In Life's Darkness by LadySafire

Chapter 1

 I do  not own InuYasha, or Sesshomaru.

She sat quietly, curled upon silken cushions with her male companions calmly awaiting her death. It was so strange, she felt no fear at the possibility of her own demise, only a strange sense of relief and a terrible sadness at what she would leave behind.

 It was coming….no, HE was coming. Her destiny, her executioner.

The local energy fields rippled uneasily with the power that was quickly coming towards her place of rest.  The being who stalked her was so powerful himself that it was no problem for her to feel the animosity he was directing towards her mind. But she could also feel something else there too. Guilt and regret were there as well.

 A well shaped brow as dark as a raven’s wing arched in surprise.  He had those feelings towards her upcoming destruction? She gave a small snort of derision. Surely she had to be misreading him as she doubted very much he would feel any such thing towards her, if he could feel anything at all.  After all, hadn’t he ruthlessly killed the others like her, others tainted by his own brother and taken her virginity without any tender words before or after he’d silently bedded her?

No, she corrected herself silently as she gave her head a quick shake. Those thoughts were best left in the dark recesses of her mind and forever forgotten as she was sure he had. Only one thing good had come from that union.

 Sighing softly, she sent a mental summons to the two people she trusted most.

 “Miroku, Sango he comes.”

 One last time she bent her head towards the throat of the male who had restlessly shifted towards her and drank being careful to only take what she needed to sustain her. Her fingers slowly stroked his chest making his heart beat increase and his warm blood fill her that much faster. Gently she closed the tiny twin holes and deftly adjusted his memory. She softly kissed his lips and triggered the hypnotic command for him to go wait quietly by her bedroom door.

  Slowly she bent the other one’s head away from her, exposing his neck and throbbing pulse to her gaze. With a flash of regret she lowered her dark head and pierced the skin letting his blood fill her mouth savoring its metallic sweetness, relishing for an instant the dangerous rush it gave her. It was something she fought each time, a spreading darkness of soul telling her to drain him of his blood and life force. Again she won the battle and beat the darkness back away from her.

 It was when she was finishing closing the pinpricks on her second companion’s neck that he appeared. The male that had stalked her unrelentingly for over five hundred years was here to finally finish what his own brother had started all those years ago.

“Hello Sesshomaru. I knew you catch up to me eventually.” She greeted him softly as she supplied a false memory to the man she had just drunk from. In the morning he and his friend would only remember leaving with a black haired azure eyed beauty three days ago and having the time of their lives when in reality she’d held them in a thrall drinking their blood, only taking what she needed to endure and making sure they were supplied with plenty to eat and drink to replace the missing fluids. She was always careful to never drain them or turn them towards her dark hell of living as vampire. No one should have to live as she did.

 She turned her gaze toward the pristinely dressed InuYoukai who would end her tormented life. Kami, even after all these years she still could feel the quickening of her blood, the ache of wanting him. How sick was that, she wondered, wanting to still bed the person who had tried to kill her so many times in the past. He still dressed in white silk with his House’s red honeycomb design of sakura blooms emblazoned on one side of his loose fitting shirt with two swords tucked into blood red sash at his waist. A long dagger hung from there as well with a strap securing it to well muscled thigh.

 A side door to her boudoir opened revealing the dark suited Miroku. The tension in the room increased when he spied the demon Lord standing in the main doorway, his hand resting on the long sword at his hip.

 “Miroku.” Kagome called out softly drawing his attention to her. “It is time for my “friends” to go. You know where to drop them off.”

 “Are you sure I should leave, my lady?” he murmured softly, distrustfully eyeing the moon-haired youkai.

 Kagome rose fluidly from her silken nest to cross the floor and hug him, careful to keep her face turned away from his all too tempting throat. Her craving took no noticed of who was friend or food. She was proud of the fact that in all the years Miroku and Sango had aided her she had never once lost control and taken their blood directly from them. Yes, several times it had been freely offered, times when she hadn’t time to find a source or was too injured. They had generously tapped their own veins and drained their fluids into a cup, helping her drink from it thereby keeping her from forgetting herself and accidently biting.

“I am sure, my dear priest. “ Giving him an extra squeeze she pulled away to look into his worried lavender eyes. “What will happen this night was set into motion years ago. Now go.”

 “What about Sango?” he asked, lightly grasping her hands almost as if by doing so it would buy them more time.

 This action caused tears to fill her eyes. They had been with her for so long, never judging her for the way she was forced to take nourishment and had been so accepting of her condition, in fact the only condemnation they’d ever had was for the one who had forced it upon her. The ex-priest and ex-slayer had been with her since the day she’d been turned, fleeing with her body in to the night and hiding it while the painful conversion process took place. They had turned backs on their clans, ignoring  the teachings of their profession so that she may live.

Miroku and Sango had given up so much, including a having family to help and hide her posing as servants, family. They had helped her dig out bolt holes to hide in and go to her daily restorative sleep, keeping watch so none would harm her body. She still felt humbled by all these two had done over the years.

 “I have need of her for a while longer. Return quickly and then take her from this place.” Kagome pulled a slim hand from his reaching into the pocket of the slinky red robe she wore and pulled a small bundle of papers from it, pressing them into his hand. “I made financial provisions for you both.  You will never want for money or a home. I have deeded the houses in Osaka, Tokyo and Hokkaido to you both and the overseas houses as well. Please promise me you’ll start your family now.” She reached up to wipe at the pale pink tears that slowly rolled down her face. “I also gave you the recipe for the drink to prolong your lives if you should so wish.”

 Miroku pulled her back into his arms to hug his dear friend tightly. “Please don’t let him do this, Kagome! What about the “other matter”?” he swiftly sent towards her mind.

 “I am hoping that will be resolved as well. If my plans should fail, I am relying on you both to take care of it. Make it quick and painless.” She quickly sent back as she slipped a small dagger into the pocket of his jacket.

 He pulled away and was notably paler. He gave a jerky nod and quickly moved away from the small woman to grasp the arm the bemused human who had been waiting nearby. Walking towards Sesshomaru he paused a moment the pull the other dazed male to his feet and gave them a slight push out the shoji door. Miroku noticed the slight flare of Inus’ nostrils as he and the men passed by, felt his power wrap around their bodies and the slight tickle of energy washing through him as  they were examined.

