AN: Sooooo since this chapter was reaching up to 20some pages, I cut the chapter in half again. So yay for another chapter! (AKA don't hate me please...)
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November 18: Inuyasha's Sentencing
Kagome rolled the small purple gem between her fingers, studying it instead of acknowledging the line of 'volunteers' that seemed to edge closer to them every time she glanced up.
It surprised her how warm the jewel was, but then it had been in Sango's pocket. Nothing mystical or magical there.
But it looked mystical and magical and lovely. Cupped in her hand, the circular stone practically glowed from the inside out, shining and beautiful. Like something she would wear around her neck to a fancy party. Not something that would contain the worst villain of all time.
Inuyasha snorted, finally drawing attention to himself after lingering quietly in the back of her mind. Feh, let's not knock Kikyo out of the running just yet. He kept her firmly behind him, his claws flexing as the warriors took another step. Do you really think you can release them?
All it had taken was some blood and power to release Inuyasha, and to break the jewel free from its case. She had to assume a little more would be enough to free Naraku. But that wasn't really what Inuyasha was asking.
Kagome sighed, rubbing the jewel between her fingers. I just wish I had another chance to talk to Midoriko. I understand how having spiritual powers and a sword from heaven could help break Naraku and Kagura's mate ties, but I don't know why it's important to be human.
...you guys can walk upright? Inuyasha guessed, proving he had been the only one to pay any attention to her science teacher's dull lecture. You dropped your vocal box down so you could develop the ability to talk?
Don't think that's going to be helpful, geek. Kagome joked weakly, more focused on not looking up than bantering. She could feel the stares especially now, the entire room waiting to see what she would do.
I'll remember that when I'm bringing home the big bucks thanks to being a 'geek'. Inuyasha shot back, flashing a look over his shoulder. Maybe that doesn't matter. Midoriko said you just have to slice the line between them when Naraku's linked up to Kagura. Has to be simple, right?
Sure. But really, what did Midoriko know? It wasn't like she could do this, or she would have taken care of the mate ties between Kagura and Naraku centuries ago. Midoriko wanted Naraku to belong only to her.
Kagome risked a glance at Inuyasha's tense back, his silver hair tangled and snarled and a little singed. She totally understood that. Inuyasha was claiming no one but her.
Who the hell else would I want? Inuyasha asked back without any hesitation.
Her heart gave a funny little twist in her chest, and it had nothing to do with the chaos about to spill out of a tiny violet stone.
"Do you require encouragement, Ms. Higurashi?" Ryukotsusei called down suddenly, the clicking of his nails across the table making Kagome grit her teeth. If she never heard anyone offer to 'encourage' her again, it would be too soon.
"For your high praise of Lady Midoriko, Lady Kagome deserves your respect as her heir." Sango bit out, angling herself next to Inuyasha. Kirara still crowded at Kagome's back, so she was surrounded at all sides.
"I am giving her the chance to earn it." Ryukotsusei replied mildly. "As Lady Midoriko did."
The fuck he cares about Midoriko. He just wants to screw Sess over. Inuyasha snarled. Don't listen to him, mate, his 'encouragement' isn't going to get anywhere near you.
She wasn't worried about the warriors harming her, she was worried they would harm Inuyasha. "Shouldn't I wait for Lord Sesshomaru?" Kagome asked innocently, "I'm sure he's the one who should tell me when to release Naraku."
Goosebumps spread over her skin when Ryukotsusei's claws stopped taping, that creepy-crawly-someone-staring-at-her feeling returning.
Maybe while we're fighting Naraku, I could get 'thrown' towards Ryukotsusei and oops, there goes his fingers by my claws. Maybe I'll even slip some more and slice his throat. By accident. Inuyasha mused, his fangs bared at Ryukotsusei.
"Of course, Ms. Higurashi." Ryukotsusei's voice was pure ice, cold and hard. "My mistake."
Kagome rolled the jewel between her palms. "That's fine. It's not like it was your first one today."
Mental high five? Inuyasha offered.
Definite mental high five. Kagome agreed, some of the crowd chuckling along with her. So at least Sesshomaru still had some allies.
The few faces in the crowd that went silent and hard was what worried her.
"Thank you for your consideration," Sesshomaru suddenly appeared at the tribunal table; cool, calm and collected in his chair. "You may begin when prepared."
