BEFORE YOU READ!!! NO this is not a story with a sad ending, despite how it may first seem, so please dont throw the rotten fruit until you read all the way to the end! :)

Chapter 23 - Fate vs Destiny

So this was to be the end. She thought fleetingly, rain pouring upon her, vision blurred until all that remained was glittering gold. The hideous laughter faded until it was only a dim recollection. The pain was nothing, in the face of all that she had suffered in the past. Time slowed and it was as if the ghostly hands of wind passed her, one by one, to the welcoming cushion of wet earth.

The time it took for her to blink seemed an eternity. And as her eyes closed, in that brief, evanescent moment, she recalled the all-to-few precious months of winter and how in a single, inevitable moment, the small slice of peace they had carved was shattered ...

***

"Come."

She sighed teasingly. "Must we? I'm sure we could find more enjoyable exercises to do in weather such as this." She said motioning to the darkening skies outside. But she was already strapping her sword to her waist.

The faintest hint of amusement tinged his voice as he turned back to face her from the cave's entrance. "You know that this --" He eyes narrowed sharply and his hand was already pulling out his sword as he spun. But it was too late to block the large ebony metal dart as it pierced his shoulder, shattering armor and piercing bone. His feet skidded across the ground as the impact pushed him back several feet.

"Sesshomaru!" She darted forward eyes trained to the outside. Movement caught her eye and she leaped as another dart streaked silently through the sky, aimed directly for him. She swung her sword, using the flat side to redirected the deadly projectile. Sparks flew and metal screamed. It took every bit of strength she had to push it away and the power left her flying through the air. Her breath was expelled from her lungs painfully as she smashed into the cave wall.

An arm encircled her waist and the world blurred as Sesshomaru streaked out into the mid-day sun. A thunderous roar was heard as the cave collapsed behind them. Gasping for air, her eyes searched the clearing for danger.

"Put me down. I'm fine." When her feet touched the ground, she turned until her back was against his. Though she longed to see how badly he was hurt, her eyes never stopped their searching. "How bad?" she asked quietly.

"Hn."

"Can you sense anything?"

In answer he said, "We cannot stay here, the enemy has the advantage. The dart had some substance that has crippled this Sesshomaru's senses. We must find ground that proves more advantageous."

Insidious laughter echoed off the trees as the sky darkened. Black smoke began curling along the ground, surrounding them. It built, growing until a huge mass stood before them.

"You thought you could hide from me ... Angel of Death? You thought to avoid your fate? You thought you were worthy of peaccccce? And him?" He hissed, raising a shadowy clawed finger and pointing at the taiyoukai beside her. "You have only ensured that his death will come sssooner. I will feed upon his soul until nothing remains." He taunted.

"You are wrong Eater!" She bit out, "I will never allow your vile darkness to touch another soul. You will die and I will never speak of you again. You will be a bad dream soon forgotten." She stepped forward, sword raised. But a small pressure on her arm stopped her. Her eyes slid up to the youkai beside her.

"We will defeat him ... together."

She nodded. "Toge --" She gasped, recalling words spoken by another. '...together these two things will burn away death's shadow...' So preoccupied was she, that she barley leaped away as a huge shadowy tendril shot towards them, forcing them to jump to opposite sides.

"Earth and Spirit...Tetsusaiga...Inuyasha..." She whispered, "...Hope and Soul...The Red Sword ... A soul?... No, MY soul ... a gift of the soul ..." Her thoughts swirled.

Another tendril streaked towards her. She swung, slicing her sword down toward the vaporous vine. But unlike previous battles, it did not connect with its target. It went through it as if it did not exist. Eyes widened, she only had seconds to throw up her arm to take the brunt of the attack and shield her chest. Excruciating pain told her the damage was severe, gritting her teeth in agony, she could not hold back the cry of pain as she wrenched her arm free of the barb.

The sword did not work. Why!?! Wh -- "My soul. Sesshomaru has my soul... he must wield both swords." She looked up, her eyes frantically searching for him. He too was fighting unsuccessfully. His claws and the Tetsusaiga having no effect on their own. Large gashes and cuts covered his body. It was obvious that he had taken the brunt of the attacks.

"Watch! Watch Angel of Death as I cut him down before your eyes!" The Eater hissed. The shadow's form darkened to pitch black, energy crackling. The ground began to shake as the Eater shot dozens of small tendrils into the ground.

'A life will be forfeit...' The Seer's last words echoed hauntingly in her head. 'You will lose him.'

"No." She said to the voice. "I will not allow it ... there is no such thing as fate, only one's destiny chosen! If a life will be forfeit, it will not be his!" She surged forward, her feet flying. She would not even consider that she would be too late. Her eyes were trained on his cold face as she leaped the final distance, her arms outstretched.

