Shikuro: A Caribbean Fairy Tale

by Inuma Asahi De

Inuyasha was as bad as pirates came, according to his legend. Kagome was a woman of propriety, destined to marry for her family's honor when all she wanted was to live on the sea. What happens when their eyes meet by chance or perhaps by daring fate?

109. Half to Whole

Blanket Disclaimer: The writer does not own any characters created by Rumiko Takahashi but like everyone else wishes she did. All original characters or concepts are the author Inuma Asahi De's (with the exception of historical figures).

Chapter One Hundred and Nine

Half to Whole

The other realm was beautiful and that was putting the expression mildly. Inuyasha and Kagome were sitting in the middle of the same clearing the enlightening meditation had taken place in days before, both of them too focused on the swords laying amongst the weeds and sprigs of baby trees to take in the beauty around them. The sun was sinking low, day turning into night and stars forming overhead that had been extinct for centuries. Like almost all things in this realm, they too had died to enter it.

Spirits began to glow as they passed the couple, the darkness bringing out the inner light within the humans and demons that had long since passed. One in particular grew adventurous, dipping down low to touch the tip of one of the blades. Needing the distraction, Inuyasha watched the small white blur as it floated down, down, down towards his sword. It hovered over the blade for just a second, as if debating with itself, and then sank lower touching the sword ever so slightly. The dog demon half expected the sword to glow in response, to hiss, or flash brightly at least but it did nothing. Bored, the spirit immediately vacated the curiosity and floated back up into the sky, wafting and dancing as it disappeared into a sea of others just like it.

Sighing loudly, Inuyasha looked up and watched the brilliant current of souls, his mind truly unable to fathom them as they danced above his head. "I wonder who they were." He asked himself but the thought was astronomical and he knew he would have an answer. His head dipped down and he looked down at Tensaiga once more. No longer afraid it would smite him, he reached for it and pulled it into his lap before glancing towards his wife.

She was not looking at the sword but instead at the spirits. They seemed to gravitate towards her, hovering around her shoulders and above her head. Every once in a while one would dip down and brush her cheek as if they truly loved her or, better yet, found her presence an immense comfort.

"Kagome?" He called towards her and she blinked, the spirits fluttering as she turned her head towards him. "How long has it been?"

"I'm not sure." She told him softly as she looked at one of the spirits which was taking its time circumventing her head. "Days—a week," She brought one hand up in front of her head, her palm facing upwards, wide and opened. The spirit eagerly accepted the invitation and caressed her fingers. "I think a week. That sounds right."

Inuyasha grunted from her words and absentmindedly flicked the sword's handle. "I'm not saying I'm failing here—that's impossible." He spoke as calmly as possible but the obvious frustration hinting in his tone was easily heard by his wife. "But—I've got nothin' maybe even less."

"So," Kagome watched as the little spirit suddenly lost interest in her hand and began to float away, joining the cataclysm of souls above her head. "Still no ideas?" She chuckled as she spoke, meaning for the words to lighten the mood; they didn't.

Inuyasha watched the spirit float away before closing his eyes tiredly. "Very funny." The dog demon pouted momentarily before holding up his hands in frustration. "All I've got is to meditate again, find both the bastards and shove them together until they become one person in my head." He spoke so seriously that for a moment Kagome didn't realize he was actually kidding (slightly that is). "I don't think it'll be too effective though."

"Probably not." Kagome agreed solemnly before smiling a bit. "But we should keep it as a promising back up plan."

Inuyasha smiled from her words and then glanced around the clearing looking for the one person who was not there but should have been. "Where did my father get to?"

Kagome glanced around herself having not realized the man had slipped away. "He couldn't have gotten far." She said softly, the irony in her statement not lost on her in the least. "Literally."

"True." He allowed himself to chuckle and plucked the sword out of his lap, depositing it beside himself. "He'll come back when he comes back. For now—I'm just gonna relax." He grumbled and in one more swift move, intentionally fell backwards and looked up at the sky. The stars struck him instantly, the strangeness of their positions haunting him. "They aren't our stars, are they?" He asked Kagome and she tilted her head up to look as well.

Squinting carefully, she stared at the swell of stars on the distant horizon and she felt her face flush from the brilliance. It was like staring at a million fireflies, all stationed in the sky, fulfilling some ancient duty to illuminate it when the sun went to her rest. And these stars were ancient, far more ancient than the ones she remembered elsewhere. In the earthly realm, she could always find Polaris and the dippers, Orion, and Hercules but looking now she saw nothing of the familiar. She could still make out shapes: a bunny jumping into a whole, a fox demon performing magic tricks, a dog curled up in a tight ball asleep.

Nostalgic, she closed her eyes imagining the sound of the ocean and the thick spread of the Milky Way. She could even hear the sound of a secluded violin, nimble fingers pressing against thin strings, producing a soft tune.

"Where have you gone—have you gone into the sea?"

Her eyes snapped opened and the starry night greeted her once more. "That song—," She looked away from the sight, not even realizing that her hands had begun to shake. "Takes on a whole new meaning now."

"Love," Inuyasha's voice broke up her thoughts, the soft sentiment so rare that her heart actually jumped. "Come lay with me."

It was a command, an action almost as rare as the sentiment had been. Smiling gently to herself, she complied and made her way across the still sun warmed earth until she was just beside her husband but she didn't lay down just yet. Instead, she hovered over him, looking down at his hair sprawled out underneath him and his gold eyes looking up at her with tantalizing softness. She didn't move as one of his hands came up from his side, reaching for her hair, which had grown a bit longer (now making its home below her chin). He grasped a tendril, gently musing it between his thumb and pointer.

"Distract me?" He asked her as his eyes shifted their focus from the strand to her face, both of them flashing just like twin supernovas.

She smiled down at him and without saying a word dropped her mouth over his own. He smirked against her lips and pushed himself upwards off the ground to better capture them. A throaty moan left her mouth and he mimicked it.

"Good god—I love it when she distracts me." He thought to himself as the softness of her lips took over all his thoughts.

Kagome allowed her body to sink down against him and brought her hands up to tangle in his hair. He abandoned the soft essence of her wispy bang in response and reached for her neck. He massaged the heated flesh for several seconds with his calloused fingers as his other hand supported them but soon his will to hold them off the ground began to lesson, arms weakening as passion grew. He drew them both to the ground, his head resting in the soft wheat, their mouths not detaching for even a second as he pressed his tongue between her lips, wanting nothing more than to taste her. She moaned into his mouth from the sensation, her body heating up as his fingers drifted from her neck to her shoulders, his claws leaving trails of heat that penetrated even her clothes.

She found his ears in his hair just then and, knowing exactly what it would do to him, grasped them both between nimble fingers. He hissed, his lips disengaging from her own as his head rolled back. She couldn't help her cat like grin as she watched his jaw go slack underneath her while she rubbed the delicate appendages. He moaned long and low, a growl building up in his throat only seconds later. His eyes snapped opened and he glared at her but the expression was not one of chastisement but instead pure lust.

Before she had time to think, she felt a weightless sensation overcome her whole body followed by her back making contact with the ground. Her head spun as she realized he had flipped their position, his body now on top of her own and his knees pushing her feet apart. Her breath hitched in her throat as those dangerous eyes looked down at her while he lowered herself between the knees he had just upturned.

"How many times do I have to tell you," He whispered the words low and dangerous, pressing his body against her until she was well aware of his predicament. "Don't touch the ears—unless you want to pay the price."

She began to pant as her core heated up and her stomach knotted but she wouldn't let him beat her, her pride wouldn't allow for that. "Who said—," Her cheeks flushed and her voice quivered just a little. Even though she had gotten far more comfortable with sex and all that came with it, she was still young and (with the exception of this man) inexperienced with the ways of the opposite sex. "I didn't want to pay?"

His nostrils flared and his mouth opened a bit as if he were about to say something. Luck was not on their side however, and before he could say a word another voice entered the intimate scene.

"There are some things a father shouldn't ever have to see," The familiar sound of his father's voice filled the air, the hint of amusement just underneath the tone. "Hear—or smell for that matter."

Inuyasha jumped off her instantly and Kagome snapped her knees shut, both of them turning a lovely shade of identical red.

"Where the hell have you been?" Inuyasha stuttered with almost no dignity as he tried to make eye contact with his father who was standing on the edge of the clearing, arms crossed. "And why couldn't you stay gone longer?" He added underhandedly, while his father raised an eyebrow.

"It's not like I can go that far—," He grunted and motioned towards the tree before sending his son a look of pure chastisement. "Or did you forget?"

Inuyasha managed to look and feel contrite as he cleared his throat and pushed himself off the ground. "Point taken." He reached down and offered Kagome a hand but she simply shook her head quickly back and forth humiliated.

"I am truly sorry I interrupted." Inutaisho made it a point to look away from his son and down at his daughter-in-law. "But I was thinking and—I came to a conclusion."

"Conclusion?" Kagome lifted her head at his words and, embarrassment magically gone, stood on her own. "About what?"

"I think you need to go within yourself again." He spoke directly to Inuyasha bypassing his daughter-in-law for now. "You'll get more information there."

