Chapter warning: lite lemon

"I've seen my fall.

I shall, one day,

witness my rise too." - KM

Chapter 9

The palace was quiet today. The endless stream of palace staff buzzing in and out of rooms, up and down the halls, had stopped. The court was strangely unoccupied; no noble ladies sauntered across the glossy floor in small cliques to stare and giggle at Kagome as she passed through. There were no guards that leered at her or purposely bumped into her shoulders as she passed through the corridors. Misuzu was nowhere to be seen, not even that gratingly loud imp. It was as if somebody had pressed "Pause" on the remote and everything had just temporarily stopped. Today, everybody in the palace was holding their breath, just waiting, it seemed.

Kagome followed Harue through the court, passed the study, and across the ravine. The familiar dark evil that lurked in the floorboards swelled up around her ankles welcoming her back. This morning Harue had given her some answers and the darkness didn't disturb her as much, although it was still traumatizing. She didn't want to be morbid, but a dead priestess would not deter her from getting the whole story. Her survival depended on working with Inuyasha or else she feared she might be the next dead priestess on his wall.

Harue parted the shoji doors and stepped inside the sitting room, waiting for Kagome to follow and close the door behind her. The table Inuyasha had flipped now sit in the middle of the room with a cup and a pot of tea resting on top. Harue nodded to the tea, making her intentions clear.

"I will stay here – I don't like stairs much anyways. You'll find the Lord on the third floor and through the door." She explained, lowering herself slowly in front of the table and cradling the tea cup in her wrinkled hands. "She is still up there, but no worries. She does not bite much these days."

Kagome thanked the healer and turned toward the stairwell quickly in order to hide how much she had not enjoyed Harue's joke. She resolutely climbed the stairs and reminded herself that she did not have to look up. She did not have to look at the priestess again. She did not have to look at those eyes that never closed. Yet, Kagome found herself standing at the foot of the priestess's unsanctimonious grave site. Two large windows, complete with early era thick cloudy glass panes, flanked either side of the woman. The early morning light poured into the room illuminating her embalmed and frail body. Kagome idly wondered if the daylight helped her look less terrifying, or if there was just simply nothing at this point that could surprise or scare her.

Kagome tore her eyes away from the corpse and continued to the second stair case. She was glad that she hadn't risked her life further by exploring the third-floor last night because it was fairly unremarkable. The room was entirely empty, only decorated by more large windows and a heavy iron door carved into the rockface. She stood in the middle of the room and composed herself mentally and emotionally before she continued. She knew what she wanted to ask, and he was in no position to decline answering her questions. Her confidence gathered, Kagome grasped the thick black latch of the door and gave it a tug. The door slowly but surely opened under the strain of her feeble might and Kagome slipped inside. She stood in a narrow, claustrophobic tunnel, the only source of light provided by torches in sconces along the wall. Kagome retrieved a torch from one of the sconces and continued down the path with the light far in front of her. Shortly, the path deposited into an oval-shaped room where water buckets and blood-stained cloths littered the floor. Only a few torches in this room were lit, shrouding the deepest reach of the cavern in darkness. Kagome searched the darkness as she slowly stepped into it, the light from her torch slowly illuminating the body of Inuyasha.

"I was told you might be coming." He rasped, his voice low and gravelly.

Kagome did not answer but instead walked the perimeter of the surrounding area and lit the torches with her own until they were both comfortably bathed in light. Inuyasha had certainly seen better, more dignified days. He himself, was mounted to the wall on his knees, large iron cuffs encircling his wrists, neck, and abdomen were bolted into the rock effectively securing him into place. He hung limply with his head downcast, like a feudal era crucifixion. The sight was pitiful, to say the least.

"The restraints are unnecessary, don't you think? You were," Kagome paused, unsure of how to proceed, "dispatched last night. You'll be fine for a while, right?" she asked dryly.

"I wasn't sure how much you knew. I figured you might feel safer if I'm locked up like this. It sounds like you already know everything though, so why are you here?" he challenged. He still refused to look at her.

"I want to hear the story from you." She answered finally, sitting in front of him on the cold cavern floor. She tucked her legs underneath her and smoothed her yukata out over her knees.

Inuyasha lifted his head finally and studied her, "I don't have a choice." He realized out loud. Kagome shook her head slowly.

His eyes shifted to the floor once again, "I wouldn't even know where to start. Everything happened so long ago." His hoarse voice once again a whisper.

"The beginning," she stated, "Just start at the beginning."

