Chapter 65

The first thing Sesshomaru felt was warmth. A familiar warmth was engulfing him, seeping into his skin. He grabbed a hold of it, letting it yank him from the deep unconsciousness he had been in. When he opened his eyes, all he saw was blue sky, and looking over he saw her.

Kagome was floating above him, her power whipping around her so violently that if it were anyone else, he was sure they would have been torn apart. She had her reiki wrapped around Naoshi's throat, holding him hostage.

She was more powerful than he could have ever thought. He felt that power rolling over his skin, felt as his wounds healed shut, closing as if he had never been hurt. Sitting up, his eyes went straight to the bloodied satchel. He could see movement inside, and pure, unfiltered love and relief surged through him.

Rushing to the bag, he peeled it back, purring when he saw the three infants looking up at him. Throat thick, he reached down, picking all three up and holding them to his chest. Kagome had brought them back. She had saved him and the children.

"Sakura." Miroku was there suddenly, yanking his daughter from Sesshomaru's arms. He looked down at her, tears in his eyes.

"They're alive. Kazu and Miyuki as well." Sesshomaru heard his voice crack, but he didn't care. The grief he felt at losing his twins would never leave him. He would remember that pain for the rest of his life.

"You killed me." Miroku turned narrowed eyes on Sesshomaru, who nodded his head.

"I had no choice." Sesshomaru looked up at Kagome, seeing her still holding Naoshi. Naoshi was watching them, his eyes that of pure fury. "She needed all of her power. She had given parts of herself to all of us. Just loving us as she did, she gave it away without even knowing. She gave the most to you, while in the womb. She needed that power so she would have a chance."

"You knew she would be able to bring us back?" Miroku was sitting on his backside, not sure what to make of what he was learning. His friend, his sister's soulbonded had killed him. When Sesshomaru met his eyes, Miroku knew Sesshomaru had no idea how the future would turn out.

"No. All I knew was that Kagome needed her power. My children were dead, my family gone. Kagome was all that I had left, and I gave her a chance for survival. I am sorry that I killed you, Miroku, but I would do it again. I would not stay my hand for anyone if it meant protecting my mate or twins." Sesshomaru didn't falter, didn't blink. He and Miroku stared each other down, and after a few moments Miroku nodded, understanding.

"I would do the same." Miroku swallowed, standing. Sakura was crying, scared. He didn't blame her. No one else had been revived. They were all still dead, the bodies littering the ground where they had fallen. "Do you think her bringing us back will weaken her again?"

"No." Sesshomaru stood, purring in his chest to keep Kazu and Miyuki calm. "This time, she isn't giving away her power. This time, she is using it. She is life, and where she goes, life will flourish."

Kagome moved her hand, this time twirling it in a circle. Her reiki left it in a wide arch, rushing down to the ground before rolling over the dead like a tidal wave. It touched every person there, covered them in her warm light, her heart.

When Touga's eyes opened, the first thing he did was look down. He didn't understand what was going on, but he knew his family was there, beneath him. As he looked down, he watched their wounds heal, could see the color returning to their pale skin. Then Izayoi's eyes opened, and he grabbed the back of her neck, pulling her up for a kiss. She sobbed against him, and he held her.

When Yona let out a cry, Touga scooped her up while Izayoi grabbed InuYasha, both of them holding their children. Touga held the three of them, rocking them as relief formed tears in his eyes. He saw Sesshomaru standing, holding his twins as he watched Kagome.

Kagome had brought them back somehow. She had tapped into her power, using it to resurrect the dead. She was stealing from death, and this time, there was nothing death could do to stop it. He would have to watch as the lives he took were taken back.

Sango sat up with a gasp, her hand resting over her stomach. She felt no pain but watched as her wound healed. A nicker caught her attention, and she looked up, watching as Yumi and Calthal pushed their way out of the dead army's bodies. They stood on shaky legs, looking around bewildered.