He turned at the last moment, his dulled senses catching the sound of pounding feet. His eyes flared as he saw her body soaring toward him, sword clenched tightly and eyes burning with determination. Her lips parted in a silent warning. His gaze swiveled behind him too late, as deadly barbs shot out of the ground. A small, warm body, full of indomitable strength, pushed him away. There was a gasp, a hitch in breath, the unmistakable smell of blood. He turned swiftly, already knowing what his eyes would find.

The wind stilled and as if the sky had been waiting for this moment, it began to weep. Before him stood the only being to have ever captured his heart, a small smile of relief touching blood stained lips.

"You are safe." She breathed, crumpling to the ground, the Red Sword clutched to her chest.

***

Her eyes opened to the present. She knew she was being held, but oddly she could not feel it. Her eyes slowly focused on the familiar face above hers.

"Sesshomaru ... I must tell you ... the swords Sesshomaru, the only way to defeat him is to use both swords. Together the two will ... burn away ..." She stopped, breathing labored.

"Death's Shadow." Sesshomaru finished, pained realization filling his eyes. She nodded. "And the life forfeit?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

She brought up a shaky hand to caress the markings on his face. "I could not let it be you ... never you."

"Foolish woman!" He snarled.

"I chose... my destiny." she blinked slowly. When she opened her eyes again, she smiled radiantly "I told you once, ... that I would protect you. At the time, I said that because I thought it was my fate to die for all kind... but instead, I do so because I wish to see you live." She lightly brushed his lips with her fingertips.

"Remember me." she entreated, before her eyes began to slowly close and her fragile hold on life broke.

Time stood still. The words whirling, echoing in his mind. Why? How could two humans ask for something so little as to only be remembered? Why not beg to be spared as he'd seen countless others do? Why those damnable words that caused such an unbearable tightening in his chest? His breath came in short pants as he tried to hold back the dam flooding his mind. He might as well have tried to keep the sea itself from crashing onto the sand. Memories and dreams collided. Feelings too long caged, flew free from a captor no longer willing to keep them prisoner.

"Remember you?" he growled. "I will not remember you! I will not be satisfied with the emptiness of just memories! You have done this to me." He said fiercely, shaking her lifeless form. "You have broken the chains that held me only to bind me to you. You will reap what you have sowed. You will not leave this Sesshomaru."

"She cannot be dead! Where is her soul!?! What has she done with it!?! Thisss was fated!" The Eater's aura swirled madly. Fury lacing his words.

Movement caught Sesshomaru's eye and he looked up, over the body of his fallen mitsukai. And he was there. His brother kneeling beside them. Their eyes met, the hanyous solemn. 'You have something to protect?' There was no heistation in his answer and Sesshomaru inclined his head in reply. And with the smallest of smiles, the hanyou vanished.

"Her soul will never belong to you. It was entrusted to this Sesshomaru. It is mine to protect." Sesshomaru said, turning burning red eyes to the enemy before him.

"I will decimate this land and consume every life until none are left. Your disgusting beliefs of hope and love will vanish as her body turns to dust. Come, I will be merciful. Let me give you death, so that you may join her in oblivion."

Removing the remains of his haori, he tucked it beneath the head of the woman in his arms. Gently he trailed his hand down her still arm before coming to rest over her hand.

"Let loose mitsukai," he whispered. "I need your help one more time." As if she heard him even in death, her hand released its grip on the Red Sword. Blood ran down his arms as he gripped the Tetsusaiga in one and the Sword of Souls in the other. Warmth radiated from the metal beneath his hands. A fiercesome light of silver and red glowed about him. He stood and turned, facing the evil that laughed in triumph.

"Fate is for" step "those too weak" step "to make their own destiny."

The fires of hell itself stared out of the golden-red orbs. Death of his enemy would not satisfy the great taiyoukai, only complete annihilation would. None, even the greatest evil, could look upon such a sight and not know fear.

"You will know this day, why they call me the 'Killing Perfection.' She was no bringer of death, but I am."

In centuries to come, none would ever know of the great battle waged in a small field by the lost cave. It was what legends were made of. The right for every living being to have their own destinies was decided that day. And when the dust settled, a tall figure stood alone as the sun rose to greet another day. With a heart that now knew what true sorrow was, he knelt by the side of his very own fallen mitsukai. Dropping the two swords, he drew the Tenseiga. But their were no pall bearers to cut in half ... because there was no soul to carry.

