26

Satomi knew what she had to do. Her body felt lighter than it ever had, her instincts were on point and her reflexes were so fast that she couldn't even keep track. Her breath quickened and her resolve took over. He would not hurt her family, not now or ever. She would destroy Jiro or die trying.

Earlier

His hand started to glow green as it disintegrated the scroll down to the floor. "Who delivered this?"

"It was on the chair when your mother called on us. Given the message, that's when we called you," Kagome said quietly as she stepped behind Inu-Yasha as Sesshomaru's eyes flashed a red glow before returning back to normal.

Rin looked at Sesshomaru and then around the room. While Sesshomaru made everyone else tense, she simply felt sorry for him. The role that he had was a hard one, to protect Satomi and everyone else while still being a demon lord. Ever since she met him, it was like that, thinking of everyone else although he seemed more than selfish to others. He was a confusing individual, but she knew he would pull through.

"Lord Sesshomaru, what would you like for us to do?" Rin offered to cut through the tense atmosphere. Sesshomaru was obviously not prepared for that question as he 'huffed' out a breath.

"I can handle it," he said sounding a bit offended, but then Inu-Yasha took a step closer with a determined look on his face.

"He isn't just out for you. He wants your legacy, our father's legacy, burned down. He knows Satomi is out of the picture at the moment, and even if you don't need us to deal with him who knows just what he's bringing with him. He won't be alone, and there's not much to go off of," Inu-Yasha clenched his fist as he struggled to find the right words. "We want to protect her too and everyone else. Our own families, comrades. Even if you say no, you know us well enough to know that we won't listen anyway."

Kagome smiled as she hugged her husband. "He is right, you know. We have a bad or good habit, I guess, of not listening to you when you try to go it alone. So, I think while you keep Jiro busy, we will take care of the rest of the mess that comes along."

Kohaku smirked as he shrugged his shoulders, Kagome always did know what to say to the demon lord when Rin could burst through the seams of his cold demeanor just enough for a finishing blow to his sanity or pride.

"Do as you wish, just don't get in my way," he said as he left the room. So long as he could take Jiro out, they could handle the rest. A part of him paused as for a brief moment he thought 'what if they couldn't'. The thought surprised him enough to stop him dead in his tracks as he found himself walking back towards Satomi. As if that annoyingly human thought was made from her. Her caring personality that he thought of once as a weakness proved to be her strongest weapon in her journey as a goddess. Sighing, he put his hand on his forehead and shook his head side to side. He didn't have time to look at her, as much as he wanted to. There was an army to call to arms and he didn't have time to be her lover. He had to be the demon lord, there was no room for disappointment.

As his brother's team assembled their plans, he left the room only to see his mother standing there waiting. "You've changed even since that little human girl. The woman has a similar scent. Sisters, I presume? Don't follow the same path as your father. His romance with the human woman was his downfall. I smell human on that woman, even if she is something beyond that now. Remember your father, that is all I ask. I take my leave of you now."

"Mother," he said with a small bow as she turned on her heel and vanished down the hall. He knew what she was getting at, but didn't want to think of it that way. Satomi showed him more than what was possible just months ago. Rin showed him how to care, Satomi showed him how to open his heart. Even if it was a mere sliver of light shining in the darkness of his heart.

As he contemplated just how anything in this wild plot would work, he could smell something foul in the air. It wasn't quite Jiro, but it reminded him of something else. A demon formed of many foul demons, Naraku. It wasn't the exact same scent, but it was unmistakable filling his mind with anger. That foul false demon that roamed these lands for far too long before had no place reappearing here. Quickly flying to the outside, he saw the cloud of demons coming ever closer as his brother's group, Kohaku and Rin came forth to meet him there.

"It's familiar," Inu-Yasha said as he approached behind his brother. It was obvious they were both on the same track with their senses.

"Kohaku, take Rin and protect her," Sesshomaru called out behind him.

"Yes, my lord," Kohaku said as he took Rin's hand and they both went inside. Rin looked back at Sesshomaru with a worried expression. "He will be fine." Kohaku smiled at her as he slid the door shut.

"I am able to fight now, Kohaku. I'm not the little girl I once was," Rin said frustrated as she crossed her arms and turned away from him.

"I know, but this demon makes your sister tense up. I doubt that…"

"My sister?"

"Uh… Satomi, I mean, you two just look a lot alike and have the same general personalities. I just thought that uh… you know." Kohaku was reeling from a little conversation he had overheard just moments ago from the hall. It made complete sense, and it cleared up many questions on why Satomi was so determined to protect Rin from anyone, why Sesshomaru was so close to her, and why he felt like Satomi was just an older version of Rin.

"I had a sister once, but my mother said she died in a fire at the castle she went to for work. I was young then, but if she was my sister why wouldn't she tell me?" Rin said trying to stay calm when what she wanted to do was find Satomi.