"I've already gotten as much information out of them as possible." Inuyasha huffed and crossed his arms over his chest as he spoke. "Besides," He began to add with a click of his tongue. "They are me—I know what they know and they know what I know—if that made any sense."

"It did." His father spoke softly as he looked down at the ground trying to think of how to phrase his next sentence. "Maybe they could—," Inutaisho struggled for the right words, unsure of what to say exactly to convince his son. "Bring you into the light again—maybe, they know something you're missing, aware of subconsciously, but missing."

The younger man thought about his father's words for only a moment before responding finitely. "I think if they had anything else to add," He looked directly at his father, his face opened and honest. "They would have told me—the human would have at least."

Kagome nodded her head in agreement but still didn't truly agree. "Maybe it's not about finding more answers from them." She whispered the words quietly, unsure if she really wanted to be heard. "Maybe the answer is simply to be with them." She glanced towards Inuyasha to see if he was listening and sure enough he was staring right at her.

He heaved a large sigh and raised up a hand to rub the back of his neck. "I figured that would have to happen." He spoke carefully not wanting her to think he was trying to be condescending. "The problem is—I don't know what to tell them or how to make them magically combine once I'm there."

"Well—they said it's about you and how you view yourself." Kagome looked down at the ground trying to collect her own thoughts enough to explain them. "You view yourself as two people, so—," She raised up her head and smiled awkwardly at him. "Stop doing that."

He sent her a dry smile and rolled his eyes. "I'll get right on that."

"Kagome's right though," Inutaisho interrupted as he latched onto his daughter's words. "You view yourself as two—you must view yourself as one."

"Oh dear lord," Inuyasha muttered and popped his neck tiredly. "Just stick me in an asylum."

"A what?" His father tilted his head to the side having never heard of such a thing.

"Never mind." Inuyasha shook his head slowly and licked his lips. "I," He squeezed his eyes shut and tilted his head back. "I'm mental."

"You're not." Kagome whispered and reached out her hand to touch his arm. He inhaled from her touch and she drew a little closer to him, wanting him to take comfort from her. "Strange maybe but not crazy." She chuckled as he eyed her annoyed. "Still," She reached up and touched his jaw line with just the tip of her fingers. "I think it's worth a shot to go back—confront yourselves again and—well—," She dropped her hand, allowing it to join with the one on his arm. "Do your best."

Inuyasha snorted at her words and looked down at her hands on his arm skeptically. "I don't want to go back into that hell hole."

Inutaisho glared at the words and the curse, crossing his arms over his chest adamantly. "Is that anyway to refer to your own mind?"

"In this case, yes." He retorted even as his father shook his head in disapproval.

Kagome laughed lightly at the two even as a thought crossed her mind. "What if—," She decided to speak before she could change her mind. "I go with you?"

The thought seemed to spark something within Inuyasha and he turned to look at her fully. "Can you do that?" He asked but stopped her from answering by shaking his head and grumbling both sarcastically and good naturedly. "Of course you can—you do it all the time."

Inutaisho looked between both husband and wife and shrugged. "It's a good idea. She is the one thing they both agree on," He cleared his throat and pursed his lips in thought. "Maybe it would do them good to see her." He bit his lip briefly before adding. "At the very least, she'd be good for moral support."

"Well, can't say no to that," The young half demon decided and looked towards his wife once more. "Let me guess—."

"Yep—we have to meditate." Kagome answered him in the most chipper voice she could manage before dropping down to the ground. She easily crossed her legs as she had a thousand times in preparation for meditation and looked up at him expectantly.

"Well—it shouldn't be too bad this time." He muttered and followed her lead, dropping down to a cross legged position just in front of her.

"I would think not." Kagome agreed and adjusted herself briefly, scooting until their knees vaguely touched. "Do you think you should take the swords?"

Blinking, Inuyasha glanced at the two weapons nestled in the grade and shrugged. "Can't hurt, I guess." He reached out and plucked each of the swords off the ground depositing them in his lap without further thought. "What now?"

Kagome licked her lips just as unsure of herself as Inuyasha. "Hold hands, maybe?" She tried to reach out for him, her fingers stumbling as she tried to figure out how to grip his hands and she felt her face heat up. "Um—."

"Here." The captain spoke softly and didn't waste any more time. Carefully, he grasped her fumbling hands, brushing his fingers over the back of both of her wrist before encircling them. Her hands dangled and her breath hitched as she felt the swell of his energy, just as she always did. "Now you grab my wrist." He told her, looking up into her eyes as they shown in the darkness.

She blinked at him but it didn't take her long to shift her already contained hands upwards to wrap her fingers around his own wrists. The chain they formed seemed to glow for the briefest of seconds but neither one noticed as they looked at each other, feeling the connection so explicitly that they didn't need to see it at all. "Together?"

"Together." He repeated the word feeling as if the significance of it was desperately unrated. The dog demon closed his eyes and tried desperately to relax, his body tensing against his will. The squeeze of reassurance from his mate's hands made his eyes flicker back open and he looked at her just in time to see her soft grey eyes smile at him. "She's with me." He told himself, the thought permeating and destroying all anxiety within him. "With her—anything's possible."

"Exactly." She whispered in her own mind, allowing the word to press forward into him.

The thought bubbled within his psyche and he squeezed her hand as she closed her eyes off to him in preparation. He followed suit within seconds, allowing his eyes to drift closed and his mind to wash over with the words of the monks for centuries before.

Inutaisho watched as they slipped away, taking that moment to pick a spot some ten feet to the left from them to settle down amongst the grass. The clearing stilled as he brought his eyes back up to see the two, the calm and quiet almost eerie. His son's face was absolutely still, his shoulders slumped with his own relaxation. Kagome mirrored him almost completely except for a soft smile that lined her delicate features. His eyes traveled down their bodies to their joined hands watching as a little spirit floated down and touched their joined fingers.

There was something odd about the motion and he couldn't help but wonder who that spirit had been in life. It hovered over the back of Kagome's hand for several minutes before jumping to Inuyasha's, lighting his skin with its effervescence. Inutaisho watched the light until it began to fade, disappearing into nothingness. He blinked several times in wonder at the spirit's sudden disappearance but didn't question. After all, he had lived in this realm for hundreds of years and spirits had done far stranger things in front of him than just fade away.

One last time, he raised his head up to look at his son and daughter-in-law, his mind halting from the beauty he immediately encountered. It was ethereal. Behind them was a field of stars, so ancient that Kagome and Inuyasha both could never have known them in life and yet, they seemed to mold with the two becoming a part of them. Those stars became a backdrop of constantly flickering souls, lighting the way for two people that should have known nothing more than complete darkness. He stared at those constellations forming their halos of light and he prayed to the unknown greater universe:

"Please—help them."

The stars only fluttered with vibrant light, darkening and brightening like fireflies against the deep, black sky.

-break-

Inuyasha opened his eyes arriving back inside his mind once more. It was just as dark as it had been before, a bleak endlessness that made him shutter. Pressure against his palm told him without having to look that Kagome was with him, holding onto his hand now instead of gripping his wrist. "It worked." He whispered as he took in the familiar darkness, not surprised that it hadn't changed a bit.

"Wow." Kagome whispered as she gripped him tightly looking out at the deep emptiness of it all.

He licked his lips against her words feeling uncomfortable or perhaps embarrassed by it all. "Yeah," He spoke softly looking away from her before he could see her expression. "It's pretty bleak."

Kagome didn't respond to his words, something he wasn't yet aware of catching her attention. "Is that the door?"

He turned quickly towards the direction she had been gazing in and amazed stared at the plain wooden door. "It is." He nodded his head surprised that he hadn't had to fight the demon side of himself in order to get to it. "I guess—you beat him once and you're in forever."

She glanced back at him, his silver hair flashing against the backdrop of darkness. "I suppose." She looked over at the door once more. It seemed so simple and yet it was out of place in the middle of that dark world. "Should we start there?"

"Sounds good to me." Inuyasha agreed and began walking forward, Kagome's delicate hand gently held in his own rough one. "The human's a little more reasonable."

She followed easily her eyes roving over that door absently. Vaguely, she was reminded of a dream she had had years before in which she had approached a similar door surrounded by darkness in her own mind. "Does everyone have a door like this or, maybe, just the insane?" She smirked briefly to herself but the expression died as she felt her mind flip upside down.

Her heart jumped into her throat, her back went ice cold, and her stomach swelled with red, hot intensity that she couldn't explain. By the grace of Inuyasha's hand, she kept her balance even as her knees began to buckle and her face grew warm from some type of embarrassment that she knew was more something else than humiliation.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha looked down at his wife who had suddenly frozen, worry lining his voice. "Are you okay? We don't have—."

"I'm fine." She responded quickly and shook her head, trying to shake away the strange unpleasant, pleasant feeling. "Just—I remember a door in a dream once." She lied so smoothly that Inuyasha didn't even bother to question her.

"I'm sure a mental philosopher would love to study us." He licked his lips awkwardly and continued forward, his eyes fixated on the door and his hand tightening on her own.

Kagome smiled from his comment; the sight wholly fake as her heart accelerated in her chest. She felt her body shake without shaking, and her mind flare with purpose without her even knowing what to think. "What is going on?" She knew there was something she should be aware of but she wasn't and that bothered her to no end.

