Four Seasons

by Jazz7

Sesshoumaru spends a year with Kikyou by his side. As the four seasons pass they get to know each other and fall in love... But nothing lasts forever. "Spring, summer, fall, winter, someday you'll be happy."

21. Year Two, Spring Chapter Four Part One

Author's Notes:

Original plan was to have only 21 chapters, but the final chapter is much longer than I expected. So long in fact that I'm going to have to release this in parts.

The other parts will be just as long as this one I'm afraid. At this point I'm really regretting making this story around the four seasons, as I feel like the four chapters per season set up really didn't work with year 2. I'm sorry for the wait. I know I ended up writing this a lot in the author's notes, and this chapter took forever to complete (6+ months this is late!), but this chapter wouldn't cooperate at all. I'm still not satisfied with it, but I ended up re-writing this so much that I finally just got fed-up going over it obsessively and decided to finish it and submit it. I'll let you guys decide if it was worth the wait. Surprisingly, what held up this chapter the longest, and that was the hardest to write, was the complicated relationship between Mitsu and Kagome and the final confrontation between Kikyou and Kagome that leads to "the plan" that gets the last shards of the Shikon no Tama to Sesshoumaru. So it'd be right to say that the drama in this chapter caused the 6 month delay.

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Four Seasons, Chapter 20

Year Two, Spring Chapter 4

-The Final Chapter, Part One-

There was light. Someone was shaking her gently. Gently, so gently it reminded Kagome of floating in the ocean and being rocked back and forth by the waves. She was lifted up into the light.

There was something about the light she had to remember. And there was also something she desperately wanted to forget. Something red, something painful. The light didn't seem so gentle anymore. People were screaming. Someone was crying. And now instead of being rocked gently to and fro it felt like Kagome was being held tightly and flying through space.

She tried to concentrate on this sensation, on the familiar sensation of being held strongly in someone's arms, but the light intruded. Bright flashes of light. And the screams and crying wouldn't stop.

The light was like daggers now, no arrows. Arrows of light stabbing into her consciousness and forcing her awake. Arrows…light and arrows…Arrows—

"You've traded in your bow and arrows for a dagger," Kikyou said as Kagome closed the door behind her, leaving Mitsu, Sesshoumaru, and their newborn children alone in the next room. Things hadn't gone exactly as planned, but at least now she and Kikyou were all alone. Mitsu had given her a pointed look before she'd left. It was a look that said to use this time—this chance—wisely.

"Hello to you too, Kikyou, "Kagome replied. She leaned against the door and tried not to show how nervous she felt. How had Kikyou been able to tell she had a dagger on her?

"Why are you here, Kagome?"

"You know, Sesshoumaru said the same thing. Maybe I'm just thinking about what to do after graduation. Can't get into college with my grades," Kagome joked, enjoying the confusion that flitted across Kikyou's face.

"Where's Inuyasha?"

Kagome had expected this question, but her body still tensed up as Kikyou's eyes assessed her. It was as if she saw into her very soul. To hide her feelings she laughed.

Harsh and mirthless, the sound of Kagome's laughter seemed to set Kikyou on edge.

"What's so funny?"

"I knew you'd ask me that. Why don't you tell me where he is, I haven't seen him for months. You're not the only one that can change or decide to break up with the love of their life for someone—excuse me—something else."

"Where's Inuyasha?"

Kikyou narrowed her eyes at her as she repeated her question but that was all. Kagome sighed and walked away from the door. Acting as a barrier between them was the twins' crib. Kagome braced her hands on it for strength as she finally answered.

"To answer your question, I left Inuyasha. I got tired of being a third wheel."

"I can't believe you'd risk the safety of the jewel shards for that," Kikyou said. Her voice was filled with incredulity and pity. Even though Kikyou's eyes never softened, never ceased glaring daggers at her, Kagome could sense it. Kikyou felt sorry for her.

"I didn't risk the shards," Kagome replied. She could take anything but pity from Kikyou. If anything she should pity Kikyou. "They're safe. I have them right here." Kagome put a hand over her chest where the shards lay against her skin under her clothes on a chain.

"Then you're an even bigger fool than I thought. Bringing the Shikon shards to a place like this, to a land full of demons—"

"They're fine," Kagome snapped. Sesshoumaru had been easy. She'd been able to hide her anger and her desire for revenge from him. But Kikyou wasn't so easy. She couldn't hide how she felt or act like her "normal" self when Kikyou took that condescending tone with her. "I've been here longer than you, for months now, and not one demon has taken them from me. I'm not as stupid as you think I am, and neither is Mitsu."

She didn't have Kikyou's spiritual power; it wasn't so easy for her to protect the jewel shards on her own. Since the day she'd come to the feudal era and the Shikon no Tama was ripped out of body, Kagome couldn't remember how many times she'd almost been killed, abducted, or held hostage for the shards, and all this before she'd left Inuyasha. And after she'd left? When Mitsu had taken her in it'd been a godsend for Kagome. She'd been on the point of starvation after running out of food in the mountains and sleep deprived after not sleeping for days to avoid being attacked at night that, when Mitsu called out to her, Kagome would've gladly let the demoness kill her just to end her torment if that's what she'd desired. Kagome's memories before Mitsu were hazy and terrifying, and filled with nothing but hunger and pain.

"You think I'm an idiot, but who are you to judge," Kagome thought, seething with rage but concentrating so hard on not letting her emotions show or attacking Kikyou right this minute that her vision blurred and all she could see was red. "Like you know what it's like to protect the shards. You helped Naraku once, remember? Helped him start his collection. So many people have suffered because of what you did and not once have you ever apologized or lifted a finger to help me and Inuyasha."

"What does she have to do with this?" Kikyou asked.

"Who?" Kagome was confused. Her train of thoughts had taken her far from the present situation. No, actually concentrating on not leaping for Kikyou's throat had distracted her from what was going on.

"Mitsu."

Kagome felt like an idiot for mentioning Mitsu, but it was too late now. She'd have to give Kikyou something. Things were spiraling out of control. She'd made the mistake of letting Kikyou get to he, making her angry enough to trip up. She had to shift the conversation away from Mitsu before Kikyou put the two together. Their relationship as mistress and servant was public, but Kikyou didn't need to know the rest.

"She's been protecting me. I became Mitsu's servant for protection, just like you became Sesshoumaru's."

"I'm not Sesshoumaru's servant."

"Really? Do you think being undead changes the food chain around here? Why else would we be in the kids' room while the grownups are talking," Kagome retorted, trying not to show how upset she was at Kikyou's accusations. "Face the facts, we both need our benefactors to survive here. The only difference between us is that I'm not sleeping with mine."

"Why are you here?" Kikyou asked, unfazed by Kagome's insults.

Kagome hesitated to answer as Kikyou's intense stare bored into her, looking for a sign of weakness no doubt. It wasn't just Sesshoumaru who Kagome had to worry about. Kikyou's bow and quiver were behind her, hidden from Kagome's eyes by the shadows in the room. But Kagome didn't need to see them to know they were there. Kikyou was never completely defenseless and she was intuitive; she'd pick up on the plot sooner or later. And if Sesshoumaru caught wind of what they were doing then they'd never live through the night.

Things hadn't gone as planned. Kagome couldn't play the "Waiting Game," pretend to be a calm and collected servant or act like the innocent girl she used to be in front of Kikyou. So Kagome chose to dive right in and mix a lie with the truth. Or rather a lie using a very old motivation that had often served her well before.

"If I said I was here to save your life, would you believe me?"

Kikyou froze, dumbstruck by Kagome's words. At that moment they heard something fall in the next room. Shortly thereafter, Mitsu strode through the door –effectively ending Kikyou and Kagome's conversation and preventing Kikyou from regaining the upper hand.

As one Kikyou and Kagome turned toward her, and if Mitsu was upset by the revelation that Kagome hadn't killed Kikyou yet she didn't show it. Mitsu's eyes reflected nothing. Her eyes seemed empty and drained, and in the gloom of the room Mitsu seemed older than she'd ever appeared to be to either Kikyou or Kagome before. Or rather the woman seemed tired and sad, utterly drained, as if her whole world had fallen apart.

But in an instant Mitsu was back to her old self. It was as if the moment had never happened and neither of the women had seen behind the mask. "Escort Kikyou in," Mitsu said softly. Her words were a command, not a suggestion. "Lord Sesshoumaru will probably need his servant tonight. Maybe she can help him look after my children."

Finally, Mitsu's eyes focused on something. Her amber eyes bored into Kikyou's with an intensity that could've struck the other woman dead if looks could kill. Kagome felt that curious feeling again, like an electric current went through her. But this time it was less intense, like standing in front of a fire and feeling the heat but not being burned. And it wasn't Kikyou's emotions she was picking up but Mitsu's. No, she wasn't picking up emotions psychically she was witnessing a showdown. This was a Mexican standoff in real life. Whatever had happened between Mitsu and Sesshoumaru had been enough to tip the scales. Kagome knew then that if Mitsu didn't have a personal reason to hate Kikyou before she had one now.

"I'm sure my husband will compensate you for helping him with our children," Mitsu continued, her voice dripping with venom. Kikyou didn't reply, but her eyes glared at Mitsu a silent challenge of her own.

Kagome also knew then there was no way an intuitive woman like Kikyou wouldn't pick up on Mitsu's malice and connect the dots. And Kagome was right, Kikyou did figure out they were working together but she never told Sesshoumaru about the depth of Mitsu and Kagome's plans.

"Kagome, after you're finished here meet me in your quarters. I need to speak with you."

Without another word Mitsu walked past Kikyou and left the room. Kikyou followed Kagome to the other room, her emotionless mask back in place but the younger woman could still feel the embers of hate and jealous, perhaps even envy, that Mitsu had sparked. Back in Mitsu's room, where Sesshoumaru waited, Kagome put her own mask on and went back to the game. In servant mode once more, Kagome bowed to Sesshoumaru and left.

The walk from Mitsu's chambers to her own was a blur. Her feet moved, but Kagome couldn't stop replaying her meeting with Kikyou over and over again in her head as well as what had happened between Mitsu and Kikyou. Kikyou hadn't said a word to Mitsu, but she knew that when it came to their feelings toward Sesshoumaru, and their feelings toward each other, Kikyou and Mitsu were in agreement. The room had practically buzzed with animosity as soon as their eyes met. It may have not been recently ignited between the two women, Sesshoumaru had been married for almost a year now, but it was there just the same and stronger than ever. No wonder considering that the two of them were sharing the same man.

When Kagome reached her room she could hear fireworks. The celebrations were in full swing. She stood in front of Mitsu in the tiny space that she'd called home for these past few months. Mitsu didn't look up. She was seated in front of the open window and all Kagome could see of Mitsu's face was her profile. There was a pungent scent in the room that Kagome couldn't identify until she saw the pipe in Mitsu's hand.

"You smoke? I never knew that. You know those things will kill you. Lung cancer and all that."

The corners of Mitsu's lips curved up into a small, wry smile. "I still can't understand a word that comes out of your mouth half the time, and I've known you for months."

"That's okay; I'll buy you a Rosetta stone."

Kagome wanted to smile too at their banter but she couldn't. Instead she sat besides Mitsu and reached out a hand for her pipe. Mitsu's eyes darkened and she frowned. For one moment Kagome almost thought Mitsu would dump the ashes in her hand, take her anger out on her maybe even though Mitsu had never laid a hand on her before. Under the smile and the amber eyes anger still simmered, as hot and scalding and as clear to Kagome as the torches that lit up the castle halls and illuminated the festive streets beyond the castle, or the fireworks that burst in the skies above them and left an afterimage of brilliant light.

But instead of lashing out in anger Mitsu handed over her pipe. Kagome almost wished she had taken it out on her, it would've been better than seeing that glassy eyed look that replaced the anger in Mitsu's eyes. Her eyes were darkened not by displeasure but by loss and fatigue and sorrow settled over her shoulders, causing them to droop. Kagome could see it in Mitsu even when she turned away from her, and for a second she wondered if what was in the pipe was opium. In one hour, Kagome had seen Mitsu more upset than she'd ever seen her before and more drained than anyone should be. It was as if the stings holding up her had been cut.

As she studied Mitsu, Kagome involuntary took a drag from the pipe and immediately started to choke. She'd never smoked anything before in her life, and after this she'd never try it again. Mitsu watched Kagome gasp and choke without lifting a finger to help her except to incline her head toward the pitcher on the table next to them.

Kagome patted herself on the back and drank glass after glass of water. It helped, a little. Sticking her head out of the window, she then took in the smoke free air greedily. Fallen leaves stuck to Kagome's hair as they fluttered down. They were high above the ground, but the castle had verandas on some floors with small decorative plants, sometimes even tress. Someone must have planted a maple tree somewhere above them as the leaves blew in with the breeze and began to litter the room.

"You're a good girl, an excellent servant and companion. But you're incapable of hating anyone for long. If you truly hated Kikyou you wouldn't be here now," Mitsu said.

"You're the one who asked me to come here. What do you want me to do, race back there and knife her in the back? I don't see you doing anything," Kagome retorted. "Kikyou's with Sesshoumaru right now, with your children. As you emphasized in that staring contest you had with Kikyou. It's not like I can kill her right in front of them, or Sesshoumaru. If you want her dead right this minute why don't you do it?"

Kagome stared down at Mitsu after she said this, her stare a glower of hurt and annoyance. First Kikyou and now Mitsu were giving her the third degree. From the beginning, Mitsu had been the one who'd always supported her. Kagome had expressed her desires to Mitsu early in their relationship, once she knew who the demoness was, and with Mitsu's connivance Kagome had been trained to focus her rage and hone her skills until the time was right. Yet all Mitsu had ever really done was talk. And even though Kagome knew she'd blown her chance, she didn't need Mitsu pointing out her mistakes, or worse her fears and doubts.

A hush settled over the room, filled only by the sound of fireworks. The room was illuminated by sporadic flashes of color that seemed to make the shadows in the room lengthen instead of disappear on each flash. In spite of Kagome's harangue, Mitsu appeared to be placid. It was almost as if she hadn't heard a word that'd been said. Yet it wasn't a natural tranquility but the calm that comes before the storm which is not to be trusted. There was something dangerous in Mitsu's eyes that Kagome had never seen before.

Suddenly, Mitsu leaned toward Kagome. Kagome prepared herself for some kind of punishment, but instead Mitsu poured herself a glass of water and drank it slowly, her eyes never leaving Kagome's face. Only when she finished the glass did Mitsu express her displeasure by slamming it down so hard on the table it shattered, not into pieces, but into three even fragments. Kagome swore that if she had put the pieces of the cup together they'd have held without glue.

Yet for all this the table still stood, collapsing only when Mitsu took the pipe from Kagome's limp hand and dumped the ashes on it. The added weight, as slight as it was, had been enough to deliver the final blow to the furniture. Thin cracks raced across the surface of the table and within in a matter of seconds it was divided into three even pieces just like the glass. It wasn't just the surface of the table; the legs of the table were also dissected in the same numerical pattern, the feet of which had been hammered into the tatami floor from the force of the blow.

Seeing what Mitsu was capable of was worse than a slap to the face. It was a not so subtle reminder that even though Mitsu tolerated Kagome, confided in her, or treated her as an equal in private they were not equal. Not in status, not in species, and not when it came to raw physical power.