 “You don’t have to worry, my Lord. Kagome has ever been careful to only drink what was needed for her to live. She has NEVER in all this time turned anyone.” The former priest said quietly.

 Gold eyes glared coldly at the human would dare speak to him in defense of the abomination before him.  

“You still broke your vows by protecting her and allowing her to live. By these actions, you have damned yourself.” He spat as he clenched his hand upon his sword.

 “If you damn him, then you must also be damned, Sesshomaru. Wasn’t it you who tried to protect his own brother? The same brother who turned me?” Kagome scornfully hissed at him. “Tell me, Sesshomaru, should you not be damned as well?”

 Catching Miroku’s eye she made a slight motion with head for him to leave then turned to gracefully stalk back towards her nest. Miroku stepped out the door angrily pulling it shut behind him, furious at the demon who had come for her destruction and heartsick at the prospective loss of his friend.

 Both the angry vampiress and ex-priest missed the sudden hot flare in golden eyes as Kagome’s robe fluttered momentarily away smooth well-shaped legs. He unconsciously flexed clawed fingers, almost as if they remembered a time when they had been used to caress soft skin and not to mercilessly kill vampire spawn.

 The dark haired woman’s head snapped around, her earlier anger temporarily forgotten just before she went to settle upon her pillows. Her hearing had caught the rapid acceleration of the dog demon’s heart and her nose had caught the scent of his sudden pheromone activity. Ah yes, the heady scent of a male’s arousal, though the scent of the males she’d dallied within the past  hadn’t smelled as sweet or called out to her more than his. His made her want to lay herself out upon her bed and entice him to once more discover her soft curves, to sate himself fully with her lush body.

 She sank slowly to the cushions, allowing the satin fabric to fall away to reveal smooth milk pale legs from just barely below her woman’s place to tiny delicate toes, their nails painted a dark berry red.   A slow sultry smile formed on lips stained to nearly the same shade as she watched him try to fight his attraction to the arousing sight.

 “So you still find my legs to your liking? I remember the night you took me to your bed, how you touched them with your warrior’s hands, kissed them and kept them wrapped around your waist or over your shoulders. Yet you spoke not a word to me that night. Why, Sesshomaru?” Kagome whispered as she drew a finger down her body to tickle at the hem of her very short nightie. She’d only worn the red satin and black lace set to add to the memories of her drones as it helped with the hypnotic suggestion if she started with something real and built upon it. She figured it was a fair exchange. She got their life’s fluid and they got a hot if slightly adjusted memory to fondly look back upon as they grew older to brag about to their male friends.

   Sesshomaru suddenly snarled and lunged pulling his sword from its sheath as he darted towards her.

  “You’ll not enthrall me with your corrupt mind, bitch!” he roared.

 Kagome knew she could easily avoid him but chose to stay where she was, only raising sad sapphire eyes to look deeply into his burning gold irises awaiting the deathblow. His beautiful face and eyes would be the last picture she would take to her grave. She silently prayed his strike would be quick and her death painless when the fang slipped through her heart, ending her tormented existence.

 “STOP!” cried a voice frantically from the side of the room. “Please my Lord, stay your blade!”

 Startled the couple looked to where a visibly upset young woman stood clutching a small body desperately, her brown eyes pleading for the life of her friend. Kagome let out a soft cry when she saw what the woman she loved as a sister held.

 “Sango, please take her away from here!” Kagome cried out urgently. “I told to you  wait to show him until after he had …destroyed me.”

 “I know you did but I just couldn’t do it, Kagome. She needs you!” Sango wept as she cuddled the little form against her own.

 As the women quickly spoke, Sesshomaru allowed himself to examine what his senses told him was a small female child. He allowed her scent to register in his brain, his gaze to see the magenta stripes on her dainty wrists and the delicate little elfin ears.  He swung furious molten eyes towards Kagome, unable to believe what his nose and eyes told him.

 “What sort of trickery is this?!” he demanded coldly. “Do you think to stay my hand by showing a child whose body you have manipulated to bear my marks and have my scent?” he scoffed. “Despite your sorcery I can still smell the taint of vampire on her. I can assure you I will not hesitate to plunge my sword through her chest  as I will soon do to you, her spawn mother!”

 “No!” screamed Kagome, forcefully shoving the deadly blade aside as she hurriedly leapt from the cushions to guard the child putting her own small form between him and her daughter. “You can’t kill her, Sesshomaru! I assure you she is your daughter, conceived that very first night you took me to your bed.”

 “Impossible!” he spat angrily. “That was over five hundred years ago! The night I bedded you InuYasha escaped from the dungeons and changed you. If you had been carrying, the fetus would have been destroyed!” he spoke angrily to her as he started to slowly pace towards her.

 “If she had been full human then yes, Ai would not have been born! But think, Sesshomaru…” Kagome pleaded with him desperately. “She is half Inu as well! That is why she lived, because your genes forced a change when I was turned. Our daughter was turned to a point as well!”

 The angry demon hesitated a moment, then again determinedly moved forward. “She is too young. You still seek to trick me as your kind is wont to do. The child can be no more than four years of age.”

 Kagome still kept her body between the Inu and their daughter.  Sango kept step with her all the way, keeping the sleeping child out of reach. He must be made to see!

 “Stop and think Sess! Didn’t you tell me that Youkai grow at a very slow rate? Well, what do you think would happen if the genetics of a vampire were to be thrown in? Please for our daughter’s sake THINK!” she begged as she turned and flung her arms protectively around her daughter and Sango.

 Sesshomaru halted; surprised to actually find himself considering what Kagome was telling him. Was it possible? Had a child been conceived on that horrible night, one he found painful to remember?  He knew Kagome thought he had only taken her to his bed to sate his lust but it had been so much more. He had wanted her the moment she’d arrived at his home, originally a new member of the kitchen staff hired from the nearby village but he’d been unable to ignore her. She had a purity about her that drew him like moth to a flame, making him want to bask in the kindness she wore around her like a cloak and was always willing to share its warmth to anyone who needed it.  A kind word here, a gentle touch there  and before long the whole palace adored her and more than one suggestion had been made that such a wonderful woman would make a fitting consort or even Lady of his House.

