I do not own Inuyasha!
She glanced back up at him, silently admitting that she needed his strength as they lowered Yuki's casket beneath the ground. He grieved for their child she knew, but somehow he was able to hold it in, keep the hurt and anger at bay when it felt as though she was caving in.
He would make an impressive protector, if one was needed, which it was not, she firmly reminded herself. She would mourn the loss of her daughter as her heart ached and broke, but never would she allow him to avenge Yuki. That right belonged to her, and in less than two hours she would exact that right upon the woman that has brought her nothing but pain from the first moment that they had met.
Kagome crossed her arms over her chest and viewed the rest of the burial, quietly taking in her surroundings; Sesshomaru was pensive while the children held onto each other grieving in silence as they watched.
The first sound of the shovel dropping dirt on the wooden box which housed Yuki's remains had her shaking slightly. Drawing in a deep breath she came closer to the edge of the grave, and let fall from her hands a bouquet with daisies and wild flowers which she and the children had made on top of the casket. They were the child's favorite flowers.
"Goodbye and I will always love you," she said sadly one last time before walking away.
Forbearing a sigh, Sesshomaru looked away from the grave, dragged a hand through his unbound hair and watched as Kagome walked away. He knew where to find her when it was time, but until then he had to oversee the rest of the proceedings. Kagome had a lot on her mind; most importantly after burying their child was putting an end once and for all times to his mother's tyranny.
sksksk
The water warm and peaceful as she raked her fingers through its shallowly depths, and startling the fishes in the quiet mid-morning. Trying to stay calm, Kagome's hand stilled in the water as thoughts of the upcoming meeting with lady Harumi drew closer.
Exhaling on a gasping sigh she reminded herself that she had to stay focused. Her mother in law was one that thrived on people's emotions and weaknesses, regardless of that she would break her and win. She was a powerful priestess and fighter in her own right, and no more will she just stand idly by and watch while others use and manipulate, bending others to do their will.
She was going to destroy the demoness as she had strived to ruin her family's life. The thought left her feeling invigorated but also empty. She frowned deeply knowing that no matter what she did to that evil bitch nothing would make Yuki alive again.
sksksk
Sesshomaru and two guards entered the cold musty room into the basement which held his mother prisoner as well as the spell that Tora had casted on her. He stood silently and gazed upon the woman who was his mother and briefly thought about that bitter fact. There was a time when they were civil to each other, but now that time had passed.
As he stared at her he felt as she touched his mind and senses, trying to invade his thoughts, and he let her.
"Son," she began softly. "I know that you must truly hate me now, but I did only what I thought was right, and I acted the only way I knew how to."
He closed his eyes briefly, letting the sorrow in his soul subside before he responded.
"I feel no sympathy for you; today you will get your just rewards dying by my mate's hands."
She chuckled in quiet amusement. "Do you think that your little human bitch can kill me so easily?" She asked arrogantly and paused, allowing the question to simmer between them.
He didn't bother to waste anger on her. He'd known the probable outcome of the situation from the first moment that he'd discovered that Yuki had cunningly eluded him, following him into battle and was deceived and captured by his dam.
He turned his back completely on her and made a few steps, signaling to the guards as he did so to take her upstairs and into the small arena outside of the dojo. But before they could reach her he tilted his head to the side and looked at her fleetingly, and spoke.
"If my mate fails to kill you today...Then I will!"
The statement cold and uttered with unconcern as his eyes darkened with hatred for his mother. She tried to press forward to continue the conversation; however, he closed the gates of his mind instantaneously and walked briskly away from the room.
The time for idle pleasantries was at an end. Lady mother shivered more from her son's words than from the coldness of her prison. Sesshomaru had cut the last tiny thread of familial bond with her.
He'd weighed the risks and found them worth taking, and while he wasn't as sure as he'd like to be on Kagome's state of mind as she fought with her conscience, trying to decide if killing his mother was the right thing to do. He still believed that Kagome was strong enough to ward off the evils that could be visited upon a person when they sought vengeance.