Their relationship, if it even existed, depended on a delicate balance, and that balance tipped over and fractured right in front of Kagome just like the ruined table had before her. A heavy silence descended over them, a silence not unlike the one in the twins' room less than an hour ago. It was hard to believe that they, in a room as dark as this, had once held hands. That seemed like a lifetime ago. Mitsu, the warmth of her hand, their friendship all seemed like a fantasy in the face of this moment. Or rather, it was this moment, this show of force, which seemed like a lie. It didn't seem real and it didn't make sense. How could that Mitsu be this Mitsu? How could that Kagome have been this Kagome? Was this the same Kagome who had held Mitsu's hand in the dark and who had comforted her, this Kagome sitting here now slack jawed and afraid of her friend?

"It's an illusion," Kagome thought as she looked into Mitsu's calm, expressionless face. "This is a dream."

Time passed, and their relationship picked up where it had left off. Despite the shattered pieces of the cup and table between them. Mitsu didn't look at her and she didn't mention Kagome's outburst. In turn, Kagome did the same. The fireworks were winding down now. Kagome could almost believe, if she closed her eyes and ignored the wreckage beside her, that nothing had happened.

"Lady Miyako was Sesshoumaru's mother and a distant relation of mine," Mitsu suddenly said, breaking the silence that had formed between them and twirling one of the fallen maple leaves between her slender fingers as she spoke.

Kagome stared at Mitsu's profile, puzzled by the sudden change in topic as the demoness gazed out the window. Mitsu's emotions were as volatile as the wind, and her cool, calm and collected expression didn't change at all as she told Kagome the story of Lady Miyako and her husband Inu no Taisho, his human mistress Izayoi, and Miyako's death at the hands of her husband. Gone was the simmering anger or the glass eyed staring, and a bewildered Kagome wondered which one had been the real Mitsu and if she'd ever really known her.

"My clan is from the North. Our land isn't as beautiful as the West, or as prosperous, but our people are strong and we managed to survive and resist assimilation into the Western clan longer than the other clans did. But in the end we were forced to submit. The strong survive and the weak perish, but even those who are born weak have their claws," Mitsu said, reciting her and Sesshoumaru's family history. "Lady Miyako's marriage to Inu no Taisho was a peace treaty between our clans, a so called tactful surrender, but her death almost caused a war instead. If not for Sesshoumaru my clan would have been wiped out. He was only a child then, but because he is the son of Lady Miyako and Inu no Taisho his mere presence prevented further bloodshed."

"You married Sesshoumaru because of…?" Kagome couldn't finish her sentence. Her mind was reeling from an overload of information. Why was Mitsu telling her this? Mitsu hadn't looked at Kagome or said her name since she began talking. It was almost as if she had been talking more to herself than to her. None of what she'd said had anything to do with Kagome, yet nonetheless she found herself fascinated by Mitsu's tale, by the story of Mitsu and Sesshoumaru's life that was so different from her own.

"I didn't marry him because I feel grateful to him for stopping a war that happened long before I was born. Nor do I care about what happened to Lady Miyako, though the scandal she caused brought shame to my clan and to the West. Sesshoumaru doesn't even know about this or about his people—my people—the Northern clan," Mitsu replied. The leaf in her hands was twisted and bent out of shape. Mitsu snapped it in half. "To him I'm just a woman he married for convenience. But to me Sesshoumaru's someone who has the potential to bring prosperity to me, to my clan, and now to my children. He's powerful, wealthy, and of the best bloodline if you ignore the madness of Lady Miyako. Having his sons insures my place; it brings honor to my clan and brings me one step closer to my dream."

"You wanted to be queen to restore your clan? That's it?" Kagome asked. It was hard to believe that this was the only reason why Mitsu wanted Kikyou dead. To Kagome it looked like the Western Lands were doing fine and it seemed like Mitsu had everything anyone could want, besides a faithful husband and true love of course.

Mitsu laughed as she saw the troubled look on Kagome's face.

"I don't love him, if that's what you mean. At least not the love you have for Inuyasha," Mitsu said with a smirk. Kagome glared at the woman for making her feelings sound childish.

"He looks at you and you look at him, your gaze meets across the room and it's like lightning strikes your heart. You're instantly in love, you're crazy for him. I don't believe in that kind of love. It's a fairy tale. Marriage doesn't equal love. If Lady Miyako had realized that maybe she would still have her life. Nobles like us can't afford to believe in love."

Whether she knew it or not, Mitsu was describing the feeling Kagome had when she saw Kikyou today and the animosity that had erupted between Mitsu and Kikyou tonight. But Kagome's feelings definitely weren't love, and neither were Mitsu's. Was it possible that, like love, a person could hate on first sight? Your heart instantly captured by another, emotions beyond control, the moment when your world is turned upside down by a single person—all of this isn't exclusive to love.

"Destiny, fated meetings, a moment so brilliant it stays in your mind forever. That's what I believe in. When I met Sesshoumaru here almost a year ago I felt the wheels of fate run over me," Mitsu continued, expressing herself without reservation for the first time in her life. "Even after he tossed me aside on our wedding night for that woman, no that thing, I still believed in him.

"When he left me at the altar on our wedding night, I was so startled to see him exchange his garments for servant's clothes, to paint over his clan tattoos, and curse tradition that all I could do was stammer, stare, and faint like a pup. Yet even then I couldn't hate him. That nobility, that fiery passion Sesshoumaru had when he boldly cut his hair and declared his independence… He was more brilliant than ever before. It was at that moment I knew I'd follow him forever. I'll make him the king of kings; I'll make him a god."

Mitsu's amber eyes shinned fervently with a light that wasn't just obsession, it was devotion. Kagome was at a loss for words. She couldn't speak, much less breathe, after hearing such a confession. She'd always believed Mitsu understood her pain and that their bond was strengthened because of this empathy. However, now Kagome realized Mitsu was on a whole other level than her.

If Mitsu loved Sesshoumaru it was in a way that was impossible for a human like Kagome to understand, yet her feelings towards Sesshoumaru filled Kagome with the same kind of fear, dread, and even disgust that Naraku motivations made her feel. But who was she to judge when her own heart was twisted with thoughts of revenge? Who was to say which of these women were right or wrong? They were both plotting murder, and they were both consumed by thoughts of revenge born from love twisted into hatred and despair.

And if not love, then was Mitsu's desire to see Kikyou dead really just a matter of wounded pride and Sesshoumaru not living up to her ideas? But if there was more to the story Mitsu wasn't telling Kagome anytime soon.

"I'll spend the night with my children. There's nothing more that can be done tonight, as I doubt Sesshoumaru will leave her side," Mitsu said. She refused to say Kikyou's name. Mitsu stood up and headed for the door.

At the door, Mitsu said over her shoulder, "You asked why I don't kill Kikyou myself. I could tell you a hundred reasons but I'll give you just two, and they're waiting for me in my room. You get to go back to your time, to your exams, and your school, and your homework. But this is my time, this is my world. If I could act freely I would, if I could be rid of Kikyou this very moment with no consequences for my actions I would. I'd shatter her into pieces just like I did that glass. But I'm not you. And you're not me. And never, ever, forget that."

"I've been listening to you go on and on about yourself and Sesshoumaru," Kagome snapped. The fireworks were gone. The room was so dark that Kagome couldn't even see Mitsu anymore. They were voices shouting at each other in the dark; their bodies were reduced to outlines distorted and without real form and yet darker than the darkness surrounding them. "Without complaint I've been by your side this whole time as your servant, I even helped you give birth! And now you're saying this? If this is how you feel then you should've told me from the start. You're just using me; I'm nothing more than a tool to you!"

"What else did you think I was doing? I told you: play the game long enough and you can fool anyone, even yourself. Don't act like a victim. You came to me, not the other way around."

Their relationship tipped over again. The gulf between them grew wider. This wasn't just a dream, it was a surreal nightmare. This couldn't be real. Just moments ago they were friends. Yet now everything was laid bare. And what was underneath the veneer of their friendship was ugly, and dirty, and couldn't be unseen or taken back.

If Kagome could take everything back she would have. Not leaving Inuyasha, not her confrontation with Kikyou, but the moment she'd walked into this room and opened her mouth and exposed their friendship for what it was—a lie. Deep down she'd known their relationship was a lie, suspected it, knew that they were using each other, but somehow as long as neither of them admitted it everything had been alright.

These past few months Mitsu had given Kagome something she'd desperately needed—a friend. Someone that wasn't connected to either the Shikon no Tama, Inuyasha, or the drama that her life had become. The only connection they'd had was a mutual desire to kill, and to comfort one another. And now all that was left of their relationship was desire to destroy, each other as well as their common enemy.

Once again she was alone.

Kagome found her mouth opening. She could hear the words coming out of her mouth, but it felt like someone else was at the helm, as if she were watching a strange play. It didn't seem real. "No wonder you took me in, insisted on me killing Kikyou, you want me to do your dirty work."

"I didn't insist. You came up with the plan. Always whining about your troubles and moping around—"

"That's not true!"

"Yet when the knife is in your hand you do nothing! As you are now I can see why Inuyasha choose Kikyou over you even after she betrayed him with his brother. At least Kikyou's not afraid to follow her heart. Kikyou wouldn't hesitate."

"Shut up!" Kagome said between clenched teeth. "What the hell do you know? I'm not Kikyou and she's not me. Don't you dare compare me to her!"

"There's no comparison. At least when it comes to the relationship Inuyasha has with Kikyou and the one he has, excuse me, had with you."

"What's between me and Inuyasha is none of your business!"

She'd never fought with Mitsu, not like this. Ever. Even though they were as different as night and day they'd gotten along, and Mitsu had never interrogated her about her reasons or antagonized her mercilessly like this. Kagome had believed in a silent agreement between them that the past didn't matter as long as they could kill their common enemy. Why was Mitsu trying to destroy their relationship now?

"That's right; it's none of my business. I don't care about the lover's spat between you and that half-breed. All I want to know if you have the guts to take action or if you want to stay in the shadows for the rest of your life."

"What do you know about me?" Kagome demanded. "You don't know anything!"

"I know that Kikyou tried to kill you, yet you saved her life after Naraku poisoned her with his miasma and you saved her again when Inuyasha hit her with Tetsusagia's Cutting Wind on accident during his last battle with Sesshoumaru. Not even a saint would go so far. You've been protecting her until now for Inuyasha's sake even though he doesn't love you."

Once again Kagome found herself stunned by Mitsu's words. She'd had never mentioned these things to Mitsu, so how did Mitsu know about what had happened between her and Kikyou? "How did you—?"

"How do I know about your past? Do you honestly think I'd take in some human girl from who-knows-where without doing my research? Come now, don't be so shocked. It's not just you I know everything about." Mitsu said as she laughed at Kagome naivety. "This game over the Shikon no Tama is being watched by other players like me who are more interested in seeing who wins and who dies rather than taking control of the jewel. There are eyes everywhere and anything that involves Sesshoumaru involves me as well, that includes you and Inuyasha."

"Why didn't you tell me about this before?" Kagome asked, demanding to know the truth. She'd suspected Mitsu was using her, but she'd never expected this. Kagome had never known that she was being watched. Mitsu made it sound like there were countless people betting on her and her friends' lives. These "watchers" were treating this deadly conflict like nothing more than a game. Even Naraku seemed more honorable than people who'd watch others die without doing anything.

"Would you have come with me if you'd known?" Mitsu asked. Her tone of voice was as sharp and piercing as daggers as she flung this question at Kagome.

"What do you mean by would I have gone with you? That's not important! You kept all of this from me, spied on me, and now you're suddenly demanding answers." Kagome wasn't just furious at Mitsu for hiding the truth from her, she was also angry at herself for never suspecting anything until now.

"Would you?" Mitsu said, pressing Kagome for an answer and ignoring her ire.

"Answer my question!"

"Would you have come with me?"

Mitsu wouldn't be deterred. Exasperated by Mitsu's probing questions, and resenting her insight, Kagome finally gave in.

"Yes."

The answer had always been obvious to both of them and it no longer mattered what Kagome knew or didn't know. Mitsu had known what Kagome would say, what she'd have done if she'd known all of this from the start. Even if they'd never lied to each other and their relationship had been clear from the beginning Kagome would've still gone with her. These revelations didn't change what Kagome felt for Inuyasha or how she felt about Kikyou either. No, what Kagome really hated was herself for toward turning a blind eye on the truth. It wasn't just a suspicion she'd had about Mitsu. Some part of Kagome had always known the truth and avoided it in order to save herself the trouble of thinking about anything but her own pain.

Silence settled heavily over them again. Kagome could feel that burning sensation once again, the spark of hostility, a betrayal that cut deeper than even Inuyasha's had, but it was a cold fire and she was too tired to fight. What good would it do to fight? Even if she beat Mitsu now, physically or verbally, she'd lost everything already. Kagome suddenly knew what Mitsu had felt after her reunion with Sesshoumaru. It wasn't just sorrow, but loss. If they'd aged overnight it was due to seeing the world, their world, as it really is. For Kagome the glamour was gone from it all: the castle, Mitsu, herself. And there was no way to get it back.

Even if she killed Kikyou, there was no way to return to those good times she'd had with Mitsu. And Kagome had been right, after tonight everything had changed. Not just between her and Mitsu but for everyone. And there would be no way to go back to those peaceful times, or to the relationship she'd had with Mitsu before this night.

"You're a good girl, but you're incapable of hating anyone for long," Mitsu murmured. Her tone was soft and gentle, almost a whisper, as she repeated this chastisement. Her words almost seemed contrite, but if it was an apology Kagome didn't accept it. "Get some sleep. I'll call on you in the morning."

Mitsu opened the door once more and finally they could see each other. Mitsu's body was outlined by the torchlight in the hall as a sliver of light crept into the room. Mitsu's long white hair was haloed by the light but her face was in shadow. Kagome idly wondered what Mitsu saw, if she could even see her at all as light spilled into the room and highlighted the wreckage around them.

Before she could leave, Kagome calling out to Mitsu.

"Mitsu?"

She was waking up; Kagome was waking up from a dream. Their life together had been a dream, and she didn't want to remember it when she woke up.

"I never want to see you again," Kagome finally said. Her words sounded empty, as empty as she felt, but she meant every word. "After Kikyou is dead, I'm going home. And I never want to see you again."

Mitsu stayed in the doorway a heartbeat longer and then shut the door behind her. Kagome was left alone in the darkness. The dream was over.

---

The third flare went off as Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Kirara reached the second floor of the castle. Everything was cast in a yellow glow even though they were inside. No one stopped them. Everyone was either in the midst of evacuating or already gone. They busted through the double doors of what looked like an enormous meeting hall and stumbled upon a group of old demons. It looked like they weren't the first ones there. Sango couldn't believe her eyes. What was Totosai doing here?

"How did you get here?" someone asked, taking the words right out of Sango's mouth.

"I came from underground, you nitwit. I bet you idiots don't even know about the secret passages underneath this castle. Inu no Taisho didn't trust the likes of you lot," Totosai said, waving the head of his hammer under councilman Yudai's nose. "So I was told to come back if something happened to the kingdom or his sons."

"Did you see Inuyasha?" Shippo chirped.

"No, but he's here. I can feel it. You'd think those two would have enough sense to get together and stay in one place, make things easy on an old man, but no they have to run around like pups. My ox almost fainted from exhaustion getting here," Totosai grumbled.

"This is insane; we have to evacuate the castle. Who cares where that half-breed is! For all we know he's leading the pack of demons that are tearing apart the capital! Guards arrest—" Before Yudai could say anything else Totosai whacked him on the head. Yudai sank to the ground like a ton of bricks. The rest of the councilmen fled the chamber.

