Thawing Her Heart

Disclaimer No I don't own Inuyasha cuz if I did no one under the age of 18 could watch it! *_*

Thanks again to all my wonderful reviewers! You guys have kept me inspired and just for you I have prepared 2 chapters tonight!


Chapter 18 Leaving Safe Ground

It had been two weeks since everyone had showed to prepare for the final confrontation with Naraku. All were prepared to face their own deaths if need be, but Kagome would not let them. What they didn't know was that she was going to be the one to take out the filthy hanyou. Now as she spent yet another day in the dojo training she let her music wash over her from the boom box she had placed in the corner. Thank god she had thought to go back for it! It had helped her keep tempo and rhythm while Sesshomaru trained his brother. Listening now she let the words and notes of the song was over her. It was another one of her favorites. "When All Is Said And Done" by TRAPT.


You have a chance to really shine now,
Well patience was never one of your true virtues.
Stop trying to control everything and FUCK what they say,
What do you have to prove? So why am I waiting?
This time that I am wasting, if that's what you mean.
How will this be when all is said and done,
Will I know where I am from? Remember me.
Where will I be,
I guess I'm on the run and time is catching up behind me.
I'm scared to be the only one who sees,
The hourglass run dry because too much time went by.
Why do I try to prove that I will be ready for everything thrown at me?
These thoughts trickle down, imaginary lines cut through the ground.
So why am I waiting, this time that I'm wasting,
if that's what you mean.

As the words rolled on in her mind she realized they were perfectly matched to her mood right now. She never noticed that Sango and Miroku had stopped training and were watching her in awe. They could not believe what they were seeing! Inuyasha had said she was good but they were not expecting this. It seemed as if she had become a totally different person. Well in a sense she had but they knew when they looked into her eyes she was the same inside. When the song closed out they jumped to walk over to her, "Kagome that was amazing!" Sango exclaimed hugging her friend. " I mean Inuyasha said to be surprised but we did not expect you to rival Sesshomaru in your skill!" Kagome only laughed, "Why don't we all retire for a bath and dinner now?" Grabbing her boom box she led the way to their spring outside their room. "I will see you at dinner you two, try not to take too long." She laughed again when she saw Sango blush. "Won't you join us?" Sango smacked Miroku on the head screaming Hentai before dragging him into their quarters. Kagome shook her head and continued on to her own suite. Inside she dropped her katanas into the armoire and stripped the sweaty clothes from her body. Now that she had a tail she found it difficult to wear any of her jeans and pulled out the kimono and obi she would be dressed in that evening. The outer part was pure white with splashes of silver and aquamarine throughout the length, the pattern on the shoulders were of sakura blossoms done in white while Sesshomaru's house symbol of the crescent moon was done in silver on the back. This was to be topped off with the white obi, while she may have to change her style of clothes she refused to give up her undergarments. She was just glad for her natural predilection for wearing thongs, it made managing her tail alot easier. She grabbed her shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and razor before heading out to the hot springs adjoining her own room.


