AN: Sorry for the wait! (Like usual, lol)
Ambertastic: Thank you! I'm really glad you liked it! :)
IrishIndy: To be honest, I was trying to write the chapter that way with Kagome believing Inuyasha's lie. But as I was writing, it felt so dumb. I couldn't do it, so here's the new verision of my ending, lol. So I'm glad it's working so far for you. Thanks for reviewing!
InuKag4eva: Thank you! And thanks so much for the review!
Seeker Heart: Hey, don't worry. Kikyo's going to get hers. Thanks for the review!
Fallenphoniexrising: Thank you! And who said Inuyasha knows anything about how he got to the Higurashi home? ;)
Adam: You have the most interesting ways to kill Kikyo, lol. You'll have to let me know how mine rates when we get to that point. Thanks for the review!
Evelyn: That might rank up on one of my favorite chapters. It says so much for how they started off and where they are now. And Kag's reaction was awesome to write :)
Anon: Thank you! And I'll try not to make you wait that long again, lol.
Claire: Thank you! And don't worry, with TSAM so close to the end, I'm not about to give up on it.
Purple: Thank you! Hope it meets your expectations!
ILOVE INUYASHA: Lol, don't worry, I will!
Chazziegirl101: Thank you! I've spent the last month planning and replanning the ending so hopefully it'll be good, lol. Thanks so much for reviewing, like always :)
Nicole Doow: Thank you! Glad you liked it. And of course Inuyasha is going to try to be a hero! But then so is Kagome ;)
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha and I make no money off this story.
November 17: 11:21
This time when Kagome shot up Sesshomaru and Kagura's penthouse elevator, she was flanked by four demon bodyguards, swords strapped to their sides and their hands heavy with automatic guns. They tried to be professional with their stern faces and bulging muscles but were still forced to edge away from her. The heavy bulletproof vest they'd strapped on her muted the glow of her power, but in no way blocked it. With the thought of Inuyasha being forced to take the full blunt of Kikyo's powers, she didn't care enough to try to calm herself down.
Before the doors had fully opened, Kagome was yanked into Kagura's arms, getting a quick impression of a silk shirt, long earrings and towering heels before her face pressed into the crock of her shoulder. "Thank God you're alright, chickadee." Just as abruptly, Kagura pushed her back, peering anxiously at her face. "You are alright, right?"
Kagome forced herself to nod, meeting Kagura's eyes. "I'm fine. It's Inuyasha and my family that I'm worried about."
"Don't worry, we're going to take care of that." Kagura wrapped her arm around Kagome, tucking her in close. "We'll be safe up here boys. Report back to headquarters and see what you can do to help them out."
The four demons bowed and silently slipped out of the room as she was whisked away by Kagura before she could even offer a proper goodbye to the men who had stormed her house and shuffled her off to the safety of a bullet-proof limo.
"So, we've got a lot to cover and not a whole lot of time to cover it in." Kagura continued pulling Kagome, quickly looking her over again. "Though I will say, you've got an awesome warrior miko sort of feel going on right now. I've got some clothes that will make it even hotter-"
"Kagura." She loved the woman, but Inuyasha was in danger. She was not worrying about her clothes right now.
"Sorry, just a suggestion. Anyway, Sess has got people trailing your grandfather and your brother. Until you decide if you want to move them to a safe house or just have guards assigned to them, we'll keep an eye on them. So don't worry about them because we've got a shit ton of other things to worry about." Kagura's voice sounded strangely grim, which was the only reason she wasn't screaming about protecting her family now. She hauled Kagome past the living room where the sight of Goldy in his aquarium would have made Kagome break down and cry if Kagura hadn't continued dragging her past it.
Pausing just outside the library door, Kagura reached over and pulled at the straps of Kagome's bulletproof vest, helping her take it off. "I know this might be a bit much to ask, but you have to tone down the power, Kag. I won't be too happy if you fry my mate, even by accident."
Kagome's power sunk back under her skin, finding the request reasonable. But a halo still encircled her head, working on burning Kikyo's block away.