"I barely hit him, and he's already down," Totosai sighed as he wiped the blood off his hammer. "And to think these are the fools that make up the council. They're still clinging to their dream of ruling this land. Weaklings, the whole lot of them."

"Err," Miroku said, stepping over Yudai's body. He wasn't dead, but he wouldn't be getting up anytime soon. "You said you could sense where Inuyasha is. Where is he?"

"Didn't I tell you? He's below us!"

"Below us? You mean underground!?" Miroku, Sango, and Shippo shouted at the same time. They couldn't believe it.

"Of course. Where'd you think he'd be?"

"I told you!" Shippo exclaimed, jumping up and down."I told you we should have gone downstairs."

"It doesn't matter now, we have to hurry!" Miroku said as suddenly he could feel that they were surrounded by a strong holy barrier. It was a barrier so strong he could feel it even inside heart of the castle. But it was only a matter of time until Naraku broke through it. They had to hurry up and reunite with Kagome and Inuyasha.

Kirara transformed and everyone quickly got on her back and headed down toward the tunnels below.

---

With a loud thud the last guard in Kagome's room fell to the ground. Inuyasha retracted his fist and watched as the robed healers fled the room. They were trained in healing spells, but combat was beyond them and even they knew better than to piss Inuyasha off more than they already had.

Jaken had run out of the room ahead of them, shouting for Rin. Inuyasha assumed he was alright on his own. The toad had more lives than a cat, so he'd survive even without his cane. With all obstacles out of the way, Inuyasha turned to Kagome.

Mitsu had reached her first. She was gently shaking Kagome, calling her name. Sesshoumaru's wife seemed completely different to him now. Gone was haughty attitude and stuck up nature. Even when Inuyasha had been chasing her, Mitsu had never seemed as panicked as she was now.

"She's not waking up," Mitsu said as Inuyasha took Kagome into his arms. He put his head against her breast. Kagome had a heartbeat, and he could hear her breathing, but she stayed asleep.

"Why isn't she waking up? The healers should've been able to help her."

"I don't know, but we can find out later. Where are your kids?" Inuyasha said, not giving in to his own panic. He couldn't break now. There would be time later for that. The important thing was Kagome's alive, and if he wanted her to stay that way they had to leave now. Already another tremor passed through the earth. Luckily this one wasn't as bad as the first few, but it was powerful enough to make particles of the earth over their heads rain down on them.

"They should be here somewhere. Yudai ordered them to be imprisoned in the healing ward too."

"Then lead the way," Inuyasha said as he picked up Kagome. Her body felt light, lighter than he'd thought. Kagome had lost weight, and she was in a coma, but she was alive and that's all that mattered to him.

They hurried from room to room and thankfully found the children at last. They were crying and screaming their heads off but both babies were fine. Mitsu rushed to their side.

"Twins?" Inuyasha asked, more troubled than astonished by this discovery. This would make escaping difficult. What worried him was their age. Considering that Sesshoumaru hadn't even told him he was married, Inuyasha hadn't known what to expect his children to be like and wouldn't have been surprised if they were already grown up. But with two babies to hold, Kagome, and Mitsu there was no way Inuyasha could race down the halls and fly out of the castle with ease.

All of a sudden, Mitsu ran out of the room. Inuyasha started to protest but Mitsu came back with what looked like Kagome's backpack. She turned it upside down and got rid of everything except for the clothing and first aid kit. Before Inuyasha could ask her what she was doing, Mitsu took off her kimono and ripped it in half. Underneath her clothing was a pair of Kagome's jeans and a tee-shirt. Mitsu put one of the twins in the backpack and the other in her arms, using the kimono strips and her obi as a makeshift sling. Kagome's clothes went toward padding the backpack to keep the other twin safe and comfortable and toward tying the first aid kit to the small of her back.

"Did Kagome teach you that?" Inuyasha asked, forgetting temporarily about their situation. He'd never have expected for a woman like Mitsu to know how to make a sling or wear pants.

"Don't stand their staring like an idiot. We have to leave now," Mitsu snapped in reply. The queen was back in place. No matter the situation, or the outfit, Mitsu retained her wonderful personality.

It was with an effort that Inuyasha kept himself from cursing at the woman. He turned around to lead the way, yet once again Mitsu stopped him with another surprise.

"Wait, you'll need this."

She knelt down and picked up Inuyasha's fire rat coat from under the remains of her clothing. She'd found it in a chest in Kagome's room when she'd gone back for her belongings. Inuyasha hadn't noticed it until now. It still smelt like smoke and blood. Wrapped up in his jacket was also a long black bow and quiver. Kikyou's bow. Mitsu must have mistaken it for Kagome's, but it meant the world to Inuyasha all the same.

"You keep it. The bow too. If something happens keep going. I'll catch up."

Mitsu looked up at Inuyasha. Her face was a mixture of confusion and, to Inuyasha's surprise, gratitude.

"You're not at all like I thought you'd be. After what Kagome told me, I thought you'd be—"

An aftershock hit them, and this time more earth rained down. But something was different. Inuyasha's ears pricked up and his hair stood on end. He felt it. Holy power. But it couldn't Kagome's be because Kagome was right in his arms, and Kikyou was gone. So whose power was this?

Not only that but demonic energy surrounded them as well, held back only by the barrier. Above and around them they could hear screams as the remaining people in the castle and tunnels around them found themselves trapped, their escape routes cut off, as the barriers began to spread from the castle to the shelters in the city. If they were going to escape now was the time.

"Let's go. We have to find Rin and then we're getting out of here."

"Rin?" Mitsu asked, running behind Inuyasha. She'd almost forgotten about Rin. All Mitsu had cared about was finding her children and Kagome. "Sesshoumaru's little servant girl? I heard she was still alive, but I can't pick up her scent. Can you?"

Inuyasha couldn't and that worried him. Rin was either far from them, her scent masked by something, or her body had grown so cold that the only things they could pick up was the smell of the earth around them, the lingering traces of the healers and their potions, and the sweet stench of decay of the bodies that were storied down here for burial – but he wouldn't say Rin was dead, and he wouldn't allow Mitsu to. When he'd left yesterday, Rin had appeared lifeless but he'd heard her heartbeat. It had been faint, and she'd lost a lot of blood, but there was still a chance she was alive. Leaving her and Kagome behind had been the hardest decision he'd ever made. But he'd had to in order to rescue them now.

"We have to find her. I'm not leaving anyone behind."

Mitsu was about to argue, but the stone in her pocket began to pulsate. She could feel the energy it had stir, and before she knew what she was doing, Mitsu blurted out: "Left, left, left, right."

"What?"

"Go left, left, left, and then right. That's where Rin is. I can feel her soul slipping away."

Mitsu sounded like she was in a trance, but Inuyasha took her word for it and soon they came upon the room where Rin's body lay.

"Dammit!" Inuyasha cursed. "We're too late!"

"No, we're not." Mitsu

Took out the stone she'd found. Inuyasha noticed what was in her hands and asked her what it is, but Mitsu ignored him. She could feel the stone telling her to place it over Rin. Mitsu followed its commands and stepped back.

Light filled the room and surrounded Rin. It was a light beyond description and neither holy or demonic. When the light ebbed, Rin's eyes opened and she sat up.

"Sess…shoumaru..." were the first words out of Rin's mouth.

"The Meido Stone…I can't believe it. It actually exists!" Mitsu muttered as she watched Rin. "A stone of unknown origin that can act as a gateway to hell, that can bring a soul back from the dead, it exists after all! It didn't disappear from this world when Inu no Taisho died."

"Where's Lady Kikyou?" Rin asked. She was oblivious to what had happened after she died. "She was just here. She said I'd be able to see her and Lord Sesshoumaru again if I woke up."

No one answered Rin's question. They couldn't tell the little girl that Kikyou was never coming back and that Sesshoumaru's whereabouts were unknown. Not even Mitsu was heartless enough to tell Rin the truth. So instead she did what she was best at.

She lied.

"Get up and come with us. We don't have all day and neither does Lord Sesshoumaru."

"Then you know where Lord Sesshoumaru and Lady Kikyou are?"

"Of course I know where he is you imbecile, I'm Lord Sesshoumaru's wife. Why wouldn't I, Lady Mitsu, know where he is? Now hurry up or we'll leave you behind," Mitsu said while glaring down at Rin. Rin looked like she was about to cry, but she jumped off the table she was on and ran to Inuyasha's side.

Peeking out from behind Inuyasha's leg, Rin said warily "I don't like you…"

"And I don't like you either, brat. Now move!"

Rin glared back at Mitsu, but allowed Inuyasha to pick her up and place her on his shoulders. Just to test the waters, Rin stuck her tongue out at Mitsu. The demoness ignored her, pocketing the Meido Stone before she followed after Inuyasha and Rin.

---

"Rin, where are you? Lord Sesshoumaru is going to kill me!" Jaken cried as he ran from room to room, from tunnel to tunnel, looking for Rin. He was unfamiliar with this part of the castle and was going around in circles. He'd hid when Inuyasha had confronted the soldiers in Kagome's room. And though he'd tried to follow Inuyasha and Mitsu, he'd gotten lost and misheard her directions. He didn't know where he was now.

Suddenly he heard someone running down the stairs behind him. Jaken thought it was another soldier, or worse, Inuyasha.

"Yo-You! Whoever you are, stay back!"

The shadow he could see on the wall was huge, a monster with four heads and a long tail. But as it rounded the corner, and Jaken curled up into a ball out of fear, the shadow revealed itself to be Sango and co. They'd just reached the bottom of the stairs that lead to the underground levels. Jaken didn't know whether to be relieved or even more afraid as Miroku picked him up using the end of his staff and held him above the ground

"Jaken?" Sango asked. "Where's your master?"

"I'll never tell you where Lord Sesshoumaru is!" Jaken protested with false bravado, his teeth clattering together all the while.

"Not so tough without your staff, are you? If you don't' know where Sesshoumaru is then where's Inuyasha?"

"Why would I know where that filthy half-breed is?"

"Shut it and answer the question!" Shippo said. He threw one of his spinning tops at Jaken. It put enough pressure on Jaken that, when Miroku removed his staff, the toad demon was driven into the ground and couldn't answer his question even if he tried.

"I'm right here!" Inuyasha said, emerging from the tunnel Jaken had come from with Kagome in his arms. Rin and Mitsu and her children followed behind him.

"Inuyasha, Kagome!" Sango, Miroku, and Shippo exclaimed. They forgot about Jaken and rushed toward Inuyasha.

"Jaken, there you are! Did Lord Sesshoumaru send you to find me?" Rin asked merrily, jumping down from Inuyasha's shoulders and smiling at Jaken as Shippo's top continued to weigh him down.

Suddenly, something interrupted this happy reunion. They all felt it, even Rin. The barrier that had held back the demon hordes above them broke.

"Guess it's too late to escape now," a voice came down the stairs from which Sango and co. had come. It was Totosai on the back of his ox. "It was only a matter of time till Naraku figured out how to break it."

"Naraku's here?" Inuyasha asked.

"Yep," Totosai replied.

"That bastard… I'm not letting him get away this time!"

Miroku, Shippo, and Sango agreed. However, Mitsu did not.

"Then I'm leaving."

All at once everyone turned to look at her, as if noticing Mitsu and the twins for the first time. The twins were finally silent, and like their mother they looked at the group in front of them with an indescribable expression.

"This is your fight. Not ours. Here, take it," Mitsu said. She held out Inuyasha's coat and the bow again.

Inuyasha refused the coat with a shake of his head. He didn't know Mitsu, and what he did know he'd be hard-pressed to like if not for the situation they'd found themselves in. But she was the mother of Sesshoumaru's children, his nephews. Now that the barrier was gone, Mitsu would need the coat more than him to protect her and the children. And she was right. This wasn't her fight. Somehow, they'd dragged everyone in the Western Lands into this conflict over the jewel. No, not just the Western Lands. There were countless people across the nation whose lives had been touched by Naraku's madness and others like him that desired the jewel shards. All of it, the whole fight for the Shikon no Tama, this feud between him and Sesshoumaru, and the love triangle that existed—no had existed—between him, Kagome, and Kikyou that had lead to this moment. Everything should've ended a long time ago.

Inuyasha couldn't allow Naraku to live or others to be dragged into this fight anymore. "Totosai, take Kagome with you and go escape with Mitsu."

"What?"

"Take Kagome. Mitsu can't carry her. Take Rin and Jaken with you too. "

"No," Rin spoke up. "I want to be with Lord Sesshoumaru and Lady Kikyou."

Jaken finally got Shippo's top off his head. "Lady Kikyou is…she's…" Jaken glanced from Inuyasha to Rin. He saw the hope on Rin's face, and he also saw Inuyasha's fist threatening to hit him if he said anything about Kikyou.

"Lady Kikyou and Lord Sesshoumaru left you in my care. They will return for you when the battle is over," Jaken said.

"No! Lady Mitsu said if I followed her I'd find them, and they aren't here! I want Lord—"

Mitsu suddenly came up from behind, spun Rin around to face her, and then slapped her across the face. It was a gentle slap, but it stung and Rin scrunched up her face as tears sprang to her eyes.

"Do what he says," Mitsu said coldly. "You disgrace Lord Sesshoumaru acting like this, and you disgrace me. You are Lord Sesshoumaru's servant, and thus your life is in my hands until Sesshoumaru relieves me of this tiresome duty."

"Lord Sesshoumaru…" Rin's mouth quivered and tears ran silently down her cheeks. She glared up fiercely at Mitsu, but Rin was more bewildered than angry at the slap.

"He's fighting for our land, for us. Just as these humans, and half-breed, are going to fight." Mitsu said, indicating Inuyasha with a nod of her head toward him. For once Inuyasha didn't get offended.

"And Lady Kikyou?" Rin asked, on the verge of tears again. "She said I could see him!"

"Kikyou is dead," Mitsu replied. A gasp was heard, but it was impossible to pin down the source. They'd suspected, those that weren't present when Kikyou had died, that she was dead but hearing Mitsu say it brought the reality crashing down on them. They all, except for Mitsu, turned to Inuyasha for confirmation, but he couldn't meet anyone's eyes—especially Rin's.

"Kikyou is dead," Mitsu said again. Inuyasha tried to stop her, but Mitsu pinned him in place with an icy stare. "You almost died too. Do you want to die again and add to Sesshoumaru's grief? Then move, girl. I'll drag you if I have to, but you will leave with us."

Suddenly, it was like a dam burst and Rin cried in earnest. Mitsu didn't blink, not even when Rin started to hit her. Mitsu calmly let Rin beat her legs until she calmed down. Then she ordered Jaken to take Rin's hand and watched as Totosai dismounted from his ox and Kagome's body was draped over the beast.

If Mitsu felt any sympathy for Rin it was hidden behind a granite mask of aloofness and patience—a mask of a queen.

"Well, well, I can see why Sesshoumaru choose you," Totosai said, breaking the hush that had fallen over the room. "Watching you in action is like seeing Sesshoumaru in his youth all over again: beautiful, heartless, and an absolute bitch."

"It's this bitch that's going to survive," Mitsu replied. She wasn't even angry. If anything she took Totosai's words as a compliment. "And my children and my servants as well will survive. Kagome will be in good hands, now go."

These last words were directed toward Inuyasha. Without another word Mitsu, Jaken, and Rin along with Kagome on Totosai's ox turned and left. They headed toward the tunnels that would lead them out of the city.

"I'm coming with you," Totosai said, refusing to leave with Mitsu and the others.

