Her Destiny

Chapter 27

When Jakyoku walked into the cave, no one noticed the little white bird that flew over his head to escape the cave it was in. It was on a mission and flew silently away. Once it was outside, it turned into an orb and moved with speed across the land.

It was heading straight for the Western castle to find its master’s mate, and it will not fail in this duty.

---oOo---

It was a very rough night. Sesshoumaru could not sleep as he thought about his precious mate. His father, upon returning to the castle, summoned the rest of his generals and had them ready the army to move. He wanted them prepared to leave by morning to go and find Jakyoku. He had no idea where to look for him, but he will find him no matter what.

Sesshoumaru was currently outside trying to figure out a way to find his mate. He has been trying all night to get in contact with her, but he has yet to achieve his goal. The frustration level in both him and his father was taking its toll on the both of them.

His father took a company of youkai soldiers and had them take his brother away from the castle. He has a secret location set up for just this purpose. His brother, being the youngest of the pack, protested loudly that he wanted to go with his father to retrieve his mother.

It was the first time that his father has ever been short with either of them as he growled his command to Inuyasha. His brother knew enough not to argue with his father and submitted to his command. He was then taken away from the castle along with his father’s most trusted servants to tend to his needs.

The army was now assembled and they were ready to move, as Inutaisho approached his son. He could see the frustration and anger that radiated from Sesshoumaru’s aura as he placed a hand on his shoulder, and said, “Sesshoumaru, it’s time to leave. We will find the both of them and when we do, we will rip Jakyoku apart for taking what is ours to begin with.”

Sesshoumaru agreed with his father, but as he was about to turn and leave to go hunt for his mate, they stopped in their tracks when they felt a familiar aura come into the area. They sniffed the air and picked up Kagome’s scent; immediately father and son looked frantically around for her. They looked up into the sky and noticed a small orb coming in fast.

The little bird finally made it to the Western castle. It found its master’s mate as it reverted back into its small bird form.

Sesshoumaru’s eyes opened wide, as he saw the orb turn into a small white bird. He reached for the bird, and it fluttered to his outstretched finger, Sesshoumaru noted that Kagome’s scent was all over the little bird. He brought the bird closer to his face and noticed that this was a Shikigami that belonged to Kagome.

Sesshoumaru observed, as his father moved closer to him, he too looked at the bird with curiosity. Sesshoumaru turned his full attention to the bird and asked, “Do you know where Kagome is located?”

The bird ruffled its feathers, as it started to glow. It projected a light out of its body and into the crescent moons that adorned their foreheads. Slowly a picture was formed in their minds as they both saw their mates in a cave.

They watched the scene unfold before their eyes as the anger grew in both Inu’s hearts. Jakyoku clearly has no idea who he was dealing with. They watched, eyes turning red with anger, as both witnessed Ayashiko getting attacked by the male for her words.

Sesshoumaru watched as his mate stood up to that bastard. His heart filled with pride at her defiance. When he saw her battling the male, without her Reiyouku, he finally saw how powerful she really was. She held her own against him even if she was chained to the floor. But when he saw her go down, after trying to get to his mother, and that bastard landed on top of her, he about lost it.

His inner Inu was raging when he saw the male hitting his beloved mate and then witnessed as the bastard tore her haori away from her body. When he licked at her wounds tasting her blood, it was all Sesshoumaru could take. He gave an earth-shaking howl into the morning air, promising death to the one that who took his beautiful mate and hurt her. His howl was so powerful that it actually shook the land itself as he breathed in deeply.

The images stopped when the bastard left the cave. Sesshoumaru was breathing hard as he turned to look at his father. They both stared at each other with blood red eyes as Sesshoumaru turned his attention back to the bird. He took a deep breath as he asked, “Can you take me to her location?” He watched the bird intently as it nodded its head yes.

Both Inu’s turned to face the generals who were standing behind them, as Inutaisho said, “Generals, you are to follow us. We are heading towards the place where that bastard is holding our mates. You are to engage the enemy until we find where he is keeping our ladies. Is that understood?”

---oOo---

The general’s came running over to their lord’s location when they heard his son howl, which shook the area. So intense was his howl that it struck fear in their hearts. They had no idea what they were witnessing, but from that howl, they figured that this Jakyoku will surely die this day. They heard their lord’s words and nodded their heads in agreement, giving the orders to get ready to move.

The little bird that was sitting on Sesshoumaru’s finger flew up as it waited for them to follow it back to its master. Both Inutaisho and Sesshoumaru turned into their true forms and then left the Western castle at a fast clip. They were following the little bird that seemed to be moving very fast across the sky, to get to their mates. They were going to show Jakyoku that he should not have taken what belonged to them.

---oOo---

Kagome was slowly waking up from her ordeal. That bastard tore her haori and hurt her. She swore on her life that she will never be his mate as she slowly opened her eyes. She was still on the cold hard floor where Jakyoku pinned her. Her wrist and ankles hurt because the shackles were digging deep into her skin.

She heard small whimpering noises and turned her head slightly toward her Oka-san. She saw her Oka-san on the ground just a short distance away from her with her head bowed crying.

Kagome tried to move her hand to reach Ayashiko, but the chains restrained her. Jakyoku knew enough to keep them separated and not let her get any comfort from her Oka-san. He knew how protective females were of their pups, and her Oka-san would have protected her with her life, if she was able to reach her.

Kagome looked at Ayashiko as she said in a low and strained voice, “Oka-san?”

Ayashiko was powerless to help her pup, as she saw her getting attacked by that male. When he finally left her alone, she crawled on the ground towards her pup and looked at her. She couldn’t reach her and that hurt more than anything.

Ayashiko saw all the bruises that her pup had on her face. One of her eyes was almost swollen shut, there was blood coming from the corner of her mouth, and from the claw marks on her chest. She was still alive, but just barely.

She lowered her head as she started to cry. She knew deep down in her heart that Kagome would rather die than submit to the likes of Jakyoku. She was mated to her son and she was very loyal to him.

She stayed there for a while crying when she heard her pup calling for her. She looked up with sad eyes, as she asked, “Kagome, my pup, how are you feeling?”

Kagome slowly sat up as she winced in pain. She looked down at her chest and noticed that her haori was gone. She looked around and found what was left of it. She found a long piece of cloth that was still in good condition and wrapped it around her chest, tying it in place. She was not about to change into the clothes that bastard gave her.

She then turned to Ayashiko and said, “I’m fine Oka-san. I’m not going to submit to him. He has no right to touch me and I’m going to make him pay for what he did.”

Once Kagome was done wrapping what remained of her haori around her chest, she reached up into her hair and removed the lock pick that was there. She brought her wrist up as she opened the lock and then did the same for her other hand. She then released the shackles from around her ankles as she was now free to move around.

Kagome walked over to her mother, she collapsed on the ground in front of her and buried her face into her chest and cried. It was the first time she cried since Jakyoku had beaten her.

Ayashiko held on to her pup. She tried to keep her feelings hidden but she knew better. Her pup was hurting right now and she wanted nothing more than to comfort her. She watched as Kagome covered her chest in what remained of her haori and then pulled something out of her hair. To her it looked like a long hairpin that had a flower on the tip, but then she observed her pup take off the flower and insert the end into the shackle. She continued to move it around, until it opened. She was amazed at the ease in which she did this, and when she was totally free from her chains she walked over to her.

Ayashiko opened her arms to her pup as Kagome buried her face into her chest and cried. It tore at her heart to see her pup like this. Her pups sob where shaking her body with the pain she was feeling. They stayed like that for a while until she soothed away Kagome’s pain.

Kagome moved away from Ayashiko as she took her wrist into her hands and took off her shackles. Once she freed her Oka-san, it was time to plan on how to get away from this place.

Kagome got up as she moved to the entrance of the chamber they were in. There was a dark tunnel that led to the outside, but without her Reiyouku, she could not sense who was outside, or if there was a barrier that was set up. Mad at her inability to sense anything, except aura’s that were powerful, she cursed the Inu under her breath for taking away something that she has had since birth.

She moved back toward Ayashiko as she sat down next to her deep in thought. They needed a plan to get out of here, so they could meet up with her Otou-san and mate. Something was telling her that they were close to their location and she needed to be by her mate’s side to help him.

Kagome was at a loss for what to do if she could not remove the collar that was around her neck. It was the one thing that was causing all her problems. She knew that she could break the spell on the collar but it will also alert anyone standing guard that she was breaking free of their control. She was stuck on what to do, as she stopped her train of thought when she heard the sounds of running feet coming to their location.

Both Kagome and Ayashiko replaced the shackles just in time as about eleven youkai soldiers came into the cavern they were in. Six of the soldiers came forward as the soldiers grabbed the females by the arms and held them tight. They were ready for anything incase the females decided to escape.

The soldier that was in charge came forward with a key as he opened the shackles that the females had. Immediately, upon being released, both females fought the males as the remaining four soldiers surged forward and subdued them.

The one soldier in charge said in a menacing voice, “You are to come with us. Lord Jakyoku wishes your presence when he kills your mates.”

The shock that rippled through the females was great. The soldiers led the females out of the cavern to where their lord was currently waiting to fight the Western army.

