Desire

XViii

All this time, all this time that was passing and all anyone could seem to do was wait.

Wait to see if Kagome was alive, wait to hear if she was dead; or worse...his mind couldn't bear to come up with worse.

The fact that he had done his share of kidnapping females...

Kurama snatched his phone from his pocket and checked the caller's log.

No missed called.

Three days, counting the time they were abducted.

Three days. Anything could happen in three days time.

So why wasn't he hurrying? Did he not think that he was serious? Oh he was so serious.

No he had to think rationally, he was no longer two souls sharing one body.

No.

The fox spirit stilled. Forcing his eyes closed and taking deep breaths.

When he reopened them, the irises reflected emerald green, small specks of gold made them look hazel. He was no longer a body with two souls.

Upon discovering the disappearance of the two girls he knew whomever was behind it had to be big. Bigger then his divided powers could handle. Even Yoko agreed, it had been time for the two to become one.

He looked down at his hands, they seemed different, yet the same.

It was lonely inside that head of his, no longer would he hear Yoko's...his bothersome voice anymore.

Was he insane to miss it?

Kurama almost didn't notice the vibration in his pants pocket. Forcing himself to remain calm he answered the restricted number.

"I'll be right there."

Kagome never thought that silence had a sound, not until today.

When she awoke that morning, she was surprised to find herself in such a dark place, and was even more surprised to find that she could not remember how she got there.

As she moved she noticed varies of minor things; Sango was still sleeping beside her on a very large bed, their weapons were no where in sight, and some took the liberty of changing their cloths.

This predicament reminded her of the time she awoke near the Spinx river, the river she met after her "death".

She sighed and moved her legs over the bedside, as she stood and examined herself in a near mirror, her eyes scanning over the black silk and lace dress, she knew this place was familiar.

No. She knew she had not been there before, it was the aura that surrounded the place, from the walls and from the very air she breathed.

This feeling of dread and blood lust washing over her was similar to the time she was captured and taken to Naraku's castle.

A place a evil.

This place was evil.

Sango had moved, mimicking her sister's movements and observing the sky through the bared window, she walked next to Kagome and followed her gaze towards the ground.

For a brief second she could not place why her sister looked so pale, why suddenly-

"Sango, Naraku is dead." Kagome didn't sound like she was asking, but was making an actual statement.

Sango was about to try and calm her down before she began to panic, but then she remembered; the ability to take the skills of an enemy that was slain, to control it for your own will.

"Naraku is dead."

There was no time to move now that they realized just who they were dealing with. It was all so obvious, the miasma, the sacred arrow that killed Sesshomaru.

A dark priestess.

They had given up on finding their weapons and instead took the liberty of ripped their dresses to their upper thighs, they wouldn't need those weapons. Metal and tricks would probably not work anyway. They had come across many doors and halls, the direction of the demonic energy leading them down a straight path.

The first set of doors they encountered this time was much larger than the last.

With a short confirmation Kagome and Sango both opened the door, and the sight before them was something they never thought they would see.

Directly in the center of the room, hanging elegantly from a beautiful chandelier in a red dress, was none other than Kikyo and a bloodied body underneath her.

Crimson blood stained orange red hair, a fluffy tail of sand laid limply on the floor.

Kagome sobbed and aid Shippo.

"No!" Sango held her back. The skin on both bodies resembled an odd color. If they touched the bodies without something covering their skin, they would die from direct poisoning.

She looked away, unable to look at the mess that was Shippo's body.

The wire was only visible due to the light reflecting off the string every now and again, and judging from how her head lolled forward, and the amount of blood dripping on the floor, Sango knew she was dead.

She took the stunned Kagome's hand and moved in a wide birth around the bodies, praying to God that Bankotsu had not shared the same fate.

The door behind the corpse lead to a small lobby.

Paintings of roses and battles adorned the walls, and an energy of lust and hope seethed from under the door.

They hadn't bothered looking at one another before opening that one as well.

Sango felt strange that she knew who would be beyond that door.

He still held an air of confidence, a right hand dangling to his side while his left remained in his pocket, his head cocked to the side and that perverted grin on his face.

His eyes, they were no longer a deep violet but somehow glowed a faded blue.

With just his appearance Sango's head began to spin, her breathing became shallow, but he did not move. All eyes were on her.

She knew what he wanted and what would happen, "Kagome..." The miko jumped, startled by the own sound of her name, "you know who is beyond that door..."

She didn't want to know, she shook her head and clung to her sister's arm.

Sango snapped away and grabbed her by the shoulders, "Don't! Just...don't..." she was quivering herself, scared, scared of what she had to do. Finally understanding what Midoriko meant her parting words.

With their dreams.