Inuyasha impatiently stroked the hilt of Tessaiga resting on his hip. Where were they? What was taking so long? Inuyasha eagerly clicked his claws against the arm of his throne. Inuyasha received word that his scouting team had located a strange woman who insisted on seeing him. A miko who had been traveling the country side with nothing other than the bow and quiver of arrows on her back. Her name was Kagome.

The commotion and braying of horses at the front gate signaled their arrival and Inuyasha sat straight in his throne. It had been exactly three decades since he had seen or heard word from Kagome. His heart pumped erratically in his chest at the chance of seeing her again. If it really was Kagome, he'd send for Miroku, Sango, and their children, as well as Shippo immediately. They would be shocked and elated to see each other again. He ached to see her smile and the twinkle she had in her eyes when she laughed. There would be a feast, a beautiful celebration with music and drinking and dancing to mark the return of their dearest friend. Inuyasha realized that one of his legs was bouncing against the floor excitedly and quickly put a hand on his knee to force it to stop.

Footsteps approached from one of the halls and Inuyasha braced himself. The guards that flanked either side of him ceased their idle chatter and stood straighter. Inuyasha, ready to fall off of the edge of his seat just to get a glimpse of her a millisecond sooner, chastised himself internally for acting like a teenager again. He couldn't help it though – he was already planning where she would stay in the palace and when he'd show her the most beautiful waterfalls in the kingdom.

The air rushed from his lungs and his heart finally stilled when he saw her. She glided into the room as if she walked on air, her miko robes and hair floating behind her. Her hands were bound at the wrists in front of her and she was flanked by twenty or so armed men, Tsunekane leading the group. She looked out of place and pristine standing in a flock of haggard and grisly soldiers - Inuyasha wanted to chase them all away before they tainted her beautiful aura.

"My Lord," Tsunekane began with a bow, the room following his lead, "We have retrieved this miko from the country-side who requests to stand in your presence."

Inuyasha nodded dumbly, not quite registering what Tsunekane said. Kagome stood before him in the flesh holding his eyes captive in her own. She had aged, yes, thirty years had passed and he expected nothing less, but she remained as beautiful as ever. Her hair was long and wild, yet it framed her delicate face in all the right places. Her high cheek bones were rosy pink and flushed against the laugh lines in the corners of her gentle doe-eyes. Her delicate bird-like fingers were clasped together under her chin and were as white as snow. She smiled warmly at him and stepped forward, only to be grabbed roughly by a soldier from behind and pulled back.

"Go!" he boomed, his sudden outburst startling even himself, "Get out! All of you!" he swept a trembling hand across the room. At first, nobody moved, stunned and confused by his sudden outburst. Servants, guards, and noble folk hurried from the room, only Tsunekane remained behind. Inuyasha quickly dismissed the guards on either side of him and strode up to Tsunekane, stopping only until their faces were inches apart. "Leave… now." He growled.

Tsunekane opened his mouth to respond, but made the decision to shut it and bow instead. "As you wish, My Lord." He said dryly before turning on his heel and exiting the court.

Inuyasha and the woman were left alone, staring at each other. The earth stopped spinning on its axis, the seasons stopped changing, and time stopped moving. He wanted to reach out and touch her, hold her until he knew she was real. He wasn't entirely convinced that she wasn't a ghost or a figment of his imagination. He feared that if he moved or made a sound, she'd evaporate in thin air.

"Inuyasha." She broke the silence, her voice warm and familiar. Inuyasha closed the distance between them and crushed her to his chest in an embrace. She sank into him instantly and he absorbed the weight of her body sinking against him. He smoothed a hand down her long, jet-black hair and buried his nose in her hair.

"Kagome," he breathed, his mouth muffled against her head, "You're finally here." She leaned into him and laughed, the sound like tinkling glass bells.

"I've been searching for you, Inuyasha." She crooned against his chest. He wanted to look in her eyes and see her smile again but he couldn't bring himself to let go of her just yet; So, they stood in the middle of the court sharing their long embrace. He was convinced that if he let her go ever again that she'd be gone forever this time.

"Inuyasha," she breathed again.

"Mhm," he mumbled against her hair.

"I can't breathe." She laughed. He quickly pulled away and held her at arm's length, still not ready to let go of her completely yet. He took her in again looking her up and down appreciatively. She looked healthy, unharmed, and strong. She was a woman now, no longer a wiry, knock-kneed teenager. His heart sped up again, pounding against his chest as he took in the woman before him.