"No." He growled, baring his fangs at the wisps of black smoke, which were all that remained of the Eater of Souls. "You shall not have her, she is mine." But despair began to creep slowly in. What good was a sword that could bring back the dead except the one who mattered most? There was a faint movement out of the corner of his eye. He jerked back, his eyes widening as he saw the figure kneeling by him. The ethereal girl glowed, soothing beams of blue light radiating from from her like the smallest star.

"Rin?"

She smiled, before her face turned serious. She made no noise as she glanced pointedly at the rising sun and the fast dissipating black smoke before turning to look at the black-haired woman lying on the ground.

"She is gone Rin." He said, anguish flickering in his eyes.

"Save her."

"The Tenseiga cannot bring back one with no soul."

"She has not lost all of it yet." she said softly, her hand passing briefly over his heart. "She gave what was left to you. What are you willing to sacrifice to save what is lost?."

"I do not --" He stopped. "The Sword of Souls."

Swiftly he grabbed the hilt of the Red Sword, poising it above his own chest.

"It will hurt. All her pain will be yours." She called out, before fading away.

"So be it." With one swift stroke he brought the sword down. Pain could not describe what he felt. Every stroke, every stab she had suffered in the place of others was his own. Time rewound itself, visiting each year, each battle, each death until they blurred together, leaving him on the edge of the abyss. The coolness of caring hands brought him back. He chose to keep his eyes closed, afraid the touch would be gone if he opened them.

"Sesshomaru ... Sesshomaru. Please wake up." Lips trailed softly across his brow, down his nose. Just like the dream, he thought. Suddenly, the warm lips disappeared and he was left bereft.

He lunged, his eyes opening to look into the startled depths of twilight blue before he sank his hands into silky, black hair, tugging her down until his nose was buried behind her ear. He breathed deep. Lotus blossoms and rain. His arms tightened.

"Sesshomaru ... you --"

"You are alive." And whole. He could feel her soul within her, where still a small part of his remained. Forever.

"...Yes, although I'm not sure how... I was dead ... truly gone. How --?"

"It matters little. All that is important is that you are here." He breathed in her scent again.

"I don't understand." she said hesitantly. "Where is the Eater?"

"Gone." He growled. "He will harm no one ever again."

She struggled to move out of his arms, but he would have none of it. He had meant what he said, she would not leave him now. They were bound together. Her hands pushed at his chest, but stilled as she felt ridges on his skin where the cloth had parted. She pulled back just enough to see and gasped. Right above his heart, burned into his skin was a small single feather.

"Sesshomaru," she said quietly. "What have you done!? Have you been cursed? Why would you --"

"No, I bear no curse. The Sword of Souls merely allowed one final soul to be saved." He said gently.

"One final...me? You saved me? You... oh Sesshomaru." She cupped his face, looking into eyes disconcertingly filled with things she'd never thought to see. "You felt it didn't you?"

He gave a short nod, unwilling to deceive her.

"All of it?" she asked, face downcast to hide the wetness in her eyes."

He used a claw to gently tip her face to his. "A woman once told me that 'nothing great in the world had ever been accomplished without love.' I did not know what she meant until this day."

Her eyes searched his. He did nothing to conceal the thoughts and feelings she alone had brought forth, and whatever she saw seemed to erase all traces of doubt. Laying her forehead on his, she asked,

"What happens now?"

For the first time, Sesshomaru, the Great Lord of the Western Lands truly smiled, before capturing her lips with his own. "We make our own destiny."

***

THE END

***

First off, I want to say how TRULY sorry I am that it took this long to finish the story. That was never my intention. But as I'm sure most of you know (and have seen from other posted stories,) life cannot always be planned, and things come up. This was one of those times. That said, I also realized how out of character Sesshomaru especially was in this last chapter, but since this was my very first full complete story, I wanted to explore alot of different writing styles and concepts to get a feel for them. I think I did that, some with more success then others. BUT I still enjoyed writing this story and even though the end was a bit cheesy, (hey, what can I say, its a fic based on anime characters AND I'm a romantic at heart) I still think it was a great ending and a real tear jerker.

Well I hope you enjoyed my story as much as I enjoyed writing it. For those readers who stuck through from day one, waiting impatiently for the next chapter, you guys are awesome! Thank you so much for all your support. I doubt I would have completed this without you. And even though this story is completed, I would REALLY, REALLY, REALLY like some feedback!!! Pretty please with melting snow on top! Oh, okay... sugar if you want ;)

For those interested in knowing if I plan to write another, as a matter of fact I do! It is already in the works. This one will be set in modern times and is actually inspired by two books I have read. I am very excited about it. I will be posting a blurb about it on my profile a little later on fanfiction if anyone is interested.