Kagome hesitated in handing her palm to Inuyasha, sensing he wouldn't want to harm her. Instead, she held her hand out to Sango. "Can you just make a swallow cut?"
Without a word, Sango wiped a claw across her leather, trying to get it as clean as possible before cradling Kagome's hand with one of her own.
Inuyasha's lip curled away from his teeth in a silent snarl, but he didn't argue.
Quickly, Sango raked her claw down Kagome's skin, the sting quick and intense. Blood beaded up, pooling when she cupped her hand, giving the jewel a cradle.
She couldn't let herself think about it, knowing if she hesitated, the volunteers would be more than happy to 'encourage' her. But no matter what Naraku approved of, she didn't want to fight her own family.
You're not going to. Sango and I will keep Naraku distracted while you figure out how to cut the mate lines. If we kill Naraku, and Kagura dies, Sesshomaru will go batshit crazy. No one will be safe from him, not even us.
Which meant instead, Kagome had to release an evil, powerful creature who had already threatened to kill them if he was released. So no pressure or anything.
Nothing will touch you. Inuyasha broke in fiercely. They'll have to go through me first.
That shouldn't have made her feel better, but it did. Inuyasha had her back so she could focus on saving Kagura. And not harming the family she wasn't sure if she wanted to know yet. And now she would never have the chance to.
But there was no time to mourn that. She could only focus on protecting the family she did have; Inuyasha, Mama, Gramps, Souta, Kagura, Sesshomaru and Sango. Even Miroku, if he had been here to defend.
I love you. She needed to tell him again. Just because. Just in case.
Feh. Love you more. Inuyasha boosted.
Drawing Inuyasha's vow and love and protection closer around her than her own power, Kagome dropped the jewel into the blood pooled in her palm.
A jolt shot up her spine. The jewel hummed, practically vibrating throughout her body until her teeth started chattering. Tiny little cracks fractured beneath the surface, white light spilling out.
The volunteers instantly moved, creeping back underneath the shadows of the stands. The demon crowd was completely silent, awestruck and a little afraid to make a sound.
Going off a hunch, Kagome took a step backward. Walking backwards had released Inuyasha. The same could be true for Naraku.
The jewel began shaking in her palm, the cracks growing wider. Her blood seeped into the glowing lines, red glowing under the purple and white colors.
Power spiraled around her wrist and fingers, twirling around the jewel and burrowing into the fissures the more she walked. She was tempted to clamp her hand into a fist around the stone, as if that would keep it from shattering apart.
The jewel only got hotter, nearly boiling her blood. When she couldn't stand it anymore, she knew it was time.
"Get ready!" she called out, Sango and Inuyasha immediately bracing themselves.
She tossed the gem high into the air, spinning and throwing shards of light onto the audience's faces. It hovered there, the light growing brighter and the cracks deeper, but not shattering.
So her blood wasn't quite enough. She needed something else to break it.
Another ball of energy formed in the palm of her hand, her arm winding back and springing forward.
Her power hit the jewel, setting it ablaze, the air itself shaking.
The sphere ruptured into a billion pieces, bits of glass and fire raining down as the entire room was rocked by an agonizing roar.
"MIDORIKOOOOOOOOO!"
Kagome hardly had time to feel guilty for Naraku's heartbreak, tears springing to her eyes at how his voice broke and raged. She couldn't imagine his pain. If she ever lost Inuyasha...
There was just no finishing that thought.
The floor rolled, nearly throwing Kagome off her feet, and sent the stands swaying, the demons screaming. For a wild, confused moment, she thought an earthquake had suddenly rocked the building. But as the smoke cleared, and embers littered the floor, she could see it was much worse.
Naraku huddled on the floor, his purple robes burnt and tattered around him. He pounded his fist again on the floor, screaming in such agony Kagome wanted to clamp her hands over her ears and turn away. She could see the demon audience turn to each other in confusion, but couldn't hear their whispers over his pain.
"MIDORIKO! MIDORIKO, MIDORIKO, MIDORIKOOOOOOOO!" Her name became his battle cry as he slowly lifted his head, pinning Kagome with his blood-red glare. She froze, unable to move, breathe, or even blink.
Angry tears streaked down his face, clearing lines on his dirty visage. "I warned you." His whisper was low and rough, immediately replacing her grief with dread. "Not even you will be safe."
