Mirrored Future

By Amazonian21

Chapter 11

Recap: "I would still feel better waiting to discuss this until everything with Naraku is settled," Kagome said, sighing at the thought of what they knew lay ahead. It was going to be a long day, whenever it occurred.

"You won't have to wait long," a new voice interrupted them, as a figure strode up the hill towards them. Sango came into sight, looking worried and tense.

"Naraku's been sighted coming this way," she said, looking between the miko and the demon lord. "It looks like today is the day we've been waiting for."


Though his face betrayed no expression at the demon slayer's announcement, Sesshoumaru was thrilled. At last; the final battle with that arrogant and annoying evil hanyou. It was about time. He'd hated waiting on the cowardly annoyance to show his face. Sesshoumaru had decided early on that attempting to track the elusive half demon would be a waste of time. Chasing around the countryside after something that wouldn't always leave a trail was a fool's errand and beneath him. Still, it had rankled. Sesshoumaru did not like leaving the choice of when and where he would fight up to his opponents.

Today, however, he couldn't bring himself to mind too much. He was assured by the mirror that they would be victorious this day. It would just be one more personal victory to add to the ever growing list he'd recently started. He'd recovered a lost family heirloom. He'd bossed his stupid half brother around, even into leaving the side of someone he'd sworn to protect, no easy task. He'd killed an annoying dead miko. He had just kissed a delicious living miko and had set her straight about their future.

He was invincible. He was untouchable. He'd slipped so far into his habitual battle-ready cold front that he was a little delusional. Perfect; it was the best time to fight ultimate evil.

Kagome, on the other hand, was a lot more nervous. She wasn't necessarily worried they'd die, though that fear could never fully leave her. She knew what was coming; she'd seen it all in the mirror. Yes, she knew they would win. Yes, she knew Naraku would be vanquished and they'd reclaim and purify the Shikon no Tama. But she also knew that they would all get some pretty nasty bumps and bruises along the way. It's impossible to rush into a fight with a ton of possessed demons and a tentacle waving hanyou without getting some slashes, gashes, and minor broken bones. The humans, at least, would be feeling some discomfort tomorrow.

She also remembered that at the end of the battle Sesshoumaru would walk up to her in front of all her friends and smooch her publicly.

That would be something difficult to explain. She couldn't imagine a conversation that wouldn't be really hard to get through. You don't just flippantly say, 'Oh, hey, guys... Have you met my new boyfriend, the cold, rude, attempted murdering demon lord Sesshoumaru? Yes, that same Sesshoumaru who's been showing up random afternoons to pick fights with our friend InuYasha. Oh, so you have met.' Right, this would be a piece of cake.

She wanted to kiss him again, sure, but did it have to be in front of InuYasha of all people? Sango and Miroku would have been bad enough, but at least they were reasonable people. And Sango knew all about it anyway. She would be even more of a calming influence, or at least a little muscle power to help sort things out.

Oh, no, Shippou would be there! He was an impressionable young kitsune! He still wished InuYasha would be nicer to Kagome so she wouldn't have any reason to leave. The little kit was a romantic at heart- he wanted them to get together, be happy, and be the mom and dad he'd lost so long ago. How could Kagome tell him that would never happen?

Kagome occupied herself with these trivial little thoughts as she followed Sango up the hills to join the others in the nearby valley meadow. She dwelt on little things like kisses and kitsunes because they distracted her from the bigger, badder things coming up. Future emotional fear was a good diversion from more immediate physical pain.

Battle was harsh. She'd lived through many of them, and they never got any easier for her. InuYasha, Sesshoumaru, and Kouga would rush into the thick of the fighting, weapons and claws flashing, blood flowing, withstanding blows that would kill a human man in seconds. They would fight without fear because they had inhuman regenerative powers and superhuman strength and speed. They always acted with courage, but their physical natures made them incapable of understanding the raw, visceral fear that comes from knowing that one bad gash, one un-dodged blow, one inch to the left could end your life. They never had to think about bleeding to death from a cut two inches wide. They never had to worry about a lingering death from infection. They never had to worry about shattered bones, blindness, crippling...

Battle was only truly a trial by fire for the weaker, ephemeral humans who faced it repeatedly and still returned to fight again, even knowing they could be crushed like bugs in milliseconds.