"Kagome. We have to do this together. Please, go...I'll catch up with you later.."

"You'll die..." she gasped... "You'll die..." tears started to stream from her eyes. "I should have listened, I knew this was a trap. I'm so sorry Sango...Shippo..." she sobbed and leaned against Sango's chest, "My Shippo..."

Sango shook her roughly, for the first time taking her eyes off Miroku's laughing face to stare into her sapphire eyes. "Take your revenge. They did this! Are you telling me you plan to cry while they kill you!"

Kagome just stared, her eyes wide and tears running on their own accord. At this point she wasn't sure if she would ever stop crying. Never again.

She lowered her head as Sango released her and made her way to the other side of the room. Miroku paid no mind to her, but before she could touch the knob.

"Don't worry, we'll all be together very soon."

Kagome opened the door, paying no heed to Miroku's words.

She took this time to look at her sister, just in case it was the last time.

Both of her last memories of Shippo and Sesshomaru were when they were dead. She refused to remember her sister that way. Sleeping in a dress of black.

When the door closed Sango knew that this would be the end, the end of her happy times, the end of learning. Of learning.

She looked up and huffed, this man...no this shadow before her that could only inflict pain into her life.

This was why she was born, why she trained day after day.

"Ne Hiei..." she thought as she charged, "Do you remember that promise we made, under the fireworks?"

Her hand balled directly into a fist in a straightforward attempt to connect to his jaw.

Miroku dodged his hand blocking her fist and dodging to the side. There was no point in using holy energy to defeat a human, but this man, he would feel the wrath of her raw energy.

As soon as he moved left and twisted her waist and used the momentum to send her leg flying into his side. The skin laced with her energy.

He took the hit. Literally took it and held it against his chest.

He grinned, and she smiled.

"I guess I lied."

She kicked her leg free and held her hands positioned on top of one another, a sword of pink light forming in her hands.

"You were always so...feisty.." Miroku chucked and formed a sword of his own.

Sango roared and charged into combat.

This man would die.

There was only one thing these people wanted, only one thing that was ever pursued.

Kagome Higurashi's life. She really did wonder, did such a thing really have a high value. Was such a thing really forbidden to exist?

When the doors opened and she saw a dark figure sitting on something similar to a throne; Kagome felt uncertain on entering the room or not.

Inside was the man who was behind it all, the man who killed Shippo and Sesshomaru, the man who wanted nothing more than her soul.

"InuYasha..." she called out as she walked in, in her right hand formed an arrow and in the other a bow of blue energy. She notched the arrow and took aim, and imagined the arrow piercing his heart.

She chocked back a sob, tears flowing from her eyes, "Why.." she mummer, "Why did you take them away?"

In his right hand a wine glass filled with a red liquid move from side to side. He stared at it, contemplating wondering if this was a dream or somehow a reality.

"InuYasha..." he spoke to the one who had fallen asleep so long ago.. "I will finally be able to fulfill my promise to you..." he poured the liquid onto the floor along with the glass. When he came into the light he felt, more than saw the girl's surprise.

His irises were blue, the whites red and his ears larger than before. Underneath each eye was a purple mark, yet he retained his sanity.

Yes, he remembered this girl well.

Each time he was almost successful in breaking through the hanyu's body and gaining his freedom, she somehow managed to suppress him.

Each and every time.

He would keep his promise and return the wench to his hanyu's side. She just wouldn't be alive when he did so. The anger and shock should be enough to give him complete control over this body, and then the real blood shed would begin.

He walked forward, the miko still in stance and an spiritual arrow aimed towards his heart. Even like this she would probably not have the heart to let loose the arrow, she didn't have the strength to even kill the man that did harm to her son.

Not with this face.

He now stood in front of her, his clawed hand stroking the raven locks on her shoulder.

He almost laughed when the weapons faded away.

All this time, all this planning and it was coming to him so easily now. She just stared, stared deep into his eyes without a trace of hope.

He saw a flicker of emotion before he realized her intentions, but before he could move it was too late. The pain in his torso.

All of his planning.

The pain spread like wildfire in a dry field.

All of his years of waiting.

He collapsed after grabbing hold of her shoulder, gripping her with all his strength.

He would drag her down with her, kill her before she could finish the job. He moved to sing his fangs into her neck and found himself being thrown across the room.

Sango allowed her hand to drop. Bruises and blood covered her body, new rips were formed on the dress and one eye was sealed with dry blood.

She huffed and sank down beside Kagome, "Don't die..." she coughed, moving her hand revealed a large wound in he center of her stomach. "...not without me."

Kagome looked to her big sister and smiled.

Why had this been the easiest and yet the hardest thing to do?