"Get BACK!" Inuyasha shoved Kagome away, sending her staggering back as he launched himself forward. I'm disconnecting for now so you don't get hurt, mate. Link up when you're ready or in danger.
Oh, like she wasn't in danger now?
But before she could point that out, Inuyasha broke their connection, leaving her alone.
Naraku only blinked at Inuyasha, but didn't pick himself up off the floor. Instead, he rose, hovering above the floor like his broken prison, his hair and tattered clothes streaming back from his body.
"Oh, fuck." Kouga muttered. "What the hell did we do?"
Sesshomaru dug his claws into the table, holding himself back when his eyes flickered red. He didn't move his attention from Inuyasha as he ran across the length of the room, heading straight for Naraku.
"Protect Kagome, Kirara." Sango quickly drew her sword, not glancing back at her or her cat. "Kagome, stay back and you...you do whatever you have to do."
Kagome nodded, knowing arguing was useless. She wasn't a fighter. Getting involved would just risk everyone else. Besides, it would only distract her from what she really had to do. "I'll tell Inuyasha when it's safe. Don't kill Naraku until then."
Sango huffed. "More likely we'll be trying to keep him from killing us."
Kagome waited for Sango to dart into battle, Kirara rubbing into her side, purring strongly enough to make her shake. Or maybe that was just her. "...well? Are you going?" Inuyasha was nearly on top of Naraku now.
"Just giving Inuyasha a moment. He was always so impatient." Sango murmured. "Let him get it out of his system."
Inuyasha lunged. Naraku lazily flickered a hand. And Inuyasha went flying.
Swallowing her gasp, Kagome watched Inuyasha slam into the stands, startling the audience. The stands shook as he slid down the metal supports, but stayed standing.
Sango nodded, seemingly satisfied. "That should do it. Don't you do anything foolish now."
Sango sped off faster than her eyes could track, helping Inuyasha off the floor. Leaving Kagome to figure out how she was supposed to save them all.
Kagome dug her fingers into Kirara's fur, praying for steadiness. Naraku hadn't taken his glare off her for a moment. It was like the two actual warriors didn't worry him at all.
She forced herself to relax her grip on Kirara, stroking instead of gripping. She didn't let herself break sight with Naraku, looking for the slightest flicker of something. Even a hint of the ribbons she had seen earlier could solve this all in time to find the waffles Kouga had been whining for.
...nothing.
Only fury and grief radiated from his hovering form, no sight of the mate ties.
Her stomach dropped. Was she going to have to goad him into it?
Naraku's lip curled up, more of a snarl than a grin. "Prepare yourself, Kagome."
"Fuck no!" Inuyasha roared. His claws were out, jagged marks running down his cheeks. Sango flanked his side, sword out and ready. "Don't go near my mate. This is between me and you, bastard."
Naraku's eyes went black, the red quickly bleeding back in. "Then you both should have heeded my warning."
Up in the stands, the confused murmuring of the audience grew louder, the spectators starting to wonder just what the hell Naraku was talking about. Kagome didn't feel the need to tune them in, and tuned them out instead. Sango could spin another story for them when this was all over.
Unlike Inuyasha, Sango didn't bother with threats. One moment she was beside Inuyasha, and the next she was behind Naraku. Her sword drawn back, she sliced the blade through the air.
One flick of Naraku's fingers over his shoulder, and her sword was spinning out of her hands, clattering away. She fell back, thrown off her feet.
Inuyasha sprung forward as Naraku kept his hand up, eyes glowing briefly. "I'm not ready to deal with you yet, boy. Play with them."
Four of the volunteers staggered out of the stands, a white light surrounding their heads and their eyes blank. They raced towards Sango and Inuyasha, weapons swinging mindlessly. Like their arms were being jerked around, not in their control.
Hiten sat up a little straighter in his chair at the sight, realizing just how powerful Naraku really was. "Oh, fuck me. This probably was a mistake."
Ryukotsusei remained silent, his damned fingers finally still.
Snarling, Inuyasha tried to spring away from the two entrapped volunteers bearing down on him, only to be caught by the ankle and dragged back into the fray. "Naraku!"
"Oh, and even while I control them, they can feel everything you do to them. I would be mindful of that." He turned his attention back to Kagome. "Now then, granddaughter."
Purple mist streamed out from his feet, quickly spreading. The demon audience cried out, covering their mouths and noses with whatever pieces of cloth they could find.