InuYasha and Sesshoumaru would relish this fight because they could discount the upcoming pain. Their bruises would fade in hours and their cuts just as quickly. Neither of them ever watched as Miroku silently rubbed his aching and cramping palm, suffering intensely from the constant curse. They never saw Sango wincing as she rotated sore shoulders and worked the stiffness out of a leg that hadn't properly healed years after one particularly nasty break. And this battle would give both of Kagome's friends plenty of scars to nurse for the next couple of weeks.

Yes, Kagome would not think of such things. Sesshoumaru was going to kiss her again in a couple of hours and that was all she needed to worry about.

Sesshoumaru walked on ahead of the two women, scouting the land ahead. He would make sure that the miko was not walking into any dangerous situations unaware. He anticipated relishing the battle, yes, but he felt uneasy and worried about the little miko walking behind him. She was strong, yes, and had survived many dangerous encounters that should have ended in her death. She had the ability to protect herself to a limited degree and wouldn't be a liability in battle. Still, she was his future mate. And looking at her, she suddenly looked even smaller and more delicate than she really was. She would need him; she would need his protection and his strength.

He could provide that. He would see to it personally that the miko was unharmed during this battle. It was his duty and his right as her new protector.

He surreptitiously watched her as they walked, eyes turning towards her under lowered lids. He looked as though he concentrated on the road ahead, but his attention was solely for Kagome.

He saw the way she darted quick glances at him when she thought he wouldn't notice. That made him smirk. It was good to be in his mate's thoughts, even at a time like this. He watched her hair as it cascaded around her shoulders in a dark, silky river's flow. It caught the light and threw back a deep blue reflection, looking for all the world like a deep, rich, evening stream, cool and refreshing. She was beautiful.

Kagome didn't notice his attentions or his small smiles, but Sango did, and it made her oddly happy. It was reassuring to know that the intimidating TaiYoukai cared for her friend, even when no one else was looking. If nothing else, the miko would have superior protection in the upcoming battle. Inu youkai were fiercely loyal and protective of their loved ones. Sesshoumaru would make sure her friend stayed as safe as possible.

Sango and Kagome walked side by side, sharing the comradery of silent sisterhood. Kirara padded silently behind them like a sentinel, tense and alert. The fire demon could feel the approaching evil and it made her nervous. She wouldn't relax until she knew her human was out of harm's way, and all the approaching demons had been disposed of.

The two girls didn't say much to each other. There was nothing to be said that hadn't been said a thousand times before.

Except, of course, "Sango, if I die, you can have my backpack."

To which a snorting Sango replied, "Oh sure, you're only saying that because you know you'll live."

Well, it was true. But it still brought small smiles to the girls' faces, and they'd both desperately needed that small comfort.

"I feel like I'm supposed to be up acting on stage when all I've read are the Cliff's Notes," Kagome huffed as they crested the final hill.

"I feel like I have no idea what you just said," Sango replied, once again confused by her friend's future banter.

"It's just as well," Kagome sighed. Similes weren't for everyone.

They reached the top of the last hill. The valley below would be where they made their stand against Naraku. Kagome could recognize the setting as identical to what she'd seen in the mirror. There were the same trees, the same general layout, and the same small stream off to her left. The sight down in the valley's meadow, however, made the whole world slow down and zoom in on the figures in front of her.

InuYasha stood still and proud, a living and breathing work of art come to life. The bright red of his haori stood out in gloriously sharp relief against nature's green background, his silver hair whipping about him as if jealous that his attention stayed fixed on some point far in the East. He looked older and stronger in that moment than he ever had before. Kagome had to wonder if the maturity that lay so newly across his brow was real, or just a trick of the early evening's fading light. Either way, it made him look like a gorgeous, beautifully familiar stranger. He was rugged, strong, and entirely focused, and in that moment Kagome could completely forgive herself for falling in love with him once upon a time. She would have been a fool not to.