 Sesshomaru had found himself searching the breezes around his home for even a hint of her scent, a small glance of her from his private bedroom balcony as she headed out to the kitchen gardens to see what herbs and vegetables were ripe for the humans who worked in his home. Sometimes he would spy her walking back from his personal youkai butcher with the meat he required for his meal. After several weeks of this he had decided he needed to inspect the lower portion of his palace telling himself it was only to make sure the food for his ward was being properly gathered and cooked as young humans could fall prey easily to tainted and undercooked food.

He’d made many surprise appearances in the kitchens under the guise needing a snack for his then very young ward, Rin or advice for some sort of gathering of notables coming for a visit just to catch a glance of the sapphire-eyed beauty.

  One time he’d arrived under the pretense of needing a lively companion for Rin as he would be busy all day with a treaty negotiation and had requested Kagome as the person to keep his energetic Rin entertained. He had been rather proud of that little maneuver as two days before he had arranged for Rin’s regular adult caretaker to go visit her grown children, conveniently forgetting that she would be needed for the young girl.  

  It had been the first time Sesshomaru had spoken directly to Kagome. He still remembered the enchanting blush of her cheek as he made the request and had taken her arm to escort her to Rin’s rooms. When they had entered the girl’s chambers, a delighted squeal had erupted from the excited child. It seemed Rin already knew and adored Kagome, shyly confessing to him that Kagome had appeared in her room one night as she lay weeping from a nightmare. It had been one of the nights he had been distracted by InuYasha, battling to keep him imprisoned and forcing him to drink one of many concoctions he made with cow or goat blood trying desperately to find a cure.

 It seemed the little girl, who was almost a daughter to him, was a budding miko and had reached out mentally for someone to comfort her and had accidently contacted Kagome, who had been more than happy to dry her tears and make her night terrors go away.

 Kagome had even admitted to arranging to play with Rin on her free days, spending time in the gardens and surrounding forests with her, doing the things her caregiver was unable to due to her advancing age.

 As the weeks progressed and she had more contact with Rin (and of course himself) he’d discovered that she found him desirable as well. There had been small shy smiles, quick, soft touches and at the time he had been selfish enough to want something so good in his life after the almost daily dealings of the brother he secretly kept chained far below his palace. The brother for whom he had struggled for nearly two years to find a cure for the vampirism caused by the damned priestess Kikyo and her devious Master,  Naraku.

  He shook his head, dragging his mind back to the present, back to the little limp form Kagome hovered so protectively over.

 Wait a moment…limp? Why did the child not move? Surely she should have awakened with all the commotion going on about her.

 “Why does she not stir?” he gruffly asked. “Is she ill? Not that I care.” He coldly added as he slowly slid his sword into the sheath. “She still must die if she carries the blood of a vampire.”

 Kagome hesitantly turned toward the slowly advancing demon, still carefully keeping her body in front of her small daughter. She nervously bit her lower lip as she carefully considered her next words.

Sighing softly, she spoke looking directly into Sesshomaru’s eyes. “Ai has been placed under a suspension spell.”

“Why?” the Inuyoukai demanded. “Who would do that to our…your daughter?! It isn’t safe to put an adult much less a child under one! They don’t age a day but after too long the spell feeds off their lifeforce.”

  “I know what it does, damn it! I’m the one who placed it on her!” she interrupted tearfully.

  Sesshomaru stepped forward menacingly. “Why would you do such a terrible thing to your own child?”

 “I had to!” Kagome cried out despondently. She turned and lifted the black haired girl tenderly from Sango’s arms nuzzling the small forehead gently. Taking a deep breath she faced Sesshomaru. “Look into her aura and tell me what you see.”

  The pale haired demon lowered his gaze towards the youngling and adjusted his sight to see beyond the normal range. He made his way past the outer swirling public energies. His eye narrowed to angry slits.

 “What have you done to this child?!” He hissed angrily as he began to move closer. “I see the evil taint that has begun to stain her soul! Do you hate me that much that you would corrupt our own child?”

  “I didn’t do it, Sesshomaru!” Kagome snapped as she clutched the child tighter. “It’s the result of your darker side and mine, the darkness that comes with being vampire. It is eating away at the natural purity that she was born with. I had to slow the progression or she would turn into something as evil as InuYasha or worse yet, Naraku.”

  She shifted the little girl to peer tenderly down into her face. “Miroku, Sango and I have been looking for a way to banish the darkness, to find some way to drive it out of her soul and let her live normally. Every forbidden text, scroll or grimoire has been searched to no avail. That is until recently.” she said moving towards the mound of silk pillows on the floor. “I recently found an old lair of a vampire who was a sorcerer as well. I presume since all his books and other things were there you had killed him a long time ago.”

 “Do you know his name?”  Sesshomaru questioned tersely as he moved  to perch himself on the edge of her sunken nest his sword still easy to pull at a second’s notice and use on her.

  “Mitsurugi Oshida, his cave dwelling was hidden about mid-point on Mt. Fuji. The kill was an old one but I could catch a bare trace of your scent there.” Kagome said as she smoothed a stray strand of hair away from Ai’s sweet face.

  The Inu demon nodded. “I remember him. Usually I would have set fire to the dwelling but I was in a hurry to go after the two fledglings he had recently turned and let loose to feed at will on any who came up the mountain.”

 Kagome looked up at him, her eyes glittering with unshed tears. “Thank the Kami, you didn’t burn it! Inside one of the books I found the way to save our daughter.”

  “How?” he demanded as his clawed hand clutched tensely on the pommel of his sword. If there was a chance to save the girl then he would do it without hesitation.

 Tragic azure eyes stared hard into his for a moment.  An uneasy feeling washed over him just before she answered.

 “You must cut my heart from my body and burn it, ending the vampiric  lineage Naraku started.”  She whispered as she pulled the sleeping girl closer. “I have checked thoroughly and I am the last of his line. If you go ahead and kill me, the encroaching darkness should  disappear  and Ai will live a happy normal life.”

 “Should? What do you mean by should? Are you not certain this will work?” Sesshomaru sharply questioned.

  Kagome smiled humorlessly. “No, I’m not.”

 The pale haired male agitatedly flung back a lock of his white hair as he eyed Kagome and the child. “What will happen when you die and the stain stays within her?”

 The dark haired woman paused a moment as hope gripped her heart. He had said when, not if. She gave herself a mental shake. This is what had to be done to save Ai’s soul, there was no other way. It was foolish to hope he would feel something about her death that he would want sway from his intent.

