Chapter 50

He was one very put out evil hanyou. Here he had arranged this diabolical fun house for his enemies to run around in and they rounded up in the middle—even though they couldn't even all sense one another—and sat meditating like a bunch of gods damned monks. What the hell was he supposed to do with that? There was nothing for it but to transform back to his human form and just be rid of them so he could concentrate on why his little slut hadn't woken up yet. He ambled towards a suitable-sized plateau high in the mountains.

…..

Golden eyes shot open as their prison lurched and buckled. He didn't know what was happening, but he was going to take a chance. Sesshoumaru alighted to his booted feet and drew Bakusaiga. Around him, his family was trying to get to their feet and holding on to the rock faces. He stepped away from them and performed his Explosive Corrosion Wave against the wall of the cavern, praying it was an outside wall and Kagome wasn't on the other side.

The walls melted under the power of his poison, letting in midday light and they heard a shriek of pain before they all made for the exit he had made, jumping out and rolling as they hit the hard earth to absorb the impact from such a high fall. Swords were drawn but they held, not knowing if Kagome was still inside the giant spider.

Naraku transformed back into his humanoid self and faced them across his chosen battlefield. His left arm still sizzling from the poison of the cur's attack, he used a tentacle to sever his arm above the wound, preventing the spread of the corrosive substance. He then summoned his energy and regrew the arm, though it was more tentacle-like in appearance.

It was cold at this elevation and a gentle snow was falling despite it being early September. He would just release his miasma and choke these mutts to death but he didn't want to risk his little obsession. A moan from where he had deposited her with Kanna off to the side drew his attention.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled. Sesshoumaru was already on his way over to her.

He was intercepted by the dark hanyou. They stood glaring at each other just steps away from her prone body. Another moan and they both looked down at her. And then she spoke.

"Daddy?"

Sesshoumaru's heart lurched in her chest. She had just been gutted by this monster and her first thought upon awakening is him? Naraku met his eyes with a triumphant smirk.

She moved to get up, clutching the site of former wound to shroud the healed skin beneath her hand. She slowly got to her feet, purposely keeping her eyes from the demon she wanted to see most. "Daddy?"

"Come here, babyslut. Feeling better after your nap?" He extended his right arm out to her.

"Miko…," Sesshoumaru said quietly, full of confused pain.

Kagome stopped and made an about face to look into Sesshoumaru's eyes. Remembering Amaterasu's words and that Sesshoumaru had made her sword from his own fang, her left hand found the hilt of Kasainamidame. She stared desperately into the eyes of her one and willed him to hear her unspoken words: "No matter what you see or hear you must trust me. This is how it has to be." She blinked and her warm eyes brimming with emotion turned cold as the mountain they were standing on before she turned back to Naraku.

She walked into Naraku's hold, placing her petite hands on his chest and staring up into his blue eyes ringed with red. "Why did you hurt me, Daddy? Don't you know I've always loved you?" She was sure the honest questions she had waited a lifetime to ask would go right over his head.

The rest of the group lined up at Sesshoumaru's sides, exchanging glances, unsure what was going on. Inuyasha moved to go after her, but Sesshoumaru lifted his left arm to stay him, shaking his head minutely in the negative.

"I had to, baby. You want those mean old dogs punished for hurting you, don't you? Well, Daddy needed a little extra power from your Jewel. I know it hurt, but you always did like it when I hurt you, even if you cried and carried on—it's how a Daddy shows his little girl that she's special, you know."

"I'm not worried about them, Daddy. Right now is just for me and you." The goddess had granted her as much closure as was possible with this monster. "Will you…" She summoned her strength. "Will you kiss me…please? Like you used to?"

He smiled malevolently and pulled her hard against him before moving his lips down to meet hers.

Sesshoumaru couldn't watch this. He could have sworn he had heard his chosen's voice telling him to trust her, but how could she do this? Or had he imagined the words and she had gone insane in the clutches of Naraku?

Hoping Kanna had spoken literally, not figuratively, her hands slipped under his kimono. She waited, tears flowing down her cheeks, like a viper poised to strike as he kissed her lips, not as a father would, but as a lover. So ardent he was, he didn't even notice that she failed to return the kiss. While he was distracted, his hands moving to cup her behind and pull her against his arousal, she found what she was looking for and removed it. The moment he thrust his fetid tongue in her mouth, she unleashed the power she had been summoning, trapping him in place. His eyes shot open in shock before they were burned out of their sockets. He tried to scream but there was no sound. In the time it took for Kagome to blink, his body transformed into glittering, purified ash and the mountain wind carried it away. A small, blackened Jewel smoking a purple miasma fell to the ground. Kagome bent and picked it up, holding it in her outstretched palm, summoning her full power and concentrating. As everyone watched, the dark Jewel grew lighter and lighter until it was an opalescent white, radiating Kagome's own pink purity.

In that moment, she heard it. Thump, thump. Thump, thump.

