Light of My Life
Light of My Life
Title: Light of My Life
Author: kazeko
Series: Inuyasha
Rating: R
Archive: Sesshoumaru/Kagome
Characters: Sesshoumaru/Kagome, Inuyasha/Koyama, Sango/Miroku
Summary: A powerful prophecy brings mortal enemies together, but prejudice may well tear them apart and spell the end of all inuyoukai.
Disclaimer: No ownership.
Chapter 15: To Break a Bond
Looking around, Sesshoumaru realized that he was right. Kan'na and Kagura had turned to dust with Naraku, the incarnations incapable of surviving alone. After the life they had lived, he imagined they would be happier to be reborn. Kohaku had fallen, turning to dust as Naraku's power left him. Despite the shard in his back, he still required the hanyou's power to survive. Sango was crying, but she had expected such an outcome, and she let Miroku comfort her as she lifted the shard and headed for Kagome. Kouga leaned down and pulled two shards out of his legs, realizing that he no longer had claim to them, joining the small group near the pups. Satori and Koyama returned to their pack, sitting down to rest as Sesshoumaru turned back toward the huts.
"It seems that Naraku is destroyed. Now we can all return to our rest. Inuyasha, you will hold on to the other three shards until Kagome wakes. Houshi, is your affliction gone?"
Miroku held out his hand hesitantly, unwinding the beads and cloth and pointing toward the forest. Nothing happened. Shocked, he glanced at his palm, a grin splitting his face. "The kazaana is gone, Lord Sesshoumaru. My curse is broken at last."
"Good. We will return to our huts and remain there for the remainder of the night." He looked up at the sky and nodded. "It will rain tonight. We will be grateful for the cover."
"Is it really over? Is Naraku really dead?"
Sesshoumaru glanced down at the kit holding onto his hakama, nodding as he led the children to his hut. "Indeed, Shippo. Naraku is dead. Kagome truly destroyed him."
Kagome woke in stages, her powers flaring as she remembered parts of the battle. The pups slept peacefully on the other side of the hut, Sesshoumaru watching over his lover. Every time her powers flared, he contained the burst, calming the woman. He smiled as she opened her eyes, having finally awakened.
"Good morning."
"Sesshoumaru? What happened?"
"You purified him. Then you fainted."
"Is everyone alright? I wasn't sure . . ."
"Everyone is fine. All of the pups and my irritating brother are also well."
"That's good."
A subdued knock on the door to the hut heralded the arrival of Senmei, her sisters a step behind her. Sesshoumaru helped Kagome to her feet and led her outside, knowing that the coyotes finally had an answer to his question about the mysterious miko's prophecy.
The trio led the youkai lord and his lover away from the hut, stopping before the Alpha Male and Female of the Coyote Pack. The three sisters bowed and moved away, their time as members of the Crescent Moon Pack ending. The male coyote bowed, his tail twitching in agitation, barely able to meet Sesshoumaru's eyes. "My lord, we tracked the miko to her village and questioned her about the prophecy. She told us everything she had seen, and she suggested that your mother might know a bit more." He looked up as the regal Alpha Female appeared behind her son, eyes narrowed slightly. "The miko told us that the Crescent Moon Pack is cursed. Many centuries ago, the alpha male of the Crescent Moon Pack took a young woman as a lover, and her mother was unhappy with the union, knowing that any children her daughter had would always be hated by the pure youkai of the Crescent Moon. So she had a miko curse the pack. In order to preserve his family, the alpha male and his lover sacrificed themselves to delay the onset of the curse, and the alpha females have passed the story through the generations in order to prevent the end of their family."
"I know of this curse, but it is very vague," Satori interjected. "My mate's mother told it to me when I joined her family, trusting me to protect the pack. The curse says that if a human female ever joins the Crescent Moon Pack and takes the alpha male's power, it will spell the end of the line. It can only be prevented by sending the female away or by the alpha male dying before the female and the female dying before the line continues."
Sesshoumaru stared at his mother and her revelation. "Why was this never revealed to this Sesshoumaru? Did you not think it worth attention?"
Satori shrugged. "It was not. How could a human female take your power? Your father took a human lover, but he had no power that she could take."
"He had one power," Kagome whispered, feeling a flash of foreboding even as she spoke the words. She struggled to decide how to say it in a way Sengoku Jidai youkai would understand. "One power that every male and female has, no matter whether youkai, miko, or simple peasant. The power to create a new life. Izayoi took your father's seed . . . she had Inuyasha."
Sesshoumaru, Satori, and the coyote pair stared at her in shock, knowing that what she said was true, knowing that it was the only plausible explanation. "And the only reason my son was able to continue the line . . . was because my mate died the day Inuyasha was born. And Izayoi died before Sesshoumaru decided to have pups.
