(OKAY, someone brought to my attention a mistake I made. I said that Sesshomaru has cut off her arm, but then I said that Naraku held her WRISTS. I got so into it that i did not type what I had written out. Yes, her arm is off. Naraku grabbed her by the upperarms. My mistakes. THANKS FOR POINTING THAT OUT :D)

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Recap:

"Not you." She turned and pointed at nothing. "Him. He honestly thinks I can't sense him. Show yourself."

Takehiko cringed. "Daddy, is mommy losing it?"f

Sesshomaru grimaced a little. "I'm not sure."

"I said to show yourself." She swiped her claws in the direction she'd pointed, growling loudly. "Stop being a coward." She shot a lash of purification energy. Suddenly, she felt herself be jerked back, he rwrists held in an invisible hand. "You must be Naraku?" She questioned.

He appeared then, a smirk on his face. "Why yes."

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Song: Decode- Paramore

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Kagome's lids fluttered closed, and she took a deep breath. Her chest was tight for some unknown reason. 'He has such an evil aura, but it's so familiar, as though I know him. Na-ra-ku, just who are you?' "I would like to see the face of the male I am talking to," She stated cooly.

Naraku chuckled and tilted his head in a simple nod. "But of course." Walking around to the front of her, he gave her a charming smile and took her hand, kissing it. "What a pleasure it is to see you again," His eyes melted into a soft burgundy, "Izumi."

Her eyes narrowed as she snatched her hand away and crossed her arms over her chest. Her eyes became burnt orange. "And if it isn't, Norio? Why did you choose that form?"

He smiled at her and waved a hand through his silky hair. "What? You don't like it? I find this form most attractive, not to mention exotic looking."

"You will never change, will you, love?"

"Iie, kanojo. Are you not happy?" Naraku touched Kagome's arm lightly before pulling her against.

Kagome smiled up at him, rubbing her cheek against his chest. "Yes. I would hate for you to change who you truly are."

The audience, confused and unsure, watched on. Inuyasha licked his lips, then looked up at his elder brother. "What is going on here? Why'd they call each other those names?"

Sesshomaru glanced at Inuyasha, then back at Kagome and Naraku, his eyes narrowing. "I am not sure."

"You've got to stop followong me, Norio. Each time you come around, I end up dead. I'm not letting it happen again." Kagome made it known. His motives were always the same, and each time she ended up dead somehow.

"You don't understand. I live to follow you, dear. I would have to be a fool not to, after all we've been through. And I assure you, when you die, I will be right behind you."

"That's not what's going down this time." She settled her hands on each side of his face and gazed into his eyes intently. "Since the beginning of times, through every life, your've been there with me somehow. Friends in the first few, mates in the next few, and enemies in the past three. And since the last time we were mates, you've managed to have me killed. And no matter what, I still love you, as will I always." Leaning up, she pressed her tight lips firmly against his.

Sesshomaru's eyes grew three sizes, and he felt his throat closed. 'She proclaimed her love for him. She kissed him.' She hadn't dared. It was impossible. Nostrils flared, eyes flickered, fangs ands claws longened. There would be atleast one death today.

Kagome slowly opened her eyes. "But to end this pitiful cycle, I must kill you." The instant his eyes popped open, she slashed at him with her claws, placing a small laceration on his neck.

"Y-you tried to kill me." Naraku whispered in disbelief. He clenched his fists. "What the hell is going on with you, Izumi?! Don't you remember who I am?! Your love! When I last became your mate, I was Norio!" His hair straightened and fell to his calves, shining a pale pink. His eyes remained burgundy in hue. His skin tanned a bit. Nose longened a smidge and form became taller by a good foot. A luxurious white, purple, and yellow kimono became his clothing. "I was your everything! You were pregnant!" He moved back to avoid her attacks.

"Yes, I remember. That was the first time your ignorance killed me." Kagome hissed back. "When I was last your mate, I was Izumi." The long raven hair on her back changed to auburn and was in a high ponytai, the hair swishing just past her hips. Her eyes bacame nearly as narrow as his own, but still held their burnt orange color. A white, orange, and yellow kimono holding her tightly. "And our son was killed in the process. All the more reason for you to die." She attacked him again, this time with a forceful blast of energy.

He jumped and dodged, swaying gracefully to keep away from more blows. "Calm down. I overreacted, okay? We can make things work."