She made her way with her head down into the springs not knowing that they were already occupied, at the sound of Sesshomau's voice her head snapped up. "Well if this isn't a pleasant sight after having to stare at my brother all day." She saw the laughter in his eyes and the smile on his face and blushed. "It is alright I will leave you to your bath and see you at dinner." He said making to leave but something in her tone stopped him, "No you don't have to leave...actually I would rather you stayed. I think I might feel safer if you did." Cursing himself for a fool the memory of the last night he had found her here flashed in his mind before he quickly pushed it away. "Are you sure?" At her nod he settled back into the water and watched as she slipped in opposite to him. Try as he might he could not draw his eyes from her form as she began washing her hair, the scent of roses met his nose when she finally rinsed the foam from her head. He watched as she massaged another strange substance into her hair, instead of rinsing it right away however she pulled her hair into a twist of sorts and secured it. When she soaped up her cloth and prepared to wash herself he could hold back no longer, the need she awakened in him was immense. He not only wanted to make passionate love to her he also wanted to be able to caress her, even if it were just to wash her petite frame. Slipping over to her in the water he brought his hand to cover hers and grab the cloth from her limp fingers. Her watched her mouth form a quiet oh when she felt him scrub her back. Moving in slow languid circles he made sure to cover all areas, once he had rinsed the soap from her he turned her to face him and continued his ministrations to the front. He felt her breath hitch in her throat and paused waiting to scent her fear, it never came, instead the strong smell of her arousal mixed with roses, spice, and sakura blossoms assaulted his nostrils. He continued on but when he lifted one of her shapely legs from the water she stopped him. " I will have to do those myself, I need to shave." He watched in fascination as she blushed "all" over. "What is shave?", he asked her puzzlement in his expression. "I will have to show you.", she replied as a smile lit her features. He watched as she sat on a higher stone and brought one foot up to sit on the room of the springs. She then lathered the leg he couldn't tear his gaze from and picked up a strange object from next to her soaps. He saw it was shaped like a cross but without the top, and then he noticed the small metal blades attached. They looked sharp to his eye, frowning he quickly lost that thought as she brought the strange thing to scrape it upon her skin firmly but gently. He watched her do the entire leg rinse it and bring up her other one to repeat the process. He smiled and took the blade thing from her. "I think I can manage the other one for you koi.", he stated watching as lust lit in her eyes. He began the motions she had used being careful not to press too hard. When he paused and turned to look at her he saw her face flushed and her lips parted. Turning back to his labor of love he finished. Setting the tiny thing down he pulled her back into the deeper part of the spring. Pulling the clip from her hair he picked up the bucket to rinse it, when he was done he pulled her to him tightly. He leaned in and kissed her, teasing her bottom lip with his tongue he almost moaned when she opened the rose colored flesh and allowed him entrance. Thrusting his tongue gently inside her moist mouth he began to slowly tease hers into joining the fun. Tentatively at first she began mimicking his movements and then more when the sparks flew through her to her center. He wrenched his mouth from hers and fought to catch his breath and slow his rapid pulse. He couldn't help but feel pride in his skill when he felt her heart racing in time with his. "I believe we should be getting ready for dinner, as much as I am enjoying myself right now I will not do anything you might regret later." With that he kissed her on her forehead and stepped from the springs. He took three steps before turning back to her, "I mean to have you as my mate but I will take my time in courting you. Only when you are ready will we mate, I will wait until then." He then walked the rest of the way to his room.

Kagome was stunned! He wanted her, in all the reality of her past life she knew that she was meant to love him but she never thought that he would ever consider being with her. Yes he felt a pull towards he had admitted that, that he wanted her for a mate was a revelation. She dressed for dinner in the kimono she had laid out for herself earlier, she then began on her hair. With her hair secured in a twist and held there with the comb Sango had given for her birthday the previous year. It was her favorite, done out of delicate bone with hand painted sakura blossoms. She stepped through her door and heard the sound of his opening, turning to where he stood she took in the beauty that was him. He wore a navy blue haori over white hakamas tied off with a black obi. His hair glowed as if caught in moonlight, and his face was ethereal. She was afraid to blink in the case she might have imagined the soft look upon his face when he caught her perusal. She watched as his eyes sparked in his want of her when he took in her form. Walking towards her he placed her hand in the crook of his arm and together they made their way to the dining hall.

Inuyasha let his gaze fall upon the couple as they entered the hall, if there had been any doubt in his mind before there was none now that he saw them so close together. They were perfectly complimented from the tops of their heads to the bottoms of their feet, light met dark and day met night. He could not imagine them without each other; as much as it pained him to admit this to himself he took silent comfort in the fact that he could call her friend and his brother his blood. Once they were seated the questions poured from their guests, when Sesshomaru held up his hand he motioned for Sango to speak. "I will just say what I know has been on everyone's minds the last few days. When will we set out for Naraku? I believe that we are ready to face him and to face anything he has in mind for us." When she had finished Sesshomaru looked around the tables seeing the same determination on every face there. Sighing he then faced Kagome and saw the same look mirrored there as well. "I believe we should set out in a week, it will give us the time needed to make the final necessary preparations. I am going to spend time here with Kagome, Shippo, and Rin, I suggest you all find who you want to spend this time with as well." Miroku then spoke up, "Being as Sango and I have already married we would like to stay here with Kagome if it is okay with you." Inuyasha also spoke, "Brother my only family is here, and I to would like to spend my time with you." He then faced Koga who had surprisingly never left them and had continued to train while overseeing his lands through messengers, "I will be leaving to visit Ayame in the morning, however I will be joining in the battle so I will be seeing you all in a week. You had better be here mutt face or you're in trouble!" He playfully ribbed Inuyasha. Kagome was glad to see the two had become friends at last; they were too much alike not to be. Her smile turned to a laugh as Inuyasha replied, "Of course I'll be here if only to practice my new moves on you so I can take back the shards I have so generously allowed you to hold for us!" They will never change she thought, telling Sesshomaru she wanted to check on the children she left the merriment in the dining hall to make her way back up the stairs.

