The Herald of Heaven and Earth

Chapter 14: My Heart, My Soul

“Kagome do you deny that we are bonded?” Sesshoumaru demanded gently, pulling her to him.

Startled by his touch and kiss, Kagome let herself be enfolded by the tall demon and marveled at the swelling of love she felt. By all rights she should be feeling guilt because she knew that Sesshoumaru was right. They did share a strange and powerful connection. Ever since the day in his and Inuyasha’s father’s tomb when they first met, she felt a wave of emotion toward the seemingly cold Demon Lord. No, she couldn’t even form her lips or thoughts around a word of denial when she knew the truth. Being in his embrace was like the coming home from a long journey so, she just allowed herself to bask in the exquisiteness of his touch. At that moment, Sesshoumaru and Kagome barely noticed the soft purple ambiance that rose up from between them, and Kagome gasped when another arm wrapped around her body.

“How did I do that,” Kagome said softly as she looked down to study in surprise at Sesshoumaru’s regenerated limb.

He responded her question by holding her to him tighter, and when the two reluctantly released one another, they stared at each other in wonder. If Sesshoumaru had any doubts as to the woman the prophecy spoke of, they were all erased away. Tenderly he brought his hand to her cheek and gazed into her starry eyes.

“You are the one,” he whispered.

He was about to kiss her when he sensed the angry tremor that he had felt approaching ever closer. Just at that moment Inuyasha crashed through the trees and sped toward them.

“I told you to keep your damn hands off her!” Inuyasha roared.

Kagome gasped as she watched Inuyasha swipe his claws at Sesshoumaru, forcing him away from her. She was so absorbed in the battle before her that she didn’t realize her friends had entered into the clearing and Miroku and Sango had placed themselves beside her. She was lost to her horror as she watched the demon brothers fight.

“Blades of Blood,” Inuyasha screamed as his attack cut into Sesshoumaru’s shoulder.

Miroku had known that the two brothers would eventually fight for the maiden they both desired, but he had hoped that Kagome wouldn’t be privy to the explosion. When he heard her go quiet beside him, he looked over at her in alarm. Her head was bowed and her black hair had risen and was whipping across her face.

“Kagome, are you okay? Answer me!” He demanded as he grasped her arms.

When she raised her eyes to him, Miroku took a frightened step backward. Her eyes had changed from their normal brown to golden glowing orbs. As two crystal tears fell from her eyes, she outstretched her hands to the two fighting brothers and raced toward them.

“Inuyasha!” Sango screamed as she saw Kagome escape Miroku’s grasp.

They watched in shock as she hurtled toward the two powerful demons and placed herself between the two. Their hearts sank as they saw Inuyasha’s claws come within an inch of slashing her in two but miraculously the blow never came. An audible breath of relief came from Kagome’s friends when they saw her sigh and fall back into Sesshoumaru’s arms unharmed.

Inuyasha was numb. He had almost killed his love and nothing should have been able to stop the force of his blow but he understood when he saw Kagome’s glowing eyes in front of him. She had halted the attack. He stood there staring at the unconscious woman nestled in Sesshoumaru’s arms and tearfully he looked up at his brother.

“I almost…”

Sesshoumaru felt Inuyasha’s pain rush into him and he turned his attention from Kagome and looked up at him. “She would not have allowed that to happen, but you must learn to control your anger. The time is coming when you will need to protect her with your life.”

Inuyasha lifted his eyes in shock. Never had his brother spoken to him in such a manner. As if he truly cared about him.

“I thought you wanted her for your mate,” he asked quietly. “What changed.”

“Inuyasha, do you love Kagome?”

Inuyasha growled as he stared at his brother. “You know I do.” .

Miroku came up and placed a hand on Inuyasha’s shoulder as he looked down at the now peaceful woman nestled against Sesshoumaru. “Kagome I sense that you will hold the fate of us all in the coming days,” he whispered and gently stroked her hand.

“What do you mean?” Inuyasha asked as he stared at Miroku in surprise. “Will someone please explain to me what’s going on?”

Sesshoumaru was quiet as he reflected the simple truth that the monk spoke and smiled with a new respect for the human. His eyes fell upon Kagome and he began to caress her cheek when her eyes fluttered open.

Inuyasha was confused at Sesshoumaru’s affection toward his love. The jealously that had been with him before was gone. In it’s place was a strange feeling of completeness. He smiled when Kagome opened her eyes and knelt down next to her.

Her eyes were no longer brown but, a crystalline blue with flecks of gold sprinkled in their depths and with her new eyes came a new sight. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru had a glowing radiance around them. Inuyasha’s glow a golden color, whilst Sesshoumaru’s was a brilliant platinum. Tears formed in her eyes as she realized in her being what the significance of the colors were to her.

“You’ve found me… My protectors, My Heart, My Soul…”

Sesshoumaru nodded as he gazed at the beautiful woman who had closed her eyes once more and fallen into a tired slumber. “Yes, we are your protectors. Ours is a life that was meant to be intertwined.”

“What do you mean, and what does Kagome mean by protectors?” Inuyasha asked in confusion.

“My brother, the Supreme One saw fit to award us the honor of being Kagome’s protectors against an ancient evil called the Corruption, or as you know him, Naraku.”

Inuyasha growled at the mention of the hated name of his enemy. “What the hell does he have to do with Kagome.”

“This will all be revealed to you. However, all that I can tell you is the role that you and I have to play. Everything that has led up to this point, with the exception of the hanyou getting his filthy hands on Kagome was supposed to happen. In the past years after you were awakened from your curse, I was never your enemy. I would have never harmed you, but you needed to become stronger. You also had to realize that Kagome was the key to your strength.

Inuyasha listened as Sesshoumaru explained the events of the past and he thought back to the many times that he and Sesshoumaru had fought. Oddly it all made sense to him. Every single battle, every conflict he had ever been in, it seemed that Sesshoumaru was always close behind. The times when Sesshoumaru could have killed him but, would always disappear and leave him alive, if not particularly whole. A lot of the strength that he had gained over the years could really be contributed to Sesshoumaru and Kagome and he heaved a sigh of awe. “So when you came to us it was all an elaborate plot to make me realize how much she meant to me?”

Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru both turned to look at Sango when she began to chuckle. “I understand,” she laughed as she looked at Miroku with mirth. “I knew that things weren’t as simple as they seemed to be.”

Sesshoumaru gave Inuyasha a little smirk as he watched the demon slayer clutch the monk in her infectious laughter.

“Feh, so what now?” Inuyasha blushed as he looked at Kagome.

Sesshoumaru sobered as he gently passed her to Inuyasha and stood. “The woman in your arms houses a Goddess in her body, and we will complete her. You are her Heart, and I am her Soul. Together we make up all the parts that will join and make her whole. It is in her that we will find our own completion. She is our salvation to all that is good, she will be our mate and we must fight together to destroy the corruption. Now, can you have faith in everything that I have told you thus far?”

Inuyasha was startled when Sesshoumaru placed a warm hand on his shoulder. He looked up and saw the fierce determination and resolution on his brother’s face. He also saw something he had never seen before. A look of devotion and love that was aimed toward him.

Slowly he rose to his feet and cradled Kagome in one arm and outstretched the other toward Sesshoumaru and after a moment they clasped each other’s forearm.

As the two walked back into the forest with their friends, three hazy forms appeared. One a beautiful demoness and a lovely human woman. Between them stood a tall, and regal looking demon that resembled the two young brothers. The serene looking trio stared after them with loving smiles and a gentle breeze that sounded like a male voice whispered, “Fulfill your destinies my sons. I am proud of you…”