Chapter 31

Gliding through the skies, the group spotted the dust cloud that was InuYasha. He was moving faster than they had ever seen him move before, and it was a sign that he would be trouble. This entire altercation wasn't going to be pretty, and Sesshomaru was sure it would end in a battle between brothers.

"Please don't kill him." Kagome looked up to her mate, her eyes wide and pleading. For a moment, Sesshomaru cursed himself for meeting her gaze. He would never be able to deny her when she looked at him like that. He had a feeling it would be the same way when his pup was born.

"I will try. However, if he insists, even after I try to deescalate the situation..." He turned his gaze back to InuYasha, his hand tightening on Kagome's side. "You are my priority, and though This Sesshomaru knows you will be angry, perhaps even hate me, I will kill him if it comes to protecting you."

"It won't go that far. InuYasha would never hurt me." She held determination in her voice, and Sesshomaru hoped for her sake she was right.

"Let us hope it doesn't come to a fight. There will be two pregnant women present, and when InuYasha fights, there are always causalities or injuries." Miroku was contemplating what was about to happen, his hand fidgeting on his staff. All of them, excluding Sesshomaru, was nervous about how this was going to turn out.

InuYasha spotted them floating in the air, and they watched as he skidded to a stop. He set down Kikyou, and then drew his Tessaiga, pointing it straight at Sesshomaru. "Come down here, ya bastard. I'm going to kill you for what you did."

"What exactly did I do, Fool?" Sesshomaru sneered, fangs glistening in the sunlight. "It is my understanding that you believe I killed Kagome, and yet here she is, more than alive. Can you not see?"

"Fuck you! You may have brought her back, but I know you still killed her. I saw you hovering over her body, and I'll kill you for it." The hanyou brought back his sword, ready to swing it. Sesshomaru snarled, sending out his whip and knocking the blade from InuYasha's hands.

"You imbecile. You attempt to attack me while the Miko is in my arms." Already Sesshomaru was ready to kill his brother. It amazed Sesshomaru, and infuriated him, how InuYasha preached about revenge for Kagome, but would be willing to attack while Kagome was so close.

"Then let her go free, and we can get this show on the road." InuYasha could only watch as Sesshomaru slowly made his way over to Kirara. Gently the daiyokai helped Kagome to sit on the firecat, and only when she was holding on to Miroku's robes did he finally face InuYasha.

"If it is a battle you want, InuYasha, you will get it." Lowering to the ground, Sesshomaru stood tall and proud. His youki swirled around him, his hair whipping back and forth from his anger. "You would dare to endanger my mate, and for that, you will suffer."

"Mate!" InuYasha screeched, eyes wide with horror. "You raped her? I'll fucking kill you!" InuYasha lunged, intent on digging his claws into the daiyokai. He refused to stop long enough to hear anything that even resembled the truth. He continued to come up with his own assumptions.

"Sit boy!" Kagome yelled suddenly, making the hanyou crash to the ground. Sesshomaru growled, looking up to his mate with a clear reprimand. She ignored him. "He didn't rape me InuYasha. I love him. Kirara take me down."

The fire cat meowed, doing as Kagome asked. Miroku and Sango tried to stop Kagome, but she didn't listen, climbing off of Kirara and marching straight up to InuYasha. He tried to get up, but she stopped that real quick with her temper. "Sit! You are going to sit there and listen to every word I say. Do you, sit, understand me."

"Koneko." Sesshomaru was smirking, not hiding his amusement at his little spitfire. She turned her glare on him, and he raised an eyebrow. At that moment, he found the little Miko more than arousing. They would have to finish this quickly so they could return to his Shiro.

Turning back to InuYasha, Kagome squatted down beside his hole. "Titan was Sesshomaru. I know you are going to be angry that I didn't tell you, but I couldn't. We had dreams every night were Sesshomaru and I got to know each other better, and eventually, we fell in love. No, I am not under a spell, curse, or anything else you conjure up. I really do love him."

"You expect me to believe that." InuYasha forced his head up, glaring at Kagome. "There is no way you would fall in love with someone so cold. He sure as fuck doesn't love you. He ain't got no heart Kagome."

"Your wrong. He does have a heart; he just doesn't show it much." Kagome's voice was soft. She was trying to stay calm and make InuYasha understand. "He didn't kill me. Naraku did. He came out of nowhere, and I pushed Titan out of the way. That was how Sesshomaru got his body back. Sesshomaru saved me with the Tenseiga."

"Even your half-breed nose should have smelled the stench of the spider." Sesshomaru couldn't help but aggravate the situation, and Kagome glared at him again. He was unphased and smirked in response to her warning gaze.

"Ignore him for right now. He's too arrogant for his own good." This time she let InuYasha sit up when the spell wore off. She plopped down to her backside as he did the same, arms crossed and not looking at her. "I know this is hard to believe, but I promise its true. I really do love him."