“Kagome!” his demanding baritone broke through her thoughts.   “What will happen to her if the darkness should fail to vanish?”

She looked up at him with trembling lips and spoke harshly. “I’ve ordered Miroku to stab her  through the heart with a special dagger I have prepared and placed into his keeping. My little angel will not awake this night or any other. She will travel to the heavens with me minutes after I die.”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

 Sango’s horrified voice burst out. “No Kagome, you can’t! She’s just a little girl!”

 “A little girl who would eventually turn and be as evil or more so than the one who set this course!” Kagome snapped out at her friend.

 She turned her head towards Sesshomaru as she had at least expected some sort of protest from him. After all, she had just told him that she had planned out and ordered the death of their daughter, his only heir. She scoffed inwardly at herself. Why would he protest now? After all hadn’t he been willing to put an end to them both just moments ago?  He wouldn’t care at all, in fact she was sure he would demand the dagger from Miroku when he returned so he could do the job himself.  

 She was surprised when he moved to sit beside them, his eyes drifting over their daughter. “IF the darkness abates from her, what provisions have you made for her care?”

 “Sango and Miroku have agreed to take her and raise Ai as their own. I have put aside a sizable trust fund for her to see to her education and anything she may require. She will never be beholden to anyone.“ Kagome said proudly.

 “What about me? Did you ever once consider me as guardian to her?” Sesshomaru asked as his eyes slightly narrowed and a small tic began to frantically jump near the corner of his eye.

 Kagome recognized this look it was the look of a very angry InuYoukai. She had seen it several times when she had lived at the palace years ago and had been very glad back then it had never been directed at her.  

She took a deep breath and spoke softly, hoping to stay his anger . “No, to be honest I didn’t once consider you. For starters, you have been seeking my demise since my turning day. How could I give a child into the keeping of a man who so desperately wanted my death that he would chase me over four continents seeking it. Also, I heard your opinion several times as you spoke to the other Lords about half demon children.” She paused a moment painfully recalling one conversation she’d heard, the one that had told her there was no hope.   “I believe your words at one meeting were “when a hanyou is born, both the parents and the child should have their throats slit to keep the demon lines clear and unpolluted. “

 Sesshomaru had the grace to look shamefaced a moment before a furrow appeared between his brows. “Those words were spoken several months after InuYasha’s escape, how could you come to know them?”

 Kagome guiltily looked away. “I came back to the palace one night to see you, to see if I could reason with you and prove I wasn’t evil or insane like your brother. I had cloaked my presence and scent from all there and heard the whole conversation. I heard as you described the death of a pregnant vampire female, saw the satisfaction in your face as you described her screams for mercy for herself and the child as you plunged you sword through her heart and womb.” She reached up and quickly brushed away a pink tear, hurt evident in her face as she continued. “I also saw your new consort, your new youkai consort. I decided that my child and I would be fine on our own, that we had no chance with you.”

 He felt a moment’s shame for what he’d said and done all because of his anger , anger at Inuyasha for being so weak in matters of the flesh, anger at Kikyo, the undead whore who’d turned him and decimated four villages before he’d been able to stop her and last but not least the white hot anger at Naraku, for the lives he’d destroyed in raising his vampire army. It had all been such a waste and the job had fallen to him to clean up after the evil monster.

 He'd been so angry at the time with everything and everyone, especially humans, blaming them for the self perceived downfall of his House. It had been a human who had helped InuYasha escape his prison cell as he, Sesshomaru ravaged his bed and filled his room with the sounds of Kagome’s breathless moans and sighs of pleasure. It had been in a human’s arms he lay, losing himself in the delights of her body while his half-brother stole through the palace draining lives away. And then…then when he’d been informed that InuYasha was loose he torn himself from those soft grasping limbs, he sprung away as if she were a disease and rushed from the room. He’d searched the entire palace, seen what had been done to his vassals and was sickened by the brutality of InuYasha’s actions and the fact that he had to execute former servants, soldiers many he’d known for years as they had been in various stages of turning vampire.  He had just finished checking on Rin when a scent that filled him with pain and dread came drifting upon a small breeze from the direction of his bedroom.  He flung the rice paper door back only to discover  InuYasha there with a quickly transforming Kagome clutched in his arms, her blood dripping down his chin and hands.

  The half-breed had taunted him by informing him that he’d been on her neck as soon as Sesshomaru had left the room. In anger, Sesshomaru had rushed him with his sword drawn making him drop Kagome’s body to the floor. They had sparred a few moments in his bedroom then the fight had been transferred out into the garden where after nearly being dispatched by his blade InuYasha had run off. Sesshomaru had grimly returned to his room to bring about Kagome’s end only to find her body gone. He’d later found out the two servants in his employ and friends of Kagome’s had taken her body and disappeared into the night.

 For many years afterward  he had unreasonably blamed all that had occurred  on hanyous and humans to the point that hanyous were banished from his realm and all humans dismissed from his palace, even his beloved ward, Rin had been sent away to live in a far away village.

 An uncomfortable twinge went off near his heart when he thought about Rin. After a few years when he had gotten over some of his anger towards humankind, he’d sent for her only to be told that she’d vanished, taken by a dark haired female vampire in the middle of the night. Sesshomaru had gone to search for the young girl, never finding a body or any sign she’d been turned. He had assumed she’d been used as food and her small body dropped into the bottom of a nearby lake or scavenged by animals.

 Sesshomaru rubbed a weary hand over his eyes as if doing so could banish the memories. “You were probably right.”

 He sighed heavily and raised tormented eyes towards his daughter and the woman who had bravely born her, fighting time to stop evil from completely tainting her pure soul.

 “How did you keep Naraku’s evil from fully taking you? Almost all of the vampires I have destroyed were fully corrupted. There was nothing left of their goodness. They were evil! Even the ones who had just been turned on that fateful night at the palace, nothing good remained in any.”

 Kagome’s heart ached at the sight of the Inu’s haunted gold eyes, eyes that so resembled their daughter’s. “Miroku discovered two days before the attack that I had some abilities that hinted towards me being a latent miko. He thinks that after I was injured these abilities rose to protect me and the fetus and negated some of the taint. The taint though is strong and I must constantly fight the darker side.”

  They sat in silence for a bit each considering the others word and actions to this point.

