Chapter Text
Kagome pulled Inuyasha through the shoji and then he finally lost it. His youki was raging out of control and he grabbed her harshly. Even though he was likely the maddest she had ever seen, she refused to be afraid. His hands trembled on her body and she knew he was trying so hard to not lose all control. If anything, she was afraid for him. She couldn’t imagine what it was like fighting for control over yourself from a side of you. She knew what possession was like--maybe it was something close to that?
He was livid--furious! That bastard had said that just because they were dancing together. The asshole knew. He had to have known. Naraku could have had anyone--anything but he had to go after his mate?!?! The only thing he had!!! His claim was being threatened. The demon in him was trying to make him claim her again--but now wasn’t the time. Not right there in the open where anyone could see. He needed to get her back to his room!
Then it dawned on him she wasn’t truly his… She was his mate in an alternate timeline. Fuck. She would never want to mate with him there. Then. Not with him. But that didn’t mean he would allow her to be in the presence of the other disgusting bastard who resided in the castle.
“I’m not going to let him have me,” she tried to soothe as she could tell where his thoughts were headed.
“He’ll never have you,” he snarled back.
“I’m yours alone,” she replied back calmly.
He released her shoulders and paced irrationally in front of her. Lost in his thoughts, he was angry she said that. Well not angry, but confused and frustrated! He wasn’t really sure what she meant by that. What it meant for them as far as being together. They were supposed to change this timeline--what did that mean for them??
Would he disappear? Would he revert back to his normal self? He did share all his original memories after all. Would these memories become more dreamlike and his old memories become clearer? What about the others--
She took the opportunity of him being distracted to create another Shikigami who looked nearly identical to her… only this one possessed the body of Yuka. They had seen each other naked enough to where she could mimic her looks between sleepovers and changing together in the gym locker room. Inuyasha’s intense growls stole her attention back to him.
“No--absolutely not !!! You’re not even supposed to use that technique!!! What the fuck are you thinking?!? Is the life and safety of your pup that insignificant to you?!!?”
“Inuyasha! Stop! Before someone hears--”
“I don’t give a flying fuck right now!!”
“Please!!! Calm down! I promise I’ll explain--”
“Shut up, bitch!” He yelled.
“Inuyasha! Calm down!! I would never harm our child!!"
"It's not ours! It's yours and the other me!!"
"Inu--"
"Just-- God damnit !!!" He yelled as he slammed his fist through a wall snarling like a mad dog. He was beyond shocked when Kagome grabbed his arm and pulled it from the hole. He trembled to contain his anger, rage, and confusion as she stroked her fingers lovingly on the barely abraded skin that was already rapidly healing.
“Calm yet?” She asked evenly. Inuyasha scowled in response which made her want to roll her eyes but she held back the response. He was clearly not doing well controlling his instincts and the last thing she wanted to do was make him feel challenged further. “We can’t be found out. I’m not using all my power but even then, I’ve been monitoring our child’s youki since he’s grown enough to exert it the past week or so... It hasn’t flickered at all. But I was also careful and set up a barrier around my womb to protect the pup from possible exposure of miasma and other stuff. Now…” She sighed as she looked at her almost mirror image. “You are to distract Naraku until the others are in position.”
“What should I tell the others? They are looking for guidance.” The mirror replied blankly.
“The other Shikigami need to make their way to the borders of the castle and erect a barrier. They are to try and press forward with how they want to eliminate threats in the order they think is best; I do think Goshinki should be the first one to be taken down. Shippo and Ryokostai are awaiting the signal when they can enter with the others.”
“Alright,” the mirrored image acknowledged as she closed her eyes.
“Where is your room? We obviously have things to talk about,” Kagome huffed.
“What--no--He can’t--” Inuyasha started to protest.
“She doesn’t possess my body. I would never let Naraku in any dimension, space or time see me like that. Even if it was just a fragment of my soul that won’t return, I would never be able to live with myself. Come on,” she beckoned.
Inuyasha reluctantly opened the door for the Shikigami. She nodded to him and it was so odd watching a girl with Kagome’s face enter his sworn nemesis’ room. But… it wasn’t her. Originally the idea sickened him and made his rage grow tenfold but knowing she wasn’t real calmed his nerves. The real Kagome was standing right beside him.
Turning away from Naraku’s room, Kagome gazed into his eyes and motioned for him to lead the way. Once they nodded again to the soul-doll, they left the Shikigami to do her work. They walked back to his room. Once the door closed she gazed at him and really took him in. He was stressed and upset and anxious--
Before she could let her thoughts wander she embraced him.
“Kagome…”
“It’s okay; we have each other.” He seemed uncomfortable by that idea--or the phrase. “Inuyasha--what’s wrong?”