So be it he thought, it was high time anyways as he made his way to the koi pond to get Kagome. With pace in his steps he found her quickly. There she was kneeling with her upper torso resting on the side of the pond, while she waved a hand through the water lazily.
He touched her in silence, resting an arm on her shoulder and letting go of his troubled thoughts for the moment necessary to insure the invitation, for his mother waits. A wet palm came to rest on the hand about her shoulders gently.
"It is time," he said softly, and gave her a comforting squeeze.
She nodded yes, stood without facing him and then answered.
"I am tired," she said softly.
For better or worse she knew what she had to do. An hour ago she'd been racking her brain, trying to figure out the best way to proceed. Now she was wary, but the fact that a woman like lady Harumi was unrepentant and would continue with her evils, cemented her resolve. She would put to an end the woman's reign of terror.
Her hands tightened into unconscious tight fists as she faced him. They both gazed into each other's eyes with remorse.
"Don't worry so much about me…I can tell that you do by your eyes." Kagome said observing Sesshomaru carefully. "I will be okay."
She opened her mouth to speak again but was silenced with the slight tracing of his fingers along her chin.
"Be careful Kagome; focus on the fight and not the vicious words that will no doubt spill from her lips."
He closed his fingers around her chin as he'd finished speaking, pulled her closer and sealed her lips with his own.
Sesshomaru felt her shaking as he delved inside her mouth taking her in. He felt drunk as the kiss deepened and Kagome clung to him. He felt the surprising strength of the passion that she forced on him, he wavered on his feet. It was all he needed to dare and trespass, because they had not been intimate as a couple for some time.
Considering the lack of privacy that they had, Sesshomaru lifted Kagome into his arms and proceeded to a more secluded area in the garden. She moaned as he suckled on her lips and neck scraping his teeth over the skin that he caressed. Oh kami she thought through a haze of faintness. His tongue asked for and gained acceptance into the recesses of her mouth.
He tasted sweet, musky like honey, exotic, and his kiss raw and abandoned to match the wild flavor completely. Ravished, the incredible feeling spread through her mind as the moment slipped deeper into fantasy. She felt devoured as he plundered her mouth and neck; she really needed to stop him before things got out of control. The business with his dam was pressing; however they both needed each other now.
"Kagome," he whispered softly into her mouth.
She opened her eyes dazedly and saw the pained expression on his face. And as he set her on her feet with her back resting on the side of a gazebo, she nodded yes and latched onto his lips kissing him back fervently. He followed the path dawning in his mind as he deepened the kiss, drawing her ever closer, the way he was being drawn.
His hands were sure and quick as he relieved himself off his clothes, while Kagome disengaged from her underwear. His mouth rejoined hers momentarily, demanding everything from her and he returned it all tenfold. The heat built and built inside them, fueled by their desires and understanding, until they closed their eyes and moaned lustfully.
He covered her then, lowering himself unto her, pressing her deeper onto the grass. The game was over banished by the aching need. Kagome combed her fingers through his hair as her legs wrapped around his waist. She kissed him, his skin grew slick beneath her hands as she roamed it over his body, dampened by the exertion of his flexing muscles, his power, and the strain of his control.
She welcomed the weight of him, the exquisite pressure of his large and sturdy manhood as he gently glided it into her being. Sesshomaru filled her endlessly, again and again, physically losing himself inside her with the strength of each stroke; and mentally waiting for their joining to bring them closer to the elusive pinnacle of consummation.
He thrusted deeply and groaned at the pleasure coursing up his spine. The waiting could not last much longer. He sucked her tongue into his mouth and slid his hand between their bodies giving her what she sought.
"Aaagh!" she groaned time and again, as the sensations spiraled out of control.
Her breathing stopped, she gasped for air, her body stilled at the potent feelings ripping through her; and suddenly she was falling, shuddering as her climax seized her. He surged into her more quickly as he took onto himself the powerful force of the orgasm that consumed her. His body quivered as he released the evidence of his own climax, and emptied his seeds deep inside her womb.
