More Love

I don't own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho.
Theme: Put Down that Weapon
Title:  "More Love"
Word count:  2458

"What you're saying is complete and utter foolishness!  A woman of your background should know this, and know it well!" Koenma shrieked, springing to his feet as he slammed his fist into the table.

The young woman whom he'd screamed at didn't flinch.  Her eyes were still trained on his, the brilliant blue intensifying slightly before becoming dull from exhaustion.  Suddenly she looked much older, her face seeming to dissolve into lines of stress.  "Koenma-sama, there can be no compromise on this point.  Sesshomaru wants absolute domain over the Makai, without interference from you or your otou-san."

Disappointment flared in the teen-ruler's hazlenut irises, his head falling against the table.  "General Higurashi....  You know this can't be done.  Otou-san controls the Makai with an iron fist--No exceptions, especially not now that it's begun."

Kagome's aura flared to life, pink, silver, and blue raging around her with her anger.  "It can be done and it must!  You have no idea what the costs of your interference is!  The darkness is coming and while our soldiers die fighting yours it grows stronger!  You may be too young to remember, but I do!  I fought the darkness and I know it's power!  And I've seen the shadows surrounding and engulfing the souls of so many that the only difference between now and then is time!"

Tense silence ensued as the two demi-god's glared at each other with absolute loathing and rage.  Koenma's jaw twitched as his eyes hardened, Kagome's sapphire orbs blazing such a bright blue they were almost silver.  Both knew if they did not come up with a solution soon, nothing would be accomplished.

"Perhaps a mediator is needed for these proceedings?" came a sly, silky voice as the barest whisper of fabric sounded in the air.

Hazlenut irises narrowed at the trickiest member of his team.  "I believe I ordered you to the battlefields."

A slight smirk pulled at the silver kitsune's lips, revealing glinting fangs.  "No.  You ordered my counterpart to his own demise.  The fact is that the Kami no Miko is right.  You did not live through the time of darkness.  The battle only feeds it and our presense in the Makai creates even more tension within the hearts of youkai."

"Youko Kurama....  I never would have imagined you an ally.  I thank you."  Sincerity laced the miko's words as she appraised the kitsune with gratitude.  "So you have grown into a far more honorable thief, then?"

Youko whined playfully at her tease, his eyes flashing a bit as his smirk widened a bit.  "I suggest you follow the Kami no Miko's lead Koenma-sama.  She knows this enemy far too well."

********************************

"Hiei!  Seven o'clock!"

Twin pools of crimson narrowed as he dispatched of yet another ookami.  His katana barely flashed in the air as he cut a bloody path through the throngs of youkai guarding the scene of all the conflict.  Eagerness filled him at finally being able to penetrate the ranks momentarily before he was pushed back by the Kami no Taiyoukai himself.

Cold golden orbs flashed dangerously as the short youkai charged him.  "You are a pest!  You do not know what you are harming with these foolish actions!"

Yusuke caught a punch directed at his head by an ookami youkai.  "We just want to get to whatever that thing is so we can kill it!  Why the fuck are you fighting us?"

"I swear, you're just like Inu-baka!" the Kami no Ookami growled.

********************************

Youko watched, vaguely amused as the Kami no Miko nearly bore holes through his boss's poor head.  "Now, now, let us not fight.  After all, we're here to discuss the peace, are we not?"

The sapphire eyed beauty growled softly, her eyes flickering to the silver kitsune bandit.  "Of course we are.  If only Koenma-sama and Enma-sama were not being so unreasonable, we would have settled this long ago."

"Me?!  I am not the one who has demanded an absolute retreat without explanation!  Why can't we assist you in fighting this thing off?  Otou-san is adamant about that--The Reikai has a responsibility to defeat all threats to the Ningenkai and Makai if it is necessary."  He was incredulous at the woman's sheer gull.  His eyes were almost pleading as he gazed at her.

Sadness washed over Kagome's beautiful yet tired features as she gazed at them, exhaustion and anxiety glowing in her sapphire orbs.  "Because you can't fight it.  Don't you understand?"