“What happens when all this is over? You’re not actually mine. You’re some alternate timeline or something. You’ll just go back to him--just like you did when you left the first time. And I’ll--I’ll--”
“Inuyasha! Don’t think like that! Those are toxic thoughts!” She pleaded as she clutched his sleeves on his haori to make his red eyes look at her serious face. “We don’t know what will happen--but we do know that I am yours. Whether in this universe or another--I will always be yours. I love you. I love you in this timeline, I love you in mine. Please…”
“Kagome--I’m just gonna disappear. There’s no reason to care about this version of me. It doesn’t make sense to! After everything I have done--”
“It wasn’t your fault!!”
“You heard the wolf!”
“It doesn’t matter! I know what happens in your full demon form when I’m not around--I know what happens when I don’t stop you and you don’t have your sword! You had no one-- nothing!! You had no reason to fight! You had no idea if we’d ever meet again. Kikyo was dead and I was gone! You were a pawn in Naraku’s game!! How can you think so little of yourself???”
Inuyasha took a moment and tried to settle his growing anxiety… she was ultimately right. There was nothing to fight for--no one to try and save. Kikyo was gone. Dead. Taken over by a tainted Midoriko. He didn’t care about anyone else--not really. It wasn’t until his dreams of his other life came back that he tried to fight; Kagome had given him the strength to try.
“You started this rebellion with Sesshomaru! The moment you helped Rin--don’t sit here and tell me otherwise! I believe in you,” she stated as she brought her face to his, shifting her hands up to his cheeks caressing his demon marks as she kissed him to prove how much she cared for him.
He responded slowly--hesitantly. Fuck. He loved her. She was right. Damn. He hated being wrong. She loved the beast that he was… And he loved her for being the only bright light he ever saw when he was in the deep dark place of his consciousness. Hell--even when he jumped up into the sky the day he saw her fall out of it. The moment her scent hit him--he was a fucking goner.
His hands shifted from his sides to come around her, holding her close to his body. He exhaled and felt her relax as well. They took comfort in each other’s presence. Her hands shifted to behind his neck and they entwined in his hair as she deepened the kiss.
Her sweet lips opened and her tongue stroked against his overgrown fangs that hung out of his mouth, making him groan. How was she so unafraid? How was she so accepting of him?
She shifted, making him back up until he hit his unused futon on the floor. He paused. Should they really be doing this?
"Trust me?" She breathed, her eyes glistening with tears, trust, and…desire?
"Only you, Kagome," he replied as they sank down to the futon together.
Sango, Miroku, and Kohaku joined the others on the ground since they were technically 'with' the shikigami and Rin.
"What do we do now?" Rin asked softly to Sesshomaru.
"Kagome has created another-- she has said we need to separate to form a barrier so they can't escape. She advised us to remove Goshinki first," Ayame informed.
"The miko is correct," Sesshomaru acknowledged.
"But how the fuck do we do that quietly?" Koga growled.
Sesshomaru looked to Ayame and a couple of the other Shikigami. He narrowed his eyes, not liking the plan he had as it may distract Kagome, but she obviously did not have a good plan either. "Two of the Shikigami will need to approach him as they do not hold thoughts to distract him. The amount of sake he consumed will be able to do the rest.”
“Not Ayame,” Koga snarled.
“That Ayame is not real,” Sesshomaru reasoned.
“Koga, I can handle this,” Ayame tried to soothe. That way I will remain here while the others take their positions to create the shield.”
Koga tried to hold back his anger but fuck! They were right but he couldn’t accept it! She had the same face, the heart, the same voice--Kagome’s little trick was fucking with his fucking head! “You better be careful.”
“I always am,” she replied, walking off with the Shikigami of Eri.
Sesshomaru stood next to Rin as he was unable to fight his instincts, looking to the other Shikigami who were clearly awaiting his orders. He nodded and they slowly shuffled away towards the corners of the castle. He looked to Sango and Miroku who nodded and also moved away so they did not look suspicious. He lightly brushed Rin’s arm. Her eyes met his and she nodded and moved to stand by Kohaku who followed his siblings.
Koga watched the exchange and grumbled, “She’s fine. The kid’s good.” Sesshomaru glared at him. “I’ve kept it a secret this long, obviously I’m not gonna say nothing. What are the panthers and other wolves gonna do?”
“Take their positions so we can slowly dominate their forces,” Sesshomaru stated evenly as he began his way over to where Toran and Karen stood.