In the gentle aftermath they lay into each other's arms staring into the clear blue skies without speaking. Kagome traced the curves of muscle in his chest and the taunt plane of his abdomen. She glanced sideways and caught the hint of a smile playing about his mouth. And as much as she did not want the moment to end, she knew that it was time to go.
sksksk
Lady Harumi's frozen form was placed into the center of the small sports ground, awaiting the fate that would come down on her soon. Inuyasha, Tora and Kouga were invited guests, as well as the few remaining loyal lords and generals. The young prince's and princess's of the west were also seated and waiting patiently on their parents.
They did not wait for much longer as the noble couple walked side by side coming forward. Sesshomaru and Kagome remained standing as they came in front of everyone.
"Today my mother will pay for her crimes," Sesshomaru spoke aloud to everyone. "My mate has earned the right to fight for her honor and that of our daughter's who was killed by that demoness."
If there were an underlying irony in his tone, Kagome chose to ignore it, because who would want to claim such a miserable, spiteful and hateful woman as family. Tora approached lady Harumi's form and undid the spell. It would take several minutes for her strength to be replenished, preserving Kagome energies if she'd revoked the spell herself.
Kagome gathered her wits about her and approached the woman when she felt that lady Harumi's strength had returned. Both women stared at each other with animosity, and then the demoness laughed and spoke with sarcasm.
"Do you think that you can defeat me?"
She paused in mid sentence when she saw that Kagome was not the least bit intimidated by her sick mind games.
"Your daughter made the mistake of underestimating me…Look what happened to her. The statement made Kagome quiver on the inside. She felt nauseated and flushed, ready to over react by the remark, but a pulse of power from her mate calmed her anxieties and in time she responded calmly.
"You are a wretched woman that cannot love, and so no one will love you in return. You are alone and pathetic…Fight me because I have no desire to hear you speak."
With that out of the way Kagome charged her entire being with spiritual powers. The demoness's eyes bulged in surprise at the impressive powers displayed.
She knew the priestess to be powerful before, but in the twenty seven years that she had not seen her, her powers had grown immensely. Sesshomaru was impressed by his mate's strength, and although he was merely troubled by it, the other demons were having a trying time with her reiki as it tingled along their flesh uncomfortably.
The increase in the demoness's energies did not go by un-noticed as it too was immense. She will have to be very careful, Kagome thought a little bit nervous as they both faced each other readying for battle. But as Kagome took two steps towards her opponent, the female bellowed.
"Wait!"
Kagome stopped and frowned deeply. Sesshomaru stood, approached the field and queried.
"What is the delay?"
A rogue smile teased his dam's mouth and she responded.
"If I defeat your mate…You must set me free to live as I choose?"
He lifted a lean shoulder in a nonchalant shrug. "I will not bargain with you, your games have no place here, fight her now or I will strike you down."
The older woman's eyes bored into Kagome's with malice.
"If you my son do not agree to my terms, you may kill me now because I refuse to fight."
She said all this while staring at Kagome, both women understanding each other perfectly.
She sighed audibly knowing what the demoness was going on about. She would continue to refuse to fight until one of two things happened; Sesshomaru would kill her in anger, and if that happens she would never get the chance to avenge her daughter and restore her honor among the council and becoming a proper mate to Sesshomaru.
Taking her mate's hand and leading him aside she explained her position.
"Acquiesce her Sesshomaru, don't deny me this. I also have my pride."
With careful thought he sought the best way to go about it, and after awhile he nodded his answer of yes to her and she sighed in relief.
The curious golden eyes of her in law gazed at her while she waited on the answer.
"You get your wish," Kagome said tonelessly, and charged forward.