"We're alive." She whispered, moving to her knees, then her feet. She looked around, spotting Miroku a few yards away. He was staring up at Kagome, facing away from Sango. He hadn't seen her yet. Her feet moved before she realized they were. She was running, something she thought she would never be able to do again.

She slammed into his back, causing him to grunt. He spun, thinking he was being attacked, but one look at her, and he was grabbing her, holding her so tightly it hurt. Sakura squeaked between them, and Sango looked down, not sure why their daughter was here.

"I will explain later." Miroku whispered, brushing back the hair from her face. "I love you, Sango." He pulled her forward, slamming his lips against hers, and she melted against him.

Satori opened her eyes, sitting up as she did. She ignored the wounds of her flesh healing, heading straight for the one person she was looking for. She saw Touga holding his family, knew something more had happened, but she didn't care. At that moment, all she wanted was Hiroshi.

Skidding to her knees beside him, she pushed the bodies off of him, not stopping until she set her eyes on his handsome face. At first, she worried that he was too far gone, that he wasn't going to get brought back like the others, but then he opened his eyes, amber landing straight on her.

"You fool!" She cupped his face, kissing him as hard as she could. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her down on him. They were surrounded by death, the bodies scattered around them, but neither cared. They were alive, and they weren't going to take a second for granted.

The first thing Kouga did when he realized he was alive was laugh. He could feel Kagome's reiki rubbing against him, knew that she had somehow managed to gain her power and bring them back. She was life, and she was finally showing it.

When his laughing died away, he searched his bond, pushing as much love as he could to Ayame. He felt her shock and then relief, and he laughed once more. He was alive. Kagome had finally accepted who she was.

Nona had warned him. She hadn't gone into detail, but she had told him that only Kagome could save them, but to do so, she would need to accept her new role and her new powers. For so long Kagome had rejected the strength within her, but now… now she was unstoppable.

Two distinctive whinny's had Sesshomaru smiling. He turned, seeing Alastar and Nakoa running towards him, Toshiro and Koharu following behind. They circled around Sesshomaru, Calthal and Yumi joining them so all six horses were there.

He reached out, patting Nakoa's muzzle. "You foolish girl." Pressing his forehead against hers, they both closed their eyes, taking a moment to breathe the other in. They were okay. They were all still alive. When Nakoa pulled away, she brushed her muzzle against the twin's heads gently with a soft nicker, then looked up at Kagome, who was still holding Naoshi hostage, making him watch the reunion.

"Sesshomaru!" Touga yelled, floating down towards him with Izayoi, InuYasha, and Yona in his arms. He landed in front of Sesshoamru, wrapping a single arm around his son. "You're okay."

"We all are." Sesshomaru looked up as Satori and Hiroshi flew down towards them, Kouga running to meet up with them as well. They were together once more, all of them looking up at Naoshi with hatred in their eyes.

"Do you see?" Kagome asked, her voice catching them all off guard. She sounded like a goddess, an all powerful being. "You are nothing, Naoshi. You no longer have any power here."

"Is that the best you can do?" Naoshi laughed, his voice coming out as a wheeze. "If that is your show of power, then you are weaker than I thought you would be."

"I am not done." Kagome waved her hand again, and this time her reiki sunk into the bodies of their army. One by one everyone stood, confused and unsure of what happened but very much alive. Within a matter of minutes, thousands were standing again, looking around at the desecration they had fallen in. "Still, there is more." Kagome snapped out her hand towards the rest of the army, all of the skeletal bodies littering the ground. Her reiki destroyed them, leaving nothing behind as the bodies purified to ash, blowing in the wind. Slowly light orbs began to form, thousands of them floating.

"No! Those are mine! I am death, and I control the souls!" Naoshi began to fight, clawing as the reiki holding him in place. "Mine! I am death. No one can beat death. No one!"