Koga watched and made his own way to his wolves and delegated the fucked up messy plan of their attack… Kagome and Inuyasha needed to hurry the fuck up. But maybe them being inside the castle with Naraku was the way to handle it. That way all his underlings would be at a loss with Naraku otherwise distracted. Touma had what he wanted; his mate and the lands. His mate also seemed to be happy this go-round with things… Maybe Touma already knew it was the beginning of the end as well.
She was naked. No mask, no dress, nothing as she straddled his lap. She had pulled open his haori and kosode which was thrown haphazardly across the room. Her fingers traced his chest teasingly, trying to lure him out of his controlled shell. Honestly he had no idea how they had gotten so far. He remembered being asked to trust her and then all of sudden she was on him. Her dress was in tatters, her scent had spiked, and she was wet.
He had dreamt of this moment, over and over and it literally did not compare with the real thing. He knew they had had sex before she was taken from him--in the other timeline when she was pregnant. But this was a whole other level. She had already rode him so hard with his pants still on he almost came as she did. From his memories, his distorted ones anyway, he knew she was sensitive, but this was--something else. He had been panting and trying to hang on for the ride himself.
If she really thought this would work--in whatever plan she had, he should trust her. She was his. He was by default, hers. And he wouldn’t have it any other way. His hands went through the futon into the tatami mats. It took everything he had not to grab her and impale her with his hardened length but--this was up to her how far she would take it. For tonight, tonight he would submit to her fully.
She knew he was being overly submissive and it was killing him. But she was pupped, he was losing himself to his demonic half, and he had never had this kind of connection before. He refused to harm her, even if by accident. It had taken time for him to allow her to ride him after they were first married. Trust was what she originally thought of as the issue.
But it wasn’t that he didn’t trust her; no, far from it. The issue was he wanted to be giving her the pleasure. Not her taking it from him. He had always felt he owed her; he still wasn’t worthy of her love. Even after returning in their other timeline when she had been taken from him, he still didn’t have anything to his name--they had to build themselves a hut. They were gifted things from the village. To him though, it wasn’t earned. It wasn’t enough for her.
But after many talks about how he did deserve her. How he saved her multiple times, cared for her when she was sick or hurt, how he let her stay by his side--how in fact he earned her love and more, he grew more okay with the idea of trying to let her have control. It wasn’t until he saw how hot and bothered it made her, how she seemed to get as much release in seeing him lose himself as she rode his cock, it started to become a position he enjoyed just as much.
He had his haori off, his hakama was untied and she was completely bare as her heat was against his aroused dick. His claws were crushed and impaling the floor beneath him. But she wouldn’t have that. She took one of his hands and raised it to one of her swollen breasts. He gasped and couldn’t help as he squeezed in marvalation. She hissed from the sensation and almost fell forward.
Damn. She was sensitive. Hormones. Had to be.
“Kagome,” he growled in reverence.
“Don’t stop,” she pleaded, still grinding herself on his cock, trying to ease the ache of her weeping core.
His hips bucked upward without his permission. Fuck. He never thought they would be so close; he thought he had lost his chance. She hadn’t come back. He deserved that though; after everything he did, he knew the Gods were punishing him. But here she was, moaning, panting, and thrusting herself onto his hardened length.
She lifted herself up and proceeded to push down his pants. Before he could object, she grabbed both of his hands and placed them on her hips. Then she took his dick her hands and rubbed her juices on it.
He surely had to be dead. Nothing in life could feel that good. Either that or he was dreaming of their other life together in the alternate timeline. He literally thought he was going to die. Especially when he felt her sink down onto him and swallow his full erected cock in her tight heat.
“Fuck,” he groaned loudly as he squeezed her hips tightly. Shit. He could smell her blood from his stupid overly extended claws. Her hands laced with his over her hips though and he looked up to her beautiful flushed smile.
“It’s okay. I’m fine. You haven’t hurt me,” she soothed as she started to raise herself up and down using her thighs.
“Damnit--Kagome--”
“Shhhh,” she barely got out as she thrust herself down on him. She was trying to tease him into taking control like usual but he was holding back. Reminding herself that this Inuyasha and had never been physical, she knew he was hesitating getting into this position anyway.
But she needed him to know the depth of her love and trust. She also figured this was the best way for them to relink their souls--through their bond. And hopefully purify the jewel with Naraku.
It was a messy plan--but at the same time, it was better to go in a loose idea rather than a strict plan because then the other would have noticed their movements along with when they got separated, what could they have done?
This worked out. She would save Inuyasha first, and hopefully rid the world of Naraku with the jewel just like she had in their original time.
“Please Inu--I know this pace is killing you,” she begged, basically sobbing. She was wound so tight and was a mess of need and want. They hadn’t been together to establish their bond in well over a week. Not since she was separated from her actual mate in the meido. She wasn’t sure what exactly was making her so desperate either. Was it the fact she was pupped? Her mate mark? Or just her overall desire to be with him? It likely was a mix of it all.
