Chapter 35

With a small grunt, Kagome opened her eyes only to see pitch black. She blinked a few times, but even her youkai sight couldn't pierce through the darkness. Dust and mold filled her nose, the stench so strong she nearly gagged.

"Sweet, sweet Kagome," a sinister voice called out. "We are reunited at last."

An image flashed in her mind, a man she'd never seen before. He was a ningen, though he wore soldier armor carrying the symbol of the north. He had a thick mass of unruly dark hair held back by a green head band. His eyes were kind. They were a brownish green color and just underneath his left eye was a perfectly round beauty mark.

The image disappeared as quickly as it came, making Kagome frown. 'What was that?' she thought.

In a dramatic show, several candles were lit simultaneously, lighting up her surroundings. She sat up, looking around in a near panic. Just a few moments ago she was on the battlefield with her friends, but now she was sitting on the wooden floor of Naraku's room in his castle. The hanyou himself was sitting across from her, grinning from ear to ear. His narrowed red eyes were focused intensely on her. Sweat beaded across her brow. She tried to stand to her feet but found that her hands and feet were chained to the floor. All she could do was sit there and watch him watch her.

He was back in his ningen form, toying with a lock of his wavy hair. "It's been a long time, milady."

Kagome glared at him. "Not nearly long enough."

He chuckled. "There's that spark I've been missing. Tell me, how has Lord Sesshomaru been treating you this past year?"

Kagome bristled, her hatred spiking at him speaking of Sesshomaru so casually. She tried to break free of the chains. She tried to summon her whip and poison claws, but nothing happened. It was the same as when he had her drugged and immobile. Only this time she had her memories still.

"Trying to flee is pointless, love. Unlike before, your body isn't the thing that is confined. It's your mind. While your body is still out there on the battlefield, your conscious is here with me. And this time there is no escaping."

Pausing, she asked, "Where are we?"

His brows lifted ever so slightly. "You do not recognize this room? It is where we made love countless times."

Her upper lip twitched in disgust. "No, I mean, where are we? We were just on the battlefield and you transformed into some gross dragon creature."

"Ahhh, yes. I merely allowed a friend of mine to take over my body to repay a debt. You have heard the stories of Ryukotsusei, haven't you? The greatest dragon to ever live, a creature who was so powerful that even the gods could not kill him."

"Why?" she breathed. She'd heard stories of the dragon and the sword he was turned into, but that was thousands of years ago. Most people thought it was merely an old tale. "Why would you possibly want to unleash something like that? A demon like that, he isn't capable of loyalty. He will kill you all the same."

He smiled widely. "Why, indeed, milady. The dragon cannot kill me. We are now one and the same. To kill me he would only kill himself."

"But what is the purpose of reawakening him? What is your endgame?"

He tilted his head curiously. "Before I answer that, let me ask you something first, Kagome. In the entire time we spent together, have you ever wondered, why you?"

Kagome's hateful glare never wavered. "Does it matter? I was an anomaly, the first born female heir in all of Japan. My blood was craved by countless youkai from all over. You are not the first to try and kidnap me."

"Oh, hai, that is very true," he said on a chuckle. "But that is not the reason I chose you." He then sighed, giving her an exaggerated hurt look. "It's amazing. Three hundred years later and you still don't know who I am. Tsk tsk."

She scowled. "You're a sick, evil hanyou spawn who should have never been born."

He laughed again, this time with delight. "On the contrary, my dear, I was never born. I was created."

Her brows crinkled with confusion. "What the hell are you talking about, Naraku? Enough with these mind games."

He stood to his feet and turned his back on her, looking out the window. It was dark out, though the purple/black miasma that always surrounded the castle tended to make it that way. "Allow me to tell you a little story. As I said, I wasn't born a hanyou, my sweet. I was full ningen. In fact, I was one of your father's soldiers."

"You're lying," Kagome snarled, yanking against the chains. "Father would never allow someone like you to be in his ranks."

"Oh, but he did. I was ningen, hai, but by the time I turned 18 years of age I was already a master swordsman. I went by the name of Onigumo."

Kagome frowned deeply. "Onigumo?" As the name rolled off her tongue, that image flashed in her head again, the kind-eyed man with the wild hair.

Naraku peaked over his shoulder at her, smiling softly. "Sounds familiar now, does it?"

Kagome didn't say anything. She gnawed at her lip, her eyes squinting in remembrance. That man…had she ever seen him before? She couldn't recall. But that name sounded so familiar.