Kagura grasped Kagome's hands, squeezing reassuringly. "Thanks, chickadee. We've got a few details to work out before we can rally to kick Kikyo's ass, but I don't want you to feel conflicted or forced into something. Sess is under a bit of...pressure. Just let us talk everything out, and if you really need to hit something, feel free to beat up Miroku. Remember, I'm here for you, and since Sess is always there for me, he's sort of on your team too."
Miroku was here? Now she was really confused, but she'd get through this fast so she could get to her family and Inuyasha faster. "Alright."
Kagura brightened. "Good. Now get ready for your mind to be blown, chickadee." She pushed the library door open and pulled Kagome along inside with her.
At any other time, Kagome would have been amazed by how beautiful the library was, even if it currently looked like a war camp had taken over. Huge bookshelves stretched from wall to wall, ceiling to floor, covering almost all available wall space. Large recliners, small tables and lamps had been pushed back against the shelves, leaving room open for white boards covered with information and diagrams. Computers hummed in another corner, flashing text so quickly Kagome couldn't catch the words.
Sango and Miroku were at one end of a table in the center of the room strewn with books and papers. Sango sat calmly, hands clasped together and Kirara perched on her shoulder. She wore a tight, black cat suit, pads protecting her arms and stomach. A large boomerang rested at the back of her chair, and her sword laid on the table in front of her.
Miroku paced nervously behind Sango, staring at the back of her head. He was dressed more for a trip to the supermarket then a war meeting in a black shirt and jeans, but carried a staff with jingling rings, and a satchel around his side stuffed full of little bits of paper
Kagura leaned into Kagome. "I'm the reason he's so scared." she bragged.
She only half-believed that. She was sure Kagura could have contributed to his nerves, but she would bet anything it was mostly aimed at the solemn woman who refused to look at him.
At the other end sat Sesshomaru, who only glanced up to run his gaze quickly over Kagura before returning to the scroll he was comparing to a book.
"Grab a seat, Kag." Kagura finally let go of her when Sesshomaru pushed his own chair back enough to let Kagura plop down, his attention still on the papers in front of him aside from the arm he wrapped around her waist to steady her. "We'll try to make this fast since we've got the fate of millions and crap on our hands, but feel free to be overwhelmed anyway."
Kagome shook her head, grabbing a seat in the middle of both couples. "You've warned me enough, Kagura, what's going on?"
Sesshomaru nodded once at Kagura, and she sat up, going into Lecture Mode. "Let's lay out the situation for everyone so we know what we're dealing with. Kikyo has kidnapped Inuyasha, threatened Kagome's family and is about to make her move on the jewel at any time. We have Inuyasha's trial to deal with. Also, I have to breathe the same air as a mate abuser."
Kagura glared at Miroku, who kept looking at Sango, as if expecting her to say something. His face fell when she stayed silent.
"With all this in mind, let's remember the good news. Sesshomaru and Kouga made the tribunal! We'll be able to stall for some more time tomorrow-"
"Wait, why are we still worrying about the trial?" Kagome interrupted, her power shining just a little bit brighter. "Shouldn't we reschedule it so we have time to, I dunno, save Inuyasha? Stop Kikyo? Maybe even save the world?"
Kagura looked conflicted, actually nibbling on her lips nervously. "Remember how I said I was on your team-"
Sesshomaru squeezed her arm once, silencing her. "There will be no rescheduling the trial." he said for her. "It will be impossible to do so."
Kagome nearly shot up out of her chair, fists clenching in her lap. "Why the hell not? Don't you care at all that your brother is in danger?"
Sesshomaru didn't look fazed at all while Kagura fiddled with his papers. "Look, we've talked about demons being weird and stupid and stubborn, right?" Kagura reminded. "Once you request a trial, there's just no rescheduling it. Not without a damn good reason."
The power Kagome was trying to contain under her skin made the back of her neck prickle uncomfortably. "I think saving Inuyasha and stopping Kikyo from getting a hold of Naraku is a pretty damn good reason-"
"Naraku is dead." Sesshomaru interrupted coldly. "He has been dead for the past 500 years by my hand. Kikyo merely disappeared without any answer as to why. That is all my subjects know, and will know. There will be no rescheduling the trial because there is no reason to do so."
