Akio's Fate

AN: This chapter will finally address the differences between Sesshomaru and Kagome's time and how to handle the differences between humans and demons. Had to happen sometime! Plus, the next chapter cracks me up so hopefully you'll laugh too.

Kagome's POV

Rin and I were about to enter the training field when waves of rage were washing over us causing Rin to shiver. It was obvious our daughter was terrified for Akio. Not even Naraku caused such a reaction from her father.

"Rin!" I snapped. She had to get her head focused on the present if she wanted this to work out for the best.

"There won't be much time so once I get him off Akio, I need the two of you as far away as possible. Do not come back." Rin didn't respond. She seemed too stunned by my words to speak. Not once had she ever heard me speak with such authority and without emotion. It didn't matter because not a moment later we entered the training grounds. I nodded so Rin would know to be ready. The last thing I wanted was my children to see the fight that was about to happen.

"Sesshomaru! That is enough!" I kept my voice cold as I demanded Sesshomaru to stop harming his soldier for the sole reason he was an overprotective father.

The Western Lord pulled his deadly clawed hand from Akio's chest. Standing tall, Sesshomaru slowly turned from his victim to me. His crimson eyes seemed to glow as his rough snarl reached my ears. It took everything in me to keep still. "Bitch, you dare challenge This One's authority?"

"Yes. I don't think you deserve the title of my Alpha." I made sure to keep all my lessons in mind as I spoke. Using his title as Alpha would hurt him more than the term Lord. It would also show how serious I was about the situation.

From the corner of my eye, I could see Rin was at Akio's side, trying to help him up, when I challenged Sesshomaru. Rin's hands clutched Akio's clothes a little tighter while she helped him stay standing.

"M-my L-la-ad-y.-" I knew Akio was trying to keep me safe, I loved that about him, but now was not the time. I was trying to keep him alive and the only way that'd happen was if he stayed quiet.

"Stay out of it." Both Sesshomaru and I responded.

"Come on, we can't do anything now." Rin whispered as she started to lead him back towards the castle. She promised me she'd get Akio help and never look back while we fought. We never broke eye contact as Rin helped Akio to the castle. I knew Sesshomaru wouldn't let his daughter get hurt so I waited until he gave me a sign, we were okay to speak or fight.

"This One will not hold back. You are foolish to think you stand a chance." His voice was rough and animalistic.

"We shall see." On the outside I made sure to be calm and collected. The picture-perfect Lady of the West. The inside was a completely different story. I knew this fight would hurt. not only would it be physically, but emotionally. I also knew once that happened, he'd assert his dominance over me.

I had to focus. As the challenger it was my responsibility to make the first move. The first thing Sesshomaru ever taught me was to show my power as a fought broke out, so I allowed my power to flow out of my body in waves. Just as I expected, Sesshomaru did the same in response to me. The power coming off us ripped trees from the ground, threw training equipment into the castle walls, and destroyed everything until we were left standing in a dirt field.

I charged my mate while I glowed pink with my miko energy. We connected with an eruption of power that cracked the walls nearby. This was the first time I had the intention to harm Sesshomaru. Even when we weren't on the same team, my intentions were never this strong. This allowed my energy to burn him, causing him to fall deeper into his rage.

Sesshomaru's beast used his poison as we traded blows. I was shocked at first, but I started it when I burned him first. Each move we made was fueled with the need to outlast the other. Each of us were taking hits, but I was in the worst shape. I was slowing down which gave Sesshomaru the perfect opportunity to go in for the kill. I fell right for his trap. As I went to block his right hand and save myself from his acid, Sesshomaru grabbed my neck with his left and slammed me into the ground with enough force to knock the breath out of me.

He caged my body with his and yanked my head to the side. He bit my neck hard enough to break the skin. I felt blood drip down my neck while he spoke. "Submit, Bitch."

He bit down again and wiggled his mouth back and forth a bit to make sure I felt as much pain as possible as he drank some of my blood. "I submit!" I cried out, begging him to stop. The pain was too much for me to handle.

I knew mating a demon would cause problems at some point, seeing as I'm a human and he isn't, but having to make up with him right away wasn't something I could do. My body was covered in his acid, and I'd need his help to heal them. Plus, I still have a little pup to care for.

"Come here, I'll heal you." Sesshomaru went to pull me close to him, but I pushed him away.

"I... I can't. I'm sorry, I need space." I was still crying, and the acid was burning, but I couldn't get over the fact my mate/husband and I just got into a physical fight. If my mother knew she'd never allow me to see Sesshomaru again.

Sesshomaru startled me by growling. I had no idea why until I saw Inuyasha coming our way. He must have been irritated by his brother coming to help me or felt like he was stepping over the line by the confusing emotions I was getting from his side of the bond.

