Disclaimer: I do not own any of the copyrighted/licensed/trademarked materials mentioned in this fanfiction (from InuYasha to my references to Nine Inch Nails or Harry Potter). They are the properties of their respective copyright holders and I in no way am insinuating that I own them. (Consider it free advertising.) I only own the storyline and any new characters that may crop up.


Chapter Nineteen: Destiny's Fault

Two and a half hours later Megami's Avalanche and Senkotsuke's Silverado pulled into the driveway of their family's home. Sesshomaru exited the driver's seat and walked around to the passenger's side to help Megami out. Megami could handle the driving until the final off road portion, and so Sesshomaru received a crash course in off-roading. Sesshomaru opened Megami's door and lifted her into his arms, closing the door with his foot. On the way in the house Megami looked to the damage done to the front end of her truck and glared. She grumbled, "When this has healed I'm going to kick Senkotsuke's ass."

Sesshomaru chuckled, "Don't blame him. I told him to."

Megami just held to him tighter, "I'll still kick him for it."

"We were more worried about you than the truck. Quit being such a brat. I'm tired. You're tired. We're all tired. Let's just go inside, fall into a coma-like sleep, and iron out the wrinkles of this story when we're not fighting to retain consciousness, shall we?" Sesshomaru said.

Senkotsuke walked up beside the couple and put his hand on Sesshomaru's shoulder, "I'll handle Father. She needs to rest."

Sesshomaru nodded. "I'll take good care of her."

Sango opened the front door for Sesshomaru and Megami. Sesshomaru strode into the house and took Megami straight to bed. She fell asleep before he even laid her on the bed. He stripped down and changed into a pair of sweats that he left in her room. Sesshomaru crawled under the covers and held Megami to his chest as he drifted off to sleep.


Megami and Sesshomaru slept undisturbed for thirty-six hours. When Megami awoke, she carefully crept out of the bed and went to her full length mirror. With tender, aching muscles, she stripped off the tank top and the dressings on her wounds. Her ribs were still bruised slightly and the stab wound had healed to a slight gash. In the mirror's reflection she saw Sesshomaru begin to stir. Megami turned to him slowly, whispering, "Good morning."

He stretched and looked out the windows, "But it's not morning."

She began to unhook her bra, "It's an expression. I think I'm going to take a shower." She tossed the garment aside and untied her hakama while walking into her bathroom. Sesshomaru heard the sound of Megami turning on faucets, followed closely by running water. He rose from the bed and meandered into the bathroom. Megami stood with her hakama around her ankles wearing black cotton panties, and she was unlacing her gauntlets. The jewel shard lay on her bathroom counter top.

"That should be in a safer place," Sesshomaru said.

"After the hell I went through to get it, the only place it's going is into Kagome's hands. If anything tries to take it I'll disembowel them where they stand." She tossed her gauntlets on the other side of the counter and pulled her panties off. Megami turned and hopped into the shower, moaning slightly, "Ahhhh, God, this feels great. I felt like I had been dipped in grime."

Sesshomaru leaned against the doorway and just watched her, from shampooing her hair to the final rinse. As much as my mind should be in the gutter with thoughts of ravishing her, I'm just overjoyed to see her alive. He watched her with love in his eyes.

When Megami stepped out of the shower she saw the look in his eyes. "What?" she asked, feeling a little self-conscious.

He smiled at her, "I am just so thankful that you lived."

Megami walked over to Sesshomaru and hugged him. "You know I could never leave you."

He kissed the crown of her head, "I know." He tenderly took her face in his hands and kissed her long and deep. They both broke away breathless, and just held each other. Sesshomaru finally caught his breath and managed to say, "Get dressed. I'll go take a shower and meet you downstairs." He kissed her forehead and left her room.