"But-"
"No being will ever know Naraku attempted to mate Kagura." Sesshomaru continued mercilessly, reflexively holding Kagura tighter. "If that knowledge was found out, it would put her in great danger."
"Oh, it would put her in danger. Are you sure it just wouldn't make you look like an idiot?" Kagome shot back.
Instantly Sesshomaru's fangs dipped over his lips, his eyes red. "You forget your place, girl."
"Sesshomaru!" Kagura snapped, trying to block his view of Kagome, "Chill out!"
Inu- Kagome halted his name in her head when the block reacted violently, stabbing at her mind. The pain focused her when she wanted to go scrambling back in fear from Sesshomaru.
Suddenly, Sango stood in front of Kagome, bowing low to Sesshomaru. "Please forgive her, my lord. She does not understand the consequences."
Miroku covered her other side, hands hovering over his bag. "He's got a point, Kagome. If anyone knew about Lady Kagura, his entire power base would be threatened. Competitors would find him weak and constantly challenge him. They could try to ally with Naraku and use Lady Kagura against Lord Sesshomaru." He watched Sesshomaru warily, trying to cover Kagome while sticking close to Sango.
Slowly, Sesshomaru fangs slipped back into his mouth and the red bled out of his eyes. "Inuyasha is only my half-brother; Kagura is my mate. She is to be protected above all else. You are fortunate that I understand your position, miko. But there will be no hint of Naraku or Kikyo's existence. Inuyasha will need to be retrieved in time for his trial. There is no other option."
Carefully, Sango straightened and walked back to her seat with Miroku, still watching the two. Kagome's power burned under her skin, but she was forced to concede to his point. It was safer for everyone involved if no one knew Kagura's secret. "So then what's your suggestion for defeating Kikyo then, my lord?" She couldn't help the small sarcastic title, even though she wanted to snatch the words back after she had said them.
If he wanted to snarl at her for them, he held back when Kagura's nails dug into his arm. "You will ambush Kikyo in the treasury with the demonslayer and her mate. Do whatever is necessary. I will have a car waiting for you outside to bring you directly to the trial. You will have until daybreak to secure Inuyasha. If he does not arrive at his own trial, he will not get a second chance."
Kagome's mouth dropped open. "You want us to stop Kikyo with just the three of us? Inuyasha's expecting a whole army to back him up, and you're just sending us? What about coming yourself?"
Kagura tried to spring off Sesshomaru's lap before finding herself firmly held to him. "Since Sess is a part of the tribunal, he has to go through this purification thing to make his judgement sound or something. I dunno really, it's another weird demon thing. Just wait till you freak out, chickadee, this is part of the good news. You really don't need many people because Miroku is a jerk, Sango is built to defeat them and you...you're special. Not short bus special, but...ridiculously, crazy special."
She could only stare at Kagura, beginning to feel dazed. "...what?"
Kagura resettled herself on Sess's lap once she accepted she had no chance of standing up, getting comfortable instead. "Alright, ready for the quickest explanation possible? Let's start with your mark. Please show the the class what we're working with, chickadee. Oh, and make sure you're paying lots of attention to this, Sango."
Feeling frustrated because it seemed like they had already been over this, Kagome stretched her arm out to Kagura, laying her palm in the cradle of her hands.
"So the moon is easy enough. It's Inuyasha and Sess's symbol, mark of Inuyasha's claim, yadda yadda." she traced a finger over the flame. "With usual mates, that's the only symbol that ever shows up. However, you're also of Midoriko's line, so it's not all that strange for her mark to have popped up, I guess. It's a little like declaring you're her heir, especially if your family's been lacking in mikos."
Kagome's brow furrowed, still confused. "But why wouldn't it have shown up before Inuyasha marked me?"
Kagura shrugged. "You have to understand, symbols are all about claims. Inuyasha's mark will constantly be on your palm, for your entire life. He's letting everyone know that you're his, so it'll always have a purpose. Family marks are a little different. Unless you're insanely high-profile like Sess, the world doesn't really need to know who your mommy and daddy are. Midoriko's still respected, but not really relevant anymore since she's dead and few people know she ever had a child. So when family marks do pop up, it's usually to remind others what family you're a part of, and who they can expect to answer to if anything happens to you."