  Several minutes later Kagome sighed and bent to brush Ai’s soft forehead with a gentle kiss. It was a kiss that told her dear daughter of her love and of the regret that she would not be there to see her grow up. Kagome stood with the little girl in her arms and sent a mental call for Sango. She would have her friend take the girl away from this room while the deed was being done. She could feel a reluctant realization on the part of Sesshomaru that what she said was true.

 She had to die in order to give the young girl any sort of chance.

 A clawed hand stopped her as she turned towards the door she knew Sango would enter in a few moments.  “Please, may I hold her?” he asked.

 Kagome gazed at him, a niggle of distrust burrowing its way through her heart. Should she? He’d said once upon a time that hanyou should be killed.

 He looked up into her eyes, his own burning with..something she couldn’t name.

 “I swear that I won’t hurt her, Kagome. “ He swallowed hard at the knot that formed in his throat. “I know I have done nothing for you to trust anything I say, but please trust me in this. I swear upon my father’s grave that she will come to no harm in my arms.”

 Chewing worriedly on the inside of her lip, Kagome looked deep into burnished gold and came to a decision when she could see the sincerity there. She turned towards his tall form and slowly slid the limp form into his strong arms. He held the girl as one would hold an infant, the small child dwarfed by the larger demon male. Awed eyes moved over her delicate face, lingering on the tiny blue crescent moon on her brow, the dainty little pink stripes on her cheeks.  Sudden and deep pride rose within him as he examined the beautiful girl, she was the ultimate in perfection and a glorious combination of his and her mother’s genetics. But in his daughter’s face he could see the beginnings of the evil taint starting to take place. The young girl was in the very early stages of the darkness that would take over and destroy her, setting her on a path that would demand her destruction.

 He raised her small hand to his mouth and kissed it reverently, vowing to somehow save her without the destruction of her mother. If only he hadn’t let his bias and rage blind him they might have met sooner and he could have been a  part of her life, a part of a better solution. Well, that would be different now. He would fight to know her, to be a part of her life NOW and fight to save Kagome as well.

  His heart clenched sickeningly as the thought of how to save her ran through his head. For Ai to live, Kagome must die. Could he do it? Could he cut out the heart of the woman he loved?

 He paused a moment in shock examining the sudden thought. Did he love Kagome? He slanted his eyes sideways towards the black haired female who watched him with anxious eyes and remembered the feelings from long ago. The feelings of never wanting her to by away from him, of missing her when she would travel from the palace to visit her parents, the way his heart had sped up whenever her hand brushed his, the feeling of rightness when she had been in his bed sighing and moaning his name as their bodies had moved together.

 He closed his eyes briefly as pain washed through him at what a complete and utter fool he’d been. She had tried so many times over the years to explain to him when they had faced off that she was in  control, that she wasn’t overwhelmed with Naraku’s evil and he’d ignored her plotting her death along with the rest of the coven of vampires. She had probably been through hell since she had eschewed the company of any other vampires. He knew that by doing so she had signed her own death warrant. Naraku had demanded obedience from all that had been turned.

 Kagome waited and watched anxiously as Sesshomaru carefully examined their daughter. She was a bit startled when he suddenly flicked his amber eyes up to catch her own gaze.

 She was even more startled at the words he spoke to her. “I have wronged you, Kagome. I was so intent in my own hurt and anger that I wouldn’t accept your words. I let the lies of Naraku, Kikyo and InuYasha blind me.” He sighed deeply guilt filling him at what he’d done and said in the past. In a way, he had been worse than the evil Vampire Master and his more-than-willing bitch servant.

 He stood in one fluid movement and gently handed his daughter to the former slayer. He looked into the woman’s still fearful brown eyes. “Slayer Sango, I am glad she had you and the priest to watch over her and the babe.”

 “Thank you, my lord.” She softly whispered, shocked at Inuyoukai’s praise.

  Kagome scrambled up to stand beside him, running a soft finger over Ai’s small face, possibly for the last time.

 “Sango, please take her to her room and stay there until Sesshomaru or Miroku comes.”  She whispered, then leaned in and kissed the toddler’s baby soft cheek. “If the Kami will it, my dear one, you will live this night and if they don’t I will wait for you on the other side.”

 Sesshomaru reached up and took Kagome’s trembling hand in his. “If they don’t, we will both be joining you, Kagome. This I swear, my love.”

Dark sapphire eyes stared shocked into his face as Sango backed away from the couple and quietly left the room, closing the door behind her. 

 “Sesshomaru,  you can’t….why…” Kagome stammered shaken to the core at his words. If their daughter couldn’t be saved HE would take his own life as well?! And he had called her his love? Had he gone slightly insane all those years of chasing down the undead and their minions?

 “Why would you do that? You can’t take your own life like that!” Kagome nearly shouted at him.

 The pale demon laid a silencing finger across her lips. “It has become a matter of honor now, beloved, and a matter of love.” He huskily spoke as he moved his body closer to her own. “I sacrificed it all that wonderful horrible night. I was so frightened of my feelings for you that I didn’t allow myself to speak to you, to give you the words of love I’m sure you were expecting from my lips. I made love to you but I didn’t tell you what was in my heart.” He dropped to his knees, his head drooping forward in supplication. “Can and will you forgive this thrice damned fool for the hurt and pain I put you through? For the painful barbs and insults I hurled at you,  the injuries you sustained at my hands and for your blood that dripped from my claws?” he looked up at her his eyes dimmed to an old gold from remorse.

 Kagome gazed down at his beautiful face that had suddenly taken on the cast of someone who had seen and been through too many trials. Could she forgive him for all she had been put through? She’d been literally running for her life for years from him. He’d bloodied her and made many accusations, sick hurtful things that had left her weeping bitterly.

 The answer was that yes, she could. Kagome didn’t want to die with this unresolved between them. After all, most of the mess of the past had not been their doing. She fully believed that if Sesshomaru and her lives hadn’t been tampered with they would have wound up together as husband and wife.

 She ran slender fingers through his silver white hair, it softness and silk like texture had always made her belly tighten. The memory of it falling and being drawn across her nude body the one time they had been intimate suddenly flashed through her mind, causing an unexpected throb between her thighs. It was a feeling that she’d never experienced since that night and the unexpectedness of it caught her off guard.