The demoness moved to the right instinctively barely able to avoid the blow as it was so unexpected, although the heat from Kagome's reiki singed her ears. Arming herself with glowing energy whips she flung them at her rival speedily, watching as they bounced off an invisible spiritual barrier. She lifted her eyes and leveled them at the priestess, knowing that this fight would not be as easy to win as she had previously thought.
Kagome pulled a knife from her boots, charging it with power she rushed at the woman who continued to lasso the energy whips at her relentlessly. Dodging and rolling out of the way as she drew nearer Kagome was upon the woman slashing into both arm muscles and retreating quickly.
A scream of desperation tore from the depths of her being as purity from the priestess's energies rippled through her. How can she defeat the priestess now that she was injured? She thought. She took multiple breaths and calmed the anxieties, as she realized that Kagome would counter any attack that she threw at her with a barrier.
Regardless, she flew at her speedily with claws baring and caught her by the wrist. They struggled, pulling each other to and fro as they battled for control.
Kagome recognized too late the demoness's cunning as she kicked at the inside of her ankles bringing her to her knees, while swiping a hand across her chest. She screamed with the pain but let her reiki spread throughout her body once more burning lady Harumi who let go suddenly. Sesshomaru and the children got up seeing their mother hurt and panting harshly, and feelings of despondency encasing their soul because they could not assist her now.
A muffled cry sounded from within as the demoness used both hands to hammer Kagome's back giving her no time to recuperate.
"Mother," the children cried with fear as she fell forward into the dirt.
Everyone else kept quiet as the demoness circled her pray. Kagome felt next as a foot landed on her ribs with a swift kick that sent her flying some distance away.
She lay immobile as the raw edge of pain stung her insides.
"Kagome," she heard her name repeated inside her consciousness as it was slipping; it was the voice of Sesshomaru. "Fight back; use the power that I gave you now, tap into it."
As she lay with her eyes closed but with her senses alert, she searched her soul for the dark energy that her mate drove inside her when he had mated her.
With the demoness almost upon her, she used the little spiritual energies that she had left to heal her body as she lie still. Staggering to her feet as lady Harumi rounded on her, Sesshomaru's power spread throughout her being like wild fire. She felt empowered as claws replaced blunt fingernails and power and strength that she had not possessed before now was hers.
She had successfully tapped into her mate's latent powers making them hers. And as the older female came to stand before her again she did not recognize the changes within her, because of over confidence and she was basking in the minor victory. So that when she lifted a hand to strike her down, she opened her mouth in surprise when Kagome caught her wrist and bent it backwards swiftly breaking the bone.
Her hands flashed with speed that was almost undetectable to the woman's eyes, the knife in her hand filled her fist. Before the demoness could react the knife flashed through her neck three inches deep. A howl of pain pierced the air like a thunderstorm as the wounded demoness backed away from Kagome bleeding profusely.
Kagome watched as dark blood sprayed from her mother in law's neck like a garden hose amidst the cheers. She toppled with a loud crash, but Kagome knew the bitch wasn't dead yet, so it came as no surprise when darker energies clouded the area as the woman transformed into a massive dog, with blood still flowing from its neck.
Sesshomaru stepped forward as his mother flew high into the air and handed Kagome a bow with three arrows.
"Thank you," she whispered and stood just as the gigantic dog made a dive for her.
Taking the arrows she notched them carefully and took aim. She had to wait until the creature was close enough and had no way of dodging the attack. It would be dangerous she knew, but she would be very cautious.
The bow quivered with the tautness of the pull as Kagome waited. The area above her head darkened as the great white dog got into firing range. Kagome released the projectiles gracefully and watched while they spun, whistling as they found their mark. The impact threw the animal back a few feet while Kagome rolled out of the way of the collision.
Kagome saw it all as the creature slammed into the ground, while the arrows burned dark blue. Everyone waited with bated breath for the ghastly end to come. Slowly there was a decrease of energy in the atmosphere as lady Harumi undid the transformation, grasping frantically at the arrows trying to pull them out. Then suddenly they exploded turning the once pristine female into glittering balls of ash.
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