Disclaimer- I do not own any of the Inuyasha characters.

A Promise to Rin

Chapter 13: The New Path of Kagome

The two swords pulsed between the miko and the taiyoukai and even seemed to be talking to the two, begging to be unleashed upon the menacing form of Akito. Sesshomaru was so far into his blood rage he did not even consider using his sword he only wanted to rip Akito in half for touching his mate. Glancing down towards the miko at his feet, Sesshomaru saw the anger and fury that flared in her eyes. Looking into them, Sesshomaru felt the red cloud of rage slipping and letting go its ferocious hold on his mind. His normally calm and calculating mind was once again in charge. He would kill Akito and take his revenge but he would do it in a calm way. For the first time Sesshomaru felt the pulsing of his swords and their desire. Tenseiga wanted to be in the hands of the miko and Tokijin wanted to be in his hands. Not knowing what the healing sword would do, considering it could not kill, he pulled it from his obi and handed the hilt to Kagome.

Swirling blue eyes met sunlit golden eyes. Kagome did not understand why Sesshomaru was giving her his Tenseiga but she would take it, if that is what he wanted. She reached out and wrapped her hands around the hilt of Tenseiga. As soon as her fingers touched the sword Kagome felt a pull on her miko powers. She watched in amazement as her erratic powers were channeled effectively into its blade. The sword now glowed a soft pink with her purifying powers. Sesshomaru watched in amazement as the blade took in her miko powers, then he drew his second sword, the demonic Tokijin. The oni blade pulsed with its evil aura, it ached to slaughter the youkai before it, to shed its blood, and to protect its master's mate. The aura locked within Tokijin understood that the taiyoukai was the only living being who could ever wield the sword without being possessed by its evil aura and had accepted him as his master.

Kagome pulled herself into a standing position by Sesshomaru with Tenseiga held before her. The miko and the inu youkai stood facing Akito with swords drawn. Akito's stormy grey eyes slid open and he faced his opponents ready for his destiny to play out.

"I see you have done the impossible Sesshomaru and found a female who will put up with you. You should have always known it was going to be a human woman, for no youkai female would ever have the patience to deal with your ways." Making small talk would hopefully stall the taiyoukai and perhaps earn Akito his escape.

"Why have you come here for your death, Akito?" Sesshomaru was curious as to the reason for the youkai's interest in his house and mate. To know his enemies was to know what threats there were to what was his. He had made a mistake and he would not repeat it. Kagome would never be in danger again, he would ensure that.

"I seek to gain your lands, Western Lord. I wish to rule all of Japan and if I kill you and take your land then the other lords will fall into line faster. They all fear you, do you know that? Every single one of them fears you. Why do they fear you? I see nothing before me that would invoke fear into the hearts of mighty taiyoukai. All I see before me is a youkai who is repeating the same mistakes his father made. The human bitch will only make you weak, Sesshomaru. She already has made you weak. You are fighting for her and she is not even worth your time. She will die within a short time, then what will you do for a mate? Your youkai will still call for the human and she will be dead. Who will you mate with then, who will take her place when inu youkai mate for their entire life? If I kill you, I will not only end your future suffering, I will also gain the fear of the other lords. Anyone who can kill you is definitely someone to fear."

Sesshomaru was not impressed by the young upstart. Akito was like any other young youkai, they all wanted to be powerful and feared. In this time and age there was only one way to become powerful and to be feared and that way was to kill someone more powerful then you are. Sesshomaru had been challenged in such a way many times, but none of the others had ever gotten this close to causing him serious damage before and had met their fate soon after crossing into the Western Lands. This young one had managed to gain entrance to his palace and had caused his mate harm. If the young one had not preformed such a heinous crime as harming Kagome and frightening Rin then Sesshomaru perhaps would have taken him in as a soldier. However, the whelp had chosen to harm what was his and he would die for it.

