Disclaimer: I do not own any part of InuYasha, only my own character Kakiya.

Chapter 21

*note: I will be using the name unofficial name of 'InuKimi' for Sesshomaru's mother.

XXX

"Father, where are you taking me?" The two of them were walking through a field of clouds towards a strange arch made of solid stone.

Solis looked down at his daughter beside her, who has now finally achieved balance and has become one person once again. "Why, I'm taking you back to the mortal world." He put a hand on her head, "Back to the lord, Sesshomaru." He whispered teasingly.

He grinned when a tint of blush turned up on her face, but then frowned when it turned into a sadder face, "And if he does not remember me?"

"I guess we'll find out when we meet him." Solis said grimly. In fact, he already knew that Sesshomaru had remembered about his daughter and did not enjoy that one bit; he was not eager to give her up after having been forced to part with her as a child. Solis had hoped that his daughter would also forget about him, but alas, his wish was not granted.

They stepped through the arch and a portal formed; Kakiya could see the world that she stayed in during her childhood. The pair walked through the portal and appeared on the steps of a large castle, guarded by many demons with moon-shaped spears. Far away, InuYasha, his friends, and Rin, Jaken, and Ah-Un had a memory brought back to them after so many years, and the name Kakiya whispered into their minds. They continued to walk up the long set of stairs, Kakiya walked closely behind her father as she felt that she was safe there. When they reached the top, only a woman with long silver hair sat there waiting for them on top of a large red throne.

"It's a pleasure to meet you again, InuKimi." He said in a pleasant voice, "I see you have not changed, still as beautiful as ever."

"Why if it isn't Solis, what brings you here to my castle?" the woman questioned.

"Did you find the flower I told you about?

"I have not." She answered.

"Make sure you do so soon, you will have need for it in the future."

Kakiya wondered who the woman was and poked her head out from behind her father, taking a peek at the lady. A shock of recognition came to her eyes.

The women's eyes brightened at the sight of the girl, "Is that…?" she got off her throne and quickly walked towards them. InuKimi almost shoved Solis away so that she could see Kakiya properly. After studying her for a moment, she turned to Solis, "Is this yours?"

"Yes, well, I was about to introduce you –" he began, but she cut him off.

InuKimi looked at Kakiya with fascination in her eyes, "She's beautiful! Her silver hair, her exquisite amethyst eyes… She reminds her of myself. I want her!"

Solis automatically stepped in front of Kakiya, "Even if you wanted her, I can't just give you my daughter."

InuKimi turned from them and put a hand on her cheek, daydreaming, "My, what a match that would be… if only my stupid son was not so concerned about that human child of his." Her hand clenched in anger.

Kakiya watched the lady, they stood at the same height, but that wasn't what caught her attention, "Ses... shomaru?" she slowly whispered.

InuKimi whipped around and faced Kakiya, "I am not Sesshomaru, foolish guardian… but how did you know of that name?" InuKimi saw Solis's eyebrows frown from the corner of her eye.

"I apologize," she quickly told her, "It's just that you reminded me of someone I met when I was in this world."

"You have met my son?"

"Your son?" Kakiya asked in awe, "No wonder I thought you looked dreadfully familiar…" she looked away, "I haven't seen him in such a long time," she mumbled then straightened up, "My name is Kakiya. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Yes, well met, Kakiya. I am called InuKimi." InuKimi could see a hint of sadness in her eye and wanted to change it, "Perhaps you will see my son again, you never know." She told her reassuringly.

Kakiya blinked then smiled, "Father erased the memories of me when I left this world to go to my own, I do not think that anyone would remember me unless they truly cared for me." She then faced both her father and InuKimi, "Father, how do you know this lady?"

Solis smiled, "One of the jobs of being a guardian is that we have to watch over this world for certain… things. Her husband, the Inu no Taisho, was one of the possible threats to this world. As you already know, that man carried three swords: one as powerful as the next. Tessaiga: fell a hundred enemy in a single stroke, Tenseiga: save a hundred lives in one stroke, and of course So'unga: call forth an army of undead to your side." He shifted in his spot then continued, "Such a man could potentially ruin this world, so it was necessary for someone to keep… checks on him." He glanced at the stone that rested on InuKimi's chest, "I gave him that Meido Stone as a parting gift after I met up with him to confirm his intentions. I am glad he kept his promise, and that his sons are using the swords that he left behind well."