A sigh passed through the silver kitsune's nose, his claws raising to pinch the bridge of it in attempt to supress the impending headache.  "Kami no Miko....  Kagome.  Koenma cannot understand.  He was but a shielded child in those times.  In fact, there are only the ancients who know of the secrets anyway.  Now enlighten us....  How does one stop the darkness of every living creature?  Is it not a natural existance in the world?"

"It is...."  Kagome's soft, rose petal pink lips tugged downwards in a pretty frown.  Her eyes were glossed over in memory as she gazed into space.  "Darkness shall always exist in the world.  It is impossible to defeat--One may only stop it's advance and banish it temporarily."

Understanding slowly began to dawn on the child ruler's face as he gazed at the formidable woman who had long been the envy of even his otou-san.  "You didn't fight it did you?  You did something no one ever could...."

Finally, the Kami not Miko nodded.  "I embraced it.  But it was difficult....  The darkness grew so strong....  It finally possessed the body of a hanyou.  You remember him, Youko, do you not?"

"Naraku...."  The silver kitsune nodded vaguely, the name, even centuries later, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.

"But he was fought and destroyed!  You yourself were the one to do it!" Koenma contradicted, confusion and acusation lacing his tone.  Hazlenut irises flashed in distrust at her words.

Calm engulfed the youkai bandit's face as he regarded the two.  His eyes sparkled with an intuitive knowledge that here was far more to this than the Kami no Miko would offer willingly.  "But there is a seldom told other half, correct?"

The sadness in the beautiful woman's eyes intensified a thousand times as she nodded vaguely, her gaze trained on the wall yet over five centuries into the past.  To the period that not even she and her companion ancients discussed amongst themselves if they could avoid it.  "After the battle we rejoiced.  All were injured in their own way but there was one thing none of us could have predicted...."

****************************

Rage crossed over the hybrid's features as his katana was flung across the field, his companion toushin not far away, successfully fighting off the Kami no Ookami.  None of them were in good shape any longer but all were determined to win, no matter what the cost.

Sesshomaru's cool golden orbs were narrowed at the little youkai.  "You are a nuisance.  You know not what you interfere in, Hybrid.  It would serve in the best interest of all if you merely left this place."

Electric blue eyes narrowed at the toushin's growing confidance.  "You should listen to him!"

"Kouga....  They are wastes of our time and effort.  Do not attempt further reason....  Kagome shall have to understand this."  His tone was cold, an absolute monotone, carrying naught but doom for the present Reikai Tantei.  "Kill them."

Shock and hatred built inside both Hiei and Yusuke realized they'd been holding back on them.  Suddenly the fight looked very bleak on their end, for all involved.

Honey brown eyes locked momentarily with crimson pools and both knew....  One last chance to defeat the living legends.  The Dragon of Darkness Flames would have to be summoned.

Consentration broke over the hybrid's face, onyx fire quickly burning through the bandages.  Youki crackled in the air as the dragon began to form, the flames lengthening.  But, this time something was different.  The darkness felt different.  Uncontrollable.

Electric blue irises met cold golden orbs, panic washing over the two demi-deities' features.  Both knew, knew that this would be the beginning of a world of pain.  The dragon would feed the darkness enough to infect even the iron will of the hybrid.  In that moment, the two knew that they could have a nearly identicle situation at their hands....

But could their Kami no Miko come through yet again for this?

*****************************

Annoyance registered on the kitsune bandit's features as he regarded the silent Miko no Kami.  "Will you not tell us the other half?"

"It is too painful."  Her voice was distant and melancholy.  So terribly broken that even the two males flinched at her words.

A hand came out, touching Kagome's shoulder gingerly yet comfortingly.  "Tell us General.  You are the only one who can win this battle and you are holding out on your intel.  Kagome....  You need top tell us, alright?  It's the only way we can prevent the advancement of the darkness."  Hazlenut irises warmed slightly as he gazed at her, wanting her to open up.

Pain rippled through her entire being, stemming from her heart.  She knew what she had to do but....  It just hurt so badly.  "After the battle with Naraku, we were all ready to move on.  Restart our lives with new purpose and drive for all.  but Inuyash grew depressed.  At first we thought it was merely the shock of losing Kikyou once again.  We simpathized and supported him as best we could....  But when the darkness left Naraku's body, it had found a host in Inuyasha's.  For no matter how much we loved and cared for him, he always felt he was alone in the world.