Their safe space had always been them wrapped up in each other on the futon. Their dreams and memories never matched what they could do together. Not that they only mated when they were insecure or upset, no, but those moments of passion were often always the most heated. They were so desperate to prove it was real that she did in fact return to him, that he in fact was her mate and had picked her.
“I don’t wanna--”
“You won’t hurt me; I trust you,” she soothed as she rocked again, his hard cock deeply buried in her body. Lifting his hands from her hips. She brought them to her swollen breasts and cried out from the sensations. They were so sensitive and she needed him to be more confident and bring her to her peak so he would establish their bond.
“I don’t trust myself,” he grounded out, his hips moving on their own accord against his will. What he hadn’t expected was hearing Kagome’s moans and cries of pleasure as she rode out his instinctual grinding. Damnit. Her breasts were in his hands and he found himself pinching the nipples and that made her throw her head back as she pressed herself down harder onto his dick. Fuck it. He needed--he wanted to see how much she could actually handle.
Swiftly but carefully he flipped her over to lay on the futon and kissed her ferally. She seemed aroused by the action as her scent spiked. What the fuck--she was so weird. But then she was his mate--and she only said fifty times already that she accepted him no matter what. It was when she tilted her head bearing her neck to him he lost it.
He started thrusting into her wildly and with abandon. Her moans only egged him on further to make sure he was so deep inside of her; her body was wrapped around him fully. Her legs were pinned to his hips, her arms circled his hands and her hands were clinging to his shoulders. Goddamn.
If he could murder himself in another timeline he would. He wanted this. All of this. His memories of their times together--they were nothing compared to the real thing. Nothing . Kagome actually embracing him, her mouth open and accepting his dominating kisses, nibbles, thrusting tongue--
His hands moved from her ribs--one started squeezing her nipple like she had shown him and the other moved to her wet folds. He found the nub that made her try to match his movements, shake and writhe, try to unlatch from his mouth to scream out his name. Fuck. He swore to God if he disappeared he’d find a way to come back and haunt the fuck outta his other self. Even though they now shared memories, thoughts, feelings--he swore he loved Kagome more. He had to have. He met her when he was kinda with Kikyo. He picked her first. Kagome picked him first.
“Ka-Kagome---”
“Gods!” She cried out as she shifted trying to get him to hit a particular spot inside her. He felt like his cock was hitting a wall--likely her womb. But it made her shudder and sob. In a good way.
Kagome thought she was going to die--it wasn’t that they never had sex when he was in demon form. It only happened a couple times, usually after he was transformed and she was ‘in heat’ as he put it. After the demon disposed of whatever was attacking them, he’d whip her away and strip her harshly and take her on all fours. Making love in that position, while he was transformed was a whole different experience. He was making her go mad. She swore she was seeing fucking stars. And she didn’t swear unnecessarily.
“Inuyashaaaaaa--” she hiccuped. Pleaded. Begged. She wasn’t sure if she could hang on much longer but she wanted to try and time their releases like they had their first night together--their wedding night.
“I’m close too Kagome, let go,” he commanded. And she listened. Full heartedly. Her walls clenched down on his hardened length that was so far buried inside of her. He was shocked when she bit into his shoulder--she was marking him. She hadn’t marked the other him.
He couldn’t control himself as he clamped down into her already established mark. For a moment he panicked, thinking that he just fucked her--well yea, he did do that but he messed up the original mating mark. If a woman, or even a man, who bore the mark of their mate was marked by another they were immediately killed for adultery. No demons wanted a slut or a promiscuous mate. Mates were loyal, fiercely so; they did not mark what was theirs for shits and giggles. They marked them to show they were serious enough about their relationship that they would die, with or without the mark, if the other were to die. But when a sudden burst of reiki flowed through him and his own youki flooded through her, they both shivered from the sensations.
He unclamped his mouth and---his fangs… They were--he let go of her body and brought his hand to his mouth to check them and they… they shrunk?? He eyed his claws and they were also much much shorter.
“Inuyasha,” she smiled up at him breathlessly.
“Kagome, I--What--How--?” She cut him off by stroking his cheek. He couldn’t stop from nuzzling his cheek into her palm.
“I--I was going out on a limb but I thought--I thought if I could reestablish our bond that it would be stronger than the jewel’s hold on you. I slightly hoped it would purify it--”
“Are you fucking crazy?! How would mating purify the jewel?!?”
“Well--it’s an act of love Inuyasha. Think about it; love is the purest thing of all,” she said as she rose to sit up with him.