---oOo---

Jakyoku made it out of the cave with the air of satisfaction surrounding his aura. He thought that the education of his bitch, on what it was like to defy him and his wants, was a lesson well taught. She will learn her place with him and he will have fun making her submit to him.

The moment that he walked out of the cave, he heard the howl rent through the area as it shook the land with its intensity. He growled deep and menacing as he barked out, “Gather our army, we go to defeat the Western army this day. By night fall we will be the rightful rulers of the West and all will bow down to our dominance.”

A loud roar was heard around the camp as the generals got their soldiers ready. Today was the day that they will defeat the west for what was theirs to begin with. The soldiers were beginning to leave the area as they headed towards the spot that they were to meet the enemy.

Jakyoku quickly made his way over to his cave as he went to get his sword. Once he had it in his hand, he silently thought, ‘Father, today is the day that I will avenge your death. The Western Lord will die by my hand and the west will be ours. I have already selected a mate that will bare me powerful heirs and our line will continue to grow stronger for many years to come.’ He put his sword in his sash as he left his cave to join his men. This was the day that he has been waiting for all his life.

The place that Jakyoku has selected for the final battle was a strategic place. It was in a valley and the Western army will have no choice but to walk into their trap. He had his soldiers placed around the cliffs hiding. Once the Western army was in their trap they will attack and annihilate them from the face of the earth.

The death of the current Western Lord and his son will be in the presence of his mate to be and the demoness. They will witness their demise with their own eyes, and then accept the fate that has been handed to them.

He will send for the females when the time was right, and he was close to capturing the Western lord. This brought a smile to his face as he made his way to the battlefield. When he got there, his generals reported that everything was set as they waited patiently for the enemy to come to them.

---oOo---

Inutaisho and Sesshoumaru were approaching the place where their mates are located. They could faintly pick up on their scents, as they stopped just short of the enemy location. They saw off in the distance a powerful barrier that was protecting a very large area of their lands. They reverted back into their humanoid forms, as they waited for their army to catch up to them.

The little bird that was leading them towards its master was hovering near Sesshoumaru’s head.

Sesshoumaru was conscious of the bird’s presence as he turned to it and, asked, “Is the barrier we saw the place where they are keeping Kagome and my mother?”

The little bird nodded its head yes to his inquiry. Sesshoumaru took this information in as he held out a finger for the bird to land. The bird did as told, and landed on his outstretched finger.

Sesshoumaru had an idea, as he turned to the bird and said, “If I give you something can you take it back to Kagome?” The little bird nodded its head yes as it waited.

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and raised his other hand up. A small red ball was formed in the palm of his hand, and from it, he created a small dagger for the bird. He moved his hand closer to the other one, as he said to the bird, “I want you to take this. When the time is right, I want you to touch the collar that Kagome is wearing with this. Once you do, it will break the spell on the collar and it will release my mate’s powers. If you could do the same thing for my mother, it will also release her from the spell.”

The little bird flapped its wings, as it took the small dagger into its beak and flew off. It had its orders and it was going to carry them out.

Inutaisho was very impressed with his son’s abilities. He never knew that he could do that, let alone give his power to a Shikigami that was created by his mate. At that moment, the Western army reached their location, as they all moved with speed towards the location where their lord’s mates were located.

They stopped the army just short of their objectives as Inutaisho, Sesshoumaru, and the generals, went to survey the location for the battle. What they saw did not please them at all. It was in a valley and they knew it will be a trap. It was a trap that they were willing to walk into, but it did not mean that they were going to go down without a fight.

Sesshoumaru surveyed the land as he got an idea. He turned to his father and said, “If we split up our forces we will be able to defeat them.”

Inutaisho was interested in what his son said, as he asked, “All right Sesshoumaru, do you have a plan on how we could achieve victory?”

Sesshoumaru turned to his father and the generals, as he began to detail his plan of attack. It was a very ambitious plan, but from what Inutaisho heard it will work. His plan was a simple one. He wanted to divide his forces as he sent soldiers to the ridge that were surrounding them. Sesshoumaru knew that Jakyoku will have soldiers laying in wait for them. Once they were in the valley they will close off their escape route out of the area.

This was a battle to the death and, Sesshoumaru was very determined to win this battle. The generals understood what Sesshoumaru wanted and even made some suggestions of their own to improve on his idea. They all came to an agreement as they set out to split up their forces.

When they were ready, father and son looked at each other as they went into battle together. This was a battle to get their mates back and to keep their lands safe from the enemy.

The main force of the army followed Inutaisho and Sesshoumaru into battle. The soldiers were anxious to fight, the enemy took the lady of the lands along with the little miko that they all had a deep respect for. They will get them back as they started to make their way into the valley.

---oOo---

Jakyoku watched as the youkai lord and his son made their way into his trap. When they were all in his trap, he gave the signal for the attack to begin. This is what his soldiers have been training for. Soon, they will be the ones to protect the Western Lands.

Sesshoumaru was the first to notice that the attack was coming before the enemy soldiers were even seen. He gave them all a warning as they prepared and then were attacked. The Western soldiers were one of the most highly trained armies for the West. Each company of soldiers was able to take on a larger force with no problems. Even though they were outnumbered by five to one, they were not taking on any casualties, as the black Inu’s fell to their superior force.

Sesshoumaru and Inutaisho were in the heat of battle when they caught sight of the youkai that took away their mates. Blood red eyes locked on to their prey, as they battled their way towards the Black Inu.

The smile on Jakyoku’s face started to fade away, as he saw his army starting to get smaller. The Western army was far better than he thought, and they were defeating his with no problems.

A deep and menacing growl left his throat as he turned to one of the youkai generals standing next to him and growled, “I want ten soldiers to go back and get the females. I want them brought here as soon as possible, so they can witness their mate’s demise by my hands.”

The general bowed deeply, as he sent the required soldiers back to get the females.

---oOo---

Koga and his group were watching what was going on. They heard the howl coming from the West promising death to the ones that held their mates. He shivered a little but did not turn from his resolve. He wanted the onna and he was going to get her.

Koga and his pack stayed close to the cave where they were holding the females. They didn’t follow the main army out when they went to defeat the Western Lord. He noticed when half of the guards left the mouth of the cave as they joined the main forces in battle. He knew that soon he will have his chance to get the ningen and he was not about to pass it up.

They were there for a long time, waiting, when they saw about eleven soldiers coming back from the battlefield, heading toward the cave. He knew that this was his chance to grab the female, as he set up his plan of attack.

His pack spread throughout the area as they waited for the soldiers to come back out of the cave. When they did, he noticed that it was taking about five soldiers each to subdue the females as they walked out of the cave with them. The soldiers that were standing guard on the outside of the cave, moved to go with their fellow soldiers, as they formed a circle around the females and were leading them toward the battlefield.

Koga chose this moment to attack the Inu’s as he gave the signal. They outnumbered the Inu’s, but they proved to be highly trained soldiers as they battled for the females.

Kagome noticed that they had guards surrounding them, as they were taken from the cave and led to another location. She was trying to come up with a plan of her own, to get away from these fools, when they were attacked.

Kagome’s eyes opened wide when she saw that it was Koga attacking her enemy and knew that this was not good. She thought that her mate got rid of this wolf, but it seems that he was still set on taking her away with him. She knew that he wanted her death for what she did to him, but at that moment she didn’t care.

Kagome began to struggle, as she tried to free herself from the soldiers grasp. She almost succeeded, when she was hit on the head, her world went black, while hitting the ground hard.

Ayashiko, seeing what they did to her pup became a thing processed as she fought off her guards.

One of the guards noticed what the females were doing, and they had to subdue them quickly before they escaped. They hit both females on the head and they fell to the ground unconscious, then they concentrated on the attacking ookami youkai.

Koga’s men fought bravely, as they over powered the Inu youkais and killed them all. By the time they were done, the ningen was starting to wake up as five-ookami youkai came forward and grabbed the onna by her arms.

Kagome’s head hurt. She was still pretty much out of it as she groaned in pain. She started to wake up, when she felt that someone picked her up off the ground by her arms. She slowly opened her eyes as she looked around the area. She saw the dead Inu soldiers and her mother lying right next to her.

She looked up and came face to face with Koga. She tried to move but she was being restrained as she felt several strong hands holding on to her. She growled deep in her throat, as her anger was getting the best of her. She stared at the ookami straight in the eyes, never once backing down from what she was doing. She was beginning to loath this youkai and he was going to die by her hands, if it was the last thing she did in this world.

Koga strutted toward the female as he grabbed her chin and lifted it up so he could look into her eyes. They were a dark grey like the calm before the storm, as he said, “So we meet again ningen. Did you think that you have seen the last of me? Well, I assure you that I am far from being done with you. You are going to come with me and, once we reach the Southern Lands, then I will take care of you once and for all.”

Kagome stared daggers at the former wolf prince as she spat in his face. She will be defiant for as long as she could, even if it meant her death.

Koga had to close his eyes as she spit on his face. He released her chin as he cleaned away her mess. He back handed her, as he said, “We move out now to the Southern Lands. Once we are in safe territories, then I will deal with this filthy ningen.”

They were about to move out when they heard a voice say, “No, I don’t think that you are going anywhere with the female, Koga. Didn’t Lord Inutaisho promise you death, if you ever returned to his lands?”

