Blazing Hearts

Disclaimer: Alas, I do not own Inuyasha or company; I merely toy with them for my own twisted amusement.

AN: Here it is, the final chapter. Honestly, I have mixed feelings about this. I'm sad to see this go because I've progressed as a writer mostly through this fan-fiction and Confliction but I know that it must end and I'm happy to be able to move on to other things. I find it interesting that this stemmed from the show Love Inc., which sadly only lasted one season because of the UPN/WB20 merger, and was supposed to be just a light and silly romance yet it turned into something more than I'd expected.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Inuyasha didn't wait for an answer or for Kagome to knock again. He broke the door down.

Kagome couldn't believe what she was seeing; furniture slashed apart and tipped over, mirrors smashed and the blood... she could see the splatters of blood all over the carpet trailing into the dining room. Her heart raced as she thought about Kikyo. Forcing her eyes open, she furrowed her brows and ran into the dining room—the table was broken in half and there was Naraku in a corner, his breathing looked heavy and there was an atrocious looking gash from his left shoulder to his right rib cage. His shirt soaked with the blood that gushed from it.

"You'll pay for what you did to me!" Suikotsu shouted over him angrily, unaware for the time being that there were more people than he'd anticipated this night. His ignorance didn't last long as Naraku's red eyes looked over at the two newcomers just briefly. The cursed man turned around, his iron claws up in defense, "Kagome?"

It would seem that, though murderously furious, Suikotsu was still lucid. Kagome motioned for Inuyasha to hold back—Naraku may be bleeding, but he was a demon and would survive such a flesh wound. If she could reason with Suikotsu, get him to lower his weapon and stop this now, they would all be able to get out of this with no more bloodshed. "Why are you doing this, Suikotsu?"

His eyes flashed, pupils dilated, but just for a moment as he squeezed them shut and shook his head in his fury and attempt to keep in control. "He... it's his fault! He ruined everything! He destroyed me just so he could—he could get to you! I won't... I won't let him! If I kill him, it's over and we can have what we lost! Just, just trust me, please!" he shouted.

Kagome frowned and looked at Naraku, he spoke, "Kagome, don't listen to him... he's mad."

"Shut up!" he shouted. He didn't attack though, his eyes focused on Kagome as though he needed her to believe him.

Kagome didn't know what to say to him. She didn't know what to believe. She still loved Suikotsu, the man he was at least, and she wanted to believe that he could become that man again. That it could all be blamed on some evil curse waiting to be broken. But Naraku was her friend—a friend none of her other friends seemed to trust, but she did. He'd never done anything but be kind and a shoulder for her to cry on... she suspected once that he had feelings for her, but she couldn't imagine him doing something so cruel just to have a chance with her... but then... Suikotsu had no history of mental illness, no one in his family ever suffered either, he had no traumatic experiences to trigger such a bizarre alter-ego... she often thought that this came out of nowhere and she could never figure an explanation. Suikotsu's therapist always seemed a bit shady when she asked him about it...

Inuyasha looked from Kagome to Suikotsu and to Naraku. He frowned and placed his hand on the sheath of the katana he brought with him. It would seem silly to a passing human to bring a katana to such a fight—most humans liked to end things with firearms, which was fine for humans—but this sword was his Tetsusaiga. There was no more powerful a weapon that Inuyasha had come across. At first he thought that he had probably no use of it, he expected the mad human would be easily slain by his own claws, but it was dawning on him that it was a good thing he over-compensated. He never trusted Naraku, and for the allegations thrown at him, Naraku didn't seem very concerned. Even an innocent person—even a demon—would cringe under such accusations and argue them pleadingly; such curses did exist, but were highly illegal and punishable by death. Yet Naraku stood there, holding his chest that was already healing, and... smirking. Inuyasha furrowed his brows and Naraku looked at him, removed his hand and showed his healed chest. He could regenerate.

"Kagome, watch out!" Inuyasha shouted as flying insects began to fill the room; 'Saimyosho,' Inuyasha recognized them, they were highly poisonous.

Suikotsu noticed the wasps at once and covered Kagome with his own body, feeling several sharp pains in his back, knowing that the insects had stung him. He'd doubted they would hurt Kagome, as he knew that Naraku wanted her alive, but he wouldn't risk it and continued to hold her close to him as several more sank their toxic stingers into his arms, back and neck. "Ka-Kagome, I love you... always have..." he told her, his voice breaking and sweat dripping from his face into her hair.

"Suikotsu, I'm so sorry!" she cried. "I never stopped loving you, I never will," she promised him. It was the truth, she never would lose her love for her sweet pediatrician. Even as she loved Inuyasha, there would always be a part of her heart just for Suikotsu. Her face buried in his chest, she didn't see the calm smile on his face before he slumped further on her and died.

She carefully pushed herself out from under his weight as she cried, it was dangerous but she had to help Inuyasha... if she could. She couldn't lose someone else she loved and she needed to see Naraku pay for his betrayal and cruelty.