"So that Meido stone was something of our world?"

"Of course, if anyone could just open up a portal to the underworld, it would be a problem." Solis suddenly hugged his daughter, "I must leave you now, I have business to attend to – I'm afraid I have been avoiding my duties ever since I was reunited with you." He let her go and started down the steps, "Perhaps I will see you again as well and remember the flower, InuKimi. Goodbye Kakiya." With that, he created a portal to their world and left them.

"Speaking of the underworld, would you like to do me a favour?" InuKimi sat back on her throne.

"Of course, what would you like?

She fingered the Meido stone, "There is a certain flower that grows in the underworld, and I would like you to bring back a few of them for me. It's quite easy to spot, as it is a glowing purple narcissus." She reached behind her throne and brought up a glass jar, "You can put them in here when you find them."

"Alright, I'll be back." Kakiya took the jar from her.

"I can open a portal for you." She started to stand, but saw Kakiya shake her head.

Kakiya drew a circle in the air and they could both see the path to the underworld, "One of the things that I've learn during my training on Rhoycel was opening up portals to various worlds." She stepped through it and it started to close behind her, "I won't be long." The portal closed behind her.

"I wonder why Solis told me to get such a flower…?" InuKimi wondered as she stared at the stone.

Sesshomaru finally decided to visit his mother and was now on his way. As soon as he neared the castle, a familiar scent made its way to him, and he quickened his pace. When he landed, he only saw his mother and quickly surveyed the area.

"Ah, my son has come to visit his mother. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Sesshomaru glanced at her, and then looked around again, "I will tell you in a moment, but this scent…"

A gleam of amusement appeared in his mother's eyes, 'He's searching for Kakiya… so he remembers her, I guess I have a chance after all!' she thought wickedly, 'I guess I'll humour with him for a while' she gave a heavy sigh, "Are you searching for something? There is nothing else here other than myself and those guards that you see down there."

He glared at her, "I am not." He let out a breath of disappointment, he'd failed to find the source of the scent, "I only came because I thought you would like to know that I have surpassed father. That is all." He unsheathed his Bakusaiga and it caught the sun's rays, gleaming in the light. He sheathed his sword once.

InuKimi raised a perfectly arched brow, "Oh?" she watched as her son glance around him again and then turn around to leave, "I know where the guardian is." She said, a smile playing on her lips.

Sesshomaru stopped in his tracks, to his mother's amusement, "What did you say?" he turned around and gave her his attention.

"You heard what I said." She said amused, she could already picture her having Kakiya to be her perfect doll. InuKimi smiled in satisfaction at the thought that her son wasn't following in all of his father's footsteps and loving a human.

Sesshomaru shortened the distance between them in an instant, towering over his mother, "You mentioned a guardian, where is she?"

InuKimi looked away with amusement, "Oh? Did I say it was a female?" she narrowed her eyes at him, "I was talking about a male Guardian." She wanted a reaction.

He took a step back, much to his mother's pleasure, "I see." Sesshomaru turned away again, but InuKimi swiftly stood up and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I am not so cruel to deny information to my son about someone he finally cares about…" she gently told him, "There was indeed a male guardian who was here, Solis, but he left leaving his daughter behind… who I am sure have already met."

Sesshomaru turned around and looked at her, "Kakiya… Is here?"

This was when InuKimi sat down, her head rested in her hand on the arm rest, "Well yes, and no. I sent her on an errand, and I am waiting for her return."

His eyes narrowed, "Where did you send her?" he saw her touch the Meido stone and almost broke his control over his emotions, "You sent her to the underworld." He said almost too calmly.

"Why yes, how did you know?" she smiled, "She's picking some flowers for me; a glowing purple narcissus. Did you know that that particular species has special properties? Its petals can be crushed then steeped in a drink and is able to cure any type of poison."

"You made her go there for a flower?" he said with disbelief. "Bring her back, now." Sesshomaru glared at his mother.