Koga froze in place, as he slowly turned around to face his new enemy. What he saw did not please him at all, as none other than Inutaisho’s soldiers surrounded him.

---oOo---

General Dewa and his men were traveling for a good portion of the day. They stopped as they heard the sound of battle in the distance. Dewa urged Ryuuou to fly up as everyone waited for his return.

Dewa looked to the near distance and saw the Western army battling with Jakyoku’s forces. They seemed to be holding their own as he looked in another direction. He turned his attention to the dragon, as he asked, “Ryuuou, is your mistress down in the middle of that battle?”

The dragon vigorously shook his head no, as he looked in the other direction. Dewa noticed his gaze, as he asked, “Is she in that direction?” The dragon nodded his head yes, to his question. He said his thanks to the dragon, as he asked the dragon to take them back down.

When Ryuuou landed on the ground, Dewa said, “The Western army is battling Jakyoku’s army as we speak. They are holding their own against them, but Ryuuou said that the Lady of the Lands is not in the middle of the battle. She is being kept somewhere else and that is where we are going. We are going to go and get our ladies back before joining Lord Inutaisho in battle.”

The group understood what they were going to do, as they continued going towards the location that Lady Ayashiko and Kagome were at. The group at long last made it to the area. They kept themselves hidden in the forest, as they masked their scent and aura to prevent anyone from finding them.

Miroku hid his and Sango’s scent and aura, as they followed the general. He noticed that Sango was getting agitated as he asked, “Sango my love, what’s wrong?”

Sango heard Miroku’s question as she said in a deadly voice, “I’m going to get those bastards that kidnapped Kagome. If they have hurt her, I will take great pleasure in seeing to their demise.”

Never before has Miroku heard Sango speak so deadly. She was truly angry for failing to protect her charge and she was about to get her revenge. They remained on Ah, Un as they traveled towards their location. Even though the dragon was very large, it moved silently through the forest.

When they reached the location, where the ladies were being held, they noticed the battle that was going on. They observed from the forest, as they let the wolves win the fight. They were looking for their ladies when they saw them on the ground not moving.

Then they observed Koga as he approached and his men held up a ningen onna by the arms. Sango gasped, as she said in a low voice, “Kagome, what have they done to you?”

Miroku looked toward the female that the ookami were holding up, and it looked like she has been beaten half to death. She had bruises all over her face and she was covered in blood. He could sense the tremendous amount of holy powers that she possessed, as he watched her defy the wolf. ‘She has spunk I have to give her that, even if it was foolish of her to resist.’ Miroku thought, as he waited patiently for the general to give the order to attack.

When Dewa saw that the ookami were about to leave the area, he nudged Ryuuou forward, as he said, “No, I don’t think that you are going anywhere with the female, Koga. Didn’t Lord Inutaisho promise you death, if you ever returned to his lands?”

Dewa observed, as Koga turn around to face him. He saw him pale as he smirked at the ookami and said, “You will release the females to us and then leave. I will spare your life this one time.”

Koga sniffed, as he said, “Like hell I will! I have gone through a lot of trouble to get a hold of this one and I’m not giving her up to the likes of you.” Koga gave the order for his pack to attack, as he grabbed the ningen and tried to leave with her.

Dewa gave the order to attack, as his soldiers surged forward and attacked the ookami. Several of the soldiers went in and got Lady Ayashiko out of the way as the battle raged on. His soldiers were making quick work of the ookami as the order was given to kill them all.

Sango noticed that Koga was about to leave the area with Kagome’s limp form in his arms. He was about to leap away, when she told the twin headed dragon to stop him. The dragon did not need any more orders, as it let lose of its dragon’s breath and stopped the wolf from leaving with his mistress.

Sango jumped off the dragon, as she faced off with Koga. There was no way in hell she was going to let him leave with Kagome.

Koga held Kagome’s limp form in front of him, as a shield, while he faced off with the Taijiya. He knew of her reputation as being a fierce fighter. He didn’t want to be killed by this onna if he could help it. Koga tried to leave again but a monk with holy sutras stopped him. The monk placed a barrier around their position that prevented him from leaving. The only way to leave was to fight and he was about to do just that.

Kagome’s mind was in a fog like state. She has been tossed around so much that she had a splitting headache. She finally got some of her focus back as she looked around to see where she was. She spotted Sango in front of her and then she noticed that Koga was holding her as a shield that prevented Sango from attacking him.

She began to struggle to get out of his hold but the hold around her neck tightened and she was forced to stay still.

No one noticed the little bird that was flying around the area. It was waiting for the opportunity to give his mistress the gift from her mate. The bird saw its chance, when Koga moved his arm from around its master’s neck, leaving the bird free to attack. The bird flew in as it cut the collar that was around its master’s neck. The spell on the collar was so powerful that it destroyed the bird before it could carry out the rest of its orders.

Kagome felt when her Shikigami came back into the area. She saw it fly by and cut the collar on her neck with a small dagger. She felt when Jakyoku’s collar was destroyed, its power flared around the collar destroying her Shikigami before it could fly away. But she noticed that the spell that told Jakyoku, if she broke his collar was still in place, even though the collar was destroyed. The magic of the dagger kept the illusion that she still had it on, which brought her some time.

She then noticed that her power was being returned to her, after the collar was cut. She smiled an evil smile, as she reached up with her hands and grabbed on to Koga’s arms.

Her hands started to glow as she released her Reiyouku and said to Koga, “Now I will make my Otou-sans threat a reality. DIE YOU BASTARD!”

The next thing, everyone in the area noticed, was the bright flash of light and the deadly scream that came from Koga, as Kagome purified him to oblivion.

Kagome fell to her knees panting hard, as she felt arms going around her shoulders in a fierce hug from her best friend.

Sango rushed forward as she reached Kagome and gave her a hug that told of her worry and pain for not protecting her. She felt her hug returned, as she heard Kagome say, “Sango, I need to find Lady Ayashiko, please take me to her.”

Sango helped Kagome to stand as the dragon came right over and nuzzled their mistress. Kagome giggled, as she turned to the dragon and said, “Ah, Un, take me to Lady Ayashiko please.” The dragon kneeled to allow her to get on their back, as they stood up and walked over to where they were keeping the Lady of the West safe.

Dewa’s soldiers quickly finished defeating all of the ookami youkai. When they felt the surge of power in the area, Dewa looked up in time to see the little miko purify the wolf, as a smile came to his features. The little miko has come a long way, and is even more powerful than before. He saw her coming towards him, as he got off the dragon he was on. He bowed deeply to her and said, “I’m glad that you are safe milady.”

Kagome turned her tired eyes to the general, as she asked, “General, where is my
Oka-san?”

The general turned as his guards parted and there behind them was the Lady of the Lands unconscious on the ground.

Kagome got off the dragon and made her way towards her mother. When she got there, she kneeled next to her and concentrated on her powers. She needed to recreate the spell that her Shikigami used to destroy her collar, so that Jakyoku wouldn’t notice they were free of his spell. She finally got the spell right, while she reached over and pulled the offending collar away from her Oka-san, as her powers was once again returned to her.

Ayashiko opened her eyes, as she felt her youki returning to her. It quickly healed her body as she looked into the eyes of her pup. She saw all the bruises that she had on her face and was about to ask her a question, when Kagome’s eyes flashed red. A powerful barrier was placed around the group she was with.

Kagome sensed a dark aura in the area. She recognized who it was, as she set up a powerful barrier before the attack came. A black ball of energy hit her barrier as it protected everyone inside. She stood up on her feet, and turned to the one responsible.

---oOo---

Akurei was watching from the forest to see who will win the battle to get the miko. If the wolf youkais won the fight, then she will just walk in and take her. If the Inu’s won the battle then she will have to fight to get the miko. It was better to let them tire each other out before she made herself known.

To her delight she saw as the ookami won the fight and killed all of the Inu soldiers that were guarding the miko. What she did not expect, however, were the Western soldiers to show up and spoil her plans. She was pissed, it required more resources than she had to fight the Western Inu’s, rather than to fight the black Inu’s.

She watched from the forest, trying to decide how to get the miko. She noticed that all of them were preoccupied with the female youkai and she saw her chance to attack. She sent a ball of her dark magic towards her enemy, but to her surprise, it was deflected by the miko, as she observed her eyes turning red.

She didn’t think that the miko still had this much power left, since she looked like she has been to hell and back. But she was sadly mistaken. The amount of power that was radiating off the miko was powerful, as she made her way into the clearing to challenge her once and for all. She needed her blood to become immortal and she was going to get it.

When Akurei saw Kagome’s eyes, they have turned blood red. Never before has she seen a miko do this. She waited patiently, as the miko walked out of the barrier to face her. This was her chance to kill her, as her barrier prevented all those that were under its protection from leaving.

Kagome turned to the one responsible for the attack, her hackles were raised, while she growled just like an Inu youkai that startled everyone who was with her in the clearing. She stood on shaky legs, as she walked out of the barrier to face the kuro miko once and for all. She was tired of this bitch coming after her and her family.

Kagome stopped just a few feet away from the kuro miko, as she said, “What do you want, Akurei?”