She grabbed the leg of the broken table and swung at the giant wasps that killed Suikotsu; they weren't interested in her though it seemed and it broke her heart further knowing that Suikotsu sacrificed himself for her when he didn't have to.

Inuyasha shouted for her to get out of there, but Kagome couldn't make herself move. Naraku spoke in an eerie voice that she'd never found so eerie before, "Let her stay, she won't be leaving again. This time I'll just take what's mine." He laughed as he sent more of the Saimyosho after Inuyasha.

Inuyasha cut through the Saimyosho using his Iron Reaver technique. At Naraku's goad, Inuyasha pulled out his Tetsusaiga and Kagome gasped as she saw it transform into a massive sword. More of the Saimyosho were sent at him, but were easily cut through. Inuyasha realized quickly that direct combat was not something that Naraku was used to or ready for. His strengths lay in manipulation and using others to do his dirty work, that much was clear. However, he wasn't easy to kill either, he was regenerating too fast.

Deciding on a quick tactic, Inuyasha cut his shoulder to use Blades of Blood to slice Naraku apart. Before Naraku could regenerate as he was knocked back, Inuyasha shouted, "Iron Reaver, Soul Stealer!" The demonic energy of the attack burned him, slowing his regeneration long enough for Inuyasha to use the Tetsusaiga to obliterate him using the wind scar...

Naraku's eyes were wide as he was pushed back, attack after attack before he was blown apart. How could this be? As powerful as he was, to be defeated by a half-breed like this...

Pieces of Naraku's flesh scattered among the room and Kagome ran into Inuyasha's arms. It was over... finally.

Kagome called the police and they waited outside for them to arrive. Three of the policemen went inside while Kagome and Inuyasha explained what had happened to the chief. Kagome leaned into Inuyasha's chest exhausted and knowing well that Inuyasha was far more exhausted than she; though she was certain that she'd endured mental anguish that very few could measure up to and hoped she wouldn't go mad herself from it one day. She sighed.

She looked up when two of the three policemen came out and spoke to the chief, "There's only the man, Sir. There's no other body."

Kagome frowned and followed them inside. The dead Saimyosho littered the floor and Suikotsu's body lay there too... but Naraku... his bits of flesh that were blown apart and scattered... they were gone! "But I saw him die... you killed him, I saw it," Kagome stared up at Inuyasha who was fixated on an open window.

Inuyasha heard a soft, evil chuckle on the wind.

Months had passed and things returned to normal. The story of Suikotsu was told and while his curse was never lifted, the true villain was revealed and there was honor in the poor pediatrician's memory again. He was a cursed hero and people would speak of him for centuries, Kagome had no doubt.

Naraku remained a mystery. Kagome and Inuyasha knew he wasn't dead, that he was out there, somewhere. But he wasn't safe anywhere, they could take solace in that. People knew who he was now, and there were warrants out by the demonic and human courts to have him arrested for the curse and murder of Suikotsu and also the murder of Naraku's former lab partner Abi.

Though she still feared that Naraku would return to ruin her life again, Kagome chose to focus on the good in her life. She held the silver frame of her and Inuyasha's wedding photo lovingly before setting it next to the photo of their son. She had her family, she wouldn't let anyone take that away from her. She looked up and observed her friends and co-workers, Kagura was sitting on the desk of Botan as they chatted about their current love lives and Momiji mocked them. Rin had the week off so she could vacation in America with Sesshomaru.

Even if things would go wrong again in the future, everything was perfect now.

She smiled at the young woman who sat in front of her shyly, "I'm afraid I'm a bit of a lost cause..." the woman told her. "I don't have trouble finding relationships, I just can't seem to keep a hold of them."

"Don't worry, here at Blazing Hearts, we promise to match your heart to your true love, guaranteed. There is no such thing as a lost cause, now let's figure out what you're looking for."

Time to make another match. Kagome wondered what color dress she would end up buying to wear to the next wedding she'd no doubt be invited to.

These days, though, she didn't mind the invitations.

Well that's that. I wasn't sure how to end it, a friend of mine wanted me to end it with Inuyasha and Kagome having their own baby—her excuse to get passed the fact that Kagome can't have children would be "Demon Sperm". To be honest, I considered it but decided against it for two reasons. One: the problem was Kagome's body and inability to get pregnant, not the quality of sperm. Two: I was inspired by my Spanish teacher at the time I started this story—she couldn't get pregnant no matter how many times they tried and the treatments she went through. I didn't want to cheapen the struggle of women who can't have their own children by giving Kagome a magic antidote. Besides, you don't need to have offspring to strengthen the love you have. Kagome is a mother, she has Shippo and she's happy with him. And now Inuyasha has him too. So I ended it where it began, at Blazing Hearts.

Anyway, it took about seven years, but it's done finally and I hope you enjoyed it. ^_^