"Be patient, she will be back." InuKimi watched her son, and wondered just how much he really did care for this girl. She laughed to herself, "Solis, I will have your daughter sooner than you think." She muttered evilly.

Sesshomaru had wondered why his mother was acting so strangely, but when he heard what she had just said about Kakiya, he understood completely. His mother wanted a companion of sorts, since he never visited her often enough just to let her toy with him. 'She must find Kakiya an easy prey to play around with.' He thought grimly.

A rip appeared in the sky, showing the two the path to the underworld. Kakiya flew through the rip, her black wings proudly beating against the sky. She almost fell out of the sky when she noticed Sesshomaru's presense and immediately wished that she hadn't forgotten about hiding her wings in this world. She softly landed beside InuKimi and folded up her wings behind her, trying to hide them from Sesshomaru's intimidating gaze.

"Kakiya, you have returned…" Sesshomaru gaze was focused on her black feathered wings, "I remembered your father having white wings, so I suspected that perhaps you flew with wings as well, but why are they black?" he walked towards them, "Did you change their colour like you changed your hair?"

Kakiya gripped the jar, which was filled with glowing purple narcissuses, "I…" she took a step back and wore a pained look on her face, "I didn't think I would see you here, Lord Sesshomaru."

InuKimi took the flower jar from her and watched the development between the two, enjoying it as if she was watching a film. She did not, however, enjoy the fact that Sesshomaru was making her future doll sad, "Sesshomaru," she said loudly, "Did you perhaps not know about the characteristics of the guardians? They all have wings, and depending on what they watch over and protect also determines which type of wings they possess. There are two types of guardians: the pure white feathered wing, which you saw on Solis, and the black webbed wing."

She straightened up, remembering what her father told her about her own special wings and that she should be proud of them, "But there is one more type, much rarer," she unfolded her wings and felt the soft breeze through her feathers, "Mine. I am a half-breed guardian and I am able to do the job of any guardian. However, I only say they are rare because very few live as long as I do, they are usually consumed by their powers at birth or die within the first few years of their life."

InuKimi smiled, "They are beautiful, are they not?"

Sesshomaru looked at them again, 'Yes, they are…' he secretly thought as he watched Kakiya fold them up again, disappearing behind her.

Kakiya slowly made her way towards him and soon was standing in front of him, "You remembered me… I never forgot about you during my time on Rhoycel." She softly smiled at him, happy just to be in his presence again.

Sesshomaru glanced at his mother and found that she was clearly enjoying this event, "I will leave you now, mother." He quickly took Kakiya in his arms and teleported them away, back to his castle.

InuKimi glared at the blue energy ball that moved away from her castle, "That ungrateful son took her away! Now what am I going to do?" she looked at the setting sun, sighing over her only form of amusement was taken away from her, "Perhaps next time, we will meet again."

Kakiya and Sesshomaru stood on the balcony to his room and watched as the moon slowly rose. Kakiya told him what she encountered in her homeland and what it was like now that her once split soul was back together as one. She told him about the new powers that she'd gained and how her 'demon' and 'human' forms were actually not that at all. Solis had told her that, although she was a half-breed guardian, she was considered a complete demon in this world. Her two different forms let her control each respective power of the two guardian types. Sesshomaru in turn brought her up to date about what had happened in this world; how Naraku was defeated and the whereabouts of Rin and InuYasha when Kakiya questioned about them.

"Perhaps I should visit Rin right now," she rested her head on Sesshomaru's shoulder, "Although she may be sleeping now."

Sesshomaru cupped the side of her face and turned her to face him, "Go tomorrow." He said almost fiercely and pulled her into a demanding kiss. He had missed her soft lips and enticing taste. Her scent seduced him and he enjoyed it. Kakiya accepted the kiss and didn't bother to fight against his power, opening up to let him explore the secrets of her mouth. She had been lost in the kiss, and before she realized it, they were inside his room and on top of his bed. She knew where they were going; she could feel his need and she answered him with her own passion. Together, they shared the night and knew that this was only the first in the many nights to come.

END

At last our dream has come to an end.