DISCLAIMER: I do not own Inuyasha.

Previously, on Blossoms into Love...

"You're not him."

"We meet again, Kagome."

"Naraku."

0o0

Villagers did not believe in such a tale. They did not know where it came from, nor who had thought of it first, but it was in their blood to tell it. And they told it to their children every so often. It was only told when the children grew older, when their fascination of the forest grew. A dark forest laid on the edge of the village, as it always had been there. They did not know what all was in the forest, but there were stories of villagers going in and never coming back. Nothing of the sort had happened in recent years, but it still frightened the adults, and it would frighten the children.

The children would look into the trees and ask what was inside. Some of the adults said nothing was there, but this would put the children in danger, the adults believed. The children wanted to take an adventure in, to explore the trees. They dreamed of climbing the branches and looking over the leaves, to see what was over it. But it was the elders who had spoken against the idea. They would tell these children that a man lived there, a man who was not human. He was born human, sure, but had turned his back on mankind for his own sake. They said the man could take other forms to deceive them, and trick them into believe a false truth. And if they so dared to go into the forest, they would never make it out alive, for the man sought power and blood that would make him stronger.

The children understood, and would not think or dream about entering the forest until they had grown older. They would not believe in the tales the elders spun them, and would inch closer and closer into the forest until someone told them to stop. The elders scolded the children. How the children could try to enter the forest was a mystery to them, but the children would reply about how the man would be dead. Years had gone by in the village, and it was more likely that the man was dead than alive. The elders went on to tell them the man had always and would always wander the forest, no matter how many years would pass. The man would be able to take down the forest with his bare hands, and tear apart the village if he so wanted.

The children still did not believe. They wondered why he did not already destroy the village, and the elders had no answer but how it was not the right time for him to attack. They told the children about the man able to lurk in the shadows without being found, for long periods of time. He would not enter the village until the land was shrouded in the dark, so he could move and kill with ease.

The children became anxious about the man in the forest. The elders would listen to the children discuss how they would never go to the forest because of the man, and they took a look toward the forest. The darkness held something, and they hoped the tale of the man wanting to destroy everything around them was a lie. As the children ran away from the edge of the forest, they agreed that it was just a tale. They knew a man could not come back from the grave to take over their land.

It was just a tale, they would repeat every night.

But so as it was told, it would become.

0o0

The moon shone down on the land. All of the forest stilled in the dead of night. But it was not like that for long outside of the barrier, for news of the jewel nearby called to the demons in every land. These demons shook at the idea of possessing the jewel, and wished nothing but the power to be theirs. And with each second they crept closer and closer to the barrier, slowly reaching their destination. Their claws tore through the trees and disrupted the slumber of animals under the moon, and any wanderer in the forest did their best to hide away from the growls close by.

A little girl near a fire watched as the demons ignored them. "Master Jaken, when will Lord Sesshomaru return?"

Jaken turned toward their destination and saw a glowing barrier in the distance. He knew where his Lord had gone, but knew not what was there exactly. All he knew was his lord was on a mission with the jewels he obtained, and nothing more. He turned back to the girl. "I do not know." Jaken sighed as he watched the girl become afraid at a demon hitting the barrier. "Rin, they cannot hurt you! My barrier will keep up safe, I promise!"

And it was true. His barrier, albeit weak, was doing its job of hiding them from the surrounding demons, and kept them safe. The demons who would hit the barrier would merely bounce off of it, and continue their journey toward the jewel. He did not want to be at the end of Sesshomaru's sword if Rin were injured in any way. So the small barrier would suffice. But it was not easy to keep her near the fire when Sesshomaru was leaving.

Sesshomaru stopped near a small clearing near the forest. There had been life in the very spot before his appearance. The broken houses and abandoned items proved him to be true, but it had been years since it was occupied. He looked back to the forest. He knew he was near, he was certain. Sesshomaru wondered if Kagome had noticed the jewel's presence yet or was still taken up in the village. He felt Jaken stand near his feet, while Rin ran ahead. The small demon spoke. "Lord Sesshomaru, is everything alright?"