When she reached Rin's door she entered to find them quietly coloring with the crayons she had brought back for Shippo. "It's time for bed you two.", she said when they looked up. "Kagome-chan will you please tell this Rin and Shippo-chan a story?" Kagome's heart melted at the sight of this small girl's smile. Walking over to them she picked them both up and walked to the bed they were sharing, she sat down and laid them on their respective pillows and pulled the coverlets up to their chins. Once she had done this she began her favorite tale from when she was a small girl. It was one her father had told her, and one of her most precious memories of him. "This one is about a woman who proved she could when everyone else said she couldn't, her name was Rhiannon and she was from a land very from Japan. She had red hair that shone copper in the sunlight and eyes as green as the greenest meadow you have ever seen. In her lands she was known as a goddess, and revered for her wisdom as well as her beauty and compassion. One day a man came to her with a sad tale, he had lost his wife to an invading army the year before and was beside himself with grief. Seeing how handsome he was and how beautiful his heart was she decided she would love this man. When he had finished his tale she asked if he would like the pain to go away from his heart, she said she could make it so but warned that if she did then he would not remember them ever again. So she cautioned him and gave him a new question, would he want to remember his time with the lost loved ones or he would never remember their existence? Pondering this only for a moment he replied that he would keep his memories and thus his pain. She secretly smiled at this because the question had been a test and he had passed. He was worthy of her love. A year went by in which the goddess would descend to earth against the wish of the other gods and visit the man at his home, one day she confessed her love to him and was surprised as the grin split his face. He confessed he loved her as well but had been afraid to approach her because she was not like him, when she heard this she surrendered to the emotions that she had had since the first time she met him. Against the advice of Lyllwen the god of war in her country, she descended to him the following day to live out her life in human form with the man she loved. The years came and went and she bore him two sons and a daughter, they had lived in peace for so long they were unprepared for the darkness that was war when it came upon them. Her oldest son was killed as he defended their homeland next to the king at the time. Not two years later her youngest son and her love followed, in despair she took her daughter and fled to the northern part of the country. There she met a man named Gyllenhal, he took them in and sheltered them. He desired her as he had desired no other and vowed she would be his. When he came to her one night and asked for her hand she refused him. She had loved the man she lost and none could take his place in her heart. He swore to the gods he would have her, fearing for her mother her daughter went to the god of wisdom. Blain was his name and he listened to her awaiting the end of her tale to give counsel. He then told her to bring her mother to him and he would protect them. Unbeknownst to the girl she had been followed by Gyllenhal's most trusted retainer, after discovering the plot he went to his lord with the news. The lord became enraged and locked Rhiannon away in a tower claiming her to be a witch. He banned her daughter from his lands on punishment of death were she to return. Years flew by with Rhiannon locked away while her daughter Nareen lived in the court of Blain. He had come to love the girl and wanted her hand in marriage, the only way to accomplish this was to free her mother as she would not be happy until she had her back. He sent a warning to Gyllenhal and waited for the lord's answer. One week later he received his messenger's head in a basket as reply. Enraged he vowed vengeance, and preparing his men he set out to attack. Gyllenhal had come to the tower for what he had decided was the last time he would ask for Rhiannon to give in to his demands and become his wife, if she did not she would die. "I told then and I tell you again now I will never love another. I will die before I will betray his memory." He silently fumed and turned to go, stopping at the door he turned back to her, "I will laugh as I see your form engulfed in flames and hear your screams!" He was shocked when he heard her laughter, light and airy as if she hadn't a care in the world. "I will not scream for I will welcome my death. You say it as though you mean to punish but to me it is a release." He left then with the sound of her tinkling voice in his ears. The next morning as she was tied to a stake in the center of his courtyard he was shocked at her gentle smile; she was only trying to unnerve him he thought. When the flames engulfed her she would give in to her fear. His words proved untrue as he watched the flare of the fire eat away at her flesh and she never once cried out. She died with the same gentle smile on her face. That night Blain attacked and killed all but the lord of the manor. Once he had him he motioned for Nareen to join them, he explained that Gyllenhal had burned her mother and she was allowed to punish him for his crime. Sighing she did what her mother would have done, she freed him but when she had she cautioned him. He would never find love as long as he held resentment in his heart, and as long as he did not find love he would wander the earth. Her mother had watched from the afterlife as her daughter set the man free and smiled at the face of the man she loved who had greeted her on the other side. Their daughter was a true gentle soul and would become the wife of a god; their sons were here with them. She had proven to all that she would be able to withstand the pains that came along with love." She finished the tale as the two slipped off to dreamland on the tails of the last words. Smiling she kissed them both on the forehead and left the room closing the door quietly behind her.