What really made the scene picturesque, however, was the lithe and composed figure of the TaiYoukai coming up to stand behind him and to the left. He stopped three feet away from the hanyou, his attention fixed on the East as well. Both beings shared the same hair and eye color, and both presented unnaturally striking figures, but there was not much to physically link them beyond that. Sesshoumaru was no living marble; he stood so still and sure it was impossible to detect any sign of life from her vantage point on the hillside lookout. The only things moving were his shocking lengths of silver hair, flowing and waving softly to the ends, dancing around his torso lovingly in the small evening breeze. His stark white haori next to his brother's completed the amazingly optimistic picture of the valley: white, red, and green. Purity, passion, and life.

Kagome desperately wished she had a camera. It was a moment worth remembering forever: Brothers Prepared for Battle. It was such an amazing sight to see; power, strength, determination, loyalty, and an overwhelming feeling of rightness all flowing from two such dissimilar men. It was as though even the ground the brothers stood on recognized that they were the world's first and best defense against an evil that never should have existed in any time, in any universe. Kagome felt lucky to witness this; there were so few who could appreciate the significance of Sesshoumaru and InuYasha standing on the same side of a battle with no blood drawn between them and no barbs thrown.

Well, no barbs that she could hear, anyway.

"I see the time has come for me to save your worthless hide yet again, halfling," Sesshoumaru said as he walked up to stand by InuYasha's side.

"Keh, you wish," InuYasha replied, eyes never leaving the horizon. "Ten to one says I'll be the one to save your sorry ass before the night's through," he countered, fully prepared to rise to his brother's baiting.

"He'll be here in moments," Sesshoumaru stated, sure that his brother's inferior senses would be unable to sense Naraku clearly from this distance.

'I can tell, you condescending jerk," InuYasha muttered, but his heart wasn't in it. He kept sniffing the air, looking for something. Or, someone.

He could smell Sesshoumaru clearly. His scent wasn't strong, but his presence exaggerated its effects. Sango was cresting the hill. Miroku and Shippou were walking up from Kaede's village. A cool breeze blew Kagome's scent down to him, and it immediately soothed his ruffled nerves as he'd so longed for it to do. He'd missed her while she'd been gone and had been anxious to see her again since he'd been chased away from the well. But even her smell wasn't what he sought.

Where was Kikyou? The miko knew the battle would be coming soon, she'd said as much herself. She should be here amongst the defenders, helping them to win the fight against their common enemy. But so far, she was nowhere to be found. He hadn't even seen sign of those damned soul catchers anywhere. What was going on?

He didn't have long to dwell on it, however, because his full attention was captured by the group of warriors assembling around him and his half brother. Sango looked fiercely determined. Miroku was making great strides towards appearing serene, but even his brow was creased with worry. Shippou looked scared, but the little kit was trying so bravely to hide that fact. He wanted to fight, and wanted to help, and today he would get his chance.

Kagome, who he'd expected to either start chattering endlessly in an attempt to cheer them up and distract herself from her own nerves or to be about ready to throw up from fear, was the calmest and surest of them all. She looked like this whole battle was a foregone conclusion with the outcome assured.

It pissed InuYasha off a little. Who was she to look so damned at ease right now? She was the weakest out of everyone! What right did she have to be so centered when he, a battle hardened hanyou, felt so nervous and edgy he could chew through tin cans? He wanted to poke her, or to taunt her childishly to get a rise out of her.

He made a move towards her to begin his pestering until he was stopped abruptly by a low, almost inaudible rumbling growl. It was clearly a growl of serious warning, leaving no doubt in the most primal center of his brain that he really, really should not take another step in the same direction.

He looked over to Sesshoumaru. He almost couldn't believe that such a protective sound could come from someone so distant, but the proof was right in front of his eyes. This time Sesshoumaru wasn't making any pretense about being disinterested in the miko. He stared InuYasha down with intense direct eye contact, broadcasting his message loud and clear. The miko was spoken for and was not to be harassed.

InuYasha felt his hackles rising in contestation, his demon nature urging him to submit a counterclaim for his friend's affections. One look at his brother, however, showed that this was a fool's idea. This demon was no Kouga to mess around with in childish fits of jealousy. He was no wimpy wolf demon who held only a passing affection and interest in Kagome. This was a true demon lord who'd made his decision and was fully willing to stand by it, even with gruesome violence.

InuYasha told himself he just didn't have time to deal with the white menace properly at the moment. He had other, much more important things to worry about. Like kicking Naraku's ass. It had nothing to do with the fact that he knew, down to his bellybutton, that Sesshoumaru would make short work of him with the mood he was in.