She didn't even realize when they paused in front of the door, Inuyasha reaching out to open it with his free hand. She barely saw the clawed fingers as they moved forward towards the understated handle. All she felt was the doubling of that sensation, her stomach on fire and her back still stone cold as if something was staring at it.

She shivered and closed her eyes as a wave of dizziness washed throughout her. "I'm missing something." She told herself as the urge to look behind her grew and grew, the sensation in her stomach turning to something greater than fire, magma or even the core of the sun.

"Mate—."

The door squeaked, her eyes snapped opened wider, and the word echoed behind her. Her free hand jumped up and grasped the front of her shirt just in front of her heart. She recognized that voice. It was the voice she heard when he lost himself to his own anger, the one he used when his family was in danger, the one that overtook him sometimes late at night, when the moon was high and full. It whispered in her ear while he kissed the back of her neck and worshipped her body with a passion that both shocked and thrilled her.

Unable to stop herself, she turned just her head around, twisting her neck at an impossible angle in order to see. As if in haunted slow motion, her eyes fell on him. He was crouched low in the darkness, silver hair draping over his shoulders as his naked chest heaved at the sight of her. She flushed and her breath caught as his blue pupils and red irises flashed with lust that soon turned into something else even she couldn't recognize. His mouth opened, fangs glistening even without light as he called to her, as he said her name:

"Kagome."

Frozen, she gripped her shirt more firmly her knuckles turning white. Somehow, without her husband noticing, the fingers of her other hand went limp before slipping out of his grip. The full blooded version of him stood up in response, his predatory eyes watching her move. She felt her whole body begin to radiate with heat as his eyes narrowed and his head titled to the side. Her feet ached as if they wanted to move and hypnotized, drunk, or a little of both, she took a step forward. One of his hands rose from his side, the motion almost lethargic as he held it out to her. His long claws were dark even against his tan skin.

She took another step.

Behind her, Inuyasha didn't hear or see her move. He became a fool to his own mind, something within him creating the phantom sensation of Kagome's hand still in his own. Her scent filled his nose even as she began to move away from him further. Not realizing she was slipping away, he opened the door completely, relishing in the beauty of a sudden burst of light that darkened into a blue sky. The sound of birds reached his ears and the soft rustle of leaves being blown by a gentle breeze. He inhaled and smelled salt, lilies, and what he knew to be his child mixed with the two. Hypnotized by all these things, he stepped forward, the false sensation of Kagome's fingers wrapped up by his own compelling him.

Inuyasha stepped into light; Kagome stepped deeper into darkness; neither noticed that the other was not following.

They stood on opposite sides of the door, both hesitating before they took their next steps. It was as if they knew they were missing something precious but neither could place what that precious thing was. The door creaked, moving without hands to direct it and hovered somewhere between opened and closed before it began to shift towards the latter. The sound seemed to break their individual trances and both became distinctly aware of the lack of the other. Inuyasha felt his fingers suddenly become empty, the illusion falling away. Horrified, he snapped his neck backwards just as Kagome did as well. Their eyes met over the threshold, Kagome's seeing the high blue sky and him the oppressive darkness.

Then, the door slammed shut.

"No!" Inuyasha screamed and rushed forward, his hands hitting the door, clawing at it desperately. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!"He pounded on the wood, his claws bloody already from his effort but nothing was coming from it at all. The door was just as beautiful and unscathed as before, the dark brown wood not even the least bit maimed by his efforts.

"It won't work."

He whipped his head around, his eyes taking in the human he had met only a week before. He was sitting amongst the books, his eyes on a page of one of the red ones. "Make the fucking door open!"

"I can't." The man said as he lowered the book towards his lap revealing a picture of Kagome standing on Shikuro.

He remembered the image easily but the context eluded him. They had been docking somewhere, and she had pulled herself up on the railing of the vessel, hanging over the side with eyes lit with intrigue. It had been one of the first times she had ever seen anywhere other than Bordeaux or Jamaica and she had been consumed by the newness of it. Her grey eyes had flashed with mirth as her lips spread in the most beautiful smile her had ever seen. Her curls had danced about her forehead and her cheek bones, highlighting her happiness with her hairs mix-matched colors. The sun had caught the blond and red hidden deep inside the dark brown and it had created a halo effect that he fell in love with instantly.

The human looked at the picture as well, running his human finger nails against her cheek. "He wants it closed—wants her alone."

"No way in hell!" Picture forgotten, Inuyasha snarled at the man and rushed forward, grabbing him by one of his black forelocks, ripping him off the ground. The human didn't struggle as the book fell from his lap and hit the pile of other books, making them crash to the ground. "Make the fucking door open you son-of-a-bitch!"

The human stared at him unemotionally. "It's impossible for us to be the son of a bitch—mother was human."

Inuyasha's only response to the wise-crack was to raise up his free hand, forming a punch which he sent straight into the human's face. Blood splattered that was and wasn't his own and he dropped the human without a care on his pile of books as the man spluttered and coughed.

The half demon turned without another word and ran at the door, hitting it hard with his shoulder. It didn't budge, or even creak. "Damn it!" He screamed as he hit it with his fist but once more, nothing happened. There wasn't even the splinter of wood. "Let me out—," He snarled at the door but it stood silently mocking him. "Damn it let me out!"

On the floor the human spit out a tooth that had been dislodged from the altercation and shifted until he was sitting up. He shook his head roughly as he watched the raving lunatic with sympathetic eyes. "He's learned nothing." He whispered but Inuyasha didn't hear a world.

-break-

The door shut and Kagome flinched from the sound but didn't panic as she stared at the unassuming wood. Slowly, she turned her body completely towards the closed door and blinked as she tried to comprehend what had happened. With deliberate steps, she approached the entrance, her hand outstretching until she could touch it. It was rough against her fingers as she ran them downwards following the grains in the wood as if they were mazes. They led to the handle and she allowed herself to grasp the cool brass. It was frosty to her surprise and damp as if it had been frozen and was just now thawing. She frowned as she pressed down, feeling the manageable nature of the handle and realizing how easily she could dip it downwards to open the door.

"Why separate us," She questioned and the sound hit the air and echoed before dissipating. "If you're not going to lock the door?" She frowned and looked up at the wood, half expecting it to begin to fade, trapping her in this place but it didn't. "All I have to do is press down and it will open." She realized but much to her own amazement she didn't. Instead, she relaxed in the darkness without any anxiety. There was a reason for this and if she had been given an exist then there was not any dangerous reason. "I trust you completely." With that thought, her hand fell from the handle and with ease she turned knowing what awaited her.

He was waiting in the darkness, only five feet away from her now. His hand was still reaching out, his palm up, open and expecting. "Ka-go-me." He said her name slowly, his lips forming each syllable as if he were making love to it.

She stepped towards the hand. The claws looked deadly but she felt no fear of them as her eyes followed them up his muscular arms to his rippling shoulders and his firm neck before finally landing on his fanged mouth and bright eyes. "Inuyasha." She said the name as she had a million times but this time there seemed to be something different in it. "Why did you want me alone?" She asked even as she stepped forward unconsciously reaching up her hand to place in his own. She felt the familiar spark of his skin against her own and had to hold back the urge to gasp.

He smiled at her reaction and without hesitation encircled her palm with his deadly clawed hands. "I need to speak with you." His voice was soft and his words didn't match his face but that didn't bother Kagome in the least, he sounded (as she always had realized) exactly like himself.

"About what?" She replied as she allowed him to pull her closer but not so much as to actually hug her.

He looked her up and down for a moment without responding, his features growing dark and contemplative. "Kagome," He said her name after a moment, his free hand reaching up to brush some of her hair behind her ear. "There are things no one can say out loud." He finally told her as he brought his hand away studying his handiwork. "And I—," There was great moment of hesitation, in which he closed his eyes and gripped her hand tighter. "I have things that have to be said."

She furrowed her eyebrows, a sense of foreboding reaching her that she didn't want to understand but knew she had to. "Okay?"

His blue, red eyes opened with brutal clarity. He looked so different from what anyone would have thought: intelligent, emotional, and nothing like what stereotype dictated. He breathed in and his fangs seemed to grow smaller, more like the half demon she had always known. His hand which held her own let go and dropped, grabbing for her waist. Claws nicked into her skin and he dropped his chin, his eyes looking down at her bright and aware. "I can't," He pulled her closer, their bodies lining up perfectly. "I can't live without you."

She frowned and fought back the urge to laugh. "You've said that be—."

"You don't understand." He cut her off as he brought one clawed hand up to cup her cheek, while the one on her hip pressed her tighter against his body. "I—can't—live—without—you." He said every word as if they were a prayer or a sin. "If you die," His eyes pleaded and his hands gripped both her hip and cheek more firmly. "I will follow you."

Her skin burned where he touched her and she tried to speak but her voice caught in her throat. "Plea—." She closed her eyes against the haunting truth in his and forced herself to squash down his reality. "You're being dramatic."

"No," His hand abandoned her hip and came up to join the other in cupping her cheeks. Her eyes flashed open as he held her face forcing her to see every honest feature on his own. "This is truth." He spoke in a breathy whisper as if even now it was hard to say these words. "I live for you." The passion echoed all around her as he maintained brutal eye contact. "Miroku's grown, Shippo can be raised by him and Sango." Everything came out in a rush. "I have no family that needs me without you." He dropped a hand down to her stomach and rubbed over the flat surface with his thumb. "You give me every reason to live."