"And if you become pregnant by my son . . . as a member of the pack . . . the line will end with Kiyokaoriko and her brothers." Satori felt pain and regret fill her as she whispered those words, knowing that they spelled the end of Kagome's time in the pack, the end of her son's happiness. Some part of her had wanted the girl gone because she was human, but she didn't want her to leave because of some curse that wasn't her fault.
Kagome shook her head as she backed away from Sesshoumaru. "There's no choice," she whispered. "I have to go away. I have to relinquish the pack."
Sesshoumaru reached for her, growling low in his throat. "Then you will not become pregnant. This Sesshoumaru does not plan to have a hanyou child."
"It's not always something you can control, Sesshoumaru. Sometimes it just happens. And I can't guarantee that I'll never get pregnant." She felt tears fill her eyes as she took another step back, not letting Sesshoumaru touch her. "I love you and the pups too much to endanger your pack. I have to go away, relinquish the pack. I have to protect you."
"I am stronger than that, Kagome. I am stronger than this curse."
"You can't be stronger than a miko curse, Sesshoumaru. You can only break it if you know how. Do you know how?"
Satori touched her son's shoulder as he began to growl, his eyes turning red as his beast realized that Kagome was serious. She was going to leave. She was going to relinquish the pack and never return. Sesshoumaru's beast would not allow that.
The tall youkai grunted as a well-placed fist knocked him back, Inuyasha standing with sword drawn in front of Kagome. "Snap out of it! Listen to what she's saying. Calm your beast, brother."
Sesshoumaru stood, his mother at his side, and struggled to control his reaction. He had never had a problem controlling his emotions before, but the thought of losing his new lover was clouding his judgment and eroding his control. His eyes met Kagome's, and he saw the pain in hers. She knew that she had to leave, as much as she wanted to stay with her new family. "Please don't make this any harder than it already is."
Her voice in his head calmed him somewhat. "I cannot lose you, Kagome."
"If you don't let me go, you will lose your pups and your pack. I will not let that happen. I love you and them too much to stay. Please understand, Sesshoumaru."
Sesshoumaru roared his fury, red eyes glowing and fangs dripping poison. In the past, Kagome would have been scared of him, but she could feel his pain and fury in her mind. Inuyasha stepped back, sword still held out in front of him, and whispered instructions to Kagome. She reached into her belt and pulled out the small knife she used for preparing food. Gritting her teeth, she cut a shallow slice across her palm and held her hand out, letting her blood drip to the ground. "I relinquish the pack, I refuse your blood. Goodbye, Sesshoumaru."
Something inside the lord seemed to snap. With a yip of pain, Sesshoumaru shifted into his true form and leapt into flight, howling as he flew away, desperate to escape the pain and confusion in the abandoned village. Kagome chocked on a sob as she fell to the ground, knowing that she would never see her lover again. Inuyasha sheathed his sword and sat beside her, holding the miko in his arms. "It'll be okay," he whispered. "He will heal, given time. Youkai always heal."
"Will I heal?"
Inuyasha shook his head. "I don't know. Your friends will help you try."
Kaori ran up to Kagome, eyes wide as she sniffed the area. "Father?"
"Your father had to go away for a while," Satori whispered. "He is in a lot of pain."
Kaori's eyes searched Kagome as she tried to determine what had happened. She sniffed the blood on the ground and growled, eyes glowing. "What did you do? Why would you relinquish the pack? You only just became part of it."
"If I stay, you and your siblings will die. Your pack will die off, and I can't do that to you guys. Please, understand. I had to do this because I love your father and I love you too much to stay."
"If you leave, our pack will die! Your presence in the pack is how we will survive to the next generation! You must stay!"
"I can't. I wish I could. You have to go home with your grandmother, and I have to go back to Edo."
"Will you return to your time?"
Kagome considered Satori's question as the other pups, Shippo, and Rin joined Kaori, staring up at the adults and wondering what was going on. "I don't think so. After all this . . . I don't think that I can return to the future. I know where I belong now, even if I cannot be part of the pack. Kaede is getting old and she will need a replacement soon. I can't ever see you guys again, but I'll think of you often."
"We're leaving? I thought we were going to stay with Sesshoumaru-sama and Kaori-tachi. Why do we have to go?"
Kagome leaned down and lifted Shippo, kissing his forehead. "You need to stay with Sesshoumaru. He can train you better than I can, and he can give you a family of youkai. I can never give you that. You should stay with the inu pack and be raised properly. I love you, Shippo, and this is the best thing for you."
"But I don't want to go! I don't want to leave you."