He let out a small, 'Feh!' and turned to heckle Shippou. The little demon had been the only one of the group who also picked up Sesshoumaru's message. He looked confused and a little alarmed, but had decided to put it out of his mind. It couldn't mean what he thought it meant. That would be absurd.

This whole exchange was lost on the humans present. None of them spoke possessive demon fluidly enough to have caught it. They spent their final peaceful moments exchanging small words of comfort and assurance and checking their weapons and supplies.

Sango and Kagome had spoken at length about the remaining prophecy and what would occur today. They had decided to tell Miroku about what Kagome had seen of Naraku's defeat. The monk deserved to know what they knew concerning their upcoming success. It could boost his morale and give him something sure to fight for.

They'd opted not to tell Shippou. The little kit couldn't keep a secret to save his life, and wouldn't have the maturity to know that just because you know how something can end doesn't mean you don't still have to work to get to that point. They decided not to tell InuYasha both because they hadn't seen him much in the past days and also because he liked to gloat and trash talk too much. He could inadvertently give away some information that would give Naraku the edge at the worst possible moment.

So it was that the field was occupied by the generation's greatest team of defenders; one hanyou, one demon lord, one small kitsune, one lecherous monk, one demon slayer, one fire cat demon and one untrained miko. It was a motley crew to the untrained eye, but even the elements around them held their breathes in silent respect and appreciation.

And then, the first wave of lower demons broke through the tree line. The war was upon them all.

Without another word, everyone set to work. Kagome dashed to the side, trying to get some distance between herself and the thickest part of the hordes. She would need a good couple of yards to be able to use her arrows to greatest effect. Shippou covered her retreat, blasting the surrounding demons with his newly developed fox fire abilities. He would stay near her during the battle, protecting her flanks from any demon who got too close.

Sango and Miroku chopped their way through the crowd, Sango with her boomerang flashing, slicing through demons with surprising ease, and Miroku with his charged holy staff, beating off demons with skill and style. Kirara covered the two from land and air, ruthlessly destroying all demons who came too near. Sango and Miroku made an amazing fighting team. Their bodies twisted, turned, and thrust in tandem, establishing an intricate and entirely unconscious partnering. They were unaware that to Kagome, from the sidelines, their movements took on a complicated, graceful dance quality, beautiful in its strength. Both had such confidence in their bodies' willingness to obey their every command- there was no hesitance in any strike, no faltering, and no lapse in concentration. When Miroku and Sango fought together all else was pushed aside. They were beautiful demon killing machines.

InuYasha darted in and out effortlessly amongst the demon horde. This part of every battle with Naraku was never thrilling or exciting, it was just tedious and mildly nerve wracking. He and any other demon present would have very little trouble defeating the oncoming youkai as long as they were smart about it and moved with efficiency. He usually just had to remind himself to hold back and conserve energy for the real battle with Naraku, when the bastard finally decided to show his face. No, the real strain came from knowing that one unfortunate strike could seriously injure one of his human companions. Especially Kagome; the girl had a knack for falling down.

InuYasha went to move himself in front of Kagome as he always did, blocking her from the brunt of the swarm's attacks. He discovered, however, that someone else was already standing where he'd wanted to be.

Sesshoumaru had planted himself in front of Kagome, silently offering her his protection. He was a graceful, deadly whirl of flashing blades and icy precision. He was effective and unbeatable. He wasn't even breaking a sweat.

He was in InuYasha's spot.

InuYasha growled and once again wanted to punch through his bastard brother's face to the other side, grab a fistful of hair, and tie it all in a pretty bow around his neck. This could not go on. Something needed to be done. Unfortunately, now was not the time. The jerk may be abrasive and invasive, but he was also handy with a sword.

Muttering to himself, InuYasha fixed his attention back on the demon horde and slew a couple of hundred with his bare claws, just to redirect some of his anger.

Kagome, meanwhile, worked with Shippou to pick off the strays. They weren't the most important fighters on the field, but they definitely contributed to the cause. Shippou was gaining more and more confidence as they progressed. He'd never had the chance to kill so many demons before. This was the best practice of his life. He'd gotten to learn how to moderate his blasts so he wouldn't waste too much energy. As time progressed, Kagome could see that he was getting a feel for concentrating and directing his flames with much more efficiency. She was surprised to see, however, that instead of wearing him out as she'd expected, continued use seemed to make his abilities grow. It didn't seem that he would soon be drained of power.