"So...?" Kagome trailed off, not sure what she was getting at.
"They pop up when you're in danger." Kagura simply said. "It's to remind your enemies you're of Midoriko's clan, and they'll probably get their asses seriously kicked if they mess with you. It probably came up to the surface when Inuyasha first marked you and the mark came up black. However it hasn't faded since it's become blue. And now there's...this"
Chills racked Kagome's spine when Kagura accidentally brushed the spider tattoo with a long fingernail. "So I'm still in danger? From what; Kikyo? I didn't need a family mark popping up to warn me of that."
Miroku finally stopped pacing, the sudden silence filling the room.
Kagura hesitated, straightening Sess's papers even as he read them. "So recap since you're not getting it yet. You're only branded with symbols that belong to your mate...or a member of your family."
Every one's eyes fell on the spider imprinted on Kagome's palm. Even Sesshomaru looked over the mark.
"...what are you saying, Kagura?" Kagome finally asked, licking her lips nervously.
"Well you're definitely not Naraku's mate, chickadee." Kagura pointed out. "Which only leaves one other option. You're related to Naraku. ...Midoriko was Naraku's mate."
Sango gasped. "Are you saying...it was Naraku's child she died delivering?"
Kagura held up a finger, "Don't worry, getting there next. How are you holding up, chickadee?"
Kagome wasn't sure. To be related to the man who had caused so many people misery...shock mostly. "How is that possible? You're Naraku's mate."
Sesshomaru growled, even after Kagura pinched his arm. "I'm his forced mate. He knew damn well I was Sesshomaru's, but he claimed me anyway to control him, and make creepy babies. That never meant his real mate wasn't out there. He just met her too late."
"But everything I've heard about them makes them out to be enemies. How could they be mates?"
"Trust me, hatred has nothing to do with mateship. But I did make a handy chart to help explain it to you!" Kagura pushed a binder across the table towards Kagome. "You'll have to forgive the lameness of it; I only had time for a first draft."
A little numbly, Kagome flipped open the cover, still unsure about Kagura's logic.
Lady Kagura's Research into Kagome Higurashi's Freakin' Insane Heritage
(Seriously, thanks a lot for being so weird and making twenty more pages to the Handbook necessary. You better have normal children, or I'm getting them hyped up on chocolate and sending them home with a puppy whenever Auntie Kagura babysits)
"Follow along now, Kag." Kagura ticked off items with her fingers. "To clear up any confusion, a demon can only get his mate pregnant. That can be a woman he marks by force, or the woman he's actually meant to be with. So Midoriko must have gotten busy with him since you're definitely not my kid. Reason Number 1: You know that 'voice' you've mentioned a few times? That voice is actually a faint echo of a demon instinct. Especially towards a mate. Demons know right away who their mate is. They feel a pull towards them, and have very strong feelings towards them. Obviously, yours isn't as strong as Inuyasha since all the humans have watered it down. But it does explain why you knew when Yashie was lying and when he loved you."
"His name." Kagome broke in, remembering that night when something inside of her had whispered Inuyasha. "Before I even knew him...I knew his name."
Kagura nodded. "That sounds about right. Sess fucking roared mine the first time we ever met. Reason Number 2: This is obvious now, but Naraku's mark. I should have caught on sooner, but as far as I knew, Naraku never had children. You never saw it until you met Sesshomaru for the first time. Naraku's screwed over Sess more times then I have. You were in a serious amount of danger. The mark was warning you away from him, and him away from you. You'll probably be stuck with it until Sess is dead."
That horrified her. "What about when Naraku is dead?"
"Naraku helped him get kicked out of heaven, killed his parents, and mated me. Being his descendant, Sesshomaru could go after you out of revenge. It might fade the longer Sess doesn't kill you; and he won't kill you," Kagura threw a look at Sesshomaru to emphasize that, "But you're still sort of in danger. Just on a technicality."
On a 'technicality' didn't make her feel incredibly safe though. "This is insane." Kagome muttered.
"Oh, it's getting worse." Kagura said cheerfully. "Taking a break from you for a second-" Kagura turned around to address Sango, propping her head on her fist. "Hey Sango, did you know your whole demon transformation was fueled by Naraku?"