 “ Kami, I have to get him up on his feet and away from THAT area!” she thought frantically, minutely tightening her thighs hoping to both ease and stave off her body’s reaction.

 “I do forgive you, Sesshomaru.  I started to forgive you years ago on the night our daughter was born. How could I hate you when you gave me something so wonderful that night? Forgiving you is also what helped lessen my own darkening soul.”

 Her hands dropped down to his forearms and lightly gripped him, the steely strength of them causing another hot rush in her as another unbidden memory flashed through her mind’s eye of his masculine arms holding her up and so close to his body as he thrust deeply into her womanly core.

 Sesshomaru started to rise at her insistent tugging, then suddenly stopped and inhaled deeply, closing his eyes as he did so.

 He brushed his nose across her stomach before moving down closer to where the most enticing scent drifted up to him. He lightly groaned as a multitude of memories suddenly rushed through his mind.

‘Oh yes, he knew this scent.’ He silently thought.  His face, body and hands had been drenched with her body’s sexy siren perfume.  For months after the attack, her bouquet had permeated his bedroom despite the numerous attempts of his servants to eradicate it. Eventually they had ceased and her fragrance had eventually drifted away on the wings of time. Now he had to wonder if it had only been his mind producing the illusion of her scent.

      He rubbed his face across the silk of her nightgown, gripped her hips to pull her closer to his face. He brought his nose lower inhaling along the line of her abdomen until he was brushing the bare skin of her thighs.

“Oh Kami, I never forgot this…” he murmured his warm breath whispering across her heating skin. “I never forgot the sweet musk of your arousal filling my senses and heating my blood.”

 He moved his head pushing the hem of her gown up, removing one of his hands from her hips to expose all beneath it. His hands convulsively bunched the fabric at the sight of the tiny triangle of red silk that did nothing to hide her femininity.  Groaning low in his throat, Sesshomaru leaned forward to press a hot kiss to the center, running his tongue around the edge of the g-string to the silky black hairs peeking around it. Using his other hand he slid it down to pull the silk edging away and drug his tongue slowly along her revealed cleft gathering the increasing moisture  on the tip.

 Oh Kami how could he have forgotten her nectar! He moved his mouth over her secret place, pushing deeper within her body and took a carnal delight in her increasing moans and pants from above.  Sesshomaru pushed her thighs apart letting the silken hem of her gown drop over his head and slipped a finger into her slippery channel, growling appreciably when a deep shudder drove through Kagome’s delightful body. He withdrew it only to add another and plunge it deeply into her. She was so so tight on his hand and he could feel the early fluttering of her walls telling him it wouldn’t be long for her to climax over his hand and face.

 “Sesshomaru…” she whimpered and tightened her own fingers into his long hair when he suddenly sucked her engorged love button into his mouth and twirled his tongue skillfully around it.  “If you don’t stop I’m… I’m..oh kami!” she moaned as she ground her hips against his wicked mouth and fingers.

 “Do it!” he growled moving his hand quicker. “I want to feel your juices washing over my face, Kagome! Come for me, love!”  Sesshomaru said as he again furiously attacked her nether lips.

 Moments later he heard her low moan, her body stiffen and tremble as hot fluid bathed his fingers and drenched his face.  He continued to work his mouth and hand on and in her body prolonging her orgasm to the point she was begging him to stop as she drooped over his head. Slowly he removed his fingers, smirking as he triggered another small orgasm and kissed her thighs.

 Pulling his head from under her gown he looked up at her flushed and glowing face and felt a certain satisfaction of knowing that this female has been well pleasured by him and only him.

  Sesshomaru licked her essence from his hand and relished the taste that he’d been without for oh so long. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket  and wiped his damp face.   He thought for a moment before reaching under her gown and drawing the square of cotton along her still throbbing womanhood which elicited a  gasp from her trembling mouth. Withdrawing it he brought it to his nose, took a deep sniff folded it neatly and slid it back into the pocket he’d pulled it from.

  A light tug on his hair brought his face up to look at Kagome. “What are you doing?” she asked as a deep pink tinged her cheeks.  

  He slowly stood and wrapped his arms around her. “Think of it as a memento of this night.”

 Kagome blushed even deeper as she ran her hands down his chest to his waist. “But you haven’t..” she stopped speaking as embarrassment  locked her voice.

 “And I don’t want to right now, Kagome.” He said lifting her lowered head to lightly kiss her lips. 

Shock showed in her eyes. “But why?”

 “I wanted this to be about you right now. Next time will be both of us expending our passion together.”  He said as her drew a gentle claw down her face.

 “But Sess,” she whispered as heartbreak and tears filled her eyes. “there won’t be a next time.  For the safety of our daughter, I must die tonight. Please! You must cut my heart from my body and burn it!”

 “Are you sure, Kagome? Tell me the exact wording of the book.” He demanded giving her a small shake when she started to argue.

    Kagome sighed tiredly and closed her eyes a moment,  trying to recall what exactly the text had said. “It said in order to save a true innocent from turning the last of that  vampire bloodline must have their heart burned on the night of the lunar eclipse . That is tonight, Sess! You must kill me tonight!”

 “Hush, love. Be still a moment and let me think.” Sesshomaru let the lines from the old spellbook run through his head when a thought occurred to him. He looked down at the tearful woman in his arms. “Kagome did the book actually SAY your heart had to be torn from your body and burned?”

 The small woman started to reply then thought. “Noo…we just assumed.” She turned her troubled blue gaze back up to the pale demon whose arms suddenly tightened around her.     

 “I think we may have a way to save you, my love. ”   The InuYoukai reluctantly pulled from her embrace and  stepped away to pull a long wicked looking dagger from a slightly worn sheath. “Watch this.”    

 As the tip left the sheath the silver blade blazed to life with yellow-blue flames surrounding it. “I use the sword to usually remove the head of a vampire or plunge it into their black heart. This I use after to burn the heart so they never come back. It works very well.” He said smugly then turned and saw Kagome’s pale face.

 “You enjoyed it, didn’t you? Killing all those people?” she whispered sickly, as she slowly backed away.