She closed her eyes as his hand made a circle, the energy of the child within her responding to its father. Her lips trembled and she forced her eyes opened to deny him but the look on his face stopped her completely. His eyes were deep, a mixture of gold and brown and red and blue—human, demon, half demon, everything. "You can't mean that." She whispered meaning every word even as she felt that they were lies. "You're stronger than—."

"I'm weak." The words filled up every ounce of empty space as he pulled her towards himself and kissed her. His fangs brushed against her lips and she felt her whole body quake with sensations she had never thought possible. The kiss lasted only a few precious moments and then he pulled away, resting his forehead against his own as he continued. "I'm so weak." He looked into her eyes, staring so deeply that she was sure he saw every thought she had ever had. "You're stronger than I'll ever be, Kagome."

The very thought made her nearly sick. "But look at everything you can do," She argued back as she felt her heart begin to break. "You—can rip a mast from a burning ship," She pushed herself away from him, her hands flying around her body in a protective hug. "You—you can fight with every weapon known to man, you can take on demons, humans, the navy, cannons," He stared at her unfazed as she continued on. "You command an entire army of pirates with ease—that sword—that sword," She referred to Tetsusaiga, its absence not noticed by her. "How can you say you're weak?"

"There's more to strength—," He reached out and took her hands in his own, capturing them as she tried to fight his logic. "Than fighting." He held her hands between them holding them up as if he were going to worship them. "I'm a strong fighter," He brought her hands up and kissed the back of her knuckles, the calmness that seemed to radiate from him something she had never seen. He pulled away from her hands and smiled at the spot he had just kissed before looking up at her without tilting his chin. Gold eyes stared at her threw thick demon eyelashes. "But," He whispered and they flashed blue and red before turning back to gold. "I'm a weak man."

She felt tears wash in her eyes instantly somewhere deep inside of her understanding completely. "You're so much—stronger—than me." She managed to say and he shook his head, denying her words.

"You could live without me Kagome," He looked down at her stomach only briefly. "Even without this child, you would live a full life." His grip on her hands tightened as he admitted his truth. "I've thought of this—over and over—dwelled on it subconsciously and consciously." Tranquility crossed his features. "You'll die way before me. With children to raise I'd make it at least long enough to bring them to adulthood but—."

She stared at him, hating every word he was speaking but knowing they were true.

"Without them, without you," He looked at her and that boyish smile she loved so much graced his features. "I wouldn't make it a second longer."

The tears fell and helplessness consumed her. "Please, don't say that!" She cried and he leaned forward and kissed the tears, catching them on his tongue.

"You're meant for greatness Kagome." He whispered against her skin, his lips brushing her cheek as he spoke. "And I'm just meant for you."

"Why," She cried and gasped, hating him a little in that moment. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because," He pulled away and looked right into her soul. "When it comes down to it—if we have to chose," He made sure to speak slowly and clearly, wanting her to hear him desperately. "You have to be the one who lives."

-break-

Inuyasha felt the blood run down his hands as he clawed at the door, streaks of red highlighting the wood grains. He snarled at the sight and hit with his clenched fist, trying urgently to even make a dent in the wood but nothing came of it, just as nothing had every time before. Frustrated and unable to cope, he slammed his head against the grain next, hitting it over and over again against his blood and the splinters. His head ached and his heart clenched as he howled, sliding down to the ground on his hands and knees. His head rested against the door as he bit his lip hard enough to draw even more blood.

"Damn it," He cursed under his breath and slammed his head against the wood once more as hard as he could. His hands made fist in the ground and he squeezed his eyes shut. He panted and lifted one fist into the air only to bang it against the ground again. "Why won't," He lifted his head up and barked at the door as if it could answer him. "You open!"

Sitting behind him, surrounded by his books and trinkets, the human sighed, annoyed by the distraction. "It's pointless."He told him from his position on the ground, lowering the little red book until it was resting on his naked thighs. "You can scream and hiss and snarl," He looked at Inuyasha's hunched back, the irritation actually visible as the man shook. "But the door won't open unless it wants to be opened."

A menacing growl bubble up in Inuyasha's throat and he raised his forehead off the door, turning around to bare his fangs at the human. "If you know so much about it," He bit out the words so violently that the human should have hid but he only smiled sadly in response, infuriating Inuyasha even more. "Then tell me how to open it!"

"Wanting it to open and opening it are two different things." The human shrugged and it was enough to make Inuyasha want to kill him.

"Fuck you!" He yelled and turned back to the door his claws ready for their next assault.

"Maybe," The voice of the other man on the floor stopped him even as he forced himself to his feet and prepared to lunge. "You should stop trying to use your claws." He spoke just as cryptically as he had on the first visit as he closed the red book he had been reading and placed it back on the red pile. "And start trying to use us." He offered the insight as he dropped his elbows onto his crossed knees and created a cradle for his chin with his hands.

"How the hell do I use you?" Inuyasha growled low in his throat wanting to strangle the human half of himself. "You won't even help me!"

"You have something that accesses me," He tilted his head almost mockingly to the side and positioned his chin happily against his hand-cradle. "Don't you?"

"But it's not with—." He wanted to say but before the words could leave him he felt a weight form on his hip.

Shocked, he dropped his head downwards to see both Tensaiga and Tetsusaiga suddenly against his side, both of them inconspicuous and ready to fight. He didn't even have time to question how they had gotten there or to remember that he had placed them on his lap before Kagome and himself had sunken into meditation. Without hesitation, he dropped his hand on Tensaiga's handle and ripped it free from the tie of his haori. It hissed against the fabric and by some stroke of luck managed not to cut it as it was freed.

"I can summon your energy?" He asked hastily as he looked over his shoulder at the human side of himself.

The man in question nodded once and if Inuyasha had been paying attention, he would have realized that there was an odd smile on the man's face. "We are both at your disposal." He spoke calmly, the words poignant but ignored by Inuyasha's current condition.

Not bothering to even acknowledge the other half of himself, Inuyasha brought the sword in front of him holding it with white knuckled hands. His eyes squeezed shut and he hunched his body as he delved deep within himself, frantically trying to find the power the human granted him. Within seconds, his mind ran into the void of energy he was most familiar with. The red hot swirling mass of demon force sat in the middle of his stomach. Like a whirlpool it tried to drag him down but he forced himself to ignore it.

He gritted his teeth, trying to hear something, to feel something, so deep within himself that he had little hope of hearing it. The demon power rushed in his ears disguising something deeper within him still, something yelling in a tiny voice wanting to be heard. With every ounce of concentration he could muster, he shoved his mind down, pushing past the pulsing beast that made up his demon side and towards that tiny voice hidden underneath.

He hit it like a cold wave, his eyes snapping opened and his breath coming in a giant gulp as it washed over him beautifully. He could feel its cleanness and its intensity as it was suddenly released into his body, filling his every pour with whiteness and power. The sword in front of him glowed with its reality and he smirked as he watched it grow becoming deadly. "That's it!" He yelled and with a rush of power, raised the sword above his head before bringing it down in a giant curving arch.

White—white blinded him and he felt his feet nearly uproot as the surge of human energy hit the door only to bounce back immediately. He screamed as it hit him, throwing him backwards towards his human self, smashing into him. The two toppled over, the books flying in every direction as both men rolled before landing in a giant heap.

"What the hell!?" Inuyasha felt the words rip from his throat as he shoved himself upwards, his eyes finding the door within seconds. It stood like a mountain before him, mocking him with its still smooth surface, although the blood had seemed to be blown away by the sword's wind. "It didn't work at all!" Inuyasha looked down at the brown haired version of himself and nearly bit him from frustration. "You're useless, just downright useless."

The man underneath him reached up with surprisingly strong arms and pushed Inuyasha off of himself, the half dog demon landing with a thump beside him. "Maybe you should try Tetsusaiga," He snorted as he spoke and sent Inuyasha a dirty glare. "Demon energy is stronger."

Without hearing the sarcasm in the man's voice, Inuyasha jumped to his feet fully prepared to do just that. He threw Tensaiga to the ground as if the sword had burned him and grabbed his other blade from his belt. Tetsusaiga was ripped from the sheath with a clatter of metal scrapping wood and within seconds was positioned in front of Inuyasha's face. The half demon started to close his eyes, prepared to dive back into himself and find that mass of swirling red hot energy but before he could, the human lost it.

"You idiot!" He yelled, his voice ripping through the scene around them, shattering it. The world fell in pieces; glass hitting the ground that had moment before been trees and sky and sun. The sound of birds, and wind stopped instantly, replaced by shards breaking against the green of grass, fracturing even those sights.

The Captain took a step back and the grass underneath his feet crunched as if breaking. He felt his hands drop as he watched the tranquil world around him melt like an oil painting left out in the sun. The blue of the sky, the green of the grass, the red of Kagome's books, and the blue of the others liquefying, becoming a dark disgusting mass of sticky black. He stepped back as the oozing concoctions began to drift towards him like hot tar.