She nodded, picked up a comb, and went to work on her thigh-length hair. Once she finished combing her hair, she grabbed the pendant from the counter and left the bathroom for her closet. Feeling the need to relax, Megami simply put on a pair of Grumpy Bear pajama pants, black tank top, and black fuzzy slippers. She strolled out of her room and down the stairs with the pendant protectively clutched in her left hand. Once reaching the hall leading to the kitchen, Megami looked at the clock. It was nine forty-five in the evening. Holy shit … What day is it? She wandered into the kitchen and found two large Ziploc containers in the refrigerator; one with her name on it and the other with Sesshomaru's name on it. Megami pried hers open and saw that her grandmother had made them up mock bento boxes with rice balls, hand rolled sushi, sashimi, dumplings with dipping sauce, and assorted vegetables. Megami's stomach growled as she mumbled, "I love you, Grandma." She grabbed a pair of chopsticks and sat down to devour her meal.

Megami had a piece of sashimi halfway to her mouth when she heard someone say her name. She turned around to see Senkotsuke standing in the doorway. "Hey!" she beamed.

Senkotsuke rushed and gave her a hug, "Don't worry us like that again, okay?"

"I don't plan on it," she hugged her brother with one arm while the other held her sashimi aloft.

Senkotsuke let go and took a seat across from her. "Hey, where's Sesshomaru?"

She wolfed down three pieces of sashimi before answering, "He's in the shower. Why?"

"Well, Dad and Grandpa have been frothing at the bit for you two to wake up. They didn't dare wake you up in your condition though." He lowered himself almost flat against the table and leaned towards Megami, "They've been acting so strange. Dad's been pacing. Grandpa's almost pulled out his beard, and Grandma just keeps praying. I mean, you were stable when we brought you home. There was no reason to worry. They keep asking if you're awake and sending me or Kintotsuke to check on you two. It's been fucking weird."

Megami slowly chewed on a piece of sushi, mulling over what Senkotsuke said. With her free hand she rubbed the crescent on her brow deep in thought. Father knows something. Kagome felt this coming. "Senkotsuke," she began softly, "do you remember what Mother and Father always told me about my markings?"

"Yes. That they were different from mine and must be kept secret."

"Did they ever say why?"

"Not that I recall. Do you know?"

"No," she sighed, "But we will soon. Kagome told me before we went to the lake that she felt that something important would happen. When I first met Lord Sesshomaru, he told me that his mother had once told him that his mate would also bear the crescent. Now that I have been discovered by the others, everything must come to light. Dad can't keep this from me forever. I have asked him so many times why I have to hide my markings when you didn't have to hide yours." She ate a rice ball then continued, "At least I don't have to hide from him anymore."

"Who?" Senkotsuke asked.

"Sesshomaru. I don't have to conceal anything from him anymore. The blunder at Hot Lake just exposed my biggest and most well guarded secret. To tell you the truth, after two hundred years, it feels good to get that off my chest. Oddly, it was hardest to hide it from him. The moment I saw him I wanted to blurt it out and tell him, but then I began to fear that since I was the last he would want me only for propagation." Senkotsuke looked concerned. "I have already talked to him about that. You heard him at the lake, Senkotsuke; you know better."

"I know, but I can't help but worry for my baby sister."

They heard footsteps in the hall and Megami leaned back to see who it was. Sesshomaru came strolling down the hall wearing his black cargo sweats and a white "wife-beater" undershirt. His bare feet treaded on the carpet silently and then made the lightest of slapping sounds as he crossed onto the linoleum floor of the kitchen. Sesshomaru looked to Megami's container and raised an eyebrow. "Is there more of that?"

"Yeah." Megami pointed at the fridge. "Grandma made one for you, too."

Sesshomaru grabbed his makeshift bento box and the pair visited with Senkotsuke while they finished their meal. After a half an hour, Sesshomaru reclined in his chair, stretched his legs out and said with a content sigh, "I don't think I've ever been so hungry before in all of my life." Right as he spoke Kagome came walking into the kitchen.

"Oh! You're awake!" She trotted over and hugged Megami. "I'm so glad you're okay."

Megami hugged her back. "Thanks." Megami reached into her pocket and produced the jewel shard. "This belongs to you now. Keep it safe," she said as she dropped it into Kagome's hands. Kagome looked at the pendant in wonder before hooking the chain about her neck. The pendant hung beside the vial containing the other shards. Megami continued, "What are you doing up? Shouldn't you be getting some rest for the baby?"

