Thank you for you patience. Hopefully the next few chapters will come out
faster than this one did. The story is about 98% complete, but I'm planning
a sequel. Thanks again, you guys are the greatest.
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Kagome's invasion of their home has worried Kikyou. If that unholy copy of her could so easily break through the barrier spell, surely the powerful Lord Sesshoumaru or any lesser youkai could break through and kill them both if they wanted to. With his typical self-assuredness, Inu-Yasha had tried to comfort her, but it didn't work very well.
"We should leave," she urged him. "With the power of the Shikon no Tama and the Tetsuiga we can go where ever we want to."
"Feh. Why leave? Cause of one stupid girl?" he said flippantly. He would have never told her that he too was worried, but it wasn't just Kagome that bothered him though, it was her unlikely alliance with his half-brother. He knew that Sesshoumaru was a fierce opponent, and their was not enough vanity, even in Inu-Yasha's proud heart, to make him believe that he could even hold his own ground against the onslaught of his ruthless brother as a human. Still, to be able to live a normal life with his true love had been worth the sacrifice. He only hoped now that his life would not be cut short by his brother's ruthless nature.
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Sesshoumaru and Kagome walked on in silence, but they were closer than they had been for days. Sesshoumaru thought through his plan of action again and again, trying to find a loophole in his mother's orders. "Five hundred years shall pass," she said, "To your body they will be only as five years, to your heart as five million, but you must do this so that you do not create a trap for Kagome's soul. You must leave her in her time, and not go back through the well again. Ask of her before you leave her the "date" and "year". Always remember these. One day they will make sense. When the date and year are the same as those you have remembered you may meet her by the well again. To her it will be as if minutes passed."
The words "you must do this so that you do not create a trap for Kagome's soul" rang through his head. A trap for her soul. No chance of nirvana. No chance of reincarnation. Nothing but the constant living and reliving of the same chain of events. "I cannot do that to her," he said to himself with finality.
"Kagome," he said as he turned toward her, "Do you love me?"
"Of course I do," she answered with a smile.
"Would you wait for me if I asked you too?" he asked softly.
"I would wait until the end of time."
He smiled a little, and took her small hand in his own. She would wait for him. Now he must see how strong he really was and wait for her.
When at last they reached the barrier spell, Sesshoumaru gently let Kagome's hand go. He couldn't meet his bastard half-brother clinging onto a girl's hand. He was the Lord of the Western Lands after all. "Why are you hiding behind this cheap excuse of a spell?" he asked in a bored tone. "Do you think that I, the great Lord Sesshoumaru can not break it into a million pieces at will? Come out here and stand up to me, at least honor the demon blood of our father."
Kagome stepped in front of Sesshoumaru. "Inu-Yasha, she called out. We don't want to fight you. I only need to get home. You're the only one who can bring me there." With that the barrier spell faded, and revealed Inu- Yasha and Kikyou standing side by side. Kikyou had her bow loaded and aimed at Sesshoumaru's heart, while Inu-Yasha burnished his sword ready to slaughter the whole lot of them. Neither said anything but the looks on their faces told the group not to step any closer.
"What are some stupid human and his wench going to do to me?" Sesshoumaru said blandly. "I should kill you both for even thinking you stood a chance against my power."
"Sesshoumaru!" Kagome whispered under her breath. "You aren't helping anything." He was stunned. He knew she was an outspoken woman, but to defy him in front of his enemies. It was almost too much for him.
"All of you listen to me," she said out loud. "I have been thinking for a while and I have a plan. I need to get back home, and at least tell my mom and grandpa what happened. Sesshoumaru needs the killing sword to destroy his enemies in the North. And Inu-Yasha needs the protection of Sesshoumaru if he's going to survive anytime at all with the Shikon no Tama."
"I don't need him," both Sesshoumaru and Inu-Yasha said at the same time. Everyone looked a little startled, even Sesshoumaru.
Kagome continued. "I say we call a truce to this feud for the time being. We can pick it up again later if you guys still want to kill each other off, but for now I think it would be the best for all of us if we could try to get along."
"So what you are saying," Kikyou said as she lowered her bow, "is that you and this demon will help us, if we fight against his enemies."
"I never said I would help you," Sesshoumaru said calmly.
"But the tetseiga could kill your enemies much faster than your armies could no matter how well trained they are," Kagome said matter-of-factly. Sesshoumaru was silent as he thought of this. The tetseiga would be of great help to him considering the size and force of the rebel army. He hated, though, to show any sign of weakness. If only. . .
"That human would never survive the onslaught of thousands of oni," he said pointing to Inu-Yasha. "He would need to be by my side, to remain there, and follow my commands as though I were his god."
"I wouldn't ever. . ." Inu-Yasha started, but Kikyou hushed him.
"Are you stupid? That weak girl broke our spell, what do you think an oni searching for the Shikon no Tama could do. Even if it is purified, evil oni are still drawn towards it. Lord Sesshoumaru could protect us from them. I can see his heart has changed and he will keep his word," Kikyou said.
Inu-Yasha was still fuming, but at last he dropped his sword and walked up before Sesshoumaru. "I will fight with you, but I will never be your slave."
Sesshoumaru was about to rip his throat when Kali's voice spoke in his mind, "Remember, my lord, when he was a baby and you only wanted to protect him, remember the way you felt before his mother shunned you. This is your brother; you are the mighty sons of the Great Demon Lord. You should fight as equals."