"You're still thinking in halves." The human's voice came at him again and he raised up his head just now remembering what had caused the scene to break. The human looked at him with utter disappointment lining his every muscle. The man took a step forward and pointed directly at Inuyasha's heart with a hand that looked clawed. "When one thinks himself half, he forgets he is whole." He stared straight at Inuyasha as he spoke, his deep brown eyes beginning to lighten as if starting to change as well. "And when we are not wholes," He took his hands and separated them throwing them both out until they were positioned on either side of his head, palm up. "We fight in halves."

The words bounced off every part of Inuyasha's brain and he nearly swallowed his tongue as he felt realization wash over him both hot and cold. "Fight—." He shook as he put it all together in a way he never had before. He looked at Tetsusaiga in his hand and then towards Tensaiga which was laying in the black tar, stained by its darkness. "Halves." His jaw dropped and his eyes widened as his heart stilled completely in his chest.

"Inuyasha—you are two halves," The human spoke every syllable with beautiful deliberateness as if they were part of an ancient prophecy. "And two halves make one whole." He lifted his head up and watched as Inuyasha did the same. Gold stared into brown and suddenly both knew that the existence of one or both was about to come to an end. "Become whole." The human spoke and Inuyasha understood.

The dog demon gritted his teeth and swallowed all of his frustrations. In one giant leap, he grabbed Tensaiga off the ground, ripping it away from the tar, a snapping sound filling the air as it regained its freedom. The demon sword pulsed in his right hand, and the human one echoed the sentiment in his left. He felt the swirl of energy inside of him, the demon no longer overshadowing the human but instead seeming to dip into it as if realizing they weren't so different that they couldn't mix. They were equal, both alive and both awake.

He clutched the swords in either hand, the roughness of Tetsusaiga's handle and the smoothness of Tensaiga a contrasting comparison. His heart pounded in his chest as he inhaled, stilling his mind for what he was about to do. "Two halves," He told himself, his teeth clenching so tightly together that he couldn't have possibly said the words out loud. Both swords started to glow, the energy within himself slipping free. "Make one whole!"

The words filled him just as he slammed the two swords together in front of his face. Static ran down both blades as blinding red and white energy consumed the darkness that had formed around him. He screamed as his body pulsed with pain, the muscles in his arms knotting against the effort it took to contain the demon and human within him. He felt them ripping and yanking, battling for a dominance that was no longer necessary. Above his head lightning streaked what had once been the sky, the energies in his body forming their own tempest in the darkest corner of his existence. Clouds of grey swirled above and the static that consumed the blade convalesced into a flash of brilliant fire, the burst of energy thundering as Inuyasha's arms shook from the effort to force the swords together.

His skin began to burn and the smell of his own flesh in his nostrils nearly made his arms drop but he forced them together still. The light grew brighter and brighter, the red and white mixing, becoming an unnatural metallic blue. He felt the swirl of energy deep inside of himself but it was no longer demon and human separated. Instead, he could feel it mixing, becoming a true blend. He screamed as that blue became an inferno and that inferno threatened to consume him. The demon was still fighting, afraid to lose itself to the human within. He gritted his teeth against the onslaught, his hands shaking and his ability wavering.

"You are whole."

He heard the human speak and it was all he needed to push one last time.

With one final scream, Inuyasha shoved the blades completely together. A bolt of lightning immediately burst from the clouds over his head, hitting the sword that now rested between his hands. An elongated blade, greeted him, the metal a bright blue as it glowed with the energy inside of him. He felt the deep pit within himself merge, no longer human and demon, but one entity, one man. The sword in his hand fit perfectly, the handle red and white leather intertwined with black and highlighted with a hand guard of brushed brass. He lifted it above his head, his eyes on that door that separated him not only from his mate but from himself.

The energy sparked; his body calmed; he registered the fact that the human behind him was no longer there to watch; he brought the sword down.

Blue, hot, lightning swept through the air, sizzling as it hit the door with an explosion of energy more powerful than anything Inuyasha had ever produced. The door exploded, a raining mass of ashes and wood chips flying in every direction like a hurricane. His mouth dropped opened, his hands burned and he straightened as he took in the destruction of the door.

"Dust." Was all he was able to say before he felt his body slipping back into reality once more.

Left in his wake was nothing more than a pile of ashes where the door had once been; nestled in the middle of it was the brass door handle. It shimmered in the light left behind from the sword, a haunting relic for what had once been but no longer and would never be again.

-break-

Izayoi's hand stilled just as she was about to touch the petal of an unassuming red flower. Her eyebrows knitted together and her fingertips fluttered opened and closed, somewhere between grasping the petal and not. An odd feeling revealed itself in her gut and she had to fight the urge to be physically ill.

She lifted her head, the whole world literally slowing down for her as she turned and looked in the direction of the Goshinboku. She could feel it but she didn't believe the sensation was possible. Her hand, still reaching for the flower, snapped shut and squashed the delicate bloom. Energy leaked from between her fingers and within seconds the flower became nothing more than charcoal to her touch. Her eyes widened but not from the desecration.

As if in a daze, she found her way to her feet her knees trembling as her eyes took in the travesty occurring miles away from her. In the distance a column of brilliant blue light reached up towards a radiant night sky. The stars seemed to absorb its energy, eating it until they were rounded and darkened by it. Filled to the brim, they shivered before exploding with the color. Black was immediately eaten by that blue cosmos changing night into day effortlessly.

Frozen in place, Izayoi watched as clouds turned white and the sun came back into life. Spirits, which had been glowing until this very moment, disappeared in the luster and her heart stopped beating completely. "No," She whispered as she saw every possibility she had created shatter with this new reality. "No!"

She took a step forward, the hand which had held the flower reached out towards fate but it was powerless against such a thing and she knew it. Still, an innate possibility drove her and against all her better judgments, even though she knew that it was packaged, sealed, and tied, she ran.

-break-

Inuyasha's eyes snapped opened as his body flew backwards away from a massive explosion of energy. Head over heel, he hit the edge of the clearing, wheat stalks crunching under his weight as his head spun. "Shit." The curse didn't have time to leave his mouth as he tried desperately to refocus on the world around him. Black splotches coated his vision, followed by gaps of light and finally something that looked like the sun. "Daylight?" He blinked and groaned unable to comprehend what he was seeing. "Where?"

Air rushed into his lungs as he realized he was back within reality. Within seconds he pushed himself onto his stomach, his eyes filling with sight as his breath pressed outwards forming the name that was always on the tip of his tongue:

"Kagome?" The word echoed around the clearing just as everything came into focus. He could see his father, the man standing with wide eyes and a gapping jaw. He could see a sword laying where Kagome and himself had been sitting. But most of all, and most importantly, he could see her. Exactly opposite from him, sitting in a position that mirrored his own, Kagome pushed herself upwards.

"What—?" She reached for her head, a dull ache telling her something odd had happened.

Panicked by his wife's slow movements, Inuyasha sprang to his feet and rushed across the clearing. He landed on his knees in front of her, his hands reaching with a soft haste that spoke volumes. Gingerly, he grasped her cheeks, pulling her eyes upwards as he inhaled her scent. "Are you okay?" He spoke quickly as his heart began to gallop with fear. She smelt normal but in his frenzied state that didn't mean much. "Kagome—please, talk to me." He made eye contact with her watching as her eyes seemed to register the world around her, the pupils dilating with the newness of the sun.

She was still, her eyes still a bit clouded as she instinctively reached for him, grabbing onto one of his hands which rested against her cheek. "We're back." She managed to whisper even as her heart clenched tightly in her chest from the knowledge she had just gained.

"Yeah." Her husband responded as he pulled her towards himself, wrapping his arms around her waist. He dipped his nose into the side of her neck, inhaling the scent of his mate and the child that rested deep within her. "You're okay, then?" He asked against the side of her neck and she nodded as she brought her arms up to wrap around him as well. "Thank god."

Kagome's eyes widened at the breathy words and she breathed in sharply remembering exactly what his subconscious had told her. "Without me—," She cut herself off and the felt her eyelashes flutter against her cheek as tears filled them. "He wouldn't—you wouldn't—." The thought entered her mind like a cold knife that slices through flesh and without her meaning to, a tear broke free. She squeezed her eyes shut and forced the thoughts away from herself hating them. "Fate—it has to be stopped." She told herself feeling more desperate than ever. "This has to stop it." She tightened her grip on his torso, wanting nothing more than to blend with him until he couldn't possibly leave her. "Inu-ya—."

The fractured sound of his name made Inuyasha's heart break and he returned the added pressure reassuringly. "It's over we're all—um," He cleared his throat and quickly tried to rectify his mistake. "—both safe."

"I-I—know." She whispered and heard her husband whimper in response to her choppy voice. "I have to pull myself together." She coached herself as the sound of his plea reached her loud and clear. "This isn't doing us any good—only action does." She took shaky breath after shaky breath trying to calm herself the only way she knew how. "I'm—," She inhaled deeply and held the air in her lungs as she counted to ten before breathing out. "I'm just a bit shaken is all." She managed to say but couldn't help it as she grabbed onto him a little tighter, contradicting herself.

He buried his nose deeper against her neck trying to sniff out her emotions but they were muddled to his senses. He could just barely make out the telltale pheromones for fear and worry and grief. "You don't smell just shaken, you smell of desolation." He whispered against her skin and felt her tense in his grip.