Sango's hands tightened to the point of her knuckles turning white, but she only blinked.
"Kag actually helped me with this one when she mentioned she saw ribbons instead of Midoriko's flames. Remember how she called you to her in childbirth?" Kagura waited for Sango to nod once, still silent. "We think she used her labor to be the conduit between you and Naraku. She was giving birth to his child, so even though her mate bonds weren't tied to his, she was able to use the connection from the baby to sort of...power you up. Honestly this is a bit hard to explain...Ok, do you see the lamp over there?"
Kagura gestured off to a standing lamp off pushed against the wall, the only thing it was illuminating a pot of coffee. "You're the lamp, Naraku is the outlet, and Midoriko made herself the wire that links you two together. Her death forced the lamp to turn 'on'. So Naraku's demonness is the power that lights up the light bulb, and Midoriko is the bridging force. Still with me?"
Kagome, didn't know about Sango, but her own head was spinning. "But Midoriko died from childbirth. How could she plan for something like that?"
"It's similar to the way demons are able to create their super creepy God-killing babies-"
"The Nephillim." Sesshomaru corrected.
Kagura only rolled her eyes, "The creepy baby things Sess's knows I can't pronounce." Kagura leaned forward again, eyes intent on the three of them. "Full disclosure. This stuff cannot leave this room. There's a reason I don't include this stuff in the Handbook. We had enough close calls with Naraku, we do not want a Naraku-wanna be running around thinking he can control the world with this stuff. Got it?"
She waited for them to nod. "Good. So using the lamp analogy again, the demon is the outlet, the baby is the lamp, and the mate is the wire that links them all together. If the demon tries to light up the lamp using with the wrong power source to the the wrong wires, the light bulb will light up, but it'll be dim. With the wrong conduit, the baby is going to come out freaky. I've got a diagram in your binder if that'll help explain it." Kagura suddenly added, waiting for Kagome to flip the page.
"So to understand what Midoriko did, you need to understand that it is not natural in any way for a demon to get the forced mate pregnant. It's like manipulating the tongs of an outlet to make it fit, or rerouting the wires. It'll make it work, but it won't work right. Even to force the power to come on, the demon has to give up something. It can range anywhere from his humanity, his health, to literal years off his life. Obviously, we can't be sure, but Midoriko was a big fan of modifying old spells and magic to her own purposes. We think Midoriko basically adapted that electrical system for her own needs. Instead of sacrificing her baby or corroding her soul, she died instead to supply the power to funnel Naraku's powers into Sango, then sealing her away for a number of years...or centuries in this case...until the seal broke.."
Kagome didn't know about Sango, but this wasn't helping her feel any less confused. "So what does this all mean? How can we be enough to save Inuyasha?" she demanded.
"You've both got links to Naraku. Naraku was Midoriko's mate, Sango was Midoriko's apprentice, and Midoriko is the middleman between them. He's fueling Sango's purpose, and with the way Midoriko worded the spell, Sango's got a big advantage here. She's Midoriko's handpicked chosen one to defeat Naraku, with the added ego deflation of being able to use his own abilities against him. Kikyo might be a miko, but she'll be a piece of cake, especially since she's another one Midoriko wanted dead. As for you Kag-"
Abruptly, Sesshomaru's hand snapped out and a mass of black velvet went skidding across the table, falling into Kagome's lap. At Kagura's encouraging nod, she flipped back the cloth and nearly cut herself on the blade that slipped out. The only thing that saved her hand was that the edge was dull.
"If you needed further proof that you're Naraku's spawn, there it is." Kagura nodded at the blade. "That's his sword. If anyone else were to touch it, their hand would melt off."
Lovely. It seemed to fit that a sword of Naraku's would be lethal without even needing to be wielded.
Kagome took a closer look at the sword, though it was really more of a dagger. Silver tendrils wrapped around amethyst and ruby jewels, spiraling down into the point of the blade. It looked like it should have been able to slice her skin, but when she carefully rubbed her thumb on the edge, she doubted it would even rip paper.
"Don't get too excited about it." Kagura warned. "It's been stripped of all its powers and abilities. Sess can at least bring people back from the dead with his, but as far as we know, Naraku's sword is basically worthless. Aside from making a lovely paperweight, that is."