"Could you, perhaps, untie me?" she nodded to her bound wrists. Inuyasha, feeling foolish, quickly sliced the rope with a claw and let her rub the pale skin on her wrists. Without warning, she fell forward against him and wrapped him in her own embrace.

"It's been so long. I never gave up hope that I'd see you again." She whispered, her voice trembling over a sob caught in her throat.

His chest tightened, "You idiot, of course we'd see each other again. There was never a doubt in my mind." He crooned while smoothing her wild locks with his hand again.

Kagome pulled away and studied him, "Is there somewhere we could talk? I'd like us to reacquaint ourselves in a more intimate setting…" A sweet smile graced her lips and Inuyasha's breath caught in his throat while he nodded quickly. He scolded himself internally for any and all impure thoughts that fleeted across his mind just then. They had much to discuss and hundreds of stories to regale he suspected.

"Uh – yeah, sure. Come with me." Inuyasha stuttered over his words less than gracefully. He scolded himself again – he sounded like such an idiot.

Inuyasha led Kagome down the halls of the palace and she followed closely on his heels as quiet as a mouse. She seemed oddly quiet, calm, and demure now – maybe she was just as nervous about seeing him as he was about seeing her. They reached his personal quarters and sat at the small table on the first floor. Inuyasha called for tea and it was promptly poured before them. They now sat across from each other, Inuyasha studying her as she daintily sipped on her steaming beverage.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" she muttered teasingly against the tea cup.

Inuyasha's face flushed red before he composed himself, "I was just wondering how you got here and are now sitting here drinking tea in my palace."

"I got here by walking," she said smartly, "I wasn't sure where I was going. I've spent years wandering the country helping people and exorcising villages. It wasn't until an old man in a village very far from here told me that I looked like a woman he had seen once in his youth. That same man knew of you and told me where to go."

Inuyasha nodded and finished for her, "We received word of a miko coming this way. I sent a team out to intercept and retrieve you."

"It's not every day that an army of demons finds me and lives to tell the tale." She smiled.

"I'm glad you showed restraint." Inuyasha said smiling back at her before drinking his own tea, "Where were you before? I haven't heard word about you in decades."

Kagome's face fell. "I was captured by a band of mercenaries and held prisoner for many years. I was forced to heal them, cook for them, and on the worst days they used me as bait for their enemies." She sighed, "But they were humans, I could not kill them as I am bound by my holy duty." She shook her head. He listened to her intently as she recounted stories and details of her days as a mercenary hostage and slave. Inuyasha's brows knit together and his palm instinctively itched against the hilt of Tessaiga. He would kill them all, rip them from limb to limb, and leave them out for the birds and wolves to eat. If Kagome were not here he would set out in search of this mercenary group himself. But for now, he needed to be here with her.

"Did they… hurt you?" Inuyasha swallowed, prepared to hear the worst.

"No, they did not. Nothing worse than the occasional lashing if I did not do my duties. It made me stronger, Inuyasha. I am much, much stronger now." She assured him.

Inuyasha released the breath he was holding in his chest. "If you did not kill them, how did you escape?"

"After many, many years I gained their trust. I was able to forage on my own for food or herbs I needed, knowing I wouldn't get far on foot if I decided to run. I had plenty of time to study the effects of herbs, roots, and exotic plants. I was eventually able to collect, hide, and concoct a mixture that would put all of the men in a deep sleep. It took a long time to collect the ingredients needed to poison the whole clan and even had to grow some of the plants myself. I also had only one chance to do it right because if I misjudged the measurements or ingredients they would suspect me. One night, I snuck all of the brew into their dinner and served it to them. As I'd hoped, they fell into a deep sleep and I was able to free myself from my restraints. I took a bow, some arrows, and a horse and rode until the next morning. I traded the horse for money, and worked as a traveling priestess under a different name hoping my journey would bring me across your path. Eventually, it did." She continued sharing the details of her enslavement, escape, and life traveling across Japan. Inuyasha was enthralled with her story, but time to time caught himself staring at the way her fingers fluttered over her collar bone to push her hair out of the way. Or the way her eyelashes fanned across her cheeks when she laughed so hard that her eyes screwed shut. His brain was foggy with thoughts of her – he was mesmerized.

Inuyasha was torn from his reverie when she asked about his life over the last three decades. He told her about taking over the western lands, battles he'd won, and the lives of their companions.