Kagome's eyes fluttered opened, the tears creasing her lashes. She started to speak but she wasn't sure what to say. "How do you tell someone you know something about them," She thought to look at him then but hesitated knowing the second she made eye contact she would be compelled to admit her truth. "They didn't even admit to themselves?"

He moved away from her when she didn't respond, wanting to see her eyes. "I can always tell what's she thinking if I can see her eyes." He reassured himself and looking down at the top of her head waited for her to look up at him as she normally would have; she didn't. "Come on Kagome," He moved his head downwards, trying to look up into her hidden face. "You have to talk to me," He spoke so gently that his voice didn't even sound like his own as he dropped one hand towards her stomach, caressing it. "Remember what happened last time we didn't talk to each other."

Her head shot up at his words and she was just about to comment on them loudly when she caught sight of his eyes. Her whole body froze as she took them in seeing in them something she had always thought should have been in them. Where pure gold had always lived there was now something poles apart. A deep red encircled his dark pupils, the red that always haunted the demon's eyes. It expanded out into his irises growing lighter the farther it reached outwards until it simply faded into the same magnificent color she had always known. It was like a starburst or the tip of a candle flame as it shifted from red to orange to molten gold. And, within that familiar gold, little flecks of brown hinted at the human within him. It was barely there, as if they had been made with the tip of a feather, but it was there none the less. All of him was there.

Her lips parted to tell him but he smiled and the words died in her throat. There was realization in that smile as if he had put it all together at the exact same time she had. He chuckled suddenly and then laughed the sound of exactly as it always had been and yet freer than she had ever heard it. He brought his hands to his face and rubbed at his eyes, feeling dizzy and awkward. "I," He spoke between his fingers briefly, before he pulled them away from his face and laughed. "I can feel it."

"It worked." Kagome whispered and she laughed as well. The feel of his calm soul touched her to her very core and she couldn't help but be filled with a sense of true and utter happiness.

"It really did." He echoed her words and before he could stop himself closed the distance between them. He captured her lips in a fierce kiss that made her stomach twist and her head spin.

In their time together, she had been kissed by him in his hanyou form more times than she could have ever counted but this time, it was different and the same all at once. The turbulent sensation she normally got when he kissed her was gone, replaced by a quiet confidence that she instantly adored. "He's not holding back—," She thought as his lips grew soft upon her own. "He's not afraid to hold back." She smiled and he pulled away from her, their eyes opening in time to take the other in and fall in love once more. "You're you." She whispered to him and he sent her a brilliant smile.

"Thanks for noticing." He clicked his tongue cheekily and the boyish smile that she now realized belonged to the demon inside of him spread across his features.

"Inuyasha, Kagome." His father's voice broke up their quiet moment.

Both younger adults turned at the sound of their names, turning in time to see Inutaisho drop to one knee amongst the weeds and broken wheat stalks.

"What is he—?" Kagome was about to ask when her eyes widened with realization.

The sound of metal scrapping the ground, followed by the glint of steal catching light made both husband and wife freeze. It was pristine, the blade shinning with a slight blue undertone in the mid-morning light. The edge of it was perfect, not one nick in the metal apparent, as if it had never been used. The copper hand guard of Tetsusaiga shown in the soft sunlight and the perfect unfraying grip of Tenseiga flowed from it with a grace that had never existed when the swords had been two different entities. Inutaisho turned to them, that sword in his shaking hands and his eyes focused on them as if he needed them to provide an explanation they couldn't possibly supply.

"Tensaiga," He said the name of the human sword. "Tetsusaiga." He added the name of the demon sword and held this new one up for both Kagome and his son to see.

Completely baffled Kagome turned towards Inuyasha expecting to see the same amount of puzzlement on his face, but she saw none. In those mixed eyes was a whirlpool of true understanding. The half demon allowed his hands to fall slightly from Kagome's shoulders as he studied the blade. "I combined them too." He supplied the simplistic answer and smiled at his father with true humble pride.

Kagome stared at him amazed. To be so modest after such a grand achievement was particularly odd coming from the prideful man and yet it seemed so natural. Clearing her mind of preconceived bias, she looked up at Inuyasha now able to feel what she hadn't before. "Complete." She realized first and blinked with true surprise as she realized she had never once felt that particular sensation come from the man. "He feels calm and complete—whole. For the first time in his life, he knows he's whole."

Without a word, Kagome reached out and grabbed her husband's hand. He turned towards her, those beautiful mix matched eyes looking at her with such clarity that it was as if he too could read her mind. "If I'm whole—they're whole, at least, that's the only explanation I've got." He offered and she felt as if she should have cried.

"I'm so glad." She nearly choked on her response, cautious optimism beginning to take root within her. "It could work—that sword can use both energies—it can destroy and heal." She held back a sob of relief. "It might really work."

The sound of feet stomping down on grass made her thoughts halt and she turned in time to see Inutaisho present the handle of the sword to Inuyasha.

For several seconds, Inuyasha hesitated, his eyes filled with disbelief that he couldn't prevent from surfacing. Slowly, he allowed his hands to drift away from his wife and his body to turn towards the offered blade. It seemed so insignificant when he seemly looked at it and yet he knew deep down it was anything but. He licked his lips and with his right hand reached out to firmly grasp the handle of the katana. It glowed with a bright blue color the second it felt him but the color didn't last long, fading into nothingness in less than ten seconds. Relieved, he held the sword up in front of his face, looking at it with fevered curiosity that didn't fade at all.

"With this, I'll be able to stop the Shikon, right?" He looked towards his father who nodded and then turned towards Kagome. "And save Naraku."

The girl bit her lip, an uncertainty suddenly filling her that she couldn't explain right away. "This all seems so simple, unnervingly so." She fidgeted as she looked at that seemingly simple sword. "It should." She offered him even though her mind seemed to disagree. "It's too good to be true." A small voice mocked her and she silently shoved it away.

"That is the theory." Inutaisho offered from his spot off to the side. "And if Inuyasha does it with this sword, then no one will die." The man licked his lips slowly as Kagome and Inuyasha both looked at him as if waiting for him to add to his statement. "At least, that's my hope."

"There's still a chance it won't work, then?" Kagome gave way to her greatest fear and the sound of it made the previously joyous mood drop instantly.

"But there's a greater chance that it will." The oldest among them offer and took a step towards his son, looking at the sword he held expectantly. "What will you call it?" He quickly changed the subject.

Inuyasha looked down at the sword in his hand with a completely blank mind. He had never named a sword before and it seemed to him like a big deal to name something like this. "It's like naming your child and mine came with names." He mused and turned the sword over once in his hands as another thought struck him. "What about this child?" He lifted just his eyes away from the sword to look at Kagome's stomach in wonder. "If this works—I'll be alive to name you." He bit his lip as his heart skipped a beat from the very prospect. "I'll be alive—." He smiled, the look unnoticed by an equally contemplative Kagome. "What will I—we name you then?" He tilted his head to the side as he realized he had no idea. "I'll have to think about it." He scoffed not sure if he was talking about the unborn child or the sword.

Kagome felt her heart clench slightly in her chest but not from his lack of naming ability. Instead, it was from a gut feeling that made her a bit dizzy once again. "I don't trust it." She thought if only to herself. "It's too easy—so easy fate's going to scoff at it." She looked at that unassuming sword feeling as if it were a false sense of security. The words of Inuyasha's subconscious jumped into her mind again just from looking at it.

"You have to be the one who lives."

"That was the demon and the human speaking." She put two and two together, tightening her hands from the thought. "Neither one can survive without me?" It felt a statement but she knew it was question. "They both need me—his whole being." She turned towards the sword and without realizing it knew exactly what it had to be called. "Zentai." She whispered beside him as she too looked the sword over.

"Zentai?" He looked down at her and then back at the sword with a slight smile on his face. "Whole." He translated the word and the sound of it was like an explosion to Kagome's mind.

"That's fitting," Inutaisho hummed and smiled at his children happily. "With your combined power—I think you will be strong enough to beat them Inuyasha."

"Will it really?" The man wondered to himself as he looked down at the sword in his hand. For several seconds he stared at it, his mind turning and turning until finally he shoved all possible thoughts aside and tightened his grip determined. "I'll make it work," He told his father with such determination in his voice that it took over everything. "If it doesn't—my reason to live will pay the price." He silently added, hoping Kagome didn't hear the words and not knowing that she didn't need to hear them to understand them.

Kagome didn't hear him in the end but that didn't change the fact that she still understood the sentiment. Watching her husband slide the sheathless sword into his hakama's tie, she felt her faith in the situation grow. "If anyone can do it, Inuyasha can." She told herself firmly but the little inkling of doubt still danced in the back of her mind. "But if he can't—what will I do?"

The thought evaporated as Inutaisho's head suddenly turned with sharp precision to his left and then just as quickly back towards them. "There isn't much more you can do here." He spoke calmly but Kagome could tell something was up.

"This didn't take anywhere near the amount of time I thought it would." Inuyasha grumbled good-naturedly unaware of the change in atmosphere as he looked at his prize, eyeing the handle momentarily. "But I guess," He licked his lips and pulled his eyes away from it. "There's no sense in staying longer than necessary, right Kagome?" He turned towards her and the girl smiled quickly, too quickly. "Something wrong?"