He was not sure why the forest was so quiet, but it was not his land. He was not particularly familiar with the forest, but rumors circulated throughout recent years of a village that was destroyed with no warning. He wondered if that were the case. Sesshomaru looked around the clearing. It would have to do for the two of them, he thought. He did not acknowledge the demon next to him. Instead, he continued to scout the land from his spot, taking account of the lack of demons nearby, the few denizens of other villages minding their own business. "Jaken," he said, "Are you able to maintain a barrier?"

He knew the answer, but had to hear confirmation. "O-Of course!" Jaken replied. It had been a while since he had to use one, though. Jaken wondered why his Lord would ask for one. Sesshomaru could protect even an army without losing breath! Even the other lords of the lands feared Sesshomaru and his entire being! Sesshomaru nodded in acknowledgement, turning his head.

Sesshomaru looked toward Rin. "Rin." His deep voice echoed across the field and through the trees.

Rin stopped running in the field and turned around. She was not far from the demon lord. "Yes, Lord Sesshomaru?"

He was about to break news to her that he would be leaving, and yet the little girl was wearing a smile. For once, the smile brought him despair, as it meant that he would not be around her. 'Maybe Rin and I are growing on you.' He frowned. "You are not to move from this spot until I come back."

"L-Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken squawked. Sesshomaru looked down at his ward. The little demon was surprised. "May I ask where you are going?"

He contemplated about telling his plan. He wondered if any demons in hiding could hear of his plans, as the shard attracted unnecessary attention. Instead, he replied: "I will not be long." He did not expect his journey to last more than a day, so in truth it would not be long. Jaken did not feel much at ease, that was obvious, but Sesshomaru continued. "I trust you will keep her safe with the barrier."

Jaken nodded. It was all he could do. "Of course, Lord Sesshomaru."

Sesshomaru heard movement in the clearing, and he turned back to his other ward. Rin started to move toward the two, getting anxious. "Lord Sesshomaru?" Sesshomaru would have no time to explain what he wanted to do. As much as his wards needed to be near him, it would not be safe with a nearly complete jewel near them. He would have to suffice with leaving before more questions were to come.

And so Sesshomaru leapt up into the air. Rin covered her face from the dust that followed. Jaken held his ground while the wind picked up around him. but if she were to watch, she would have seen him leap onto a tree branch. He wondered what would come from the forest, as little came to gain from them. 'We are leaving this forest.' He did not hesitate any longer; he pushed off the branch and went deeper into the forest. Rin called out to him, but Jaken yelled at her to stay where she was. And she did. She could only watch her lord jump out of sight as a dome surrounded them. She looked up and around, then to the little demon planting his staff into the ground. She understood. He was entrusted with the girl's life; he would not fail his Lord.

No matter what the plan was.

She stared into the fire and curled closer to the heat. She closed her eyes. "I hope Lord Sesshomaru is okay."

Jaken sighed. "Of course he is okay. No being can take down our great Lord Sesshomaru."

Rin nodded in agreement. Yes, she thought, he was right. He would be okay.

Jaken looked back at the barrier glowing in the distance. His lord had a plan, and it was not his place to know what it was. Still, Jaken thought, it was the pink glow that enticed the demons, the power within that begged to be taken. He listened to the demons around wanting the power, all of it, give them the power—he knew his lord would be okay.

It would all be okay.

0o0

Kagome remembered a dream from long ago as her feet left the ground. It was almost immediately after their battle with Naraku, when everyone could finally be at peace after years of torment from the monster. Her wounds were still fresh, everyone so very exhausted, and not a word about the battle to come from the group. It was an early night for her in particular, remembering the moon had not come out when she retired. And as she closed her eyes, she would attest to hearing a man breathing down her neck, chuckling ever so quietly. So the dream started.

Kagome opened her eyes to experience nothing. There were no colors to paint a picture for her, no memories to relive—nothing filled this space. She stood on nothing, she was surrounded by nothing, and yet she knew something was there. She called out: "Who's there?" But all that was heard was her echo for miles and miles. She started to walk toward the void, looking for anything that could possibly tell her where she was, but her footsteps made no noise.

She started to panic. "Is anybody here?" She called out. Nothing responded. She was alone. And it scared her. She did not want to be alone, not when she had grown to know people that she did not want to ever forget.