"I've sent word that you've returned. Miroku, Sango, and Shippo will be very happy to see you. I'm sure Miroku and Sango will be bringing their children as well." He said while reaching for Kagome's tea cup to pour her another tea.

Kagome's face faltered for a breath of a second, her brows knit together and her lips pressed into a hard line. "When will they be here?" she asked.

"Well they could be here as soon as tomorrow, I suppose." Inuyasha grasped the small handle of the tea cup but Kagome put her hand on top of his. His heart began to beat faster again.

"We should celebrate, I could go for a drink of something a bit more… exciting." She winked at him.

Inuyasha recoiled immediately, "You drink? You enjoy drinking?" he asked disbelievingly.

"I partake time to time." She smiled devilishly, folding her hands under her chin and resting her elbows on the table, "Even holy women have their vices."

Inuyasha nodded and called for sake. The two clinked their fresh cups filled with liquor and drank, and drank, and drank. They shared more stories, and Inuyasha was listening, but he couldn't help but notice the way she rested her hand on top of his when she wanted to emphasize a point. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes shone brightly even though they were glazed over with the effects of the alcohol. It'd been a long time since Inuyasha had an occasion to drink so heavily to, and was embarrassed to find that he had caught the hiccups. Kagome laughed hysterically at this and stroked his hand soothingly.

"My mother always told me that the best way to get rid of hiccups is a distraction…" she crooned.

Inuyasha held his breath as she stroked his hand gently and dragged her fingertips down his wrists, sending shivers up his spine. Finally, she interlocked her fingers with his and squeezed tightly.

"See?" she laughed and he looked up at her, "All better."

Inuyasha slowly stood, holding her gaze and leaving their fingers intertwined. He walked around the table and stood in front of her and she slowly stood on unsteady feet to meet him. He had a burning need in his belly for her, and he was almost certain she felt the same. He used his free hand to cradle her warm flushed cheek in his hand and she leaned into it, using her free hand to hold him in place. He longingly watched her nuzzle his open palm before he decided to kiss her. Gently at first, he lowered his lips onto hers and she met him half way, eagerly taking his mouth with her own. Their kiss, slow and affectionate, quickly spiraled out of control. Passion took hold and they kissed frantically, their hands smoothing across each other's bodies and closing the space between them. She broke their kiss to draw in large gasping breaths, so he took the opportunity to move his mouth across her jaw and down her neck. Any shred of control he suspected he may possess dissipated when she mewled softly at the touch of his tongue against the base of her neck.

Inuyasha didn't know how or when they had managed to stumble up the stairs, but he found himself being shed of his clothing at the side of his bed. He tossed the heavy armor to the side before turning his hands to the neck of her haori and spreading it open so it slipped off of her shoulders. They clumsily stripped and fell back into each other's arms sprawled across the bed, their mouths never once breaking apart. Their hands continued their exploration of each other's bodies, Inuyasha making sure to christen every curve and dip of her body with his fingertips and tongue. He buried his face between her thighs causing her to cry out and tangle her fingers in his hair frenetically. The sound of her whines and yelps was so magical he decided he never wanted her to stop, until of course she began to beg for more. They were both panting the hot heavy air around them when Inuyasha surfaced, his hardened length pressed against the junction of where her thighs met. He groaned as he rocked his hips into her causing her frame below him to tremble horribly. She raked her nails down his back as he thrusted into her quickly, her cries building into a deafening crescendo that only spurred him on faster. Gods, how he loved this woman. She tangled her fingers in the sheets and her legs around his waist as she found her release and he collapsed next to her after finding his shortly after. They laid together in their post-orgasmic glow, feeling the air prickle at the sheen of sweat on their bodies. Inuyasha turned to her, drawing her body near his still wanting to feel the heat of her against him. He couldn't remember the last time he felt so at ease and peaceful, and it was because of this woman he cradled in his arms.

Inuyasha woke with a start, not realizing he had fallen asleep in the first place. His hands closed against empty air and he sprang up in bed, wildly looking for Kagome. She stood several feet from the bed shrugging her clothing back on, her back to him. He admired her for several moments in silence. When she turned, she jumped and her face flushed.

"I didn't know you were awake. I thought you'd be asleep for a bit longer." She said composing herself and smoothing out her hakamas.

"You were gone, I was worried." He mumbled sleepily.

"I'm not going anywhere," she said sitting next to him on the bed and stroking his cheek, "You don't need to worry. Go back to sleep." She cooed reassuringly.