She shook her head. "No. I don't think we can. Our time together has passed, no matter the love I feel for you. And past that, what about our next lives. When I was Izayoi?"

Inuyasha cringed. "Whoa, I'm- I mean, I was in love with my mom."

Inutaisho stared in utter shock and confusion. "Impossible."

And just like that, she changed forms, resembling an exact replica of Izayoi. "When I was Izumi, the man you killed because you thought I'd been unfaithful, my best friend, had a child. His child had a child, and so on until Inutaisho. As Izayoi, I couldn't help but fall for him. And you ruined that as well."

"You are mine!" Norio snapped, tranforming into a slightly shorter dragon youkai with brown hair and green eyes. "I refuse to share, especially with the likes of that, that damned dog!" He dodged another attack.

"Never belittle him, Norio." She spat.

"You can't honestly believe what you're doing is right, love."

She rolled her eyes and sent another attack, this time succeeding in slashing his chest. "I don't even know anymore."

How can I decide what's right

When you're clouding up my mind?

Shaking her head vigorously, she caught herself from stumbling and grabbed her head. "I just don't know, and you aren't helping!"

He smirked at her. "Fine, then. If I must, I will kill you. And then I will kill myself. We will be together until we are reincarnated." He withdrew a sword and swung at her.

'f' ducked and kicked her leg in an attempt to sweep his legs out from under him. When he jumped, she rolled and hopped to her feet, sending another wave of energy at him. "And then, when I was Kikyo." She converted to the much known dead miko, only her eyes bright. "You did it again. You ruined everything I held dear. You killed me. You tried desperately to kill the man I loved. What the hell was your problem?! I hadn't even started truly loving him yet! I hadn't even begun to pour my love onto him!" A bow of miko energy and an arrow as well, she knotched it and fired, the energy crackling and zipping past him, only missing by a hair when he moved. 'Why can't I just get this over with?! It hurts!'

I can't win your losing fight

All the time.

"I own you."

"No. My soul is mine. I own it."

"You don't. As my beloved, you own me, and I own you."

"Gawd, I can't even own what truly belongs to me above all else, can I?! Believe what you will, you will never have my soul, my essence, my pride, Norio. Think again."

Nor can I ever own what's mine

When you're always taking sides

But you won't take away my pride.

No, not this time.

Not this time.

Norio thrusted his sword at her, growling when she evaded the strike. "Remain still, woman."

"What, dearest? Can't kill a mere woman?"

"Father, why aren't you helping her? He'll hurt her."

Sesshomaru looked to his pups. "This is her battle. Time will not change unless I allow this of her." 'But you better be safe, woman.'

"Norio, I thought I knew you." 'Izayoi' remarked flipping backward.

How did we get here?

Well, I used to know you so well.

But how did we get here?

Well, I think I know.

When he didn't answer, but kept attacking, she continued, "The time that you ruined the most, that you are ruining, is me as Kagome." She converted back to her body for the time. "I'm basically mated now, to a loving, though sometimes cold hearted and easily aggitated youkai. I have five children by him. And you're screwing things up. Do you know what you did to my family when you killed me this time? Huh? Can you even fathom how much they hurt because of it."

His eyes glistened with anger. "I never asked you to save the life of that pathetic excuse for a demon."

"Don't speak so little of him!" She cried, tossing a blast at him that sent him slamming backward into the fence. "If anyone is pathetic here, it's you, not willing to let go of the love we once shared. We're not together anymore, Norio. This isn't 1,000 years AGOOO!" She sent another three waves of power that forced him to the ground, then rested her hand at her sides as she took a deep breath.

Ken couldn't help the proud smile that crept onto his face. She was a far better miko than he had presumed her to be. In fact, he had thought that she was hardly trained at all from the way Sesshomaru had described her skills. 'Perhaps my daughter never showed her mate what she could truly do.'

Norio stroked his cheek after pushing himself up and converting back to Naraku. "Hm. Your skills, they are more developed than I remember."

"Heh, well, the more often you die, the more secrets you learn." Kagome said as though it were nothing.

"And that's not the only thing. This body that you have now also seems more...developed than those you had before." He moved closer to her when she blushed and looked away.

"Can't you just keep your mind on the fight, Nori-O!" She jumped when she felt his arms wrap around her and his lips press against her ear. "N-norio, get off."