"Miasma, Kagome!" Sango shouted. "Draw up a barrier before you breathe it in!"
Kagome had no idea what miasma was, but knew it must be bad if it could terrify so many of the demons. An orb encircled her as the strange mist hit the edges of her barrier, hiding the floor from view. The miasma rose, sweeping over Naraku as he flashed one last cool snarl at her.
Kirara pressed against her, hissing instead of purring. Purple surrounded her, looking like thick smoke.
"Inuyasha?" she called out, not wanting to distract him, but worried now that she couldn't see or hear him. She didn't want to risk melding with him, wanting him to focus on his own battle instead of hers.
"I would save your worry for yourself." Naraku flashed right outside the purple orb, his body shifting in and out of view as the mist swirled. He stalked around her barrier, his claws running across the surface. "We have much to discuss."
He stopped pacing, the madness bright in his eyes as he stared at her. He seemed calm, his tone measured and crisp. But she didn't need the demon's instinct to know he just wanted to play with his prey before slaughtering all of them. Painfully and slowly.
Losing Midoriko had broken him. Only his hatred was holding him together.
He pressed his fingertips flat against the barrier, ignoring the burning smell in the air. "But first... You have Midoriko's chin, let's see what you've gotten from me." His fingers flexed, and suddenly, his claws broke through the barrier, sparks flying as the miasma streamed in the four tiny holes around his nails.
It twirled around her ankles, her boots and legs hazy through the purple mist. It felt cool and slightly damp, like walking in fog. She wasn't sure why everyone else had been worried about it.
She was more worried that he had just punctured her barrier. Time to run before he could rip the rest of it apart.
Kagome quickly straddled the big cat, Kirara seemingly unaffected by the miasma. She bent close to her ears, scratching her chin. "Let's keep him chasing us. Not too close, but not too far behind either, ok?" Hopefully that would keep his attention off Inuyasha and Sango.
Kirara purred, and she had to hope the cat understood her, and wasn't just thrilled at the attention.
Naraku's arm tensed, muscles bulging and tendons popping against his skin as he forced his claws in further. "Stop cowering. Clearly the miasma doesn't affect you. You can't hide in there forever, girl."
Kagome swallowed, praying her voice wouldn't shake. "Who said anything about hiding? I just wanted to give you a chance to surrender peacefully. Lord Sesshomaru will be my brother-in-law one day. I can ask him not to push for a death penalty for you." She offered, reluctant hope rising that maybe Naraku would take her up on it.
He froze against the barrier, his eyes wide and unblinking on her.
She nudged him a little towards that line. "Surrender for Midoriko's sake. She wouldn't want you reduced to this."
His hand snapped shut into a fist, blood streaming down his wrist. "MIDORIKO IS GONE!" He roared, pounding against the barrier. "You took her from me! Fuck what she would want. Now it's time to do what I want."
Kagome didn't waste time on a lost cause, even if her heart ached. She dropped her barrier at the same time Kirara leapt.
The miasma swirled around them, blocking their visibility and muffling the sounds around them. Just barely she could hear the clang of Sango's sword, the curses pouring from Inuyasha's mouth. She thought about calling out to them, but didn't think they would hear her. Kagome tucked herself closer to the cat, trusting Kirara knew what she was doing as she ran and jumped.
"Don't think me a fool, granddaughter." Naraku's voice snarled all around them, sounding both close and far away. "I'm closer to Sesshomaru than you'll ever be. My insurance is worth more than your influence."
"Your insurance is almost up!" Kagome snapped back, getting better at pretending she wasn't scared out of her mind. "Sesshomaru had me release you so we could kill you."
"And risk his precious mate? Not even on his own life." Naraku suddenly laughed, goosebumps rippling over Kagome at the sound.
"It won't be a risk when I'm done with you." Kagome swore, trying to peer through the miasma as Kirara sped along. She could see a faint outline of the metal supports for the stands, so Kirara had taken them to the other side of the room. She still couldn't hear anything, and had no idea what happened to the crowd.
Where was he?
Something blasted into her, white sparks shooting up in front of her eyes as fire hit her side. Kagome was only aware she was spinning, rolling, through the air, Kirara yanked away from her.
She hit the stands hard, sliding down empty bleacher seats painfully, no people to crash into for a softer landing. Her ribs ached, and for a horrible moment she was afraid she had broken them again.