She turned, and turned, and turned. She hoped to see something, anything—anything that would give her a sign. There had to be someone there, there just had to be! So Kagome started to run in another direction, wondering where the void would take her, if anywhere existed. But her determination to find something would not let her give up; she would find someone, or something, whatever was out there in the darkness.

And there it was.

She saw it.

It was faint, very small, but as she ran toward it, it grew, and she knew it was someone else. Finally, she thought. "Hello?" She called out, hoping the thing could hear her. It almost blended into the void, as though it were being sucked in. As she slowed down, the thing did not move, and for that she was grateful. After all of that searching, after everything she did not see, she finally found something. And to her amazement, it was a person.

When she reached out, she whispered, "Hello?" And Kagome watched the person turn around. Her eyes widened.

"You're…"

The person on the ground was afraid, very afraid, and they quickly rose to their feet. Kagome had little time to look at them, but they were disheveled, scratched up, pale, and seemed to be so tired. "You have to stop them," the person said.

And while she wanted to know how this person was ever possible, Kagome had no idea what they were talking about. "Who—"

The person stepped toward her, and Kagome had to take a step back. She, too, was starting to become afraid. "Them, them, them," the person repeated over and over again, like a broken record. The person turned around to look at the void, and Kagome looked out there, but there was nothing, and when she looked back at the person, they were directly in her face. Kagome jumped. "Stop them. He is coming."

Kagome still did not understand. "Who? Who are you talking about?"

The person grabbed her shoulders. "Them! Them, them, them," and the person continued to repeat the same word over and over again. And then the person started to cry. Kagome froze; what was she supposed to do? Hug them? "Please," the person pleaded.

Kagome frowned. "I don't know who you are talking about."

And before Kagome could blink, the person before her stopped. Time seemed to freeze, and Kagome was confused. As soon as she went to check on them, the person looked into her eyes and opened their mouth. "Help me," they said. As she wanted to ask about the problem, she found the answer wrapped around the person's waist. It was an arm transforming into something slimy, something absolutely horrid. Kagome's eyes started to widen. She looked up at the person.

"You have to stop them, Kagome," the person said, "Or else you will be in danger in future months. You must stop them!" The person yelled.

"B-But I don't know who to stop! What should I do?"

Right before the void took them away, the person replied: "Trust him."

A short scream echoed in the void for several seconds, and the person was ripped away from existence. Kagome looked around to try and find them, but there was nothing at all. She even called out to them, but nothing answered.

Nothing but an arm wrapped around her own torso. And when she looked down, she did not have to turn around to know who it was.

"Got you," the deep voice said, and she knew who it was. But before she could say his name, before she could even think of a way to escape, the darkness engulfed her, and there was nothing but her scream echoing in her mind.

Kagome had shot up in the middle of the night, screaming at the dream. It brought forth a headache, and she rubbed her forehead. Of course Naraku was dead; the dream was merely projecting a fear that was impossible. She watched the monster die by her own arrow, and watched something become nothing. Still, it did worry her; why was she scratched up? She shook the thought away and laughed at herself.

Get a hold of yourself. He's dead, remember?

Yet there he was before her.

And he was smiling.

Kagome watched as the man before her transformed. The silver hair turned pitch black. Golden eyes changed to ones of pitch black, with nothing but malice reflecting back. Even the attire the man wore turned into dark garbs, and the wind swirled around his being. He held a smirk on his face. She heard a chuckle come from the man—no, monster—that held her against the tree. His hand wrapped more around her neck; she gasped for air. She did not turn away from him, though. She would keep her eyes in the void, and keep them pinned against him.

How did this happen? She wanted to believe she was dreaming again, that everything she was feeling was really a horrible dream she was having and she would just wake up. It was not possible for Naraku to be standing with his hand around her neck and a smile on his face. She remembered the arrow going through his body—"You deserve to die!"—and remembered the aftermath. He was dead. He was—dead.

No, she thought. "You have to stop them."

It started to click. She opened her mouth to talk to him, to ask the one question on her very mind and confirm her fears. But as his hand tightened against her neck, she was silenced, and forced to hear the one voice she had been haunted by for years. "Always the pleasure to see you again, Kagome," he said. "Got you." She squirmed at the way his voice said her name. She could see his small smile grow with every movement she made to get out of his grip. "And it's a pleasure to see you squirm again."

