Victory

Summary: The battle for the Shikon no Tama has finally been won. Naraku has fallen but this victory came at a great price. Can a beautiful beast swallow his pride and hate to finally achieve the true supreme conquest? Will a girl who doesn't see her own strength overcome her greatest trials yet? Join Sesshoumaru and Kagome as they set off to save that which they both hold most dear.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters, though I do make out with my Kagome and Sesshoumaru plushies every now and then.

!WARNING! This story will contain lemons in later chapters and will be marked accordingly.

'Thought'

"Dialogue"

Inner beast/Inner self

! Lemon !

-End Lemon-

Chapter 1 – Victory?

'Beautiful…'

The notion surprised its owner and an uncharacteristic frown formed upon thin lips, his emotionless facade broken if only for a moment. The amber eyed Taiyoukai quickly brushed off the thought as no more than a mixture of adrenaline and possibly exhaustion before setting his stoic mask back into place.

Kagome stood in the purified remains of the evil hanyou known as Naraku as each bit or charred flesh was slowly dissolving in a mist of pinkish light. The horde of demons that had once been his army lay slain in a circle around her nearly a mile wide. The purifying blast has taken out all but a few and her friends had seen to the rest.

All eyes were on the young woman save for their two wounded companions which now lay safely in mokomoko, the pelt serving as a bed of sorts. Inuyasha stood beside Kikyou an arm around her shoulder and his eyes on Kagome. Sango was sobbing silently beside Miroku as the monk held her gently to console her. The loss of her brother at Naraku's hand weighed heavy on her heart. Kirara had placed herself next to the children.

Everyone else looked to Kagome, in awe as her aura came out in soft tendrils of light and swirled about her. Her raven hair was swaying gently in the fresh breeze around them, as she had cleansed the very air they breathed. The pinkish hue shining off her alabaster skin made her look ethereal, like on of the Kami themselves.

The blackened jewel swirled and began to glow so brightly it became white and slightly translucent, a far cry from the pink color it once held.

"It's done… it's finally done"

Kagome exhaled. A mixture of relief, worry and exhaustion colored her features as she looked up from the completed Shikon to her friends as her body ceased to glow and her aura receded.

Immediately Kagome went to kneel at Sesshoumaru's side where the children lay, both with eyes closed and their bodies battered. She reached out a quivering hand, letting it hover just above both their hearts. The same whitish glow that had enveloped the jewel slowly began to flow from Kagome's hand to the children's still forms. The cuts and welts on both their small bodies began to close as skin knit back together and blood began pulling back into their veins. Yet she knew healing them would be the least of their worries.

A small sigh escaped the quivering priestess as she finished. Looking back over her shoulder, she glared at the blackened mark on the ground that had once been the vile hanyou. She wished they could have anticipated Naraku bringing a new fledgling to battle.

The newest addition to his dysfunctional family of evil was Inmetsu, and just as his name implied he'd laid waste to most of the landscape surrounding the battlefield. The priestess had purified the land removing any lingering damage with the blast that had destroyed Naraku. All save for that one black spot.

The two small stones that Kagome now held in her hands pulsed gently, one green and the other orange. If Kikyou hadn't used her soul stealers to place the children's essence within the stones they'd have been lost once the mirror was broken. Kagome cringed as the memory of the children crying out as Kanna has stolen their souls with that cursed mirror. Naraku himself had severed the tied between the souls and body making it impossible for their souls to return once the mirror had been broken. The mirror that Naraku's last living incarnation now clutched to her like a lifeline as he blank face stared upward. The mirror had broken and cracked in places, the frame chipped and tarnished.

Tears brimmed in her sapphire orbs as she scooted closer beside the little ones. They had been far from the battle field and but Jaken and Ah-Un had been overtaken by Kagura and a horde of insect youkai. Jaken had died saving them, taking Kagura with him. She died with a smile on her face.

Sesshoumaru looked down at the creature crying for his young ward and her kit with a mixture of emotion dancing just behind his amber eyes. Respect, worry, guilt, all somewhat foreign to him yet he felt them just the same. Once Kagome had healed their bodies and taken up the Soul Stones, Sesshoumaru lifted the children with his tail keeping Rin and Shippou in his mokomoko and resting them on Ah-Un's saddle. He then extended a hand to Kagome who took it and hoisted herself from the ground, wiping the last few falling tears from her face as she did.

"This Sesshoumaru will fix this"

Sapphire met amber as his eyes steeled with determination, the words spoken to answer the question he could see swirling in her blue orbs. Nodding she gave him a weak but confident smile. He had no idea why he felt the need to reassure her nor why something deep within him lightened a bit knowing she have faith in him. But as with any other emotional anomalies she caused within him, he disregarded it.

"We did it guys. Naraku is finally gone"

Kagome had turned back to the semi silent group doing her best impression of a happy smile, the jewel and two stones clutched in her hand.

