INUYASHA: SEALED FATES UNLEASHED

By: Lady JenDragon

Disclaimer: Yeah…we all know the routine…not mine.

Author Notes: Don't leave yet! It ain't over till the…

…writer says so!

Chapter Thirty-Six

World Anew

Kagome snuck behind Atokiyada focused on Asaia.

They were centered in the middle of the room. It was clear she had a shot at the waterbowl. Atokiyada's reflection in the large waterbowl sitting nearby would be the perfect target. If she thought things through clearly, which she believed she had, then this would end Atokiyada's reign of terror on Earth.

"Time to put this bitch down!" Kagome said pulling the arrow back in her bowl aiming for Atokiyada's necklace reflected in the water.

She held the count to four then let the arrow fly hoping she aimed right.

"Hit the mark!" She breathed. "Hit the mark!"

The arrow arc-ed through the air. It sliced into the waterbowl, piercing the water that shimmered her reflection at her neck. Her necklace around her throat cracked, engulfed in light, then disappeared. Her eyes wide with shock, a hand immediately went to wear it once hung.

"You're time's up!" Kagome spoke firmly.

Sango, Miroku, Shippo on Miroku's shoulder, Inuyasha, KiRaRa, Tir, Rin, Jaken, and Sesshomaru watched as Atokiyada began to fade from the world. Her voice was broken as she cried out when her body dispersed in a cascade of water onto the floor.

Asaia stood smiling at the water on the floor. "Didn't see that one coming, did you?" She paused. "Sister?"

Rin, Jaken and KiRaRa cheered. Kagome felt suddenly good that it was over. They won over Atokiyada.

"I've got to read up on this story." Kagome said softly to herself. "I don't remember this being in the history books."

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Asaia stood in front of the group this time, eyeing each one.

"Mt friends." Her voice was soft. "Thank you for all your help in returning Atokiyada to her rightful place."

"Where did she go?" Shippo wanted to know.

Asaia smiled at the Fox Demon. "To a place where she goes when she's not allowed here."

Kagome frowned. "So she can come back again?"

Asaia shook her head. "Not like this again." She looked at Inuyasha who seemed a bit more quiet than usual. "Inuyasha."

His head perked up. "Uh…yeah?"

"You fought bravely." She touched the top of his head with her hand. "I will be forever in your debt." Then moved to Miroku. "As you did monk." She bent down and took his hand with the wind tunnel safely tucked away though it still throbbed judging from his expression. "For this…" She ran her own hand over his then removed the seal showing him a very small hole, the size it began when he was a boy. "I grant you the gift of time."

Miroku stared at it without the ability to comprehend the magnanimous gift she bestowed upon him. "Ah…wow! Thank you, Asaia!"

Sango stood tall beside Miroku. "What about the Night of Chaos?"

Asaia straightened noting all who looked to her for the answers. "It was an illusion." She smiled shortly as their faces all gaped open except for Sesshomaru. "I had to defend your abilities." Asaia looked to Kagome specifically. "For if Atokiyada succeeding in eliminating all miko and monk ability in the lands, we would not have won."

Kagome felt relieved. "H…how?"

Asaia smiled down at her. "The Bone Eaters well." She enjoyed the plan. "I had many years to fortify it against Atokiyada. Any who sought shelter from demons or passed through would become immune to Atokiyada's powers. I was lucky you came along Kagome from another time."

Inuyasha felt his heart begin to settle down. "So, nothing that night really happened, right?"

Asaia shook her head. "I only showed you a possibility if Atokiyada did succeed in removing your abilities to stop her."

The group seemed almost unable to speak or hold a conscious thought.

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And so they were returned to the base of the mountains where the battle with the Sand Dragons once took place. The lands were untouched by the battle, returned to its pristine condition prior to Atokiyada beginning her reign of terror.

"So, you didn't really do all that then?" Shippo inquired to Inuyasha. "Her spell made everyone believe it was all real?"

"I guess so." Kagome tried to appear happy at the fact. "It had to fool everyone, including Atokiyada too."

However, she felt deflated. Here she believed she went through hell and all this time it was some elaborate scheme to hide the truth. So, once again, her relationship with Inuyasha remained at a stand still. Still, Inuyasha hung back from them. His head had been down since they learned the truth of the Night of Chaos.

"It was all a lie." Asaia had stated softly. "I did not wish harm on anyone. I planted the protection curse in the well some time ago to fend off my suspicious sister."

"You mean…." Sango could barely believe a word of it. "The Bone Eaters well's ability to kill demons came from you?"

"Yes." Asaia shook her head. "I wanted to create a place of protection for anything that might fall into demon's hands. A place only humans could use as a retreat. Atokiyada would use demons before humans to track items she could use to facilitate her escape. However, time travel never occurred to me. That was all the Shekon Jewel…and the bond between Kagome's past and Inuyasha."

Sango glanced over at Inuyasha. "I think he's still in shock." She whispered to Miroku walking beside her.

"I would be too." Miroku pouted. "Imagine yourself making love to a beautiful woman and then finding out it was all dream. Why, that could destroy any man."

Sango fumed, taking hold of Herykotsu. Shippo bounced off his shoulder and out of the way.

"Just kidding!" Miroku put up his hands and backed away.

Kagome felt better knowing that the nightmare really was not a nightmare. That it was so vivid kind of creeped her out a bit. Still she could use some time to get over it. Would she really get over it anytime soon?

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Sesshomaru watched the group of humans and demons move off across the base of the mountains back towards their home near the Forest of Inuyasha. Asaia had not left without answering a few questions of his own.

"You believe Atokiyada will return?" This Sesshomaru was disappointed his revenge could not be exacted within an acceptable time frame.

"Not in this same manner." Atokiyada had replied standing with the full demon watching over the view of the Southern Mountains. "She can take another form but her powers are quite diminished for the time being."

"This fight will not be forgotten by demons." Sesshomaru knew he was to write this battle down before his memory failed him.

"It is the truth that begins the legend." Asaia replied simply.

With Sesshomaru left Asaia in the Southern Mountains and appeared where Jaken and Rin walked together down the winding trail through the rocky terrain. Rin talked joyously of the play-by-play battle that she witnessed and looked to Jaken for aid when she could not describe something. Jaken got testy when she appeared too enthusiastic and tried to settle her down so as not to stress the master.

Sesshomaru walked in silence in front leaving them to keep up with his pace.

NOT OVER YET….