Kagome’s lungs shook violently as she exhaled, black spots flecking her vision. Sucking in another shallow breath, she blinked the spots away with difficulty and continued to pour out her soul into the seal. She could feel herself slowly sinking, her knees buckling beneath the effort of sustaining the gates against yet another seismic assault.

Just a little longer, she told herself again, as the darkness threatened to eclipse her altogether.

The flow of her reiki reduced to the faintest trickle. Reaching deep within herself, she tapped desperately into her own life force, her teeth grinding in agony as she bled the very last of her strength into the gates. The square of light glowed brilliant white, tears of blood trailing from the corners of her eyes.

But even this sacrifice was not enough.

Demonic energy hurtled toward the fortress–vaster and stronger than ever before. It swept forward in a mighty, terrible wave, and with icy dread, Kagome knew–she knew that there was no way she could stand against it.

“…Get back!” she yelled hoarsely behind her. “Now!”

The wolves yelped and scrambled, Kagome stumbling back herself as white light blasted through the stone double doors. Her seal vaporized like mist, her arms rising futilely to shield her as the blinding tidal wave of youki crashed into her head-on.

This is it, she thought numbly, her irises going pale.

Unbridled demonic power seared her through. Her soul screamed in anguish as her heart cried out–

And the sword at her back pulsed in answer.

Kagome’s skin cooled, blue light rising up all around her. Clashing against the wall of Tenseiga’s radiance, the roiling white blaze before her stilled and smothered, fading away like smoke.

The young miko collapsed to her knees. As the vaporous wisps of youki cleared, she raised a trembling hand to her chest. Standing upon the crumbled remains of the fortress gates, with transformed fang still gleaming in hand, was Sesshoumaru.

His armor was gone, his pale skin and clothes streaked with dust and blood. Tousled and dingy, his hair hung wildly about him, the tips of his messy bangs spiking down into his scintillating eyes. He looked dirty, ferocious, unkempt and untamed–and somehow more lovely to her than he had ever looked before.

As the wolves hung warily back from him, Kagome staggered to her feet. Lightly, he leapt down from the pile of rubble. His fierce gaze held hers as she stepped forward to meet him, falling against his chest with a sigh.

“Sesshoumaru…” Swiftly, she closed her eyes, her fingers clutching at the dense, dusty silk of his haori.

A clawed hand around her upper arm drew her back. Lashes lowered, Sesshoumaru studied her face, his eyes lingering at the blood on her cheeks before returning to hers–his gaze softer now, but no less intent. Kagome’s lips parted slightly, her pulse quickening as his breath mingled with hers.

“Oh, milord!”

Brow twitching, Kagome glared down, Sesshoumaru’s golden eyes slanting along with hers. Latched around the daiyoukai’s leg, Jakken stared up at his lord in sheer adoration, oily tears streaming down his pinched green face.

“Ugh,” Kagome groused, attempting to pry him off with her foot. “You’re ruining the moment!”

The imp swatted back at her before his eyes went wide somewhere south of her neck. Puzzled, Kagome followed the direction of his scandalized gaze–gasping when she saw that the front of her haori had been burned wide open by Sesshoumaru’s attack. Shiny and bright blue, her back-up bra glared out through the gap, the swells of her breasts brimming over the tops of cups which were just a tad bit too small these days.

As a bead of blood ran down Jakken’s beak, Kagome punted him away, her arms hugging about herself in stark mortification. Dimly, unpleasantly, she reflected that Sesshoumaru’s retainer had seen almost as much of her naked skin as he had…

Sheathing Tessaiga at last, the daiyoukai shrugged out of his patterned haori and draped it over her. She smiled weakly in thanks as he gathered her to him and turned toward the gaping fortress wall, but wherever he had been about to take her, she would never know–because it was at that moment, safe and secure in the arms of the demon she loved, that Kagome passed out cold.

Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi

Apologies for the roughness – I’m moderately drunk. This chapter is pure EMOTION (I’ll polish it up tomorrow XD)