From foe to friend to love of life, to friend then foe once more, the bond between us ever changing, but in my heart you are always mi amore. (My love)

Part 2

"Miroku what's going on?" Kagome whispered as they drew closer to the crowd of demons gathered feet away from the mansion.

"I'm not sure…something is wrong," he said and ran ahead, grabbing a man by the shoulder and drawing his attention. They spoke quietly for a few minutes then Miroku returned.

"There's a battle going on inside," he said to Kagome. "Between the two lords of east and west. They say it's to the death and that they fear the mansion may collapse,"

"East and Wes- That's Sesshomaru and Naraku!" Kagome yelled. A thought crossed her mind and she tugged on Miroku's sleeve. "Come with me, we have to go in there!"

"What? Kagome no, it's dangerous. Sesshomaru could turn into his true form at any moment and he's from the dog clan, he'll be colossal! As could Naraku, no one has ever saw his true form-"

"But Inuyasha is in there and so is a little boy, his name is Akahito and he's the son of-"

"Naraku," Miroku said and looked towards the house. "I know. I remember him. Do you think he could still be inside?"

"I'm sure of it, you have to help me." Kagome pleaded. "You get Inuyasha and I'll go and get Akahito, we have to hurry!"

"Ok look I'm going to go look inside, you just stay here-"

"But Miroku!-"

"Kagome just stay here," Miroku said firmly and took off. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

She stood there for a minute, stamping her foot impatiently and flailing her arms in nervousness. Then biting her lip she looked at the large crowd who waited to see what the end result of such a fierce battle would be. Maybe Akahito had escaped with them?

She ran towards them, pushing through the middle and searching desperately, calling out his name as she searched.

She just had to make sure he was all right…

Miroku retraced his steps through the house and took himself back into the room where Inuyasha was supposed to be resting. When he arrived however, it was empty.

"He must have gotten out," Miroku muttered. "Either that or been carried," he continued as he raced down the long hall and towards what he thought the direction to the dining hall would be. He slid open a door and saw that it led to another long hallway and around a corner. Sighing, he took it and was frustrated when it led to a set of bedrooms.

Once again he retraced his steps and went into a different direction, his sandals pounding on the wooden floor and the rings on his staff jingling as he went. Rushing around was getting him lost in such a huge and confusing place.

A few minutes later he found himself lost in another set of bedrooms and cursed upon the people who had built the forsaken place.

Then, so sudden, it surprised him, the roof above his head cracked violently and was snatched away as the head of a large and white demon showed itself and looked to the night sky, roaring for all it was worth. Around it's long neck was a long and brown…root?

"What in the name of all that is holy?!" Miroku cried as he ran out the room and, now that he could see above him, towards the direction of the giant head. He stopped though and gasped as a large shadow covered him and he turned the other way, running for all he was worth as a large paw crushed the ground beneath him.

He would have to get out right away. He made a prayer sign on his chest as he ran for the poor boy. There was no way he could survive being so close to two powerful demons in their true form. He must have been crushed.

Blood was everywhere. It stained the entire ground of the battlefield.

Akahito didn't know he was screaming as he tried to smear the red stuff off on his clothes. Though every inch of him was soaked in it so nothing would help. Everything around him was in shambles now. The fight had caused two walls and the roof to collapse, and now smoke stung his eyes as he hid amongst a pile of rubble, too scared to move.

His father's true form was absolutely horrifying. It was like…a mass of bodies all pushed into one and stuck together, eyes, arms, tentacles, legs, heads and whole bodies, had spread out and latched onto rubble and ground.

The other demon turned into a large wolf like creature, drowning out the sound of every noise as it howled in pain.

Every time Naraku struck out at his enemy, parts of him would merge into a long and brown root like tentacle and attack.

He had been losing as Sesshomaru had been ripping his body away with his sword and claws, until the sword had been tossed away. Then Sesshomaru transformed and began ripping away at his foe with teeth, blood spraying everywhere from both bodies. It was as soon as the roof gave way that Naraku had managed to wrap himself around Sesshomaru's massive demon neck and begin to choke him as the demon howled.

His paws rose and slammed on the ground around him, causing the ground to rumble as he shook his head side to side, trying to break free of the strong grip. Pretty soon the howl was silenced as the lungs in Sesshomaru ran out of air. He thrashed more violently, trying to breathe as his throat closed up and he fell hard, struggling in the deadly grip.