Akurei smirked, as she said, “I want your death, and when you’re dead then I will become immortal. I will rule this land and no one, not even the Western Lord, will be able to defeat me.” Akurei turned, and while she did that, she sent another black ball of her kuro energy towards Kagome.

Kagome saw the attack coming as she stood her ground, the attacked hit, as everyone in the clearing yelled for Kagome.

Ayashiko was pounding on the barrier that her pup set up. The damn thing was so powerful that even she could not bring it down. She saw kuro miko about to attack her pup as her eyes turned blood red. She doubled her efforts to break the barrier, but it was to no avail. When she saw the attack hit her pup she fell to her knees as she cried. She couldn’t see her pup through all the smoke that was around the area.

The foul stench of the blast was preventing her from scenting her pup out. Ayashiko waited with bated breath to see what happened to Kagome.

Akurei smiled an evil smile, as she started to walk towards the dead miko. She was confident that she killed her, and she was going to collect her blood. Her heart’s desire was about to be realized, as she was about to become immortal.

Akurei stopped in her tracks. Her heart was beating a mile a minute when she realized that something was wrong, very wrong. The smoke started to clear and she noticed that the miko was still alive. Her eyes opened wide, as she said, “How can this be! You should have died when I attacked you.”

Kagome was still standing in the same spot. She put a barrier to protect herself as Akurei’s attack hit. Her barrier held, as she waited for the smoke to clear. It was time to get rid of this thorn in her side.

Once the smoke cleared, Kagome smiled an evil smile, as she said, “You actually thought that you could kill me? You’re pathetic. You don’t have the power to kill me and now it’s time for me to get rid of you. I have had enough of you coming after my family and me. I pass judgment on you and the sentence is death for your transgressions.”

Kagome stood her ground, as she held out her hand to the side and said, “Jenjou, come to me!” Kagome’s hand started to glow a pure white as her sword appeared in her hand.

Kagome started to concentrate on her powers, her body started to glow in a blue hue, as she channeled her powers into her sword. She held the sword above her head, as she said, “Jikan no Kaze!” (Winds of time)

A fierce wind came out of Kagome’s sword, as the attack went straight towards Akurei. The kuro miko tried to dodge her attack, but it kept moving with her.

Akurei was panicking, as she saw the miko’s attack getting closer to her by the minute. She put up her strongest barrier and then sent an attack of her own to try and stop the miko’s attack from reaching her.

Her attack had no effect, as Kagome’s attack hit her full force. Akurei concentrated hard on her barrier, but it was a waste of time. Kagome’s attack broke through her barrier, as it hit the kuro miko full force. The attack aged her intended victim. Releasing all of the dead miko’s magic from her body.

Akurei fell to her knees, as she looked at her hands. They were old, wrinkled, and marked with aged spots, as she saw her hair go from a beautiful midnight black to silver in color, aging rapidly. She looked up from the ground, as she tried to say something but her words failed her. The attack turned her to ash, as she died an aged death.

Kagome was panting hard. She put her sword in her sash as she slowly turned towards her mother. She released her barrier from around everyone, as she fell to her knees. She was tired, but she knew that her mate and father were still fighting that bastard, as she tried to get her strength back.

Ayashiko reached her pup and wrapped her arms around her to offer comfort. She could feel the weariness that she had, and knew that she needed to rest. But her pup had other ideas, as she said, “Oka-san, we have to go to the battlefield. Otou-san and Sesshoumaru are fighting that bastard and we have to help them. We must defeat him if we want a future filled with happiness.”

Ayashiko understood what her pup was saying, as she turned to the general and said, “General, get everyone ready, we are going to help my mate and son defeat this bastard that has caused so much pain in our lives.”

General Dewa was more than happy to obey that order, as he gathered his soldiers getting ready to leave the area. Then, he got an idea as he turned to his Lady and said, “Milady, I have a plan that will get us really close to the enemy if you are willing to go along with it.”

Ayashiko was intrigued, as she listened to what the General had in mind. When he was done outlining his plan Ayashiko had to admit that she liked it. She agreed to his plan as his soldiers stripped the enemy of their uniforms.

Kagome added to the illusion as she cast a concealment spell that made General Dewa and his men look like the dead soldiers of Jakyoku. The plan was set as they went towards the enemy, it was time to take back the Western Lands.

---oOo---

Inutaisho and Sesshoumaru have been battling for a while against Jakyoku soldiers. The Western army was holding their own against the black Inu, as they continued to battle. To their surprise, they noticed that they have females in their army, and it made it difficult for the Western soldiers to battle them. They didn’t want to battle against the females, as it was against their honor to hurt a female.

Jakyoku noticed that he was losing to the Western army. This did not please him at all, as he called for the soldiers that were hidden in the cliffs, ready to attack. A fresh new wave of enemy soldiers descended on the weary soldiers of the West as they attacked them full force.

Inutaisho, noticing what was going on, howled into the air. His orders were heard as his reserve soldiers joined the battle down below. It was all out war as the males battled for dominance over the West.

Jakyoku was wondering why it was taking so long for them to bring the females to his location. He was about to go and see what the problem was, when his soldiers returned with the females. It was taking five soldiers each to subdue the females as he turned to look at his mate.

He approached his female, as he said, “I’m glad that you could come mate. You are about to witness the end to the Western Lord and his son. Once they are dead, then you and I will mate and our life together will be filled with joy and happiness.”

Kagome was trying really hard to hold on to her temper, as she spat, “If you think that you can defeat my mate in battle then think again, he is more powerful than you. I told you once that I would rather die then be your mate. You can never be bonded to me because I’m already bonded to my mate in full.”

Jakyoku eyes opened wide at her proclamation, as he stalked towards her. When he reached her, he pulled her hair, as he tilted her head to the side, exposing her mating mark. He went to bite her, to mark her as his own, but the moment his fangs touched her skin it threw him backwards to land on his back.

His anger grew ten fold, as he was on his feet in a few seconds and growled, “How can you be fully mated to him when you haven’t gone into heat yet?!”

Kagome smiled and evil smile as she said, “I’m a miko and there are ways to get around little things like that if I so wish it. You are not powerful enough to subdue me and I will purify your ass the first chance I get.”

That did it, as he attacked the miko, but before he could reach her, a barrier stopped his attack, as he was burned by the purifying power of Kagome’s barrier. He stumbled backwards, as he saw his soldiers release the miko and the demoness. His rage was fanned anew as he growled, “What do you think you’re doing? Why have you released them?”

Kagome’s concealment spell fell as it revealed the Western soldiers surrounding the females.

Jakyoku paled when he saw that the Western soldiers surrounded him. He growled and more of his soldiers came in to attack the intruders, while everyone heard him yell, “Kill them all!”

Kagome quickly pulled her sword from her sash, which she concealed with a concealment spell, as she joined the Western soldiers in attacking the enemy. Kagome was in the middle of the battle, as her Oka-san joined her to get the bastard that hurt them and their mates.

Kagome was keeping an eye on her Oka-san as they both advanced toward Jakyoku.

Sesshoumaru witness when Jakyoku tried to mark his mate as his. With them having a true-life bond it prevented any youkai from claiming what was his. His anger grew ten fold as he doubled his efforts to get to his enemy. He was going to be the one to end his life.

He finally broke free of the last attacking soldier as he rushed toward Jakyoku. It was now time to defeat this bastard and get rid of the threat to their lands.

Jakyoku saw Sesshoumaru coming towards him as he pulled his sword from its sheath. It was time to kill the bastard that bonded with his mate. He still wanted her and the only way to get her was to kill him. He rushed in as their swords meet in mid air.

The power of both swords crackled in the sky as they both fought for dominance. It seemed that they were both evenly matched, as they pushed away from each other. They landed on the ground, each staring at their opponent, as they circled around each other, like a predator stalking his prey.

Jakyoku was not about to let Sesshoumaru beat him in battle, as he started to cast his spells to defeat him.

Sesshoumaru felt when his feet were grabbed and he was unable to move to fight against Jakyoku. His youki flared around his body trying to break the spell that held him. He saw Jakyoku coming towards him as he lashed out with his whip. He got Jakyoku in the chest as he sent him backwards in pain. Sesshoumaru then put his sword into the ground as he channeled his power into his sword to release his feet.

Sesshoumaru succeeded in getting free just in time to avoid another attack from Jakyoku.

Jakyoku’s plan was working; he was forcing Sesshoumaru to use all of his youki to fight him. With each spell that he was able to ensnared Sesshoumaru with, he forced his enemy to use a lot more of his youki to break his spell before he got hit with another.

Sesshoumaru landed on his knees as he was panting hard. He was losing his energy and Jakyoku still had enough youki to fight him. This was not good, as they continued to fight. At one point Jakyoku hit him in the chest with a spell as he went down hard. He couldn’t get back up as he saw Jakyoku moving in to attack again.

Kagome was watching the battle that was going on. They were winning against Jakyoku’s army but it was taking time. She was watching out of the corner of her eye as her mate battled Jakyoku. She did not interfere in the battle allowing her mate to take her revenge for her.

She saw as Jakyoku was casting spell after spell at her mate and it was taking its toll on him. Sesshoumaru was slowly weakening, using his youki every time to break the spell that was holding him and then battling with Jakyoku once more. She saw him get hit by a powerful spell as he went down hard. He was not able to get up and Jakyoku was about to kill him.