"No," Kagome shook her head leisurely and this time sent him a true smile because she was glad for his concern. "It'll be nice to go home early."

"Yeah." Inuyasha nodded as he looked around trying to spot Kilala. "Where's the stupid cat?"

"She's not stupid." Kagome threw back with a huff as she crossed her arms over her chest trying her best to be playful even with her turbulent thoughts still attacking her brain. "She's smarter than any dog I know."

"Hey!" Inuyasha growled and bared his teeth at his wife. "Dogs are a lot smarter than cats."

"No they're not." The young woman rolled her eyes at her husband, not able to stop the smile that was forming on her face from amusement. "Dogs are loyal fools." The second the words left her mouth she felt her stomach sink a little. "Especially," She looked at her mate, the most loyal fool she had ever known. "You."

He narrowed his eyes at her shift in mood and pursed his lips together. Briefly, he glanced towards his father to make sure the man wasn't paying attention and then glanced back towards his wife. "Kagome?" He mouthed her name and watched as her eyes flickered with recognition. "You're not okay. Talk to me."

"I'm fine—you're just a paranoid dog apparently." She projected the thought, keeping tabs on his unbelieving facial expression.

"If you're fine," He rolled his eyes deliberately but Kagome only smirked, albeit, halfheartedly. "I'm a fucking ballerina in France."

"I'd pay to see that." She spoke out loud realizing their prolonged silence was not going unnoticed by her father-in-law.

"Fifty gold pieces a ticket." Inuyasha grumbled and for good measure sent her a look that said their conversation wasn't over.

"Kagome?" Inutaisho spoke softly bringing the two out of their private conversation as he motioned with his chin towards their left. "Did you summon the—feline?" He asked even though he was pretty sure he knew the answer.

A bit startled, Kagome turned towards the direction Inutaisho was looking in and nodded her head. "Kind of," She uncrossed her arms as the cat dropped out of the sky and hit the ground running towards her. "I think she just knows when to come because we're linked." She added as she opened her arms to Kilala who at that very moment stopped in front of her and gently head-butted her stomach with affection. "Hello sweet one." Kagome whispered and wrapped her arms around the nekomata's neck, seeking her comfort. Kilala purred in response the creature knowing exactly what her mistress was feeling at the moment through their connection.

Staying on the sidelines, so to speak, Inutaisho watched the whole exchange halfheartedly. While normally he would have been amused by their banter, at the moment he was instead feeling annoyed by it. Not because it was annoying but more so because it was preventing a quick departure. "We don't have much time." He told himself as the nekomata approached, her large body fully prepared to take on passengers. "Kagome—Inuyasha." He called one last time, the two turning towards him, realizing now was the time for goodbyes. Knowing he didn't have much time, Inutaisho cleared his throat and stepped towards the two in order to solidify his words through proximity. "No matter what happens," He told them both, watching as their mixed eyes washed with emotion from his words. "You must not stop fighting—ever."

Inuyasha felt his father's words sink to his very core and subconsciously reached down for Zentai at his side. "We fight to live." He told the older man watching as Inutaisho nodded his head and smiled.

"If you remember that," He looked towards Kagome then, watching as she seemed to see right through him. "You will."

"Thank you," Kagome took his hands and held them tightly, wondering how soon it would be before she saw him again. "For everything."

"I'm always here." He touched Kagome's cheek and then looked down at her stomach, acknowledging it for the first time. "One day that pup will be able to come here." He raised his head up and his golden eyes spoke volumes. "And no matter what, when that day comes—please, you must bring them to meet me Kagome."

The young girl held onto her father-in-law's hands unable to let go as she absorbed not only his words but his meaning as well. "No matter what—no matter if Inuyasha lives or dies." She felt a lump form in her throat as she realized that Inutaisho was unwittingly revealing to her his own doubts in his own plan. "There's no guarantee it will work—he's telling me to be prepared to accept either fate." She glanced towards Inuyasha who stood behind her with fixated blended eyes that seemed to tell her to promise Inutaisho without question. "How can I?" She wanted to ask but she felt the answer all the way to the bottom of her soul.

"You have to be the one who lives."

"I have to live—they both think either way I will live." The thought made her nauseous and she couldn't really find the words to explain exactly why. "It's not fair." She tightened her grip on his hands and turned her face away from Inuyasha. "I can't promise that."

"Kagome!" Inuyasha nearly reached for her but she raised her eyes up before he could touch even the edge of her sleeve.

"I can't promise it will be just me." She told him as she allowed herself to take a risk that was far greater than promising just she would return. "We both will bring them here—," She watched as his eyes flashed with a wave of something that looked like disbelief accompanied by hope. "I promise," She tightened her grip and pulled her hands towards her as if to will him to believe what she did. "We both will."

-break-

Izayoi raced across the field, having covered an impossible distance in a matter of only fifteen minutes. Internally she berated herself for having wandered so far from her husband's station but she knew it had been a precaution. "I wasn't supposed to let him know." She told herself but the words seemed futile and indiscriminate now. Her body hit the first of the wheat stalks which lead towards Goshinboku and she brought her arms up higher to stop herself from being hindered by them. "Is this—how fate wins?"

She threw the thought into the farthest regions of her mind, focusing all her energy on propelling her body forward. Even if she had no idea what she could possibly do once she arrived, Izayoi realized, she had to at the very least try. There had to be a way to reverse the process, there had to be, or at least that was what denial made her believe. Her feet touched down on bare soil, this natural path that led towards the Goshinboku tree her only chance of arriving quickly enough.

No amount of speed, however, could change what was about to happen.

Her eyes filled with the sight of Kagome and Inuyasha as they both climbed onto the back of Kagome's nekomata: Kilala. Sitting on the beast's back, both of them were looking towards Inutaisho goodbyes passing from their lips to his ears as the sacred tree began to glow. Izayoi pressed her body harder, her breath coming in great rushing pants that could not be contributed to a lack of wind. "This can't be happening." The words fell into her very being as tears blurred her already precarious vision. "Don't go!" The sound hit the air but was nowhere near loud enough to actually be heard.

Goshinboku had begun to glow, the tree opening its portal to the other realm, which Izayoi and Inutaisho both were no longer permitted complete access to. A curse word nearly jumping from her mouth, Izayoi without thinking reached out a hand upsetting her balance just enough that her feet caught on the ground. With a painful snap, she crashed to the earth hitting it with the full weight of her body and then skidding face down until she came to an unnerving halt in the dirt. Sputtering and dizzy, the woman lifted her head and saw nothing but the back of her son's red haori.

"Inu—." She felt the first syllable of his name drop from her lips as her vision was filled with images of a boy long since gone.

Inuyasha ran in front of her, his short legs able to carry him faster than she thought possible as they dodged the blooming cherry trees. The petals had yet to drop but according to Inutaisho they would begin to abandon their branches soon, creating a pink, red, and white snow as they had the year before. The very thought was lost on the two running through the orchard, however, Izayoi too distracted by her son who was trying desperately to get out of his much needed bath.

"You naughty boy!" She chastised and the child in front of her laughed, the sound beautiful as he ducked behind a tree.

"Ka-sa no cach Inu." He replied in a loud baby whisper (to most it would have sounded like gibberish but she understood it easily) that even she could barely hear, he forgot sometimes that Mama was not demon.

Izayoi bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing as her eyes scanned the area around her. She could already see in the back of her mind where he was, the future in which she caught him apparent to her. "Where is my pup?" She played along anyway, scratching her head as if actually confused. Immediately, she heard her son giggle with delight and she turned towards the premeditated sound. She could just see a tiny dog-eared child with the most mischievous smile on his face she had ever seen. "Found you!" She rushed forward to grab him but the child was a half demon and incredibly fast by nature.

"No!" He laughed loudly as he dodged her grip.

She huffed with annoyance and crossed her arms over her chest. "Good grief, he's only two—," She shook her head as she watched her son run off farther into the orchard. "By the time he's five I won't be able to make him do—well," She grimaced and closed her eyes asking for patience. "Anything."

"Sugoi!"

Her eyes snapped opened at the loud sound and her heart stopped in her chest not knowing what it had meant. "Inu-chan!" She yelled frightened by her fear evaporated as her mind adjusted to the gorgeous sight before her.

As if knowing it was the perfect moment, one of the largest of the trees had begun to release its petals and Inuyasha was just below it. She watched as his golden eyes filled with complete unbiased disbelief, tiny hands with adorable little claws reaching for the blossom snow with wonder. He caught them as they fluttered towards the ground, bringing them to his face to sniff with curiosity. The sweet fragrance made his face swell with pure excitement.

He turned towards her without having to know where she was, his hair glistening in the sun."Kaa-sa," The silver strands relaxed, framing two sweet round cheeks as his giant golden eyes looked up at her full of childlike innocence. "'Ook," He called and his voice was charming and high as he held up a hand with baby claws. "Sakura!" He told her and sure enough the blood red petal in his hand came into view.

The mother didn't have eyes for it, however. Instead, Izayoi only saw his smile. It spread across his face revealing little fangs as he laughed, the sound making her heart contract with so much love she felt weak.