"No way, Totosai, you're going with Mitsu and Kagome. I'm not carrying an old man around."

"Fine, then good luck finding Naraku or beating him without my help. I was going to keep my promise to Inu no Taisho and reveal Tetsusaiga's ultimate power, but if you don't want it then I'll just be on my way…"

"Fine, come along!"

Without another word Inuyasha and his friends, along with Totosai on Inuyasha's back, disappeared into the tunnels that lead out of the castle.

"Do you think they'll be okay? Is Kagome—" Shippo started to ask.

"She's alright," Inuyasha said with conviction. Kagome had to be okay, she had to be. Inuyasha couldn't focus on anything else right now, not even Kagome, as he faced his upcoming battle with Naraku.

---

It was moving. The light was moving. Kagome could actually feel that whatever—whoever— had been carrying her had changed. She was slung over something hard and warm, but it wasn't his shoulder. It wasn't the man she wanted to forget, the man she loved.

It was something else, whatever was carrying her. And she was jostled up and down. It was like being on a roller coaster, and Kagome knew she was reaching the top of a long drop. It was like that moment when the coaster is taking you up and up and the ride pauses and you looked straight down into the fall. Straight down, right down the rails. The exhilarating moment when you're between heaven and hell. Scared and yet excited. This was her favorite moment on the ride. This moment was the best; the time when she was having the most fun or felt the most alive was always like this. Even love, at its height with Inuyasha, had been like this. Heaven and hell.

Kagome felt her eyelids flutter. She wanted to stay asleep, but she heard her name being called and her eyes opened to—

Kikyou.

"Kagome," Kikyou asked. "Is this a new habit of yours, sneaking up on people?"

"That's always been your habit," Kagome said and leaned against doorframe of Kikyou's room.

"Rin and Jaken…"

"They're fine. I'm not here to harm them, so you don't have to glare at me like I'm some monster."

"Why are you here?" Kikyou asked, reaching for her bow and arrows all the while.

"If I said it was to save your life, would you believe me?"

Once again, at these words, Kikyou stopped reaching for her bow and arrows and stared up at Kagome with a mixture of suspicion and hope in her eyes.

The 15 day ceremony for the princes' birth was almost over. Kagome hadn't spoken to Kikyou or Mitsu since the incident on day one. She now knew why Kikyou had been so upset to see her that day. It had nothing to do with suddenly appearing before her. Kikyou was dying. Kikyou's shinidamachuu came even during the daytime now; in such numbers that something had to be up. And looking at the cracks that had formed on Kikyou's body, Kagome knew that the former priestess didn't have much time left.

Kikyou was alone in her room. It looked like she had been packing and throwing away most of her belongings. The only items she'd kept were a small box of miscellaneous objects. From where Kagome stood it looked like junk. Rocks, sea shells, even leaves; everything was the kind of keepsakes that a kid might keep from a trip. It went against everything Kagome remembered about her. The Kikyou she'd known hadn't even bothered wearing shoes or carrying an extra pair of clothing much less knickknacks. However, Kagome could tell that to Kikyou these were precious mementos because of the way they'd been carefully wrapped and stored.

"So you weren't joking?" Kikyou said. "And here I thought you were being sarcastic."

Kagome settled down in front of Kikyou, resting on her haunches instead of towering over her. With Kikyou, height didn't matter. The former priestess couldn't be intimidated so easily. "I've saved your life before, after you were attacked by Naraku and after you were hit by Tetsusaiga's Cutting Wind. I can help you again, if you want me to."

"What do you want in return?" Kikyou asked. She tried to make her voice cold as ice, but the words came out shaky and breathless with, of all things, hope. Kagome could tell from Kikyou's expression that she cursed herself for it but couldn't stop herself from desiring hope.

"Your life."

Kikyou's eyes opened wide not from shock but in outrage. She narrowed her eyes at Kagome as she spoke, her hands hovering ominously over her arrows. It was a wonder that she hadn't attacked her yet. "What do you mean?"

"I'll heal you but when Inuyasha comes leave with him and never return—not to this castle and not to Sesshoumaru. Stay by Inuyasha's side, help gather the rest of the Shikon shards, and help Inuyasha destroy Naraku."

"You must be joking," Kikyou said. Her voice shook with emotion as she stared up at Kagome with disbelief. "There's no way I could leave Sesshoumaru!"

"Does he mean that much to you? You loved Inuyasha once. It wouldn't be so hard to go back to him and say you've made a mistake. You've always managed to twist him around your finger before. Besides, it'd be easier to die first than to watch the man you love die. Right?"

"You—!" Kikyou exclaimed, lunging for Kagome. But her body was weak and Kagome easily dodged her attack. Kikyou's attempts to hurt Kagome only ended up hurting herself as the effort cost more energy than it was worth and caused Kikyou's already fragile arms to splinter. How her body still managed to hold together was a mystery.

"Who do you think I'd kill, Sesshoumaru or Inuyasha? I'd never hurt either of them. You can't even stand anymore anyway. Soon you won't be able to move at all, and then you'll turn back into what you've always been—a clay doll. You'll fall to pieces, literally. What can Sesshoumaru do for you then? You're only dragging him down. "

"You're wrong!" Kikyou hissed. She tried to raise herself off of the floor only to fall back as her joints snapped and broke under the pressure she put on them. Was this the same woman she'd had obsessed over, hated? The woman at her feet looked like a broken and discarded doll.

Kagome watched Kikyou wither in pain before picking up the former priestess's bow and quiver to keep it from her hands. However, there was no need to do this. In her current state, Kikyou wouldn't even be able to shoot an arrow.

It'd be so easy to kill her now. Jaken and Rin were consumed with the task Kikyou had given them of cleaning the rooms, packing for their next journey, or throwing out old or useless items that'd they'd accumulated this year. Currently, Sesshoumaru was out, no doubt searching for another cure for Kikyou, while Rin and Jaken had temporarily left Kikyou alone and were downstairs taking a small lunch break on Kikyou's orders. It'd been all too easy to enter Kikyou's room through a secret passageway. Even if she screamed, by the time either of them came to her aid it would be too late.

But killing her wasn't what Kagome wanted anymore. Or rather, now wasn't the time.

"Why are you doing this?" Kikyou cried. Kagome couldn't help but smile as her face twisted in rage and pain. "Why are you here? You're supposed to be with Inuyasha, not me."

"I was supposed to be with Inuyasha until you came along. I should be asking you why you're here. I thought you loved Inuyasha, but you teamed up with Sesshoumaru to hurt him. Didn't you?"

"I'd never hurt Inuyasha!"

"Then prove it," Kagome demanded. "You know how jealous Inuyasha gets. And Sesshoumaru has always wanted to kill him. If you don't agree to leave then I'd rather you and Sesshoumaru die than Inuyasha. All you have to do is return to Inuyasha or just fall to pieces as you are now. "

"Then let me die in peace."

Kagome stared unflinching into Kikyou's cold and angry eyes. She really would rather die than return to Inuyasha. Either she really didn't love him anymore, or she'd rather Inuyasha die than break the peace she had now.

"If you die then what would be the point of Inuyasha fighting Naraku, collecting the jewel shards? Everything he's done he's done for you," Kagome argued. She couldn't believe the words that were coming out of her mouth considering how badly she'd wanted to kill Kikyou before.

"Even if that's true, I won't change my mind," Kikyou replied. "And if anyone should leave it should be you. I can't believe you'd risk the shards over a family feud and your wounded pride."

"I didn't risk the shards. They're right here."

"Then you're an even bigger fool than I thought! You should've never taken the shards with you; instead of worrying about Inuyasha you should be more worried about the safety of the shards. I'm surprised Naraku doesn't have them already, it's only a matter of time now before he comes for them, and then Inuyasha's death and the corruption of the Shikon jewel will be on your hands."

Kagome began to laugh hysterically as she stood over Kikyou, the arrows slipping from her fingers to rain down upon the fallen priestess.

"Inuyasha won't die. He has Tetsusaiga and Miroku and Sango by his side be. If I was you I'd worry more about myself. If your body doesn't kill you, Inuyasha will."

"What do you mean?" Kikyou asked with horror in her eyes as she realized the full extent of Kagome's actions, and her own.

"When Inuyasha realized you were serious about Sesshoumaru, that you'd really fallen in love with him, he swore to kill you both. Demons don't share. And there was nothing I could do to stop him…he won't listen to me anymore!"

Kagome gazed down at Kikyou. She could feel tears prick her eyes, but she refused to cry. Kikyou didn't say anything, she was stunned into silence. With tears in her eyes Kagome continued, "I'd rather kill you than let Inuyasha do it. I don't want this on his conscious. Even though you betrayed him, he'd never forgive himself for taking your life."

It wasn't the full truth, in reality Kagome had plenty reasons to want Kikyou dead and had wished that she would disappear since a long time ago, but this was one of the main reasons why she'd gone this far and left Inuyasha's side. She'd be lying if she said that this was all about Inuyasha, that she didn't hate Kikyou or that part of her didn't wish for her demise for selfish reasons—not that Kikyou was made aware of this. But knowing how perceptive Kikyou is, she probably already knew.

Kagome remembered Inuyasha's words from that summer night that now seemed so long ago, the night she'd left him and her friends to pursue Kikyou, and she told Kikyou about what had happened, what Inuyasha had said when he'd broken her heart:

"You want to know why I won't let it go?"
Kagome looked up at him, up at Inuyasha. A stranger's face. Had his face always been this gaunt? This pale?
"Because I know he won't. Because he won't stop. He won't stop hunting me and I won't stop hunting him until our battle is through, over with. This just gives me a reason."

Kagome wanted to say: "A reason to fight over one woman like dogs," but she couldn't speak as his eyes took on an unholy light. Fire behind the gold, a red tinge in his eyes that hadn't been there before.

"I will kill him. Or he will kill me. And then it will finally be over. This is about more than Kikyou; this is about honor and pride. And Kikyou... Kikyou is gone."
Suddenly Kagome realized that the hate in him was not for Sesshoumaru. It was reserved solely for Kikyou. It was solely for the both of them, both her and Sesshoumaru. His love tainted his hate, made it something even more dangerous. These were the same emotions in Kikyou's body that allowed her to survive.

If one has hate, one can go on. Ignore sorrow; ignore pain, the hate consuming everything.

Inuyasha had frightened Kagome then. He had seemed so distant. And the way he talked about Kikyou and Sesshoumaru had been terrible to listen to. The Inuyasha that Kagome remembered had always been gruff yet kind, and he wasn't someone who could kill his brother or the woman he loved.

It had sounded like Inuyasha would've preferred that Kikyou was dead than with Sesshoumaru. He'd said that there was a pact between him and Sesshoumaru. A demon's pact, and that this was a fight between brothers, between demons. But Inuyasha was wrong. This involved all of them. And Kagome would grant his wish.

But, considering that she had also become consumed by revenge, these recollections were almost ironic now. Yet she still loved Inuyasha and desired to protect him. Why else would her obsession for revenge only focus on Kikyou?

"We're the same then…When Sesshoumaru told me the same thing…when he said he'd kill Inuyasha for me, I also felt the same despair and anger you're feeling now," Kikyou said. "No, maybe it wasn't the same. Unlike you I did nothing to stop him, I didn't protest or leave. Instead I tried to drown myself in an illusion of domestically with the foolish hope that I could change him, make him forget his jealousy and hatred of Inuyasha."

"I thought that if I didn't acknowledge those dark feelings he harbored toward Inuyasha towards me then maybe they didn't exist," Kikyou continued, describing what Kagome had felt with Inuyasha, with Mitsu: denial, the desire to overlook the ugly side of their relationship. Except she couldn't run away this time. "It felt like what I'd seen had been an illusion...The Sesshoumaru I fell in love with would never kill Inuyasha because of me. The Sesshoumaru I love can't even kill Inuyasha for Tetsusaiga, so why would he kill him for me?"

"But it worked, didn't it, being Sesshoumaru's mistress? Now all he can think of is you, but who's there for Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, shaken by Kikyou's revelation but annoyed too. Maybe Sesshoumaru could be easily pleased by the good wife act, but that didn't change the facts before them. And what did Kikyou have that she didn't, Kagome wondered. Why were they so obsessed with this woman before her when everything was her fault?

"It's not too late. You can stop Inuyasha. If it's you, you can change him. No, you have changed him."

"What are you talking about? If I have then why is he chasing after you instead of me, instead of Naraku? I pleaded with Inuyasha to forget about you, to move on, and instead his damn pride and love for you wouldn't let him," Kagome argued.

"With you Inuyasha is a different person!" Kikyou shouted back. "He's always been alone, but now he has so many people by his side who love him. Don't give up now."

"It's no use… Even Inuyasha wouldn't listen to them, to me. No, this is the only way," Kagome said, notching an arrow in Kikyou's bow. She hadn't brought her own bow because it'd be too conspicuous to be found with it. Besides, using the priestess's bow against her, a weapon similar to the one that had sealed Inuyasha away 50 years ago, to end her life instead of her dagger suddenly seemed like poetic justice to Kagome. "It's too late to go back to him now."

"Then you really are my reincarnation if you think death is the only answer. If we can't be together in this life then we'll be together in the next, I'd rather dirty my hands than the person I love, I can do everything on my own, if I can't have your love I'll have your hate—how naïve, how selfish! Think about the person you're leaving behind!"

Kikyou's word echoed in the small room and shook both women to the core. Kagome didn't know if Kikyou was talking to her, talking to herself, or both. It was at this moment that both women suddenly realized that maybe they weren't so different after all. A tense silence stretched out between them as they retreated into their thoughts.

"I…envy you," Kikyou finally said, each word passing her lips filled with pain that had nothing to do with her body. "You're alive. You still have time. But no matter what I do, I'll end up hurting Sesshoumaru. I'll end up leaving him, and Inuyasha, behind no matter what I do."

"You never know if you don't try! Didn't you just tell me that you should think about the person you're leaving behind? Here, give me your hand!" Kagome said, taking Kikyou's hand before she even finished speaking or before the other woman could follow her command.

Kikyou's skin felt dry and cold and very fragile. As if by just applying a little more pressure her hand would break like fine china. Kagome kept one hand on Kikyou's bow as she laid Kikyou's hand over her chest and let their fingers intertwine. Closing her eyes, Kagome focused all her power into healing Kikyou.

Seconds stretched into minutes, and yet nothing changed. Kagome tried focusing harder, taking deep breaths, even pouring more power into Kikyou but all Kagome's efforts were for vain. The power she tried to funnel into Kikyou went through her and back into herself.

"Enough," Kikyou said, placing her hand over Kagome's. "If you keep trying you'll draw the attention of the guards. You cheat death forever. I've accepted my fate."

"No," Kagome said through clenched teeth, wanting to continue even though she knew what Kikyou said was right. "The one time I actually want to kill you, you talk me into saving you with your sob story! Do something, don't just sit here, or I really will finish you off!"

"Isn't that what you came here to do?" Kikyou said as she finally detached herself from Kagome's hand. She indicated her arrows with a nod of her head. "If you hate me then why are you hesitating? Didn't Inuyasha betray you? Don't you want to use me to get back at him, to get back at the woman who ruined your love life? I'm your incarnation; it's not even murder to take back part of yourself."

"Don't tempt me," Kagome said with a mirthless chuckle. She picked up Kikyou's bow and arrows as she threatened, "Just because I can't heal you doesn't mean I can't hurt you.

"Then do it! If you wanted to kill me, then why are you still talking? Or maybe you don't want to kill me just so you won't have my blood on your hands or your conscience."