"That we have Lady Kagome. And we have you to thank, because of your power and our combined effort I'm free of the Wind Tunnel forever"

Sango sniffled and smiled gently beside him, taking one last mourning glance at her fallen brother before letting herself be pulled into Miroku' s arms.

"Do you know what your wish will be?"

Sango asked, hoping to be rid of the cursed jewel as soon as possible, her heart aching in the wake of the destruction and chaos it had caused for so many. Kohaku included. She didn't want to pressure her sister or ruin a happy moment but she did want to give the gentle reminder that is the job wasn't fully completed.

"At this point if I don't make the wish the Shikon will keep causing nothing but grief. I know I need to be rid of it…"

Gently she held the jewel out to Inuyasha, trusting smile on her face as her eyes held trust in him to do the right thing. He held out his hand only to close hers around the jewel, shaking his head gently.

"Kags… I know you promised me the wish so I can become a full demon but you don't gotta. It's gotta be selfless and all... and well. The way I am.. who I am is fine. And I'll beat anyone to a pulp who says otherwise"

He declared raising his hand to hold the battered sheath of Tetsaiga over his shoulder. Kagome smiled at him, proud that he finally understood. She didn't even get angry about him calling her wench.

The name had become somewhat of a term of endearment at this point so it didn't bother her anymore. Kagome sighed and gave a tired but genuine smile to her best friend and once love.

Inuyasha was the next to move, immediately gathering a startled Kikyo in his arms and crushing her smaller form to his. His eyes closed as whitish-silver bangs fell over them. The dead priestess did nothing more then stand rigid and wide-eyed. One clawed hand held the back of her head, ebony waves of waist-length hair spilling through his fingers as he caressed them, his other hand at the small of her back. Both had some minor injuries but not enough to discomfort them enough to show it. Finally moving Kikyo pressed her cold cheek to Inu's chest, her arms coming up to wrap around his torso.

The others were somewhat stunned but not altogether surprised. They knew Inuyasha and Kagome had had a long heart to heart before the battle and had admitted what he felt for her was not romantic as they had once assumed. Over 3 years he had finally grown up. It had hurt to hear but she was happy to finally know.

A wise smile formed on the younger miko's lips while she watched her former love holding the woman who held his heart. The outward show of affection in front of the others not common as Inuyasha was rather dense when it came to expressing his feelings.

As she placed the two Soul Stones in the leather pouch at her hip and held the Shikon up in her hand.

"I know my wish…"

Kagome closed her eyes and this time there was no great show of light or power, only peace.

'I wish for all the wrongs done by Naraku to be righted and let the jewel to disappear for good…'

'As you wish Shikon Miko, so it shall be"

Midoriko's voice sounded in the air around them gently as her soul was released from the jewel and ascended towards the heavens. The Shikon no Tama faded from Kagome's palm and suddenly Kikyo gasped, air once again filling her lungs and a heart beating quickly in her chest.

"I-I live..."

A brilliant smile broke out over her face and she threw herself into Inuyasha's arms. He stumbled back slightly before spinning her around, both overjoyed to finally have a chance to have the love stolen from them by Naraku. A swift pang of hurt jolted in Kagome's heart but she quelled it quickly. Her wish truly had been unselfish.

Once they had gathered themselves the group all got on their perspective modes of transport, Sesshoumaru formed his cloud, waiting. Kagome looked to him a bit puzzled when her motioned for him to join her. Though he had become an ally she knew he still hated humans and merely tolerated her because of her powers and her hand in the destruction of the vile hanyou. She didn't question it however so she stood beside him as they all took off for the West to the House of Moon. Kagome cast a worried glance to her son and the wonderful little Rin, worry etched in her features as she silently stroked both their heads.

Sesshoumaru stared ahead silently the wind tossing his hair this way and that as his cloud propelled the forward, the rest of the group followed close behind.

The Taiyoukai's amber eyes hardened in determination.

'Worry not Rin, This Sesshoumaru will save you as he always does….'

*Author's Note*

Neo: Soooo I know the first chapter is sorta short but I pinky swear 90% of them will be longer. I also realize that Koga and his pack aren't in this chapter. I did it on perpose so please don't be mad. This is my first fanfic ever and hope it's good ^_^ please oh please review everyone one –begs smiling really cute like- Oh and btw I'm looking for someone to be my Beta for this story. HELP PLEASE lol

Inari [my muse]: -flops exhausted on the chair- You are required to leave to leave me the hell alone for at least two days… I'm beat after you worked me for FIVE HOURS STRAIGHT

Neo: -eye brow twitch- What was that?

Inari: -winces at her tone and her ears press against her head- Nothin… -grumble-

Neo: -smiles brightly, patting her head- Good puppy.

Coming up next: Chapter 2 – Trials