"Rin? Are you mad?" Kohaku said shocked at Rin's expression. She was biting her lip and it seemed like her eyes were welling up with tears. "There is an explanation, I'm sure of it."

"I'm not mad, just…I don't know." Looking off into the distance of the room, she could feel something pull her from outside the room. A force that beckoned her. Her stomach sank as she felt a wave of dark energy come even closer with the screams of dying demons following as the group attacked. "I feel weird."

"What do you mean?" Kohaku asked as he saw her expression shift to confused.

"I feel like we belong out there," she said unable to shake the feeling.

"Lord Sesshomaru would have my head on a platter if anything happened to you," Kohaku said not wanting to envision that, but unable to not think of it either.

"Nothing will. Satomi will come, I'm sure of it."

"She's in the room passed out with no signs of waking up. I don't even sense her usual energy."

"You say she's my sister. Then I know she will come for me."

Kohaku sighed in frustration. He honestly couldn't say no to Rin. The confidence she gained recently he couldn't place where she got it from. Sesshomaru or Satomi, but either way she had a point. Satomi always came to Rin's aid, no matter the consequences. There was no reason to stop believing in that now.

"No stopping you that's for sure," he said as he opened the sliding door shaking his head in both amazement and disbelief. Leading her out, he kept an eye out for threats directly coming for them. Putting two and two together made sense with Satomi and Rin, but he had to wonder if Rin really didn't have a clue or if she was just waiting confirmation. Her reaction was neither upset or overjoyed, more just accepting. Perhaps she was waiting for Satomi to come as confirmation to her thoughts which was a risky gamble.

"I thought we told you to go inside," Inu-Yasha said as he unleased the Wind Scar and Kagome sent a purified arrow into the hoard of demons coming their way. Left and right the dog demons were being picked off from the outside. Jiro's demons were trying to surround them.

"I can help! Just let me," Rin said as a gust of demonic energy swept past her and into the stomach of a nearby dog demon. Running to him, she applied pressure to the wound as the blood was seeping through. Kagome joined her to help, but at this rate it would be a win just to be living at the end of it.

As Rin looked up, she saw an arrow directing at Lord Sesshomaru. Praying for help, she called to Satomi and within seconds, she was there. Looking at Satomi in a new light, she could see just how similar they were. Same face structure, same nature, same eye color and hair color. Even her aura was so familiar as she remembered when they were at Sesshomaru's compound.

Kagome called to her to focus, but how could she while knowing that she had a piece of her family back when it was only this life for so long. Moving the injured demon inside quickly but carefully, she prayed that her sister would come back to her just one more time.

"I thought I told you to rot in hell," Jiro said to Satomi with a snarl. His moves were becoming desperate as they exchanged blows with their demon energy.

"Perhaps you first," Satomi said as she felt some other source of energy coming from him. He moved so fast, but not as fast as Sesshomaru just much more chaotic. While scanning his energy there was something off about the energy he was putting out. "You're not him."

As they both stopped, they descended to the ground. "You are a clever one," he said with an annoyed sigh. "I really wondered how long it would take for you. However, this body does have its advantages. I can see you from where I am, and it acts in line with what I want. Truly a lovely servant of a body."

"Sounds about right for you," she said disgusted with him as if she didn't have enough to be disgusted with already.

"Don't we just use our servants? You, my dear, act all high and mighty on your morale high horse, but I know you wish to rule. Humans, demons, gods are all the same. They're out for themselves and their best interests. You have all three lumped into one. I'd call you the greediest of them all," Jiro said as he stepped forward causing Satomi to tense. As he smiled amused at her reaction, she narrowed her eyes with caution. "Let's see how you do when you have to give something up to save someone other than your dear Rin or demon lord."

Disappearing from Satomi's sight and reappearing before the mansion, all Satomi could hear was a scream from within before nothing but a moment of deafening silence. Her heart sank as she felt the guilt of letting her guard down, not knowing what would be on the other side of the sliding doors tears started welling up. The room was filled with a dark aura before it twisted out of the room as she slammed open the doors. Sesshomaru behind her as the rest of the demons disappeared. Kagome was bleeding from her heart as her body lay lifeless on the floor as Rin tried to summon her energy to help save her. Inu-Yasha was in shock as he called out to her trying to stop the bleeding pushing away Kohaku as he tried to save her by putting pressure on the wound.

Satomi didn't hesitate as she leaned down and reached to Kagome's heart. Still and lifeless, her soul was leaving her. Inu-Yasha's hand gripped into Satomi's and blood dripped down his claws as his eyes started to turn red. Sesshomaru followed with a powerful swing to Inu-Yasha causing him to crash through the walls as the brothers fought. As the chaos ensued, Satomi's lips moved as she prayed. Prayed for an answer before another silence happened. Looking around the room, all was still but Kagome's soul was standing above her body with a saddened smile.

"Kagome, I can…"

"I know, but you shouldn't."