Kagome’s eyes went wide as she yelled, “SESSHOUMARU!!!”

Kagome’s power rose quickly as her wings appeared on her back. She flew off towards her mate as she reached him in time to block the attack. It was now time that Jakyoku see her true powers as she killed this bastard once and for all.

Kagome pushed Jakyoku away from Sesshoumaru, as she stood in front to protect him. When Jakyoku regained his feet, his blood red eyes locked with the miko. Her aura was going to a pure white in color as her powers spiked. It blinded everyone in the battlefield as they all stopped their fighting to see what was going on.

Kagome pulled on all her emotions as she let her true powers free. Her body was engulfed in a pure white light as she changed. Once the light was gone everyone on the battlefield gasped as they saw the miko.

What Jakyoku saw in front of him was not the female that he was going to mate but a goddess. She was dressed in pure white kimono with golden body armor that covered her chest. She had on a short white skirt that came just above her knees with soft black boots that covered her ankles.

Her wings were spread out behind her as she gave a powerful flap and knocked everyone in front of her down to their knees. Her sword pulsed with power as a golden glow was surrounding it. Her normally blue/black hair was now a pure white as it went down to just below her knees. Her beautiful blue eyes turned white with a mild blue tint as she reached the height of her powers.

Jakyoku was panting hard. He wanted this female now more than ever and he was going to subdue her powers. He stood tall as he called upon his dark powers. Oh yes, he knew how to use black magic but he never wanted to. It was too dangerous and he could lose himself to this power, but at the moment, he wanted this female and this was the only way to defeat her. He knew that he could not subdue her by himself, she was too powerful, but with his dark powers he had enough strength to defeat her.

His aura turned red as his sword pulsed with power, far beyond what he was using with Sesshoumaru. Now he was ready to defeat his new mate.

Kagome stood her ground as she saw the power that Jakyoku was emitting. She had to be careful as she got into a fighting stance and waited for him to attack. She didn’t have to wait for long as he sent a blast her way.

A youkai whip of pure gold came out of her hand as she batted away the attack like it was nothing, purifying it so that it didn’t hurt anyone on the battlefield. She moved as she saw Jakyoku move around her person to get a better angle of attack.

Jakyoku sent another powerful blast towards Kagome, as she leaped into the air to avoid the attack, she countered with her own as she said, “TENHIKARIHA” and sent a wave of heavenly blades of power towards him. Her attack hit, as she watched from above to see if he was dead or weakened in any way.

Jakyoku saw her attack coming, but he didn’t have enough time to dodge it. It hit him head on as he cried out in pain. He landed on one knee but he was not purified, yet. He could not afford to get hit again or he will lose his life to this onna. Her Reiyouku was truly powerful and he was not about to die by her hands.

He gathered his energy as he sent a blast towards the girl. She will not see it coming since there was still a lot of debris flying around the area.

Kagome was watching to see what happened. She then moved quickly out of the way as a blast came from Jakyoku’s position. She just barely had enough time to avoid the first attack, when she saw another black object shoot up towards her at a fast pace. She didn’t have time to react to the second threat as she was hit and she went down hard.

Kagome was hurt now, as she crashed into the earth down below. She was weakening. She needed to finish this now, if she wanted to win against Jakyoku. Kagome tried to get back up as she struggled to get to her feet. She leaped away as Jakyoku attacked again. He was keeping her off balance as he continued his assault.

Kagome continued to avoid his attacks. She skidded to a stop as she concentrated on her sword, building up her power. When she had enough she raised her sword and said, “HONOO NO SHINIDE!”

Rich red flames came out of her sword, as if the fires of hell itself were being drawn. It streaked across the battlefield as it went towards her enemy, destroying everything in its path.

Jakyoku eyes opened wide, when he saw the attack coming towards him. It was powerful as he leaped into the air to avoid the blast. He quickly turned, going after the female of his dreams, and sent another attack towards her.

Kagome turned as she noticed another attack coming her way. She leaped, but she was not fast enough to avoid the attack. It caught her leg as she went down hard. She was sitting on the ground as she glared daggers toward Jakyoku. He was slowly making his way towards her and the look in his eyes promised nothing but pain for her.

---oOo---

Sesshoumaru witnessed as his mate reached her ultimate power. She was beautiful, as he finally saw her true form. She looked like an Ashura, a soldier of the heavens. She spread her wings behind her and flexed them. They were bigger than her other ones and more powerful, he could feel the pulse of power going through her body.

He continued to watch as he witnessed his mate battle Jakyoku, but he could tell that she was weakening. He needed to help her, but he was weak himself. Then he remembered something that his Hiijiji had said to him, as he said, “Tsuyoimaru, please help me protect my mate.”

The sword on Sesshoumaru’s hip started to glow, as it engulfed his body fully. Deep within his soul, there was a power so great that he needed help to release it. Tsuyoimaru knew that it was time to bestow his powers upon his great grand pup. He helped him release the power that was deep within him as it came forth.

Sesshoumaru’s body started to glow a yellow/orange as he finally made his transformation into a two tail Inu youkai. His powers doubled as his tail split into two. His golden orbs now held an orange hue around the edge of his eyes as he stood to his full height.

He turned his eyes towards his enemy who was about to attack his mate. He noticed when Kagome went down as she was hit by one of Jakyoku’s attacks. She was not able to stand and she was panting hard from the battle.

Sesshoumaru pulled his Hiijiji’s sword, Daihogokiba, The Fang of the Great Protector, from its sheath as he raced to defend his mate. He blocked Jakyoku’s attack while sending one of his own to the offending male, as he said, “Dokukasumi”, (Poison haze/mist!) A mist of yellow gas came out of his sword as it shot right toward Jakyoku.

Jakyoku was hard pressed to avoid the attack coming his way. He just barely missed it, as he saw the poison mist eat everything in its path. He turned his full black orbs toward his opponent as his eyes opened wide. There standing in front of him was Sesshoumaru. He was no longer just a regular Inu Youkai, but a full-blooded two tail Inu Youkai with the power to match. His transformation was finally complete as he took a step back in fear.

Sesshoumaru’s aura was a pure white aura that matched his mate as he protected her. Jakyoku’s eyes burned with rage, he was blocking his view of the female that he wanted. She was his and there is nothing that was going to stop him from claiming what was rightfully his.

He squared his shoulders as he stood straight up to his full height and faced off with the only living two tail to rule all Youkai’s of the land. Yes, he knew he didn’t have a right to the lands that he wanted, but he was powerful in his own right, he could defeat this Inu and claim what is his.

His dark powers consumed his soul fully, as an evil smile came upon his features. Once he defeated this Inu, he will be known as the most powerful youkai in all the land and the female behind him will belong to him. He held his sword off to the side, as he feed it his rage. The sword was growing even more powerful than before as he got ready to attack.

---oOo---

Inutaisho was watching his son battle along side him. He saw him rush off to face Jakyoku as he continued to battle with his men to defeat the army that wanted to control his lands.

A familiar scent reached his nose as he looked up and saw his mate battling along side his little one. His eyes went wide when he saw the condition of his mate. She had a bruise on the left side of her face, which marred her beauty, as he caught the scent of her blood.

He could feel the rage Ayashiko had, as she attacked like a thing possessed to protect her pup.

His little one was in the worse shape. Both sides of her face were bruised to almost none recognition of her beauty. She had claw marks on the upper portion of her chest as he saw the blood that dried over her wounds. Her powers were growing by the minute as she was attacking with everything she had.

He continued to battle as he was making his way toward his mate. Then he saw a group of youkai that were getting ready to attack her, as his eyes turned blood red from his anger. He let go as he killed his opponent and vanished from where he stood only to reappear behind his mate as he killed the ones that were trying to do her harm.

He heard his mate cry out in pain as he quickly turned and killed the one that hurt his beloved. He grabbed Ayashiko before she hit the ground and jumped into the air with her in his arms. He found Sango and the monk, as he landed near them and said, “Sango take my mate and move to safer grounds. You are to protect her with your life, while I go after Kagome.”

---oOo---

Sango turned when she dispatched her last female opponent. The male soldiers were having a hard time fighting them because they were females, but she didn’t hold any reservations about killing them.

When the fighting got started she was separated from Lady Ayashiko and Kagome. She noticed them in the distance and they were still surrounded by the western soldiers. Knowing that they were protected Sango battled with the female soldiers when she noticed that the soldiers refused to fight them. She was making quick work of their numbers, as she was far more skilled than these females will ever be.

When Sango turned around she saw the Western Lord standing there with his mate in his arms. She was unconscious as Sango stepped forward to take her out of his arms and move her to a safer location.

A company of Inutaisho soldiers went with her, along with Miroku, who took Ayashiko from her arms as they moved quickly away from the battle area. They will make sure to protect the Lady of the Lands while her mate finished this battle.

Inutaisho left his mate with Sango, knowing that she will be well protected, as he looked for Kagome. He saw her in the middle of the battlefield fighting against Jakyoku. His eyes opened wide when he noticed her change. Her aura was a pure white signifying that she has reached her ultimate power. His little one looked like an Ashura as he watched her battle to protect her mate.