Naraku continued. "Hai, I was in the army under a ningen lord in the north, but my skills and strength eventually caught the attention of Keito-sama. When I was 25, he offered me the position to be a member of an elite group of warriors under him. This went on for about two years. I, along with the others, would carry out secret missions to the other lands, mostly the east. It was the year 1129 and I'd just returned from the east to deliver the details of our latest mission to Keito-sama. He allowed us to stay in the guest rooms for the next few days to rest before heading back out. And that first night…" he sighed softly, his eyes sliding closed as look of pleasure settled on his face. "That night at dinner was the very first time I laid eyes on you. You were dressed in a pink and white kimono; your hair was left flowing behind you. Ahh, you were so incredibly beautiful I couldn't take my eyes off of you. For the next few days I would only see glimpses of you, but each time I felt my heart fill with love. You were the only thing I could think of. I knew from that first moment our eyes made contact at the dinner table you were the only one for me."

Kagome only continued to frown in confusion. "1129…I was only 86 years old! (11 years old to humans) I was a mere child. How could you have possibly-" Kagome's mouth snapped shut. If she didn't think he could be any more disgusting, she was sorely mistaken.

He waved that away. "In my eyes you were nearly three times my age. Anyhow, we left the castle to continue on with our work. However, I couldn't focus on anything else. You would plague my thoughts during the day, haunt my dreams at night…I loved you in such a way that you had become my entire world. But alas, I was a mere human. I aged far faster than you. I would die from old age before you even reached maturity. And that depressing knowledge is what led me to seek out another way."

Kagome, still disgusted, swallowed thickly. "What do you mean another way?"

He turned to fully face her. In the blink of an eye he was kneeling before her, using an ice-cold finger to brush back a lock of her hair that fell in her face. She cringed at the touch and bared her fangs, but he didn't even bat an eye. He sat directly in front of her, forcing her to look into his eyes.

"What I mean is, I wanted to become a youkai. I wanted that immortality so that I could live a long life. Become a full-blooded inuyoukai so that I can court you and make you my mate. However," at this, his eyes darkened, his aura spiking in a menacing way, "no matter how many bloody people I asked, or how hard I trained to show I'm worthy, or how many favors I performed, none of those selfish bastards would transform me. So I did what I had to do."

Fear crept up Kagome's spine. She had a sinking feeling that the next part of his story wasn't going to be a happily ever after.

"I sought out many different Inuyoukai, captured them, and fed from their blood on my own. When that wouldn't work, I feasted on their flesh." He licked his lips at that, making Kagome's stomach turn in repulsion. "Even after consuming over a dozen of them, in the end all it did was make me sick for weeks. Yet I was still ningen. Nothing was working."

Kagome swallowed back bile. She had a vague memory of her father and Touga-sama and several others discussing heatedly over inus being found dead across the lands. But she was so young, and it was so long ago that she wasn't sure if it was real or not.

As if reading her mind, Naraku's lips twisted. It was cross between a smile and a grimace. "In my desperation, I left a trail of bodies behind. Of course, your father and Touga sought out to avenge whoever was killing their kind. They eventually followed my trail to where I was hiding in a cave. I'd just finished off another Inuyoukai when they set fire to the cave. There was only one way in and one way out, so obviously I was trapped. The flames reached me, and I was burned alive. They then threw my dying body at the bottom of the Bone Eater's well, an escapable graveyard where the remains of any living creature would become food for the underworld."

His face relaxed and he sat back, playing with that loose end of Kagome's hair. "As I lay dying, I heard a voice call out to me. Do you know what that voice was?"

Kagome shook her head rigidly. He smiled. "It was Ryukotsusei's voice calling out to me through the demon sword So'unga. He sensed my desire for you, and so he made a pact with me. He would turn me into a youkai and in return I followed his instructions on how to exact my revenge and set out to claim you as my own." He slapped a hand over his forehead and laughed heartily. "He called forth a hundred youkai to feast on my flesh and when I awoke, I was no longer Onigumo. I became Naraku. From then on it was a simple matter of obtaining the Shikon no Tama, manipulating the dragons of the east, and…well, you know the rest. So to answer your question, my sweet, my endgame is very simple. I care nothing for conquering the lands or any such foolishness. That was Ryukotsusei's goal." He smiled at her look of horror. He cupped her cheek in his hand and leaned so close to her that they were nearly touching noses. "All I wanted was to possess you as my own. And now I have you."

He forced his lips to her, ignoring her protests and squirming. Kagome was powerless as he brought his other hand up to her neck, squeezing painfully. Her breathing was cut off, his sharp nails digging into the tender skin. She whimpered softly, straining against the chains that held her steady. Chuckling, he kissed a path down her neck, licking at the blood he'd produced there. "Stop!" she shouted, but it was no use. She knew her begging for him to leave her alone only made him want her that much more.

