Author's Note: Hey everyone. It's my birthday today and I prefer giving over receiving (I hate my birthday, and not b/c I'm getting older) so I decided to finish this chapter. I tried to make it a decent length. I hope everyone enjoys it. R&R please ^_^

Chapter 32: No Holds Barred

Everyone around the table exchanged glances, staring at InuYasha and Kagome, in turn. In the end, it was Souten who broke the silence, albeit reluctantly.

"So…Kagome…" she began, her eyes widening briefly as she took a deep breath. "Care to explain?"

Four sets of eyes swung towards the Miko. She withered beneath all of the attention, giving sidelong glances at InuYasha. He was making himself look completely interested in a bowl of jasmine rice.

"I…He…We..." Eventually, she gave up trying to explain and dropped the enchanted arrow on the table. Kagome stared into her lap even as Souten recognized it and turned her way.

"I've seen that before. Weren't you using that to work on new spells?"

The heat of a blush crept up Kagome's neck as she nodded. "The spell worked. Just not how I planned." She leaned forward on her cushion, looking to Rin near the head of the table.

"You are a master miko. You have the spiritual powers of Midoriko, the greatest priestess this world has ever seen. Wouldn't you be able to do something?"

The lady of the land looked almost pained to answer the question.

"I would if I could, Kagome. But even if I did know how, I couldn't do that. I can't risk practicing my own magic while I am carrying the twins. I don't want to risk purifying them. That would make everything that we've fought for useless."

Kagome deflated back against her cushion. "But you were the one who gave me the scrolls," she muttered under her breath, in defeat.

"What I want to know is why you would dabble in magic that you don't understand and test in on him?"

The half-demon turned human looked up with interest at the pointed question from Rin.

"I…uh…I…" Kagome stuttered as her face turned a condemning shade of red.

"Keh. For someone who's usually so brutally honest, you would think telling the truth wouldn't be a problem for you."

She glared at him over the table, rose to her knees, and slammed her hands on the table. "My reasons should be discussed with you only. In private!" She jumped and sat down at once when Sesshoumaru deemed it time to speak.

"Enough. We have more pressing matters to discuss."

Shippo filled the later pair in with the short version. "Since you two weren't on time, Rin was telling us that her children are part of some kind of prophecy. Those demons attacked to stop it. And they'll be back in greater numbers in four days. So, once again, any suggestions?"

Souten let her gaze linger on each of them, even as the obvious answer came to her rather quickly. She knew they were trying not to confront the truth, the only real truth that there was.

"None of you have any ideas? Useless," Sesshoumaru sighed.

Souten cleared her throat. "Not so, my Lord. I do have an idea. But you're not going to like it."

Kitani stormed into the center ring where her small army was practicing. They lived on the plains that had comprised their domain for the last few centuries. It was disheartening for her to think of the countless miles she had lost due to the necessity of selling off large portions of land to unsavory characters and her own inability to police the little kingdom she had left. Since she had taken power, what they lived on had dwindled to a few measly acres. Not that she had enough members of her clan to warrant needing more space.

Her foot landed on a blade of grass when she stopped. At one point she had thought this place made of gold. Now everything was painted in tones of sepia.

"Has no one heard word from Raziel?"

The only sound that filled the practice field was the panting of the fighters she had interrupted.

"You've sent out two search parties!" she shrieked, waving two fingers in the face of her captain of the guard. "You mean to tell me you've heard nothing?"

"The Western Lands are impenetrable. I've sent them as far as I dared without risking their safety. They used discretion to search what they could."

The Queen raised herself up to her full five feet, not that it mattered. She was still a head shorter than the man she spoke to. "As far as you dared? You should have sent them further. Raziel is Crown Prince. Or have you forgotten?"

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty."

"Be that as it may, I will not tolerate incompetence," she sighed as she slipped off her robes. When she was finished, she stood in what looked like a small black toga. It swallowed her small frame, making her look ridiculous as she drew her sword. "You think you know better than I? Beat me, and you can have the throne."

The other demons sniggered.

"Your Majesty…"

"You can die by my blade on your knees in an execution or on your feet in battle! Give him a blade!"