Could it be as Mitsu said, did she not have the guts? Or was Kikyou right?

Kagome mulled over these questions as she tried to work out what to do next. Everything had become so tangled and confused, and the revelation that she couldn't heal Kikyou didn't help things.

All Kagome's plans were falling down around her. At first, it had seemed that killing Kikyou would solve everything—Kikyou's death would give her the revenge she wanted and keep Inuyasha from killing her himself. But after discovering Mitsu's true nature, keeping Kikyou alive had seemed like a better idea than allowing herself to be a pawn. Without Inuyasha or Mitsu, without anyone in the past that really loved and needed her, what was there for her to stick around for? Kikyou could help Inuyasha and her friends collect the jewel shards and kill Naraku while she returned to her regular life. However, after talking to Kikyou and realizing how foolish these naïve plans were, and after seeing how complicated things really were, Kagome didn't know what to do.

"Then what should I do?" Kagome asked. "You're right—I hate you. I want to be free of you too! But I'd rather die than see Inuyasha suffer, even if I can't stand the thought of him with you even if it helps to defeat Naraku. You've taken everything from me. Inuyasha, my normal life, everything! If not for you—"

"You wouldn't be here if not for me. And if not for you," Kikyou said. "I'd still dead. I'd never have met Sesshoumaru, never have fallen in love with him and Rin, and I'd never have the chance to live—truly live—life as a woman instead of as the Shikon no Tama's protector."

Kagome wanted to argue but voice whispered in the back of her mind. "She's right, I wouldn't be here now. I'd be at home, studying for the exams. I'd never have fallen in love with Inuyasha. I'd never have met Miroku, Sango and Kirara, or Shippo. I wouldn't be who I am now." These weren't just sudden, random thoughts created by a guilty conscience. From the day Kagome had first met Inuyasha she, like Mitsu had with Sesshoumaru, had felt the hand of fate. If Kagome hadn't been Kikyou's reincarnation would she have been able to travel through time and fall in love with Inuyasha? As much as they may hate each other, both women were connected. There was no denying that.

But did this mean that Kagome had to forgive Kikyou, or that she had to let Inuyasha go? She'd spent months going over her plans, going over what Kikyou and Inuyasha had done to her. Long before she'd even come here, a thousand times she'd thought of what it'd feel like to finally be rid of Kikyou. So why was she suddenly trying to help Kikyou and hesitating over putting her out of her misery?

"You hate me," Kikyou said, interrupting Kagome's thoughts after watching as her countenance shifted from self-righteous anger to confusion and denial as she mulled over her thoughts. "I've always known that. Just like I've always known you pity me for what I am—an undead woman clinging to the past, clinging to Inuyasha. A zombie living off of souls. You hated and pitied me, even as you helped me."

"That's not true!" Kagome protested.

"But you fear me too," Kikyou continued as if Kagome had never spoken. Her voice wasn't vehemently angry this time or accusing. Gone was the pain too. "Because I know a side of Inuyasha you don't, and I share a past with him you'll never have. And that's why you want to kill me, not for Inuyasha but for yourself."

"If everything you said is true then why did I save you, huh? I could've killed you twice already, but I saved you," Kagome screamed. She'd reached her breaking point. "You're not me, and I'm not you, so don't act as if you know everything! I know lots of things about Inuyasha that you don't. Like the fact that he loves ramen, or that he can travel to my time, or that he can't ride a bike. I'm not afraid of you, I know an Inuyasha that you don't."

"Then we're equals," Kikyou said as she let Kagome catch her breath. "We're equals. There's no need for you to hate or fear me. I'm not the only one that Inuyasha loves, or needs. And you're right. With you Inuyasha is a different person, an Inuyasha that I never got the chance to see or love. So don't give up now. He's always been alone, but now he has you and so many other people who love him. Don't give up on Inuyasha. Not now when he needs you the most."

Kagome was at a loss for words. Kikyou had managed to blow away her hatred and resentment by making her see what she'd been too hurt and angry to notice until now. What Inuyasha needed most wasn't vengeance; it was someone who'd keep him from making a mistake. Keep him from continuing the cycle of hate.

Suddenly, Kagome realized she should've never left Inuyasha's side. But it was too late now. And realizing this made her finally cry. She'd been holding it in for months now after leaving Inuyasha. She hadn't had time to try, had been too busy trying to survive or too busy trying to survive in the castle as Mitsu's servant, too caught up in herself to notice the truth.

Kagome fell to her knees, sobbing, Kikyou's bow and arrows falling from her hands. Deep inside, under all the hate, it was just like Kikyou had said. She was jealous of her. But only the threat of losing Inuyasha, of seeing him destroy himself and thus their future together, could have drove her to go this far. And, despite everything she'd done, deep in her heart, Kagome was too caring to kill someone unarmed and defenseless—even if the person in question stood in the way of her happiness.

Here she was, faced with the ugliness parts of herself including her fear and wretchedness, and yet, instead being filled with self pity and disgust, all Kagome could do was cry and think about how she'd hurt Inuyasha and how devastated he'd be when Kikyou died, how much he needed someone who loved him by his side . Kagome realized she was caught in a catch-22. She didn't want to lose Inuyasha, but if Kikyou somehow lived then she'd lose him anyway to his revenge whether or not Kikyou stayed with Sesshoumaru. Furthermore, if Kikyou died Inuyasha would suffer. Kagome realized that she couldn't just disappear on him and go back to her world no matter how much he'd hurt her, she'd regret leaving him now.

Yes, if Kikyou were longer around Kagome would've had Inuyasha all to herself, but she no longer knew if their relationship could be fixed so easily. It had been childish to think that without a rival Inuyasha's heart would be hers. Memories of love weren't so easy to erase, Kagome's own tormented heart was evidence of this. Even if Inuyasha never knew Kagome was the one that had ended Kikyou's life, she would know and the cycle of hate and mistrust between them would continue.

Kagome stared down at her hands as she thought about all of this and continued weighed her options. Now that she could think clearly, now that her blind hatred was gone, she couldn't seem to grasp a solution to the mess she'd gotten herself, and everyone else, into.

But at least she wasn't running away. It was time for the both of them, Kikyou and Kagome, to stop running away from their fate.

"What should I do now!? How can I save everyone? Tell me!"

"Let me die."

Kagome gasped and stared, shocked, at Kikyou as she said these words. Kikyou smiled. She'd managed to sit up and now she embraced her reincarnation, her other self.

"Don't cry, and don't let your heart be tainted anymore by regret and hatred. I wasn't reborn in this world to hate."

"Kikyou…"

"I don't want to die. I don't want to become part of you. But I'd much rather die now than let the man I love lose his humanity."

Kagome glared at her through her tears. "Do you mean Inuyasha?"

"Of course I mean Sesshoumaru. There's no point in worrying about a half-demon who still needs to be babysat by my copy. A copy who's a crybaby by the way."

"Hey," Kagome replied, upset by Kikyou's use of the word "copy" to refer to her. "I'm not your copy! I'm me, and I have a name!"

Kikyou chuckled at Kagome's stubborn insistence on differencing herself from her, on not accepting that she was her reincarnation. However, Kikyou knew that while she called her a "copy" they weren't alike at all. Their personalities were different, yet their hearts were the same when it came to the men they loved—and the limits they'd go to when their love ones were threatened.

"Fine. Kagome," Kikyou said. "Don't heal me. My body has reached its limit; my time on earth is over. Let me die. I can feel it, in a few days my body will completely disintegrate."

"And then?"

"When I'm dead, Sesshoumaru will lose all will to kill Inuyasha. So will Inuyasha. They'll still fight over their father's legacy, but at least with me out of the way they won't have to kill their kin. And you'll be there for Inuyasha. Without me you can love him freely, isn't that what you wanted?"

"Yeah…" Kagome said, looking away from Kikyou. Kagome was ashamed to admit it, but if she was in Kikyou's place she doubted she'd be as noble, or as perceptive, as Kikyou. How long had it taken Kikyou to put aside the past, and to come to peace with the fact that she was going to die? It was hard to accept everything that Kikyou had said, but accept it she had to. And it is the un-noble parts of love and desire that are always the hardest to swallow.

"Didn't you say that death isn't the answer and I should think about the people I'm leaving behind? What about you?"

"It's different for me. I'm leaving this world whether I like it or not. And Sesshoumaru is more hardheaded than Inuyasha. He'll never stop searching for a way to cure me, even if he sacrificed his life to do it. I don't want anything to happen to him and Rin," Kikyou replied. Now that they weren't shouting at each other, they could hear why no one had bothered them. Rin and Jaken had returned but they were fighting again in the next room. Neither of them could tell what the spat was about, but they could just make out their voices raised voices and the sound of Jaken's staff as he thumped it on the floor for emphasis. It sounded like they were in another world, far from them, as the two argued about the proper way to pack.

"When the feud between Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru is over, please watch over Sesshoumaru and Rin too," Kikyou said with tears in her eyes. During this whole time she'd never cried, not even when her body had broken, but now Kikyou's eyes were glassy with unshed tears as she listened to Rin and Jaken argue for what might be the last time. "I know that you hate Sesshoumaru and me for what we've done to Inuyasha, but this past year with Sesshoumaru has taught me that he has a heart. I can see it when he is with Rin and I can feel it when I'm with them. Don't let him slip back into his old ways."

"Hey, that's not my job. I love Inuyasha, and I have no intention of becoming your replacement!" Kagome said with false indignation, unsettled by Kikyou's tears. She'd rather have Kikyou glaring daggers at her than crying.

"Don't flatter yourself. You may be my reincarnation, but Sesshoumaru would never fall for an immature brat like you."

"What was that?" Kagome said through clenched teeth, standing up and glaring balefully down at Kikyou. She couldn't believe she had felt sorry for this woman. Kagome almost wished she had finished the job she started.

"Just make sure he's not going back to his old ways. With his children and Rin to focus on and protect, Sesshoumaru should be just fine. Even with Mitsu and the rest of those power hungry harpies behind him. I just…I just don't want him to go back to the way he was before. I just…"

"Want him to be happy? You're really in love with him," Kagome said with awe, finishing Kikyou's sentence. "I'm relieved…but I'm also so angry that you'd hurt Inuyasha like this, by running off with Sesshoumaru and then dying. I…"

"Kagome, I'm sorry, but I love Sesshoumaru. I can't imagine a life without him, and if I have to die I want to be with him till the end," Kikyou said with a smile so lovely and so full of love that Kagome couldn't finish her sentence but could only stare at the woman before her. She didn't know what she should say next.

Was she happy for her, happy that Kikyou had found peace and love at the end of her life? Or was Kagome envious that Kikyou had been able to find love with no strings attached and no past to bind her to the present? Maybe it was a bit of both. Yet when Kikyou had smiled at her and said Sesshoumaru's name, she had looked so content Kagome had felt the hatred she harbored toward Kikyou start to melt away.

A love strong enough to weather tragedy. Was it only possible for Kikyou, or could Kagome someday smile like that too?

"Alright. I won't kill you," Kagome said blithely, standing up, turning her back on Kikyou, and pretending to stretch to avoid the priestess's blissful smile. "Besides, Sesshoumaru would tear me apart if he found out. So I'll wait…But if you change your mind, or refuse to die, I'll kill you myself."

"I won't change my mind. But if I'm still alive after Sesshoumaru leaves this castle, if he goes to Naraku, kill me."

"Kikyou—"

"Kill me. I'd rather die a thousand times than be in Naraku's debt, or have Sesshoumaru in his hands."

They held each other's eyes for a long moment, Kagome letting the significance of Kikyou's words set in. Gone was Kikyou's smile, in its place was a steady, determined look that could've pierced through armor. Kikyou hadn't exaggerated, nor was this a test, there was no way she'd allow Sesshoumaru to debase himself or align himself with Naraku.

"I promise," Kagome finally said. "But what you're asking…Inuyasha…" Kagome tried to continue around the lump in her throat but she couldn't speak.

"I know, and I'm sorry, but I'm not just asking you to do this for Sesshoumaru's sake. If Sesshoumaru joins Naraku's side he could be a powerful enemy, and if that happened it wouldn't matter if I lived or not. Naraku is a being born of lust and jealousy, a trickster and a thief who plays with people's hearts. Sesshoumaru's strong, but every man has his weakness and I refuse to be his."

Kikyou didn't mention another possibility: what would happen if, despite of or because of her death, Sesshoumaru joined Naraku, and Kagome didn't ask. Kikyou either had a lot of confidence in Sesshoumaru, knew him so well that she believed without a shadow of a doubt that her health was the only reason Sesshoumaru would have to turn traitor, or this possibility scared her too much to even face—much less—accept. Maybe it wasn't even that, maybe Kikyou's belief in, and love for, Sesshoumaru was so strong she wouldn't accept any other outcome.

And there was one other flaw that Kagome saw in Kikyou's plan.

"You want me to kill you if this happens, even if that means making me the bad guy. Inuyasha won't see things your way, Sesshoumaru won't either. Yeah, this plan would keep Sesshoumaru from going to the dark side but what's to keep me from joining you in death?"

Kikyou gave Kagome a sympathetic, yet mocking, look. Kagome bristled, but waited for Kikyou's answer.

"If that's the case, than why not put the knife in Lady Mitsu's hand? You're her servant, just say that the order came from her. You can even say you were threatened."

"How did you know that I was working with Mitsu?"

"Me and Lady Mitsu are alike, when it comes to protecting ourselves at least. We're prudent and decisive, and we only keep company with people that can further our goals. That's how I came to be with Sesshoumaru in the first place."

Kagome wasn't surprised to hear that it wasn't in accident or a coincidence that Kikyou had joined up with Sesshoumaru. Trying to help him kill Inuyasha and take Tetsusaiga had never seemed like her motive, and neither Kagome or Inuyasha had ever truly believed it. Or at least Inuyasha hadn't until he'd witnessed Kikyou almost sacrifice her life for Sesshoumaru. Though Kagome did have a hard time believing that Kikyou and Mitsu could ever be alike, especially considering her recent confrontation with Sesshoumaru's wife.

"What did you want from Sesshoumaru?"

"About the same thing you wanted from me: a way to keep Inuyasha from getting himself killed and to have one less thing to worry about so he can finish gathering the Shikon shards."

"So you kept Sesshoumaru distracted, pretty sneaky sis," Kagome said. She didn't know whether to admire Kikyou or feel sorry for Sesshoumaru.

"Keep Sesshoumaru distracted?" Kikyou replied with a raised eyebrow and a laugh. "As if he wouldn't have realized what I was doing if I had threw myself on him or flattered him. There isn't a person alive that can change Sesshoumaru's mind once it's made up, as I've unfortunately found out." Kikyou said this last sentence with a bit of self derision, no doubt thinking about her past arguments with him. Kagome had no idea about how many times Kikyou had begged Sesshoumaru to give up on finding a way to save her and instead focus on what time they had left. "Luckily, I feel in love with him and Mitsu got pregnant, otherwise I don't know what would've happened if Sesshoumaru had been allowed to run around unchecked or hadn't returned to the Western Lands. I don't think I could've thrown myself in front of Inuyasha's sword again. As much as I hate to owe Mitsu for anything, at least she's kept Sesshoumaru away from Inuyasha better than I have."

"Well your plan to change Sesshoumaru worked like a charm. Sesshoumaru's a step away from becoming Naraku's newest boy toy, you're dying, and I'm stuck here between a rock and a hard place: you and Mitsu."

