn't fight him. He will kill you. He wants…what is left of the jewel shards…you possess them."

"He will NEVER get them. Never, Naraku! Do you hear me?"

Kagome stood up and aimed an arrow at Naraku.

"Miko, your arrow is useless against me."

A barrier erected itself around the hanyou.

"Oh? You obviously haven't seen me in a while, Naraku. Sesshomaru has been teaching me how to channel my powers…I can heal myself now like I never could before…like a demon heals itself. And if I can focus my energy to heal myself…just think what I can do if I focus all of it into one of my arrows. I am not afraid of you anymore, Naraku. You can just kiss my ass."

Naraku paused for a moment, stunned that the miko stood up to him. Normally, she would come back with some quip and try to shoot one of her worthless arrows at him. But this time…he could feel something different…her energy. Her aura…it was pulsating. The power inside of her had grown, indeed, and was immense.

"You have a death wish, you little bitch."

"Try me, you bastard."

Naraku charged at Kagome, who threw herself in his direction, away from Sesshomaru, pointing her arrow straight at Naraku's heart.

'You can do this, Kagome. All you have to do is focus your energy.' She told herself, prepared for the possibility that she might die.

And something amazing happened at that moment. Unbeknownst to Kagome, she became enveloped in a pink light, similar to that of the Shikon Jewel. Her arrow began to glow as well, a burning white light blinding the hanyou in front of her.

'Focus!' Her mind shouted with panic.

As she shot the arrow, Kagome became aware that Naraku was shielding himself from the light that surrounded her weapon. And then…

It pierced through the barrier that was protecting Naraku, striking him in the shoulder. He screamed in agony, as the arrow broke his armor and began to work through the many layers of kimono he wore.

"DAMN YOU, MIKO!" Naraku tried as best he could to wrench the arrow from his sizzling flesh as it purified him, but managed to burn his hand in the process. It lodged itself in his shoulder, and he dropped to his knees, staring at the ground beneath him.

"Yes!"

Kagome shouted in victory.

But the battle was not yet over.

"You whore. You think you can defeat me."

A snarl escaped Naraku's lips, causing Kagome to gasp. What she saw next terrified her.

Naraku looked up at Kagome. It wasn't his face that bothered her. It was his eyes. No longer were they red, nor were they normal. They were pitch black, void of any emotion whatsoever. Black, dark pools of hatred.

"You. Will. Die. NOW!"

Naraku charged at Kagome with the arrow still stuck in his shoulder, tentacles shooting from beneath his kimono, taking her by surprise. She tried to dodge them…but it was in vain. She was swept away by one, and she dropped her bow and arrows. The tentacle squeezed her until she saw her life flash before her eyes as her breaths drew few and far between.

"Kagome!" Sesshomaru shouted, unable to move much from his position on the ground. His wounds were bleeding profusely, and he was getting weaker by the minute.

"My lady, you must purify him!"

"Sorahiko!" Kagome exclaimed. She had forgotten the demon was with her. He was kneeling beside Sesshomaru, holding his stained, bloody hand in his own pale one.

"I…can't…" She managed to squeak.

The tentacle tightened around her chest and waist, and Kagome began to see stars.

"My lady, you must! There is no choice! You must kill him to save us all!"

'Is he right? Am I the only hope we have?' Kagome panicked. From the way things were going, she didn't think the trio had much of a chance of surviving.

He had the last of the jewel shards. Once she killed him, Kagome would have the jewel…whole.

'Okay, Kagome. You have to do this. You don't have a choice.'

With nothing in her mind but the burning need to destroy the evil that had caused she and her friends so much pain, she focused once more on her holy powers.

Her body became an ocean of agony as she forced her powers to attack Naraku.

Kagome held on until she could no longer do so.

The pain was so great, she almost ceased to breathe.

And her world went black.

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Inuyasha stared at Kikyo, his heart breaking once again. He was going to lose her a second time. And instead of Naraku striking her down disguised as Inuyasha, it would be Inuyasha himself. Killing his beloved.

But Kagome…as he thought of her smiling face and bright, bubbly personality…he knew it had to be that way. Kikyo had to die. Kagome's soul belonged with her; not in Kikyo. Kikyo belonged with the dead. Only it had taken him too long to realize it. He had hurt Kagome more times than he could probably count. And for this...

Kikyo drew her arrow at Inuyasha, fully expecting to strike.

"You'll come to hell with me if it's the last thing I do...!" She shouted.

But he moved almost like water, flowing in a river.

Kikyo never really had time to react to the Tetsusaiga. It came upon her and reduced her body to ashes in mere seconds.

Inuyasha fell to his knees and wailed painfully as tears that he had longed to shed years ago trickled down his pale face.

"KIKYO!"

He felt as if his heart had been ripped from his chest. He had killed his one and only soulmate. He finally loved Kagome…but Kikyo…she would never be Kikyo. Yes…his soulmate was gone.

But…it was all for the best. Wasn't it?