Akahito stared from his hiding place as the body of the dog demon shrank and lost hair, turning back into the demon that had challenged his father in the beginning. His eyes were wide open as his hands clawed uselessly at the thing around his neck.

Another merged tentacle came and hovered over it, and formed into his father's head, smiling down at the choking body.

"Hurts does it?" he heard it speak. It lifted Sesshomaru up and slammed it back down, increasing his grip. "Look at you, The Great Sesshomaru, fearing death."

Naraku scowled and narrowed his eyes. "Pathetic demon,"

Akahito shifted in his hiding place and knocked over a piece of rock, causing it to break apart and making noise in the suddenly quiet place.

Naraku turned his head and spotted his son. "So you didn't flee with the others huh?" he asked, "You have more backbone then I thought,"

One of his brown tentacles snaked towards him and grabbed him by his sleeve, dragging him forward. He yelled, frightened by the hideous thing, and tried to crawl away on hands and knees.

"Stop it!" his father screamed. He tugged slightly and Akahito fell flat on his stomach and began to reel in closer. The boy's eyes searched around frantically for a means of support and help that would get him away from the monstrosity that was his father, and spotted it.

The sword that had been thrown from Sesshomaru's hand.

Akahito reached with all his might, for he was being pulled away too quick, and he grabbed onto the very blade, cutting deep into his left palm as he snatched it up and dragged it along with him.

Naraku laughed. "What do you think your going to do with that?" he asked. "That is not one of your wooden toys, boy."

When he was close enough for Naraku's taste, he was released. "Come here and look at the death of this weakling," he was told. "Look at how the example of how the strong survive,"

Akahito shook his head and screamed again. He awkwardly scrambled to his feet, the heavy sword in his hand throwing him off balance and turned to his father, hefting the weapon at him.

" YOU DON'T HAVE THE SKILL," Naraku boomed at his son, his voice deep and demonic. "You are weak. Like him."

Akahito looked over to Sesshomaru to see that his neck was a deep red, as almost as red as his eyes, as he struggle to get free was getting weaker. He was dying, his body shaking due to the lack of air.

Akahito looked up at his father and frowned. Six years of life and he was already a failure in his father's eyes. If only his father knew how badly he just wanted to make him proud…

He remembered living with his parents when he was three…it had been fun then. His mother, a brave priestess, would take him on walks and tell him about plants and his father would tell him stories about wars between famous lords and their cunning skills to kill out the enemy. Like he was doing now…killing out the enemy. He had enjoyed those tales, but to see what he saw now it made all the stories seem like the most disgusting act in the entire planet. But still…as a child he had enjoyed the bond he shared with his father.

Then one day that stopped…suddenly he was no longer able to be around his mother and his father began avoiding him…it had rained the day he was sent away to live with a distant cousin. It was from them he had learned that his mother had passed and his father was too busy take care of him…that his father no longer wanted him to be around as a constant reminder that he was the reason his mother was dead.

From then on he was the ideal child. No longer treated with affection he studied hard and acted maturely. He never played with other children but supervised and watched them. Making sure everything went right so that the adults would hold him in high favor…and maybe one day so would his father.

Finally he was returned home, where he had met Kagome. At first she would only obey her orders, making sure he ate and took baths, but as time slowly crept by she began showing affection for him.

Often the two would walk down by the river, where she would convince him to toss a ball back and forth between them. When night came she would tell him stories about when she was a little girl and what her family was like…he saw his mother in her face and through her affection he began to feel like a little boy again. By the time of nearly two months he already had regained his child-like nature of head butting and tugging on clothes, dragging his wooden toy sword with him everywhere.

Yet now, as he looked at his father, who stared back at him coldly, he felt ashamed of himself. The words his father had said to him, just two days prior, about his behavior were embarrassing. About how he would be left in disgrace while his father continued to search for a new heir…

Akahito's eyes widened slightly. A new heir to the land of the east. Who better to be the one then the child of a woman who looked exactly like his mother? The first and only wife of Naraku? If Kagome bore a son it would be as if time had restarted…the new child would be raised as the heir and leave Akahito in disgrace.

"Am I really that bad?" the young blood streaked boy whispered as he lowered the heavy sword. "Am I really so weak that you were going to replace me?"

"You dare point a weapon at me as if you could defeat me?" Naraku hissed, ignoring the question. "Do as you may boy, but know that I will not hesitate to snatch your life with haste!"