"The cravings are kicking in. I can't stop thinking about strawberry ice cream topped with salsa," Kagome groaned.

All three dog demons put their hands over their mouths. Senkotsuke appeared to be slightly green as Megami said, "You go right ahead, Kagome." Kagome began to rummage through the freezer for the ice cream then grabbed a jar of salsa out of the fridge. She scooped herself a bowl of ice cream and poured liberal amounts of salsa over it. Kagome opened the silverware drawer for a spoon when Jinkaru roamed into the kitchen.

His eyebrows flew upward when he saw Megami and Sesshomaru sitting at the kitchen table. "You're awake. I'd appreciate seeing all of you in the sitting room." Megami and Sesshomaru got out of their seats. Kagome moved to sit at the kitchen table. Jinkaru spoke again, "That meant you two as well." Kagome and Senkotsuke hesitantly joined the others and tailed Jinkaru to the sitting room. Sango and Shippo were already seated across from a solemn Totosai and Yamashita. Senkotsuke sat beside Sango as Kagome sat next to Shippo. Shippo looked into her bowl greedily until he saw its contents. He placed his hand over his mouth as he made a small "geh-hep" gag-like noise. After Megami removed her slippers, she and Sesshomaru sat together beside Kagome and Shippo as Jinkaru sat beside his parents.

Jinkaru took a deep, nervous breath as he began, "Megami, you know we've always worried about you the most. You were always so willful, persistent, and so damn rebellious. It wasn't just because you are the youngest. It wasn't just because you are the last female dog demon. It was because you were all those things and you bore that marking," he motioned to his daughter's forehead. "I've never explained why you had to be so secretive of it. I only want you to know that I did it for your own good. I did it only to protect you."

"Father …" Megami began softly, but Jinkaru raised his hand.

"Don't interrupt, little one. Let me finish. This is too important. Now that we have the last three shards, you all have to hear this. It concerns all of you." Everyone looked to Jinkaru with wonder and curiosity.

"How could this concern all of us, Jinkaru?" Sesshomaru asked.

"You will see, my lord." Jinkaru motioned to his mother and father. Yamashita pulled an old scroll case from beneath the table and held it to her chest.

Totosai croaked, "Sesshomaru, while reading all those books that Kagome's grandfather gave you, you may remember a certain 'Prophecy of the Stars.' It is a piece of lore from the end of the Feudal Era. It was recited by none other than Megami's great-great grandmother, from her mother's side, nearly a hundred years before the child was born."

Everyone perked up.

"Grandfather, how do you know that?" Senkotsuke asked.

"I was there," he answered. "But what else is not known about it is that your great-great grandmother was a half demon."

"What?" Senkotsuke and Megami shouted.

"Yes," Jinkaru said. "Your mother had traces of demonic blood in her. That is why you have markings. Half demons usually are not born with them, but you are slightly more than half, my children."

The siblings sat silent. Megami looked as though she had swallowed a Saimyosho.

Totosai turned to his granddaughter and said, "Her nights of vulnerability plagued her much as yours do." The old fire demon continued, "The original recording of this prophecy has been closely guarded by this family. Upon Megami's birth, it was guarded even more vehemently because we knew it concerned her … and we had a suspicion that Sesshomaru was not dead," Totosai turned to his wife, "My dear, it is time."

Yamashita carefully opened the case and slid the aged scroll out. She laid the scroll on the table and gently rolled it open. With a shaking voice Yamashita read its contents.

"In the land of eternal rains
Seven shall face the Fiend in the guise of six
Mortal mother with demon children
Demon and slayer one in heart
And twin souls bound by a crescent moon
Joined in love their powers become threefold
Without their unity the battle will be lost
And the Fiend will consume all in flame
When the blood flows from the innocent
Only a selfless wish will restore life"

Yamashita rolled the scroll back up and placed it in its case while shaking.

Totosai took the initiative. "We planted a bogus prophecy in its place to confuse Naraku and his followers. That is the one Sesshomaru read in those books on feudal lore."

"That is what the dead spirits were always trying to tell me during my periods of vulnerability," Megami choked out. "I was always in such a hysterical state that I never listened. I heard so many voices during those days that I just tried to ignore everything I heard."