He smirked and held her tighter. "That isn't what you really want. No denying that you want me." He jerked her around to face him. "I can see it in your eyes."

The truth is hiding in your eyes

And it's hanging on your tongue.

Just boiling in my blood.

Kagome snarled, yanking against him. "You think I don't know the game you're playing. I'm not your average woman, Norio. Seduction will do nothing but disgust me. Now, I suggest you release me, dearest, before I am forced to harm you."

But you think that I can't see

What kind of man that you are,

If you're a man at all.

Naraku grinned venomously, shoving her hard enough to slam her into the ground. He pounced on her and pinned her down. "You know, I love your spunky little attitude. You've had it for as long as I can remember. Even before we were mates, Izumi, I was in love with you. I've cherished you, worshipped you. Why will you not give me another chance?!"

Kagome sneered. "Fool, do you think you deserve one after all this time?" She writhed and jerked beneath him, trying all that she could to free herself. But nothing seemed to work. "I mean, all the pain I've experienced at your hands."

Slithering against her, he added, "All the loving I gave you."

"All of my blood you spilled."

"All of the tears I wiped away." He told her, kissing the tears off of her face.

"All of the lies you told."

"All of my love I poured onto you."

"You didn't trust me. To love me so much, you didn't trust me in the least."

Naraku sighed. "When you love someone to a certain extent, everything you see her do that isn't with you, pains you to the point that you must act."

She closed her eyes. "And so, angered, you killed me? I loved you! That wasn't enough?!" Breathing heavily, she ordered, "Get off."

"Izu."

"Get off!" She yelled, her eyes bleeding crimson and her bones stretching until she was in dog form and had forced him off. Flipping, she stood, glaring down her snout at him.

Well, I will figure this one out

On my own.

(I'm screaming, "I love you so.")

On my own.

(My thoughts you can't decode)

He blinked a few times. "Well, you've never been able to do that before."

She smirked roguishly, then converted back. "I know. I got the gorgeous dog form when I mixed blood with Sesshy."

Glaring at her, he spat, "You only told me that to make me angry."

"Did I?" She grinned cockily. "Oh, I hadn't realized. The words just slipped out. Just like your sword slipping and sliding into my heart. Or the order slipping from your mouth to find me and Inutaisho and do away with us."

"That was different."

"Of course."

"You are so damn stubborn! I told you once! I will kill you if it means having you in my arms for the rest of eternity!" He pulled a sword out of the air and swung it at her. "Kaze no takai!" Thunder cracked in the sky. Swinging the sword, he watched with solemn eyes as the bright yellow light slammed into Kagome's body and threw her into the fence, resulting in unconciousness.

"Kagome!"

She twitched, but otherwise remained unmoving as rain began to fall from the sky. Pain seared through her body and blood oozed from her various wounds.

'Rise, Kagome. It isn't over. You can easily take this weakling. Rise, mate.' Sesshomaru commanded, hoping she would hear him through their mental connection.

Ashi dashed to his mother, checking her wounds and wiping his eyes every so often. 'This can't be happening. He told me he'd never harm her. Why did he lie?' "Father! How could you do this?! You lied! You lied to me! You swore you wouldn't hurt her, ever."

How did we get here?

Well, I used to know you so well, yeah.

Naraku slowly trekked toward the boy. "Ashi, I am doing what it takes to claim her, to have her as mine."

"By killing her?! What the freak, man?! Mom, wake up! Please!"

But how did we get here?

Well, I think I know.

"Step aside, son."

"Why, so you can hurt her more?! I don't think so!"

Naraku narrowed his eyes and leaned down. "Do not disobey your father, boy. Step aside."

Ashi glared. "No. No way in-" After a swift smack to the cheek, he was thrown aside.

"I am sorry, Ashi. But in order for-" He stiffened when he felt Kagome's hand wrap around the tie that hung from his neck. "You were- I-"

"You will never touch him that way again, understood?"

"He was being disrespectful." He defended.

Kagome rose shakily on her weak legs, speaking coldly, "I want no excuses. I told you never to touch my son that way, and that is exactly what I meant. Now, utter another word, and you are going to experience true pain."