Witty and wry remarks aside, Kagome found it comical how everything they'd done to protect Inuyasha and the jewel shards had backfired. This whole situation seemed like a comedy of errors, or a tragedy whose Achilles' heel turned out to be a slew of communication errors, stubborn and prideful demons (or half-demons in Inuyasha's case), a woman who refused to stay dead, and her reincarnation who now suffered with drama problems and trust issues. Kagome reached into her sleeve and fingered the note that Mitsu had slipped under her door today. She hadn't talked to or been called to serve on Mitsu since their fight, and Kagome had even considered leaving the Western Lands until she'd slipped her this note. She silently handed it to Kikyou.

"Hmm…I can see why you suddenly picked today to murder me. So Mitsu's agents have discovered that Inuyasha will soon cross the border," Kikyou said after reading the note.

"You don't seem surprised."

"I'm not. I've known for some time about the spies here, and I'm not just talking about court politics. But judging by your expression, you had no idea about it. Well, let them watch. We have work to do."

Kikyou pointed to the stationary set she kept on the table near the window at her bedside. Kagome retrieved it and handed it to Kikyou.

"And what about Mitsu? I'm sure she'd love to hear about how you're planning to become a martyr."

"Never mind Mitsu. As long as I die and her status isn't threatened she'll be happy," Kikyou said with no small amount of contempt.

"I'm sorry."

For once it was Kikyou's turn to be speechless. She looked up at Kagome with a softer expression on her face. Kagome adverted her eyes.

"I shouldn't have aided Mitsu, but…" Tears pricked Kagome's eyes again, tears of frustration getting in the way of her determination not to cry again. She felt like a fool.

"You were angry, and desperate. And there's nothing to apologize for. Don't be so arrogant. I hardly doubt you or Mitsu could've killed me, or that Mitsu would've been anything else but her charming self if you hadn't come along."

Kagome didn't reply. It'd be very tempting to blame Mitsu for everything. But even though Kikyou said that Mitsu would've plotted her death regardless of Kagome's involvement, Kagome hadn't walked into all of this blind. And not every moment with Mitsu had been terrible. Before Kikyou and Sesshoumaru had come back, the bond Mitsu and her had had was Kagome's life raft and life at the castle had been the closest thing Kagome had ever experienced to peaceful in this era. No Naraku, no Inuyasha or—as much as she loved Sango and co. and hated to admit it—nosy friends or seemingly endless battles. But it was hard to remember the good times now.

"Anyway, take this list of instructions and follow them to the letter," Kikyou continued, thankfully dragging Kagome back from the depths of self-pity and loss. "You'll have to do everything yourself from here on in as I doubt I'll have another day like today. Soon I might not even be able to speak much less move."

Kagome stood up to leave, grateful to finally leave this room and start fixing the damage she'd caused, but Kikyou held her back with one final instruction. Kikyou held up her bow. "Take my bow and arrows. I've given Rin a box of sutras and a map that I've told her to leave with you. Wrap the sutras around the arrows and use the map to hide them around the city. The list I just gave you contains the locations of where I want you to put the arrows."

"What, homework? Are you serious?"

"I'm serious. And remember: If I don't die before Sesshoumaru contacts Naraku keep your promise," Kikyou said solemnly. "Sesshoumaru's stooped so low he's contacted the apprentice of the witch that revived me. He's planning to take me to her for a consultation. I have no doubts this Yuna will fail, but I'm worried that the next time he leaves on his own he'll do something even worse. He's been searching for Naraku's whereabouts, I can tell because he didn't involve Jaken in his search and he's been traveling to the areas where Naraku was last seen."

"Then should I follow him?"

"No, I don't want him or Mitsu to know that anything is up. Act like normal. Pretend that you and I never had this conversation. And one more thing…"

"What is it now?" Kagome asked, starting to become irritated. For a woman that was dying, Kikyou sure could talk a lot.

"Give me the shards the moment Sesshoumaru leaves this castle without Jaken or Rin. That'll be a sign that he's leaving to meet Naraku."

"Why?" Kagome asked, suspicious of Kikyou's motives. Was Kikyou planning to use the shards?

"Calm down. You still don't trust me, do you? I'm just making sure that when I die my soul takes the shards with me. It's safer this way anyway." Kikyou said as she laid back down. Her face seemed drawn and worn out. Kikyou closed her eyes as she continued her explanation. "You may trust Mitsu, and maybe you're right to since you know her better than me, but I don't trust the others in this castle. If something happens I want to know that the shards are safe, and that Naraku won't terrorize the people of the West in search of the shards. In the underworld they should be safe from Naraku, and I can watch over them without having to worry about any demon running off with them."

"Or me losing them. Thanks for the vote of confidence. What happens if we need those shards?"

"Then you'll think of something if that happens. But I'd worry first about killing Naraku and his minions. Ridding the world of him is even more important than completing the Shikon no Tama."

Kagome also wanted to ask Kikyou why she just didn't use the shards to prolong her own life. But it would've been a pointless question. Kikyou had never used the Shikon no Tama, not even 50 years ago when she'd been on the verge of death. For Kikyou and Sesshoumaru using the jewel wasn't an option as it didn't even occur to them to use it for personal gain. Kikyou was planning to die with the jewel shards just like she had long ago when Naraku had killed her and separated her from Inuyasha.

"And besides, if the shards are needed then, before I cross over…" Kikyou said with a sigh. It seemed she'd reached her limit. "I'll give them to the one that needs them most…the one person that doesn't desire the shards power."

"And who will that be?" Kagome asked but didn't expect a reply. Kikyou was already fast asleep.

Kagome left with Kikyou's arrows in her arms and her list in her pocket. She boldly exited the room through Kikyou's bedroom door, successfully ending the fight between Rin and Jaken with her presence. Jaken was more scared than furious, no doubt wondering if Kagome had harmed Kikyou and if his hide was on the chopping block as a consequence. But Rin didn't seemed perturbed and calmly handed over the sutras and the map that Kikyou had gave her to give to Kagome.

With a nod of thanks, Kagome left wondering how much Rin knew and unaware that Kikyou had left her in the dark about her plans to have Kagome kill her or fears for Sesshoumaru turning to Naraku. Perhaps the whole tragedy could've been avoided if Kikyou had told Rin the truth, but if she had Rin would've never agreed to help Kagome but would've destroyed the sutras instead and told Sesshoumaru everything. If that had happened then it might've been Kagome and Mitsu's blood on Rin's hands instead of Rin's blood on Kagome's hands.

Furthermore, unintentionally or not, Kikyou had given Kagome a reason to break the wall of silence between her and Mitsu. Kagome headed for Mitsu's chambers after hiding the package from Rin in her room. Kikyou hadn't asked her to, but considering the danger of their plan Kagome decided Mitsu had to be told some, but not all, of the plan.

The conversation between them was tense and short. Mitsu kept her back to Kagome and didn't turn around from her children's crib to acknowledge her presence or even thank her. Kagome bristled under this treatment, and was tempted to complain or walk out on Mitsu, but if not for her note about Inuyasha she wouldn't have gotten the push she need to see Kikyou. No doubt Mitsu had done this in order to make her desperate enough to act against Kikyou, but with the possibility of Sesshoumaru turning to Naraku's side Kagome knew she couldn't leave Mitsu in the dark, so she had decided to return the favor.

What did she look like to Mitsu or to Kikyou? To anyone watching this scene now they'd see nothing more than an obedient, loyal servant reporting to her mistress. Yet what lay beneath this tableau was anything but. Watching Mitsu take care of her newborns it was hard to believe that underneath the maternal, loving scene before her was someone who could plot murder, who could manipulate others, just for the sake of her husband's status and her children.

As Kagome stared at Mitsu's back she thought about how little she knew about the world. Before coming here, to the Western Lands, there had been a clear line between the "good guys" and the "bad guys," and Kagome had never believed that she'd crossed that line until now. Yet now she didn't know if the line between good and evil even existed, had ever existed, and still wasn't sure what had happened to all of them—her, Kikyou, even Mitsu—to end up here contemplating murder and death.

However, Kagome also realized there was no doubt that underneath all that pride and arrogance Mitsu did, in her own strange and twisted way, believe that what she was doing was right. From her point of view she was the heroine and everyone else was either a pawn or a villain in her tale. Kagome understood Mitsu because she'd also, albeit briefly, shared this same egotistical world view. And what about Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru too, what did they think of their actions? Did they ever have doubts about themselves or did they truly think that the ends justified the means and they believed were always in the right?

As she continued to explain Kikyou's plan to her, Kagome thought about their relationship. Mitsu had been the closest thing to a friend, but now Kagome was unsure if the demoness even knew the meaning of the word.

Yet even standing here now, in full knowledge of Kikyou's side of the story and filled with guilt and repentance, Kagome still felt a pull toward Mitsu. It was almost a physical thing, the link between them, and even though she despised her lies and resented being Mitsu's pawn, hated her even, there was still a side of Kagome that hoped that someday she could forgive her like Kikyou had forgiven her. Not for the sake of salvaging their relationship, but for her own peace of mind she wished for this.

And it was because of this that Kagome only told Mitsu about Kikyou's fears for Sesshoumaru, that she'd agreed to die, and that she was going to dispose of the shards. There was no need to tell Mitsu about the rest, and for the sake of Kikyou's plan the less Mitsu knew the better. Despite her lingering feelings for the woman, Kagome had no idea what Mitsu was capable of anymore and there was no doubt that she'd gladly volunteer to kill Kikyou herself if given the chance.

As she left Mitsu chamber at last, Kagome realized that rather than a weight being lifted off her shoulders it felt like more weight had been added. She was exhausted by the emotional rollercoaster that this day had turned into. It was so heavy, all that hate and sorrow, and it still was inside of her. It couldn't be tossed away so easily, and Kagome couldn't let it go even if she wanted to. Not if she wanted to kill Kikyou.

So Kagome had kept the these emotions bottled up, saved them for the day when she'd need them. Pushed aside the doubt and made sure to focus on the pain and the purpose for it, why she needed it. If she hadn't done this, Kagome wouldn't have been able to bare waiting for Kikyou to die or Sesshoumaru to make his move.

That last night, before Sesshoumaru had left, Kikyou had summoned Kagome to her room. No, not "summoned" exactly. It'd been more like Kagome had felt that Kikyou needed her. When she'd arrived, Sesshoumaru was just leaving Kikyou. Kagome had watched from the shadows as Sesshoumaru said his goodbyes, their previous altercation in the servants' entrance of the castle still fresh in her mind:

"Do you need some help, my lord," Kagome said. Her tone was almost, yet not quite, taunting.

"Aren't you the picture of a perfect servant," Sesshoumaru said, not bothering to hide the scorn in his voice.

"And you're the picture of the perfect father right now, holding your mistress in your arms before you've held your newborn sons," Kagome said with a smile and a mocking bow.

If Sesshoumaru hadn't been holding Kikyou he would have lopped off Kagome's head, Mitsu's servant or not.

Instead he just flashed Kagome a predatory smile, making sure to show off all his sharp canines as he did it, and stood up. He brushed past Kagome, making sure that neither himself nor Kikyou touched Kagome, and left the room.

Kagome knew she'd always been bold and outspoken, but she also knew it'd been unbelievably stupid of her to talk to Sesshoumaru that way. But his reaction had been odd, yet understandable considering Kikyou's condition. The old Sesshoumaru would've tried to kill her for talking to him like that, and without Inuyasha to help her he would've succeeded.

It was heartbreaking watching Sesshoumaru say goodbye to Kikyou, whisper that he didn't want to lose her. Kagome's determination wavered. If he saw her now… But no, Sesshoumaru didn't sense anything. Even if Sesshoumaru noticed her scent he was too focused on Kikyou to bother with her. Besides, they'd run into each other earlier and Mitsu's servants' quarters and Sesshoumaru's shared the same wing of the castle so it wouldn't be strange to detect her scent or aura. Not to mention Kagome had taken to masking her scent from demons to get by undetected—a technique she'd picked up from Sango long ago and never used until now.

With Sesshoumaru, even weakened and distracted by Kikyou's failing health, you could never be too careful. Even so, the risk had been worth it. Kagome had quickly learned this year that following your instincts wasn't as crazy as it sounded.

After Sesshoumaru left, Kagome came out from the secret passage. Kikyou didn't seem surprised. It was as if she'd already knew Kagome would come. She probably had.

"Keep your promise and come back tomorrow…during the ceremony," Kikyou had said, her words slow and halting and raspy as she mustered up all the strength she had left to tell Kagome this. Her face was drawn and impossibly pale, already Kikyou looked like she had one foot in the grave. Tomorrow was yet another celebration/ceremony the nobles were holding on the castle grounds to celebrate the birth of the twins. Mitsu would be attending, and so Kagome was supposed to come as well but those plans would have to be changed now.

"If she wants you to come now, then that means that tomorrow is the day she will leave us, isn't it?" Mitsu asked innocently as Kagome reported Kikyou's decision to her.

Kagome didn't reply. There wasn't a need to. Why else would Kikyou ask to see her?

"Oh, well. About the ceremony tomorrow. I've decided that you should stay here with the children. The weather has been much too cold this winter and I'm worried about their health. Kagome, tomorrow you'll stay here with them so maybe you'll get to say goodbye to Kikyou."

And just like that, both Kikyou and Mitsu had put the blade into her hands. Kagome didn't know whether to cry or scream.

Kagome had prayed that Kikyou would die first, that she'd spare her from having to kill her. But it wasn't to be. Finally the wait was over. Sesshoumaru left the castle alone, and Kikyou was still alive. Kagome hadn't known at the time that she wouldn't have Kikyou's blood on her hands but Rin's. Rin's death would send her into a shock fueled coma, which she wouldn't wake up from until—

Now.

Kagome opened her eyes. She was in Kikyou's room again, the room Rin had died in. But it looked like it had before the fire and instead of smoke Kagome smelt the scent of flowers even though the multitude of blooms that had filled the room before were mysteriously absent.

"Don't be afraid, and don't falter. Everything will be alright," Kagome heard Kikyou's voice but she didn't see her. She looked down at her hands. In them was an arrow. It was glowing with holy light and power. "With time, and effort, anyone can gain forgiveness. I forgive you for the mistakes you made, for hurting Rin. You can let go now, you don't need to blame yourself anymore. You know what you have to do."

The light's intensity increased and Kagome closed her eyes. When she opened them again everything was upside down and a blur. She tried to sit up, but ended up falling off whatever she was on. Mitsu, Rin, Jaken and Totosai's ox gazed down at her.

"Ow…What's going on? Hey, are those my jeans?"

"Kagome..." Mitsu said. She couldn't believe her eyes. Just a few moments ago Kagome had been in a coma. Kagome looked up at the group around her in a daze, disoriented by the sudden shift from dreamland to the real world.

"Rin…you're alive?"

Rin stared at back at her, more confused than angry. "You were with Lady Kikyou…before the fire… Were you the one who saved me?"

It was actually Mitsu that had saved Rin's life after Kagome had accidentally killed her during the chaos and confusion of Inuyasha suddenly arriving and Jaken's staff of heads going off. But this fact was the one thing Mitsu had, tactfully, not explained to Rin.

After a tense moment of silence, Kagome replied, "That's right. I made a promise with Kikyou to help her pass on."

"Pass on?"

Kagome nodded, trying to talk around the lump in her throat. Rin's big brown eyes stared down at her and Kagome knew she couldn't allow herself to look away or lie no matter how much she wanted too, and no matter how much the truth hurt. "She was worried that Sesshoumaru would do something crazy if she stuck around too long, and she didn't want to make you sad with a long goodbye, so I was trying to help her get to a better place."