When she commented on it, in between letting bolts of purifying energy go, Shippou merely grinned and shrugged his shoulders.

"I'd heard that happens sometimes," he said as he blasted a smaller toad youkai to their left, "but I never had a chance to try it out to see for myself. This is great!"

Kagome couldn't help smiling. She was glad he could find something to be enthusiastic about under such difficult circumstances. She knew that even though he kept up his energy and bright outlook, the young kitsune sported several gashes and other assorted cuts along his unprotected arms and parts of his back. Heck, she did, too- nothing serious and nothing she would feel until after the war was over and she was trying to sleep on the hard ground, but her shirt was covered in both her own blood, and the blood of demons slain around her.

The lesser battle raged for what felt like hours to Kagome but was really only around fifteen minutes. It seemed that Naraku only sent the masses of demons to wear them down a little. It was clear that they were not meant to be the main event.

Main event or no, it was still fortunate that Sesshoumaru was there. Combined with InuYasha slashing and mincing more than his fair share of demons and the contributions of the human warriors, the TaiYoukai's efforts shortened the length of the first round considerably. The humans had less to do and InuYasha wasn't overwhelmed.

So it was that the merry band of good doers (and Sesshoumaru) were in much better shape than expected when Naraku burst onto the scene.

The evil hanyou could not restrain his overly theatrical efforts. Kagome knew what he would do under normal circumstances. He would appear in some off center place- either in an unnoticed tree, yelling cryptic remarks and sinister taunts from the highest tree branch as some weird creation or other tried to take their heads off. Or, he would send an army of Naraku dolls after them, hoping to confuse and injure them while staying safe to one side. Or, he'd stride forward, covered in a haunting baboon pelt and shrouded in the deepest of poisonous fogs to yell dire warnings and portents of certain doom, all the while laughing maniacally and reminding them all that he was one bad, bad man.

Kagome did not take Naraku lightly- far from it. He terrified her. He was legitimately insane and severely sick and twisted. She loathed everything about him and wished he would fall off the face of the earth and die for good, taking all his evils, past and present, with him. She wished he'd never existed at all.

That didn't mean she admired his overdone entrances. She would have been more impressed at this point if he'd taken a page from Sesshoumaru's book and simply walked up to them, informed them of their imminent deaths, and then proceeded to follow through on his threats. That would never be the case, however, so Kagome settled in for the first volley of verbal sparring.

Naraku chose to enter in full miasma style. Kagome mentally made a tick on her evil villain check list. Poisonous fog? Check. Overdone intimidation? Check. Now it was time for him to launch into his rant about their inferiority, and how he was going to destroy them all...

"InuYasha, Sesshoumaru, what a pleasant surprise," Naraku began, a sneer fully evident in his overly polite tones. "I was hoping to have two worthy opponents today, but I suppose you will have to do."

'Ahh,' Kagome thought with cynical mirth, the beginnings of proper villain dialogue. Check. She tuned the rest of his diatribe out. It was nothing she needed to hear. She already knew what was coming. Her time was better spent cleaning up Shippou as best she could, tying strips of cloth bandages around some of his more serious injuries. They would heal fine on their own eventually, but if she could reduce the kit's discomfort in the mean time she would.

The male demons continued their exchanges for ten boring minutes. InuYasha was frothing at the mouth in his anger. Naraku was poisonously enjoying the upset he was causing. Even Sesshoumaru participated in the event, making dire promises about Naraku's quickly approaching doom. Was this some sort of weird male ritual? Was trash talking a part of the Y chromosome?

Kagome didn't know for sure, but she found herself shifting from foot to foot impatiently. She even saw Kanna and Kagura approach behind Naraku, battle ready and hardened for a difficult fight. Soon, however, they too began to look bored with the antics of the males around them. Kagura looked as though she'd be filing her nails and painting them idly if she could.

Luckily, Kouga burst on the scene in a flash of speed, his wolf tribe close behind. His arrival threw the others into action. Kouga and kin immediately rushed to attack Kagura in a fit of anger, spurring InuYasha to launch his first attack on Naraku directly.