"I don't know," he started rubbing the sleep out of one of his eyes, ignoring her suggestion, "I can't get the picture of you vanishing with the well that day out of my head." He swung his legs out of bed lazily before standing up and sauntering over to his hakamas.

"The well…" she trailed off.

"Matter of fact," he began, tying the ribbon of his hakamas tight to keep them in place, "How did you get the well working again? Last I checked it disappeared." He waited for her answer but there was none. Inuyasha turned toward her to repeat his question in case she hadn't heard it, but she sat rigidly on the edge of the bed staring at him.

"How did I get the well to work?" she suddenly laughed, the sound of it was out of tune and strained, "The well is a well, eventually it just worked again." Her fingers fidgeted in her lap.

"Well yeah, but you vanished with it. You're telling me you didn't do anything to get it working again?" he asked incredulously while reaching for his shirt.

"A few men dug it up and found a fresh Aquaphor below – the well is fine now." She explained, waving him along with her hand, "You must still be half asleep, Inuyasha." Inuyasha stopped and studied her.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"The well! We're talking about a well. There's plenty of water in it now so it works just fine. Don't worry yourself about a silly well." She chided waiting for him to laugh with her – he didn't.

"Kagome, why would the well be filled with water? That's your only portal to the future and the past." He said slowly.

Kagome's face fell instantly. She suddenly looked tired, worn, and more her age. "The future and the past…" she mumbled dumbly. The light and magic behind her face was gone.

He placed his hands on either of her shoulders and squeezed gently, "Kagome, the bone-eaters well." He searched her eyes but she stared at him blankly. She looked like she might be sick.

Something was not right. He stepped away from the bed and the woman, his blood rushing in his ears. Maybe she had bumped her head, or suffered some sort of trauma-related amnesia? It was impossible she could forget about the well though – impossible. Inuyasha stumbled to his armoire and rifled through some drawers until he found what he was looking for. He rushed to the bedside and presented an object to her.

"What is this?" he asked her, panic rising in his voice.

Kagome recoiled from him, sensing the change in atmosphere, "A bead, it's a bead." She answered, looking around the room nervously.

"And what does it do?" he pleaded, his hand trembling around the bead of subjugation he had thrust in her face.

"Its… It's.." she stuttered unable to form a coherent answer. She scooted away from him across the bed.

Inuyasha grabbed her ankle and held her in place. "Say the word, Kagome. Say it!" he shouted, leaning over her. Kagome said nothing and simply shook her head. Inuyasha yanked her ankle toward him and bared his teeth at her, "Who the FUCK are you?" he snarled fearsomely.

Kagome's eyes rolled back in her head and a smile cracked across her face so wide that it tore her face in half. Inuyasha pushed himself back away from her as she dissipated into a thick purple smoke.

"Inuyasha, you should have just stayed asleep. My job here would have been much easier." A voice rang out from behind him. Inuyasha spun to face the woman now standing behind him. He struggled to see her clearly, as if the edges of her frame were fuzzy and her features were too blurry to make out. The woman reached into her breast and retrieved a sutra before setting it aflame in her hand. Suddenly, the foggy pane of glass Inuyasha had been trying to see through cracked and he could see the woman clearly. She was, in fact, not Kagome at all. This woman had long dull hair that hung lifelessly from her scalp and a long hard face that had no laugh or light. She was lean and willowy, her long arms crossing in front of her chest. The scent of this imposter miko filled his nose, and Inuyasha wondered when exactly he had recalled last being able to smell anything. He stepped backward and rubbed his eyes to confirm what he was seeing was real. At the same time, he felt the presence of a demon rising in the room all around him. He had made a very, very big mistake.

"Who are you? Where is Kagome?" he shouted at her.

"I am priestess Ubanaki. I do not know where this Kagome is – frankly I don't even know her. I've heard the legends but that was before my time." She said plainly.

"Then how did you look like her? She was here!" he barked, his anger flaring.

"Kagome was never here, it was always me. I've found ways to alter my appearance – sutras and relying on the higher powers." She explained.

"You may have used a sutra to dull my senses but you're using the help of a demon to disguise yourself." Inuyasha spat at her. Ubanaki's dull, bored expression faltered and Inuyasha caught her mouth shrivel into a frown.