Her hands still burned his skin, but it did nothing to him. She could feel the heat underneath her palms, but it seemed to keep his grip firm. She felt her lungs burn at the lack of air, and felt the tree against her back prick into her skin. Her whole body started to ache. She knew she was bleeding, even when she could not feel the blood start to fall down her back and onto the tree. All she could focus on was his smile. "I know you missed me."

Kagome pushed a foot against the tree, sliding up the tree by a mere inch. It helped her breathe just for a moment. The cool air around them was a blessing. Naraku grew angry by the motion, and pushed against the tree to keep her planted. She felt the tree shake against her. She opened her mouth. "G-Go," she gasped, "to Hell."

"Help me." He chuckled again. "What makes you think I want to go back?" She felt his bony fingers push down for a moment again on her throat, and she closed her eyes in pain. Her grip on his arm tightened. Please be a dream, she thought. When she tried to open her eyes again, she could only see the silhouette of the leaves above her while the dark voice entered her ears. "What makes you think this is not better than Hell? I have had time, Kagome," there it was again: her name. She closed her eyes again; she wanted nothing with the voice attached to the monster. "Kagome." A beat pulsed in her. "And do you know what I thought?" She could feel the bark in the tree push more into her skin. "I thought about you."

"Aim." Her hands squeezed. She was close to passing out; the air was getting harder to grasp. She opened her mouth to get more air, whatever air she could get. It was very little. His voice came back. "I was down in Hell with the others, fighting for any form of power. It would not amount to the power you stripped from me. And from the fighting, I thought about how to kill every last one of you, starting with those mangy dogs." Sesshomaru. Another beat pulsed; she could feel her palms burn.

She opened her mouth. "How—" her voice was small. She knew she was almost out of air, but she had to know. "How are you…alive?"

Kagome could feel the wind around them, the cool air teasing her. She could feel her legs dangling in the air, her back wet with blood, and her palms hot. And all she could hear with the leaves rustling was the hum coming from Naraku. "I was never dead," he replied. "He is coming." "I had not died from the minds of the weak, those who missed their leader. So I came back." Who would want you back? She thought, but it clicked once more. Kagura and Kikyo entered her mind, and she wished she could laugh. Of course, she thought. "Them." Kagome closed her mouth and felt the dryness start to hurt. It would be a matter of time before she would be unconscious. "And I came back with a plan in mind. You and your group, they were all there in the plan. But you," she felt Naraku's arm bend, pressing against her chest. The grip around her neck loosened. She could feel her body slide down the tree, and her feet touch the ground. She gasped for air while opening her eyes.

The darkness surrounded her.

He was closer to her. His body towered over hers. Her eyes looked up at his empty ones. "Aim." There it was again, she thought. But why?"You are the one that lingered in my mind the most, Kagome," he whispered. His hand started to burn her neck, and she winced at the new pain. "When I felt your arrow that day, it burned. It was just as my skin burns now," So he is hurt from it, she thought, "but a thousand times worse. And while I was in Hell, I fought demons never worth my time. The only enemy I had," his hand closed around her throat, and she closed her eyes in pain. The smell of miasma was close; his hot breath was inches from her face. "That was you."

"Kagome." She opened her eyes and saw the pure anger in Naraku's eyes. She hoped the same was being shown to him. She could feel it, all the anger pent up from years of torment from Naraku, from Kikyo, from it all. "Trust him." "And just like that arrow," he said, "your death will be a thousand times worse than the others'. I will make sure," his nails dug into her skin, "you suffer." She could feel the blood start to pour from her new wounds on her neck. It was not deep, but deep enough to break the skin, and deep enough to bring more pain.

It was enough.