"Is that what you call attempted murder?" Mitsu thought but wisely didn't say. Even she knew that it'd go too far and Rin had had enough unpleasant truths for now.

"Lady Kikyou's dead," Rin said sadly. "She disappeared right before Rin's stomach ached and Rin went to sleep."

Kagome, wrestling with her own feelings of sorrow and guilt, said, "I know. But she's right here," Kagome pointed to her heart. "She's not dead here."

Rin placed a hand over her heart, tears once again pouring down her face. She didn't lash out at Kagome as she had at Mitsu or ask anything more. In fact she gave Kagome a tiny, brave smile when it looked like the she would cry.

For a moment everyone was overwhelmed by this emotional display. But an ominous series of loud rumbles and groans from the earth, followed by a few small quakes that rocked the tunnel they were in, reminded them of the situation at hand and this time it was Jaken, and not Mitsu, that brought everyone back to the reality of the present situation. "What are we sitting here for? We have to escape before Naraku tears apart the castle!"

"Naraku's here, what about the barrier? Are you and the twins okay?" Kagome asked as Mitsu handed her Inuyasha's coat and Kikyou's bow and arrows. Kagome held on to Mitsu's hands as she handed them over. As Mitsu looked up at Kagome, it was like all the ugliness and resentment between them had been put aside. For the moment at least.

"We're fine. But you're going to follow Inuyasha, aren't you?"

"Yes."

Rin and Jaken looked back and forth between Kagome and Mitsu as this exchange was taking place. It was like they weren't even in the room and Mitsu was acting like completely different person. In front of Kagome, Mitsu appeared to be worried, even anxious, about what might happen to the young, human woman.

"Then, take this," Mitsu took out the Meido Stone. "I don't know if a human can use it, but it was able to revive Rin. And it might have other powers that can help you."

"Thank you. And I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I said I never wanted to see you again, but I didn't mean it. I'm sorry."

Kagome didn't know how much of what she'd heard, what she'd seen and remembered, was real or not. Especially Kikyou's last words, but she still felt the warmth of the light that had surrounded her, of Kikyou's voice, and it pushed her to stand up and move on. If Kikyou could forgive her for what she'd done, to both her and Rin, then it wasn't possible that she could forgive herself as well as others. Why couldn't she forgive Mitsu? Maybe the friendship they'd had was a lie, but they could always build a new one. And maybe one day those she'd wronged would forgive her too.

Kagome knew that if she died now, died fighting Naraku, she didn't want to leave behind any regrets.

Mitsu reached up and touched Kagome's cheek. Kagome pulled back and stared at Mitsu. She didn't know what to be shocked at: the touch or Mitsu's next words.

"You meant it. Every word. But that's okay, I don't want to see you again either. I don't want to end up like my stupid husband and start to care about you humans. So go, and don't come back."

"Mitsu…"

"I said go! Didn't you hear me? I won't repeat myself you—" Whatever Mitsu was going to say was cut off as Kagome embraced her. Mitsu's slight shoulders shook under Kagome's hands but she didn't attempt to pull back.

"You…You…" Mitsu was so mad she couldn't even form a sentence. She was too stunned by the sudden contact to pull back, and too mad to even form a sentence. Jaken's slack jawed expression mirrored what Mitsu felt.

Rin grinned up at Kagome, pleased that someone had finally defeated the queen, and told Kagome where to find Inuyasha and the others, "They're heading toward the mountains. Don't forget to use the map Lady Kikyou gave you."

"Thanks Rin. Take of yourself too, alright?" Kagome said as she jumped on to the back of Totosai's ox. It felt like she could do anything with Kikyou's bow and arrows and her new outlook on life. All of a sudden her body felt lighter, stronger, as if everything that had been weighing her down all this time was finally gone.

"How…How dare you!" Mitsu finally managed to say just in time to see Kagome kick the flank of Totosai's ox and gallop off. Even though it was a heavy looking beast, the ox was faster than it looked. No wonder Totosai had managed to get to the castle so fast.

Kagome looked over her shoulder and waved at Mitsu. She could just make out Mitsu's flustered face in the dim light of the tunnel and the rapidly expanding distance between them. Her expression was priceless.

Giving Mitsu a wink and blowing her kiss, Kagome said:

"Take care of yourself, and the Yoshi twins!"

"Don't name my children for me! And don't come back! I swear on my honor as Lady Mitsu of the Northern clan and wife of Lord Sesshoumaru, ruler of the Western Lands, if I ever see you again I'll kill you!" Mitsu hollered back. Mitsu's infuriated voice followed Kagome as she sped back down the tunnel toward Inuyasha and the battle with Naraku.

---

Kagura's corpse dance had been what had broken Kikyou's barrier. She'd sent a barrage of corpses smashing into the barrier over the castle during her fight with Sesshoumaru. A number of corpses had clung on to each one of Kikyou's sacred arrows, breaking the barrier over the castle even as they were purified. A holy barrier had no effect on the dead other than breaking Kagura's hold on them. And with a flick of her wrist, Kagura had sent these freed corpses and their cargo flying and shattered the barrier protecting the castle.

Kagome didn't have the shards anymore, but Naraku wanted to raze the city to the ground anyway starting with the castle. His plan was to bury Kagome and Inuyasha alive or force them to come out and fight him. Either way he'd finish off his most hateful enemies and their allies.

Sesshoumaru only had Tenseiga and his Shikon arm. And Kagura could tell by the pained look that flitted across his face every time his arm came in contact with either one of her corpses, Naraku's miasma, or one of Naraku's demons that the shards in his arm were slowly being infected. Sesshoumaru probably wasn't aware of it himself, but it was only a matter of time till the shards were corrupted and once that happened he'd fall to their side.

She didn't want to do this. Kagura didn't want to see Sesshoumaru dead or worse—controlled by the corrupted shards. But Naraku had ordered Kagura to fight Sesshoumaru, to the death if need be, and Kagura couldn't refuse him as long as he held her heart.

"Give up the shards, Sesshoumaru," Kagura said as she finally had Sesshoumaru surrounded. They were on top of the castle now and the corpses of his own people hemmed Sesshoumaru in. The Lord of the Western Lands was bloody, battered, and bruised from the constant onslaught of corpses and Kagura's wind blades but he was still standing.

Naraku was where he'd always been, watching the fight between them. He'd long since surrounded himself in a barrier made from his grotesque body of demons and his own flesh. Sesshoumaru hadn't been able to dent it, and Kagura had no clue if Naraku even planned to fight.

Sesshoumaru didn't say a word as he glared silently at Kagura. He wasn't just defiant, Sesshoumaru was daring her to strike. As if he wasn't surrounded by corpses and as if his city wasn't on fire "Don't make me kill you," Kagura pleaded. "Just hand Naraku the shards. This will all be over when you do."

Sesshoumaru didn't say anything. In lieu of a reply, he raised Tenseiga above his head.

"Sesshoumaru!" Kagura cried and broke eye contact, closing her eyes to block a flood of tears as she summoned the corpses forward and feeling Naraku's hands around her heart all the while.

As the army of the undead reached for him this was the first and last word Sesshoumaru said:

"Tenseiga."

It was at this moment that Inuyasha and co. burst from the hidden tunnel in the mountain and found Naraku, Kagome on their heels. From the opposite mountain range, from the east, Mitsu and her children, Rin, and Jaken watched as a crescent of light burst from the top of the castle and then spread out over the capital and rise toward the sky.

In Kaede's village, Kohaku sat up and looked toward the West as a brilliant wave of light filled the western skies right as the sun began to rise. "It wasn't a parade of demons or the light of the sun reflecting off the mountains," people would tell each other afterward as they cemented this moment into legend. "It was the gods themselves opening up the sky. The raiment of heaven parted and gave us a glimpse of paradise."

In the Western Lands, heaven was far from this kingdom and it wasn't a god who had caused this phenomena. But as the light ebbed and the shadows returned, Sesshoumaru still stood. Around him were the resurrected bodies of his clansmen. Even his Shikon arm had been purified.

Sesshoumaru pointed his sword at Kagura, and then at Naraku in the distance.

"Naraku is my enemy. If you stand with him I'll cut you down. Move aside."

Kagura floated down. She'd flown away to shield herself from the light of Tenseiga. She landed in front of Sesshoumaru in disbelief. "How…H-how are you still alive?"

"Naraku is my enemy," Sesshoumaru repeated. "If you continue your attack I'll show you no mercy."

Kagura was speechless. She'd always known he was powerful, but she hadn't counted on him using Tenseiga or the sword being capable of such power. Kagura felt Naraku's talons dig cruelly into her heart, felt his venomous words in his head cursing her and commanding her to kill. But Kagura refused as, for the first time in her life, she wasn't afraid of Naraku or the pain. Kagura was finally free of Naraku as she watched Sesshoumaru—the man she loved— fly away, and she didn't stop him even to say goodbye as she felt her heart break, literally and physically, when Naraku finally made good on his threat.

A sudden gust of wind scattered her ashes. Stray particles of the scattered ashes followed after Sesshoumaru as he flew toward Naraku. The battle commenced.

---

Naraku was forced to expose himself and, with all of his detachments dead, he had to fight alone. But he was far from helpless. Even with Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha and his friends had a hard time fighting against Naraku. They were forced back by his miasma and were bloody and battered from just fighting the demons Naraku discarded from his body as he transformed.

The miasma around Naraku grew. Everyone was forced to stop their ineffective attacks against Naraku's new body and take cover. With Totosai pointing the way, everyone followed him to a temporary shelter. Kagome planted one of Kikyou's arrows in the entryway to a fort they'd found carved in the mountainside, the training grounds and home of the former border guards, and focused her power on it. A temporary barrier sprang up, but it wasn't nearly as strong as what Kikyou's shinidamachuu had produced and it was only a matter of time until Kagome's barrier broke too.

"Is he growing?" Kagome asked as she watched in horror as Naraku grew in size and mass. He looked like nothing less than a monstrous ball. Naraku's body had become bulbous and he resembled one of his miasma spewing insects in their cocoons. It rose up into the sky and floated over them like a black balloon.

"It looks like it's the work of the Shikon no Tama. So, he's planning to use the jewel after all," Totosai said as he tugged on his beard in contemplation.

"Great, tell us something we don't know," Inuyasha snapped. "Isn't there a way to stop him?"

Around them were the tools of Totosai's trade. Only this forger was left of the former fort after Naraku's assault. It was here on this very mountain that he'd first crafted Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga. He was in his old abode, his old workshop before he'd left the Western Lands. It had been transformed into a guardsman's watch tower, but it still had his forge.

"Well," Totosai said. "There is a way to stop Naraku, but you won't like it. And neither will Sesshoumaru."

Sesshoumaru hadn't said anything until now. However, after Totosai said this he looked away from watching Naraku float above them and his city burning to turn his baleful glare on Totosai. "Say it. If you have a solution to our problems then speak up, old man."

"Okay then, since you asked so nicely and because you've just saved me half the work with your little light show out there," Totosai said, jerking a thumb at the castle they could still see in the distance even as Naraku's miasma spread from the mountain and threatened to engulf the capital. "I'll make a long story short and say this: first, you have to give the power within Tenseiga, the Meidou Zangetsuha, to Inuyasha."

"Meidou Zangetsuha?" Sesshoumaru repeated, trying not to see red. He couldn't allow himself to be overwhelmed by his rivalry with Inuyasha or he'd break his promise to Kikyou to work with the half-breed. But just the thought of his brother touching his sword made Sesshoumaru tremble with unrepressed fury. "Is this the power you offered me back at the temple, the I just used? Why didn't you explain all of this then?"

"I was trying to you idiot, but you just went on and on about how you needed Tenseiga!"

"I needed it to rescue Rin, but now thanks to the Meido stone I don't," Sesshoumaru said through clenched teeth, pointing a finger at Kagome and the Meido stone she held.

Shortly after they'd all managed to retreat, Kagome had told Sesshoumaru everything she knew—including that Rin and his children were safe. However, she'd tactfully left out killing Rin and the details surrounding Kikyou's death, such as the plans she'd made with Kikyou and with Mitsu. There was no time to come clean and explain everything, she'd atone for her sins and face Sesshoumaru—and Inuyasha's—judgment when this is all over, or at least that's what Kagome told herself.

"If I had known that this was in my kingdom I would've gladly give you Tenseiga."

"The Meido stone power always here, same with the power you just used. You were too busy being the typical emotionless, handsome anti-hero to notice. Or should I say you were too busy being the handsome and romantic male lead with daddy issues and a one-track mind to notice? Honestly, at this point the things you didn't notice while you were on your crusade for Tetsusagia or trying to save Kikyou could fill a landfill."

"I've had enough of your insults and jests. You've gone too far this time. Don't ever use Kikyou's name to insult me again or I'll rip your tongue out for the offense," Sesshoumaru growled. His eyes flashed red in the dim light.

"Hoho, very well. But then neither you nor Inuyasha would know how to bring out the latent abilities of your swords. Sure you want to threaten me knowing that?"

"You—!"

"Stop it!" Kagome yelled. Sesshoumaru's raised voice and the mention of Kikyou had snapped her out of musing about her guilt. "This isn't the time to argue! Please Totosai, isn't there something we can do?"

If this was the old Sesshoumaru, Totosai wouldn't have dared to speak so disrespectfully. But the fact that he wasn't dead yet and the fact that Sesshoumaru could use the full extent of Tenseiga's regeneration powers meant he'd grown enough to not kill on impulse or has. At least that's what Totosai was counting on, and if not that then plan B was to have Inuyasha or at least Kagome to step in and give him enough time to escape.

"Well, since you asked so nicely why not? And Sesshoumaru, if you're angry now you're really going to like what comes next. But first, to answer your question, the power you used wasn't the Meidou Zangetsuha. Meidou Zangetsuha is the power to open a path to the underworld. What you used was Tenseiga's healing power. If Tetsusaiga can bring kill a 1,000 demons then Tenseiga can revive a 1,000 lives. The two swords are two halves of the same coin, so to speak."

With more than a little relish at the thought of both of Inu no Taisho's sons being forced to get along, Totosai continued, "Sesshoumaru, you have to let go of Tenseiga and the past in order to gain a new power that will stop Naraku's regeneration. Once you let go of your hatred and obsession with gaining Tetsusaiga your arm will grow back and you'll gain a new sword. I don't know if it's due to the shards in your arm or not but your new arm and the sword Bakusaiga—which stops the regeneration of whatever is cut—should've appeared by now."

"And I need this sword and I have yet to fully master Tenseiga since I can't use its Meidou Zangetsuha attack?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"Yes, though I'd worry more about Bakusaiga now. You'll have to let go of your obsession. But if you can't…well then I guess Naraku will destroy the Western Lands and then the rest of our world," Totosai said with a shrug. This was a long time in coming, but it was too late to ease both of them into it or worry about the consequences now. They'd either realize their full potential or they'd all die horrible deaths at Naraku's hands.

Totosai's characteristic nonchalance none withstanding, everyone else seemed to be sweating bullets as they contemplated the full meaning of Totosai's words and the fact that the future of the world depended upon Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru coming to terms with the past and fixing their relationship in less than 15 minutes.

Everyone thought this, but didn't want to say it out loud: We're doomed.