"Except for life." Kagome remarked, and this time she turned her body, pulling on her reiki so it slammed Naoshi in the ground so hard the earth shattered, flying up to form a dust cloud. When it cleared, Naoshi was being pressed into a crater, his face turning red as Kagome cut off his air supply.

Sesshomaru stepped up to the crater, looking down at the fool who had threatened their lives. "Your time is done, Brother."

Kagome took that as her cue, pressing so much of her reiki onto Naoshi that his body began to thrash. The light from her powers grew so bright it darkened the sky. They all were forced to look away, to cover their eyes from the light. They heard one final terrifying scream and then nothing. A quiet stillness of peace fell over them, and they opened their eyes, finding that Naoshi was no more. Death was gone, destroyed. Life had prevailed.

Kagome did not stand down as they had expected her to. Instead, she turned her attention to the floating souls. One flick of her hand, and more than half of them rushed into the sky, disappearing. The others fizzled out, being destroyed by Kagome as she clenched her hand into a fist. "Those that are dark will be no more. Those that are pure, shall walk again."

"Kagome?" Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes, unsure of what to do. This wasn't his mate. This was her power, this was the weapon of life.

She ignored him, turning her gaze to the tree line. Her hand snapped out, and they heard the scream of agony. Nona was floating towards them, Kagome's reiki surrounding her, attacking her. Her eyes were leaking tears, her back arched as she could do nothing but take the pain coming her way.

"You betrayed us. It is because of your actions that so many of us died." Kagome rotated Nona, holding her above the others. "Why should I not kill you now?"

Nona flicked her eyes down. She didn't answer Kagome, but instead, focused on Sesshomaru . She was pleading with him, begging him to stop her. He was the only one that could. He was the only one that would be able to get through the power and to the heart beneath.

Floating upwards on his cloud, he stopped in front of Kagome, his gold eyes meeting her pink glowing ones. Reaching out, his fingers brushed against her cheek softly. "You are beautiful, and strong. You are my mate, Kagome. You saved us all, now it is time to return home."

"She betrayed us." Kagome looked past him, and he cupped her face, making her look up at him.

"She knew what needed to be done. She made this possible, made sure we are here now. Without her interference, you would not have gained your powers. You would not have saved us. If you had died before any of us, the world would be lost." Slowly he lowered his head down to hers, pressing his lips against hers. The twins scratched against his chest, smelling their mother nearby. He flooded their bond with his love, with proof of life. "Come back to me, My Mate."

Kagome let out a sob, her power snapping back into her so abruptly that she began to fall. Sesshomaru caught her, holding her to him. She immediately hugged the twins to her, pressing her face against their heads as she leaned against his chest. He held her, wrapping his arms around his family tightly.

Nona fell to the ground, getting caught by Kouga before she hit. He set her down gently, then stood once more. For a second, they were all silent. The family, the army. They could say nothing, couldn't comprehend that they had died, but had been brought back. They had lost the war, and then one person turned it all around.

Swallowing, Touga lifted his fisted hand into the air. "To Kagome! Victory is ours!" The rest began to cheer as well, the sound deafening. Kagome lifted her head, titling it up until she was looking up at Sesshomaru. He noticed the now permanent ring of pink around the blue in her eyes, but he ignored them for the moment.

Cupping her face, he ran a thumb under her eye. "You saved us all, Kagome." Pressing his lips to hers once again, he kissed her like their life depended on it. It might as well have. They knew what it felt like to be touched by death. Life granted them another chance, and none of them were going to waste it.

...

So, out of all the reviews I got during these last few chapters, only one person guessed it right. Kagome is life, so she is able to give life to whoever she wants. Now that she is in full control of her power, there is nothing holding her back. The scars of the war will still be there, but they will all live long lives together. There are still two chapters coming after this one, but we are very close to the end. It's kind of bitter sweet, but all good things come to an end. Don't worry. I do have another story in the works, and it will be posted the day I post the last chapter for Severed. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.