Sesshomaru looked about the room to his companions. They all sat in a state of shock. Kagome absentmindedly ran her fingers through Shippo's hair. Mortal mother with demon children … Sango and Senkotsuke were holding hands and staring into space. Demon and slayer one in heart … He lastly looked to Megami and she looked as if she were about to retch. Her complexion was a blend of ash and green with only her golden eyes and cobalt crescent showing any true color on her face. Twin souls bound by a crescent moon, joined in love their powers become threefold … He touched his own marking and looked around once more. "I was right," he muttered.

"What?" Kagome asked.

"At your house, Kagome, the night we came through the well. I was right when I said it was all supposed to play out like it has. This was meant to happen. Your mother telling us of your family's prophecy; it all fits. We were supposed to come here. We were destined to meet Megami and her family. All of this is destiny's fault."

Megami balled her fists and stood in a fury. Sesshomaru looked to her, "Megami?" She said nothing. Her shoulders tensed and her mouth was tight-lipped. Tears began to gather in her eyes and they glittered in the soft light. "Megami?" Sesshomaru tried to get her attention again and reached for her hand. She retracted her hand sharply.

"Don't touch me!" she hissed. Megami turned on her heels and strode out of the room.

"Megami?" Sesshomaru called after her, only to hear her footfalls break into a flat out run. Sesshomaru rose and took flight after her.

Kagome, Sango, and Senkotsuke sat speechless. Senkotsuke put his arm around Sango and rubbed her shoulder. Senkotsuke finally managed to address his family, "You mean to tell us that all of the horrible things that they endured, the battle at Hot Lake, everything leads up to this?"

Jinkaru bowed his head. "Yes, son, it seems that things do happen for a purpose. The longer you six dwelled here, the clearer this prophecy became to us. Kagome's pregnancy and her love for Shippo clearly marked her as the Mortal Mother. Her family even knew that she was meant for something great." He looked to Sango and Senkotsuke. "The way Megami tells it, you two have hardly been able to resist each other from the moment your eyes met." Jinkaru's eyes darkened as his thoughts turned to Megami. He sighed heavily. "You all may not realize it, but keeping Megami's markings concealed was necessary for her safety. The crescent is a rare marking for demons. Those born with them are known for their strength and ferocity. In the hundreds of years I have spent evading Naraku and doing what I could to undermine his plans, a few things became clear. Naraku may have hated InuYasha with every ounce of his blackened soul, but of the two brothers he feared Sesshomaru most. He feared Sesshomaru's strength because he knew the superstitions of the crescent marking." Jinkaru looked to Senkotsuke critically. "If your sister's marking was a well-known fact, she would not have survived infancy. She would have become the target of every one of Naraku's assassins and they would not have hesitated to kill a baby. The hell I have endured from Megami for roughly two hundred years is nothing compared to what could have happened to her."

Sango softly spoke, "Jinkaru, Megami will understand."

"I know," he muttered. "I just wanted everyone to understand the burden we have bore. It was not easy for us, either. It's not easy for a parent to know that their child is meant to confront such evils. But to know now that two of my children have to fight Naraku …" The aging dog demon hung his head.

Kagome lifted Shippo into her lap and hugged him tightly. Her eyes filled with tears as the full weight of Jinkaru's words hit home. Shippo returned Kagome's hug and asked, "What's wrong, Kagome?"

Kagome wiped her tears away and smoothed Shippo's hair back. "Nothing, Shippo. I'm fine." She looked to Jinkaru and met his eye. "I just need to call my mom."


Sesshomaru was out of the house in a blur tailing Megami. He saw her bolting headlong into the woods but he was gaining on her quickly. The trees blurred by as he gave chase. Megami wove down the path, dodging bushes and low hanging branches. Sesshomaru came within arms reach of Megami and grasped her left wrist. She tried to shake his grip, but he held to her. "Megami! Stop!" She slowed to a stop and he saw that her face was streaked with tears. "What is the matter?"

Megami rounded on him while growling, "Am I just an accident? Are your feelings for me just a side-effect or something?"