Her sight was blurry, pain making colors flash in the edges of her vision. She breathed slowly in and out, carefully sitting up on one of the stands.
The miasma was thinner up here, more of a violet fog instead of a purple storm. There was no sign of people, or the sound of Inuyasha and Sango's fight. She kept a hand pressed over her side, her power quickly soaking through her skin and easing the ache.
"Oh no, girl. Sesshomaru doesn't want me dead." Naraku appeared a few rows below Kagome, still calm and crazed. "He'll want his precious Kagura safe, no matter what that means for the rest of you. Now that you've taken Midoriko from me, my new goal will be making him wish he had killed Kagura himself."
When Kagome wanted to break down and cry, she channeled Kagura instead. "Giving away your plans is a bit cliche of the super villain character, don't you think?"
He shrugged. "I only want you to understand how fortunate you are. You will not experience the depths of suffering I will put Kagura through, even though you've betrayed me." He took a step towards her, his claws growing long and glowing. "You are a child of my child, after all. Midoriko's child. Though your death still won't be easy."
"How considerate." Kagome's mind raced. What she wouldn't give for Sango's ability to come up with bullshit right about now...
"Midoriko's influence I suppose." Naraku said mildly, his eyes flashing red.
Kagome's head jerked, her heartbeat kicking up and all sensation of pain, fear and anxiety dropping away. That was it!
"Lord Sesshomaru wasn't the only one who wanted you released from the jewel." Kagome began, trying to keep her voice calm. Like it was a real conversation between granddaughter and grandfather, not the last words from a victim to her torturer and murderer.
"I imagine not, considering my reputation. Do you always talk this much?" Naraku asked, starting to sound annoyed. He continued walking towards her, close enough now she could reach out and touch him.
She didn't point out he was the one who wanted a 'discussion'. She had more important things to point out. "Midoriko wanted to be released from the jewel, too."
Naraku stopped, his foot hovering in midair over the next step. "...you lie." He accused quickly.
Kagome shook her head. "It's why she wanted me to come to the jewel in the first place. She wanted my help in freeing her spirit."
Naraku's fingers curled up into a fist, blood dripping out between the creases. "She would not want that. She wanted to know if you knew information about Rin."
Kagome rolled her eyes. "Like I even know who Rin is. Midoriko couldn't bear you being linked to Kagura anymore. Since she couldn't have you, she wanted to move on."
Naraku stared at her for a moment. Then his hand flashed out.
Kagome went flying back against the metal bleachers, the mystical bitch slap opening blisters on her cheek. Naraku hadn't budged from his spot, his composure losing some of his cool.
"Midoriko did not want to leave me." Naraku said calmly. "I was with her for 500 years. I would have known. I have known."
Her head still spinning, Kagome braced herself up, holding her face. "She didn't want to leave you. She wanted to get away from your Kagura-mating-revenge drama. If you had made her your mate, she probably never would have left your side."
Naraku considered her once more. After a moment, his hand rose again.
Oh fuck no.
Hardly aware of herself, Kagome's own arm went up, a gigantic ball of power cupped in her palm.
This time Naraku was rocked off his feet, falling down the steps of the stands. When he propped himself back up, a perfect round hole was burned into his chest.
Satisfaction felt sweet. Maybe when all this was over, Kagome would take up baseball. She seemed damned good at pitching.
"Listen to me. Midoriko loved you. And she hated Kagura for being the woman you marked." Kagome left out the bits about Midoriko feeling guilty and ashamed too, sensing that wouldn't help her cause. "She couldn't deal anymore so she asked for my help."
Kagome took a deep breath, knowing this was the tricky part. "And you can believe me because she told me how I could cut the mate ties between you and Kagura, so you could go to Midoriko freely. So you could really be together; someday, somehow. Just because it didn't work out in this lifetime, doesn't mean you've lost your chance."
Standing up, she took shaky steps down the stairs, Naraku following her every move. She sat back down near him, a safe distance away, but close enough that it still felt intimate. "I can cut the mate ties between you, and help send you to...wherever Midoriko is. I'm sure she's waiting on the other side, wanting a fresh slate with you. Just let me end your connection to Kagura, and Midoriko will be all yours. Like it should have been."
Kagome leaned forward, looking hard into Naraku's eyes. "So it's up to you. What do you want more, Naraku? Your revenge...or Midoriko?"