One of the men pressed a sword into the captain's numb fingers.

Kitani didn't want to have to do this, but she had no choice. The men had never seen her fight. They did not respect her as their leader so much as a royal. But what they had forgotten was hat her father had hand-picked her over her more incompetent brothers. She lunged at him and he blocked her. After a few more blows, she grew weary of his defensive tactics, nicking his cheek in an expert display of aim and control. But it had the desired effect. He fought back. Cries and jeering went up from her soldiers.

Kitani went on the defensive, her golden hair glinting in the sunlight. This was where she shined, in battle. She wanted a real fight so she let him stop striking out of anger and start using his head. All the time, she was toying with him. She grew bored and he actually almost landed a good blow to her head. All it served to do was sever her hair tie, making it spill around her. She smiled, dropped to the ground, and swept his feet out from beneath him. When he fell, it was onto her blade. The men fell silent as his sword clattered to the ground.

She said a prayer for him. She was not some kind of monster. And though she may not have been a great leader, neither was she a bad one. She was harsh because that was how she had been taught to rule. But it did no good when what her dying breed needed through these tough times, was her softness. But since the death of her son, who she had groomed to be King, that side of her had disappeared like smoke in the wind.

She wiped her sword clean on the dead jaguar's clothing.

"Micah," she called to one of her most courageous fighters.

"Yes, Your Majesty?"

She stepped over the body as if sidestepping a puddle.

"You are now captain. Don't disappoint me," she warned, leaving the field.

She had just entered her personal chambers for a bath when the door closed behind her. Kitani immediately went for the knife strapped to her inner thigh and threw it. She turned at the cackle and found the blade lodged in the wooden door, a hair's breadth from Besammit's head.

"That's a lovely trick."

"I wasn't trying to kill you. I was trying to wound you," Kitani sighed.

"I wouldn't go for the other knife hidden under there. You forget, I can see multiple futures."

Kitani smiled and disrobed, sinking into her bath. The feeling of blood on her was never something she could abide for long.

"I could be her to kill you. And you'd still rather bathe?"

The Queen scoffed at the witch. "You forget we grew up together, cousin. I know that you are harmless enough. If you'd wanted to kill me, you would have done it already. So why did you come?" she asked, washing her skin in the dwindling afternoon light.

"Truthfully, I wanted to tell you that you are not long for this world."

Kitani didn't miss a beat in cleansing herself. "I never expected to live forever."

"It is exactly this type of flippancy that will be your undoing. You don't hold onto life anymore. You were hoping your captain would kill you in that ludicrous display. It saddens me because were you able to move on—"

"You will not speak of Donis. You have no right."

"You would have lived until you were gray. You were always my favorite, Kitani."

The Queen didn't acknowledge her cousin. She had once believed in foolish things. But that had all stopped when Besammit had effectively killed her son. She had known how he would die and she had told her nothing of how to prevent it. Kitani had begged, but Besammit had insisted she had no idea.

That was the truth that Kitani hadn't wanted to face. Besammit had been young and hadn't had full control of her powers. And even though she was full grown, she still had visions that were not clear. Had she been stronger back then, she could not have said with certainty if she would have been able to stop Donis's death. She had worshipped Kitani like an older sister, but she had not been able to tell her what she didn't know. Her banishment had left her without family or means. With only her visions to keep her company, she had slowly lost her grip on sanity.

"It is only because I favor you so that I will tell you what will come to pass…"

Kagome had stayed as far away from the room she shared with InuYasha for as long as possible. And he had been sitting in there all day, waiting to ambush her. But it was time to stop dragging her feet. This conversation was bound to happen one way or another. She'd had no illusions about that Even before she cast the spell, she knew she would have to explain herself. She had just hoped it would buy her time to be assured of his love. But life wasn't fair and assurances weren't ever promised.

She pushed open the door and walked to pick up the scrolls as if she did not even notice him sitting on the bed, his eyes glued to her like a heat-seeking missile. He said nothing. She stacked the tomes neatly beside her on the tatami mat covered floor and began to read. Two could play this game. If he wasn't going to speak to her, she would not go to him groveling and begging for forgiveness. Besides, she had not meant for this to happen.