Tears started to rush down Satomi's face as Kagome reached forward. "I want to save you I just don't know how."

"It's okay. I just didn't want to leave him so soon without a child." Kagome's glance went towards Inu-Yasha as her shoulders heaved in a defeated sigh. "I knew this time was dangerous, but I also knew a life without him wouldn't be worth the alternative."

"You're so much stronger than I am. I don't know how much more I can do before I break." It was a thought that had been tossing in her mind for a long time now. Anything for Rin or Sesshomaru but at what cost. Everything was coming down to the last moment of this fight with Jiro. There wasn't much time left for her and Rin, Sesshomaru and her, even her new friends along the way.

"Strong people need help sometimes. We've relied on you but it's hard when you're different, I know. It's hard to ask for help, I'm guilty too. But if anyone can do this, you can." Kagome's hand touched Satomi's shoulder as Satomi sobbed, her tears dripping on Kagome's chest. Warmth and calmness flooded Satomi as Kagome's aura washed over her. Everything felt like a dream before suddenly it was gone.

Opening her tear swollen eyes, she knew Tsukuyomi was nearby. Turning her head, she saw his face was solemn. A face she hadn't seen on him before. "I have to do something," she begged as he shook his head. "How can you stand there and do nothing?"

"Stop acting like a spoiled brat, it doesn't suit you," he said piercing a glare at her. "There is a higher purpose for you, and this is simply a casualty that happened in the process."

"Bastard, she's my friend," screaming at him as she stood up as he reached forward to grab her throat.

"And now she's your dead friend. Mourn her loss and move on. There's a larger problem at work here that needs to be taken care of." Releasing her, she gasped for air on the ground as he sighed in annoyance. "I didn't want this to happen but that's the cost of a war."

"I don't do it if you don't help me help her," Satomi ground through her teeth at him as her eyes glowed with anger.

"You don't get it do you! You're not a god, you're a human on borrowed power on borrowed time. The more energy you spend to revive her the less time I'll be able to give you when your task of killing Jiro is finished. Stupid girl with selfish desires is what you are," the god said as his power lashed around them.

"I am selfish. I am human, but I'm not stupid. She is a powerful priestess that is dead because Jiro wants me to fail. She was pregnant, she was starting a life with her husband, and she was a kind person that this world doesn't deserve. Which is more of a reason for her to be saved," Satomi said as she turned back to Kagome. Putting Kagome's head in her lap, she concentrated her energy to healing her wound with her hands over her heart. "I'll do it myself and live with that consequence."

Chanting ancient words that she had no idea she knew; she felt the spiritual world shifting as Kagome's soul became apparent again. The wound was healing as her soul passed through Satomi and into her own body. Suddenly the world felt heavy as Satomi worked to complete what she had to do. The chant had to be done, the healing had to finish, and her soul completely in tune with her body or everything would fall apart. Reincarnated souls were complicated, and this just made it worse.

Feeling a hand on her back, she felt a wave of energy pass through her. "Stupid girl. Giving up so much for everyone else when you could have it all with just a wish for it." Tsukuyomi's voice could be heard although his body had disappeared. She had to wonder if a past life did the same thing before and that's what made him so mad. Finishing the incantation, she felt tired as her energy dropped dramatically. Looking down at her body, she realized her hair was once again a dark brown and her old kimono was there instead of her goddess garment.

To be human again, truly human again. It had felt like a lifetime but welcomed at the same time. Kagome's body that was once lifeless was breathing as the world continued again. Kohaku and Rin looked at Satomi in wonder as they saw what was happening.

"Are you human?' Kohaku asked as he didn't sense a superior power or demonic energy.

"I don't know." Answering truthfully, she just shrugged as Rin's eyes welled up with tears.

"Sister?" Rin asked curiously as her hand reached forward. The similarity was undeniable as Rin looked at her features. How she didn't see it before, she felt so blind.

"I'm so sorry I didn't say it before," was all Satomi said as Rin threw herself into Satomi's lap and cried.

Sesshomaru and Inu-Yasha halted as Inu-Yasha heard Kagome's heartbeat and his eyes returned to normal. Rushing to Kagome, Inu-Yasha raised her head and held it close.

"Satomi, did you…sacrifice for us?" He didn't know how to ask as he didn't sense any odd energy from her anymore.

"My god power loaner is upset with me but if I had to I would do it again. She's worth that much," she said as Kagome's eyes slowly opened.

"Welcome back to the living, Kagome," Satomi said as she caressed Rin's head.

"Your death is your undoing, child. Selfish desires come with just desserts. Your powers are gone as you wanted to defy fate so badly. Your protection is vanished, your way is now your own. Jiro must be killed before the eclipse or you will perish. Your desire as brought you thus," Kagome's voice spoke but Satomi knew it wasn't her.

Coughing ensued as the real Kagome woke up and the group circled around her grateful. None of them heard the voice that came before that break of air. No one but Satomi.