She closed her eyes tightly, silently pleading for an escape. Naraku slid his purple haori top off his shoulders. He then used his free hand to rip her own top down the middle, all the while continuing to lick down her neck.

"Kagome, wake up!"

Eyes still closed, Kagome's brows twitched at the distant voice. Inuyasha? He sounded so far away.

Wait a minute…Who was Inuyasha? Her memories were fading fast. She didn't understand what was going on. Who was this person kissing her?

"Fight it, Kagome! You're stronger than this! Wake up!" this time the voice was a female's. It sounded familiar, but…hell, who was it? She couldn't remember a thing. Who's Kagome? Is that her name? Was someone calling for her?

"Ignore the voices," the man before her said smoothly. There was something sinister in his tone, but even as he continued to kiss her, something didn't feel right. His hand became tangled in her hair. "I am all you need," he growled in her ear. "Nothing and no one else matters. You are mine, forever."

She didn't understand. Even as she felt uneasy with this man touching her, she had to trust him. Right? She didn't even know who she was. But he seemed unconcerned. Maybe he was right. "Yes," she whispered softly. She forced herself to relax, laying back on the wooden floorboards.

He chuckled deep in his throat. "That's it, my sweet. You're mine. Only mine. Open yourself to me."

It felt so wrong, but she didn't know why. This man on top of her could be trusted…right?

"Kagome wake up! I will not lose you again!"

That voice…It was different from the others. It was such a deep commanding tone. And yet it was filled with so much passion. It sounded so familiar, so…peaceful.

A slightly foggy image flashed in her mind. A tall inuyoukai with long silver hair and narrowed amber eyes. He was beautiful. At his side was what looked like a little child clutching his pants leg. And he held something in his arms. As the image cleared, she could see the man was holding a baby. She could see a tiny head with short black hair peeking from under a cap. The baby turned in his arms and innocent amber eyes blinked at her.

In that moment, every last one of her memories returned to her with a crashing force. Inuyasha, Sango, Sesshomaru…They were calling out to her. Naraku was growling, demanding she return her attention to her.

But reality was already sinking in. The chains holding her broke free. The scene around her was quickly fading away. She opened her eyes, and she was no longer in the room. She was nearly 100 feet off the ground, her body clutched in one of the many arms of the dragon-spider hybrid. On the ground below she watched as her friends were fighting the monster. In the back of her mind Naraku continued to call for her, but the more she focused on the battle, the more distant he became.

The giant hand holding her was growing tighter and tighter. Soon enough she'd be crushed completely. She watched as Sesshomaru dodged a ball of flames from the dragon. She knew as long as the monster held her no one could unleash any attacks for fear of killing her. Hell, even if they did use an attack Kagome had a feeling they would all be useless. The great lords of the past and even the gods couldn't even kill Ryokotsusei. His skin was impenetrable, his power so strong no one could even get close without bursting into flames.

And yet Kagome was here. Perhaps it was Naraku's doing that was protecting her from the heat. But what could she do? Her sword was lost somewhere down below, and she couldn't move, let alone transform into her true form.

"This evil, it is far stronger than any youkai, miko, or monk. No being would be powerful enough to defeat it. However, there was only one solution. If a powerful miko managed to give birth to a Daiyoukai, a child with both spiritual and demon powers, there would be hope."

Kagome paused, her father's voice sounded inside her head. A Dai-inuyoukai with spiritual powers. That's what she was.

She closed her eyes, calling for her inner powers. She remembered the knowledge Midoriko bestowed upon her. With a whispered chant, Kagome felt a searing heat spread through her body. When she opened her eyes, they were glowing pink. The pink light soared from her body, incinerating the giant monster's hand. Ryukotsusei let out an ear-piercing shriek as his entire arm vanished to ashes. Kagome was dropped.

Fortunately, Kirara flew beneath her, catching her in the air. "Thanks, girl," Kagome said as she hopped off, landing on the ground.

She looked around, worry gnawing at her as she looked at her friends. Kouga and a few other wolves from his tribe were greatly injured, barely able to stand. Sango lay on the ground unconscious while a bleeding Miroku slowly crawled over to her, his hand outstretched. Inuyasha was struggling to sit up while Kikyo stood in front of him, holding a barrier as a swarm of youkai attacked. It was holding strong, but Kagome could look at the miko and tell she couldn't hold out much longer. Kazu was lying faceup, one of his arms missing. He was alive, but he was clutching his open socket. Bankotsu and Sesshomaru were still fighting Ryokotsusei, but they were both bleeding pretty badly. Even Kagome felt drained, especially after using so much of her spiritual energy. And though she'd incinerated a good bit of the monster, he was still raging as if unaffected.