The silence spanned. Kagome pulled three arrows from her quiver and began carving the runes into them with the same painstaking precision as before. She barely had to act like InuYasha wasn't there. It calmed her enough to speak the first words.

"Aren't you going to ask?"

"Aren't you going to tell me?"

At his childish question, Kagome set down the arrow and carving tool, glaring at him with equal parts anger and regret.

"Keh. At least Kikyou was kind enough to put a real arrow through me."

She lunged to her feet. "You promised me you wouldn't compare me to her again!"

"What do you want from me, Kagome? Nothing I do pleases you. I gave you what I thought you wanted."

"Sex." The word felt dirty in her mouth.

InuYasha stepped off the bed and paced towards her, cutting off any escape with his body. He gripped her shoulders fiercely and shook her.

"That's all it was to you? Dear Kami." He kissed her then, his frustrations turning to passion. Just as quickly, that passion reverted to its previous state. InuYasha pulled back and flung himself away from her, disgusted that even though she was making it perfectly clear she did not want him in the way he wanted her.

Kagome watched him pace, too shocked to answer his question. He took her silence to mean what he feared.

"I must be a fool," he muttered, heading for the door. It was his sudden urgency to leave that brought Kagome back to her senses. Because she knew that if she let him walk out, there was nothing in this world or the next that would make him come back.

"I could be pregnant!" she admitted, letting her head hang with her shame. She couldn't look at him. "I didn't want you to feel trapped. I wanted…" her voice cracked as her throat closed from trying to hold back tears that fell anyway.

Before she knew that he had turned around, he lifted her chin. "You were scared."

"I didn't mean for this to happen. I just didn't want you to know. I wanted to dull your sense of smell, not purify you. I wanted…to be with you for just a little longer than I would have had you known." She turned her face away from him. "Not that it matters now."

"Baka."

Kagome gave him her full attention. "Don't call me names."

"It's what you are if you thought…Kami, I don't even believe this."

He would have said more, but knew she was easily angered. And he so often seemed to say the wrong thing. Instead, he cupped her face in his hands and tried to make her see the truth of his affections with a much gentler kiss.

She melted, her defenses fading into nothing. She tried to talk between his mouth coming down over hers. "You don't…care…that… might be…"

"Oh, I care."

She stiffened in confusion, then yelped as he gathered her closer by gripping her behind. She didn't understand him at all. All she knew was that he was getting as excited as she was—Oh. Kagome gave into him then, kissing him back as they fell into bed together.

When they came up for air, Kagome said, "Just so we're clear, you like the idea that I may be pregnant?"

"Very much. And if you're not, we can work at it."

There was laughter in his eyes. "But, they would be only a quarter demon. You are not worried…I mean."

InuYasha pressed a finger to her lips. "There's no point in worrying over that when it hasn't happened yet."

Kagome looked thoughtful for a moment, then realized that he was right. They would most likely raise their children on this side of the well in Kaede's village or in his forest. Even if other people treated them badly, the people of that village never would. They knew both Kagome and InuYasha. If there was trouble, they would deal with that. But there was no point in letting that fear become a premature obstacle.

"Hmm. Well then that begs the question…" He raised an eyebrow at her. "Did I like it better with you as a hanyou or a human? I can't decide."

He growled, causing her to giggle. But no matter how many times they loved each other, she couldn't decide one way or the other. She was enamored with something much deeper than the form he took.

Sesshoumaru fumed. "I will not allow this."

Rin rolled her eyes as she reached to get a long black chest from the top of her closet. "Don't be ridiculous, koi. This is the only way. If you thought differently, you would have never let this get out of hand."

She laid the chest on the floor and took off the lid, smiling as she felt the familiar demonic aura. She lifted it from the box and ran her fingers over its length before pulling it from the sheath.

"It has been a long time, my friend." She could not remember when she had set the sword away, but her side had felt naked without it.