"Time passed and his depression only worsened, his rage boiling over and becoming not only suicidal but homicidal.  We had to chain him up.  But all the fear and rage fed the shadows in his soul and finally all hell broke loose.  he rampaged through the village, killing everything in sight.  Kouga and Sesshomaru both fought him but all they did was damage his body.  The darkness still thrived within him no matter what, giving little meaning to their petty attacks.

"And so, in the end, it was Inuyasha and I.  We fought for awhile, but the entire time, my soul was bleeding.  Finally, when his body began to fail, I saw.  I saw the evil that had built.  And I knew that as soon as he died, it would merely search for a new outlet.

"I began to sob.  I reached out for him, brought him into my arms and told him how much I really and truly loved him.  I told him everything I'd held back in all the years I'd known him.  I pressed my lips to his....  And he died in my arms, the darkness dissipating until it had settled into the earth itself."

"And that's when you ascended.....  When you, Sesshomaru, and Kouga became demi-gods," Koenma concluded in awe.  His eyes were wide as saucers as he regarded the Kami no Miko.

Suddenly, the blue eyed beauty gasped, clutching her heart as she fell to her knees in complete and utter agony.  "The darkness....  It's found a host."

*********************************

Booming malicious laughter rang out through the field, silencing the echoes of battle as the dark hybrid ripped through them all.  "You will all pay!  You will all suffer the atrocities done to me!  You will all know the pain of the forbidden!"

Yusuke trembled slightly, his eyes wide as he dodged the flames.  His eyes were bright with worry as he watched his friend.  He knew that there had to be something controlling him.  But who could control Hiei?

"We told you to leave this place!" the Kami no Taiyoukai roared in rage as he grabbed the toushin.  "Do you not understand what this means?"

The battle raged on, the dark hybrid destroying all in his path.  Another Naraku, another Inuyasha had been born.

********************************

Kagome closed her eyes tightly, her arms wrapping around her torso.  The evil in the air felt like it was trying to burn through her soul as she was carried to the almost barren sight of the battle.  She knew that her heart had to be as open as possible.  It was the only way to heal the damage done.

"Are you sure you are ready for this?  Hiei has a far darker past than even your hanyou."  Slight consern laced the silver kitsune's words, his eyes alight with a certain compassion that was rarely seen.

"I have to be."  Her voice was soft as she slid from his back, walking calmly through the path that was automatically cleared for her by the few remaining soldiers.  She turned her sapphire gaze to the infected hybrid's as she advanced, noting how they were almost ebony, not a trace of the rightful crimson left.  "Jaganshi Hiei!"

A growl ripped through the youkai's throat as he turned to her, releasing waves of black flames at her.  "You know nothing of suffering Kami no Miko!"

Light flashed, stopping the attack before it could hit her, pushing all remaining combatants back, including Sesshomaru, Yusuke, Youko, and Kouga.  "I see into your soul Jaganshi Hiei!  I see the goodness you try so hard to bury!  I see that inside you have wanted only one thing your whole life."

Evil raged through the air, trying to attack the miko through her barrier but failing as she only walked closer.  "Get away foolish Onna!"

"You've wanted love, Hiei.  You've wanted acceptance.  Well, you're part of this world.  You are part of all that I treasure.  You have the love of someone, you just have to learn to feel it."  A soft hand landed on the hybrid's chest, directly over his heart.  "Feel through here Hiei....  Feel through to me."

He was paralyzed.  His heart sped at her closeness, the shadows inside him hissing as he reached through, feeling the warmth of her hand on his bare chest, but more than that, the love in her soul.  He wanted her....  No he needed her.  He needed to feel that love every minute of every day.  But he knew, she loved him only for this world.  The darkness grew again.

Tears trickled down the Kami no Miko's cheeks as he felt his skin literally burning her hand, but it wasn't for that.  "Hiei....  You are loveable....  Look at me...."  But she knew that it wasn't enough.  She pressed her lips to his.

All darkness rippled and fell into the earth, time standing still in that moment.  All the warriors threw down their arms, feeling the light in the atmosphere return.

Lips remained pressed to lips and both knew....  There would be more love between them.