The sword clattered to the floor and Akahito looked down. A new raw emotion took over him as he stared at the drying blood on his body.

What had he become in his father's eyes?

A child. How disgusting.

"I didn't think you had it in you." Naraku said and turned to face his dying prisoner. "Now watch." He grounded out. "Watch as the weak die," he said, a smile on his face as his eyes widened at the joy of killing. "It is the weak like him and you that will ruin the world."

"I promise not to disgrace the family name," Akahito drawled out slowly and quietly as he took steps towards his father. Without thought the sword was in his hands again, this time as light as a feather.

Naraku's back was turned to him as he focused on Sesshomaru losing the very last bit of air in him.

"And if you reclaim me as your son I will promise you that I will…" he hesitated, not knowing what to say. "Behave as I should." He finished. "I'll be just like you,"

He took the sword up over his head and struck down through his father's back. Straight to where his heart was. There was a terrible scream, as the grip on Sesshomaru's neck suddenly disappeared.

"I won't ruin the world, father," Akahito vowed. "I'll own it."

All of Naraku's body began to pulsate quickly, the very ends withering into black dust. Naraku turned, his mouth wide open and using the rest of his power he shoved the boy back, making him fly into a large pile of collapsed marble.

Akahito smiled as he blacked out, his mind falling into a deep dreamless state. He knew what was happening and what he had done. Lord Naraku of the Eastern lands was the one who was weak. He was the one now dying and turning into black ash at the speed of light. He was the one who would never see another day.

And he was the one who would spend eternity in hell, furious at the fact that the one who had killed him had been his own six-year-old son.

Koga smiled as the rest of his "home" finally fell to pieces. There was not a remaining pillar left in its correct order.

He crouched down at the sleepy Inuyasha and pulled at his human ear, his smile growing as Inuyasha's brow furrowed and he groaned in annoyance.

"Hey half demon mutt," Koga said. "Wake up,"

It had been him who had carried Inuyasha out of the house, a big heroic smile on his face as he saw that he would never let Inuyasha live it down. His most hated foe had to save his ass, because he was too weak at the time to do it himself.

"Kag…" Inuyasha murmured softly. He looked concerned. "-Shomaru," he then said and his face turned to anger. He suddenly sat up straight, eyes open as he screamed "You bastard!"

Koga jumped back. "Whoa," he said and looked at Inuyasha strangely. "Calm down mutt face. Looks like someone did you in worse than I thought."

Inuyasha snorted and moaned, grabbing his head with one hand and chest with the other. "Ugh," he said, his eyes squinting as his sense of reality started to come back. "Where am I?"

"Outside your new home," Koga said slyly as he stepped a little to the side, trying to block the reduced rubble of the mansion. "It seems you are the better demon, and I eh…gave in to your power," at this he rolled his eyes, "and as your prize I give you my title and make you Lord Inuyasha of the Northern Lands…sounds catchy don't it?"

Inuyasha had a small smile. "Yeah," he said, his vision unfocused as his head spun and words slurred. "Yeah I like that,"

"Good," Koga said. He was happy to be rid of the place anyway. Too stuffy for his taste. "You start immediately. You had a hard battle with me and your exhausted," he said. "You really…eh you really showed me my place."

"I sure did," Inuyasha said as he hit the ground again, falling asleep this time.

Koga kind of felt bad for taking advantage of the mutt when he was so disoriented. But he knew he wasn't cut out for the job of ruling and stuff. Leave that so some demon- or half demon- snob who was born with that kind of spoon in their mouth. He was a mountain boy at heart.

He grabbed a young girl who was wearing his colors and passed on a message. She nodded and bowed to him, then to Inuyasha, and then took off.

'Yeah,' Koga said as he saw a thin line of drool spill from the corner of Inuyasha's mouth. 'He'll make a perfect ruler'

"Oh god," Kagome said, full of relief as she ran out to hug Miroku. "Oh god I was so worried," she said. She pulled away, eyes scanning to see if he was hurt. "You're ok right?" she asked. "Where is Akahito? I spotted Inuyasha with Koa just a few minutes ago..."

Miroku took a deep breath. "I wasn't able to get to the boy," he explained quickly.

Kagome nodded slowly. She was preparing herself for such news after she couldn't find him in the crowd.

"Kagome," Miroku said gently. "I highly doubt he could have survived. Did you see the true forms of Sesshomaru and Naraku?"