He pulled his now amber eyes away from her and looked at his claws. Holy fuck--he hadn’t felt this--like himself in so long. And he owed it all to Kagome and her selfless actions. He looked back at her and she was smiling softly at him. He pulled her into his arms and sighed into her hair.
“What if I had killed you by marking you??”
“That’s a stupid question. It’s your mark.”
“Kagome--”
“No,” she cut him off pulling away from his chest to look into his golden eyes and took his cheeks in her hands. “You are you. You and I were born for each other whether in this timeline, or another. How do you think I was able to remember when I was thrust back into my original era? Why was I magically able to get through the well to get back to you?? How was it I managed to keep myself waiting for you even though I didn’t know you? It’s because we are mates. We will never not be meant to be together, Inuyasha.”
He couldn’t hold himself back as he kissed her soundly. It was just as passionate as their first kiss had been under the Sacred Tree those fifty-something years ago. Desperate, yearning, even though they had found each other. But this just solidified everything that Kagome had been telling him. He really was a selfish and ignorant bastard.
When Kagome jumped, making them break their kiss; he looked at her with concern and she looked scared.
“Oh no,” she whispered.
“What??”
“He knows…”
“Fuck--” He cut himself off and leapt to the chest he had in his room to store clothes, weapons, whatever Touma and Naraku had given him as part of their spoils. He tossed an old yukata at her that she grabbed and tossed on as he threw on his hakama and kosode. He picked up his haori and wrapped her around her just as the door was smashed open.
Naraku had just gotten back to his room when he realized how fortunate he was; he had talked with Touma restarting their search for the lost miko the next day. But he fully intended to take advantage of the spoils from Touma and Midoriko’s party. The lovely maiden was sitting on his futon still fully clothed.
Dumb bitch. She should have known to undress but she was sitting in a more submissive pose. She looked almost defeated. He liked that out of a woman. He wanted them to beg and plead for mercy.
He wanted it to be Kikyo that was beneath him but alas, her soul was gone. Touma had informed him of how his plan would have turned out and promised that her reincarnation was just as beautiful if not more feisty than she was… The woman who sat upon his futon resembled her so much it was uncanny. Enough so that he figured he’d keep this one around for a while.
“Mei, was it?” He chuckled darkly. The woman looked upon him with uncertain eyes and nodded. “Undress.”
The Shikigami, even though she was just a fragment of her maker’s soul, trembled with the idea of letting this--monster touch her. She could literally feel the evil dripping off of him. The thought of his aura even getting too close--she would disappear. Kagome was so pure and this creature was so vile. While she had her orders… She knew she needed to improvise. Her job was to distract Naraku. And distract him she would.
She stood and smiled shyly, “My lord? Would you care for… a dance?”
“Unless that’s another word for fucking, no,” he glared.
“Oh, trust me my lord… you may enjoy this dance. I promise it will have a… happy ending,” she informed shakily.
He thought over her words… it wouldn’t be the first time he had watched a woman dance and tease him. He just didn’t think this beautiful woman would do something so daring. She did seem anxious over the idea but that was because there was an unspoken understanding that he would still be the predator and she would be his prey. If it came to it he would strike and pin her and take her by force. Why not allow her to entice his desires to take her purity from her?
“Proceed,” he said as he sank down onto his futon.
The Shikigami started dancing and she sensed her master’s aura growing and filling the castle. She surmised she was purifying her mate… Trying with all her might--she tried to create a shield to keep it from alerting her audience of the change in demonic aura versus reiki. But when he turned around she acted irrationally and leapt upon his lap. He immediately burned her making her scream. She disappeared into thin air becoming but a slip of paper.
Naraku snarled menacingly realizing he had been tricked. He grabbed the paper and crumpled it with his hands. Standing he was shocked--literally by the jewel within his pockets of his hakama. He cried in agony and pain as he felt the warmest purest rush from the jewel flow through his body. The jewel had lost its purity over fifty years ago. It wasn’t---
That woman. The woman who was dancing with Inuyasha. The woman Inuyasha had been drug onto the dance floor with. The woman he twirled. The woman that seemed to calm his inner beast--
THAT BITCH. IT WAS HER!!!
He gathered jyaki and miasma to him then flowed it all back into the jewel--it tainted the object as much as it could but there was undeniable light back in it. He would have to kill the bitch then remove the rest.
Touma would be punished--no--Midoriko would be tortured later for her insubordination. As would Kagura. She likely brought them into the castle. He hoped the others felt the surge in reiki within the castle and would know to attack. Soon. But he had a score to settle with a certain hanyou and the reincarnation of the miko he lusted after.