"You're correct, this sutra is specially designed to inhibit demon senses – it doesn't work well on humans so I had to make quick work before anyone else arrived. However, I am a woman of holy nature – I do not intermingle with demons." She hissed at him, "That is why I'm here today." Ubanaki unfolded her arm and held out her palm until a bright purple flame appeared and danced on top of it. When the flame was extinguished, a black necklace was left. Ubanaki intertwined the necklace between her fingers and clasped her hands together before proclaiming her duty unto him, "Inuyasha, I am here to kill you. I was chosen by the head village monks and priestesses to take on this mission. You are a threat to the people. The demon house of the west, along with your armies and subjects, must fall in order for humans to live. The days of fearing demons are over. I will kill all of them and you will be made an example of." She declared with a wicked grin.

"Like Hell you will. I haven't done anything to deserve a death sentence. Plus, I don't sense anything holy about you." He sneered at her, kicking his discarded shirt away across the floor and cracking his knuckles. He'd make quick work of this woman and whatever demon she harbored within her.

The woman began to chant in a language he didn't recognize and a dark aura encircled Ubanaki. He could see it clearly now: a two-headed serpent-like demon snaked its way around her body and rested just over her shoulders. Inuyasha was sure of it now, she was no ordinary miko. Maybe at one point in her life she had been pure and good, but this woman was dark and evil. She used dark magic and demons to further her agenda, she was the antithesis of holy priestesses. Ubanaki was a dark priestess and used black magics and powers – not much was known about dark magic except that it was dangerous and unpredictable.

A thick purple smoke rolled off of Ubanaki's body in waves and filled the room and choked the air out of Inuyasha's lungs. He lifted his palm to his face and covered his nose but his limbs felt like they weighed a thousand pounds each. He tried lifting a foot to advance on her but he was effectively paralyzed. He growled in frustration and thrust his hand out toward the weapon rack on the wall.

"Tessaiga!" he called. The fang shuddered on the rack and the hilt angled directly toward him, preparing to drive right into his open palm.

"Go!" Ubanaki cried. The two-headed serpent snapped into action and intercepted the sword in midair, tangling itself around the sheath and the hilt causing it to fall heavily to the ground. Inuyasha snarled in frustration and ripped his foot from the ground and took a step forward, and in response Ubanaki began to chant louder. Suddenly, some heavy invisible force began to drive down onto his shoulders pushing him into the ground.

Ubanaki paused her chanting to laugh, "Look at the great demon Lord of the West bow to me!"

Inuyasha fell to one knee, and then the other, grinding his teeth and roaring in frustration. Ubanaki was pulsing now with dark light, purple black smoke swirling around them in a dizzying vortex as her voice climbed a steep crescendo. The weight increased on Inuyasha's back and he felt every bone and joint in his body cry out as the pressure became too much. The wooden floor began to splinter and buckle underneath his knees and he called out again for his sword but the serpent held it in place on the ground. Inuyasha was then forced to his hands and he pushed back against the crushing weight from his position on the floor upon his hands and knees. The downward force was too much, and with a loud snap his arms broke and he was flattened against the ground.

Ubanaki cackled, "You don't understand! I've trained for this moment my whole life! I was born to be the downfall of the demon empire. You don't stand a chance against me, Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha listened to the chorus of cracking and snapping of smaller, more delicate bones breaking under the increasing force of Ubanaki's magic spell. He roared in pain and felt himself slipping to a point of no return. If he lost control, he'd lose his wits and he'd be dead in moments. The only way he was getting out of this was using his brain, not his brawn. He had to maintain control, although he felt his demon blood awakening and roaring to life in his veins.

Blood.

He needed blood quickly or he'd be crushed to death.

Inuyasha slowly twisted his head to the side to examine one of his arms – it had broken the wrong way and the bone has burst through the skin. Blood pumped steadily on the floor in a puddle at the crook of his sickly bent elbow. Inuyasha willed his arm to move and dip his fingers in the blood. Inuyasha was sure every bone in his hand was broken and the downward pressure on his body only amplified when he dragged his arm down to his side to slather his hand in his own blood.

Inuyasha clenched his fist and howled in pain as the bones cracked and shifted under his skin, "Blades of Blood!" He flicked his wrist weakly, hoping it was enough.

Red blades of light cut through the room and tore the two-headed serpent to shreds. Tessaiga clattered to the ground and Ubanaki's eyes narrowed in Inuaysha's direction. Her chanting momentarily stopped and she angrily gasped.

"How dare you!" she cried out. The moment she ceased her chanting Inuyasha felt the force of the spell relinquish so he took the opportunity to peel his body off of the floor and stumble toward the fang.