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Sorahiko watched as the life faded from Sesshomaru's future mate. Her power was too great for her body to take, as she purified the highly powerful hanyou Naraku. He knew she could do it. He had always known, for he had seen it in one of his visions. The girl was definitely powerful. That was what had drawn Sesshomaru to her as well, whether he knew it or not. She was meant for him. But Sorahiko did not foresee her death. This was not part of the vision he had. Something had gone wrong. He glanced down at his master, Sesshomaru, and saw tears form in his crimson eyes. He knew what was happening. He knew his soulmate was dying.

Naraku screamed in immense pain as his body slowly disintegrated.

'This miko…this bitch…has destroyed me! How can it be?'

It would be his last thought.

In a blast of dark purple miasma, Naraku disappeared into nothingness, leaving behind only the last shards of the Shikon Jewel. Kagome's body floated effortlessly to the ground beneath her, and the shards landed beside her with a 'plink'.

"Kagome..." Sesshomaru sputtered.

"My lord, you must not move…you are losing life too quickly."

"Sorahiko, I want to see Kagome. You must help me up and over to her."

"My lord…"

"Do it. If I am to die, then I shall die. But I wish to see her face once more."

"As you wish."

Sorahiko helped the bleeding dog demon up, and let him lean against his body for strength. It took a few moments, but they finally made it to Kagome's crumpled body.

"No…it cannot be. She is…so strong. This could not happen to her. I have seen her in battle. This is not how it ends. It cannot…it just…" A lone tear trickled once more down the youkai's cheek, washing away a path of blood.

"My lord, I am sorry…I did not foresee this happening. I did not know."

Sesshomaru was silent as he stared at Kagome. Maybe…maybe Tenseiga would revive her. As he reached for his sword, he winced in pain. He was the only one with enough power to wield it, and yet he was not strong enough to even pull it out of its sheath. And it wasn't even pulsating. It did not want to revive Kagome.

"You worthless sword…" Sesshomaru hissed.

It was over. She was dead, and he was slowly dying. His body could not heal itself fast enough to prevent more blood loss.

"My lord, let me sit you down so you may rest. I can go and get help…"

"Just lay me next to her, Sorahiko. I will not make it through this night. I can feel the strength waning from my body."

"My lord, at least let me try. Rin needs you."

"Rin…" Sesshomaru thought in sorrow. The little human girl that had succeeded in melting his icy interior…would now be left in the hands of Jaken. The toad hated her. With a passion. Sesshomaru knew that without him around to protect her, Jaken would most likely kill the little girl. But he also knew his limit. He would not survive.

"Sorahiko, I want you to return to the castle and retrieve Rin and Shippo. Take them away…raise them…"

"They are at Kaede's Village, my lord."

"Kaede…"

"A priestess."

"I see."

"I will do what I can, my lord."

Sorahiko helped Sesshomaru to the ground, where he kneeled in front of Kagome.

"Kagome, koishii…aishiteru. I am sorry I could not save you. And I am sorry I could not save myself. You have changed me, and in such a short time. I did not think it possible for this Sesshomaru to love a human. Much less a miko. But I found myself intrigued by every aspect of your being."

Sesshomaru took a deep breath, trying to draw enough air in to finish his speech. But death was drawing near, and he collapsed beside Kagome, gasping, trying to breathe.

Sorahiko wanted to cry. But he knew it would not be welcomed. Sesshomaru was Taiyoukai of the West. To cry at his death would be an insult for one so strong. He closed his eyes and tried to regain his composure.

While Sesshomaru lay dying, and Sorahiko tried to keep his emotions in check, a tiny blue ball of light came floating out of the sky, and danced around them, before finally centering itself above Kagome. Without a sound, it shot into her like lightning came from the sky. Almost immediately, the shards of the Shikon Jewel that had been lying beside her began to float. The shards found their way to the jewel, and fused themselves to complete it. The jewel then began to glow a warm pink.

As Sorahiko composed himself, he heard the shuddering last breath of his lord being taken. The Lord of the Western Lands had died. He took a moment to remember the great Taiyoukai.

When Sorahiko opened his eyes minutes later, he couldn't believe what he saw. Kagome's chest was rising, ever so slowly, as the jewel glowed brightly around her neck.

"My lady?"

He heard no answer. Instead, he saw her eyes flutter open, panic taking hold as she looked around her.

"My lady?" he asked once more. Sorahiko noticed that her wounds were still open, and felt the pain washing off of her in waves. She was still alive, but for how long? And what would she do when she realized that her future mate had perished beside her just moments before?

Even as he thought this, he saw her eyes glance to her side, taking in the limp, pale form of her former lord.

A tear dropped from the corner of her eye to the ground, for that was all the strength she had…crying…sobbing…was not a luxury she had. The pain in her heart grew with each moment that passed.

As she thought of how life would continue on, however painfully, without Sesshomaru, neither Kagome nor Sorahiko noticed that the glowing of the jewel became brighter.

"I am truly sorry, my lady. He…passed only moments ago."

It was at that moment that Kagome managed to let out a mournful cry when the Shikon finally made itself the center of attention once more.

Her body convulsed as the shimmering jewel made its way back to where it came from. Sorahiko watched in both fascination and horror as Kagome's body engulfed the jewel.

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Wow...so were any of you expecting that? I'm sorry for the cliffhanger...I know how much you guys hate those...but trust me...chapter 15 will be awesome. Thanks so much for your patience with me, and I hope you review...it would really make me happy!