Sesshomaru bristled slightly. "How could you think that, Megami?"

"Fault!" she bellowed. "Destiny's fault?"

"I didn't mean it like that, Megami! Damn it!" Sesshomaru drew her close and cupped her face in his hands. "Megami, destiny may have caused a lot of pain and turmoil for me and the others, but it also brought us together. It was meant to happen; the good and the bad. And I accept all of it graciously. I wish that some of it didn't happen, but everything happens for a reason." He kissed her tenderly yet possessively. "Megami, you taught me how to love without denying it. I used to think that it was a flaw, a weakness to love someone. My God, Megami, can't you see what you've done to me?" Megami stared at him utterly breathless, nodding weakly. Sesshomaru softly ran the pads of his fingers around the arch of her crescent, "This not only marked us for destroying Naraku. These crescents mean we are the same, Megami; two parts of a whole. If someone had told me these things six months ago, I would have annihilated them for insinuating that I would 'lower' myself to love. But now I understand why my father died to save InuYasha's mother. I understand why my mother sang to me when I was hurt. I understand why Miroku and InuYasha died the way they did. I would lay down my life to protect you." Megami's angry tears melted into joyous weeping. Sesshomaru wiped away her tears and whispered, "You never answered me the other night, Megami. Are you up to fighting beside me, fighting with me?"

Megami whispered, "Yes."

"Are you up to loving me and, Kami willing, our children?"

Megami answered, "With everything that I have in me."

Sesshomaru rested his forehead against hers, "I want to be with you forever."

"I will never leave your side."

Their lips joined passionately as they held each other tightly. Sesshomaru gently slid his hands down her sides and grasped the hem of her tank top. He slowly pulled it over her head, allowing their lips to part only to remove the garment. Sesshomaru nipped at her bottom lip gently as his clawed fingers unclasped her bra. He pulled the fabric from her reverently and looked into her sparkling amber eyes. Megami blushed softly in her innocence and reached timidly to remove his shirt. Sesshomaru helped her to remove his top by lifting his arms and bending slightly. Megami tossed the "wife beater" away and coyly brought her hands to his torso. She slowly traced the magenta-stripe markings on his ribs and abs. Sesshomaru carefully ran a claw in a line from her bottom lip, down her throat, between her breasts, and to her navel. Megami gasped softly as his nail ran down her body. She brought her hands up to his jaw and closed the space between them. She tilted her head upwards as Sesshomaru leaned his neck down to meet her. They kissed each other with ardor and admiration. Sesshomaru wrapped his arms around Megami and lifted her.

He carried her into a patch of wild ferns and gently laid her upon the soft, springy earth. Sesshomaru knelt beside her and commenced kissing his way down her body. As he neared her navel, his fingers grasped the waistband of her pants and panties. His hands began to inch the garments from her body as his lips stopped beneath her belly button. Once Megami lay before him completely uncovered, Sesshomaru allowed his eyes to examine every inch of her. He drank in every detail of her body while she blushed from her inexperience. Sesshomaru leaned over her and kissed each blushing cheek. "You have no reason to be embarrassed, my lady."

"I'm … I'm just nervous," she admitted.

He kissed her reassuringly. "Don't be." Sesshomaru stood slowly. Megami watched him as he carefully pulled down his sweatpants and anything that may have been on beneath them. Sesshomaru kicked aside his discarded clothing and looked to Megami. Her eyes gave away her eagerness and her fear. He knelt at her feet, and Megami slowly parted her legs for him. Sesshomaru gradually positioned himself. He looked Megami square in the eye. "This can wait," he said. "If you are not ready all you have to do is tell me."

"I am ready. I only fear that I will disappoint you."

"You could never disappoint me."

Megami leaned up and kissed him fervently, "I am ready, my lord and my love."

"Megami," Sesshomaru whispered. Without another second passing, Sesshomaru entered her and tore down the last vestige of her maidenhood. Megami gasped and raked her claws into his shoulders as the tears of a maiden's pain pooled in her eyes.

As the moon traversed the night sky, the mating cries of two inu youkai caressed the stars and shook the trees.