She picked up her fallen sword, breathing hard. The sword felt heavier than she was used to due to her waning strength. Across the way Sesshomaru's eyes met hers. They widened a bit, and even from the distance she could tell he was worried.

His momentary distraction cost him. With dismay, Kagome watched as the dragon swung his long tail at Sesshomaru, sending him flying across the ground. His body bounced several times before finally coming to a stop. This time, he didn't get up. He was so still Kagome feared the worst. She felt tears in her eyes and let out a small sob.

Her hands curled into fists at her side. Her head was lowered. "You've hurt my friends, killed my family, and ruined thousands of lives. Naraku and Ryukotsusei, you two are both the most vile, despicable creatures to ever walk this earth. However, I will not allow you to continue on this way." With each word she spoke, her rage grew to soaring heights. Wind swirled around her, whipping her stray hair to and fro.

Ryukotsusei faced her completely, something akin to a smile forming on its face. The aura around him was so powerful and dark, yet Kagome's own fought against it. She was born for this very moment. Slowly, she raised Rinkaiga high above her head. "You cannot simply be sent to hell. You do not deserve that kind of mercy. And so I will completely wipe you from this existence."

Her sword glowed bright pink with blue sparks. Her friends around her lifted their heads enough to watch the scene before them. At the tip of her sword, a black opening appeared, and two massive inuyoukai, a full-sized dragon, and a humanoid youkai all leapt out. They all attacked Ryukotsusei, who roared in retaliation. One inu was had sleek blue-black fur, and the other had moon-white fur. The dragon was red with a long red-black mane flowing down his back. The humanoid youkai held out his hand and released a spell that momentarily immobilized Ryukotsusei. The red dragon wrapped its massive body around the hybrid, and the two inuyoukai used their colossal jaws to bite down on Ryukotsusei, holding him in place. The monster struggled against the four youkai and it wouldn't be long before he broke free. Kagome had to act fast.

Kagome used her strength to jump as high as she could. When she was at Ryukotsusei's head, his red eyes glared at her. When it opened its mouth to shoot out flames, she arced her glowing sword above her head. "Leave this world forevermore!" She swung her sword down and a large pink blast shot from her sword, ripping Ryukotsusei down the middle. His and Naraku's combined cries could be heard as their body was incinerated. The pink blast was so bright it was near blinding, but Kagome continued to watch as the purification swallowed them whole before the whole thing disappeared completely, including the four ancient youkai.

Kagome landed on the ground in a crouch, her breathing hard and raspy. As Ryokotsusei and Naraku faded to nothingness, the remaining dragons and youkai completely stopped. The swarms of youkai disappeared, and several hundred dragons dropped to the ground before their bodies crumpled to ashes. The ones who remained all faced Kagome, bowing to the ground before her. Several of them had been under Naraku's control due to the Shikon Jewel, while others had served under Takemaru. And with both of them no longer alive, they had no ruler.

She felt entirely drained. She knew her body would give out at any moment. No longer able to hold it, she dropped Rinkaiga. She herself was about to fall to the ground.

But a strong pair of arms caught her. She blinked her eyes open, only to see sapphire-colored eyes smiling down at her. Her father was encased in an ethereal glow, but he felt so real.

"Hime," he said, tears welling in his eyes. "Well done." He hugged her tight. Kagome felt tears sliding from her eyes as she hugged him back.

"Arigatou, father," she said softly.

Finally, it was all over.

…

Inuyasha was in so much pain as he lay on the hard ground. Kagome…wow. He'd been so afraid that they were fighting a hopeless battle. He'd fought his hardest and nearly died in the process. Hell, he still felt like he was dying with the amount of pain he was in.

An aura he'd never felt before washed over him. 'Great, what now? More fighting?' he grumbled in his mind. He'd thought the battle was over after Kagome killed that giant monster thing. But there was anymore fighting left, he was wiped completely. He couldn't even move his limbs. For the first time in his life, he simply didn't want to fight anymore. So if someone currently approached him with an attack…

Bah, if he died then so be it. He'd carried out his duty. He'd fought alongside Kagome, he'd protected his friends and brother until the very end. All he'd wanted was a place to call home. And thanks to Kagome, he'd found that. He didn't need anything else to carry on in life. His mission was fulfilled.

"Don't tell me you're giving up just like that, Inuyasha."

The man who spoke had such a deep baritone, one that was even more commanding than Sesshomaru's. Which Inuyasha didn't think was even possible given his brother's arrogance. He lifted his head a fraction, his eyes widening in shock.