Kagome cuddled the kitsune for a moment, tears in her eyes. "I know. I want you to stay more than you know. Kaede's village is perfectly happy to accept and raise a youkai kit orphaned by Naraku and traveling with a miko, but as you grow they will become more and more hostile. When they cast you out, where will you go? It's better if you stay with youkai from the beginning and never experience that sort of hatred from humans."
Satori stepped in front of the pups and lifted Rin into her arms. "I think you should take Rin with you, Kagome. My son will be in a rage for a while, and I fear for the safety of any human near him. Even this girl may be in danger. If he ever calms enough, I can come to retrieve her."
Rin sniffled as she was placed in Kagome's arms. "I have to leave Sesshoumaru-sama? I don't want to."
"I know, child, but it is for the best. My son is very angry right now. In time, which could take years, he will calm down. If you still wish to return at that time, it will be allowed." Satori patted the girl's head and gathered the seven youkai children. Calling for Jaken, she loaded the pups and Shippo onto Ah-Un's back and placed the kappa at the reins.
"What happened to Sesshoumaru-sama? I saw him fly away."
"He will return, Jaken. Take the pups to the palace." The two-headed dragon took to the sky, calling back to Rin and wondering why she was staying behind. The six pups raised their heads to the sky and began to howl, letting the world feel their pain. On the ground, Satori bowed to the weeping girl who had been a member of her pack for such a short period of time before she, too, rose to the sky and flew away.
Kagome stared after the youkai she had claimed as her family. She heard Inuyasha ask her a question, but she couldn't focus her thoughts enough to answer. She wrapped her arms around Rin more tightly, knowing that the girl was hurting, too. Inuyasha's voice was more insistent as he tapped her shoulder, and her dull eyes turned up towards his.
Sango and Miroku had appeared behind the hanyou, Miroku holding three of the Shikon shards in his hand. Kouga stood behind them, Koyama in deep conversation with the coyote pack alphas. "We have the last three shards, Kagome," Sango whispered. "Give them to her so she can complete the Shikon no Tama."
Miroku held out the shards, waiting for Kagome to take them. With hands shaking from grief, Kagome slipped the last three shards into the jewel, closing her fingers around it and pouring purification power into the completed Shikon no Tama. With a flash of pink light, the gem was whole once more, singing its joy in being whole at last. It whispered in her mind, begging her to make a wish, crying sadly as she hooked it back onto the chain that had carried it for so long. She looked up at Inuyasha, freezing in the act of slipping the chain over her neck.
"Do you have a wish, Inuyasha?"
The hanyou looked over at his mate and shook his head, reaching down to cup Kagome's chin with one clawed hand. "I can't think of a wish that would make you happy and also be selfless. That jewel can't break the Crescent Moon curse, and anything I wish right now would be selfish. No, Kagome; you can keep the Shikon no Tama. I don't want it anymore."
Kagome nodded and slipped the chain over her neck. She stood, lifting Rin with her, and examined her small group. "Koyama, will you return to the West?"
Koyama bowed to the coyote Alphas as they left, joining Inuyasha and the humans. "I must. Sesshoumaru-sama is my Alpha. With the imminent birth of my pups, I must rely on the protection of a strong male and the comfort of a pack. Inuyasha is bound to his brother as Beta, and he must return to the West. I'm sure he can escort you back to your village before we head for the Western Palace."
Kagome smiled sadly. "I guess I'll never see you again, Koyama."
Koyama sighed and flicked her tail. "It cannot be helped, my friend. You did what you had to do to protect your pack. I will come to see you if I can after my pups are born. I know Inuyasha will find excuse to visit. I wish you luck."
"Thank you." With that, Koyama kissed her mate goodbye and concentrated her power, forming a cloud under her feet and flying toward the Western Palace. Inuyasha watched her leave, sighing as he ran a clawed hand through his hair before turning back to the group. The friends stared at each other for a while, thinking over the changes they had gone through to get to this point. Now Naraku was dead, Japan was saved, and their group was miserable and fractured.
"Ready to get going?"
"Yeah," Kagome whispered. Kirara changed into her battle form, crouching for Sango and Miroku to climb aboard. Kagome handed Rin to her friend and turned to Inuyasha, freezing for a moment. There was a flash of awkwardness as the miko, recently the lover of a certain youkai lord, prepared to jump on the lord's half-brother's back who happened to be mated to someone else. The moment passed as both of them realized what they were doing, and both relaxed at the same time. Inuyasha crouched down and let Kagome climb onto his back, grinning as he leapt away, Kirara right behind him. The group that had been together for so many years and had finally succeeded in destroying Naraku was returning home, whether they wanted to or not. It was the end of their journey.
TBC