She made her way back down stairs and turned to the gardens instead of the dining hall. She needed time to walk alone and think about what she was going to do. She was set on going into battle alone with Naraku, he was her duty and hers alone. She knew in her heart she should have finished him off in her first life, now that she had a second chance she was not going to waste it. Pondering this she decided the best way would be to leave as a group as Sesshomaru had planned, but once on their way to Naraku's castle she would need to slip away before they could follow. Sighing she stared at the moon and stars in the sky wishing it was as clear in her era as it was here. She smelled him before she heard him come up behind her and wrap her in his arms. "Koi you are beautiful in the moonlight, but tell me why you are out here sighing at the sky?" She told him what she had thought about the difference in the clarity of the sky here than in her time. He smiled and pulled her in close to him, he loved how she fit against him perfectly. Thoughts of her naked and beneath him raced through his mind but he shoved them aside to simply enjoy holding her and being next to her in this moment. Thetime would come that they would join their bodies but he was if anything a patient man. For now he would be content to hold her and protect her until she felt it was the right time.

Naraku cursed as the last of his wounds was healing, it was the most painful that she had inflicted on him. It was right below the scar on his back and throbbed in pain as his poison flushed out the miko's power that was inside. He called for Kikyo and awaited her entry in his bedroom, when she walked in he could see her eyes blazing in fury. "Why whatever is wrong Kikyo my dear? Could it be the hanyou was not as easily controlled as you first thought?" He smiled a sinister smile as he watched her face darken. " I would have had his life by now if it hadn't been for that bitch! You were supposed to have taken her by now! Because she purified the wound she inflicted upon him I have lost the little power I had, and my grip on his soul. It is your fault, if you had captured my reincarnation when you said you would I would still have him!" Reaching out he backhanded her and she flew across the room. "Never seek to imply that I am held accountable for what you desire bitch! You are nothing to me, the only reason I have let you live so long was because it tortured the hanyou to no end knowing you walked this earth and hated him. As for Kagome she will be mine make no mistake, she was meant to be but she will come to me in her own. As for you I believe you have outlived your usefulness." With a flick of his wrist he sent a tentacle at her throat pulling her up close to his face. "B-b-but you can't Onigumo's heart will not allow you to harm me!" He smirked at this and watched her eyes grow wide when he thrust another tentacle through her chest, "Was never his to begin with, and you my dear were only a passing attraction because of the resemblance you bore to your reincarnation and my past love. Now I will send you to hell where you belong!" He ripped the tentacle through her from sternum to navel, watching in evil glee as her body turned to dust and her soul flew to the sky. Kagura and Kanna both shivered as they heard his maniacal laughter echo throughout the castle.