He saw her go down when she was hit with a blast from Jakyoku, as he tried to reach her in time. He was still too far away from her when Jakyoku made to attack again. In that instant he saw a blur of white move in and protect her as he stood in front of his mate.

His son has finally transformed into his true form as he saw his twin tails behind him. His aura was white and it matched his mates as he engaged the enemy.

Inutaisho saw Kagome behind Sesshoumaru as he moved in to grab her from the battlefield. He needed to get her to safety or else Sesshoumaru could not fight effectively while he tried to protect his mate.

He made it to Kagome side, as he picked up her weak protesting form from the ground and held her in his arms. He turned to his son as he said, “Sesshoumaru! I have your mate. She will be well protected while you take care of him.”

Sesshoumaru was very much aware that his father came in to take his mate to safety. He was grateful to his father for protecting her, as he was now free to attack. He wanted to have the freedom to move around the area, but he was afraid to move for fear that she will be hurt or worse, that the filth in front of him will capture her again.

Now he turned his full attention toward his enemy, as it was time to end this.

Jakyoku saw as the Western Lord came in and took his female away. His rage was fanned anew as he made up his mind to go after them. He took off after the female when he felt a siring pain going across his chest, he pulled back and looked at the person that caused him his injuries, his eyes were glowing with anger as he turned back to his opponent.

Sesshoumaru saw as Jakyoku started to move towards his father and mate. His right hand came out as he let his green whip fly and hit Jakyoku in the chest. His eyes were turning red from his anger, as he growled, “Your fight is with me worm! My mate has nothing to do with this. She is mine and is off limits to the likes of you!”

Jakyoku growled, as he said, “You think you can keep her away from ME! Think again Sesshoumaru, I will have her as my mate and once you’re dead, she will be mine for all eternity.”

Sesshoumaru huffed, as he rushed to his opponent. He was going to end this one way or another. He drew his sword forth as he connected with Jakyoku’s sword. The energy in both swords crackled as they fought each other in a display of strength.

With a surge of strength, Sesshoumaru pushed Jakyoku back as a wave of youki came out of Sesshoumaru’s sword. It impacted on Jakyoku as he was thrown back about 20 feet from Sesshoumaru.

Jakyoku was hurt, he never realized just how powerful Sesshoumaru was going to be once he transformed. He was not going to give up though. This was a fight for the right to mate the female and he wanted her. His lust came to the surface as his youki whipped around his body. He fired a powerful blast from his sword as he watched with satisfaction at what he did. There was no way Sesshoumaru was going to survive his attack.

Sesshoumaru saw the attack coming as he dodged to avoid it. He formed a powerful barrier around his body to protect himself as the attack hit. He managed to move out of the way as he moved in for another attack.

Jakyoku was not expecting him to dodge his attack. He brought his sword up as he leaped into the air and attacked Sesshoumaru head on. He had another plan in mind as he started another incantation.

Their swords met, their power clashing against each other, as Jakyoku finished his spell. He raised his hand up and blasted Sesshoumaru away from him as he hit the ground hard. An evil smirk came to his features as he went after the fallen youkai. He was not about to let him regroup to attack again.

Sesshoumaru hit the ground hard. His barrier protected him, but the force of the impact sent him down toward the ground. He turned as he saw Jakyoku coming towards him. He raised his sword and said, “Ryuumamoru” (Guardian Dragon)! The power started to build on the sword when a large and imposing light blue dragon came out of it and went toward Jakyoku. The power of the dragon was strong as it went toward his enemy.

Jakyoku saw the dragon coming towards him. He countered with his own attack as he said, “Mystic Dragon!” A black dragon came out of his sword as it rushed toward the dragon that Sesshoumaru sent his way. Both dragons met in the middle of the battlefield as they attacked each other. The power they generated was beyond anything anyone has ever seen before. They exploded in mid air as they destroyed one another.

Jakyoku smiled, there was no way that Sesshoumaru was going to defeat him. He was just as powerful as the two tails and he will win this fight.

Sesshoumaru stood up as he watched his attack hit Jakyoku attack. He observed as the dragons battled and then destroyed each other. His opponent was powerful, but he will not lose. His mate was his main reason for fighting and he will protect her.

Sesshoumaru leaped into the air as his sword clashed with Jakyoku. They fought an aerial battle, the only thing that you could see were the two blurs in the sky as they attacked each other.

Jakyoku was thrown back from a powerful punch that Sesshoumaru released. He felt when his ribs broke, making it harder for him to breathe. He saw the white haired youkai coming towards him again, as he raised his sword to attack. He concentrated as he mumbled a spell under his breath and finally released his attack.

A black wisp of smoke came out of the sword as it went toward Sesshoumaru. It slowly turned into a powerful black snake as it opened its mouth to reveal his fangs. It attacked without mercy as the venom was dripping from his mouth.

Sesshoumaru saw the attack coming his way and he was prepared to destroy it. But when he noticed that the attack turned into a black snake he was hard pressed to avoid the attack.

The snake missed him with his fangs as he leaped out of the way but he didn’t see his tail come from behind as he was hit with the full force of its speed and sent him crashing to the ground.

The force of the impact created a crater in the ground as Sesshoumaru tried to move. He saw the snake coming in for another attack as he heard someone yell, “TENHIKARIHA!” The heavenly blades purified the snake to oblivion as he looked up toward the sky and saw his mate. She was hovering over him as her wings held her up off the ground. Her sword was pulsing with power as she was staring at her enemy.

---oOo---

Inutaisho left his son to battle with Jakyoku while he got Kagome to a safe place. She was protesting loudly, not wanting to leave her mate behind. He tried to soothe her with his purrs because he could feel how tired she was. She was dangerously low on energy and if she didn’t get some rest soon, she could die.

The one thing he did notice was that her wings did not fade back into her body, nor did her hair returned to its natural ebony color. She still had her wings, as they were limply hanging down her back. She didn’t have enough strength to hold them up as he made it to the area where Sango and the monk set up a temporary safe area for his mate.

He noticed that there was a powerful barrier that protected the area and he saw his soldiers around the perimeter guarding his mate. The dragons were both close to his mate as they stood guard.

The barrier opened as he approached. He was able to walk right in as he made his way to the area where his mate was located. He put Kagome down on the ground, as he noticed that she had fallen asleep, still breathing hard from her battle with Jakyoku. He looked at his pup and rubbed her cheek with his hand to offer her some comfort.

He was worried about Kagome. He couldn’t lose her. He has come to love this little one as she filled the empty hole in his heart. He didn’t know the joys of having a daughter until she came into his life. She was a spitfire, but was loved by all. When he saw her relax from his touch, he moved away from her wanting to go and check on his mate, he looked up to see Sango standing right next to him.

---oOo---

Sango noticed when Lord Inutaisho came back with Kagome. She seemed to be unconscious until she noticed that she was fighting the sleep that her body wanted. She watched as her lord raised his hand and soothed her until she stilled and relaxed in her sleep.

She came forward when she saw Lord Inutaisho leave her friend, while he went to check on his mate. She had medicine to treat Kagome’s wounds to help her heal. She kneeled next to her friend and noticed all the bruises on her face. That bastard treated her friend harshly, as she felt a wave of guilt wash over her for not being able to protect her.

Miroku talked to her at great length, explaining that she was not at fault for her friends capture. He explained that the potion they used was a powerful one and with the spell that they cast on the needles, even the most powerful youkai would go down from it being introduced into their body.

Sango had to admit that Miroku spoke the truth, but it did not alleviate the pain she was feeling in her chest as she looked at her friend. Sango sighed feeling sorry for herself will not help Kagome recover from her injuries, as she set to work in bandaging her wounds. Once she was done, she left her side to go and take care of Lady Ayashiko.

Ayashiko was still weak from her ordeal and was healing very slowly at the moment. She stayed wounded for a long time before her body was able to recover its youki to help her heal. The claw marks on her chest were the most severe of her wounds. She got poisoned, and was now trying to purge that from her body.

---oOo---

Kagome was in a deep but restless sleep, even here in her mind, she was connected to her mate and was able to see what he observed. She needed to be with him because she sensed that something bad was going to happen. She has never been wrong with her feelings before, so why would she be wrong now.

She saw as her mate went down from the impact of Jakyoku’s attack. She was struggling to wake up so she could go to his side to protect him. She knew that it will take time for her mate to recover. Jakyoku was not the type of youkai to let up on his attack so Sesshoumaru could recover from his injuries. Her breathing became labored as she slowly opened her eyes. She sat up as she took in deep breaths to wake her body.

Kagome trembled when she felt another impact of her mate’s body against the ground. She noticed when Jakyoku was about to attack her mate again as her aura flared with anger. She stood, as she flapped her wings and took off towards her mate again, passing through Miroku’s barrier with ease, with her sword in her hand.

She raced across the sky as she made it to Sesshoumaru in time. She looked at the snake that was about to attack her mate as she yelled, “TENHIKARIHA!” Her blades came out of her sword as it impacted on the enemies attack, purifying the snake to oblivion.

Kagome stayed in the air as her eyes turned white, her powers grew even more as she faced off against Jakyoku. Her Reiyouku was swirling around her body protecting her from any harm as she gathered her power for one final blow.