"I have enough slaves," Sesshoumaru said regally. "What I need now is a warrior."
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Kagome's invasion of their home has worried Kikyou. If that unholy copy of her could so easily break through the barrier spell, surely the powerful Lord Sesshoumaru or any lesser youkai could break through and kill them both if they wanted to. With his typical self-assuredness, Inu-Yasha had tried to comfort her, but it didn't work very well.
"We should leave," she urged him. "With the power of the Shikon no Tama and the Tetsuiga we can go where ever we want to."
"Feh. Why leave? Cause of one stupid girl?" he said flippantly. He would have never told her that he too was worried, but it wasn't just Kagome that bothered him though, it was her unlikely alliance with his half-brother. He knew that Sesshoumaru was a fierce opponent, and their was not enough vanity, even in Inu-Yasha's proud heart, to make him believe that he could even hold his own ground against the onslaught of his ruthless brother as a human. Still, to be able to live a normal life with his true love had been worth the sacrifice. He only hoped now that his life would not be cut short by his brother's ruthless nature.
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Sesshoumaru and Kagome walked on in silence, but they were closer than they had been for days. Sesshoumaru thought through his plan of action again and again, trying to find a loophole in his mother's orders. "Five hundred years shall pass," she said, "To your body they will be only as five years, to your heart as five million, but you must do this so that you do not create a trap for Kagome's soul. You must leave her in her time, and not go back through the well again. Ask of her before you leave her the "date" and "year". Always remember these. One day they will make sense. When the date and year are the same as those you have remembered you may meet her by the well again. To her it will be as if minutes passed."
The words "you must do this so that you do not create a trap for Kagome's soul" rang through his head. A trap for her soul. No chance of nirvana. No chance of reincarnation. Nothing but the constant living and reliving of the same chain of events. "I cannot do that to her," he said to himself with finality.
"Kagome," he said as he turned toward her, "Do you love me?"
"Of course I do," she answered with a smile.
"Would you wait for me if I asked you too?" he asked softly.
"I would wait until the end of time."
He smiled a little, and took her small hand in his own. She would wait for him. Now he must see how strong he really was and wait for her.
When at last they reached the barrier spell, Sesshoumaru gently let Kagome's hand go. He couldn't meet his bastard half-brother clinging onto a girl's hand. He was the Lord of the Western Lands after all. "Why are you hiding behind this cheap excuse of a spell?" he asked in a bored tone. "Do you think that I, the great Lord Sesshoumaru can not break it into a million pieces at will? Come out here and stand up to me, at least honor the demon blood of our father."
Kagome stepped in front of Sesshoumaru. "Inu-Yasha, she called out. We don't want to fight you. I only need to get home. You're the only one who can bring me there." With that the barrier spell faded, and revealed Inu- Yasha and Kikyou standing side by side. Kikyou had her bow loaded and aimed at Sesshoumaru's heart, while Inu-Yasha burnished his sword ready to slaughter the whole lot of them. Neither said anything but the looks on their faces told the group not to step any closer.
"What are some stupid human and his wench going to do to me?" Sesshoumaru said blandly. "I should kill you both for even thinking you stood a chance against my power."
"Sesshoumaru!" Kagome whispered under her breath. "You aren't helping anything." He was stunned. He knew she was an outspoken woman, but to defy him in front of his enemies. It was almost too much for him.
"All of you listen to me," she said out loud. "I have been thinking for a while and I have a plan. I need to get back home, and at least tell my mom and grandpa what happened. Sesshoumaru needs the killing sword to destroy his enemies in the North. And Inu-Yasha needs the protection of Sesshoumaru if he's going to survive anytime at all with the Shikon no Tama."
"I don't need him," both Sesshoumaru and Inu-Yasha said at the same time. Everyone looked a little startled, even Sesshoumaru.
Kagome continued. "I say we call a truce to this feud for the time being. We can pick it up again later if you guys still want to kill each other off, but for now I think it would be the best for all of us if we could try to get along."
"So what you are saying," Kikyou said as she lowered her bow, "is that you and this demon will help us, if we fight against his enemies."
"I never said I would help you," Sesshoumaru said calmly.
"But the tetseiga could kill your enemies much faster than your armies could no matter how well trained they are," Kagome said matter-of-factly. Sesshoumaru was silent as he thought of this. The tetseiga would be of great help to him considering the size and force of the rebel army. He hated, though, to show any sign of weakness. If only. . .
"That human would never survive the onslaught of thousands of oni," he said pointing to Inu-Yasha. "He would need to be by my side, to remain there, and follow my commands as though I were his god."
"I wouldn't ever. . ." Inu-Yasha started, but Kikyou hushed him.
"Are you stupid? That weak girl broke our spell, what do you think an oni searching for the Shikon no Tama could do. Even if it is purified, evil oni are still drawn towards it. Lord Sesshoumaru could protect us from them. I can see his heart has changed and he will keep his word," Kikyou said.
Inu-Yasha was still fuming, but at last he dropped his sword and walked up before Sesshoumaru. "I will fight with you, but I will never be your slave."
Sesshoumaru was about to rip his throat when Kali's voice spoke in his mind, "Remember, my lord, when he was a baby and you only wanted to protect him, remember the way you felt before his mother shunned you. This is your brother; you are the mighty sons of the Great Demon Lord. You should fight as equals."
"I have enough slaves," Sesshoumaru said regally. "What I need now is a warrior."