"Enough talk, I grow tired of your presence in my home and you cause my mate anger and pain. It is time for you to die little one." Sesshomaru raised Tokijin and prepared to fight the young youkai in front of him. Using his speed, Sesshomaru ran to the center of the room and met Akito in a clashing of swords and jaki. Both youkai were immensely powerful and soon their jaki flared and filled the room. Kagome was being bombarded by the jaki, and she was afraid her miko powers would flare up and purify the two battling youkai before her. She had no problem with purifying Akito but she did not want to hurt Sesshomaru. Surprisingly, the miko did not feel her powers swell, and they remained pulsing in the sword. Perhaps the sword was strong enough to keep her powers in check.

Kagome watched the battle before her in awe. Every swing Akito produced, Sesshomaru blocked perfectly. However, Akito did not provide many advantages to the Taiyoukai. Sesshomaru was patient and would wait for however long it took to wear the younger youkai down. Another parry, another block and Sesshomaru gained two feet of ground. A swift down stroke of his blade packed with a lot of physical force and Akito gained three feet of ground. For every step one of them took, the other took an extra one. A quick swirl of white silk and silver hair and Sesshomaru stood behind Akito preparing to give the death stroke. Akito sensed his danger and quickly and agilely flipped over the western lords head and landed on his feet behind Sesshomaru. Akito now stood in the same position Sesshomaru had only moments before. Akito raised his blade high above his head preparing to bring it down and bury it in the inu youkais heart. Sesshomaru dropped into a crouch and pivoted on the ball of his feet, raising his sword to block the descent of Akito's blade. When the two swords meet there was a flare of power as Tokijin pulsed against the other sword attempting to push it back and gain a few more feet of ground for Sesshomaru. The taiyoukai added his own physical strength to the pulsing jaki of Tokijin, Akito was losing ground and needed to distract the inu's attention from him if he wanted to survive this. Looking around, Akito noticed the miko standing off to the side, a glowing Tenseiga in her hands.

Akito jumped several feet backwards from Sesshomaru several feet, trying to put as much distance between him and the enraged inu. Hefting his sword above his shoulder with the blade pointing towards Kagome, Akito prepared to throw the sword at the miko. He pulled his arm back and with a might throw pushed the sword towards the unprotected miko. Sesshomaru watched as the blade neared the petrified Kagome and made an unconscious decision, a decision that melted the remainder of his heart and let the little miko in forever. His body sprang into action while his mind was still concentrated on killing Akito. As his mind played catch up with his body, Sesshomaru flung himself in front of Kagome and felt the sword tear through his flesh and split several of his ribs in half. Sesshomaru felt the cold hard tip of the blade puncture his lung as his breath left his body in a sudden whoosh. The sword buried itself up to its hilt in his body and brought the great Taiyoukai of the Western Lands to his knees in a spreading puddle of his own blood.

Kagome watched with wide frightened eyes as Sesshomaru sank to his knees before her. His silver hair flowed into the puddle of blood and was soon tipped in the brilliant crimson of his own life. Sesshomaru's head was bowed and Akito could not see his aristocratic face behind the fall of his bangs. Akito could; however, see the hilt of his sword buried dangerously near the heart of the inu youkai. He felt a great rush of power flow through his body at the sight of the Western Lord on his knees before him and knew he had to finish the job and kill the youkai. He would gain immense power and land, he would be the one the other lords all feared. He truly believed Sesshomaru's desire of the human miko had brought him his own death. He truly believed it would be so easy to end the life of such a vibrant powerful youkai.

Kagome stood in complete shock, Sesshomaru had just thrown himself in front of her and protected her from death. He had even put his own life at risk for her. For Sesshomaru the act of protection was an act of love, without realizing it the Taiyoukai had just proven his heart to the little Shikon Miko: He loved her in his own way and he would stubbornly show his love in his own way. It was definitely going to be a long hard road she travelled from here on out with Sesshomaru. He would not bend to her will and she would not bend to his. Perhaps, just perhaps, they were exactly what the other needed. Perhaps they both needed someone who would not give in to their every desire, someone who would challenge them in every way, someone who would accept them as they were, and someone who would not ask them to be something they were not. Her heart swelled. She did not love the Taiyoukai, not yet, but perhaps she could after this, after she took care of the smirking youkai advancing on Sesshomaru.