Kagome turned to face Sesshomaru and saw the peace that had settled on his features. She was still in awe over the change in him, he was the one she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. She just hoped she got the chance. She leaned in to kiss him gently on the lips as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He deepened it by begging entrance to her warm folds and she gasped at the electricity that shot through her body. Pulling away she fought to catch her breath, once her heart rate had returned she looked back at him and let the love shine in her eyes. Suddenly she stiffened as a familiar energy came closer to them, looking out she saw the white orb that she knew to be part of her soul. Stopping it before it could pass into her body she purified the hatred she felt radiating off of it. Once that was done she opened her arms and closed her eyes, letting it absorb. Sesshomaru had watched this in awe and was surprised at the tears he saw in her eyes when she had reopened them. "My love I must speak with Inuyasha alone for a moment. Will you please send him out?" He nodded but was worried as he caught a whiff of sadness and trepidation in her scent. Walking back into the hall he made his way to the dining area where his brother was deep in sake and conversation with Koga. He laughed inwardly as he remembered his father was fond of the drink, he would become jovial any time he consumed it. His brother it seemed had the same infliction for the stuff. "Inuyasha, Kagome would like to talk to you in the gardens alone." He watched the surprise on his brother's face as he walked away.


He looked at her as she stood there with her face in profile; the moon seemed to light up her face as she gazed at the sky. Then he smelled her tears, he rushed over to her concern in his eyes when she faced him. "Kagome what is wrong? My brother said you wanted to talk to me alone." He watched the emotions play across her face when she spoke, " Inuyasha I want to let you know that Kikyo has passed on. The information I garnered from her half of the soul as I purified it was meant for you. In her heart she has always loved you, it was Naraku who poisoned her against you and he who took her life. I am sorry but I promised her I would tell you so she could rest in peace." She looked at him with sad eyes as he let her words sink in. Kikyo was gone, he felt sadness but surprisingly his heart did not ache as he thought it would. " I would like to thank you for telling me this Kagome. Believe me when I say that while I will always have a place for her in my heart I will not follow her to hell as she would have wished. I am going to live my life as I should of in the first place. I am glad you called me out to you as I had wanted to talk to you as well." He stared up at the moon before he spoke again, "Kagome I no longer desire the jewel to become a full demon. I am happy with who I am because you, my brother, and all the people I care about accept me for me. I will remain who I am and try to find happiness in the years to come." He was surprised at her reaction as she clapped her hands in glee and wrapped him in a bear hug. "Kami but you are strong for a woman!" He said laughing as she pulled back. "I guess you'll just have to get used to that!" Lacing her arm through his they made their way back to their friends.

Naraku called for Kanna once more, when she appeared he commanded her to show him the miko. When he looked into the mirror black swirled and then was replaced by her image. He had waited all night to look for her allowing his wound to heal completely it had done so at dawn. His eyes lit with an unholy light as he caught her in the baths, he drank in the sight of her naked form even as he felt his erection spring to life. Silently he wished that he were the cloth with which she bathed, he watched as she finished and dressed. When she turned so that he could see her face in the mirror he was shocked when she spoke. "Naraku did you enjoy my bath? Well I hope you did for it will be the last time your filthy eyes will ever feast upon my flesh. His eyes burned at the intensity if the blue light that shot into the mirror, he heard the sound of splintering glass and watched as the mirror shattered out. "So she thinks to taunt me to anger does she? Hahahaha I will have her the spirited wench! She has not changed one bit over the years. Kanna send in Kagura." With that the little girl left and a few moments later the wind demon appeared before him. "What is it you wish?" He let her stew for a moment before answering, "I need to get the miko to come to me, to do so I need a bargaining chip I want you to obtain the human child and the fox kitsune for me. Once I have them in my possession I will have her. Leave now and do not return until you have them." Leaving him Kagura felt frustration at the situation, she did not like to involve children in this but she had no choice, if she screwed up this time he would kill her for sure. Pulling the feather from her hair she arose in the sky and headed west.


Sorry folks I had to slip a story about my name in there somehwere! The story that Kagome tells the children is actually a welsh folktale about my name (Rhiannon) passed down through centuries! NE who I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, now on to the next!