Rin swung Hinotsume around to test her muscle memory and strength. She was slow and in need of practice, but she had a couple of days to remedy that. It wasn't much, but it would have to suffice. She smiled at her mate and was met with his indifferent stare. Though she did notice a peculiar tightness around his mouth. She was not amused.

"You taught me well. And the stakes are too high for me to fail. Trust me."

He folded his arms over his chest and nodded reluctantly.

Rin rubbed her stomach as the children moved. "I will compromise. No sparring. I am not sure they're up to that. I will practice with targets."

The killing perfection did not look any happier about the situation.

"Of you choosing, of course," she added, trying in vain to tie the sash against her distended abdomen. Eventually, she gave up and went to the courtyard to wait in the fresh air. Waiting there had the added benefit of letting her see how the practice area came together. She was excited to do something other than totter on swollen ankles through the house, for once. Their uncertain future did not bear thinking about.

While she waited, she reclined upon the grass and let herself doze, dreaming of a time far in the future when her and her children would run through these gardens under the watchful eye of the man who loved them. She stirred as a shadow blocked the sun that had been shining upon her closed eyelids. She opened them to find Sesshoumaru standing over her. A man of few words, he said nothing, merely looking towards the field.

Rin sat up and followed the path of his eyes. She almost laughed.

"Fruits?"

Different fruits of various sizes were mounted on small pedestals through the yard. She felt rather insulted. Sesshoumaru wanted to tell her that her body had changed and she was long out of practice, but thought better of it.

With Sesshoumaru's help, she made her way to her feet and lunged to slice at one of the fruits. She almost fell. Rin could not help looking back at Sesshoumaru. She detected a twitch at the corner of his mouth. So she had underestimated how much her center of balance had changed. After a few more attempts, she fared no better and was beginning to feel tired.

"That is enough for today."

Her frustration caused her demonic energy to surge, So when she turned on Sesshoumaru it was with pointed fangs. "No!"

Rin kept trying, but carrying the children sapped her of much of her strength and threw of the precision that had become second nature. It became increasingly difficult for Sesshoumaru to watch her go to pieces. He called a guard over to watch over her while he went to patrol and spend his anxious energy.

When the lady saw her mate was gone, she shrieked and called forth the demonic energy of her sword, swinging it around her head. A ribbon of fire twirled around her then surged outward, burning the fruits and the wooden pillars beneath them. As they burned, she threw down the wretched piece of steel, collapsing into tears of frustration. She dug her claws into the earth, willing her yokai to calm down.

The guard came to her side and helped her to her feet. She let him take her to her room.

"Can I get you anything, my Lady?"

Rin shook her head, waiting until he left to let out a heavy sigh.

Sesshoumaru had barely begun his circuit around his lands when he saw two forms leaving the lands. He would have given chase but, even given his superior strength and speed, he couldn't have caught them. The Lord of the Lands questioned his guards about it later that evening, after he had exorcised his body of his frustration, after he had slaked his hunger and bloodthirst.

They assured him that no one had breached the walls of the castle and he believed them. They kept a tight watch over the building, which he preferred. However, it made it difficult to see towards the border and know when someone approached. Sesshoumaru remedied that by putting four of his guards on a wider patrolling circuit.

Over the next couple of days, their allies arrived. Sango, Miroku, and Kirara arrived two nights later. Heron and Takachi came early the following morning, with many of their finest warriors in tow. Everyone waited, holding their breath for the arrival of their saving grace, the Demon Council. But, eventually, they had to make plans for the coming battle. Rin had cook make a special dinner, knowing very well that it could be the last for any number of them.

She had just explained their plan to everyone present when a guard begged entrance.

"Enter," Sesshoumaru responded."

"My Lord," he said with a slight pant, bending to one knee. "You have visitors. They say they are here to assist you."

Sesshoumaru's hand went to Tokijin in anxiety. Clearly this was not the Council. "Show them in."

A/N: I guess I could have made this longer but I ran out of steam near the end. I don't want to give too much away just yet. There may be one or two chapters after this depending on if I decide to write an epilogue. If you want one, just let me know in the reviews and I will try to be accomodating. Sakuraankh out.