 Sesshomaru started to protest but stopped himself. No he refused to lie to her. “Will you hate me now if I said yes I did enjoy it to some degree, Kagome? I am InuYoukai, a dog demon and some part of me enjoys the kill, the stalking of a victim, the blood coating my hands! I enjoyed killing those fanged bastards who had slaughtered part of my vassals, changed my brother into something beyond recognition and had him attack you.”  He began to get angry at her attitude. “Can you tell me truthfully that you didn’t enjoy the taking of blood from your victims, the smell of fear or the way their heart pounded as they fought to escape your deadly embrace, the way the light faded from their eyes when they died after you sucked them dry?”

  Kagome shook her head unable to look at him any longer. “I never killed anyone in all this time.” She whispered as she protectively pulled her arms around her chilling body.

 He scoffed sliding the dagger back into its sheath. “Never? Not at all? I seriously doubt that. The vampire part of you would insist upon it. All of you undead fiends are the same.” He spat venomously.

 Wounded blue eyes caught his gold ones as she whispered her answer. “I never killed anyone. Not even when I had to protect myself from the others like InuYasha, Kikyo and Naraku.”

 “Then you were a fool. Or you are very good liar.” He said mockingly as he stepped closer to her.

 A sudden crack of a hand striking flesh filled the room surprising the occupants. Kagome, that she had actually had the nerve to hit him and Sesshomaru for basically the same reason. No one had ever dared to strike him before.

 Kagome watched both fascinated and horrified as a brilliant red handprint filled the right side of his face. Fury began to quickly replace horror. “How dare you! I was fighting the darkness and couldn’t risk or stomach killing anyone, so if that makes me a fool then it’s foolish I’ll be.” She drew in a furious hissing breath. “I would rather Sango and Miroku raise Ai than a merciless killing bastard such as yourself!” She pointed to the door, interrupting him every time he tried to speak. “I want you out! I have no need for you now as Miroku has a small dagger much like yours, it’s the one I prepared for our daughter. I’ll simply plunge it into my own heart and our daughter will live a normal life. WITHOUT YOU!”

 Kagome turned and started away from the male she’d thought she knew, ignoring his commands that she stop. Oh kami how could she be so wrong!

She suddenly found herself spun back around and pressed to the wall and a strong hand pressed over her mouth. “Woman will you shut your damn mouth and listen!” he roared.

 Angrily she attempted to bring her knee hard into his groin. With a pivot of hips he managed to elude her nasty little maneuver and flipped her around so her front was now pinned to the wall as he pressed hi s own body close to her back and firm , lush rump. He kept her hands pinned above her head as he again tried to speak to the little firebrand, while also trying to avoid a backward thrust of her head towards his nose.

  “WOULD YOU LISTEN, WOMAN?!”  he yelled as she continued to struggle for her freedom. He suddenly grunted painfully as she thrust her round buttocks hard into his groin and slammed her heel down onto his instep.

 Damn it, she fought dirty and was going to cripple him if he didn’t get the little minx under control…and soon! Not only that but he could feel himself harden every time her delectable ass thrust against him, sending all sort of ideas to his mind of how it could be moving against him in ecstasy.  He was a male for  Kami’s sake and he had been a longtime without a female.

 ‘HOW DARE HE?!’ was Kagome’s furious thought as she processed his hurtful words. Did he not see she hadn’t a killing bone or thought in her whole body? Had he known her so little? Did he remember nothing of the talks they’d had so many years before?

 She fought him even harder to get his hands off her and his damnable body away from hers.  Kagome stiffened further in anger as she felt the beginnings of his arousal thrust against her. It would figure the pervert would get turned on manhandling a helpless female. The big jerk!!

 Bringing her feet up suddenly she managed to wedge them between her and the wall, shoving hard with all her strength knocking the two of them backwards onto the floor. She didn’t allow herself to pause for a moment a she drove an elbow straight into his ribcage and was very satisfied to hear him groan painfully. She hastily flipped over off Sesshomaru and began to hurriedly scramble away from the brut. The shoji door was almost within her frenzied reach when a strong hand suddenly wrapped around her ankle and began to drag her backwards across the floor, the silk of her gown making it easy for him.

 Kagome flipped over onto her back and began to kick at her captor’s grim face. She managed to land a hard kick on Sesshomaru’s forehead, snapping his head backwards causing him to curse fluently. He gave one hard angry yank to her leg and she found herself trapped under his large form pinned to smooth boards of the floor.  She continued to fight, desperately trying to throw him off.

 Sesshomaru furiously avoided the frantic blows, wincing when her foot again came dangerously close to his groin. The damn girl seemed bound and determined that she was going to kick his genitals to the middle of the room. After a few moments more of wrestling her about he finally managed to pin her hands above her head and sit across her abdomen. He only had a moment of warning of her eyes flashing red and her head coming at his chest, her fangs fully extended.

 Black silk tore raggedly as the long incisors caught the fabric instead of his skin for which he was very thankful. Yes, it would heal very quickly but it would still hurt like all shades of hell.

She again thrust against his muscular body and managed to dislodge him enough to throw him away from her. As she scrabbled across the floor, Sesshomaru saw her slender hand reach for something laying nearby. Terror struck at him when he saw what she started to hastily pull towards her.  He sprang to his feet and leapt towards her as the flaming dagger he’d been wearing at his side suddenly flared to life. His foot caught on a small throw rug causing him to careen into her back and plummet face first towards the floor with the knife under her body.

“Oh Kami!” he whispered as he felt her small body flinch beneath him and the warm stench of blood wafted up from under them both. He quickly lifted up off her still form only to see red quickly spreading outward from Kagome. Carefully he flipped her over to see the dagger embedded in her chest. 

 He went to pull it out when her hands stopped his panicked action.

 “No.” she whispered painfully. “Leave it. Look at the time.”

 Frustrated, he glanced at the wall clock and could see the little emblem showing that it was almost the full moon. His eyes moved back to her face at her pink tears dripped to land in her hair.

 “The blade is near my heart, I can feel the burning of it. One small shift and it will be the end of me and our daughter will live, Sesshomaru. She will live and be normal and pure with no darkness to taint her soul.”  Kagome smiled slightly at him as she spoke.

“Damn it! Why did you fight me, Kagome?” he spoke harshly taking one of her slender hands in his own sword callused one.

 A deep sadness crossed her face and filled her eyes. “You doubted my word. I have never in all these centuries killed anyone, Sesshomaru. I swear upon the life of our daughter to you.”