Suddenly, Sesshoumaru stepped forward and took a deep breath. Grimacing as if whatever decision he'd come to left a bad taste in his mouth, Sesshoumaru ripped out the Shikon shards from his arm. Instead of his arm disappearing, the arm started to glow until another blast of light filled the room. From the outside it looked like Totosai's forge had been transformed into a light house. When the dust settled everyone but Sesshoumaru and Totosai seemed to have been blinded. Just as Totosai had said, Sesshoumaru had grown a new arm once the shards were gone. The shards fell to the ground at Sesshoumaru's feet and in his new hand was a new blade.

"I can't believe it…" Even Inuyasha was stunned by this. He'd never thought Sesshoumaru would believe Totosai, much less be able to get his arm back. "Sesshoumaru let go of his grudge? Not possible!" Is what Inuyasha had thought.

Only a year ago Tetsusaiga had been the number one priority in Sesshoumaru's life, but now he'd thrown away his chance to finally have the sword in exchange for the power to defeat Naraku that—of all things—Tenseiga has. He'd even, just as Kikyou predicted, decided to work with Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru idly wondered why his arm hadn't grown back after he'd said goodbye to Kikyou's spirit. Why now? Was this a part of Kikyou's plan too, was he keeping his promise to Kikyou or had the promise of a greater power finally made his spirit give up on Tetsusaiga?

Kagome picked up the jewel shards and examined them. They seemed to have been stained by Naraku's aura, but Sesshoumaru's attack with Tenseiga, unleashing Meidou Zangetsuha, had prevented them from becoming completely corrupted.

"Anything else you left out?" Sesshoumaru asked. He put aside his doubts and hid them behind a mask of indifference. Doubt was useless now anyway now that he had this new problem. It didn't matter why his arm grew back as long as it did and as long as doing this, giving Inuyasha Tenseiga's power, would help to destroy Naraku.

"Please tell me there's nothing else," Shippo groaned. He was on the floor with his head under his arms, still blinded by the light Sesshoumaru had emitted. Plus all these sudden revelations were making his head spin.

"Just one more thing. You still need to be able to use Tenseiga's Meidou Zangetsuha at will. You managed to use it against Kagura when you were in a pinch, but if you can't control it—"

It was at this moment that Kagome's barrier gave out. Naraku's fiends and his miasma started to pour in. Sesshoumaru drew Tenseiga and, in one swing, was able to use the infamous Meidou Zangetsuha. Whether due to his temper, the emergency at hand, or his spiritual growth that had lead him this far Sesshoumaru's attack was a perfect circle, and not a crescent this time, on his second use of the attack. The demons and miasma outside of the cave were sucked up into hell and disappeared. The air and grounds around them was suddenly clear and the threat of Naraku's demons and miasma engulfing the city was put to stop, at least for now.

"What the fuck?" Inuyasha exclaimed. "I have to run around forever, get the shit kicked out of me a hundred times, and beat tons of enemies just to be able to deck out my sword in dragon scales and crystals and Sesshoumaru gets all his powers in 1 minute? And he can summon a portal to hell and gets a sword that can stop Naraku from regenerating? I thought pops had left me with the good stuff! Why the hell did you try to kill me for Tetsusaiga all these years if you could do all that!?"

Sesshoumaru snarled at Inuyasha, "You took the words out of my mouth. If father had told me this sword was worth something from the beginning I wouldn't have wasted my time with you."

Before another fight could break out, Myoga popped up out of nowhere. Well, not from nowhere. He'd actually been on Kagome this whole time. After the fire, before Inuyasha had escaped capture and hid in the secret tunnels in the castle, he'd hopped from Inuyasha's body to Kagome's. He'd been hiding on Kagome the whole time since she was out cold and seemed to be the better bet for getting him out of the city alive.

"There is one more thing, Kagome has more power but it's sealed away," Myoga said right after Kagome, like always, squashed him between her hands on reflex after he bit her because, like always, hiding had given him an appetite.

"Oh fuck me!" Inuyasha groaned. "Does everyone have some hidden power that instantly appears when they need it? I spent years building up Tetsusaiga and you guys get your powers in a matter of seconds! It's not fair!"

"Inuyasha, sit."

Inuyasha smashed head first into the ground. Kagome felt good to finally say "sit" again after all this time. Kagome loved Inuyasha, but she hadn't went through all this to hear him whine about his sword. "Myoga, what do you mean my power is sealed away?"

"It's exactly as I said, Kaede had been researching the jewel and—well, I really had planned to tell Kagome all this once we found her, and woke up of course—but anyway—"

"Hurry it up, flea!" Sesshoumaru snapped. Naraku was descending and was hovering over Totosai's cave now, his bloated and grotesque form blocking out the light of sun rising over the eastern mountains.

"—The Shikon no Tama is sealing away part of Kagome's power due to the evil force within the jewel. The jewel was inside of Kagome when she came here and…Anyway I forgot the rest of it but basically that's it!" Myoga said all of this in one breath.

"Yeah, I bet you forgot the rest of it while you were hiding on Kagome just hoping you didn't get squashed," Shippo said with an eye roll.

"Or maybe he forgot to tell us all this before we split up at the border," Miroku chimed in with a rare threatening glare of his own toward Myoga. While it was great to finally be on the right track to defeating Naraku, and that everyone was joined together toward a common goal, they really could have used all this information earlier.

"So, how do we break the seal on Kagome?" Sango asked with a twinge of irritation and impatience lingering her voice, sentiments shared by all towards the present situation lacing her words.

Kagome shrugged. "Just like with Sesshoumaru, something will happen to me when I get close to the jewel or it'll just return to me. All heroes get their powers at a crisis point. Miracles and deus ex machinas are in the arsenal of every hero."

"I don't know about a "machina" but there's this," Sesshoumaru said. He removed the shards of Kanna's mirror from a pouch on his belt and held them out to Kagome. Amongst the dimness and gloom that seemed to have filled the cave, these fragments of Kanna's mirror seemed to shine with an ominous light but they held little of Naraku's evil. "Kanna asked me to give you this?"

"Kanna?" Kagome asked, confused about the shards, both the shards of the Shikon no Tama, and Sesshoumaru's behavior. How'd Sesshoumaru obtained the jewel shards and what had happened to Kanna that he'd have pieces of her mirror? "Why would Kanna want you to give me something like this?"

"Who knows? I was to give you these shards as that was her dying wish. She said they'd reveal the secret of how to defeat Naraku and that it contained the truth about the nature of the Shikon no Tama."

"Thank you," Kagome said as Sesshoumaru dropped the pieces of Kanna's mirror into her hand. Besides the aura she felt and saw around the pieces of glass, there wasn't anything special about them that Kagome was able to pick up. It would've been helpful if Kanna had told her how to use her mirror or just told Sesshoumaru what the secret to Naraku and the Shikon no Tama is.

"Now are we done? Can we fight now?" Shippo pleaded and broke the tense atmosphere that had appeared after Sesshoumaru gave remains of Kanna's mirror to Kagome. "I don't think I can take anymore surprises."

"Not quite, Inuyasha you need to summon the dragon scaled Tetsusaiga. Sesshoumaru, you need to hit Inuyasha with Tenseiga's Meidou Zangetsuha and allow him to absorb the attack," Totosai said, ordering the brothers to—in a way—finally fight each other with their strongest attacks.

Inuyasha glared at Sesshoumaru as he drew Tetsusaiga while Sesshoumaru in turn pointed Tenseiga's blade at him. The Lord of the West seemed almost seemed disappointed that now, when he was finally able to attack Inuyasha after so long, he'd be aiding him.

"Wait!"

Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha turned toward Kagome after she shouted this.

"You're not seriously going to do here? The cave's too small! Even if Inuyasha managed to absorb it, we'd all get sucked into Sesshoumaru's attack before then!"

"For once, your woman has managed to say something intelligent," Sesshoumaru said with a sneer.

"She's not my woman," Inuyasha snarled back. "Kagome's my ex-girlfriend, and she's right. Let's take this outside!"

"Yeah, you tell him Inuyasha! Wait… Ex -girlfriend!" Kagome burst, following after Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru and forgetting her misgivings about safety due to the shock of Inuyasha 1.) Admitting they actually had a relationship 2.) Getting dumped (though technically, they'd been over for awhile now).

Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru ignored Kagome as they faced each other. Everything other than their final confrontation was ignored as they drew their swords. Kagome, still ticked off at Inuyasha, was held back by Sango and Miroku as they solemnly watched Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru's standoff.

It was possible that Sesshoumaru could double-cross them even now. He could use some dirty trick or manipulate the Meidou Zangetsuha somehow so it would be too much for Inuyasha to control and it's swallow him whole. Or turn it on them all. These doubts and suspicions may seem unfair, but the Sesshoumaru that everyone had known until now had always hated Inuyasha. Even though Sesshoumaru had saved Kohaku and fought alongside them it didn't mean that he wouldn't pick his vendetta over defeating saving the world even though they were moments away from their final battle with Naraku.

Sesshoumaru raised his sword and Inuyasha drew Tetsusaiga while everyone watched and held their breath, waiting to see what happened next. Yet their wait was in vain as all of a sudden the skies overhead grew dark as Naraku loomed over them, blocking out the light from the sky.

"He's gotten bigger!" Shippo exclaimed, his jaw dropped open in amazement and terror.

"No, he hasn't grown he's going to fall on us! Run!" Miroku cried, pushing Sango and Kagome toward the cave where Totosai still dwelled. But before anyone could enter the safety of the cave, tentacle like pieces of Naraku's flesh shot out of his spherical body and tore up the ground around them, ripping up the earth, supporting it, and lifting them and their newfound platform toward Naraku .

Kagome and Sango clung to Miroku, staring up nervously at Naraku above them. The situation was so dire Miroku didn't even try to grope them. Sesshoumaru sheathed Tenseiga and Inuyasha did the same with his sword. If they attempted to join together the two swords now they'd end up breaking the platform beneath them. They could fly away, but Naraku's poisonous insects and miasma spewing tentacles surrounded them and turned the ground at their feet from a vehicle to Naraku into a cage.

The world around them grew dark as Naraku's body swallowed them up. Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, and Kagome found themselves in a large chamber that pulsed like a heart, but Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Kirara were nowhere to be found. The jewel shards Kagome had received from Sesshoumaru emitted a light that illuminated their surroundings. It looked like they really were inside Naraku now.

"Where's Miroku and Sango? They were just here!" Kagome asked as she spun around, mouth agape at their new battleground, and then stared around down into her empty hands. She could still feel Miroku's arm around her. "Shippo? Inuyasha? Inuyasha!"

"Stop yelling, woman," Sesshoumaru said as he surveyed their surroundings. Being inside Naraku's body disgusted him, but the prospect of destroying him from the inside out had its charms. However, the half-demon bastard had abducted them before he could transfer Tenseiga's power to Tetsusaiga. "

"I don't know what Naraku's planning to do," Inuyasha said. "But we're going to find everyone and—"

"No, we're not," Sesshoumaru cut off Inuyasha midsentence. "We're here because Naraku wants us here. Most likely Naraku has split us up for some reason. Running around aimlessly would only play into the trap he's set for us. Our goal is to kill Naraku, it doesn't matter what happens to the rest of your companions."

Inuyasha grabbed the front of Sesshoumaru's coat and growled, "You bastard, you haven't changed at all! You don't care about anyone but yourself! Like hell it doesn't matter what happens to them, I'm not going to let you or Naraku take away anyone else I care about!"

In response to this passionate speech Sesshoumaru broke Inuyasha's hold him with a swift punch to the ribs. The sound of his ribs snapping temporarily drowned out the sound of Naraku's beating heart.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed and ran to Inuyasha's side as Sesshoumaru coldly watched him sink to his knees and clutch his stomach, blood and bile bursting from his lips and splattering onto Sesshoumaru's boots.

"You think you're the only one who's lost someone, who has something to lose?" Sesshoumaru's voice was like ice, cold and bone-chilling in its intensity. "If you've come this far then you should know the price of revenge. If we waste time going after your friends we'll walk into a trap that may kill us all!"

Sesshoumaru grasped Inuyasha by the neck and hauled him to his feet. Kagome tried to interfere but Sesshoumaru roughly pushed her aside. Kagome fell to the floor and the shards of Kanna's mirror, that she still held, slipped from her hands. The mirror fragments bounced up from the elastic, pulsing floor of flesh beneath Kagome's hands and straight into right her eye with the force of a bullet, as if that'd been their intention all along. Kagome's scream echoed and was then lost in the vast chambers of Naraku's heart as Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha wrestled with each other.

Heedless to Kagome's pain, or their mission, Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru fought each other. Their temporary truce was shattered by the loss of Inuyasha's friends and the difference in their mindsets. Saying they'd work together and doing it were two different things now that first blood was drawn.

Sesshoumaru had wondered why he couldn't grow his arm back earlier. The truth is it's impossible to suddenly change one's true nature. This was true for Sesshoumaru as well, but it hadn't been the remnants of his lust for Tetsusaiga that'd held him back but his desire for one last connection to Kikyou. With the shards gone, yet another piece of Kikyou was gone as well.

What was left then to connect him to the half-demon underneath him? Had Kikyou sacrificed her life for this? Sesshoumaru thought as he drove a knee into Inuyasha's damaged ribs, restraining the half-demon's arms to keep him from drawing Tetsusaiga or using his claws on him.

This brat, this mere half of a demon that Inu no Taisho had left everything to, didn't even realize all the sacrifices that he—Lord Sesshoumaru—and Kikyou had made to get them to this moment.

Blood ties and old wounds were the only things left to connect them together now that Kikyou was gone, now that the quest for Tetsusaiga was over. When Naraku died—or if he died considering Inuyasha's stubborn refusal to listen—what would they have left after that last connection was gone? What was stopping him from taking Tetsusaiga from Inuyasha? Why wait until after Naraku died? Sesshoumaru's thoughts continued to take on a more sinister bent as he stared down at Inuyasha.

"What is the loss of a few humans compared to the loss of Kikyou, my kingdom? Inuyasha doesn't deserve to wield Tetsusaiga or have Tenseiga's power if he doesn't realize this, if he doesn't have the will to make sacrifices to obtain what he wanted like I have!" Sesshoumaru thought as he gave up on restraining Inuyasha and began to choke the life out of him instead.

Sesshoumaru could feel his left arm grow insubstantial and weightless yet at the same time he could feel a woman's slender fingers wrap around his wrists as Kikyou's voice whispered into his ear.

"Don't forget your promise to me," Kikyou whispered. "Don't let Naraku's heart taint you. The closer you are to him, to the Shikon no Tama, the more its dark power will try to lure you astray. Naraku's used the Shikon no Tama's power to grant his wish for power but in exchange—"

"Stop it!" Kikyou's voice was suddenly drowned out as Kagome screamed into Sesshoumaru's ear as she tried to pry his hands off of Inuyasha's throat.

"Don't do this, you guys are brothers! If you want to kill someone kill me! I'm the one who killed Kikyou!"

At these words Sesshoumaru pulled away from Inuyasha, shoving Kagome away from him as he stood. Inuyasha coughed and tried to catch his breath as his damaged windpipe fought to repair itself. If Naraku and the tainted jewel's influence had been stronger, or if Sesshoumaru's mind had been weaker, Sesshoumaru wouldn't have held back and Inuyasha would be dead by now.

Sesshoumaru turned toward Kagome and drew his sword. The tip of his blade hovered over Kagome's head, but whether it was Tenseiga or Bakusaiga was impossible to tell in the dim light flooding the chambers of Naraku's heart.

= End of Part 1=

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Author's Notes: Again, sorry for yet another unreasonable delay. I'm working on the other parts right now and hopefully it won't be another 6 months till the last part is released.