"You left me for him? You think he's better because he's a full demon. Y-"

"That is not true, and you know it. I have never thought any less of you because of what you are." Kagome sighed, trying to think of what to say. She didn't want to hurt InuYasha any farther. "You chose Kikyou. She is pregnant with your baby. I never stood in your way, InuYasha. If she made you happy, then I was happy. I hope you can give me the same courtesy. You're my best friend, and I don't want to lose you, but romantically we went separate ways."

"That is not true." Sesshomaru once again cut in, turning his gaze to Kikyou who stepped back from him. "This Sesshomaru could not smell it before because Titan's nose was not strong enough. The scent is clear now. The baby in her womb is not InuYasha's. It smells of spider."

"Fuck you, bastard. That isn't true!" InuYasha jumped up, pointing a clawed finger at the daiyokai. "You already got Kagome, and now you are trying to ruin what I have with Kikyou. Can't you just let me have something without getting in the way."

"You wield the Tessaiga, do you not." Sesshomaru looked back to InuYasha, face as impassive as it normally is. "Do not blame me, because your dead priestess is a traitor. The babe does not carry the scent of her either. It is purely Naraku." Everyone gasped as they realized exactly what that meant, and they all looked to Kikyou, even as Sesshomaru continued. "Ask her, InuYasha. Ask her if she carries Naraku's incarnation in her womb?"

"K-Kikyou?" InuYasha took a step towards her, not wanting to believe anything his brother was saying. He didn't think Kikyou could betray him like that. However, as he watched her, he was beginning to wonder. She was glaring at everyone, her head held high, even while she continued to step back and away from the questioning gazes she was receiving.

"What if it is true, InuYasha?" She turned to the hanyou, watching as he flinched back as if he had been struck. "Will you turn away from me? Will you deny our love because I wish to have a family with you? My body is made of clay. I cannot conceive as a woman normally would."

"But, it's not a baby. It's a part of Naraku, one that is going to try and kill us all." InuYasha's ears were flat on his head, his voice tight. He was looking at the ground, unable to look at anyone, especially Kikyou. "I gave up Kagome for you, for us. She was the only one who ever loved me no matter what I was, and I… I pushed that away, because of you."

"InuYasha." Kagome could feel the tears stinging her eyes. Her hand was clenched over her heart. She hated seeing her friend so upset, but there was nothing she could do. InuYasha would have to heal from this betrayal on his own.

"You would rather have had my copy-"

"Don't." His tone was full of warning. InuYasha finally looked up, eyes angry and full of hatred. "Don't talk bad about her. Never again Kikyou."

"What now then, will you kill me?" Kikyou looked from each person, meeting the eyes of them all.

It was Sesshomaru who chuckled, deep and threatening. Any that heard it normally died. "It would behoove you to kill that abomination in your dead womb. This Sesshomaru cannot imagine that Naraku will allow you to live once he is done incubating whatever it is inside of you. Perhaps it will claw its way out. A sight I would quite enjoy."

Kikyou's eyes widened for a moment. They all saw the fear there, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared. The cold Kikyou they were used to was back, and she turned towards Kagome. She would target the Miko that she had despised from the beginning. "You allowed the beast to impregnate you, and yet you call yourself a priestess. You are a demon's whore."

"At least I'm alive to get pregnant, Kikyou." Kagome wasn't going to let Kikyou's words tear her down anymore. "And my baby is just that, a baby. None of us are sure what it is that you carry. Spout your words at me all you want, but we all know I came out on top in this situation. I wouldn't wish anybody to be in your shoes."

"You think you are superior to me?" Kikyou yelled, her anger tipping her over the edge. The more Kagome talked, the more infuriated she became. "I am the true owner of this soul. You are the copy you stole it."

"Who did you steal it from, Kikyou? You keep calling me a copy, but then who are you a copy of. You are not the first owner of our soul, and I am not you. A reincarnation is always a better form of the incarnation. How else would we learn from our mistakes? That is exactly what you are, Kikyou. A mistake." Kagome turned her back on the woman, making her way back to her mate.

The moment she did so, Kikyou drew her bow and notched an arrow. She never even got to draw her string tight before Sesshomaru was there, his claws in her throat. "You are no match for this one, nor will that abomination be more than an annoyance. Return to Naraku. Tell him that I will be the one to kill him, and when he is no longer a coward, he can find me, so we end this once and for all. It is time the spider sullies his own hands." Letting her go so her soul collector could gather her up, Sesshomaru moved away from Kikyou. He stopped long enough to step on her bow and break it clean in half.

"Keh. I need to be alone." InuYasha looked to Kagome, his eyes going to her stomach. He visibly winced and then disappeared in the opposite direction of Kikyou. InuYasha had learned more than he ever expected on this day, and they all felt pity for him. He had lost so much because of a greedy woman full of hate.