"Fuck, Kagome! Are you alright?" Inuyasha might be the best person to help us work through everything since he was both, human and demon. Right now, neither of us wanted to talk though. I just wanted to be alone to think. "Here, let me help you." Inuyasha reached down to help me up, but Sesshomaru grabbed his wrist.

"You will not touch This Sesshomaru's mate." His eyes were starting to tint pink again. That was the last thing we needed after we just got done fighting.

"Sesshomaru, stop. You won. You're the Alpha so please, just let your Beta care for me. Just let me get help and let me take some space. Please." I knew my voice showed how tired I was because he nodded once to us and never moved as Inuyasha carried me back towards the castle.

"Kags, what the hell were ya think'?"

"I was thinking about my mate and our family. Inuyasha, he was about to kill his lifelong friend, and Rin's future mate. Not only would that hurt him and the West, but it would hurt our daughter. Tell me you wouldn't have done the same if you were in my shoes."

Inuyasha didn't say anything else. We entered the room and he helped me lay down on one of the beds.

"My Lady! Please rest and allow me to tend to you." A young healer begged when she saw the state I was in.

"I just need to lay here for a bit and rest before I heal most of it. If you wouldn't mind cleaning the area around his poison that would be amazing."

Inuyasha brushed my hair back while the healer went to work cleaning around the acid wounds covering my body. As that was happening, I pulled the energy I needed to begin healing all my other wounds.

"Lady Kagome, you really should let our Lord heal you. I'm afraid there isn't much more I can do for you." She bowed her head as she walked away to check on the sleeping Akio.

"She's right. You need his help-" Inuyasha was trying to help, I knew this, but I truly didn't want to hear it right now.

"It's fine. I just want to rest in the hot springs, Inuyasha. I'll get his help in a bit. It's just a lot to take in right now."

I could tell he was struggling with himself. "Alright. Call me if ya need anything. You know I'll hear it." He helped me up and gave me a hug.

It took me forever to get to our hot springs connected to our rooms. It shouldn't have taken me this long, but my body was killing me. However, it was all worth it when I slipped into the hot water. My muscles started to relax while my mind turned off for a bit. Sadly, the acid was starting to spread so I needed to find Sesshomaru soon. I would also need to feed Hideyoshi soon.

I finished getting dressed in a lose robe since Sesshomaru would need access to my body for all the acid wounds. Quickly drying my hair, the best I could with a towel I had I then decided to throw it up in a messy bun. I hoped having my neck bare would calm any anger he may have or confusion. It would show not only that I'm submitting to him, but I'm making an effort to submit since my hair is always down. My biggest concern was seeing him again. What if we'd never been the same? What if I felt fear every time I saw him? Could we live in the same home?

With all the questions running around in my head I knew one thing for sure, no matter what happened between us, I wouldn't allow it to affect our son. He was innocent and what happens between us had nothing to do with him. Thinking of my baby boy gave me the push I needed to open the door and face Sesshomaru for the first time since our fight and slowly open the bond between them.

When I saw Sesshomaru standing on the other side of the room it made me feel a bit better. I could feel his feelings through our bond. He was scared and confused, which made me feel a little more secure about talking to him. 'He never learned about my time and how relationships worked. He'd never seen anything like them so hopefully this would be something minor that we can look back on this and smile at our growth.'

I knew he was hurting just as I was, which is why he made sure I knew inu culture. He wanted to keep me safe so this never happened. I couldn't fault him on that, I knew what would happen if I challenged him, but I still went through with it and now I'm paying for it. The only reason I was even alive was because our mating allowed me to live with his acid. If only it kept the pain away too. Honestly, I knew he wanted the normal ending that inus had. We should be having sex or some sort of bonding, but I couldn't. I just didn't feel safe right now.

"Kagome, will you allow This One to heal you?" His voice pulled me from my thoughts. He seemed so timid, almost scared of my rejection. I couldn't help but accept his offer and move forward.

"Yes. Thank you." When I took a step forward everything I saw was gone and my world went dark.

3rd Person POV

"Kagome!" Sesshomaru roared in fear. He couldn't stand being useless, but he was able to stay in his humanoid form because he'd seen this before. He thought waking to his mate having a vison of being Naraku's mate was horrid, but having his mate stuck in whatever vision this was based off him being evil was nauseating. He could feel her fear of him through their bond and it was killing him from the inside.