She made a small nod. "It was…horrifying," she said. "And there was this loud, shrieking sound…and suddenly it died and the demon disappeared." She explained. She looked to Miroku, eyes a little teary. "Tell me something Miroku…that demon that I saw. The one that looked like a giant wolf…was that Sesshomaru's true form?" she asked. She nervously played with her hands as she bit her lip, her eyes looking to the ground.

"I believe so." Miroku said, thinking hard. "I haven't seen it with my own eyes until now but according to legend, that should be it."

"Oh," she said, and did a shaky smile. Two tears slipped from her eyes. She hated to admit it to herself but she was scared now. That was Sesshomaru who had been making that terrible cry of pain…she trembled slightly.

She hated him, truly she did but she couldn't help worrying about him. Her hands pressed lightly on her stomach and her lip trembled as she struggled to get herself under control.

"Do you think he could be…" she trailed off and hid her face behind one of her hands, sniffling quietly.

"It's possible," Miroku said. He touched his temple and grit his teeth as suddenly his head and hand began to throb painfully…

"Look! Over there!"

Somehow that voice was louder than all the other talking as people directed their gaze back to the rubble. It was too far and too dark to make out but something was slowly taking its time coming towards them.

"Sesshomaru," Kagome whispered, "Sesshomaru!" she said louder as she began to run.

"Whoa, Kagome wait!" Miroku yelled and ran after her. She managed to cover quite a distance before he was able to grab her arm and stop her. The thing that moved toward them was still too far to make out who it was.

"Stay," Miroku said firmly. "Even if it is Sesshomaru we have to be careful. If he's hurt his instincts may take over and he may push you away,"

"He's been pushing me away since the day I met him," Kagome said, pulling out of his grip. She didn't run though. She stood straight and looked ahead at the oncoming person.

He was limping…and as he was getting closer it seemed as if something tiny was in his arms. With each step he took he seemed to slow down as if thinking about if he could risk another step or not.

Kagome's heart was beating in her chest as if it were about to explode. She squinted, trying to make out any sing that would reveal the identity of the person and when she finally realized whom she saw, she smiled and began to run again.

Sesshomaru could not take another step. He was more tired then he had ever been. The pain that coursed through him was dull, but he felt it in every inch of his body. The bruises stung sharply though and his neck felt as if it were on fire.

The child in his arms was alive, which was good considering the distance he had been thrown. He probably looked as the child did, soaked in blood as if it were a skin color.

His vision began to sway as he found that he didn't have the strength to take another step…

"Sesshomaru!"

He looked towards the voice to see her running towards him… That woman who had been a major factor in all this mess.

Kagome.

He tried to growl, but didn't have the strength.

She reached him, standing back by two feet or so and stared at him.

He wouldn't say a word, because he didn't think he could. And he knew she wouldn't say a thing either. She was frowning at him, her lip trembling as she looked down at the boy in her arms.

"I was worried," she whispered. A tear slid down her cheek and she quickly wiped it away. "You know that thing I said about not wanting to see you again?" she said softly, not looking into his eyes. "I uh...I take it back."

She could have sworn she would have died a small death if Sesshomaru had passed away. Nothing she had ever felt, after all that she had endured, had ever prepared her for the pain of the fact of Sesshomaru dying.

True things were not good between them. And it was true that it would be very tough when he recovered and they would have a talk. But for some reason she felt a pang of raw emotion telling her it would be worth it.

She sniffled and wiped away some more tears.

She cried too much, Sesshomaru decided. Someone or something was always making her cry…and if she'd let him try, he'd put an end to that.

He smiled at her, a true and genuine smile, and held out the boy so that she could take him. When she did he took a deep and painful breath and fell to the ground, closing his eyes and finally getting some sleep.

Kagome dropped to her knees and put Akahito down at her side, picking up Sesshomaru's head and placing him on her lap. She fisted her hand in his hair and struggled not to cry any longer, as she made sure that he was still breathing.

"You big idiot," she said, smiling as she wiped away one more tear. Hopefully her last…

She looked up to see that there was a light pink beam on the horizon, signaling the sun was rising.

New days always brought new promises.

Well That IT! That's the end! I left it a little…well, I actually hate the ending. I don't think I did a good job at all…but the epilogue will make people happy. That's what I'm working on now. It'll be done by tomorrow. It's a short one.