InuYasha would not last long without any help, he would die in minutes and they...they would escape.

Kirara growled, roared and shot jets of flame towards the barrier that surrounded the castle.

When they first arrived through the portal she found herself being thrown and tossed about in a vortex of wind. When the gusts settled the girls were gone.

The barrier was up and there was no way for her to go back for help.

For days she slept by the barrier, for days she tried to break it with all her might but it was no use.

She hissed and roared into the foggy sky, hoping that someone might hear her and come to aid her two friends.

A bright light shone from behind and on instinct the neko faced it and prepared for battle. Rushing through was the red haired boy who always was around Kagome and a short demon whose eyes bleed.

She calmed down a bit and sent a mental link to the fire demon, explaining to him all that had happened. When she finished Hiei nodded to Kurama and they both prepared to break down the barrier.

Before they could actually do anything the building began to shake and started to crumble.

Sango and Kagome looked at one another then towards the shaking ceiling. They were in the third chamber, the one where Kikyou and Shippo were left.

Before their eyes the bodies turned to ash and floated away on an invisible wind.

The tears were still flowing, Kagome was just to numb to do anything aloud.

She was tired, weary and needed her bed.

Sango stopped her, her gaze behind them. A bright light exploded and knocked down all the walls that blocked the way to the central chamber.

A mechanical laugh filled the room.

"You must defeat him..."

The voice was so familiar and warm, calling them into the bright light. They both stood but before either one could take a step forward, they heard their names being called.

Kurama, Hiei and Kirara rushed to their side. Each one carrying an expression of worry.

When the girls faced their lovers, they each held a smile that would send anyone into alarm.

The memories of their pasts lives, the lives of the ones who became the original sacred jewel. What they did, how they did it.

Kurama and Hiei knew that something wasn't right and that if they wanted to do anything to save the girls they needed to leave quickly, but the girls didn't seem to be all there.

The smiles on their faces were filled with pure happiness.

Sango kissed Hiei's cheek then her sister and walked into the light.

Kagome just turned towards Kurama and smiled, "You'll wait for me right?"

What was this feeling? He didn't like this feeling.

She was lying, he knew she was lying, "Don't go!" that's what he wanted to say, wanted to scream while dragging her from this place, why could he only nod and tell her "Forever."

"Don't go."

Kagome moved forward and kissed him lightly on the lips.

Why couldn't he wrap his arms around her and hold her then, tell her how much he loved her.

When she turned her back and walked with her sister into the light. He began to cry, silently at first.

He fell to his knees.

Hiei could only stare.

What was this force, this invisible force that made them stay put calmly?

Why was he so grateful that he at least got the chance to see her?

The room was filled with a warm light; but Kagome and Sango both knew that there were in the very heart of this demon. A demon who had lost his physical form, when they joined hands, they felt another pair that held them together.

Midoriko smiled peacefully and closed her eyes, the two girls did the same.

Together they prayed and the demon soon came into view. A dragon made from the many bodies and hearts of evil men and demons like.

If one looked carefully they could see InuYasha, seeming to be sleeping peacefully beside Miroku on the side of his belly.

All three of them chanted, and a pure light of the purple erupted from the trio. The dragon encircled them all and roared as it was hit with the light.

It was if her heart exploded.

All of her feelings;her past experiences, slowly becoming one with the two females beside her. Then finally Kurama's smiling face.

She had done it!

Kagome did it. She experienced a love that only required her to love back in return.

Invisible arms embraced her. She didn't need to look up to know who they belong too, for she knew.

Kagome was where she belonged.

Slowly the light died down, shrinking in the room where the girls had left the boys.

It grew smaller, dimming around Kirara.

After a few seconds a thin string was wrapped around her furry neck, it's pendant a round jewel in the shape of an orb.

Shining with a pure light from within.

"Will you wait for me?"

Her question would forever be engraved into his mind, her expression in his soul.

He made a promise and he would keep it.

Standing he moved towards the portal, a hand running across Kirara's head, not even glancing at the jewel. There was no point now.

The thing that was destroyed had come back to this world, and he would give up his life, to keep it safe.

Hiei hadn't moved since the jewel formed. Red eyes glared at the orb around Kirara's neck.

"What are you thinking?"

He heard Kurama in his mind. He almost didn't answer, he was almost ashamed.

"I'm envious. In the end their past mates got exactly what they wanted."

Thank you all for reading this story thus far. I am glad I made it to the end.

The next chapter will be the final chapter!

Please give me your opinions and wishes as to what you would like to happen!

The group went through a lot thus far and I hope to continue many other small stories based off the WNTE universe (Of course I will mark them as so!)

Thank you once again :)

Review

And God Bless!