 Filled with shame he bent his head and kissed her quickly paling brow. “I should have trusted your word, my love.  After the many lies from the others, I felt I just had to be sure. I had to know you were still the untarnished soul I first met so long ago. Please forgive me.”

 Shaking fingers rose to brush against his smooth cheek. “I do, my love.” An agonized grimace marred her face at the movement.

 “Don’t!” Sesshomaru whispered taking hold of her hand and pulling it close to his chest.

 Her wounded eyes swam with tears as she looked up at him. “Do you want to leave the room while I finish this? I will understand if you do as it’s not a memory I would leave you with, my Sesshomaru.” She spoke gently, her eyes speaking volumes of her wish not to hurt him further.

   Sesshomaru laid her hand on her bloodied chest and took the hilt of the dagger in his hand. “No, I will be with you for your last breath but I swear to you, Kagome, this will not be the end!” He took a deep breath to calm his rapidly beating heart his burnished gold eyes never leaving hers. “How soon will we know if it has worked, if our daughter has been saved?”

 A small pinkish tear escaped from her control and rolled slowly down to her neck.“Almost immediately.”    Kagome whispered back, her voice starting to weaken. “ As soon as my heart is destroyed, call out to Sango to check Ai’s aura.” Kagome started to cough a bit and blood began to trail from her mouth. 

 She suddenly grasped hold of his arm, a deep wheeze starting to sound from her chest. “You have to do it now! There is no more time, Sesshomaru!  I can feel the moon at its zenith and I won’t be aware much longer. Please Sesshomaru, do it now! If you ever loved me, pierce my heart!”

 The grieving pale demon bent over her form. “I do love you, Kagome!  I will always love you!” He roared with grief and anger and shoved the flaming knife into her heart pulling her body close as she suddenly screamed in agony and just as suddenly…stopped, the unearthly and telling silence surrounding him like an obscene blanket. Slowly he pulled the bloodied knife Kagome’s chest and dropped to the floor beside him.

   He crushed her lifeless form to his body, the absence of her heartbeat cutting deep within his mind. Slowly pulling back from her silent form Sesshomaru looked into her open eyes, blank and staring up at him. He watched as a single tear ran slowly down her face to disappear into her hair. Gently he reached up and brushed his hand over Kagome’s eyes, closing them.

  Sesshomaru laid her tenderly on the floor, brushing a few strands of hair away from the still face and quickly stood. Moving to the sliding door, he impatiently flicked it open.

 “Sango! Bring Ai to me at once!” He snarled, knowing she would hear.

 Moments later, his ex-servant appeared cradling the child in her arms. Sesshomaru took Ai’s small body in his arms drawing her close, shifting his sight to gaze intently at the little girl’s aura. Painstakingly he delved through her swirling energy.

 Blinking to restore his normal sight, he pulled the small body close a moment. Kagome had been right. With her death the taint had dissipated. And Ai’s own pure aura shone forth.

 All but shoving his daughter back into Sango’s arm’s he rushed back and lifted Kagome into his arms. He had to hurry if what he had planned was going to work.

 As he passed Sango with his former lover’s body he spoke, his voice now cold and with out emotion. “When Miroku returns, have him bring you and Ai to my compound without delay!”

 Sango shifted the child as she hurriedly followed Sesshomaru. “Where are you going with Kagome’s body?” she cried out. “We promised her that we would bury it here on the grounds!”

 “I don’t have time for your questions, woman! Do what you’re told!” he snarled back at her, eyes glowing red and feral. He continued out the front doors and launched himself and his slight burden into the sky towards home.

Minutes later he landed softly in the courtyard, striding swiftly towards his rooms. Kicking open the door he made his way to the large bed in the room and carefully laid Kagome’s corpse upon the silken comforter. He dashed to the end of the bed and threw open the carved wooden chest that had rested there since his father’s passing.

 Reaching in he pulled out a sword, its power humming through his hand and drew it, eyes narrowed at the silver glimmer it threw off.

 “Finally, I have a use for your sword, Father.” He whispered as he again stepped back to Kagome’s side. “Do your will, Tenseiga!”

 He swung the sword at the still form and waited. Nothing happened, no whisper of breath, no beloved heartbeat. He swung a second time… a third, trying to force his will upon the sword but the heart of his Kagome stayed silent. Sword clenched in his hand, he stood panting slightly beside the bed.

 “Why do you not do my will? She is more than worthy!” he growled at the Fang before slamming it to the floor.
 “I believe she hadn’t enough life force left for the sword to work, Sesshomaru-sama.” Came a low voice from the doorway.

 The pale and heartbroken demon turned his head towards the voice. “Explain, Miroku.”

 “Kagome has been feeding her own lifeforce to Ai, trying to keep spell she had Ai under from consuming her.” The former monk explained. “Kagome knew she didn’t have much longer which is why sought the information on how to free your daughter.”

 Sesshomaru turned back and let his gaze linger thoughtfully oh her body. Suddenly he had an idea. “Bring me Ai.”

 A short time later Sesshomaru had their daughter laid out beside Kagome with the sword draped over both their bodies. He shot a look towards Miroku.

 “Break the spell, monk.”

 Miroku started to protest but as the InuYoukai’s face began to darken he sighed and stepped forward and applied a sutra against Ai’s small chest.  Sesshomaru felt s sudden flare of her spirirt and watched as it flowed across the sword to begin to surround Kagome’s body. Holding his hand above the sword he added his own energies to the mix staring hard at Kagome willing life back to her.

 A small gasp fell from her lips moments later as all in the room breathed a sigh of relief.

 Blue eyes looked up confused at Sesshomaru. “What happened?”

 Sesshomaru, Kagome and Ai sat cuddled together on the large bed as the Inu finished explaining what he had done to bring Kagome back.

 “So, you mean you transferred some of what I had been giving to Ai?” she asked, wonderingly. “And you fed some of yours to me as well?”

 “Yes.” Sesshomaru answered as he kissed her brow. “Our daughter couldn’t supply all that was needed for Tensaiga to bring you back, so I offered part of my own lifeforce.”

 “And what will this do to me?” Kagome questioned.

 Sesshomaru smirked slightly as he drew both Kagome and Ai close. “It means our daughter and I will never be without you again."

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 I had a great time writing this. Thank you to Preistess Skye, Forthwright and Quietwhisper for allowing me to bug them when i had a problem.

 Please review

Hugs,

LadySafire