Kagome closed her eyes once more and felt the burning on her palms worsen. She did not know what was happening, but her anger was skyrocketing, and it was more than enough. "Trust me, Kagome." She did—yes, she thought, she did. "Kagome…" Enough, she thought. "Trust me." And while she could feel Naraku's grip tighten against her neck, Kagome clenched her jaw and squeezed his arm as hard as she could. Why should I trust you? You aren't near, you aren't—

Naraku looked down at the woman in his grasp and felt the air around them pick up. His wrist, while it was an annoying sting, had started to burn through his skin. It was the same burning he felt from his death. He opened his mouth to comment about the burn, but his hand also started to burn. And when he went to look at her neck, he could see her shake. Something was wrong, and he had instantly let go to back away. Once he did, she had burst with pure energy. He jumped away from Kagome, but not before getting burned from the blast. Naraku's feet skidded across the small clearing, and he continued to stare at her. He groaned.

Kagome opened her eyes and immediately fell to her knees, coughing from the rush of air entering her lungs. She did not know what she had done, but when she looked up at Naraku, she noticed some of his clothes burning, with little scratches on his skin. It was similar to—she shook her head. Kagome wanted nothing with-her hand went up to her neck; it was hot. Kagome felt the little cuts in her skin, the blood smearing on her. When her hand left, she quickly glanced at her palm to see the small amount of blood. There was already blood on her back, and she knew there was more than what was on her palm.

She looked up.

This time, pure anger entered her eyes.

"Aim with fury."

And she smiled.

"You won't live long enough to kill me."

All he could do was chuckle. He was interested at the woman on the ground, her hand already reaching and grabbing the bow next to her. There were few arrows still intact to use, but she was doing all she could to stand on her two feet. And when she did, she held the bow in her red palms, ready to fight. Naraku smiled.

"We'll see about that."

0o0

"Why did you save me?"

"Maybe Rin and I are growing on you."

Left, right, left, jump—land on the branch, jump, left, right—Sesshomaru's beast was leading him toward her. He did not know how far she was in the forest, but he would go wherever he could to get to her. It was harder to control, what with his beast out for vengeance. Absurd, he thought. But he growled, understanding his defeat. The forest was a blur; the trees were decimated if they stood in his way. With each step he took, he could smell more. He could smell more of her blood, more of the vermin that was near her, and he could only guess what was going on. "Sesshomaru?" He snarled.

How could he have been so blind? He should have been smarter to realize there were no demons near them, and he should have known about the vermin deeper in the forest threatening their lives. "Just…let me go." He felt his lip twitch. No, he thought, he would not. He should not have let her go after the fight with Naraku the first time, and he should not have let things get out of hand in the forest. He would make things right, make those who had done this pay for their deeds. He felt his knuckles crack, and he heard his beast howling for blood.

His head snapped toward another part of the forest. Something was closing in on him. Branches nearby were being destroyed. When his feet hit the ground, he started to skid. Dirt and grass flew into the air and left a trail of dust. His body made contact with some trees; the wood went flying into other parts of the forest. He assumed it had looked like some sort of explosion. He breathed out; his eyes bore through the forest to see what was heading for him, and he put his hand on the hilt of his blade. He did not have time for this, and he would not waste such time. He unsheathed the sword and watched the being come to fruition.

He saw their smile, and he snarled.

"Move, Sesshomaru!"

He swung.

The winds collided.

Save her.

"Thank you."

8)

I have no excuse, really, for being away from this for 3 years. And it's pretty obvious how long it's been since I've written anything for this. BUT I updated, so yay? Three years too late? Probably? Most likely.

ANYWAY, I do plan on finishing this fic. That is actually a real, concrete goal of mine. And it might be a little OOC for the first few new chapters that'll be released, but hey. At least I'm finishing?

With that being said, I'M SO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING. I feel like such a jerk. I apologize a LOT for this, and I cannot express how much I'm sorry. So, for now, expect my apology in the form of chapters.

This is outlined out to the end, by the way, and each chapter is going to be aimed at around 5k a piece. I won't promise chapters on days like I used to (which I never followed anyway). I'll just say: I'm working on it as much as I can, so I can finish my fic and not have another WIP like I normally do.

So, if you're still with me, then I hope you enjoy the journey. What'll happen next!? Who's gonna fight Sesshomaru?! Will Kagome slaughter Naraku? You'll have to find out in the next chapter (which will be Sesshomaru-heavy, as this was Kagome-heavy, holy moly).

Thank you for reading, sorry for not updating, and all of your reviews and support are always appreciated. I love reading them.

Until next time!

TLS