Kagome stepped in front of Sesshomaru and raised Tenseiga in front of her. Cloudy golden eyes watched as she put her small frail body in front of him. She hoped to protect him and he could do nothing to stop her. His once great body was failing him and now she stood between him and the enemy with only the life giving sword Tenseiga to protect herself with. Akito watched as the little human placed herself between him and his future, but he would not let her stop him. She was the weakness of the Taiyoukai of the Western Lands, she was nothing, a mere slip of a human girl who could not control her miko powers. She was not a great beauty, she was simple, she was worthless, and she was mortal. It was time she died. Akito smirked at her baring his fangs at her. He began to advance on her in a predatory way.

Suddenly, Tenseiga flared to life and completely pulled her powers from her body. The Sword of Life now glowed a brilliant pure white. The miko power on the sword crackled, sizzled, and crashed into the jaki in the air. Akito watched in fascination as the miko's aura began to glow a startling white and her eyes darkened to a storm tossed sea at night. She was brilliant in her anger and he faltered in his step. Suddenly the miko and the sword seemed to act as one, as the purifying power flared out of the sword and slammed into him. Akito's destiny came crashing at him and was delivered to him by the mere slip of a mortal girl, the savior of the Taiyoukai of the Western Lands, the Shikon Miko, the so called worthless human named Kagome. The bright white light surrounded Akito. Akito felt his youkai heart being pulled from his body. Every part of him burned from her purification, and it felt as if small fires burned and melted the flesh from his bones. Akito looked at the miko as he felt his last breath leave his body as his soul departed for the next life in a bright flash of pure white light.

Kagome watched in wonder as her powers purified the youkai in front of her. Akito's body began to float away like sand on the wind. Piece by piece he was taken from this world to the next. With a final widening of his eyes, Akito disappeared from Kagome's sight.

Turning, Kagome met the cloudy golden eyes of Sesshomaru. She saw pride and relief flash in the golden depths. They were; however, immediately replaced by pain. Kagome ran to the doors and yelled down the hall.

"Someone I need help!" Running back to Sesshomaru's side, Kagome desperately placed her small hands around the blade against his skin in an attempt to stop the blood flow. She could not pull the sword out without something to stop the bleeding. Kagome gathered the injured Sesshomaru into her lap and cradled his head in her arms. She brushed several strands of silver hair out of his eyes.

"Come on Sesshomaru, wake up. You cannot leave now. I just realized something and you have to be here for my plan to work. You cannot leave. I actually, surprisingly, need you here, you arrogant youkai." Scalding hot tears slipped down her cheeks and slithered to the line of her jaw, then continued their journey down by dripping onto the crimson chest of Sesshomaru. Kagome could not believe she was going to lose him before she even got to be with him. She would never know what it was like to wake up in his arms, she would never have a fight over something small with him, she would never hate him because he was being difficult and unrelenting, she would never feel hurt by him, and she would never fall asleep in his arms at the end of their emotionally charged day. Kagome felt a great sweeping despair rush through her body. She had finally found someone who loved her for who she was, not who she looked like. He was someone who would never see an undead priestess when he looked at her, when she was wrong she would be wrong because she really was not because Kikyou would never do something she did, and when she did something right he would be proud of Kagome.

She would lose him. She would spend the rest of her days seeking him and never find him again. She would spend the rest of her days in a haze of pain and loss. A loss of something she had never had, but something she had desired for her entire life. What would she do without the quiet reserved youkai to walk beside her and spend his life with her?

Several seconds later she heard foot steps running down the hall and into the throne room. Several servants rushed into the room and slid to a stop at the sight of horror before them.

Author's Note

I have a beta reader now! She has completely proofed this chapter and because of her the chapter has a better flow. Thank you to all of those who reviewed and please continue to do so! Those of you who do not review, please keep reading!