She spun on her heel, clutching her treasures to her chest, eyes widening in horror. "No…"

"Miko, what is it?" Sesshoumaru asked.

Sparkling blue eyes filled with pain met his before returning to the little demon still standing over where Kagome had lain. "Sister…"

Inuyasha looked around with confusion on his face. "What the hell is going on?" Shiori came up to her mate and placed her arms around him from behind, soothing him.

Kagome walked up to the void demon, kneeling in front of her and placing her stolen package and the purified Shikon no Tama on the ground. "You know what you must do, Sister," the girl said. Fat snowflakes swirled around them in the gentle breeze.

Kagome shook her head violently, tears streaming down her eyes. "I can't. You're just like me."

Kanna reached out and hugged her fiercely, whispering in her ear, "Quickly, now. I can feel him regenerating."

With grim resolve, Kagome moved back, unsheathed her sword, summoned her power, and thrust her katana, glowing with blinding purity, into the child-like demon's chest in one quick motion, obliterating the last trace of the dark hanyou.

"Noooo!" Kagura screamed, launching herself at Kagome, who was obliviously laying the girl down in the snow and removing her blade from her chest. Inuyasha grabbed Kagura first, restraining her with his arms as she struggled in his hold.

Acting quickly, Kagome opened the rectangular wooden box she had slipped from Naraku's left breast pocket. Inside were two beating hearts, one smaller than the other. She picked up the smaller one and placed it over the hole she had made in the girl's chest. Tears streaming down her cold-reddened face, she concentrated her miko energy and watched as the heart was absorbed into her body, then as her skin closed above it. 'Please, let this work. Please…'

Kagura stopped struggling but Inuyasha wasn't letting up his hold. Just because none of this made any sense to him didn't mean he was letting down his guard and allowing Kagome to get hurt.

As the long minutes ticked by, Sesshoumaru joined his chosen, slipping off his outer kimono and draping it over her shivering, scantily clad form before kneeling beside her in the snow and gathering her in his arms. The only sounds were the swirl of wind through the mountains and the gentle fall of snow.

He knew now why she had done what she did—Naraku was a formidable opponent. Empowered by the Sacred Jewel, it would have been a long fight and there may have been serious damage and casualties. Her way had used his delusions and obsession with her to slip past his defenses and assassinate him right there on his chosen battleground. That didn't mean he ever wanted to think about his chosen willingly allowing that fiend to kiss her ever again, though.

He had chosen to listen to his instincts unfailingly with her, and they told him that something horrible had happened to her while she was in Naraku's clutches. He hadn't forgotten the feelings of dread and fear he had felt at the barrier. And he was sure he had smelled her blood as they passed the house. He wouldn't press her, but he hoped she would be able to talk to him about it eventually.

There was a sharp intake of breath and Kagome's eyes flew open widely as she pushed away from him to gather the void demon in her arms. "That's it, Sister. Come back to us. You can do it," she whispered urgently, snowflakes landing on her wet eyelashes. Inky black eyes fluttered open and met her blue ones.

"He is gone. You did it, Sister." She smiled the barest of smiles up at Kagome. "Where is my Kagura?"

Wild inu hanyou couldn't keep Kagura away. She broke free and fell to Kanna's side. "I'm right here," she said, grasping her hand.

"Kagome, don't forget Kagura," Kanna said.

Her eyes rounded in realization. "Oh! Of course!" Kanna sat up from her hold and scooted out of the way. Kagome turned to the box and picked up the other heart.

Kagura looked at it with hope. "Is that…? It's mine? We're really free?"

Kagome smiled brightly and nodded her head. "Let me help you?" Kagura moved over and let Kagome heal her.

She watched as her heart was absorbed into her body before standing. She felt complete and free as she never had before. She called Kanna to her side and placed her arm around her shoulders. Looking down at Kagome, she bowed deeply in thanks. She pulled a feather from her hair, enlarging it to a boat and she and Kanna stepped inside. "Thank you for what you have done, all of you. And you, Kagome, take care of that luscious demon of yours. I'm glad he has someone like you."

Kagome smiled. "I'll do my best. Where will you go?" Kagome asked.

"I hear the Sirocco is especially nice this time of year." With a smirk, she took off, heading due West.

Kagome got a little uncomfortable, hands squirming in Sesshoumaru's overlarge sleeves, realizing she had done what she did in front of her family. They were all looking at her and she didn't know what to say. She was saved when Toga transformed into his true form and lowered himself to the ground, barking for them to get on so they could go home. Kagome scooped up the Jewel and they all climbed aboard and settled in, Shiori cuddled with Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru pulling Kagome down into his lap, and he took off into the sky.

…

A/N: The Sirocco is the name for the warm wind of the Mediterranean area, either a foehn or a hot southerly wind in advance of a low pressure area moving from the Sahara or Arabian deserts.

I hope no one is overly disappointed in my lack of actual battle-ness. I'm not a fighter, so really don't know any moves past what I've seen in anime and movies, but I do know crazy so I went with my strength. ^_^