Touga Taisho, dressed in his traditional white, gold, and red, crouched in front of him. His features were harsh, though there was a tenderness within his golden eyes. A corner of his lips was turned upward in a small smile.

Inuyasha suddenly had enough strength to push himself up to a sitting position. He gazed up at the imposing figure. The man's white hair was pulled into a high ponytail and there was a single jagged stripe on each of his cheeks. Inuyasha's mother had described his father to him, and he'd seen a few paintings, but never once did he ever think this day would come.

"F-father?" he asked softly.

Touga smiled fully this time. "Hello, son."

Inuyasha felt his face heat and he lowered his head, using his bangs to hide his eyes. 'Dammit! I am a man! I will not cry!" He thought, biting his lip.

His father chuckled, the low rumble sounding from deep in his chest. "I have longed for this day for centuries," he said. He reached out and Inuyasha felt a big heavy hand pat him on the head affectionately. "I am sorry for everything you have endured in your life, son. But, I want you to know, I am so proud of you."

Despite his mental scolding, Inuyasha felt hot tears slide down his cheeks. He looked up at his father, who was smiling warmly. "I love you, son. This is not the end for you. Live a long, happy life. Taisho blood flows through your veins, after all. Giving up is not in us."

Inuyasha furiously wiped at his eyes. He couldn't say anything. He only nodded. Touga gave another bright smile before rising to his full height. "I will be watching over you on the Otherside, Inuyasha. Take care of your brother for me. He's…oblivious when it comes to expressing his emotions."

Inuyasha snorted dryly. "You're telling me."

Touga chuckled again and began to walk towards Sesshomaru. He was still lying face down when Touga approached. Inuyasha watched in wide-eyed amazement. For the first time since the day he was born, he'd seen his father in person. He'd spoken to him. All his life he'd had so many questions to ask and things to say to his father, but in the end, he'd heard the words he'd longed to hear. "I am so proud of you."

Ah, damn. He felt more tears coming on, so he forced himself to focus on something else.

Like the miko running towards him, for example. Inuyasha opened his mouth to make a sarcastic comment, but he found himself speechless when she threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. His cheeks burned as he blushed deeply, unsure of what to do.

"I'm so glad you're alright," Kikyo whispered. She pulled back a bit, and Inuyasha could see her worried look. Before he could guess her intention, she brought her lips to his.

…

Sesshomaru gazed up at his father, who had a white glow around him. "My time is nearly up, Sesshomaru," Touga said to him. "In just a few moments I will have to return to the Otherside. You've done well."

Sesshomaru's cold mask slid into place, though inwardly he was pleased. He hadn't seen his father in so long. He still carried the pain of his death with him, but it wasn't nearly so bad now that he had his brother and Kagome.

Speaking of Kagome, Sesshomaru looked across the way to see her pulling away from her own father, who was also glowing in a saintly white light. He thanked all the kamis above that she was okay. His father followed his gaze, smiling softly.

"When everything is settled, do not waste anymore time in claiming her as your own. With the history you two share, you two very much deserve to be happy together."

Sesshomaru nodded absently. "Hai. You were right all those years ago, father. Her strength and power, both mentally and physically…she is really extraordinary. I now understand why you did what you had to do for Lady Izayoi."

Touga smiled down at Sesshomaru with genuine delight. "Indeed, son. It's about time." He turned his back on Sesshomaru and began walking away. "Sesshomaru, I feel at peace that you are able to move on from the past. And congratulations on having Shizuka-chan. She will make a very fine ruler one day."

Sesshomaru nodded, a smirk curving his lips as pride filled him. Yes, his daughter and any other children he and Kagome had would carry on their legacy and lead the lands to incredible heights. "Farewell, father."

Without looking back, Touga waved a hand at Sesshomaru. "Take care, son." With that, he and Keito disappeared in a flash of light.

Despite the pain lingering in his body, Sesshomaru felt…good. As if a giant weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He looked over at Kagome who turned to face him. At once, they both ran towards each other. She wrapped her arms around him, kissing him deeply. Sesshomaru returned the gesture, pouring all the love he felt into it.

When they pulled apart, Sesshomaru peered deep into her eyes. "Kagome…marry me. Become my mate. I want to cherish you, and overcome every obstacle with you, and simply spend the rest of this life and the next with you by my side."

Her eyes watered even as she smiled softly. She leaned her forehead against his. "Yes, Sesshomaru. I would like nothing more."

Warmth filled his chest, and his heart beat madly. It was as if he was a young boy again seeing her for the first time. He'd fallen in love with her and had been ever since. The war was finally over, and though there was many more objectives to complete with the north and the east, as long as he and Kagome were together, there was nothing they couldn't overcome.