"Mama! Please wake up. Everything's okay, please." Rin begged as she watched her mother shake in her father's arms. Rin had no idea what happened or if she was okay. One moment they were rushing to 'save Akio from Sesshomaru and the next she saw her mother collapse. Everything was so confusing! She had an amazing time with Akio, rebelling for the first time by seeing him without her father's approval, pure bliss in her room as she went over their walk, to absolute fear for Akio, then fear for her mother.

As Sesshomaru held his mate, Akio and Rin watched helplessly nearby. Both loved Kagome dearly and wanted to help anyway they could. Akio tried to think of something, anything that might help, but it seemed things were changing too quickly when her body was wrapped in her own power as a protective barrier causing Akio to step back more.

The Western Lord whined in inu and nuzzled into her neck to wake his mate. Each attempt to calm her had the opposite effect has her protective barrier became stronger each time. It became clear that Sesshomaru was the wrong demon to help his mate.

The next words out of Sesshomaru's mouth were physically painful for him. "Rin, get Inuyasha."

Without hesitation Rin was on her feet to get her uncle. It wasn't necessary as Inuyasha was already sprinting their way yelling at his brother who was holding his glowing friend. "What the fuck is going on?!"

"She is having another vision. Unlike last time, This One seems to involve us. This Sesshomaru is unable to wake her." He flexed his claws without hurting his mate. Jealous that her past lover, his younger brother had to save the day because he couldn't. Thankfully, Inuyasha was able to read between the lines and understood his brother was asking for help the only way he knew how.

Inuyasha nodded his head before baring his neck. Even though he was taking Kagome, she was still Sesshomaru's mate. He wanted to keep it as painless as possible for him. "Come on, Wench. You gotta wake up. Hideyoshi needs you. He can feel you're upset."

Kagome heard Inuyasha say her son needed her. That was enough to call out to her motherly instance and wake up. The first thing she noticed was she was in Inuyasha's arms, not her mate's. Sesshomaru was next to them though. The next thing she noticed was Rin and an unharmed Akio... Akio seemed stunned, but physically he was okay.

"It wasn't real?" She said to no one in particular.

"No." Sesshomaru still wanted to hold her, but whatever she saw seemed to change her feelings towards him. He could still feel her love for him, but there was also fear... The only hope Sesshomaru had was to rely on his brother helping them talk it out. Preferably with less prying eyes. "Come, let us head to the Western Chambers. Akio, This Sesshomaru will call upon you later. Do not leave your rooms."

Akio bowed his head, "understood, Sesshomaru-sama." He glanced one last time towards Rin before heading towards his rooms to wait for his punishment. His mind was clouded with concern for the Western Lady, he hated not being able to help her. What was worst was being trapped in his rooms.

Once they were all in the Western bedchamber things were even more tense. Inuyasha sat in the corner closest to the door with his arms folded in his fire rat sleeves so he could bolt if things got mushy or help if they started fighting. Kagome was sitting in the middle of the futon to keep a nice bubble of space around herself as she described what happened in her vision and why she felt uneasy around Sesshomaru. Said mate was sitting behind her so he could be close, but not touch as she wanted.

Sesshomaru's claws dug into his skin as his mate described what happened. He couldn't understand what was going on. Why would she even consider challenging him, and if she did challenge him like she did in her vision, why was she upset they fought?

Inuyasha was stunned. He'd seen Kagome's time and he knew things were different for her. He was also part human, so he understood the human part of her as well. The demon side of him understood where Sesshomaru was coming from. As a demon you never, EVER challenge your alpha unless you're ready to give up your life. It was law, it was pack. How didn't she notice every time him and Sesshomaru fought he never challenged Sesshomaru for the rightful title of second in line, or the right to have safety in the West. He knew he couldn't win.

This was going to be a huge obstacle for them to overcome and he really couldn't do anything about it without hurting one or the other. He awkwardly stood so they could discuss whatever they wanted to and keep himself as a safe person to have around. "This isn't something I can help with. I'm going to leave ya two alone to talk... Don't worry about anything while you're talking."

When the door closed leaving Kagome and Sesshomaru alone, Kagome took a deep breath to give her a little time. She wasn't sure what to say or do now that she shared everything. She could feel his confusion through their bond. She slowly scooted back so they were both sitting with their back against the wall with a little space between them. She looked towards Sesshomaru, unsure what he'd say, but pleasantly surprised to see him open his arms for her.

Sesshomaru wasn't sure what Kagome would do when he offered an opening for her. It put him in the position to be rejected it; something he wasn't used to. He was willing to do so if it helped comfort her and help them move in the right direction.

Kagome slowly moved towards her mate. She kept reminding herself that she saw something that could have happened, not something that did happen. She was lucky enough to have this happen before it could happen in real life, so she needed to get the support from her loved ones. They had a lot to talk about, but she wasn't sure how two people from different time could come to terms with their own beliefs. Sesshomaru was on the same page. Him and his beast wanted answers, but they knew it would be best to wait so she could rest before they opened that door.