Wrapping it back up so no silver was exposed, she left it on the table, not wanting to touch it even if it was safe for her to do so. "I don't know what to think." she admitted. Sometimes it was hard enough for her to believe she was related to someone like Midoriko, now she had to get used to Naraku too?
"Then do your thinking later." Kagura said bluntly. "I'm only telling you this now because I think with Midoriko's powers and Naraku's bloodline, you might have what it takes to stop Kikyo. Maybe you can even figure out a way to kill Naraku. You've got powers you haven't even realized yet, Kagome. This is the perfect time to find them."
She leaned forward again. "So let's get this shit with Kikyo done with, clear Inuyasha's name, and we'll deal with Naraku next. Anything else to deal with?"
"If your theory is right...am I really a demon?" Sango spoke for the first time.
Kagura exchanged a glance with Sesshomaru. "You seem like one. You've got the powers, the mate and intolerance to prayer beads. But maybe you're more like a demon flavored human. I can't know for sure." She nodded knowingly at her, "Don't worry. We're only going after one of your targets today, so you won't need to make any decisions yet."
Again, Kagome had no idea what they were talking about, but Inuyasha was depending on her. At this point, they were just wasting time. "Are we good to go then?"
"Yes and no." Kagura swept a pile of papers away to reveal a thick folder. "These are the blue prints to the treasury. You'll want to review them before you actually go in. Especially you Sango, it's changed a lot since you were last there. Otherwise, the directions to access the treasury are inside. One prick of your finger Kag, and you'll be recognized and open the locks."
Her brow furrowed. "How? I thought only Sesshomaru and Inuyasha could open the door."
"Yeah, but you're his mate. That makes you part of the family."
"Even without the official mating?" Kagome asked.
Kagura blinked. "...you haven't mated with him yet?"
Instantly her face burned. "I'm only sixteen! I'm not ready to have sex yet!"
Kagura looked blank for a moment. "Oh...I guess you have a point. Well, the first mark should be enough, rig-" Kagura suddenly gasped, her mouth going wide. "Uh oh."
"What?"
"Ok, so when you told me Kikyo had decided she didn't need you anymore, I figured it was just Inuyasha getting his facts wrong. But if she's assuming you guys are official mates...sorry, I'm explaining it wrong. All mates have these mystic bond things, connecting them together for all time. You'll be linked to Inuyasha, and Inuyasha to you. It'll be how you can get into the treasury."
"If she just wants Inuyasha, she must be assuming Inuyasha is now a Higurashi." Sango concluded quickly.
Kagura looked at Sess, raising an eyebrow. When his expression remained blank, she groaned. "We're not actually sure how Midoriko was able to seal Naraku's jewel away. If it's a blood based bond instead of a power based bond...she might only need Inuyasha after all."
Kagome instantly stood up. "We're leaving. Now." She had to hurry to find her family and rush after Inuyasha. He was in worse danger then any of them had thought.
"A car is waiting in the basement. The driver will take you anywhere you desire." Sesshomaru offered.
"Start walking to the elevator, I need to get something." Kagura finally wiggled her way out of Sesshomaru's hold and shot off, her heels clicking loudly in her absence.
Before Kagome even had a chance to slide the binder and the dagger into her purse, Kagura was back, a small duffel bag in her hand. "Here. We don't have a ton of time for dress up, but you'll fight better if you look like a kick-ass warrior. Trust me, I've studied it."
Kagome took the bag without wondering what Kagura would consider a 'kick-ass warrior' look would be, knowing it would be faster just to accept it rather then waste time arguing with her. Besides, she knew she wouldn't have a problem kicking Kikyo's ass even in a sweatshirt and jeans. "Thanks Kagura."
"Anytime and every time, chickadee." Kagura hugged her hard again, nails digging into her back slightly. "Good luck Kagome. Bring Inuyasha back to me to torture."
As they headed back down the elevator, Kagome had the nagging sense that she should have mentioned the strange floating lines she had seen during Naraku's attack on Kagura. Especially since the more she thought about it, the more they reminded her of Midoriko's ribbons.