He stomped down the hall, flooding it with overflowing toxic gas until he got outside Inuyasha’s room. Blowing the door open he saw him adorn his woman with his haori. She was now free of her mask and absolutely reeked of the inu.
“So… you betrayed your master, dog.”
“Fuck you,” Inuyasha growled in return pushing Kagome behind him.
“How did you break from my control?” Naraku asked calmly. Too calmly.
“My mate,” Inuyasha replied, still growling at him.
“She--” Naraku got a good look at her. She was nearly identical to Kikyo. No wonder he had wanted her. Then he felt her aura--her undeniable purity that she radiated. “How is that possible?! She should have been defiled!!”
“Love never defiles anything,” Kagome answered stubbornly.
“Love? Kukukukukuku, you sound like a child… Like the child you are with,” he noticed as he saw the undeniable bulge from her yukata. Inuyasha shifted in front of her more and snarled. “How is that possible?”
“Well you see, when a man and a woman love each other--” Inuyasha started snarkily.
“Enough! You will perish here half-breed. I should have ended this fifty years ago but your uncle persuaded me to keep you around to torture and punished you for all eternity. But obviously I allowed my lust for power and revenge to cloud my judgement. It should have just been a swift death before you learned how to fucking procreate.”
“You wanna fight? You got one. Just leave her out of this,” Inuyasha ordered.
“Ha! You’re not one who should be giving any order anytime soon half-breed.”
“You’re one to talk!” Kagome shouted. “You’re a half-demon too! Not even a real demon! You’re a mix of thousands of different demons and you can barely hold your own form!!”
“Shut up, girl,” Naraku seethed.
“No! Inuyasha! We have to fight him together--”
“Over my dead body!!!” Inuyasha spat back.
“That can be arranged,” Naraku laughed as his body transformed into a huge mass of tentacles, shaped like a spider with his torso, head and arms emerging. His castle was effectively ruined from the transformation. Inuyasha shoved her out of the way as the roof came down. “Inuyasha!!” Kagome cried as she watched part of the roof collapse on him.
“Filthy half-breed,” Naraku chuckled. Kagome turned to him with a glare and a shot of pure reiki blasted from her hands to shock the tentacles that came at her. “Hold still girl!”
“You will never touch me or our child,” Kagome said, conviction ringing in her voice.
“Don’t go making declarations when they aren’t true--” Naraku was interrupted when Inuyasha leapt from the pile and swung his claws down on his body. Tentacles were ripped from him and he hissed his displeasure. Ducking, weaving, and ripping his way to her, Inuyasha finally stopped his advances and leapt back to Kagome.
Kagome grabbed his shoulder and saw he had transformed back into his full demon form but it was different this time; he was fully in control and aware. He was protecting his mate.
“Inuyasha,” she smiled. He nuzzled her cheek and then turned to kneel before offering her his back. In other words, it was time to go and find reinforcements. Inuyasha couldn’t just fight with his claws and keep her safe. She also needed her bow--which Sango still had with their other weapons. Kagome climbed on without much pressure and he leapt out of the way before being struck by another tentacle.
“Hold on--” Inuyasha commanded. Kagome gripped her arms around his shoulders and neck tightly as one of his hands let go of one of her legs and lashed out at the tentacles that were coming at them nonstop. Kagome held on to her mate and only hoped the others were faring better than them.
Koga and Sesshomaru swore as they stood over the mangled Goshinki. That hadn’t been as easy as they thought it would be especially when the other realized what was happening. Thankfully Miroku and Sango came to their defense from the band of seven while the panthers and other wolves handled the other demons straggling around and behind. Kagura made herself useful and distracted Byakuya.
“Curses,” Sesshomaru exhaled angrily.
“Think Touma heard?” Koga said.
“Undoubtedly. It was this one’s mistake to think the miko could control my idiotic brother,” he said as he looked at the half destroyed castle.
Sango was taking on Jakotsu while Miroku was trying to handle Renkostu with Bankostu. It was not going well for the monk. He had somehow managed to hold off the two men until Sesshomaru and Koga got free.
Jakostu’s sword was formidable but Sango’s experience made her just as dangerous. She was able to use her katana and Hiraikotsu to keep herself from being trapped by his bending and expandable blade.
Sango tried to keep her mind focused on her opponent rather than her husband. He could very well open his wind tunnel but it would risk everyone else's existence. It had grown so much in the last four years that it made it almost impossible to use. But she couldn’t look to him--she had to focus.
Jakotsu was trying to toy with her; he was cackling as he kept thrusting his blade out, throwing insult after insult at her for being a woman. That she didn’t stand a chance at defeating him --a man. That once he was done with her, he and his brothers would dice up Miroku.
Over her dead body. Literally.