This was a different kind of difficult. He was a Lord at such a young age, he fought Naraku, had a human follow him around, and now his mate was distraught over something he didn't understand made him uneasy. How do they move on if neither of them felt they did something wrong? Sighing, Sesshomaru joined his mate in a nap before Hideyoshi woke up and needed to eat again. He breathed in her sweet scent as he closed his eyes.

At breakfast the next morning only one demoness was brave enough to speak with the tension as high as it was. Kimiko kept trying to break the tension, but every time she spoke to someone she was met with a nod. Little Hideyoshi knew something was wrong with his parents, he just couldn't understand what it was. Since his only form of communication was crying, he was extra fussy as he clung to his mother. No one could blame him. In fact, he gave Kagome the motivation to break her silence.

"Lady Kimiko, I was wondering if you'd accompany my mate and me to the study while Rin tends to Hideyoshi for us."

Kimiko instantly tensed. Kagome never used formal speech unless the situation was extremely serious. She glanced at her son to see his face, but he didn't give anything away. Since she had nothing to go off, she agreed to Kagome's request. "Of course."

Sesshomaru kept his face blank as he heard Kagome's words. It had been years since she called his mother anything other than "mom" or "mother." A sharp pain went through his chest. He wasn't sure what this feeling was, but he knew it had something to do with his mate.

"Rin."

"Come here, Rin will take good care of you." She cooed at her little brother while the three adults made their way to the study. Shippo and Inuyasha decided to train since everyone seemed to ignore them, plus nether of them wanted to get in the middle of whatever that discussion was going to be.

Once everyone was sitting around Sesshomaru's desk Kimiko broke the silence, "what is it you need of me?"

Kagome sat up straight and squared her shoulders while she looked her mother in-law dead in the eyes with fear. "I need to know if you could help Sesshomaru and I enter another dream land. One where we can choose what we show the other. We are stuck... I'm sure he feels like he did nothing wrong in the vision I described, and I don't think I did anything wrong either. Another issue is we come from different times. I'm worried we'll never get back to where we were if we can't figure this out."

Kagome's words were a knife to his heart. Sesshomaru couldn't believe what she said. There was a chance they may never be the same? How was that possible? They were mates! Soul bound. Nothing could ever change that, nothing. Did she expect him to live his life without her? That was unacceptable.

Kimiko could feel her son's tension escalate as his mate spoke. She rushed to speak before he could say anything to start another fight. "I can help, but it won't be the same. I no longer have any ties to your father, Sesshomaru. As I mated another, I can't link with him to bring you two together as he did before. With that said, I can put you both into an inner world that will allow you both to watch any memories you deem important. There is one key to this, no matter how hard this may get, do not exit until you've shown or seen all you need to. Once you exit the world you won't be able to go back, and it could get worse with only half the information."

For the first time since entering the room Kagome and Sesshomaru looked to each other. There was a silent communication between the two where they agreed to stay in the world until they were done. "Okay, well I'm going to hand pump for Hideyoshi. Can you see him a bit beforehand as well?"

"Hn."

Kagome left Sesshomaru and Kimiko alone in the study to discuss what was going on.

"Son, what did she see? What's going on?"

If Sesshomaru was one to roll his eyes or sigh, he would be. Instead, he decided to tell his mother everything. He didn't understand what the problem was so it was possible his mother would have some incite. It irritated him when his mother didn't respond. She was taking her sweet time to respond to him which didn't make sense since he was her son, you'd think she'd want to help.

What Sesshomaru didn't realize was his mother was taking her time coming up with an answer to make sure she didn't push him away again. She desperately wanted to help him but working with him when it came to emotions was a fine line. "Sesshomaru... I'm not sure how to say this so bear with me. As a female, and a mate, there have been times when I was with your father that I knew he was making a mistake that would hurt the West. Sometimes we have time to speak to our mates when we're alone, other times we must speak up then and there. Those fights between your father and I were brutal. Not only physically, but emotionally. It was as if he had to shove it in my face that I was less than him. Then, he'd want to runt right after our fights. Son, when a female isn't ready it hurts. To this day I can feel it, see it as if it just happened. Hear her out. Don't let this tear the two of you apart. Grow from it, find a balance."

Sesshomaru sat in silence as his mother left the room for him to think. He had no idea his mother went through that with his father but hearing how it felt for her worried him. Was he in the wrong? Were they both wrong? Almost robotically he left his study to visit his son before they all returned for his mother to perform the next ceremony. His mate was correct, they needed this.