"—chan."

Desperate, she shoved herself off the ground as that child turned into the man she saw now. She sprang forward, sprinting through the stocks of wheat. Her feet mashed them down as she forced a path through the field until she was trampling flowers and finally dirt. Fate wasn't on her side though and the portal opened completely, Kilala lifted herself into the air, and Izayoi's heart broke into pieces.

"No!" She tried to scream, tried to make herself heard but none of them did. She was too late, preordained discussions made by a malevolent unknown god finally beating her down. "No!" The sound finally left her throat with only one person left to hear it.

Hearing his wife's scream Inutaisho turned and took her in as she broke into the clearing one hand still desperately reaching. "She's too late." He felt his heart rate slow with relief, knowing she had not arrived in time to hinder his progress. "Arigato Kami-sama." He whispered under his breath before his heart froze in his chest as he saw his mate collapse on the outskirts of the clearing. "Izayoi!" He ran towards her the second he saw her fall to her hands and knees on the dirt path. "Daijobu?" He asked hastily as he reached her, grabbing for her arms without hesitation so he could pull her to her feet. Quickly, he sniffed her for any sign of injury (even though there could be none seeing as she was technically dead).

Izayoi pushed herself away from him automatically, her eyes filled with near hysterical tears that turned into a scream. "What have you," She looked at him as pure unadulterated hate exploded within her. "Done?!"

Inutaisho fell backwards instantly, his eyes widening as he stared at the woman's panic-stricken face. "I—," He stumbled over his words as she began sobbing, her face contorting and her body shaking. "I did what you couldn't do," He fired back defensively even as he tried to reach for her, wanting to comfort her. "Please—stop this none-sense." He commanded her but she only continued her body wracked with sobs.

She hunched over her own knees, not caring that there were twigs biting into her flesh as she was overcome by gasping breaths. Her hands went into her hair, pulling at it as she lost control. "Shit!" She cursed and the sound of such a vile word on her lips made Inutaisho flinch and stumble backwards. "How could you!?" She screamed at him and looked up at his horrified face before yanking at her hair, pulling a clump of it out by the root.

He rushed forward and grabbed at her hands. Her nails bit into his arms like claws making him hiss yet despite the pain he didn't let her escape. "Calm down." He yelled as he yanked her hands downwards away from her head.

"You have no idea," She screamed in his face and managed to slip one of her hands free from his grip. She used it to point accusingly at his face. "What you've done!"

"I've changed it Izayoi!" He screamed back and tried to grab the offending hand, not wanting her to hurt herself further. "I've given them a chance."

"No you haven't!" She slapped his hand away violently and squirmed until her other hand was free. "Oh god," She threw herself backwards away from him so he couldn't grab her again and began to hyperventilate. "It's over—it's over—dear lord—," She raised her hands and her head towards the sky reaching up towards it as if it could save them. "Everything—everything—," she closed her eyes and the tears marred her flesh. "Everything is lost."

"Just calm down." Inutaisho had to stop himself from screaming at her, his mind not able to fathom what the hell she was going on about. "Calm down and talk to me!"

She snapped her mouth shut and hiccupped around her closed lips. Her hands fell to the ground, and her tears dripped down her face. There were so many that they began to mix with the dirt, creating mud in front of her dirty knees. She hunched over and tried to control herself but the more she tried the more she felt hysteria lining her throat. "It's my fault." She realized, if only to herself, as she brought her hands up to wrap around herself. "I should ha-ve-ve told you—," She whispered, her voice coming out in whimpering pants. "I should have—," She lifted her wet face up, her head shaking from side to side over and over as her voice broke. "B-u-ut I—I-I didn't."

"Izayoi." He whispered her name as he watched her shoulders shake and her normally fair face turn red from her own salty tears. "What are you talking about?" He spoke with desperation, hating the look on her face and the breaking of her voice. "I can't help you if you don't talk to me!"

She sniffed and turned away from him, her hands grasping at the dirt and grass beneath her for support. "I had a plan." She said the words so quietly that he almost didn't hear them but when he did, he nearly exploded.

"Your plan was to let Kagome die!" He screamed, his hands nearly reaching out to shake her.

The sound of his voice made Izayoi's own jump more firmly into her throat once more. "And by letting her die," She screamed violently, her hands ripping up the dirt and the grass to throw into his face. "She would live!"

The clump of dirt and plant hit him and he spit from the taste but didn't acknowledge the act any further as he focused on the words. "What?" His jaw dropped, his breath hitched in his throat, and he blinked several times in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"I had a plan—," Izayoi repeated, her eyes large and just a bit crazed. "And it would have worked," She opened her mouth as if to say a prayer, her face turning towards the sky. "Oh it would have worked."

"How?" He whipped at his face hastily to get rid of the dirt that had clouded his vision. "What on earth are you talking about? Izayoi?"

"He has human energy—," She spoke as if Inutaisho should have realized this all along. "She needed it." Her voice became oddly calm, almost as if she had mentally shut down. "If Kagome died—he could have just given her his human energy." She closed her eyes and her whole body began to shake. "He didn't need it—he didn't even know how to use it—he could have done without it," She opened her eyes and looked at her mate and husband, wanting him to understand exactly the ramifications of her words. "Let it slip into her and she would have been sustained on it for a human life time."

He felt his heart lodge itself in his throat. "That's not possible." He told her even as the sinking feeling in his own stomach told him it most likely was completely possible.

"It is," She nodded her head and dropped her chin to her chest. "I've spent almost four hundred years making sure it was possible." The tears fell but nowhere near as hysterical as before. They simply slipped down her cheeks towards her chin where they collected in one huge drop. "I could have done it—I could have taken her dying body into this realm and his living one," She spoke as if it was surgery and she was the surgeon. "Slipped the human from his body and gave it to her." She opened her mouth to say something else but stopped and instead moved her face upwards again, looking at Inutaisho. "She would have used it," She spoke in a whisper. "She would have lived." She sent him a watery smile and the sight was horrendous.

He felt his whole body go weak and his mind nearly blank. "We can still—we can do it!" He nodded his head as if doing so would make it true. "If we have to—we can do that."

"No." She told him bluntly, her voice sticking in her throat just slightly before she forced her next thought out. "Inuyasha combined his blood Taisho—," She bit the inside of her cheek, unable to say the next part right away. For several seconds she inhaled and exhaled, trying to breathe but it seemed impossible. "Now—the demon and human are one and I can't separate them." Her chin trembled and with one last breath she released the last bit of information into reality. "If I can't separate them, I can't give the human to Kagome."

If he had been standing, he would have collapsed at those words. As it was though, he merely slumped, his back hunching and his wide eyes staring at her dirty knees. He didn't know what to say or what to think, his heart fluttered with panic and his jaw opened with denial. "But there's a chance, right?" He grasped at the idea as one might grasp at a feather. "There's a chance Kagome will live," He looked up at her desperately but the look on her face gave him no comfort. "Please, there has to be a chance." He begged her but she said nothing in response. "With his combined power he can take Naraku out without killing off that part of his soul," She still remained silent and he felt his panic become paramount to everything else in his soul. "If he does it they both live, right?"

"There is a chance." Izayoi admitted but he could tell by her face alone that it was barely worth mentioning. "But the odds—," She looked at him with a combination of sympathy and hatred. "They simply aren't in her favor."

"But—."

"She will most likely die," No more tears fell as Izayoi spoke, her entire body going numb. "Our son's greatest love will die and he will—." She fixated all her attention on him, her expression so vacant it chilled him to the core. "You've sentenced them both to death."

"Why didn't you tell me?!" He screamed at her his anger with her and with himself overflowing.

She didn't seem at all hindered by his words though. "Because I didn't want fate," She spoke her voice sounding dead in his ears and her soul horrified by how stupid she felt saying them. "To try and stop me." The blank look changed slowly, eyebrows knitting, lips quivering, and eyes lighting with tears until her numbness turned into a heart wrenching sob that made every spirit around them disappear.

End of Chapter

Please Review

A/N: And there is Izayoi's truth: four-hundred years of planning (or more) all for not because of a lack of communication. That seems to be a predominate theme of this whole story…I wonder what Freud would have to say about my own life based on my writing. Enough about me, I hope you enjoyed this latest installment, next chapter reintroduces the three scalliwags to the story and finally sets up the finale.

Thanks for making the hard decision for me!

Last Bonus: There seems to be a mass consensus for a happy ending. Honestly, there are three possible endings that I've set up as being possible. I'm not sure which I will use quite yet, so for the fun of it, if anyone is interested in playing a warped version of Russian Roulette with the three possibilities in a review either reply: Love, Hope or Reality as a voting mechanism.

On another note, thanks for your contributions! I've actually taken a few into consideration as being possible additions to the ending, depending on which I go with.

atem 4321, glon morski, Rockstaranimelover, AiydanWarrior, VEENA4, Jemzet A Heart Broken Angel, atem4321, InuRiotGirl, FlamingCatDemon13

Additional Props to my other reviewers, I really appreciate your heartfelt words: SariaForest14, LexusRose, BluePhoenixStar, Evervescent, avengeme, closet lover, lilith-the-fallen

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See you then!

UNEDITED

POSTED

3/15/2015