She took his next strike intentionally allowing it to catch her legs before she shoved her katana through it to pin it to the ground and then unleashed her wrist blade to catch his sword and made contact with her other side as she swung her boomerang hard at him. Before he could call back his weapon, she gripped the handle of her weapon to keep it from being able to move with him. He only had two choices; abandon his weapon and face her with hers, or be struck down.
“Damn you, bitch!” He yelled as he chose self-preservation over being ripped apart by her giant demonic bone. She pulled her sword from his and ran to catch her Hiraikotsu on the spin back as she pursued him hot on his tail.
“Get back here!! Face me like the man you claim to be!!”
“You are unworthy of being my opponent,” he sneered.
As they ran around the castle grounds, she finally grabbed her chain link and swung it out to him, trapping his legs. He fell with a grunt and she finally was able to stand above him with her sword pointed at his neck. “And your life isn’t worth the blood on my blade, but we all make sacrifices.” She plunged her sword down into his neck and his eyes went wide, mouth opening in a scream that came out as a wet gurgle instead. She felt a grim satisfaction as she watched the life fade from his eyes, blood leaking from the corners of his mouth.
Miroku was having extreme difficulty. The only Godsend was the fact that Banryu was made from demonic energy. Mind you, being smacked by it even inside a barrier was no gentle touch. No, it felt like a bull charged you full force. Son of a bitch.
Then between trying to block that and Renkostu trying to light him on fire at every opening he was able to get, Miroku was exhausted, worn, and beaten senseless. He knew his time was short. It wasn’t a secret he hid from himself, his wife, or even Sesshomaru. They all knew.
Once he dodged yet another fire breath the ass threw at him and another full swing of the giant blade by Bankostu, Miroku landed on his backside with a grunt. The two band of Seven stood before him and closed in on him as wolves would do as they cornered a rabbit. However, he was far from a hare. He gripped the beads on his wrist and shot a desperate look to Sesshomaru and Koga. They had begun their descent to assist him and Sango. He pleaded they remain back.
Koga nodded and took Ayame as he leapt to help his wolf breathen as they fought the additional demons that were present in the castle like the demon toads, boars, Yura and fucking Abi with all her birds. They were doing well with the additional forces the Shikigami had allowed to pass through the barrier to keep them all encased but… they were fighting blindly and senselessly.
Sesshomaru order Eri to help the other Shikigami with the barrier as he stayed and looked grimly at the scene before him. He did not wish to see the monk go but there wasn’t much else they could do. Not unless by some miracle his brother and the miko killed Naraku and Touma within the castle. Nodding his consent, he sped off to grab the slayer that was in the way. He knew Miroku only wanted to save her--just as any mate would.
While he sped off to catch her, Sesshomaru gazed and saw Kohaku in front of Rin as he fought off the birds from Abi’s army that were hidden in an underground cavern underneath the castle. That bastard Naraku thought of everything.
“What are you doing!?” Sango cried as she felt Sesshomaru approach her. He picked her up with one arm and grabbed her weapons with the other as she fought against him. She desperately looked to Miroku and saw what he was going to do.
Struggling frantically in the daiyoukai’s arms she screamed, “MIROKU! NO!!!!!!!”
“I’m sorry, Sango. Know I will always love you,” he said as he lifted his arm into the air and gripped the beads tightly.
Koga overheard the conversation and commanded his men along with the panthers to take cover immediately, knowing what was about to happen. They ran and held onto whatever they possibly could before all hell broke loose. Koga grabbed the Shikigami of his former mate and held tight to the edge of the building.
Miroku opened the wind tunnel and Bankostu slammed his Banryu into the ground trying not to allow himself to be sucked in. Renkostu was not so lucky as he was caught off guard and held no actual weapons that could keep him planted in the ground.
“Bastard!” Bankostu yelled. “Playing fucking dirty in a fight--”
“I do whatever I can in order to protect my wife,” Miroku replied, yelling over the sound of the vacuum in his hand.
“What happens when I chop it off??!”
“I wouldn’t recommend it!! You’ll only be sucked in quicker!!”
“Care to test that, monk??” Bankostu challenged as he struggled to lift his halberd.
Miroku had been fully prepared to die, not expecting at all what happened next. While Bankostu struggled as he sucked in bird after bird from the other end of the castle along with dirt and stones was for Inuyasha, in full half-demon form, to jump up behind him with Kagome on his back and grab his beads and close his wind tunnel.
“Close your goddamn hand before I rip it off!!!!” Inuyasha yelled. Kagome jumped off of his back and barely stumbled as she saw Bankotsu fall back from the force he had been using to keep himself upright. The sudden disappearance of the force threw him off balance. She took the opportunity to seal his Banryu before running back behind Inuyasha to check on Miroku.