Sesshoumaru saw his mate in the air as she was facing off against Jakyoku. He was hurt but he got to his feet as he leaped into the air and rose to where his mate was located, his demonic cloud keeping him next to his mate as he felt her power growing.

He summoned his powers as well. An orange light engulfed his body, as it grew with its intensity. His hair flew up with the winds of change, his powers whirling around his body, as he released his anger at the male in front of him for attacking his mate. His eyes turned white as he reached his full potential. He brought forth his sword once more as he said, “Ryuutsumekizu (Dragon claw slash)!” The attack came out of his sword as a giant dragon claw formed and went straight for Jakyoku.

Kagome summoned her attack as well, as she said, “Tennohikari (Heavenly Light)!” A purifying beam of light came out of her sword as it raced after Sesshoumaru’s attack. It finally caught up to it as the dragon claw merged with her Tennohikari. The claw glowed brightly as it took on a pinkish glow. It moved faster through the air as it was going towards its target.

Jakyoku saw the attacks coming. He smiled an evil smile as he let go of his own dragon attack. He was confident that he will be able to defeat Sesshoumaru’s attack and didn’t notice when Kagome let her own attack go.

Jakyoku’s black dragon impacted with Sesshoumaru’s dragon claw as an explosion rocked the area. He thought that he got rid of the attack, as he was moving in to attack again. Then out of the smoke in the sky, the dragon claw emerged and raced to his location, that’s when he noticed that it had a pink barrier around it.

Jakyoku stopped in mid flight as he put his barrier around his body to protect himself from the attack. It hit him full force, pushing his body backwards from the force of the impact, as he struggled to defend against it.

He didn’t have a chance as Kagome’s purifying power purified his barrier and the attack hit him head on. He screamed in pain, as Sesshoumaru’s attack tore through his body while Kagome’s purified him at the same time. Then there was silence, as the once black Inu known as Jakyoku was no more.

Kagome was panting hard from the effort of her attack. Once she saw that they finally won against Jakyoku, her strength left her. The grip around her sword loosened as it fell out of her hand. Her wings disappeared, her features returning to normal, as she whimpered in pain. Her world went black as she fell out of the sky.

Sesshoumaru turned his head toward his mate when he heard her whimper. His eyes went wide when he saw her falling towards the ground. He rushed after her and caught her before she reached the ground and gently landed with her in his arms.

Sesshoumaru was feeling slightly weak, as he sat down on the ground and placed Kagome in his lap. He brought her closer to his body as he looked at her with concern. His mate was back to her normal form, but she was dangerously low on energy, as Sesshoumaru struggled to keep her with him.

Kagome slowly opened her eyes. Her breathing was labored as she looked up and saw the concerned golden eyes of her mate. She gave him a weak smile, as she softly asked, “Sesshoumaru, are you hurt?”

Sesshoumaru smiled at his mate, with everything that they have been through, she was still worried about everyone else. He caressed her cheek with his, and said, “I’m fine mate. Sleep, you need to regain your strength.”

Sesshoumaru saw the look in her eyes that said she was not going to rest at the moment as he started his incantation to make her sleep. But before he could finish his spell he heard his mate say in a weak voice, “Sesshoumaru, we must find your mother. There is something wrong with her and unless we get to her in time we will lose her.”

This alarmed Sesshoumaru, as he said, “Are you sure that there is something wrong with mother?”

Kagome was concentrating on finding Ayashiko as she said, “Yes, she has been wounded and the wound has poison in it. Hurry Sesshoumaru, we must quickly find her.”

Sesshoumaru stood up with Kagome in his arms. He saw his father coming his way as he turned to him and asked, “Father, where is mother?”

Inutaisho finally got to where his pups were located as he heard his son’s question. He stopped and said, “She is with Sango at the moment. She was injured in battle and Sango is tending to her needs.”

“We must go to her at once. Kagome states that she has been poisoned and we must get there as soon as possible.” Sesshoumaru said with urgency in his voice.

Inutaisho opened his eyes wide at what his son said to him. He touched his son’s shoulder as he formed his golden orb of light and moved with speed to where his mate was located.

They got there in a matter of seconds and when they landed they rushed toward his mate. The barrier around the area was quickly lowered upon Inutaisho’s arrival as he rushed to see how his mate was doing.

Sango was sitting by Lady Ayashiko side. She was trying to bring her fever down, as she put a fresh cold cloth on her forehead. She was running out of options on what she could do. She knew there was poison in her system, she thought that between the herbs she gave her and her youki, it would help her recover from the poison, but she was wrong.

Ayashiko seemed to be getting worse as the day progressed and now she was even weaker. Sango looked up as she heard the sound of running feet coming her way. She saw Kagome, Sesshoumaru, and Inutaisho running towards her with a concerned look on their features. She breathed a sigh of relief as she said, “Milord, your mate has been poisoned and she seems to be getting worse as time goes by. Nothing I do seems to help.”

Inutaisho finally made it to his mate side. He heard Sango’s words and was worried for his beloved. He kneeled next to her as he grabbed her hand and held it next to his heart. He could not let her die, his life will be over if she was to leave his side. He felt her weakness through their bond and whined, as he tried to keep her tied to this world.

Sesshoumaru was following right behind his father as they finally reached his mother. She was lying on the ground and she was pale. Her breathing was labored and she was not getting any better. He heard what Sango said and became alarmed.

Kagome saw Ayashiko and said, “Please Sesshoumaru, put me down by her.”

Sesshoumaru complied with his mate’s wishes as he gently placed Kagome by his mother. Kagome quickly removed the bandages and looked at Ayashiko wounds. They were red and swollen, the infection was deeply set and the poison was working fast to take her life.

Kagome concentrated on her healing powers; she needed to heal her Oka-san before she lost her. She has been like a real mother to her and she would rather give up her life than let her die.

Kagome powers grew once more, as she brought them forth. Her whole body was incased in a blue light as she placed her hands on Ayashiko’s wounds. She concentrated on the poison and what it was doing, as she attacked and got rid of it from her body.

Once the poison was gone, Kagome then concentrated on Ayashiko’s wounds and healed them. When she was done with what she needed to do, she was breathing hard and she almost passed out on top of her Oka-san.

Sesshoumaru was watching what his mate was doing. He kept his eyes on his mate, but he was worried about his mother as well. He felt as Kagome was weakening from using so much of her powers, first fighting in the battle, and then to heal his mother.

Then he noticed when Kagome’s powers reseeded back and he caught his mate before she fell on his mother.

Kagome was breathing hard, as she said, “I got rid of the poison. She should be all right now.” She then turned her head as she looked to see Ayashiko waking up. Everyone turned their attention towards the Lady of the West as they watched to see how she was feeling.

---oOo---

Ayashiko was floating in a black abyss, she felt like she was being pulled away from the waking world. Then she felt someone calling her back as she was slowly starting to get stronger. She felt a great weight being lifted off her as she slowly opened her eyes.

She was tired, but other than that she felt fine as she looked around the area she was in. She noticed all the worried looks she was getting from her mate, Sesshoumaru, and Kagome. She was confused on why they were looking extremely worried as she asked, “Koiishi, why does everyone look so worried? Did we lose the fight for the Western Lands?”

Inutaisho chuckled, glad to have his mate back with him once more, as he said, “My aiyoku, you were poisoned when you were attacked. We almost lost you, but Kagome felt that something was wrong and came to help you recover.”

Ayashiko upon hearing this turned her attention toward her pup as she saw the state she was in. Worry was clearly seen in her eyes as she asked, “What happened to Kagome? Why is she so weak?”

Inutaisho was stroking her cheek as he said, “Kagome helped defeat Jakyoku and then when she felt that you were in danger, she requested we bring her back here so she could heal you. She is dangerously weak at the moment and Sesshoumaru is helping her recover from her ordeal.”

Ayashiko thought about what her mate said. That was not the only thing that her Musume did today. She got rid of that kuro miko and from what everyone has told her, she got rid of that wolf that was after her as well.

Ayashiko tried to reach out to touch her pup but she was still too weak to lift her arm up. She rested her arm back on her stomach as she closed her eyes and went back to sleep. She needed the sleep to help her recover her youki.

Inutaisho made the decision that they will stay here and rest for the night, then return to the west in the morning. His mate and little one needed to rest and his men were all tired from the long battle. He turned his head toward Sesshoumaru and said, “Sesshoumaru, we will rest here for the night and allow our mates to recover from this battle. Our soldiers also need the rest before we head back home.”

Sesshoumaru nodded his concurrence to his father’s request. He was also tired and didn’t think that he could even form his golden orb to fly back home. He saw his father walk off to talk to his generals as the decision was made to stay here for the night and let everyone rest.

Sesshoumaru was worried about his little miko as he looked down at her. He could tell that she was tired but she was fighting against the sleep that her body wanted. She was still awake looking at his mother. You could see the concern in her blue orbs for almost losing her to this battle.

He noticed how tired she was and knew he will have to force her to sleep so she could regain her strength. Slowly he said an incantation so Kagome could rest. She never noticed what he was doing to her as her eyes closed and she was put into a deep sleep.