"Iz-GAH!" He cried out in mind numbing pain when Kagome enveloped his body in miko energy. When he couldn't scream any longer, he fell limp and she tossed him aside. "Izu-Izumi, what-what...do not think I will die so ea-easily." He forced himself up and held up a sword he'd snatched from thin air. "Prepare to die, beloved!" He ran at her, his sword raised.

Silently, Kagome raised her arm toward Sesshomaru's house, catching Tensaiga when it flew to her.

'Tensaiga will not protect her.' Sesshomaru panicked.

"Kagome, that sword can not do anything but heal." Inutaisho whispered.

Naraku crashed his sword into Kagome's, pushing against her with a smile. 'Soon.' He swung at her all angles, hsi smile fading more and more each time she blocked him, a dull look on her face. He ducked when Kagome swung Tensaiga at him. "That useless sword can't harm me. The most it could do was give me a slight concussion."

Do you see what we've done?

We've gone and made such fools

Of ourselves.

Do you see what we've done?

We've gone and made such fools

Of ourselves.

She rose the sword into the air. "I have to stop playing with you sometime, Norio, or shall I say, Naraku. The time has come, for this game to finish. And in order for things to change, I must be the one to finish it. I love you, as I have always. Rest in heaven. I just know I'll see you there when the time has come for my soul to die completely." Pink whisps of wind circled the sword, much like the backlash wave, and Kagome shrieked, "CHI TAKAI! (A thousand deaths)!!!!" Pointing the sword at him, she watched, tears spilling from her eyes as the energy from Tensaiga raced at him.

He could do nothing but blink, eyes wide, feet glued to the ground in shock. "AGHHHHHHHHH!" He yelled out, writhing in the intense power of the sword. When it was finally gone, he laid on the ground in a smoking pile of youkai flesh.

"Norio." She whispered, then shook her head. "Norio." She stalked toward him and knelt, resting her head on his charred chest. Sobbing followed immediately. "I'm so sorry. It just had to happen. I'm Sesshomaru's now. And he's mine. Forgive me. Moushiwake arimasen, koi!" She fisted his shirt, nuzzling her face into his neck.

It hurt Sesshomaru to watch her, but not for the reasons he assumed it would be. It hurt him more to watch her feel so pained, than for him to watch her cling to Naraku. He was going to comfort her, when he noticed her rising.

Kagome wiped her eyes, then turned to walk away, only to freeze when a hand wrapped around her ankle. She twisted slowly to see him. "Norio."

Naraku weezed. "Izumi, my Izumi. I love you as well. And I beg sincerely for your forgiveness. But I can't be without you, ever. Can you forgive me, for the things I've done, am doing, and will do?"

She nodded slowly.

"Good. I'm gl-ad." Smiling up at her, a tentacle shot out out of his side, wrapped around her body, lifted her into the air, and shot through her back, out through the wound on her stomach.

Kagome gasped loudly. Her body went limp after a moment. Slowly, his tentacle pulled out and uncurled, lowering her to her feet. She automatically dropped forward, on top of him.

"Together, forever, Izumi. And this is not the last time we will meet." Kissing her forehead, he allowed himself to die. Their bodies materialized away, leaving empty space as the clouds divided and the sun began to shine again.

"No. Not again." Sesshomaru clenched his fists. "I refuse to allow it to happen again! Kagome!" He searched for her aura. 'She has to be here somewhere. She did not die again.'

"Sesshomaru." Inutaisho sat a hand on his son's shoulders.

"Not again, father. I did not allow her to die again. I am sure of it." His head snapped to Ashi, who was kneeling on the ground, when he felt Kagome's aura coming from that direction.

Everyone watched with wide eyes as Kagome appeared, resting her head on Ashi's lap. Ashi grinned. "Mother, you're alive! I knew you'd be okay."

She ignored his statement and reached a trembling hand to his cheek. "He wounded you."

"It's small." He sighed. "Dad was the bad guy, wasn't he?"

"In a way. Love drove him insane. Nearly got me too." She laughed softly, blood spilling from her mouth. "ugh." Unconciousness claimed her once again.

"Don't just stand there." Sota finally said. "We have to get her inside! We have to fix her up!" He ran toward Ashi and Kagome, everyone else just behind him.

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GUESS WHAT?! I painted my nails black. My parents and family think I'm going goth. I'm not. I might be emo though. Not sure. Butdefinitely not goth. Anyway, just had to get that off my chest. ;D