"No!" she shrieked before resuming her chanting. The spell nearly forced him to his knees immediately but Inuyasha dipped his claws in his blood again and sent more red blades of light flying in her direction. Ubanaki was forced to abandon her spell to dive out of the way to avoid being butchered. She looked up in time to see Inuyasha staggering to her and dropping Tessaiga's sheath to the floor – his arm supporting the weight of the blade at an awkward angle. She backed up against the wall as far she could but he cut her diagonally across her body easily with the pristine blade and she screeched in pain. Blood sprayed freely from the deep gash and she deflated against the wall, her face quickly losing color.

"I… don't understand. I was going to kill you." She cried. The crisp white of her haori was now stained a deep sticky red. Her trembling fingers fluttered over her heaving chest and played in the pool of blood.

"You're a dark miko, Ubanaki. You use spells and demons, not purity and healing. You're powerful but purity is the bane of every demon's existence, not raw power. I would have been dead in seconds if you were pure. You sold your purity for darkness – you're a fool." He spoke ominously.

"No… no I didn't." she whispered with a faint smile. She gazed somewhere off in the distance over Inuyasha's shoulder – he was losing her.

"The demon, the two-headed serpent, it had seen Kagome before in the past hadn't it? And you enlisted it's help to recreate her image?" he asked her. She nodded ever so slightly, still focused on something far away.

"Ubanaki," he announced, lifting the blade to her chin, his voice a dangerous rumble, "You will die by my blade today. You will not go to heaven seeing as you corrupted your soul with darkness and demons." Ubanaki's eyes came into focus and fixed on him again. "I will send you back to your village with my name carved into your flesh to dissuade any others from attempting this foolishness ever again. Do you understand?" he lifted the blade under her chin so she looked him right in the eyes.

A single tear fell from the corner of Ubanaki's eyes before she whispered something so quietly that Inuyasha missed it the first time.

"What? Speak up. I'll give you your last words." He said gravely.

"I curse you." She rasped, her fingers weakly tightening again around the black necklace.

"You – You what?" his lip curled in disgust.

"I curse you," she repeated firmly this time, "I curse you to walk this earth for all eternity until you find this "Kagome" and she loves you!" Her voice was climbing a steep crescendo and the whites of her eyes were wide, "You'll lose yourself to your demon half the longer you go without her love! You will spend centuries as a blood thirsty monster that no miko could love!" she cried out hoarsely, lifting the black necklace still clutched in left hand high in the air. The necklace glowed in her trembling hand and the glowing aura crept toward Inuyasha, encasing him in a soft purple light.

Inuyasha's body pulsed and he suddenly felt the nauseating sensation of his bones slithering under his skin and snapping back into place. He dropped Tessaiga and watched his arms straighten and the bones disappear underneath his skin. His body pulsed again powerfully and he felt his nails begin to elongate and the muscles around his body grow and coil tightly. He ineffectively swatted the purple aura away but it was too late.

"No!" he roared as he ripped the beaded necklace from her hand and threw it out of reach. He grabbed her by the collar of her shirt and shook her, "What the fuck have you done?" he snarled at her ferociously, his teeth now so large and sharp they prevented him from closing his mouth completely. Ubanaki's eyes were far away and she didn't respond to his abuse. He dropped her to the floor and stalked over to the necklace, red creeping into the edges of his vision. He stretched the jewelry between his two hands and pulled.

"That piece holds your curse – I'd be careful with it." She whispered, a faint smile played on her colorless lips. He stopped immediately and rolled the beads around in his large palm.

Inuyasha snapped back to look at her, his vision awash with red. He dropped the necklace and picked up a small dagger instead. With the dagger clutched in his hand, he grabbed Ubanaki by the collar once again and dragged her over to the nearest wall.

He lifted her to eye level, "Look at me," he growled, the words hardly decipherable. Her head lolled but her eyes were able to lock onto his with a semblance of recognition, "If I'm cursed to live forever, I'll curse you to live forever with me. You'll stay here where you died."

With Ubanaki's last shred of strength, she spat at Inuyasha, and he drove the dagger into her neck mounting her to the wall. The blood from her neck sprayed across his face and chest and Inuyasha let go of his last shred of restraint. Her body twitched and flailed helplessly against the wall for only a few moments until she was truly dead. Suddenly, the door downstairs crashed open and a flurry of cries and voices filled his ears.

"Lord Inuyasha! Lord Inuyasha!"

"Where are you?"

"We heard the commotion but we were unable to reach you!"