Kagome realized this was a crazy gamble, but she knew every demon alive would always put their mate first, above all else. As evil and power-hungry as Naraku was, even he couldn't be the exception to that.
She was afraid to move, breathe or even blink as he looked at her, terrified the smallest movement would set him off and she would be smacked to the other side of the bleachers again.
Naraku was the first to blink. "I want both."
Before Kagome could try to understand what he meant, he grabbed her by the arm, jumping over the stands with her in tow. She didn't have time to scream before she was on the ground again, Naraku pulling her along.
One impatient wave of his hand and the miasma began to dissipate. It curled up towards the ceiling, the purple fading away as the bleachers and the tribunal table came into sight.
Inuyasha and Sango still battled the controlled-volunteers, their fight suddenly loud and brutal. The surrounding bleachers were empty, the demon audience crowding along the walls, pushing at the doors. She could hear their whimpers and cries now, all angry amusement wiped away. Now they were terrified and frantic, wanting to get out.
Only the tribunal had stayed seated, mouth guards covering half their faces. Their attention focused completely on Naraku, ignoring the crowd as they tried to open the doors. Even Manten had somehow maintained enough composure to sit still in his seat, though his eyes darted to the mob at the door like he was debating joining them.
To Ryukotsusei's credit, he had dug his claws into the surface of the wooden table, keeping his fingers still and silent.
Naraku didn't release his grip on Kagome, ignoring her as she frantically looked around for Kirara, the big cat the only being still out of sight. He dragged her close to the tribunal table, staring Sesshomaru down.
He flashed his fangs at the king. "Still can't kill me, can you boy?"
Sesshomaru's face remained blank, his emotions firmly in control. "I thought a sixteen year old human girl was much better suited for the job."
"Just wait till this demon gets his claws in you, you fucking bastard!" Inuyasha roared, ducking from two swords. He still had a piece of flannel from his shirt tied around his mouth and nose, but his eyes were watery and red.
Sango had wrapped herself around the back of one of her foes, trying to cut off his air circulation while the other one went at her with a whip. She used the other one's body as a shield, less concerned with his whimpers than with putting them both down.
Naraku roughly shoved Kagome away from him, forcing her to the floor. Her knees scraped against broken glass, just barely protected by her leather pants. She braced herself with two hands, trying to get her breath back.
"None of you will have the honor of killing me." Naraku swore. "And even when I'm dead, I'll win."
Kagome shakily got to her feet, afraid of what Naraku meant.
"My revenge...Midoriko...I'll have it all." He breathed, his claws lengthening.
And then Kagome could see them.
Tattered ribbons floated off Naraku, waving and drifting through the air. They looked just as she remembered. Weak and fragile.
She gripped the hilt of her sword tight enough to imprint her palm, her attention fixed on the ribbons no one else could see.
"Help me understand." Kagome asked her power quietly, at a loss of what else to do. "Help me cut them."
Her power welled up inside her, a giant consuming wave that took every available bit and piece of energy it could find and spiraled down into the blade.
Purple exploded before her eyes as she staggered back, temporarily blind. She was concerned Naraku had filled the room with his miasma again, before she blinked.
Kagome could see it now.
A single ribbon among the others glittered bright red, drawn tight and stretching far off into the distance.
She didn't need demonic instincts, miko powers, or human whatever to know that was the tie that bound Naraku and Kagura together.
And it needed to go.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed, ripping her sword out of its sheath. "NOW!"
She didn't stare at the blade's jewels as they sparkled, or the purple aura that surrounded the sword. She didn't look at her weapon at all as she lunged towards the red line.
She didn't watch Inuyasha knock the volunteers out with one hard punch that probably put them both in comas, whirling around to race towards her, Sango bounding off to fetch her sword.
She didn't notice the tribunal leaning forward in their seats, eyes wide and a little scared, breath caught in their throats.
She didn't hear the silent prayer falling from Sesshomaru's lips, speaking to a God he hadn't acknowledged in 500 years.
And she definitely didn't understand Naraku's strong desire to be with Midoriko warred with his need to make Sesshomaru suffer at any cost. Making it possible for him to accomplish both.
Naraku's claws plunged into his chest, raking down into his heart.
Just before Kagome's dagger sliced down into the mate tie.
AN: Don't forget to check out my poll to help me figure out what to do with TSAM!