Kagome saw Sesshoumaru look smugly over to Kouga. He must have known that the wolf demon was fast approaching with reinforcements. He must have been stalling with all his inflammatory remarks, distracting Naraku until back up could arrive to deal with the lesser minions.

Sesshoumaru caught Kagome's eye and smirked a little smirk, as if he knew what she'd been thinking all along. Kagome turned her nose up and to the side, pretending not to see him. He may have known what he was doing, but she knew the others were just talking trash for the sake of annoyance. Besides, she knew Sesshoumaru really enjoyed that sort of battle foreplay and would have participated anyway, even if he hadn't had a secondary purpose behind it.

At this point, things began to look exactly as they had in the mirror. Only this time, Kagome was an active participant in everything around her. She knew exactly why she was doing as she did, and now knew why others acted in similar manners. There was no other way to act.

She saw InuYasha waving his Tessaiga left and right with a fierce determination. He was furious and deadly, his demon side barely restrained by the powers of the sword. He launched attack after attack on Naraku, growling in rage as the evil hanyou's body regenerated itself instantly after each attempt. It was obvious that InuYasha held nothing back, using tooth, nail, and sword to defeat his arch enemy. InuYasha would not be able to continue his efforts indefinitely, but stoically would not let his fatigue get the best of him.

She looked to see Kagura off to one side, deep in a heated battle with Kouga and the entirety of his wolf tribe. The wind witch made a fierce effort to kill those surrounding her. She let loose volley after volley of fierce attacks, desperate to incapacitate her relentless attackers. After a short while, it was obvious she would be lost. She already seemed the worse for wear, obviously sustaining a lot of injury from Kouga's fast and deadly accurate attacks. Kouga and his wolves were not without damage; all bore lacerations from Kagura's wind attacks, but it was apparent that they would soon be victorious. Kanna already lay dead at their feet, her broken mirror still clutched tightly in her hands.

Kagome continued her attacks on remaining youkai with Shippou once more at her side. Miroku and Sango were also on clean up crew, dealing with the bigger and slower youkai who'd come on in a second wave. Their actions freed up the inu brothers to concentrate their full, deadly energy solely on Naraku.

Blades flashed and blows landed. Sesshoumaru whirled and struck with deadly precision while InuYasha's wild and passionate fighting did damage of its own. Once again their astounding and contrasting battle tactics worked to create a beautiful scene of violence. Naraku's tentacles and miasma flowed around them like purely evil water, but their fire and ice made short work of the offending appendages. At first the evil hanyou appeared able to regenerate endlessly, making each attack seem pointless and ultimately fruitless. Kagome would have been discouraged if she hadn't known that Naraku couldn't maintain such parlor tricks forever.

Inch by inch the brothers wore the evil being down, taking a great burden off the worn humans. InuYasha's renewed special attacks combined with the blood lust and power of Sesshoumaru's own sword sealed Naraku's fate. He could no longer keep up his side of the battle. Naraku was weakened.

When one crucial blow from Tessaiga refused to heal, the crew knew success was near at hand.

InuYasha saw his chance and knew what had to be done. Sesshoumaru and InuYasha could slash and maim the hanyou all they liked. They could even kill his body and scatter the pieces until they would never be able to be reassembled. However, some instinct told him that until Naraku was wiped off the face of the earth, they would never be truly free of his influence. He would need to be purified.

He looked to catch Sesshoumaru's eye and motioned towards Kagome while launching yet another attack. Sesshoumaru knew what he was referring to, having seen the end result for himself in the mirror. He nodded his head minutely in understanding.

Sesshoumaru distracted a flailing Naraku with a fearsome whirl of furious attacks while InuYasha leapt towards Kagome. He reached the young miko's side, swiping a couple of miscellaneous demons that were still advancing on her, and caught her attention.

"Kagome!" he yelled, pulling her into his arms, "Naraku's weak! You can take him now! It's time to purify the bastard!"

"Okay!" Kagome yelled back with determined eagerness, ready to finish this battle once and for all. It had all led up to this moment, and she was ready.

She raised her head with a fierce look in her eyes, staring at the writhing and fighting demon who'd caused so much pain. She touched the deepest reaches of her dormant powers as she prepared to launch a massive purification effort at the evil and weakened being before her.