Servants pounded up the stairs and screamed or gasped in shock or terror once they saw the scene before them. Any that foolishly tried to approach him were cut down where they stood. Inuyasha slaughtered a good number of his own staff and friends before escaping the palace and turning his fury onto the humans.

Inuyasha tore through the woods and soared over the mountains tracking Ubanaki's scent all the way back to her village. Inuyasha slaughtered every monk, priestess, or holy being he could find before killing people indiscriminately in the towns nearby. His killing spree continued for three days and three nights before his armies were able to apprehend him and stop him by driving a blade through his heart. The damage totaled to approximately 20,000 lives lost – enough to start a war. Word spread that Inuyasha, Lord of the West had captured, tortured, and killed a priestess and slew the entire holy village she came from before going on his rampage. Damage control was nearly impossible, but became an entirely lost cause when the Europeans set foot on Japanese soil for the first time and brought heavy artillery and guns with them. Now, the humans were armed to fight back for the first time and they were hell-bent on eradicating demon existence. Inuyasha, seen as a champion of human slaughter and already a Lord, was declared leader of the demon legion against the human "resistance".

"Is this what you wanted? Is this what you had planned the whole time?" he asked one morning, sitting on the edge of his bed underneath Ubanaki's corpse. She said nothing. "It was never just about killing me, was it? You wanted to set off a chain of events that would kill us all." He reasoned. Just last night he had taken in an injured moth demon. She was young, and shaken – her whole village had been slaughtered. The moth demons had lived peacefully with the humans for centuries, coexisting side-by-side until yesterday. There was no reason to attack them, but the humans slaughtered every single one of them. Inuyasha didn't go out and kill humans now, because his goal wasn't to eradicate humans from Japan, his goal was to protect his people. He had failed this young woman yesterday, and now she was left without a family. What was the answer? Should he send an army out to go kill every man, woman, and child in the offending village to send out a message? Or should he reinforce the border between the human lands and the demon lands?

"It doesn't matter what you wanted." He said finally, standing up and securing Tessaiga to his hip. It had been 60 years since the curse's inception, and the likelihood of Kagome walking through the palace doors decreased every day. It was unlikely she even remembered him at this age, or was even alive. Inuyasha gave Ubanaki one last sweeping glace, "It doesn't matter because I'm still here." He said darkly as he strode down the steps and toward his study. He threw open the door to his study and the council members seated around the table bowed their heads respectfully.

"Send an army to the village that borders the moth community. Kill everything in sight."

Kagome sat in silence studying the man in front of her in the soft flickering orange glow of the torch light. Her eyes traced the pink, angry scar on his left pectoral over and over again, idly wondering how the concept of "immortality" worked.

"So, to revert you back somebody needs to kill you? How do they kill you if you're immortal?" she asked.

"I can be killed, but I don't stay dead," His eyes shifted sluggishly over the room and it occurred to her that for the first time he looked exhausted. "I go to Hell every time. I see the corpses, the piles of bodies everywhere. They cling to me because they sense that I'm coming back to the world of the living. And then I wake up and I'm here."

"I see." She said, lifting her hand to brush a stray lock of hair behind her ear, "I have the power to end all of this? I just need to fall in love with you?"

"Yeah..." he whispered hoarsely.

Kagome thought long and hard about this. She alone had the power to break this curse and change the future of Japan – so why couldn't she remember learning about this in school? What was the right thing to do? Obviously, she was brought back here by the well for a reason. She and Inuyasha's paths crossed once again because she had something that only she had the power to accomplish, perhaps? Was this what she was meant to do? Break an ancient curse on a demon Lord? That's a lot of pressure, especially considering they haven't had the friendliest of reunions. But still…

"I've loved you before, I'm sure I can love you again." She decided finally, unfolding herself and standing. His eyes snapped up and held her tightly, his molten golden eyes burning in the dull fiery light of the cave. Kagome tore away from him, dusted off the back of her yukata and walked over to the wall to retrieve her torch.

"Before you go," his voice stopped her, "How is your throat?"

Kagome stopped and held the torch near her chest before brushing her thick hair over her shoulder, exposing an angry black bruise around her neck. Inuyasha's expression didn't falter and he waited for her answer.

"Do you even remember attacking me?"

He didn't answer her.

Hey everybody! Thanks for your patience! I know this was the chapter you've all been waiting for because it has answers. It took me awhile to churn this one out. It's been done for awhile, actually, but I hated it. This will probably be one of those chapters I rewrite and add more fluff but I figured I'd publish it so you people aren't left waiting.

As always thanks for reading!