“YOU BITCH!!! WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU INUYASHA!!! YOU’RE ONE OF US!!!” It was then as he saw Inuyasha turn back he saw golden eyes scowling at him rather than the deep blood lusting red eyes with blue irises staring back at him.
“Firstly, I was never your brother. Secondly, watch your fucking mouth that’s my mate you’re talking about,” he informed as he cracked his knuckles.
“Mate?! What has she done to you--Inuyasha! You’re one of us!! See reason!” Bankotsu felt betrayed! They had fought for years side by side and yea, the demon never had much to say and never seemed happy or excited to do anything but--this was over the line! To outright deny they were ever connected over some woman?!
“I do see reason. She is the only reason,” Inuyasha said as Kagome helped Miroku stand. “Get him back to his mate and my brother. Stay out of trouble,” he growled in an order.
“Inuyasha be careful,” she pleaded.
“I will be for you,” he said as he strained a smile at her to show her he was serious. She was the only reason and meaning to his life. The fact the mark brought him back to his senses, the fact it hadn’t killed her when he ‘re-marked her’--she was the only thing in the world that would keep him going as he faced down his once allies.
Koga saw the exchange and noticed Yura and Abi were reorganizing before attacking them again. Yura’s hair took a huge hit as well as Abi’s number of birds. At least half if not more of their already small forces due to the party were already gone. The others were locked outside by the Shikigami Kagome had created. While Naraku had the sense to keep most of them locked beneath his castle, obviously he couldn’t fit them all down there.
“Men!!! Regroup while they are reassembling!!”
Sesshomaru placed Sango down and dashed back to grab the monk and priestess before Inuyasha and Bankostu began their fight. Before he could reach them though, Naraku emerged with Touma by his side, cutting him off.
“Nephew,” Touma greeted in a condescending voice.
“Uncle,” Sesshomaru returned.
“Alas, you had to try and ruin another one of my mating anniversaries?”
Sesshomaru did not respond as he looked to see where Midoriko was. He had likely kept her locked in their room so she was not an easy target.
“You won’t find her,” Touma growled. Sesshomaru looked back to him. “But I can always find yours. You may be able to hide it from the others, but you can’t hide that stench from one in your clan.”
“While we are blood we are not a pack,” Sesshomaru growled at the threat to his mate.
“Then killing you will not hurt as much as I thought since you have denounced claim to your land and our family.”
Naraku laughed from behind Touma at Miroku and Kagome. Miroku managed to try and push Kagome behind him but was almost unable to stand without the shakujo for support. “Do you honestly believe you can protect her, let alone yourself??”
“I plan on dying here if that means I can stop you,” Miroku stated uneasily as he swore his ribs had to be broken from that stupid halberd that was swung at his barrier.
“Do as you’d like monk, but that woman will be mine.”
“MIROKU!!!!” Sango cried out as she ran over to him, weapons in tow.
“Sango,” he sighed and sank into Kagome’s full hold again.
“Miroku!” Kagome yelled as Naraku shot part of his disgusting oozing body at them. She erected a barrier to hold up against it and was thankful Sango emerged and cut the piece away.
“I am your opponent! Not them!”
“Ahhhhh, a slayer. I thought I succeeded in killing all of your kind. And do looks deceive me? Or is that your younger brother over there with… oh ho ho! Touma, is that Lord Sesshomaru’s mate?”
Rin and Kohaku overheard the conversation and gasped. Kohaku looked to Rin with disappointment in his eyes but strengthened his stance to protect her. He loved Rin even though obviously she did not return the feeling and had chosen someone else. He would die to protect her. And currently, that was his duty given to him by Sesshomaru.
“Well now… Things just got very interesting. Tell me slayer, how do you intend to save everyone around you when you are but a mere woman?” Naraku challenged.
“She will have help, you miserable bastard,” Kagura said as she leapt down from her feather in the sky. She looked tired and a little worse for wear, but she stood proudly and had clearly defeated Byakuya of the dreams.
“Oh Kagura… you disappoint me. I would have expected you to realize there is no reason for you to fight as you will die when I die or die by my hand.”
“Better than serving you, you ass,” she hissed and flicked her fan open, ready to attack.
Inuyasha and Bankostu slightly paid attention to the conversation but stood battle ready and never took their eyes off each other. Damnit. Inuyasha needed to get Kagome away from all this. He already felt the difference in her strength when it slipped and all the scents and demonic energies came rushing back when Naraku had struck them in their room.
While she would never admit it, having him re-mark her had drained her. But he was now back to himself and he was planning on staying that way. But the question now laid bare was, how the fuck were they gonna win against their opponents??!