InuYasha held her close as he leapt and dodged around less important foes, eyes never wavering from the final goal. Naraku would die today, he was sure of it.

He set Kagome down on the field as close as he could, out of the reach of Naraku's grasp but still in range for her bow. Then, in a great show of trust, he dashed to resume the fight down range from her, keeping Naraku busy so he wouldn't turn his attentions to Kagome.

This was it. Kagome had seen herself doing this and knew she was capable of it. She knew that from this moment on, though her friends were fighting bravely and doing everything in their power to defeat him, Naraku's death must ultimately come from her hand.

She raised her arm and bow up to shoulder level, drawing deep breaths and even deeper power. She was tired and sore, and blood from little cuts on her forehead threatened to drip into her eyes, but she would not falter. She would do what she must, what she had, what she would. Time and all its loops swirled through her mind, making the moment far more surreal.

She loosed the arrow from her quiver with a practiced motion, said a quick prayer over it, and concentrated all her powers into its head. Then, slowly and smoothly, Kagome brought the fateful arrow to her bow, ready to begin.

The tip glowed faintly, a sad little pink hue that wouldn't kill a lesser youkai. For a moment it looked like she might not be strong enough to complete her task after all. She began to be worried. What if the mirror was wrong?

However, she noticed she'd gained Naraku's undivided attention. He still did battle with the two demon brothers, but his words were for her alone.

She couldn't hear what he said. The blood was pounding too harshly in her ears. She was more concerned about her aim than about anything the vile monster could possibly say to her. She couldn't miss, however, the look he directed at her.

He didn't think she could do it. He thought she was weak, that she would fail, that she would let down her friends and the whole world and allow him victory today.

That would not happen. Naraku's mocking expression and unheard taunts seemed to give her a renewed sense of determination. It helped to bring her powers up to a much greater level, spurred by her emotion. Soon, instead of seeing red, Kagome began to see pink.

The arrow was released and flew strait and true. A blaze of pink power seared in its wake, eradicating several lesser demons through proximity alone.

Naraku was struck straight through the heart with a bolt of the strongest purity, a look of deepest disbelief lining his twisted features. His shriek of agony caused those nearest him to cover their ears in self defense.

The allies looked on as Kagome's arrow purified the evil hanyou of all its demonic powers, producing a bolt of blinding light that surrounded their enemy. Flesh stripped form bones in a furnace blast of power and horrible stench. Naraku flailed his arms as the last of his bastardized demonic presence flew away, scattering to the winds, leaving nothing more than a burned, scarred human body behind. Naraku's true human form, as it appeared before he made his terrible deal with demons, lay battered and festering on the field before them.

The blast caused the lower youkai, still busy tormenting Miroku, Sango, and Kouga, to flee in terror. They wanted nothing to do with anything that could destroy a hanyou like Naraku so thoroughly.

Kagome slumped to the ground, completely exhausted. Dust and ash settled around her as a cloud of residue, free and purified of all evil, rained down on all present.

InuYasha strode over to the human Naraku's burnt and battered form. It resembled less a human and more a shriveled leech. This was Onigumo, the man whose hatred and evil destroyed his life? This was the human whose obsession with Kikyou had led to both their betrayals? This was the exact form that had been capable of the greatest of evils, just to satisfy his own twisted lust for power?

He didn't deserve the mercy of death, but he would get it anyway. Without a pause or a thought for remorse, InuYasha slashed the head from Onigumo's body, ending his miserable existence forever. He was free.

He saw a small, blackened jewel resting near the remains. The other half of the Shikon no Tama; Kagome would be needing this. InuYasha picked up the jewel and turned to give it to the young miko across the field.

Sango and Miroku had rushed to Kagome's side while Kouga headed off to see to his wolves. Many of them had been injured in the fight. Not all of them would survive the day. Miroku currently held Kagome steady as Sango looked her over for any severe injuries, giddy in her relief that they'd won.

As the news of their victory slowly seeped into Kagome's awareness, she began to share in their excitement. Soon she was jumping up and down, giddy in her glee, ignoring her own fatigue in this moment of celebration. What they'd worked so hard for was finally theirs.