Sesshoumaru breathed a deep sigh of relief as he brought his mate closer to his chest. He then moved them over to a tree so they could have a more private place to sleep for the night. He sat down near the tree as he held Kagome in his lap. He touched his forehead to hers as their crescent moons came in contact. He concentrated on his youki as he gently fed some of his energy to his mate to strengthen her until her body recovered from its ordeal.

They both glowed a pale orange as he continued to transfer his power to her. When he felt that Kagome had enough energy to sustain her, he stopped the transfer. He pulled away from his mate as he looked at her. She was badly beaten by that bastard and he wished that Jakyoku was alive once again so he could kill him for what he did to his mate.

Kagome had bruises on her face that were turning black, blue, and yellow, marring her beautiful features. He noticed that she was wearing what was left of her haori over her chest, it was wrapped around her breast and she was showing entirely too much skin for his liking.

He checked her for more injuries and found claw marks on her upper chest and lower abdomen. He checked the rest of her body and besides the bruises and claw marks that she held she was not hurt anywhere else that he could see.

Sesshoumaru sensed a strong youki coming towards him and recognized it as his father’s aura. He raised his eyes as he looked for his father, still keeping Kagome close to his chest.

Inutaisho was hurrying towards his mate and pups. He gave his orders to his generals as they set about getting everyone some much needed rest. When he finally got to their location, he noticed that his son was sitting with Kagome in his lap, closely holding her to his chest. His twin tails were wrapped tightly around her body, keeping her close to him.

Once he was close enough he kneeled in front of his son, and asked, “How is she? Is she hurt very badly?”

Sesshoumaru looked at the concerned look in his father’s eyes as he said, “She was beaten quite severely, and she has claw marks on her upper chest and stomach. But other than that she has no other injuries.”

Inutaisho breathed a little easier as he said, “Your mother is sleeping right now. In the morning we will head back toward the castle. Both your mother and mate should be strong enough to travel by then. We have secured the area and have guards posted everywhere, so rest my son you will be well protected this night.”

Sesshoumaru nodded his understanding of what his father said. He turned his eyes towards his mate as he said, “I will rest once I have taken care of Kagome’s wounds. I don’t want her to get sick because they have become infected.”

Inutaisho understood his son as he looked at his little one. She was beaten so severely that you could almost not make out her natural beauty. He got up and left his son alone with his mate as he went to check on a few more things. He sent some of his soldiers over to Jakyoku’s camp. They were to search the area for prisoners and if they found any they were to inform him immediately.

But before he left, he checked on his mate and she was sleeping peacefully. Ryuuou was lying right next to her keeping her warm from the cool night air and protecting her. He wouldn’t let anyone near his mate except those that he said were permitted to approach her.

The bruise on Ayashiko face was already gone. Her youkai blood was helping to heal her as he got up and left his mate for a little while. He needed to make sure his soldiers were taken care of for the evening before he retired with his mate.

---oOo---

Sesshoumaru moved his tails away from his mate’s body to begin healing her wounds. He felt that someone was watching him as he looked up and searched the area. The monk was sitting on the opposite side of the clearing looking at him to see what he was doing.

A vicious snarl left his lips as his tails quickly covered his mate. Kagome was not properly dressed, with her clothes destroyed he will have no one looking at what was his.

He still needed to tend to her wounds as he closed his eyes and placed a barrier around the area he was sitting in. It prevented anyone from entering or seeing where he was located.

---oOo---

Sango was standing off to the side as she witnessed what happened between Miroku and Sesshoumaru. She observed Miroku sitting against a tree looking towards Sesshoumaru and Kagome, watching what they were doing. She then saw a powerful barrier going up around the area where Sesshoumaru was sitting with her friend and then they were gone.

This made Sango very angry that Miroku would just sit there and stare at her best friend when her mate was taking care of her wounds. She marched over to where Miroku was sitting, fully intending on giving him a piece of her mind.

When she got there, she saw his staff gently glowing as his eyes was still looking over to where Sesshoumaru was sitting. His eyes were devoid of any life as she saw his mouth moving muttering something under his breath. It was so soft that no one could hear what he was saying.

Then he came to the end of what he was chanting, as his staff glowed brightly and then the light went away. She saw Miroku coming out of his trance, as he blinked twice and said, “Well hello Sango, why are you just standing there looking at me?”

Sango snapped out of her mussing as she asked, “Miroku, why was your staff glowing just now?”

Miroku rose to his feet as he rubbed the temple on the side of his head. He heard Sango’s question as he said, “I was casting a protection barrier around the area to protect everyone while they sleep. I have already walked the perimeter and placed my sutras in the trees where the soldiers are resting. I know how tired everyone is so this barrier will help protect all here until we leave in the morning.”

Sango was shocked to hear his answer as she asked, “Then why were you staring at Sesshoumaru when he was trying to care for his mate?”

Miroku looked confused as he replied, “I wasn’t staring at Sesshoumaru-sama, I was just concentrating on casting my spell. I tend to just pick a spot and focus all my will on that spot. We happen to be right in the middle of all the soldiers so that sutra on that tree over there.” Miroku pointed to the sutra that was on the tree just to the right of where Sesshoumaru was located with his mate, as he continued, “Anchors the barrier to this area, that way I can rest too without having to be awake to protect everyone.”

To say that Sango was shocked was an understatement. She was totally taken by surprise at his actions. She felt ashamed for thinking that he was doing something dishonorable. She lowered her head, as she said, “I’m sorry Miroku, but I thought that you were being perverted again and trying to see what Sesshoumaru was doing with his mate. That’s why there is a barrier around them now.”

Miroku turned his head as he sensed the powerful barrier in one area that prevented him from seeing inside. He rubbed the back of his head as he said, “I’m sorry Sango. I guess I should have picked a spot that didn’t seem like I was staring at them.”

Miroku then turned and went to check on his sutras, making sure they were still firmly in place, and that they will be well protected while they slept.

Sango noticed as Miroku walked away. She shook her head wondering, ‘That monk is very strange. Not once since he broke the spell that was cast on me has he acted perverted. He has protected me from any harm. I have to admit that the lecherous monk is starting to grow on me.’

Sango then turned and went the other way to make sure that the area was secure so all may rest from the battle.

---oOo---

Once his barrier was up Sesshoumaru was free to tend to his mate in peace, without prying eyes watching him. He felt when Ah, Un came over and laid down next to his position as a guard. Satisfied that now no one will see what was his, he removed his tails from around his mate as he laid her down on the ground.

He took off his armor and haori. He stretched his haori out on the ground and then picked up his mate and laid her on it. It was the warmest thing he had on and it will provide warmth to his mate.

He then took his claws and sliced through the cloth that she had around her chest. It was covered in blood and he needed to get rid of it, before the scent attracted predators. He also got rid of her hakama as he looked over her body for any additional wounds that he might have missed. He found a wound on her leg where she had gotten hit when Jakyoku attacked her. It was red and swollen and it looked like she had some poison in her wound. He will have to take care of that as soon as possible.

He took what was left of her clothes and held them in one hand, he concentrated on his poison as he let it rise and destroy the clothes she was wearing. He then turned his attention to her wounds as he started to treat them.

He leaned down over her body, making sure to keep his weight off his mate as he did so. He started with her chest wounds as he licked them until they were healed. It took a while to heal them as he was getting rid of the poison that was present in her wounds. When he was done with her chest wounds he then healed the claw marks on her stomach.

He heard her whimper in pain as he purred to soothe her in her sleep. Then he looked at her wrist and noticed how the shackles dug into her skin and healed those wounds as well.

He moved to the wound on her leg as he got that one cleaned up and healed along with the wounds around her ankles from the shackles. Once he got all of her wounds healed he wrapped his mate in his haori. It will keep her warm plus hide what was his to the rest of the world.

Sesshoumaru was then able to concentrate on his mates face, he picked her up in his arms as he moved her closer to his chest. He sat down with her in his lap as he purred, soothing her sleeping form. Being moved all over the place was not helping her to rest but at least she was safe in his arms.

He cradled her in his arms as he gently licked the bruises. He saw the pain she was feeling slowly leave her features, as she relaxed into his arms. The swelling started to go down and the bruises started to go away from her beautiful features. By the time he was done, she no longer looked disfigured and he restored her beauty once more.

Sesshoumaru settled against the tree he was sitting next to, with Kagome in his lap. His tails were wrapped around her body keeping her warm as he finally fell asleep. His body needed rest to recover from his long battle with Jakyoku.

Knowing that he was safe with his mate in his arms once again, he allowed his body to totally relax, as he fell asleep with Kagome. The peaceful sounds of the forest soothing them into a deeper sleep, as they both recovered from their ordeal. It was the start of their life together and he was looking forward to what the future will bring.

---oOo---

This is the end to another chapter. The battle for the west has been won and Jakyoku is now dead. Sesshoumaru finally got his mate back and it looks like they will finally live in peace. Or will they?

The threat to Kagome and Ayashiko is still not over. There is a new enemy that will reveal itself as they go after them once again. But first both our hero’s must recover from their ordeal. They get back to the castle of the west as the males try to reestablish their connection to their mates.

Join me in the next chapter as life around the Western castle starts getting interesting and a new threat starts to emerge.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!