Sesshoumaru stood on the sidelines, watching everyone around him. It was over. He felt elated after the fierce battle, muscles sated and strained from their long periods of exertion. He'd come out of this important battle completely unscathed. He stood tall and proud, barely breathing heavily after all his exertion. It would have appeared to any casual passer-by as if slaughtering countless lower youkai and one near-immortal evil hanyou were part of his morning work out. Sweat dripped from his brow and his usually impeccable clothes were wrinkled and torn in spots several spots. They too sported large quantities of blood, none of it his own.

He knew full well what would come next.

Slowly and deliberately he began to move across the field to where Kagome stood. He could feel the force of InuYasha's glare as he approached, but knew his brother would be powerless to stop him. It was time for him to get his reward for his participation in the afternoon's festivities. He'd ultimately been there for one reason and one reason only.

He'd seen to the safety of his mate.

He laughed silently at the faces on the monk and demon slayer. They gaped like idiots, completely surprised out of their wits that he was approaching them. Undoubtedly they'd thought he'd disappear into the forest when everything was finished as he usually did.

Kagome, too, turned her lovely eyes up to his face. He was upset and angered when he saw her own blood attempting to blind her, trickling from a couple of cuts on her forehead. A cursory glance, however, told him he hadn't failed. She had minor injuries, but she would be fine.

Without a word he quickly gathered the surprised young miko into his arms. She didn't resist- she'd known from the beginning this was going to happen. He could tell from the lack of fear or tension in her body, and by her increasingly appealing scent, that she'd begun to anticipate this moment as well.

With a final small smirk, he pulled her in, close to his chest, and looked down at her open and pleased expression. The bystanders' shock only grew as Sesshoumaru slowly raised his hand to her soft cheek, caressing it gently.

The after affects of the great battle surrounded everyone. The littering of demon corpses served to prove what all knew; it was a miracle they'd all survived unscathed. It would have taken so little for this beautiful creature in his arms to have come to harm. He couldn't have handled that. Sesshoumaru's control seemed to slip as the instinct to celebrate survival overpowered him.

He suddenly swooped in to place a passionate and relieved kiss upon Kagome' upturned mouth, oblivious to the upset his actions were causing.

Kissing her like this, filled with longing, relief, and a protective passion, was nothing like watching it happen in the mirror. The softness of her lips under his pierced through to the deepest portions of his neglected heart. The steady feeling of her living heartbeat was so soothing and reassuring that if he were a lesser being, he'd have become emotional. As it was, he settled for pouring all he felt into that one, beautiful, confirmation of a kiss.

Kagome was almost overwhelmed by the depth of his passion. She'd seen parts of Sesshoumaru that no one would have believed, but even she sometimes doubted that he'd be able to love her the way she needed to be loved. This kiss, however, removed all doubt. She couldn't help participating and reciprocating enthusiastically, meeting each of his movements with equal fervor. Her hands came up to grasp around his head, her fingers locked into his cascading hair. All dirt, blood, and sweat were ignored in that desperate, life affirming kiss.

All too soon, however, Kagome became aware of exactly where she was, and who was still around to watch. Without looking around, Kagome broke the kiss, cheeks flushing as she closed her eyes in embarrassment. She'd known it was coming, had prepared herself for this eventuality, and had even coached herself on her reactions, but none of it had mattered in the end. She simply decided to opt out for the moment, content to be resting against Sesshoumaru, hiding her face against his chest in gentle mortification. She wasn't ashamed of what she'd done- what she would continue to do as often as possible- she just didn't want to see what was going on around her.

If she had looked, she would have seen Sango and Miroku, having recovered their senses remarkably quickly, keeping an irate InuYasha at bay with threats, entreaties, and determined physical force.

She would also have seen a gentle smirk, really more of a contented smile, on the face of Sesshoumaru, as he gloated over the individual effects he'd had on all present.


A/N: Whew, that chapter was precisely 45 longer than the average chapter, just so you know.

Also, the hit count is now over 16,000. I don't know why this pleases me so much, but it does.

Also, most importantly, I have art for you. It's amazing, it's glorious, it makes me so happy. Find the links in my profile, okay?

Next chapter probably will be the epilogue, since I guess you could call this the last chapter of how Sesshoumaru and Kagome got together. The epilogue will be tying up loose ends.